DVC vs. Marriott

[shelly3girls]

A friend of mine is considering buying a timeshare. She is trying to compare DVC to Marriott. Does anyone know the major differences between the two? I have been able to tell her the pros (no cons that I know of.....) of DVC, but I don't know anything about Marriott. She has one toddler, planning for more. Can someone please help me with this?

 

[kem330]

I'm sure Dean will reply shortly- he is the TS expert on this board.
One complaint I hear about DVC from other TS owners is the end date. Marriott ownership is lifetime and can be deeded to heirs, I believe. Marriott seems to be higher to buy into but has lower maintenance from the very few I looked at. I think the big question for them is do they want to be onsite at WDW and travel to WDW at least every other year??

 

[dcfromva]

I'm really interested in Dean's answer, too. I was wondering if you could stay more places using the Marriot TS and if they have a home resort thing going, too.

-DC

 

[RobDoc]

If you are primarily interested in exchanging to other locations, Marriott (and many other timeshares) will likely be a less costly way to accomplish that goal. If you are interested in staying onsite at Disney on a regular basis, DVC will be the best means to meet that wish.

Marriott does have a great internal exchange system, where owners may exchange to other Marriott resorts before those locations are offered to other exchangers.

Disney also has a good internal exchange program for it's resorts and has the Concierge Collection, Disney Collection and World Passport Collection as exchange offerings.

Both offer great options- the biggest difference is the ability to stay onsite at Disney easily.

I'm sure Dean will have some other insights also.

Enjoy!

 

[Nana Sue]

I'm not Dean but own both DVC and Marriott so feel qualified to answer. Disney and Marriott are both class companies and their t/s are top of the line. It is hard to compare them though. DVC is not really a t/s as you have total flexibility and the rules are different. I would only buy DVC if I wanted to go to WDW (Hilton Head or Vero Beach) almost every year. You can trade Disney but it does not trade through the normal trade companies and your choices are limited. It is all controlled by Disney and the main reason is they don't want you to trade into something far inferior to Disney properties. We bought into Disney because we want to take our four grandchildren (and their parents) to WDW every year. We could have bought several Marriott t/s for what we paid for our Disney points but have bought them and dedicated them to our grandchildren. If your friends want their t/s just for going to WDW that is where they should buy, but tell them to look into resale Disney contracts. The right to use ends in 2042 but that is a long way off and that was not a concern for us. We will certainly have gotten our money's worth by then.
If you friends want to go to different places for vacation and want first rate acommodations they should look into Marriott. Marrott has loads of locations and each one is a little different. Not all of them are deeded forever. We own in Aruba and although we can will the t/s to our children, it is only right to use for something like sixty years. If they decide to buy Marriott they should do a lot of homework on where to buy and buy where they want to go more often than not, but that is also a good trader. Marriott has a special trading desk at Interval International and Marriott owners get first chance on all Marriott trades which is a big plus. We are big fans of Marriott and have traveled extensively through them by using our points and trading bonus weeks we got when we bought. We bought in Aruba because we plan to go every year but have traded bonus weeks we got from Marriott for buying and never had a problem getting exactly the trade we wanted. If you friends decide to buy Marriott have them call John Fletcher. (800-332-1333 ext 6141,
407-903-6141, Jack.Fletcher@Vacationclub.com) He is one of the most knowledgable people I have ever met on t/s and now he sells for Marriott (all locations and resales) so he can certainly be of great help to your friends. Above all, tell your friends to do their homework before they buy anywhere.

 

[shelly3girls]

Thank you for the info. You have all been a great help!

 

[Dean]

I agree with the above. They are different animals and one size does not fit all. First, I'd buy where I wanted to stay most of the time with the exception of I might not buy Marriott Orlando unless I were going to use it almost exclusively. Marriott will be about the same price as DVC directly but will be cheaper at times resale (much cheaper in many cases). Marriott is better for exchanging, esp to other Marriott's.

Your friend should decide where she wants to go, how she want's to use it and how flexible she is first. With Marriott, as most timeshare, you're looking at a full week. Some resorts are only dedicated 2 BR, other have lockoff's.

One thing I'd add is that the 2 are not mutually exclussive of each other. ASMOF, I'd consider them very complementary of each other. There are other good choices out there as well. I'd direct your friend to the Timeshare Users Group (TUG) as a great source of additional info on timeshares but would warn you the group in general is pretty anti Disney.

