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Author
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Topic: Marriott Vacation Club
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shellyf
Non MemberPosts: 1
From: Brooklyn, NY USA
Registered: May 2005
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posted 05-02-2005 20:04
    
I am seriously considering a Marriott membership at their Beach Place Towers in Fort Lauderdale, FL and having access to the rest of the Marriott resorts. Any advice on the quality of Marriott, problems, ability to get the resort you want when you want it, etc. I'm looking at Platinum weeks. Thanks for any info.IP: Logged |
dougp26364
TUG MemberPosts: 2050
From: Wichita KS owner: Polo Towers/ The Villas at Polo Towers/ Marriot's Ocean Point/Marriott's Grand Chateau/ HGVC LVStrip/ Grand Regency Branson, MO
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 05-02-2005 23:55
Best place to ask this is on the Marriott forums. I think there are some issues with BP in that there is construcion going up that will block some of the view and charging exchangers to park. It's been some time since the discussion and I don't own at BP some I'm not sure what all of the discussion entailed.IP: Logged |
Stefa
TUG MemberPosts: 36
From:
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 05-03-2005 07:23
Marriott doesn't work the same as some other vacation clubs. You can't reserve a week at another Marriott resort. You have to exhange through II to get into another resort. The chances of getting what you want when you want it depend on thr trading power of the week you own and where you want to go. There is a 21 day window when only other Marriott owners can see a week that has been deposited into II, so that helps. I think you would have a hard time getting a prime beach or ski week.Marriott resorts are usually very high quality and have high quality MFs. [This message has been edited by Stefa (edited 05-03-2005).] IP: Logged |
JimC
TUG MemberPosts: 61
From: Southeastern, PA; Owner at Disney (Old Key West, Beach Club Villas) and Marriott (Shadow Ridge, Canyon Villas, Cypress Harbour)
Registered: May 2004
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posted 05-03-2005 09:08
Does anyone know why Marriott designed their timeshare system so that internal trades also would go through II? It seems a needless complication to me.IP: Logged |
dougef
TUG MemberPosts: 183
From: Connecticut; Own: Marriott Grande Vista; Marriott Ocean Pointe
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 05-03-2005 10:04
One reason is that Marriott used to be an owner of II.IP: Logged |
buzzy
TUG MemberPosts: 61
From: york,pa
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 05-03-2005 10:22
[This message has been edited by buzzy (edited 05-03-2005).] IP: Logged |
buzzy
TUG MemberPosts: 61
From: york,pa
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 05-03-2005 10:24
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Stefa:
[B] I think you would have a hard time getting a prime beach or ski weekQUOTE]I was just wondering why she would have a hard time getting a prime beach or ski week since she would own platinum time at a beach resort. My understanding is BP is a good trader
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Stefa
TUG MemberPosts: 36
From:
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 05-03-2005 13:03
buzzy, I really don't know much about the relative trading power of anything, LOL. I was responding to the OP's question about gettig what you want when you want it within the MVC system. I just wanted to make sure she understands that even a plat week isn't a free ticket into any resort. Stefa IP: Logged |
dlpearson
TUG MemberPosts: 1012
From: Marriott BeachPlace Towers, Marriott Monarch, 7 Mile Beach Club, Vistana Villages
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-03-2005 15:51
I've owned at BeachPlace Towers (platinum) since preconstruction back in 97 (maybe 96? can't remember....). Other than high maintenance/tax fees at $950 (which is primarily due to $200 in local property taxes!), we're quite pleased with our ownership. We've gotten excellent trades (last year we traded for a 2 bedroom Maui Ocean Club in February), and some years have rented it out rather easily. The lockoff feature is nice. If you can stomach the maintenance/taxes (and unfortunately $950 is not so far out of line anymore with many other Marriott sold-out properties, especially beachfront), and can find a platinum resale for around $10k (difficult, but not impossible at that price) I'd say it would be a good choice.-David IP: Logged |
Art
TUG MemberPosts: 1033
From: Grand Island, NY
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 05-03-2005 16:45
DavidWasn't there something recently about Marriott exercising ROFR for BPT platinum weeks somewhere in the $12,500 range? With the official MVCI resale price at $23,000+, I wouldn't want to encourage someone to look for a less than $10,000 price that would be taken out from under them. Art IP: Logged |
davemy
TUG MemberPosts: 60
From: n. tonawanda, n.y u.s.a
Registered: May 2002
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posted 05-03-2005 16:47
I own a two bedroom plat. since 2002 and gone there twice. very happy owner. have had very good trades, which were during school vacations!! maui, grande vista, and my lock out got us a 2 bedroom in hilton head this summer in july, 2 weeks for the price of 1 maint. feeIP: Logged |
housefrau
TUG MemberPosts: 282
From: Northboro, MA., USA
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 05-05-2005 11:53
A platinum week at Beach Place has high trading power. Many people want to go there and unlike many Marriott resorts, it is just the one building not four or five. This limits the number of people that can get in. I have used the one bedroom to exchange and thinking that I would only get a one bedroom for it in none Marriott resorts have been amazed when I have received a two bedroom every time.
