Posts Tagged ‘Marriott’

Do Big Timeshare Companies Get Preference With RCI and II?

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

I was asked a question the other day about whether timeshare owners in companies like  Disney, Hyatt, Marriott, Westin, Diamond, WorldMark and Hilton get preferential treatment when exchanging through RCI or Interval International.  I feel that big companies may get some extra privileges for their owners from both RCI or II but no one knows for sure. 

What I can tell you is that when an owner wants to do a timeshare exchange out of one of these high end timeshare companies, that a specific week from a specific resort still has to be deposited with RCI or Interval International.  And that’s what determines your trading power.  Therefore,  the better the resort and week you give up, the better your exchange.

But what about big companies like Diamond and WorldMark? Although Diamond claims more than 100 resorts and WorldMark more than 50 in their chain, many of them are third rate.  So if Diamond deposits a September week from the Coconut Palm Beach Resort for one of their members, they won’t have a lot of trading power.  That is, of course, unless II gives Diamond special treatment.

I’ve found that Interval International is now focusing more than ever on quality-of the week and resort deposited.  So my suggestion is to find out if you can pick which week and which resort you want deposited in RCI or Interval International.  For instance, if you’re a Diamond member, see if you can pick a February week from their Maui Resort or something similar.

They will probably tell you that “with Diamond it doesn’t make a difference which week is deposited.”  Don’t believe it.  Be persistent.  Most likely they won’t let you pick the exact week and resort so make them put in a good one.  Again, don’t let them tell you it doesn’t matter.  The reservation clerk believes that because they have been trained that way.

If you really want to nail it, then, oh dread, go through your closing documents to see what your rights are when exchanging.  They should be in there.  I’d also ask for the policy to be emailed to you. 

You may think this a lot of work but when it comes to exchanging you want  the most power you can get.  Never let some low level Owner Services reservation person convince you that all weeks are the same when it comes to exchanging.

You should also call RCI or Interval International  to ask if all weeks from your resort club exchange equally.  They will typically tap dance around such questions but do this everytime you’re on the phone with II.  I’ve gotten some really good information from II representatives that happened to be in a good mood that day.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges. 

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog. 

For 10 FREE videos on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.  

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Marriott Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge Scottsdale

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

Interval International has Getaway weeks available at the fabulous Marriott’s Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge in Phoenix, AZ. for December and January.  Christmas and New Years are excluded, of course, and only studio units are available but the price is only $454/week.  That’s only $65/night to stay in one of the nicest resorts in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area.

Here’s Marriott’s description of the resort:

“Rising from the inspiring Sonoran Desert of Phoenix, Arizona, Marriott’s Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge is a traveler’s oasis. With full access to the amenities of the neighboring JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, spend a memorable day on the links at Wildfire, indulge at the 28,000-square-foot European spa or enjoy some of the finest dining in the Southwest. Retreat to the amazing amenities of your spacious two-bedroom, two-bath villa designed for comfort and with style.”

Average high temperature in December and January is 67 degrees making it pleasant for the many outdoor activities made available in this unique desert area. You can check out the many shops and restaurants at the Desert Ridge Marketplace conveniently located just across from the Marriott.

Grab these weeks while you can because they will go fast

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Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club Getaway Week

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is available for a Getaway week in Interval International from July 12-19.  Only studios are available at this writing and you can pick it up for only $886/week.  That’s only $126.57/night for a $500/night room.  Act quickly before it’s gone.

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is one of the most difficult timeshare resorts in Interval International to exchange in to.  One reason is because the people who buy there spend a substantial amount for their purchase and are therefore less likely to want to exchange it somewhere else.

Another reason it is such a difficult timeshare exchange is because of the sweetheart deal Marriott has with Interval International.  When any Marriott owner deposits a week with Interval International it goes into a separate exchange pool for 30 days that is made available exclusively to other Marriott owners.  This drastically reduces the amount of weeks made available to non-Marriott owners and is very unfair.

Of course another reason it’s such a difficult timeshare exchange is because of the demand for Hawaii in general, and Maui in particular.  The waiting list for Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is enormous and you must have both a very powerful exchanging timeshare and to have maximized your exchange power to be placed high enough up on the wait list to get confirmed.

To learn how to maximize your exchange power in both Interval International and RCI Click Here Now.

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is one of my favorite timeshare properties.  The views of the island of Lanai or the West Maui Mountains are incredible.  It’s location right on Kaanapali Beach is one of the best and besides the restaurants on site, you are a short walking distance to Whaler’s Village for access to many more shops and restaurants. Don’t miss the old whaling village of Lahaina Town nearby.

Don’t miss this rare chance to visit one of the most beautiful islands in the world and stay at one of Interval International’s best timeshare resorts.

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Royal Kaanapali Golf Course Maui

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Read this even if you’re not interested in golf for important timeshare exchange information.

If you’re a golfer and doing a timeshare exchange to Maui, make sure you play Royal Kaanapali, or the north course.

Maui’s first golf course was designed by renowned golf course architect, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and has been know as the “Hawaiian Home of the Senior PGA Tour.”  Because of that, it has been known as a difficult course for us non-professionals to play and many of us ended up playing the much tamer south course or Kaanapali Kai.

Not any more.  Royal Kaanapali has been lovingly re-worked by one of the best in the business, Robin Nelson.  The course is much more playable and enjoyable and one of the best in Maui.

With sweeping mountain and ocean views you’re able to see whales breeching in the distance while enjoying a pleasant game of golf.  And an added bonus is the great weather in Kaanapali.  Just 6 miles north of Kaanapali is Kapalua, one of the prettiest, but rainiest parts of an already beautiful island, and home to 2 great golf courses.

