posted 03-18-2001 19:32            

In practice, I had no trouble exchanging my 2 February weeks at Swallowtail for summer weeks this year. I don't know if it would have been tougher to get into another HH resort.

posted 03-19-2001 06:15            

I'm curious, too. As you know, Maz, I did exchange a platinum Hilton Head week (Swallowtail) for a February vacation week 7 at Summit Watch. Did I beat out other Summit Watch owners who also wanted week 7? Who knows? In my case, I think one factor was requesting early.

-Corinne

posted 03-19-2001 07:15            

• "...the week(s) you relinquish will be offered to other Marriott Vacation Club International owners requesting an internal exchange before becoming available to other II members. If you request an exchange to your home resort (in a different season), you will receive priority over Marriott Vacation Club International owners from other resorts."

I have discussed this provision with one of the Marriott II counselors when I requested (successfully) an exchange into my home resort. The counselor confirmed that, as the above wording states, owners have first priority for exchanges into their home resorts over all other exchangers. Next priority is for other Marriott owners. Then other II owners come last.

Platinum/gold/silver and other color differences play a role at each level of priority, but not between levels. Thus, for an exchange into Grande Ocean’s platinum season, a gold owner at GO receives priority over GO silver and bronze owners. That GO gold owner receives priority over all others, including platinum owners at other Marriotts.

I think Corinne got it precisely. Request early. That way, when a week becomes available, you'll get priority over anyone else who would normally have a higher priority but hasn't made a request yet!

posted 03-19-2001 13:46            

1) No regional preference. The priorities are as stated in my message above.

posted 03-19-2001 13:59            

quote:

---

Originally posted by gthorson:
Even makes those Grande Ocean greenies look better...

---

posted 03-19-2001 19:04            

I own two summer HH weeks. Monarch ( fixed) and Barony ( platinum floating)...Next year will be the first year that I want TWO concurrent weeks, but I would like them at the SAME resort.

Okay, so to request the Barony week, I must wait until 12 mos before the check-in date I am requesting and go through owner services.

BUT, what I am not sure about is the best way to request to exchange the Monarch week to a week at Barony at the same time ( or vice versa).

Should I wait until 12 months and just request them at the same time from Owner Services, so I KNOW that I get two weeks at the same time, same place ( or take the risk that I CAN'T get two unit at the same time, same place)... OR should I deposit my Monarch week now with II ( can I even do that? never used II,yet) and put in a request for a certain week. This then leaves me locked into ONLY being able to request THAT week at Barony, if I accept an exchange for my Monarch week.

Shoooo! Did I confuse you all? If not, I would love some help with this. I thought I understood it at one time, but now that I am actually going to do it, I am all confused .....

Thanks, as always.

Cheryl

posted 03-19-2001 19:18            

If you are happy staying at Baroney for two weeks then: first, reserve your Baroney week through Marriott; second, deposit the Monarch week and request an exchange through II for the week before and/or after your Baroney confirmed week.

Now if there is a possibility that you'd be happy staying a week at each resort, then reserve the Baroney week before or after your fixed Monarch week. Then do a 'request first' exchange with II so that you don't have to give up your Monarch week until you get the Baroney exchange.

It's all clear, right?

posted 03-19-2001 20:07         

Each ownership interval exchanged by Interval International is assigned a numeric rating, known by Interval International as their "CMG (COMPARABLE matching guide)." Some of the information in this thread accurately reflects Interval's published exchange criteria. Remember though, that Interval's exchange criteria is proprietary and there are some details that they do not disclose.

I would speculate that the majority of weeks that fall into the Platinum Season at Grande Ocean have a higher CMG than the majority, if not all Gold Season weeks (full two bedroom unit) at Summit Watch (we own Gold Season at Summit Watch, and three other Marriott intervals). If my assumption is correct, based on the information that I was provided, the Owner of the unit with the higher CMG (in your scenario) would win. I was explicitely told that the only time that the "Home Resort" criteria benefits an owner exchanging from one season to another, is if, as an example, there are two or three owners, each with intervals with equal CMG's, and one who owns at the resort that they are attempting to exchange back into. In that case, I was told, that the "Home Resort" criteria would influence the exchange in favor of the "Home Resort" owner.

Having said all of the above, and having completed many exchnges with Interval, the one thing that I believe is important to mention in that there is discretion of the part of the Exchange Counselor, and my experience has been that in some cases they can do things that fall out of the box, based on number of intervals sitting in the cue, the length of time that they have been sitting there, etc.

