Diamond now taking over Sunrise Ridge Resort in Pigeon Forge

[DRIless]

Diamond presents these resorts as "Club Affiliated" on their corporate website. Thank you for the clarification that there are multiple types of affiliation. Whether their corporate henchmen actually own intervals at these resorts or their marketing lackeys just claim "Club Affiliated" doesn't matter to me. DRI is presenting to the public that these are Club Affiliated resorts, the same public to which they pitch membership in The Club.

Though, in the multitudes of documentation that no one ever reads, it has how many 'affiliated resorts' unit-weeks are in Club inventory .... In most cases it is negligible!!! And just boosts the hopes and expectations of the new Club Member, only to find that it can almost never be booked.

 

[Kozman]

I just recently attended one of my owned weeks at Oakmont Resort. All indications are that Diamond will not be taking over Oakmont and Treetops to the same extent as Sunrise Ridge. They appear on the Diamond website as affialiated which means very little at this time. Maintenance fees have been announced as having a 4.5% increase at Sunrise Ridge. I was expecting much worse from Diamond.

 

[Kozman]

Everything I have read about this company (DRI) has been awful. I own four deeded weeks at Sunrise Ridge and never fell into the RCI points trap, as I purchased specifically to use my time in Pigeon Forge, TN. I do not plan to join the DRI point system and give up my deeded property as many have done in the past. They are also taking over a portion of Alhambra in Poinciana, FL and probably Tree Tops in Gatlinburg, TN and possibly a portion of Oakmont in Pigeon Forge. If necessary, I will just use my deeded weeks, but am hopeful they keep the Amber internal point system for Sunrise, but am quite doubtful. Hoping to get my allotted points reserved for the remainder of 2018 before this terrible company takes over completely.

The recent mailing I got from Sunrise listed an approximate 4.5% maintenance fee increase for 2019. I was expecting a lot higher increase based on past experience with Diamond.

 

[Biomedbob]

I also got the proxy showing the 4.7% increase in the maintenance fee. I've started looking into options for getting rid of this bad choice on our part. What a tangled web! I already received a bunch of sales calls for all sorts of companies because of a simple inquiry I made yesterday.

 

[Kozman]

I also got the proxy showing the 4.7% increase in the maintenance fee. I've started looking into options for getting rid of this bad choice on our part. What a tangled web! I already received a bunch of sales calls for all sorts of companies because of a simple inquiry I made yesterday.

That's probably a good idea. Now would be a good time. I fear Diamond hasn't yet got their claws into the resort long enough to establish their master plan for 'improvements' and don't want to scare the resident wallets away just yet. I owned at Greensprings in Williamsburg when Diamond took over from Sunterra. It was a year or two into the change where they raised the MF by 23% in one year! When I bought it was $485. When I disposed of it the MF was $1600! I took advantage of their buy back offer for $250 per unit. That offer is now $750!

 

[Maple_Leaf]

That's probably a good idea. Now would be a good time. I fear Diamond hasn't yet got their claws into the resort long enough to establish their master plan for 'improvements' and don't want to scare the resident wallets away just yet.

Does Diamond control the board? If not, Diamond will start attending the board meetings with scary Vegas guys in tow. Some board members will decide they've had enough of the nonsense and retire, then DRI will run their henchmen for the open seats. Once DRI controls the board the fees will accelerate upward. Owners will default and DRI will take over the defaulted intervals for The Club. They've done this many times before with only a handful of resorts able to withstand the pressure and retain owner control.

Try searching on combinations of Diamond and:

• Tahoe Beach and Ski Club
• Cypress Pointe
• Royal Dunes

 

[Kozman]

I just attended the owners annual meeting at Oakmont Resort. There were rumors Diamond would be taking them and Treetops. Charey Anderson President put an end to that rumor. Diamond will NOT be coming. That is great news.

 

[nuwermj]

I just attended the owners annual meeting at Oakmont Resort. There were rumors Diamond would be taking them and Treetops. Charey Anderson President put an end to that rumor. Diamond will NOT be coming. That is great news.

Kozman, was anything said about the future relationship with Amber Vacation Club? Will the club continue? Can current members continue to convert their home resort week into AVC points? And most importantly, can new owners join AVC and trade their home resort week for other AVC locations?

 

[Sandy VDH]

I rescinded a Sunterra in 1997. Lucky #1. If I would have kept it, it would have become a Diamond. Lucky #2.

Been a TUGger ever since. Lucky #3.

 

[Kozman]

Kozman, was anything said about the future relationship with Amber Vacation Club? Will the club continue? Can current members continue to convert their home resort week into AVC points? And most importantly, can new owners join AVC and trade their home resort week for other AVC locations?

That question was posed at least in one form or another. The answer is Diamond took over Amber so all answers have to come from them. I doubt new Amber members would be allowed. Diamond wants you to buy Diamond points. Since I own at both Oakmont and Sunrise Ridge I will have to contend with Diamond to use my Amber points. I haven't tried to book my week for '19. The rumor I heard was that Amber people will only get to use the bottom floor while the top floors would be reserved for Diamond owners.

 

[Kozman]

I rescinded a Sunterra in 1997. Lucky #1. If I would have kept it, it would have become a Diamond. Lucky #2.

Been a TUGger ever since. Lucky #3.

I owned with Sunterra at Greensprings and Powhatan. That was about 2000. After that my maintenance fees doubled and tripled from about $485 to $1600. A couple of years ago I deeded my Diamond properties back at $250 per week. Now you will need to pop for $750 to get Diamond to take the deed back. If possible stay very far away!

 

[pedro47]

How much are The Club dues for 2019 ?

 

[nuwermj]

How much are The Club dues for 2019 ?

For Diamond point owners dues are $181 plus $0.00518 per point, with a minimum dues of $245 (the cut off is about 12,300 points)

For deeded week assigned to the Club, dues are $285 plus $0.00988 per point (no minimum amount)

 

[pedro47]

I did not know that DRI have taken over Royal Dune on HHI, SC.

 

[Kozman]

I visited Sunrise recently only to find out that the recreation department has been eliminated. But I have not heard anything about my maintenance fee being lowered by the comparable amount.

 

[DRIless]

I did not know that DRI have taken over Royal Dune on HHI, SC.

DRI has not "taken over" Royal Dunes, it's a Club Affiliate with limited inventory and is not under DRI management unless you have new news not reflected on DRI website.

 

[moonstone]

I visited Sunrise recently only to find out that the recreation department has been eliminated. But I have not heard anything about my maintenance fee being lowered by the comparable amount.

Wow! Yes if Diamond is taking departments and staff away our maintenance fees should be going down -not up!


~Diane

 

[bluehende]

I visited Sunrise recently only to find out that the recreation department has been eliminated. But I have not heard anything about my maintenance fee being lowered by the comparable amount.

That is such a shame. We were there a while ago and had lovely interactions with them.