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New MVCI opening Aug 1, 2015. Washington DC Mayflower

BocaBoy said:
I guess I am in the minority in not liking this becoming an MVCI resort if the rooms are like the regular hotel rooms. I think it cheapens the brand. The Explorer Collection is different and I have no issue with those expanded options. The Mayflower certainly qualifies as a desirable location. I can accept hotel conversions if upgraded and if they are in well selected locations. But not if the rooms are just regular hotel rooms branded as MVCI, which I can probably book cheaper with better platinum benefits by using MR points. I have stayed at 30 MVCI U.S. resorts and have been toying with the idea of eventually staying at them all, but if they are cheapening the brand by adding hotels without doing a full first class conversion, I will probably drop that idea.
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If I can nab one w/ an AC then I'll be thrilled. I love Custom House and it's no different than a Residence Inn.
 
Fasttr said:
I view this type of offering as the equivalent to an Explorer Collection option, but one that is priced a bit smarter than most Explorer Collection hotel offerings (still has a ways to go but heading in the right direction) with the added simplicity of checking availability and booking it online. To me, that's one step in the right direction for the Explorer Collection city hotel offerings...I wish they would/could make them all available that way.
.
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I don't disagree with this, but I wish it would not be labeled as an MVCI resort. That is my only objection, not the offering of it for DC points. I also wish all Explorer Collection options could be booked online.
 
We're going to see more of this.

People need to ditch the concept that the centerpiece of the Destinations Club are the old timeshare weeks. They will be part of a much larger program where points are the currency and flexibility is the key.

I posted a few months back about how Marriott is starting to put more than one brand in buildings. Some folks on these boards basically said I was nuts. There are only a hand full of examples, but it totally makes sense in urban areas. We will start to see more combo properties.
 
I still am confused. If the suites are similar to Custom House units with separate bedrooms and limited kitchens, why would there be an objection to the MVC label? It makes sense with the hotel rooms, definitely, but I'm not getting it with the suites if they're what GreenTea described and are as shown in the link that Fasttr posted above. Aren't those similar accommodations to Custom House, in a similar urban location?

Of course there's still the Points discrepancy between the properties at issue, but that sort of makes sense too considering that MVCI leases the CH property from the City of Boston through an arrangement established years ago, and presumably MVW's lease/purchase arrangement with the Mayflower owners is based on today's market.
 
From a post about the MCVI survey in late March:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1743878&postcount=30
Fasttr said:
Just took the latest TOP (Travelers Opinion Panel) poll.

This one was focused on the possibility of MVC’s in city locations.

The cities they asked about were….
Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Boston, MA
Charleston, SC
Chicago, IL
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Los Angeles, CA
Miami, FL
Miami Beach, FK
Nashville, TN
New Orleans, LA
New York City, NY
Portland, OR
San Diego, CA
Savannah, GA
Seattle, WA
Washington, DC

They asked to rate the following as important….
Distance to main attractions
Accommodation type preferred: Hotel room, Hotel Suite with Partition, 1BR, 2BR
Kitchen type, if any (full fridge, stove, micro….1/2 fridge, no fridge, etc, etc)
WiFi importance
Owners only lounge importance
Housekeeping services
Concierge Services
Food available on site

Asked what you think it should be called….
MVC – City Collection
MVC - Getaway Collection
MVC
MVC – City Experiences
MVC – City Place

Then they asked a myriad of hypothetical combinations of all of the above, listing 3 different scinarios each time, with a different combination of points required for each, and they asked you to select the scenario you liked best from among the 3 shown to you. They asked that in different combo's of 3 sixteen different times.

They certainly seem to be focused on this City thing.
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I also remember in the survey there were questions about the how important would an owners lounge or some such type of place for light meals and/or snacks in units without kitchens. I stressed that a full kitchen or 3/4 kitchen and ideally two bedrooms would be what I want even in city locations.
 
Fasttr said:
According to the Press Release, they purchased the 71 rooms.
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Thank you for posting.

