New Wyndham Website (2020)

[paxsarah]

The AC is behaving in the exact same manner as the Voyager based AC behaved before - so there is no change in functionality in this respect.

And I repeatedly answered the same question on FB regarding the Voyager-based AC's behavior in the past as well.

I think sometimes we forget that even a casual TUG owner is miles ahead in comprehension of the overall system than your average owner like many of the owners on the FB groups. (Of course, there are quite a few knowledgeable helpers on FB as well, but so many of the owners know very little about how their ownership works.) We get why the availability calendar behaves the way it does. Even if we'd like it changed for our own convenience, we do understand what it's doing and how to use it in its current state. The type of FB inquiry I posted above is super common. It is not intuitive to people that if you show them an availability calendar with clickable dates, that many of those dates won't yield a valid check-in date. Based on their posts, it's clear some don't realize that you will actually get better results (or fewer false positives) by narrowing down your unit size to a single size at a time, rather than searching for all unit sizes at once. That's why I brought it back up, since it didn't seem likely that the functionality would be changed (or at least not for quite a while), that the messaging/explanations on the availability calendar page could somehow be updated to manage users' expectations and lessen their confusion.

 

[HitchHiker71]

And I repeatedly answered the same question on FB regarding the Voyager-based AC's behavior in the past as well.

I think sometimes we forget that even a casual TUG owner is miles ahead in comprehension of the overall system than your average owner like many of the owners on the FB groups. (Of course, there are quite a few knowledgeable helpers on FB as well, but so many of the owners know very little about how their ownership works.) We get why the availability calendar behaves the way it does. Even if we'd like it changed for our own convenience, we do understand what it's doing and how to use it in its current state. The type of FB inquiry I posted above is super common. It is not intuitive to people that if you show them an availability calendar with clickable dates, that many of those dates won't yield a valid check-in date. Based on their posts, it's clear some don't realize that you will actually get better results (or fewer false positives) by narrowing down your unit size to a single size at a time, rather than searching for all unit sizes at once. That's why I brought it back up, since it didn't seem likely that the functionality would be changed (or at least not for quite a while), that the messaging/explanations on the availability calendar page could somehow be updated to manage users' expectations and lessen their confusion.

Agreed on all points. A great many folks out on the FB groups that we admin/moderate don't understand how the availability calendar works. I added an actual item to our enhancement list for this as follows:

 

[Sandi Bo]

Agreed on all points. A great many folks out on the FB groups that we admin/moderate don't understand how the availability calendar works. I added an actual item to our enhancement list for this as follows:

View attachment 22722

I never minded that it showed me all available dates, even if they weren't contiguous. If was just one night, I liked knowing that, because once within 2 weeks I could book the one night. And, yes, sometimes I would be on at midnight on day 14 so I could grab it. If > 14 days out and I tried to select it, if I remember correctly, we'd get a message saying the minimum of 2 days wasn't available. That made sense. At some point people need to understand the rules.

*Update to my comments, reading a little more here... I never thought the accessible was the culprit as far as units appearing available when they weren't. Presidential versus deluxe, PR vs, Pres, Deluxe versus lockoffs. Lots of reasons there could be 2 bedrooms everyday, but not the same exact 2 bedroom. And as @hitchhiker said, that is how it worked with Voyager. I agree it's not optimum, but I'd rather see the possibility of something versus not have it show because it's not contiguous.

 

[Richelle]

I never minded that it showed me all available dates, even if they weren't contiguous. If was just one night, I liked knowing that, because once within 2 weeks I could book the one night. And, yes, sometimes I would be on at midnight on day 14 so I could grab it. If > 14 days out and I tried to select it, if I remember correctly, we'd get a message saying the minimum of 2 days wasn't available. That made sense. At some point people need to understand the rules.

*Update to my comments, reading a little more here... I never thought the accessible was the culprit as far as units appearing available when they weren't. Presidential versus deluxe, PR vs, Pres, Deluxe versus lockoffs. Lots of reasons there could be 2 bedrooms everyday, but not the same exact 2 bedroom. And as @hitchhiker said, that is how it worked with Voyager. I agree it's not optimum, but I'd rather see the possibility of something versus not have it show because it's not contiguous.

