Concern over Marriott Vacation Club compensation claims for potentially illegal Spanish timeshare contracts

Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) under scrutiny over tens of thousands of suspect timeshare contracts

A leading global timeshare brand

MVCI is the world’s third-largest timeshare company by net income, reporting $253 million in 2023 (behind Hilton Grand Vacations at $313 million, and Travel & Leisure — owners of Wyndham Destinations — at $396 million).

The group has more than 700,000 members across 120+ resorts worldwide. An estimated 35,000 members are linked to three resorts in Spain: Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort and Marriott's Playa Andaluza on the mainland, plus Marriott's Club Son Antem in Mallorca.

A significant proportion of these Spanish agreements are currently being examined by leading timeshare claims firm European Consumer Claims (ECC).

Why Spain’s timeshare law matters

From the early 1980s, timeshare operators in Spain attracted widespread negative media attention, facing accusations of high-pressure sales and misleading holidaymakers. The situation became so serious that tourism was affected, raising concerns about knock-on impacts for the wider Spanish economy.

In 1999, Spain introduced strict consumer protections designed to safeguard tourists. Among other restrictions, companies were prohibited from taking money on the day of sale or during the legally mandated cooling-off period. Contract terms were limited to 50 years or less, and timeshare structures involving points or floating weeks were no longer legal to sell.

In theory, these rules should have made timeshare purchases far safer. In practice, almost all timeshare companies operating in Spain ignored at least parts of the legislation for years.

MVCI was not an exception.

What ECC says is wrong with some Marriott contracts

"Our data indicates that Marriott largely stopped taking money inside the cooling-off period," says Greg Wilson, CEO of ECC and an MVCI specialist. "However, they have completely ignored the law when it comes to selling floating time, and issuing contracts lasting longer than the maximum permitted 50 years."

"Marriott continued writing illegal contracts as though the law had never been created. They have been doing this for over a quarter of a century, and many thousands of people are affected. We at ECC are commencing large-scale consumer marketing campaigns both online and offline to reach people affected by this behaviour."

The core concern with floating weeks and points is that, in theory, these systems can allow a company to sell more memberships than it has inventory to accommodate. If that happens, it would be expected to show up as repeated member complaints about difficulty booking availability at Marriott timeshare resorts.

MVCI’s online reputation and common complaints

Independent review platform Trustpilot shows a very poor rating among MVCI reviewers, with an overall TrustScore of 1.8 stars. 82% of reviews are 1 star, with recurring reports of members being unable to book the weeks they want. "I can NEVER get a property booked," says reviewer Kim. "I am in this for thousands and outrageous dues that keep increasing. DO NOT BUY."

Kim’s availability concerns are echoed by many other reviewers on the site. But booking issues are not the only theme. A large number of MVCI complaints also relate to the value (or lack of value) members feel they receive.

"Absolute waste of money and will do anything to get out of this agreement," says N Yvette Pinkney. "Much cheaper to book directly with an agent for vacations. MVC is NOT an investment and the maintenance fees NEVER end!"

Tesfaye Regaa is one of multiple reviewers who says they were misled during the sales process: "We were blatantly lied to about Marriott Vacation Club happily buying back the property if we needed to sell, and we were not informed about the two-week period during which we could have opted out of the contract." Tesfaye also raises concerns about the lending terms on a loan arranged by MVCI to fund the membership: "We were never informed about the exorbitant 14% interest rate, which was much higher than most bank rates at the time."

There are too many reviews to cover in full here, but the overall picture is clear: once the impact of the sales presentation fades, a significant number of MVCI members regret signing.

Does this sound like your experience?

If any of the above feels familiar and you have concerns about your Marriott ownership, help may be available. In many cases, unwanted contracts can be relinquished. In some situations, there may also be significant financial compensation due.

Wherever in the world you bought your MVCI membership, if you’re unhappy with any aspect of it, there is usually a way forward.

Get in touch with our team to discuss your options.