DRI thinks that points members are stupid

[youppi]

A couple of days ago, DRI added new affiliated resorts in Colorado.
I did a search for availability for different check-in day on DRI web site and on booking dot com.
For a deluxe 1 bdrm with view on March 10, 2018 to March 17, 2018 (7 nights) at Zephyr Mountain Lodge as example:
On booking dot com : 2568.60 + 441.80 = 3022.40 USD
On DRI : 60,298 points (over 10, 000 USD) and it may be not a deluxe 1 bdrm with view. It may be just a standard 1 bdrm (cheaper on booking dot com)

 

[RLS50]

Wow, that is an absurdly bad deal for Diamond members. It's so bad it hardly seems real.

Serious question based on this example above. Who in Diamond is responsible for adding these affiliates? And who actually followed this process all the way to it's logical conclusion and went ahead and rolled out 60+K point 1BR units thinking this was a good idea and this would in any way provide an actual "benefit" to anyone?

 

[youppi]

Wow, that is an absurdly bad deal for Diamond members. It's so bad it hardly seems real.

Serious question based on this example above. Who in Diamond is responsible for adding these affiliates? And who actually followed this process all the way to it's logical conclusion and went ahead and rolled out 60+K point 1BR units thinking this was a good idea and this would in any way provide an actual "benefit" to anyone?

I don't know but he/she should be fired.
At page 59 of the reservation directory (https://cmsprod.diamondresorts.com/sites/default/files/ReservationsDirectory_103.pdf), they added the 2 new affiliated resorts and the starting cost in low season is more expensive than a peak season week on booking dot com.
3,378 pts*7=23,646 pts -> over 4,000 USD

 

[youppi]

I did the same search for the other new affiliated resort, Fraser Crossing & Founders Pointe. It is cheaper than Zephyr but still too expensive compared to booking dot com.
For a 1 bdrm on March 10, 2018 to March 17, 2018 (7 nights) at Fraser Crossing & Founders Pointe:
On booking dot com : 2,196.60 + 377.82 = 2574.42 USD
On DRI : 49,168 points (over 8,000 USD).

 

[youppi]

Hotel in NYC are also illogical
Example the 1 bdrm suite at Hotel Boutique at Grand Central July 8 to July 15 (7 nights)
2,140.70+315.75=2,456.45 USD on booking dot com
84,350 points (over 14,000 USD) on DRI

 

[RLS50]

Wow. It's one thing to be maybe 10% to 15% more expensive. But 300%, 400%, 500% more than fair market value? That's insane.

I just can't understand why anyone inside Diamond would view this as anything other than an embarrassment for their company?

Why would Diamond even facilitate such a terrible exchange? They are potentially creating a situation for any non travel savvy customers to get completely ripped off. Literally.

It's just more bad optics for a company that seems to be awash in them.

 

[RLS50]

Just for the sake of fairness, is there any other points system out there where affiliate usage for owners is this absurdly overpriced?

 

[geist1223]

I am a Worldmark Member. I can Book a 2 Bedroom at Wyndham Bali Hai, Kauai through Wyndham Pass for about 20,000 Worldmark Points. I can Book a 2 Bedroom at Wyndham Bali Hai, Kauai through RCI for about 10,000 Points. Which option would you choose? There are some other considerations. The Booking Fee through Wyndham Pass is only $99 vice the over $200 RCI Fee. Also Wyndham Pass has a 15 day before Checkin cancellation Policy and you get all your Points and the $99 Fee back.

 

[Peter2themoon]

Wyndham

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[youppi]

Wow. It's one thing to be maybe 10% to 15% more expensive. But 300%, 400%, 500% more than fair market value? That's insane.

I just can't understand why anyone inside Diamond would view this as anything other than an embarrassment for their company?

Why would Diamond even facilitate such a terrible exchange? They are potentially creating a situation for any non travel savvy customers to get completely ripped off. Literally.

It's just more bad optics for a company that seems to be awash in them.

IMO, it should never be more expensive. DRI sells points to members as a pre-paid vacations. So, the number of point equivalent in $$$ should always be cheaper than the market value. Saving money over years is part of their sales pitch.
IMO, DRI should not add resorts where the members will pay more with point than renting them from the market.