Agreed. As annoying as it is, I would like to see that something is available, then show me nothing because there isn't a one-bedroom of any type available for a full week. I could always try booking half my booking in a suite and the other half in a deluxe. However, as much of an administrative nightmare as it might be, I hope one day they could find an easy way to give us the ability to filter for a deluxe, suite, presidental, etc. That would solve a lot of these issues but would create an extra "click" that people are complaining about. Having to do more clicks then they did before.

 

[paxsarah]

As annoying as it is, I would like to see that something is available, then show me nothing because there isn't a one-bedroom of any type available for a full week. I could always try booking half my booking in a suite and the other half in a deluxe.

I certainly wasn't suggesting for it to only show full weeks - simply a viable stay. That would include single nights inside 14 days, 2-night stays in Express and outside of prime season in Standard, or 3-night stays in prime during Standard and ARP. You wouldn't see single nights at 10 months that look like possible check-ins but aren't. The only thing you'd truly be missing, it seems, would be if you were stalking a single night outside of 14 days, you wouldn't be able to see it until 14 days. It would still allow you to see and piece together multiple viable shorter stays in different units.

 

[MaryBella7]

I certainly wasn't suggesting for it to only show full weeks - simply a viable stay. That would include single nights inside 14 days, 2-night stays in Express and outside of prime season in Standard, or 3-night stays in prime during Standard and ARP. You wouldn't see single nights at 10 months that look like possible check-ins but aren't. The only thing you'd truly be missing, it seems, would be if you were stalking a single night outside of 14 days, you wouldn't be able to see it until 14 days. It would still allow you to see and piece together multiple viable shorter stays in different units.

As someone who has stalked one night several times, I like seeing it

 

[paxsarah]

Maybe there could be a checkbox at the top of the calendar with something like "Show only valid check-in nights based on booking window/season." It could default to all individual available nights, thereby relieving the system of the load of automatically doing all those calculations, as well as allowing people stalking single nights in advance to see them, but anyone who doesn't want to click half the nights of the calendar to see which ones are valid could accomplish that by checking the box.

 

[PHXwyndham]

Also noticed that it doesn't work with Chrome. When using Firefox it works great I was able to book using Firefox.

 

[Richelle]

Also noticed that it doesn't work with Chrome. When using Firefox it works great I was able to book using Firefox.

It does work with Chrome. I use Chrome almost exclusively on my desktop and Safari on my iPhone. Tried it with chrome on my iPhone too. No issues. Verify you have the most up to date version and clear your browser cache. If that doesn’t work, let us know what the issue is that you’re seeing.

 

[Melder]

It would be nice if there was a filter to show only Wyndham resorts in the search results. I'm not interested in Worldmark, so it's unnecessary noise to sort through for me.

 

[Sandi Bo]

It would be nice if there was a filter to show only Wyndham resorts in the search results. I'm not interested in Worldmark, so it's unnecessary noise to sort through for me.

And, I think already mentioned, not accurate. The Worldmark's show up regardless if they are available or not. Talk about noise! I thought I read the Wyndham system doesn't have access to the Worldmark inventory. When things were first opening back up and we were seeing Worldmark's I called Club Pass. Because you have to call to book those using Club Pass. I called Club Pass and they weren't available. If I remember correctly you can't book those less than 2 weeks in advance. So really a lot of wasted time chasing stuff that wasn't available.

Agree - a filter to show only Wyndham or to exclude Worldmark make a lot of sense.

 

[capital city]

It would be nice if there was a filter to show only Wyndham resorts in the search results. I'm not interested in Worldmark, so it's unnecessary noise to sort through for me.

It lacks so many easy features but has all the Worldmark resorts listed with Club pass... Service or Sales, Service or sales? What brings the ceo happy stockholders and million dollar bonuses? Everyone has their priorities

 

[paxsarah]

Worldmark resorts should only be listed below a break with some sort of language like, "For additional vacation options, call 800-251-8736 to check availability at the following Club Pass Resorts." They should be visually separated from the actual Wyndham results, since they are not search results for the chosen dates, just suggestions.

