Avenue Plaza, New Orleans

[Egret1986]

Thanks, Tracey; I think you finally broke through the plexiglass

What this ad said is true...as far as it goes. The week is deeded as a specific unit and week. I have several estopples for some of the weeks I own here and although its clear on them what week and unit is being sold and that there are no past due fees; how the ownership works is not included

There is no way that the ebay seller would know unless the original owner told them. and unless they tried to make a Mardi Gras, or Jazz Fest or Sugar Bowl reservation, sometime in their ownership, they wouldnt know either

Calling the resort might help, but unless you ask the right questions you wont get the answers you need. And the reservations desk wont talk to you unless you own here

Ron, someone just PM'd me and broke your post down to give me understanding of what you were trying to tell me. According to her, even though I have a deeded week 6, which happens to fall on Mardi Gras week in 2013; I won't have use of it because those automatically go to Event Week 9 owners. No how, no way I'm going to Mardi Gras in 2013. I know, I know; that's what you said; but for some reason it didn't penetrate. Upon providing my info to this seller, I told him that I wanted a reservation made since I needed to be assured of the date. I guess that ain't gonna happen. Oh, well; easy come, easy go.

 

[VivianLynne]

I have researched this resort a bit and have spoke with the resort a couple of times, and still did not have the "right" information. Then I did not understand what was being said to me by Ron.

I think I get it now. Thanks every one!

It is "THICK" as a brick.

And you can't help it in your old age in your 50's?

 

[ronparise]

It is "THICK" as a brick.

And you can't help it in your old age in your 50's?

And Clear as Mud


The first week I bought here came with the assurance from the seller that I could make a reservation for Mardi Gras every year...She was wrong. and so was I

But I learned from that mistake. and I learned about the other neat features of this ownership. and found that there are other good reasons to own here,

1) "Split weeks": I can make a 3 night reservation and a 4 night reservation with the same week. They can both be on weekends and they can be on the same weekend. Which means I can go to the Essence Festival and the French Quarter fest or the Voodoo Fest and a Saints game, with the same one week ownership. or even all 4 (keep reading to see how)



2) "Right to use weeks" with each week you own you get the right to use another week (just pay another mf) ....and if you own a studio like I do you can use your right to use week for a one bedroom if you like, or another studio. What some owners do here is to rent their own week at a profit, and use the profit to pay for a right to use week for themselves...ie free vacations. or since there are only one bedrooms and studios here I could reserve my studio and use my right to use week for a one bedroom , effectively creating a two bedroom unit....

The right to use week is like owning a second week that you dont have to pay for unless you use it...


If you want Mardi Gras for future years (its too late for 2013 unlesss you get lucky) your best bet is to buy Wyndham points deeded at La Belle Maison or Worldmark credits (Worldmark owns 63 units at Avenue Plaza) and be at your computer 13 months in advance to make the reservation. Or look into BlueGreen points. Bluegreen just took over Club La Pension and you may be able to use blueGreen points to make a Mardi Gras reservation...Im not sure

 

[Egret1986]

I got the document today from Resort Closings from Wyndham

I will be happy to make a conference call with you to discuss this with the reservations desk so you can know what you are buying before you buy it

If you're still willing to make that conference call with me, I would really, really appreciate it.

I'm going to email you also. You have no idea how much I appreciate that you brought this to my attention.

 

[Egret1986]

The folks at the closing company are about done with me

If this was the listing 370669460886

I dont think you get Mardi Gras for 2013, This is a week 6...Week 9 is the Mardi Gras event week. Almost everything here is a floating week. They are deeded as a specific week and unit, but they float over the entire year except Mardi Gras, the week before Mardi Gras, The two weeks of Jazz fest and Sugar Bowl. Week 9 is the specified mardi Gras event week, Whenever Mardi Gras falls on the calender (next year week 6) Week 9 owners get Mardi Gras week

Thats one of the "rules" at this place. Week 9 owners are the only ones that can make a reservation for Mardi Gras week

I'm driving the closing company crazy now that I have driven myself crazy. I have the document from Wyndham verifying that this is a "fixed" week 6, annual use with a Friday check-in. It does not state that it is a floating ownership and is only deeded as week 6. I can tell the closing agent, while still remaining professional, is about at the end of her rope with me.

I have to believe, at this point, after seeing the document from Wyndham that this is indeed a fixed week 6 and, in that case, that I will have use of Mardi Gras week this year.

Ron, I emailed you about that conference call with reservations, but I think the verification from Wyndham that this is a fixed week 6 is enough for me to move forward. If I'm left flapping in the breeze, then it's not like you didn't try to save me. Thank you.

