Your experiences with resale points systems

[win555]

I have owned HGVC, Marriott , Wyndham , vistana , hyatt , and some traditional week traders.

My needs have changed over the years and points are best for us now.

The old rule of thumb is by somewhere you would like to visit every year because rules for trading can always change.

I still have the Wyndham points because it gives me access to all RCI and Wyndham. I have the hyatt points and vistana points to give me access to Hawaii , AZ, and II.

I have always found the resorts in AZ have a good point value to MF cost. Probably because they dont deal with hurricane etc.

When my kids were younger and we needed two bedroom spring break and summer weeks the HGVC points worked well. Of course most of our trips were to Orlando or the beaches of SW Florida.

Thanks for the system wide comparison. I love the red rock landscape of Northern Arizona/Southern Utah. Good outdoor activities to keep the kids occupied. Good to know the fees are favorable too. Low cost of living probably helps too unlike CA or HI.

Looks like you have decided to keep all the systems all once instead of using them up one by one. Any particular reason?

 

[jjking42]

I like the hyatt locations in AZ, Maui , Carmel , Colorado , Tahoe

I like Vistanna locations in Maui , Kauai AZ, cancun, bahamas, St. John

I like Wyndham for RCI trades , AZ , San Diego , Hawaii , Florida pan handle.

Truth is I could swap hgvc for Wyndham. They both trade in RCI but it’s used to be cheaper for me to trade into HGVC via RCI than it is to own hgvc. Buts it’s probably a break even now because exchanges fees are too high. Also I don’t need spring break anymore.

So it comes down to locations and individual resorts. For me no one points system had it all. Maybe Marriott has the best coverage overall but I would rather own in three systems than one.


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[jabberwocky]

I was hoping to use up resorts in each system and move on to the next one. Hyatt/Vistana don't have too many locations. So maybe I should first start with HGVC since it has more locations and most recommendations.

I think a pairing of HGVC and Vistana would be good for what you’re wanting. I think you’re smart to start with HGVC. It’s a really good point system and has strong resale value.

We now own both systems (just closed on an HGVC resale today). We’ve been really happy with Vistana as well - but wanted to fill in a couple of location holes in the Vistana system (Vegas, BI and Oahu).

 

[win555]

You guys mush have a lot of vacation time to use all these weeks and points. Must be nice.

I hope I can find some HGVC good deals in this environment. Or maybe I should wait until there is a vaccine.

 

[jabberwocky]

You guys mush have a lot of vacation time to use all these weeks and points. Must be nice.

I hope I can find some HGVC good deals in this environment. Or maybe I should wait until there is a vaccine.

I do have a fair bit - but only two of ours are annual - the rest are every other year.

I get an abundance of time for vacation (22 days per year plus a two week work closure over Christmas/NY). I’ve ended up rolling over time unfortunately. We bought the timeshares to force me to use the vacation time. Not working out too well this year!

You can probably pick up some really good deals if your are patient. I just picked up a platinum HGVC 7000 point Las Vegas unit for less than one quarter of the normal resale price. As we get closer to year end some individuals will get desperate to dump their units to try and cut personal expenses.

 

[Shankilicious]

Welks system is extremely simple and has resorts in California, lake Tahoe, Arizona, Hawaii, and Breckenridge as well as others.
There are no seasons or specific views or unit types you have to worry about when buying, just points. No fee for staying at any Welk resort or the 16 collections resorts. No fee for short stay/long weekends, no limit to how many times you can stay in a year using your points except what your points allow.
The only difference for resale owners is the tiered benefits which are minimal. Welk also has great availability in the summer and trades better than anyone into RCI. Getting more Disney properties than anyone that I've heard of or seen.
You could get enough points for a two bedroom in peak season in Breckenridge or 3 bedroom in Tahoe for about $6k. MF on that would be around $2500 though.

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[TUGBrian]

a handy comparison chart, although it might be time to update some of the values!