 

[geist1223]

There are also mix-mashing things on the Worldmark Home Page. When they list the open resorts the List shows all Worldmark and all Wyndham Resorts. So Worldmark folks have read through the whole list to find the Worldmark Resorts that are open. Is Wyndham getting lazy or is it their normal incompetence?

 

[CO skier]

There are also mix-mashing things on the Worldmark Home Page. When they list the open resorts the List shows all Worldmark and all Wyndham Resorts. So Worldmark folks have read through the whole list to find the Worldmark Resorts that are open. Is Wyndham getting lazy or is it their normal incompetence?

Sorry. What are you Moaning about?

There are very few "mish-mash" resorts, and it is very easy to choose the resort of interest and ignore the Wyndham resort there.

 

[geist1223]

Sorry. What are you Moaning about?

There are very few "mish-mash" resorts, and it is very easy to choose the resort of interest and ignore the Wyndham resort there.

Because it makes a very long list you have to go through.

 

[Eric B]

Wyndham gets a $99 fee for booking club pass resorts. IMHO it’s neither laziness nor incompetence that explains why they include Wyndham resorts on the WorldMark site’s listing of resort status. Instead it is enlightened self-interest that motivates them to advertise what they have to book for a fee. I would do it, too, in order to facilitate those bookings and to better serve my clientele if I were in their position. You do have the inexpensive option of recognizing the different designations of Club Wyndham resorts and WorldMark resorts on the list and scrolling past the ones that don’t interest you, after all; this presentation does, however, provide useful information to those that are inclined to use Club pass.

 

[sjdanb]

It’s been a couple weeks since I signed into the website. To my surprise I signed on this morning and the website has changed. I don’t care for the new website at all. Very blah and basic. I thought I would come on here to see if there was any discussion on it and didn’t see nothing. Which I thought was odd.

