Just stayed in Wyndham

[DisDaydreamer]

We have stayed in Wyndham (Williamsburg) resorts for the last three or four years (care of our neighbors, who have too many points). We have come to understand that these resorts are accommodations for a vacation to visit something outside the resort.

What we love about DVC is that the resort can also be the destination. These Wyndham resorts just don't have the theming and home pleasures. They are really just timeshare hotels... JMHO.

That said... Our stay was very nice... the room (1 bdrm) was very clean and the bed had a linen Duvet that made all the concerns about.... stuff, not be a concern. The bed also, was very comfortable.... but it was a queen size... we're used a king and it is really much different. Mary Beth and I are sprawlers.... I know Deb understands.

Still, we would not choose (on our points) to stay at this resort.. We much prefer the theming of the DVC resorts. Either a WDW resort and having WDW at our doorstep or HHI/VB and having the great wildlife adventures.

Another note of interest... This unit had a half sized dishwasher... never seen that before, but hope Disney considers it for our studios.

We considered taking their tour, but decided at the last minute that the $50 VISA card wasn't worth 2 hours of our time.

All things considered... I think maybe these Wyndham people do a better job of keeping their units clean. On the other hand the exteriors were really bad with mold on the roofing and siding everywhere.

Bottom line... We weren't ready to consider buying into their system.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Nice update Rob. Always good to experience other places with different accomodations. Sometimes gives a real sense of appreciation for what we already have!

 

[Brian Noble]

One OT aside:

Don't ever, EVER buy Wyndham points from the developer. For a variety of reasons, it is possible to buy points resale for a dime on the dollar. Resale points are not eligible for a few of the perks and little bonuses offered to developer purchases, but the value of those perks is far outweighed by the additional costs.

Bought resale, Wyndham points are a fantastic value.

 

[sparkyboy]

We've stayed in Arizona and had the dishwasher drawer size unit, too. It's great for coffee cups, etc. Doesn't use as much water as regular size DW and still allows guests to use regular dishes vs. paper. We never used it for any large size items as we ate dinner out but agree with OP that would be nice for DVC studios.

 

[Starr W.]

We have stayed in Wyndham (Williamsburg) resorts for the last three or four years (care of our neighbors, who have too many points). We have come to understand that these resorts are accommodations for a vacation to visit something outside the resort.

What we love about DVC is that the resort can also be the destination. These Wyndham resorts just don't have the theming and home pleasures. They are really just timeshare hotels... JMHO.

That said... Our stay was very nice... the room (1 bdrm) was very clean and the bed had a linen Duvet that made all the concerns about.... stuff, not be a concern. The bed also, was very comfortable.... but it was a queen size... we're used a king and it is really much different. Mary Beth and I are sprawlers.... I know Deb understands.

Still, we would not choose (on our points) to stay at this resort.. We much prefer the theming of the DVC resorts. Either a WDW resort and having WDW at our doorstep or HHI/VB and having the great wildlife adventures.

Another note of interest... This unit had a half sized dishwasher... never seen that before, but hope Disney considers it for our studios.

We considered taking their tour, but decided at the last minute that the $50 VISA card wasn't worth 2 hours of our time.

All things considered... I think maybe these Wyndham people do a better job of keeping their units clean. On the other hand the exteriors were really bad with mold on the roofing and siding everywhere.

Bottom line... We weren't ready to consider buying into their system.

My sister and I stayed at Manor Club last September. Don't know if it's the weather in Williamsburg but the outside of our building was being worked on. New trim going up and painting. The unit was huge(Berkeley building) but the landscaping was really looking tired(needed new shrubs, grass very patchy).

Which resort did you stay in? I know Kingsgate and Patriot Place just have finished 3yrs of special assessments(following Brian's advice, I've been eyeballing Wyn.resale points).

 

[BWV Dreamin]

My sister and I stayed at Manor Club last September. Don't know if it's the weather in Williamsburg but the outside of our building was being worked on. New trim going up and painting. The unit was huge(Berkeley building) but the landscaping was really looking tired(needed new shrubs, grass very patchy).

Which resort did you stay in? I know Kingsgate and Patriot Place just have finished 3yrs of special assessments(following Brian's advice, I've been eyeballing Wyn.resale points).

Why are Wyndm points such a good deal? What are some of the resorts you can use those points with? Is there a minimum amount of points one should purchase? What are the typical MF's on Wyndham pts.?

 

[Starr W.]

Why are Wyndm points such a good deal? What are some of the resorts you can use those points with? Is there a minimum amount of points one should purchase? What are the typical MF's on Wyndham pts.?

CHEAP! MF's at oceanfront properties are higher. Good flexibility and for us a lot of drivable locations.

