# Club Intrawest



## njzees (Jan 2, 2008)

Does anyone have any experience with Club Intrawest?  It seems that if everyone has access to any week, the prime weeks will be gone in an heartbeat.  How about their RCI point value?
Thanks!


----------



## Chrisky (Jan 3, 2008)

We've owned intrawest points for quite a few years now. It is a good idea to plan in advance. Of course the popular areas will get booked up quickly. But depending on the length of time you want, you can make reservations up to 11 months in advance.  As for the RCI value. With intrawest points you can book any RCI resort for stays of one week or more. These reservation requests can be make 12 months in advance. It takes 40 intrawest points for a studio, and 110 intrawest points for a one bedroom. Also if you like to book last minute, for 40 intrawest points, you can make a reservation request 45 days in advance and see what comes up anywhere in the world. You can always turn down anything if you don't like the resort.  In order to be able to use your intrawest points for RCI, or Hilton Honours or any other of intrawest partners you have to have a yearly membership in the Extraordinary Escapes program.
Hope this helps.


----------



## Bill4728 (Jan 3, 2008)

njzees said:


> Does anyone have any experience with Club Intrawest?  It seems that if everyone has access to any week, the prime weeks will be gone in an heartbeat.  How about their RCI point value?
> Thanks!



This is true for any "true" point based system. Every Club Intrawest (as well as Worldmark, Monarch Grand, Vacations Internationale, ect)  owner must decide how to spend their points. If they want a high or super high demand week they must reserve at the earliest possible date. One thing about most point based systems, the highest demand week require the most points so many people choose to spend their points for 2 weeks in a big room on a lower demand season than all their points in a small room during peak demand. 

FYI, This can also be a problem with any floating week based TS system. You often hear Marriott owners on the west coast complain about having to get up at 5am to call exactly 12 months from the high demand dates they want. ( and sometimes still not getting their week!!)


----------



## njzees (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the quick responses. So if we purchase a resale of a 2BR for $19,000 or so, we'd have a pretty good chance of booking a holiday ski or caribbean week through RCI or at an Intrawest property?  It sounds like at this level, it would equate to a Marriott Platinum or II strong red. Sorry for the questions, but we've been on several TS promo weekends and have seen everything from a full court press by less than ethical salesmen in Atlantic City to a saleswomen who busted out a picture of her dead husband while trying to close us at the Vistana in Orlando. Just want to make the right choice.


----------



## Bill4728 (Jan 3, 2008)

njzees said:


> Thanks for the quick responses. So if we purchase a resale of a 2BR for $19,000 or so, we'd have a pretty good chance of booking a holiday ski or caribbean week through RCI or at an Intrawest property?  It sounds like at this level, it would equate to a Marriott Platinum or II strong red. Sorry for the questions, but we've been on several TS promo weekends and have seen everything from a full court press by less than ethical salesmen in Atlantic City to a saleswomen who busted out a picture of her dead husband while trying to close us at the Vistana in Orlando. Just want to make the right choice.



WHAT??

There is only one way to buy CI (Club Intrawest)  Which is to buy CI points from someone.  The going resale price seem to be about $85/pt so for 200 pts you should plan on spending about $17K.  A 2 bedroom during the holiday period may cost about 220 pts so $19K is about right, but 220 pts could during a lower season be 4 weeks at a CI resort. 

We have been trading our CI points thru II ( which may not be available any longer) and have reserved from CI, weeks which are averaging about 55-65 pt/week and finding that these weeks will trade for about anything we'd like in II. 

My biggest concern at the moment is CI has said resale buyers must spend $135/pt or CI will not let them join the CI exchange company which is used to trade into RCI. And that II trades are not allowed for anyone joining/buying after 2001. IMHO, Both these rules will kill all resale CI sales.

Read more about CI attempts to kill resales   here


----------



## janapur (Jan 3, 2008)

Bill4728 said:


> WHAT??
> 
> There is only one way to buy CI (Club Intrawest)  Which is to buy CI points from someone.  The going resale price seem to be about $85/pt so for 200 pts you should plan on spending about $17K.  A 2 bedroom during the holiday period may cost about 220 pts so $19K is about right, but 220 pts could during a lower season be 4 weeks at a CI resort.
> 
> ...



So the time may come for people like me who would only use CI points at CI resorts? I have always wanted to own at CI Zihautanejo, a VERY difficult if not impossible exchange. We have settled for owning  in Ixtapa, but I still dream of the day of affordable CI points.

Jana


----------



## GregGH (Jan 4, 2008)

*rentals from CI owners - price ?*

Hi

Curious -- if any CI members rent out their week (points ) -- what is a rental point worth?  I see on wiki  that  MF's are $6.10 per point.

Is there a web site that is active with CI members renting?  I see that redweek.com only has 5 listed renters

Regards

Greg H


----------



## Bill4728 (Jan 4, 2008)

CI members can make CI reservation and rent those out. But CI members can't rent their points.


----------



## njzees (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks for your help Bill and sorry for my lack of knowledge regarding the CI point system.  So in a nutshell, a 220 points for $19K seems like a fair price and will allow us the opportunity to trade into popular resorts at popular times. Is there any way of finding out for certaiin the ability to trade into RCI or II as you mentioned above?  If this is not possible, then there is no value in the resale market.  Thanks again!


----------



## GregGH (Jan 4, 2008)

Bill4728 said:


> CI members can make CI reservation and rent those out. But CI members can't rent their points.



