How many times have you used points for RCI, or Interval Exchange?

[abdgeek]

We have what I would consider allot of points now and since we have spent a good amount on DVC I feel guilty not using the points.

I’ve been searching at the options on Interval Exchange, accommodation options seem to be at random times, random places, or both.
Has anyone had experience with this option, either with the quality of accommodations, or how far out booking would be ideal?

I would like to spend some time in Europe next year…honestly anywhere at this point that’s not the US
We’ve never been abroad and I think it’s time. - We purchased points for large family vacations and because Disney is my happy place. The contracts were a good deal and I want to visit Disney at least once per year.

I tend to do yearly RCI and now II exchanges using my DVC points. I never deposit points, just decide where I want to go, which accommodation I want, and then stalk the website until I find the date I want for the accommodation I want. I normally start planning two years out and find the resort I want about 1.5 to 1 year out. Availability on the II site doesn’t last long. If you see it, you need to book it immediately online—do not call Member Services to book— it will be gone by time you get thru. So far, I’ve stayed in RCI/II exchanges in Aruba, Hawaii, and Las Vegas. I had an RCI exchange booked in Bali that I had to cancel since the country didn’t reopen and my flight got canceled. I had been stalking some Caribbean properties, but then DVC changed to II and not all the properties are the same. My sister has owned DVC, RCI, AND II. She says II is far superior. Having stayed in a couple of II properties, I would say most are on par if not better than DVC. For example, most times the smallest accommodation you’re booking is a 1 bedroom with II instead of a studio with DVC. Below are my recommendations when researching II properties:

• Review and research the DVC II Resort Directory options for your intended destination. Choose your top 3 properties.
• Make sure you understand the room icons on the II pages and what they mean
• Read online reviews on the properties you’re interested in
• Start searching for properties by searching on a 2 to 3 week date range for all destinations. This maximizes your search and lets you see what’s available.
• If you see it, book it immediately.

When my plans for this past summer changed, I was able to get two II Hawaii properties, but had to change the dates I planned to be on each island. Flexibility will be key. If your dates aren’t flexible, your resort options are greatly decreased. Don‘t forget that you can now book hotels through II too. Happy hunting!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Once! Great stay in Hawai! RCI

2017

https://www.disboards.com/threads/kaanapali-beach-club-then-aulani-february-2017.3579889/

 

[Brian Noble]

You can make a good case for Hawaii via Worldwide exchange. The exchange point charts are favorable vs. Aulani.

I just confirmed an exchange using a non-DVC week that might be a good example of this. The unit is an oceanfront 1BR at Marriott's Kauai Beach Club. It is a Premiere resort, and the week is at the highest TDI value of the year. According to the point chart, that would be 130 DVC points.

If you rented those points out, say you got $20 per point, or $2,600. Right now, the exact same week in the same category of unit is $2,900-$3,900 on RedWeek. The maintenance fees for 2023 are about $2,250, so it's not going to go much lower than that.

The unit isn't a "real" 1BR that is directly comparable to a DVC villa; it has a kitchenette and no washer/dryer. (This a hotel conversion, and is not purpose-built). But it is about 630 sq. ft., with a K in the bedroom and a Q murphy bed in the living room, with a balcony/patio. At Aulani, an ocean view studio would be 217 points. An ocean view 1BR would be 434. Even at the studio price, this unit is a deal.

 

[mattkev2001]

Just 1 time, swapped a week at HHI studio (55 points) or a week in Breckenridge in peak ski season. Great deal.

Good afternoon,

Would you mind sharing more about the Breckenridge spot that you found through the interval and how far in advance you booked?
Thank you

 

[BillPA]

This was way back in Jan 2002. It was no more than 3 months prior to the trip. We got a Grand Timber Lodge studio, much more than a DVC studio. Ski in/out location, Included a fireplace, a private Hot Tub, a real kitchen not just a microwave.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

We have what I would consider allot of points now and since we have spent a good amount on DVC I feel guilty not using the points.

