Platinum to Gold Time "M"2"M" exchange

I am doing a 'request first' into Marriott Marbella Beach Resort MMB.

I am using a studio Easter week (equates to Platinum Plus) and requesting a resort that doesn't have lock-offs - only 1,2 & 3BR units - in Gold time. And before you all jump on me about 'ORLANDO', Grande Vista trades extremely well Marriott to Marriott. When I called II and gave them the request, the VC said, 'Ahhh, Easter, good week!'

When I look at the seasons at the resort they are;
Platinum, Gold Holiday, Gold and Silver

Am I correct in thinking this is the correct demand order or is 'Gold" a higher demand time then 'Gold Holiday'?

I really don't want to give up my 1BR Platinum to get a 1BR Gold.....

What do you think?

Gold is higher than Gold Holiday. Take a look at the resort calendar. You'll see that Gold weeks are adjacent to Platinum weeks and three of the four Gold Holiday periods are (1) between Gold and Silver or are (2) for specific holiday-oriented weeks during what would otherwise be Silver season.

However, I'm curious as to why it matters, Pat. II is blind as to Marriott's seasons. Aren't you requesting a selection of weeks that fit your needs, regardless of what season those weeks fall into?

Dave M said:

Gold is higher than Gold Holiday. Take a look at the resort calendar. You'll see that Gold weeks are adjacent to Platinum weeks and three of the four Gold Holiday periods are (1) between Gold and Silver or are (2) for specific holiday-oriented weeks during what would otherwise be Silver season.

However, I'm curious as to why it matters, Pat. II is blind as to Marriott's seasons. Aren't you requesting a selection of weeks that fit your needs, regardless of what season those weeks fall into?

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I did look at the calendar and found it a bit confusing - because "Gold Holiday" SOUNDS better then Gold ..... I think ???
Which is why I am sure they did it rather then say Plat, Gold, Silver and Bronze

Anyway, I am piggybacking this request on an owned week in Ireland so it is 1 date, 1 resort request.
I am using a Plat studio to trade into Gold time so I am hoping that will give me an edge - both the week I am trading and the week I am requesting are considered RED by II but as we know, there is RED and there is pinky red


Have u had success trading UP in unit size when going down in season?

Actually gold holiday weeks cost more than gold. Gold holiday owners can reserve both gold hol and gold weeks whereas gold owners can't book the gold hol weeks - they have to exchange into them. I know this is confusing for your side of the pond but what Marriott did here was to make the gold hol weeks fall when the UK has it's school hols. So for example our schools have a weeks holiday in Feb (around 16th), May (where your Memorial week falls) and Oct (around 22nd). Those weeks are high demand weeks over here (well maybe not Feb so much).

The gold weeks in June are also very high demand.

Resorts with gold hol season are Club son Antem, Marbella Beach and Village d'Isle de France. Interestingly they only have gold at Playa Andaluza.

cwtkm3 said:

Actually gold holiday weeks cost more than gold. Gold holiday owners can reserve both gold hol and gold weeks whereas gold owners can't book the gold hol weeks - they have to exchange into them. I know this is confusing for your side of the pond but what Marriott did here was to make the gold hol weeks fall when the UK has it's school hols. So for example our schools have a weeks holiday in Feb (around 16th), May (where your Memorial week falls) and Oct (around 22nd). Those weeks are high demand weeks over here (well maybe not Feb so much).

The gold weeks in June are also very high demand.

Resorts with gold hol season are Club son Antem, Marbella Beach and Village d'Isle de France. Interestingly they only have gold at Playa Andaluza.

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Interesting - and confusing for us Americans!

So my assumption of Platinum, Gold Holiday, Gold and Silver is correct and since the week I want is just a plain old Gold (and thus would probably NOT be in as high demand as those Gold Holiday weeks) - my chances of a match are better then I thought/or maybe not????.

Pat,
Maybe you can reserach an old TugBBS thread to find out how many actual 1BR units there are at MMB. If there are very few, then your chances may dwindle somewhat as you would be theorectically then trying to trade into a 2BR at MMB.

thinze3 said:

Pat,
Maybe you can reserach an old TugBBS thread to find out how many actual 1BR units there are at MMB. If there are very few, then your chances may dwindle somewhat as you would be theorectically then trying to trade into a 2BR at MMB.

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Good thought - but I also have a back-up plan.
A friend will already have an owned unit there the week we are going plus I can always break down and trade a 1BR for 1BR.

Remember there's always Playa Andaluza 30 mins down the road. I know it wouldn't be ideal as your friend is at Marbella but it would increase your chances.

If you want to travel at a popular time you shouldn't use a studio. Having said that, some of the 3BR units at Playa are lock-offs but I've heard the rooms are very small.

Good luck!

cwtkm3 said:

Remember there's always Playa Andaluza 30 mins down the road. I know it wouldn't be ideal as your friend is at Marbella but it would increase your chances.

If you want to travel at a popular time you shouldn't use a studio. Having said that, some of the 3BR units at Playa are lock-offs but I've heard the rooms are very small.

Good luck!

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Thanks for the luck!

I am taking a bit of a gamble I know, but since I am trading Platinum Plus (Easter Holiday) time for Gold time, I want to give it a shot.

If I were requesting July (Platinum) in Marbella, I would use the 1BR for a 1BR trade.
My friends successfully traded into Marbella the same week I want in June using a 2BR Gold Aruba week for a 2BR Gold Marbella week.

Pat, keep in mind that the gold, platinum etc are Marriott designations only and dont necessarily reflect trading power using II. There are many resorts where gold weeks have better trading power than platinum weeks at other resorts.

For example, even though your 1 bedroom GV is platinum, it is very likely that it does not have as high a trade value as a gold MMB 1 bedroom. There is much less supply versus demand at MMB than there is at the Orlando Marriotts, even during Easter week.

IMO, your best chance at getting the trade is to make the request using your 1 bedroom unit rather than hoping for a unit size upgrade at a resort that is typically hard to get into. Good luck.

Update - ended up doing a direct exchange with an owner...

Another update....

A friend put in a request with a 2BR Platinum Arizona Marriott the first week of July 08 for a check-in July 3-August 1, 2009 ....

She received her confirmation yesterday for a 2BR sleep 6 July 3, 2009 check-in.

Are you going to be there at the same time??

Terry

thinze3 said:

Are you going to be there at the same time??

Terry

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Sadly no, as public schols in NY usually go until the end of June.
But another friend whose one child is in private high-school will join us in mid June as she finishes the first week of June.

GrayFal said:

A friend put in a request with a 2BR Platinum Arizona Marriott the first week of July 08 for a check-in July 3-August 1, 2009 ....

She received her confirmation yesterday for a 2BR sleep 6 July 3, 2009 check-in.

Click to expand...

Another edit - SORRY but!!

My friend used her 2BR Gold Aruba Surf Club Memorial Day reservation to get the Platinum time Marbella