New Shadow Ridge lockoff offerings: potentially TWO ACs or lock off for points

Some info I found out this morning...

Trading for Marriott Rewards Points
As often discussed here, Marriott's rules state that, as owners, we must trade the use of our entire unit (not just one side of a lockoff unit) to get Marriott Rewards points.

Marriott is introducing Shadow Ridge 2BR Platinum lockoffs that will have separate deeds for each part of the unit and separate points values for each part. Thus, you can use such a unit in any of the ways currently available or divide the unit and trade one part of the unit for Marriott Rewards points.

Deluxe Lockoff
The new Shadow Ridge section has deluxe lockoffs that divide into a large 1BR and a small 1BR. Potentially, dividing the unit into its two parts and depositing both with II could generate an AC for each.

* * * *

For more info, contact your favorite salesperson or call Marriott telesales by calling 800-527-1787 or 866-946-6277.

(I didn't ask about pricing.)

Interesting. Another person reported a salesman talking about this at Horizons

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63514

We just assumed the salesperson was lying, but maybe he was confused or this is a new kind of offering to juice sales. I doubt you would get the full points 110,000 for each side, but maybe half. It will be interesting to see if this is just one property or if it will apply to others.

Smells a little like the Starwood lockoffs We can split our Westin Mission Hills large and small 1 BRs and use one half and turn the other half into Staroptions to trade to another Starwood resort or into Starpoints. The first year we owned WMH we used the small side to trade to a Westin St. John studio with Staroptions and turned the large unit into SPG points and stayed at their Paris hotel for 5 nights -- not too bad

It is a smart move for Marriott to do this as Starwood is building right next to Intrawest and not far from Shadowridge so they might have felt it was necessary to match programs!?

wuv pooh said:

Interesting. Another person reported a salesman talking about this at Horizons.

Click to expand...

That's different. What that TUGger heard was that part of the unit could be traded for the full 110,000 points applicable for the unit. That's not possible.

In this offering, separate point values would be assigned to each part of the unit. An owner could trade the use of the entire unit for points or trade either part and get the number of points applicable to that part of the unit.

That might suck for those trading in as it means a 1 BR exchange might get them into the smaller unit unawares. But it is potentially good for those that own that unit type, the ? is at what cost. We were just at a presentation this week and went to the owners workshop where it wasn't mentioned though they did talk about the 3 BR at LV trading in that way but not points for a portion. Makes you wonder if they'll sell them separate also so you can buy just a 1 BR. Some of the resorts in the BG system are set up this way and I purposefully don't accept 1 BR trades to those resorts.

The way it was explained during our tour on Monday was that Marriott deeded some of the two bedroom units separately. So the lockout has its own deed and the 1 bedroom suite has its own deed. As there was not much demand to purchase a lockout unit and Marriott was unable to redeed the two separate units into the standard 2 bedroom configuration. The way Marriott got around this was to "attach" the two separate deeds so that Marriott could now sell as the more popular two bedroom lockout unit. The two sides are one two bedroom unit for reservation purposes. The buyer, at their option, can lockout the unit without paying the $75 lock. The buyer can also turn either side into Marriott for points and since each side is deeded separately the buyer can sell the individual units themselves.

Ed

Dave M said:

Some info I found out this morning...

Trading for Marriott Rewards Points
As often discussed here, Marriott's rules state that, as owners, we must trade the use of our entire unit (not just one side of a lockoff unit) to get Marriott Rewards points.

Marriott is introducing Shadow Ridge 2BR Platinum lockoffs that will have separate deeds for each part of the unit and separate points values for each part. Thus, you can use such a unit in any of the ways currently available or divide the unit and trade one part of the unit for Marriott Rewards points.

Deluxe Lockoff
The new Shadow Ridge section has deluxe lockoffs that divide into a large 1BR and a small 1BR. Potentially, dividing the unit into its two parts and depositing both with II could generate an AC for each.

* * * *

For more info, contact your favorite salesperson or call Marriott telesales by calling 800-527-1787 or 866-946-6277.

