Originally Posted by badjuju
Thanks for your replies. I plan on going to Hawaii later on this year and staying at the JW Ko Olina resort and will use my points coz the regular room rate is quite high.
I've never stayed at a timeshare before and did not have a very good impression of them - this was due to lack of knowledge.
Assuming I can get a nice room at a resort using the current promos here,
http://www.marriottvillas.com/getawa...p?cookies=true, it's an all around good deal for a weekend getaway.
Ex: 4 days/3 nights at JW Marriott Desert Ridge for $299. Sounds like a good deal to me.
http://www.marriottvillas.com/getawa...2D79F3A0679157
If I'm wrong, please correct me.
Marriott time shares are, imho, really top notch.
Most time shares like Fairfield (not related to Marriott) are stand alone facilites. They are set up like apartment complexes with decent facilites...pool etc.
The Marriott condos are superb with jacuzzi tubs in the master bedroom and washers and dryers in unit. (Most time share condos have these, they beat the heck out of standard hotel rooms.)
But what makes them unique is that most of their timeshares also have a Marriott hotel onsite. Therefore, you can get room service, nice restaurants etc.
Try it on a sales promo or with points. You won't be disappointed.
Two words of warning:
1) When you reserve a sales promo, make sure you tell the Marriott Rep you want to stay at the timeshare. On sales promo trips to Aruba, for example, they put people at any Marriott facility on the island. This could be ocean front condo 
or the Renaissance in town 
. This is probably true at other locations as well. You dont want to be stuck in a Fairfield by Marriott. Trust me, I am in a Fairfield right now. Its OK for business but not for vacation.
If they won't guarantee tell them nevermind and they will probably come around.
2) If reserving a timeshare either with money or points, if you select a one bedroom, check to see if its a "lockoff." A lockoff is when they split a 2 bedroom unit into a 1 bedroom full condo and a 1 bedroom lockoff. A lockoff is basically a standard hotel room-no kitchen, dining room or washer and dryer.
Good luck!