With travel coming back like the perfect storm, it’s a good idea to start planning early. Loyalty programs are going dynamic… property inventories are lower… prices are higher… ai yai yai yai yai, let’s not forget about everyone’s expiring travel credits!
Not covered in many blogs, this impacts timeshare programs the most. Last month, we almost had one year’s worth of Marriott Vacation Club Ownership Points go to waste. Luckily we were able to redeem ~15 nights before the expiration date at domestic resort properties in America.
For owners, remember one of the hidden values of Marriott’s timeshare is its generous lifetime status matching with its Bonvoy program. It’s a great shortcut (despite the ownership opportunity cost) to get top tier status without a single hotel stay.
The most straightforward value is redeeming your club points for Marriott Timeshare Club Resorts.
Marriott’s Kaua’i Beach Club (avg cost 350 USD/night)
On the smallest island in Hawaii, Kauai has a breathtaking landscape for nature lovers.
The property’s highlight is its pool.
And excursion like renting a yacht for the day to go whale/dolphin watching.
Marriott’s Grand Chateau Las Vegas (avg cost 200 USD/night)
With the location being pretty central on the strip, this can be a great alternative way to spend a couple days in Viva Las Vegas.
People with families, the property’s forte is definitely the… KIDS CLUB. A great way for parents to take a break and go shopping on the strip.
Marriott Palm Springs Villa II (avg cost 250/night)
Excellent property for families or big groups wanting to spend some time together in the California desert. The rooms are HUGE and features a full kitchen, which makes time chilling at the property very convenient.
For coachella attendees, redeeming your Vacation Club points during April can be a huge value. Alternatively, you can also convert your vacation club points to Bonvoy points as a last resort (or exchange to Interval international), but that topic can be saved for another day.
Overall, we got lucky in able to use our “travel credits” for the timeshare program last month. No matter what loyalty program you use, remember to check the terms and conditions to maximize the value out of the program!
Buckle up, looks like 2022 will be the year where travel might have a comeback.
Chai Bear World 
is this a paid promotion? I’ve been an owner for years and was mislead at point of sale. Unable to use points and pay more in management fees than it would cost to just stay somewhere that we are not members. It’s a scam. 55k in plan annual dues of $3100+ we vaporized our money. Love the Marriott Hotels and made the mistake of expecting the same experience with vacation club.
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Yes on the surface, we agree it’s a difficult program to maximize. If we were to rewind time, we would’ve told our family to not purchase MVC too! That being said, since we’re stuck with it, we found some gems here and there with Club Points — just need to be super flexible in when/where you travel
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yes i agreed
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