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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.