Playing the Plantation Course of Kapalua, home to the very first PGA event of the year, the Mercedes-Benz Championship, is a must.  But be prepared for rain showers. 

Even if you’re not a golfer here’s what you need to know about doing a timeshare exchange to Maui.   Most of the timeshares in RCI and Interval International on West Maui are in that rainier section.  From the old Embassy Kaanapali timeshare, now called Kaanapali Beach Vacation Resort, north to the Gardens of West Maui at the entrance to Kapalua run a string of, and the majority of RCI and Interval International timeshares.  They are located along Lower Honoapiilani Road.

If the address of the resort you want to exchange into in either RCI or Interval International is greater than 3500 Lower Honoapiilani Road, Lahaina, expect more wind and rain.  Because there’s so little availability in Maui I still recommend the resorts in this rainier section.  It’s possible you’ll encounter good weather for the week you’re there. 

However, I was hit by rainy weather almost everyday in January and February this year while a few miles down the road, Kaanapali experienced much better weather.  The locals who’ve lived here for a while said that it was an unusual January and February.

Those of you that have good timeshares and apply the suggestions in my guidebook should request Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club and the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort.

Right on the very edge of this rainier section is the Kaanapali Beach Vacation Resort a Sunterra/Diamond resort.  While the timeshare condos that I saw were very nice the resort itself needs some work.  It too is a difficult exchange but until it’s fixed up I’d rate it a 4 star rather than a 5 star like the Marriott or Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort.

 

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How To Sell Your Timeshare: Avoid Making These 3 Mistakes

Monday, January 7th, 2008

You have already spent thousands of dollars purchasing your timeshare.  More if you bought Disney, Marriott or Westin. Don’t throw even more of your hard earned money by making 3 of the biggest mistakes when you go to sell it. Since you found your way to this report, you’re probably selling your timeshare
because you’re now unhappy with it.  Unfortunately, you’re probably going to be disappointed in your return of investment as well. 

The timeshare re-sale, or secondary market, is young and not only flooded with people desperate to sell, but also with extremely unethical re-sale companies that prey upon them.

 Selling a timeshare can be extremely difficult, and in some cases, impossible.  The FTC has cited a survey that found only 3.3 percent of owners reported successfully reselling their timeshares for a price they were happy with during the last 20 years. Many timeshare resale firms claim consumers can save 50 percent to 90 percent off retail prices. Therefore, buying a secondhand timeshare from an individual
owner can be a bargain but selling a timeshare is a losing proposition. 

“Consumer Reports” July 2003

What Makes Selling A Timeshare So Difficult?

The two things that make the re-selling of a timeshare so difficult are that the supply of available resale weeks greatly outweighs demand, and the fact that nearly 50% of the price of a timeshare purchased from the developer went into the marketing costs.  Simply put, if you paid $15,000 for a timeshare, $7,500 of the purchase price was for marketing.  Because the market is flooded with re-sales, you’d be lucky to get $3,000 on the secondary market.  After commissions and closing costs $2,000 is a more realistic number.  You can expect a little more if you own a brand named timeshare like Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton or Westin/Starwood and less if you own a really bad one.

The next 3 posts will shed light on 3 common mistakes that many people make when selling their timeshare that can cost them thousands of dollars.  If you contemplating selling your timeshare don’t miss the rest of this series.  The timeshare resale industry is rife with unethical resale companies that will tell you anything to get into your pockets so you need to be informed.  Learn how to distinguish between a legitimate and unethical timeshare resale company.

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Cabo San Lucas Whale Watching Part 3

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

For those of you that do end up in Cabo San Lucas and the Los Cabos area for whale watching I recommend that you add on a few extra days and arrange a trip to Magdalena Bay 4-5 hours north of Cabo. 

This is one of the 3 bays that the California Gray Whales breed and calve on the Baja Peninsula.  It’s here where you will not only witness one of the largest congregations of whales anywhere, but also have the chance, if you’re lucky, to pet a baby whale from you boat.  There is no guarantee you’ll be able to pet one but just being on the water with so many whales is incredible.

On my third trip to Magdalena Bay I petted a baby off and on for 30 minutes while the 40 foot long mother observed nearby.  It ranks as one of the best all time life experiences I ever enjoyed. 

Seeing them is one thing but touching them is another.  The whales that can be petted are called “amistosos” or friendlies.  The Mexican government has gone to great lengths to regulate whale watching here and they are in no way harassed or stressed.  Biologists have witnessed this experience form many years but can’t explain it.

Since the best time to see them is in the morning I’d make a 2 day trip of it.  There are escorted tours by van or you can fly in (expensive) or, if adventurous, rent a car and drive.  I prefer the latter.  There is a good 2 lane highway all the way there and you need not worry about banditos in peaceful Baja. 

 You’ll want to arrange for accommodations in the Magdalena Bay area before you leave Cabo because they fill up during whale watching season.  You can do that before you go to Cabo, preferable, or have your activities director at your timeshare resort help you. 

 In fact, once you’ve reserved your week you can call the front desk and arrange the trip before hand.  Make sure to bring something warm to wear as the weather can be much cooler than sunny Cabo.

If you can’t pick up one of RCI’s Last Call weeks between now and February, and you’d like to see the whales next year, put in your exchange request now.  The greatest demand for Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos is between Christmas and Easter so exchange availability is limited.

Even though there are no major brand name timeshares like Marriott, Disney or Hyatt, yet, in Cabo San Lucas, many of the resorts listed in RCI and Interval International are of superior quality and right on the beach. 

The Club Regina at the Westin is a beautiful resort on the beach near San Jose del Cabo.  You’ll find it in RCI.

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