I’ve been searching at the options on Interval Exchange, accommodation options seem to be at random times, random places, or both.
Has anyone had experience with this option, either with the quality of accommodations, or how far out booking would be ideal?

I would like to spend some time in Europe next year…honestly anywhere at this point that’s not the US
We’ve never been abroad and I think it’s time. - We purchased points for large family vacations and because Disney is my happy place. The contracts were a good deal and I want to visit Disney at least once per year.

I’ve never deposited points in II, but I recently discovered the “getaways” feature that lets you pay cash for extremely discounted room rates and it’s incredible. You can get a week at Sheraton Vistana (one of our favorite non-disney resorts) for around $500.

 

[fitnessmouse]

I’ve never deposited points in II, but I recently discovered the “getaways” feature that lets you pay cash for extremely discounted room rates and it’s incredible. You can get a week at Sheraton Vistana (one of our favorite non-disney resorts) for around $500.

Yes, this. Stayed a week in august in a 2-bedroom for €350

 

[BaybeeYoda]

Never yet. Owned since 2011. I keep checking rack rates and it keeps me coming back….

 

[Anal Annie]

I have been trying to find availability with Interval in Hawai'i on one of the other islands besides Oahu with the new hotel exchange option and it's been sort of a joke so far. We booked 10 nights @ Aulani and have been playing with different dates for airfare and ultimately wanted to plan to spend about 6 or 7 nights at Aulani & about 3 or 4 nights on another island using points thru II. I figured once we found something decent on one of the other islands and nailed down those dates we could cancel the extra nights @ Aulani & re-use the points for the hotel exchange. However, the options are basically next to none on the other islands for our dates. The "short-stay get-aways" don't really appear to even be an option in Hawai'i which is why I started looking at the hotel exchange. Kinda disappointing choices all around for Hawai'i in general. I've been looking several times a week on Maui, Kauai & the Big Island which is getting tedious as the II website is not very user friendly but it's looking like we may just end up going to Aulani for a week & canceling off the extra nights & reallocating the extra points to WDW with an extra trip over July 4th since we have AP's. (The 7 month booking window opens later this week so I need to make some decisions if we want to do it.) I have a targeted amount to spend on flights as we're using credit card miles and as soon as I see the flights hit my target amount (which they were at earlier this month but I was still trying to hold out for another island so I didn't book them) I'm gonna give up on II and finalize the trip. The planning process for this trip is wasting way too much of my time at this point. Maybe if we wanted to spend an entire week on another island it would be easier to find? I don't know if that's true or not but finding something for just a few nights looks to be like either winning the lottery or nothing.

 

[abdgeek]

I have been trying to find availability with Interval in Hawai'i on one of the other islands besides Oahu with the new hotel exchange option and it's been sort of a joke so far. We booked 10 nights @ Aulani and have been playing with different dates for airfare and ultimately wanted to plan to spend about 6 or 7 nights at Aulani & about 3 or 4 nights on another island using points thru II. I figured once we found something decent on one of the other islands and nailed down those dates we could cancel the extra nights @ Aulani & re-use the points for the hotel exchange. However, the options are basically next to none on the other islands for our dates. The "short-stay get-aways" don't really appear to even be an option in Hawai'i which is why I started looking at the hotel exchange. Kinda disappointing choices all around for Hawai'i in general. I've been looking several times a week on Maui, Kauai & the Big Island which is getting tedious as the II website is not very user friendly but it's looking like we may just end up going to Aulani for a week & canceling off the extra nights & reallocating the extra points to WDW with an extra trip over July 4th since we have AP's. (The 7 month booking window opens later this week so I need to make some decisions if we want to do it.) I have a targeted amount to spend on flights as we're using credit card miles and as soon as I see the flights hit my target amount (which they were at earlier this month but I was still trying to hold out for another island so I didn't book them) I'm gonna give up on II and finalize the trip. The planning process for this trip is wasting way too much of my time at this point. Maybe if we wanted to spend an entire week on another island it would be easier to find? I don't know if that's true or not but finding something for just a few nights looks to be like either winning the lottery or nothing.

