Comparing Worldmark and Fairfield

[Pit]

I notice that WM and FF list each other’s resorts on their respective web sites. So, I am assuming that trades between WM and FF properties can be done without joining RCI or II, is that right?

Is it easier to trade FF points into the WM properties or vice versa? In other words, is there an advantage to owning one versus the other, in regard to trading between the two networks?

Also, I’ve read here on tug, that 4000 WM points can be used to make a trade with II in their 59-day window. Can that be done with FF points also? If so, how many FF points are required?

Finally, aside from the 13 month ARP, is there any other advantage to owning at a specific FF property? Or, should I just try to maximize the ratio of points per m/f dollar (resale, of course)?

I’m trying to figure out what will work best for me. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer.

 

[BocaBum99]

I would say that Fairfield resorts themselves are slightly better than WorldMark resorts. It costs more to get into WorldMark, but WorldMark maintenance fees are a lot lower than Fairfield.

As far as a trader goes, I believe that WorldMark is far superior to Fairfield. With WorldMark, you can exchange with both II and RCI as well as the independents. With FF, it depends on your particular resort.

I would buy Fairfield is you like to stay at Fairfield resorts. I would buy WorldMark if you wanted to exchange a lot.

 

[spatenfloot]

You can only reserve certain resorts (not all) of the other company if you are a member of either one. They are known as associate resorts and may change from time to time. There will also be limited numbers of units for associate trading. An exchange company is not required for this since it is a direct booking.

You should look at which company has resorts you would like to visit the most to decide which is best for you. Worldmark also trades well. I don't know how well FF trades.

 

[kkan]

Since WM has only a small number of FF units available to book, it can be very difficult to book a FF unit through WM. This is true even in the off season. I don't know if it is true the other way around.

 

[melschey]

Since WM has only a small number of FF units available to book, it can be very difficult to book a FF unit through WM. This is true even in the off season. I don't know if it is true the other way around.

It is true both ways. There limited amount of FF resorts that WM members have access to. Also WM is mainly in the West and FF in the East.

We are WM members and since we live on the West coast we live within driving distance of many WM resorts. While we are very happy WM owners if we lived on the East coast I would at least consider FF.

 

[EAM]

Since they are now both Cendant-owned sistesr companies, Fairfield and Worldmark make a limited number of weeks available to each other. Assuming a FSP owner has not used up his annual allotment of reservation transactions, there would be no charge to make a reservation at a Worldmark resort that is a Fairfield associate. Not all Worldmark resorts are available this way to Fairfield owners, and the number of weeks thus available are limited. I think at some locations (e.g. South Lake Tahoe) some buildings are being sold by TrendWest and others by Fairfield.

I would think you could get just about anything available in RCI's 45 day window with 28K Fairfield points. Fairfield points are good, but perhaps not top of the line, traders. People have gotten some excellent trades with 28K, 42K, and 70K sets of Fairfield points (blue, white, red studios), but often because of bulk spacebanking or some other factor causing an oversupply at the destination. I have heard of people being unsuccessful in getting a difficult trade with 154K Fairfield points (a red 2BR).

I have stayed at several Fairfield resorts but only one WorldMark. I would say that the quality is about the same. The Worldmark seemed particularly spacious, though.

As far as I know, the only factors that are property dependent in Fairfield are the 13 month ARP, the maintenance fees, and how well and by whom the resort is managed.

Currently Fairfield does not count points purchased resale towards the total (300K, 500K, 1000K) points needed for VIP, VIP Gold, and VIP Platinum benefits. Although VIP owners seem to enjoy and appreciate the benefits, it is debatable whether or not the benefits are worth the extra cost. It is currently possible to buy one or two inexpensive, low MF, red 3BR non-Fairfield weeks, then buy enough points from Fairfield to enroll the non-Fairfield weeks in Fairfield's PIC system. The resulting PIC points will count towards VIP status.

WorldMark has more resorts in the western part of the USA, Fairfield has more in the east.

 

[ragtop]

Some people are speculating that the systems will be combined now that Cendant bought the Wyndham brand name too.

 

[RichM]

One thing to remember - Cendant owns Trendwest, not WorldMark.


