Universal Vacation Club

[Kenrabs]

You might want to go to other timeshare blogs where people state they have been members of the villa del arco for three years and cannot get in. I am a member of the Villa Del Palmar, part of universal club, and you can get units for less then half price on redweek. I would think long and hard before buying!!!!!!

This,can,be,an,issue,if,you,don't,reserve,early,or,if,you,try,to,go,during,high,season.,I,also,heard,the,developer,has,control,of,a,high,percentage,of,rooms,that,they,can,rent,out,and,each,year,more,will,be,given,to,UVC,for,owners,use,so,hopefully,booking,will,be,easier.,Best,advice,is,pay,your,fee,early,so,you,can,book,early.

 

[timesharejunkie4]

The biggest advantage of a gold membership is that you can book up to 2 years in advance and borrow up to 5 years in advance!

 

[Zib]

I don't think getting into Arcos is issue of not booking early or prime season.
Last Dec 8 to 15 (NOT prime time!!) we booked way in advance for our GOLD week and tried to get into Arcos. We were told there was no availability so we took VDP. We like it there anyway and figured if Arcos was full that was O.K. HOWEVER, when we got there, Arcos was less than 1/3 full!!! So now I was mad! No amount of talking could persuade them to switch us over to Arcos. We had friends that had traded into Arcos and we visited with them often during that week and it had very FEW occupants. I even heard a salesman telling his client that Arcos was so empty because it was their SLOW time! So I feel that they ARE playing games with Arcos and their GOLD owners. :annoyed:

 

[Kenrabs]

I don't think getting into Arcos is issue of not booking early or prime season.
Last Dec 8 to 15 (NOT prime time!!) we booked way in advance for our GOLD week and tried to get into Arcos. We were told there was no availability so we took VDP. We like it there anyway and figured if Arcos was full that was O.K. HOWEVER, when we got there, Arcos was less than 1/3 full!!! So now I was mad! No amount of talking could persuade them to switch us over to Arcos. We had friends that had traded into Arcos and we visited with them often during that week and it had very FEW occupants. I even heard a salesman telling his client that Arcos was so empty because it was their SLOW time! So I feel that they ARE playing games with Arcos and their GOLD owners. :annoyed:

Might,want,the,Premier,owners,there,so,they,can,up,sell.

 

[timesharejunkie4]

I had no problem booking del Arco 2 years in advance; I have one week for November 2008 and another for February 2009. Both were booked almost exactly at the 2 year mark.

 

[Zib]

Guess booking 2 years in advance is the answer, but that leaves me out. I can't book that far ahead. Anyway, AS I SAID, they were LESS than 1/3 full when we got there! I still feel they are unfair playing games! :annoyed:

 

[Paula]

Thanks Ken, I'm going to try it, but we already have our trip booked for Feb. Sure wish I had known, but you probably can't get availability
in Feb/March because it's high time and they are pretty filled, I think. But I'll sure try it next time. Thanks!! We have Casa Maya, also. We have one week but they have always let us have as many weeks as we want. I once booked four consecutive weeks in Feb there. They have been great about giving us many extra bonus weeks.

ZIBBY; Hi, we will be at VDP FLAMINGOS all of January and all of February, please lets meet up again next year, oh by the way I took the two for one VDP was offering in their Fall Mag, so did Lowell and Sylvia and many other owners so we are all very happy, see you there, Pauline

 

[judy23]

I am also an owner at Flamingo's and will be there in January. What 2 for1 deal did they offer that I missed???

 

[Paula]

I am also an owner at Flamingo's and will be there in January. What 2 for1 deal did they offer that I missed???

Hi Judy; in their mag, they offered 2 for 1 weeks, I think it was a promotion or something I guess their bookings must be down owing to the bad economy in the States and what has been happening on Wall Street over the past year. You book 2 weeks and only pay maintenance for one, the dates they gave were I think Oct-end of Jan. only but my friend was able to book the last week of Jan and first week in Feb. So I just added two more weeks prior to when my timeshare weeks started, it was a good deal we thought and as we are retired going two extra weeks didn't bother us. Actually they did the same thing last year I think. Hope that helps, really looking forward getting away beginning of January next year, although the weather is very nice but not as warm as the Feb/March, Paula

 

[Paula]

I am also an owner at Flamingo's and will be there in January. What 2 for1 deal did they offer that I missed???