(I didn't ask about pricing.)

Click to expand...

Dean -

My guess is that the samll bedroom portion will have the privacy required to be treated by II as a 1BR, but won't have a full kitchen. Thus, to get a larger 1BR, if it matters, someone could specify that a full kitchen is required in making an exchange request with II.

Are these actually the same unit configuration as a 1BR and a studio then, or is it some different configuration than the typical 2BR lockout? Are they just classifying the studio as a 1BR for these units, but is it still 1 room?

Of Marriott is doing this at at least some of their resorts, it might be good to add this info. into the resort information in the stickies or somewhere....

No, if the smaller unit was to be one room, it would not qualify as a 1BR for II (and possible AC) purposes. It will be a true 1BR unit - bedroom walled-off from living area.

Dave M said:

Dean -

My guess is that the samll bedroom portion will have the privacy required to be treated by II as a 1BR, but won't have a full kitchen. Thus, to get a larger 1BR, if it matters, someone could specify that a full kitchen is required in making an exchange request with II.

Click to expand...

Maybe, we shall see. My experience with II has been that they often don't show these type of units correctly. I know of several resorts where they'll list the same exact unti as a partial kitchen one time and a full kitchen another. The ones I mentioned with BG do have a full kitchen but are smaller with a queen instead of a King and a smaller "master" bath.

This could be a move to also enhance the 'value' of the studio for those empty nesters, like me, who have grown kids and don't always need the space of a 2 bdrm but would like a little more space in the studio and cooking facilities. Something like the Westin concept might be very nice.

Brian

Shadow Ridge Enclaves

Additional info:

"What you were told is pretty close. The 2 Bedroom plan will have a lock off. One side will be a normal one bedroom unit. The other side will have a one bed room unit and a Kitchenette. The Kitchenette includes a full refrigerator, two burner cook top, Microwave oven and a dishwasher. Yes I believe you may lock off on one side and take points on the other side."

Click to expand...

Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Enclaves Deluxe
Palm Desert, California

Resort Amenities:
• 18-hole, Par-71 Nick Faldo designed championship golf course
with a natural “outback” feel
• Faldo Golf Institute ® by Marriott, a premier golf instructional
facility, including 20 acres of dedicated practice area
• Clubhouse: Pro-Shop and Fitness Center with sauna and
steam room
• Main Pool: Adult infinity pool and whirlpool spas plus a
children’s infinity pool with fun-splash area and waterslide.
• Quiet pool for adult relaxation
• Four lighted tennis courts, two half basketball courts,
volleyball court, putting green and children’s play area
• Faldo’s Bar & Grill, Chuckwalla Bar & Grill (main pool) and
The Marketplace SM convenience store
• The MAZE (Marriott’s Activity Zone Experience)
family activity center
• Park areas with barbecue grills

Villa Amenities:
• 137 square feet private balcony off the master living room
PLUS a second 130 square foot private balcony off the (Deluxe
Lock-Off) living area with mountain, pool or fairway views
• Approximately 1331 square feet 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa
(second bedroom is a Deluxe Lock-Off)
E asy access to two additional pools, bar & grill and walking trials
• Accommodations for up to 8 people (sleeps 8 on site/trades as
6 through Interval International
• Comfortable Desert Contemporary living room with
40” LCD Flat-Panel TV with large glass windows to maximize
desert views
• Fully equipped kitchen with modern stainless steel appliances,
dishwasher and four burner glass range with separate dining
area
• Luxury Master bedroom with 26” LCD Flat-Panel TV
• Master bathroom with frameless shower enclosure, granite
countertops and modern up-set bowl sinks
• Luxury Desert Contemporary Design

Ownership Benefits and Features:
Occupy your villa for a full week at Marriott’s Shadow Ridge.
Two-bedroom villas may be locked off, which allows you to
divide your villa into two separate accommodations to double
your vacation time. You can then use each portion of the villa at
a different time within your season or exchange the master suite
and/or guest suite of your villa through Interval International.

