[ 2021 ] What is your favorite timeshare brand and why?

[Pologuy9906]

Wyndham has targeted owners for operating rental businesses. Some owners have even gotten their hands slapped for one rental. This has been an issue for the last year, when they sent letters to owners who were renting. We were sold on Wyndham with that sales' pitch, so go figure.

If you are buying to use it yourself and to never use it any other way, then go for it. I am just a bit bitter.

We bought in 2007 and rent most of what we own each and every year. Actually, our daughter does all of the work and makes the money because she wanted to stay home with our grandkids. So suddenly they make a rule and we cannot rent what we own. It's okay, we will roll with the punches and get rid of most of it, probably will deed it back to Wyndham.

Oh that's not fair.

 

[russ22]

If you are thinking of buying Wyndham or Worldmark ( owned by Wyndham) you might take a look at their reviews in trustpilot.com and consumeraffairs.com under "timeshares" or "travel " categories - their average rating from over 1000 reviews is about 1.2/5...I have owned Worldmark for over 30 years and have experienced firsthand the reasons why these ratings exist in such high numbers...

 

[dioxide45]

If you are thinking of buying Wyndham or Worldmark ( owned by Wyndham) you might take a look at their reviews in trustpilot.com and consumeraffairs.com under "timeshares" or "travel " categories - their average rating from over 1000 reviews is about 1.2/5...I have owned Worldmark for over 30 years and have experienced firsthand the reasons why these ratings exist in such high numbers...

So what are the reasons? Outside of sales, is Worldmark a bad timeshare product? I always thought most owners were happy with the system. Buying resale certainly would make people happier.

 

[russ22]

Before Wyndham purchased Worldmark everything was great...then began the downward spiral..for example
1. Wyndham changed the website for the WORST! - now very clumsy to navigate - long pauses that cause you to lose the reservation - very random - This has gone on for many months so is obviously not just incompetence which could have been overcome by now. Several professional programmers and system analysts have commented on wmowners on the 'trash website'.

2. With the new website it has become almost impossible to grab 3 bedrm suites 13 months before the desired date. There are now apparently ways for the mega-renters (who own many suites in different names/accounts and this includes Wyndham) to keep 'forwarding' their reservations and waitlist requests so when the average member tries to grab a suite 13 months out there are no units available for many days beyond the 13 months out. As a result Wyndham and the mega renters are able to keep the high season, desirable resort, 3-bedroom suites to themselves. Read more about this on wmowners.com. Meantime the typical owners are paying maintenance costs

2. Prospective buyers attending sales sessions are regularly lied to and harrased.

3. Wyndham has pretty well ruined the resale market for Worldmark units by unreasonably delaying possible sales. Wyndham must sign off on any prospective sale because their name is on the original agreement, and they use this opportunity to their advantage by taking excessive time (months not days) to approve the sales agreement between the original owner and prospective new owner, to let the sale happen. This is enough to stop the sale in most cases. Check out some of the resale companies and try to find Worldmark/Wyndham units..One of them explained this WM/W trick.

4. For more detail go to the websites I mentioned above and read the many many 1-star ratings (eg Trustpilot.com/tripadvisor.com/consumeraaffairs.com/ wmowners.com. Trustpilot and Consumeraffairs are neutral reputable review sites that cover many types of merchandise and services.

For more details refer to the websites I mention above..

 

[jwalk03]

Marriott has definitely become my favorite. I am yet to stay at a Marriott resort that was not top notch. I also really like that it ties directly to the Bonvoy system as well when most other timeshare products don’t. I love getting titanium status for when I do need to stay in hotels. Last year I max titanium with only like $1000 in qualified spend. (I will never ever be able to earn Ambassador status but that’s not a big deal to me.)

I also enjoy Wyndham. Some of their tactics totally suck, but most of there resorts are great and they have a wider variety of locations than anyone. I also think it complements Marriott pretty well. They each have a pretty good list of locations that the other lacks.

 

[easyrider]

Before Wyndham purchased Worldmark everything was great...then began the downward spiral..for example
1. Wyndham changed the website for the WORST! - now very clumsy to navigate - long pauses that cause you to lose the reservation - very random - This has gone on for many months so is obviously not just incompetence which could have been overcome by now. Several professional programmers and system analysts have commented on wmowners on the 'trash website'.

2. With the new website it has become almost impossible to grab 3 bedrm suites 13 months before the desired date. There are now apparently ways for the mega-renters (who own many suites in different names/accounts and this includes Wyndham) to keep 'forwarding' their reservations and waitlist requests so when the average member tries to grab a suite 13 months out there are no units available for many days beyond the 13 months out. As a result Wyndham and the mega renters are able to keep the high season, desirable resort, 3-bedroom suites to themselves. Read more about this on wmowners.com. Meantime the typical owners are paying maintenance costs

2. Prospective buyers attending sales sessions are regularly lied to and harrased.

3. Wyndham has pretty well ruined the resale market for Worldmark units by unreasonably delaying possible sales. Wyndham must sign off on any prospective sale because their name is on the original agreement, and they use this opportunity to their advantage by taking excessive time (months not days) to approve the sales agreement between the original owner and prospective new owner, to let the sale happen. This is enough to stop the sale in most cases. Check out some of the resale companies and try to find Worldmark/Wyndham units..One of them explained this WM/W trick.

