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

[bizaro86]

I’m a new resale owner to both Hilton and WM. I know the units are nicer at Hilton, but I’d love to hear more about your experience and contrast with the two. Seems to me that WM owners are very loyal to the brand.

HGVC units are nicer. WM is still more flexible than HGVC, but has been getting less flexible. WM cash options (bonus time, IS, MM, fax) are still better than hgvc cash option (open season). But between adding guest certificate fees (which hgvc already had) and bumping up the price of fax my usual plan of taking a big group to Canmore in low season has gotten way more expensive.

Basically, WM is still more flexible than hgvc (no reservation fees, only 2 night minimum stay vs 3 night) but the difference has been shrinking. WM fees have also been going up faster than my HGVC recently. The combination of these factors is making it harder for WM to outweigh the resort quality difference for me.

All that said I still love WM and have no intention of selling. But a couple of years ago my answer would have been WM with no qualifications at all.

 

[bizaro86]

Can you expand on this? You mean ease of using Hilton points? How is the RCI experience different for Hilton than WM? Thanks!

I'm just cheap. WM units are generally cheap enough that I just use my WM credits. HGVC is more expensive (especially upfront). The Kings Land stay I just did through RCI would have cost me over 20k HGVC points. So for longer stays I always do RCI, saving HGVC points for shorter stays, or to convert a 7 day rci exchange to a 10 day trip.

Part of this is the fact that I have lots of WM and only a little bit of HGVC.

 

[JohnPaul]

We own a whole bunch of different stuff that serves different purposes. Best really depends on your priorities (which is why you asked why).

HGVC West 57th St - We own this for New York. Period. Great property. Great location. Great staff. Great interactions in the owners lounge. Returning December 2021 for the first time since August 2019.

Worldmark - We live in the West so lots of options. Good cash options (despite peoples complaints). Low MF (despite peoples complaints). Consistent quality.

Vacation Internationale (VI Resorts) - West coast based. Our first timeshare bought in 1987. Some wonderful resorts and units. An elite program that actually has value. At the top tier, we can book bonus time at 40 days out for half price meaning $45 for a 2 bedroom unit. We get an additional 10% of our points every year MF free. Half off points at 60 days before check in. A number of other great features. Favorites include Lake Tahoe and Sunriver.

Shell Vacations Club - We use this for San Francisco, Napa and San Diego. Great as we live in Sacramento and love all those places. Have you seen hotel prices in those cities???

Vistana - Bought this for skiing which we don't do any more. An every other year ownership, we make good use with summers in the Colorado mountains.

A couple low MF RCI Points resorts (Sedona Pines and Oakmont). - For many years we used this for ski vacations in Colorado. Now finding I can get some ridiculous deals like a week in a two bedroom at Welk in Escondido in February for 21,000 RCI points or about $300 in MF + exchange fee.

We are retired and now spend 8 to 10 months a year traveling, with most of that in timeshares. I really enjoy the planning and usually have no problems booking what I want. Some properties are fancier than others but all are terrific. We generally eat in so it helps keep travel costs down.

 

[x3 skier]

Two fractionals and one system.

The West (6 weeks in ski season) and The Grand, one week every month which I do not use, both in Steamboat Springs CO. I stay in The West and use the facilities (ski storage, pool, gym, etc) at The Grand while renting out my weeks which cover the maintenance fees.

The system is Raintree where I spend a week or two in Puerto Vallarta after the ski season. Occasionally spent a few days in Park City UT skiing using Raintree points. It will expire in 3-4 years depending how I use it.

No desire to own anything else since these meet my needs and the market value has kept me above water. Other places by using VRBO, Airbnb, the tons of points in hotel programs or just plain cash. I occasionally also snag a good HGVC deal they keep offering me.

My absolute favorite was The Allen House in Kensington, London UK but alas the RTU ran out before I expired. Really loved that place as I visit London practically every year.

Cheers

 

[rboesl]

My favorite timeshare brand is UVCI in Mexico. The Villa Group resorts are opulent , loaded with amenities and the locations are perfect. Worldmark is a runner up because of how close these resorts are to where we live. It is easy to reserve a few rooms and have a group of family members come along.

We might let the Vacation Internationale go when the rtu expires which is in 2023. I do like some of the locations in Hawaii but would like to try out a different brand like Marriott or Hilton. We have been to Marriott KoOlina which was pretty good but not as good as the Villa Group Flamingos, Loreto and Arco, imo.

