Marriott Vacation Club is a vacation membership that operates under the Marriott International umbrella, one of the most popular and respected hospitality brands. Marriott Vacation Club offers several different types of timeshare programs, ranging from deeded weeks to their newer points-based system called Abound, previously known as Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Club.
In this article, we’ll be explaining how Abound Club points work, and what unique benefits are offered by this flexible points-based vacation ownership. If you’re considering joining this program as a new buyer or are considering adding points to your existing membership, read on to find out what you need to know about how the program works and how your points can be used.
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What Are Marriott Abound Points?
When you become an owner of the Abound Program, you make a one-time purchase of your timeshare ownership, which affords you an annual allotment of vacation currency, known as Club Points. Your yearly allotment of points can be used each year to reserve any Marriott Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club, or Sheraton Vacation Club timeshare resort at any available time of the year.
Marriott offers a wide range of resort locations at some of the most sought-after destinations around the world, as well as varying unit sizes that can accommodate large families with multiple rooms, full kitchens and much more.
The MVC Trust, A Florida Land Trust
Aruba Surf Club
Newport Coast Villas
Waiohai Beach Club
Playa Andaluza
To legally group all of the Marriott resorts that can be accessed with Abound Club points, Marriott has set up a Florida land trust known as the MVC Trust. By purchasing membership into the Abound program, you will own at least one Beneficial Interest in the MVC Trust.
The trust is legally considered a deeded real estate interest, which can be passed from generation to generation during the term of the trust, but it varies from many of the other timeshare products that work by deeding a specific season at a specific resort to you, then assigning that deeded week a number of points that can be used at other resorts. Marriott uses what is referred to in the timeshare industry as a “pure points” arrangement with the use of the MVC trust.
If you’d like to browse the many resorts that are part of Marriott Vacation Club and the Vistana Signature Experience resort collection (comprised of Westin and Sheraton properties), you can visit our Marriott Resort Directory.
How Abound Club Points Work
One of the best parts of points-based vacation ownerships like the Abound by Marriott program is that your Club Points are continually renewed every year. Each year that you own your timeshare, you can pick from an ever-expanding network of top vacation destinations. These resorts offer some of the most luxurious accommodations in the timeshare industry which include full kitchens, multi-room unit sizes with space for the whole family, and award-winning resort amenities to offer the perfect backdrop to your next getaway.
Membership Levels
When purchasing Marriott Points, you are afforded a variety of benefits that are determined by your membership level, which is based on the number of points you choose to purchase. You can click on any of the links in the chart below to explore what benefits are offered for that membership level.
| Benefit Level | Annual Vacation Club Points |
|---|---|
| Owner | Up to 3,999 |
| Select | 4,000 to 6,999 |
| Executive | 7,000 to 9,999 |
| Presidential | 10,000 to 14,999 |
| Chairman’s Club | 15,000 or more |
Use Year
Use Year defines a specific 12 month period of time in which a timeshare owner can use their allotted vacation time. Use Year is also used to determine banking deadlines, and when an owner’s account is credited with their allotment of points.
Once a Use Year has been assigned to a Marriott Vacation Club contract, it can not be changed and will be carried with the ownership even after being transferred to a new owner on the resale market.
If you’d like to learn everything there is to know about Marriott Use Years, how they work, and what Use Year could work the best for your personal travel style, check out our article here: Marriott Vacation Club Use Year: Everything You Need To Know.
Utilizing Your Marriott Vacation Points
The options available for using your Abound Club points are only limited to your imagination. In the next sections, we’ll cover all the various ways you can use your points.
Using Points Charts To Travel To Marriott, Westin, and Sheraton Properties
The flexibility of a points-based timeshare ownership affords owners many choices for resort location, unit sizes, and check-in dates anywhere on their yearly calendar. Each of your Marriott vacations are assigned a unique point value based on accommodation size, length of stay and time of year. Abound members can choose to come back to a favorite destination each year, or let their imagination guide them to a new vacation experience each year.
Marriott offers services such as a booking concierge hotline and online tools to help travelers plan their trips with ease, so you’re always just one call away from planning your dream vacation.
If you’d like to familiarize yourself with how many points are required to travel to each of the Marriott resorts, you can view the points charts here: Marriott Points Charts.
Booking Windows
When using Club Points to book a reservation, booking windows will differ based on your membership level, which is determined by the number of points you own.
| Benefit Level | Annual Vacation Club Points | 13 Months Prior to Check-In | 12 Months Prior to Check-In | 10 Months Prior to Check-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Up to 3,999 | 7 or more consecutive nights with a 20% Point Premium | 7 or more consecutive nights | Any number of nights |
| Select | 4,000 to 6,999 | 7 or more consecutive nights | Any number of nights | |
| Executive,
Presidential, Chairman’s Club |
7,000 and higher | Any number of nights | ||
You can learn everything there is to know about this topic by reading our in-depth article about Marriott booking windows.
