Gatlinburg Town Square

[ajdon]

I just purchased 2 deeds for GTS, both float 12-49, 51-52 on Ebay. One bi-annual even the other, odd. Great price too :whoopie:.

Can anybody tell me the diff between a 2 br delux and 2 br premium unit? It seems that at least one of my deeds is in a "premium" unit (whatever that means). If you are a GTS owner, I'd love to hear from you.

-AJ

 

[tombo]

There are 2 types of units at GTS. The phase one units are Friday check-in only and don't have lock-offs or washers/dryers. Many of the Phase one units are fixed weeks.

The Phase 2 (I assume premium) have lock-off units, they have washer/dryers in the room, and they have your choice friday or Saturday check-ins.

I love GTS. The rooms are nice whether you have phase one or 2 (phase 2 is newer and a little nicer). You can park at the resort and walk anywhere in town. I have stayed at several resorts in Pigeon Forge and several others in Gatlinburg. The only resort I would choose over GTS in the Gatlinburg area is the Crown Park next door.

You will be pleased with your purchase if you use it or trade it since it trades with both RCI and II. I have no idea why they have been selling so cheap on e-bay lately, but they have been selling dirt cheap.

 

[ajdon]

Cheap is right. I got BOTH deeds for $300 TOTAL including C/C. As soon as I get the deed, I'm making my reservations for WK 52 in 2009, I love that time of year up there. Summer to me is pool season but winter is all mountains...

 

[AwayWeGo]

Sounds Like A Big Bargain.

I got BOTH deeds for $300 TOTAL including C/C.

Shux, I had to pay more than that (value of the points it took + the points exchange fee) just to stay there 1 week last year in a Gatlinburg Town Square studio unit.

It was our 1st Gatlinburg vacation -- had a great time. Details are in the TUG Resort Reviews section.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Tom52]

I just purchased 2 deeds for GTS, both float 12-49, 51-52 on Ebay. One bi-annual even the other, odd. Great price too :whoopie:.

Can anybody tell me the diff between a 2 br delux and 2 br premium unit? It seems that at least one of my deeds is in a "premium" unit (whatever that means). If you are a GTS owner, I'd love to hear from you.

-AJ

Yes I can! The two bedroom deluxe units have no fireplace and no balcony. The premium units do. The deluxe units are all in phase I and are units G2 thru G9 (garden units on ground floor) and units 102 thru 109 (1st floor). All of the remaining units in phase I, other than the top floor with the 3 bedroom units would be considered premium units.

There are differences between the Phase I premium units and Phase II premium units. The phase I units, at least the flex weeks, are Friday check in only, while the Phase II units can be either Friday or Saturday check-in. Phase I units are NOT lock off units but Phase II are lock off units. Phase I units do not have washer/dryer while the Phase II units have a washer/dryer in the kitchen. Phase I units are twin beds in the second bedroom while the lock off in Phase II is a queen bed. Phase I are sleep six while the Phase II are sleep 8 with a sofa/sleeper in the lock off. The phase II lock offs have a mini kitchen and a whirlpool which the Phase I units do not have. Overall the Phase II units have a lot more amenities.

There has been a lot of redecorating going on with granite counters and tile floors so I think they do a good job of keeping the units well maintained. I believe the general economy and low prices for timeshare resales have had an impact on prices at GTS as well, but I also think the fact that their rating with RCI dropped from Gold Crown to Silver Crown has not helped keep the resale prices at previous levels.

Historically the winter flex weeks, sell for less than the summer flex weeks. Additionally, Phase I sells for less than Phase II. The Deluxe units sell for less than the Premium units. Lastly, EOY units have never had a good resale price at GTS. Closing costs are normally the same for a EOY as an annual unit. I have never heard of the flex weeks you mention weeks 12- 49 and 51 & 52, but there are a lot of things I don't know. I checked my paperwork from the last lottery for 2009 weeks and they only mention the summer flex weeks and the winter flex weeks but these are not what you mentioned.

If you are in the lottery, the pickings may be slim for 2009 unless the previous owner has already made reservations. You do know how the lottery works? When I bought mine I did it with the understanding that the seller booked the reservation I wanted. If you want a specific prime week for 2009 it may be too late. Winter flex weeks owners used to be able to upgrade to a summer week if they paid an additional $175 fee, but that ended this year. There are still some great weeks available for winter flex owners.

The best thing about GTS is that I will be there in my Phase II unit in two weeks!

 

[tombo]

I own 2 fixed summer weeks in Phase One at GTS that I get every year with no effort. I recently purchased a floating week phase 2 unit and I am curious as to how the "lottery" works for reservations on a floating week. I want to know what tricks if any you have to reserve the best weeks or to get a specific week that you want.

 

[Tom52]

I own 2 fixed summer weeks in Phase One at GTS that I get every year with no effort. I recently purchased a floating week phase 2 unit and I am curious as to how the "lottery" works for reservations on a floating week. I want to know what tricks if any you have to reserve the best weeks or to get a specific week that you want.

The lottery works like this...around March each year, you will get a letter in the mail from GTS where you must submit your top five choices for a week you want to reserve for the following year. For example, this past March I submitted my top five choices for prime leaf season in 2009. On the cut-off date, GTS pulls names out of the hat, so to speak, and assigns reservations. I normally get my first choice, but one year I got my second choice. Around May 1st GTS will send a confirmation advising what week they have reserved for you. You do not know what the room assignment is, but Phase I only gets Phase I and Phase II only gets Phase II. Phase II does not get to choose between the A or B buildings, but I always request top floor on the creek-side building.

Of course you can split your lock-off for Phase II owners and you can make partial week reservations for Phase I owners with this same lottery. To have the best chance to get a prime week you have to plan WAAAAYYYY ahead at GTS, in my case it is 19 months in advance of check-in. When I see a GTS unit sell on Ebay where it says the new owner has current year use, but no reservation is made, I cringe because I expect the only thing available will be the least desirable weeks. Fortunately, there are not too many bad weeks for Gatlinburg outside of January-March.

 

[tombo]

Thanks for the info. I bought a floating even year week so that I can book the week that Alabama plays Tennessee in Knoxville in October every even year. I will be really depressed if I get my second or third choice as that one week is the only even year week I need to reserve. I guess in March 2009 I will request the 2010 week I need and hold my breath until I hear from the resort.

 

[ajdon]

Update

The process has gone through and I've made my reservations for late Dec09! Let me give a shout out to Pricelessvacations34 on Ebay for a great (FAST!) expereince!

-AJ

 

[tmcmicken]

We purchased GTS and I have yet to stay there because they are book when I'm try to put together a vacation. My family has been unable to plan a year in advance to my medical condition.

I'm thinking about selling my timeshare at GTS when I spoke with RCI and Summerbay they both told me as long as my membership fees have been paid they are transferable to the new owner. Is this a good thing when selling a timeshare or does it matter?

 

[Tom52]

We purchased GTS and I have yet to stay there because they are book when I'm try to put together a vacation. My family has been unable to plan a year in advance to my medical condition.

I'm thinking about selling my timeshare at GTS when I spoke with RCI and Summerbay they both told me as long as my membership fees have been paid they are transferable to the new owner. Is this a good thing when selling a timeshare or does it matter?

Are you talking about an RCI Points account? If so, I assume that is a plus if someone is interested to get into RCI Points. I think the RCI points account is transferrable for a reasonable price to a new owner. I wanted a summer flex week at GTS and that is what I bought. I have no interest in the RCI points program, been there done that already and it did not work that well for me.

 

[1950bing]

Stayed there once and I felt as if I had stayed in a really bad Holiday Inn Express.