It’s an exciting time to be a Marriott owner! With the recent launch of Marriott’s new Abound Program, eligible Marriott owners now have the ability to start booking vacations at both Sheraton and Westin properties for the 2023 calendar year. In this article, we will discuss which Marriott owners are eligible to start using the Abound program, how you can go about electing to receive Abound Club Points (if needed) and explaining what restrictions and deadlines are applicable. Read on to find out more!
Abound Eligibility
So, how does one know if they are eligible to partake in this exciting new program? There are two scenarios to consider, so let’s break it down and explain each one.
Points-Based Marriott Owners
For Marriott owners who purchased a points-based ownership, formerly known as Destinations Club points, you will be automatically eligible to start using Abound. This is regardless of whether you purchased your timeshare on the resale market, or directly from Marriott.
Weeks-Based Marriott Owners
If you’ve purchased a weeks-based ownership, also referred to as a Marriott legacy week, whether you will qualify for the Abound program is dependent on whether you were already enrolled in the Destinations Exchange program prior to the launch of the Abound program. If you were already enrolled in the Destinations Exchange program, you will automatically be enrolled in Abound. If you were previously ineligible to enroll in the Destinations Exchange program, you will not be able to utilize the new Abound program.
If you find yourself in this group of owners, just remember that you can still use your Marriott week to travel to Westin and Sheraton properties, but you will need to do so by using Interval International and trading into these resorts.
Deadlines For Electing Abound Club Points
Just as with eligibility, deadlines for when you need to elect to receive Abound Club Points differ based on the type of ownership you’ve purchased.
Points-Based Marriott Owners
There are no deadlines for electing to receive Abound Club points. This is because all Marriott Vacation Club points will be considered Abound Club Points without any extra action on your behalf.
Weeks-Based Marriott Owners
If you are an eligible weeks-based owner that is enrolled in the Abound program, you can continue to reserve your week at your home resort in the season you are deeded to, or you can choose to elect to receive Club Points in lieu of your week at your home resort.
The deadline to elect to receive Club Points for your 2023 Week(s) is September 30 or October 31, 2022, depending on your Owner benefit level. Be sure to mark your calendars to ensure you don’t miss this deadline!
How To Elect To Receive Abound Points
For points owners, no action is needed on your part to elect, your existing points will function as Abound Club Points automatically. For weeks owners, they can choose to elect for Abound points online using their membership dashboard.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! For Marriott points owners, there really is not much in the ways of management needed to take advantage of the new Abound program. For legacy week owners, there is one deadline to keep in mind, but the process to elect will be easy and can be handled completely online. If you’d like to learn more about what Abound is, the changes it brings to Marriott owners, and much more check out or Abound article that covers all of these topics in great detail.
