Cancel & Rebook problems?

Sandi Bo · Oct 29, 2014

Tower 5 is closed for renovations. Typically Bonnet Creek remodels one tower a year. Last I heard, they are expecting to reopen the week of Thanksgiving.

In the past, they have not completely closed a building during a renovation, and had issue or complaints from people staying there about noise, etc. So this year it's a little different twist as they have completely closed the tower.

I am hearing next year around the same time it will be Tower 6. That will interesting since all 1, 2, and 3 BR Presidential units are in Tower 6. I'm not sure exactly when they will start, but a good thing to keep in mind if you are someone who stays in presidential units.

Ron2 · Oct 29, 2014

Sandi Bo said:
Tower 5 is closed for renovations. Typically Bonnet Creek remodels one tower a year. Last I heard, they are expecting to reopen the week of Thanksgiving.

In the past, they have not completely closed a building during a renovation, and had issue or complaints from people staying there about noise, etc. So this year it's a little different twist as they have completely closed the tower.

I am hearing next year around the same time it will be Tower 6. That will interesting since all 1, 2, and 3 BR Presidential units are in Tower 6. I'm not sure exactly when they will start, but a good thing to keep in mind if you are someone who stays in presidential units.

Where are these rumors coming from? Back on post#12 jebloomquist claimed that Tower 6 is currently out of service. Now you say Tower 6 will be closed next year for renovations. I have a 3-BR Pres reserved in Tower 6 for next August with a do not move order. It would seem to me that Wyndham would know well in advance if they were going to shut down a building for renovations and would avoid offering those units for reservations.

Sandi Bo · Oct 29, 2014

Tower 5 is currently out of service -- you can call Bonnet Creek and confirm - it's not a rumor - the tower is closed. (I think Jim mis-typed the tower number).

And I agree, I'm sure Bonnet Creek knows well in advance and plans accordingly. I heard they are remodeling Tower 6 in the fall of next year thus an August presidential would not be an issue.

jebloomquist · Oct 29, 2014

Cdn Gal said:
Why is Tower 6 not in service?

Actually, it is Tower 5, not 6. It is down for renovation. It is primarily 2 BR units.

The renovation was supposed to take 3 weeks, and it has already been 6 weeks. Bonnet Creek will not give a date as to when it will be completed. When I pressed a person there asking what about January, the response was that "yes" it should be available by then.

Jim

vacationhopeful · Oct 29, 2014

Thanksgiving might be real FUN at BC ... esp if Tower 5 is still closed.

Ron2 · Oct 29, 2014

Sandi Bo said:
Tower 5 is currently out of service -- you can call Bonnet Creek and confirm - it's not a rumor - the tower is closed. (I think Jim mis-typed the tower number).

And I agree, I'm sure Bonnet Creek knows well in advance and plans accordingly. I heard they are remodeling Tower 6 in the fall of next year thus an August presidential would not be an issue.

It is difficult to imagine that Tower 5 would need renovations after about five years of use. I recall staying in Tower 4 in January 2008 when Tower 5 was under construction. No wonder maintenance fees are increasing next year. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because I've seen some significant damage to furniture even in the Tower 6 presidential units. Some people are so irresponsible. Likely they don’t own at Bonnet Creek.:annoyed:

Sandi Bo · Oct 29, 2014

I agree Ron2. I wonder what the industry average is. Is it reasonable to renovate every 5 or 6 years? Apparently Bonnet Creek is at pace to do so.

I also have to question how well the remodel is being managed and how does that effect our maintenance fees? Is it reasonable to close an entire building, fall weeks behind, and risk being closed during one of the busiest weeks at Bonnet Creek? How much is that costing us in maintenance fees?

I have heard they should be open by Thanksgiving, if not the week before. But even when they will reopen seems a mystery, and you'll get different information depending on who you talk to.

Agree, Linda, sounds like some crazy times at Bonnet Creek.

scootr5 · Oct 29, 2014

Ron2 said:
It is difficult to imagine that Tower 5 would need renovations after about five years of use. I recall staying in Tower 4 in January 2008 when Tower 5 was under construction. No wonder maintenance fees are increasing next year. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because I've seen some significant damage to furniture even in the Tower 6 presidential units. Some people are so irresponsible. Likely they don’t own at Bonnet Creek.:annoyed:

Bonnet Creek sees a large number of renters versus owners. Renters have no vested interest in the property, and often don't respect it as much as an owner might. It's also got a very high occupancy rate. Given those two things it doesn't surprise me that it needs more frequent refurbishment than average.

When we're traveling I'm constantly telling my kids to treat the unit as though it was their stuff at home, because In a way it is.

ronparise · Oct 29, 2014

Sandi Bo said:
I agree Ron2. I wonder what the industry average is. Is it reasonable to renovate every 5 or 6 years? Apparently Bonnet Creek is at pace to do so.

