As Danny Mc says, go to www.tug2.net to get the best overview of Marriott timeshare ownership and use of Marriott Rewards points with TS ownership.

What your friend tells you is correct, but should be viewed in the wider context of timeshare ownership over a long period of time.

In my own experience, Marriott TS ownership with unit resort occupancy combined with trades and points usage over a period of years may be a valuable tool for individuals who value annual destination travel and are willing to put some money up front.

Basically you pay a purchase price for ownership of a week at a Marriott TS resort that you may either use or trade for points ( every other year for points in most but not all cases). Owning multiple weeks creates the possibility to trade some weeks for Rewards Points and in the process get more bang for the buck.

How much "bang" you get depends upon your individual goals and ability to craft your Marriott Points into Travel Package Rewards which come with a hotel certificate plus airline miles.

One should keep in mind that when you trade your TS week for Marriott Points, you still pay annual maintainence fees and taxes ( assume about $700 per unit per year -- keep in mind this number varies by resort & season ).

What your friend is talking about is taking this cost and milking more value out of the hotel certificate plus the airline miles. So turning 2 TS units into Rewards points would give one a travel package with a 7 night hotel certificate & airline miles whose value would vary from $2500 to $6000 depending upon the Marriott hotel at which you use the certificate and the kind of airline travel you redeem with the miles. Using my above example of fees, you would subtract $1400 from the hotel/airline ticket value you receive to determine the true valule of what you get.

This is a brief and partially incomplete description of what your friend is talking about. There is a learning curve to the Marriott TS system, and not all individuals place the same value on travel, so the Marriott TS program may not be for everyone. Those who travel a great deal and have flexibility and patience might benefit from it.

But remember, a timeshare purchase is not an investment, it is simply the purchase of future destination travel with the hope/expectation of realizing a cost savings by decreased travel costs over a long period of time

Check out TUG where you will find a robust debate about the pros and cons of the Marriott program and timeshare in general.

Barry