# Wyndham vs Worldmark



## gstepic

I have noticed there are a lot of Worldmark resorts not included in my Wyndam book (my book is probably about two years old), yet many are and if I am not mistaken Wyndham owns Worldmark.

Is Worldmark still marketed seperatly? My brother-in-law just went to a Wyndham presentation and he was told now when someone purchases they are basically deeded with 18 resorts. I wonder if this is refering to the Worlmark system, which if I am not mistaken is more of right to use contract and deeds are not involved. 

We own at Cypres Gardens and Bonnet Creek, but the Worldmarkclub system has some properties not listed with Wyndham and some are in locations we like to go to. I believe we can still buy a resale Worldmark timeshare but I am not sure of the relationship with Wyndham.

We would have no need to buy into Woldmark if all their properties end up being available to Wyndham owners, but maybe all the Worldmark properties will only be available for newer purchased contracts.

Can anyone shed some light on the Wyndham/Worldmark relationship?

Gary


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## Rent_Share

Try WMOwners.com

Some Wyndhan - (Former Fairfield Resorts) are available to WM (Trendwest Owners)  Many new resorts are being built andsplit between the two organizations

If you want access to all of te WM Inventory you will need to buy a seperate memebership just the same as I would need to buy a FSP to access your resorts

That being said they are owned by the same company but run seperately

Like  Buick and Chevrolet


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## Jya-Ning

Wyndham don't own WM, they own the developer that control WM board.  They are in very active developing and selling just like Wyndham's FSP program.

They just can not move any property they bought in and out of any system, and they don't intend to.  

At this moment, they plan to hold two sub companies.  One is pure deed base, one is pure point base.

WM the club owns all its resorts, and it is not just 18 resorts.

There is a rumor though, that Wyndham intended to form a WM like club under its own system and sell it as RTU.  Which I found it is hard to believe, because they just dissolve one recently.

Jya-Ning


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## LLW

gstepic said:


> I have noticed there are a lot of Worldmark resorts not included in my Wyndam book (my book is probably about two years old), yet many are and if I am not mistaken Wyndham owns Worldmark.
> 
> Is Worldmark still marketed seperatly? My brother-in-law just went to a Wyndham presentation and he was told now when someone purchases they are basically deeded with 18 resorts. I wonder if this is refering to the Worlmark system, which if I am not mistaken is more of right to use contract and deeds are not involved.
> 
> We own at Cypres Gardens and Bonnet Creek, but the Worldmarkclub system has some properties not listed with Wyndham and some are in locations we like to go to. I believe we can still buy a resale Worldmark timeshare but I am not sure of the relationship with Wyndham.
> 
> We would have no need to buy into Woldmark if all their properties end up being available to Wyndham owners, but maybe all the Worldmark properties will only be available for newer purchased contracts.
> 
> Can anyone shed some light on the Wyndham/Worldmark relationship?
> 
> Gary



Wyndham *DOES NOT OWN* Worldmark. WM owners own WM. Wyndham is the developer and manager for WM. In exchange for transferring resorts free and clear to WM upon completion, Wyn gets the right to sell WM ownerships, marketed completely separate from and independent of the Wyndham Resorts.

A little bit of history: Trendwest used to be the developer and manager for WM. Then Cendant bought TW, and also bought Wyndham. They adopted the Wyndham name and started calling themselves Wyndham Vacation Ownership. The old Fairfield brand was changed to the name Wyndham Resorts. TW changed its name to "Worldmark by Wyndham". Confusing, isn't it?

There are about 60 to 70 WM resorts. There is a direct exchange agreement between Wyndham Resorts and Worldmark for a total of about 30 units at about 13/18 locations, with 1 or 2 or 3 units at each location. Those WM resorts in this exchange agreement are probably those in your Wyndham book. WM owners can book those 30 units just like their own resorts (except at 9 months out instead of 13), but it is very hard to get into them because they are so few in numbers. I understand it is also very hard for Wyndham owners to get into the WMs that are in the exchange agreement.


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## ladycody

WM has over 60 properties...and WorldMark the club owns all of them.  

In FF (now Wyndham Resorts)...you own a deeded _unit _which has been converted to points.  The resorts themselves (common areas etc)... I believe are owned by Wyndham.  

In WM...what you _own _is an undivided interest in WMtheclub.  The timeshare holdings are _owned by WM_...not Wyndham. Wyndham is the builder and the sales company...but the holdings are deeded to WM free and clear before sales begin. 

There _are_ some exceptions to this... where WM doesnt own the entire resort.  This is found in cases where they bought deeded time at a resort for the benefit of WM owners.  Most of these are older resorts which were brought into WM prior to when the company had the ability fund an entire resort.  In those cases...the "time" owned is _owned_ by WM.

WM and Wyndham resorts, as LLW said...have agreed to 'share' some resorts on a minimal level.  They've also agreed to 'share' a very limited number of _units_ at their given resorts ...but _that's_ merely a mini-exchange type agreement called TEN.  The actual holdings of both companies are separate.

It's really clear as mud.    

As LLW said...you'll want to buy a small WM membership if you want reliable access to the resorts in the WM portfolio.


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## AshleenandJim

So, if I'm buying for the first time, and I want access to both Wyndham and Worldmark properties (which my salesman pitched as equally accessible with a Wyndham ownership), I want to get _both_ Wyndham and Worldmark points, right?

My hope is to get somewhere around 210,000 Wyndham points.  Will I need an equal number of Worldmark points, or just _some_ to get me in their door?  I could still exchange Wyndham points for Worldmark, couldn't I?

