# OLCC Holiday Inn Club Vacations



## ljane (Mar 15, 2010)

Can any OLCC owner in Orlando, that has bought into OLCC Holiday Inn Club Vacations, tell me how satisfied you are with the points program? 

How has the the requested upgrades for units worked for you?  
Did you get your requested upgrades?

Have you been given many discounted points packages for the OLCC Resorts?  If so, how often and what months are the discounts usually in?

We are signed up for OLCC points, but are thinking of canceling if these options don't work, it would not benefit us.

Please respond ASAP

Thanks for all feed back
Ljane


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## timeos2 (Mar 15, 2010)

Not a member, never would be, but if you THINK you might want out of the program, GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN! Once the rescind period ends you are out your money & can never get it back. Rescind, study the system and if you still want it then the offer will still stand no matter what they may say now.


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## timetraveler (Mar 15, 2010)

owned there since the early 90's.  STILL a weeks owner.


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 15, 2010)

If you are able to rescind, please rescind.  The price you paid isn't worth it.


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## ljane (Mar 15, 2010)

Thanks for all the replys. 

I have been an OLCC owner since 1992.  The past 5 years I have found it difficult to trade with RCI.  I deposit an OLCC 3 bedroom holiday week and RCI only wants to give me a 2 bedroom to get back into OLCC.  Getting trades elsewhere is even worse.

I know I have 10 days to cancel.  But the sales pitch is the free upgrades they are offering for Premier owners with over 500,000 points. This is "based on availability."  Plus they offer an early check-in and a late check-out up to 3 hours "based on availability."

I just wanted to know since it says "based on availability", if any owner actually have received this.

I am only a weeks owner now, and this conversion will put me into a HIV points owner.  I also am hoping I will be able to get better exchange opportunities being a points owner.  I am just paying a conversion fee.  I did not purchase another unit.

I would like to know from OLCC owners there results with points exchanges, unit upgrades, and early/late checkin's.

Does this work?

Thanks again,
Ljane


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## timetraveler (Mar 15, 2010)

I don't know when you want to travel...but we have no trouble getting back into OL when we want.  I also have no gripes with trades into other resorts.

Maybe it's because we prefer to travel when schools are "in" session???   So, for us....the conversion just didn't make sense, financially.


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## timeos2 (Mar 15, 2010)

ljane said:


> Thanks for all the replys.
> 
> I have been an OLCC owner since 1992.  The past 5 years I have found it difficult to trade with RCI.  I deposit an OLCC 3 bedroom holiday week and RCI only wants to give me a 2 bedroom to get back into OLCC.  Getting trades elsewhere is even worse.
> 
> ...



Since there is NO guarantee that you'd be able to get the upgrades, and in fact in almost every system those are usually only available in the lesser demand times, then paying for that feature wouldn't leave you any better off than you are with RCI but for far more money invested. 

I would still tuen it down unless the benefits are guaranteed in writing. If they aren't your payment IS guaranteed but the performance isn't. That isn't a good deal.


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## ljane (Mar 16, 2010)

Again I thank you for your comments.  

We acturally bought summer weeks when we were working, and to give the kids vacations during the summer.  Since we retired several years ago, we now are winter snow birds. We like to exchange to get back to back weeks in March, in the same unit, at OLCC thru RCI.  

We own all our units in the West Village.  We also like the West Village the best, but getting a 3 bedroom in the Tennis Villa's (where we own) thru RCI is almost impossible.  I deposited (4th of July week) 2 years in advance, and started a search over a year in advance, and could not get back in during March.

If we join points, would that give us what we can't get now?  Any comments on this would help us.  Are there any OLCC point owner's in tug, that have used the free up grades, and early check in's and check out's, that actually work?

Even if these 2 features do not work, is OLCC points exchange better than week's exchange?  Can I get a better selection with points than with weeks?

Sorry to keeps asking these questions, but there is no reason to go to Holiday Inn Vacation Club points, and pay the exchange fee, if this does not work.

Also in the points program, do the resorts points ever go up over the years, but your points remain the same?  This would make the points you have less valuable to do the exchanges as the years go by.

Again, any comments would help us make our decision.

I'm so glad for TUG!
Thanks,
Ljane


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## timetraveler (Mar 16, 2010)

hopefully Gary (gjw007) will be along soon to answer some of your specific points questions, Ljane.   He entered our home resort points program back when it was called "go global".   And goes back several times per year.

We always go back to OL during the fall and during late April to early May.  So, like I said....we never have a problem getting exactly what we want using the weeks program thru RCI.


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## gjw007 (Mar 17, 2010)

Let me see if I can answer some of these.

(1)  I have never had a problem getting a unit at the time that I wanted but I also don't travel at peak periods.  Having said that, I have put in request for weeks 51 and 52 without any problem.

