RCI resorts on approved list for DVC

[mlsmn]

Does anybody have a list of DVC approved RCI resorts?

or a link to a list?

 

[alwysonvac]

http://dvc.rci.com/RDGateway/Functi...L=/RDGateway/RCI_RDGIndex?body=RCI_RDGLanding

 

[EAM]

Approved or actually available?

Is this the list of all approved resorts regardless of availability or a list of the currently available resorts?

 

[tombo]

If this is a total of the approved resorts, DVC or RCI (or both) are ripping you off. I checked a couple of areas I am knowledgable about, and there are several resorts available that didn't warrant any rating while several Gold Crown resorts aren't even offered.

Examples:
Daytona Beach you have only 2 resorts, a non rated catalina club and a silver crown sunrise beach club. You don't get access to the 2 best which are the Gold Crown Tropic Shores and the Gold Crown Worldmark Ocean Walk and Wyndham Ocean Walk.

In New Orleans you only get 2 choices, one gold crown and a silver crown. You don't even get access to the brand new Wyndham La Belle Maison which opened in October. With only 2choices good luck on getting a popular week in the big easy (Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Sugar Bowl etc), it is hard enough with 8 or more resorts to choose from.

In Destin you can access the Club Intrawest (gold crown) and the Holiday Beach Resort phase 2 (Gold crown), but you can't access the gold crown Wyndham Beach Street Cottages, the Wyndham Majestic Sun, the Wyndham Bay Club 2, or the Bay Club of Sandestin. You also can't stay in the Holiday Beach resort phase one which is an older silver crown, but it is the only oceanfront resort in Destin (besides Phase 2 which ius across the parking lot from the ocean but is newer, nicer, and does have good views).

In Panama City you get the new Wyndham, the almost new Tropical Breeze (both really good) and the final choice is a not rated Ocean Towers Beach Club but you don't have access to the gold crown Orange Lake on the bay. There is also the Hospitality rated Landmark Holiday Beach resort (much better than the Ocean Towers IMO) with all rooms ocean front that you won't have access to.

The access to the Gatlinburg area is good with the best resorts available (although I think most would find Gatlinburg Town Square an acceptable resort if it was available).

I hope the options available to DVC exchangers with RCI are better in the rest of the country than the choices available to DVC in the areas I am familiar with. Why would RCI and DVC decide that some resorts that don't even rate are acceptable exchanges while other Gold Crown resorts at the same location don't make the list? Wouldn't it be better for DVC members to have a DVC recommended list of exchanges but still have the option to exchange for any resort RCI has if they want to? I have seen several nice Gold Crown resorts that for some reason DVC members are excluded from trading for in the above list. If the list was recommended rather than mandatory, DVC members could have a lot more options that they could trade for at their own peril. Trading for a resort not on the list would let DVC and RCI take no blame for non approved trades while still allowing DVC members full access to all RCI has to offer.

 

[EAM]

I was surprised that so few Wyndhams were on the list, but if it is just the ones that have been both deposited by Wyndham and also approved by Disney, it makes more sense.

 

[alwysonvac]

Is this the list of all approved resorts regardless of availability or a list of the currently available resorts?

The DVC link states "View RCI Destinations" therefore I believe this is the list of all approved resorts regardless of availability.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I am surprised at the very short list of resorts, too. Even more incentive for owners of DVC to rent out their points and not exchange them, so less inventory in RCI than there was in II.

 

[klynn]

We took the DVC tour 10 days ago. I remember being told there will be a collection of RCI resorts that DVC members would be able to choose from. He said the change from II to RCI was totally made by upper mangement. He also said the RCI contract is only for one year so if things don't work out they may go back to II.

 

[Twinkstarr]

I am surprised at the very short list of resorts, too. Even more incentive for owners of DVC to rent out their points and not exchange them, so less inventory in RCI than there was in II.

Perhaps if there is another big sales promotion with double developer points, doesn't hurt if you use the "free" points for an exchange, the deposits on RCI might not be what we were seeing on II.

 

[rickandcindy23]

We took the DVC tour 10 days ago. I remember being told there will be a collection of RCI resorts that DVC members would be able to choose from. He said the change from II to RCI was totally made by upper mangement. He also said the RCI contract is only for one year so if things don't work out they may go back to II.

Kerry, I would be very surprised if this is true. Could be a salesperson that is not happy about the switch. Because the transition from one exchange company to another is quite difficult, and the contracts are generally for 10 years, this would be a very unusual arrangement. One year isn't enough time to judge how well RCI works for DVC owners.

I actually hope it is true. I figured out the II and DVC thing pretty well.

 

[klynn]

Kerry, I would be very surprised if this is true. Could be a salesperson that is not happy about the switch. Because the transition from one exchange company to another is quite difficult, and the contracts are generally for 10 years, this would be a very unusual arrangement. One year isn't enough time to judge how well RCI works for DVC owners.

I actually hope it is true. I figured out the II and DVC thing pretty well.

I would agree that the salesperson did not seem happy with the switch to RCI.

 

[Amy]

I think the link brings you only to resorts that are currently available somewhere in the RCI bank. I say this because I just clicked on the link and I only see 1 choice in Destin for the Holiday Beach Resort, whereas tombo previously saw 2 choices, including the Club Intrawest. Maybe we can test my theory out further by having different TUGgers check similar area over the coming weeks and see if the available resorts list changes. I did check the other areas tombo noted and saw exactly the same things, but that could just mean those are the only resorts with at least one deposited week in the system right now. I can't search the general RCI database to verify if a week at Club Intrawest in Destin is currently available in the system because I don't have any weeks to use for a search; perhaps someone else can do that?