I also have to question how well the remodel is being managed and how does that effect our maintenance fees? Is it reasonable to close an entire building, fall weeks behind, and risk being closed during one of the busiest weeks at Bonnet Creek? How much is that costing us in maintenance fees?

I have heard they should be open by Thanksgiving, if not the week before. But even when they will reopen seems a mystery, and you'll get different information depending on who you talk to.

Agree, Linda, sounds like some crazy times at Bonnet Creek.

I dont know the average time between renovations but I know when I managed a portfolio of apartments and rental houses, carpets needed to be replaced more frequently than every 4 or 5 years. I would imagine that furniture has an even shorter lifespan. The question is, what does the budget anticipate regarding renovation schedules. If the plan is every 7 years, and it gets done every 5..fees will have to go up so we are ready next time.

Certainly frequent renovations have to be paid for, but closing buildings to do it doesnt add to the cost. . The whole place could be vacant and maintenance fees wont go up. We pay our fees whether the place is vacant or not.

Cdn Gal · Oct 29, 2014

I think that housekeeping should take pictures before and after and people should be charged of the damage that they create. My maintenance fees shouldn't go through the roof because people are irresponsible. Just because you are renting doesn't give you permission to act irresponsibly.

Sandi Bo · Oct 29, 2014

ronparise said:
Certainly frequent renovations have to be paid for, but closing buildings to do it doesnt add to the cost. . The whole place could be vacant and maintenance fees wont go up. We pay our fees whether the place is vacant or not.

Why wouldn't occupancy rate matter?

markb53 · Oct 30, 2014

Sandi Bo said:
Why wouldn't occupancy rate matter?

Because we are not paying "dollars" to be there. We pay our maintenance fees whether we are there or not. They could close the whole place and still collect the maintenance fees. Anyone trying to book there wouldn't be to happy I suppose.

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vacationhopeful · Oct 30, 2014

Bonnet Creek is a PRIME selling site ... must look good!

Are we all forgetting how many sales must be generated from the unending supply of guests renting there? Young families, grandparents with grandkids, newlyweds, etc. If that isn't the place of dreams & family, I can't think of another with so much emotion & FAMILY togetherness.

As for pictures and documenting damages ... I suspect the housekeeping staff is just too overwhelmed. This is not your average, checkin on FRI and checkout the following FRI. Even DVC is in constant turmoil with 1 or 2 night stays - for that special time. Disney is expensive - many families just pack them in; run the parks; flop into the over crowded units where the kids bounce off the walls & the parents just want to die (after they drug the kids to get them to sleep).

Yes, I would expect MFs to increase. But if the economy is improving ... who will notice? (just the owners of BC; certainly not sales).

Sandi Bo · Oct 30, 2014

But.... if I don't use my points at Bonnet Creek, and I use them elsewhere - say Ocean Walk. Wouldn't there need to be some kind of reimbursement between Ocean Walk to Bonnet Creek to compensate Ocean Walk for my use of their facilities?

And vice-versa, if I use my Ocean Walk points at Bonnet Creek wouldn't Bonnet Creek be compensated in some way.

Just seems like it should have to affect the balance sheet of a resort not to have their rooms occupied.

And good point Linda on keeping up Bonnet Creek. I have heard it called their flagship resort - Wyndham built from the ground up and it needs to be top notch for their sales.

If they are at pace to renovate every 5 years, I would also wonder how well they are keeping up on maintenance on a day to day basis.

vacationhopeful · Oct 30, 2014

Sandi Bo -- there is NO reimbursement for using your points between BC or OW. Your MF for that 616K BC contract is supposed to go the BC's HOA.

There is supposed to be a reimbursement for VIP benefits from the sales department ... but how that is figured and who gets it .... is anybody's guess. Think of all the VIP discounts and unit upgrades done by the megarenter at BC. Even during the offseason, that place is packed.

Now, if the magical computer in the sky is ONLY giving BC the MFs for the value on points USED to book reservations ... and of those VIP discounts LOST points (you know, book a 50% off 1bdr and stay in the 3bdr unit) ... are mythical ... then there might be a big sucking sound of a SA for the owners at BC ... Except that would HURT the myth of the low MFs of BC for the sales department.

Bigrob · Oct 30, 2014

vacationhopeful said:
Sandi Bo -- there is NO reimbursement for using your points between BC or OW. Your MF for that 616K BC contract is supposed to go the BC's HOA.

There is supposed to be a reimbursement for VIP benefits from the sales department ... but how that is figured and who gets it .... is anybody's guess. Think of all the VIP discounts and unit upgrades done by the megarenter at BC. Even during the offseason, that place is packed.

