Greetings!
I hope you have had a fun and safe summer. With fall approaching, you should be making a decision soon on whether you should enroll in Marriott's new Destinations Exchange program. The pricing and incentives being offered are valid through December 30, 2010. Hopefully after reading the article below, you can make your decision with confidence.
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Marriott's Destinations Points Revisited
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You may have had a chance to review the information that Marriott has released on the new Destinations Exchange program. It is probably no clearer to you now than it was back in June. I continue to have many owners asking me if they should enroll and what the upside and downside is of doing so.
Once you enroll, the way you manage your weeks does not have to change. That is the most important point I would like to get across to you. The program continues to operate the same as it did in the past:
- You retain your deed
- You can book at your home property 12/13 months ahead
- You can trade your weeks through Interval International
- You can turn your week into Marriott Rewards points
So, what is the upside? The #1 upside for most owners is the savings in fees. You continue to pay maintenance fees but you will no longer be nickel and dimed every time you elect for points or to trade.
Once you enroll, you pay an Annual Simplified Due. You
pay either $165 or $199 annually (depends on your ownership weeks), for ALL of the weeks that you own. This one fee
covers Interval's membership fee, your Marriott-to-Marriott trade fees, lock-off fees and change fees. Overall, your fees per year
should reduce. Below is an example on what you may pay today:
A 2 week owner may lock-off one week ($75), belong to II ($89), trade both the Master and Studio through II ($109*2), and turn one week to Marriott Rewards points ($109).
Total fees paid in a year = $491.
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If your Annual Dues are $199 then you will save almost $300/year. Yes, you pay $695 to join, but after 2 years, you have your payback. An important exercise for you is to determine your savings based upon how you use your ownership. Typically, if you own 2+ weeks, it will make sense to enroll for these savings alone. Even one week owners, who lock-off and trade annually, will benefit from the savings.
To start saving now, make your decision before turning your 2011 weeks into rewards points or making any more deposits with Interval.
To read more about Marriott's Destinations Exchange Program or to add your thoughts and comments to The Art of Vacationing website, click here.
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