Official Secrets of OWNERS (please) Four Seasons Aviara Thread

[chalucky]

It looks like war

Not an owner but I think we have stayed here more than fifteen times over the past 7 years.

Checked in yesterday for a 2BR. They spent ALOT of time telling my wife the new rules. Nothing is shared anymore with main (Park Hyatt hotel). No gym,
no pool, no gameroom. They will charge you for parking if you park there so they suggested we use the shuttle if we didn't want to walk. New fences prevent you from meandering into hotel from access road.

New partnerships/discounts for golf and tennis access at La Costa which is a plus.

Villas are great but if I was an owner who bought under the pretense that the hotel and villas were "connected" , I think I might be pretty unhappy.

 

[GregGH]

Not an owner but I think we have stayed here more than fifteen times over the past 7 years...........(snip) .....Villas are great but if I was an owner who bought under the pretense that the hotel and villas were "connected" , I think I might be pretty unhappy.

Well for owners you just ripped off the scab on the wound ...ouch ...most of what you say is old history but in true 'Hyatt' style they are becoming even more of a dick-head organization ( things like FS staff parking or Owners golf packages ). This is a process to work thru and will take time. The Four Seasons organization hasty strong for the HOA from day one with many un-noticed items like stand alone phone system when the Hotel was separated.

The upcoming new Restaurant and Spa that is starting in Jan and due for April is another example of how we work thru this.

Sometimes things are what they are ... if OWNERS are still unhappy ... then time to move on. I as an owner look at my weeks with a 5 year plan and there will be a time for me to change ... and sure I miss that hotel . .. but it is what is ... and deal with it.

In the meantime I do what I can to avoid any Hyatt. These guys have been ...well... I gave you the technical term for them above.

It will be interesting to see impact on golf course as a large percentage of the use came from Residence Club members ( new mgmt of course just announced ... ?? ) ... Hyatt seems bent of being mean spirited regardless of what it costs them in the long run. Time will tell.

History will judge the Four Seasons Management as fair and balanced ... what you would expect from Four Seasons as a company. Also the background company ( Broadreach ) who owns the Hotel property is a major part of the 'attitude' as they struggle to be a ....well ...use the same term as Hyatt.

Greg

ps-just got back from a week at FS Punta Mita - added some notes in that thread.

 

[GregGH]

Hi

anyone tried the new layout for Resort reviews ?? Found a few coding bugs that I think Brian has corrected ....

BUT ...

Still have an issue ...here is copy of note set to 'manager' of Aviara TUG2 page ...

Any comments form other owners >

Regards
Greg ( here on week 2 of 10 )
=============================================
Hi
I still think this resort needs to have 'Park Hyatt" reference REMOVED. As an owner I find any mention of the Park Hyatt offensive.

How do we flag photo's for the resort that are NOT correct.... some are of the Hotel ( now a Park Hyatt ) and now is from ??? damm if I know
#1 has the old counter tops - before the renovation
#3 & 4 are from the hotel ...please remove
#10 is the hotel
#12 ...no here ...not sure were this is a pic of ??
#1 17 20 21 & 22 are the hotel ...please remove

 

[GregGH]

Had a private message from Frank on this .... Hi Greg, We are thinking of buying a resale at FSA. Do you know anything about their point and exchange system.


Went to reply and thought ..why not share with all .. and other followers have points to add to make it even better ... that is the strength of a message board!

So ...here goes ...
1) never buy Four Seasons if you want to trade with Marriotts or Westin's ... but there are some options to trade into hi end fractionals ...

2) Aviara & Troon is Scottsdale were a initial test for FS ..they quickly found out that even more expensive options ( Vail, Punta Mita, Costa Rica & Jackson Hole ) made more sense. We traded a week ( paid the upgrade to a 3 bbd - way over the top unit that my daughter still talks about as being the best week ever ) at Punta Mita ( north of Puerto Vallarta ) ..but we enter a draw and sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. Be sure to buy from an 'approved' reseller to be eligable for these draws ... never expect Christmas or Easter for the draws ...what these owners paid for their fractional ... you get the 'leftovers' ... for us that was early Dec ...and loved it ... OMG ... still remember the 36' wide sliding glass walls we slide open every day and the plunge pool on the baloney.
What blew me away in Punta Mita were how few fractional condo units there were in this big complex ... a vast majority are wholly owned by some lucky few.

