Greetings! My name is Syed Sarmad and I’m the Principal Broker for Advantage Vacation. Advantage Vacation is a licensed real estate company specializing in name brand timeshare resales. We specialize in timeshare resales of Marriott, Westin, Hyatt and Hilton. Our offices are located in the Lahaina Cannery Mall in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Advantage Vacation has been in business for over 25 years.
You may view the following video or read the transcribed video below.
The presentation today is about the Marriott Vacation Club ownership program and the difference between resale versus retail. In other words, what is the difference? What don’t I get when I buy a Marriott timeshare resale?
There are two programs in the Marriott Vacation Club timeshare ownership. One is called Legacy Weeks and the second is called the Destination Club Points Program. I will start with the Legacy Weeks.
Marriott Vacation Club Legacy Weeks is where you own a timeshare in a particular resort in a particular season at that resort whether it’s Gold, Platinum or Silver time (sometimes it is referred to Red, White or Blue season). When you own a Legacy week timeshare, regardless of whether you buy from the Developer or purchase a timeshare resale, you have one week of usage at your Home Resort in a designated time period.
If you purchase a timeshare resale or have purchased a Marriott Vacation Club Legacy Week timeshare resale after June 20, 2010 what you can do is make a reservation at your Home Resort up to 12 months in advance if you are a single week owner and if you want to make an exchange you have to enroll in Interval International to make any external exchanges – including exchanges into other Marriott Vacation Club properties. That is how it used to work prior to June 20, 2010.
Marriott Maui Ocean Club
What is the difference if you purchase Marriott timeshare resales? You can book your reservation at your Home Resort 12 months in advance or make an exchange thru Interval International. You do not have the ability to convert your week into Marriott Rewards Points which has to do with hotel stays or participate or enroll in the Marriott Destination Club Points program. Therefore, you can purchase a Marriott timeshare from the Developer, a Legacy Week, and then you have the ability to convert that week into Marriott Rewards Points for hotel stays or to participate in the Marriott Destination Club Points program.
Another thing to keep in mind with Marriott timeshares is that when you own multiple weeks you have the ability to book 13 months in advance consecutively at your Home Resort. If you are a single week Marriott timeshare owner you can book your reservation up to 12 months in advance.
This how it works with all Marriott timeshare programs where multiple week owners can book up to 13 months in advance. What Marriott does is allocate half their inventory in each designated unit time for people who can book up to 13 months in advance. So, for example you could own a Marriott timeshare in Maui and one in Florida and if it’s in the same season or if it allows you to book in the same time period, then you can book up to 13 months in advance respectively at your Home resort.
Once again, in summary, at your Home Resort you can book 12 months in advance or 13 months in advance just like if you bought from the Developer – you pay the same maintenance fees and you call the same place to make reservations. The difference is that if you buy from the Developer you can participate in the Marriott Rewards Points program or the Destination Club Points program.
Now, let’s talk about the Destination Club Points Program. There is absolutely no difference if you purchase a resale Destination Club Points timeshare on the timeshare resale market. Marriott will charge a $2 per point initiation fee or $3,000 whichever is the greater for an initiation fee so you will have the ability to participate in the Marriott Destination Club Points benefits which allows you to stay at various resorts for partial weeks, convert points into hotel points, participate in the Explorer Program or convert into Marriott Rewards Points. There is also a $300 one time Education Fee for people who purchase Marriott Destination Club Points Program who do not currently own Marriott Destination Points. Once again, there is no difference between purchasing a Marriott Destination Club Points Program resale versus purchasing from the Developer.
I hope this information has been useful to you.
Syed Sarmad, Principal Broker for Advantage Vacation
