DRI & II point difference for Same Property

[csalter2]

Can someone please help me to understand why when I tried to exchange into a 3 bedroom in Orlando through Interval International from 8/7/2009 to 8/14/2009 it required 8000 points to stay in Grand Beach, and several other Marriott and other properties?
However, when I look at the same dates for Grand Beach which I am a member of that DRI Trust, it requires 10,500 points. Now this would suggest to me that as a member of The Club, i am at a huge disadvantage with my membership and going internally. It seems as if it is better to pay the exchange fee and use less points.
Can someone expain this to me? Is my logic making any sense?

 

[Bill4728]

Many point based TS systems have similar policies. When you trade with II or RCI, The TS systems will have set up a generic "point based fee schedule" to show you the number of points it will cost to trade into one of the major exchange companies.

So for Club Intrawest: 150 pts is what it costs to trade in RCI to any 2 bd "red" gold crown TS. It doesn't matter if it is a hard to get trade or an easy trade. If you want a 2 bd red week in RCI it is 150 pts. A similar point reservation in CI could cost as few as 100 pts or as many as 250 pts. But CI has many more seasons and allows you to cancel reservations made with points but not "trades within RCI".

I assume the same is true for Diamond. There will be many weeks in which II exchanges will cost you less points than a DRI point stay at the same resort. But you will not be allowed to cancel or add to your stay as you could with a DRI reservation. (PLUS- sometimes a week may cost less with a DRI reservation than an II exchange if you choose to travel in a slightly slower time of year. )


Also: Part of the logic of this policy is that when you use your points, you can made a reservation well in advance, pick the size room you want, day of checkin & check out and can cancel if you need to. With an II exchange, you can only pick what II has available in the exchange pool. Which may not be the right days or room size you want or need.

 

[dwmantz]

Bill's response is correct for Diamond.

Please view it in reverse though. Diamond says its costs number of points. That's what any Club member must pay through the Club. However, if you find it on II and it is less, you win!

I booked a 3BR Royal Dunes unit for Summer 2010 for 6000 points through II last month. I was totally thrilled because I can never see Royal Dunes availability in the Club and even if I did, it would cost 8500 points to book!

 

[Werner]

Aren't there also other issues with II vs the developers club, like DRI. In DRI's Hawaiian Resorts the units are graded (and priced) by # bedrooms AND the view category. Any unit that shows up in II is almost guaranteed to be "garden view" (aka parking lot view) even though it never says it because II doesn't have a view category. Are you sure you are comparing apples to apples in terms of the unit that you get in each case?

I think most units that flow down from the developer's club to II are unit/weeks that are likely to be empty for that time period and so are made available to a wider customer base through II. The other way they get there is through individuals who may not be club members depositing their weeks into II.

I guess dwmantz is right, if you get a bargain through II enjoy it, but be sure you are really getting the same level of unit you get with DRI.

 

[dwmantz]

Werner

You also are correct. There are times and places, like Hawaii, where view matters greatly, and as you say, that is not taken into account in II. You never know what you're getting in that case. However, I would say this is not the norm at most DRI resorts.

 

[pedro47]

Another thought when you book through II you must pay an exchange fee. True.