New Fee at Lehigh Resort Club

[Kozman]

Starting Oct. 1 Lehigh Resort Club will be charging a $25 per unit week activity/amenities fee to all exchangers and renters. Owners are exempted if they exchange or rent. I own and think this is a bad idea when you are trying to get people interested in coming and buying.

 

[rapmarks]

I agree, it is a fun place, but you don't want to turn people off.

 

[silentg]

They did this to us at Mizner resort too, Mandatory fee for activities and wifi. Even if you don't use any, no debate just charged at checkin. We are scheduled to go to Lehigh in December, thanks for the warning!
Silentg

 

[Dori]

These resort fees, both at hotels and timeshare resorts, are a huge cash grab.



Dori

 

[rapmarks]

They did this to us at Mizner resort too, Mandatory fee for activities and wifi. Even if you don't use any, no debate just charged at checkin. We are scheduled to go to Lehigh in December, thanks for the warning!
Silentg

do they have WiFi now in Weston? When I was there, they did not want to spoil your vacation with WiFi

 

[theo]

Starting Oct. 1 Lehigh Resort Club will be charging a $25 per unit week activity/amenities fee to all exchangers and renters. Owners are exempted if they exchange or rent. I own and think this is a bad idea when you are trying to get people interested in coming and buying.

Your facility (very unwisely, IMnsHO) dumped VRI last year as its' contracted management company.
This unwelcome fee is very clearly a contrivance of Defender Resorts (the new management company).

 

[silentg]

They include a wifi in the fee, but it is so bad, they offer an upgrade for an additional $1.50 a day. I was not happy with Mizner Place overall. If I go back to Weston will stay at VV they are so nice over there, they gave me a VIP welcome gift, I was supposed to get at Mizner. And we had a complimentary bar b q because it was raining and delayed for an hour. Just a better vibe at VV.
Silentg

 

[pedro47]

These resort fees, both at hotels and timeshare resorts, are a huge cash grab.



Dori

I agree these new resort daily fees are a cash cow money maker for someone.

 

[silentg]

I don't mind paying the fee if they have activities and decent wifi. At Mizner they had terrible WiFi and most activities had a fee to participate!

 

[Kozman]

Your facility (very unwisely, IMnsHO) dumped VRI last year as its' contracted management company.
This unwelcome fee is very clearly a contrivance of Defender Resorts (the new management company).

I agree. I liked VRI better. The Variety exchange program was a plus.

 

[theo]

I agree. I liked VRI better. The Variety exchange program was a plus.

As a Lehigh Resort & Club owner, do you have any information or insights into exactly why Lehigh Resort chose to dump VRI and hire Defender instead?

I know of two instances where resorts overtly dumped VRI. Oddly, both are located in Lee County, FL and both dumped VRI within a year of one another and both then hired SC-based Defender Resorts instead as their management company. I actually owned a week at the other place (not Lehigh), but sold that week (not for that reason) right around the time of the management company change. The BoD explanation offered was really no explanation at all --- lame, content-free and entirely unconvincing. Since I was on the way out the door anyhow, I really had no further interest in the actual real reason(s), although it did not seem to be one of cost.

Just wondering if you have any thoughts or insights regarding the background or reasons behind that exact same management company change at Lehigh Resort?

 

[TUGBrian]

one of the more annoying things done in the airline industry...im suprised its taken so long for the timeshare industry to follow suit!

 

[Kozman]

As a Lehigh Resort & Club owner, do you have any information or insights into exactly why Lehigh Resort chose to dump VRI and hire Defender instead?

I know of two instances where resorts overtly dumped VRI. Oddly, both are located in Lee County, FL and both dumped VRI within a year of one another and both then hired SC-based Defender Resorts instead as their management company. I actually owned a week at the other place (not Lehigh), but sold that week (not for that reason) right around the time of the management company change. The BoD explanation offered was really no explanation at all --- lame, content-free and entirely unconvincing. Since I was on the way out the door anyhow, I really had no further interest in the actual real reason(s), although it did not seem to be one of cost.


Just wondering if you have any thoughts or insights regarding the background or reasons behind that exact same management company change at Lehigh Resort?

