# Welk Resort Owner Update - DVC Relationship



## ineedavacation33 (Mar 28, 2016)

*If this post is better suited elsewhere, please move it*

We went for an "Owner Update" today at the Welk Resort in Escondido, CA.  To give some background, we purchased 300,000 even year Platinum Points in 2010, direct from the developer (unfortunately before we knew of TUG).  We occasionally take advantage of these owner update offers because they are decent deals for quick little weekend trips ($99 for a weekend, I'll take it).  We mostly exchange via RCI, typically into DVC resorts.  Had we known about DVC before we bought, we probably would have bought there.  But we are making the most of our purchase and have been decently satisfied.

So last week I received this email "Your magical vacation awaits" (exciting, right?) from Welk with not too much info, but with this little blurb: "Ask us how you can take advantage of the stunning Aulani® on the beautiful South Shore of Oahu, HI, or the genteel southern charm of Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa® in Orlando, FL."  So obviously, being a tugger and an exchanger into DVC, I was intrigued.  So I called and was told nothing on the phone, and booked into an Owner's Update.  I figured they would try to sell us more points by educating us on the exchange process through RCI, but we needed something to do this weekend and I wanted to know.  Our last visit entailed me educating the "closer" salesperson on how the DVC deposit pattern has been going over the past 2 years and how nobody's getting 2BRs anymore, etc.

So today we went to our update.  What we were shown was that Welk Resorts have partnered with DVC, specifically Aulani and SSR to do direct bookings.  Those are the 2 resorts offered this year and they are supposedly looking to expand if the relationship goes well.  So basically, I can take my Welk points and instead of booking at their properties, I can book Aulani or SSR.  No exchange fee, no depositing into RCI.  I was told that this is the only company with that relationship, which I believe is actually correct.

So how many points is this gonna cost me?  540,000 points for SSR 2BR, I think 240,000 for a 1BR, and lesser for a studio and 4-day stays.  Don't remember what Aulani was.  Holy moly!  To put it into perspective, I deposit 240,000 points into RCI Weeks and get enough TPU for two one-week stays (1BR but used to be 2BR when we were getting them), and sometimes more depending on TPU fluctuations.  So essentially that is 4-5 weeks of stays exchanging through RCI for one-week direct booking in an SSR 2-bedroom.  I was given the option of upgrading from 300,000 to 540,000 EOY points for somewhere around $25,000 which we obviously did not exercise.  So, obviously the direct booking thing is huge, especially if they expand to other DVC resorts, but not worth it at 4-5 times the "price" as it currently costs us in TPUs.  Granted, there isn't any exchange fee, but I feel that's peanuts compared to the decrease in value.

Just wanted to share, because I am unaware of any other timeshare that has this relationship with DVC (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), and I thought it was very interesting, but not a good value.  For $25k, I'd be getting myself some BLT resale DVC points.

We enjoyed our $50 to the on-site restaurant as a thank-you bribe.  Decent brunch buffet.


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## rhonda (Mar 28, 2016)

Thanks for the update.  In the past, The Manhattan Club had a similar relationship (TMC <> DVC SSR, direct exchange).  Club Intrawest <> DVC has for many years had direct exchange across all properties -- but how this plays out under the recent CI's recent acquisition by Diamond Resorts remains to be seen.  Club Cordial also has similar relationship.

From the DVC side, these direct exchange properties are offered through DVC's "Buena Vista Trading Company" (DVC's private exchange department feeding the DVC World Collection) or possibly DVC's Concierge Collection (mostly hotel/resort exchanges).  

*EDITED TO ADD:*
The Welk properties have not yet shown up on either DVC's World or Concierge lists.  As of 3/21, the latest addition to the DVC Concierge Collection was the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa at Ka'anapali Beach.



			
				DVC Member Announcements said:
			
		

> Make Memories in Maui With The Latest Concierge Collection Addition!
> Escape to the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii, for oceanfront relaxation on Ka`anapali Beach at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, the latest addition to the Concierge Collection. As part of a prestigious portfolio of Concierge Collection resorts and hotels, Members can enjoy this Hawaiian addition as well as other unique accommodations at over thirty resort destinations worldwide as part of Member Getaways.*
> 
> Available for stays beginning in April, this upscale, beachfront resort is set on 40-acres of tropical gardens with world-class shopping and activities that appeal to all ages. From scuba diving lessons, Hula demonstrations, or Lei making classes to fine dining and a rejuvenating spa, the amenities at this luxury resort are seemingly endless. Other Maui activities can also be found just a short distance from the resort, including shopping in Whalers Village, visiting the town of Lahaina or enjoying the long boardwalk along Ka`anapali Beach.
> ...


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## Blueboyz79 (Jul 12, 2016)

*Best to wait until they make it available to everyone.*

We just did the same thing you did, go to the owner update regarding the DVC relationship with Welk Resorts. They told us it is only currently available to Welk Owners that have more than 1,000,000 annual points. But the sales representative said we will need 360,00 points to trade into Disney Aulani. We currently have 240,000 points every even year. And they wanted $30K for another 120,000 points to upgrade us to 360,000 points. It didn't sound right so we walked away with the free lunch.