 

[csxjohn]

I have to believe, at this point, after seeing the document from Wyndham that this is indeed a fixed week 6 and, in that case, that I will have use of Mardi Gras week this year.

Ron, I emailed you about that conference call with reservations, but I think the verification from Wyndham that this is a fixed week 6 is enough for me to move forward. If I'm left flapping in the breeze, then it's not like you didn't try to save me. Thank you.

Why not make the phone call with Ron's help before you finalize the deal??

If you're right, no harm done, if you're wrong you can avoid a mistake before you make it. It seems so easy to me to just make the call.

 

[ronparise]

Why not make the phone call with Ron's help before you finalize the deal??

If you're right, no harm done, if you're wrong you can avoid a mistake before you make it. It seems so easy to me to just make the call.

I just called the reservations guys (800-225-3522). Tyler tells me that there are no fixed weeks at Avenue Plaza everything floats over the whole year with the exception of 5 "black out" special event weeks

1) Mardi Gras; Week 9 was sold as the designated Mardi Gras week and whenever Mardi Gras falls on the calendar, week 9 owners are the only ones that can make a reservation

2) Lundi Gras; (the week before Mardi Gras) Week 8 was sold as the designated Lundi Gras event Week

3) Jazz Fest week 1; Week 17 was sold as the designated Jazz Fest week 1 event week

4) Jazz Fest week 2; Week 18 was sold as the designated Jazz fest week 2 event week

5) Sugar Bowl; Week 52 was sold as the designated Sugar Bowl event week


Week 6 unfortunately will not get you mardi gras even if mardi gras is in week 6...Tyler said to call and they would confirm the rules here for you.. I think everyone on that desk knows who I am so let them know I said to call.

 

[Egret1986]

Great, Ron! I love dropping names and having names to drop them on!

I just called the reservations guys (800-225-3522). Tyler tells me that there are no fixed weeks at Avenue Plaza everything floats over the whole year with the exception of 5 "black out" special event weeks

1) Mardi Gras; Week 9 was sold as the designated Mardi Gras week and whenever Mardi Gras falls on the calendar, week 9 owners are the only ones that can make a reservation

2) Lundi Gras; (the week before Mardi Gras) Week 8 was sold as the designated Lundi Gras event Week

3) Jazz Fest week 1; Week 17 was sold as the designated Jazz Fest week 1 event week

4) Jazz Fest week 2; Week 18 was sold as the designated Jazz fest week 2 event week

5) Sugar Bowl; Week 52 was sold as the designated Sugar Bowl event week


Week 6 unfortunately will not get you mardi gras even if mardi gras is in week 6...Tyler said to call and they would confirm the rules here for you.. I think everyone on that desk knows who I am so let them know I said to call.

I wonder why the document from Wyndham Owner Services specifically states "fixed" week 6?

Ron, you're a gem for taking the time to help a fellow Tugger out.

 

[ace2000]

I think the next time I stay at the Wyndham Avenue, I'm going to mention that I know Ron Parise...

What do you think, think that's worth something extra?

 

[Egret1986]

It was very easy to make the call.

Why not make the phone call with Ron's help before you finalize the deal??

If you're right, no harm done, if you're wrong you can avoid a mistake before you make it. It seems so easy to me to just make the call.

The call confirmed everything that Ron said. Too bad for me. I was very excited about this resort. But, alas, I do not like float weeks and having to make reservations. Not sure why, but I have an aversion to it.

I just called the reservations guys (800-225-3522). Tyler tells me that there are no fixed weeks at Avenue Plaza everything floats over the whole year with the exception of 5 "black out" special event weeks

Week 6 unfortunately will not get you mardi gras even if mardi gras is in week 6...Tyler said to call and they would confirm the rules here for you.. I think everyone on that desk knows who I am so let them know I said to call.

You were right, Ron; they all know you and love you! I believe her name was Bert I spoke with today, agreed you were very knowledgeable about Avenue Plaza and its inner-workings.

I appreciate your patience and persistence. I wanted to believe otherwise and the Wyndham document seemed to confirm things. I'm not going to Mardi Gras and I'm not going to be an owner at Avenue Plaza, but that's okay. I didn't know how I was going to fit in all the vacations planned for 2013 and this one, too.

Whew, that pressure's off.

I can't thank you enough.

 

[ronparise]

The call confirmed everything that Ron said. Too bad for me. I was very excited about this resort. But, alas, I do not like float weeks and having to make reservations. Not sure why, but I have an aversion to it.



