# Why are there no reviews on RCI or Tug for the Lifetime in Hawaii Resort



## Tamaradarann (Jan 14, 2019)

I noticed that there are no reviews or ratings on RCI or Tug for the Lifetime in Hawaii Resort.  I have seen reviews before and it has received a Gold Crown rating in the past.


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## jacknsara (Jan 14, 2019)

Aloha,
I think it is the same facility as Royal Kuhio. At least that's what lots of Tuggers who have posted reviews under Royal Kuhio indicate.  I imagine they are different owners association in the same high rise.
Jack


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## slip (Jan 14, 2019)

Most of the owners that I ever see post about it, usually mention that they get a bunch of RCI points. So maybe many of the weeks get deposited.


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## bizaro86 (Jan 14, 2019)

Reviews are under Royal Kuhio. There are multiple associations in the same building, and Lifetime in Hawaii owns a few floors only.


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## Tamaradarann (Jan 15, 2019)

bizaro86 said:


> Reviews are under Royal Kuhio. There are multiple associations in the same building, and Lifetime in Hawaii owns a few floors only.



While that may be true for TUG, I know I saw them in RCI under "Lifetime in Hawaii".  It is a separate resort number 1138 so reviews should be assigned to that in RCI.


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## bizaro86 (Jan 15, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> While that may be true for TUG, I know I saw them in RCI under "Lifetime in Hawaii".  It is a separate resort number 1138 so reviews should be assigned to that in RCI.



Yes, sorry, I was talking about TUG only. Didn't RCI switch to TripAdvisor reviews awhile back? I could see their crack technical team messing thay up when they made a change somehow.


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## Shankilicious (Jan 19, 2019)

Bizaro is rough. Rci reviews are linked to trip advisor.


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## Tamaradarann (Jan 20, 2019)

Shankilicious said:


> Bizaro is rough. Rci reviews are linked to trip advisor.


Yes and there are no reviews and no Gold Crown rating like it had previously.  When I first called RCI I was told by the call center person and her supervisor to contact the resort which is illogical since it is RCI reviews and ratings not the resorts!!  When I wouldn't accept that answer I was told to write to RCI about this and I did not receive a reply.  While I have gotten a lot of nice vacations from RCI for exchanges as well as Extra Vacations, I believe their customer service when it comes to the difficult or unusual questions or concerns leaves a lot to be desired.  It seems that they have a lot of call center and entry level people working there, but they don't have, or don't pay enough to recruit or retain, top people to supervise and guide those entry level people.


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## mmthomas (Feb 1, 2019)

Lifetime is still a going concern.  They do work with II now as well as RCI. I made a deposit with II last year.  The October 2018 newsletter says they are selling units for $1000 each week. All units floating time.  You need to pay the yearly fee if you reserve in advance.  If you do not reserve a year in advance you will likely get the mountain view instead of ocean view. Yearly fee now is $570.  They are SAT-SAT only.  Updates discussed in the newsletter are:  Quartz kitchen counter tops, new doors on cabinets, stainless steel sinks, faucets and garbage disposals.  replaced all beds (no discussion of sleeper sofa).  I noticed elevator controls were modernized when I last visited (2017). 4 person max occupancy is enforced.  Rental wifi available. The ground lease is expiring in the next 20 years or so for the entire building.  It is uncertain if the building will be released (maybe to different use) or destroyed when the ground lease expires.  Mixed occupancy between owner occupied units and various rented and timeshare units in the Royal Kuhio building.  Lifetime exchangers and owners get free parking for the week used (a big deal in Waikiki).  Lifetime office is not on the ground floor. You have to get keys from guard after hours.


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## erinnr (May 30, 2019)

I am an owner with Lifetime.  The comments above (mmthomas) seem accurate to me.  There is also a large laundry room on the 7th floor and the pool area was being renovated as of this past March/April.  There is a bus stop right out front where many of The Bus lines stop.  And you are just a block away from the Ala Wai and two blocks away from the waterfront properties and shopping centers.


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## Timeshare Von (Jun 15, 2019)

I've been a happy owner (and frequent poster here in TUG) with Lifetime in Hawaii since 2003.  I cannot speak highly enough of the value of this resort.  I'm reminded of it just today, when the spring owners' newsletter arrived here in Milwaukee (where it is just 65F outside). I am surprised however, that there are no TUG reviews for them, however, as I know I have personally done them including photos from units we've stayed in over the years.

