# What is the real story on the Desert Club Las Vegas



## mikejt (Dec 2, 2013)

I was in Vegas last week at the Desert Club and took the ownership update for some discounted show tickets and left very infuriated and confused.  During the discussion, they told me about the property being bankrupt under Summer bay and that Holiday inn bought the property and the one at Marco Island to save them and all the time share owners of the properties. 

They also told me that what I bought when I joined the Holiday Inn Vacation club was temporary access to the points for my ownership and if I didn't spend 33K I would only have a flexible week that I could only use at the Desert Club and not have access to RCI . The rep told me this would expire in 2014 but the manager told me that as long as I pay the $104 /yr I would still be able to do this but it was still confusing. Has anyone else here had a similiar experience. 

He also told me that many of the 28K owners had bought and paid $41K for the priviledge of owning what they already have. I think they were blowing smoke on this and wanted to know what is the real story on Desert Club.


----------



## Rent_Share (Dec 2, 2013)

Did you search ?

http://tug2.net/googlesearchresults.html?cx=partner-pub-5638140788811827%3A1880241595&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22Desert+Club+Las+Vegas%22&sa=Search

You were listening to a timeshare salesman, were his lips moving ?


----------



## mikejt (Dec 2, 2013)

I looked through many of those postings. I didn't see anything that matched what they told me. They were trying to scare me.  That is why I was infuriated. No way am I attending another one of these meetings.


----------



## jackio (Dec 2, 2013)

The only thing I can verify is that the resort was bankrupt PRIOR to becoming Summer Bay.  Summer Bay Resort was fiscally solvent, and the HOA does a good job.
When I joined HIVC, I was told it was a 3 year commitment, at $104/yr which includes RCI points membership.  That 3  year commitment is due to expire in 2014. Maybe that's where that came from?
If I choose not to renew after my 3 years is up, I revert back to my flex week to be used only at the Desert Club from May to July.
- Jacki


----------



## mikejt (Dec 2, 2013)

jackio said:


> The only thing I can verify is that the resort was bankrupt PRIOR to becoming Summer Bay.  Summer Bay Resort was fiscally solvent, and the HOA does a good job.
> When I joined HIVC, I was told it was a 3 year commitment, at $104/yr which includes RCI points membership.  That 3  year commitment is due to expire in 2014. Maybe that's where that came from?
> If I choose not to renew after my 3 years is up, I revert back to my flex week to be used only at the Desert Club from May to July.
> - Jacki



I know about the bankruptcy that was before Summerbay but what the rep and his manager told me was that Desert Club under Summerbay was bankrupt and that was how they obtained the property and the one at Marco Island. I find this hard to believe given what they got from Harrahs for the original property.

 I was also told that my HIVC membership was good for 3 yrs and would last until 2014. I was also told to renew I would need to spend $41K to buy 200,000 points to stay in the club by the rep, but then his manager told me that if I continued to pay the $104 dollars that I could stay in the club after 2014. I am just trying to determine where the truth is on this. 

Summerbay really made a mess of this and I am not sure HIVC is any better.  In my opinion Summerbay made as much money as they could from the property at the expense of the owners and then dumped the property on Holiday Inn and now they are stuck with no expansion and not many if any units to sell. Timeshare ownership is the biggest ripoff and I am sorry I ever got into it.


----------



## UWSurfer (Dec 2, 2013)

I was fortunate to make an ebay purchase of a 1 bdrm week which had been converted to RCI points & through the move to the present location was upgraded to a 2 bdrm.   The sale included the nearly 2 years worth of RCI points which sat in the associated account for that week. 

I bought it originally for convention housing and contemplated getting out of RCI points altogether.   I'm glad we didn't.  Over the years we've owned this week we only stayed there twice, both times while it was under construction by Summer Bay.   I toured there last spring and the front of the resort & check-in are really a different place from when I stayed.   I have a week booked there next April for the annual trade show I attend.

With our points from this week we've stayed at a number of different resorts in Ft. Lauderdale, Sedona, Kaui, Maui, San Clemente, HGVC LV, Solana Beach, Lake Travis (Austin), Palm Springs, Oceanside and others while keeping our HGVC weeks free for stays at their properties & bigger trips.   We've done well with that legacy combination.

My understanding was HIVC assumed more than 100 additional units SB hadn't renovated which they were going to do and sell.


----------



## mikejt (Dec 2, 2013)

The resort itself is a wonderful place to stay, but you don't have to be a timeshare owner to stay there. You can rent rooms there from various sites.  My problem is with what they told me at the ownership update.


----------



## Bill4728 (Dec 2, 2013)

We here on TUG hear stories like yours all the time. Company A buys out a company B then the new salespeople come in and try to bully/frighten the owners into "upgrading" their ownership. Almost never has these upgrades been needed or have they made $$ sense. 

So since you must have liked Vegas to buy there you can continue to use you week in vegas like you could from the beginning. If you want to trade your week, you can trade with one of the exchange companies ( RCI or II not sure which) 

It just sound like you'll not be a member of HIVC any more. 

