# Room category upgrade price went up



## artringwald (Jan 13, 2014)

Did anyone see an announcement that DRI was raising the cost to upgrade the room category? It used to be $99.00. Now it's $129.00.


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## nightnurse613 (Jan 13, 2014)

No, where did you see (hear) it?  I checked the 2014 Club Benefits  which was the last thing I saw on the DRI website...


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## gjw007 (Jan 13, 2014)

Yes, another thread notes no more free upgrades for platium, gold went from 50 to 75, and silver from 99 to 129.  It is under the loyalty information on dri website.


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## artringwald (Jan 13, 2014)

gjw007 said:


> Yes, another thread notes no more free upgrades for platium, gold went from 50 to 75, and silver frim 99 to 129.  It is under the loyalty information on dri website.



It took awhile, but I found it. If you're logged in, this site has the details:

https://member.diamondresorts.com/Diamondloyalty


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## nightnurse613 (Jan 13, 2014)

I think that announcing price increases under your Loyalty program is kind of ironic, don't you?  Doesn't it send the wrong message?   There were so many "loyalty" items and so many foot notes that my head starting hurting before I could digest them all. The important part of the loyalty program is contained in the last sentence...all prices subject to change.


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## fluke (Jan 14, 2014)

*Changed to max 7 day increments versus whole reservation*

Quoting myself from the other thead:

Besides the price increase I noticed this sentence at the end of the footnote:

"One upgrade per reservation up to a 7 day increment."

I have never noticed this before and I am assuming it is new. I have only used the upgrade on greater than 1 week reservations. Using a single (at the time $99) upgrade on a 2 week KBC reservation a couple years ago saved me 6000 points.

I am assuming this means if I have a 14 day reservation I would have to use 2 upgrades and pay 2 upgrade fees.


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## artringwald (Jan 14, 2014)

fluke said:


> Quoting myself from the other thead:
> 
> Besides the price increase I noticed this sentence at the end of the footnote:
> 
> ...



I went through the motions (without clicking confirm) to book 2 weeks and get an upgrade. The upgrade was $129 and appeared to be for the entire stay. I won't really know until I'm ready to do it for real.


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## fluke (Jan 14, 2014)

artringwald said:


> I went through the motions (without clicking confirm) to book 2 weeks and get an upgrade. The upgrade was $129 and appeared to be for the entire stay. I won't really know until I'm ready to do it for real.



That is interesting.  Hopefully someone will try this soon and report back to us which way it works.  Unfortunately I am all booked up so I don't even have the points to do what you did.

It may be like the prepay MF policy for borrowed points.  I never prepayed online, but if you called in they made you prepay.


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## fluke (Jan 14, 2014)

robcrusoe said:


> Here's the question that I've never seen asked or answered about upgrades:
> How are the points not "collected" from the Member in the upgrade process, like fluke's 6000 points example above, accounted for?  What pool of points do they come out of??  Something to ponder.



Good question.  This is what causes alot of conflict between Elite members (particularly platinums) and standard members (if anyone follows the facebook site you know what I mean).

Standard members feel elite members eat up all the larger and better accomodations.


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## artringwald (Jan 14, 2014)

robcrusoe said:


> Here's the question that I've never seen asked or answered about upgrades:
> How are the points not "collected" from the Member in the upgrade process, like fluke's 6000 points example above, accounted for?  What pool of points do they come out of??  Something to ponder.



I've wondered that from back in the Sunterra days when a Sunterra Visa card could earn extra points. We'd earn enough points each year to stay for a week at Kaanapali Beach Club. Where were those points coming from?


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## tschwa2 (Jan 14, 2014)

Upgrades: Not a DRI member but I can tell you how it is supposed to work with Wyndham- although they aren't transparent so anything could really be happening.  Supposedly the developer (from the developer sales profits) is either reimbursing the MF's to the HOA's for the value of the points upgrade or offer there own inventory of points again with MF's paid by the developer back into the general inventory pot for everyone.

Personally I suspect that the costs of the upgrades get charged back into club dues or general MF's so every owner is paying the cost but only the elites get to enjoy the benefits.


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## csalter2 (Jan 14, 2014)

*Upgrade fees are per week*

If you upgrade, the fees per upgrade are per week or 7 day stay. If you stay two weeks the fees are times two. 

As far as canceling the upgrade and refund, due to the uproar created on that DRI Facebook site and some members writing to executive management, DRI conceded to refund Platinum members only.


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