Interesting sentence from the press release:

"This new Marriott Vacation Club destination will offer fresh room designs that blend historic luxury and modern style, complimentary wireless internet access, flat-screen televisions, evening turndown service, daily housekeeping service and access to other facilities of The Mayflower Hotel, including a business center and a fitness center."​

"Evening turndown service and daily housekeeping service" are not typical Marriott Vacation Club services!

I am amazed how quickly this is going. The Mayflower deal was announced today and reservations can already be made for stays beginning August 1. I guess it's because this is not a conversion of any kind. It's simply a case of one recently renovated floor of hotel rooms and hotel suites becoming part of the Marriott Vacation Club portfolio.

In comparison, Declan Suites in San Diego is still operating as a hotel, even though Marriott Vacations Worldwide bought the whole property months ago. There have been no details released about what a conversion might involve, nor any word on when Marriott Vacation Club reservations and stays will begin.
 
SueDonJ said:
I still am confused. If the suites are similar to Custom House units with separate bedrooms and limited kitchens, why would there be an objection to the MVC label? It makes sense with the hotel rooms, definitely, but I'm not getting it with the suites if they're what GreenTea described and are as shown in the link that Fasttr posted above. Aren't those similar accommodations to Custom House, in a similar urban location?

Of course there's still the Points discrepancy between the properties at issue, but that sort of makes sense too considering that MVCI leases the CH property from the City of Boston through an arrangement established years ago, and presumably MVW's lease/purchase arrangement with the Mayflower owners is based on today's market.
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I think perhaps only the Executive Suite and Junior Suite are comparable to the villas in Boston. The Executive Suite and Junior Suite are 640sq ft. The units at Custom House are about 600 st ft. The Guest Suite and Deluxe Guest Suite at The Mayflower are 330 and 460 respectively. These are closer to your standard hotel room. Does anyone know how many of each unit type MVCI purchased?
 
BocaBoy said:
I guess I am in the minority in not liking this becoming an MVCI resort if the rooms are like the regular hotel rooms. I think it cheapens the brand. The Explorer Collection is different and I have no issue with those expanded options. The Mayflower certainly qualifies as a desirable location. I can accept hotel conversions if upgraded and if they are in well selected locations. But not if the rooms are just regular hotel rooms branded as MVCI, which I can probably book cheaper with better platinum benefits by using MR points. I have stayed at 30 MVCI U.S. resorts and have been toying with the idea of eventually staying at them all, but if they are cheapening the brand by adding hotels without doing a full first class conversion, I will probably drop that idea.
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I agree with you 100%. When I purchased MVCI DC Points it was based on the notion that there were resorts where you can go and vacation with amenities and activities - and if you chose to do so, you would not even need to leave the grounds during your stay (which is how we treated our stay at Harbour Lake and anticipate doing the same in St. Thomas). By adding these urban locations MVCI can say they are increasing the portfolio when what they really are doing is grabbing a bunch of regular hotel rooms.

I was excited for the potential San Diego location but if it is going to become something like this as opposed to a property with kitchenettes, amenities and activities, MVCI will quickly cheapen the product.

MVCI should stick to what they do best, the full service resort like properties which are top notch.
 
SueDonJ said:
Maybe, it simply means that no units have been conveyed to the Trust yet? And the statement is necessary to satisfy disclosure mandates? But still it's concerning, no doubt, because based on the language in the docs MVW is allowed to limit usage of any Trust conveyances to Trust Members only, if MVW chooses to not make them available through the Exchange Company.

We've always speculated that while they can do that, it doesn't really help them if their goal is to mingle inventory for the benefit of Trust and Exchange Members (i.e. Trust Members need Exchange Members' participation in order to get the entire portfolio in play, and Exchange Members are less likely to convert their Weeks if Trust inventory isn't made available to them.)
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I think this is all that it means. The inventory has not been conveyed to the trust, so they can't offer it up except through the MVC Exchange Company. They have similar *asterisk in the points chart and other places for properties only available through the Exchange Company. I don't think there are any long term concerns about this property only being available to trust owners since we have already seen it in II. I wonder how many reps will say you can't get in there through II? They have said the only way in to new properties is with trust points.:rolleyes:

Based on this thread, I will never again doubt a sales persons word or people who come here repeating a sales mans word. The old adage "if their lips are moving" isn't true any more. All hail the sales reps...

