need your help - looking at Club Intrawest

[Funfamily]

We were looking to buy at Club Intrawest, but now that Hilton owners can all exchange there it seems like usage options will tighten up. We would like some insights about CI to help us shop:

How many units does CI have across the 9 resorts? is supply sufficient?
Does CI have an internal resales dept we could visit with?
How do they communicate with owners to keep you posted on news etc. and how often do they come out (newsletters, counselors, magazines)?
I understand CI uses points - but is it deeded too?

 

[Bill4728]

As a happy Club Intrawest owner I'll try to answer some of your questions.

How many units does CI have across the 9 resorts? is supply sufficient?

The CI inventory at the most popular resorts goes fast. you must call at 11 months ahead to get reservations at both Zhaut and Whistler

Does CI have an internal resales dept we could visit with?

There is no resale dept at CI but there are several websites which have alot of CI resales. (I'll post a few for you) Beware you can't buy resale points in any amounts less than 120 pts. So if you buy 120 then want 50 more, you can only buy the 50 more from CI directly.

How do they communicate with owners to keep you posted on news etc. and how often do they come out (newsletters, counselors, magazines)?

They have a monthly newsletter and a twice yearly news magazine

I understand CI uses points - but is it deeded too?

CI deeds are held debt free in a trust, but the points you buy are points in the trust and are not deeded property.

Please read the TUG article on Club Intrawest on the TUG advice page. See the link on the red banner at the top of this page.

 

[Bill4728]

We were looking to buy at Club Intrawest, but now that Hilton owners can all exchange there it seems like usage options will tighten up. We would like some insights about CI to help us shop:

I thought I'd comment about this too. The deal with Hilton and CI is that when a CI member uses a HGVC property, a HGVC member can use a CI property. This means that, hopefully, there should be little change in the availability of units for CI members, BUT we'll have to see. ( CI has the same deal with Disney Club members too.)

 

[tashamen]

I agree with Bill - I don't think that there will be a significant issue of lack of availability for CI owners from this arrangement with Hilton. At least I'm not too concerned about it, especially since I can't even use the option to go into the Hiltons myself (because I don't participate in CI's Extraordinary Escapes exchange program).

He's also right that you need to be prompt about reservations for the most popular times and locations. However not everyone wants to go to at peak times, and we have not had problems booking when and where we want to go within the CI system, even though we usually travel for less than 6 nights at a time and can thus book only 4 months in advance.