Here is the online brochure(locations, point charts, pretty good explanation of how the system works, though they have made some changes that I think Brian can address since he is already an owner).

http://s7d1.scene7.com/s7ondemand/b...config=05_07CendWynd&vc=instanceName=CendWynd

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Which resort did you stay in?

Kingsgate. We have also stayed in Governor's Green.

 

[Starr W.]

Kingsgate. We have also stayed in Governor's Green.

Which one do you like better? I think GG would be my #1 Wyn. resort to try in Williamsburg.

 

[aDVCguy]

if it ain't Disney...it ain't Disney!

My SIL owns at the Vistiana(spelled right?) around
the corner from our home resort(SSR) and boy is
she jealous! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's
quite a few non-DVC time shares out there that
are top notch but...I couldn't see us buying outside
of Disney...after all, isn't the reason any of
us bought in or around Orlando, was... because of Disney?
When in Rome...

 

[Starr W.]

if it ain't Disney...it ain't Disney!

My SIL owns at the Vistiana(spelled right?) around
the corner from our home resort(SSR) and boy is
she jealous! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's
quite a few non-DVC time shares out there that
are top notch but...I couldn't see us buying outside
of Disney...after all, isn't the reason any of
us bought in or around Orlando, was... because of Disney?
When in Rome...

I own my DVC, but I also have a Starwood week and a fixed Bluegreen week. We love WDW, but we also like to go other places.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Which one do you like better? I think GG would be my #1 Wyn. resort to try in Williamsburg.

This is a difficult one to answer. We first went to KG years ago and were really unimpressed. It had vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bath, formica countertops, and regular cut pile carpet. This time there the floors were real tile, granit countertops, and commercial grade carpet. So, I think Wyndham has upgraded them since they purchased Fairfield.

GG is the newer one. And the quality of the interiors is similar to DVC. I don't like the layout as much. KG has the feeling of being a townhome community and GG has bigger bldgs with more units in each. GG is where they do all the sales tours (or torture). I think they think it is their showpiece in Williamsburg. Last year there we were in dismay that they had faded plastic flowers in window boxes all around the resort. Very tacky.

GG has a real restaurant on sight, KG has a sandwich shop/grille. Both seem reasonably priced. We have never really used any of the facilities in either place, but we were floored this time to be told that there is a $5 per day activities fee. Not as floored as the people next to us checking in (owners) they were disgusted and really didn't want to pay.

I am guessing GG is the bigger resort. One nice thing we found at KG was a large gazebo and natural gas grille, near our building. Don't know if they have that at GG. A very nice touch.

I think KG has the better grounds. Beautiful pond and some real nice areas. That said I was not impressed with the ground maintenance in general at either resort. DVC really spoils you with their landscaping and the upkeep of it. On the other hand we have really been impressed with the cleanliness inside the units. Sometimes there have been miner maintenance issues.

Both resorts have a problem with maintaining the exterior of the structures. Both have mold/mildew problems prevalent on the siding and the roofs.

The guests are different. You feel much more disconnected. People are there mainly for a place to stay, whereas at DVC the people mostly have a common thread... the love of Disney. It's just different. Not bad, just different.

Bottom line... I can't really say which I prefer. I think maybe KG. I think you'll be satisfied with either.

Good Luck

 

[Brian Noble]

Why are Wyndm points such a good deal? What are some of the resorts you can use those points with? Is there a minimum amount of points one should purchase? What are the typical MF's on Wyndham pts.?

The directory that Starr W. pointed you to answers a lot of these questions, except pricing.

Princing from the developer is about $150-$170/thousand points. Resale, it's about $10-$20/K give or take---in general the lower the MF/K ratio, the higher the resale cost. Exceptions are places where home resort preference matters, and they can carry a resale premium. There aren't many situations in which home preference really matters. New properties also start out high until enough resale deeds hit the market to meet demand.

A "good" deed has MFs anything at or under $5/K, though that number has been creeping upward of late. There is a very wide variance---in part because some points deeds are actually converted fixed weeks, where the MFs are fixed but the points vary with season. For example, my deed is a lockout converted week with MFs of about $3.85/K. This isn't the lowest in the system, but it's not too far off. UDI deeds are much more consistent, but still not necessarily uniform because of the way fees are apportioned---larger UDI deeds are proportionally a bit less expensive.

 

[Dean]

We have stayed in Wyndham (Williamsburg) resorts for the last three or four years (care of our neighbors, who have too many points). We have come to understand that these resorts are accommodations for a vacation to visit something outside the resort.

What we love about DVC is that the resort can also be the destination. These Wyndham resorts just don't have the theming and home pleasures. They are really just timeshare hotels... JMHO.

