# Shell Vacations Club: value? strategy? difficulty of booking California?



## kennethfine (Mar 25, 2008)

As a 7k HGVC resale owner I find the prices on Shell Vacations Club attractive. Almost too attractive. What's the catch, anyway?  Does Shell have any financial issues I need to be mindful of? 

We're based on the West Coast. What do you think of this strategy: buy a 6500-7000pt package on resale based in Hawaii, book elsewhere as needed.  

Places I'd be most interested in going include the following list. Can someone assess the difficulty of booking in on each, given a Hawaii-based package? 

* SVC's fancy resort on Kuaui
* Whistler sometime during the ski season (does not have to be Xmas/holiday)
* The Napa resort
* San Francisco

Thanks in advance for any perspectives you can offer. It looks like a good fit given our West-Coast location.


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## bigrick (Mar 26, 2008)

Look at the first thread from the top of this very page.  See the thread called Shell Vacation Club (SVC) Points Knowledge thread .  I think your answer is already there.


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## Bill4728 (Mar 26, 2008)

The bigest mistake I hear people make when asking about Shell is that they buy way too few points.  Some off season weeks can be as low as 1500 pts. But 1500 pts will not get you into most of the resorts during a peak travel time.  

I'd buy at least 5000 and 6000 would be better.

Good Luck


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## kennethfine (Mar 27, 2008)

bigrick said:


> Look at the first thread from the top of this very page.  See the thread called Shell Vacation Club (SVC) Points Knowledge thread .  I think your answer is already there.



Thanks. I read through the whole thing and it was helpful. I'm still wondering about the difficulty/non difficulty of booking California and Whistler in the ski season from a Hawaii-based account.  

It does not seem like the Shell system grants you any deed for any real property, does it? I own .0000002 or whatever of HGVC's Flamingo property in Vegas. Does not seem to be the case with Shell. Seems like it limits your potential recovery should the rest of the system shut down. 

-KF


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## blr666 (Mar 27, 2008)

Hi, I've booked Peacock Suites & Vino Bello in Napa with no problems.  I was only booking two nights so had to wait till 120 days out.  Have not tried Hawaii or SF.


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## aliikai2 (Mar 27, 2008)

*The main problem with SVC*

is their annual cost.  
For example if you want to book that Kauai Beachboy ocean front 2 bedroom suite for a week the points required are 6750. 
The annual fee for 6750 points is in the $1600-1800 price range, making it in my opinion way to expensive.  
As to trying to get prime ski weeks from a Hawaii membership, I would hazard a guess that your chances would be slim to none,  as the local owners can book at 12 months and you would need to book at 10 months.

While the purchase price of these ownerships is very low, the value is even lower imho.

We travel to Kauai alot, and one of the very first places we ever stayed was the Kauai Beachboy ( prior to Shell) . We like the location, we like the new upgraded units, but when we compare the costs to our Pono Kai Ocean front 2 bedroom units ( right at $825 per year), we can't justify owning Shell.

Jmho,
Greg


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## CatLovers (Mar 27, 2008)

aliikai2 said:


> The annual fee for 6750 points is in the $1600-1800 price range, making it in my opinion way to expensive.



Not quite sure where you got that number from.  Just checked my invoice for maintenance fees in the Hawaii Club and if we had 6750 points (we have more), we would have paid approx. $1370.  Compared to equivalent high-end resorts such as Marriott, *wood, and Hilton, this is right in the ballpark, if not slightly cheaper.  6750 points is enough to get an Oceanfront 2-bedroom at the Kauai Coast Resort.



aliikai2 said:


> As to trying to get prime ski weeks from a Hawaii membership, I would hazard a guess that your chances would be slim to none,  as the local owners can book at 12 months and you would need to book at 10 months.



