Wyndham is closing a handful of legacy resorts - dedicated chart/tracker located in the first post for this unfolding set of events

[Floridaman76]

Ok, I guess PP already had WM inventory, they added KG a couple months back, my bad.

It's both, but I didn't mention Kingsgate because it's not on the list.
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[afk324]

I would think if a deed has been filed and there is compensation owed from the sale of the property, the owner of the deed should get that compensation. I can't see why it would matter whether wyndham has acknowledged the transfer for those purposes - whoever is the registered owner with the county should get the money.

 

[HitchHiker71]

Proxies for Fairfield Bay's Fairways and Mountain Ridge HOAs received yesterday with Sept. 24 and 25 meeting dates, respectively. Occupying information mentions that a requisite number of members of the "Association" have requested the Board call a meeting to vote on the sale and that the 2025 occupancy rate at Fairways has been 35% and that a 4% increase in reserves is needed over the next 3 years with a 3% increase in following years. The Mountain Ridge information mentions a 45% occupancy for 2024 and 2025 and the need for a $2.2 million special assessment ($800/interval by my calculation) and a 5% increase in reserves from 2026-2029.

Thanks for posting this information. I wasn't going to bring up the specifics about the reasoning you shared here, but since you have now brought it up, for anyone interested here's the actual verbiage from the Mountain Meadows Assocation proxy vote paperwork:

Keep in mind these are documents actually reviewed by K&L Gates - the representative law firm - so the statistics and reasonings shared are likely accurate and can be proven in any court of law. So here we have a real world example of exactly what I've been saying all along, that a subset of the resorts have low occupancy (some of which also have lower owner occupancy), and some resorts have impending SAs on the horizon. Given many have questioned the veracity of these claims, I figured it would be worthwhile sharing the specifics for all to see.

 

[paxsarah]

Thanks for posting this information. I wasn't going to bring up the specifics about the reasoning you shared here, but since you have now brought it up, here's the actual verbiage from the Mountain Meadows Assocation proxy vote paperwork:

View attachment 116108

Keep in mind these are documents actually reviewed by K&L Gates - the representative law firm - so the statistics and reasonings shared are likely accurate and can be proven in any court of law. So here we have a real world example of exactly what I've been saying all along, that a subset of the resorts have low occupancy (some of which also have lower owner occupancy), and some resorts have impending SAs on the horizon. Given many have questioned the veracity of these claims, I figured it would be worthwhile sharing the specifics for all to see.

And we had been speaking earlier in the thread mainly about owner occupancy, with the counterpoint being along the lines of “what does it matter if the units are occupied by owners or renters?” But this is actually occupancy vs. vacancy. 65% vacant! That’s really unsustainable.

 

[Floridaman76]

And we had been speaking earlier in the thread mainly about owner occupancy, with the counterpoint being along the lines of “what does it matter if the units are occupied by owners or renters?” But this is actually occupancy vs. vacancy. 65% vacant! That’s really unsustainable.

That's also one resort (Fairfield Bay). At arguably the least attractive resort in the entire system. BFE Arkansas.

Unless there's a total solar eclipse passing over the resort, I can't think of a reason to vacation there.

It's really an outlier in this conversation about whether or not resorts are truly viable anymore. And this one, and Fairfield Glade I think you could see as no-brainer's long term if you think about viability as resorts. At least the Glade had golf.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I have read over the last few pages of the thread.

Looks like Wyndham is seriously lacking in communication skills. I don't own any of the properties that are undergoing this radical change. How glad I am of that. I just looked through my files and found letters from summer of 2022 from Wyndham (nasty).

Wyndham needs to buy people out of their deeds. They cannot just demand the deeds. They need signatures on deeds. Since I have been closing timeshares myself through Wyndham, I can tell you that Wyndham is VERY picky about conveyance issues, such as specific wording on tenancy. I had to get a new deed recorded with two words added. The county accepted the deed, but Wyndham would not accept it for transfer. It's so ridiculous.

There are too many resorts with better MF's to take on for free without paying CWA fees. No need to take crap. Just take cash.

 

[donno]

That's also one resort (Fairfield Bay). At arguably the least attractive resort in the entire system. BFE Arkansas.

Unless there's a total solar eclipse passing over the resort, I can't think of a reason to vacation there.

It's really an outlier in this conversation about whether or not resorts are truly viable anymore. And this one, and Fairfield Glade I think you could see as no-brainer's long term if you think about viability as resorts. At least the Glade had golf.

Fairfield Bay has golf and a really nice lake, but the occupancy rates speak for themselves.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Fairfield Bay is busy with boaters in the summer. It's a beautiful area. I like it. The cute little restaurant (I think it's The Red Little Hen) was reasonable and very good food. The weather is very mild in winter.

 

[paxsarah]

It's really an outlier in this conversation about whether or not resorts are truly viable anymore. And this one, and Fairfield Glade I think you could see as no-brainer's long term if you think about viability as resorts. At least the Glade had golf.