 

[Cruelladeville]

No one mentioned the subject of money, but I was quite surprised by the differences and hidden costs. Since I bought DVC first, I had assumed that Marriott would be the same arrangement, but that was not correct. I would not purchase Marriott directly from the company, since most of their properties can be bought on resale for much less, and your friend does need to consider that she may lose money if she later sells the timeshare. Disney's price has continued to rise, so it is less likely in the short run that your friend would lose money.

There are hidden costs associated with Marriott. Trades to other Marriott resorts are not free, you pay Interval to list your timeshare for trade, and again when they make the trade. I think I paid $169, besides the cost to join Interval. While it's not a lot of money, the cost will add up over time, and needs to be considered. Another problem for me is the lack of flexibility with Marriott--you usually stay for a week, if you can only stay 5 or 6 nights, you just lose the oher night, and most reservations are Saturday to Saturday, other configurations are difficult for them to deal with. With Disney you can stay for 2 nights or 20 nights, if you have the points, so the flexibility is far greater. Nevertheless, if you are buying Marriott to trade, it always trades well, and the company has resorts all over the world, so travel is much easier with Marriott than Disney. Marriott resorts are each a week's trade, no matter where I trade to, but with Disney the DVC resorts are quite cheap on points but when trading out it takes an outrageous amount of points to stay a week at resorts that may be nice but not NICE, if you know what I mean. It had taken me awhile to understand, but I would say that Marriott is nice if you want to travel all over, but DVC is the way to go if you return to Disney year after year. It all depends upon a person's vacation habits.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by Cruelladeville
Trades to other Marriott resorts are not free, you pay Interval to list your timeshare for trade, and again when they make the trade. I think I paid $169, besides the cost to join Interval.

Please allow me to clarify this statement.

There is no fee to deposit a Marriott week with Intervel International (II). A Marriott-to-Marriott exchange is just $79. An external exchange is $121 for an exchange within your country of residency or $149 for an exchange outside your country of residency.

It's true you have to maintain a membership with II. Currently 5 years cost $329.00 (approx. $66 per year), although sometimes there are specials. But you can own multiple timeshares under the same membership. (I have two weeks). And you can book inexpensive getaway weeks, which can make II and excellent value, even if you never exchange.

Not only are trades to other Marriott resorts not free, but trades to other seasons within your own resort are not free either! Let's suppose you own a floating week in high season (in current Marriott projects, this is called Platinum Season). You can book any week in that season (as long as there is availability) without an additional fee. But if you want to stay in a different season (such as Gold Season), you handle it as an exchange through II and you pay a $79 fee -- just as though you were exchanging to a different Marriott resort.

I agree at DVC and II complement each other very well. The rules are different, but there are actually advantages and disadvantages to each company's rules. Both are fairly expensive, but both provide outstanding vacation accomodations in roomy condos in great locations.

 

[Caskbill]

And you can book inexpensive getaway weeks, which can make II and excellent value, even if you never exchange.

This is probably the best thing with being an II member. If you're very flexible then there are some really good deals out there.

For example, last month (January), after staying at our DVC resorts, we extended our vacation at Sheraton's Vistana resort by purchasing a 1-B/R getaway week for $269. That's less than even the maintenance fees would have been had I been an owner there.

Savings like this will definitely pay for the annual II membership fees.

Our 2-B/R Marriott TS in Palm Springs is 1-week and has $700 annual fees (maintenance and taxes). Compare this to a 1-B/R OKW week in Dream season is 196 points, or about $650 in maintenance fees and taxes.

The beauty about DVC is the flexibility. Any Season, any resort, any number of days, since everything is based on a per point requirement.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Caskbill Our 2-B/R Marriott TS in Palm Springs is 1-week and has $700 annual fees (maintenance and taxes). Compare this to a 1-B/R OKW week in Dream season is 196 points, or about $650 in maintenance fees and taxes. [/B]

Caskbill, that's a little misleading as 150 points won't get you a 2 BR for a week, it won't even consistently get you a 2 BR for 5 days except at OKW. You should likely compare around 230-270 points (more at some resorts) and the fees therin which would be closer to $800-1100 depending on home resort. Of course their used differently so it's truly hard to compare unless one gets a 2 BR for a week every year. And then if your Marriott is a lockout, you could get 2 trades for one.

 

[littlestar]

Those II Getaways are really great.

My parents and sister own timeshares on Maui and the Smokey Mountains (these are every other year timeshares) and our whole family uses the getaways.

My brother and his family are staying at Liki Tiki in Orlando for under $300 for the week during spring break on a getaway.

I know last year my sister stayed in Palm Springs for under $600 for a week in a gorgeous condo.

My parents also got a getway last spring on Maui for under $600 for the week. They said they'd keep their timeshares just for the Getaway option alone.