If you do not own in the Whistler home club, the earliest you can book is 9 months out (not 10).  Whistler home club owners can book 12-13 months out.  I don't have any personal experience as to how easy it is to book a prime ski week.  If you want it though, I would recommend that you get on the phone on the first possible date.  Anecdotally, the SVC reps indicate that 2-bedrooms are harder to get than 1-bedrooms or studios.



aliikai2 said:


> We travel to Kauai alot, and one of the very first places we ever stayed was the Kauai Beachboy ( prior to Shell) . We like the location, we like the new upgraded units, but when we compare the costs to our Pono Kai Ocean front 2 bedroom units ( right at $825 per year), we can't justify owning Shell.



I have not visited or stayed at the Pono Kai, so I can't compare it to the Kauai Coast Resort.  However, as I indicated earlier, Shell resorts are comparable in quality, amenities, and service level to the Marriotts, Hiltons and *woods, so the mfs are not out of line.  And given the places you want to trade into (Whistler, SF and Napa), I don't know how easy it would be with Pono Kai, but the 9-month window would exist with Shell.  We have traded into the Donatello in San Francisco for prime holiday weekends without any trouble using our Hawaii Club points.


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## Bill4728 (Mar 27, 2008)

catlover said:
			
		

> Quote:
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted by aliikai2
> ...



The Mountainside location has almost no 2 bedroom units (maybe 5-6 total)  so at the Mountainside, you basically have a choice between 1bd units, Loft units ( which both sleep 2 in a bed and 3-4 in sleeper-sofas) and the studio units (which sleep 2 in a murphy bed and 1-2 on a day bed). 

Currently, the Whistler ski season is one of the longest in North America. With an opening almost alway before thanksgiving and operating most all the mountain till mid April. And partial operation till May when they open the glacier for skiing till late June-July.  This means that you have a huge window to ski at whistler.


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## kennethfine (Mar 27, 2008)

*Thanks, more questions *

Thanks for the information, all, this is great stuff. Couple other questions: 

Is the Shell Reservation Fee still at $25? An appeal of Shell is that its reservation fee seems pretty low. 

If the company is liquidated, do you own anything of value? 

One of the primary virtues of points-based systems for me is that I can have shorter stays in small units and really stretch out the stays and/or vacation flexibly if I want to. HGVC has been a huge win in this regard. We don't have kids yet so we don't have a need for the gigantic 2br units...but eventually... 

-KF


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## CatLovers (Mar 27, 2008)

kennethfine said:


> Is the Shell Reservation Fee still at $25? An appeal of Shell is that its reservation fee seems pretty low.



You are permitted two free transactions a year, and then each additional transaction costs $25.  You pay a club fee as part of your maintenance fees, so your first two transactions are included in that fee.



kennethfine said:


> If the company is liquidated, do you own anything of value?



You receive a point certificate from Chicago Title Trust that verifies that your points are backed by actual real estate ... but the truth is that if the company went under, the lawyers and accountants fees would eat up any residual value.  I guess the professional fees always get first crack at the funds.


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## mepiccolo (Mar 28, 2008)

I know I've said it before on TUG but I'll say it again here for this thread.  Dollar for dollar we are THRILLED with our Shell Vacation Club purchase and near perfect stays at the Beach Boy in Kauai compared to our ownership at the Westin Kanaapali Resort Villas in Maui, which was vastly more expensive than our SVC points.  We pay more for our WKORV maintenance fees than SVC and we have many issues with the condition/maintenance of WKORV whereas the Beach Boy is kept in almost pristine condition and the customer service by SVC has been really wonderful thus far.  You can see how well your MF are being used at the Beach Boy-they really work hard to keep it tip top.  Not so much at WKORV.  Also, we have had no problems booking our vacations with SVC when we have wanted to go.  Even booked the in-laws to join us on our trip to Kauai in November just 3 months out (probably wouldn't have been able to do that in the summer months though I'm sure).  We also were able to add 3 nights in Oahu just 3 months out from our November Kauai trip without a problem.  So thus far we'd have to say it has been very convenient to use our SVC points.  Highly recommend it.


