Vacatia.com any experience with it managing your resort?

[chriskre]

My independent resort started using Vacatia.com to manage our resort in the middle of the year.
I gave them my unit to rent this past year and got royally hosed on my usual rental.
Normally my unit rents for $250 a night because it's an oceanfront 2 bedroom 2.5 bath unit and I pay a 30% commission.
This year they put my unit in the rental pool and pooled it with other rentals for the month meaning anyone with a dumpy
view studio or 1 bedroom across the street that would rarely rent got a piece of my rental.
My check came out to $90 for 3 nights. I usually see around $180 a night for my rentals in the past.
Needless to say I won't be using the rental pool ever again if this is how it's going to be.
I'm not subsidizing the crappy unit owners. I used to rent the weekend for 3 nights and then
use the 4 nights during the week which was perfect for us. Now they say it's an "all or none"
proposition. Uh, hell to the no.

I get why they are doing it because it's a desperate attempt at saving a failing resort but I am
wondering how long they can keep up this ponzi scheme if this is how it's going. The manager is
very defensive about this new company as I am sure his job is on the line if this doesn't work out well.
He is normally a chill guy but this year I can see how on edge he is.

Anyone have Vacatia take over their failing resort and see good results or did it just kick the can down the road
while they fleeced what was left of the place?

We are sitting on prime Oceanfront Hollywood beach real estate so honestly I think the resort should have
been sold when the sunset laws kicked in. I'm extremely suspect on how they got the number of owners
signatures on how to continue the timeshare scheme.
I know I was never asked to sign anything so how did they get all those signatures?

I do love my little frumpy timeshare but I hate to see it fail while being stripped of all that makes it wonderful.
Not that I can do much about it, it seems that's par for the course with prime properties.

 

[bdemerchant]

Yes, I have experience with Vacatia, and am no happier than you are. Read the thread right below this one (Hiawatha Manor Closed) and it will tell you all you need to know.

 

[silentg]

My independent resort started using Vacatia.com to manage our resort in the middle of the year.
I gave them my unit to rent this past year and got royally hosed on my usual rental.
Normally my unit rents for $250 a night because it's an oceanfront 2 bedroom 2.5 bath unit and I pay a 30% commission.
This year they put my unit in the rental pool and pooled it with other rentals for the month meaning anyone with a dumpy
view studio or 1 bedroom across the street that would rarely rent got a piece of my rental.
My check came out to $90 for 3 nights. I usually see around $180 a night for my rentals in the past.
Needless to say I won't be using the rental pool ever again if this is how it's going to be.
I'm not subsidizing the crappy unit owners. I used to rent the weekend for 3 nights and then
use the 4 nights during the week which was perfect for us. Now they say it's an "all or none"
proposition. Uh, hell to the no.

I get why they are doing it because it's a desperate attempt at saving a failing resort but I am
wondering how long they can keep up this ponzi scheme if this is how it's going. The manager is
very defensive about this new company as I am sure his job is on the line if this doesn't work out well.
He is normally a chill guy but this year I can see how on edge he is.

Anyone have Vacatia take over their failing resort and see good results or did it just kick the can down the road
while they fleeced what was left of the place?

We are sitting on prime Oceanfront Hollywood beach real estate so honestly I think the resort should have
been sold when the sunset laws kicked in. I'm extremely suspect on how they got the number of owners
signatures on how to continue the timeshare scheme.
I know I was never asked to sign anything so how did they get all those signatures?

I do love my little frumpy timeshare but I hate to see it fail while being stripped of all that makes it wonderful.
Not that I can do much about it, it seems that's par for the course with prime properties.

I too understand your frustration. I owned at the resort you are talking about. When they raised the maintenance fee and requested a enormous assessment fee. I inquired giving it back but was told it would cost five times the maintenance fee to do so. I ended up gifting it to another TUG member. I’m hoping he is happy with the timeshare. I bought it a few years ago, next to nothing but closing cost. I’m now only going to rent, but not thru Vacatca .Sorry they feel they can lump all the rentals together. You could rent it yourself unless they don’t allow it?

 

[wmgjr]

I too understand your frustration. I owned at the resort you are talking about. When they raised the maintenance fee and requested a enormous assessment fee. I inquired giving it back but was told it would cost five times the maintenance fee to do so. I ended up gifting it to another TUG member. I’m hoping he is happy with the timeshare. I bought it a few years ago, next to nothing but closing cost. I’m now only going to rent, but not thru Vacatca .Sorry they feel they can lump all the rentals together. You could rent it yourself unless they don’t allow it?

I dont understand what you all refer to lumping all the rentals together?
Are they wholesaling a bunch of units from owners for rent to Vacatia.com where the separate entity keeps the profit?
Are they pooling all the money together from a group of renters and making owners split all proceeds?

 

[silentg]

I dont understand what you all refer to lumping all the rentals together?
Are they wholesaling a bunch of units from owners for rent to Vacatia.com where the separate entity keeps the profit?
Are they pooling all the money together from a group of renters and making owners split all proceeds?

If you read https://tugbbs.com/forums/members/chriskre.15418/ post. The resort pooled all the rental units together and paid every timeshare owner who participated a percent, even if no one rented their time share.