Sorry to hear you’re not finding the availability for Hawaii that you want on II. The hotel exchange is definitely a bit of an anomaly. I‘ve done a couple of searches for II hotels for upcoming trips in 2023 and later, and finding the hotel you want is kind of hit or miss. Unlike the Concierge Collection where you were kind of guaranteed availability (IMO), with II it seems that once the posting is gone (booked by someone) it may not come back. Also, when you search for hotels, change the number of points in the slider. The default seems to be 20, but if you put in a higher amount (100 or higher depending on how ritzy the hotel is) you see that the OOP cost goes down or to zero.

My recommendation for searching II for Hawaii is to search on any location for a timeframe of about a month that includes the dates of your trip. Once the search results are listed, look to see if Hawaii is listed under the US and look to see which dates are available for each resort. When you search this way, you’re looking at weekly rentals. You can decide how many days of the weekly rent to use. On II, it appears that searching for stays of 6 days or less typically doesn’t reveal much inventory. Hawaii postings go very quickly, so if you see it book it.

If you‘re able to get nights on another island, you can book round trip flights on Hawaiian Airlines for pretty cheap, typically about $86 one way. Unless you plan on going to Kauai where there are less nonstop flights, you can easily get back to HNL for your flight out. There are also some of the timeshares on the islands that you can book online. If you’re considering paying for a getaway, you may also want to consider just booking a hotel and paying OOP. Good luck!

 

[Anal Annie]

Sorry to hear you’re not finding the availability for Hawaii that you want on II. The hotel exchange is definitely a bit of an anomaly. I‘ve done a couple of searches for II hotels for upcoming trips in 2023 and later, and finding the hotel you want is kind of hit or miss. Unlike the Concierge Collection where you were kind of guaranteed availability (IMO), with II it seems that once the posting is gone (booked by someone) it may not come back. Also, when you search for hotels, change the number of points in the slider. The default seems to be 20, but if you put in a higher amount (100 or higher depending on how ritzy the hotel is) you see that the OOP cost goes down or to zero.

My recommendation for searching II for Hawaii is to search on any location for a timeframe of about a month that includes the dates of your trip. Once the search results are listed, look to see if Hawaii is listed under the US and look to see which dates are available for each resort. When you search this way, you’re looking at weekly rentals. You can decide how many days of the weekly rent to use. On II, it appears that searching for stays of 6 days or less typically doesn’t reveal much inventory. Hawaii postings go very quickly, so if you see it book it.

If you‘re able to get nights on another island, you can book round trip flights on Hawaiian Airlines for pretty cheap, typically about $86 one way. Unless you plan on going to Kauai where there are less nonstop flights, you can easily get back to HNL for your flight out. There are also some of the timeshares on the islands that you can book online. If you’re considering paying for a getaway, you may also want to consider just booking a hotel and paying OOP. Good luck!

Thanks. If we don't island hop this time it will be the first time we've gone to Hawai'i and NOT island hopped. I have been 5 or 6 times before (but only once to Aulani). Kauai is the only island we've not stayed on (did a day trip once tho). Are you suggesting that it might be easier if we try booking a whole weekly rental thru II but just not stay there the whole time?

I have changed the slider on the hotel exchange to 120 points before as that's about all I really want to deposit for 3 nights. And for that many points I'd hope not to have to pay anything OOP. That's kinda our goal (other than the $95 exchange fee). The only properties that pop up seem to be 3 star type of places and that would be a disappointment after Aulani. We're really trying to have a trip where our only OOP expenses are car rentals, food & excursions. I have some confidence that the flight prices will drop again soon. On Nov 9th I found a good itinerary on United out of BWI (although our preference would be Hawaiian or Alaska) for about $775. Kicking myself that I didn't grab it becuz now it's over $1K. But I really think it will drop again to around $800 or so - then I'll grab it. Unfortunately both Hawaiian & Alaska's itineraries have dreadful duration times right now out of our airports - Hawaiian doesn't even fly every day. I am in the DC area so I am able to monitor 3 major airports that are all within about 50 minutes of home (with BWI being our preferred airport). But we're willing to use any of them as long as we can come in & out of the same one for parking reasons. They're all a little too far to Uber IMO. I have several combinations of price alerts set on both Kayak and thru our CapOne miles credit card so I'm sure something will pop one of these days.