Now, if the magical computer in the sky is ONLY giving BC the MFs for the value on points USED to book reservations ... and of those VIP discounts LOST points (you know, book a 50% off 1bdr and stay in the 3bdr unit) ... are mythical ... then there might be a big sucking sound of a SA for the owners at BC ... Except that would HURT the myth of the low MFs of BC for the sales department.

I think your first example - the MF for the contract goes to BC's HOA - is correct. The second example - it being based on the magical computer in the sky giving BC MF's for points used to book reservations - I don't think is correct.

Ultimately, extensive use of VIP benefits translates into more points chasing the same total pool of reservations (and reduced collection of RT and HK fees, which is partially compensated for by the extensive Guest Confirmation fees). To the extent that this greater number of points drives higher occupancy, which increases wear and tear rates, it could affect the rate at which a refresh/refurb is required.

lcml11 · Oct 30, 2014

vacationhopeful said:
This was also the situation at Sea Gardens a couple of years ago. Wyndham CAN and DOES have the COMPUTER ability to SNAG any unit at any resort --- when they want to. The Sea Gardens' issue was a longer than planned renovation (Waterfalls section, I believe) -- several months longer.

And another time was all the Pompano area resorts - Palm Aire buildings had a maintenance problem.

I would assume so. Wyndham Corp. has the management company in most cases.

lcml11 · Oct 30, 2014

markb53 said:
Because we are not paying "dollars" to be there. We pay our maintenance fees whether we are there or not. They could close the whole place and still collect the maintenance fees. Anyone trying to book there wouldn't be to happy I suppose.

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I believe if a whole resort is closed for good, the owners of the resort would not have the contract points available for use anymore and the resort would leave the system.

markb53 · Oct 30, 2014

lcml11 said:
I believe if a whole resort is closed for good, the owners of the resort would not have the contract points available for use anymore and the resort would leave the system.

That was probably a little bit of exaggeration on my part. I was just saying that: If you own at BC, the HOA gets your maintenance fees whether you stay there or not. The only way a closed building would affect Wyndham would be the lost revenue from cash rentals. At Bonnet Creek I bet that is not a huge percentage.

vacationhopeful · Oct 30, 2014

Wyndham Santa Barbara was closed for multiple years. Yes, the FW owners STILL paid MFs along with a BIG Special Assessment and had NO USAGE or right to deposit into RCI. However, if they converted their weeks to points, then they could use the points to book elsewhere in the Wyndham system.

Big Sales Hook.

Sandi Bo · Oct 30, 2014

Oh boy! That would be awful to be paying MF and have no use. Thanks for all the explanations and patience with me.

lcml11 · Oct 30, 2014

markb53 said:
That was probably a little bit of exaggeration on my part. I was just saying that: If you own at BC, the HOA gets your maintenance fees whether you stay there or not. The only way a closed building would affect Wyndham would be the lost revenue from cash rentals. At Bonnet Creek I bet that is not a huge percentage.

I think you are right here, if it is a partial closing involving just some of the Wyndham Club Plus/Access units (maintenance etc.) your points are still good anywhere they would have otherwise been.

Bigrob · Oct 30, 2014

Grrrrrrrrr. Lost another one. Not at Bonnet Creek.

am1 · Oct 30, 2014

Bonnet Creek HOA or Wyndham should be going out of pocket to cover one tower being closed. The same amount of points are chasing fewer units. Why should an owner at another resort have more competition for the reservation they want?

lcml11 said:
I think you are right here, if it is a partial closing involving just some of the Wyndham Club Plus/Access units (maintenance etc.) your points are still good anywhere they would have otherwise been.

chapjim · Oct 31, 2014

jebloomquist said:
Sandi Bo and I have discussed the issue privately.

We have concluded that, at least for Bonnet Creek, something is going on. It might relate to Tower 6 not being in service, such that there has been some overbooking. The thought is that the moment there is a cancellation, the reservation is removed. It is not reassigned, just taken out of the pool of available rentals simply because there aren't enough usable units.

Currently, 2BR reservations have been disappearing at an almost 100% rate, and others may also be disappearing. So, my advise is to be very careful.

Jim

I called Bonnet Creek a couple of days ago and was told it was Tower 5 that was out of service (for renovations) but it would be reopened before Thanksgiving.

And, it was 2BR Deluxe units that I lost so this is starting to make a lot more sense.

Now, do I dare rebook my 2BR Deluxe reservation starting December 28th (that is already rented)? I may just let it ride since my points expire on 12/31 and it's slim pickings out there for decent reservations. Not much sense in trying to recover points I can't use.

Cancel & Rebook problems?

Sandi Bo

Ron2

Sandi Bo

jebloomquist

vacationhopeful

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Ron2

Sandi Bo

scootr5

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ronparise

Cdn Gal

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markb53

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Sandi Bo

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Bigrob

lcml11

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