I wonder what type of ownership MVCI actually has at The Mayflower. Are these individual deeded units? I wouldn't think so. I think there are probably a lot of logistics that have to happen before they can actually deed units to the trust. It could also be a CoOp type of ownership where they really don't own land but shares in a corporation with the rights to occupy certain units. If that is the case, they may never be able to convey units to the trust as it wouldn't be acceptable property for the land trust.

I would think they would need to have some way to monetize the units. They certainly want to be able to sell the points associated with them. We will have to watch and see for the first conveyances, if there ever is any.
 
NYFLTRAVELER said:
I agree with you 100%. When I purchased MVCI DC Points it was based on the notion that there were resorts where you can go and vacation with amenities and activities - and if you chose to do so, you would not even need to leave the grounds during your stay (which is how we treated our stay at Harbour Lake and anticipate doing the same in St. Thomas). By adding these urban locations MVCI can say they are increasing the portfolio when what they really are doing is grabbing a bunch of regular hotel rooms.

I was excited for the potential San Diego location but if it is going to become something like this as opposed to a property with kitchenettes, amenities and activities, MVCI will quickly cheapen the product.

MVCI should stick to what they do best, the full service resort like properties which are top notch.
Click to expand...

I think the business is rapidly evolving. I think MVW is responding to the fact consumers today want a variety of vacation experiences. The market is segmenting itself and there are those who prefer urban destination vacations, and others who prefer traditional resort-type vacations. You and I may be part of the "resort-preference" group, but there are many others who look for a different experience. If MVW wants to grow their business, they need to serve multiple market segments with different products for each segment.

The same people may be in different segments at different phases of their life. Singles or couples with no children may find the urban hotel options more attractive, but when they start a family, a resort style vacation may have greater appeal. Later when they have older children (teenagers) or even later as empty nesters, their preferences may shift yet again. (Our teenagers often complain about our timeshare vacations because the guest mix is often skewed toward families with small children and/or retirees. Their perception is that hotels have a much "cooler" demographic and more entertainment options.)

As far as the "cheapening" of the brand goes, I think if the traditional timeshare amenities of kitchens, etc. are replaced with top-tier hotel amenities like the aforementioned daily maid service, turn down services, full service gourmet restaurants, etc. that will continue to keep MVW established as a high quality brand. Many people actually perceive timeshares as a cut below top hotels because they don't offer these kinds of services.

The fact that Marriott is expanding their resort-type locations - Big Island, additional inventory at Marco Island and KoOlina, etc., plus adding more urban locations - San Diego, South Beach, and now DC - shows they recognize that they must offer different products to target different segments/demographics.
 
good morning....

Does anyone know the point requirement for booking at Mayflower. I tried to check yesterday, but no availabilty...

I would guess that it would be 5000-6000 pts for a week!!!

I would not worry about it only open to Trust players... Still don't believe there are lots of Trust owners with that many TRUST points. Remember , average sale is 2000 pts...

p.s checked the websites...these are just hotel rooms with extra "sitting" area and couch...
 
JIMinNC said:
I think the business is rapidly evolving. I think MVW is responding to the fact consumers today want a variety of vacation experiences. The market is segmenting itself and there are those who prefer urban destination vacations, and others who prefer traditional resort-type vacations. You and I may be part of the "resort-preference" group, but there are many others who look for a different experience. If MVW wants to grow their business, they need to serve multiple market segments with different products for each segment.

The same people may be in different segments at different phases of their life. Singles or couples with no children may find the urban hotel options more attractive, but when they start a family, a resort style vacation may have greater appeal. Later when they have older children (teenagers) or even later as empty nesters, their preferences may shift yet again. (Our teenagers often complain about our timeshare vacations because the guest mix is often skewed toward families with small children and/or retirees. Their perception is that hotels have a much "cooler" demographic and more entertainment options.)

As far as the "cheapening" of the brand goes, I think if the traditional timeshare amenities of kitchens, etc. are replaced with top-tier hotel amenities like the aforementioned daily maid service, turn down services, full service gourmet restaurants, etc. that will continue to keep MVW established as a high quality brand. Many people actually perceive timeshares as a cut below top hotels because they don't offer these kinds of services.

