List your GREAT Timeshare exchanges here. [2009 and forward]

[Lisa P]

I don't know if it is a great one or not, but we're intrigued. Hotel on the Cay #1597

Goodness, so am I! Will look forward to your review, even though it's 2 years away.

 

[easyrider]

Traded a one bed Villa del Palmar Puerto Vallarta fall week into a two bedroom Grand Lux Nuevo Vallarta winter week yesterday. Maybe the best trade for us so far.

Bill

 

[klpca]

We've landed some great trades for this year, but all were made when things were still shut down. We traded an SDO 1 bedroom into Hyatt Carmel for next month, used GPX to trade into a July week at WorldMark Depoe Bay, an SDO 1 bedroom into Ko Olina 2 bedroom later this month, and another SDO 1 bedroom for a studio at WKORV for my daughter's honeymoon later this fall. I was hoping to upgrade that into a larger unit using eplus, but there is just no inventory for this year in Hawaii so that may be it. Luckily they are super easygoing and will be happy with whatever they get. I have definitely seen the inventory dry up in the past two months. It's slim pickins out there in exchange-land!

 

[rickandcindy23]

We've landed some great trades for this year, but all were made when things were still shut down. We traded an SDO 1 bedroom into Hyatt Carmel for next month, used GPX to trade into a July week at WorldMark Depoe Bay, an SDO 1 bedroom into Ko Olina 2 bedroom later this month, and another SDO 1 bedroom for a studio at WKORV for my daughter's honeymoon later this fall. I was hoping to upgrade that into a larger unit using eplus, but there is just no inventory for this year in Hawaii so that may be it. Luckily they are super easygoing and will be happy with whatever they get. I have definitely seen the inventory dry up in the past two months. It's slim pickins out there in exchange-land!

The studios at Westin are fabulous. That is a great get for honeymooners.

I keep watching with my 2 bed Marriott for a Ko Olina 2 bedroom. Never seems to happen for me.

 

[klpca]

The studios at Westin are fabulous. That is a great get for honeymooners.

I keep watching with my 2 bed Marriott for a Ko Olina 2 bedroom. Never seems to happen for me.

Thanks for the info about the Westin. I feel better.

Btw the two bedroom at Ko Olina came a few months ago - I think that people were still hesitant about Hawaii. All bets are off now. It could be years before I get that again since I don't have a Marriott trader.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Thanks for the info about the Westin. I feel better.

Btw the two bedroom at Ko Olina came a few months ago - I think that people were still hesitant about Hawaii. All bets are off now. It could be years before I get that again since I don't have a Marriott trader.

We just stayed in a studio. They have such a nice layout. Too bad all of the studios on Maui aren't as spacious. The kitchen was perfect for us, and the washer/dryer, king-sized Westin Heavenly Bed, and the Heavenly bath. We enjoyed our view of the koi pond. It was an exchange. Such a great exchange!

 

[escanoe]

I believe my best exchange bargain yet with RCI Points was a 3 BR cottage at Port O’Call on Hilton Head Island for 7,500 RCI Points for late February/early March. I booked it a few weeks ahead as a 2 bedroom at Spinnaker Waterside at a discounted rate. Then as the exchange approached I received a free upgrade to the 3 BR at Port O’Call though an RCI platinum free upgrade request.

 

[CPNY]

We've landed some great trades for this year, but all were made when things were still shut down. We traded an SDO 1 bedroom into Hyatt Carmel for next month, used GPX to trade into a July week at WorldMark Depoe Bay, an SDO 1 bedroom into Ko Olina 2 bedroom later this month, and another SDO 1 bedroom for a studio at WKORV for my daughter's honeymoon later this fall. I was hoping to upgrade that into a larger unit using eplus, but there is just no inventory for this year in Hawaii so that may be it. Luckily they are super easygoing and will be happy with whatever they get. I have definitely seen the inventory dry up in the past two months. It's slim pickins out there in exchange-land!

That SDO is a good trader huh? Is it a 1-52 or a true platinum?

so far with my RCI points in my first year, animal kingdom lodge

SVV 1 bedroom into a 2 bedroom Westin Nanea and another 1 bedroom into 2 bedroom MSU

 

[klpca]

That SDO is a good trader huh? Is it a 1-52 or a true platinum?

so far with my RCI points in my first year, animal kingdom lodge

SVV 1 bedroom into a 2 bedroom Westin Nanea and another 1 bedroom into 2 bedroom MSU

Vanilla 1-52. It's hands down our best trader.

 

[heathpack]

Well all my exchange plans went to hell because we decided to breed our dog. Since we plan on keeping a puppy there goes our travel from mid April- she’s due any day now through August or so. And one of my colleagues was out on leave Jan to March, so I couldn’t travel then either.