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## Timeshare1 (Mar 31, 2008)

*Want to sell Shell Vacation Club Timeshare*

Does anyone have any thoughts on the best way to sell my Shell Vacation Club timeshare?  I have 2,500 points per year.  I see these sell on eBay for next to nothing and other sites have them for sale at $10,000 to $15,000.


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## KevinRS (Mar 31, 2008)

*I like Shell, easy to book Whistler for me*

I own 8950 points in Arizona Club.  I called today (March 31) and just reserved Christmas week in a studio loft at Mountainside.  Granted, it is a Wed to Wed (DEC 19-26) stay, but still, I was able to get the week.  I have called about Mountainside before and there has been availability at 6-9 months out for the weeks I was looking for (late Jan, early Feb), not sure if that is a long term thing.

Last year I went to Hawaii with my family, booked at about 7 months out and got 5 nights at Beachboy (INCREDIBLE resort) and 5 nights at Kona Coast, also a great resort.  

I am very happy with shell, I just wish their maint. fees were lower.


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## CatLovers (Mar 31, 2008)

Timeshare1 said:


> Does anyone have any thoughts on the best way to sell my Shell Vacation Club timeshare?  I have 2,500 points per year.  I see these sell on eBay for next to nothing and other sites have them for sale at $10,000 to $15,000.



Just because they list them at a certain price doesn't mean that they will actually sell at that price.  Unfortunately, the ugly truth is that if you paid $6-7 per point (from the developer) there is no way you will ever recoup what you paid.  The going rate for resale points is $1-2 per point.  If you are seeking to sell your points, be prepared to list them on e-bay and expect to get somewhere between $1-2 for them.  IMO, particularly if you bought them from the developer, find a way to use them - that's the best possible return on the money you've spent.  These are great resorts, and if you're already on the hook for the money, you might as well find a way to enjoy the facilities and amenities.


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## Tunz of fun (Apr 13, 2008)

You guys seem to know your stuff. I have been reading a lot and am starting to question my purchase in SVC. I have 2500 pts but the reason i invested was for the Shell Credit card. Have any of you heard of this? Its a Visa card and I get 1 point for every dollar I spend. Meaning my MF are low but I can earn lots of more points using my Visa...Any info?


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## CatLovers (Apr 13, 2008)

Tunz of fun said:


> I have 2500 pts but the reason i invested was for the Shell Credit card. Have any of you heard of this? Its a Visa card and I get 1 point for every dollar I spend. Meaning my MF are low but I can earn lots of more points using my Visa...Any info?



Sorry, never heard of this credit card before ... perhaps other TUGgers will chime in ...


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## Tunz of fun (Apr 13, 2008)

aliikai2 said:


> is their annual cost.
> For example if you want to book that Kauai Beachboy ocean front 2 bedroom suite for a week the points required are 6750.
> The annual fee for 6750 points is in the $1600-1800 price range, making it in my opinion way to expensive.



Isnt the Beach boy on average 400 dollars a night? Making a week stay worth 2800 bucks? I thought it was a good deal mainly because in twenty years you will still be paying 1600-1800 to stay there for a week?


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## BocaBum99 (Apr 14, 2008)

I've visited the Beachboy resort while on Kauai.  I thought it was nice.  Given the reviews on this thread, I'll have to check it out.   I didn't get to see the units, but I thought the exteriors were closer to Pono Kai quality than Marriott quality.  I've stayed in the Marriott Waiohai and I would definitely not put the Beachboy exteriors in that class of timeshare.  I'll have to check it out now that others believe it is.  

I just checked the Select Connections chart and it is 19000 Bluegreen Points for a week in a 2br garden view unit in the summer.  Oceanfronts are not available to Bluegreen owners.  Since there aren't many, that makes sense.  Availability may be an issue, but when I called in December, it was available for January.  19000 points in Bluegreen has a maintenance fee between $800-1100.  

Pono Kai, on the other hand, has a lot of Oceanfront units and I they always seem to be available on bonus time for about $75/night for a 2br unit.  Pono Kai and the Beachboy are within walking distance from each other in Kapaa.