Ashleen


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## RichM

If you want full access to both, you'd need to buy both.  With either Wyndham OR WorldMark credits, you'd only have access to about 30 units in the OTHER system.  That's 30 UNITS (as in rooms) not 30 entire locations.

I believe I recall reading that 154,000 Wyndham points is roughly equivalent to about 10,000 WorldMark credits inasmuch as you can book some 2BR red season units in Wyndham for 154,000 points and you can book some 2BR red season units in WorldMark for 10,000 credits.


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## vacationhopeful

A-
Were the saleman 'lips' moving again?

The two systems have such limited 'crossover' inventory, neither side get more than an unit or two at a few of the others resorts.  Sears and Kmart are owned together - not the same stores and limited items from Sears at Kmart and is there anything Kmart at Sears?

Not the same points, regional focus different, and different sales staff.

Try renting at several different TS systems - Bluegreen, VRI, Worldmark, Starwood, Westgate, Marriott, HVGC, Shearton, Hilton, etc.  Just stay away from the sales staff, as you are on vacation and you are too smart NOT to buy resale.  Look up these marketers and find places where they seem to cluster their resorts.  Almost everyone is in some locations (Orlando, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Branson, either Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head - someplaces called overbuilt) and then their regional hubs, to narrow down the search.

Then look at resale prices and yearly maintenance fees. Age of resorts. Style of resorts.  When you vacation (before buying), talk to the other owners.  Get a feel for the staff (and level of training, personality, helpfulness).  Hear who are exchangers and where they are from. Look at the maintenance issues because as a owner you will be funding repairs. Are there activities?  If you are buying into a mini-system, can you do computer searches or are you dealing with RCI and other phone calls? What are the exchange fees?

I visited several Wyndham resorts before buying. I knew they stayed on the east coast and Hawaii.  I knew they were a points based.  I brought FLBR as it is fixed week and I truly LIKE the place for its personality match to me and its location.  It is part of the VRI minisystem and I got a surprise RCI points membership with one of the fixed weeks I purchased there. Will I figure out the advantages of these two "extras"?  Will I sell some TS - yes, as I learn more here and experienced more in my TS vacations and using TS better.

Did you buy or rent the first house or apt you looked at?  Timeshares have more variables than cars and poor units are really hard to get rid of.

Keep reading.


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## ladycody

If you're looking to be able to get a 2br unit in most properties...I'd recommend 10-12000 WM credits.  If you'd rather dip a toe in first...you can buy as few as 6000 credits (but I'd recommend 7000 because the mf's are the same for both...so ya might as well get an extra 1000 credits per year).  The smaller ownership would allow you to dip a toe in and rent credits as needed to figure out where you really want to be on an annual basis.  Maybe you only want a WM vacation once every 2 years with access to some bonus time in between...in which case  7000 credits will work nicely for you.  You're close enough to a couple of resorts that you might want to check them out and get a feel for the properties.


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## mtribe

I have seriously considered buying FF to go along with my WM and probably will in the future.  I will buy resale and thus will have full access to both systems and even further reduce the benefits offered by developer points.  

Mike


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## gstepic

*At one time I wondered.....*

how could anyone own so many timeshares! I would see a bunch listed by their user names while I was worried about handling just one timeshare. Well, I am not wondering so much anymore and I am worried I am heading in that same direction!

We just bought a VI timeshare in January mainly for so many Hawaii location. I am a little depressed about airfares because we are not so certain we will be able to go on an annual basis like we planned. If we can handle a lot of Hawaii trips then VI is perfect.

I like where many of the Wyndham properties are and now Woldmark could add a few desirable properties from checking out their site. Maintenance fees seem pretty reasonable with Worldmark and they seem to have some nice properties on the west coast. It appears Worldmark is very similar to VI in that you don't own any deeds to any one property and everyone has an equal chance to book. Maintenance fees are based on points owned and not on where the property is.

I am learning a lot about timeshares because of this forum and I am seeing how they all seem to be somewhat the same yet they can be very different. I can see how owning a few can compliment each other and that it takes some advanced planning to make good use of the timeshares. 

I like the fact that with Wyndham we seem to be able to be able to book outstide the standard week. I like the VI properties in Hawaii, don't like the fact that they seem to own only a few units in several properties and not many two bedrooms. I guess if you book as soon as you are allowed to maybe not a problem.

The Worldmark properties seem pretty nice and I like the fact it works similar to VI. Hopefully a larger inventory with Worldmark so maybe more room type choices. I am guessing there is a point banking system like most timeshares. My VI timeshare expires in 2031 so not being perpetual is a negative if I am still active at 80.

I did see a 10000 Worldmark ownership offered by Highseason (I bought my VI property from Mike McKee, one of the owners, and I feel comfortable doing business with him as opposed to using Ebay. Would $6,000 be a reasonable price for 10,000 wm points a year? Does WM even offer every other year options? When looking at the TUG classifieds I do not recall seeing any Worldmark memberships for sale.

Gary

PS: I think in this thread there was a link to a WM forum, if so I think it would be wise for me to check out.


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## mrsmusic

*No every other year*

Gary,
No WorldMark the Club ownership is every other year.  You get the same points on your anniversary date.  If you are considering doing an every other year WorldMark vacation and getting your feet wet, ladycody suggested a 6 or 7k credit ownership.  I agree.  (Hi to ladycody) Many of us resale purchasers have suggested some reputable brokers to purchase from.  I used timeshareangels.com.  I would say you are in the ballpark as far as price.  Come on over to wmowners.com and read all about it!
Crystal


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