Im at National Harbor this week. Its Thanksgiving morning. Later today we'll drive to meet friends and family for dinner,
Now I have some time to share my impressions of the place and their sales staff.
National Harbor is a "new town" on the Potomac, just down river from Washington DC. Historic "Old Town" Alexandria is just across the River and the Beltway crossing (Woodrow Wilson Bridge) is visible from my room.
As a DC native I can say National Harbor is a great location, convenient to everything in the area, by car, via the Beltway, or public transportation, bus water taxi and the Metro.
National Harbor is an enormous real estate development that had the misfortune of opening just as the real estate bubble was popping. There are shops, hotels, restaurants, offices, .condos and townhomes and of course a timeshare. So this is a place where you can live and work, shop and play; and walk to everything...I like it a lot; the concept, and the execution. If they can figure out how to sell and/or rent all the vacant space here, they'll really have something.
The downside...The streets are dead, the prices are high,everything seems to me to be priced in the upper middle, to very high price ranges...No fast food, no diners, no Bob Evans, Applebees, Dunkin Donuts etc places to eat. The grocery is the Potomac Gourmet Market, not the Giant. So either bring you own food, or lots of money. And Parking: There is as I can see no free parking. I was told that Ill pay $10 a day when I check out. Parking meters are $3 an hour, 2 hour max. I dont see any cars on the street, They are all in Garages. We had guests here last night and they paid $11 to park. I think its too much
Bottom line...its difficult to do National Harbor on a budget
On the plus side.. The Wyndham resort is wonderful, plenty of activities, nice rooms (granite counters in the kitchen and baths. Id like to see the presidential units. I cant imagine the difference in quality would be worth the price. There is no washer and dryer in the room, but they are on the floor.
Some pictures at National Harbor
I attended the owner update. They did a good job of keeping to the 45 minutes promised. They did do a quick customer satisfaction survey of our ownership overall and of this stay. And they seemed genuinely interested in helping us get the most from our ownership. This was however a segue way to the "pitch" of the day. and I suspect everyone got the same pitch...He asked how much of our maintenance fees we actually paid. Seemed like a trick question because I pay all my maintenance fees. But he said most VIP owners were able to enjoy their ownership without paying and maintenance fees. Of course I fell into the trap, and asked how. Heres how:
1)Refer friends and family
2)Use the Barclays Visa card to earn windham rewards points that convert to dollars that can be applied to maintenance fees
3)exchange deeded points to rewards points to apply to maintenance fees.
None of these seemed to require the purchase of an additional contract, so I was waiting for the other shoe to drop...and it did..
Since none of the above three methods will pay all my fees, (for example I would have to charge more money than I make every year, to the visa card, to cover the fees for the points I own now.) I need to utilize all three methods, and of course the more points I exchange for maintenance fees the less i have to use, But since platinum owners get a 50% discount, the points I dont exchange go twice as far. I should buy enough new points to go platinum, or at the very least gold....and I should buy my new points here, because maintenance fees at National Harbor are among the lowest in the system.
None of this considered the cost of those new points which he quoted me at $220/1000 points, Even if I could cover maintenance fees as he suggested (and I dont think its possible) Id still be out the purchase price for new points. And when I told him I rented time that cost me half my points for enough to cover all my maintenance fees, last year...he said thanks and gave me my gift
Now I have some time to share my impressions of the place and their sales staff.
National Harbor is a "new town" on the Potomac, just down river from Washington DC. Historic "Old Town" Alexandria is just across the River and the Beltway crossing (Woodrow Wilson Bridge) is visible from my room.
As a DC native I can say National Harbor is a great location, convenient to everything in the area, by car, via the Beltway, or public transportation, bus water taxi and the Metro.
National Harbor is an enormous real estate development that had the misfortune of opening just as the real estate bubble was popping. There are shops, hotels, restaurants, offices, .condos and townhomes and of course a timeshare. So this is a place where you can live and work, shop and play; and walk to everything...I like it a lot; the concept, and the execution. If they can figure out how to sell and/or rent all the vacant space here, they'll really have something.
The downside...The streets are dead, the prices are high,everything seems to me to be priced in the upper middle, to very high price ranges...No fast food, no diners, no Bob Evans, Applebees, Dunkin Donuts etc places to eat. The grocery is the Potomac Gourmet Market, not the Giant. So either bring you own food, or lots of money. And Parking: There is as I can see no free parking. I was told that Ill pay $10 a day when I check out. Parking meters are $3 an hour, 2 hour max. I dont see any cars on the street, They are all in Garages. We had guests here last night and they paid $11 to park. I think its too much
Bottom line...its difficult to do National Harbor on a budget
On the plus side.. The Wyndham resort is wonderful, plenty of activities, nice rooms (granite counters in the kitchen and baths. Id like to see the presidential units. I cant imagine the difference in quality would be worth the price. There is no washer and dryer in the room, but they are on the floor.
Some pictures at National Harbor
I attended the owner update. They did a good job of keeping to the 45 minutes promised. They did do a quick customer satisfaction survey of our ownership overall and of this stay. And they seemed genuinely interested in helping us get the most from our ownership. This was however a segue way to the "pitch" of the day. and I suspect everyone got the same pitch...He asked how much of our maintenance fees we actually paid. Seemed like a trick question because I pay all my maintenance fees. But he said most VIP owners were able to enjoy their ownership without paying and maintenance fees. Of course I fell into the trap, and asked how. Heres how:
1)Refer friends and family
2)Use the Barclays Visa card to earn windham rewards points that convert to dollars that can be applied to maintenance fees
3)exchange deeded points to rewards points to apply to maintenance fees.
None of these seemed to require the purchase of an additional contract, so I was waiting for the other shoe to drop...and it did..
Since none of the above three methods will pay all my fees, (for example I would have to charge more money than I make every year, to the visa card, to cover the fees for the points I own now.) I need to utilize all three methods, and of course the more points I exchange for maintenance fees the less i have to use, But since platinum owners get a 50% discount, the points I dont exchange go twice as far. I should buy enough new points to go platinum, or at the very least gold....and I should buy my new points here, because maintenance fees at National Harbor are among the lowest in the system.
None of this considered the cost of those new points which he quoted me at $220/1000 points, Even if I could cover maintenance fees as he suggested (and I dont think its possible) Id still be out the purchase price for new points. And when I told him I rented time that cost me half my points for enough to cover all my maintenance fees, last year...he said thanks and gave me my gift
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