70 new resorts

I forgot to mention in my earlier post another thing we "learned" in the sales presentation at Surfwatch

Our sales lady mentioned the 70 new resorts that were in the pipeline.

I asked which of the 70 were resorts in the sense of Surfwatch or Barony, that is, Marriott-built and catering to Marriott owners (as opposed to some location that is not Marriott-specific where DP members would be able to reserve).

The answer, as best I could tell, was "None".

Clark said:

I forgot to mention in my earlier post another thing we "learned" in the sales presentation at Surfwatch

Our sales lady mentioned the 70 new resorts that were in the pipeline.

I asked which of the 70 were resorts in the sense of Surfwatch or Barony, that is, Marriott-built and catering to Marriott owners (as opposed to some location that is not Marriott-specific where DP members would be able to reserve).

The answer, as best I could tell, was "None".

Click to expand...

We know of only three that were mentioned in the last earnings call. 70 sounds pretty lofty. I doubt they would try to more than double their resorts that quickly. If they do, they didn't learn anything from 2008. Perhaps adding more explorer package options it what we would see if they expect to offer access to 70 new properties.

Clark said:

I forgot to mention in my earlier post another thing we "learned" in the sales presentation at Surfwatch

Our sales lady mentioned the 70 new resorts that were in the pipeline.

I asked which of the 70 were resorts in the sense of Surfwatch or Barony, that is, Marriott-built and catering to Marriott owners (as opposed to some location that is not Marriott-specific where DP members would be able to reserve).

The answer, as best I could tell, was "None".

Click to expand...

They are really doing a good job of pitching heat during their sales presentations these days.

Clark said:

I forgot to mention in my earlier post another thing we "learned" in the sales presentation at Surfwatch

Our sales lady mentioned the 70 new resorts that were in the pipeline.

I asked which of the 70 were resorts in the sense of Surfwatch or Barony, that is, Marriott-built and catering to Marriott owners (as opposed to some location that is not Marriott-specific where DP members would be able to reserve).

The answer, as best I could tell, was "None".

Click to expand...

No way Marriott's will build 70 new resorts unless that is a long range plan over 30 years in my opinion.

What are the upcoming three that are actually built by Marriott?

dioxide45 said:

We know of only three that were mentioned in the last earnings call. 70 sounds pretty lofty. I doubt they would try to more than double their resorts that quickly. If they do, they didn't learn anything from 2008. Perhaps adding more explorer package options it what we would see if they expect to offer access to 70 new properties.

Click to expand...

Marriott Sales has starting blending in the "explorer" collection in referring to properties. So every time a Marriott brand hotel opens it is a new MVCI property.

MAJPLO said:

What are the upcoming three that are actually built by Marriott?

Click to expand...

The locations announced during the Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC) 02/26/15 earnings call were:

San Diego. The all-suite downtown hotel that is currently Declan Suites (formerly Sheraton Suites; originally Marriott Suites) will become a Marriott Vacation Club.

South Beach (Miami). Stephen Weisz announced, "In Miami, we have a commitment to purchase 182-unit property under construction in South Beach, scheduled to be completed in August of this year." The actual property name and address have not been announced.

Big Island, Hawaii. Fewer than half the rooms at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa will be converted into Marriott Vacation Club villas.

None of these three locations were designed from scratch as Marriott Vacation Club resorts. However, they will be be actual Trust properties, not merely Explorer Collection options.

I was told last week during my owner's presentation that in addition to San Diego, South Beach, Big Island and Australia already mentioned, that several floors of the Marriott Marquis in Times Square will be converted to MVC. Apparently it has fallen out of escrow a few times so it has been delayed.

I found this article with a few more details.

http://insidethegate.com/gatehouse/2015/02/idle-timeshare-thoughts-february-28-2015/

NJDave said:

I found this article with a few more details.

http://insidethegate.com/gatehouse/2015/02/idle-timeshare-thoughts-february-28-2015/

Click to expand...

Very interesting article. If these plans actually come to fruition, it will be a good and positive sign for the Marriott timeshare brand, but it will probably be of little consequence to those of us who own just enrolled weeks. I suspect it will be difficult for folks like us to get into those "pure points properties.

DB-Wis said:

I suspect it will be difficult for folks like us to get into those "pure points properties.

Click to expand...

I honestly don't think it will be difficult for enrolled owners to use points to stay at "pure points properties" — regardless of what some Marriott Vacation Club salespeople have claimed.

The Destination Club brings together Trust points and points from enrolled weeks in an exchange pool. The entire portfolio of Marriott Vacation Club properties is available to both categories of owners through what seems to be healthy and well-managed exchange program.