I'm fairly close to the board members. Supposedly VRI was much more expensive than Defenders. VRI offered to match the management fees but they told VRI they were overcharging us all along. So they cut off their nose to spite their face and went with Defenders. They were faced with a new computer reservation system and a new internal exchange program (DAE vs. Variety). Many owners were disappointed and expressed an interest in going back to VRI eventually. Stay tuned. I believe the other resort you mentioned was Caribbean on Ft. Myers Beach. You may have left Caribbean too soon since there will be no maintenence fees for 2016 which is being paid out of the recent insurance settlement.

 

[Kozman]

one of the more annoying things done in the airline industry...im suprised its taken so long for the timeshare industry to follow suit!

I think this new fee will be reflected in the RCI comment card. 1's instead of 5's.

 

[theo]

<snip> I believe the other resort you mentioned was Caribbean on Ft. Myers Beach. You may have left Caribbean too soon since there will be no maintenence fees for 2016 which is being paid out of the recent insurance settlement.

You are correct about the identification of the resort as Caribbean Beach Club, but certainly not about our "leaving too soon". We gladly left CBC when I found two consecutive weeks in the same unit at a nearby (VRI-managed) property which we like better. The CBC week therefore became extra baggage --- regardless of whatever management company was in place at CBC. We easily and gladly sold off the now-unwanted CBC week at a "wash" price.

That being said, I had also admittedly come to regard the CBC BoD as having a few too many morons, with petty bickering and accomplishing precious little (IMnsHO).
I had seen enough of their shortsighted and dim witted thinking, so I was heading (...running, actually) for the exit door anyhow, regardless of the (seemingly endless) insurance case saga and its' puny, temporary settlement benefits (after 10 years of litigation). We are quite pleased to be out of CBC ownership, truth be known.

 

[silentg]

Where did you buy? And do you like it there?

 

[Kozman]

Where did you buy? And do you like it there?

Could I guess Mariner's Boat House next door? VRI managed and seems well run.

Theo. Thanks for telling us how you really feel and thanks for the personal insight! :hysterical:

 

[theo]

Could I guess Mariner's Boat House next door? VRI managed and seems well run.

Theo. Thanks for telling us how you really feel and thanks for the personal insight! :hysterical:

Yessa! Subtlety never was my strong suit.

 

[Kozman]

Could I guess Mariner's Boat House next door? VRI managed and seems well run.

Theo. Thanks for telling us how you really feel and thanks for the personal insight! :hysterical:

I guess I need to modify my comment. I just found out that there will be a 3 year special assessment at Mariner's Boat House at $225 per year. So maybe not so well managed or the reserve fund would have been up to snuff for the remodeling they plan to use the money for.

 

[Maple_Leaf]

I guess I need to modify my comment. I just found out that there will be a 3 year special assessment at Mariner's Boat House at $225 per year. So maybe not so well managed or the reserve fund would have been up to snuff for the remodeling they plan to use the money for.

$675 is chicken feed compared to many of the other SAs I've heard about over the past couple of years.

 

[silentg]

So for $25 dollar fee, what do I get?

 

[Kozman]

So for $25 dollar fee, what do I get?

You get the privilege of staying at the resort and partaking of the ammenties. Of course that is in addition to your exchange fee or rental.

 

[silentg]

Going with an open mind! Just want to play golf and relax! No sales pitches!

 

[bobby]

Also a fee at Grandview Las Vegas

We found Grandview also had a $25 charge to cover mostly internet. You pay even if using nothing extra.

I think RCI should allow no extra charges. For instance, electricity in Caribbean. Our timeshare electricity on a USA island is also expensive. Homeowner fees should cover all activities and cost.

 

[theo]

We found Grandview also had a $25 charge to cover mostly internet. You pay even if using nothing extra.

I think RCI should allow no extra charges. For instance, electricity in Caribbean. Our timeshare electricity on a USA island is also expensive. Homeowner fees should cover all activities and cost.

I no longer exchange, but with all due respect, RCI (and / or II and any other exchange company) has not one word of input or influence regarding resort-imposed additional fees. It's a facility / management company decision; they don't particularly care what RCI thinks.

Maintenance fees should cover all costs for owners. Personally, I don't have any problem with an "amenities fee" being charged to renters and exchangers. YMMV.