Good Luck


----------



## mikejt (Dec 2, 2013)

This was not clear the rep said that but his manager said something different .


----------



## Sandy (Dec 2, 2013)

I am an owner at the Desert Club, HIVC HICV. I got in buying resale units while they were still Summer Bay, about to be taken over by Harrahs.

I witnessed the resort being upgraded to the beautiful place it is  now.  We were lucky to hear about the Holiday inn takeover right before it happened last June. We got to transfer all of our units/points/weeks to the HIVC system for $104 and $100.  With this, we got our RCI membership paid, so I just let go of that membership this year.

We are very happy with the transaction and will rejoin when the time comes. We are able to transfer points into the IHG system, which never expire. These can be used for all Holiday inn properties, including the Intercontinental hotel group, Crowne plaza, and a list of boutique hotels at places where there are no timeshares.  They also have some pretty nice international places to stay. Plus we go to the main HIVC resorts as well, Myrtle Beach this past summer. I have used the points to stay for weekend short trips at hotels within the group for weekends.  

I like having the ability to exchange into regular RCI points and weeks whenever.  The only difference is that the points are doubled in HICV. HICV = 100,000 points = 50,000 RCI points. Different currency, same value.

I can answer other questions if you want. I have been a member of RCI since 1980 and traded successfully many times.


----------



## roadtriper (Dec 3, 2013)

mikejt said:


> I was in Vegas last week at the Desert Club and took the ownership update for some discounted show tickets and left very infuriated and confused.  During the discussion, they told me about the property being bankrupt under Summer bay and that Holiday inn bought the property and the one at Marco Island to save them and all the time share owners of the properties.
> 
> They also told me that what I bought when I joined the Holiday Inn Vacation club was temporary access to the points for my ownership and if I didn't spend 33K I would only have a flexible week that I could only use at the Desert Club and not have access to RCI . The rep told me this would expire in 2014 but the manager told me that as long as I pay the $104 /yr I would still be able to do this but it was still confusing. Has anyone else here had a similiar experience.
> 
> He also told me that many of the 28K owners had bought and paid $41K for the priviledge of owning what they already have. I think they were blowing smoke on this and wanted to know what is the real story on Desert Club.



The Sales Rep  was indeed blowing smoke!   if you already own and did the $104 conversion to points back when they offered it...  You are all set   
"Owner Update"   =  Another High Pres Sales Pitch Opportunity for the Timeshare Pimps!   Just say NO!  there are no show tickets or gift cards worth the ordeal.     
Las Vegas Desert Club is owned and controlled by the HOA.  the HOA BOD controls the Checkbook and the Finances.   Orange Lake (HICV)  is the Hired Management company   and own a sizable block of units,  that they aquired from Summer Bay  to sell. there are some other common buidings like the sales center that I believe the "Developer" Orange Lake owns ?    The HICV Points scheme is controlled by the IHG parent company of Holiday Inn etc.      So...  if sometime in the future Orange Lake  HICV  was to leave the Desert Club  the HICV points system may be at risk, but as I understand it when the 3 years are up we just need to renew and keep making the yearly payment .   Like Sandy, I have found the HICV Points system to work very well for Me.  
Take a DEEP Breath, and try and forget everything the sales rep told you. He/She was trying to make a payment on their BMW!  RT


----------



## mikejt (Dec 3, 2013)

roadtriper said:


> The Sales Rep  was indeed blowing smoke!   if you already own and did the $104 conversion to points back when they offered it...  You are all set
> "Owner Update"   =  Another High Pres Sales Pitch Opportunity for the Timeshare Pimps!   Just say NO!  there are no show tickets or gift cards worth the ordeal.
> Las Vegas Desert Club is owned and controlled by the HOA.  the HOA BOD controls the Checkbook and the Finances.   Orange Lake (HICV)  is the Hired Management company   and own a sizable block of units,  that they aquired from Summer Bay  to sell. there are some other common buidings like the sales center that I believe the "Developer" Orange Lake owns ?    The HICV Points scheme is controlled by the IHG parent company of Holiday Inn etc.      So...  if sometime in the future Orange Lake  HICV  was to leave the Desert Club  the HICV points system may be at risk, but as I understand it when the 3 years are up we just need to renew and keep making the yearly payment .   Like Sandy, I have found the HICV Points system to work very well for Me.
> Take a DEEP Breath, and try and forget everything the sales rep told you. He/She was trying to make a payment on their BMW!  RT





I agree with you these presentations / ownership updates are not worth it although the Ultimate Variety show that we got 4 tickets for was very good


----------



## roadtriper (Dec 5, 2013)

*OK Show, BUT...*



mikejt said:


> I agree with you these presentations / ownership updates are not worth it although the Ultimate Variety show that we got 4 tickets for was very good



 "V" the ultimate Variety show???   4 tickets = $50-$60    Way not worth the ordeal !  IMHO


----------



## andex (Dec 5, 2013)

"Owner Update" = Another High Pres Sales Pitch Opportunity for the Timeshare Pimps!
LOL...well said RT!!


----------