 

[youppi]

I am a Worldmark Member. I can Book a 2 Bedroom at Wyndham Bali Hai, Kauai through Wyndham Pass for about 20,000 Worldmark Points. I can Book a 2 Bedroom at Wyndham Bali Hai, Kauai through RCI for about 10,000 Points. Which option would you choose? There are some other considerations. The Booking Fee through Wyndham Pass is only $99 vice the over $200 RCI Fee. Also Wyndham Pass has a 15 day before Checkin cancellation Policy and you get all your Points and the $99 Fee back.

We have many of them too.
Example, We can book a 2 bdrm at Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta or Riviera Maya on II for 4000, 6000, 7500 or 9000 points + 189 USD depending of the season.
We can book a 2 bdrm at Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta directly on DRI for 17500, 22000 or 24000 points depending of the season.
We can book a 2 bdrm at Grand Luxxe Riviera Maya directly on DRI for 18500, 23000 or 25000 points depending of the season.

 

[nuwermj]

Serious question based on this example above. Who in Diamond is responsible for adding these affiliates? And who actually followed this process all the way to it's logical conclusion and went ahead and rolled out 60+K point 1BR units thinking this was a good idea and this would in any way provide an actual "benefit" to anyone?

Prior to March 2017, Sarah Hulme, Senior VP of Global Club Operations, was responsible for club affiliations and Brad Harris, Vice President of Club Programs, oversaw the affiliates program. Hulme left the company (after 12 years, 9 of those as director of the Club) when Flaskey became CEO. Her responsibilities were combined with those of Eric Assam, Senior Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing Operations and, with this reorganization, Assam was promoted to Executive Vice President, Global Operations (a new position).

Tony Walker was promoted to Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for North America (Flaskey's old job)

Ronan O'Gorman remains Executive Vice President, Global Resort Operations

 

[DRIless]

Hotel in NYC are also illogical
Example the 1 bdrm suite at Hotel Boutique at Grand Central July 8 to July 15 (7 nights)
2,140.70+315.75=2,456.45 USD on booking dot com
84,350 points (over 14,000 USD) on DRI
View attachment 4201

View attachment 4203

The Affiliates added/listed are really only to bump the available resorts for the sales pitch. Not to add inventory. They aren't really there for you to use. It's all fluff.

 

[DRIless]

IMO, it should never be more expensive. DRI sells points to members as a pre-paid vacations. So, the number of point equivalent in $$$ should always be cheaper than the market value. Saving money over years is part of their sales pitch.
IMO, DRI should not add resorts where the members will pay more with point than renting them from the market.

I'm in total agreement.

 

[RLS50]

IMO, it should never be more expensive. DRI sells points to members as a pre-paid vacations. So, the number of point equivalent in $$$ should always be cheaper than the market value. Saving money over years is part of their sales pitch.
IMO, DRI should not add resorts where the members will pay more with point than renting them from the market.

I agree 100% with you in principle, but just for argument's sake let's say Diamond has to charge a little more for whatever reason. And let's assume those additional charges are somewhat legit. After all in our personal experience there seems to be a myriad of operational inefficiencies inside Diamond compared to our experiences with Marriott or Westin. One would think those inefficiencies would logically have to add layers of additional costs for members.

But of course we aren't talking about it being just a little more expensive, we are talking about grossly inflated point requirements that are 2 or 3 or 4 times more expensive than the current market rate for non DRI members. That is a massive disconnect from fair market value. And that is outrageous.

I do not have any personal dealings or history with Westgate, but so far I have not really come across another company in the timeshare world like Diamond where one can find so many examples of a product that seems to consistently under deliver from a cost vs. value proposition.

 

[pedro47]

Has anyone look at the number of points needed to exchange into Great Wolf Lodge ?

 

[youppi]

Has anyone look at the number of points needed to exchange into Great Wolf Lodge ?

Yes. Those resorts are also too expensive using points.
Example: Great Wolf Lodge Concord North Carolina, Grizzly Bear Suite at 65735 pts (over $11,000) when you can book it on booking dot com for around $4,760

 

[rickandcindy23]

It's like Shell's book of hotels they will leave on the table with you, while they go to get the big guns to close the deal. The points are outrageous, and since you probably know nothing about the point values listed, you actually think those hotels are real options for you, when in fact they are just a selling ploy.