Yes there is a continued sale of floating (1-52) weeks for $1,000.  The 2020 maintenance fee remains $570 (for the 3rd consecutive year).  And parking is free for guests (owners, guests/renters from owners and exchangers).  Royal Kuhio is the building and yes, there are multiple timeshare groups plus year-round owners/residents in the high rise building.

The POA of Lifetime of Hawaii doesn't have "floors" per se, but a number of units (40 in total) located on a few floors.  The master lease agreement term is through 12/31/41.  So anyone buying in now for $1,000 will surely get their money's worth over the course of the next 22 years in my opinion. (I'll be 84 years old then, so it's not an issue for me!)  FYI if you buy two weeks at $1,000 each, they will give you a third for free!  As I get closer to retirement, this is something we're considering doing so as to have the possibility of going to "live" in Hawaii for four weeks every winter.

For anyone planning a visit soon, it should be noted the 7th floor recreation area where the pool is, is still under renovation. From the spring newsletter just received "The 7th floor recreation deck remains closed in certain areas while renovations and improvements continue for the pool and pool deck area . . . for now the work is slated to continue through the summer . . . "

As for trading in with RCI, I'm a frequent poster about the TPU value I have received.  I deposited my 2019 week about a year ago.  Was initially given 48 TPU but a recent review of my RCI account shows they upped that to 53.  Back a couple of years ago, I deposited our 2018 week and received the 48 TPU.  We used that for two weeks in Scotland plus a third week in Vegas for business.  Three weeks of timesharing for essentially $570 in MF plus around $700 in exchange fees.  You cannot beat that!

And as a general comment, I actually rarely deposit into RCI.  We have used it

A little deeper history . . . when I purchased my week in 2002 I paid around $3,000 for it and the MFs were $299.  They were unsustainable and we did have a special assessment over three years to do interior soft goods and appliance updates.  Since that time, the board and management company have been vigilant to assure appropriate financial management to including building reserves for the long-term health of the property.

Here is a summary of our use since owning it (2003-2021):
We've stayed there 3 times (2003, 2005 and 2009)
We've rented to family/friends 4 times (2004, 2007, 2008 and 2013)
We've bartered for the AK RV gig 4 times for 8 years' usage (2010/2011; 2014/2015; 2016/2017 and 2020/2021)
We've deposited/exchanged through RCI 4 times:  2006 week for week exchange; 2012 first time into RCI for TPUs (45) and got 1 week in Ireland; 2018 for 48 TPUs and got 2 weeks in Scotland plus a week in Vegas; 2019 for 53 TPUs, trades TBD by 12/31/21.

If anyone has any questions about the resort, especially if you're considering buying a week there, feel free to contact me.

TS Von


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## Tamaradarann (Jun 21, 2019)

Timeshare Von said:


> I've been a happy owner (and frequent poster here in TUG) with Lifetime in Hawaii since 2003.  I cannot speak highly enough of the value of this resort.  I'm reminded of it just today, when the spring owners' newsletter arrived here in Milwaukee (where it is just 65F outside). I am surprised however, that there are no TUG reviews for them, however, as I know I have personally done them including photos from units we've stayed in over the years.
> 
> Yes there is a continued sale of floating (1-52) weeks for $1,000.  The 2020 maintenance fee remains $570 (for the 3rd consecutive year).  And parking is free for guests (owners, guests/renters from owners and exchangers).  Royal Kuhio is the building and yes, there are multiple timeshare groups plus year-round owners/residents in the high rise building.
> 
> ...



We have stayed at the property before and it was great when it had a Gold Crown Rating a few years ago.  We have booked it again for the last week of December this year going into the New Year.  However, my question is:  Why are there no reviews or ratings in RCI for this resort?  I contacted RCI and they are are dumb as rocks when it comes to questions that are out of their ordinary routine.  So I am asking TUG Members the question.  Perhaps owners or the board should contact them and demand an answer unless they know the answer.  When I look for Gold Crown resorts to book I would not have booked there unless they had great reviews.  Therefore, based on the ratings and reviews I not only wouldn't book there, I certainly wouldn't buy there.


