Embarc letter from HGVC - Some small news

[dayooper]

Added link to Embarc website on post #21 above.

Thanks!

 

[bizaro86]

What/Where is Panorama?

It's a ski resort village in British Columbia, Canada.

We go in the summer for swimming, water slides, hiking, mini golf, tennis etc with our kids.

Its a short drive from where we live.

Edited to add: I'm quite excited about this news actually, because I'll be able to book it with HGVC points, and presumably also with RCI, which is cheaper for me.

 

[echino]

Is Embarc pulling out of Interval?

 

[bizaro86]

Is Embarc pulling out of Interval?

That is speculation on my part, as HGVC trades with RCI. I included "presumably" because while I think that change is likely it isn't a done deal, and they'll probably have to wait until the II contract expires.

 

[dmurray007]

Yes, that looks amazing! I live ~ 1 hour west of the Blue Water Bridge and spent a few nights between the ages of 19 and 21 in Sarnia. How far of a drive from Sarnia is Blue Mountain?

I‘m very familiar with the Great Lakes (even cliff dived into Lake Superior), so the Lakes will never surprise me. Looking at the pics of the Embarc resorts, they look so luxurious. I hope the entrance into the new membership (they hinted at that as well in the letter to Embarc owners) isn’t so large it prevents those that don’t purchase direct not to access.

Figure about a 3 hr drive from Sarnia to Collingwood ( Blue Mountain).

 

[1Kflyerguy]

This is great news, i had been wondering if the old Club Intrawest resorts might be the first to be re-integrated. We stayed at the Vancouver location many years ago and enjoyed it. It definitely an urban location, so not a traditional resort.. But we still enjoyed it. We have family that lives in Barrie Ontario and they took us to Blue Mountain resort area one afternoon. I didn't see the timeshare units, but whole resort area seemed nice and I can see the attraction.

 

[Bill4728]

Is Embarc pulling out of Interval?

That is speculation on my part, as HGVC trades with RCI. I included "presumably" because while I think that change is likely it isn't a done deal, and they'll probably have to wait until the II contract expires.

DRI pulled Embarc out of II years ago BUT even with that said, owners can still trade their week reservations at three Embarc (whistler, Palm Desert & Mt Tremblant) resorts within II.

I think there is something with both RCI & II, that once owners at a resort can trade in an exchange company they can continue to trade in that company. As an example there are resorts in HGVC that trade in II (Florida gulf coast) and a few Marriott resorts in Palm Desert and Hilton Head can still trade in RCI even with Marriott owning II.

 

[gnorth16]

Have you been to Blue Mountain (I think that’s what it’s called) in the summer? We are not skiers, but that property looks really nice. I can see us spending a couple of days in Toronto then traveling up for a week or so at Blue Mountain.
cabo
There’s a couple of DRI resorts (Kauai, T9ahoe, Los Cabos), but the Embarc resorts look much better to me.

I'm at the Los Cabos location right now (Cabo Azul via RCI exchange) and it is really nice. We love Cabo and this is our new favorite resort in the Cabo area. Everything is in really good condition, clean, well laid out, nice pools, pretty good food and a great location - walkable to old town, a couple good restaurants (La Fourchetta and Latino 8) across the street and La Comer or Chedraui are about a 15 minute walk for groceries or a 60 peso Uber. Really nothing negative about the place.

 

[dayooper]

I'm at the Los Cabos location right now (Cabo Azul via RCI exchange) and it is really nice. We love Cabo and this is our new favorite resort in the Cabo area. Everything is in really good condition, clean, well laid out, nice pools, pretty good food and a great location - walkable to old town, a couple good restaurants (La Fourchetta and Latino 8) across the street and La Comer or Chedraui are about a 15 minute walk for groceries or a 60 peso Uber. Really nothing negative about the place.

Everything I have heard about Cabo Azul has been great. I think it’s in the realm of possibility that it might wind up an HGVC resort. Only resort in the trust and already up to HGVC standards. Fits right in.

Los Cabos is the place in Mexico I would love to go. The Mexican Embarc resort is also on my list.

 

[buzglyd]

I'm at the Los Cabos location right now (Cabo Azul via RCI exchange) and it is really nice. We love Cabo and this is our new favorite resort in the Cabo area. Everything is in really good condition, clean, well laid out, nice pools, pretty good food and a great location - walkable to old town, a couple good restaurants (La Fourchetta and Latino 8) across the street and La Comer or Chedraui are about a 15 minute walk for groceries or a 60 peso Uber. Really nothing negative about the place.

Is Javier’s open? Also, there is a small place behind La Comer called Lateral. Really good food and cheap.

 

[gnorth16]

Javiers dining room is closed for renos, but some of the items are still on the room service, pool and Flor De Noche menu.

It is much nicer and better location than the Fiesta Americana that you can book with HGVC points. It would be a perfect addition to the HGVC brand but it might be too complicated cause the structure of DRI “collections” as opposed to deeds. I am just guessing.

