After many setbacks and missed deadlines on the launch date of Marriott’s new Abound program, Marriott owners logging into the Marriott Vacation Club website were greeted today with an official notice that Westin and Sheraton properties (many of the resorts in the Vistana Signature Network of resorts) are now available to book.
Using Marriott’s online booking tools, we are now able to see both Westin and Sheraton resorts when initiating a reservation using points. Owners that have a week-based Marriot timeshare, and have previously been enrolled in the Marriott Destinations Club Program to receive points, should also now be able to elect to receive Abound’s new Club Points which would allow them to book at these Vistana properties.
Some exciting new updates have been released by Marriott regarding their new Abound exchange program. News regarding the launch date of the program, points charts for Vistana resorts (Westin, Vistana and Sheraton resorts) have been released, and some new details about costs of the program and other minor changes have been announced. We’ll be covering all that and more in this update. Read on to find out more!
When Will The Abound Program Become Available?
Marriott owners will be able to begin booking Vistana properties starting in October of 2022, with reservations starting for the 2023 calendar year.
Destinations Club Points Become Club Points
Along with the rebranding of Marriott’s internal exchange program (Destinations Club Exchange Program) to the new moniker Abound, it seems Destination Club Points (also referred to as Vacation Points) will now be called Club Points. Club Points will be the new name for the vacation currency that is used to book vacations for Marriott Destinations Club points owners, as well as Vistana owners who are electing to use their weeks / points in the new Abound program.
Point Charts For Vistana Properties
Marriott has also released points charts for the 2023 calendar year that show Marriott owners how many Club Points it will take to book at the various Vistana properties. Normally, a Marriott Vacation Club login would be required to see this information from the member dashboard, but we have compiled all of the points charts into one PDF below that shows the points values for each resort, time of year, view type and unit type.
Westin Sheraton PointsChartsNo Additional Costs
Marriot has also clarified that there will be no additional costs involved in using or becoming enrolled in the Abound program. There is no buy-in costs, and no additional purchases are required to use this new program. Great news!
Club Fee Increase
While it’s true that there is no additional cost to use the Abound program, Marriott will be raising the annual Club Fee that is paid by all Destination Club Points owners (also referred to as Trust Points) and enrolled Marriott Legacy Week owners. They are raising the annual club fee by a modest $15 per year.
| Membership Level | 2022 Club Fee | 2023 Club Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Owners and Select Members | $215.00 | $230.00 |
| Executive and Presidential Members | $255.00 | $270.00 |
| Chairmans’ Club Members | $280.00 | $295.00 |
Not All Vistana Resorts Will Be Included At Launch
Users of the Abound program will notice some popular Vistana properties missing when the service launches in October, such as Harborside At Atlantis, Vistana Beach Club, and the Westin Riverfront property. Marriott will continue to work on adding these and other missing properties in the future, but because there are some special nuances for certain Vistana properties where outside investors have developed the property on behalf of Vistana, there is still some work to be done to incorporate all of the Vistana resorts into the Abound program.
Westin Resorts Available To Book By Abound-Enrolled Marriott Owners
- The Westin St. John Resort Villas
- The Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas & Spa
- The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort
- The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancún
- The Westin Kierland Villas
- The Westin Desert Willow Villas
- The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas
- The Westin Kā‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas
- The Westin Kā‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas North
- The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas
- The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
Sheraton Resorts Available To Book By Abound-Enrolled Marriott Owners
- Sheraton Desert Oasis
- Sheraton Lakeside Terrace Villas at Mountain Vista
- Sheraton Mountain Vista
- Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas
- Sheraton Vistana Resort
- Sheraton Vistana Villages
- Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort
- Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort Villas
- Sheraton Broadway Resort
Vistana Resorts Currently Missing From The Abound Program
Limited Availability At Vistana Resorts For 2023
It’s expected that there will be limited availability at many popular Vistana resorts for the 2023 calendar year. In order for reservations to become available at a Vistana resort, owners at that resort would need to elect to convert their weeks / points into Club points, and many Vistana owners have already made their reservations and travel plans for the 2023 calendar year.
Inventory is expected to ramp up greatly in the following years, as Vistana owners will have more time to elect for Club Points and offer their resort for exchange to Marriott owners.
Interval International Restrictions
Once the Abound program launches, Marriott owners will no longer be allowed to use Club Points to make reservations at Westin and Sheraton properties by exchanging through Interval International. Although you can accomplish booking these resorts using the new Abound program at no cost, Marriott wants to keep Marriot resort inventory within the Abound program.
Owners Of Both Marriott And Vistana
If you own both Marriott and Vistana ownerships, and they are eligible to be enrolled in Abound. Both ownerships can be combined when considering your Marriott Vacation Club owner membership level benefits. This is great news as it may push owners of both developers into the next tier of membership benefits.
Stay Tuned!
Stay tuned to the A Timeshare Broker blog to get all the latest developments. We will be updating this article with all the latest news on this subject so feel free to check back with us periodically to get the latest news.
Since the announcement of the Abound program by Marriott Vacations, timeshare owners of Marriott Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club, and Sheraton Vacation Club, have been curious to learn additional details about the implementation of Marriott’s grand vision. Now, we have some concrete details of how this new program will work, let’s explore the news!