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## bnoble (Jun 21, 2019)

The answer to that is "we don't know," as none of us works for RCI.


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## OldGuy (Jun 21, 2019)

_Lifetime in Hawaii_ deferred to _Royal Kuhio_, and there are 497 reviews:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...-Royal_Kuhio_Resort-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html

3.5  Very good
497 reviews
#16 of 52 Specialty lodging in Oahu


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## Timeshare Von (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> We have stayed at the property before and it was great when it had a Gold Crown Rating a few years ago.  We have booked it again for the last week of December this year going into the New Year.  However, my question is:  Why are there no reviews or ratings in RCI for this resort?  I contacted RCI and they are are dumb as rocks when it comes to questions that are out of their ordinary routine.  So I am asking TUG Members the question.  Perhaps owners or the board should contact them and demand an answer unless they know the answer.  When I look for Gold Crown resorts to book I would not have booked there unless they had great reviews.  Therefore, based on the ratings and reviews I not only wouldn't book there, I certainly wouldn't buy there.



My opinion as an owner at Lifetime in Hawaii for more than 15 years is that I really could not care less about RCI Gold Crown ratings!!!

The P/HOAs of timeshares frequently set that as the bar to achieve for guest services and amenities offered, in order to keep the trading power up.  This resort has excellent trading power, so expending a lot of time & effort to juice the RCI rating up is pointless to me

As for buying there, that too would be an individual choice.  Staying there, I can tell you it is a fine resort, ESPECIALLY given the price to purchase and the very reasonable MFs.  Sure you can buy for literally 10's of thousands more, and pay upwards of $800 to $1,000 a year for MFs . . . but I doubt your "experience" at the higher priced resort would be significantly better enough to warrant the high costs to acquire and maintain.  Hell, the free parking at LTIH makes it "Gold Crown" in my book!

One last thing about the RCI ratings . . . they require a pretty high volume of responses from exchange guests to be statistically valid.  Too many cranky exchangers can bomb ratings just because they have very high and unfulfilled expectations.  It's all subjective.

Being on this TUG forum, I'm going to assume you are a TUG member, but maybe not.  If you are, you have feedback and reviews available to you.  Frankly, who gives a rip what the RCI exchange community has said or rated a resort when you have TUG?

All of that said, here are just a few of my personal opinions as to why LTIH might not have Gold Crown status . . .
. . . units are all studios 4/2 in terms of exchanging
. . . WiFi is available for a fee (I believe this is still the case)
. . . the location is in a very busy urban area . . . you can hear street noise even 23 stories up
. . . the swimming pool on the 7th floor is in the shade after about midday
. . . there is a community laundry facility on the 7th floor . . . no individual laundry machines in each unit
. . . there are generally no resort hosted activities
. . . you must get your unit keys from the night guard when checking in after hours
. . . being in a mixed use high rise, there are factors beyond the control of the LTIH POA which could affect ratings (like the stinky fish that is cooked by year-round residents - some floors are worse than others)

On the upside . . . you will NEVER receive a lot of hassle about attending a timeshare presentation by LTIH!  That alone should make it RCI Gold Crown status!  

Supply & demand will continue to keep this timeshare resort at a high value for owners.

P.S. You very may have exchanged for the week I deposited into RCI for 2019, as I did deposit this year's use as week #52.  Be thankful someone owned at LTIH and had a week to deposit so you could vacation in Hawaii over the Christmas holiday.


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## Panina (Jun 21, 2019)

Timeshare Von said:


> My opinion as an owner at Lifetime in Hawaii for more than 15 years is that I really could not care less about RCI Gold Crown ratings!!!
> 
> The P/HOAs of timeshares frequently set that as the bar to achieve for guest services and amenities offered, in order to keep the trading power up.  This resort has excellent trading power, so expending a lot of time & effort to juice the RCI rating up is pointless to me
> 
> ...


There are many resorts on rci and ii that do not have a rating that are great resorts.  I own a few, hidden gems. What they all have in common is they are small resorts with no activities.


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## OldGuy (Jun 21, 2019)

Panina said:


> I own a few, hidden gems.



Oh, like _diamonds in the rough_?  Been there.

One where we own now has horrible ratings, and we hope it stays that way.


