timeshare points

With summer in a going—going—gone—status, many families see their opportunities for vacations diminished to a few long week-ends between now and the Christmas or Winter school break. Although timeshare owners and renters enjoy vacations year-round, with both ski holidays and winter vacations to a sunny beach being popular getaways, many could get more pleasure out of their timeshare ownership if they just understood their timeshare points a little better. Here is some helpful information that pertains specifically to Festiva timeshare points.

Like many timeshare brands, Festiva Resorts began as a deeded ownership. In 2006, Festiva Resorts initiated a timeshare points system. Some Festiva owners purchased with Festiva, while others have become members because the resort where they originally owned was acquired by Festiva. The Festiva timeshare points system is called the Festiva Adventure Club.

Aptly, Festiva describes its Adventure Club membership as being, “…like a credit card where the spending limit is based on the points you purchased and, long after you have paid the one‐time membership fee, your credit limit is reactivated year after year for you to spend as you wish…”

What can you do with your Festiva Timeshare Points?

Good question!

• Use your Festiva timeshare points as currency.
• Points work for vacationing in any size unit, during any season.
• You can stay 7 nights, but you can also stay 4 or even just 3.
• Each year, your annual points are reactivated.
• You can borrow points from future years or defer unused points to the following year.
• While there are now 34 Festiva resorts, you can also exchange your Festiva timeshare points for vacations at thousands of affiliated resorts.

Festiva timeshare owners who want to use their timeshare points for a last-minute vacation have a couple of options. If you are within 30 days or less from a check-in date, you get the maximum value for your Festiva timeshare points, receiving the vacation for the lowest points value for the length of stay you plan to vacation.

If, as a Festiva timeshare owner, you make a reservation within 7 day of your check-in date, you also have the option to book a week at the Festiva “Less Go!” rate. Less Go! Vacations are last-minute holidays you can book for any timeshare unit size at any Festiva resort, during any time of year for only 1,000 points based upon availability.

More about Festiva Timeshare Resorts:

• For Festiva Timeshare, Arkansas, Alabama, and More Resorts in Branson
• Festiva Timeshare Part of Day of Caring and Festiva Charitable Fund Golf Tournament.
• Last Loyalty Day of 2012 for Festiva Timeshare Adventure Club.
• Festiva Timeshare Expands Headquarters in Asheville North Carolina.
• Festiva Timeshare Donation Supports Asheville Wildlife Park.
• Festiva Timeshare Charity Auction Proves Sometimes Less Can Mean More.

Recently, the Disney Vacation Club released its updated 2013 and 2014 points charts for the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

The Grand Floridian lives up to its promise of old Florida-style grandeur, spacious accommodations, and magical charm. Disney Vacation Club apparently has factored all this charm into the numbers as DVC timeshare points values at the Grand Floridian are among the highest of the Walt Disney World based resorts.

By comparison, nightly point costs at the Grand Floridian run some 30 to 40 percent higher than at Bay Lake Tower, even the rooms at Bay Lake Tower that offer the spectacular views of the Disney Magic Kingdom park and its nightly fireworks.

Let’s look at an example of how Grand Floridian Resort points compare to the Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Comparing a two-bedroom DVC Villa during “Magic Season” (for 2013, that is February 16 through March 23; April 7-30; Jun 11-August 15; and November 27-29) for a Standard View on a weekday, Bay Lake Tower requires 48 points, while the Grand Floridian villas require 64 points. For a Lake View the comparison (weekday) is Bay Lake Tower at 52 points while the Grand Floridian is 74 points and for a Theme Park View the difference is 64 points (weekday) at Bay Lake Tower and 74 DVC points for the Grand Floridian.

One helpful resource for finding out more is DVCnews.com. For opportunities to buy Disney Vacation Club points at resale prices go to Disney timeshare.

Wishing you a safe, happy, Memorial Day Weekend, from Sell My Timeshare NOW and VacationOwnership.com.