People who buy Trust points want to stay not only at properties that are primarily held by the Trust, but also at older properties that are primarily owned as weeks. And enrolled owners will opt for points if they can use those points across the whole portfolio, including the newest Trust-owned properties.

I'm looking forward to the new properties. And I'm only an enrolled owner.

Werner Weiss said:

I honestly don't think it will be difficult for enrolled owners to use points to stay at "pure points properties" — regardless of what some Marriott Vacation Club salespeople have claimed.

The Destination Club brings together Trust points and points from enrolled weeks in an exchange pool. The entire portfolio of Marriott Vacation Club properties is available to both categories of owners through what seems to be healthy and well-managed exchange program.

People who buy Trust points want to stay not only at properties that are primarily held by the Trust, but also at older properties that are primarily owned as weeks. And enrolled owners will opt for points if they can use those points across the whole portfolio, including the newest Trust-owned properties.

I'm looking forward to the new properties. And I'm only an enrolled owner.

Click to expand...

I agree, especially as to how they're managing inventory in the DC Exchange Company for the benefit of both Trust and Exchange (Enrolled) Members.

I anticipate that they'll be far more likely as time goes on to take advantage of the "Luxury" designation for new properties, as opposed to restricting them to only Trust Members. By doing that they'd be keeping to the "all access, based on availability" tenet, but also supporting sales because the higher tiers have longer Reservation Windows for Luxury properties.

I think it will actually be easier for enrolled owners to use their points at pure trust properties. Mainly for the fact that a lot of enrolled owners have a lot of DC points. New resorts will cost a lot of points and the average DC point sale is probably only about 2,500 DC points. So it would take a trust owner having to bank and or borrow to get some of these new properties. Something they may not be willing to do.

Kauai Lagoons is about as pure a trust points property that there is and it is actually pretty easy to book with legacy points.

SueDonJ said:

I agree, especially as to how they're managing inventory in the DC Exchange Company for the benefit of both Trust and Exchange (Enrolled) Members.

I anticipate that they'll be far more likely as time goes on to take advantage of the "Luxury" designation for new properties, as opposed to restricting them to only Trust Members. By doing that they'd be keeping to the "all access, based on availability" tenet, but also supporting sales because the higher tiers have longer Reservation Windows for Luxury properties.

Click to expand...

My guess is that the Miami South Beach location is a number of the units of the Ritz Carlton Residence property being built.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2005/05/02/tidbits1.html

NJDave said:

My guess is that the Miami South Beach location is a number of the units of the Ritz Carlton Residence property being built.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2005/05/02/tidbits1.html

Click to expand...

This article is 10 years old (2005), does it still apply?

dioxide45 said:

This article is 10 years old (2005), does it still apply?

Click to expand...

Nope. Thought I saw 2015.

I would still guess that it is going to be a Ritz based on the location. I noticed that there are Ritz Residences being built in Miami Beach but the location doesn't appear to match.

The South Beach property is a "182-unit property under construction in South Beach, scheduled to be completed in August of this year" (2015). Marriott Vacations Worldwide is "targeting to open a new sales gallery in this market during the first half of next year" (2016).

Meanwhile, a developer is transforming a former hospital, the Miami Heart Institute, into Ritz Carlton Residences Miami Beach, with 111 units and 15 stand-alone villas priced from $2 million "upwards to $40 million." The Ritz Carlton Residences are apparently not fractional or timeshare units and do not seem to involve Marriott Vacations Worldwide in any way. For more details, see http://miami.curbed.com/places/former-miami-heart-institute

Aside from both licensing brand names from Marriott International, I doubt the two projects have anything in common.

There are a number of different Marriott-sffiliated hotels in Miami Beach — Courtyard Cadillac Miami Beach/Oceanfront; AC Hotel Miami Beach; The Miami Beach EDITION; The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach; Winter Haven, Autograph Collection; Blue Moon Hotel, Autograph Collection; and Marriott Stanton South Beach — but there's no reason to believe the new Marriott Vacation Club involves any of these.

Apparently there's a 182-unit property quietly taking shape somewhere in South Beach. I guess we'll know soon enough where it is, what was previously there, and to what extent it involves renovation/restoration or new construction.

If it's really going to completed 5 or 6 months from now, I'm surprised it's not already being marketed for nightly reservations, even before it's available with points.

Werner Weiss said:

I honestly don't think it will be difficult for enrolled owners to use points to stay at "pure points properties" — regardless of what some Marriott Vacation Club salespeople have claimed.