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## Tunz of fun (Apr 14, 2008)

BocaBum99 said:


> I've visited the Beachboy resort while on Kauai.  I thought it was nice.  Given the reviews on this thread, I'll have to check it out.   I didn't get to see the units, but I thought the exteriors were closer to Pono Kai quality than Marriott quality.  I've stayed in the Marriott Waiohai and I would definitely not put the Beachboy exteriors in that class of timeshare.  I'll have to check it out now that others believe it is.



You couldnt be more wrong. I was at the Pono Kai last week and it couldnt hold a stone to the Beach boy. I had to move my bed from the bedroom to the living room because it was 85 degrees at 1 am. The AC didnt even work.


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## blr666 (Apr 14, 2008)

For the Shell Vacations Visa, do you get 1 SVC point for each dollar or what is the conversion rate from credit card points to SVC points?  Thanks.


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## BocaBum99 (Apr 14, 2008)

Tunz of Fun said:
			
		

> You couldnt be more wrong. I was at the Pono Kai last week and it couldnt hold a stone to the Beach boy. I had to move my bed from the bedroom to the living room because it was 85 degrees at 1 am. The AC didnt even work.



I could be wrong, but if I am, it's not by much.  I didn't say that the Pono Kai was the same quality as the Beachboy.  I said the Beachboy was better.  In addition, I said that the quality of the exteriors at the Beachboy was closer to Pono Kai than the Marriott.  I stand by that claim.  The pictures below support my view.  I notice one of your pictures isn't even of the Kapaa area.   Talk about misleading.  

Moreover, I hadn't seen the interiors of the Beachboy, but I have seen the exteriors.  And, it wasn't that impressive, especially the location.   I had seen the Beachboy as part of a tour of every timeshare resort on the island of Kauai.  The Beachboy didn't even make my top 5 list.  This is based on location and exteriors to help me decide where I would like most to stay on future trips.

And, it's way easier and far cheaper to stay in an Oceanfront unit at Pono Kai.  There aren't many at the BeachBoy.  An Oceanfront unit at Pono Kai costs about $500 vs $1400 at the Shell Resort.  If I am staying in Kapaa, I am staying at Pono Kai primarily since I value view from unit over furnishings and amenities.  Location is a push.

If I'm going to stay in an upscale resort on Kauai, it's going to be the Hanalei Bay Resort or the Marriott Waiohai.  The overall quality and location of these resorts are unmatched on the island of Kauai with the exception of the new Westin going up in Princeville.  Both of these resorts are in a different class than the Beachboy in my opinion.   And, I get the Marriott reliably for about $600 per week.

Given my own personal review, I ruled out the Beachboy as a place I would want to stay very often.  Given this thread, I have decided to check it out for myself and give it a second look.  I'll book a couple of days via Bluegreen to experience it myself.

Here are some pictures of the Mariott Waiohai:


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## BocaBum99 (Apr 14, 2008)

More pictures of my unit and the view from it from my March 2007 trip.  Anyone still believe that the Beachboy is the same quality as the Marriott?


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## BocaBum99 (Apr 14, 2008)

Pictures of the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy.  Very nice.  Just not the same quality as the Marriott:


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## shellboy (Apr 14, 2008)

"Making purchases with your SVC Visa® Card lets you earn vacations faster than ever. When you use your SVC Visa® Card from First Hawaiian Bank, you earn valuable SVC Loyalty Points, good for these exclusive Shell Vacations Club benefits. It’s simple: make purchases with your SVC Visa® Card today, and soon you’ll enjoy the best of SVC with your SVC Loyalty Points. Cardholders will receive 1 (one) SVC Loyalty Point for every $1 spent."

SVC Loyalty Points convert to SVC Points at a ratio of 13 to 1. So to cover a high season one week stay in a 2BR Oceanfront at Kauai Coast Resort (6750 points) would require 87,750 SVC Loyalty Points.

