Original Message:
Re: When asked what my Marriott Timeshare Portfolio is "Worth", what should I say? (by Dan S.):
I just spoke to the Marriott Resale Department and it does seem that if they see what the offer price is from a potential open market buyer, they make a determination of matching the offer you have or releasing you to sell it at that price to your buyer. They were very helpful and can give you an idea of what Owners have been asking on the open market. They will eventually set up a resale desk for even more of their locations, as an accommodation to owners wanting to sell. They will eventually do the same for the points. I would think, due to the flexibility of the points, that perhaps they would hold their value a little better than the deeded weeks. He said my EOY for Grand Chateau was a property that currently had an open market ask price of about $4500. This leads me to a conclusion that my portfolio has a net worth of about $20,000........less, if I would be a motivated seller and perhaps a little more if I were patient and fortunate. We are banking on the fact that the Premier Plus benefits will only get enhanced in the future as Marriott tries to get more Owners up to this level and to the Premier level. For a brand new owner to get to the level we have reached, in today's dollars, even using half of your purchase through the resale program and then having to at least match it in Trust Points, I would think you would have to spend about $100,000 or about 8 Cents per point. My Sales Rep suggested that in the future it could take more points to earn Premier Status, currently 6500 Destination Points, as well as Premier Plus, currently 13000 Destination Points. In order to require that, they will have to offer more perks than they due currently. For us, the biggest perk is having a 60 day window to book Marriott Vacation Clubs and get a 30% reduction in points consumed. For drivable locations this can be very helpful, as short notice airfares can often add to your cost. I could save 1000 Destination Points with this perk between a 4 nights stay at the NJ property and a 4 night stay at the Boston property if each is in peak demand.