Non-II exchange companies

[Ken555]

Perhaps it's time to reevaluate exchange companies other than Interval again. It's been years since I tried trading outside II.

I know SDO can be traded via RCI. Any recent experiences with that?


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[DeniseM]

I use RCI with my SDO week to trade for non-Vistana resorts. It's good for certain exchanges, but you aren't usually going to see many 4* resorts. Most recently I've used it for Las Vegas & Kauai for family members.

 

[andy25g]

I was just thinking the same thing, might have to look into SFX. I was a member many years ago but curious if anyone has recent experience using SFX or RCI. I also own an SDO week

 

[Ken555]

I use RCI with my SDO week to trade for non-Vistana resorts. It's good for certain exchanges, but you aren't usually going to see any 4* resorts. Most recently I've used it for Las Vegas & Kauai for family members.

Would you mind sharing which Kauai resorts you see available, the costs, and is that with a 1- or 2-bed SDO?


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[Ken555]

I was just thinking the same thing, might have to look into SFX. I was a member many years ago but curious if anyone has recent experience using SFX or RCI. I also own an SDO week

Yeah, I tried SFX years ago and bought a five year plan only to find that it was almost worthless and a PITA to use. They were also not transparent about availability and I had to call to do anything with the week. Perhaps that's changed, tho.


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[DeniseM]

I will look it up and [pm you] a list of the exchanges I've made with RCI. I'm sending you a private message, because this is more appropriate for the Sightings Forum. This list goes back about 6 years. About half of them were for friends and family, because I have a lot of points to burn due to COVID, KBV bankruptcy, health issues, etc.

 

[DeniseM]

For mid-range Hawaii exchanges and more, there is also Hawaii TS Exchange Company: https://www.htse.net/

 

[CalGalTraveler]

What about 3rd Home? Do you think they would take SDO?

 

[bizaro86]

What about 3rd Home? Do you think they would take SDO?

I've seen SDO in Third Home before, although I've never deposited mine. Happy to answer questions on that via PM. Can provide a referral which would give us both a bonus.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I wonder how many keys an SDO 1 bdrm gets and what the average key costs to exchange.

 

[bizaro86]

I wonder how many keys an SDO 1 bdrm gets and what the average key costs to exchange.

SDO 1br is 1-3 keys. 2br is 2-6 keys. There are sometimes bonuses for extra keys at certain times. An "average" # of keys is really tough to say. Ive paid as low as 3 keys for a summer week in a 2br apartment in Rome to as high as 20 keys for something really premium.

 

[Ken555]

I don’t know anything about Third Home and am reviewing the site now. It seems a deposit plus a minimum of $495 is needed for a week exchange - is that correct?


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[bizaro86]

I don’t know anything about Third Home and am reviewing the site now. It seems a deposit plus a minimum of $495 is needed for a week exchange - is that correct?


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Yes. The exchange fees are much higher with Third Home - you can get some truly exceptional stays but if that isn't worth higher fees than 3rd home isn't for you. The relative value compared to II has improved though given II has just raised their fees...

 

[Ken555]

Yes. The exchange fees are much higher with Third Home - you can get some truly exceptional stays but if that isn't worth higher fees than 3rd home isn't for you. The relative value compared to II has improved though given II has just raised their fees...

Can you obtain “exceptional stays” at the $495 tier or must you pay more? I’ll look further at the site.


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[bizaro86]

Can you obtain “exceptional stays” at the $495 tier or must you pay more? I’ll look further at the site.


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No, that would be much more - the exchange fee goes up with the number of keys required. My average exchange fee paid is close to $1000.

 

[dioxide45]

RTX is another. I believe they get a lot of Festiva weeks.

The problem with most smaller exchange programs is they don't have the scale. II was able to allow for easier exchange into higher rated resorts or larger units because they got a glut of inventory from deposits that simply weren't used. Then there were developer bulk banks. Mostly from Marriott that fed a system where the imbalance of trade disparity thrived. Smaller systems just can't match that.

