Eujeanie

Is there any chance we can get bumped out if enough owners want their place at the same time/last minute?

I was told I don't have to attend any pitches, etc., but I'm skeptical. Will the phone ring every day with an offer?

Any do's or dont's for reserving as a hotel guest? (I know there won't be daily housekeeping, we're fine with that).

And I was pleased to see we will earn 10 Marriott points per dollar!

freeflyin

We stay at MVC often and have never been bumped out- I think that would cause huge issues if it were permitted.

You do not have to attend any pitches,but if you choose to do so if the offer is lucrative,be firm that you don't intend to purchase and be clear that you need to leave when the required time is up.

If you don't want any sales calls, simply unplug the phone during your visit while you are in the unit.

Every location we have stayed at does offer daily housekeeping,but it is usually basic-replacing towels,toiletries and emptying trash,along with making the beds.

Upgrades are not offered, but as a Plat, they usually honor basic requests like location, floor etc.

Eujeanie

Thanks, that sounds quite reasonable.

Horace

Marriott Vacation Club reservations through Marriott.com and MVC ownershio reservations use different inventory. When an MVC owner opts for a cruise or Marriott Rewards Points or some other non-timeshare use, the corresponding inventory is transferred to "hotel" inventory, allowing the cost of the non-timeshare use to be recovered.

One of the big complaints that pops up online is that owners can't book the dates they want (because they waited too long), but those same dates are available through Marriott.com. What they don't understand is that another owner already used that timeshare inventory.

If it rings at all, just explain you're not interested, and you don't want any more phone calls.

Reservations through Marriott.com get daily housekeeping.

Yes. And, if you're Platinum, 500 points as the arrival gift. But there are no upgrades. When an MVC resort has view categories, you get exactly the category (and villa size) that you reserved, not an upgrade. That's not because they're mean to Elite guests. It's just that there's a direct correlation between inventory and reservations.

Eujeanie

That's interesting about the different inventories. So my request for a quiet location/top floor may or may not be granted? That's ok. I've actually stayed several times at the same Hilton GV and ask for the same room, and it is usually granted.

hhoope01

Within a specific inventory "type" your requests might be honored. I stayed at one of the Aruba MVCI properties a couple of years ago. My reservation was for the basic/lowest view (pool view), but the check-in person was very nice and gave us the "pool view" room at the very end of the building which actually had a view of the ocean as well.

It is very unlikely you would be "upgraded" from a specific "view" or type of room (i.e. studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, etc.) to a better view or "larger" room. As stated their inventory isn't managed the same way as a hotels (given owners own weeks with specific views) thus they can't just give you a bigger or better view without taking it away from an owner who might have paid many thousands of dollars extra to "own" a week with that view or room size. But within categories, they have some leeway as to which room to give you.

rylan

Owners get first preference on room/villa location, however you can still put in requests and they will still try to accommodate you.

hhoope01

Sometimes just being nice can trump being an owner.

djohannw

Bumping of Marriott.com reservations in favor of MVC-owners may happen in extraordinary circumstances, e.g. after Irma last year I was bumped out of a MVC while owners were still able to stay there - all non-owner reservations (including exchanges) were not honored. It was quite some issue to get re-accommodated in a different MVC nearby (including involving Mr. Marriott's office and the Executive office of MVC) as both MVC-reservations and the Marriott Platinum line were only pointing fingers at each other, stating that they are now different companies operating separately...

Greetings - Dirk

hhoope01

Short of an "extraordinary circumstance" though, you shouldn't have any issues with your reservation. Since MVCI properties aren't run as "hotels", room management is very different. They don't oversell and the only times they can offer a room for "rent" is if an owner gives them their week to rent out. This does assume a sold out property, if a property isn't yet sold out, then MVCI essentially owns the weeks that haven't been sold and they can do whatever they want with those weeks.

helvetic

I have zero interest in timeshares.

That said, I am planning some stays in locations where there a Marriott Vacation Clubs that pop up as options on Marriott.com at reasonable rates. I'm wondering what the trade-offs are of booking such a property as a regular guest.

- Will I get regular elite benefits?

- Will I earn points and elite qualifying nights etc. as usual?

- Do these properties typically have the same amenities as a hotel? (front desk, spa, restaurant, club, room service, etc)

- Do the rooms have the same amenities typical of hotels?

dgreen12

Here's a relatively recent thread with answers to some of your questions.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...sider-mvc.html

hindolio

I've had recent stays at the Grand Chateau in Las Vegas and, I don't know if this is exactly the same thing, but The Westin Desert Willow Villas in Palm Desert. Both properties were very different.

Grand Chateau:

• no verbal mention of a sales pitch, but there was marketing material around the concierge advertising it for some small reward of points (I do not recall)
• Several different floor plan choices for rooms
• Pool bar and lobby bar, but I don't think there was a real full-service restaurant on site
• No spa, no club lounge, but yes to typical hotel amenities like towels, maid service, etc.
• Free valet parking
• 2 pools but neither was very kid-friendly
• Many different activities on every day of the week, some kid-friendly
• No upgrades or benefits other than a $25 credit to use at the hotel - I used mine on breakfast and coffee from the marketplace one morning
• Elite nights and points were received as normal

Western Desert Willow

• Asked if I would attend a sales pitch, but I declined
• Free gift bag, which included a clear Westin tote bag and a couple promotional offers (Shutterfly?)
• Only 3 different room choices - 1) a small 1 bed villa, 2) a large bed villa, 3) a 2 bed villa when 1 and 2 are combined
• Four different pools with free shuttles that loop around the property
• Paid self-parking $15
• No spa, no lounge, but a full service restaurant
• BBQ pits on site
• No upgrades of benefits
• Elite nights and points were received as normal

I might be forgetting some things, but my main point is I think these properties mostly operate differently and there are very limited benefits. Hope that helps.