Timeshare System Points Comparison Chart

side by side comparison chart of all the major Timeshare Point systems

tug2.net

 

[CanadaGuyEh]

I own HGVC and Worldmark and Wyndham - all work on points and I like points. I can roam around. HGVC - great if like Hawaii and Florida and east coast - odd one in west but not many other places but you can google. WorldMark I bought so I can do Anaheim etc - they have many west coast locations. Wyndham I bought for the gulf coast beaches - Florida and onward. All told I get 8 weeks a year in a 1 bedroom but if mom or sisters join me then I get them a 2 bedroom and me a 1 bedroom etc - oh HGVC has lots in Vegas so that is one of favorite places to use that - great resorts. Someone above said you can rent - that is probably true - lots rent out and there is 1 thing for sure - Maintaince fees NEVER go down - year after year are up and where it ends I do not know. Now with COVID am not sure what they will do but I imagine I will be on the hook for some losses the resorts had. I bought though so I can see what is available and deal with things myself - overall we have enjoyed all of it.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

@jjking42 I really like your lists of system by location. Is there a reason you didn't include HGVC for Utah? There is an HGVC resort in Park City at the base of the Canyons ski area (part of Park City Ski area)

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Another consideration is your exit strategy. On points systems is there is an underlying deed? If so where it is located to consider exit. If your family suffered a severe setback - health, disability, lost jobs, how would you exit? The major hotel brands have a deedback programs if the unit is paid off and MF current. If you purchase a desireable unit you can sell or give it way.

But if there is complete economic failure and you cannot, is there a legal recourse? If the property is deeded in California, Florida, South Carolina, and a handful of other states, then you can walk and the only recourse is for the developer to take the TS unit in foreclosure. They cannot go after your other property (a deficiency judgment) but you may end up with a ding on your credit - but if it is a catastrophe, then it will already be a mess so will not matter.

There is an excellent sticky on TS regulations by state and it will tell you about non-judicial, anti-deficiency by state (which is good). It is unclear how pure points trusts without an underlying deed are considered under these laws since these programs are relatively new.

 

[jjking42]

@jjking42 I really like your lists of system by location. Is there a reason you didn't include HGVC for Utah? There is an HGVC resort in Park City at the base of the Canyons ski area (part of Park City Ski area)

When I owned HGVC they did not have park city so if I wanted to stay there I would have traded into a Marriott. However I am not a big skier and I prefer Bryce Canyon and Arches NP in Utah and I just get a hotel when there.

My in-laws live 20 minutes from Heavenly at Tahoe so if I want to Ski I go visit them in the winter. I like to go to the mountains in the summer to escape the Texas heat and I like going to the beach anytime. Not a fan of Vegas and burned out on Orlando. Kids are all grown now however once grandkids appear Orlando will become a destination for us again. Most of the time when I go to Orlando I stay at HGVC I love their properties but it’s easy to trade or rent in Orlando.

If I bought HGVC again it would be for the Big island, Oahu and SW Florida. But Wyndham gives me some options on Big island and Oahu just not as nice as HGVC. If I sold my Wyndham week I would buy an HGVC week in Vegas or SW Florida.

I don’t own HGVC right now but I really like their system. Due to business travel I am a Hilton diamond member so I have lots of Hilton points. If it’s a Hilton location I usually stay in the hotel rather than the timeshare.

Figure out the locations you like to visit and get the points that get you there. It could be all in one system but for me it’s three. Right now my favorite destination is Maui and I have had success using both Vistana and Hyatt points to get there.


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[overthehill]

Having owned deeded, right to use and points/credits system timeshare ownerships since 1985 and used RCI and II extensively during our ownership, we found the WorldMark point/credit system worked best for us as our desired resorts changed while our children were growing up. That said, I must qualify my statement. In 1998 when we I purchased our first WorldMark contract, the resorts were developed and managed by Trendwest, started by Jeldwen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Confirming reservations was easy and units at the resorts around Oregon and Washington were generally available when we wanted to travel. When Trendwest was bought by Cendant, vis-à-vis Wyndham, our ownership started losing value as Wyndham changed offerings to prospective t/s buyers. Each new sales program offered to new buyers moved our ownership further down the booking priority list even though we were paying the same annual fees.
We had good success exchanging through II and some success with RCI. After Wyndham bought RCI, our success rate exchanging WM for other resorts improved dramatically. The down side was the ever increasing annual fees and housekeeping fees and the opening up of the resorts in Oregon and Washington to other Wyndham affiliates making bookings harder to secure. A plus was having access to Wyndham Club Pass using those points bought before Cendant/Wyndham bought Trendwest.
Today we are attempting to wind down our WM ownership, that being quite a challenge to make happen. Wyndham's Title/Transfer Department can't be much slower in processing our transfer of 50,000 credits to our buyer which began February 19, 2020. Today we are four (4) months into this fiasco and I was told yesterday it would take another 8 weeks to complete the transfer. As a retired Mortgage Banker, my former loan processing and closing crew could have processed and closed hundreds of mortgage loans in the time it's taking Wyndham to handle a simple transfer.
If the reader is considering the purchase of WorldMark credit on the secondary market, be prepared to wait a ridiculous amount of time before you have your acquisition processed and completed.
If you buy WorldMark credits, understand that getting rid of them requires a lot of patience as frustration builds.
P.S. Today we are using Home Away and VRBO to secure our vacations, the costs being similar to our timeshare ownership but with many more choices.