Hi Bill

Won't quibble on terms --  but you know what I mean - if some of us TUG'ers might like to try a CI location - and many 'brokers' want 30 to 50% to do the deal - is there a web site that has a good selection of dates.

Or - should/could TUG have a 'meeting place' forum where the renter & seller can 'dance' on the value and see if the dates are available?

Just asking these 'newbie' type questions for CI

On a different question -- others have mentioned that the web site doesn't show what is available - you have to call - how do owners find getting dates ( apart from the prime ski weeks ) for nicer times in various locations???

Greg


----------



## Bill4728 (Jan 4, 2008)

Greg,

I don't know of any current marketplace for do direct renting/exchanges with CI owner. 

We have not had much experence reserving high demand times. We like to go in the late spring and have no problems with our reservations. 

CI recommends that for peak seasons, members should make their reservations 11 months ahead, for less demand dates 4-6 months ahead is recommended.


----------



## Chrisky (Jan 5, 2008)

We've gone to Mont Tremblant in May & June and Whistler in Sept. and have not had any difficulty reserving what we want.


----------



## benjaminb13 (Jan 15, 2008)

Hi just changing the subject for a sec-
Has anyone had the opportunity to visit Club intrawest in Kauai-
I heard from some people they were disappointed-
doesnt seem like intrawest - most of their resorts are small but very nice- 
Was this just an isolated  bad experience? Or is it really not on par with the other intrawests
How does it compare with Marriott Waiohai


----------



## tashamen (Jan 17, 2008)

benjaminb13 said:


> Hi just changing the subject for a sec-
> Has anyone had the opportunity to visit Club intrawest in Kauai-
> I heard from some people they were disappointed-
> doesnt seem like intrawest - most of their resorts are small but very nice-
> Was this just an isolated  bad experience? Or is it really not on par with the other intrawests



The CI in Kauai was not developed by Intrawest, but rather CI owned 10 units in the Bali Hai Villas.  This relationship is ending as of April 13th this year, after which there will no longer be a CI in Kauai.


----------



## kapeman (Jun 17, 2008)

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but I was wondering if anyone had a recent point chart for the CI resort at SanDestin.

I traded into that resort this past May using my DVC points and really liked it.

We have been big fans of the resort as a whole, but that was our first CI stay.

Also, could someone suggest any reputable resellers?

Thanks!


----------



## jmparker98223 (Jul 12, 2008)

kapeman said:


> Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but I was wondering if anyone had a recent point chart for the CI resort at SanDestin.
> 
> I traded into that resort this past May using my DVC points and really liked it.
> 
> ...



We've been CI members for about 8 years now and have found all of their staff and properties to be outstanding.  No problems booking into anywhere, but then again we tend to travel during 'shoulder' seasons.  If you haven't registered with CI online you are missing out on the points chart updates and also some bonuses that come along from time to time.  On-line booking is also available.  www.clubintrawest.com 

I really wish I had some insight into the cancellation rate on some of these resorts.  It could make last minute booking way less stressful.

Exchanges are strictly handled by their in house program 'Extraordinary Escapes'  and they do not disclose if they trade through RCI II or anyone else.  You find out about the exchange company at the time of confirmation.  Not a problem as their system seems to work.  However if you are looking to consolidate all of your holdings, RCI, II, etc under a single umbrella, it seems that you are out of luck.  I tried and it was a non-starter.

Hope this helps


----------



## MaryH (Jul 23, 2008)

I think the Kauai Units were bought by Wyndham which now manages the resorts and is owned by Cedent which owns RCI.


----------



## tashamen (Jul 24, 2008)

jmparker98223 said:


> Exchanges are strictly handled by their in house program 'Extraordinary Escapes'  and they do not disclose if they trade through RCI II or anyone else.



The exchanges through Extraordinary Escapes are with RCI.  Those of us who still have an individual membership with II (which I got when I bought CI points) can and do trade directly through II.


----------



## currituck (Jul 25, 2008)

*Club Intrawest buy back*

Can anyone confirm if Club Intrawest indeed would buy-back the points at original purchase price from the developer after 8 years of ownership?  Thanks


----------



## Bill4728 (Jul 25, 2008)

currituck said:


> Can anyone confirm if Club Intrawest indeed would buy-back the points at original purchase price from the developer after 8 years of ownership?  Thanks


Yes, that true *but* they pay 100 % of the original purchase price *or* 40% of the current selling price. Which ever is less.


----------



## currituck (Jul 26, 2008)

Thanks.  This is perhaps the best argument to buy directly from the developer for Club Intrawest for those who are not entirely sure about TS.


----------



## Bill4728 (Jul 27, 2008)

Bill4728 said:
			
		

> Yes, that true but they pay 100 % of the original purchase price or 40% of the current selling price. Which ever is less.





currituck said:


> Thanks.  This is perhaps the best argument to buy directly from the developer for Club Intrawest for those who are not entirely sure about TS.



Why is this an argument to buy directly from the developer? If you buy resale, you'll pay about 40% of what the developer wants. And since you paid so little, will likely be able to sell in a year or two (if you don't like the system) for about what you paid. The only thing you give up is the CI in house trading company Extraordinary Escapes (EE). Either, I use my points or trade with II, haven't used EE in years. 

We've owned for 7 years and I'd be able to get 60% of what I paid by selling on the open market. Much better than the 40% which CI will give me.  ( they give you 100% of what you paid or 40% of the current price ( what ever is less))


----------

