Original Message:
Re: Marriott VC Owners Please Help - Resale? Trades? Do you Recommend? (by Kenneth K.):
Not all timeshares are the same.....BUT MANY PEOPLE DON"T CARE....just want clean and safe
One of the biggest problems with T/S and fractional ownership when exchanging is the blindness and downright lies the places show as ... from both the owners and management companies. If most want beach front, and need a time that can fit, everyone would take a Marriott, Hyatt, Four Seasons ( the real Four Seasons), Hilton, Westin and some other Sheratons.
But, most will not be able to trade into those type units...( sometimes its a quality issue, usually they waited too long to exchange) So....they settle on something less. I promise, the kids don't see much of a differend as long as the sand & water are near, ot the MOUSE is, or that fishing & swimming lake....clean and safe, but what upsets most is the lies....of what to expect, and then be let down.
Most here would say when a T/S salespersons lips move, there a lie vocalizing...or info they know is supressed . This industry is very dirty.
I checked II and it is too late to try to find something in Oct on St Thomas. I could go the RCI.....but I did find a Marriott Aruba week for $370. I found tons of Cancun Royals in Nov ( Royals are all 5 star) for around $500 in a one bedroom full kitchen. A 2 bed 2 bath was just over $600. ( All are per week, for the unit)
I don't think my search week would turn up several on St Thomas, because II has my info linked to Marriott 5 star and the places were filtered out. I think one on St Thomas is having very bad lawsuits with the management companies, and maybe trading has stopped?
Not all resorts have lock outs. And not all management companies allow owners to use their lock outs in the same way. In most (Like Marriott) YOU chose a week in the float time, and the YOU pay a small fee to MAR to lock it out. Then you have your two weeks in the time you picked....of course the best time in the float you could possibility find.
The next step is to either use the two units any way you want....at this point, you can still stay there or rent it out. You can give one week or both to an exchange company and they will deposit your weeks into your account.
But once you give the weeks in to RCI or II, you have lost some sontrol. You can not rent the weeks you get in exchange.
In II, if they think your weeks are powerful enough, they MAY give you a accomodation week ( AC) or bonus week...usually for your one bedroom side...not the studio. (Now, your one week has returned to you 3 weeks.) On tug, it is usually reported that Four Seasons weeks locked out will get four weeks ( one week = 4 weeks.
ACs do have a service charge as to what size unit you want, and is restriced as to some resorts. You can usually get a one sized upgrade from you lockout...ie a one bedroom will get two, a studio will get one. However, is weaker times, many have reported getting a 2 bed 2 bath Marriot for the studio.
Just remember, Marriott is not a point system. They only deal in weeks. Their point system is simply a travel reward program.
Hope this helps. Most here is spelled out on the tug Marriott Forums