When you own a Marriott Vacation Club week and plan to exchange it, understanding the process of depositing your week into Interval International is crucial.
This article explores the nuances between Marriott Deposit and Owner Deposit options, helping you make informed decisions that maximize your timeshare’s value and flexibility.
The Basics of Interval International Exchange
Interval International offers Marriott Vacation Club owners an excellent platform to exchange their timeshare weeks for stays at other resorts. While owners who are enrolled in Abound by Marriott Vacations can enjoy $0 exchange fees when trading into Marriott, Westin, or Sheraton resorts, often times trading week for week in Interval International can offer exchanges that simply wouldn’t be possible when using your elected Abound Club points.
However, to leverage week for week exchanges effectively, you’ll need to decide whether to opt for a Marriott Deposit or an Owner Deposit. Let’s explore the difference between these two options, and see which is right for your situation.
What is a Marriott Deposit?
A Marriott Deposit involves Marriott selecting a week from your ownership to deposit into Interval International on your behalf. Although this option might seem convenient, there are several important points to consider:
- Control: You don’t control what Marriott deposits on your behalf.
- Selection Process: Marriott selects a week within the owned season, which can be either peak or low season. The week that Marriott chooses influences the trade power of your deposited week.
- Trade Power: Weeks in high demand have greater trade power and are more likely to facilitate exchanges into popular resorts or dates.
- Owned Season: The deposited week will be in the owned season, though certain weeks within a season may be more in demand than others.
- Expiration Time Frame: The checkout date of the week Marriott Vacation Club selects determines the expiration date of the deposit. This can result in a shorter time frame to travel than if you reserve a week yourself for a deposit.
- Expiration Date Control: Marriott controls the deposit’s expiration date, which is two years after the checkout date of the week deposited. However, Marriott may pick a week earlier in the year or even prior to the date an owner is depositing the week.
What is an Owner Deposit?
An Owner Deposit, on the other hand, allows you to take control over the selection of the week for deposit. Here are the key features:
- Check-In Date Selection: Owner selects a check-in date for the week and is provided with a Marriott Bonvoy confirmation number.
- Travel Demand Control: This option allows the owner to select a higher-demand week instead of leaving its fate to Marriott Vacation Club.
- Deposit Process: The owner will then take the confirmation number to the Interval International website and deposit the week.
- Phone Option: You can also complete the deposit by calling Interval International.
- Expiration Date Control: Owner controls the expiration date of the deposit. The owner determines the deposit expiration date since the owner selects the check-in and checkout dates. This can be important if the owner doesn’t have immediate travel plans and wants to extend expiration as long as possible.
Comparing Both Options
While both options enable you to deposit your week into Interval International, the choice significantly impacts the flexibility and trade power of your deposit:
- Marriott Deposit: Easier but potentially less advantageous due to lower trade power and fixed expiration dates determined by Marriott.
- Owner Deposit: Requires more involvement but allows for strategic selection of weeks with higher demand, better trade power, and more control over expiration dates.
Making the Best Choice
Before making your decision, consider the following:
- Evaluate the Travel Demand Index: Choosing a week with a high Travel Demand Index to deposit into Interval International can improve your chances of a favorable exchange. Check out our article on how Interval International’s Travel Demand Index works to learn how to select the most desirable weeks to deposit.
- Determining Your Deposit’s Expiration Date: An Owner Deposit of a week that is booked far in advance will provide more time, two years after the checkout date of the week deposited, and additional flexibility for planning your future vacations.
- Take Control of Your Exchange: Balancing convenience against control can guide your choice between Marriott Deposit and Owner Deposit.
Conclusion
Navigating the process of depositing your timeshare week into Interval International can significantly influence your vacation experiences. By understanding the differences between Marriott Deposit and Owner Deposit, you can make more informed decisions that maximize the trading power and expiration date of your deposit.
Contact Us Today
Whether you are looking into buying a timeshare on the secondary market, or selling your ownership, feel free to fill in a contact form today. Our team of licensed agents have years of experience specializing in all the name-brand timeshare developers, and will offer a free consultation to answer any questions you may have about the process.
