Rumors have been swirling for years that Marriott Vacation Club would introduce a new points-based system. Well, they finally did it! On June 20, 2010, Marriott introduced Marriott Vacation Club Destinations. Existing owners can buy into the new program for a modest fee and trade for Marriott properties internally as opposed to trading through Interval International. New owners and existing owners making new purchases no longer receive deeds to a specific property but instead they own points which can be used within the Club at most of the 50 Marriott Vacation Club destinations.
At first glance this is an exciting new development for us owners. On second glance, it doesn’t look so good for savvy owners that know how to “work” the system or who use the services of The Art of Vacationing. The bottom line is that your ownership weeks can get you more upgrades and more vacation time using the old weeks-based program than the new points-based system. The good news is that you can make the decision annually and by ownership week as to which system you would prefer to use.
If you thought the “system” was confusing before, it has just gotten much more with this new level of complexity. Marriott calls this Flexibility. I won’t tell you what I call it!
As we work through the intricacies of the new points program, we will keep you updated on what we learn and what you need to think about before you jump in. Each owner uses their weeks in different ways so what works best for one owner may not work well for the next. We will try to help you work through the maze so that you can make the best decisions for yourself. And as always, we at The Art of Vacationing are here to give you our unbiased opinions.