Bill

We also own with UVCI in Mexico and have enjoyed the resorts we've visited. Have not been to Flamingos but were thinking of visiting there next year for 2 weeks which we have banked thanks to the pandemic. What did you like about Flamigos?

We originally purchased at Arco when we were staying at del Palmar and never have actually stayed at Arco. And, we're a little leery of Loreto. Seems a little isolated to us with not much to do/see in the area (we're not into fishing or golf). We did like Cancun because it was off the beaten path from Cancun's hotel row but still close enough to see things in the area without feeling crowded.

 

[Ty1on]

My favorite is DVC because I can't afford it.

 

[dannybaker]

1. Marriott
2. DVC
3. Wyndham

 

[Mongoose]

ASUS PRIME Z490-P

Vacation Internationale (VI Resorts) - West coast based. Our first timeshare bought in 1987. Some wonderful resorts and units. An elite program that actually has value. At the top tier, we can book bonus time at 40 days out for half price meaning $45 for a 2 bedroom unit. We get an additional 10% of our points every year MF free. Half off points at 60 days before check in. A number of other great features. Favorites include Lake Tahoe and Sunriver.

I don't know much about VI. It looks to be an interesting midscale option. Tons of locations in Hawaii. I'm not seeing a lot of details on TUG about them. Do they have a decent reservation system and availably? I'd rather have a well run midscale location with staff that care than an upscale (lipstick on a pig) high end one.

 

[easyrider]

We also own with UVCI in Mexico and have enjoyed the resorts we've visited. Have not been to Flamingos but were thinking of visiting there next year for 2 weeks which we have banked thanks to the pandemic. What did you like about Flamigos?

We originally purchased at Arco when we were staying at del Palmar and never have actually stayed at Arco. And, we're a little leery of Loreto. Seems a little isolated to us with not much to do/see in the area (we're not into fishing or golf). We did like Cancun because it was off the beaten path from Cancun's hotel row but still close enough to see things in the area without feeling crowded.

I like Flamingos because it is on a nice shallow water beach and a short walk to Bucerias. They definitely don't have as many restaurants at Flamingos as the Arco or Cancun but the restaurants they have are pretty good. My wife's first cousin was living in Bucerias but some one built a house in front of their beach house which blocked some of their view so they bought a place in Ajijjic. While they lived in Bucerias we met their doctor and dentist and on some trips I arranged some dental work.

Cancun is the probably the best UVCI resort, imo. We used the resort for our home base as we traveled to other places for a night or two.

The Arco is one of my favorite resorts because I like Cabo. The VDP Cabo is my first resale timeshare purchase and I like the penthouses.

Loreto is a really beautiful resort with a golf course. I really like this area. The resort is remote and the City of Loreto is small but there is plenty of things to do.

The VDP PV is pretty good for visiting PV. We have only been there twice and it isn't our favorite but I do reserve this resort for exchanges because PV seems to exchange well.

Bill

 

[alwysonvac]

Disney is also my favorite brand.
If they had more DVC locations beyond their parks perhaps I would still be a DVC owner today.

For me, what’s most important in my brand choice

• Upscale accommodations that are consistently well maintained and clean (I don’t want to spend any part of my vacation resolving issues)
• Flexibility to use whenever and however I want (ability to skip a year, book a larger unit, book several units, stay for any length of time, go in any season, etc )
• Equal Booking Access (booking windows opens for everyone at the same time; no limited/reduced availability due to tiered booking windows)
• Reliable Online Reservation System (I don’t want to make phone calls to book, cancel or change a reservation)
• Limited Fees (seriously hate nickel-and-diming)

Why Disney Vacation Club?

