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Need help with Southern CA Exchange Request

L

lynne

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,363
Reaction score
865
Location
Kamuela, HI (from Long Island, NY)
Resorts Owned
Pacific Grove Plaza
We are going to be in San Diego for a few days in early February 2009 (family event) and need some advice from the experts. Since we have a banked week with SFX, we have placed a request for the following resorts:

Villa L’Auberge - Four Seasons Resort Club at Aviara - Villas on the Greens at the Welk Resort

We will be flying into and out of LAX and will require a Friday check-in. I know that finding lodging at this late date for coastal California is a stretch and would like to add some additional resorts to the request. One consideration is that we do not want to have the additional expense of parking so I am less inclined to add any of the downtown San Diego resorts to the request. From the listing on the SFX directory site, can anyone recommend additional resorts to add to our request? The additional resorts that we can choose from are:

Marriott’s Newport Coast
Laguna Shores
Capistrano Surfside Inn
Carlsbad Inn
Carlsbad Seapointe Resort
Seapointe Resort
Coronado Beach Resort
Gaslamp Plaza Suites
Grand Pacific Palisades
Harbortown Point Marina Resort
Riviera Beach & Spa Resort
Riviera Shores Resort
San Clemente Cove
Tamarack Beach Resort
Villa L’Auberge
Wave Crest
Winners Circle Beach & Tennis
Sunterra Harbor Lights Resort
Casa De La Playa
Laguna Surf

Any recommendations to add to our chances of getting a match, are sincerely appreciated. Thanks - Lynne
 
From your list the only ones I have stayed in, and would recommend are:

Coronado Beach Resort
Casa De La Playa

We stayed at Coronado Beach Resort this year. There is a daily parking fee of $10. Love this one and it's location right across the street from the Hotel del Coronado. And we stayed at Casa De La Playa last year. We loved the location of this place in La Jolla. Right across the street from the ocean with an unobstructed view (not to say there was a view from every unit). I submitted reviews on both of these.
 
I know Grand Pacific Palisades charges a daily resort fee to RCI Exchange Guests. Not sure if they also charge inbound SFX guests ...?
 
Some of your resorts listed are quite far from San Diego, such as Newport Coast. I would imagine you would want to stay from Carlsbad on down.
 
I don't know if it's too late to get a SoCal resort for February.

I do know that if we do have a cool and rainy season in SoCal, it's Feb. As someone who lives here, it would seem to me that our high season wouldn't be February.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. I know that February is not high season but Southern California always appears to be a tough trade especially when I am only allowing a six month lead time and resorts that are difficult trades.

We are only staying for 4 nights so the parking charge is not terrible but if I were to be assessed a fee for a weekly stay, I think I may shy away from add Grand Pacific Palisades to my request.

As I already have the banked week, I figured I would give the exchange a try. If it doesn't work out, we will end up with a few nights in a hotel and a few nights with family.

I am hopeful that a really nice resort will become available.
 
Fri check in makes it tough....

A better question might be which of your list of resorts has Fri check in. I didn't think Grand Pacific had Fri check in. Prob same at Seapoint. I think with a Fri check in required, you may not get an exchange. Consider part week rental as you only wanted 4 days?
 
As suggested, I looking for Friday check-ins and from the original listing, here are the results

Marriott’s Newport Coast
Laguna Shores
Carlsbad Seapointe Resort
Harbortown Point Marina Resort
Riviera Beach & Spa Resort
Riviera Shores Resort
Tamarack Beach Resort
Wave Crest
Winners Circle Beach & Tennis
Sunterra Harbor Lights Resort
Casa De La Playa
Laguna Surf
Four Seasons Resort Club at Aviara
Villas on the Greens at the Welk Resort


At this point, I am thinking of adding all of the above resorts with the exception of the resort in Ventura to my search. Is there any resort I should exclude based on your experiences?
 
Unless I'm remembering another resort, Harbortown is in Ventura, hours away from San Diego, so cross that one off your list. Lawrence Welk Villas and Villas on the Green are huge, so you should easily be able to get that exchange. Those are inland about 30 minutes from San Diego at the Northern end. I would agree, stay with Carlsbad south or Welk.
Liz
 
If you can't get into a timeshare I would highly recommend the Homewood Suites in Del Mar. We just stayed there with the kids and it's fabulous. Comfortable rooms (nicely decorated too) and the free dinners they provided Mon-Thurs evenings were very good, saving us a bunch of money. Every morning they offer an extensive hot breakfast with everything you could possibly want. They had a beautiful outdoor eating area right by the pool that was lovely and we ate all our dinners out there.
 
I will keep Harbortown out of my request but I am thinking that I will include the San Clemente and Laguna area timeshares. I know it is a bit of a drive but I want to improve my chances of getting an exchange.

Are there any other timeshares that we should avoid? I think I will just add the Southern CA coast with a notation of timeshare that I want to exclude such as Harbortown.

Thank you applegirl for the hotel recommendation. If all else fails, we will definitely keep it in mind. Other than Friday and Saturday during the day, we plan on seeing friends and family for the rest of our trip as all of the NY and Florida contingent will be arriving for the party.
 
lynn -- sent you a private IM.
 
luanne: Casa de la Playa, I believe, is real small like Del Mar properties -- therefore near impossible to get in.
 
South CA exchange

We stayed at Riviera Resort at Capistrano Beach last year and enjoyed it. It's between San Diego and LA (approx one hour to each without traffic).
 
Thank you all so much for the helpful information. I will take all of your comments into account and amend my search request with SFX on Monday when I am able to contact a rep. If I edit my selection via Internet, my request starts over.

I am thinking that if I get a match, it will be close to the time I need the unit, so I will probably be making back-up plans at a hotel for the 4 nights we need.

All advice still welcome :)
 
Lynne be sure to add Tamarack to your list of wanted timeshares because there is no parking charge there and it has Friday and Sunday check-in. And it's a wonderful resort with the ocean directly across the street. I think the Harbor Lights resort probably charges a parking fee because it is in the area near Gaslamp Plaza Suites and Gaslamp charges a huge parking fee.
 
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