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## Tamaradarann (Jun 21, 2019)

Timeshare Von said:


> My opinion as an owner at Lifetime in Hawaii for more than 15 years is that I really could not care less about RCI Gold Crown ratings!!!
> 
> The P/HOAs of timeshares frequently set that as the bar to achieve for guest services and amenities offered, in order to keep the trading power up.  This resort has excellent trading power, so expending a lot of time & effort to juice the RCI rating up is pointless to me
> 
> ...



Wow, your response about the resort you own is very defensive.  Almost like the lack of reviews and ratings are an insider intention.  I like the resort and therefore, booked it again after staying there.  I am not criticizing anything but the LACK of REVIEWS and RATINGS.  My questions is how come there are no reviews or ratings.  It doesn't get bad ratings; it get NO RATINGS!!!

Now to address your specific opinions about why it might not have a Gold Crown Status:
We own a number of timeshare weeks at HGVC Miami South Beach which is has a similar location and gets a Gold Crown rating.   
.... The South Beach one bedroom units are small 4/2 and similar in size to the Lifetime Studios.  They have no Lanai.
.... The South Beach WiFi is Complimentary, however, the weekly WiFi fee at Lifetime is very small.
.... The South Beach Location is on Ocean Drive which is very busy and the back is adjacent to Collins Ave. which is like Kalakaua Busy.
.... South Beach has NO swimming pool
.... South Beach only has a common community laundry facility
.... South Beach has no resort activities
.... South Beach does have a 24 hour front desk, however, getting the keys from the night guard at Lifetime after hours was not a problem.  Not being able to activate the Wifi for a couple of days after arrival since no one was in the office for the holiday was a problem.  I am going to see if I can prepay and have it activated when I get there.
.... South Beach has a full kitchen so smells are everywhere.  We smell as well as generate stinky smells in many of the timeshares we stay at.

Finally, your comment about Free Parking making it Gold Crown in your book gives me a sense that parking and having a car on vacation is important to you.  While we live with 3 cars in our family in our home on Long Island, we have stayed and enjoyed over 1000 nights without a car in Honolulu, South Beach, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and San Diego.  One of reasons that we like Lifetime's location is that you don't need a car.  

Finally, while the week we will be staying in Lifetime fit in nicely into our schedule, it is just one week of timeshare in the middle of our total 2019/2020 Hawaii timeshare trip which is starting in December on the Island of Hawaii and will be ending in Honolulu in May 2020.


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## OldGuy (Jun 21, 2019)

When has 497 reviews been considered lack of reviews?


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## Tamaradarann (Jun 21, 2019)

OldGuy said:


> _Lifetime in Hawaii_ deferred to _Royal Kuhio_, and there are 497 reviews:
> 
> https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...-Royal_Kuhio_Resort-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html
> 
> ...



I have stayed in Lifetime in Hawaii once before and liked the resort very much.  I don't think I consider those Royal Kuhio reviews compliments or accurate of the Lifetime in Hawaii section of this building that I recall.  There are about 4 different timeshare systems in that building and Lifetime is one the best or the best.  While I am not an owner perhaps owners or others that know the building better than I should address this issue further.  I know years ago there were reviews of just Lifetime in Hawaii that were much better and RCI rated it Gold Crown.  Perhaps something has changed and it is now as mediocre as the the Royal Kuhio reviews suggest.


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## OldGuy (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> I have stayed in Lifetime in Hawaii once before and liked the resort very much.  I don't think I consider those Royal Kuhio reviews compliments or accurate of the Lifetime in Hawaii section of this building that I recall.  There are about 4 different timeshare systems in that building and Lifetime is one the best or the best.  While I am not an owner perhaps owners or others that know the building better than I should address this issue further.  I know years ago there were reviews of just Lifetime in Hawaii that were much better and RCI rated it Gold Crown.  Perhaps something has changed and it is now as mediocre as the the Royal Kuhio reviews suggest.



As DW would say, "Not my Monkey, not my circus."  She loves to say that.

I was just trying to show where reviews seem to be _hidden_.


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## silentg (Jun 21, 2019)

Did you look onTrip Advisor?


