What's changed over the last year...can't book Timber Creek through RCI?

[missyrcrews]

I stay at the Holiday Inn Timber Creek in DeSoto, MO every year when we go to MO. We always go in the summer...typically late July. I've been able to book in through RCI with an extra vacation for years and years. Some years, I can even book two units. (Last year, I did that...worked out great to have a spot for my parents to come visit.) While a nice place, this resort isn't close to ANYTHING! It's almost an hour to St. Louis, it's nowhere near Branson or Lake of the Ozarks....it works for us, because it's 40 minutes from my parents. But for the typical tourist, it wouldn't be a destination. This year, I haven't seen one thing in RCI. I ended up reserving through Holiday Inn Club Vacations (you don't have to be a member to book with cash) and it's going to be VERY pricey...over 1K for a week's stay. (I've been used to paying around $450 for one unit for a week.) For 2023, I see one week for summer, in early July, for exchange only....which would mean that I'd have to bank my two weeks at my owned resorts in New England. Not what I really want to do. Anyhow, what's changed in Holiday Inn Land? And should I just go ahead and nab the 2023 week while I see it? I don't want to have to book through Holiday Inn again next year. Thanks for any insight you folks have to offer!

 

[bnoble]

Lots of things might have changed. Other resort systems have refined what they've been depositing to RCI, tending to keep more in-demand locations/times for owners, and depositing off-season times/less popular places. For example, Wyndham this year never deposited summer in the Smoky Mountains, and they used to deposit tons of inventory during those months. Certainly possible that HIVC is doing the same thing.

 

[tschwa2]

Up until November they were taking deeds back for free. Now they are charging $500. Maybe more weeks owners have been giving weeks back and HICV has been depositing weeks into points inventory. There isn't any now available for the summer but there are a bunch of random days which means that points were deposited for the summer.

 

[missyrcrews]

Up until November they were taking deeds back for free. Now they are charging $500. Maybe more weeks owners have been giving weeks back and HICV has been depositing weeks into points inventory. There isn't any now available for the summer but there are a bunch of random days which means that points were deposited for the summer.

So...should I just nab the 2023 week while I see it? I also wonder if it has to do with Holiday Inn opening this place up to reservations through the hotel website. (This is a former Silverleaf property.) Thinking that it might be more profitable to offer the time through hotel channels. Grr. The last time I had to book there with TPUs, it was 11 tpus. This time, it will be 22. Oh, well. I don't have too many more years to deal with it...Dad is 90, and mom is 85. Suppose I should just get the reservation however I can get it, and be happy that I'm not stuck in a cramped hotel room!