Best options for several Bentley Brook weekends

[czar]

Hello everyone,

I've read through the Wyndham stickies and feel like I have a basic understanding of the system, and I've searched through the forum specific to Bentley Brook to read other questions and answers.

I'm trying to determine the best option to stay at Bentley Brook 2-4 weekends/year for the next several (5-7) years or so. We have decent flexibility both in planning and booking which weekends we'd come - and does not need to be prime weeks like President's Week. We are within driving distance and would need a 2br, and would either want Fri and Sat or Fri, Sat, Sun. Wondering if it's best to try to rent the days we need as we go along (e.g., from someone who's booked them already) or if it makes sense to purchase Wyndham points? I also read in some places that you can rent someone else's points to book yourself?

If we did purchase, would we need ARP here for winter weekends December through February? Or could we purchase points from another resort? I've looked and the MF seem a little higher st BB.

I'm not leaning one way or the other at this point. We have lots of Starwood properties and points, so we can travel to other places using those, although thinking long term, it seems like there are many more Wyndham properties my wife and I could visit when the kids are older and we could travel solo.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[hjsweet2002]

Bentley Brook

This is our favorite resort to get away. It is hard to get reservations for the ski season. We made the mistake of buying points there but did not buy enough points to get APR for a two bedroom. You need at least 164,000 points for most of the period that you want or 189,000 for Christmas week and week 7. This is a super resort. We spend every Thanksgiving there. We live in upstate NY and go there on long weekend and sometimes on school break for a week. The staff there is the best. We love our time there. Jim and Mary

 

[czar]

This is our favorite resort to get away. It is hard to get reservations for the ski season. We made the mistake of buying points there but did not buy enough points to get APR for a two bedroom. You need at least 164,000 points for most of the period that you want or 189,000 for Christmas week and week 7. This is a super resort. We spend every Thanksgiving there. We live in upstate NY and go there on long weekend and sometimes on school break for a week. The staff there is the best. We love our time there. Jim and Mary

Thanks so much. Great feedback and very helpful.

 

[czar]

Well I decided to buy some points and have an offer in on 189k BB points. After talking to different owners it sounds like other than early December, booking weekends during prime ski season is tough. So I'll bite the bullet and try to get some points to work with to get the weekends we want.

Thanks for listening!

 

[massvacationer]

I own a bunch of Bentley Brook UDI points. Here's some info:

Ownership types: some of the resort is UDI points, some is floating weeks, and some is floating weeks that have been converted to points. It's best to understand the differences before you buy.

Availability: Xmas to NYs, MLK weekend, and Presidents week all will need ARP to book. Other winter weekends can generally be booked without ARP, but ARP is handy.

We go there several times each winter and I also rent-out several reservations each season.

Any questions just ask - or PM me.

 

[scootr5]

I own a bunch of Bentley Brook UDI points. Here's some info:

Ownership types: some of the resort is UDI points, some is floating weeks, and some is floating weeks that have been converted to points. It's best to understand the differences before you buy.

Availability: Xmas to NYs, MLK weekend, and Presidents week all will need ARP to book. Other winter weekends can generally be booked without ARP, but ARP is handy.

Make sure you're not buying a converted week if you're looking to use ARP, as ARP would only be for the underlying week.

 

[antjmar]

Well I decided to buy some points and have an offer in on 189k BB points. After talking to different owners it sounds like other than early December, booking weekends during prime ski season is tough. So I'll bite the bullet and try to get some points to work with to get the weekends we want.

Thanks for listening!

Based on the points chart using a 2 bedroom for 3 two night stays and 1 3 night stay (prime weekend) you will need just under 300k points.
I own points there maintenance fees are above average. But we want it for ski season like you.
if you only plan to use them 5-7 years keep in mind if you bought today the first winter you could use the arp would probably be 2017.
Personally I would just rent.
Good luck

 

[czar]

Thanks for all the feedback, it's very helpful. I will confirm the type of underlying property.

Also, I understood that Wyndham MF were paid monthly; while I am not paying for the contract, other than sharing in closing and transfer costs, they're requesting that he entire 2016 MF be paid at closing. Is that correct?

