Have you ever thought about buying a Marriott timeshare resale? Maybe you’re not sure what the differences are between a resale and retail purchase. Why would you buy a Marriott resale over a new membership from Marriott? What don’t you get when buying your Marriott timeshare on the resale market? In this post, we’ll compare and contrast the two options so you can make an informed decision. Let’s get started!
In order to walk you through the difference between retail and resale Marriott Vacation Club timeshares, we will need to break this into two sections that correspond to the two main timeshare products Marriott offers: Legacy Weeks, and Destinations Club Points. Let’s start by talking about Legacy Weeks.
Marriott Legacy Weeks
Owning a Marriott Vacation Club Legacy Weeks means you own a timeshare at one of Marriott’s resorts, and have one week of usage per year. Your week can be assigned to a Silver, Gold or Platinum season (sometimes Blue, Red & White seasons), which determines a range of weeks in which you can book your deeded unit size each year.
Regardless of whether you’ve purchased on the resale market or from the developer, your vacations will always be at the home resort you are deeded to when purchasing the timeshare initially. If you’d like to use your week to travel to alternative locations, you can always explore how trading Marriott Vacation Club legacy weeks with Interval International works.
Differences In Marriott Legacy Week Ownership Benefits On The Resale Market
Once the purchase is complete, you’ll be able to use your week just like its original owner when booking at your home resort. The main difference between retail and resale Marriott legacy weeks, is that when you buy a Marriott resale, you will not be able to convert your week into Bonvoy (formerly Marriott Rewards) Points. Bonvoy Points allow you to book hotel stays at Marriott’s vast network of hotels.
This can be useful for traveling to locations that don’t feature Marriott Vacation Club resorts, but the conversion rate is such that you would be much better off simply paying cash for your supplemental hotel stays, or banking your Marriott week / renting your timeshare out if you are not able to travel that year.
Difference In Price of Marriott Legacy Weeks On The Resale Market
Compared to what the original owners paid at a presentation, you’ll pay just a fraction of that price on the resale market. Some ownerships can be purchased for up to 80% off retail pricing when looking at buying a Marriott Legacy Week on the resale market.
Marriott Destinations Club Points
The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Points are designed for those who look to travel the world and never get tired of visiting new places. With this ownership program, you can purchase your timeshare with a one-time payment that affords you an annual allotment of points. Destinations Club Points can be used to reserve any available Marriott Vacation Club throughout their network at any time during the year. This point-based timeshare offers incredible flexibility, but generally costs more to initially purchase on the resale market.
Differences In Marriott Destinations Club Points Ownership Benefits On The Resale Market
There are no differences between buying your Marriott Destinations Club Points through a resale broker, or at a presentation. You will be afforded all of the same benefits regardless of where you purchase your timeshare.
Difference In Price of Marriott Destinations Club Points On The Resale Market
When purchasing on the resale market, you can save up to 70% of your purchase price when compared with buying them direct from Marriott. If you’re looking to purchase Marriott points directly from the developer, current costs are approximately $22,000 for 1,500 Vacation Club Points. If you want that same ownership on the resale market, you can buy Marriott Destinations Club Points starting at $6,000 to $8,000.
There are generally higher initial costs associated with buying Destinations Points when compared to Marriott’s legacy weeks, in both initial purchase price and closing costs. Our Marriott experts can help you gain an understanding of which Marriott timeshare ownership is the best fit for your budget and travel needs.
Right of First Refusal For Marriott Resales
When buying a Marriott timeshare on the resale market, your purchase will most likely be subject to Marriott’s right of first refusal. This simply means that, before being able to purchase the timeshare, Marriott will be sent your purchase agreement, and can choose to purchase the timeshare for the price listed in the contract. It’s an important consideration to work with an experienced broker who can guide you through this process to ensure you can successfully transfer the ownership. You can get more in-depth information about this topic by reading our informative article here: Marriott Right Of First Refusal: Resale Buyers & Sellers.
Want More Information?
We hope that this article has helped you understand the differences between a resale and retail purchase of Marriott’s timeshare properties. If you’re considering purchasing a Marriott timeshare on the resale market, we recommend filling out a contact form to speak with one of our licensed agents.
Our team of Marriott resale experts can help educate you regarding whether choosing a weeks or points-based ownership makes sense for your situation, as well as answer any questions regarding the process of purchasing a Marriott timeshare on the resale market.
