One Star - Buyer Beware: Marriott Vacation Club - Systemic Issues Across Their Portfolio #MarriottVacationClub #TimeshareFail #VacationNightmare #BuyerBeware
I'm very disappointed with Marriott Vacation Club timeshare resorts. What was sold as luxury has become frustration and regret, consistent across their portfolio. If you're considering membership, please read on.
As owners since 2021, and having stayed at many of their ~90 “vacation club” properties, issues aren't isolated. We see a pattern of declining quality and unmet expectations.
"Premium" resorts in premier locations suffer from poor condition. Instead of opulence, we find significant maintenance issues: leaky faucets, malfunctioning appliances, and barely functional AC in tropical heat. These aren't minor; they ruin vacation time. We consistently face poor resort maintenance.
There's also pervasive wear and tear. Furniture is stained, carpets frayed, and common areas are tired and neglected. Unpleasant smells are common. Marriott seems more interested in selling memberships than maintaining properties. This wear and tear is unacceptable for the price.
Decor is often outdated. Units feel like time warps, with tired colors, old furnishings, and a lack of modern amenities. Recent renovations feel cosmetic, not addressing core issues. This would be less of a problem if prices reflected it, but membership costs and annual maintenance dues don't match this lackluster aesthetic, a consistent issue across locations.
Based on our experiences, many properties are 2-3 star at best, far from the marketed premium experience. This is shocking, especially compared to Marriott's other brands (JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis), which offer exceptional quality. The contrast is significant. Exchanging Vacation Club points for stays at these nicer Marriott properties results in a poor exchange rate, reducing ownership value.
The sales pitch doesn't match reality. We feel misled about expected luxury and upkeep. Customer service offers temporary fixes (credits, Bonvoy points) instead of long-term solutions, a recurring frustration. Buying more points isn’t the solution, I don’t want more access to this level of quality.
If considering Marriott Vacation Club, do thorough research and visit multiple vacation club resorts, not their other brands, before committing. Don't rely on glossy brochures and sales tactics. Our experience, across many properties, is overpaying for subpar accommodations and constant disappointment. Save your money; explore better vacation options. We regret our decision and don't recommend it.
#Marriott #VacationClub #TimeshareReview #ResortReview #PoorMaintenance #WornDownResorts...
Read moreI am writing this review out of sheer disappointment with our Marriott timeshare experience. My wife and I entered a timeshare agreement with Marriott Vacations in 2018. We went into this agreement with high hopes, mainly because of the promises made by our sales representative. He assured us that our timeshare would appreciate in value, and we could sell it back to the resort whenever we wanted. Unfortunately, the reality is starkly different. Over the past year, we have been trying to cancel this agreement and communicated our frustration to their representatives. Sadly, their responses were far from helpful. They stated we only had two options - pay off our loan or sell the timeshare. This is not what we were promised, nor is it a feasible solution for us. We thought this timeshare would bring added value to our family vacations. Regrettably, it has proven to be quite the opposite - restrictive and without any appreciable value. It's a bitter pill to swallow that the only time we might actually benefit from this timeshare is when we no longer have it.
This review is not just a reflection of our dissatisfaction with the timeshare but also the overall customer service and business practices of Marriott Vacations. We urge the company to provide other viable exit options for timeshare owners looking to cancel...
Read moreMarriott Vacation Club has been an absolute nightmare to work with, and I felt compelled to write this review. I have been a member since 1997, but over recent years, I do not recognize this company any more, and I want nothing to do with Marriott.
As a result of my experiences, I am in the process of closing out my accounts. Exiting has been nothing short of a disaster. Their departments don’t seem to communicate with each other, and just when I feel like I’m making progress, a hidden fee pops up out of nowhere. They promise follow-ups, but those never happen.
It all started with their salespeople making big promises. They told me they’d bundle my ownerships to make things easier and cheaper. That never happened. Now, as I'm trying to get out because the costs have spiraled out of control, they’ve been completely unorganized. None of their departments seem to work together, and it feels like I’m constantly chasing them for answers for over two years.
Even the process of closing everything out has been frustrating beyond belief. If you’re considering Marriott Vacation Club, I urge you to think twice. The lack of transparency, poor communication, and unkept promises have turned this experience into a nightmare. I am still waiting on email responses after several months. Be...
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