Is the II Gold membership worth the cost?

[korndoc]

Is the II Gold membership worth the cost? I am in escrow and will be signing up for II for the first time.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[caribbeansun]

I've never found it to be worth the additional cost.

 

[jjlovecub]

Simply put - NO - unless you take a ton of getaways

 

[lprstn]

No, don't bother. I signed up for it and only took 1 getaway...may take more though.

 

[dougp26364]

If you use Hertz and pay to be a member of their #1 Gold club, I.I's gold membership gives you that #1 Gold membership for free. If you buy two getaway vacations a year it will also cover the cost of the membership. If you plan on exchanging for a cruise (not a good deal IMO) then you'll have to be a gold member.

We were gold members for a couple of years. For us it was a waste of money and we dropped that membership. I know have Gold membership again through DRI's THE Club membership but find it to be of no value to me. I'd prefer that DRI drop the I.I. gold membership and pass the savings on to their members.

 

[Phill12]

We took it this last couple years just because we thought we must be missing something good!

We have never taken a getaway,we have enough trouble using our two weeks now.

We will drop the gold next time we renew!

PHIL

 

[korndoc]

Thanks everyone. I kinda thought so.

Jeff

 

[tracie15436]

Thanks everyone. I kinda thought so.

Jeff

I do around 2-3 getaways per year so it's a wash in terms of pricing. Sometimes they do bonuses (like $50 off a getaway instead of the normal $25 off). My membership for the 1st year has paid off since I got an additional $25 off each getaway. So...if you're into the getaways, then it's a fair deal. I got 2 AZ getaways for less than $300/wk (marriott, westin)...it's good for me since it allows me to take a break from the normal daily grind and go somewhere close for a week (for cheap).

 

[erm]

I used my gold membership to save $75 off the price of three getaways to Florida last winter. I also have family members take the getaways also. The main reason I even thought about the gold membership was because I wanted to get something in return when II asked for an additional fee when I wanted to add a new timeshare to my account. I think the charge was going to be $39, so I opted for the $54 for gold. Another benefit nobody mention was the Entertainment membership. I printed out a BOGO coupon and saved a little money. I'm not sure if they have the Avis coupons online, but I have used those in the past to save $25 on rentals. So, gold membership can be wothwhile if you can take advantage of some of the benefits.

 

[Kola]

My savings just for three Az getaways this coming fall more than pay their extra annual fees. Its a good deal for retired people like myself who can travel offseason making use of very attractive getaway prices in some locations. In the past I have bought three to five getaways annually ( incl. Marriott's, Westin, etc.) at prices less than half annual maintenance fees charged by these resorts. And I dont need to buy any more weeks. Go for it if you can spare the time to travel.
K.

 

[DWM]

Not sure you need to take a "ton of Getaways". Even at only one Getaway you get roughly back half your GOLD membership - 2 Getaways pays for itself. If you use the concierge service (which is top notch) and care about the Hertz membership then it's an easy decision. I agree most of the stuff is in GOLD is worthless, but heck it's only $50 bucks and if I use a Getaway (for me or my friends) then I am pretty happy.

 

[korndoc]

Interesting...after an initial surge of those who did not feel the Gold membership was worthwhile the last group of posters like it. Are the Gold members offered more Getaways, or just the $25 off when going on one?

If you use the concierge service (which is top notch)...

Tell me about the concierge service

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Kola]

Interesting...after an initial surge of those who did not feel the Gold membership was worthwhile the last group of posters like it. Are the Gold members offered more Getaways, or just the $25 off when going on one?

Jeff

I don't know how would you define "more".
First, Getaways inventory changes from day to day, and from year to year.

Second, quantity alone is not the key, resort quality and location is. Florida (Orlando, Daytona), Arizona, Nevada, SC, NC, Pa are some of the most common locations listed.
Third, Getaway pricing is just as important, and for some even more so, than the available selection. Overpriced Getaways are of no interest to me and $25 discount makes no difference whatsoever. On the other hand, some offseason Getaways in some popular areas are priced very attractively. As always, you have to be flexible with travel dates.
Frankly, II pricing remains a mystery to me, but that's another subject.
K.

