• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Wyndham Stealing Vino Bello Inventory

Jenabby

newbie
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Resorts Owned
Shell Vacations
So, Shell Vacations agents are being told (again) to tell owners "the system is down" for days on end at Vino Bello, but apparently this is actually because they are taking inventory to allocate to Wyndham Owners only. As owners who are deeded in this property, something has got to be done, it's not legal for them to block access to our own resorts!

We saw similar problems with the WorldMark transition years ago, which was only resolved by the board suing Wyndham.

Anyone have thoughts or experience here?
 

ronparise

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
12,664
Reaction score
2,134
Points
548
If you are a deeded owner, you are still a deeded owner. Nothing has changed, for you or any of the deeded owners, except now Wyndham also owns part of this place
 

Jenabby

newbie
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Resorts Owned
Shell Vacations
There are folks within Wyn not at liberty to officially discuss who have confirmed the "system" is intentionally offline for days at a time, and regularly, preventing Shell owners from being able to book at this location. It is simultaneously available to Wyndham owners (who should only have a very limited availability based on what the developer hadn't yet sold), as well as to be booked through ExtraHolidays. This violates every sense of the obligation they have to owners in the club.
 

ronparise

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
12,664
Reaction score
2,134
Points
548
I gotta ask why. What’s in it for Wyndham to pick and choose who gets a reservation and who dosent. Absent any benefit to Wyndham I’d.bet uour inside guy doesn’t know any more than I do
 

Jenabby

newbie
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Resorts Owned
Shell Vacations
Ron, Shell is a bit of a red-headed stepchild to Wyn. The only reason they spent the money and took it on was BECAUSE of the Napa property, and the ability to add some of it to Wyndham club portfolio. It's not a guy, and it's not just one person - regardless of motivation, there is zero excuse for not having the ability to book for days, sometimes weeks at a time.
 

Sandi Bo

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
5,084
Reaction score
4,642
Points
498
Location
Omaha
Resorts Owned
Wyndham
I bet the rooms aren't available to WYN owners, either. Just a hunch. If you PM (or post here) at a time they say the system is down and you can't book, I'd be happy to check (as a WYN owner) to see if it's available to me. If that helps prove anything.
 

vacationhopeful

TUG Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
12,760
Reaction score
1,699
Points
498
Location
Northeast USA
Are you a WEST club owner? If not, those club owners might be snagging all the 'good' dates ... ie weekends, holiday weeks, etc.

And I know a bit about both systems ... West Club and Wyndham. I brought Shell points before Wyndham brought the Shell system.
 

Jenabby

newbie
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Resorts Owned
Shell Vacations
Yep, I own West and HI - there are literally no dates that will show as available either online or when you call. The reps are just told to tell people the "system is down" as happens all the time ...
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,898
Reaction score
9,001
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
I can make a reservation for most of the resorts, but Vino Bello I just get a search that won't follow through. I get the spinning circle thing.

That doesn't mean there is no inventory, necessarily.
 

hk94

newbie
Joined
Jan 29, 2018
Messages
17
Reaction score
7
Points
3
I tried for months to find availability at Vino Bello. Finally found some terrible midweek dates - and I happily jumped on them. I still check from time to time to find something better, and I haven't ever seen other availability.

It sucks that you are having problems making reservations (as an owner at a resort that was purchased by Wyndham, I can relate). But I doubt they are making any inventory available to Wyndham. If they have, I certainly haven't seen it.
 

jwalk03

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 3, 2016
Messages
3,487
Reaction score
2,585
Points
348
Location
Ohio
Extra Holidays seems to have plenty of availability all Summer....

Nothing through the Wyndham owner site though, so they clearly are not taking the inventory and giving it to Wyndham owners!
 
Last edited:

wjappraise

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Messages
1,759
Reaction score
1,356
Points
373
Location
Michigan
Extra Holidays seems to have plenty of availability all Summer....

Nothing through the Wyndham owner site though, so they clearly are not taking the inventory and giving it to Wyndham owners!

Yup, they are just taking the inventory and selling it. Preventing both Wyndham owners and Shell owners from booking.

