Marriott Vacations Worldwide = highly unscrupulous and shark-like (old school timeshare bandits, NOT Marriott International lodging and hospitality professionals)
You may not recognize the name Marriott Vacations Worldwide (MVW), but if you own, are considering purchasing, or have stayed at a Marriott Vacation Club property, you should know exactly who this corporation is—and, equally important, who it is NOT.
First and foremost, Marriott Vacations Worldwide is NOT Marriott International, the legendary hotel and hospitality company long associated with quality, integrity, and exceptional guest service.
Marriott Vacations Worldwide is an independent, publicly traded corporation, operating under the stock ticker "VAC," with its own Board of Directors, executive leadership, and business practices. MVW operates under licensing agreements with Marriott International. Despite the familiar Marriott name, these are two entirely separate corporations.
Do not confuse Marriott Vacations Worldwide with Marriott International. They are NOT the same company.
In 2011, Marriott International spun off its timeshare business, creating Marriott Vacations Worldwide as a separate corporation. Previously, Marriott Vacation Club International was a wholly owned subsidiary of Marriott International.
In my opinion, that separation marked the beginning of the end of the Marriott Vacation Club that longtime owners once knew, respected, and trusted. Pre-2011 was the last time Marriott Vacation Club truly had a soul.
Today, MVW's portfolio includes vacation ownership businesses operating under the Marriott Vacation Club, Sheraton, Westin, The Ritz-Carlton Club, St. Regis, and Grand Residences by Marriott brands. These businesses operate under licensing arrangements and are not the hotel operations of Marriott International or The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
MVW also owns Interval International, a major timeshare exchange company.
What concerns me even more than the corporate separation is the direction in which Marriott Vacations Worldwide is heading.
In my opinion, today's MVW bears increasingly little resemblance to the company that once operated under Marriott International's ownership. Its business practices, leadership decisions, and treatment of vacation ownership customers raise serious questions about corporate integrity, transparency, and consumer trust.
Particularly troubling is the company's leadership transformation.
MVW appointed a CEO whose background includes Diamond Resorts International, a timeshare company with a controversial history involving consumer complaints, allegations of misleading sales representations, high-pressure sales tactics, and questionable customer service.
Even more concerning, MVW has reportedly recruited three additional senior executives with backgrounds at Diamond Resorts International.
Four senior executives with connections to Diamond Resorts International, now lead Marriott Vacations Worldwide, in executive capacities.
For anyone familiar with Diamond Resorts' reputation, this concentration of former Diamond Resorts leadership should raise serious questions about MVW's future direction.
My concern is not simply where these executives previously worked. Rather, I see disturbing similarities between business practices historically criticized at Diamond Resorts and the direction in which MVW appears to be moving.
In my opinion, the Marriott Vacation Club that once distinguished itself through quality, integrity, and exceptional owner service is being replaced by a corporate culture increasingly focused on revenue generation, sales, and extracting additional money from existing owners.
Recent changes involving Interval International, also owned by MVW, have only reinforced my concerns about the company's priorities and its treatment of longtime owners.
I believe Marriott Vacations Worldwide is jeopardizing the trust and goodwill that Marriott Vacation Club spent decades building.
It is particularly disappointing to see a business carrying the Marriott name move in a direction so inconsistent with the values historically associated with Marriott International.
My advice to prospective buyers, existing owners, guests, and MVW shareholders: DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Research MVW's corporate structure, leadership, the history of Diamond Resorts International, and the experiences of existing vacation ownership customers.
Do not assume the Marriott name guarantees Marriott International's standards, management, or customer protections.
CONSUMER BEWARE!
In my opinion, the Marriott Vacation Club of yesterday is disappearing. Marriott Vacations Worldwide's direction should concern anyone who values transparency, integrity, and fair treatment in the vacation ownership industry.