Worldmark/MGV

Can anyone compare Worldmark and Monarch Grand Vacation club for me? I'm mostly interested in how the quality of their resorts stacks up against each other, but info on the ins-and-outs of each system would also be helpful.

MGV has higher maintenance fees, almost double that of Worldmark. Both are flexible as far as booking number of days, etc. Worldmark has much more resorts to choose from, though.
A friend of mine has MGV and I have Worldmark and after seeing the number of resorts at WM she regrets buying MGV.

IMHO, it appears that MGV resorts are easier to get a reservation at the MGV locations including their SoCal Ocean locations than worldmark oceanside location. And if you're a smart shopper a lower buy-in price.

Other than that WM seem to have the edge. Lot more locations, lot more uses for your points, it much easier to buy WM because there is a great and stable secondary market for WM by resellers which only sell WM, one is redseason.com.

Hope that helps

As a WM owner, I have no problem getting WM Oceanside for a week every summer. I book 12-13 months out. We even had 4th of July week last year there. This year we have a week a little later in July. We've also been there in June and August. Plus, we did a bonus time trip in December last year while our old house was being tentead and fumigated for termites before we sold it.

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WorldMark Owners' Community - - www.wmowners.com

Many thanks! I think the hang up for DH on either of these systems is going to be his perception that they are "lower quality" than the Marriotts he is used to. (I know, I know you pay an awful lot for Marriott...) Can you help me with details on MGV and/or Worldmark resort quality in general? I've looked at details on Redweek, but need more objective analysis.

So far, the only TS that DH would agree to was DVC. He's kind of a prima donna that way, but I'm trying to find vacation accommodation options that don't break the bank--and with 6 kids, I'm just tired of paying for Residence Inns!

If it helps, you can use WM to trade into DVC and Marriot through II.

Comparing resort quality is a lot like dating. It can be very subjective. Are you a butt/legs person or does looks play more of a role? Same with resorts. Is a big fancy pool a must? (most Marriots) Good locations? Cost effective? (WM)
I have been to several WM properties that go from fantastic to avarage at best, and some Marriots that were stunning(Mountain Side) to average(Summit). I am learning thru visits which resorts are worth second stays and which ones aren't. As far as what your hubby and you prefer depends on whether you need a "Cadillac" for prestige or an equivelent "Buick" that is $10,000 less but with the same reliability? Good luck.