3) resale prices are indicative of the economy ( like way down ) ... and as I have said before for us this is overkill but the least expensive way to enjoy the quality standards of a 'Four Seasons' resort. There is a huge difference between here and the 'others' ... some Tug'ers understand that and other's don't ... and so be it...
A good test ..is if you love to fly business class when you find 'good value' tickets ... if you never fly business class ....then maybe other Time Shares are for you ( with cramped and weak service ).

Life is short ... plan well but enjoy it while you can ....

Any other comments ....

Regards

Greg

 

[frankieray]

Four SeSons purchas

Thanks Greg for the info. Love to fly business class. So should we buy a one or two bedroom at Aviara? The one bedroom is huge 1,300square feet, but is it good for trade? Also this Elite Alliance cost$395 a year plus MF. Can you trade without belonging to Elite or is it well worth the money to belong?

 

[chalucky]

One more thought

You may need to buy two units in order to get any sort of preference for choosing your reservation week. Maybe Greg can advise you on this, but the approved reseller went on and on about this with us when we were considering buying.

 

[GregGH]

Hi Frankie

I am not a good source on trading as we buy and use apart from the lottery to exchange within the FS system. Maybe others can add more.

The point of 2 units is you get to reserve 13 months out with multiple units ( vs 12 with a single reservation ). Again I am spoiled as we start in Jan for our weeks and Jan is a very weak demand month.

Greg

 

[SunLover2]

Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara - Request a Unit?

Hello -
We have an upcoming reservation at Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara through an II Exchange 9/11-18/2015. Our Confirmation says "Studio or Hotel-Type, 1 Bath. And the Unit # is 0BED - that makes me a little nervous. I'm hoping we will get at least a Studio or one bedroom unit. I was going for the location and am excited, however we did exchange a 2 bedroom unit in this transaction.
I have never been in a position where I was interested in knowing whether I should request a unit - by either size or location - but think I may need to in this case. What do TUGGERS think? Any owners with some inside information for me?

 

[presley]

Hello -
We have an upcoming reservation at Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara through an II Exchange 9/11-18/2015. Our Confirmation says "Studio or Hotel-Type, 1 Bath. And the Unit # is 0BED - that makes me a little nervous. I'm hoping we will get at least a Studio or one bedroom unit. I was going for the location and am excited, however we did exchange a 2 bedroom unit in this transaction.
I have never been in a position where I was interested in knowing whether I should request a unit - by either size or location - but think I may need to in this case. What do TUGGERS think? Any owners with some inside information for me?

The studios are pretty nice there, but if your confirmation says studio, you cannot count on getting a one bedroom. I do not believe they have any "hotel" rooms there. I think they are all 2 bedroom lockouts. If you use Etrade, you need to remember to log in every day to look for inventory for a larger unit if you want a full kitchen and fireplace and a bedroom.

 

[SunLover2]

Thanks presley - I think we'll be fine in the "Studio" - it's just the two of us and we'll be out an about most of the time. I've used Etrade several times and unfortunately I didn't get it on this trade (dumb me). Actually spoke w/someone at the resort who said they could possibly upgrade us to a 1 bdrm villa for an additional $175/night charge - ha! My husband won't go for that! Excited to visit the area! I'll post a review for sure

 

[Epiphany]

FS owners question

I am looking into FS either Troon or Aviara,I beleive I noticed several members own both. Looking for input, which one you like best and why, plus pros and cons. So what I am looking for, a place I can drive to, so Scottsdale or Carlsbad are ok. Scottsdale closer, I already live in AZ. I like the Abilty to split the week into a two separate 3 and 4 day vacations ( I have also considered Hyatt Pinon for this reason too). I have a child age 11. I noted Troon is much smaller so harder to trade into, wonder if I purchssed Troon if I can easily exchange into Aviara? Especially during a school break? Any thought would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SunLover2]

I'm at FSA - Carlsbad now as a trade in with a deposited II unit. This place is OUT OF THIS WORLD fantastic! Most of the owners I've spoken with here come here, don't trade. I'm feeling very lucky to have gotten this vacation. Will post a review when I'm home. Advice to Epiphany would be buy where you want to vacation and buy resale!