Thanks

 

[antjmar]

they're requesting that he entire 2016 MF be paid at closing. Is that correct?

Thanks

I have never had to do this. Why do you have to prepay an entire year?

 

[CruiseGuy]

Thanks for all the feedback, it's very helpful. I will confirm the type of underlying property.

Also, I understood that Wyndham MF were paid monthly; while I am not paying for the contract, other than sharing in closing and transfer costs, they're requesting that he entire 2016 MF be paid at closing. Is that correct?

Thanks

At this point in time, they are probably expecting Wyndham to charge them the 2016 maintenance fees before the deed is transferred, and they may be set up with annual auto-pay. Wyndham will bill monthly, but I believe they charge an $8/month convenience fee for this, plus another fee if you don't have autopay set up and you want to use a credit card.

The other thing to be aware of is that with 189,000 points, you will have 2 reservation transactions per year. All reservations made the same business day count as 1 transaction. After that you have to pay for additional transactions. Also be aware of how many housekeeping points you will use. You'll probably be okay, but those short weekends use just as many as a full week. So some people run out and have to pay fees for additional housekeeping credits because of short stays. Have you calculated how often you plan to stay and when, how many points this will take, how many housekeeping credits, and how many reservation transactions you expect to use? This is all part of the planning you need to do to avoid unexpected fees.

 

[scootr5]

At this point in time, they are probably expecting Wyndham to charge them the 2016 maintenance fees before the deed is transferred, and they may be set up with annual auto-pay. Wyndham will bill monthly, but I believe they charge an $8/month convenience fee for this, plus another fee if you don't have autopay set up and you want to use a credit card.

I'm pretty sure the $8 per month fee is not for monthly billing, but having monthly invoices rather than autopay.

 

[antjmar]

Good points! He will have to pay for reservation transactions and housekeeping credits after his second reservation. Also he will be paying a slighter higher MF due to the minimum program fee.

 

[czar]

Ok, so I confirmed that the week is NOT a converted week but an originally purchased points contract.

Except for Prime weekends, I can book 2-night stays, correct?

Based on it being less expensive to rent, looks like it's probably not worth booking with points for early to mid December. It's really the Jan/Feb timetable where there is a large difference. So for 3 weekends during high season I would need 200k points. Or I could book 2 weekends of 2br and 1 weekend in a 1br and have 11k points left over. Hmmmm

 

[scootr5]

Ok, so I confirmed that the week is NOT a converted week but an originally purchased points contract.

Except for Prime weekends, I can book 2-night stays, correct?

Based on it being less expensive to rent, looks like it's probably not worth booking with points for early to mid December. It's really the Jan/Feb timetable where there is a large difference. So for 3 weekends during high season I would need 200k points. Or I could book 2 weekends of 2br and 1 weekend in a 1br and have 11k points left over. Hmmmm

Yes, that's correct. Each weekend stay in a 2 bedroom would need 77 housekeeping credits; you'll be buying HK credits to complete your third stay at $2.25 per credit.

 

[antjmar]

Yes, that's correct. Each weekend stay in a 2 bedroom would need 77 housekeeping credits; you'll be buying HK credits to complete your third stay at $2.25 per credit.

And also add the $39? Transaction fee for third reservation. If not completed during other reservations.

 

[czar]

Yes, that's correct. Each weekend stay in a 2 bedroom would need 77 housekeeping credits; you'll be buying HK credits to complete your third stay at $2.25 per credit.

So once I exhaust those 154 credits I'd need to spend an additional ~$150 to book the third weekend for HK credits?

 

[scootr5]

You get 1 housekeeping credit for every 1,000 points, so you'll have 189 HK credits. It's 63 per stay for a 1 bedroom, and 77 for a 2 bedroom.

Assuming you book three weekend stays in a 2 bedroom, on your third stay you'll be short 42 HK credits. That will cost $94.50.

