Marriott Vacation Club

[Currymeister]

Has anyone been to a presentation for Marriott Vacation Club 'timeshare', or even bought into it and can offer any feedback?

cheers

[jpatokal]

Yeah, I went there, just so I could get the free Ritz-Carlton nights they were handing out last year. IMHO, unless you like going to exactly the same place every single year, MVC is terrible here in Asia -- the only place you can go is Phuket! The supposed alternatives, Hawaii and Las Vegas, are incredibly inconvenient from Singapore, and while they do offer a "stay anywhere" thing that lets you stay in normal Marriotts, it's far cheaper to just book hotels on demand.

In general, hotels are so cheap here in Asia that there's absolutely no point in plunking down big bucks on a timeshare. Especially in Thailand, where prices are plummeting like a rock right now... I'm already hungrily eyeing a visit to the Oriental next month

[Currymeister]

Yeah, I think you're right.
I haven't been to one of their presentations, but a friend reecently joined and it looked like a good deal on paper.
The initial attraction was actually the Marriott or Carlton-Ritz reward points as I do travel outside of Asia frequently, and having points for life after the initial outlay. However, using the points for the hotels is expensive as they don't go very far when converted to the hotels, and as you say, quite restrictive. If prices are on the way down (prob not just Asia but everywhere) why stay in a Marriott when you can have the Oriental!!

Thanks for the feedback jpatokal, much appreciated!

[benyamin1]

We have been to their presentation yesterday in Hong Kong. Can't have a precise opinion really because we don't know exactly what we can get with this points system. Can anyone tell us?

How much in terms of points is one week of vacation in one of the 9 MVCI Asia resort during low season and high season (say 1 bedroom villa)?

Thx

[agustina]

We have been a member of MVCI since Aug 2007, with 40000 club points a year. Currently 102000 club points are ready to use. We want to handover the membership since we are very busy with our new born baby this year and years to come. Currently we are paying s$550 per month through citibank installment plan. We will absorb the transfer fee. Please PM me or send email to [email protected] if interested. Thanks.

[mre1333]

if you do the math, this product actually is a great deal. the condo units in phuket are amazing. also, i heard they are developing and soon opening up places in koh samui, bangkok, vietnam, and the Gold Cost in Australia...

[jpatokal]

if you do the math, this product actually is a great deal. the condo units in phuket are amazing. also, i heard they are developing and soon opening up places in koh samui, bangkok, vietnam, and the Gold Cost in Australia...

No, it's not a good deal by any measure. One of the posters is paying S$550/month, or $6600/year -- how many nights could you stay in a hotel with that?

[mre1333]

jpatokal:

actually, i'm not sure you understand the product. i believe you purchase points and then you own them for life.

as per your example, i agree--nobody in their right mind would pay that kind of money each year, and you could stay in literally hundreds of hotels.

back to the product...unless i am mistaken, once you purchase your points (say...at the price of S$6600 in installments or whatever it is), you have purchased "1 week" at one of their condos for the rest of your life.

so, seems to me that no matter where you normally like to stay (cheap hotel, regular, luxury--whatever), as long as you "vacation" for 1 week each year, the "good deal" is a no-brainer.

but, do agree with you that the options are a bit limited. from what i have read though, they are opening up new timeshare condos in bangkok and koh samui, and also developing in Gold Coast and some beach in Vietnam.

lastly, not sure if you have ever stayed at an MVCI villa before, but the Phuket one is actually quite jaw-dropping in terms of space and elegance...just my opinion

[jpatokal]

actually, i'm not sure you understand the product. i believe you purchase points and then you own them for life.

back to the product...unless i am mistaken, once you purchase your points (say...at the price of S$6600 in installments or whatever it is), you have purchased "1 week" at one of their condos for the rest of your life.

And you really want to stay in the same place for the rest of your life? I don't care how jaw-droppingly elegant that Phuket place is now, it's not going to look so elegant 50 years later on...

Also, to get that timeshare membership, you're looking at forking out northwards of S$30,000 in cold hard cash now. Keep that money, invest it at 5%/year for 50 years, and you'll have $344,021.99 in the bank!

[mre1333]

moderator note: quoted text is by mre1333, responses are by jpatokal

a small portion of the "club dues" are pooled together and used to maintain and update the facilities, which is overseen by a seperate management entity, so yes-absolutely yes it will look the same in 50 years. i actually believe the members have a "vote" in how that money is spent, b/c after all it is "their club"

Your faith is touching, but I hope you read the small print before signing on the dotted line. You also have to pay maintenance fees for "your club" on top of the actual membership, right?

answer: sorry, but that is just plain not true. as i believe someone stated earlier and what we did to join, was opt for their financing installment plan (can't remember exactly which one, but I know it is absolutely feasible and the rates will never increase with inflation)

Allow me to correct myself: you're looking at forking out northwards of S$30,000 in cold hard cash within five years. (Because that's all the installment plan does.)

but then again, we work hard and isn't it our God-given duty to guarantee ourselves or family gets 1-week of "vacation" each year...especially tough times like this, to my family the intrinsic value of having that guaranteed 1-week of vacation each year is priceless!

Quite the opposite -- the only thing that's guaranteed is that you have to pay out those installments, like it or not. Can't get a week off, can't get space during the week you want to travel (gee, will anybody else be there for CNY?), or get laid off and can't afford the flights for the whole family? Tough poop, you're locked in.

Another comparison point: I was at the Courtyard Marriott Surin in Phuket last year, an absolutely gorgeous sparkling new 4-star property, and paid under $100/night for it. If I were to do this again every year for the next 50 years, it would cost me $100 * 6 nights * 50 years = $30,000 -- or pretty much the same as your membership. However, unlike you, I also have the option of not doing this every year for the next 50 years...!

[Currymeister]

good points mre 1333.

I considered it, well I went to the presentation, but took the same view as you. It was not a good deal for me. Far too limiting. The deal was not good enough for me to commit to them for life.

[jpatokal]

Arg! Looks like I clicked on "Edit" instead of "Quote" -- the comments under mre1333's name were actually written by me, and only the quoted bits are his.

[Currymeister]

I see that now. Sorry jpatokal my mistake.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Glad I'm not the only one who has done that!