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## Dean (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> We have stayed at the property before and it was great when it had a Gold Crown Rating a few years ago.  We have booked it again for the last week of December this year going into the New Year.  However, my question is:  Why are there no reviews or ratings in RCI for this resort?  I contacted RCI and they are are dumb as rocks when it comes to questions that are out of their ordinary routine.  So I am asking TUG Members the question.  Perhaps owners or the board should contact them and demand an answer unless they know the answer.  When I look for Gold Crown resorts to book I would not have booked there unless they had great reviews.  Therefore, based on the ratings and reviews I not only wouldn't book there, I certainly wouldn't buy there.


I haven't stayed there but I have been on property and seen a couple of rooms though it's been a few years.  These properties with different systems in the same building which have different ratings are always an enigma.  I don't put a lot of stock in Gold Crown with RCI but I do tend to be uncomfortable once we're below Silver Crown.  I look at multiple ratings and review options including TUG, Timesharing Today, etc.  I'm not a big fan of Trip Advisor but their sheer volume can be helpful.  When I visited my judgement at the time was I didn't want to stay there unless I had a specific reason to, I see no reason that would change.  I'd look at a condo rental and compare if it seemed like the right choice otherwise.  The problem with GC or similar is there are technical qualifications thus I've seen many Silver Crown properties that to me were better than many GC and a large variation between GC (or II's ratings from a similar thought process).


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## Tamaradarann (Jun 21, 2019)

silentg said:


> Did you look onTrip Advisor?





silentg said:


> Did you look onTrip Advisor?


I don't think I consider those Royal Kuhio reviews compliments or accurate of the Lifetime in Hawaii section of this building that I recall. There are about 4 different timeshare systems in that building and Lifetime is one the best or the best. While I am not an owner perhaps owners or others that know the building better than I should address this issue further. I know years ago there were reviews of just Lifetime in Hawaii that were much better and RCI rated it Gold Crown. Perhaps something has changed and it is now as mediocre as the the Royal Kuhio reviews suggest.


OldGuy said:


> As DW would say, "Not my Monkey, not my circus."  She loves to say that.
> 
> I was was just trying to show where reviews seem to be _hidden_.



It is not my circus either.  But I have stayed there and will be again this December.  I tried to get an RCI answer which I couldn't.  All the Resorts that I own are Gold Crown.  I was hoping that Lifetime Owners or their Board would get involved and realize that the resort that they own and represent did have excellent reviews and a Gold Crown Rating from RCI at one time and now it doesn't.  WHY? WHY? WHY?


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## Dean (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> I don't think I consider those Royal Kuhio reviews compliments or accurate of the Lifetime in Hawaii section of this building that I recall. There are about 4 different timeshare systems in that building and Lifetime is one the best or the best. While I am not an owner perhaps owners or others that know the building better than I should address this issue further. I know years ago there were reviews of just Lifetime in Hawaii that were much better and RCI rated it Gold Crown. Perhaps something has changed and it is now as mediocre as the the Royal Kuhio reviews suggest.
> 
> 
> It is not my circus either.  But I have stayed there and will be again this December.  I tried to get an RCI answer which I couldn't.  All the Resorts that I own are Gold Crown.  I was hoping that Lifetime Owners or their Board would get involved and realize that the resort that they own and represent did have excellent reviews and a Gold Crown Rating from RCI at one time and now it doesn't.  WHY? WHY? WHY?


I believe RCI considers the information proprietary.  Talking to management at the resort will likely give you a better insight.


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## OldGuy (Jun 21, 2019)

silentg said:


> Did you look onTrip Advisor?



Did you see the post seven before yours?


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## bnoble (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> WHY? WHY? WHY?


We've already told you: we don't (and can't) know.

Welcome to my ignore list.


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## OldGuy (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> II tried to get an RCI answer which I couldn't.



Did you ask nicely?  They have always looked forward to hearing from me.  Want me to ask?


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## LisaH (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> Wow, your response about the resort you own is very defensive.  Almost like the lack of reviews and ratings are an insider intention.  I like the resort and therefore, booked it again after staying there.  I am not criticizing anything but the LACK of REVIEWS and RATINGS.  My questions is how come there are no reviews or ratings.  It doesn't get bad ratings; it get NO RATINGS!!!



Timeshare Von has always been helpful particularly with providing info for LTH. Besides, she has stated here that she had written TUG reviews for LTH specifically before. This could be a decision by TUGBrian to combine the reviews under Royal Kuhio. If you have a beef with it, take it to TUG admin please!