 

[DWM]

No extra Getaways - you just get a $25 discount. The membership is $54 (I think) so, in my mind, almost pays for itself if I plan to take a Getaway. The concierge service is pretty cool. They've made hotel reservations for me while I drive to a city and have recommended restaurants when I travel (not sure their source for recommendations). I think they'll do just about anything, but that's about all I use it for.

As for II Getaway pricing, it is a hit or miss proposition for me. Sometimes I find great deals sometimes I am unsure of why things are so expensive. I find if I am staying for less than a week with just my wife that it usually doesn't make $ sense unless I find a studio that is very cheap. However, for a week with another couple or in-laws in a 2bd/2bath unit, pricing becomes pretty attractive. If you can stand the heat in Palm Springs during summer, there seems to be good deals in those off-season type locations (especially with the $25 GOLD discount).

Now with all that said - if you dont do Getaways and don't need/want the concierge it may not be worth much to you. I think you also get an Entertainment book (coupons) and a Hertz #1 Club Gold membership, but I don't care for either of these products so that doesn't mean much to me.

 

[DWM]

Korndoc - just went to II site to take a quick look at GOLD. I forgot that GOLD also gives you GOLD Options (or something like that) which allows you to cash in your week towards a cruise booking or Golf-Spa trip. Some peope love it, but the value you get for your week is pretty low so I've never used it. I guess if you know you were taking a cruise and not using your week it would be worth having. I guess value is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[djs]

If you find the Hertz Gold membership to be a good perk, you may do better by getting your Hertz Gold through AAA (assuming you're a AAA member). AAA members can get Hertz Gold for $25 instead of $50 per year.

 

[korndoc]

Thanks everyone.

I do plan on checking out the Getaways, but will probably not be able to do 2 a year plus my timeshare weeks for years to come. But I can dream

What's the Hertz Gold card ?

Jeff

 

[chuckles]

Thanks everyone.

I do plan on checking out the Getaways, but will probably not be able to do 2 a year plus my timeshare weeks for years to come. But I can dream

What's the Hertz Gold card ?

Jeff

Hertz #1 Gold club is actually pretty cool. You enter your cc info, driver's license info, etc. into an online profile. When you get to your rental location, there's a billboard with your name and parking-spot # on it. You walk up to your car (keys are in it), and show your ID on your way out of the parking lot. There's no line at the counter, no lecture about not accepting their insurance, etc.

Even if there IS an issue with your rental and you need to talk to someone at the counter, #1 Gold typically has their own counter, which speeds things up. I get it free through my employer, but it offers a much-improved
customer experience. It's the kind of customer experience that EVERY customer should get.... for free. But, unfortunately, you've gotta be a #1 Gold member to get it.

Oh yeah... Some states require rental car companies to add a spouse to a rental agreement for free, and some do not. If they don't, they can charge something like $8 or $9 per day to add another driver. If I remember correctly, #1 Gold allows you to add a spouse to the agreement for free. I'm also thinking that AAA membership offers the same benefit, plus any other AAA members.

 

[applegirl]

Since we have purchased something like 8 getaways so far this year it has more than paid for itself. We are having a family gathering in December in Palm Springs so it's been worth it for us.

Janna

 

[marshmans]

I also use my gold membership for the Entertainment Coupons. We live in Alberta and have spent a weekend in Banff for $75 a night, compared to $150 regular rate. That pays for my gold membership right there.

 

[korndoc]

Thanks for reviving this post.

Tell me about the Entertainment Coupons.

Jeff

 

[marshmans]

You don't get as many coupons as you would by purchasing a local book, but you get many of the hotel as well as many restaurants. When I'm going somewhere I check on line to see what is available and then print of the coupons just in case. I find that I use the hotel coupons most. You usually get 50% off rack rate.

 

[korndoc]

Thanks,

Jeff