You were right, Ron; they all know you and love you! I believe her name was Bert I spoke with today, agreed you were very knowledgeable about Avenue Plaza and its inner-workings.

I appreciate your patience and persistence. I wanted to believe otherwise and the Wyndham document seemed to confirm things. I'm not going to Mardi Gras and I'm not going to be an owner at Avenue Plaza, but that's okay. I didn't know how I was going to fit in all the vacations planned for 2013 and this one, too.

Whew, that pressure's off.

I can't thank you enough.

You're Welcome

I tend to spout off and act like a know it all sometimes, but I dont know how else to act when I do know something.

Im sorry you didnt get what you wanted and had hoped for, but Im glad you found out now, rather than after you own it and are faced with a maintenance fee bill for something that wont work for your purposes

This place is not unique when it comes to floating weeks. Im buying 2 fixed week at a resort in Hawaii now, where the seller owns weeks 17 and 19. They are specifically deeded as 17 and 19, no mention on the deed or estopple about floating. The way I learned is that it seemed strange that this guy owned 17 and 19. I mean what did he do for the week in between, sleep on the beach?? I learned they float..Some years ago the board changed the rules to make things float.

At Avenue Plaza if you go to the Orleans County Courthouse to the Notarial Archives and pull the records for Avenue Plaza from when the place was converted from a hotel to a timeshare you will see the "floating use rules" The deeded week and unit is for inventory purposes only.

I like floating weeks but you are right to be careful with them. It is possible, especially at sold out properties like this one, to come up short at the end of the year...pay your maintenance fees, but no vacancies.

 

[csxjohn]

...
Whew, that pressure's off...

I'm also glad you saw the light and got out of an ownership that would not work the way you thought it would.

This is an excellent example of how one tugger (Ron) was able to really help another(you).

The way you saw and heard what you wanted to is how developer timeshare sales people can trick unsuspecting guests into spending tens of thousands of dollars for things that sometimes sell for $1.

 

[Egret1986]

John Kushman at DonateForACause refunded my $19 and cancelled the transaction

I've bought a few timeshares over the last few years from this Group. I had signed the docs and paid for the timeshare before Ron posted about the non-use of week 6 for Mardi Gras.

I started the email dialogue over the weekend regarding the usage and sent several emails back and forth to the escrow agent yesterday, who had sent me the document from Wyndham.

After Ron was kind enough to call Reservations and confirm what he already knew about this ownership and posted it here on TUG, I emailed John that I had talked to Wyndham on the encouragement of a fellow TUG member and Avenue Plaza owner, and it was confirmed that the ownership was a float week. John immediately refunded my payment, as well as cancelled the transaction.

He's not too happy with Wyndham right now, but at least he has been educated on the ownership at this resort, like I was. I had previously bid on a "fixed" week 11 at this resort a couple of months back through this Group. However, during my due diligence I discovered that it was a studio and not a one bedroom as listed. They cancelled the transaction immediately when I notified them. So, I've dodged two recent bullets.

I recommend TUG at least once or twice a month to others. I tell them that even though I've been a timeshare owner for almost 30 years, I glean valuable information from the site all the time and visit at least once a day.

Go TUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Egret1986]

Ron, was this Hawaii resort with the weeks 17 and 19 a Wyndham resort?

This place is not unique when it comes to floating weeks. Im buying 2 fixed week at a resort in Hawaii now, where the seller owns weeks 17 and 19. They are specifically deeded as 17 and 19, no mention on the deed or estopple about floating. The way I learned is that it seemed strange that this guy owned 17 and 19. I mean what did he do for the week in between, sleep on the beach?? I learned they float..Some years ago the board changed the rules to make things float.

I've bought and resold over 100 timeshares over the years and have never run into the experience that I just ran into with this Avenue Plaza timeshare. It's been a very humbling experience. I got the answers that I was looking for when I did my due diligence. Unfortunately, they weren't the correct answers and I didn't know enough in order to pursue it further.

I guess I need to step up my due diligence another notch.

 

[ronparise]

I've bought a few timeshares over the last few years from this Group. I had signed the docs and paid for the timeshare before Ron posted about the non-use of week 6 for Mardi Gras.

I started the email dialogue over the weekend regarding the usage and sent several emails back and forth to the escrow agent yesterday, who had sent me the document from Wyndham.

After Ron was kind enough to call Reservations and confirm what he already knew about this ownership and posted it here on TUG, I emailed John that I had talked to Wyndham on the encouragement of a fellow TUG member and Avenue Plaza owner, and it was confirmed that the ownership was a float week. John immediately refunded my payment, as well as cancelled the transaction.