4. For more detail go to the websites I mentioned above and read the many many 1-star ratings (eg Trustpilot.com/tripadvisor.com/consumeraaffairs.com/ wmowners.com. Trustpilot and Consumeraffairs are neutral reputable review sites that cover many types of merchandise and services.

For more details refer to the websites I mention above..

I agree that when Trendwest left and Wyndham took over the management for Worldmark things went a bit wonky. For us, we still love our Worldmarks. I haven't really had any problems reserving at 13 months out with the exception of the new website taking so long to make a reservation.

Bill

 

[VacationForever]

Before Wyndham purchased Worldmark everything was great...then began the downward spiral..for example
1. Wyndham changed the website for the WORST! - now very clumsy to navigate - long pauses that cause you to lose the reservation - very random - This has gone on for many months so is obviously not just incompetence which could have been overcome by now. Several professional programmers and system analysts have commented on wmowners on the 'trash website'.

2. With the new website it has become almost impossible to grab 3 bedrm suites 13 months before the desired date. There are now apparently ways for the mega-renters (who own many suites in different names/accounts and this includes Wyndham) to keep 'forwarding' their reservations and waitlist requests so when the average member tries to grab a suite 13 months out there are no units available for many days beyond the 13 months out. As a result Wyndham and the mega renters are able to keep the high season, desirable resort, 3-bedroom suites to themselves. Read more about this on wmowners.com. Meantime the typical owners are paying maintenance costs

2. Prospective buyers attending sales sessions are regularly lied to and harrased.

3. Wyndham has pretty well ruined the resale market for Worldmark units by unreasonably delaying possible sales. Wyndham must sign off on any prospective sale because their name is on the original agreement, and they use this opportunity to their advantage by taking excessive time (months not days) to approve the sales agreement between the original owner and prospective new owner, to let the sale happen. This is enough to stop the sale in most cases. Check out some of the resale companies and try to find Worldmark/Wyndham units..One of them explained this WM/W trick.

4. For more detail go to the websites I mentioned above and read the many many 1-star ratings (eg Trustpilot.com/tripadvisor.com/consumeraaffairs.com/ wmowners.com. Trustpilot and Consumeraffairs are neutral reputable review sites that cover many types of merchandise and services.

For more details refer to the websites I mention above..

I am one very happy Worldmark owner, twice over. First time, 2013 to 2017, and then since 2022.
- People complain about the new website, yes it is not as good as the old one but it is far better than Marriott's! BTW, I also own Vistana and Marriott timeshare.
- So far, I have not had any issue booking 1BR and 2BR at 13 months ahead as in the past. We do not have a need for 3BR so I have not encountered what you had listed.
- With any timeshare systems, avoid attending any sales presentations. They are all liars, or at best ignorant in the product.
- Wyndham does not "approve the sales agreement". The transfer department takes about 3 to 4 months to transfer a resale contract. It is not very different from other systems. Vistana and Marriott take equally long.
- If you go to all those stated websites, all timeshare companies get the same low rating. The ratings are usually by timeshare owners who had paid retail, i.e. from the developers, and then realized that their purchase had depreciated by 90% or more, after they passed the rescission period.

-

 

[pacman777]

Any company like Wyndham that hinders and discourages entrepreneurialism and capitalism by preventing owners from renting should be boycotted and driven out of business. I recall there was a guy here on TUG that made major $$$$ from Wyndham New Orleans rentals during peak times. Kudos to him but I think Wyndham put a stop to that. Not sure what the full story was but corporations like Wyndham should be called out and shamed for these tactics.
So far Marriott and Vistana have been a great system to own in making it easy to stay at your home resort or trade internally to other great locations. Hoping they don’t go the way of Wyndham and get a bad rep for screwing their customer base who rent out units here and there to cover fees and costs.

 

[dioxide45]

Any company like Wyndham that hinders and discourages entrepreneurialism and capitalism by preventing owners from renting should be boycotted and driven out of business. I recall there was a guy here on TUG that made major $$$$ from Wyndham New Orleans rentals during peak times. Kudos to him but I think Wyndham put a stop to that. Not sure what the full story was but corporations like Wyndham should be called out and shamed for these tactics.
So far Marriott and Vistana have been a great system to own in making it easy to stay at your home resort or trade internally to other great locations. Hoping they don’t go the way of Wyndham and get a bad rep for screwing their customer base who rent out units here and there to cover fees and costs.

Plenty of the people Wyndham shut down were running large scale operations. There is a difference between "here and there" and renting for commercial purposes. I don't expect Marriott or Vistana to try and stop here and there rentals. Most timeshare brands will allow renals until it starts to eat into their entrepreneurial aspirations and costs them money in lost revenue.