On the other hand, maybe there's only a few outliers that are actually surprising that are on this list - like Bentley Brook, the RI ones, maybe Atlantic City - and the rest are the no-brainers. Patriots' Place is the #3 choice in Williamsburg for most owners. Falls is #3 in Branson, I think. Star Island is #3 or 4 in Orlando, and it seems like hardly anyone's aware of OIRC (and as I recall, your opinion of it was very low), when there's a Margaritaville slated to open there in the next couple years. Other very old locations that probably have some of the structural maintenance issues on the horizon - FF Mountains, Glade, Shawnee, the two Edisto HOAs. I don't think FF Bay is an outlier at all. I think the outlier is BB and maybe a couple of others.

 

[Floridaman76]

In terms of occupancy though, even though OIRC and Star Island may be 3rd and 4th choice in the Orlando area, I would be shocked if they had as bad as 65% occupancy. That was what I was getting at. I had a last minute stay (just outside of 90 days out) I needed to do there last February and had to split time between Star Island and Cypress Palms because I could not get a whole week at either. There's still demand. For what it's worth, my unit at Star Island was better than the one I had at Cypress Palms (although it clearly wasn't a Wyndham unit) and there's marginally more to do at Star Island. But I get WHY they are doing OIRC, that place is a dump in my opinion.

 

[HitchHiker71]

And we had been speaking earlier in the thread mainly about owner occupancy, with the counterpoint being along the lines of “what does it matter if the units are occupied by owners or renters?” But this is actually occupancy vs. vacancy. 65% vacant! That’s really unsustainable.

Yes, it is. Other proxy vote letters will likely have similar verbiage along this line. Curious to see what each proxy letter says with this in mind.

EDIT: With the above in mind here's the verbiage from PP:

 

[TUGBrian]

holy smokes, 65% empty?

 

[chapjim]

Fairfield Bay has golf and a really nice lake, but the occupancy rates speak for themselves.

Fairfield Bay is kind of the hole in the donut when it comes to population centers. Memphis and where else?

We stayed at Fairfield Bay on the way to and from San Antonio a few years ago. It's a bit of a dogleg but not too bad -- only about 100 miles more than going via New Orleans.

It is quite remote with not a lot of reasons to go there. The lake for swimming and boating in the summer but not much more than that. Roller Coaster Hill.

 

[bamasteve]

I received my notice from Fairfield Bay today for the special meeting to liquidate the property to be held September 25th to determine the fate of the Mountain Meadows HOA.

And I just received my notice for the Hamilton Cove HOA at Fairfield Bay. Special Meeting September 25, 2025.

• Suspend occupancy .....as of December 27, 2025
• Suspend collection of 2026 Maintenance Fees....
• Waive the funding of reserves in the 2026 budget....
• Refund to member 2026 maintenance fees received by the Association, if any
• Immediately suspend reservations .....with occupancy dates after Dec 27, 2025
• Transfer the balance of the reserve funds of the association as of 12/31/2025 as needed to pay operating expenses....

Lots of other legal jargon that I don't (or can't) care to try and decipher.....to which I just guess - Wyndham is fully protected, no chance for a class action anything and at least I can end my timeshare now with a little cash back - maybe enough for a nice dinner out - well maybe at Chic Fil A with a value meal.

I intend to vote in favor and don't plan to accept any new Wyndham Points. The time is right for our family to cash out. This is really a gift for us to be free and clear. I look forward to hearing about my last Wyndham Resort @ Patriot's Place.

 

[bamasteve]

holy smokes, 65% empty?

Hamilton Cove at Fairfield Bay was worse - 68% vacany rate. The letter is clear that this rate is unsustainable especially when considering the need for an upcoming major rennovation.

 

[TUGBrian]

never would have imagined it was that bad, and it certainly makes it far more clear what drove these decisions.

 

[Floridaman76]

never would have imagined it was that bad, and it certainly makes it far more clear what drove these decisions.

I've never been there, but I could never imagine why anyone would go to that place. Nothing to do, no real major "nature" stuff nearby. A lake, I guess some golf. Not near ANYWHERE.

It was Fairfield's first resort back in the 70's I guess. I'm guessing cheap land back in the day.

I could see Fairfield Glade having more promise long term, but barely. Having been there I realize it's got some major limitations, but at least it's near some population centers. There's just better options nearby now.

 

[bamasteve]

I've never been there, but I could never imagine why anyone would go to that place. Nothing to do, no real major "nature" stuff nearby. A lake, I guess some golf. Not near ANYWHERE.

It was Fairfield's first resort back in the 70's I guess. I'm guessing cheap land back in the day.

I could see Fairfield Glade having more promise long term, but barely. Having been there I realize it's got some major limitations, but at least it's near some population centers. There's just better options nearby now.

Only reason we went was because it was an equidistant location for all of our family members. It's nice but remote.

 

[jen.in.hi]

And I just received my notice for the Hamilton Cove HOA at Fairfield Bay. Special Meeting September 25, 2025.

The details are very similar the notice we received Mountain Meadows. Well, I enjoyed the Fairfield Bay location. It’s a beautiful, peaceful respite from busy, hectic life here in Honolulu.

Arkansas has much natural beauty to offer when the noise of life gets in the way of daily peace. It’s impossible to find anywhere without noise pollution on the island of Oahu. I (and my children) will miss staying at Fairfield Bay. Many thanks to those of you who have contributed your kindness and insight in this process.

 

[makersforme]

I've never been there, but I could never imagine why anyone would go to that place. Nothing to do, no real major "nature" stuff nearby. A lake, I guess some golf. Not near ANYWHERE.

It was Fairfield's first resort back in the 70's I guess. I'm guessing cheap land back in the day.

I could see Fairfield Glade having more promise long term, but barely. Having been there I realize it's got some major limitations, but at least it's near some population centers. There's just better options nearby now.

We went once years ago...long week to say the least. Had to drive to a pool. At the time, the closest Walmart was like a 45 minute drive. The county was dry so if you are a drinker that could be an issue. I live near St. Louis and there is no easy way to get there. Just miles of 2 lane road and we were stuck behind semis full of Tyson chickens. I voted yes on the proxy and will not be taking CWA points. Time for the exit...hopefully an easy exit.

 

[sponger76]

The details are very similar the notice we received Mountain Meadows. Well, I enjoyed the Fairfield Bay location. It’s a beautiful, peaceful respite from busy, hectic life here in Honolulu.

Arkansas has much natural beauty to offer when the noise of life gets in the way of daily peace. It’s impossible to find anywhere without noise pollution on the island of Oahu. I (and my children) will miss staying at Fairfield Bay. Many thanks to those of you who have contributed your kindness and insight in this process.

Wow, going from O'ahu to the middle of nowhere in Arkansas on a regular basis for vacation is just not something I would have imagined. There are lots of great out-in-nature areas on the mainland that are far closer and easier to get to. But I do feel you regarding the hustle and bustle of O'ahu. It's crazy compared to when I was growing up, I miss certain things (food, beaches, etc) but in a lot of ways I'm glad I only visit and don't actually live there anymore.

 

[Floridaman76]

Wow, going from O'ahu to the middle of nowhere in Arkansas on a regular basis for vacation is just not something I would have imagined. There are lots of great out-in-nature areas on the mainland that are far closer and easier to get to.

Absolutely.

How the original developers picked some of these locales seems like they just threw a dart at a map with their eyes closed.

"Bay", "Glade", Villa Rica, New Bern.

Time caught up with them

 

[rickandcindy23]

We went to Fairfield Bay in January on the way to Disney World, and there were dozens of deer roaming the grounds. It was so beautiful there. The roller coaster road to get there was kind of interesting.

We will miss that one.

Pagosa Springs is one I need to return to with the grandkids before the place is on the chopping block by Wyndham. The kids need to go to the Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde.

 

[njbelf]

We went to Fairfield Bay a couple years ago because our trip to Sedona got canceled by the airline. We looked at somewhere we could drive fairly comfortably and so picked Fairfield Bay. We drove through a vicious thunderstorm to get there and it was still pouring when we got our key to the room. By the time we found our way to where we were staying the rain ended and we had a great time there. Yes, the room (on the golf course, I think it was Wyndham Fairways) was a little dated but nothing was decrepit. We found they played pickle ball at the gym so my wife and I joined there one time. We swam in the pools, hiked Sugerload Mountain in the middle of the lake. used the grills.. all in all a fine week. Fairfield Bay is far more than a Wyndham spot.. I think what it suffers from is the lack of people in driving range.

So, when I saw the eclipse was going to go right over that resort, I booked it immediately. Apparently not many other people did. I got 4.5 minutes of totallity sitting on the golf course. If you paid for a round of golf, you got to take the golf cart with a fried chicken basket for lunch to the golf course. There were probably 4 other people out there with us. Note that had nothing to do with Wyndham. They local government had scared the people there that they were going to get overwhelmed with people. Needless to say, they had no such innundation. I did get a video that a guy did with a decent sized Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope of the eclipse. The telescope had the ability to track the sun so it's pretty cool to see the moon occlude it.

So, we really enjoy Fairfield Bay and will probably go back there even if Wyndham isn't there.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I think the question that needs to be asked is, can anyone provide a real-world example of Wyndham not providing points reimbursements for reservations that Wyndham cancels for any reason? It's one thing to not reimburse for an owner-based cancellation within 15 days without trip insurance, but if/when Wyndham forcibly cancels a reservation, IME Wyndham always provides points reimbursements - in this case into the future use year at least for those with a calendar year end use year as it relates to the actions in scope.

I think you need to know to watch and be sure the points go to the next use year. A careless action (by a VC or whoever is 'helping') can end with points returning to the year they came from (likely this year). If you know enough to ask, I don't think it's a issue to move them forward. (I was given points for a cancelled reservation for one of the hurricanes - it was October and I got current use year points - they were resale, so a struggle to use them). I read of others who got them reimbursed and moved forward. Hate to gripe too much about a goodwill gesture, they didn't have to do it at all (in my case). But pretty sure all I had to do was ask.