He's not too happy with Wyndham right now, but at least he has been educated on the ownership at this resort, like I was. I had previously bid on a "fixed" week 11 at this resort a couple of months back through this Group. However, during my due diligence I discovered that it was a studio and not a one bedroom as listed. They cancelled the transaction immediately when I notified them. So, I've dodged two recent bullets.

I recommend TUG at least once or twice a month to others. I tell them that even though I've been a timeshare owner for almost 30 years, I glean valuable information from the site all the time and visit at least once a day.

Go TUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John should know better, he advertised a week 9 (Mardi Gras) in the TuG classifieds, for a lot more than $19. He knew it was a Mardi Gras Event week and advertised it that way...(Yes I bought it)

The Hawaii Week is a Pahaio resort, now Wyndham...But dont hold Wyndham responsible, they took over this place and Avenue Plaza well after the original developers were dead and the rules in place. By the way, Ive been on the phone and computer for the better part of two days with the resort, Wyndham, the reservations people, salesmen at the property and at the corporate level, as well as with other owners trying to figure this place out; to decide if it will work for my purposes.... it looks like it will, I pulled the trigger today

 

[Egret1986]

Perhaps I've just been lucky. I do my due diligence, but maybe not enough of it.

John should know better, he advertised a week 9 (Mardi Gras) in the TuG classifieds, for a lot more than $19. He knew it was a Mardi Gras Event week and advertised it that way...(Yes I bought it)

Hmmmm, interesting.

The Hawaii Week is a Pahaio resort, now Wyndham...But dont hold Wyndham responsible, they took over this place and Avenue Plaza well after the original developers were dead and the rules in place. By the way, Ive been on the phone and computer for the better part of two days with the resort, Wyndham, the reservations people, salesmen at the property and at the corporate level, as well as with other owners trying to figure this place out; to decide if it will work for my purposes.... it looks like it will, I pulled the trigger today

Sounds like you did plenty of due diligence on this purchase. Wow!

 

[MaryH]

DonateForACause or John knows about special events week like Mardi Gras and Jazz Week in NOLA.

Draw your own conclusion from that.

 

[Egret1986]

John played if off like Wyndham had pulled a fast one on him

John should know better, he advertised a week 9 (Mardi Gras) in the TuG classifieds, for a lot more than $19. He knew it was a Mardi Gras Event week and advertised it that way...(Yes I bought it)

DonateForACause or John knows about special events week like Mardi Gras and Jazz Week in NOLA.

Draw your own conclusion from that.

It's good to know for future reference; however, it's sad to know that he was willing to let me think that I was actually going to be using the week 6 and would be buying airfares for that week. There was an email sent to him right after winning the auction about making the reservation in my name because I needed to buy my tickets. He sent an email to his escrow agent to send me the document from Wyndham stating the timeshare was a fixed week. I copied him on all the emails between the escrow agent and myself questioning what I had been told by an Avenue Plaza owner and TUG member.

Conclusion drawn.

 

[pianodinosaur]

We love NOLA and it is in driving distance. However, we usually only stay for 3-4 days so we do not use a TS. Our favorite place to stay is at The Roosevelt. FIL loves Lake Charles and we are usually able to drive back and forth for a day.

 

[ronparise]

We love NOLA and it is in driving distance. However, we usually only stay for 3-4 days so we do not use a TS. Our favorite place to stay is at The Roosevelt. FIL loves Lake Charles and we are usually able to drive back and forth for a day.

Wyndhams La Belle Maison is points based and 3 or 4 night reservations can be done here. Avenue Plaza is a "shared resort"

Worldmark has rooms here that you can reserve a night at a time if you want, Wyndhams points work here for 3 and 4 night stays, but the bulk of the ownerships were sold as floating weeks. These weeks can be split into a 3 and a 4 night stay

So timeshares would work for your needs.

 

[chapjim]

Wyndhams La Belle Maison is points based and 3 or 4 night reservations can be done here. Avenue Plaza is a "shared resort"

Worldmark has rooms here that you can reserve a night at a time if you want, Wyndhams points work here for 3 and 4 night stays, but the bulk of the ownerships were sold as floating weeks. These weeks can be split into a 3 and a 4 night stay

So timeshares would work for your needs.

Might add that either check-in or check-out must be on a Friday. I'm not sure but that may be relaxed a bit close to check-in.

 

[ronparise]

Might add that either check-in or check-out must be on a Friday. I'm not sure but that may be relaxed a bit close to check-in.

Jim

Thats true for your Wyndham points, but Worldmark allows any day check in and my floating weeks can be split and check in can be any day