 

[chriskre]

Yes, I have experience with Vacatia, and am no happier than you are. Read the thread right below this one (Hiawatha Manor Closed) and it will tell you all you need to know.

Thanks. I will check it out.

 

[bnoble]

take over their failing resort

The question is: Why is it failing?

 

[chriskre]

I too understand your frustration. I owned at the resort you are talking about. When they raised the maintenance fee and requested a enormous assessment fee. I inquired giving it back but was told it would cost five times the maintenance fee to do so. I ended up gifting it to another TUG member. I’m hoping he is happy with the timeshare. I bought it a few years ago, next to nothing but closing cost. I’m now only going to rent, but not thru Vacatca .Sorry they feel they can lump all the rentals together. You could rent it yourself unless they don’t allow it?

We got an assessment this year on top of everything.
If it weren't for my Mom wanting to go back this year, I'd let this one go.
She's 88 and this is pretty much going to be her one vacation but once I see this getting too difficult to take her I am
not going to pay the resort 5 times the MF's to take it back. They can go F-- themselves as Elon says.
These resorts think they can just do whatever they want and force you to conform.
I don't think so. I know in the end they will dissolve the resort, it's only a matter of time IMO.

 

[chriskre]

The question is: Why is it failing?

Because it's a 1950's converted motel that's time has come to an end.
I love it because my unit is toes in the sand but honestly it's surrounded by progress and the Russian & Chinese investors
have their eyes on all the land in that area for development.
It's just a matter of time before they take it and I mean it.
Hostile takeovers of condos is a thing in South Florida.
My building has had a few attempts and right now we're "negotiating" with some investors in my 40 year old downtown condo
We'll see where that ends. Hopefully in our favor but when you own something prime you either give in or they burn it down.

 

[bnoble]

Then maybe it is just time to get out.

 

[chriskre]

I dont understand what you all refer to lumping all the rentals together?
Are they wholesaling a bunch of units from owners for rent to Vacatia.com where the separate entity keeps the profit?
Are they pooling all the money together from a group of renters and making owners split all proceeds?

From what the manager told me, they are pooling all the owners who deposit their week together for the entire month!
Not just the week but the whole month. That's a ton of inventory and covers way too much prime and off season time
mixed together. Then they see what rented and divide it by everyone and then you all get a portion. It's like communism.
So in the past, I would rent out my weekend for $250 a night for 2-3 nights since I live local and then come during the week
and use the unit for 4-5 nights. Basically it paid more than half my MF's of $800 so it was a win-win for me and the resort.
No longer is that an option because Vacatia says, it's give us the entire week or you can't participate in the rental scheme.
Well why would I participate in it now if for one, it's not guaranteed, in the past if it didn't rent, which it rarely did, I could
just go and use the unit, but now I am locked out of my unit, and two, I'm subsidizing all the dumpster view units with my
2 bedroom-2-1/2 oceanfront unit.
Yeah I can rent it out myself but I don't want to be in the rental business. This was a perfect arrangement for me for years
but apparently not for them. Not enough of the dumpster units were renting so the manager was forced to find a solution
for the units that are in forclosure or owners who think they are going to be rented. We shall see but I just don't see this
company doing anything positive for us if this is how they work. All they are is a technology company. They could have
just put this on VRBO and accomplished the same thing without the restrictions.

 

[chriskre]

Then maybe it is just time to get out.

I agree and if not for Mom I would.
This is more than likely the last year I'll pay the MF's.
I am awaiting my new Marriott transfer so next year I'll have Oceana Palms instead
which is more handicap friendly if Mom really wants a vacation but she's not crazy about
the highrises. Unfortunately for her it's just easier for me to take her to the new places
than to use these frumpy non ADA places so she's either gonna have to accept the
high rise view or stay home. She's just nostalgic and doesn't want things to change
but I can't stop it.

 

[chriskre]

Yes, I have experience with Vacatia, and am no happier than you are. Read the thread right below this one (Hiawatha Manor Closed) and it will tell you all you need to know.

So basically it looks like they will run us into bankruptcy. Lovely.
I haven't paid the MF's yet. Not sure if I should bother at this point.
It's like a crap shoot if I'll even be able to use my week if they suddenly shut down after I've paid.
This is very disturbing. Thanks for posting on my thread.
I'll talk to Mom cause honestly what's the point of sending them more than $1000 to flush it down the drain.
I'd rather buy a getaway on II to Ocean Pointe for that money.

 

[bnoble]

So basically it looks like they will run us into bankruptcy.

Sounds like this resort was already heading there.

 

[chriskre]

Sounds like this resort was already heading there.

I'm sure it was but of course the manager wasn't going to tell me so.
The units are always empty and the ownership is mostly elderly northerners.
They do rent the weekends to locals who have discovered the area but
apparently not enough to keep it going. I have gotten a few friends to
take over some units who enjoy the resort but we are just a handful.
It's just that in Florida there is too much off season time and nobody is
there so what do you do with those weeks? Nobody wants to own them
and RCI doesn't give you anything for them. I thought about getting involved
in the board but it's just not worth it to me. I have more important things to
do than help a sinking ship. I say just sell it already and stop the bleeding.
They won't be able to right this ship IMO.