Non Disney Timeshare help needed

[Laurabearz]

Dean and others, with all the new changes to DVC and it totally messing up our Hilton Head trips I need information on other time shares.

I am looking at the Marriots either Grande Ocean or Barony (sp) I know I was a summer week between week 25 and 31. I am fine with a fix week.

Looking at some resale sites I see that Marriot has floating weeks at different levels (bronze is one I saw, but how does that translate to the above weeks 25-31) I am guessing the floating week if you own more weeks you get some advantage to book earlier?

Anything else I need to know?

THanks

 

[culli]

First go here and they have a Marriott forum http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/

I'm pretty sure Hilton Head for those weeks has to be Platinum, bronze would be Jan and dec timeframe. Marriott has its own internal exchange program.

DVC is very very easy compared to other timeshare programs so seriously read info on the tug boards and get informed before you buy anything. I learned so much there and it has paid huge dividends in my bang for the buck with timeshares.

 

[jgus]

I've been to both. Go to Grande if possible.

 

[Laurabearz]

I am going to take a day while we are at HHI this summer and check out a few of them in person.

 

[Dean]

Dean and others, with all the new changes to DVC and it totally messing up our Hilton Head trips I need information on other time shares.

I am looking at the Marriots either Grande Ocean or Barony (sp) I know I was a summer week between week 25 and 31. I am fine with a fix week.

Looking at some resale sites I see that Marriot has floating weeks at different levels (bronze is one I saw, but how does that translate to the above weeks 25-31) I am guessing the floating week if you own more weeks you get some advantage to book earlier?

Anything else I need to know?

THanks

Grande Ocean platinum is 24-34 with Ocean side and OF units. Surfwatch and Barony are Platinum weeks 22-34 with garden view, OS & OF (Ocean Vista for SW) units. Prices should be about the same roughly for similar views and seasons. Garden View will be the cheapest but if you want to use it most trips, I'd pay more for the better view to use but not mostly to trade, I actually own one of each (OF & OS at GO and SV at SW). Personally I'd go for GO then SW then Barony other than I'd put Barony ahead of SW ONLY for OF units. Prices roughly $20K for OS & $30K or more for OF but with the economy you never know when you'll find a deal, I have one potentially in the works right now. Only SW has 3 BR units, none are lockoff's and fees are roughly $1K per 2 BR unit. The big problem with the single unit for those weeks is they are hard to reserve. I don't think trading in to the Marriott's for summer is a viable option routinely.

I don't see the changes with DVC should totally throw you off to this degree. IF DVC was the best choice before, it likely still is. The only people this should change are those that should have been looking outside DVC but just couldn't bring themselves to until they felt forced to do so.

 

[Dean]

I am going to take a day while we are at HHI this summer and check out a few of them in person.

When are you there? We will be there 20-27 June and I'd be happy to show you the Marriott's if you're there then. We have 2 units at GO and 1 at SW that week.

 

[Laurabearz]

Awe Dean we check out on the 20th, I would love to meet you and get a proper tour.

Several factors are playing into this...

We are very tired of dealing with the 7 month window, and now with the extra points required for our stay (went from 231 points to 255 points) we are a bit irked.

We also like the trading power GO platium week would offer us.

And lastly we want to shift away from Disney and onto bigger and better things, and just one yearly trip to WDW for the family might be ok for us, so having 870 dvc points seems over kill

 

[Starr W.]

Grande Ocean platinum is 24-34 with Ocean side and OF units. Surfwatch and Barony are Platinum weeks 22-34 with garden view, OS & OF (Ocean Vista for SW) units. Prices should be about the same roughly for similar views and seasons. Garden View will be the cheapest but if you want to use it most trips, I'd pay more for the better view to use but not mostly to trade, I actually own one of each (OF & OS at GO and SV at SW). Personally I'd go for GO then SW then Barony other than I'd put Barony ahead of SW ONLY for OF units. Prices roughly $20K for OS & $30K or more for OF but with the economy you never know when you'll find a deal, I have one potentially in the works right now. Only SW has 3 BR units, none are lockoff's and fees are roughly $1K per 2 BR unit. The big problem with the single unit for those weeks is they are hard to reserve. I don't think trading in to the Marriott's for summer is a viable option routinely.

I don't see the changes with DVC should totally throw you off to this degree. IF DVC was the best choice before, it likely still is. The only people this should change are those that should have been looking outside DVC but just couldn't bring themselves to until they felt forced to do so.

Dean,

I think you need to expand a bit more for Laurabearz on the Marriott booking policy and how it works if you have only one week. I read enough frustrated Marriott owner threads at TUG.

Laurabearz, I own a Starwood float ski week and a Bluegreen fixed week. Both have pluses and minuses. Sign up for Tug and read, read, read before you buy anything. Marriott might look good to you now, but after some research it might not.

 

[Laurabearz]

I read a bunch last night...

I know if you dont own two weeks you are at a booking disadvanage Are there more issues?

 

[Starr W.]

I read a bunch last night...

I know if you dont own two weeks you are at a booking disadvanage Are there more issues?

I mark my joining TUG by the annual Manor Club owners trying to book 4th of July week so they can deposit in II. The thread shows up like clock work.

That's the big thing I see with Marriott, the multiple week owners. I would love to track down a EOY plat at the Palm Beach location or Scottsdale to use EOY with my VB points for Spring Break. Toyed with buying another Starwood(EOY in AZ/Cancun) or even some Wyndham points.

At the moment nothing really is screaming BUY ME

 

[Dean]

Dean,

I think you need to expand a bit more for Laurabearz on the Marriott booking policy and how it works if you have o

Sure. Basically those that own multiple weeks with Marriott can get a 1 month priority window for reserving concurrent or consecutive weeks. It's 13 months from the first week so if I reserve all of my weeks, I may actually be reserving some weeks a full 14 months out. No requirement to be the same resort or region. I bought an extra week at GO almost totally just for the ability to reserve sooner. The flip side is it significantly diminishes inventory and chances for single week owners for top week such as mid summer HH. It's not impossible but it can be difficult. They do restrict it to 50% of inventory to be reserved this way.

 

[Laurabearz]

So then what's the point of buying a platinum week at GO if there is no guarantee you will get it?

Or is that what determines when I can start my vacation and either weeks on to the end or add another villa at the same time...

So I would need one plat week, and then 2 or 3 other weeks somewhere in the system(other resorts are fine, other lower end weeks work too??) so I could then book 13 months out and I could book 2 villas at the same peek week (concurrent reservation)but only one of them needs to be at that resort and that high priced week?

Or do the additional weeks need to also be at a plat level?

 

[Dean]

So then what's the point of buying a platinum week at GO if there is no guarantee you will get it?

Or is that what determines when I can start my vacation and either weeks on to the end or add another villa at the same time...

So I would need one plat week, and then 2 or 3 other weeks somewhere in the system(other resorts are fine, other lower end weeks work too??) so I could then book 13 months out and I could book 2 villas at the same peek week (concurrent reservation)but only one of them needs to be at that resort and that high priced week?

Or do the additional weeks need to also be at a plat level?

You are guaranteed you can get a platinum week but not which week. Remember the seasons is 24-34. Your interpretation of the 13 month reservation option seems correct. For 2009 I reserved a studio Branson week 24, 1 BR Branson week 25 then 3 HH units week 26.

Season doesn't matter as long as they can be reserved concurrently or consecutively.