I just retraded my Sedona week (which was supposed to be happening now) for a week at David Walleys Resort in Minden Nv, near Tahoe. There’s some great MTB trails, and hot springs at the resort and it’s pet friendly! Yay. Will connect that week to a work related conference in Fish Camp (south of Yosemite), followed by a few days in a cabin in Foresta, which is inside Yosemite I think. That will be puppy’s second trip, the first is a non timeshare trip.

The afforementioned park city weeks will need to be changed on account of the Puppy must travel and be exposed to the world. We’re looking at the Phoenix area for Nov-Villas at Cave Creek and Villas at Gold Canyon are both pet friendly. We’d typically go to sedona but are happy tp try Phoenix this year.

 

[vikingsholm]

Well all my exchange plans went to hell because we decided to breed our dog. Since we plan on keeping a puppy there goes our travel from mid April- she’s due any day now through August or so. And one of my colleagues was out on leave Jan to March, so I couldn’t travel then either.

I just retraded my Sedona week (which was supposed to be happening now) for a week at David Walleys Resort in Minden Nv, near Tahoe. There’s some great MTB trails, and hot springs at the resort and it’s pet friendly! Yay. Will connect that week to a work related conference in Fish Camp (south of Yosemite), followed by a few days in a cabin in Foresta, which is inside Yosemite I think. That will be puppy’s second trip, the first is a non timeshare trip.

The afforementioned park city weeks will need to be changed on account of the Puppy must travel and be exposed to the world. We’re looking at the Phoenix area for Nov-Villas at Cave Creek and Villas at Gold Canyon are both pet friendly. We’d typically go to sedona but are happy tp try Phoenix this year.

Hey heathpack, we traded into Hyatt Sedona and are here this week, maybe got your unit, ha. Great to be here again as always.

Since you mentioned David Walleys - I know that you are familiar with the mountain bike trails around Lake Tahoe itself. In case you hadn't seen these others yet though, there are also some nice trails on the east side of the mountains in the Carson Valley area by Genoa, especially the Clear Creek Trail and Genoa trail system. Maybe hotter if you're going in summer, but we hike them even in dry/warm winter years, and see bikers especially on the Clear Creek trail.

So, in case you didn't know about these yet, or if you do and it might be news for other readers here, here's the link to their trails:

Carson Valley Trails Association

carsonvalleytrails.org

 

[heathpack]

Hey heathpack, we traded into Hyatt Sedona and are here this week, maybe got your unit, ha. Great to be here again as always.

Since you mentioned David Walleys - I know that you are familiar with the mountain bike trails around Lake Tahoe itself. In case you hadn't seen these others yet though, there are also some nice trails on the east side of the mountains in the Carson Valley area by Genoa, especially the Clear Creek Trail and Genoa trail system. Maybe hotter if you're going in summer, but we hike them even in dry/warm winter years, and see bikers especially on the Clear Creek trail.

So, in case you didn't know about these yet, or if you do and it might be news for other readers here, here's the link to their trails:

Carson Valley Trails Association

carsonvalleytrails.org

Ha! Part of the reason we traded into David Walle was to ride the Clear Creek Trail. I rode it last time we were in the Tahoe area and it’s one of my favorites. Oct is a good time of year for that trail.

 

[rickandcindy23]

David Walley's being pet friendly is great news to me. I had no idea. Good to know.

 

[heathpack]

Well we got our exchange into the Villas of Gold Canyon for Thanksgiving week. Pet friendly and there’s a bunch of mountain bikes trails within riding distance. We already eplus’ed our other Marriott Mountainside week into David Walleys for Memorial Day week next year, but we may change that to Villas at Cave Creek to make Arizona a two week trip in Nov.

 

[heathpack]

Ok I got everything rebooked into pet friendly accommodations.

I called David Walleys and there’s a two pet maximum. Puppy makes three so I grabbed a studio getaway. Husband will be officially checked into to the getaway unit with one dog, I’ll be in the 1BR with the other two dogs. Maybe they will be able combine the units. Of course he will only “officially” be in the other room. Unless we have a big argument lol.

Just this morning I grabbed the week prior to Thanksgiving at the Villas of Cave Creek, also pet friendly. So we’ll have one week in the far northern reaches of metro Phoenix, and the second week at the Villas of Gold Canyon, east of Phoenix. Both areas have lots of mountain bike trails and it’s a good time of year for MTB there. I don’t know much about the resorts, but this year is a great one for trying new stuff, since we won’t want to board the baby until she’s a little older.

So there you have it: one 3BR week at Hyatt Kaanapali has been turned into an early Oct week in the Tahoe area, and two weeks in Phoenix AZ, all with our three little dogs included.

 

[klpca]

I will update one of my favorite threads on TUG. I just canceled two trips booked through RCI for next year because I couldn't stomach the stress of planning international travel right now. Our upcoming BVI trip has given me some gray hairs. The current "insurance" from RCI gave me a credit for the exchange fees so it wasn't too much of a hit. I was able to book an 8 night stay at Meadow Lake in Columbia Falls in August. We'll be spending most of our time in Glacier. Then I eplussed into a week at Island Park (near Yellowstone) for the following week. My National-Park-loving husband is thrilled to be doing two parks next summer. I am pretty amazed myself and can hardly wait for those trips.

