# Grand Lodge on Peak 7 (GL7) Trading Power



## asianplow (Jun 20, 2013)

Hi All,

New to the timeshare scene and to TUG.

I just purchased a studio EOY in the summer at GL7 and was wondering what the trading power of this was? Summer is considered a red week, like winter, but might be more of pink in that sense. It seems like that GL7 is only affiliated with II. 

I don't know how many hours that I've spent researching II and how exchanging works. Still a lot of questions on that front, but this board has been very helpful.

Thanks in advance!


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## Robert D (Jun 24, 2013)

I would guess that the trading power would not be that good because it's a studio and it's summer.  There's a big difference between the demand in Breck from the summer to the peak winter months, especially March spring break weeks. Also, seems like studios don't trade well in Interval. You might also post your question in the Exchanging forum as people on there could give you more insight.


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## CO skier (Jun 24, 2013)

asianplow said:


> Hi All,
> I just purchased a studio EOY in the summer at GL7 and was wondering what the trading power of this was?



If you are interested in II trading power, you should have purchased at least a 1 bedroom.  The studio units at GL7 have a terrible reputation for being too hot in the summer, and this feedback negatively affects the trading algorithm in II. In addition, GL7 just completed another phase, so there will likely be more inventory depositing into II, thereby lowering the trading power.

Reserve your unit at least a year in advance and deposit it to II, then enter an ongoing search for a studio somewhere else that you want to visit, or if you are feeling lucky, enter the search for a 1 bedroom at (a) mediocre resort(s) (if the II system will let you, usually it is like-trades for like-trades, i.e., a studio for a studio).  Your best option would be to try use your deposit for a 1 bedroom Flexchange within 60 days of arrival.

You are correct that there is a big difference between winter Red Season at GL7 and summer Red Season -- a summer studio would be very light pink, at best, for trading power.

If you are looking for recommendations, I would suggest trying for a 1 or 2 bedroom off-season at Ridge Tahoe, NV within the Flexchange period.  The first two or three weeks in October are very nice for hiking there, and it is convenient to South Lake Tahoe dining, etc.  The resort is IMO equal to GL7 in that it has a nice restaurant, movie theatre, indoor/outdoor pools, plus a covered tennis court and racquetball courts that GL7 does not have.

In other words, learn all you can about Flexchange -- that is where you will find your trading power.


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## dougp26364 (Jun 24, 2013)

CO skier said:


> If you are interested in II trading power, you should have purchased at least a 1 bedroom.  The studio units at GL7 have a terrible reputation for being too hot in the summer, and this feedback negatively affects the trading algorithm in II. In addition, GL7 just completed another phase, so there will likely be more inventory depositing into II, thereby lowering the trading power..........



FWIW, GL7 recently retrofitted the resort with AC.


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## CO skier (Jun 24, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> FWIW, GL7 recently retrofitted the resort with AC.



Hopefully, GL7 found a better solution than the Kauai resort where we just stayed that retrofitted the bedrooms with "jet engine" window AC units.  The all-night on-off, on-off noise was only a marginal improvement over the all-night-too-hot of before the retrofit.

We have stayed in 3-bedroom units (that do not have AC) at the Grand Timber Lodge and Gold Point in Breckenridge in June and July, and these units did not have the summer heat issues that GL7 seems to have.  Maybe it is the size of the units that makes the difference.


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## asianplow (Jun 24, 2013)

I read somewhere that since the studio at GL7 had a physical door between the living area and bedroom, it should trade like a 1 bedroom in II? How are other studios constructed at other places?


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## CO skier (Jun 24, 2013)

asianplow said:


> I read somewhere that since the studio at GL7 had a physical door between the living area and bedroom, it should trade like a 1 bedroom in II?



Maybe that is a line from the Grand Lodge Sales Handbook, because it sounds so appealing, yet it is so vague.  The trading power of 1-bedrooms (as with all unit sizes) varies so much due to resorts' location and condition and the travel season that, "should trade like a 1 bedroom in II" has no real meaning.  What 1-bedrooms (where and when) do you imagine trading into using this studio?

It is interesting to note that the GL7 studios are listed in the Interval International system as 4-0-4 (sleeps 4 privately [due to the door between the bedroom and kitchenette] - 0 bedrooms [a studio] - maximum 4 person capacity) versus 2-0-4 for most other studios.  It is, nonetheless, a studio with a limited kitchen, not a 1-bedroom (4-1-4) with a full kitchen.

If a GL7 II member can enter an ongoing search for a 1-bedroom using only a GL7 studio deposit, then that is something of value.  My guess (because I do not own at GL7) is that an ongoing search using a studio deposit can search only for another studio exchange.  Upgrading to a 1-bedroom exchange could only be done through Instant Exchange, and that is a manual search of the leftovers available on the II site (mostly resorts with over-supply and/or in the off-season and probably during the 60-Flexchange period).  This is definitely not the same as "should trade like a 1 bedroom in II" implies.



asianplow said:


> I just purchased a studio EOY in the summer at GL7 ...


