# Diamond Resorts--2 Levels of Luxury?



## bobpark56 (Aug 11, 2011)

I have the impression that Diamond Resorts units come in 2 levels of luxury - - one upscale (for owners/members) and the other rather run-of-the-mill (for others). 
(a) Is this impression correct?
(b) If so, are owners and points members guaranteed upscale units when staying at their home resort or exchanging into another Diamond Resort?
(c) What about non-Diamond owners exchanging in via II or RCI? What treatment do they get?


----------



## pgnewarkboy (Aug 11, 2011)

bobpark56 said:


> I have the impression that Diamond Resorts units come in 2 levels of luxury - - one upscale (for owners/members) and the other rather run-of-the-mill (for others).
> (a) Is this impression correct?
> (b) If so, are owners and points members guaranteed upscale units when staying at their home resort or exchanging into another Diamond Resort?
> (c) What about non-Diamond owners exchanging in via II or RCI? What treatment do they get?



I believe your estimate to be incorrect.  I have owned at DRI for many years and don't see how that can happen.  I have even traded into DRI places through II and found no difference.  The two levels used to exist at Marriott when they had a timeshare division.  Trading in from another system got you locations further from the pool, beach, etc.


----------



## bobpark56 (Aug 11, 2011)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I believe your estimate to be incorrect.  I have owned at DRI for many years and don't see how that can happen.  .



Greensprings in Williamsburg has 2 levels of luxury (I have seen this when given a sales tour). So...what about other Diamond resorts?


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 11, 2011)

Some resorts offer both Deluxe and Standar accomadations. However, it's not one for owners and one for exchangers. Owners pay a premium in points for the Deluxe units. Sometimes we're willing to pay that price, other times we reserve the standard units.

Not all resorts offer Deluxe units. Some only offer standard units. The Suite's at Fall Creek has only one building that has Deluxe units so the chances are better than average that owners may have already booked and paid the premium in points to stay in those units. Other times, owners are trying to save points and the Deluxe units may be the ones exchangers are placed in. DRI doesn't upgrade owners unless they're elite level, even then, as I understand it you have to request the upgrade. So far we've never requested an upgrade with any of our reservations where we've selected the Standard unit and, we've never been upgraded automatically because we're Silver Elite owners.

A few years ago I used a non-DRI resort week to exchange into The Suite's at Fall Creek in Branson. Since we were exchanging in through I.I., I was expecting to be placed in a Standard unit. Instead we were placed in a Deluxe unit. It really sort of surprised us but, if owners staying there that week were staying on the cheap and reserving Standard units, then it makes sense that the Deluxe units were the ones available to exchangers. 

To be honest, most of the time I find the Standard units fit out needs just as well as the Deluxe units. DRI's quality is high enough that booking a Standard unit to save on points doesn't bother me at all.


----------



## dwmantz (Aug 11, 2011)

Its not that Greensprings has two levels of luxury . . . 

A few buildings were renovated two years ago to a new standard.  They have a double in the 2nd BR instead of twins and are right by the resort entrance.  They cost the same amount of points and don't work for us as we want to be close to the pool complex, so we never stay there.

I prefer their more colonial decor over the resort standard and look forward to an entire soft goods reno for the whole resort.


----------



## pgnewarkboy (Aug 11, 2011)

Anyone can trade into any available unit through DRI, II, and RCI.  The key word is available.


----------



## csalter2 (Aug 30, 2011)

*Sometimes the standards are not lost...*

DRI does ask for more points for some units than others, but it does not mean you are going to get so much less. I have seen these a couple of times. I have stayed at both the suites and villas at Polo Towers. I liked both and there was not a huge difference at all. It was barely noticeable. When I was in Sedonna this summer I noticed that the Mesa Suites and the Sunset suites were not that drastically different. I would use the least amount of points to stay at either of those two properties because the quality of each unit was good.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 30, 2011)

We have recently returned from our stay at The Suite's at Fall Creek. I have a photo album that will be a compilation of our stays for 2011 (total of three different stays). Right now, the Album has photo's of the 2 bedroom Deluxe unit and a one bedroom master suite of a Standard Unit. It shows pretty clearly the differences and the upgrades that can be offered in a Deluxe unit vs the Standard unit. These difference may not be as dramatic at all resorts but, I'd like to think there is value recieved for the additional points paid.

To see the photo album click this link http://dougp26364.smugmug.com/Other/DRI-The-Suites-at-Fall-Creek/17483171_ptpSBQ#1333835879_kmrMLDD or, to see all our photo albums, click one of the links in my signature below. The Webshots page has more albums going further back but, I prefer the Smugmug layout and the most recent albums and updates are on that site. I have not updated The Suite's at Fall Creek Webshots album as of yet.


----------