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## Timeshare Von (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> >>>> Perhaps owners or the board should contact them and demand an answer unless they know the answer.  When I look for Gold Crown resorts to book I would not have booked there unless they had great reviews.  Therefore, based on the ratings and reviews I not only wouldn't book there, I certainly wouldn't buy there.<<<<



And your post seemed a bit inflammatory and unnecessary.



Tamaradarann said:


> >>>> Wow, your response about the resort you own is very defensive. Almost like the lack of reviews and ratings are an insider intention.<<<<



And you seem to be pretty accusatory.  And what is "insider intention" anyway?  Why would any timeshare owner (or H/POA) want to see no ratings/reviews?  That's just a dumb comment to make.

I was simply offering my opinion on why some folks who have done RCI exchanges to LTIH *MIGHT* not have given high enough marks to get Gold Crown status.

Found this reference to what "RCI Gold Crown" status means:

*Characteristics of a Gold Crown Resort*
Most Gold Crown resorts are located in popular vacation destinations, and are close in proximity to major attractions. Each Gold Crown resort must include a variety of luxury accommodations that exceed expectations, such as kitchen facilities, master bathrooms, balconies or patios, air conditioning, and more.

Outside the room itself, the resort must include a number of desired amenities and services for Gold Crown consideration. Having attractions such as on-site golf courses, health spas, restaurants, swimming pools, and tennis courts will help boost a resort's rating. Providing helpful services such as a 24-hour front desk, easy check-in and check-out, and complimentary housekeeping will also qualify a Gold Crown resort.
*****

So as you can see . . . some of the bullet points I provided as to why LTIH might not be G/C are right there . . . no 24 hours front desk, no restaurant onsite to name a couple.


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## Timeshare Von (Jun 21, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> >>>>Finally, your comment about Free Parking making it Gold Crown in your book gives me a sense that parking and having a car on vacation is important to you.  While we live with 3 cars in our family in our home on Long Island, we have stayed and enjoyed over 1000 nights without a car in Honolulu, South Beach, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and San Diego.  One of reasons that we like Lifetime's location is that you don't need a car.<<<<



You're very perceptive!  As someone with a mobility issue, having a car is very important to me/us when we're vacationing.  Lucky for you, you don't need a car when you're away from home.


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## OldGuy (Jun 21, 2019)

Not that anyone's asking, but after 30 years and more than 150 exchanges, if I had to draw a very, very generalized conclusion, it would be that the better the review or rating, the less likely it would be a place we would enjoy.

I guess us little people like to hang with other little people.



For instance, as I consider our many SW Florida stays, the bulk of the resorts are rated 44 or worse, with our current and favorite one 62, m/l.

As a sign at a customer service counter said, "If we don't meet your expectations, lower them."


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## Tamaradarann (Jun 21, 2019)

Timeshare Von:

First of all if you got personally upset about my comments and thoughts I apologize.  That certainly was and is not my intention. 

Now let me state again and for the record that I liked my previous stay at the Lifetime in Hawaii Resort very much.  That is why I booked it again.  I have not said one negative comment about the resort.  What I did say was:

Tamaradarann said: ↑
>>>> Perhaps owners or the board should contact them and demand an answer unless they know the answer. When I look for Gold Crown resorts to book I would not have booked there unless they had great reviews. Therefore, based on the ratings and reviews I not only wouldn't book there, I certainly wouldn't buy there.<<<<
And your post seemed a bit inflammatory and unnecessary.

My post was somewhat inflammatory on purpose  I was trying to get the owners and board of the resort pumped up to find out "Why there were no reviews or ratings".   

Tamaradarann said: 
>>>> Wow, your response about the resort you own is very defensive. Almost like the lack of reviews and ratings are an insider intention.<<<<
And you seem to be pretty accusatory. And what is "insider intention" anyway? Why would any timeshare owner (or H/POA) want to see no ratings/reviews? That's just a dumb comment to make.

My comment about your being very defensive was because while I was just asking "Why there were no reviews or ratings" you went on to describe what a great resort it was.  I could be out of line by saying it seemed like an "insider intention",  but your going on about how great the resort was and not addressing the fact that there are no reviews or ratings smacks of someone changing the subject and not addressing the question which is common for those trying to hide something.  