I figure between all three families, we've got vacations covered quite nicely. We arrange the Disney onsite trips (as we own DVC) and they arrange Hawaii and other locations for our families!

 

[fkj2]

So, you buy a timeshare through Interval International and they offer you this chance for essentially discounted weeks? What types of fees are involved and does it matter where you purchase and is it a specific resort and week or does it have some of the flexibility of DVC? Do they also sell on the secondary market at discounts and where should I look? Thanks!

janet

 

[stlrod]

A couple of thoughts from a Marriott/DVC owner. As others have said, if Disney trips is what your friend wants, DVC is best. If not, Marriott is probablythe way to go. I would not, however, exclude Marriott Orlando properties. As my kids have gotten older (and the youngest is only 10), Disney has less appeal than Universal and Seaworld. Onsite benefits at Disney have also dimished. I have been very happy with my Marriott week in Orlando (though I have only used it once). It has traded fairly (and surprisingly) well. I am also a fan of buying from Marriott for the flexibility of converting the week to Marriott Rewards. While the rewards value has been diminshed in recent years, it is still a great option for planning European trips. I don't think the "hidden costs" with Marriott are much more significant than the additional costs associated with DVC for trading. In addition, Marriott offers a 25% discount for owners paying cash at other resorts. Whenever I have tried to get the discount, I have been able to do so. I have never had any luck with DVC's similar program (and have tried several times.)

 

[DownNeckBoy]

So you can simply join Interval, with no intention of trading, and still take advantage of the bonus weeks they offer?

 

[spiceycat]

yes if your timeshare is listed with them.

 

[Caskbill]

Originally posted by fkj2
So, you buy a timeshare through Interval International and they offer you this chance for essentially discounted weeks? What types of fees are involved and does it matter where you purchase and is it a specific resort and week or does it have some of the flexibility of DVC? Do they also sell on the secondary market at discounts and where should I look? Thanks!

janet

No, you actually purchase a timeshare directly (or resale) from the specific resort you're interested in. For example, any one of the Marriott resorts, or any of the Hilton resorts etc. The resort you purchase from must be affiliated with II so you can be an II member. Most resorts will even pay your first year's dues for your II membership.

After you become an II member, you can take advantage of the II getaway weeks offers.

The flexibility of the resort you purchase will depend on where you buy and from whom. For example our Marriott is not a specific week, but is restricted to a certain 'season'. It is a whole week meaning we can't use just a few days like Disney, but do have to use the whole week. Also it's a 2-B/R lock-off, meaning we can split our week (for a fee) from being a 2-B/R unit to having a 1-B/R for a week and having a Studio also for another different week.

<b>Caskbill, that's a little misleading as 150 points won't get you a 2 BR for a week, it won't even consistently get you a 2 BR for 5 days except at OKW. You should likely compare around 230-270 points (more at some resorts) and the fees therin which would be closer to $800-1100 depending on home resort.</b>

Dean, I guess I wasn't being clear. I was trying to show that for about the same dollar amount as the maintenance fees for my 2-B/R unit with Marriott, DVC fees would only get a 1-B/R OKW unit, mid season. I wasn't trying to compare apples to apples but more apples to oranges. The point being that DVC fees are higher, or Marriott fees are lower, whichever way you want to look at it.

For a more apples to apples comparison, I could split my Marriott for less than $800 in maintenance and fees and get the 1-B/R week and the Studio Week also. At OKW mid season a 1-B/R for a week and then a Stuido for another week would be 294 points, or almost $1000 in maintenance fees.

I used OKW because that's where we own. All the other resorts would be higher because 1) They require more points to stay there and/or 2) Their maintenance fees per point are higher.

 

[mickeyc]

We own both Marriot and DVC. As a recent Marriot purchase it was my intent to trade it for other locations. Until I can understand the DVC trade options better I don't plan to trade it, also we love Disney.

The recommendation to use TUG is a great idea. You will find a wealth of information at that site and the nominal membership fee is worth it. Marriot can be purchased with points and without points. To better understand this concept go to TUG Marriott Board and you will get a better understanding of this option. Some Marriot owners feel purchasing a property with points is worth it and others feel it isn't. There is alot to consider.

If you are going to Disney every year or every other year I would recommend Disney. It is great to stay on property. However, many other timeshares in Orlando offer larger accomdations compared to Disney and are less expensive. However, then you don't get to stay with the mouse 24/7. (smile) Good luck and enjoy!!

 

[shelly3girls]

Thank you for all or your help. My friend is still considering her options but has found all of your responses a great help!
Thanks again