Split-week usage allows you the option of using a villa in two
separate stays: a 3-night stay (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and a
separate 4-night stay (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).
Exchange your week through Interval International for time at
other Marriott Vacation Club resorts, or for time at one of more
than 2,200 resorts in 75+ countries.

Trade your week for Marriott Rewards® points that are redeemable for Marriott hotel accommodations, airfare, world cruises,
rental cars and more. For details, visit marriottrewards.com.


Deluxe Lock-Off Amenities:
• Only current Marriott Vacation Club Property to include a
“Deluxe Lock-Off” with a completely separate living room
and upgraded kitchenette
• Separated Living Area with 32” Plasma TV and attached
130 square feet private balcony with mountain, pool or
fairway views
• Upgraded kitchenette with stainless steel appliances including a
full refrigerator, two-burner glass range and 18” dishwasher
• Private one-bedroom with 26” LCD Flat-Panel TV
• Bathroom has dual bedroom OR living room entrance with
granite countertops and frameless shower enclosure


P.S.
I have the brochere with a floorplan, but it is too large to attach here. I can email it if you want it.

Deluxe Floor Plan

I was able to clip the floor plan out of the PDF.

Kitchenette

Here is the Kitchenette on the small 1BR lock-off.
There is a slider wall just to the left of the bed that can be closed for privacy.

Wow, what a wonky bathroom design for the bedroom in the master. Hope I'm seeing that wrong. Studio is definitely bigger than the one we got stuck in when there in 2005; I've been in better Motel 6's. Maybe they got a lot of complaints.

Pat

I agree ... the master looks quite 'adjusted' smaller compared to what we've become used to. A turn off IMO.

Brian

camachinist said:

...Wow, what a wonky bathroom design for the bedroom in the master. Hope I'm seeing that wrong. .

Pat

Click to expand...

What the OP is referring to is the "villa of the future" that Shadow Ridge has on-site for you to view. We saw this last year and were asked to fill out a survey with our thoughts.

I posted a thread here on TUG titled "villa of the future" to see if anyone else had seen this.

First of all, the regular two bedroom is now smaller, about 1100 sq. feet (the original is 1250). The deluxe lock-off was neat, for a couple, but not for a small family, for sure. The bedroom was separate, but only had sliding doors which would give little privacy if you had children sleeping on the sofa. The kitchenette was plenty for most couples, simply lacked a stove. All the appointments were top-notch, but the unit still felt pretty crowded/small.

I don't know what they will be asking for these new units, but you won't be able to trade the deluxe lock-off as a true onebedroom since it lacks a full kitchen.

Anyone can view this new layout, including both styles of lock-offs at Shadow Ridge. The new villas are located right behind the sales office building.

-Janna

With 2 separate deeds, I would expect you could sell them separately. Are they calling both units 1 bedrooms? If they are and one of the bedroom units is larger than the other, how would you know which you are buying, selling or reserving for that matter?

Based on the lay out, it looks like it could work almost like a 3 bedroom, with the second living room area being like a third bedroom for the kids....

I think I like the old layout best. I like that you can see your view from bed in either bedroom!! I also like the view from the living area out the picture window and love the fireplace. I still do not understand why there are no ceiling fans. They would be ideal for about 5 mos. out of the year.

Maint. Fees?

Two deeds two fees? Say it isn't so.

If I buy a Shadow Ridge resale, I would want to make sure when I reserve my week I DON'T get one of these new "Enclaves" unit which does not fit my needs.

Do you think they will be marked differently in the Marriott system by what type unit you own? Or would I just need to put in a building/room request couple weeks prior to arrival?

Visited Shadow Ridge this week. Not much construction since we were here two years ago.

Looked at the villa of the future -- part of the new Enclaves section. They are now offering a traditional master (A)/efficiency (B) combination or the master (A)/master (C) combination.

The A unit is a smaller traditional one bedroom with more glass looking out to the balcony. It also has a sliding wall that opens the bedroom (or closes it off) from the living room. Nicely done, contemporary, up to date electronics. But probably best for a couple only.