In conclusion, with or without reviews or ratings, my expectation is that my December 2019 stay at Lifetime in Hawaii will be as nice as my December 2017 stay.  In Reality that is the only nickel that I have in this entire discussion.


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## Timeshare Von (Jun 22, 2019)

Dean said:


> I believe RCI considers the information proprietary.  Talking to management at the resort will likely give you a better insight.



The management company's contact information:

Lifetime in Hawaii Interval Owners Association
535 South Highway 101
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858-259-7114
Email:  vlm@cts.com


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## Timeshare Von (Jun 22, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> Timeshare Von:
> 
> First of all if you got personally upset about my comments and thoughts I apologize.  That certainly was and is not my intention.
> 
> ...



Geesh, are you a lawyer? "In conclusion . . . "??  Sorry that makes me LOL!

I know you were trying to get the owners "pumped up to find out why . . ." and I responded I could not care less about the ratings or GC status.

And since there are others following & reading here, yes I did provide insight as to some of the possible reasons why the resort doesn't have GC status.  Not defensive at all . . . just stating the facts.  I don't think I stated why the resort was great, other than to say the free parking is a pretty big amenity at this resort.  I believe most exchangers like it, and in fact believe it to be the reason why some pick this timeshare over those that are oceanfront. (Past reviewers have commented as much, so not my opinion.)

Lastly, to be on the attack and accusing me of "changing the subject" just isn't so.  As someone else commented early on, there is no way for anyone here on TUG to know why there are little to no reviews or ratings available to you.  I didn't think I needed to state the obvious again . . . nobody here knows why or why not.

I'm done with this thread and responding to your interrogation and cross examination.  Enjoy your weekend!


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## Tamaradarann (Jun 22, 2019)

Timeshare Von said:


> Geesh, are you a lawyer? "In conclusion . . . "??  Sorry that makes me LOL!
> 
> I know you were trying to get the owners "pumped up to find out why . . ." and I responded I could not care less about the ratings or GC status.
> 
> ...



I have called the Lifetime Timeshare Office before and they referred me to RCI.  I will try send an e-mail to the address you gave.  I am not a Lawyer but an Engineer.  Therefore, I want to correct the precise statement that I made about our previous stay at Lifetime in Hawaii.  We stayed in December 2016 not 2017 but the stay lapped over into January 2017.  

Aloha.


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## Dean (Jun 22, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> I have called the Lifetime Timeshare Office before and they referred me to RCI.  I will try send an e-mail to the address you gave.  I am not a Lawyer but an Engineer.  Therefore, I want to correct the precise statement that I made about our previous stay at Lifetime in Hawaii.  We stayed in December 2016 not 2017 but the stay lapped over into January 2017.
> 
> Aloha.


I'm pretty sure RCI won't give you the qualifications information for the various levels and i've almost positive they won't give you much or any detail for a given resort.  Just contacting the resort really isn't sufficient, you'll need to talk to management there really above the level of a front desk supervisor.  And even then they'll have to be careful as I strongly suspect that contractually they're not supposed to release the information either.  In person with the GM or similar is likely your best option, second choice would be a phone call to that level.  Starting with an email is fine but I think it's a dead end as a stand alone option though you never know.  I've seen some of the info before on GC qualifications and some of it is technical based on the volume and specifics of various amenities, some of which I don't care about, others I do.  I wouldn't be surprised one of the qualifications is a 24 hr Front Desk.  I do know they put a lot of importance on the review process but I don't think it's just that.  

IMO it's a mistake to put too much emphasis either way.  I've stayed at Silver Crown resorts that were better than many GC ones and some GC resorts that were questionable.  IMO the variation in quality and desirability (for us) for RCI GC resorts is the largest of any group I can think of within II or RCI's ratings system.  Since some of the resort versions within the building there are in both II and RCI, you might have more luck getting specific info on quality and rating from II than RCI, esp given TUG's tie in.  If you have an inside track to someone at a different resort that's GC or SC or has been in the past, you may be able to get ore information on the qualifications and that may help you to understand why or why not for ratings for various resorts.  Lastly I really don't think it matters, esp to a resort you've stayed at before.  You know the resort, location, setup and general limitations so if it's acceptable to you, that's all that matters.  When I looked at them a number of years ago I judged that they would not be on my exchange list.  

