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What's happened to Resort Villas@ Welk Resorts Inventory

I

itchyfeet

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
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Location
Sacramento, CA
Within the last month I've noticed that there is little exchange inventory for Welk Resorts in Escondido with II. There used to be many units all the time. Anybody know what is going on?
 
There were a few units available on II last month during the Platinum 5 day sale. We're booked in December and only paid $274 for the getaway. I haven't seen much either sine then.
 
I have booked us there once every two or three years and was looking at 2018. Nothing really in II the last few days. What is the deal? The resort is HUGE between all of the different sections. Does anyone have a clue?
 
I posted this same question recently. RCI also has very little inventory. Wondering if Welk is using another exchange company.
 
This is very strange, I was looking just a couple of weeks ago and there was a ton of inventory. I'm also not seeing any inventory in Palm Springs, Tahoe or Cabo.
 
mash84121 said:
This is very strange, I was looking just a couple of weeks ago and there was a ton of inventory. I'm also not seeing any inventory in Palm Springs, Tahoe or Cabo.
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I'm glad someone noticed this too. I like Tahoe and was curious about the lack of inventory in II. Did a contractual agreement expire?
 
itchyfeet said:
I posted this same question recently. RCI also has very little inventory. Wondering if Welk is using another exchange company.
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I took a quick look at TPI and GPX and didn't see anything. I'll check HGVC and SFX when I get home. Odd.
 
Sometimes in the past when searching for Socal, Welk was all I would see. And seems I would ALWAYS see. Very strange indeed.
 
There's been an effort over the last few years by resorts to keep their units from appearing on instant exchange with interval. I believe the sales force of these companies believe it hurts their sales efforts when prospects tell them there's no need to own when it's easy to exchange in. It's more likely that Welk resorts has implemented some sort of inventory control with II that, in effect, hides their units from hitting the online instant exchange.

Just because all those units are somehow being hidden doesn't mean there still not available, you just have to make a request through II. It's a change I've had to make these last three years when exchanging into other Marriott resorts. Exchanges I use to be able to make as an instant exchange now require I request them.

It is an inconvenience for us. For instance I use to be able to see what was available in Palm Desert and decide which of the Marriott resorts we wanted to take and what check in days where available. We'd prefer a Saturday check in to Sunday more than a particular resort for instance. Having to make the request allows II to put us where/when they want us. So instead of a Saturday to Saturday exchange we ended up with a Sunday to Sunday exchange, and that cost me another $300 in airfare for this particular trip.

The reality is it diminishes the value of II to us to make weeks exchanges. A move I believe a lot of management companies like because they're moving to points programs with internal exchanges to "lock in" their customers. It gives their sales force validity when they say, if you want to stay with us, you have to own with us. It takes away the objection of how easy they are to exchange into.
 
When we owned in the Welk system a few years ago, they would bulk deposit units well in advance as a standard procedure. If I wanted to make a reservation and deposit a unit into II they would simply assign one of the bulk deposited weeks to my account. I don't have any insights into whether they have changed their procedures, since we sold our points several years ago.

Of course this didn't apply to the older units, which were the fixed weeks in Lawrence Welk Resort.

Best regards.

Mike
 
Looked at SFX/HGVC (RCI portal) and nothing. Welks FAQ page still references Interval International as their exchange company, so maybe they are just hiding the inventory.
 
I think Doug has this figured out. I remember Orange Lake was having an absolute fit with RCI for the reduced exchange points for their inventory, which was substantial and available all of the time. Apparently they decided to go with RCI Points for the enter resort, eliminating those easy exchanges at 7,500 points (all weeks' resorts can be had for few points last-minute). Now they are still very easy to get in weeks.

We will see if an ongoing search picks up a date I can use. I am really looking way ahead for this exchange.
 
Over several years we have used II Exchanges and Getaways to trade into Welk in spring or fall to visit with our son and family in Southern California. When I came across this thread I did an II search yesterday for Welk availability and sure enough nothing showed up. Today one Getaway week showed up for an LWR two-bedroom unit in March. But the Platinum Member cost was over $1100 for for the week - much more than we have paid in the past.
 
klpca said:
Looked at SFX/HGVC (RCI portal) and nothing. Welks FAQ page still references Interval International as their exchange company, so maybe they are just hiding the inventory.
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I just looked at the online II directory in locations that have Welk resorts and could not find any of the Welk resorts. Did they leave II?
 
jjluhman said:
I just looked at the online II directory in locations that have Welk resorts and could not find any of the Welk resorts. Did they leave II?
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I still see the Escondido and Palm Desert resorts in the resort directory. Where are you looking?
 
jjluhman said:
Thank you for checking me! I see them now - I think I was looking for them to start with W and be at the end of the list. Sorry!
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No worries! I'm glad that they are still in the directory. I wonder if Welk management just discovered that all of their units were showing up in the instant exchange inventory and preferred that they be filled using requests.
 
Somebody on the Interval Intl forums said that they read that Welk was transferring over to RCI. But the link apparently no longer works. So, there is no way to verify that rumor.
 
Credit to samara64,
the Welks are back in II.

I see Palm Springs, Welk Resort and Villas on the Green and Branson right now.
 
Thanks Hudshut

Was looking in while holding on a phone call. Still looking for a friend for Thanksgiving in Socal. We will be in Seaside this year. Love that resort.

Do not see any FSA for that week this year. Normally there have been few units in past years.
 
granny smith said:
Need a place for September 2018 in San Luis Obispo CA area. Any suggestions?
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The closest timeshare to SLO is San Luis Bay Inn in Avila Beach. It trades through RCI. The next closest is the WM in Pismo Beach but it is a very small resort with only 20 units and they are tiny, cramped and you can hear anything said in any unit. They are my least favorite of the WM resorts.

Sue
 
Welk website confirms the switch over to RCI as primary exchange company. Seems like 2018 is somewhat of a transition year (at least with regard to Welk covering owner's II costs). See FAQs at bottom of page.

https://welkresorts.com/own/rci/
 
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