Marriott has been a respected name in hospitality since 1957, and when the hotel giant entered the timeshare industry, they vowed to create a vacation ownership that would rival all others. In recent years, the timeshare industry has seen many new innovations, but Marriott’s initial offering of deeded weeks still take their rightful place at the top of the industry. Their ease-of-use and their incredible cost to value proposition, make them a popular choice for the discerning traveler.
Understanding how these deeded weeks, sometimes referred to as “legacy weeks”, work can help you make the most of your vacation ownership. In this guide, we’ll break down the key features of Marriott Vacation Club Weeks, explaining how they work, and link to some of our most useful educational articles that explain everything you need to know about a deeded week with Marriott Vacation Club.
Choosing Your Usage Rights
One of the fundamental aspects of Marriott Vacation Club Weeks is the choice between fixed week or floating week usage rights.
A fixed week means that you own a specific week (1-52) each year at your home resort. The advantage of this is that you are guaranteed the same week every year, which is ideal if you always vacation during a particular time.
On the other hand, a floating week allows more flexibility. Instead of a set week, you have a range of weeks within a particular season to choose from each year. This is beneficial if you like to change up when you go on vacation, but availability may be limited during peak seasons.
If you’d like to understand everything you need to know about Marriott Vacation Clubs’ seasons, you can read our article on the subject here: Marriott Vacation Club Legacy Weeks: Travel Seasons Explained.
It’s important to reflect upon your vacation routines, the flexibility of your schedule, and individual preferences when selecting between a fixed or floating week. Each offers distinct advantages, so it’s crucial to balance these considerations to make an optimal choice that aligns with your vacation requirements.
If you’d like to explore the pros and cons for either fixed week or floating week timeshares to find the perfect option for you, check out our detailed guide here: Fixed Week, Floating Week, or Points-Based Timeshares: Which Is Best For You?
Biennial Weeks
A biennial week with Marriott Vacation Club refers to a timeshare ownership where the owner has access to their unit at their deeded home resort every other year instead of annually. This is an attractive option for those who don’t need or want to vacation every year but still want the perks and benefits of owning a timeshare.
There are two types of biennial ownerships, odd-year and even-year:
Even Year Usage
As implied by their names, even-year owners can use their weeks during even-numbered years and can be used in years ending in an even number; 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
Odd Year Usage
While odd-year owners can use theirs during odd-numbered years which means it can be used in years ending in an odd number; 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9.
Explore the benefits of Marriott Vacation Club weeks with every other year usage, and learn about maintenance billing, buying strategy & more here: Marriott Vacation Club Biennial Weeks: How Every-Other-Year Usage Works.
Week Calendars
The week calendar is an essential tool for Marriott Vacation Club Weeks owners. It shows all 52 weeks of the year, allowing you to see exactly when each week starts and ends. This is particularly useful for floating week owners when planning their vacations.
You can explore Marriott Vacation Club’s week calendars & learn which weeks fall into Platinum, Gold, Silver & Bronze seasons at each of the Marriott resorts here: Marriott Vacation Club Week Calendars: Learn Which Weeks Are In Each Season.
Making Reservations
With Marriott Vacation Club Weeks, making reservations is straightforward. Floating week owners need to make a reservation within their season, which can be done up to 12 or 13 months in advance. It’s recommended to book as early as possible to secure your preferred dates.
12 Month Booking Window
Any owner can book at their deeded home resort up to 12 months prior to their desired check in date, beginning at 9:00 AM Eastern time.
13 Month Booking Window
Booking 13 months in advance can be done, with a few extra details. First, the 13 months booking window can only be used if owners are booking multiple owned weeks, either concurrently (occurring during the same time) or consecutively (one reservation directly followed by the next). The 13 month booking window does not apply to single weeks.
Booking Concurrent Reservations
If you own multiple legacy weeks, you can book them 13 months in advance if both weeks are booked concurrently. You can book at 2 separate locations if you happen to have a week at one resort and another week at a different resort, but the two reservation’s check in date would need to be the exact same day. This can be useful for booking up to 1 month earlier than the normal 12 month booking window when you need lodging for multiple groups that are traveling together.
Booking Consecutive Reservations
To book 13 months in advance using consecutive weeks, you would need to own two separate weeks which have seasons that overlap somewhere on the calendar.
For example, if you own a legacy week at Marriott’s Grande Vista with a Platinum season, and a legacy week at Marriott’s Harbour Lake with a Platinum season, both resorts’ Platinum season is defined as weeks 1-17 of the year, so you would have a large overlap to allow for booking your consecutive weeks.
As long as the seasons of your 2 weeks align correctly, and there is availability, legacy week owners can book starting 13 months prior to their desired check in date, beginning at 9:00 AM Eastern time.
Inventory Release Calendars
One common misconception is that you must wait precisely 365 days before reserving the week of your choice. However, this is not necessarily true, as some Marriott Vacation Club resorts may have availability earlier than this time frame if new inventory has been released. This can be discovered by using an inventory release calendar for your particular resort.