Borrowing Vacation Points
Imagine a truly epic vacation featuring the whole family. Plan on bringing your whole group this year? No problem! As an owner of the Marriott Abound program, if you need more points than what’s allotted for annual memberships at any given time of year – you’ve got options.
You can borrow from next year’s balance and use the points towards this year’s vacation, allowing you to book a larger unit size, or a longer reservation for more time to soak up the scenery of your chosen destination.
Banking Abound Club Points
Not able to take your normal week-long vacation this year? No problem! There are two options available to you as an Abound member. The first option, if your schedule will only allow for a short vacation this year, you can book multiple weekends or smaller getaways to use your points little by little. Your second option, if you want those Vacation Club Points kept on reserve and use them next year, you can choose to bank your points for future use.
Your banking deadline will depend on your membership level. Once you have reached the end of your current Use Year, the ability to bank your points will not be available.
| Benefit Level | Annual Vacation Club Points | Banking Deadline* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Up to 3,999 | 6 months | |
| Select | 4,000 to 6,999 | 6 months | |
| Executive | 7,000 to 9,999 | 4 months | |
| Presidential | 10,000 to 14,999 | 4 months | |
| Chairman’s Club | 15,000 or more | 2 months | |
| *Prior to the end of current use year | |||
Read our article about banking and borrowing Marriott Vacation Club points to learn everything you need to know about gaining the most flexibility with your vacation points.
Exchanging Abound Club Points for Bonvoy Points
| Marriott Vacation Club Points | Bonvoy Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 |
You can also exchange your Abound Club Points for Bonvoy Points which can be redeemed for stays at Marriott hotels, vacation packages, cruises, rental cars, and more. If you’d like to learn more, you can read our in-depth article on the subject here: How Exchanging Marriott Vacation Club Points for Bonvoy Points Works.
Using Interval International To Exchange Your Vacation Points
Owners of Marriott Vacation Club points are able to use Interval International in order to trade for resorts within other timeshare clubs that are affiliated with Interval International. Utilizing timeshare exchanges allows you to book more than 3,200 resorts in over 80 nations by trading your points with other timeshare owners. Interval International also allows Abound Club Points to be banked for an additional 2 years, which extends the life of your points even longer.
Cruises, Tours, & Exchanges
Owners can choose from any Marriott resort location, as well as many other vacation types like cruises or tours, exchanges, hotel stays and other travel services within Marriott’s explorer collection. You can learn more about the benefits of Marriott Vacation Club’s Explorer Collection and how to use it for memorable vacations here: Marriott Vacation Club Explorer Collection: What It Is & How To Use It.
Add Onto Your Vacation Points At Anytime
As your life changes, so does the way you vacation. And as you grow your number of Vacation points, your member benefits also grow to allow for greater flexibility, longer booking windows and much more. You can read our in-depth article to learn more about Abound membership benefits here: Marriott Vacation Club Benefits by Membership Level.
Learn More About Marriott Vacation Club
Whether you’re planning a family vacation, honeymoon or just want to have the flexibility of being able to take more vacations without breaking the bank, Marriott Vacation Club points are for you.
If you’re just beginning your research on Marriott Points, you can start by reading some of our most useful 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.
Abound Club Point Usage Chart: How To Use Expiring Points & More
Learn what each type of Abound Club Point is, and what each type can be used for. Understand how to get the best use out of your Marriott.
Exploring Interval International: The Ultimate Guide
Explore Interval International’s timeshare exchange system, its partnered brands, and how to maximize your vacation experiences.
Marriott Vacation Club Luxury Residences: Everything You Need To Know
Explore Ritz-Carlton Luxury Residences with Marriott Vacation Club. Discover booking methods, and understand owner rules and limitations.
Marriott Points Owners: Learn A Secret Booking Trick To Save Club Points
Unlock free vacations with a little-known strategy to reclaim Club Points & maximize your Marriott ownership.
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.
How Marriott Vacation Club Waitlist Requests Work
Learn what the waitlist is, the benefits of using it, the rules that apply to waitlist requests & how to get started using them.
Marriott Vacation Club 2024 Annual Fees For Abound Members
Get up to date information regarding all 2024 Marriott Vacation Club fees for members of the new Abound program & year over year comparisons.
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 Abound points work. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our licensed agents today for a free consultation!