You also get 1 reservation transaction per 77,000 points; with 189,000 that means you'll have two total. Making a reservation or depositing points to RCI requires a RT. They are good for the entire day, so try to plan wisely and do as many things on the same day as you can. If you need more after your two, they are $30 each.

I think if you want to do three weekends per year you would best be served by picking up an additional small points package. If your 189,000 are enough to ARP the Prime weekends you want (since there are only Christmas and Presidents week there in the winter that are Prime), get something like a 77,000 point Smoky Mountains or something. The MF are low, it would give you the extra HK, and another RT.

 

[czar]

Great thanks so much.

 

[czar]

Does CWA charge a separate booking fee? If I look at this 189k point contrZct and add a 28k point contract, I can get all 3 weekends and have a small number of leftover points and be just a small number of points short of a HK credit. Making the reservations all on the same day wouldn't be an issue.

Would that make sense or would it be better to try to pair two contracts that get me over, but close to 231k points? I'm just not sure I'd use that many.

Perhaps a 154k BB contract with another 77k contract?

 

[scootr5]

Does CWA charge a separate booking fee? If I look at this 189k point contrZct and add a 28k point contract, I can get all 3 weekends and have a small number of leftover points and be just a small number of points short of a HK credit. Making the reservations all on the same day wouldn't be an issue.

Would that make sense or would it be better to try to pair two contracts that get me over, but close to 231k points? I'm just not sure I'd use that many.

Perhaps a 154k BB contract with another 77k contract?

I would definitely go for a 77K contract and not 28K, just to be over the 231,000 threshold. 28K still leaves you short on the HK credits and does not get you an extra RT.

 

[antjmar]

Does CWA charge a separate booking fee? If I look at this 189k point contrZct and add a 28k point contract, I can get all 3 weekends and have a small number of leftover points and be just a small number of points short of a HK credit. Making the reservations all on the same day wouldn't be an issue.

Would that make sense or would it be better to try to pair two contracts that get me over, but close to 231k points? I'm just not sure I'd use that many.

Perhaps a 154k BB contract with another 77k contract?

Why not wait and just purchase 1 larger contract and avoid 2 closing fees and 2 $299 wyndham transfer fees?
You wont be able to reserve with ARP till 2017 anyway...

 

[scootr5]

Why not wait and just purchase 1 larger contract and avoid 2 closing fees and 2 $299 wyndham transfer fees?

You wont be able to reserve with ARP till 2017 anyway...

That would have been my advice as well, but it seemed the 189K purchase was already in progress.

 

[antjmar]

That would have been my advice as well, but it seemed the 189K purchase was already in progress.

Yes 1 day after asking for advice he " found" a timeshare!

 

[czar]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm not committed to anything at this point. In looking at the different rental rates I'm finding online, with nothing available from Wyndham, for any of the weekends we'd want, it definitely seems to make sense to purchase points; I'd make up the difference after 2-3 weekends.

I'm thinking I'd want to buy points in the next month or so because it will take a bit to close? If I want to book January and February 2017, it looks like I'd need to book dates by April 2016 based on feedback I've received from people who go to BB.

It sounds like not having ARP would be OK as long as I book as soon as the window opens, so trying to debate between:

1. Buying BB points - higher MF but ARP guaranteed if I buy he correct type of contract

2.Buying cheaper MF contract - save short term but could get impacted by a special assessment and/or not have all the availability I'd want if ARP was an issue for some time period.

3. Buy CWA points - sounds like more stable MF, would gain some APR to other places a close drive to us, like Newport, but no BB ARP

I know I can get BB points for nearly no $$; it seems like I can get CWA points for relatively little $$ if I'm patient. Lower MF resorts demand a higher buy-in, so I'm leaning towards options 1 or 3.

Any further advice?

 

[vacationhopeful]

There is NO reason for you to pay ALL of the 2016 MFs in advance ... WHY? UDI points are charged during the year .. so use all your points in March .. you still will be paying those MFs in Dec. Fixed Weeks are paid in advance ... just like F/W are paid by DEC 31 with usage in the next calendar year.

Someone is just conning $$ out of you or you are buying a converted fixed week.