Help!

[KatherineCrowe2]

My husband and I signed a timeshare with BlueGreen vacations and once we got out of the presentation and read how many points we got for our $14000 we sent back in the paperwork to rescind our offer. Our money has been returned. Close call!

I like the idea of a timeshare and I am glad I found this site. We are early retirees and want to travel to many different places, Europe, Hawaii, the West, Iceland. Canada and locally around North Carolina resorts.

I like Hyatt but they don’t seem to have many resorts in this area. Mainly in the West?

Marriott seems very expensive to buy points?

Hilton has many in my area but almost all only offer RCI. I would really like Interval
International. I am thinking about the Elara which has a dual affiliation with RCI and Interval?

Has anyone bought there? What would be considered an appropriate amount to pay for 8 to 10K points a year?

if you know of other resorts around NC that offer Interval with not too high a maintenance fee. Possibly a 2 B lockout during high season that is able to convert to points and not have too high of a maintenance fee?

I know I am asking a bunch but I don’t want to make a bad decision again!!

Thanks so much for all your help! Katherine Crowe

 

[drucifer]

I'm in NC. Looking around here, it seems that Wyndham and HGVC have the most depth, but both are RCI.

 

[Passepartout]

Katherine, please outline your reasoning for wanting your TS to be exchangeable in Interval rather than RCI? RCI is the larger of the two 'biggies' and has HGVC and Disney. Yes Hyatt and Marriott are in II, but by your own admission, those resorts are in short supply in your quadrant of the country.

Perhaps looking into resort ownership that is 'dual affiliated' might have some attraction? Of course that means paying for 2 exchange memberships.

I'd submit that even though you, and clearly MOST new buyers state that the #1 attraction of timeshare is exchanging. But when they realize that can add $200 to $500 per year to the ownership that, if their resort is in a network of resorts that allow low- or no-cost 'in system' exchanges saves that much.

I'd suggest you look at such systems, and like them or not, due to your Carolina location, it honestly boils down to Wyndham and RCI.

Welcome to TUG!

Jim

 

[HudsHut]

II has Marriott, Westin, Sheraton, Hyatt, Four Seasons. Disney has returned to II.

The Elara was originally a Planet Hollywood. The PHW owners would trade via II. The HGVC points owners would trade via RCI.

There are several Marriotts on Hilton Head Island, Orlando, southern Florida, and Williamsburg. That covers a good size area of the eastern states, but I am talking about purchasing a week, 2br lock-off, splitting it, and trading both sides via II. The "weeks" ownerships are inexpensive, but do not convert to Marriott's point system.

 

[easyrider]

If I lived on the East Coast I might consider Bluegreen vacations. There are alot of resorts a person could reserve with a Bluegreen membership. Before I bought a resale I would talk to other owners in the forums to see what it's all about.

Bill

 

[TUGBrian]

grats on saving 14k!

 

[callwill]

grats on saving 14k!

No CONs there!

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

No CONs there!

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

I do like Hilton and they do seem to have plenty of resorts here in NC. I was told that RCI is not as nice as Interval. For instance, we want to go to the Madiera Islands and I looked up what RCI had available. Not very nice. Interval had some really nice properties by Savoy.

If the Elara has dual affiliation do I have to buy both each year? Or, just one or the other
I was told by a timeshare broker that half of the Elara is owned by Westgate(II) and the other half by Hilton(RCI). That is how it gets it dual affiliation.

Does anyone have a timeshare with the Elara?

Thanks for putting up with my questions!
Katherine

 

[HudsHut]

Do not make the decision on "hoped for" access to European resorts. Just because you saw that II has a resort on Madeira does not mean that resort will be available at the time of year you wish to travel there. For example, right now, there is not a single week available anywhere in Portugal. Portugal has very few resorts and is rarely available through II.
Here are the European areas in II that currently have "something" available:

 

[Passepartout]

If the Elara has dual affiliation do I have to buy both each year? Or, just one or the other
I was told by a timeshare broker that half of the Elara is owned by Westgate(II) and the other half by Hilton(RCI). That is how it gets it dual affiliation.

Katherine

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES get involved with Westgate! We call them Wastegate for their predatory practices against their owners. They strip ALL benefits from resale owners (like booking floating weeks outside 45 days before move-in, no internal exchanges, etc.)

It gets worse if you look into them.

European TSs are not like American ones. They are generally fairly modest and out in the countryside, not where Americans want to vacation.
(re: your first post. No TSs in Iceland)

We're happy to answer your questions.

Jim

 

[SmithOp]

Elara is either Westgate or HGV, there is no dual affiliated to use II or RCI.

Take a look at Sheraton Vistana in Orlando, they have dual affiliated, I used to own one picked up as a freebie here. I passed it on but kept the Interval account.

Sent from my Lenovo 10e using Tapatalk

 

[ScoopKona]

I bought a timeshare in order to trade with II in Europe.

Traveling this way requires a certain mindset -- it is not for everybody. I highly recommend renting a few weeks in Europe before buying anything at all. And then, keep in mind, that renting a week in Europe is basically the best case scenario -- you're going to get what you want, when you want it. It generally doesn't work that way when exchanging -- even when exchanging a quality week in a quality resort. You will be in competition with every other exchanger. And many of us are seasoned pros.

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

The Elara is listed in intervalWorld.com?

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

Elara is either Westgate or HGV, there is no dual affiliated to use II or RCI.

Take a look at Sheraton Vistana in Orlando, they have dual affiliated, I used to own one picked up as a freebie here. I passed it on but kept the Interval account.