• All inclusive maintenance fee (no additional fees)
• Pure Point based system (points based on resort, season, unit size/type and view/location)
• Online reservation system that allowed members to book any resort, for any number of nights, in any size unit on any checkin day (including the home resort booking window)
• Allowed points to be banked and borrowed. Members have the flexibility to travel every year, every two years or every three.
• Home resort priority included current usage points as well as banked and borrowed points
• Club exchange into any resort once the home resort priority window ends (except location based resale restriction fee introduced for newer resorts starting in 2019)
• Club exchange booking window opens up to everyone at the same time (no tiered access to resort availability)
• Point based system allows member to select View/location type at time of reservation
• Able to select desired bedding type when booking reservation (if there is more than one option)
• 2nd and 3rd bedrooms have two queen beds (no twins or full/double beds) except lockoff units
• Waitlist option available to all members
• Free point transfers between members
• Easy to rent points and rent reservations
• Exchange company membership included
• Active ROFR to keep resale prices high
• No bogus Owner Update, parking pass shenanigans, or constant calls to pick up my welcome gift
• Regular communication with all members regarding Renovation/Refurbishment/Maintenance activity across all DVC resorts
• Regular communication with all members regarding new resorts (pricing information, point chart, resort detail, discount incentives) along with an exclusive sales period for existing members before sales opens up to the general public (as a result, no sales presentation required to get information regarding a new resort or future resort plans).

 

[Herbaltees]

I may be in the minority, but I like Wyndham. I own 4 contracts all resale, but I've stayed at a few independents and BG, Vistana and Diamond Resorts through RCI.

I like Wyndham because it's consistent and I know what to expect. The rooms are nice enough like home and it's clean and friendly- hate the sales staff and I avoid them like the plague.
My second fave would be HGVC- I've never been to one, but from what I read on here I would like to try the system out. The costs seem a little out of reach for me rn on Ebay, but maybe one day I'll luck up.

 

[Mongoose]

I may be in the minority, but I like Wyndham. I own 4 contracts all resale, but I've stayed at a few independents and BG, Vistana and Diamond Resorts through RCI.

I like Wyndham because it's consistent and I know what to expect. The rooms are nice enough like home and it's clean and friendly- hate the sales staff and I avoid them like the plague.
My second fave would be HGVC- I've never been to one, but from what I read on here I would like to try the system out. The costs seem a little out of reach for me rn on Ebay, but maybe one day I'll luck up.

I haven't stayed at a Wyndham recently. I just hear/read a lot of complaints about their management, website and MFs going up. No idea if this is valid criticism or not. I have WM and a lot of WM owners are really unhappy with Wyndham. On paper they look like a good option.

 

[dayooper]

My second fave would be HGVC- I've never been to one, but from what I read on here I would like to try the system out. The costs seem a little out of reach for me rn on Ebay, but maybe one day I'll luck up.

I am the exact opposite. All I know is HGVC (so I guess it would be my favorite). I love that my resale deeds have basically the same booking rights and privileges as the developer bought deeds do. I was able to to purchase wisely (thanks TUG). Besides the resale piece, I like the fact that my family and I know exactly what we are getting when we go to a property. The units are clean and well designed. While I don’t like the nickel and dime fees, the over all cost is relatively low as HGVC keeps their MF’s on the less expensive side. (I pay just under $2000 for 2 weeks).

 

[alexadeparis]

my systems in order of favorites:
Vistana- bulk of my holdings, fixed birthday week unit, nice quality resorts
Shell - door county location has my heart
hyatt - love key west and nice locations
hgvc- decent rooms, limited locations
marriott - I own a week not points so it limits me to trades
wyndham - jerk sales, ok rooms lots of locations
independent - use as RCI TPU generator, hate the resort

 

[Bmatrose]

HICV Elite or Higher Levels - Easy to rent enough points each year to cover maintenance fees plus have enough points left over for multiple vacations, makes its like vacationing for free

 

[pedro47]

Marriott's is our favorite brand because of its quality and the way they maintain their resort properties.

 

[ccwu]

Two fractionals and one system.

The West (6 weeks in ski season) and The Grand, one week every month which I do not use, both in Steamboat Springs CO. I stay in The West and use the facilities (ski storage, pool, gym, etc) at The Grand while renting out my weeks which cover the maintenance fees.

The system is Raintree where I spend a week or two in Puerto Vallarta after the ski season. Occasionally spent a few days in Park City UT skiing using Raintree points. It will expire in 3-4 years depending how I use it.

No desire to own anything else since these meet my needs and the market value has kept me above water. Other places by using VRBO, Airbnb, the tons of points in hotel programs or just plain cash. I occasionally also snag a good HGVC deal they keep offering me.

My absolute favorite was The Allen House in Kensington, London UK but alas the RTU ran out before I expired. Really loved that place as I visit London practically every year.

