Free - Riviera Beach & Spa - Capistrano Beach CA

Bob the Hamster · Feb 2, 2015

Hello, everyone!

I would like for someone to take this timeshare off my hands! My great uncle left it to me, and I have had it for years. Now I understand why he appologized so much for giving it to me. I have never stayed in it myself even once in all the years I have been paying the dang fee

EDIT: It is called "Riviera Beach & Spa Resort" https://www.diamondresortsandhotels.com/Resorts/Riviera-Beach-and-Spa-Resort

It was originally called the "Rivera Beach and Spa Resort" but now it is called "Rivera Shores Resort" after being bought out by Diamond Resorts. Here is their page on it, which seems to have a few decent photos. https://www.diamondresortsandhotels.com/Resorts/Riviera-Shores-Resort EDIT: I was wrong about that, sorry.

The units that I remember seeing are 2 bedroom. I am not sure if that is all they have.

I saw in the "How to" thread for this forum that I should say which "season" I own, but I don't even know what that means. I am really clueless about this timeshare stuff (probably one of the reasons I have procrastinated getting rid of it for so long)

I have already payed the maintenance fee for 2015. It was $809.25. I don't need to be reimbursed, I just want to be rescued from paying for it again in 2016 and 2017 and 2018 and 2019 and 2020...etc. The fees are due on March 1st of each year, so the next one is not due until march 2016.

There is also a yearly Orange County tax bill. The last one was $20.24.

Sadly, my reserved week for 2015 is next week, Feb 7th to Feb 14th. I think it is pretty unrealistic to complete a transfer before then, so I guess this year is completely wasted (another reason why I am not asking for any reimbursement for the maint fee) EDIT: Yay! was able to swap it for the week of May 1st to May 8th.

I am also happy to pay the closing fee.

Is there any important information I am leaving out? Any questions? Thank you!

DeniseM · Feb 2, 2015

No one will adopt this timeshare without knowing which weeks they can reserve - call the resort and find out what weeks are available to you.

Also - find out if you can cancel the current reservation and move it to ANY summer week. If not, then any week late in the year - just to save the week.

BJRSanDiego · Feb 2, 2015

Bob the Hamster said:
Hello, everyone!

It was originally called the "Rivera Beach and Spa Resort" but now it is called "Rivera Shores Resort" after being bought out by Diamond Resorts. Here is their page on it, which seems to have a few decent photos. https://www.diamondresortsandhotels.com/Resorts/Riviera-Shores-Resort

I looked on the Diamond site and see that there is both a Riviera Shores and a Riviera Beach and Spa Resort. Here is a link for the latter one:
https://www.diamondresortsandhotels.com/Resorts/Riviera-Beach-and-Spa-Resort

So, the Riviera Beach and Spa Resort still exists and does not appear to have been renamed. I suggest that you may want to double check which resort you are selling. :ponder:

Good luck.

Bob the Hamster · Feb 2, 2015

Thanks, DeniseM! I called them up and was able to swap my week for May 1st to May 8th, so maybe that won't go to waste after all

As far as I know, there is no limit to what weeks I can reserve... Does that mean some resorts have blackout weeks or something?

Each year they send me a form where I can pick my top choices for weeks, and then they have some kind of system for deciding which one of those I actually get. Invariably I always fail to mail it in time, so I always get assigned a crappy week (hence the february date that I got this year)

I found and scanned this paper which came with my last bill http://hamsterrepublic.com/tmp/timeshare-calendar-scan.pdf

My account is described as "26 high" but I am not sure how to interpret that.

BJRSanDiego: thanks for finding that! My last bill was paid to "Riviera Beach & Spa Resort Vacation Plan Owners Association" so I guess that must be the one I own.

DeniseM · Feb 2, 2015

You need to call and find out exactly how reservations are made, so that you can post that info. for potential owners. That is a critical detail.

Rent_Share · Feb 2, 2015

This post ~~needs~~ NEEDED a reference to a disinherit thread for people who land here

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Here's a thread that includes discussion of options when faced with the possible inheritance of a time share

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218640&highlight=inherit

Bob the Hamster · Feb 3, 2015

DeniseM: Okay, I'll figure out exactly how reservations work, and then I'll come back and edit my first post. Thanks for your help!