Both the KCR and Pono Kai were originally built in the early 70s. Both have been remodeled in the last 5-7 yrs. The KCR remodel, done by Shell, was more extensive and converted 1-3 hotel rooms to 1 and 2BR units. The KCR interiors are comparable to a Marriott. Both the KCR and the Pono Kai, are generally liked by owners because of their central location and smaller size. Both lack the larger, more extensive pools (although the KCR is very nice) of the Marriotts. The Kapaa beach is less swimmable than Poipu but the sunrises are gorgeous.

I own both at the Pono Kai and the KCR (through Shell points). I don't own Marriott. My choice.


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## Cathyb (Apr 14, 2008)

alikai: Re Pono Kai D209 -- stayed in that unit 3 times and it is nice; but have a question:  As owners there like us, how do you get Bluegreen Mgt to guarantee an oceanfront?  It is on your Reservation or do you ask once you get there for that unit?


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## Tunz of fun (Apr 14, 2008)

BocaBum99 said:


> I could be wrong, but if I am, it's not by much.  I didn't say that the Pono Kai was the same quality as the Beachboy.  I said the Beachboy was better.  In addition, I said that the quality of the exteriors at the Beachboy was closer to Pono Kai than the Marriott.  I stand by that claim.  The pictures below support my view.  I notice one of your pictures isn't even of the Kapaa area.   Talk about misleading.



Woah guy. I was simply showing that I was just there and was sharing part of y trip with you guys. And just a FYI I would rather have the inside of my room to be better then the outside. If all you cared about was the grounds why dont you stay at the motel 6 then drive and enjoy the sheraton princeville resort. In June it will cost a low low price of 1200 a night...


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## Tunz of fun (Apr 14, 2008)

shellboy said:


> SVC Loyalty Points convert to SVC Points at a ratio of 13 to 1. So to cover a high season one week stay in a 2BR Oceanfront at Kauai Coast Resort (6750 points) would require 87,750 SVC Loyalty Points.



That sounds pretty close to what I was told. I was told a 10 to 1 ratio. I just need 1250 points a year to have my 2 bedroom oceanfront. And since my house payments are put on my credit card right before i pay them off i will get that. Shellboy where did you get your info at?


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## shellboy (Apr 14, 2008)

Tunz of fun said:


> That sounds pretty close to what I was told. I was told a 10 to 1 ratio. I just need 1250 points a year to have my 2 bedroom oceanfront. And since my house payments are put on my credit card right before i pay them off i will get that. *Shellboy where did you get your info at*?




It on the Shell Members Only website. Click on SVC Loyalty Program link on the left.


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## Tunz of fun (Apr 14, 2008)

shellboy said:


> It on the Shell Members Only website. Click on SVC Loyalty Program link on the left.



Overall are you happy with shell I just signed up for it...


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## aliikai2 (Apr 14, 2008)

*I request it when I call*

and I have always received the unit we have requested:whoopie: 

fwiw, Greg



Cathyb said:


> alikai: Re Pono Kai D209 -- stayed in that unit 3 times and it is nice; but have a question:  As owners there like us, how do you get Bluegreen Mgt to guarantee an oceanfront?  It is on your Reservation or do you ask once you get there for that unit?


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## Picker57 (May 10, 2008)

BocaBum99;506203]Pictures of the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy.  Very nice.  Just not the same quality as the Marriott.

   I think "quality" indicates an individual taste/value judgement. We thoroughly enjoyed the Beachboy and felt that the Marriott (the one in Lihue) was an architectural orgy, more suited to Vegas than Hawaii.  

             ------Zach Kaplan


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## Kona Lovers (May 11, 2008)

Bill4728 said:


> The bigest mistake I hear people make when asking about Shell is that they buy way too few points.  Some off season weeks can be as low as 1500 pts. But 1500 pts will not get you into most of the resorts during a peak travel time.
> 
> I'd buy at least 5000 and 6000 would be better.
> 
> Good Luck



This is absolutely true.  We bought 2500 pts initially, but quickly had to buy more in order to get enough to do anything with.

Marty


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