Master Affiliation Agreement Filed With Orange County Comptroller
Marriott has recently filed documents with the Orange Country Comptroller that details how they would be handling the creation of a new integrated exchange system that would include Vistana resorts. The document dictates that existing Vistana resorts would be added to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program.
MVC and VSN has or will enter into a master affiliation agreement (the”MVCD/VSN Master Affiliation Agreement”) whereby the members of Vistana Signature Network become members of MVCD Exchange
What Resorts Are Included In This Agreement?
There are a handful of entities that are entering into this agreement between Sheraton Vistana, Westin and Marriott.
What Does This Mean For Marriott, Westin, and Sheraton Vistana Owners?
It appears that Marriott will be adding Sheraton Vistana and Westin resorts to the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program by way of this agreement. This agreement would allow owners of any of the resorts that are part of the Destinations Exchange Program to book at any other resort that is also part of this exchange program. We are already seeing the legal documents to help join these vacation clubs together in one system. This would allow greater flexibility for owners of these various vacation clubs to exchange with each other without using a traditional exchange company, like Interval International.
These recently released documents do not mention all Sheraton Vistana and Westin resorts, but we may see additional agreements in the future for the remaining resorts that will use a similar agreement to become fully integrated with the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program.
Stay tuned to the A Timeshare Broker blog to get all the latest developments. We will be updating this article with all the latest news on this subject so feel free to check back with us periodically to get the latest news.
Marriott has announced their newest Owner benefit and exchange program that promises unparalleled access to the most sought-after destinations around the globe. The new program will be called Abound by Marriott Vacations, and is set to debut this summer. In this article, we’ll cover all of the various pieces of information about the new Abound program that we have so far to bring you up to speed. Let’s dig in!
What Is Abound by Marriott Vacations?
On Thursday, June 16th, 2022, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, the owner of Marriott Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club, and Sheraton Vacation Club, created a press release to talk about a new name for the combined program between their three premier Vacation Clubs. President of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, John E. Geller, Jr., said:
We are incredibly excited to debut Abound by Marriott Vacations, which is our gateway for enrolled vacation Owners to embark on exceptional travel adventures around the globe, helping them make a lifetime of meaningful vacation moments with those they care about most
The exact details in the press release were sparse, other than to give small hints as to what the program offers, and when this new program would debut. It seems as though Marriott is going to be offering owners at these three previously separate Vacation Clubs the ability to book resorts at other Marriott Vacations Worldwide resorts.
This may mean that Marriott Vacation Club owners can trade their week(s) or points for Westin or Sheraton properties without the use of a traditional exchange company like Interval International, and vice versa. The actual implementation of this program will be very interesting to see as it rolls out, but if you’re like us you’re thinking what will this cost? We’ve done some digging, and found clues about what the program may cost.
Abound by Marriott Vacations Costs
On the same day as the press release, Marriott Vacations Worldwide held an investor’s day event that featured a webinar in which Marriott Vacations Worldwide’s representatives were interviewed. Laura Gustafson, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand and Digital Strategy Officer at Marriott Vacations Worldwide, was asked a question about what costs owners should expect for the new Abound program.
Laura Gustafson mentioned that the new program will be “completely additive with no incremental cost to owners”. Many have speculated this will mean free enrollment for owners to join Abound by Marriott Vacations. We don’t know if this offer will be extended to all owners of Marriott Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club, and Sheraton Vacation Club, but we will know much more over the coming months.
Abound by Marriott Vacations To Replace Destinations Exchange Program
We’ve also received reports from some of our Sheraton Vistana clients that are receiving a pop-up upon logging into their vistana.com account that reads:
We’re excited to announce a new affiliation with Abound by Marriott Vacations (previously known as the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program). As a new usage option for VSN members, Abound is designed to give you more destinations, more choices, and more benefits to make your vacation life even better.
This pop-up seems to point to the new Abound by Marriott Vacations program essentially replacing the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program. The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program is what allows both owners of Marriott Destinations Club Points (Trust Points) and Legacy Week owners who have converted their week into points, the ability to book at the various Marriott Vacation Club resorts without using Interval International and performing a traditional external exchange.
An Exciting Time To Be An Owner
Abound by Marriott Vacations seems like a great way for Owners to get the most out of their vacation ownership. It seems to have the promise of gaining access to some of the most popular and luxurious destinations around the world through Marriott’s various timeshare brands. So if you’re a Marriott Vacation Club Owner, be sure to check back on the A Timeshare Broker, Inc. blog for more news regarding the Abound by Marriott Vacations program this summer!
Learn More About Marriott Vacation Club
When Abound is finally launched, it will be just one of the many great benefits and programs that Marriott offers its Owners. If you’re not already a Marriott Vacation Club Owner, now is the perfect time to learn if Marriott Vacation Club is right for you, and how to save thousands by shopping for Marriott Legacy Week resales as well as Marriott Destinations Club point resales.
We have a vast catalog of Marriott Vacation Club articles to get you started, but if you’d like a free consultation, feel free to fill in a contact form and we’ll have one of our licensed agents contact you.