 

[abdgeek]

Thanks. If we don't island hop this time it will be the first time we've gone to Hawai'i and NOT island hopped. …Kauai is the only island we've not stayed on (did a day trip once tho). Are you suggesting that it might be easier if we try booking a whole weekly rental thru II but just not stay there the whole time?

I have changed the slider on the hotel exchange to 120 points before as that's about all I really want to deposit for 3 nights. And for that many points I'd hope not to have to pay anything OOP. That's kinda our goal (other than the $95 exchange fee). The only properties that pop up seem to be 3 star type of places and that would be a disappointment after Aulani. We're really trying to have a trip where our only OOP expenses are car rentals, food & excursions. I have some confidence that the flight prices will drop again soon. On Nov 9th I found a good itinerary on United out of BWI (although our preference would be Hawaiian or Alaska) for about $775. Kicking myself that I didn't grab it becuz now it's over $1K. But I really think it will drop again to around $800 or so - then I'll grab it. Unfortunately both Hawaiian & Alaska's itineraries have dreadful duration times right now out of our airports - Hawaiian doesn't even fly every day. I am in the DC area so I am able to monitor 3 major airports that are all within about 50 minutes of home (with BWI being our preferred airport). But we're willing to use any of them as long as we can come in & out of the same one for parking reasons. They're all a little too far to Uber IMO. I have several combinations of price alerts set on both Kayak and thru our CapOne miles credit card so I'm sure something will pop one of these days.

Are you suggesting that it might be easier if we try booking a whole weekly rental thru II but just not stay there the whole time? Yes, that’s what I’m suggesting. I’ve never done it, but I know several people who do it all the time. When I thought I would have to do it for an upcoming trip, I asked the location how it worked. They said I had the room for the whole week whether I stayed there the whole time or not. I just stayed on Kauai for the first time this year, and while I had fun, it wasn’t my favorite island. I booked Pono Kai Resort on II because it was the only resort that had availability for the dates I wanted—the resort I wanted was the Beachboy. Technically, there wasn’t anything wrong with the room I was given. I just didn’t care for their policies and they didn’t honor any of my requests—I know they’re not guaranteed, but I’ve never had a resort not honor them.

The only properties that pop up seem to be 3 star type of places and that would be a disappointment after Aulani. Oahu will have more high end hotels than the other islands. Unless you plan on staying at a Four Seasons or similar hotel, any hotel will be a step down from Aulani. That’s just staying in Hawaii where being ocean front takes precedence over having all the amenities. If you’re interested in Kauai, you won’t find many high end hotels there. II is owned by Marriott, so those will be the brands that I would imagine you’ll find on the hotel exchange. Although, I did find two Four Seasons listings for Bali when I checked recently, I don’t remember seeing any for Hawaii.

 

[Brian Noble]

They said I had the room for the whole week whether I stayed there the whole time or not.

Exactly. If you book a week (as a Getaway or an Exchange) you get the week. If you are arriving late, you should definitely call to let them know; some properties will mark you as a no-show if you do not call and do not show up within the first 24-48 hours. But, you can definitely arrive late and/or leave early.

Of course, the other option is just to extend your trip! We think two weeks is pretty much the minimum time we spend in Hawaii to justify the travel time, though that can include visiting two different islands. We're at the point now where we'll do three weeks if we can get away with it. Our summer '23 plan is a week on the Big Island, followed by two weeks on Kauai (our favorite).

 

[Mickeys gal 52]

Never use my points for anything but Disney. Always felt they were too valuable to use for anything else. I have sold them to use the money for a cruise in the past. But that’s the only thing I’ve done with my points.