How does DRI treat renters and exchangers?

[NiteMaire]

I rented a week at KBC for Feb 26 - Mar 4 from an owner. I was also lucky enough to get an exchange into The Point at Poipu for May 2-9. I've long been a fan of PaP, but held off buying due to DRI management.

I've only driven by KBC when I stayed at WKORV. I walked around PaP when I stayed at Marriott's Waiohai, but I didn't get a feel for the resort. I expect the worst of views so I'm not worried about that.

What can I expect as a renter at KBC and an exchanger at PaP?

Thanks.

 

[cindyc]

We checked out at Point at Poipu today. We traded in through Destination Exchange as we are deeded week owners at Sedona Summit. If you don't own DRI you should expect a resort fee plus daily state tax to be collected at checkin.

Study the map and ask for a building you want to stay in. Some are quite far from the parking lot. We got the building we requested and they placed our grandkids in the room next door!

We really enjoyed our stay!

 

[geist1223]

Renting a DRI Unit that is not a Deeded Week is a crap shoot. Trading through an exchange company will not only result in Daily Fees, normally about $25 per day, but also likely not get a great view. The Daily Fees even apply to DRI Members that are staying at a DRI Resort through an Exchange and not their DRI Points.

 

[nuwermj]

Trading through an exchange company will ... result in Daily Fees,

From The Point's "Fact Sheet"
- Hotel Guests and Exchange Reservation: A photo identification, credit card for $100 security deposit and a nightly $29.95 plus tax resort fee will be required (cash is not an acceptable form of deposit). Resort Fee includes Wi-Fi, parking, fitness center, business center computer/internet, boarding pass printing and free local calls.
- Owner Weeks and Member Points Booking: Photo Identification and credit card for $1 security deposit will need to be provided at check-in. Resort fees* will be waived when staying on your owner week or member point reservations. A resort fee of $29.95 plus tax per night will be added to the reservation if the owner or member of THE Club® is checking in on a rental reservation.

https://www.diamondresorts.com/destinations/property/The-Point-at-Poipu

 

[tschwa2]

I don't have a lot of experience exchanging in but the two times I did (both Williamsburg) I was put in a unit that was fine but hadn't been refurbished in quite a while. I asked if anything more updated was available and was told that the refurbished rooms are saved for owners using their own units or Diamond points. They also hounded me to take an update, even calling when I got home (now that I had done business with them) to come back on a promotional trip.

 

[SteelerGal]

I exchanged into Embarc in the Desert, resort fee and expecting the worst room.

 

[geist1223]

The first time we were at PatP it was an RCI Exchange. We had a horrible location. It over looked the Parking Lot and Check-in Area. There was the $25 Daily Resort Fee and Hawaiian Taxes on top of that. We had turned down the Sales Pitch at check-in. The next morning we were walking in the Garden and Pool Area. Patti decided she was willing to go to the Sales Pitch if we could get a better view. They moved us to a beautiful Garden Partial Ocean View. Yes we now own DRI Points from the Developer. We got it for more Hawaiian Access, Europe, and Far East.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

The way that I understand the reservation system to work at Point at Poipu.

View categories are an integral part of any reservation made within the DRI system. If you a Points owner, you reserve into a specific view category, and are charged the corresponing points. If you are a deeded week owner, you reserve in a view category consistent with your deed. The inventory system keeps track of what inventory is available on any given check-in day in each specific view category. There is no automatic bumping of owners to a higher view category just because their view category happens to be filled.

When a unit is deposited for exchange, the system merely notes that there is an incoming exchanger on that date, but does not assign the exchange to any specific view category. It works that way so that they accommodate the maximum number of owner reservation requests. For example, let's say that exchange had been assigned to garden view, so there is one less Garden View unit available that check-in day. Meanwhile, assume that all of the remaining Garden View units are reserved by owners. Then, if another owner wants to reserve a Garden View unit, then they will have to say "nothing available", even though there may be space available in Partial Ocean View. By not assigning the exchange to a view category they maximize their ability to accommodate owner requests.

There is also a check that prevents overbooking of weeks - when there is an incoming exchanger that is reflected by decreasing the aggregate number of allowable check-ins on that date. If the resort fills, then end result will be that there will be vacancies in various view categories that match the number of incoming exchanges. The exchanges will then be slotted into whatever view categories happen to have ended up unfilled.

That means that as an exchanger, you can wind up in any given view category. Ocean front and ocean view are in highest demand, and points owners will most likely snatch those up. Also, there are many points owners who want to go to Hawaii as cheaply as possible and will snatch up most of the garden view units. So during high demand periods, my guess is that exchangers have a good chance of receiving partial ocean view.

When the resort is not full I'm not sure what happens, though I expect that exchangers would receive the lower view categories, so that the resort can put the primo units in the hotel market and generate more money for the resort.

 

[Almond123]

I just exchanged my KBC week thru destination exchange and I reserved a what they called a two bedroom ocean view. It is for a week in Feb so I was happy. It did say I would be charged a exchanged fee but the parking was noted as free.

Since I own a Diamond week I’m not sure if they charge a resort fee or not. Since my reservation says ocean view I’m hoping to get a one an view but wonder if that means partial ocean view. I printed a resort map so hope to get a ocean view room but from what I am reading it makes me wonder if I will get one.

 

[echino]

I rented a week at KBC from an owner and was assigned an island view unit. It was an OK view. I was not impressed with KBC overall though. It's a mid-range place, not upscale, but good enough.

 

[NiteMaire]

I rented a week at KBC from an owner and was assigned an island view unit. It was an OK view. I was not impressed with KBC overall though. It's a mid-range place, not upscale, but good enough.

Checked in last night. We have an island view as well. My initial take is similar to yours...mid-range place that is good enough.

 

[Eileen A.]

Especially when rented on the TUG Last Minute Prices!!!

 

[NiteMaire]

Especially when rented on the TUG Last Minute Prices!!!

I can't thank you enough. The location of KBC was outstanding! Every day we were there we watched whales from lounge chairs at the pool. One morning, we saw 6 breaches in only 1 hour. We also took a whale watching cruise which greatly exceeded our expectations. Here's my thread about the cruise in case you hadn't seen it: https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/whale-watching-experience-of-a-lifetime.302137/

Back to the original topic of the thread. Staff was extremely friendly and we were (mostly) treated like owners. Upon check-in we were offered a pure mountain view with a king bed or a sliver of ocean view with 2 full beds. We took the king bed.

We visited concierge the first morning and the rep asked about our interest in attending a presentation ($200 to spend at certain restaurants in exchange for 2 hours!); we declined and she didn't ask again. We did, however, get asked/pestered immediately after the island activity presentation (decent free breakfast) by a different (sales?) rep. We left before the raffle, but someone chased/tracked us; we were caught because the get away elevator was not at the rendezvous point By the time the elevator arrived the rep had asked us 10-15 times to attend a presentation. She asked several more times while we were on the elevator. We survived and went on to our activities for the day. We were left alone for the rest of the stay.

If you don't own DRI you should expect a resort fee plus daily state tax to be collected at checkin.

We were pleasantly surprised; they waived the resort fees since we rented from an owner.

 

[Eileen A.]

So glad you had a nice time!!!
I've only been there in the summer (to escape the Arizona heat)
and have never seen the whales.

The sales folks are persistent and I always agree to the presentation
which we later say never again!