Here are many of my edited excerpts of comments I have sent to Wyndham on their Feedback form since 4/25/20. Still, I'm sorry for its its length and the repetition of many of my comments. I would imagine others may have made the same comments. I would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Thank you.
I hated the new website at first and it still has many problems that need to be fixed, but I slowly am getting used to it.
7/17/20
Thank you for your notice to automatically cancel my reservation. I appreciate this information. I have another reservation coming up for SF, so I will be looking for any notice from you to see if it will be cancelled. I would appreciate the resort and dates in the subject line.
My wife's cell phone also received this information, but the phone notice didn't state the necessary information for us to know which resort was being cancelled. The name and dates for the resort should be included in the communication.
These definitely are crazy times, and I do appreciate everything Wyndham is doing to try to make these times more bearable. Your information is appreciated and necessary.
Unfortunately, I am not at all happy with the new website. It still has many problems that need to be fixed and other functions that need to be renovated and improved. When it works properly, I am beginning to adjust to its nuances, finding out some of its hidden functions, etc; but it isn't as functional or as useful as the previous one.
We do need clarification about our transfer of Shell points to Wyndham points, which took place back in 2019. We still are paying for our Shell account, even though we thought it was totally cancelled and all fees, etc. for the transfer and points would be in a new/ or existing Wyndham account. Please explain. Thank you.
7/15/20
Star Island resort is located in Orlando, not Miami- location needs to be corrected! This mistake has been there, everytime I have checked on this resort.
7/7/20
It certainly would be great to be able to see an entire month's availability for specific resorts one really wants to book; for instance, Oceanside and South Lake Tahoe. With the inept functionality of your current, one could spend hours trying to figure out if there is any segment of availability for these resorts (and other resorts).
By the way, after much wasted time and frustration in finding
the only 3 days I could find for Oceanside, and then more consternation and frustration when your website wouldn't allow me to make the booking; finally, after a period of time and refreshing the website, it finally worked and I was able to make that specific booking and then a couple of other attached ones.
But, I hate having to go to all of this trouble and wasted time to take care of it (and being at the mercy of this damn new website)
As with your previous website, I want to be able to view the entire month's availability for the resort I would like to book. Your new procedure of having to put in specific dates is an extraordinary waste of my time. It is so frustrating not to be able to see the 3,4,5,6,7...day segments that might be available. Please return this feature. Actually, please return your previous website, which was so much more efficient than this new one. I do not understand why you have this new one, when I finally felt that I could navigate somewhat quite effectively on the previous one. Please explain. Please fix this new one or give us back the old one. Thank you.
7/1/20
When trying to book Vino Bello, many times, for varying date segments, website just keeps whirling but doesn't show availability of any kind, actually doesn't show anything of any kind. This has been a common problem with Vino Bello and with some other resorts. You need to show explanations or get this situation fixed. This is just another example of problems with your new website. Thank you.
Same problem for Oceanside as for my previous note for Vino Bello. This time, at least, two things, 0 Resorts, shows up, but not other information, no other resort possibilities. Website obviously is not working/ functioning and this is quite frustrating a waste of your owners' time. Things need to be fixed; better yet, go back to previous website. Thank you.
My previous feedback today: When trying to book Vino Bello, many times, for varying date segments, website just keeps whirling but doesn't show availability of any kind, actually doesn't show anything of any kind. This has been a common problem with Vino Bello and with some other resorts. You need to show explanations or get this situation fixed. This is just another example of problems with your new website. Thank you.
See above notes. I'm giving up right now. I've wasted too much time, as it is.
7/7/20
As with your previous website, I want to be able to view the entire month's availability for the resort I would like to book. Your new procedure of having to put in specific dates is an extraordinary waste of my time. It is so frustrating not to be able to see the 3,4,5,6,7...day segments that might be available. Please return this feature. Actually, please return your previous website, which was so much more efficient than this new one. I do not understand why you have this new one, when I finally felt that I could navigate somewhat quite effectively on the previous one. Please explain. Please fix this new one or give us back the old one. Thank you.
7/7/20
Crazy website is not allowing me to submit my booking for the following reservation:
I have been searching for an hour or so for an Oceanside availability, and now this happens. This problem has happened before, and, sometimes, when I do the entire reservation process again, the submittal and other info page show up. This situation is utterly frustrating and obviously could result in my not being able to book this reservation, since it probably will not be in the system or someone else may grab it. Please advise. Thank you.
6/27/20
I was so happy to see the change you seemed to have made, "See Calendar", which allows me to see all of the available date for booking a resort. This was true for Vino Bello and, I believe, for Angel's Camp. Then I wanted to book Oceanside Pier and your website shows nothing. Why not "See Calendar" for Oceanside Pier? Please explain.
I was planning to make the following reservation, and I got kicked off to log in again. Then, I got this below but with no place to submit to book it: COUNTDOWN TIMER
To reserve the suite selected, please complete your booking within 15 minutes.
Also, now I'm not getting the "See Calendar" to check out the month's availability for all resorts. Please explain.
After trying again, submitting booking for Dolphin's Cove for 8/4-7, proper screen for booking appeared and I was able to book this reservation. Obviously, your new website has numerous problems, which I assume you are fixing. Please do "See Calendar" function for all selected resorts. Thank you.
6/12/20
Your website says I have no upcoming vacations/ reservations, but that is absolutely incorrect. I have numerous bookings for the end of this year; and the beginning; and in February; and in March.