Sent from my Lenovo 10e using Tapatalk

SherTonworld.com

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

Thank you all!!

 

[SmithOp]

The Elara is listed in intervalWorld.com?

Those are from owners that bought from Westgate, they were never converted to HGVC so they still can exchange in Interval.

Sent from my Lenovo 10e using Tapatalk

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

If I was to buy a. fixed week at Sheraton Vistana, as a resale can I convert to points for use at other Sheraton resorts? Do I get Vistana resorts use with points? As you mentioned I could have dual affiliation with RCI and Interval?

Any other unknowns on buying as a resale with this property? Thanks! Katherine

 

[sponger76]

If I was to buy a. fixed week at Sheraton Vistana, as a resale can I convert to points for use at other Sheraton resorts? Do I get Vistana resorts use with points? As you mentioned I could have dual affiliation with RCI and Interval?

Any other unknowns on buying as a resale with this property? Thanks! Katherine

If it's at the following Vistana resorts, you can convert to points for use at other Vistana resorts. All others, you could only use at the home resort or trade in Interval.

Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui Hawaii
Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North, Maui Hawaii
Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale Arizona
Sheraton Vistana Villages, Orlando Florida - Key West, Bella phases
Harborside at Atlantis, Bahamas, Caribbean - Phase I and II
Westin St John, St John US Virgin Islands - Virgin Grand Villas

 

[rickandcindy23]

I do not like RCI all that much. The only resorts that I like through exchange are Hiltons, and I have to pay fees to stay in those, which I will do willingly. I like some of the Wyndhams for exchange through RCI, too, but we own Wyndham, so exchanging in is not something I would really do. I wouldn't buy anything today that exchanges through RCI. I have enjoyed Disney in RCI, but Disney is going to II. We keep seeing resorts in both II and RCI. The transition is longer than it was years ago, when Disney left II for RCI.

I would buy Wyndham resale to use in that system. There are so many resorts that are not a long drive from NC, and I would add in a couple of Marriott traders (like Grand Chateau (Vegas), Willow Ridge (Branson) or even some Marriott resorts in Orlando. That would give you the best of what II has to offer for exchange.

Your fees in Wyndham cover RCI annual fees. You would have to join II and add whatever resorts you wanted to buy into that account.

We traveled 22 weeks each of the last three years and are slated to do more in 2023. We still have five weeks left through the end of this year, but we are old and retired. I have learned from past mistakes, like buying some resorts that started out well for exchanges through RCI but fizzled after a few years. RCI lost its dazzle, but I still have trading power left and am using it pretty quickly, which is great.

Hilton has some nice resorts in SC. I am wondering what their offerings are in NC? I will have to check. I have a niece and a cousin near Winston-Salem.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Points are not the only game in town. Lockoffs when deposited can get you two exchanges for one MF's + 2 exchange fees. If you own Marriott or Sheraton/ Westin, you can trade into resorts in that system for $164.

 

[HudsHut]

There are two Sheraton Vistana Villages on ebay right now:
eBay item number: 314125958062
eBay item number: 334547896608
I'm sharing them so you can read them, ask questions, learn more.

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

If I bought Sheraton or Hilton resort can I buy into interval. That seems like my only drawback with Hilton is RCI and not Interval? Do you know how much it would cost?

 

[rickandcindy23]

If I bought Sheraton or Hilton resort can I buy into interval. That seems like my only drawback with Hilton is RCI and not Interval? Do you know how much it would cost?

There are some resorts that are dually affiliated, including the ones in Marco Island. You could deposit those in either system.

What resorts does Hilton have in NC? I see a lot in SC?

If you love Hilton and the resorts in that sytem, buy Hilton points and use the system and don't exchange through RCI, unless you really want something you cannot get in Hilton. Since Hilton took over Diamond, there are many more resorts available to owners, but I am not a Hilton owner, I just exchange into Hiltons, so I am no expert in that system. I know a lot of systems, but not Hilton. I think my brain is too full of other systems that I cannot comprehend anything else. That is truth, actually.

 

[KatherineCrowe2]

I do not like RCI all that much. The only resorts that I like through exchange are Hiltons, and I have to pay fees to stay in those, which I will do willingly. I like some of the Wyndhams for exchange through RCI, too, but we own Wyndham, so exchanging in is not something I would really do. I wouldn't buy anything today that exchanges through RCI. I have enjoyed Disney in RCI, but Disney is going to II. We keep seeing resorts in both II and RCI. The transition is longer than it was years ago, when Disney left II for RCI.

I would buy Wyndham resale to use in that system. There are so many resorts that are not a long drive from NC, and I would add in a couple of Marriott traders (like Grand Chateau (Vegas), Willow Ridge (Branson) or even some Marriott resorts in Orlando. That would give you the best of what II has to offer for exchange.

Your fees in Wyndham cover RCI annual fees. You would have to join II and add whatever resorts you wanted to buy into that account.

We traveled 22 weeks each of the last three years and are slated to do more in 2023. We still have five weeks left through the end of this year, but we are old and retired. I have learned from past mistakes, like buying some resorts that started out well for exchanges through RCI but fizzled after a few years. RCI lost its dazzle, but I still have trading power left and am using it pretty quickly, which is great.

Hilton has some nice resorts in SC. I am wondering what their offerings are in NC? I will have to check. I have a niece and a cousin near Winston-Salem.

Thanks for all your info. My husband and I want to travel 6 to 7 weeks a year being retirees in our late 50s. You stated you travel
More than that. Can I ask you what resorts you have and how many points available? Thanks! Katherine