It sounds like a broken record, but the stark reality is that Extra Holidays is far worse than a consortium of "mega renters" ever was. Seems like Wyndham wiped out their only competition to cherry picking the best reservations at the most popular resorts for Extra Holidays.
 

Sandy VDH

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
9,848
Reaction score
4,227
Points
648
Location
Houston, TX
Resorts Owned
Wynd VIP Plat GF, HGVC Elite, WM, HICV, +
not all of extra holiday is wyndham taking inventory. Owners can book inventory and place that for rental in the EH pool.

I have not been paying attention to the inventory at this resort, but there is not a lot in Wyndham that I have seen.
 

ronparise

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
12,664
Reaction score
2,134
Points
548
I think it’s important to understand that wyndhan is not only a manager of timeshare resorts and timeshare clubs, wyndham is an owner of Timeshares and/orr an owner. And like any other owner they can make reservations

Competing with Wyndham for the best reservations may not be what we expect from our manager but it’s not “stealing” any more than it’s stealing when one owner gets a reservation and you don’t
 

jwalk03

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 3, 2016
Messages
3,487
Reaction score
2,585
Points
348
Location
Ohio
I think it’s important to understand that wyndhan is not only a manager of timeshare resorts and timeshare clubs, wyndham is an owner of Timeshares and/orr an owner. And like any other owner they can make reservations

Competing with Wyndham for the best reservations may not be what we expect from our manager but it’s not “stealing” any more than it’s stealing when one owner gets a reservation and you don’t

If Wyndham is an owner competing for the same reservations as other owners than I agree its not stealing, but if they are just taking any intervals they want and putting them into Extra Holidays BEFORE they are available to other owners that is where the stealing comes in.
 

vacationhopeful

TUG Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
12,760
Reaction score
1,699
Points
498
Location
Northeast USA
Bots are stealing .. whether the corporate staff inserted them to a reservation system or if a smart hacker did. Resrving before an owner can access the inventory .. initial reservation time or upgrades .. is stealing .. just like if the front desk GAVE my 2BDR oceanfront reserved unit to their corporate boss and then told me, my reserved 2/2 unit is "Out of Service; here is a 1bdr".
 

Braindead

TUG Member
Joined
May 23, 2016
Messages
2,504
Reaction score
1,243
Points
298
I don’t know what to call it but it’s definitely not a level playing field.
Wyndham is one owner.
They can only make one reservation transaction at a time
They cannot have overlapping reservations without GCs

I don’t think the above rules get followed by Wyndham. Wyndham is an owner and is entitled to make reservations. Wyndham is not exempt from those rules outside of 60 days.

I won’t call it stealing. You are accusing Wyndham of a criminal act by calling it stealing and you should be calling the authorities everyday if you believe Wyndham is stealing from you.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,898
Reaction score
9,001
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
My luck at getting Vino Bello was an ongoing search with II. I matched a 2 bedroom with a cheap trader. I suggest you do the same. I have Blue Ridge Village weeks with $720 fees and was able to get that week.

I say to be the squeaky wheel, as an owner in the West Club. You should be able to get whatever inventory you want before others get it. We own an inordinate number of West Club points, and I will continue to check inventory myself, just to see what you are experiencing. I personally think resorts like Kona Coast and Vino Bello are over-pointed. If it's 10,000 points for a full week in a 2 bedroom at Kona Coast, that's $2,700 for my cost on that week. I would be better off buying a Hilton resale and staying at Kingsland.

There are problems with all of the systems and the supposed owner-owned inventory, including Vistana, where no small 1 bedrooms for summer of 2018 came available at SBP. How does that happen? When I have complained, every Vistana employee said there are people who got them ahead of me, and so of course I just wasn't on the ball and didn't get in at exactly midnight. That sounds so incredibly deceitful to me. Then I talked to a person recently, told her my story, and she said, "You need to let us know as soon as something like that happens. It could have been a glitch in the system we needed to check with IT." Lady, I did tell several people about it right away, and no one would help me. And it's easy to second-guess after the fact and assume this is the first anyone told you about it.
 