Hi Judy, I found it for you in their "News Between Amigos" Magazine Summer 2008.
Exciting Specials Don’t miss out!
Universal Vacation Club 2008 TWO for ONE Blowout Special!
You can go on vacation, and this time you can bring your friends!...
you can now reserve 2 full weeks in any unit size for the price
of one! Call member services to let us help you start planning your trip.
Aug 16th – Jan 31st (inclusive)
All Units (STD, 1BED, 2 BED)
Villa Del Palmar-
Puerto Vallarta; VDPFlamingos;
VDP-Cabo

hope that helps you it did us as it was in our time frame. Paula

 

[judy23]

thank you for the information. I will call them today. When are you going to be there? We are there from the 24th to the 31st of Jan

 

[judy23]

Hi Paula,
I called and the offer for VDP Flamingo's in Nuervo ends the day we check in. It's too bad as we have friends with us in a 1br using the murphy bed. Thanks again. Judy

 

[sleder10]

Villa Del Arco

I actually have an acquaintence that works at UVC and he gave me some insight that I was not aware of. I own 3 Gold timeshares. Two with a Home of VDP Puerto Vallarta and 1 Home at Villa Del Arco.

What happens is this: As new resorts are built and made available to UVC, not all or even most are made available to current members. The first year only 10% of the total units are made available to UVC to rent. The rest are held back by the developer to sell, and if your Home base is Villa Del Arco, you can get in. If your home base is say Flamingo's in Nuevo Vallarta, it would show as unavailable. The second year, 20% are made available and 10% are made available each year for 5 years until the developer has maxed out the sales, then all the units are available to all members, Gold, Premier or other.

They are building a new resort in Cancun that is supposed to be done next year. It will be almost impossible to book into that resort for 2-3 years unless you actually buy from the developer there.

This information is not widely known and is not included in any published material put out by UVC. While I don't think this rises to the level of false advertising, I do think all members should be aware of this information

 

[Kenrabs]

I actually have an acquaintence that works at UVC and he gave me some insight that I was not aware of. I own 3 Gold timeshares. Two with a Home of VDP Puerto Vallarta and 1 Home at Villa Del Arco.

What happens is this: As new resorts are built and made available to UVC, not all or even most are made available to current members. The first year only 10% of the total units are made available to UVC to rent. The rest are held back by the developer to sell, and if your Home base is Villa Del Arco, you can get in. If your home base is say Flamingo's in Nuevo Vallarta, it would show as unavailable. The second year, 20% are made available and 10% are made available each year for 5 years until the developer has maxed out the sales, then all the units are available to all members, Gold, Premier or other.

They are building a new resort in Cancun that is supposed to be done next year. It will be almost impossible to book into that resort for 2-3 years unless you actually buy from the developer there.

This information is not widely known and is not included in any published material put out by UVC. While I don't think this rises to the level of false advertising, I do think all members should be aware of this information

I've,heard,a,similar,thing,from,another,tug,member.

 

[SteveH]

We're going to be at Flamingos from Jan 6-27/09 for three weeks. We booked 10 months prior as per our Premiere membership. I don't think I received my summer newsletter but I'll call to see if we can still get credit for the 2 for 1 deal.
It would be fun to meet some other 'tuggers' during our stay?
Thanks Paula for sharing this valuable information!
Steve

 

[judy23]

Steve,Paula
I will be checking in on Jan 24th with another couple who own at villa del pamar downtown. I would be fun to meet and share our experiences. Send me a private message and we can share names so we can find each other. Judy

 

[Paula]

We're going to be at Flamingos from Jan 6-27/09 for three weeks. We booked 10 months prior as per our Premiere membership. I don't think I received my summer newsletter but I'll call to see if we can still get credit for the 2 for 1 deal.
It would be fun to meet some other 'tuggers' during our stay?
Thanks Paula for sharing this valuable information!
Steve

Steve, hope it worked for you, I received my newsletter via email July 1st, 08. We will be there from Jan. 8-Feb.26th, 09, hope to see you there, we sit by the pool bar and hubby guards our green umbrella, hahaha, Paula, BC Canada