The B unit is a normal efficiency however it has the sleek contemporary look and electronics.

The C unit is a large efficiency (but considerably smaller than the A unit) with a washer/dryer and enhanced mini-kitchen that could suffice quite nicely if you lock-off and stay back to back weeks. This is much better than the B units. The movable wall design is here as well.

They claim that owners in the Villages (the older section where we own) will not be able to reserve in the Enclaves, but Enclave owners would be permitted to reserve in the Villages. Not sure how that works, but that statement was made.

The A/C combination platinum is $33,900. Pricey, particularly in this market.

The concierge who signed us up for the tour at check in asked if we had any interest in buying. We only wanted to get an update, see the new villas and not buy. He said he would note that this was a GI (general information) tour. Our sales guide was very nice (actually the nicest of the on-site resort sales staff we have talked with). We had a nice conversation about our timeshare portfolio and vacation needs. He knew we had no interest in adding on. He did a great job of no pressure and was quite professional. We were in and out in 40 minutes with our $100.

Unfortunately there was one situation that we thought was out of character for Marriott. Our sales guide asked what we thought about the new units. We said the A/C combination would work quite well for us but unless MVCI was willing to buy back our current SR EEY and CH contracts we would have no interest in taking on a new full year contract. He suggested speaking with an upgrade specialist and that he was unsure if MVCI would be willing to do that. The young lady who came in with us was polite, but a bit cold -- especially after we told her what we would be interested in doing. She firmly told us that CH was "off the table" because we purchased it privately. Now we knew that it was her likely opening position, but she could have handled it more cordially then she did. She went on to tell us the restrictions on minimum additional purchase to qualify for an equity upgrade (again surprising given the market conditions, but certainly okay with us). We restated what we were interested in and that if it was not possible then we would not buy. She abruptly ended our conversation. She shook our hands and walked out. Again okay but what she did next surprised us. She ignored our sales guide who had stepped forward to thank her and shake her hand, which is the polite way to conclude a meeting. She completely ignored him. We thought that extraordinarily rude in any situation and especially so for Marriott.

I recently got the new prices for the Enclave and the square feet. They have gotton rid of Silver season, so I only have info for Platinum and Gold:

Regular two-bedroom villa:
1113 sq. ft.
Platinum is $26,500
Gold is $15,900

Deluxe two-bedroom villa:
1331 sq. ft.
Platinum $34,900
Gold $19,000

I got these numbers from one of the sales persons I spoke to on the phone.

pwrshift said:

This could be a move to also enhance the 'value' of the studio for those empty nesters, like me, who have grown kids and don't always need the space of a 2 bdrm but would like a little more space in the studio and cooking facilities. Something like the Westin concept might be very nice.

Brian

Click to expand...

Agree....this is how my Sheraton PGA locks off.

Here is a drawing from the Starwood website. Big unit is about 880 sq feet the smaller 470 ....





edit - didn't realize there was already a picture posted - but will leave PGA here for comparison - this is similar to Westin Mission Hills - and the Sheraton has washer/dryers in both halves.

We toured Westin Maui in January and Shadow Ridge Enclave in March. We noticed similarities in decor and presentation. The new SR was very 'Westin looking' not the typical Marriott SR Southwest look. I felt like it was a little bit too Brady Bunch orange for me.

However, the lock off has 2 TVs, which solves one of our disputes, and a larger refrigerator. But Westin lockoffs have a washer/dryer, the Marriott Enclave did not. (deal breaker for me)

In both cases (Marriott and Westin) when we declined to purchase we were called back for an exit interview. A higher up person asked how our salesperson handled the presentation. Then we were offered a comeback week (called Encore) within 18 months for a 'good price'. If we decided to purchase after staying a week the cost of that week would be applied to the purchase price.

We decided the get-away prices were a better deal and declined the come back offer.

I got the feeling that Marriott had adopted some of the Westin features and sales presentation.