Cheers

Like your choice in ski resort. My favorite is Killington Grand in Vermont. We own 2 fractions (2 weeks every month, 26 weeks a year). We can go even it is not our week by using owners Space A(when there is availability, they only charge cleaning fees max 3 days. But since we have 2 fractions we can rotate the request). We joint the Grand resort’s rental program. If we do not use ours, (you need to give them a calendar as to when are you using it a year in advance) they(Killington ski resort) rent it out and share revenue 55/45. We get 45%. Usually the 45% can more than enough to cover our maintenance fee and taxes. Last year with Covid, we still break even.

The resort sold out all inventory. The fraction we got worth twice than our purchase price now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[x3 skier]

Like your choice in ski resort. My favorite is Killington Grand in Vermont. We own 2 fractions (2 weeks every month, 26 weeks a year). We can go even it is not our week by using owners Space A(when there is availability, they only charge cleaning fees max 3 days. But since we have 2 fractions we can rotate the request). We joint the Grand resort’s rental program. If we do not use ours, (you need to give them a calendar as to when are you using it a year in advance) they(Killington ski resort) rent it out and share revenue 55/45. We get 45%. Usually the 45% can more than enough to cover our maintenance fee and taxes. Last year with Covid, we still break even.

The resort sold out all inventory. The fraction we got worth twice than our purchase price now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your comments stimulated me to check lists for units like mine at the Steamboat Grand. Close to 2.5 times what I bought it for

Cheers

 

[Pologuy9906]

Marriott's is our favorite brand because of its quality and the way they maintain their resort properties.

Resale or direct?

 

[JohnPaul]

ASUS PRIME Z490-P

I don't know much about VI. It looks to be an interesting midscale option. Tons of locations in Hawaii. I'm not seeing a lot of details on TUG about them. Do they have a decent reservation system and availably? I'd rather have a well run midscale location with staff that care than an upscale (lipstick on a pig) high end one.

VI is a great mid-scale timeshare system. It is run by an owner controlled board. I find the website perfectly acceptable. You can do most things on it.

They have done a good job on MF. Small increases the last year or two and stable for about 5 before that.

They did away with housekeeping fees and replaced it with a $20 non refundable reservation fee. That works great for me.

You can book 1 night to as much as you have points for (a few limits like 30 days in penthouses) at 12 months from check in.

You should be aware that some locations have a potential end date while many are permanent. It a long explanation but also a good chance for many of the expiring units to become permanent.

Also, if you buy resale be sure to understand if they are permanent points or have an end date.

Like any system, some spots, unit types and seasons are very popular. I’m a big planner and generally get what I want. They also have a good waitlist system.

 

[Mongoose]

VI is a great mid-scale timeshare system. It is run by an owner controlled board. I find the website perfectly acceptable. You can do most things on it.

They have done a good job on MF. Small increases the last year or two and stable for about 5 before that.

They did away with housekeeping fees and replaced it with a $20 non refundable reservation fee. That works great for me.

You can book 1 night to as much as you have points for (a few limits like 30 days in penthouses) at 12 months from check in.

You should be aware that some locations have a potential end date while many are permanent. It a long explanation but also a good chance for many of the expiring units to become permanent.

Also, if you buy resale be sure to understand if they are permanent points or have an end date.

Like any system, some spots, unit types and seasons are very popular. I’m a big planner and generally get what I want. They also have a good waitlist system.

So is VRI Vacation Resorts International the management company of VI?

 

[JohnPaul]

So is VRI Vacation Resorts International the management company of VI?

Similar name causes confusion. VRI actually was the manager for VI for a number of years but it is owner board run now with their own management.

 

[Mongoose]

Similar name causes confusion. VRI actually was the manager for VI for a number of years but it is owner board run now with their own management.

Ok. I used to own two VRI managed resorts and I thought they did a great job. What's strange is when you go on the VRI website they still list VI resorts like the group in Sedona.

 

[bobpark56]

We own with Marriott, Vistana/Starwood, Diamond, Festiva, and Sandos. For us, Vistana/Starwood has been best. Unfortunately, it has been take over by Marriott, and customer service is already suffering. The the Vistana/Starwood resorts seem still up to their usual quality, though.

 

[JohnPaul]

Ok. I used to own two VRI managed resorts and I thought they did a great job. What's strange is when you go on the VRI website they still list VI resorts like the group in Sedona.

That’s because VI only owns limited weeks in those Sedona resorts which are managed by VRI.