 

[qwerty]

I need to point out that our only T/S is in the RCI point system which has served us well enough except for the ever rising fees.
Even if I had enough money, buying at our favorite location Disney World doesn't make much sense for us.
The M/F for a one bedroom summer week is around $1500.00 and that doesn't even take in the consideration of a very hefty DVC purchase cost.
I very much agree with the first response to your inquiry.
Do the best you can with WorldMark but keep looking at ebay T/S auctions.
No matter how pleased we are with using the RCI point system or the platitudes given any of the other programs, that is no guarantee that it would work for you.

 

[bnoble]

But if there is complete economic failure and you cannot, is there a legal recourse?

If there is complete economic failure, getting rid of a timeshare deed might be the least of one's concerns.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

P.S. Today we are using Home Away and VRBO to secure our vacations, the costs being similar to our timeshare ownership but with many more choices.

I am a VRBO/AirBnB landlord for a vacation rental. FYI...the fees to renters beyond the base rental can add up on these systems to more than one night. Cleaning, AirBnB Service Fee, Security, Travel Insurance. VRBOs also don't have the amenities of the timeshare resorts and may not have the best location on the beach. YMMV If you are planning short stays, these fees plus the rental may not be worth it. Compare pricing and amenities for your desired locations.

 

[win555]

I own HGVC and Worldmark and Wyndham - all work on points and I like points. I can roam around. HGVC - great if like Hawaii and Florida and east coast - odd one in west but not many other places but you can google. WorldMark I bought so I can do Anaheim etc - they have many west coast locations. Wyndham I bought for the gulf coast beaches - Florida and onward. All told I get 8 weeks a year in a 1 bedroom but if mom or sisters join me then I get them a 2 bedroom and me a 1 bedroom etc - oh HGVC has lots in Vegas so that is one of favorite places to use that - great resorts. Someone above said you can rent - that is probably true - lots rent out and there is 1 thing for sure - Maintaince fees NEVER go down - year after year are up and where it ends I do not know. Now with COVID am not sure what they will do but I imagine I will be on the hook for some losses the resorts had. I bought though so I can see what is available and deal with things myself - overall we have enjoyed all of it.

Since you own Wyn, WM and HGVC; can you give some insights into the availability, policies and flexibility of each?

 

[bradj]

Be careful of Hyatt's deeded week conversion to portfolio points. At this point no resale value has been established if you want to exit. Deeded weeks still haae a market value and are more easily transferable.

 

[win555]

I am a VRBO/AirBnB landlord for a vacation rental. FYI...the fees to renters beyond the base rental can add up on these systems to more than one night. Cleaning, AirBnB Service Fee, Security, Travel Insurance. VRBOs also don't have the amenities of the timeshare resorts and may not have the best location on the beach. YMMV If you are planning short stays, these fees plus the rental may not be worth it. Compare pricing and amenities for your desired locations.

yeah. Airbnb quality/prices can be all over the place. Plus searching is so complicated. I have used it with good and bad experiences. The high quality airbnbs tend to be very expensive compared to MFs of TS. The lower end stuff is too inconsistent to rely on.

 

[buzglyd]

I think a pairing of HGVC and Vistana would be good for what you’re wanting. I think you’re smart to start with HGVC. It’s a really good point system and has strong resale value.

