Last month, we shared details of an upcoming program that would allow Abound members to use Club Points to seamlessly book Marriott hotels online. This new program was announced in Marriott Vacations Worldwide’s Q1 earnings call, and was promised to be launched sometime this summer.
In the last few days, Marriott Vacation Club has begun sending emails to owners to introduce the new hotel booking benefit. We’ve had a few days to explore the online booking tool, so let’s take a closer look at what is being offered, how to access this new feature, and strategies for getting the best value out of your Abound Club Points.
Details of the Owner Email
First let’s take a look at what Marriott has been sending out to Abound members to announce the new feature.
Now you can use your Club Points to stay at thousands of distinctive hotels around the globe.
- All within the Marriott® family of hotel brands you know and love.
- All real time via your Owner website, without calling to book.
- All through the Abound by Marriott Vacations™ exchange program.
FINDING YOUR HOTEL IS EASY:
- Log in to your Owner website and navigate to the Dashboard.
- Click on the “Explore Participating Hotels” button. You’ll then be automatically redirected to the Marriott Vacation Club® website.
- Search and book your perfect vacation destination.
More Hotels. More Convenience. Hello, World.
How It Works
Owners can use the Abound platform to search for and book eligible Marriott Hotels. The number of points required for a reservation will depend on the hotel category, room type, and dates of travel. While the system is simple and operates similarly to booking vacation club resorts, it is designed to provide a seamless experience that doesn’t involve converting your Club Points into Bonvoy points.
This benefit applies to a wide range of over 9,000 hotels across the globe, from urban hotels to resort-style accommodations, giving owners access to many new different travel experiences that previously required planning far in advance and performing a conversion to Bonvoy points.
How to Access the New Feature
While clicking on the “Explore Hotels” button in the email will navigate the user to the new interface, let’s take a look at how to access this new benefit from the Owner Dashboard.
First, you will need to login to your Marriott Vacation Club account by visiting https://login.marriottvacationclub.com/login.
Next, you will want to hover over the “Use Points” item in the top navigation menu and click the “Cruises, Hotels, and More” option in the dropdown.
You can then click on the Hotels option to access the updated interface that allows you to search hotel availability.
This interface will load your current and potential balance of Abound Club points. Next, you’ll want to click the “Search Availability” button to begin your search.
With this new hotel availability interface, you’ll be able to input the location, check-in and check-out dates, and the number of guests. Once you’ve input those details click “Find Hotel” to search based on your criteria.
You can now see the participating hotels that fit your search criteria. The total number of Abound Club Points for the reservation is shown to include all taxes and fees. Once you find the right hotel for your stay, you can click the “See Availability” button for more details about the hotel.
You can now enter your details and hit “Confirm” to book your chosen hotel stay.
Overall, the process is pretty straightforward. There’s no planning ahead to convert Bonvoy points for next year, seemingly no limits for how many points you can use, and no stated deadlines for when you can use point for these bookings.
Opportunity for Broader Travel Planning
The ability to reserve Marriott Hotels with points also complements the broader offerings of the Abound by Marriott Vacations program. Owners can integrate hotel stays into their travel itineraries or opt for shorter trips in destinations where Marriott Vacation Club properties may not be available.
This enhancement is part of Marriott’s on-going commitment to providing owners with more flexibility in using their points.
Let’s Talk Value
While this new feature is a big step forward for convenience, and could be a useful way to use up Abound Club points that would otherwise expire, this new way of booking hotels may not represent the best value for the average Abound member.
For the week-long date ranges we input into the tool, we saw point requirements ranging form as little as 2,500 Club Points to as high as 8,000 Club Points. With a quick reference to the Marriott points charts, you can see that for just 7,800 points, you could be booking Christmas week at Maui Ocean Club in a 2-bedroom Ocean Front villa.
As always, using your Club Points to book Marriott, Westin, or Sheraton properties will generally offer the highest value, but it’s nice to know you have ever-expanding options and more flexibility to use your points than ever before!
A Constant Stream of Improvements for Abound Members
Marriott has emphasized its focus on continually improving the Abound program. Owners can expect further updates as Marriott refines its offerings to align with the preferences of its member base. This new feature is being welcomed as a convenient addition to the program’s benefits, but Marriott is not settling for incremental increases in it’s offerings.
5 New Resorts Coming to Abound Members in the Next 3 Years
Marriott has already announced plans for a handful of new resorts in some very popular vacation destinations. To get the latest news on Marriott’s resort development, check out our article here: Marriott Vacations Worldwide Resort Roadmap: 2025 to 2028.
Higher Bonvoy Point Conversion Rates
Also, as we reported on just last week, Marriott has adjusted their Abound Club points to Bonvoy points conversion rates, offering owners a better value when booking hotels using Bonvoy points.
Parking Fees That Offset Maintenance Costs
If that weren’t enough, at the beginning of the year Marriott announced they would be charging non-owners a parking fee at many of the MVC resorts, and adding those funds to the association’s budget to offset future maintenance fees for owners. A bold step in finding ways to benefit the owners and keep costs as low as possible.
Marriott truly is a leader in the timeshare industry, with a constant march toward progress. It really is an exciting time to be an owner!
Learn More About Marriott Vacation Club Points
If you’d like to learn more about how the Vacation Club program works, you can read our in-depth article on the subject here: How Marriott Vacation Club Abound Points Work.
Do you have any remaining questions about Marriott Vacation Club points or how to save thousands by buying your Marriott Vacation Club Points on the resale market? Feel free to contact us by filling out a form for more information on how you can take advantage of all the benefits Marriott has to offer for much less!
We’ll have one of our licensed Real Estate agents reach out to you for a free consultation to determine if purchasing Marriott Vacation Club Points on the resale market is right for you.