___________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -

- www.wmowners.com

 

[ragtop]

One thing to remember - Cendant owns Trendwest, not WorldMark.

And Trendwest has a management contract for WorldMark that seems unbreakable.

 

[mtngal]

Fairfield and WorldMark's systems are too different for them ever to be combined. I can see possible additional sharing of properties (they already share several where one or the other manages the resort, and the non-managing system owns units there) or the direct exchanging of 1 or two units for each other's owners. Just my opinion, but if they could combine the systems it would have happened before now.

 

[Swarthog]

And Trendwest has a management contract for WorldMark that seems unbreakable.

Well sure, a majority of the WorldMark board is populated by Trendwest/Cendent employees. Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse.

 

[ROCKJenkins]

Worldmark's a Hen House?

Well sure, a majority of the WorldMark board is populated by Trendwest/Cendent employees. Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse.



I believe there is only one trendwest employee (Peggy F.) on the board, and although she is as smart as a foxs I don't think she feels she is guarding (working for) a bunch of hens.

Just kidding.

RockJenkins

 

[roadsister]

Fairfield and WorldMark's systems are too different for them ever to be combined. I can see possible additional sharing of properties (they already share several where one or the other manages the resort, and the non-managing system owns units there) or the direct exchanging of 1 or two units for each other's owners. Just my opinion, but if they could combine the systems it would have happened before now.

There was discussion of WM and FF co-owning more units at the Annual Owner's meeting. I agree with you, I don't believe they can be combined into one, but certainly can become kissin' cousins.

 

[melschey]

Well sure, a majority of the WorldMark board is populated by Trendwest/Cendent employees. Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse.



I believe there is only one trendwest employee (Peggy F.) on the board, and although she is as smart as a foxs I don't think she feels she is guarding (working for) a bunch of hens.

Just kidding.

RockJenkins

I believe all but two BOD members are TrendWest/Cendant employees. Of the last three elected BOID members Peggy was the only Cendant TrendWest/Cendant employee. Below is a quote from the Redseason newsletter

<<redseason.com
379 N.W. State Avenue Toll free: 1-877-478-7938
Chehalis, WA 98532 local: 1-360-345-1532

======================================================================



The name Trendwest will fade away as the acronym CTRG becomes used more
and more. CTRG stands for Cendant Timeshare Resort Group. You will
notice when you visit our WorldMark resorts that the staff there wear
name plates that refer to them as CTRG employees.

The election results were released on the web and are also in Februarys'
Destinations Magazine. Gene Hensley, Peggy Fry, and John Walker were
elected to the WorldMark board of directors.

Of these three board members only Peggy Fry is a CTRG employee. I point
this out because more owners are voicing their concerns about a CTRG
controlled WorldMark board. Gene Hensley no longer works for CTRG as of
the end of last year. I will have an opportunity to meet John Walker at
the upcoming WorldMark board meeting in March.>>

==========================================

Even though Gene was a CTRG employee he was always very pro-owner and I hope he remains on the BOD. I have my own suspicions as to why Gene is not longer working for TrendWest/Cendant but since they are only suspicions I will say no more.

As things stand now Gene Hensley and John Walker are not TrendWest/Cendant Employees but the majority of the BOD are employees of TrendWest/Cendant

 

[allenke]

Just to clear up the sharing of resorts between WM and Fairfield. Each have 9 resorts avaible to exchange into in the other timeshare. There is only about 2 units avaible at each of these resorts for both WM and Fairfield. I can't speak for Fairfield, but Worldmark can only book 11 months out at a Fairfield (rather than the 13 months you can in Worldmark). I would venture there is a similar restriction for Fairfield when booking a one of the 9 WM resorts.

And again to reiterate what has been said above. Trendwest and Fairfield are owned by Cendant, not Worldmark (we as owners own Worldmark). True, Trendwest and Worldmark are so intertwined that they are really one in the same and the BOD of WM are primarily empolyees of Trendwest/Cendant, but on paper they don't own Worldmark, so they would probably run into quite a few legal hassles if they tried to joing Fairfield and Worldmark as one.

Ken