The fact that Marriott is expanding their resort-type locations - Big Island, additional inventory at Marco Island and KoOlina, etc., plus adding more urban locations - San Diego, South Beach, and now DC - shows they recognize that they must offer different products to target different segments/demographics.
Click to expand...

Well stated. Consumers want options. If this idea sticks, great. If not, they have kept investment to a minimum.
 
If they could put in a Residence Inn type kitchen in the unit I would be more than happy. As it is I would choose Residence Inn over a full service Marriott hotel for anything over 2 nights.
 
One interesting oddity that some urban locations have that are different than the traditional MVC Resort type locations, and it certainly applies to Washington DC, is that the urban hotel room rates are often higher during the week than they are on the weekend, because occupancy is driven so much by business travelers. Check out the JW or Mayflower in DC....both seem to have higher room rates during the week, then they drop quite a bit on the weekend. That of course is contra to how the entire MVC DC portfolio point chart is set up.

Sure enough, when the Mayflower was an Explorer Collection option, the weekends required fewer points than the weekdays did and not just by a small amount (nearly half as much needed on the weekends during some times of the year). But now that these 71 rooms are in the DC, MVC has given them the traditional higher point requirement on the weekends allocation (as usage will be targeted to the vacation traveler).

The interesting thing is this really skews the value of points to $$ stay comparisons, much more so than at a traditional MVC resort location. Its an interesting phenomenon. Folks may find the value hidden with these to only be in the weekday DC stays with weekend stays to be really out of whack with $$ stay costs.

Another potential oddity worth considering is that it may not be possible to combine a cash stay and a DC points stay without changing rooms at the Mayflower, because as posted by someone previously, the DC rooms are all on one floor, and seemingly most cash stays you would be making would be assigned to another floor as they are owned/controlled by a different entity.

These will be interesting to track as things move forward, especially as more mixed use urban locations are added with these additional peculiarities.
 
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puckmanfl said:
good morning....

Does anyone know the point requirement for booking at Mayflower. I tried to check yesterday, but no availabilty...

I would guess that it would be 5000-6000 pts for a week!!!

I would not worry about it only open to Trust players... Still don't believe there are lots of Trust owners with that many TRUST points. Remember , average sale is 2000 pts...

p.s checked the websites...these are just hotel rooms with extra "sitting" area and couch...
Click to expand...

Puck, the 2015 and 2016 Points Charts for The Mayflower have been added to the Points FAQ. A full week in either suite ranges from 2300 to 4600 (July 4th, naturally!) with the three hotel room options costing fewer Points.

The hotel room options wouldn't be my cup of tea but the suites look more than comfortable other than the limited kitchens:
Guest Room, 1 King
Guest Room, 2 Doubles
Deluxe, Guest Room, 2 Doubles
Executive Suite, 1 King
Junior Suite, 1 King, Sofabed

This will probably serve as a searchable info thread so I'm noting info here from the Sightings thread, collected by davidvel and already posted to dioxide's II Unit Codes thread. Thanks to both!

II Resort Code: MFL

II Unit Codes:
KING (2): Guest room, 1 King
DBDB (4): Guest room, 2 Double
DLUX (4): Deluxe, Guest room, 2 Double
KSTE (2): Executive Suite, 1 King
OBST (4): Junior Suite, 1 King, Sofa bed, Bathrooms: 2
(max occ. in parenthesis)
 
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Checking today, a 2-night stay 8/9-11/15 in a Jr Suite King is 770 Points. The Points Chart says 550/Night so it looks like the Last-Minute discount is being applied. It's good to see that. :)
 
The Mayflower Hotel

The Mayflower Hotel
Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20036

Wonder how much overnight
garage parking will cost?
 
Miss Marty said:
The Mayflower Hotel
Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20036

Wonder how much overnight
garage parking will cost?
Click to expand...

The official MVC content for the Marriott Vacation Club at The Mayflower currently seems not to show the rate for parking.

The official Marriott content for the The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection (where the Marriott Vacation Club is on the 7th floor) shows valet parking for $47.50 USD daily.