My personal impression of Park City in the summer is that it has moderate demand, not as much demand as Vail, or other areas (including Telluride) that have long-standing cultural activities, festivals, etc. Also, the number of fractional ownership units in Park City has increased dramatically over the past few years, with the addition of Marriott's Mountainside, Westgate at the Canyons, and others.

posted 03-19-2001 20:19            

I actually need two UNITS at the same resort during the same week ( so friends can come with us). I would be happy at either one.

posted 03-19-2001 21:56            

I think our Gold Season interval at Summit Watch is a great unit, with very good exchange power, but it is NOT in the same league as Grande Ocean, Platinum Season.[/B][/QUOTE]
--------------------------
William...Thanks for the insight...Other than Summit Watch,which other Marriotts/seasons do you own??? How long have you owned your gold week at Summit and what kind of exchanges have you seen with it??? Thanks-Maz

posted 03-20-2001 06:01            

I am confident your remarks are accurate for II exchanges. However, a Marriott internal exchange (Marriott week for Marriott week) is treated differently than you state and is not handled as an II exchange. For example, when arranging one over the phone, you don't even talk to a regular II person. There is a separate number to call for internal exchanges. If you mistakenly call the II number and indicate you want to do a Marriott internal exchange, they will tell you that a different department handles those and will then transfer you to a Marriott specialist.

I confirmed the policy again (as stated in the above posts) twice this morning. The policy is in the materials we got when we bought. It's posted in various places on Marriott’s web sites. It’s in the special Marriott owner II directory. And those of us who have done the exchanges have confirmed on numerous occasions that the policy works as intended. Some of us have even had II reps at various owner meetings (including at your home office resort) confirm the policy.

posted 03-20-2001 06:36         

I am very well versed in the Marriott Internal exchange process as that is my job (and I am not speaking as an agent of Marriott or I.I.).

You are under the very same impression that many people are, about the people that you are talking to at I.I. While it is true that there is a department at I.I. dedicated to answering Marriott Owner calls, those agents are Interval employees (NOT Marriott employees) who have received additional training that enables them to answer these calls. In fact, at peak calling times throughout the day calls directed to the Marriott Desk at I.I. overflow to other exchange departments at I.I., and the agent receives a "whisper message" directing them to answer the phone "Marriott Desk," similar to the message that they receive to answer the "Westgate Desk," etc. Thus, the very same agent in the Exchange Department may answer the phone any number of ways in the course of a day (after having received training in each of the products that they answer calls for). This practice is one that is common in the hospitaliy industry; for example, the majority of airlines use "whisper messages" to direct their employees how to answer their Elite member lines, etc.

posted 03-20-2001 06:52            

I would love to e-mail you to get the info, but you don't have an e-mail address listed in your profile. How about just e-mailing the info to me at the address associated with my profile?

I don't question the "Marriott people at II are II employees" situation. That's not the issue. The question is whether, as you indicate, Marriott's written home resort and internal exchange priority policies are hogwash.

I hear you loud and clear saying that the home resort priority doesn't work the way Marriott says that it will. I will appreciate getting your e-mailed info, as it will help clear up the apparent contradiction.

posted 03-20-2001 07:51            

Chill out! Bill was clearly just trying to be helpful and clarify a policy that is not as obvious as you may seem to think it is. I consider Bill a valuable resource when it comes to all things Marriott on this board. Plus, he's a nice guy. Why bandy about terms such as "contractual policies" and "lawsuit"? This is the kind of post that drives people from these boards. Why should Bill go out of his way in the future if someone is going to issue veiled threats to use the information he provides to do harm (e.g. sue his employer). I seem to remember a certain RCI VC who used to post on these boards until...

Next time, deep breath, ok? We're all on the same side, here...

-Corinne

posted 03-20-2001 08:36         

Your thoughts are way too far beyond my reach.

I will continue to offer comments on these boards which I believe to be helpful to the membership at large. I find enjoyment in sharing knowledge that makes for happy owners with other owners. If you or others choose to pay attention to my comments, or perceive them as credible -- that's a matter of personal choice. Debate is healthy -- resolution of debate by litigation, or threats thereto (I couldn't imagine how many people threaten to litigate, and don't), I believe to be a last ditch effort.

I suggest that you take note of the disclosure documents that you refer to, and the name of the party that both publishes the exchange documents and manages that process. To my understanding, Marriott chose to delegate that function to Interval International, not to keep that function in-house.

Corrine, thanks for your kind comments.

Dave and others, if your knowledge of the process makes for great exchanges and happy vacationing, than we will have all benefited one another.

posted 03-20-2001 08:54            

I have amended some of my previous comments. I'll try to avoid using the hammer approach in the future!

posted 03-20-2001 09:48         

PLEASE PLEASE do not believe this. Great weeks get great weeks. They use the same therory as II except all their weeks(green) go in the pecking order before getting released to other members. Another point being give me a Gold week at Aruba or Hawaii over a Platinum week at Seaview any day. Location and season determine your trade pecking order !!

posted 03-20-2001 10:05            

Page 19, Marriott II Directory (emphasis is mine)

Exchange Priority
... Marriott owners requesting an exchange to their home resort receive priority when a comparable exchange exists over other Marriott owners. All exchanges take place using a system of comparable exchanges.

From my numerous discussions with different Marriott II VCs, I believe that the *home resort* priority is practised not in total but at the different levels. So, to answer Maz's question, Grand Ocean owner wins.

If it were GO-Plat VS SW-Plat, those are comparable, so SW-Plat has the *home resort* priority and wins.

*Home resort* priority comes into play only when you're competing against others with the same comparable exchange.

And if you look at your directory, comparable exchanges is based on supply, demand, quality, time of year, sleeping capacity, date the home week is relinquished & date request is placed.