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Re: Marriott Going to a Point System (by Gregory B.):

This is true - not a rumor. Marriott is trying to keep this hush-hush for now until they can train their sales people on how to sell timeshare points instead of deeded weeks. All the sales folks will be offline for a week in June for the training. Expect lots of communication (spin) to be coming from Marriott in the next few months. We will have to wait for more details from Marriott to learn how/if the timeshare points system will mesh with Marriott Reward Points. Existing owners will be offered the opportunity to convert their deeded weeks to the timeshare points system - for a hefty charge. I haven't spoken with anyone who thinks this conversion is a good deal for existing deeded-week owners. Going forward, all new sales will be for timeshare points - not deeded weeks. The only way to buy deeded weeks will be on the resale market (but hey - there are lots of resales available). By selling timeshare points rather than deeded weeks, Marriott will be able to move a lot of off-season inventory that was previously classified as hard-to-sell. But the timeshare points system will also create more competition when trying to reserve your desired week during peak times.

Marriott claims several benefits of the timeshare points system. Using timeshare points will allow people to reserve any timeshare resort they want within the Marriott system. But locations like Hawaii will obviously require more points than Palm Springs or Orlando for instance. You will not be forced to use a full week all at once - reserve as many days as you have points. Weekend days will require more points than weekdays. The number of required points may also vary by season (at many resorts there are seasons - platinum/gold/silver/bronze/lead, etc).

Without Interval International, trading your week will become very difficult (if not impossible) for those owners not on the timeshare points system. Use it or lose it, baby! Deeded-week owners who do not convert to the timeshare points system will be left with fewer options on how to use their week: 1) Use week at home resort. 2) Rent out week through Marriott or eBay/craigslist/RedWeek. 3) Cash-in week for Marriott Reward Points (only if you originally purchased from Marriott).

By implementing a points system, Marriott (not the free market) will become the arbiter of what is considered a fair trade. Marriott claims this will keep the "riff-raff" bargain traders out of their resorts (perhaps that point is true). By eliminating the bargain traders coming in from Interval International and by allowing partial-week usage, it should increase vacancies at the resorts - and Marriott will then be able to rent out those vacant nights for profit. At the end of the day, there is more money in this for Marriott or else they wouldn't be making the change.

I have serious concerns. Because of no full kitchen, don't expect that your Maui Ocean Club week will be assigned an equivalent number of timeshare points as the Marriott Ko Olina for example. Previously we have had an easy time trading our Maui week for Ko Olina (so I guess we are classified as "bargain traders"). But under the new timeshare points system, using a full week of timeshare points from Maui Ocean Club will likely only get you a partial week at Ko Olina (and then of course Marriott will be happy to sell you more timeshare points or rent you more nights for cash$). Will existing deeded-week owners will be given priority in reserving their desired week at their home resort before the timeshare points owners from other resorts swoop-in to claim the best weeks? Does the concept of a "home resort" even apply when you are a just buying a bucket of points? And what security exists when you don't own a deeded week? Owning just a bucket of points seems pretty vulnerable if Marriott suddenly decides to change the rules (again). Without deeded-week owners, will Marriott control all decisions at the resorts instead of an elected Board of Directors?

This timeshare points system is about two things: 1) Marriott retaining control of the resorts. 2) Marriott increasing its opportunities for revenue.

First and foremost, Marriott is looking out for Marriott - so beware, and do you homework on this timeshare points system.