If you plan to use this studio for trading, you may want to consider rescinding this purchase, if you can, and research what you might (and what you can't) get as possible exchanges.

If you plan to trade in II on a regular basis, there are more cost effective approaches that will have greater success.


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## Robert D (Jun 25, 2013)

You can also do an ongoing search for 2BR's at resorts that only have 2BR's such as Marriott Cypress Harbor in Orlando.  You'd probably be low on the priority list if Interval considers this a studio and not  1BR.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jun 25, 2013)

We own in Colorado and have had decent exchanges through II over the years.  I think you will have good exchange power with a quality resort like GP7.  The quality rating will help.  The unit size may limit you, but you won't know how limited you will be, unless you buy something else to compare it to.  

If you bought primarily for trading purposes, then I would tell you this week was a lousy deal.  In reading your posts from the other thread, your primary objective is to get free parking for skiing and use of the facilities. 

The problem is, the benefit doesn't pass on in resale, making your week worth about zero on the resale market, yet you kept the week based on this benefit, even knowing the underlying value of the week is zero.  I don't understand that decision.  

One look at eBay should convince you that not many timeshares are worth whatever you paid.


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## dougp26364 (Jun 25, 2013)

CO skier said:


> Hopefully, GL7 found a better solution than the Kauai resort where we just stayed that retrofitted the bedrooms with "jet engine" window AC units.  The all-night on-off, on-off noise was only a marginal improvement over the all-night-too-hot of before the retrofit.
> 
> We have stayed in 3-bedroom units (that do not have AC) at the Grand Timber Lodge and Gold Point in Breckenridge in June and July, and these units did not have the summer heat issues that GL7 seems to have.  Maybe it is the size of the units that makes the difference.



They are not window units but, it's not like a traditional forced air unit either. The AC unit is compact and the compressor fits nicely on the deck/patio.  Venting is on the ceiling since ductwork was not originally installed between the floors. 

They had a video of the unit and how they worked. They seemed reasonable enough and quite from what I recall. We'll find out first hand as we're staying there next Sept. I doubt we need the AC that time of year but I'll want to see and hear it in action.


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## dougp26364 (Jun 25, 2013)

CO skier said:


> Maybe that is a line from the Grand Lodge Sales Handbook, because it sounds so appealing, yet it is so vague.  The trading power of 1-bedrooms (as with all unit sizes) varies so much due to resorts' location and condition and the travel season that, "should trade like a 1 bedroom in II" has no real meaning.  What 1-bedrooms (where and when) do you imagine trading into using this studio?
> 
> It is interesting to note that the GL7 studios are listed in the Interval International system as 4-0-4 (sleeps 4 privately [due to the door between the bedroom and kitchenette] - 0 bedrooms [a studio] - maximum 4 person capacity) versus 2-0-4 for most other studios.  It is, nonetheless, a studio with a limited kitchen, not a 1-bedroom (4-1-4) with a full kitchen.
> 
> ...



Since II bases ongoing requests based on private sleeping capacity and not the room #, it's reasonable to assume that a studio 4-0-4 would be able to do an ongoing request for any unit with a private sleeping capacity of 4. 

If that's true, then there is some validity to the statement that it trades like a 1 bedroom.

I would agree that this would not be my choice of a unit to purchase to use for exchanging.


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## dougp26364 (Jun 25, 2013)

Here's a link to the video about the GL7 retrofitted AC units. http://youtu.be/X0VWP4zquRU


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## CO skier (Jun 26, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> They are not window units but, it's not like a traditional forced air unit either. The AC unit is compact and the compressor fits nicely on the deck/patio.  Venting is on the ceiling since ductwork was not originally installed between the floors.
> 
> They had a video of the unit and how they worked. They seemed reasonable enough and quite from what I recall. We'll find out first hand as we're staying there next Sept. I doubt we need the AC that time of year but I'll want to see and hear it in action.



It is clear from the YouTube video that GL7 did a great job on the AC retrofit.  The compressor is surprisingly quiet.  (When the balcony door was opened, though, it was clear why some people prefer a room on the valley side rather than the pool side of the resort).

There are a number of "1-bedroom suite" reviews that comment on not being able to cool the room to a comfortable level even with the windows open in December and the outside temperature near zero, so the AC units may come in handy in Sept. perhaps depending on the size unit you are in.


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## CO skier (Jun 26, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> Since II bases ongoing requests based on private sleeping capacity and not the room #, it's reasonable to assume that a studio 4-0-4 would be able to do an ongoing request for any unit with a private sleeping capacity of 4.
> 
> If that's true, then there is some validity to the statement that it trades like a 1 bedroom.