Rentals here are excellent in the winter months. I often split the unit and use one and rent one, more than recovering my maintenance fee.
It has been a better purchase for me than Aruba Ocean Club after Marriott decided to build the Surf Club and diluted the extremely high trade power.IP: Logged |
buzzy
TUG MemberPosts: 61
From: york,pa
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 05-05-2005 17:13
Housefrau,how do you think BP would to getting to Atlantis or Westin St. John? Also, where have you had the best success in renting? Thanks IP: Logged |
pointhound
TUG MemberPosts: 86
From: NJ, USA
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 05-05-2005 17:40
Nothing trades easily into WSJ OR Harborside because there are very few deposits. JMHO. IP: Logged |
MRSFUSSY
Non MemberPosts: 271
From: Port Jeff., NY USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 05-08-2005 18:08
Hello fellow tuggers---May I add my 2 cents. Beach Place isn't my favorite. I don't like driving up the parking lot ramp to get access to the complex. Don't like late night arrival, too dark & quiet, after a late night dinner. The pool gets shadowed by a neighboring building quite early in the afternoon. A real pain trying to park at any nearby restaurants when meal time comes around. Yadda, yadda, yadda.IP: Logged |
pwrshift
TUG MemberPosts: 2861
From: Toronto
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 05-08-2005 20:03
Once the HOA gets their act together at BP and exercises better control over the annual maintenance fee, and after the construction is done north and south of the building, it will be fabulous. Big hotel companies have just discovered the Fort Lauderdale beach area - one of the best in the world IMO - and within an easy 10 min walk you'll soon see the finest restaurants in the city at the new Trump Hotel, W Hotel, St. Regis, Hilton, and Atlantic Starwood...all of these selling for $1000 a sq ft pre-construction (fractional ownership). There's nothing else like BP in the Marriott family (perhaps Custom House but it's not on the beach) but the negative is the highest domestic Marriott maintenance mainly because Barbara Wong's HOA didn't mind the maintenance store and now desperately attempting to make up for lost time by hitting exchangers (and owners) for parking fees and non-paying owners for bad debts to ward off those $10k resale prices...and that's why you see those low resale prices. You don't really need a car at BP anyways as everything is within walking distance (or watertaxi). A fun place, reliable weather from mid-Feb to May, lots of activity, restaurants an elevator ride away, etc., but the runaway cost of BP's maintenance has made Ocean Pointe new and resale value higher even though original BP owners got a chance to buy into OP platinums for about $14k in the beginning with 300+k points. But at OP you need to rent a car and you're stuck in the middle of nowhere and everyone is in bed by 8 pm.  Unfortunately, beachfront costs more so grab a BP resale now - with the maintenance so high, you'll probably never want to trade it for the 110k points anyways so there's no incentive to buy BP direct. Brian ------------------
Those who dream most, do most. IP: Logged |
ACCfan
TUG MemberPosts: 419
From:
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 05-08-2005 20:31
Having just returned from a week a MBP, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is a very busy place, but I liked it a lot and had a blast. I was a little skeptical going in given the mixed reviews, but I thought the 2 bedroom villas were very nice. The beach was very good and the pool and hottubs I found to be just fine. I got the 2 bedroom villa as a bonus week for $299 for the week, so I was thrilled.We did have a car, but you really don't need one as the airport is relatively close and once you're there everything is either in a short walking distance or water taxi distance. Given the outrageous real estate prices for beachfront condos there, if the 2 bedroom villa was sold on the open market it would probably get a price over 1 million. So, getting a resale week for 12-14K is actually a fiduciary real estate bargain at this point in time. Not only are you not paying a premium for breaking up a condo into 52 weeks, but you're actually getting a discount. Of course, if there is a real estate bubble and if it does pop, then I think a place like Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale where there's been such a huge acceleration in real estate prices would be hard hit.
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