Back by popular demand, you’ll now see more “Ask the Expert” articles, where a Marriott Vacation Club^® Advisor answers Owner questions. You’ll learn how to use your ownership and get access to insider advice on how to best maximize your vacation time. If you would like to submit a question that we may be able to respond to in a future edition, submit it at the bottom of this article.

This month, your Advisor will answer Owner questions regarding exchanging your Week(s) with Interval International^®.

I own a Silver Season Week at Marriott’s OceanWatch at Grande Dunes^® in Myrtle Beach. I haven’t reserved my usage yet for 2021. What are my options?

By January of the current Use Year, you have two remaining options:

1. Reserve a Week within your season and plan to vacation there during the dates you reserved.

2. If you don’t want to vacation at your Home Resort this year, you can deposit your Week with Interval International and place an exchange request to travel to another resort within the Interval International network.

Can I wait until the end of the year to make the decision to deposit my Home Resort Week with Interval International?

No. At the very latest, you should plan 75 days prior to the beginning of your season.

Before beginning an exchange with Interval International, you must have something to exchange — the reservation at your Home Resort. Interval International will accept that reservation as a deposit up to 14 days prior to the check-in date. However, if you deposit the Week from 59 to 14 days prior to the check-in date, it will be considered a late deposit and may only be redeemed within the “Flexchange Period.” Flexchange means that you are requesting to travel within 59 days, and you cannot place a pending request (or a waitlist request). In order to avoid late-deposit restrictions, secure a Week at your Home Resort and deposit it — at the very latest — 60 days prior to check-in.

For example, take the dates within a specific season: If your season includes March 1 through May 31 each year, and you reserved the week of May 1, 2021, the latest you could deposit that Week with Interval International would be March 1, 2021 (60 days in advance).

If possible, it’s recommended to deposit the Week earlier, as soon as you know you’re not going to use it. Once the Week is deposited, you’ll have up to 2 years after the Week you deposited to complete your exchange travel, so it buys you more time. Using the earlier example, if you deposit a Week with a check-in date of May 1, 2021, you’d have until May 1, 2023, to complete your exchange travel with Interval International using that deposit.

If I do not plan to vacation at my Home Resort, how can I travel to another Marriott Vacation Club resort or property?

Owners are entitled to reserve a vacation at their Home Resort only. If you are enrolled in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations^® Exchange Program and elect to receive Vacation Club Points, then you can use your Vacation Club Points to reserve another Marriott Vacation Club resort or property. If you are not enrolled or did not elect to receive Vacation Club Points prior to the deadline last year, then you would need to place an Interval International Internal Exchange request. As a Marriott Vacation Club Owner, you receive priority over non-Owners when you place the Internal Exchange request, and you will enjoy a discounted exchange fee (or you may not be required to pay an Internal Exchange fee if you are an Owner enrolled in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations^® Exchange Program).

You can learn more about the annual options and the time frames for making reservations or placing an Interval International exchange request by attending a complimentary webinar for Weeks Owners. The webinars are available on the Helpful Tools page on your Owner website.

Don’t know what dates are included within the season you own at your Home Resort? Check the Resort Calendars on the Helpful Tools page of your Owner website. You can also learn the earliest date to reserve a Week at your Home Resort from the “When Can I Reserve?” tool. Or watch a complimentary webinar for Weeks Owners for a comprehensive overview of this, and all of your annual options.

Ready to reserve? Log in to your Owner website and click on the “My Week(s)” tab at the top of the page.

Get to Know Michael H.

Michael has worked in the Salt Lake City Owner Services office for 4 years. He responds to Owners’ questions through the Click-to-Chat feature on the Owner website, answers phone calls, responds to emails from Owners, and helps train new Vacation Ownership Advisors.

What is the most memorable vacation you helped an Owner plan?
I worked with a family who wanted to vacation in Aruba during peak season. Initially, all of the dates were fully reserved and we were not able to confirm their vacation in this destination. While disappointed, they began considering alternative locations. I kept checking the Aruba resorts during our conversation, and suddenly, a week during peak season appeared. I encouraged the Owner to confirm the reservation immediately. She wanted to check the dates with her family, but I told her if she did that, this reservation would be gone to another Owner, because winter in the Caribbean is so popular. I explained that when you use the Vacation Club Points for your reservation, you could cancel 61 days in advance of the check-in date with no penalty. So she confirmed the Aruba vacation, spoke with her family, and they made the dates work. It made me feel so ecstatic that I could help an Owner confirm their dream vacation.

What is your favorite vacation destination?
My favorite vacation destination is Hawai‘i, although I’ve only been to the island of O‘ahu. This location has a special place in my heart because of all the memories I have created there with family and friends. Whenever I travel there, I always discover something new and exciting with a variety of recreational activities for an adventure traveler such as myself. In addition, this location offers the city life as well as the island life. Great food and amazing people!

What are your favorite activities while on vacation?
I am a planner, so I always make a list of places I want to visit. These locations must include something involving local food, a historical site, and something nature-based.

What are your hobbies?
When I am not working, you will find me doing recreational activities, reading a book, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.