It would be an interesting test for a GL7 2-bedroom owner to reserve a week for the full unit, then lock it off and see if the studio can pull the same exchanges as the true 1-bedroom.  If so, it would be a nice bonus for GL7 owners, but trading is a two-way street.  Imagine how many uninformed II members might trade their 4-1-4 unit with a full kitchen using an ongoing search to GL7 only to find themselves opening the door on the "1 bedroom suite" at GL7 to discover they are staying in a studio with a kitchenette.  When the front desk explains that, "There is a door in the unit, and that makes it a 1-bedroom" it won't do anything to convince the exchanger that they were not cheated.


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## jdunn1 (Jun 26, 2013)

GL7 is a great resort.  I'd love to stay there over presdents day week but I haven't been able to get an exchange into anything larger than a studio and if I have to take a studio, I want the Marriott studio since it includes a full kitchen and is in a much better location.  With that said the pool complex at GL7 is amazing and everytime I ski past it with my son he wants to swim there.  

I just wanted to point ot how nice I think GL7 is.  With that said however, I wish someone would have warned you about using any non hotel branded timeshare to trade in II.  Hopefully you were already aware of this but II is very hard to trade into (nearly impossible) if your goal is getting a Marriott or Hyatt or Starwood during peak seasons.  If you want to travel during off peak times then you will do very good trading in II but if your goal is to to get a ski week at a Marriott or Hyatt or Starwood or a summer beach week at one of these hotlel branded timeshares then you are not going to be successful.  II has preference periods for owners of hotel branded timeshares and so the best inventory goes to other Marriott owners first or other Starwood owners first, when trading within their own hotel branded system.  For example any Marriott unit deposited by an owner will be offered first to other Marriott owners for something like 21 days.  During this time, only other Marriott owners can see the week or will be matched for an ongoing trade.  This kills any opportunity outsiders may have at landing a prime Marriott week.  Same thing is true for Starwood owners.  Hyatt is a bit different becuase Hyatt controls all deposits made to II and Hyatt does not deposit a lot of ski weeks.  

I love II but there is a remarkable difference in what I am able to trade into using one of my Marriott weeks verses my WorldMark points.  Routinely, I can great Marriott inventory with my Marriott weeks but see NOTHING with my WM points.

My suggetion would be to play around with your GL7 week in II and see if it can see the kind of weeks you want to trade into.  If not, then buy into whatever hotel branded timeshare system you think you would like to trade into in the future.  Your GL7 is not useless in II by any means but your best use of that week will be in flex time and by checking II like a hawk for new inventory that your GL7 week can see.  

Good luck and don't let everyone's comments discourage you too much.  Everyone has different goals when trading.  I tend to trade only for holiday and summer weeks into hotel branded timeshares.  I'm really picky and have limited vacation time and therfore I have to work hard to get an acceptable trade.  When I caution you on the limited trade success you may have with your week, I'm talking about how difficult it is to get summer and holiday weeks in II into hotel branded timeshares.  Other people who have commented on your post travel all the time and timesharing is more than fun or a leisure activity to them and so they are less picky about resorts or times of the year they can travel and get better trade results and may say your trade results will be much more positive.

If you can share an example of where and when you would like to trade into with your GL7 week, we can better help you understand how to best use II.  Usually in II, the best timeshares are hotel branded resorts but in the mountains this is not necessarily true.  Your goal may be trading into areas where there is a lot of supply, like the desert or Orlando or Vegas and in those areas the internal trade preference that is so difficult to overcome is not as big of an issue.


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## dougp26364 (Jun 26, 2013)

CO skier said:


> It would be an interesting test for a GL7 2-bedroom owner to reserve a week for the full unit, then lock it off and see if the studio can pull the same exchanges as the true 1-bedroom.  If so, it would be a nice bonus for GL7 owners, but trading is a two-way street.  Imagine how many uninformed II members might trade their 4-1-4 unit with a full kitchen using an ongoing search to GL7 only to find themselves opening the door on the "1 bedroom suite" at GL7 to discover they are staying in a studio with a kitchenette.  When the front desk explains that, "There is a door in the unit, and that makes it a 1-bedroom" it won't do anything to convince the exchanger that they were not cheated.



The exact scenario you've spelled out happened to us in 2000 when we traded for a "1 bedroom" Westhate Town Center unit. The reality was that it was a glorified studio unit with a door. Now we refuse to exchange into a unit with a limited kitchen unless we can verify it's a true one bedroom, such as at Ka'anapali beach club in Maui.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jun 26, 2013)

I would have rescinded this purchase after all of the advice given on TUG.  This new TUG member chose to buy the week for parking privileges as a developer buyer.  

Any decent trades he/ she gets EOY for a summer studio will probably be worthy of the MF's (I have no idea what those are).  But I doubt the parking privileges will be worth the hefty purchase price (don't know that either).