When Marriott timeshare rolled out its new timeshare points ownership plan last year, it was met with mixed emotions from current timeshare owners. But Marriott clearly committed to take a very important step in this matter. As Marriott Vacation Club President Stephen Weisz explain when Marriott launched its new timeshare points-based system last June, it committed to, “… get in front of every single one” of its current Marriott timeshare owners to share with them the merits of the new club.

The Orlando Sentinel quoted Weisz as saying, “So as we have allocated tour flow, and trying to, in fact, take advantage of talking to people while they’re on vacation at our resorts, we have squeezed out tours to first-time buyers. That was very deliberate.”

How well is Marriott timeshare’s plan working?

In the second quarter of 2011, 61 percent of Marriott timeshare sales were to people who already own a Marriott timeshare. That is an increase from 50 percent in the past, or depending on how you look at it, a 11 percent drop in the number of sales being made to first-time buyers, a figure Marriott says they expect to see rebound over time.

Customer-centric Move by Marriott Timeshare

We all have heard that it is harder to get a new client or customer than it is to keep a current one. Some people say three times harder; other say seven times; some even quote that it takes eleven times more effort to find and win a new client than to continue your relationship with an existing one.

Whatever the number is (which no doubt varies by industry), it is harder, costlier, and more time intensive.

Marriott Vacation Club made a strategic decision not to treat their existing clients like disposable consumers, but instead to communicate, listen to, educate, and no doubt engage in sales-directed conversations with them. Marriott timeshare’s quarterly report indicates this was a good plan. More importantly, Marriott’s long-term business results will reflect this as well.

Clients and customers are not disposable. Their opinions matter—in fact, they are the only thing that matters when it comes to business. And as this example shows, listening to them yields not only better informed timeshare owners, but clearly, timeshare sales as well.

Related Marriott timeshare news from The Timeshare Authority blog:

• Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare Expanding Timeshare Points Based Program
• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions
• More Details on New Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Timeshare Points

Many of the conversations about Marriott timeshare in recent weeks have focused on the company’s launch of a timeshare points based program called Marriott Vacation Club Destinations. In a recent interview with Perspective Magazine, Marriott timeshare executives offered further insights about the new timeshare points program, its impact on the company and its benefits for timeshare owners.

Marriott Vacation Club timeshare recognizes that current and future Marriott timeshare owners will have many questions about the points program, and with this in mind the company will be increasing staffing in order to properly address the concerns and service needs of its more than 400,000 timeshare owner families.

Ed Kinney, vice president of corporate affairs and brand awareness for Marriott Vacation Club, says the company expects the increased level of questions and inquiries to continue for about a year and a half. He also reminds Marriott timeshare owners that although the timeshare points program will be the only form of timeshare the company plans to cell going forward, it is elective for current owners.

Marriott Timeshare Gears Up for the Change

Marriott timeshare, having delayed some technology updates knowing that the conversion to timeshare points was coming, has now made a significant investment in converting the information technology aspects of its business. As Kinney told Editor Matt McDaniel, at Perspective, “Today’s computer technology is able to be somewhat predictive and understand how to best utilize inventory without having to overbuild to accommodate the variations. That’s been one of the biggest things to overcome…”

And Marriott timeshare reminds its timeshare owners that it is not a newcomer to a timeshare points based program having offered only timeshare points in the Marriott Vacation Club’s Asia Pacific region. Through this experience, the company has learned a great deal about its timeshare owner’s desires and usage patterns.

Marriott timeshare sees the transition as a time of educating its owners, a process the company is very committed to do. Kinney says, “So that’s what our owner-services group is going to be doing over the near term: education, education, education.”

Other recent The Timeshare Authority blog posts on the new Marriott timeshare points plan:

• Why Not All Marriott Timeshare Owners are Happy with the New Timeshare Points Plan
• Questions Persist about the New Marriott Timeshare Points Program
• More Details on New Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Timeshare Points
• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions