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I am a NV GL owner for a year - should I considered paid SFX membership?

seema

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  1. I own several timeshares that use II as an exchange company - including Marriott (deeded week at Ko Olina and additional points), and also WestgateI bought a GL loft unit (a studio +?) last year.
  2. I believe that Vidanta gives free membership to the SFX for a year; I have not had a chance to use it.

  3. The question is whether I should become continue membership with the SFX - can one practically use the SFX collection services?

    The first is the quality of resorts - what resorts does SFX have access to?

    The next question is variety and number of locations of such resorts in the SFX collection?

    The third question is what can a GL loft unit get me with SFX - just a studio, or a 1 BR (I would want to stay there for a week) in a high demand location during a high demand season (I typically like beach resorts).

    The fourth question is how easy is it for the exchanges requests to go through - does SFX offer on-line exchanging like II?
The fifth question is why does SFX offer 2 weeks to exchange into, for every 1 week
deposited? Is it because the quality and variety of 5 star resorts is somewhat limited?
 

SmithOp

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Anyone can get a free gold membership and purchase from the resort escapes list, check it out to see what they typically have as leftovers in a 2-3 month lookahead. For exchanges further out you need to deposit and place a request. These are the only online exchanges they have, only their reps can see all the inventory.

https://www.sfxresorts.com/resort/escapes/

You will have to call them to see if they will accept your studio, they have tons of Mexico inventory. Vidanta gives them lots of weeks to get fresh blood in the door for sales.
 

T-Dot-Traveller

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Hi Seema ,
I recall reading and posting on your thread when you bought .
Read your contract and see if it mentions:

" Vida -SFX weeks "These are bonus weeks that are only for exchanging ( through SFX ) and you only pay if you use .
The 2 weeks for 1 is when you deposit your " actual use at GL week " ( I believe )

The Vida -SFX weeks are (IMO) essentially " developer weeks that Vidanta "controls "with SFX - post deposit . By this I mean - it puts weeks into SFX
with the owners payment on use MF payment , but the person getting the week from SFX is more likely to get a spring or fall exchange than Feb. / peak Snowbird Season .

If your contract has a Vida-SFX week - I would use it first - if you wish to exchange .
I also believe it may give you a " permanent " basic SFX account , but it may require use or activation to keep .
I would explore Vida-SFX week options (if you have them) before using RCI -Registry or ll . This is in part because Vidanta has had a long term relationship with SFX and this concept allows you to use your Grand Luxxe week at Vidanta AND exchange when you wish - by paying and depositing the Vida-SFX (bonus) week .

Your Grand Luxxe week has some kind of ARP that allows you to reserve six months OR MORE in advance . I would suggest you use your 2017 week to book something in (Feb) 2018 on the first date your ARP allows . Example President's Week / CDN Family Day week ( Monday Feb 12 2018 ) . ( many/most Vidanta contracts allow this "booking"into next year -especially snowbird season . If your ARP is 6 months you should call reservations Aug. 1 to book a Feb. week ).


I recall you listed home as Ottawa - so Feb. (any year) is a good time to not be in Ottawa unless you love cold and snow .

If you have not yet used your 2016 week I would call reservations and see what is available between now and May 2017 .( or latter if your ARP is more than 6 months )
<Note that Easter is April 16 in 2017 so the week on either side will likely be full >
. I would think there will be availability after April 23 2017 .
You could also ask reservations to look at Grand Bliss and Grand Mayan availability . Your contract may get you a larger size suite at those Vidanta brands and asking -
gives more search options in terms of available units.

Reading your contract details may clarify your options.

I hope this helps .

.
 
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seema

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Hi Seema ,
I recall reading and posting on your thread when you bought .
Read your contract and see if it mentions:

" Vida -SFX weeks "These are bonus weeks that are only for exchanging ( through SFX ) and you only pay if you use .
The 2 weeks for 1 is when you deposit your " actual use at GL week " ( I believe )

The Vida -SFX weeks are (IMO) essentially " developer weeks that Vidanta "controls "with SFX - post deposit . By this I mean - it puts weeks into SFX
with the owners payment on use MF payment , but the person getting the week from SFX is more likely to get a spring or fall exchange than Feb. / peak Snowbird Season .

If your contract has a Vida-SFX week - I would use it first - if you wish to exchange .
I also believe it may give you a " permanent " basic SFX account , but it may require use or activation to keep .
I would explore Vida-SFX week options (if you have them) before using RCI -Registry or ll . This is in part because Vidanta has had a long term relationship with SFX and this concept allows you to use your Grand Luxxe week at Vidanta AND exchange when you wish - by paying and depositing the Vida-SFX (bonus) week .

Your Grand Luxxe week has some kind of ARP that allows you to reserve six months OR MORE in advance . I would suggest you use your 2017 week to book something in (Feb) 2018 on the first date your ARP allows . Example President's Week / CDN Family Day week ( Monday Feb 12 2018 ) . ( many/most Vidanta contracts allow this "booking"into next year -especially snowbird season . If your ARP is 6 months you should call reservations Aug. 1 to book a Feb. week ).


I recall you listed home as Ottawa - so Feb. (any year) is a good time to not be in Ottawa unless you love cold and snow .

If you have not yet used your 2016 week I would call reservations and see what is available between now and May 2017 .( or latter if your ARP is more than 6 months )
<Note that Easter is April 16 in 2017 so the week on either side will likely be full >
. I would think there will be availability after April 23 2017 .
You could also ask reservations to look at Grand Bliss and Grand Mayan availability . Your contract may get you a larger size suite at those Vidanta brands and asking -
gives more search options in terms of available units.

Reading your contract details may clarify your options.

I hope this helps .

.

You have lost me.

Follow up questions:

If I deposit a GL loft week to SFX - I presume I get 2 weeks in exchange (I presume what I would get is a studio for each of the 2 weeks? - as GL loft is essentially a studio unit - but almost a 1 BR unit).

So what is a Vidanta/SFX week - are you saying the developer also deposits weeks with SFX (the week's MFs are paid for by the timeshare owner, but not used?)- if that is the case, then the trading power of my deposited week would suffer?

I do not see how Vidanta can deposit a timeshare owner's week into SFX, if the owner has used it or plans to use it.

The basic question is whether there are a sufficient number of good quality weeks that my GL loft week can exchange into via SFX - or should I use my II account that I have for my other resorts, for such an exchange? Or should I register as a paid member with the Registry Collection? Of course, the Registry Collection/RCI does get me certain high quality resorts that II does not get me access - esp Disney and Hilton. I do not know how easy it would be to get to the latter resorts via SFX?



PS-for a GL unit, I have 12 months of advance booking time (ARP).
 

T-Dot-Traveller

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Hi Seema ,
When you were buying -you posted the following question on TUG - Nov 15
It is under { Merged - Vidanta Update } thread - Nov 15 2015

"One can buy extra weeks (closest analogy to ll is getaway weeks) and then deposit them with exchange company (SFX) to get other weeks in exchange-without using one's own week week at the resort . What is your experience with this benefit ? " - Nov 15 2015

The Vida-SFX weeks are these weeks .

************

My explanation post of how this works is based on " reading the tea leaves" of TUG postings and personally doing (5) Vidanta "presentations .

IMO - Vidanta builds for peak snowbird season in pesos and collects MF in dollars .All weeks are float RTU - but it is in their interest ( IMO ) to have enough room from the beginning of Jan. to mid April to have week(s) available for all owners who want to come AND some exchangers -(IMO ) who they hope to sell - Vidanta has approx. 7000 + suites x 13 weeks ( remove 2 for Easter from the actual 15 week Snowbird season ) This equals 91,000+units - and they are pretty well full from early Jan until mid April .
They plan to build more to coincide with the Nuevo Cirque theme park opening in 2018 and then there is East Cape , Baja that is in planning / construction .

This means (IMO) that in the less busy spring and fall there are more weeks than owners . Vidanta has always " given " owners bonus weeks when you buy ,
- that have always been pay on use only .
In my Mayan Palace contract (2006) it is called "Vacation Fare Week" and bookable only 45 days ahead in peak Feb. & March ( ie) it is for shoulder season use ,
unless I get lucky or go to Maz or Acapulco which are slower to fill up .

Currently Vidanta works with SFX and "packages " these bonus weeks as : 'Vida-SFX Weeks . ( and yes they seem similar to ll getaway weeks)

I do not have Vida -SFX weeks in my contract and have never used SFX
( We did get a number of free years of membership in SFX when we bought- which is why I say it is a long term relationship. )

Vidanta also work with RCI , ll , ICE - ( Vida Dollars ) and individual owners can reserve a week and then deposit into
other exchange companies .

Some Grand Luxxe owners feel that most of the available exchanges from ALL companies are a "step down " and therefore not as good a value as staying at GL .

That is why I suggested using an optional SFX-Vida Week for exchange,
and use your resort week at one of the Grand Luxxe properties . If you have one year ARP you should be able to get what you want - if you book when the window opens .
(Using the Vida-SFX week requires a payment when deposited to SFX ** )

I believe you are correct that depositing your "resort week " will get 2 for 1 with SFX . I believe you posted that Vidanta paid for 2 years of SFX diamond level when you bought .


I would suggest calling SFX and start asking what you could get .( using your " resort week - OR -alternately a (bonus) - Vida SFX week ( and for what $$ payment )

**Here is the statement from the SFX brochure that Vidanta uses :
"...SFX Vida Weeks are priced on a sliding scale based on how far in advance you book and the unit size chosen . Now extra vacations can be yours for as little as $ 169 for a week (studio) .....The approximate Retail values of the accommodations you can book with your Vida Week range from $1300 to $3200.

To find out how to utilize your SFX Vida Week(s) call 800 739 9969 ... "
( per brochure ) : to learn more visit www.sfx-resorts.com/vida ( per brochure )

.
 
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LynnW

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I have used SFX many times and have been very happy with them. They do seem to have more inventory in California, Arizona, Hawaii and Mexico.
 

pittle

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I just exchanged 2 deposits for Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay in Mazatlan for 2-2-bedroom weeks at the Grand Bliss in Riviera Maya. If you have a Platinum Membership with SFX, you can choose a lone size larger unit to exchange at no higher fee. I deposited my 2017 week with PBEB in early February and in late February put in a request for GB 2-bed or GL 1-bed units for anytime between February through May 2018 and got a confirmation on March 16th for the 2 2-bedroom units for the last 2 weeks of April 2018.

Last year I had requested one specific week for this year in a GL 2-bedroom and was still on the wait list. But, I wanted Thanksgiving week only.

SFX does not usually let you choose a "Mayan World" property when you deposit another "Mayan World" property. So, if you deposited the Studio Loft in GL, they most likely would not let you book a 1-bedroom GL property. At least that has been my experience when I deposited a Mayan Palace 2-bedroom. Other MP or Gm units were not available for us to choose.That was in 2008 or 2009, so the "rule" may have changed. I chose to deposit an non-Mayan property this time - besides 2- PBEB weeks MF are significantly less than GL and with GL exchangegs there are extra fees.
 

pianoetudes

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I believe that Vidanta gives free membership to the SFX for a year; I have not had a chance to use it.

Check your SFX membership form again. For GL owners, Vidanta normally gave two year of SFX membership.
 

pittle

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Check your SFX membership form again. For GL owners, Vidanta normally gave two year of SFX membership.
Yes - we got a 2-year Diamond Membership with our contract, but that was in 2013. I do not know what they are doing now.
 
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