 

[SteveH]

Hi Judy, I found it for you in their "News Between Amigos" Magazine Summer 2008.
Exciting Specials Don’t miss out!
Universal Vacation Club 2008 TWO for ONE Blowout Special!
You can go on vacation, and this time you can bring your friends!...
you can now reserve 2 full weeks in any unit size for the price
of one! Call member services to let us help you start planning your trip.
Aug 16th – Jan 31st (inclusive)
All Units (STD, 1BED, 2 BED)
Villa Del Palmar-
Puerto Vallarta; VDPFlamingos;
VDP-Cabo

hope that helps you it did us as it was in our time frame. Paula

Called the club this week and they told me that they were all sold out for the special at Flamingos.
Paula, what building or area would you recommend we try to request at Flamingos?
Steve

 

[Paula]

Called the club this week and they told me that they were all sold out for the special at Flamingos.
Paula, what building or area would you recommend we try to request at Flamingos?
Steve

Steve: Hi, well as far as I am concerned all units have a beautiful view, B1 has the sun in the afternoon, West, so you get wonderful sunsets from deck. B2 (Lobby building) have wonderful ocean views and full sunsets from all units including the 2nd bedroom/studio. B3 has the sun in the morning but you cant see sunsets, have to go down to the beach. So as long as you own a 1 bdrm or 2 bdrm. and will use the master suite you will get lovely views from any unit as long as you are 4th floor and higher. Of course, many members own a Studio, which is the second bedroom and that is situated in the corners so only the studio units closest to the ocean will get a view or partial view of the ocean. As the units go higher in number e.g B3-406,7,8, the studios all get lovely views of the pools and the area where they have the Mexican Fiesta but not the ocean. Hope that helps you, Paula

 

[Barbeque]

Thank you all for your response. I have already found resales at least 10,000 less. I was really looking for some feedback on Universal vacation club. I am already a Marriott VC owner but have had a hard time exchanging for certain properties (although that is how I got here). UVC is saying that if I own one of their more desireable properties that exchanges will become easier? Any truth to this?. Thanks

Even though some may say the UV club is a desirable ownership my betting sense says it will definitely not out trade a Marriot. You have other options to trade your Marriott, (SFX, Trading Places and Hawaii Timeshare Exchange) and direct exchanges through TUG that may work better than Interval. Also stay on TUG you may learn how to make Interval work better.

 

[ronandjoan]

UVC certificate just came

My basic membership does not allow me to do some things that the better [and pricier] memberships have.
I can only come Saturday to Saturday and have to pay a fee evedry time I change weeks [I own fixed.]

Karen,
I just recieved my new owners certificate but it does not say what tpe of membership it is (whether premier or gold) - I doubt it is premier. They are fixed weeks 6 and 7.

willl I be able to trade internally at all or just put it in RCI or rent it if I can;t go.

It does nt say which is the check in day either.

A little unclear?

can you heolp>
thanks,
JOAN

 

[ronandjoan]

Some problems solved neatly by webmaster

I went to the UVC site and tried to log on and the error message said the Webmaster could help. I emailed him, and then he even logged me on and I can see my account. What a great helper!

 

[easyrider]

Karen,
I just recieved my new owners certificate but it does not say what tpe of membership it is (whether premier or gold) - I doubt it is premier. They are fixed weeks 6 and 7.

willl I be able to trade internally at all or just put it in RCI or rent it if I can;t go.

It does nt say which is the check in day either.

A little unclear?

can you heolp>
thanks,
JOAN

You must be a fixed week Villa del Mar member with no rights to the other resorts. You can trade with RCI.
If your owner certificate states that you are a premiere member then you may be able to reserve at all of the UVC resorts.

 

[ronandjoan]

Yes, we are fixed week owners now - weeks 6 and 7 - we are so glad to have those.

 

[Zib]

Joan, I doubt that you are Villa Del MAR because the unit number you gave shows building #2 in Villa Del Palmar! All the Del Mar units show 3 numbers for the units, not four so I think you're Villa Del Palmar. Are you going this year weeks 6 & 7? We'll be there Feb 15 to 22nd and I think that's week 7 isn't it? Let's meet up somewhere.