Marriott Time Shares

My wife and I purchased our time share last summer at the OceanWatch Villas. We already have booked our trip for 2007 and have booked our free trip we received when we purchased from Marriott. I realized I'm new to the Marriott Time share world, but I'm curious to find out if others are as satisfied as I am? We booked our 2007 trip with absolutely no problems. Our "free" trip we booked to Disney property. It took them a week, but we got on.

Gee, I don't know about the "free" trip you got, but I am as satisfied as you are, I think. We own at Ocean Watch, and Ford's Colony. We have had both for 3 years now and love them. Never have had any problems.

We've owned at Marriott's Barony Beach in Hilton Head for about 10 years. We've never had a problem getting the weeks we wanted at Barony, our home resort. We've also traded to many other places (all Marriott so far), and we'll be coming to OceanWatch in September. So far we really have had no problem trading either, and have also postponed use of our weeks when we had more weeks available than we were able to use by depositing them with Interval International. We then had three years to use the weeks (yes, a fee was incurred, but better than losing the use of the weeks we'd paid maintenace on). I haven't been real careful about planning far ahead in the past, but in future will be placing requests first with Interval, rather than deposting the weeks and then making a request later on. If you do it that way, you lose access to your week, but by requesting first, if you don't get what you want, you still have the week at your home resort to use or loan out or rent. My suggestion - make your requests for your home resort as early as you are able each year (we own three weeks, and if requesting two consequtive weeks or two weeks one after the other, we can request Barony Villas 13 months in advance, otherwise if requesting one week, 12 months in advance). If you do this, you'll get the time you want at your home resort. And if you want to trade any of your weeks to go elsewhere, as soon as you have your week reserved at your home resort, put in a request with Interval for what you want. Good luck and enjoy your timeshare.

Kathi

We own two weeks at Ocean Watch and are extremely satisfied. We previously owned a non-Marriott property in Virginia, which was affiliated with RCI (vs Interval International). We researched Marriott before buying - this was not an impulse purchase. You really can't go wrong with the brand. We use our Platinum ocean side every year, and trade our gold garden view. Thus far we have only used Marriott properties and been thoroughly pleased.

Best, HLIW

We own weeks at four different Marriotts. Have been very happy with them all. We often take advantage of the lock-off feature (not available at MOW), either extending our vacation time at our home resort or exchanging for a week at other resorts. We usually try to exchange for Marriotts, since we have found them consistently better than other brands...though we have had some good experiences with other brands. We are glad we took the Marriott timeshare leap!

I am in the market to purchase a Marriott timeshare but have a question on the difference bewteen buying direct from Marriott or from a resell. The resell prices are approximately 25% less but I am unclear what I loose by purchasing that way. I think I loose my ability to trade directly for another Marriott property, but aren't they offered through Interval anyway? If I purchase on the resell market do I get access to Interval?

Any assistance with this would be appreicated.

If you buy resale, you lose the ability to trade in your week for Marriott points. This trade in is worth roughly one week at a Marriott hotel, but trading in for points costs an additional fee (~$100).

FYI, you should be able to purchase for at least 60% off of the Marriott price by buying resale.

Look at www.tug2.net, bulletin board, Marriott section for expert advice.

When you own a Marriott timeshare, do you have to pay a fee to Marriott to exchange for another Marriott property? How much? What do the colors represent i.e. bronze, silver, gold, platinum? Temperatures during these seasons at Myrtle Beach? Thanks

margaret915 Margaret; Yes, you definitely do have to pay a fee to trade into another Marriott property. The fee varies - less for US sites, more for International sites. Unfortunately, there are fees whatever you do - banking weeks, trading, turning the week into Marriott for points. I own at Barony Beach in Hilton Head, not in Myrtle Beach so I can't be sure whether their 'season' designation is exactly the same as Hilton Head, but I'd assume it's quite similar. Bronze, the cheapest timeframe to buy, has the fewest weeks and the least desireable time available - I think December and January (but not Christmas or New Years) and maybe a couple of weeks in November, but not Thanksgiving. Silver season has Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, also February and maybe early March. Gold has Labor Day through early November, and late March through the end of May. Platinum is summer season - the most expensive - June through August. If you call OceanWatch, or Marriott Owner services, they can tell you exact dates. Or check the Marriott Vacation Club website and go to the resort you're interested in. There should be a calendar which tells you which weeks are which season. Kathi

Ther property is great. I own five weeks, but I would suggest to anyone thinking of buying...get your own financing! Marriotts's financing is terrible. Misapplied payents, lost payment, delays in applying payments. It has been nothing short of a nightmare.

Another thing you lose if you buy resale is the Marriott advantage when exchanging with interval. If one deposits a week with Marriott, only Marriott owners (purchased from Marriott) can exchange for that week for the 1st 30 days it is available. I've traded gold weeks for platinum weeks this way, because I am able to access these weeks before say a Disney owner with a prime week. Only a Marriott owner with a better week can exchange before me.

I believe you still have the 30 day Marriott advantage in II regardless of weather you bought direct or resale. It is my understanding that you only lose the ability to trade your week for points.

The ONLY disadvantage to buing a resale is that you cannot trade for Mariott Rewards Points. Everything else is identical. I have purchased both ways, and there is no difference in trade power, Interval usage, fees, etc. I also experience more like a 33% discount over buying direct. If you are like me, you are buying the timeshare to go on vacations, and not to accumulate points. Go for the resale and buy 2. franw

Well put Francines25,

We paid $21,000 for Maui Marriott a year ago knowing full well this is where we wanted to vacation every year. Not to trade or cash in for points. Right now the same place is going for less than half price on Redweek. Buy resale and purchase where you would like to vacation. This is our second Marriott timeshare purchased from the builder and if I could do it over again I would purchase on Redweek for a fraction of the price we paid. We own at resorts that we rarely trade for anything because we love our home resorts.