(2)  In general, you probably have a better chance of getting a unit in the points system than in a weeks system.  This is true of any points system for the reason that in the weeks system, there are no units available unless somebody specifically decides to deposit (ignoring for the moment the bulk deposits made by resorts) meaning that the owner's week is always there waiting for the owner unless the owner chooses to make a decision to exchange.   Until that deposit is made, there is no unit available to request  until a unit is deposited.  In the points all units are available as they are automatically deposited into the system until somebody books the unit.  You must make a decision to request a unit as there will not be a unit available to you without you making a decision.  So if you book early, you will more likely get a unit in the points system as they are available to everybody at the earliest booking period but get harder to find as time goes by whereas the weeks system will have no units available until somebody deposits a unit but that deposit could be done early, such as you depositing two years early, or they can deposit their unit late such as one month before the week.

Think of this as two glasses where the fuller the glass, the more units are available to book.  In the weeks systems, the glass starts out empty until the owner deposits a week putting it up for exchange.  There are no units to book until this is done.  The glass starts out empty.  In the points system, all units are automatically deposited (let's say 12 months out) meaning that glass starts out full.  You have a better chance to make a request for a unit where the glass starts out full than when it starts out empty. 

(3)   Other than lower exchange rates, you use the number of points based on the size of the unit.  This means that your exchange value could be greater.   With weeks, you exchange one week for another but it may not be a fair exchange in the sense that you are exchanging a 3-bedroom for a 1- or 2-bedroom unit.  Note that this can also work in reverse if you have a week 50 studio, it is possible to exchange it for a week 51 3-bedroom unit at River Island.  With points, there will always be an exchange based on the value for the size, location, and time of the year.  Whereas the 3-bedroom unit in the tennis villa is not a lockout, you can only exchange for 1 week in the weeks system but in the points system you can make exchanges up to the points value of the 3-bedroom unit so you may have 1 week in a 1-bedroom plus another week in a 2-bedroom unit.  Also, in the weeks system, check in days are Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays, but in the points system you can check in any day of the week and the stays can be as short as 2 days rather than 7.

(4)   I have always checked in early even when I was in the weeks system.  It had always been based on availability of the units.  I see no significant change in the points system.

(5)   Nothing is guaranteed.  The weeks system cannot guarantee you an exchange but neither can the points system.  If you request a unit early, you have a better chance in points than in weeks.

(6)   I have used the free upgrades but they have changed the program from when I first joined up.  Now there is a restriction on the date when you call in to make the upgrade.  The result is that if you need a certain size unit, book it at the time you made the reservation as there is now no certainty that you can get the upgrade (when it started, I would book 10 months out for a 1-bedroom and then use the free upgrade to a 2-bedroom, now I would have to wait I believe to do the upgrade 60 days or less from my date of arrival).  It has value but it is less than when the program initiated.

(7)    There are periods where they will let you book using less points than listed.  If you are flexible, these are great ways to get more vacations at less points but they tend to be during the least demand periods.

(8)    Selection is dependent upon the number of units in the system.  I believe that chances of getting River Island are better in points than in weeks as most of the first building owners are in points (but not all) and all the units sold in the new building are in points meaning that the HVC members have probably a better chance at these units than are weeks owners.  Likewise, I suspect that most West Village unit owners are still in weeks rather than points making exchanges into the West Village easier for weeks owners.  I have used points in the West Village about 4 times, twice at the Tennis Villas and twice in the Golf Villas.  The Tennis Villas are the more difficult one to reserve in the West Village.  I have gotten it twice using points but never when using a weeks exchange.  I can at least put in the request with points.

(8)    I am unaware of points values changing but I believe that the RCI points values could change but the total internal exchange value should not.  I will use Disney Vacation Club as an example.  The total points available during the year cannot be changed (assuming status quo, no new buildings, etc) but they can reallocate the points to better reflect use.  That means if they raised the point requirement for a certain period, it is offset by a reduction in point requirement at a different period so the total points during the year doesn't change.  I believe for internal exchanges at HIVC this is true but RCI is an external company that could, I believe, say that if a resort no longer meets its standard, could lower the exchange value.  I'm not sure if this has happened when a resort has been downgraded or not but I think the possibility is always there when dealing with third parties.

(9)    The cost of joining the points system is outrageous.  It is even more so when you realize that if you sell you unit, the new owner would have to rejoin the points system if they wish to be in points.  It adds no value during resale.   Whether the cost of joining is worth it or not is an individual decision based on whether you can get the financial or other desired benefits out of the system.  For some people, it would not make sense to join whereas others it does make sense.  Nobody on this board can make this decision for you but can lay out the positives and negatives but you need to weigh the importance.

Hopefully this helps

Gary



ljane said:


> Again I thank you for your comments.
> 
> We acturally bought summer weeks when we were working, and to give the kids vacations during the summer.  Since we retired several years ago, we now are winter snow birds. We like to exchange to get back to back weeks in March, in the same unit, at OLCC thru RCI.
> 
> ...


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