With 17% of all Americans having experienced at least one cruise, it is evident that cruises are a highly popular travel option. Combining hotel accommodations, entertainment, dining, and the opportunity to explore new destinations via an oceanic mode of transportation, it's understandable why Marriott includes cruises as part of their Abound program.
Read MoreUtilizing any of the 8,000 Marriott hotels worldwide requires a conversion from Club Points to Marriott Bonvoy points. These Bonvoy points serve as the currency for purchasing hotel nights.
Read MoreIn recent years, there has been a significant increase in demand for luxury accommodations, driven in part by the popularity of home rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Recognizing this trend, Marriott has ventured into the luxury home rental market with their Homes and Villas Collection, offered through the Marriott Bonvoy program. This collection provides instant booking options for luxury homes worldwide, similar to...
Read MoreNow that we have established a methodology for determining the costs associated with utilizing the Abound program, let's transition our attention towards exploring the diverse travel alternatives it presents. In the subsequent sections, I will offer a succinct overview of each option before delving into a comprehensive analysis of their respective merits. It's important to note that the options listed below are presented...
Read MoreAdditional Costs of Ownership When purchasing a real estate property, there are two main cost components: the purchase price of the real estate deed and associated closing or transfer costs, as well as the ongoing maintenance and taxes required to retain ownership. If the property is categorized as a condominium, the ongoing costs typically include administration, repairs, utilities, common ground and building maintena...
Read MorePurchasing & Acquiring Club Points Club points can be obtained through various methods. Here are some of the most common ways: Purchase: Members can directly purchase club points from their resort, usually during sales presentations. As of the time of writing this guide, the current cost for purchasing Club Points is $16.60 per point. On average, a high-demand two-bedroom unit for a week in the Abound program is...
Read MoreI began my career as a young and impressionable salesperson with the Marriott Vacation Club in February 1999 at the Marriott's Grande Vista in Orlando. Recently married with no kids, I found myself in my late twenties without having quite settled into a career path. It wasn't a failure-to-launch situation, but I had been bouncing around between restaurants, freight forwarding and international business after graduating fr...
Read MoreI grew up in the Northeast and during my college years, my friends and I would sometimes drive from our school in Rhode Island down interstate 95 to visit Disney World and other Spring Break locales. We would normally stop about halfway down at a town called South of the Border, which presented itself as a mix of a Mexican border town blended with a simulacrum of International Drive in Orlando with all its tourist traps....
Read MoreI had the good fortune to have worked for the Marriott Vacation Club for over a decade, in that time and to the present, I have been able to work for, visit and stay at dozens of vacation clubs (Marriott and others). I took some notes during my stays and have decided to add these observations and insights on the website. Furthermore, I will enlarge upon these notes from my vacation club travels, and I hope you find some n...
Read MoreMy old friend Steve texted me, and he asked me if he could FaceTime me via our phones. “Sure, what’s up?” I asked. The image of aqua blue pools running left from left to right from an office window flashed on to my screen. “Huh?” But I had already accessed my memory banks. Are you at Marriott’s Crystal Shores? … He replied affirmatively and explained that he had transferred from Marriott in Orlando down to Marco Island...
Read MoreI recently visited the Marriott’s Grande Ocean with my family over our spring break and decided to pen a review of the resort. I handle quite a few owner rentals for Grande Ocean, and the trip served the dual purpose of vacationing with my loved ones and getting to know the property better. I had stayed with my family at the Marriott’s Barony Beach Club a few of years ago and had managed only a brief visit to the Marriott...
Read MoreNo exaggeration, I have probably declared this vacation club resort to be my very favorite at least a hundred times to various friends and clients. It’s one of the main reasons I moved my family from Hawaii to Colorado and lived in the Vail Valley for about a year. I was presented with the opportunity to work in a ski town and after a dozen trips with my family and friends to Park City over the years, I decided if there...
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