Club Intrawest

[Goaliemom30]

Does anyone have advice on the booking process and availability for these resorts? I am particularly interested in Sandestin and Mont Tremlant.

 

[erionm]

You have to call MS to book Club Intrawest, Club Cordial or Nightly RCI Exchanges.

 

[bwvBound]

Do call Members Services and, please, report back to us!

Club Intrawest (CI) is going through serious changes as their management is being acquired by Diamond Resorts. They recently canceled their reciprocal exchange program with Hilton Grand Vacation Club (HGVC) and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the DVC agreement was also lost or changed.

 

[Dean]

Do call Members Services and, please, report back to us!

Club Intrawest (CI) is going through serious changes as their management is being acquired by Diamond Resorts. They recently canceled their reciprocal exchange program with Hilton Grand Vacation Club (HGVC) and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the DVC agreement was also lost or changed.

I would be surprised to see DVC align themselves with Diamond but they could run the system independently much like Worldmark and Wyndham. Maybe this could induce DVC to look elsewhere like Marriott.

 

[bwvBound]

Oh, Dean -- I think Marriott would be a very nice addition to DVC's BVTC system! (Of course, I still think Worldmark would be a nice addition, too!)

 

[Dean]

Oh, Dean -- I think Marriott would be a very nice addition to DVC's BVTC system! (Of course, I still think Worldmark would be a nice addition, too!)

The problem with the second tier systems like WM, Wyndham and BG are that only some of their resorts would pass mustard. Wyndham is likely the best of that group. By the time you eliminate the resorts in direct competition with other DVC resorts and those that fall below a strong Gold Crown type standard, you're left with about 80-85% of Marriott's but a much smaller % of the other systems mentioned. Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood are better choices from DVC's standpoint. Diamond has the same issues as the 3 above but even more so as does VRI. But the more the better from a membership standpoint, one just has to do their homework in considering an exchange of any type. There are many factors but I could see this being win/win from both sides even if DVC picks and chooses the destinations listed and it does give a sales angle to the other systems as well as to DVC. I'm guessing there are behind the scenes history between DVC and these companies that would make some more or less likely to be included. DVC and Marriott have some positive history together with Newport Coast and France. Hyatt has the one direct link for the Beaver Creek resort but I'm not sure how much the 2 were actually involved directly in that transition. IF they were to expand this direction in a big way they instantly become a major player in the general timeshare world and in direct competition with II and RCI which I see as a good thing. They'd likely need to plan for the next RCI renewal phase to do this type of thing correctly. Remember Hilton and Shell were in BVTC early on.

 

[freediverdude]

Maybe it would be better if DVC limited the trading to one or two of the top tier timeshares instead of trading through RCI. It would limit the destinations more, but the DVC members would probably be more consistently happy with the accommodations being more similar to DVC, with less research to eliminate the unworthy properties. Plus like Dean said, it would create a competitor to RCI, and those 2 or 3 timeshare systems would not have to join RCI or II.

 

[Dean]

Maybe it would be better if DVC limited the trading to one or two of the top tier timeshares instead of trading through RCI. It would limit the destinations more, but the DVC members would probably be more consistently happy with the accommodations being more similar to DVC, with less research to eliminate the unworthy properties. Plus like Dean said, it would create a competitor to RCI, and those 2 or 3 timeshare systems would not have to join RCI or II.

You know these issues but for the sake of discussion. DVC has historically controlled the available option. Other than regional restrictions, they've also limited resorts to those they deemed worthy. A couple of years ago they went away from this option to include most resorts in RCI. They never did it very well often not include resorts that should have been included and delaying adding new but top resorts. Why they did this is a mystery. Presumably the idea was to give options but eliminate poor choices which makes sense. The problem was they didn't do it well and it likely required more management than they were prepared for. Or maybe they changed because of pressure from RCI. I like the current system better as it gives more choices when one needs it but the reality is that done correctly the final choice anyone is going to use would be the same or very similar because who wants to go to a dump.

So the question is more or better choices. Since DVC would be putting their name on these choices in a sense, I'd expect they'd want to control the quality to a degree. Marriott is the only one with enough variety and quality to consider by itself I believe but I feel more would be needed to move away from RCI. Plus the reality is it might be difficult to get reservations for both groups for the highest demand options, it is within those for members themselves. For Marriott it'd have to be their trust and destination inventory, not their weeks only portion. From my standpoint the more the better but it likely would have some impact on the 7 month window availability for DVC. Plus it still might be more likely to get something through RCI than this system with an ongoing search. Then would RCI cont to give the incentives to DVC if they were still in the picture? This is something Marriott could do but it might affect their relationship with II.

 

[freediverdude]

Yes I see what you're saying. The availability might not be very good just dealing with a certain part of the Marriott inventory, and that would go both ways in that Marriott owners might still have trouble getting anything in the Disney system. So I'm not sure what the answer is. If you just open it up to everything in RCI or II then you'll have people getting unworthy properties and complaining and never doing a trade again. The only real answer would be to create a new association of only top tier properties at several of the top tier timeshare systems.

 

[Dean]

Yes I see what you're saying. The availability might not be very good just dealing with a certain part of the Marriott inventory, and that would go both ways in that Marriott owners might still have trouble getting anything in the Disney system. So I'm not sure what the answer is. If you just open it up to everything in RCI or II then you'll have people getting unworthy properties and complaining and never doing a trade again. The only real answer would be to create a new association of only top tier properties at several of the top tier timeshare systems.

I still think expanding the BVTC is the best single answer and otherwise belong to either II or RCI but as a general member so that DVC members can join and use it or not at their choice. But I do think an expanded BVTC is the best single approach. There are ways to assure some inventory both ways.