JohnPaul

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
1,649
Reaction score
845
Points
323
Location
Sacramento, CA
Resorts Owned
Vacation Internationale, HGVC - NYC, Worldmark, Shell Vacations, Sedona Pines, RCI Points, Starwood (Avon, CO)
The problem with Vino Belo is the ancient reservation system Shell has. The Vino Bello reservation system is integrated into the Meritage Hotel system (Meritage handles check in, etc for both). In order to book anything, the Shell system has to talk to the Meritage system. As far as I am aware, none of the other Shell properties work like this.

With great frequency, this link goes down (as with great frequency they have problems with the CC system communicating properly).

I don't think anyone can book (including Wyndham) when the link is down and its down a lot.

However, if Wyndham has already booked time (with Ovation Inventory or Shell inventory that owners traded for non Shell items - sort of like Worldmark Travel Share) and put it in their Extra Vacations system then it's totally likely that the Extra Vacation system is running just fine for reservations while the Shell system is down.

The Shell reservation system is a disaster. I've personally reported about a half dozen significant problems with it - the most glaring being when it was assigning random point costs to Inn at the Park.
 

wjappraise

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Messages
1,759
Reaction score
1,356
Points
373
Location
Michigan
Wyndham may be an owner. But they are not limited to ten units per night. And are not endlessly hamstrung by this piece of crap website. They have such an advantage. And as I noted earlier, Clearwater has more EH occupants than owner occupants. Let that reality sink in and you’ll understand our concerns.

Ron - it’s way worse than it was when you were booking rooms. EH has all the advantages.
 

ronparise

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
12,664
Reaction score
2,134
Points
548
Wyndham may be an owner. But they are not limited to ten units per night. And are not endlessly hamstrung by this piece of crap website. They have such an advantage. And as I noted earlier, Clearwater has more EH occupants than owner occupants. Let that reality sink in and you’ll understand our concerns.

Ron - it’s way worse than it was when you were booking rooms. EH has all the advantages.


I don’t doubt it’s worse. And I’m not excusing their cheating or stealing or just plain mismanagement or whatever it is. What I’m ssying is what I have always said. And that is. You can’t change it. You either work with the system as it is. Or get out.

Haveing said that... have you considered that perhaps the mega renters, at least to some degree, kept Wyndham honest. As you say , things have gotten worse since we left. And Wyndham has a lot more “owned” inventory to work with
 

Avislo

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2017
Messages
1,615
Reaction score
138
Points
123
Talked with Wyndham earlier today. They indicated it was a affiliate resort that tends not to release inventory until the last minute and that a lot of the reservations are made at this resort early in the process by people eligible to do so. Presumably, the owners through Shell. They also indicated that a lot of the Extra Holiday reservations are submitted by owners to Extra Holidays to rent for them. The representative checked but could not find out how many units Wyndham has. He confirmed, from his experience, getting a reservation there is difficult.
 

Avislo

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2017
Messages
1,615
Reaction score
138
Points
123
To the run of the mill owner or VIP owner does it really matter if the high value reservations, to a large degree, go/went to Mega Renters or the various Wyndham rental/exchange groups?
 

wjappraise

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Messages
1,759
Reaction score
1,356
Points
373
Location
Michigan
I don’t doubt it’s worse. And I’m not excusing their cheating or stealing or just plain mismanagement or whatever it is. What I’m ssying is what I have always said. And that is. You can’t change it. You either work with the system as it is. Or get out.

Haveing said that... have you considered that perhaps the mega renters, at least to some degree, kept Wyndham honest. As you say , things have gotten worse since we left. And Wyndham has a lot more “owned” inventory to work with

I agree wholeheartedly, Ron. Two dynamics have led us to where we are: 1) The demise of the mega-renters has opened up a vacuum and Extra Holidays have moved into the trough. 2) What Wyndham learned from the months-long "interview" process associated with the great suspension of 2016/2017 has been used to make their entry into the rental market via EH a much stronger intrusion.

Maybe it is the conspiracy theorist at work here, but I find it more than coincidental that the website consistently goes down just before the ten-month mark and 60-day mark for major holidays. And that EH has a lot more inventory than they ever had before. And, that the website moves with such glacier like speed that many reservations time out before completion. All of this benefits Wyndham's rental arm - Extra Holidays. Just ask at the front desks and they will tell you that EH is now a HUGE player in the rental market, and not based upon their acquiring inventory from willing owners; it is coming directly from the available inventory.
 
Top