 

[Eric B]

We have a National Park free pass for being disabled veterans, so like doing that sort of thing, too.

 

[klpca]

We have a National Park free pass for being disabled veterans, so like doing that sort of thing, too.

We finally qualified for the old folks pass so we're pretty stoked. We've been paying a lot of entrance fees (or annual pass fees) over the years. Although I remember seeing those senior passes listed when we drove up to the gate to pay and thinking things like "who still goes to NP when they are seniors?" or "it will be a million years until we qualify for that!", yet here we are. It happened when we weren't looking.

 

[easyrider]

We finally qualified for the old folks pass so we're pretty stoked. We've been paying a lot of entrance fees (or annual pass fees) over the years. Although I remember seeing those senior passes listed when we drove up to the gate to pay and thinking things like "who still goes to NP when they are seniors?" or "it will be a million years until we qualify for that!", yet here we are. It happened when we weren't looking.

We finally bought a Pass a while back. We went to Mt Rainier and forgot the pass. I thought my wife had it and she thought I had it. We paid admission and went to Paradise and the visitor center.

Bill

 

[rickandcindy23]

We finally qualified for the old folks pass so we're pretty stoked. We've been paying a lot of entrance fees (or annual pass fees) over the years. Although I remember seeing those senior passes listed when we drove up to the gate to pay and thinking things like "who still goes to NP when they are seniors?" or "it will be a million years until we qualify for that!", yet here we are. It happened when we weren't looking.

When we got our senior pass, I was planning all of our trips near the National Parks on purpose for a while. I have gotten away from that, but this thread is reminding me to do that again. So many great parks we have not seen. I appreciate the parks and Teddy Roosevelt's and John Muir's vision for the country to save land and trees for recreational purposes.

 

[klpca]

We finally bought a Pass a while back. We went to Mt Rainier and forgot the pass. I thought my wife had it and she thought I had it. We paid admission and went to Paradise and the visitor center.

Bill

Yeah, we forgot it on one of our last trips (a lot of state parks accept it as a pass as well). It was only $7 to enter the park but I had to laugh.

 

[TheHolleys87]

My dad got a NP Senior Pass way back when they were free, and as soon as we were old enough, my husband got one for $10. Every time we entered a national park last month, we’d see the sign showing the current price as $80 and smile at our good fortune.

 

[marmite]

Pre-pandemic, I traded 3 of my 1BD SDO gold weeks (mix of small and larger 1 bedrooms from my lockoff) for 3 Westin Nanea two bedrooms in Summer, all for the same week. I was able to put a large family trip together that I then had to cancel it all and re-trade several times until the E-plus certificates were all used up. I'm sure you have all done similar these past couple of years.

I am attempting to pull that big trip off again so I can invite the extended family while their kids are out of school, but this year there were no Nanea summer deposits. The best I could do this year for booking Hawaii Summer 2022 was 3, 1BDR full kitchen Westin Kaanapali North weeks. I have also used SDO to trade into Westin Kierland for Christmas week, but dollar for dollar I think Hawaii is more valuable a trade.

I would love to know what people are matched to when they request ahead -- the trades I mention are just from searching on II and grabbing available inventory.

 

[heathpack]

….I grabbed the week prior to Thanksgiving at the Villas of Cave Creek, also pet friendly. So we’ll have one week in the far northern reaches of metro Phoenix, and the second week at the Villas of Gold Canyon, east of Phoenix. Both areas have lots of mountain bike trails and it’s a good time of year for MTB there. I don’t know much about the resorts, but this year is a great one for trying new stuff, since we won’t want to board the baby until she’s a little older.

So there you have it: one 3BR week at Hyatt Kaanapali has been turned into an early Oct week in the Tahoe area, and two weeks in Phoenix AZ, all with our three little dogs included.

Well…. we had an extra weekend of dachshund field trials added at the beginning of our season. Right in the middle of my two timeshare weeks. After much deliberation, I retraded my 1BR Gold Canyon Thanksgiving week for 1BR Westin Desert Willow week in Jan. That’s my last retrade, so it’s Use It or Lose It.

So my 3BR Hyatt Kaanapali week ultimately turned into a week at David Walleys, a week at the Villas of Cave Creek, and a week at Westin Desert Willow. This time I really am done!

 

[Trav02554]

I have owned at a small Maine TS for 10 years. I am obsessive about checking to see what is available, very flexible and have traded for:
Sheraton Atlantis
DVC - Boardwalk when it was with II
MVC Disneyland Paris
Marriott Harbor Lakes
MVC Ocean Club-During Covid
MVC- Dessert Springs
MVC- Newport Coast