If you’d like to learn what inventory release calendars are, learn how they help you book hard-to-get weeks and get inventory release calendars for each Marriott Vacation Club resort, check out our article here: Marriott Vacation Club Inventory Release Calendars For Deeded Week Owners.
Marriott Vacation Club Cancellation Policy
The cancellation policy for Marriott Vacation Club Legacy Weeks is a bit different than that of Abound Club Points.
- 60 days or more from scheduled arrival date – No penalty and the usage will be returned to the Owner account.
- 59 days or less from scheduled arrival date – Cancellations are not permitted.
You can cancel your reservation by calling Marriott Vacation Club directly at 407-641-1801 Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM or Friday between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Lock-Off Units
A lock-off unit is a unique feature of some Marriott Vacation Club properties. These are larger units that can be divided into two separate sections: a main section and a smaller “lock-off” section. If you own a lock-off week, you can choose to use the entire unit for one week, or split it into two separate weeks by using the main and lock-off sections separately.
Depending on the configuration of the villa type that is owned, this can leave the owner with the following possible unit types after the lock-off is performed:
- 2 Bedroom » 1 Bedroom + 1 Studio
- 2 Bedroom » 1 Bedroom + 1 Bedroom
- 3 Bedroom » 2 Bedroom + 1 Studio
- 3 Bedroom » 2 Bedroom + 1 Bedroom
If you’d like to learn which resorts offer lock off units, explore the booking options they enable, learn about lock off fees, plus how to effectively use a lock-off deeded week, check out our in-depth article here: Lock-Off Units For Marriott Deeded Week Owners: Explained.
Split-Week Options
Split-week options provide even more flexibility. Instead of using your week all at once, you can split it into two shorter stays – leaving you with two reservations, one for three nights and another for four nights.
This option isn’t available for all Marriott Vacation Club resorts, so we’ve compiled an exhaustive list so you can confirm whether your resort offers this extra measure of flexibility. Check it out here: Marriott Vacation Club Split Week Option: What It Is & How To Use It.
Exchange Options
Interval International Exchange
Marriott Vacation Club is affiliated with Interval International, a leading timeshare exchange company. This means that you can trade your week for a week at one of thousands of other resorts around the world. This adds a tremendous amount of flexibility and variety to your vacation ownership, allowing you to travel to new destinations every year.
How Trading Marriott Weeks With Interval International Works
Learn the benefits of trading a Marriott week, and get simple travel demand index charts to guide your next Interval International Marriott trade by reading our article here: How Trading Marriott Weeks With Interval International Works.
Buying a Marriott Week to Trade With Interval International
Utilizing exchange is such a powerful tool, that some choose to select the deeded week they purchase with the specific criteria of maximizing their trading ability with Interval International. If you’d like to learn how to buy the perfect Marriott week for trading purposes, what fees are required to exchange, and how to double your vacation time using upgrades, check out our deep-dive article here: Buying A Marriott Legacy Week To Trade With Interval International.
Florida Club Exchange
The Florida Club acts as a club within Marriott Vacation Club and allows owners at participating Florida resorts to book their week at one of the other Florida Club resorts up to six months prior to their reservation instead of booking at the resort they own.
Owners of more than one week at a Florida Club resort can take advantage of booking seven months out, if they are booking concurrent (two different weeks during the same calendar dates) or consecutive (two weeks with the second directly following the first) weeks.
Learn how to use the Florida Club, and get the rules, restrictions & more by reading this guide: Marriott Vacation Club’s Florida Club Explained.
Learn More About Marriott Vacation Club
Whether you’re planning a yearly family vacation, or just want to be able to take more vacations without breaking the bank, Marriott Vacation Club deeded weeks are for you.
If you’re just beginning your research on Marriott Weeks, you can start by reading some of our most popular educational articles:
How To Buy A Marriott Timeshare Resale: The Definitive Buyer’s Guide
Looking to buy a Marriott timeshare resale? We’ll walk you through the process of buying on the resale market from start to finish.
Calculating The Cost Savings Of A Weeks-Based Marriott Timeshare
Discover the potential cost savings of a weeks-based Marriott timeshare. Learn how to calculate value, price stability, & exchange benefits.
Top 3 Mistakes Marriott Owners Make When Reserving Their Deeded Week
Get the most out of your vacation time & book hard-to-get weeks by avoiding these common mistakes that Marriott owners make all the time!
Marriott Vacation Club Resort Maps: Find Your Way Around Marriott Resorts
Explore Marriott resorts with ease using Resort Maps. Your guide to effortless navigation and planning!
Marriott Vacation Club Resorts With On-Site Dining
Explore top Marriott Vacation Club Resorts with exceptional on-site dining experiences. Indulge in a culinary journey from Orlando to Phuket just steps away from your private villa.
Parking At Marriott Resorts
Discover essential parking information for Marriott Vacation Club resort and learn about free self-parking, valet services, RV parking policies, and more.
If this sounds like something that would be right up your alley but you need some help deciding which vacation ownership might suit your needs best, our specialists are happy to answer any questions about how Marriott Vacation Club weeks work. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our licensed agents today for a free consultation!