 

[GT75]

It is much nicer and better location than the Fiesta Americana that you can book with HGVC points. It would be a perfect addition to the HGVC brand but it might be too complicated cause the structure of DRI “collections” as opposed to deeds. I am just guessing.

Looking at the information (pics, videos, and virtual tours), I would definitely agree with that (and most HGVC resorts also). The resort does look truly amazing and also doesn't seem to fit what I have heard about the quality of most DRI resorts. Maybe that is a reason that it is in its own separate trust. I certainly wonder what the MFs are and also what HGVC would make the point structure if it was added to the HGVC system. Honestly, we really like FA-Cabo both the location and the resort (but that is us).

Edited to add: In fact, Club Azul looks similar quality to HGVC The Crane in Barbados. I would imagine the point structure would be similar also.

 

[Arusso]

I absolutely hope that Embarc owners, along with DRI and us HGVC owners as well, get fair treatment in this acquisition. We all need to keep the rights we bought.

Exactly. The question is what will be considered fair to owners in various ownership situations? In a perfect world and because the quality of all resorts are not equal, equity could be achieved by bringing all of the various owners into one ownership system with a common points valuation for each property thereby allowing all owners who wish to participate via The Club , the opportunity to request an internal exchange. The downside to this will be the perception that some properties have been devalued. But, reality is that resorts that are marginal have already been devalued by the exchange companies. Also, not everyone should be forced to participate either. Deeded owners not wishing to participate in an exchange system would continue to enjoy their ownership as is. But, a common currency is not likely to happen any time, if ever. As commented by other knowledgeable members on this site, whenever there has been an acquisition, the developers seem to rollout monetization strategies targeting current owners to buy in to a new program that is offered to new buyers. Nevertheless, I want to maintain an open mind and hope that ultimately everyone will be treated fairly.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Cabo Azul is also on my list and I hope we gain club access. My understanding is that you can walk to restaurants and grocery stores in town which is a plus.

Agree FA-Cabo is terrific (we've been twice) but the addition of the mandatory AI is a deal killer. We also don't like to rent a car in MX so the remoteness of this resort on the corridor is a downside.

Not sure how they will position Azul relative to the new HGVC Cabo resort. I hope the points are reasonable and there is not mandatory AI. If so, I will fare better trading in RCI. There are many nice Cabo resorts in RCI with lower point requirements and optional AI.

I can't wait to get to Cabo again. Just waiting for Covid to settle down.

 

[geist1223]

There is shopping and restaurants across the Street from Cabo Azul. Go out of Cabo Azul and turn right Downtown San Jose del Cabo is about a mile walk. If you turn left there are 2 large grocery stores about a 1 mile walk. Royal Solaris is on 1 side and Vidanta (formerly Grand Mayan) is on the other side.

We were in San Jose del Cabo for 3 weeks last February. We spent 1 week at Royal Solaris, 1 week at WM Coral Baja, and 1 week at Cabo Azul. At Cabo Azul we like the Rooms overlooking the quiet adult pool.

 

[GT75]

Agree FA-Cabo is terrific (we've been twice) but the addition of the mandatory AI is a deal killer. We also don't like to rent a car in MX so the remoteness of this resort on the corridor is a downside.

I also stopped going to FA-Cabo when it became mandatory AI for HGVC reservations. But, I was able to rent points from an FA-Cabo member for next February (no mandatory AI). We are also investigating purchasing FA-Cabo resales pts when we find the right price. I actually am very comfortable driving in that area of Mexico, but I certainly understand why some wouldn't like that situation. Club Azul definitely seems to have some great advantages but I don't think that we want to wait until the dust settles either. If it turns out that we could also easily book Club Azul in the future, we sure wouldn't have a problem staying in Cabo more often or for longer periods of time like @geist1223.

 

[karibkeith]

Saw this thread on a letter to the Embarc owners over on the DRI Forum. It has some small insights into the relationship between HGVC and Embarc

Some Highlights

• HGV has recommended that Embarc be rebranded as Hilton Grand Vacation properties and the Embarc board approved the change, but the name change still must be approved through Hilton Hotels
• HGV will pay for the branding change while each resort will be responsible for keeping to HGVC standards
• Options are being looked for Embarc owners to access HGV properties and vice versa, but the costs for access are still being worked out.

This is as good of news as I can get from this acquisition. The Embarc properties are what interest me the most! Hopefully the cost to access the properties (both Embarc and HGVC) aren‘t prohibitive. While it sure seems that this would happen, it was mentioned in the letter that there was a relationship prior to DRI purchasing Club Intrawest/ Embarc.

The cherry-picking begins!

 

[PigsDad]

The cherry-picking begins!

Which I think is a good thing. HGV is generally a higher-level product, so it doesn't make sense to merge all properties into a single product. Combine those that are of similar quality and that will enhance the product for owners on both sides.

Kurt

 

[dayooper]

The cherry-picking begins!