Just for fun I went back to the oldest 2 versions I have for RCI, 95-96 & 97-98.  For the first I saw 2 systems listed in the same building with no designation at all for either.  For the second there were 3 (if I am interpreting the resorts listed without pictures correctly), with 2 having no designation and one (LIH IIRC) being RID (I don't believe SC was part of the rating system back then).


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## Tamaradarann (Jun 22, 2019)

Dean said:


> I'm pretty sure RCI won't give you the qualifications information for the various levels and i've almost positive they won't give you much or any detail for a given resort.  Just contacting the resort really isn't sufficient, you'll need to talk to management there really above the level of a front desk supervisor.  And even then they'll have to be careful as I strongly suspect that contractually they're not supposed to release the information either.  In person with the GM or similar is likely your best option, second choice would be a phone call to that level.  Starting with an email is fine but I think it's a dead end as a stand alone option though you never know.  I've seen some of the info before on GC qualifications and some of it is technical based on the volume and specifics of various amenities, some of which I don't care about, others I do.  I wouldn't be surprised one of the qualifications is a 24 hr Front Desk.  I do know they put a lot of importance on the review process but I don't think it's just that.
> 
> IMO it's a mistake to put too much emphasis either way.  I've stayed at Silver Crown resorts that were better than many GC ones and some GC resorts that were questionable.  IMO the variation in quality and desirability (for us) for RCI GC resorts is the largest of any group I can think of within II or RCI's ratings system.  Since some of the resort versions within the building there are in both II and RCI, you might have more luck getting specific info on quality and rating from II than RCI, esp given TUG's tie in.  If you have an inside track to someone at a different resort that's GC or SC or has been in the past, you may be able to get ore information on the qualifications and that may help you to understand why or why not for ratings for various resorts.  Lastly I really don't think it matters, esp to a resort you've stayed at before.  You know the resort, location, setup and general limitations so if it's acceptable to you, that's all that matters.  When I looked at them a number of years ago I judged that they would not be on my exchange list.
> 
> Just for fun I went back to the oldest 2 versions I have for RCI, 95-96 & 97-98.  For the first I saw 2 systems listed in the same building with no designation at all for either.  For the second there were 3 (if I am interpreting the resorts listed without pictures correctly), with 2 having no designation and one (LIH IIRC) being RID (I don't believe SC was part of the rating system back then).



Dean, thank you for your thoughts.  I seem to remember Lifetime in Hawaii having a GC rating about 3 or 4 years ago with lots of reviews on RCI.  That is the reason I am bring this issue up.  The other resorts in that building had much poorer ratings.  That is why we booked Lifetime in Hawaii starting on New Years Eve 2016 for a week.  It allowed us to go to Honolulu a week earlier than our timeshare weeks that were booked at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.   Perhaps others on this site might recall something about what I am talking about.  I am not really concerns about the GC rating or not.  I am more concerned that there are NO RATINGS.  Why?


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## Dean (Jun 22, 2019)

Tamaradarann said:


> Dean, thank you for your thoughts.  I seem to remember Lifetime in Hawaii having a GC rating about 3 or 4 years ago with lots of reviews on RCI.  That is the reason I am bring this issue up.  The other resorts in that building had much poorer ratings.  That is why we booked Lifetime in Hawaii starting on New Years Eve 2016 for a week.  It allowed us to go to Honolulu a week earlier than our timeshare weeks that were booked at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.   Perhaps others on this site might recall something about what I am talking about.  I am not really concerns about the GC rating or not.  I am more concerned that there are NO RATINGS.  Why?


You should ask TUG admin directly.  I wonder if older reviews were purged or if some were lost with the reset in 2005.  It would make sense in many ways to combine all 3 in the building.  I can say I've looked at the resorts over the years for RCI and II and I don't recall any of them even being GC or Premier.  That's not to say they haven't but I haven't seen it.  I have 6 other versions of RCI books and in one and only one are 2 of the 3 resorts in that building listed as SC (the same book).  To be honest I can tell what year it's from as it is not labeled as to year.  That and the one listing 20 years ago for 1 of them as RID.  My information and my recollection suggest you're mistaken about them being GC.


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