What does Interval "Select" designation mean?

[theo]

We no longer exchange, nor do we even any longer choose to belong to either RCI or II, but still like to stay informed about industry and exchange company practices and changes.

In another thread in a different TUG forum today, a poster made reference to an unidentified Maine resort being designated as Interval "Select", a designation entirely unfamiliar to me.

I remember Interval Intl. "exchanges" being essentially "like for like", but don't recall having ever seen that "Select" reference before. Can anyone explain to me what that designation means and what, if any, impact it has on "exchanging" into or out of any such "Select" facility?

 

[tschwa2]

Even without being a member I believe you can access the II directory. There are premiere resorts. The next step down would be Select Resort and then of course there are unrated.

Per II:

Select Resorts provide a great vacation experience with a comfortable and home-like atmosphere, offering hospitality, welcome friendliness and warmth.

as opposed to:

Premiere Resorts provide an outstanding vacation experience, with state of the art conveniences and modern features and appointments.

 

[theo]

Even without being a member I believe you can access the II directory. There are premiere resorts. The next step down would be Select Resort and then of course there are unrated.

Thanks, but that reference doesn't really address or answer the question; What, if any, impact do any such "grading designations" have on what I used to know as II's simple "like for like" policy?
In other words, does "like for like" now mean, for example, only "select for select", "premiere for premiere" vs. the former simple practice of 1BR for 1BR, 2BR for 2BR, with no "grading"?

Asked a bit differently, is this II "classification" system just a bit more subtle, different flavor of the "grading" practice RCI adopted a few years ago with their "TPU" valuation of weeks?

 

[tschwa2]

There are some premiere resorts like Four Seasons, Marriott Crystal Shores and some others that won't be available to non rated resorts regardless of how big a bulk deposit and how desirable a week/location you own. Some select resorts would be able to access those weeks.

Resort designation figures into II's equation but for the most part only secondarily to size and season and location. So everything else being equal a higher designation will give an owner a leg up. In some cases it goes along with those filters that filter out some of the non rated resorts and a premiere owner might see less inventory. I owned a premiere mid June resort with a 130 tdi that actually seemed to see much less than a similar non rated resort. I couldn't see any of the units that were in priority for owners like Marriott and Starwood and it filtered out more than half of the non rated resorts.

Timeshare salesfolk at premiere resorts like to tell people that since they are premiere rated they will have access to all the other premiere resorts available and that non rated or select resort owners will not have as good trading power. In reality a non beachfront prime or even shoulder season 2 br non rated resort is going to be able to trade into a Mexican premiere resort much easier than an off season 1 br owner at that Mexican resort or even a prime studio owner at that Mexican resort.

 

[hellolani]

Anecdotally I can add a few more details to the above post:

Premier resorts are the ones with the Gold Laurel graphic next to the resort code. Select resorts have a silver pineapple graphic.

I had a 2BR (locks off to 2 x 1BR) unrated resort in the highest TDI and I couldn't see the top tier rated Mexican resort I was interested in - Grand Luxxe.

As a locked off 1BR, that resort also couldn't see anything at Welk Sirena Del Mar in Cabo, but as a 2BR Welk showed up.

On the other hand, our standard 1BR at SDO (premier rated) pulled 2BRs at Luxxe for instant online exchange and WKO just fine as well.

So if a consideration for you is being able to exchange into fanciest sorts of resorts in Mexico, you do still need a certain amount of leverage.

 

[alexadeparis]

It seems to me that you can see at your level of poshness and the bedroom size of your timeshare. You can also see one lower level of poshness, all lower size units, and only sometimes a higher level of poshness or bigger unit. So a Premier would see mostly Premier and Select, and some unrated. A select deposit would likely see both some Premier and all unrated. Unrated would probably see most or all of the select, all unrated and a very few Premiers.
Once you have passed through the quality filter: As to size, you can probably see your size and down one, a few one level up and a sparse amount of two sizes up. So, a one bedroom would see all/most one bedrooms or studios, a few 2 bedrooms and probably a very few 3 bedrooms.

I also think the TDI of your deposit may be the best proxy for trading power.

 

[amycurl]

When I put in an OGS with my premier resort (these designations have been around for many years now--it took the place of the II "five-star" resort system,) it automatically filtered out some of the non-rated resorts in the area that I wanted (and just told me it had done so, but didn't tell me which ones.) I'm fine with that--it does tend to make sure you're more likely to get "like-for-like," or perhaps, one step on either side of what you own.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

When I put in an OGS with my premier resort (these designations have been around for many years now--it took the place of the II "five-star" resort system,) it automatically filtered out some of the non-rated resorts in the area that I wanted (and just told me it had done so, but didn't tell me which ones.) I'm fine with that--it does tend to make sure you're more likely to get "like-for-like," or perhaps, one step on either side of what you own.

It's extremely annoying. It's not just an OGS. You also cannot instant trade either. You can try and search a resort code but it will say there are no units even though there are. There might be no other resorts in a particular region and if you are using a lowly studio from a higher property you will get no availability. Some of these lower resorts are lower because they do not have resort services. They may not be as posh as the higher rated but I cannot make any sense in not allowing a Marriott studio to fetch some of these properties.

The tiny handful of timeshares in St Augustine FL is a perfect example. Want to trade into Augustine for the 450th anniversary of the beginning of America as we know it? Sorry, your deposit is too good.. You need something lower rated. You should have bought a non-rated resort.

I am guessing you can call and get the exchange but it drives me nuts. It's nonsense. They should at least have a checkbox to remove the filter trading down. It's not like that many would be trading down to where lower deposits wouldn't have anything left.

 

[tashamen]

This used to happen with my Club Intrawest units, which is why I bought Trapp Lodge strictly as an II trader. It pulls many more lower-rated (per II) resorts as well as the top ones.

I agree that it would be nice if there was the option to remove the quality filter.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

This used to happen with my Club Intrawest units, which is why I bought Trapp Lodge strictly as an II trader. It pulls many more lower-rated (per II) resorts as well as the top ones.

I agree that it would be nice if there was the option to remove the quality filter.

I also have a lower rated lock-off that I will keep specifically so I can trade into other lower rated properties. What's crazy is that this lower rated property can still fetch higher rated resorts, just not as many and as far out. The total block is only one-way.