 

[rickandcindy23]

I was trying to find the RCI Registry collection amongst those choices. I didn't see any in the areas that interested me.

Supposedly, the Registry Collection are fancy shmancy resorts that are hard to get into. I have seen a couple of them for exchange, but there are additional fees for the extra services, like the chef coming into your unit to cook for your family. Might be nice, but it isn't me.

 

[Amy]

I was trying to find the RCI Registry collection amongst those choices. I didn't see any in the areas that interested me.

Supposedly, the Registry Collection are fancy shmancy resorts that are hard to get into. I have seen a couple of them for exchange, but there are additional fees for the extra services, like the chef coming into your unit to cook for your family. Might be nice, but it isn't me.

There is a separate link to the RCI Registry collection from the DVC member website (after you log in). Let me see if that link works outside of the DVC member site. I recall looking at the points exchanges and it was RIDICULOUS for the Registry collection.

EDITED to add: Here you go: http://www.dvctrc.com/

 

[alwysonvac]

I think the link brings you only to resorts that are currently available somewhere in the RCI bank. I say this because I just clicked on the link and I only see 1 choice in Destin for the Holiday Beach Resort, whereas tombo previously saw 2 choices, including the Club Intrawest. Maybe we can test my theory out further by having different TUGgers check similar area over the coming weeks and see if the available resorts list changes. I did check the other areas tombo noted and saw exactly the same things, but that could just mean those are the only resorts with at least one deposited week in the system right now. I can't search the general RCI database to verify if a week at Club Intrawest in Destin is currently available in the system because I don't have any weeks to use for a search; perhaps someone else can do that?

Perhaps it was the way you searched for Destin. When I typed in Destin using the "SEARCH" option. I got one resort however when I pulled up all resorts under the "Florida Panhandle" location, I could see Club Intrawest-Sandestin (#6738)

I'm assuming DVC requested a list of resorts regardless of availability just like we had for interval - http://disney.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=1500

NOTE: The DVC RCI website also has been showing a 459 count for RCI Any Award since 12/22.

 

[tombo]

I think the link brings you only to resorts that are currently available somewhere in the RCI bank. I say this because I just clicked on the link and I only see 1 choice in Destin for the Holiday Beach Resort, whereas tombo previously saw 2 choices, including the Club Intrawest. Maybe we can test my theory out further by having different TUGgers check similar area over the coming weeks and see if the available resorts list changes. I did check the other areas tombo noted and saw exactly the same things

Club Intrawest doesn't show up under Destin, you have to search the Florida Panhandle and it will show up.

 

[Amy]

Well, then, all I can say is bummer, the options are disappointing.

 

[EAM]

If DVC actually pulls Allen House in London, Manhattan Club in NYC, a number of locations in San Francisco, St. James at Beaver Creek, etc., I'm not too disappointed.

 

[annenp]

Is this the list of all approved resorts regardless of availability or a list of the currently available resorts?

Is Hilton Vacation Club on the list??

 

[annenp]

http://dvc.rci.com/RDGateway/Functi...L=/RDGateway/RCI_RDGIndex?body=RCI_RDGLanding

If I own HGVC at Seaworld would I be able to exchange to DVC??

 

[ciscogizmo1]

While... looking at the list, I realized most of the resorts on RCI are fine for those that like to condo timeshare. On the outside most of the resorts looked like condos for residental living. One that comes to mind in the Pacific Plaza (in Pacific Grove, CA). Anyways... when I think of DVC I think RESORT. All the resorts have a theme with a pool, restaurants, counter service, etc... I feel DVC is like a destination and I think, most people would be disappointed with any trade to any resort in RCI or II because DVC is different. However, in II at least you had the BIGGER hotel chains like Starwood, Marriott, Four Seasons, Hyatt, etc to fill that role. In RCI it looks like you have Hilton, Worldmark to fill that role. I guess, if and only if I were to trade my DVC unit it would be for location, location, location only. And, I'd have to be desparate like the points were expiring. The nice thing with DVC there are other options like staying in a DL hotel on points. I've done that several times and I love that option. Yes... I'm sure it is not a great deal but sometimes I get sick of renting and dealing with others. Trust me I rent a lot. Anyways... it will be interesting to see what people end up getting with RCI (especially with their internet reputation === I guess we'll find out if it is true).

 

[icydog]

I see a lot of Sanibel listings. I don't know if they will have availability but it's nice to see them there. Disney is doing the same thing they did with II. A short list of resorts for their members to choose from. Maybe they think we couldn't handle the full list.

 

[icydog]

If I own HGVC at Seaworld would I be able to exchange to DVC??

Not if you are trading a Seaworld week, at least that's the way it has always been in the past. If you can change your points for another location you may have a shot. Right now you cannot trade into DVC with another Orlando timeshare but that may have changed with the advent of RCI.. you never know.

 

[icydog]

Maybe only a few resorts will be able to trade into DVC

I wonder if these are the only resorts that can trade into DVC. The ones on the short list I mean.

 

[icydog]

There's only a few on HH and they are not my favorites.