 

[SunLover2]

I posted a new review of FSA and also sent a message to the TUG folks regarding how this resort is listed on TUG. The Park Hyatt portion of the name they have in the listing should be dropped. They are totally separate entities. Four Seasons Residence Club - Aviara (Carlsbad, CA) was THE NICEST place we have ever stayed. I believe if you are an owner there you can be very pleased with how everything has settled there between the Park Hyatt and FSA. We walked over to the PH and looked around the lobby, etc. but FSA has everything you could ever want on their own property. New facilities at Meadows are outstanding. I would go back in a heartbeat!

 

[GregGH]

Thanks Sunlover for the review.

Points
1) I have tried to get TUG to REMOVE the Park Hyatt name from the title .. they refuse and it does baffle me why. I also asked that several wrong pictures be removed. Any help appreciated.
2) your review if very positive ..however...the tennis courts are part of Hyatt and not included with FSA.
3) how things have settled between Hyatt & FSA ... Hyatt has been petty and a bully and as such I have little regard for that company going forward. FSA has handled each challenge with dignity and professionalism. Life goes on and the FS Aviara is better as a result ... and a few things still to come.

the big one ...

4) you loved the Studio ...OMG ....come back and try the full unit ... look forward to your review on that one. Every time you come back you see little but nice touches you missed the time before. You also may have had some weather hotter than normal for Carlsbad - this area is blessed with what I think is near prefect weather.

Regards
Greg

 

[SunLover2]

I realized after submitting the review that I didn't even mention the hot tub, fire pit, child's pool and ping pong table at the Summit Pool Area. We had s'mores one night at the fire pit!
Plus (for a fee, of course) there were dogs allowed at this property!!! That gives the resort even more love from me. I missed my pooch but was able to say Hi and pet several who were staying on the grounds. Love!

 

[presley]

Plus (for a fee, of course) there were dogs allowed at this property!!! That gives the resort even more love from me.

That gives a reason to buy there. If you exchange in through Interval, you cannot bring a dog. If you own there or rent from an owner, you can bring your dog.

 

[Beefnot]

I presume they have upgraded the fixtures in the units since I was there in Dec 2012. Huge, huge unit, great fireplace, but the faucets were corroded and the dishwasher was quite loud. The remainder of the resort was fine, but not really any more impressive than Welk or Marriot. The size of the unit iself (and with 3 bathrooms) was the big differentiator in my opinion. When the kids grow up, I could see going back again instead of to Welk.

 

[cali-gal]

I'm considering buying a FSA, as we are southern California residents and it would be a nice location for time away without a long flight or drive. We currently own a Marriott Maui property and DRI Kaanapali Beach Club, so a California timeshare would be nice to own. In particular, it would be wonderful to go there for our anniversary. I've never been to the Four Seasons, though I've tried (unsuccessfully) to get an exchange to check it out. Online it really looks like a lovely property. With the changes that I read are occurring, it sounds like it is more difficult to do an internal exchange, and I'm not sure I understand the internal exchanges. I know I can also exchange through II. I plan to use it and not exchange or rent it out, but I do like to have as much information as possible. If there's anything else that is pertinent to know, I'd appreciate hearing it.

If this post is better suited for it's own thread, let me know.

 

[presley]

Caligirl, I suggest thoroughly checking it out before you make a purchase. It is the nicest southern California property I've been to, but it is tucked away from the ocean. Unless you are totally smitten by the location and the property, I think you are better off trading in. I don't know why you haven't had success with that. Maybe you are trying for the highest demand seasons?