 

[alwysonvac]

Can you obtain “exceptional stays” at the $495 tier or must you pay more? I’ll look further at the site.


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From Terms and Condition - https://www.thirdhome.com/terms-and-conditions/

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Previous TUG Discussions
- https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/your-thirdhome-membership-awaits.357349/
- https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/thirdhome-hyatt-vacation-club.357584/

Online Help - https://help.thirdhome.com/what-are-keys
ThirdHome has lots of helpful YouTube Videos - https://www.youtube.com/@THIRDHOME/search?query=affiliate
ThirdHome partners - https://www.thirdhome.com/partners/

NOTE: ThirdHome's website currently displays lots of the familiar timeshare/fractional properties (Marriott, Westin, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, etc) however, it's a directory (not availability).

My Personal Experience: Joined August 2025. I've booked 2 weeks in a house at the Jersey Shore (4 keys each), 1 week at the Hyatt on Maui (6 keys), 1 week at the Marriott on Oahu (3 keys).

 

[alwysonvac]

@Ken555

ThirdHome also offers great promotions from time to time. I've attached a few examples.

 

[alwysonvac]

Attached below is an example of my home page at ThirdHome. It provides links to view all.

• Saved Search Matches
• Reduced Keys
• Keyless Exchanges (exchange fee only)
• Recently Added Stays
• New exchanges
• Close to Home (for me, it defaults to the Mid-Atlantic states)

I've also added examples of availability in CA, FL, HI, New England and the UK.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

BTW...you can also use TUG exchange. It's free.

 

[Ken555]

Those appear to be very nice destinations. They are also much more than I need, in terms of size and amenities.


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[Ken555]

BTW...you can also use TUG exchange. It's free.

True, but difficult and time consuming.


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[alwysonvac]

Those appear to be very nice destinations. They are also much more than I need, in terms of size and amenities.


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Yeah, most of ThirdHome’s inventory are homes with a few condos and timeshares/fractionals.

Anyone can do an online keyword search on their website to view the timeshare resorts that have been deposited in the past but keep in mind this is not current availability. High demand resorts and locations are booked quickly.

 

[bizaro86]

Those appear to be very nice destinations. They are also much more than I need, in terms of size and amenities.


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I think this is a big factor - if you're travelling as a couple and a 1br timeshare is the right size third home is overkill. If you're travelling as a larger family and meed 3-4 or more bedrooms, it's great. One large property eliminates the risk of trying to get 2x 2br exchanges at the same time, and the cost is more acceptable when compared to two exchange/upgrade fees.

Basically it's just a different tool - there are some jobs Third Home is the right tool and some jobs II will still be the right tool even at higher cost.

 

[Eric B]

I've heard from a sales POC that the Reserve and Pinnacle OBL access to a "curated collection of residences and hotels" will be through ThirdHome. I would speculate that this will be for Abound ClubPoints and StarOptions booking though it's not clear to me whether it would include exchange fees or be covered with the points/options. What has happened with ThirdHome when they have signed affiliation agreements with resort companies elsewhere is that they no longer allow or restrict the establishment of new individual accounts between owners of that resort system and ThirdHome so you have to go through the resort affiliation agreement. What happened with Hyatt is that they do not allow the establishment of individual accounts for trust-based ownerships (i.e., portfolio points or platinum points) but do allow it for week ownerships. I would equate that to the ability to rent out a week you own but not a reservation you make through a mini-exchange system like Abound or VSN. Some people do that and get away with it, but there is risk involved. On the other hand, when they affiliated with Vidanta, they eliminated the ability to use an individual account separate from the affiliation agreement. I would guess that the affiliation of Marriott Abound and Vistana with ThirdHome would wind up being similar to the Hyatt system affiliation, but only time will tell. If anyone is interested in trying them out, it might be best to establish an account with them sooner rather than later.

I don't use my Marriott, Vistana, or Hyatt ownerships with ThirdHome because the cost per trading currency (keys) is higher than it is in other systems, but have had great exchanges with them, particularly for vacation homes in Europe.