For guests arriving by air, this should not be an issue. To visit Washington, D.C. museums, monuments, and other attractions, it's better not to have a car (except possibly for day trips to attractions outside of the city).

For those who drive to this property instead of flying, the cost of parking will be factor, just as it is when staying at other Washington, D.C. hotels.
 
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GregT said:
From that thread:



Interesting -- this may be more accurate than we gave it credit for. San Diego would have been one of the two other locations.

Perhaps we are going to get properties in New York, Bora Bora and Cancun? :shrug:

Best,

Greg
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At a presentation I attended on June 28th by a senior sales executive (and he claimed there are only 51 of them in Marriott), the MVC expansion into Washington DC was mentioned -- though the precise property wasn't mentioned but it was stated that it was a well-known property. There were a few other locations also mentioned including the Big Island, HI. I didn't take notes and did pay much attention to the expansion possibilities, except for the DC and HI entry.
 
JIMinNC said:
...If MVW wants to grow their business, they need to serve multiple market segments with different products for each segment.

The same people may be in different segments at different phases of their life. Singles or couples with no children may find the urban hotel options more attractive, but when they start a family, a resort style vacation may have greater appeal. Later when they have older children (teenagers) or even later as empty nesters, their preferences may shift yet again. (Our teenagers often complain about our timeshare vacations because the guest mix is often skewed toward families with small children and/or retirees. Their perception is that hotels have a much "cooler" demographic and more entertainment options.)
Click to expand...

That's what makes locations similar to Frenchman's Cove so enjoyable with kids who are a bit older. If they want a hipper vibe, they can take a short walk (or shuttle) next door and hang out at the Marriott hotel infinity pools, which certainly does have more young adult mojo going on. Conversely, my kids would certainly give me a look if I told them were vacationing at a hotel in DC as not all hotels give the same vibe. As you said, nothing wrong with something for everyone.
 
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NYFLTRAVELER said:
and if you chose to do so, you would not even need to leave the grounds during your stay (which is how we treated our stay at Harbour Lake and anticipate doing the same in St. Thomas).
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While we have never been to Frenchan's Cove, we have been to St Thomas on several cruise stops. I would highly advise against staying on property for most of your stay. Perhaps a single day, but I would spend most days off the resort exploring St Thomas and St John. From what I have read, Frenchman's Cove isn't so much the destination as much as the USVI are. Perhaps even take a day sail over to the BVI. You would be missing out on so much by just hanging around Frenchan's Cove for a week.
 
Miss Marty said:
The Mayflower Hotel
Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20036

Wonder how much overnight
garage parking will cost?
Click to expand...

Too much, probably. If you have to drive to DC, park your car at a discount off-airport lot at IAD or (better location for Metro) DCA for the duration of your stay and use public transportation, Uber/Lyft and taxis - it's bound to be cheaper!
 
This is a smart move for MVCI - there is a dearth of TS properties (at the high end at least) in the DC metro area, and while this is not a real TS, lacking kitchen facilities, people may be willing to make do with the mini-fridge and the many shops in the area with healthy take-out (Pret a Manger is big in DC IIRC).

OT: However, if you are looking for a good Marriott base of operations in DC using Marriott Rewards instead of DC Points, the Residence Inn Pentagon City (NOT Crystal City) is terrific. Great location, 3 blocks from Metro, 3 stops into the National Archive stop at one end of the Mall, shopping mall with eating and entertainment options just beyond the Metro stop, and the concierge can direct you to the shopping center about 0.5-0.75 mi away with grocery, Rite Aid, good ethnic restaurants (not haute cuisine), Lululemon and other shopping and an LA Fitness if you want more than the hotel's gym. Shuttle to/from airport. Very tourist-friendly even though it gets a lot of business use.
 
As an enrolled week owner, I am excited about this announcement. I am in the camp that thinks thinks this creates a great alternative use of our ownership. I think MVC urban stay options in the Explorer Collection are not a good value. I am looking forward to spending a week in D.C. during cherry blossom season which is also a time when hotel rates there are high.

I would like to see at least limited kitchen facilities added to the deluxe and suite units. Though I will still want my "traditional" resort vacation at Hilton Head each year, I am looking forward to other vacation experiences.
 
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