Rent_Share: what is a "disinherit thread?"

presley · Feb 3, 2015

Bob the Hamster said:
My last bill was paid to "Riviera Beach & Spa Resort Vacation Plan Owners Association" so I guess that must be the one I own.

That's a nice place. I think anyone wanting a vacation spot across the street from the ocean would be happy there. The MFs were lower than a lot of the other beachside timeshares, too. I'm sure you'll find someone who would appreciate taking it off your hands.

SmithOp · Feb 3, 2015

Free - Riviera Beach & Spa - Capistrano Beach CA

Bob the Hamster said:
DeniseM: Okay, I'll figure out exactly how reservations work, and then I'll come back and edit my first post. Thanks for your help!

Rent_Share: what is a "disinherit thread?"

Rent is saying you did not have to accept this "gift" from your uncle when it was inherited. Its a popular topic of discussions on here, what to do with TS in a will or trust. A "thread" is a collection of messages about a topic, like this one.

Sent from my iPad using the strange new version of Tapatalk

Rent_Share · Feb 3, 2015

SmithOp said:
Rent is saying you did not have to accept this "gift" from your uncle when it was inherited. Its a popular topic of discussions on here, what to do with TS in a will or trust. A "thread" is a collection of messages about a topic, like this one.

Sent from my iPad using the strange new version of Tapatalk

Correct - not applicable to your situation but important to others faced with a timeshare they may not want

Bill4728 · Feb 10, 2015

When I owned at Riviera Beach, it had two seasons Summer and the rest of the year. It sounds this week is a non summer week.

FYI about 80%-90% of the units are facing the ocean.

Bob the Hamster · Feb 16, 2015

Hello, all!

I finally managed to learn more. My plan lets me us any of the green months on this chart: http://hamsterrepublic.com/tmp/timeshare-calendar.pdf

So just like Bill4728 said, it is divided into summer and winter seasons, and I have the winter season.

They also explained the new reservation system to me. I will just copy/paste a (slightly redacted) copy of the e-mail the sent me

Thank you for contacting Diamond Resorts International®, and allowing us to assist you. Your email is very important to us, and we want to answer all your questions.

Our system shows you own one Seabreeze High season week at the Riviera Beach Resort Phase II, every year. We have recently announced via email the new policy for reservations, and I would like to take this opportunity to explain you further, starting with general information from your account.

Per your contract, the maximum time in advance to book your reservations is 12 months, (beginning on March 1st) and the minimum is up to same day of arrival, subject to availability.

Your reservation # --------- for arrival on May 1st, 2015 is confirmed, and belongs to the week from 2014/2015. The next available week will be for the period 2015/*016, which goes from June 5th, 2015 until May 29th, 2016. Please find below the available options to use your week:

1. You can book one week in a 1 bedroom unit in Phase II with ocean view for arrival on Friday, Saturday or Sunday between October 2nd, 2015 and May 29th, 2015, excluding a week with any of the following Holidays: Thanksgiving/2015, Christmas/2015, New Year’s /2016, Presidents Day/2016 and Easter/2016. Or,

2. You can book one week in the 2 bedroom unit in Phase II without ocean view for arrival on Friday, Saturday or Sunday between October 2nd, 2015 and May 29th, 2016, excluding a week with any of the following Holidays: Thanksgiving/2015, Christmas/2015, New Year’s /2016, Presidents Day/2016 and Easter/2016.

As announced in our email communication, the reservation booking process has been improved, and the new process will start from March 1st, 2015. This new system will eliminate the previous lottery process system, and vacation request forms that had to be sent by mail. From March 1st, 2015, you can book or deposit your 2015-2016 week, and confirm your reservation in just a phone call to our Owner Services Department at 1.800.463.7256. We will provide you an immediate answer of the availability, or secure alternate dates when necessary. The system will not automatically assign any dates, and it is necessary for us to receive your call or email to check availability to confirm your week at the resort or for deposit with your exchange company.

I also want to explain the design of the calendars. The grey box is assigned to show the weeks in the Prime Season, and the green box is for High Season. (The season you own). White boxes do not apply to any season. “26 High” is part of the description of your ownership for inventory purposes. It does not mean you own week# 26. It determines you own during the High season with access to book any of 30 weeks contained in this season.

Thank you again for your questions. We are here to assist you, and I hope this information is helpful. Kindly contact us after March 1st, 2015, at 1.800.463.7256 or you may contact me directly at 407.226.1000, extension 13435, and we will be happy to assist you to use your week for the period 2015/2016 or deposit it with your exchange company and check availability within the High Season according to your contract.

