rylan

Another dumb change by the hipsters and MBAs who are obviously making these kind of corporate decisions...

DELee

Guess they needed to change the signs and letterhead for some unfathomable reason. Also wonder which exec's kid's consulting company was hired and how much they got for this "rebranding".

David

rthib

While the name is stupid, they wanted to make a change because it is a combined program of the Marriott Vacation Club and Vistana and members of Abound will have access to both programs.

DELee

And the consultants found out that "Bonvoy" was unfortunately already taken...

David

dgreen12

And Chase has trademarked "Boundless" for one of its Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.

Can you use your Boundless card at Abound?

DELee

And earn Bonvoy points...whoohoo!

David

rylan

This name makes it sound like it is a travel agency/vacation booking company rather than the timeshare system, like Delta Vacations or American Airlines Vacations where you can buy a package deal for airfare+hotel+car etc at a discount.
Marriott Vacations = booking agency
Abound = marketing name for product or service they are selling

Tanic

A new verb "Abounded" is born for when things go to hell at MVC.

DELee

Or getting "Abonvoyed at Abound".

David

Horace

It's NOT a "branding/name change" of "Marriott Vacation Club" to “Abound by Marriott Vacations.”

The old name of the points-based program for owners to reserve across the Marriott Vacation Club portfolio was "Marriott Vacation Club Destinations® Exchange Program." It was a wordy, generic name, but it was around for many years.

The big change this year is that Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club are being brought into the same program. Owners of the three brands will be able to use the same points "currency" across the whole portfolio (as well as for some external exchange options).

I suppose they could have rebranded it as "Marriott Vacation Club, Sheraton Vacation Club, and Westin Vacation Club Destinations® Exchange Program" -- but that would have been worse than the old name, which wasn't that good to begin with.

As of a few years ago, the parent company of all three brands is Marriott Vacations Worldwide.

The new name for the exchange program is the shorter, more marketable "Abound by Marriott Vacations™."

Abound is a real word (unlike Bonvoy) and is defined as something that exists in large numbers. Good branding for access to a large timeshare portfolio.

DELee

Then perhaps they should have simply called it "Marriott Vacations Wordwide", though "Marriott Vacations Worldwide" might have been better still.

David

TerryK

I am not an owner of any of the vacation clubs.

This seems like a positive change based on publicly available information. All three programs are rolled into one which benefits members. The name Abound by Marriott Vacations is also good. It is associated with Marriott but not directly Marriott. Marriott Vacations (VAC) is not part of Marriott International (MAR). The two companies have a marketing agreement but are otherwise separate companies.

Schnit

When Marriott bought Sheraton they didnt need to change the name, so I do not see the need here. Changing the points name like they did with Bonvoy I can see. But this is a pretty bad rebranding if you ask me.

Horace

Are you suggesting that "The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations® Exchange Program" would still be an appropriate -- and preferable -- name for the program, even though it will now include Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club resorts, in addition to Marriott Vacation Club resorts and Marriott Vacation Club Pulse properties?

It seems to me that “Abound by Marriott Vacations” is a big improvement. It's more succinct, more marketable, and not tied to single timeshare brand.

DELee

For simplicity and succinctness, then "Timeshares, Inc." would have worked too.

David