How does RCI receive Bonnet Creek weeks - an II user trying to understand how RCI operates

[ncaahockeyfan]

For nearly ten years my family was exclusively timeshare renters - we probably rented around 25+ times before finally becoming owners last fall (GP7 & GP8). We most frequently rented from Wyndham owners for stays at Bonnet Creek.

Our home resorts exchange with II, so that's the program I have been learning this winter. I am fairly confident navigating most of the Interval rules and understand how it operates - thank you TUGGers!

We have considered buying a trader that participates in both II and RCI (primarily considered World Mark).

I don't see any Bonnet Creek owned weeks on the resale market. Have all owners been converted to points only owners?

If that's the case, how does RCI end up with Bonnet Creek weeks?

The Orlando area Marriott weeks are pretty easy to find in II - even during peak season. That makes sense - Orlando Marriotts are great II traders which leaves plenty of available deposits.

So how does this work with RCI and what's the Bonnet Creek RCI exchange availability look like?

I also realize RCI seems to not enforce the rule against renting exchanges -that has to have some effect on Bonnet Creek availability given how many rentals are on Redweek and eBay.

 

[bnoble]

Bonnet was never sold as weeks, only undivided interests. Any points-backed inventory (whether owned UDI, converted week, or trust) is deposited at Wyndham's discretion. Bonnet's presence in the RCI spacebank has ebbed and flowed over the years, including a healthy period of many months to a few years where it was not deposited at all.

I would hazard a guess that most of the rentals are from owners/points managers who are able to reserve inventory internally in the VIP discount window. That is much more efficient than RCI exchanges.

 

[ncaahockeyfan]

Bonnet was never sold as weeks, only undivided interests. Any points-backed inventory (whether owned UDI, converted week, or trust) is deposited at Wyndham's discretion. Bonnet's presence in the RCI spacebank has ebbed and flowed over the years, including a healthy period of many months to a few years where it was not deposited at all.

I would hazard a guess that most of the rentals are from owners/points managers who are able to reserve inventory internally in the VIP discount window. That is much more efficient than RCI exchanges.

We love Bonnet Creek, but the Orlando Marriott properties seem to be a step up from the "deluxe" Bonnet Creek units.

Any idea what the current Bonnet Creek exchange inventory looks like?

 

[bnoble]

If you ask on the Sightings board, I am sure someone will post it.

 

[chapjim]

At the moment, there are four active auctions on eBay for Bonnet Creek contracts. All are currently at $1.00.

They are:

1,000,000 annual, 1,126,000 annual, 168,000 even, and 168,000 odd.

You can probably find contracts at other resorts with lower maintenance fees than Bonnet Creek. Unless you need to book right at 13 months before check-in, you don't need to own at Bonnet Creek to get what you want.

To kind of split the quality difference between Wyndham and Marriott, you might want to look at HGVC properties at SeaWorld and Tuscany Village. HGVC also has Parc Soleil and Las Palmeras in Orlando. I'm not familiar with either one. One of them is thought to be rather oddly located but I don't recall which. The HGVC forum will have lots of info on all of them.

 

[bnoble]

I believe the OP is looking to exchange into bonnet. Not own there.

 

[montygz]

For nearly ten years my family was exclusively timeshare renters - we probably rented around 25+ times before finally becoming owners last fall (GP7 & GP8). We most frequently rented from Wyndham owners for stays at Bonnet Creek.

Our home resorts exchange with II, so that's the program I have been learning this winter. I am fairly confident navigating most of the Interval rules and understand how it operates - thank you TUGGers!

We have considered buying a trader that participates in both II and RCI (primarily considered World Mark).

I don't see any Bonnet Creek owned weeks on the resale market. Have all owners been converted to points only owners?

If that's the case, how does RCI end up with Bonnet Creek weeks?

The Orlando area Marriott weeks are pretty easy to find in II - even during peak season. That makes sense - Orlando Marriotts are great II traders which leaves plenty of available deposits.

So how does this work with RCI and what's the Bonnet Creek RCI exchange availability look like?

I also realize RCI seems to not enforce the rule against renting exchanges -that has to have some effect on Bonnet Creek availability given how many rentals are on Redweek and eBay.

Bonnet Creek is sometimes available in RCI. It comes and goes. Most of the rentals you see on eBay and elsewhere are from Wyndham points owners renting it, not RCI exchanges.

Inventory at Bonnet Creek is going to Wyndham owners first using the Wyndham points system, with some of it trickling down RCI.

Unless you want to buy another timeshare, I suggest you just use your II units to trade into DVC and Marriott resorts. If you want to go to WBC every now and then, just rent.

The perfect plan for you really comes down to how much you want to travel, where and how much you want to spend on maintenance fees.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

If you want to go to bonnet creek then just buy a cheap / low maintenance fee points contract for Wyndham on EBay.

 

[CO skier]

For nearly ten years my family was exclusively timeshare renters - we probably rented around 25+ times before finally becoming owners last fall (GP7 & GP8). We most frequently rented from Wyndham owners for stays at Bonnet Creek.

Our home resorts exchange with II, so that's the program I have been learning this winter. I am fairly confident navigating most of the Interval rules and understand how it operates - thank you TUGGers!

We have considered buying a trader that participates in both II and RCI (primarily considered World Mark).

If you buy WorldMark resale, II and RCI memberships are additional at the yearly membership fee for each exchange company.

If you buy into Club Wyndham resale, an RCI membership is included with the annual maintenance fees for the ownership. Plus, if you own in Club Wyndham, you can book exactly what you want at Bonnet Creek without any concern about what is deposited to RCI and not have to pay the exchange fee.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I believe the OP is looking to exchange into bonnet. Not own there.

She/he actually said something about looking for a resale of Bonnet Creek. I would buy points there, if that is the resort I wanted.

I would only buy an II trader because RCI is quite expensive to use. $299 exchange fees is a killer for me. I would buy a Marriott and trade into other Marriott resorts and of course the Disney resorts, and not Bonnet Creek (but we own Wyndham points and can stay at Bonnet Creek whenever we want without paying $300 + trading power). We are staying at BC later this month, actually.

You probably already have an II account, if you own GP7 and GP8. Buy a Marriott and enjoy $164 Marriott-to-Marriott exchanges. Of course you have to pay to upgrade to a larger unit as well, but still cheaper than RCI.

 

[rickandcindy23]

If you buy WorldMark resale, II and RCI memberships are additional at the yearly membership fee for each exchange company.

If you buy into Club Wyndham resale, an RCI membership is included with the annual maintenance fees for the ownership. Plus, if you own in Club Wyndham, you can book exactly what you want at Bonnet Creek without any concern about what is deposited to RCI and not have to pay the exchange fee.

I agree with that, believe it or not.

 

[escanoe]

I would only buy an II trader because RCI is quite expensive to use. $299 exchange fees is a killer for me.

This is not wrong, but it is different than my perspective.

I own a dually affiliated Vacation Village (the Colonies). At least half of my trading with that property is in RCI.

I 100% agree RCI exchange fees are excessively high and border on extortion.

But I also price out total costs. RCI’s excessively high exchange fees seem to me to sometimes drastically reduce the trading power required to book something. Especially if you are booking something that has plenty of inventory and will not be 100% booked early.

I can get 25 TPUs per side from my the Colonies ownership (week 30). I can often book similar accommodations in shoulder season for 1 to 7 TPUs. I get more value trading that way than I would get from being limited to 1:1 trades in II.

I recognize YMMV applies differently to everyone.

I am not an RCI defender on this, but explaining the economics from my perspective.

The VV internal exchange rate of $159 in RCI weeks is something else that makes their system more palatable to me.