Testimonial: Hawaii on a budget with the Marriott Vacation Club

Maui is a dream destination and despite the many options available to get there at low cost thanks to Aeroplan points, once there the various accommodation options are very expensive. What if I told you it’s possible to spend 5 nights in a 4-star hotel worth over $4,000 for only $1,250? Yes, it’s possible thanks to Marriott’s timeshare rental program. The only constraint: attending a timeshare meeting.

What is timeshare rental?

Better known as Timesharing, Marriott’s timeshare rental involves purchasing points – be careful, here we’re not talking about Marriott Bonvoy points that we accumulate with our credit cards! – redeemable for stays at Marriott Vacation Club hotels. There is also an annual maintenance fee to pay.

Be careful, I do not recommend buying a timeshare subscription, quite the opposite. According to my calculations, it’s not an advantageous option at all. However, there is a simple way to enjoy these hotels at low cost.

Testimonial: Hawaii on a budget with the Marriott Vacation Club - St Thomas Marriott Vacation Club 8

5 nights in a 4-star hotel for $999 USD

In order to try to sell timeshare subscriptions, Marriott offers trial promotions at its Marriott Vacation Club hotels. However, you must meet certain requirements:

Have an annual household income of over $100,000 (no proof of income was requested from me).
Attend a 90-minute timeshare meeting during your stay.
If you are married or have a partner, both people in the couple must attend the meeting.

That’s it. If you meet these conditions, a simple call to Marriott Vacation Club allows you to purchase a promotional offer. Several options are offered, including 5 nights in Hawaii for $999 US. Several hotels are available on different Hawaiian islands. My choice was the Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club – Lahaina & Napili Towers since it was the one that had available dates that matched flight options from Montreal available with Aeroplan points.

Testimonial: Hawaii on a budget with the Marriott Vacation Club - St-Thomas Marriott Vacation Club-1

You are not required to book your dates the same day you purchase your package. In fact, you have up to 12 months after purchasing the offer to use it. Since available dates are limited, this gives you the opportunity to call and do your flight research before booking. You also don’t have to pay the full package price immediately. A deposit of $199 USD is required and the balance is payable 60 days before your trip.

The timeshare presentation

The date and time of the presentation are communicated to you at the time of your reservation. It never takes place on the day of your arrival or departure. I recommend taking an early morning appointment to avoid cutting one of your vacation days in half.

Many questions will be asked by the salesperson about your travel habits in order to try to better sell you a subscription. You will be given a tour of new rooms that look nothing like the room you’re staying in. Upon returning from the tour, the salesperson leaves you alone and comes back with a first price proposal. The more you refuse, the lower the price goes. The presentation may exceed 90 minutes so let the salesperson know that you have a reservation for an activity and that you must leave by a fixed time at the latest.

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Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuation: $990Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 110,000 points; Ends Sep 22, 2026

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on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

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American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437

2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

ENCORE Package

It would be easy to give a categorical no to all the salesperson’s offers and arguments in order to get out of this meeting as quickly as possible. However, if you do that, you will miss an opportunity to stay a second time at a Marriott Vacation Club at low cost.

Indeed, if you show the salesperson that you are not ready to buy because you are not convinced that the product is right for you but that it could eventually interest you, you will receive a proposal to purchase an ENCORE package. With a deposit of $99 USD, you can book a package for future vacations, usable within the following 12 months, at the Marriott Vacation Club hotel of your choice. Rates vary depending on the hotel and date chosen. You are also offered 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or a $300 USD Visa gift card, your choice, which will be given to you after attending a new 90-minute presentation during your future vacation.

I personally chose, for $999 USD, 4 nights in a two-bedroom suite at Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Counting the Marriott Bonvoy points I will receive, this stay costs me less than $750 CAD for 4 nights in a destination that is usually expensive. In addition, the two-bedroom suite allows me to travel with friends and therefore split the cost of the room.

Marriott is not the only hotel chain to offer this type of promotion. Étienne was able to experience the Hilton Grand Vacations at Seaworld for only $167 USD thanks to a similar promotion. You can read the details of his stay here:

Conclusion

Despite the long unpleasant moment spent at the timeshare presentation, I find that purchasing this package is worth it for the savings on accommodation in an expensive destination like Hawaii. But above all, don’t forget to refuse to purchase the subscription because it’s really not advantageous.

Note: a stay at a Marriott Vacation Club unfortunately does not accumulate elite nights for your Marriott status. You will also not be entitled to recognition of your Marriott status, nor to the free breakfast for Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador members. However, you do accumulate Marriott Bonvoy points on expenses charged to your room.

Promotional offers change constantly and a different offer from the one I received could be proposed to you. Some offers even include a car rental! Do your calculations but usually these offers are all very advantageous.

Testimonial: Hawaii on a budget with the Marriott Vacation Club - Hawaï MVC

Discover other testimonials from members of our community about the trips they were able to take thanks to points:

Notably this testimonial of a family trip to Maui financed with loyalty points, where a father combined plane tickets, Marriott hotels and car rental to offer his daughter 8 days.