Not sure I agree with this. When DRI bought out Club Intrawest, it changed what we HGVC owners had access to. If, and its a big if, Embarc gets merged into HGVC, DRI owners will have lost nothing. DRI owners had no access to Embarc. If anything, this restores what was cherry picked from us.

 

[karibkeith]

I absolutely hope that Embarc owners, along with DRI and us HGVC owners as well, get fair treatment in this acquisition. We all need to keep the rights we bought.

My greatest fear is that DRI members will be excluded from HGVC and Embarc properties. I was promised twice that Embarc properties would be available to DRI Club members and that never happened. DRI was thrown under the bus by Apollo and the first we heard from the head of HGVC was not in the interests of DRI members who he made it clear they would be relegated to second class status. Read the posts about HGVC acquiring the properties that meet their vaunted standards and tell me what happens to DRI members who had access to those properties. Will they be rebranded to HGVC too? HGVC commenters do not seem very concerned about what happens to DRI members. It is hard to wipe the drool from my screen as they discuss what they feel are the better properties. Note that the quoted announcement did not mention DRI who owns the properties. Embarc properties were put into a separate collection and I suppose it had its own Board of Directors although none of this has been made clear. Some words of assurance from the new owner would help. Does anyone anticipate the coming of a class action suit?

 

[dioxide45]

My greatest fear is that DRI members will be excluded from HGVC and Embarc properties. I was promised twice that Embarc properties would be available to DRI Club members and that never happened. DRI was thrown under the bus by Apollo and the first we heard from the head of HGVC was not in the interests of DRI members who he made it clear they would be relegated to second class status. Read the posts about HGVC acquiring the properties that meet their vaunted standards and tell me what happens to DRI members who had access to those properties. Will they be rebranded to HGVC too? HGVC commenters do not seem very concerned about what happens to DRI members. It is hard to wipe the drool from my screen as they discuss what they feel are the better properties. Note that the quoted announcement did not mention DRI who owns the properties. Embarc properties were put into a separate collection and I suppose it had its own Board of Directors although none of this has been made clear. Some words of assurance from the new owner would help. Does anyone anticipate the coming of a class action suit?

Did DRI even create a collection for Embarc like they have like their other DRI collections? Or was Embarc its own trust before DRI bought Club Intrawest? Or is each Embarc its own independant HOA?

 

[SmithOp]

I wish I had a nickel for every cry of class action on the internet. It would probably amount to what people get if they win, only the lawyers get paid the big bux.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[dayooper]

My greatest fear is that DRI members will be excluded from HGVC and Embarc properties. I was promised twice that Embarc properties would be available to DRI Club members and that never happened.

Who told you this twice? Salesman? I believe the original goal (I could be wrong) was for the Embarc properties to be merged into DRI, but the owners and HOA's of the resorts threw up a barrier. I think there was something in the way legally that allowed Embarc to prevent DRI access. The Embarc board voted in favor of being rebranded HGVC. Somebody in the know can chime in here.

As far as excluded from HGVC and/or Embarc, I believe that choice will be yours. From what it sounds like, there will be access in the form of a new membership that will link the two parts. In the 2nd quarter conference call, it was said that a new membership will be available and can be purchased as a stand alone, but will be included in every new upgrade. This will link those that want to reserve in the other system. It was also said that the purchased rights won’t be taken away. Not sure how far that goes, but it was said.

Lastly, I remember when the rumors were going the other way. I was going to bail. The reputation of DRI was very negative. I understand the trepidation. I want to say that, excluding the sales department (which I won’t come in contact with), HGVC treats owners very well. They have to live up to the Hilton name and they do a pretty good job of it.

 

[Talent312]

... From what it sounds like, there will be access in the form of a new membership that will link the two parts. In the 2nd quarter conference call, it was said that a new membership will be available and can be purchased as a stand alone, but will be included in every new upgrade...

You can rest assured that there will be a hefty price to be paid for such access.
You need to buy a park-to-park ticket, if you want to ride the Hogwarts Express.

.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

My greatest fear is that DRI members will be excluded from HGVC and Embarc properties. I was promised twice that Embarc properties would be available to DRI Club members and that never happened. DRI was thrown under the bus by Apollo and the first we heard from the head of HGVC was not in the interests of DRI members who he made it clear they would be relegated to second class status. Read the posts about HGVC acquiring the properties that meet their vaunted standards and tell me what happens to DRI members who had access to those properties. Will they be rebranded to HGVC too? HGVC commenters do not seem very concerned about what happens to DRI members. It is hard to wipe the drool from my screen as they discuss what they feel are the better properties. Note that the quoted announcement did not mention DRI who owns the properties. Embarc properties were put into a separate collection and I suppose it had its own Board of Directors although none of this has been made clear. Some words of assurance from the new owner would help. Does anyone anticipate the coming of a class action suit?

And we were told that when the two systems were brought together, it was likely that only DRI club members at Platinum level or higher would be able to reserve outside what is now the Diamond Club. And that after the systems merged, the cost for added DRI points would increase to match HGVC point costs, which would be a substantial increase. Therefore we should buy points now to get to Platinum level.