We now own both systems (just closed on an HGVC resale today). We’ve been really happy with Vistana as well - but wanted to fill in a couple of location holes in the Vistana system (Vegas, BI and Oahu).

That is me also. Annual HGV, Even year HGV (Lagoon) and odd year Vistana 81,000. RCI and II memberships included in the annual fee.

 

[skimeup]

I love my widely detested Royal Holiday points. While they seem to earn much derised attention ( I think mostly from their sales people in Mexico), I have found them to be a major asset in travels to cities world wide. They have 3 properties in Paris, 1 each in London, Berlin, Brussels, Rome, Lisbon, Barcelona and others, with costs WAY below market, except for Berlin - which is exactly comparable. Two are in New York and San Francisco, where I frequently stay. Some others in Vail and Tahoe if you like skiing. I have points with Hyatt but it seems like everything I do with them costs money - either to make a res or to cancel a res. They do get me good places on Interval though! People are giving away points on ebay for RH but they charge a fair amount to merge accounts - and I'd say you need at least 50, 000 points to make a dent in their season (I have 200, 000 so they treat me very nicely!)

 

[BigRedOne]

I know all of you points people probably won’t agree but the points system has really ruined the timeshare industry. Fairfield (now Windham) started the points system in the early 80’s because after losing a lawsuit they were banned from selling timeshares. Eventually buying out RCI they have really pushed resorts into switching from weeks to points. I’m sure any week’s owner will tell you that when it was all weeks it was a lot easier to get good trades. With persistence I have still been able to get some really good trades but not like when everyone was weeks. Now RCI has gone to a “points light” system for weeks owners but once again as a result of losing a lawsuit.

 

[escanoe]

Welk also has great availability in the summer and trades better than anyone into RCI. Getting more Disney properties than anyone that I've heard of or seen.

Could you explain this as it applies to Disney? Points are largely points (when it comes to their trading power) as I understand it and this discussion is about points systems. It is not “what your unit will pull” like an II weeks exchange.

Some portion of DVC units go RCI Priority Access, but that is not a huge deal. I think HGVC can get those (I may be wrong) and ant RCI Points platinum account certainly can. It is only once in a Blue Moon anyone gets any DVC properties outside SSR or OKW. Does Welk have something going on with DVC through RCI that I don’t know about? Thanks for sharing what you know.

 

[Shankilicious]

Could you explain this as it applies to Disney? Points are largely points (when it comes to their trading power) as I understand it and this discussion is about points systems. It is not “what your unit will pull” like an II weeks exchange.

Some portion of DVC units go RCI Priority Access, but that is not a huge deal. I think HGVC can get those (I may be wrong) and ant RCI Points platinum account certainly can. It is only once in a Blue Moon anyone gets any DVC properties outside SSR or OKW. Does Welk have something going on with DVC through RCI that I don’t know about? Thanks for sharing what you know.

Welk owners of higher levels can trade directly into Aulani as well as Disney Boardwalk and SSR. I see two bedroom SSR and OKW regularly and have spotted Wilderness Lodge and Animal kingdom in the past two years. Just randomly popping on.
Others have mentioned how well their preferred resort system trades which is why I brought it up. Welk owners who don't live on or want to vacation anywhere besides the West coast/ Southwest, have to utilize RCI/II so it's worth mentioning.

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[escanoe]

I hear you. That is how I would feel if I was retired, and there are things (less fees) I like more about weeks than points. But in a family with a school schedule and juggling jobs, I would not own any timeshare if it were not for points.

I know all of you points people probably won’t agree but the points system has really ruined the timeshare industry.

 

[escanoe]

Welk owners of higher levels can trade directly into Aulani as well as Disney Boardwalk and SSR. I see two bedroom SSR and OKW regularly and have spotted Wilderness Lodge and Animal kingdom in the past two years. Just randomly popping on.
Others have mentioned how well their preferred resort system trades which is why I brought it up. Welk owners who don't live on or want to vacation anywhere besides the West coast/ Southwest, have to utilize RCI/II so it's worth mentioning.

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You are talking about the Registry Collection (owned by RCI) but not RCI Points, right? I had misunderstood and thought you were discussing using RCI in the passage above. My bad. How much Welk do you have to own to do that ...would it be a thing at regular entry level? Thanks!