Posts Tagged ‘Westin’

Anatomy of a Timeshare Vacation: Part 3

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

I decided to exchange my timeshare to the San Juan Mountain and Golf Resort for several reasons; I’ve been wanting to explore that area for some time now, I could drive there, there is a Balloon AND Wine and Food festival that weekend and the golf rates at the 3 courses drop from $89 to $35 that week.

As I mentioned earlier, I like to drive so I’m looking forward to the 8 1/2 hour trip through Tuba City, the Navajo Nation and the Four Corners region from my home in Scottsdale, AZ.   If time permits I may take a day on my return to stop at Canyon de Chelly.

Canyon de Chelly

Canyon de Chelly

The San Juan Mountain and Golf Resort is new having just opened in June of 2009.  Interval International has rated it as a Premier resort, its highest category.  There are 20 units open now with room for 200 total at build out.  The timeshare consists of 2 properties; The Timbers, stand alone 2 and 3 bedroom homes and The Links consisting of 1,2 and 3 bedroom condos.

The Links at San Juan Mountain Golf Resort

The Links at San Juan Mountain Golf Resort

According to the website,

“The Links is a beautiful vacation ownership community located on the Pagosa Springs 27-hole Championship Golf Course. Guests and owners are within walking distance to shopping and dining. In the winter, the Links provides cross country ski-in/ski-out services on the groomed golf course track as well as downhill sledding in front of the building. Some of the extras include:”

  • Panoramic Views of the San Juan Mountains
  • Gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances, granite countertops, garbage disposal, and tile floors
  • Cable TV and High Speed Internet Access
  • Double insulated, sound proof common walls
  • Luxurious bathrooms with granite counter tops, walk-in shower, and garden tub
Living Room

Living Room

Even though I exchanged my timeshare at the last minute, I received a welcome letter from Peggy Davenport the resort’s Director of Guest Services in just a few days.  I called her to get some information on the resort and recommendations for activities and restaurants, and it was evident that she was not only enamored with Pagosa Springs but also with the resort itself.
I’ve done more than 50 timeshare exchanges and I’ve learned that an enthusiastic staff usually translates into much better vacation experience;   not only because of a warm and friendly staff but also the quality and care of the resort.  Happy employees do their jobs better.
I decided to talk with the resort manager since attitudes, good or bad, usually filter down from the top.  I left a message for Lonnie Lowe and when he called back my conclusions were confirmed.  Lonnie is one of the developers of  The San Juan Mountain and Golf Resort as well as the resort manager so his enthusiasm would be expected, but it went beyond that.
I could tell from our brief conversation that he wanted to create an overall customer/owner experience beyond that of normal timeshare resorts and more on par with the big boys like Marriott Vacation Club, Westin and Disney Vacation Club.  I’ll see when I get there.  Although the resort just opened in June and I expect the units and public areas to be pristine, I developed a critical eye about judging resorts from working at the Four Seasons.  So far so good.
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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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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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Timeshare Resort Review: The Sands of Kahana

Friday, April 25th, 2008

When doing a timeshare exchange to Maui, the choices of the resorts that are on the beach are very limited, making an already difficult exchange even harder. The Sands of Kahana, while not the nicest timeshare resort, is one that has more exchange availability than the others. You’ll find it in Interval International and its code is SOK.  It used to be affiliated with RCI as well, but no longer.

Interval International has it listed as a 5 star. I’d rate it a 3 Star timeshare property.  I believe the 5 Star rating is due more to its location and demand than the luxe of the property.  The condos, and the resort itself, need updating and sprucing up. It’s going downhill from the nice resort it used to be. 

But, if you don’t expect a really nice 5 star resort like the Westin or Marriott, the Sands of Kahana can be an acceptable exchange just because there are so few timeshare resorts on the beach in Maui.

You can read about it in Trip Advisor.  As usual, the reviews are very mixed.

What the resort does have going for itself is its location on Kahana beach, the on-site restaurant, bar, bar-b-ques, tennis courts and activities desk.  Also, the condos are very spacious with very well equipped kitchens.  It is also near the Farmer’s Market, restaurants, Napili Bay for snorkeling and beautiful Kapalua.

The Sands of Kahana has much more exchange availability than the much more difficult to get Westin or Marriott in nearby Kaanapali Beach.  Those of you that own very high quality timeshare resorts and apply all of the suggestions, techniques and strategies I recommend in my exchange guide should request only the much nicer Westin and Marriott properties and leave out the Sands of Kahana.

The rest of you should request all 3 plus Diamond’s Kaanapali Beach Club, which I’ll review later.  You’ll still need to apply all of the strategies in my timeshare exchange guide book to get these very difficult resorts, but you should be successful if you do.

While staying at the Sands of Kahana have at least one breakfast at The Sea House on Napili Bay.  This is one of my favorite restaurants and is just 3 miles north of the resort right before you get into the beautiful Kapalua area.  This tranquil restaurant has great food that’s well priced, a friendly staff, a beautiful view of Napili Bay and great service all to the sounds of gentle Hawaiian music.  Don’t miss Mama’s Ribs and Chicken and Maui Tacos in the Napili Shopping Center for fast food and take out. 

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Donating a Timeshare

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

I just read a post on a blog about donating your timeshare to a charity for a tax deduction.  I haven’t looked into the recommended charity Donate for a Cause, but on the surface, it looks like a good one.  Here’s my response:

“I’m all for helping charities like Donate for a Cause, but rather than walk away from your timeshare with only a small deduction, you’d be better off learning how to use your timeshare correctly.

The number one reason quoted for buying a timeshare is for exchanging it.  Ironically, the number one reason quoted for wanting to sell a timeshare is frustration with the exchange process. 

I’ve done nearly 50 timeshare exchanges with RCI and Interval International in 17 years, the last one to the Westin on Kaanapali Beach in Maui.  If I would have had to pay for the 1 bedroom out of my pocket, I would have been out $600/night.  Because I’ve discovered how to work the exchange system, I only paid $129 for the entire week.

Yes, I had to pay a maintenance fee of $600/year, but altogether this added up to about one night’s stay.

Timeshares, like most anything else, work well if you learn how to use them properly.  So don’t blame the timeshare for not working but the timeshare owner for not learning how to use it properly.”

Certainly, if you’re not going to use your timeshare anymore or leave it to your heirs, leaving it to charity would be a good thing.  If you do go down that road rather than reselling it, make sure you check with the BBB near the location of the charity to see if it is legitimate.  Call the charity to see how much of each dollar goes to overhead (read saleries and such) and how much actually goes to the charity itself.

In the meantime, learn how to become an exchange expert by getting my guidebook “The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare.”

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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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