 

[chalucky]

Agree...it is not only the nicest Socal property I have been to, it is the nicest timeshare I have been to anywhere in the world (and I have been to a lot).

But you need to trade in and check it out. The costs associated with it and the potential challenges of choosing a week you want during summer if you only own one week should be thought out carefully.

 

[Steve]

If you want to stay there in the summer during the peak months of July and August, then you absolutely need to own a minimum of 2 platinum weeks. The reason is that Four Seasons allows multiple weeks owners to book 100% of the weeks a month ahead of single week owners. (Marriott, in contrast, only allows 50% of weeks to be booked ahead by multiple week owners and saves the remaining 50% for single week owners.)

I echo the remarks of others that the Four Seasons timeshares are the absolutely nicest out there. (The only one of a different brand that I have stayed at that has been in the same league is the Hyatt Grand Aspen in Colorado.) However, Four Seasons are not cheap. They are very expensive and almost any trade through II will be a trade down. That is important to keep in mind in case you ever want a change of scenery for your vacation.

In addition, the resale values at Aviara have plummeted since Four Seasons lost the management contract for the hotel. There is an annual gold 2 bedroom week for sale for $900, and a TUGGER offered to give one of these weeks away for free in the recent past. Platinum weeks have faired a bit better, but continue to drop. The bottom line: You can't count on getting your initial investment back when you sell.

One more thing to consider is that, unless you purchase through Four Seasons approved resale broker, you cannot use the internal exchange at all. You will be limited to using II, and the only Four Seasons exchange you will be able to hope for is Scottsdale.

I hope this info helps with your decision.

Steve

 

[cali-gal]

Darn, why wasn't I around when someone was giving his away? Lol. Actually, I did have someone hinting to me he might want to divest himself of his units just to avoid the upcoming maintenance fees, but whether he means it is yet to be determined.

When I tried to trade in before, I may have looked too late to get a good trade. Im still learning the ins and outs of trading. Unfortunately, right now our vacation time is limited to just a few weeks since my husband is a college professor and he also teaches summer classes. We've only got three weeks in May/June and two in August.

I've read a bit about Etrade but am not sure how that works. The particulars of reserving one's unit, as well as how to trade within the system, is confusing to me. Am I to understand that if I only purchase one unit, even if I own platinum, I may not get a unit reserved although that's when I own? How can that be?

 

[SmithOp]

Am I to understand that if I only purchase one unit, even if I own platinum, I may not get a unit reserved although that's when I own? How can that be?

You are only interested in five weeks because of your husbands schedule, if you dont book at the exact minute that the weeks open up they may be taken by others. If you wait and book late there may only be a few platinum weeks left. You are only guaranteed a platinum week, not one of the five you want.



Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Steve]

You are only interested in five weeks because of your husbands schedule, if you dont book at the exact minute that the weeks open up they may be taken by others. If you wait and book late there may only be a few platinum weeks left. You are only guaranteed a platinum week, not one of the five you want.



Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk

With Four Seasons, even if you call the exact minute the reservations open, you still may not get the one(s) you want. The reason is that Four Seasons allows multiple week owners to book 100% of the units for any given week before single week owners get a chance at them. I don't think this is fair, but this is how their system is set up, and it is how they operate. They have stated that more weeks are owned by multi-week owners than by single week owners, so the chances of amending the policy to set aside a percentage of the units each week for single week owners is virtually zero.

It should also be noted that with Four Seasons, you must make your reservations over the phone. There is no option to book them online.

Steve

 

[zentraveler]

Ability to rent part of our Memorial Day week??

After many years of owning an Aviara gold, 2BDRM lock off week, we are finally actually going to stay at Aviara next year rather than trade for other locations (long story). We have booked our entire unit for the week containing Memorial Day and will have family visiting to use the lock-off, but probably only for 2 of the weekend nights and it seems a bit crazy to just have it sit there the rest of the time.

Do we have the option to rent the other several nights through TUG or some other source? I know FS rents them when they are unused but have never thought of doing it privately. Don't want to break any rules, but just the 1 BDRM won't be big enough and the 2 BRDM will be too big for most of the week!