The Destination Club brings together Trust points and points from enrolled weeks in an exchange pool. The entire portfolio of Marriott Vacation Club properties is available to both categories of owners through what seems to be healthy and well-managed exchange program.

People who buy Trust points want to stay not only at properties that are primarily held by the Trust, but also at older properties that are primarily owned as weeks. And enrolled owners will opt for points if they can use those points across the whole portfolio, including the newest Trust-owned properties.

I'm looking forward to the new properties. And I'm only an enrolled owner.

Click to expand...

I hope you're right. I'm basing my comment on a property like Crystal Shores (Marco Island), where (I understand) few weeks were sold before the switchover to the points systems. Based on comments posted here, and my own experience, it seems virtually impossible to trade into that property. I attribute that to the fact that there are relatively few weeks to be deposited in Interval. I realize there are other factors at play, too (e.g., being able to easily rent the week at a premium price), but that is true for other properties too where trading into is still feasible.

DB-Wis said:

I attribute that to the fact that there are relatively few weeks to be deposited in Interval.

Click to expand...

Deposits of traditional weeks into Interval International (II) and transfer of Trust inventory into the Destination Club (DC) exchange pool are two different things. I was referring to the latter.

As enrolled owner, I think it will easier to get vacations at "pure points properties" through DC than II.

However, MVCI can package Trust inventory into 7-night periods and deposit them with II to obtain weeks out of II when that's advantageous. So it won't be impossible for "pure points properties" to be obtained through II.

Werner Weiss said:

So it won't be impossible for "pure points properties" to be obtained through II.

Click to expand...

Kauai Lagoons is substantially all a points property (I believe weeks were only sold for a couple of months pre June-2010), and you occasionally see weeks pop up at KL just before check-in. I remember when we were at WKORV in April 2014 and two different KL units popped up in II that were available for check-in on the following Saturday (I remember this because I tried to talk Jonell into extending the trip). Both a 2BR and a 3BR -- so, if that isolated instance is what would happen, then I would think Trust Point properties will be deposited into II very very close to check-in.

This may be the pattern with any redeemed Exchange Company/Trust Point week that is unreserved. Perhaps Marriot leaves it in the Exchange until X days before check-in (less than 7 days) and then deposits it into II before it goes empty.

Best,

Greg

Changing the subject back to South Beach...

Could this be the "182-unit property under construction in South Beach" that Stephen Weisz announced during the Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC) earnings call on 02/26/2015?

http://www.witkoff.com/portfolio?property_id=50

The developer's web page describes one of their current redevelopment projects as a "181-key 4-star boutique hotel in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida." That's the right location, the right timing, and essentially the right room count. It also matches Weisz's reference to "Art Deco historic buildings in South Beach."

The current website for the Washington Park Hotel (http://www.washingtonparkhotel.com) appears to be stalled, as if plans have changed. It still says "Opening Early 2015" and there are no details about rooms or an opening date or a way to make reservations. That makes it seems that it won't ever open at the originally-envisioned Washington Park Hotel, but under different management — possibly Marriott Vacation Club.

Not true... Let me explain...

When you convert your weeks into destination points (which I always do, two years out on January 1st every year... Those points become immediately available to anyone who is accessing the trust properties, whether they be purchased trust or our converted 'week points'. A POINT IS A POINT... I know that many sales people, in the past, 'bucketed' us saying that points are different. THEY ARE NOT... You can participate in these new properties, but you'll need to convert your weeks into points, so that you'll have these points available to make the reservation. If you did not convert, the system sees that you have no points and you will see NO reservation options... A bit of a 'leap of faith', but I have tremendous availability when I turn my weeks into club points every year... All the best, SeaDoc:whoopie:

DB-Wis said:

Very interesting article. If these plans actually come to fruition, it will be a good and positive sign for the Marriott timeshare brand, but it will probably be of little consequence to those of us who own just enrolled weeks. I suspect it will be difficult for folks like us to get into those "pure points properties.

Click to expand...

good morning

DB-Wis...

With enrolled points, you will always have access to "point properties" Follow the logic. Since 6/2010 MVCD has been selling "Trust Points". The average sale is about 2000 points. There are very few pure Trust owners with over 5000 (rememebr that is a $50K hit). These new "Trust" properties and many of the primo old ones cost wel over 4000 for a good week. The Legacy enrollees are for the most part, the only owners that can afford the "good stuff"..

no worries at all!!!

just ane xample Ritz carlton Sanfrancisco is WIDE open thru early Jne 2016...

70 rooms maybe!?

Will the San Diego property have a pool/outdoor area?