What is happening with your new website?
6/14/20
Trying to make the following Canterbury reservation w/ the 2BR Pres upgrade and there is no place to continue making the booking. Please explain. Thank you.
This new website is a tremendous headache and a huge waste of my time. I need a fast, efficient, comprehensive view of the availability for any resort I choose to visit, and the same view for other resorts I might wish to connect to any reservation I make. In addition to being a failure for the above features, it also is lacking in many other procedures, which your previous website had.
6/10/20
This new website is impossible to use. If a whole week is available, there should be some 3,4,5,6 day availability. Selecting locations, dates, availability, sequencing and connecting together dates for vacations, etc. are very difficult, almost impossible to navigate. This new website doesn't rate with the one you replaced. Please bring back all the functions and utility of the previous one. Thank you.
5/25/20
When you call by telephone to say you are going to cancel my reservation, you need to give the details: dates, location, etc
I want to be able to see availability for entire months at a time. I want the same booking functions that your previous website offered. This new unexpected website doesn't offer the transparency and efficient usability of the previous one. It took me a long time to learn to use and appreciate the previous website, and please bring back all of its features.
I want to see all the dates and the availability at the same time. I don't want to have to put in different options over and over again. I want to see the availability of which consecutive 3 to 14 sections of each week and what kind of accommodations with their required points are there. This new website has taken away the best features of the previous website. Why was the previous one changed? This new website is terrible, compared with the previous one.
This new website makes it impossible to see if there might be 3,4,5,6 consecutive days available to book. It make it impossible to quickly see the possibilities of piecing together vacations. It is a disaster. Give me back the functionality of selecting/ showing all availability for each selected resort for each month. This new website doesn't offer any functionality for seeing/ selecting/ booking different availability choices for one location, let alone when one wants to connect dates for other resort locations. Please restore this most effective, worthwhile feature. Thank you.
When one chooses "My dates are flexible", all the dates that are available for any resort chosen should be shown. Your "flexible" option doesn't offer any flexibility at all. This new website is terrible and totally inefficient for past owners who finally learned how to effectively use the previous website, which offered a lot of flexibility. Please replace this new, unwelcomed, worthless website with the previous one. Thank you.
This new website right now is worthless to me. It will take forever to make useful, efficient, smart reservations for my vacation and travel planning for this coming year and for the following year.
5/20/20
I want to see an entire month at a time, as your previous website allowed. A person who has a very flexible schedule and really doesn't have specific dates in mind for traveling needs to see the entire availability for various locations; also for making back to back reservations in locations, to be able to plan a trip before booking any resorts. This new website is totally unacceptable in regard to what I just detailed. The previous website was very satisfactory in allowing one to do intensive travel planning, to be able to seen resort availability over a period of time, in relation to other nearby or desired resort availability. I am really disappointed that you took away this function. Please advise. I can't imagine any astute Wyndham owners who were well versed in your previous websites really useful functions giving their acceptance of this new website.
Also, something else I also disliked about the previous website: your having the Feedback blue "Feedback" so close to the right hand scroll bar, which makes it easy and frustrating to accidentally hit it and lose everything (the typed text) in the comment box.
I was checking for availability at various resorts, among them Vino Bello and South Lake Tahoe. I put in some date and only was allowed sometimes seven days, sometimes only 13; but when I selected the close and looked to be able access availability, I got the little "red unaccessible icon" and couldn't access any availability. I'm afraid, in addition to some other functional frustrations I've noted in previous Feedback comment, your new website has some unbelievable problems. I certainly hope you're aware of them and working to fix them, plus the previous problems I've expressed to you.
Why isn't Wyndham Oceanside Pier showing among the 14 resorts shown for the San Diego area? This is just another incident/ example of problems your new website seems to be exhibiting. Much needs to be done to correct these problems, in addition to numerous other functionality issues I've notices and reported to you from the moment I found your new website. Your previous website was much superior to this new one- bring back the old one. Please explain.
5/17/20
This new website you have given us without any warning or instructions obviously has numerous problems:
Showing resort locations accurately i.e.- it shows Star Island in Miami instead of Pompano Beach)
Won't allow persons to see entire range of date availability at the same time
Doesn't show any availability for Alexandria, VA for dates of 6/28-7/5 and won't allow and different dates for availability
It looks like this new website is going to be frustrating and a new challenge. It took a very long time to get used to the last website change, which was beginning to make a lot of sense and getting easier to use. Now, you make a new website with problems to frustrate and confuse everyone. Why?
Please explain.
5/17/20
I just sent my critical remarks about not being able to access any availability for Alexandria, even after finally finding it under the wrong name location.
5/8/20
Whatever you have done to your website is not allowing me to access my account. Obviously, it is causing me frustration and taking up my time. So I tried to create a new account, and my name wasn't accepted for me to create a new password, which I really didn't want to do, anyway. I'll keep trying, but I'm not happy. When you change things, make sure they don't screw up what is already in your system as to passwords and other necessary information.
4/25/20
When one thinks about booking a reservation and then changes his mind and leaves the reservation, it should be cancelled; but it continues and keeps one from trying to make another reservation for the same resort. There should be a cancel button to keep this from happening. Thank you.

