I've been a member 20 years, still need help. What resorts have $300 m/f but good exchanges? Saw a blogger and got curious

[rickandcindy23]

I don’t, but FXR was up in 202o/2021? And they extended.
I have not owned FWM in more than 10 years.

I wanted to end Foxrun and made an attempt to get people on board, but Becky Varn was so against it, she was a TUG member and also on the board of Foxrun. BigMatt here on TUG was against it as well. It was an uphill battle, and I lost my wind.

I still own a week 52. My niece is considering it but I don't want her to take on something that could be a loser at some point. I don't want her to blame me. I was able to get her a 2 bedroom at OKW for mid-June, and she was thinking about it, but the more I think about giving it to her, the more apprehension I feel. Trading power comes and goes.

I have a lockoff at a particular resort listed for sale on RW that trades very well for me, and when I had an inquiry about it, she asked if she can get two equal exchanges with each side of the lockoff (at a particular resort). I said I have done it in the past but cannot guarantee anything in the future. Sent her proof of my exchanges, never heard from her again. No guarantees, and I am not going to guarantee anything to anyone. Exchange power is fleeting.

 

[MichaelColey]

Flexibility is key. I like units that can be split and work with both II and RCI. As changes come, it’s easier to pivot.

 

[Quilter]

Have stayed there several times, fabulous resort. Prefer over Maui Ocean Club. Full kitchen, gorgeous bathroom with soaker tub and stall shower, W/D even in studio.

Is that KAN? How would you compare the beach to MOC?

How does it differ from KAA?

 

[dioxide45]

Is that KAN? How would you compare the beach to MOC?

How does it differ from KAA?

KAA is Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas
KAN is Westin Ka'anapali Ocean resort Villas North

One is north of the other

There may be some threads in the Vistana forum that will explain the differences better.

 

[Quilter]

KAA is Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas
KAN is Westin Ka'anapali Ocean resort Villas North

One is north of the other

There may be some threads in the Vistana forum that will explain the differences better.

I'm at Chairman level. It looks like I can only see points inventory for Westins in a 12 month window. Right?

 

[dioxide45]

I'm at Chairman level. It looks like I can only see points inventory for Westins in a 12 month window. Right?

Correct. 13-month availability doesn't apply to Vistana resorts.

 

[JONC777]

I have 3 weeks at treetops gatlinburg MF $665, ha could have booked a 1BR at old key west with an august travel date if my calendar this year wasn't already packed. $665 plus $239, plus $180 disney resort fee is a steal!

 

[rickandcindy23]

The beach is better at the Westins than Marriott.

MOC has no stovetop in the kitchens and no washer/dryer in the units. We stay at MM1 next February and are looking forward to that stay.

Is that KAN? How would you compare the beach to MOC?

How does it differ from KAA?

 

[WaikikiFirst]

HGVC - we all like to talk about MF only prices, and yet for many people - especially starting out - the club dues are just added directly to that, as are booking fees. Now, I can see not "worrying" about sub $100 fees, but taken together the $399 club dues and minimum of one booking fee (unless it's my home week, which almost no one uses) of $74 is like 30% of the MFs added on

I agree, but there is a caveat. First, this is why I constantly think "Think for yourself. Do the math. DOn't just take people's shorthand math." So, the caveat, it took a while but I figured out that many of the most frequent / vocal HGVC posters you may have in mind own something or have a level that eliminates their booking fees in HGVC. So, the shorthand math is accurate for them. It just isn't for everybody else.
It "should" make some people wonder if buying mroe HGVC pts just to eliminate booking fees is a positive NPV move

 

[jp10558]

I agree, but there is a caveat. First, this is why I constantly think "Think for yourself. Do the math. DOn't just take people's shorthand math." So, the caveat, it took a while but I figured out that many of the most frequent / vocal HGVC posters you may have in mind own something or have a level that eliminates their booking fees in HGVC. So, the shorthand math is accurate for them. It just isn't for everybody else.
It "should" make some people wonder if buying mroe HGVC pts just to eliminate booking fees is a positive NPV move

Hmmm - I somehow doubt buying enough retail to eliminate booking fees would ever break even. You'd have to book A LOT, or the fees would have to get astronomical. I think the main benefit of owning more is spreading that club dues out over more weeks - I personally would feel that you get noticeable "per week" discounts if you spread it out to 3 weeks, then it to me gets more incremental.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

somehow doubt buying enough retail to eliminate booking fees would ever break even

I am not saying it has positive NPV if you do it starting from zero. I'm saying that if you have almost enough pts, buying the extra pts would do it. In the "NPV" calc you would have to cover only the
incremental MFS +
the up-front cost (mostly activation)

out to 3 weeks, then it to me gets more incremental

That is the point. What is "incremental" is the extra MFs. What is brand new is the $250, $300, whatever booking fees saved. And the incremental MFs come with incremental nights, so as long as you buy fairly-valued pts and can use the nights, well, I've never done the math, but obviouslu there is a "this close" area where NPV > $0.
Activation fee = about 8x a booking fee. So, if you do 4 bookings/yr you breakeven on that in 2 yrs. After that, gravy.
but NPV and breakeven are different things and we're jumping back&forth
and of course getting to whatever that level adds other benefits, not just $0 booking fee, but at some incremental, saving 4 or 5 or (pick a #) booking fees offsets a lot of the incremental MFs

 

[jp10558]

I am not saying it has positive NPV if you do it starting from zero. I'm saying that if you have almost enough pts, buying the extra pts would do it. In the "breakeven" calc you would dive by only the
incremental MFS +
the up-front cost (mostly activation)

That is the point. What is "incremental" is the extra MFs. What is brand new is the $250, $300, whatever booking fees saved. And the incremental MFs come with incremental nights, so as long as you buy fairly-valued pts and can use the nights, well, I've never done the math, but obviouslu there is a "this close" area where NPV > $0.
Activation fee = about 8x a booking fee. So, if you do 4 bookings/yr you breakeven on that in 2 yrs. After that, gravy

Ahh, I was thinking if you own resale, it doesn't help you get to "free booking" and any points purchase that would get you that is AFAIK a retail purchase that starts (no matter what you already own) at around $14,000 from what I've seen reported. That's A LOT of bookings to break even, around 175. There was one resale thing - in bHC maybe, but the MF/pt was like super high when I looked so it really seemed it still was "do you really need to stay at this location?" rather than "save on booking fees" to me. Maybe there's another way but like you said, it'd have to be something like just the activation fee to make a lot of sense.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

if you own resale, it doesn't help you get to "free booking"

Ahhh, maybe it was only Scotland that gets you there? (in addition to bHC). anyway the orig point was many frequent commenters ignore booking fees, and many of them don't pay them