If you have any additional questions regarding your contract at the Riviera Beach Resort with Diamond Resorts International® , please do not hesitate to contact us. You may reply to this email, or our Owner Services Department is open from Monday – Sunday and all our representatives are available to assist you from 8:00 am, until 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time at 1.800.463.7256.

Thank you, and kind regards, ---------

Oh, one more question. I don't seem to be able to edit my original post anymore. I wanted to update it with some of this information. Does the edit button expsire in this forum? Or am I just looking in the wrong place?

presley · Feb 16, 2015

The edit button expires. If you want to edit the OP, you can message a moderator and they can change it for you.

DeniseM · Feb 16, 2015

The best thing to do is to just add more info. in a new post in the same thread.

Bob the Hamster · Feb 16, 2015

Excellent, thank you. I won't worry about editing my first post, it isn't that important. I got all the info I could find into this post http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1727767&postcount=12

cgeidl · Feb 19, 2015

We are owners at Riviera

We have found the two bedroom units to be okay for a family with a couple small children but a bit tight for two adult couples. All the two bedrooms we have seen are on the back side and most look at a straight up hill and are rather dark. The one bedroom units are very comfortable. There is a new manger ,I believe Diamond Resorts. When you book your requested week each year you can request a one or two bedroom. If we plan to stay we book the one bedroom but if trading book the two bedroom. Your May date is what we always request whether we are going or trading. Our May date lets us also trade with SFX which we have now deposited a week with very poor trading results over a couple years. Trades in II and Trading Places work well for these weeks. RCI we have quit and given up on for the time being as we can book their weeks other ways cheaper and with more selection.
When we purchased we were told by the seller we had week number 26 which is a prime week of summer but after purchasing found we really owned a high off season week. The weeks seem to trade well and we have traded to the Westin Kierland Villas and the Marrioots I Newport Coast for much larger nicer units than the Riviera. The resort is located right across the main highway from the beach and there is a pedestrian overpass walkway. We like the area and have enjoyed the resort although the maintenance fees have rapidly escalted in the last few years. Much higher than inflation. Maybe The new manager.

Bob the Hamster · Feb 24, 2015

Ah, thank you cgeidl

All that sounds about right. I appreciate you posting the information, since having never actually stayed in my own timeshare, I don't have my own first-hand experiences to tell people about

(Well, I haven't stayed in it since I was a teenager, and my great uncle still owned it, but that was ages ago.)

Bob the Hamster · Apr 3, 2015

I just got a reminder e-mail from Diamond Resorts that my scheduled week of May 1st to May 8th 2015 is approaching.

If anybody wants to take this timeshare off my hands, now is the time to do it before this year slips by unused

Karen G · Apr 3, 2015

If you don't have anyone interested in taking this timeshare off your hands, you could offer your May week for rent and at least get something for it. Check the rentals offered forum where you could get $700 for the week.

Bill4728 · Apr 3, 2015

Bob

DRI is taking back TS from owners for the small fee of $250.

Here are some details

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224859

To start this process, the owner must send an email to: lossmitigation@diamondresorts.com with the subject line stating: Inventory Takeback.

In the email itself the owner must include:
-Resort Name
-Owner(s) Name(s)
-Account Number
-Inventory owned (ie. weeks, points, etc)
-any other important information regarding the deed

within 7-10 business days, the Diamond Resorts will send a letter with an action required correspondence, where the owner will have 15 days to return.

Note: the owner is responsible for any fees associated with the paper work, such as notary, postage etc.

So instead of trying to find someone to take it from you. You may wish to consider a deed-back.

Good Luck

VegasBella · Apr 3, 2015

I own there. I have a prime week. And mine is ocean-view 2 bedroom. I like it a lot and use it. We really enjoy it.

Free - Riviera Beach & Spa - Capistrano Beach CA

Bob the Hamster

DeniseM

BJRSanDiego

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Bob the Hamster

DeniseM

Rent_Share

Bob the Hamster

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert

SmithOp

TUG Review Crew

Rent_Share

Bill4728

Bob the Hamster

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert

DeniseM

Bob the Hamster

cgeidl

Tug Review Crew: Rookie

Bob the Hamster

Bob the Hamster

Karen G

Bill4728

VegasBella