Got a question Shannon, sounds like you are getting a great deal to trade into Disney using Welk. How far away do you typically request a trade with RCI to get into Disney, is it 1 year in advanced or more?



ineedavacation33 said:


> *If this post is better suited elsewhere, please move it*
> 
> We went for an "Owner Update" today at the Welk Resort in Escondido, CA.  To give some background, we purchased 300,000 even year Platinum Points in 2010, direct from the developer (unfortunately before we knew of TUG).  We occasionally take advantage of these owner update offers because they are decent deals for quick little weekend trips ($99 for a weekend, I'll take it).  We mostly exchange via RCI, typically into DVC resorts.  Had we known about DVC before we bought, we probably would have bought there.  But we are making the most of our purchase and have been decently satisfied.
> 
> ...


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## buzglyd (Jul 12, 2016)

There is a huge billboard off of I-15 outside of Welk that mentions Welk Resorts and Disney magic.

I was wondering what it was all about.

I think the Northstar resort in Truckee (near Tahoe) is listed on the DVC site as an external property for Disney people to use.


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## rhonda (Jul 12, 2016)

buzglyd said:


> I think the Northstar resort in Truckee (near Tahoe) is listed on the DVC site as an external property for Disney people to use.


Confirmed -- both this specific property and Sirena Del Mar (Cabo San Lucas) now appear in DVC's Concierge Collection.

Tahoe Link: https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/list/us-pacific/northstar-lodge-lake-tahoe/

Cabo Link: https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/list/north-america/sirena-del-mar/

Tahoe starts at 20 DVC points per night or 150 points per week (Studio, value season);  Cabo starts at 150 points per week (1BR Standard season). The two Welk properties are on the last page of the current 2016 Concierge point chart:   https://secure.cdn4.wdpromedia.com/...concierge/2016_CC Web Point chart _040516.pdf

Notes on the point chart:
• Sirena del Mar by Welk Resorts is available for a week-long exchange of 7 consecutive nights with a Friday check-in only.
• Northstar Lodge by Welk Resorts requires three, four and seven consecutive night stays. Studio accommodations for three and seven nights require a Saturday check-in only and stays for four nights require a Tuesday check-in only. Two- and three-bedroom accommodations for three and seven nights require a Friday check-in only and stays for four nights require a Monday check-in only.


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## icydog (Jul 13, 2016)

I just did an RCI points vs Disney Vacation Club points comparison for booking resorts on RCI. You'd have to be crazy to book a weeks vacation using DVC points. I was looking at Reserving the WorldMark in Red River NM. 

A two bedroom villa would cost 200 Disney Vacation Club points or approximately $2400 in lost rental income vs an RCI point cost of 30,000 RCI points for a cost of 
$200 using my Grandview maintenance fees of $900 for 122,000 RCI points.


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## haras (Jul 14, 2016)

*dvc exchange even if you're a welk resale owner?*

if I buy welk resale, would i also be able to exchange my week to dvc?


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## rhonda (Jul 14, 2016)

icydog said:


> I just did an RCI points vs Disney Vacation Club points comparison for booking resorts on RCI. You'd have to be crazy to book a weeks vacation using DVC points. I was looking at Reserving the WorldMark in Red River NM.
> 
> A two bedroom villa would cost 200 Disney Vacation Club points or approximately $2400 in lost rental income vs an RCI point cost of 30,000 RCI points for a cost of
> $200 using my Grandview maintenance fees of $900 for 122,000 RCI points.


Just noting for others: This exchange relationship explored in thread does not involve RCI.  The thread discusses a new direct exchange relationship between Welk and DVC.  From the DVC side, the exchanges are listed on DVC's Concierge Collection.

icydog's comments regarding the value of an exchange are quite valid.  Just didn't want others to be sidetracked by the sudden introduction of RCI into the conversation.


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## Blueboyz79 (Jul 14, 2016)

*Yes, you would, but...*

You'll have to buy Platinum Points, according to the Sales Reps its for Platinum point owners only. If you buy Weeks, you'll have to upgrade to Platinum Points.

It's cheaper to buy Platinum Points resale, than to buy Weeks then upgrade to Platinum Points.



haras said:


> if I buy welk resale, would i also be able to exchange my week to dvc?


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## petrocarbo (Aug 31, 2016)

*We went to a Welk Resorts owner update*

We attended a Welk owner update quite recently.  The purpose of the update this time was to introduce us to the concept of the Welk Resorts' brand new, exciting (to them and others), and quite completely different program including, among other offerings, of cruises, tours, airfare, hotels, international travel, etc., and a new partnership with Disney Vacation Club.

During our update, we were told that the Welk resort company is no longer principally focused on timeshares. That aspect of their business will be receiving less focus moving forward. Instead, Welk Resorts wants to cater to people who are really into high-end properties, travel and travel experiences.  We were told that the Welk points system for per-night stays and per-weeks stays will increase the point amounts everywhere except their San Diego property. 

We were asked to decide on how many more points we'd like to add to our Platinum ownership with nothing owing for 18 months, then 20% down and financing on our reserved points sometime in 2018, at which point we could decline. We were told that prices would be going up significantly every quarter and that in 18 months, our locked in prices would be quite low in comparison. (Prices now are, if I remember correctly, ~$52,000 for 240,000 points and around ~$225,000 for 1,200,000 points.). We were led to believe that these points could be 50% higher in 18 months from now and wouldn't we be glad that we'd locked in prices for those points at much lower prices now.

We were only given sketchy descriptions of what all is involved with the brand-new program to be launched soon by Welk Resorts. However, indications we received during our update were that construction at their new properties (Sirena del Mar, Kawai, Breckenridge, Tahoe) was taking much longer, was more complicated and complex and was costing them much more than they had originally anticipated.  

We were reassured that the Welk Resorts' future is brighter than ever.


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