After you have made the initial decision to purchase a Marriott timeshare, you may then be faced with the choice of whether to purchase Marriott Legacy Weeks or Abound Club Points on the resale market. Both have their own varying rules, costs, and benefits.
In this article, we will help you understand what the differences are, the benefits of each, and which one is right for your purchase on the resale market.
Booking Your Vacation
Booking your vacation will look a little different depending on if you are booking using points or Legacy Weeks.
Owners who are booking using points will be able to enjoy better versatility, as they are not tied to a specific timeframe (also known as travel season) or resort. However, booking highly desirable locations and times of the year with points can be challenging if booking at the last minute, since anyone is able to book with points. Also, becoming familiarized with the Marriott Points Charts will not only guide you in understanding how many points it will take to book your next vacation, but can be a helpful tool in understanding how many points you would need to purchase to book the vacations you would like each year.
When booking with Legacy Weeks, owners will need to travel during their deeded travel season, and to their specific home resort. Understanding which weeks fall into Platinum, Gold, Silver & Bronze seasons, using the Marriott Vacation Club Week Calendars, will enable optimal planning for your purchase and your annual vacations.
Trading With Interval International
If you are not able to use your Legacy Week, you will still have the option of exchanging your Marriott week through Interval International. Once a Legacy Week is deposited with Interval International, owners will be able to book another week at thousands of resorts available through Interval International. The only limit for booking would be the trading power for the deposited week, but thankfully Marriott weeks are deemed as highly desirable which leads to a high trading power.
When using Abound Club points, owners will be able to book at any of the available Marriott Vacation Club’s resorts. Abound Club owners will also still have the ability to deposit these points into Interval International if they wish to book resorts that are outside of Marriott Vacation Club. Abound Club points also carry a high trading power, which allow owners who exchange access to some of the best resorts associated with Interval International.
Owners of Legacy weeks are able to book their reservations beginning at 9:00 AM Eastern time 12 months prior to check-in. If you are planning on booking a multi-week reservation, you are able to do that 13 months in advance. If you’d like more in-depth information about booking windows for Legacy weeks you can learn more about it here: How Far In Advance Can I Book Using Marriott Legacy Weeks? If you’d like to take your planning one step further, you can utilize our Marriott Vacation Club Inventory Release Calendars to learn exactly when new booking inventory becomes available.
Any Abound Club owner can book their reservations beginning at 9:00 AM Eastern time 12 months prior to check-in, if booking 7 or more consecutive nights. Depending on your Abound Club Membership Level, which is determined by the number of Vacation Points you own, some members can book up to 13 months prior to check-in, and book any number of nights.
For more information on reservation windows for each Abound membership level check out our in depth article here: How Far In Advance Can I Book Using Marriott Abound Club Points?
Buying A Marriott Legacy Week on the Resale Market
Buying a Marriott Legacy Week on the resale market offers buyers the ability to purchase a Legacy Week for a much cheaper price than what the original owner paid. When comparing the overall cost per week of vacation, purchasing a Marriott legacy week can offer incredible value to resale buyers. Resale owners will be able to book their week in exactly the same way the original owner enjoyed, booking up to 12 months prior to check-in date, or even 13 months prior to check-in if booking concurrent or consecutive weeks.
When buying a Legacy Week, you’ll want to be sure to buy the resort and season that you’ll use most often. Legacy weeks work best for travelers that want to enable annual vacations to the same destination, during the same travel season each year. While you can always exchange your week through Interval International to travel to other resorts or during other travel seasons, it is most cost-effective and convenient to use the week in the travel season and resort the contract is deeded to.
It is important to note, resale Legacy Week owners would not be able to convert your week to Marriott Rewards points, or be enrolled in the Abound Points program at a later date, if purchased after June 20th, 2010.
Buying Marriott Abound Club Points on the Resale Market
Buying Marriott Abound Club Points on the resale market allows buyers to access the flexibility of booking your vacations at any of the Marriott Vacation Club resorts with points for a fraction of the price.
Since you are not deeded to a specific resort, or a specific season, using Vacation Points can offer a level of flexibility in booking a wide selection of resorts each year, at varying times of the year. There are also various Abound Club membership levels that can allow you to book any number of consecutive nights up to 13 months prior to check-in.
Purchasing on the resale market leads to a highly reduced purchase price when compared to buying them direct from Marriott, but whether you buy resale or retail, Marriott Abound Club can require a higher initial purchase price when compared to purchasing Legacy weeks.
Timeshares don’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach. To find the perfect ownership type for you, consider these key questions:
What is Your Budget?
- You can find deeded weeks at highly affordable rates, some even less than $1,000 on the resale market.
- Abound Club Points on the resale market, while still less than half the price at a presentation, start from around $7,000 to $10,000.
Where Do You Want to Travel?
- If you prefer visiting the same location most years with an option to switch occasionally, deeded weeks might be ideal.
- For those who enjoy exploring new resorts each year, Abound club points could be the way to go.
When Do You Prefer to Travel?
- Purchasing a deeded week during your preferred season offers a high chance of securing your desired travel time.
- With bookings using Abound Club Points, there’s availability to factor into the equation. The earlier you book, the better your chances of getting your preferred dates.
Purchasing Abound Club points is a great choice for buyers who want to have more versatility in their destination and travel time, but generally cost more to purchase initially. Legacy Weeks are a more affordable option, but you will need to ensure you are purchasing at the specific Marriott resort and for the specific travel season you will travel most, or utilize Interval International to trade for other resorts and times of the year.
Finding a licensed timeshare real estate broker helps a buyer on the resale market immensely. The broker will work to find a seller of your preferred contract, whether that’s the best season and resort for you, or Abound Club membership level.
Protect Yourself & Your Money
A timeshare broker will also work with a third party closing company to hold all funds in escrow until the transfer process has been completed. Timeshare real estate brokers do receive a commission, but this fee is typically paid for by the seller, and represents no additional costs to the buyer.
As a buyer on the resale market, working with a broker will not only cost you nothing, but will protect your deposit, ensure your purchase contract is completely fulfilled, and afford you access to a wide selection of resale listings.
Navigating Right of First Refusal
After the purchase contract has been submitted to Marriott, buyers will need to wait 30 days for Marriott to decide whether or not to exercise their Right of First Refusal. Marriott is more likely to buy back inventory that is of high value due to location or season which is being sold under market value, but that does not always mean that they will exercise their right. If they choose not to buy back the timeshare, the transfer can move forward and you’re one step closer to enjoying a lifetime of unforgettable vacations.
A timeshare broker can help you navigate the process from finding the perfect listing, negotiating the best price, and successfully closing the transaction while ensuring you’re protected throughout the transaction.
Both of Marriott’s timeshare ownerships have some amazing benefits, and both can be purchased for much less on the resale market. Discussing your needs and personal style of travel with a knowledgeable timeshare broker will help determine which ownership is best for you and your family. Feel free to contact us today for a free consultation with one of our Marriott Vacation Club specialists.