 

[Richelle]

Here are many of my edited excerpts of comments I have sent to Wyndham on their Feedback form since 4/25/20. Still, I'm sorry for its its length and the repetition of many of my comments. I would imagine others may have made the same comments. I would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Thank you.
I hated the new website at first and it still has many problems that need to be fixed, but I slowly am getting used to it.

It would help to know which one of these issues is still an issue. Also, have you cleared your web cache? A lot of issues have been fixed by clearing your cache. Also, the older technologies do not play well with the site, Internet Explorer doesn't work. Have you tried Chrome or Firefox? Any iOS older then iOS 12 does not work well.

 

[boby]

Yes, it’s called MVP or Minimum Viable Product and it is intentional:

What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

A Minimum Viable Product is the "version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort."

www.agilealliance.org

Regardless of what anyone believes, they are using a MVP approach here, by design, which is why feature parity is not important.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Minimal viable product is an important stage for any project. And it practically doesn't matter what technical stack you use. Your positioning and the correct vision of the project are important.

 

[comicbookman]

Minimal viable product is an important stage for any project. And it practically doesn't matter what technical stack you use. Your positioning and the correct vision of the project are important.

MVP is a way for companies to cut down on the costs of testing at the expense of actual customers.

 

[paxsarah]

To RCI you can deposit future use year points 10 months in advance. (You cannot use Points Deposit on future year points.)

I believe so. As with @paxsarah i remember being able to select either from the current or the next UY as long as I was within ten months of the latter.

In either case if this is allowable via the program rules then we can input an enhancement specifically for RCI deposits. I will add this to our list.

I'm bumping this only because I remembered having this discussion and, it being past 3/1/2021, I thought I'd check to see if the website would allow me to deposit 2022 points to RCI. It will not. I only have January UY points, I have points available in both 2021 and 2022, and it does not give me 2022 points as an option to deposit to RCI even though I'm less than 10 months from the start of my 2022 UY. If I want to deposit more points to RCI than I have available for 2021, the only option it gives me is to rent for $12/k.

This is in contradiction to the program guidelines and website, which state, "You can deposit your Club Wyndham points into RCI beginning 10 months prior to your Use Year start date, and up to the last day of your Use Year," as well as "Points from different Use Years can be combined to make a deposit."

This is not an issue for me today, but assuming I deposit my remaining 2021 points to a future year in Wyndham before 3/31 as I plan to, I'll be left with 0 points in 2021. Then, if later this year I want to make an exchange, I would need to deposit points from 2022 to RCI, which is within program guidelines but not currently possible on the website. Of course, I could hold back some points just in case I want to deposit them to RCI - but I shouldn't have to. If I don't decide to make an exchange in RCI, I'd rather those points be in a future Wyndham year than be forced to deposit them to RCI on 12/31.

 

[bnoble]

I am also a January UY, and I see the same thing: I can only select the current UY. I wonder if this is one of those things that calling would fix?

 

[paxsarah]

I am also a January UY, and I see the same thing: I can only select the current UY. I wonder if this is one of those things that calling would fix?

Probably what I'll do is call before I do the points deposit to see if they would able to deposit to RCI from 2022 over the phone. If so, I'll points deposit everything. If not, I'll probably hold back 105k, because it seems pretty likely we'll exchange at some point, though not 100% certain.

 

[paxsarah]

I'm bumping this only because I remembered having this discussion and, it being past 3/1/2021, I thought I'd check to see if the website would allow me to deposit 2022 points to RCI. It will not.

This appears to have been fixed.