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## csxjohn (Jun 26, 2013)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I would have rescinded this purchase after all of the advice given on TUG.  This new TUG member chose to buy the week for parking privileges as a developer buyer.
> 
> Any decent trades he/ she gets EOY for a summer studio will probably be worthy of the MF's (I have no idea what those are).  But I doubt the parking privileges will be worth the hefty purchase price (don't know that either).



This thread was started June 20, on June 21 the OP said they rescinded the purchase in post 17 in this thread.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194229

Perhaps it was said to keep everyone from saying to rescind or they did rescind and are now looking more deeply into the real advantages, if any, of buying this retail.


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## jdunn1 (Jun 26, 2013)

I missed that part.  I assumed the OP already purchased the week and wanted trade advice on how to best use the week for trading.  I hope they did rescind.  Doug is the expert on Colorado trades, though Cindy lives there so I would trust both of them on this subject.




csxjohn said:


> This thread was started June 20, on June 21 the OP said they rescinded the purchase in post 17 in this thread.
> 
> http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194229
> 
> Perhaps it was said to keep everyone from saying to rescind or they did rescind and are now looking more deeply into the real advantages, if any, of buying this retail.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jun 26, 2013)

jdunn1 said:


> I missed that part.  I assumed the OP already purchased the week and wanted trade advice on how to best use the week for trading.  I hope they did rescind.  Doug is the expert on Colorado trades, though Cindy lives there so I would trust both of them on this subject.


On June 24th, this poster said the following: 


> I read somewhere that since the studio at GL7 had a physical door between the living area and bedroom, it should trade like a 1 bedroom in II? How are other studios constructed at other places?
> June 24, 2013 01:33 AM


I believe he didn't rescind after all.


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## dougp26364 (Jun 26, 2013)

jdunn1 said:


> I missed that part.  I assumed the OP already purchased the week and wanted trade advice on how to best use the week for trading.  I hope they did rescind.  Doug is the expert on Colorado trades, though Cindy lives there so I would trust both of them on this subject.



I wouldn't say I'm an expert, especially since we only go in spring/summer/fall when the pickings are easy. Many CO resorts are built around the ski season, leaving ample supply of units for non-ski weeks. Anyone can be an expert when the pickings are easy

We also tend to stick with the resorts in Breckenridge. Now we might be experts on Breckenridge resorts based on how often we frequent a few of the resorts there, but only as summer resorts. We really don't know how they work as ski resorts.


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## jdunn1 (Jun 26, 2013)

Hi Cindy.  I hope the OP did rescind but it doesn't sound like that happened.  I've traded into Breckenridge two years in a row over presidents day week, last year I lucked out and got a last minute trade into the Hyatt and a 2 bedroom at that.  Each year, I have been offered a studio at GL7 but I declinded becuase of the location and the fact that a studio has no kitchen.  I'd take a one bedroom, but even then the location of GL7 bothers me.  I just really like to location and the units at the Marriott, even though their pool could be nicer.  The Marriott's pool is HUGE but it doesn't compare to GL7.

Doug, I have used your advise on the Breckenridge resorts more times than not.  I only go during ski season and I can testify that the GL7 is a gem during ski season but after 5PM or whenever they shut down the gondola, GL7 is isolated from town.  At night, I like exploring the various stores and getting a snack around town.  This is not possible at the GL7 unless you hop in a shuttle.  This is okay, but from the Marriott, all of this is right outside your door, similar to how downtown disney is right outside your door at the Grand Californian resort.  I love having so many things around me on vacation and being able to walk, not drive or take a shuttle. 



rickandcindy23 said:


> On June 24th, this poster said the following:
> 
> I believe he didn't rescind after all.


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## twinmommy19 (Jul 15, 2013)

I guess the question is - how much did the OP pay to buy directly from the developer?  Not sure how much a seasonal ski storage locker costs but I know it's expensive on the east coast (Hunter mountain charges over $300 a year).  So if you take that benefit along with the free parking, it probably amounts to savings of over $500 a year for a local season ticket holder at Breck.  

As far as buying at Grand 7 vs. a franchise resort, I think the OP made the right decision based on the circumstances.  Grand 7 gives bonus time privileges, I think.  The Hyatts and Marriotts most certainly do not.  Being able to reserve last minute ski nights for the cost of cleaning the room is an enormous perk for someone who lives near Breck.  The OP will most certainly be able to confirm plenty of time in the shoulder seasons, and probably midweek in prime season too.  This is a benefit that is cherished by the Vermont fractional owners (unfortunately there you have to buy 13 weeks to own).

Bottom line - If I lived out in Colorado, I just might consider doing what the OP did depending on the price.  It's not an AWFUL deal like some of the other developer purchases we see.


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