City Destinations Celebrate Culture
When you reserve a stay at a Marriott Vacation Club Pulse® property, you’ll vacation just steps from the excitement, cultural and historic sites and cuisine in vibrant urban destinations.
History on the East Coast
Marriott Vacation Club Pulse® at the Custom House, Boston, was originally built at the end of Long Wharf in the Boston Harbor in 1849. But the construction of the 496-foot tall clock-tower in 1915 elevated the structure’s historic status, as it became the first skyscraper in New England.
After federal government offices vacated the Custom House tower in 1986, the city of Boston bought the building, however it remained empty for more than a decade. Marriott Vacation Club purchased the building from the city, and created its first urban vacation ownership property, opening in 1997.
The building’s preservation continues today. Craftsmen recently removed the hour and minute hands from the southern face of the clock tower to address its most prevalent issue: each of the four faces show a different time, earning the timepiece its nickname as the “four-faced liar.”
The new hands are constructed of a lightweight material, designed to withstand strong winds and snow. Guests at the property can view the inner workings of the clock in the tower of the building, and view the Boston harbor and skyline from the open-air observation deck. And Owners can take pride in preserving a piece of Boston history.
Culture on the West Coast
The company’s passion for lively metropolitan destinations resulted in five more urban vacation properties. The newest addition, Marriott Vacation Club Pulse®, San Francisco, located in Fisherman’s Wharf, is designed to immerse you in the culture of the City by the Bay.
As an Owner, you won’t need to leave the grounds to experience your first taste of the diverse metropolis. The property recently commissioned North California artist Bryan Valenzuela to create a 30-foot mural for the courtyard area.
The three-story artistic installment, EMBLEM, is inspired by the city seal. Valenzuela wanted the piece to speak to the history of the area, so he included bay waters with a fisherman and rolling hills with miners digging gold. The piece comes together as a visual narrative — you’ll recognize the rolling green hills and San Francisco’s official flower from afar, and up close you’ll see handwritten text that relays the city’s tale.
The property’s general manager, Brandon Elliott, fulfilled a vision to turn the blank wall into a canvas to illustrate the city’s story.
“Marriott Vacation Club Pulse is all about experiencing the local culture, and this mural really highlights so many special parts of San Francisco,” he said. “We have this amazing courtyard, and this mural was a great way to showcase the San Francisco Bay area, as well as breathe new life into this great space.”
Elliott said that Owners have been surprised and delighted to see the mural — a feature that’s unique to this property.
As an Owner, you can marvel at the art piece while conversing by the courtyard’s fire pit. Then, you can explore the rest of the city’s heritage, just steps outside of your urban accommodations.
Reserve your stay
- Points and Enrolled Owners can use Vacation Club Points to make a reservation at these properties. Follow this link when you log in to MarriottVacationClub.com to check availability or make a reservation.
- Weeks Owners can place an exchange request to visit these locations for one week through Interval International®. Sign in to IntervalWorld.com to place an exchange request.
Marriott Vacation Club International and their respective affiliates and subsidiaries make no warranty, express or implied, as to the condition, capacity, performance or any other aspect of the activities, events or service providers listed herein. No inquiry has been made into the activities or events, or the qualifications or the quality of services offered by the providers. Do not consider this an endorsement of or recommendation for any of the activities, events or providers.
Access to the Explorer Collection is made available through the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations® Exchange Program and is subject to the terms and conditions as outlined in the applicable Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program documents. Actual experiences will be provided via contractual arrangements with third-party providers and may require the payment of additional fees. The experiences described herein are examples of potential vacation opportunities and are subject to change.
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (“MVW”) and its affiliates and subsidiaries, make no warranty, express or implied, as to the condition, capacity, performance or any other aspect of the activities, events or services provided by third-party vendors. Some of the programs and products offered may be provided by PlacePass, which may not be owned, developed or sold by MVW.