That said... Our stay was very nice... the room (1 bdrm) was very clean and the bed had a linen Duvet that made all the concerns about.... stuff, not be a concern. The bed also, was very comfortable.... but it was a queen size... we're used a king and it is really much different. Mary Beth and I are sprawlers.... I know Deb understands.

Still, we would not choose (on our points) to stay at this resort.. We much prefer the theming of the DVC resorts. Either a WDW resort and having WDW at our doorstep or HHI/VB and having the great wildlife adventures.

Another note of interest... This unit had a half sized dishwasher... never seen that before, but hope Disney considers it for our studios.

We considered taking their tour, but decided at the last minute that the $50 VISA card wasn't worth 2 hours of our time.

All things considered... I think maybe these Wyndham people do a better job of keeping their units clean. On the other hand the exteriors were really bad with mold on the roofing and siding everywhere.

Bottom line... We weren't ready to consider buying into their system.

All resorts are different. Wyndham is one of those systems that I see as a top value but notch below many others (DVC, Hilton, Hyatt, DVC, Marriott). I'd put a few other points systems in that group like Bluegreen, VRI, Shell and RCI points. If you buy in correctly you have a much less price and get much more for your money and often you can trade to those top tier resorts, but not always.

Why are Wyndm points such a good deal? What are some of the resorts you can use those points with? Is there a minimum amount of points one should purchase? What are the typical MF's on Wyndham pts.?

From many aspects I would put BG and Wyndham as equivalent. They are comparatively cheap and give you a lot for your money both within and outside their system. Both can be bought for a fraction of the dev price and both have added benefits for qualified points and larger points ownership.

if it ain't Disney...it ain't Disney!

My SIL owns at the Vistiana(spelled right?) around
the corner from our home resort(SSR) and boy is
she jealous! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's
quite a few non-DVC time shares out there that
are top notch but...I couldn't see us buying outside
of Disney...after all, isn't the reason any of
us bought in or around Orlando, was... because of Disney?
When in Rome...

DVC's advantages are mainly 3, on property, fairly flexible and the specialty theming. But there are definitely resorts out there both in Orlando and elsewhere that are as nice, some might say nicer, than DVC but not that many and when you're at the top it can be somewhat subjective and splitting hairs. For Orlando I'd say that there are currently at least 5 resorts that are as good as the DVC resorts ignoring location. These would be the two top Marriott's, 2 Hilton's and Bluegreen's Fountains. There are 2 more under development that are certain to join that group or more likely exceed it, the new Marriott and new Hilton. Some might also add Vistana Villages to the top group, others would put it just a half notch below for reasons related to management. Royal Palms nearby Orlando might fit into that group as well from what I've heard but I haven't seen it to compare. There are those that prefer to stay off property even if they had the choice. I must say that some of the facilities, pools, member lounges and non WDW activities are often better at the resorts I mentioned above. That's esp true for adult type activities. I must say I've enjoyed poker and blackjack tourney's at various resorts we've been to, bingo and ice cream socials.

One thing I enjoy that DVC does not do is to have more working, owner oriented and informative meetings. Many resorts have a working meeting where you get to talk to managers, engineers, see fabric boards, look at actual plans for change, discuss real issues like unit assignments. Many also have a meeting where you can discuss directly with a rep of either II or RCI. Some actually have an onsite rep for the exchange company. I must say it was very informative last week to go to the lobby at Orange Lake (stayed there part of the week) and sit down and look at my RCI account from a reps perspective and discuss some of the issues so I could learn how better to approach the RCI exchanges I might look at.

 

[francn]

DVC has held its value
Property sites are all awesome

We have stayed in Wyndham (Williamsburg) resorts for the last three or four years (care of our neighbors, who have too many points). We have come to understand that these resorts are accommodations for a vacation to visit something outside the resort.

What we love about DVC is that the resort can also be the destination. These Wyndham resorts just don't have the theming and home pleasures. They are really just timeshare hotels... JMHO.

That said... Our stay was very nice... the room (1 bdrm) was very clean and the bed had a linen Duvet that made all the concerns about.... stuff, not be a concern. The bed also, was very comfortable.... but it was a queen size... we're used a king and it is really much different. Mary Beth and I are sprawlers.... I know Deb understands.

Still, we would not choose (on our points) to stay at this resort.. We much prefer the theming of the DVC resorts. Either a WDW resort and having WDW at our doorstep or HHI/VB and having the great wildlife adventures.

Another note of interest... This unit had a half sized dishwasher... never seen that before, but hope Disney considers it for our studios.

We considered taking their tour, but decided at the last minute that the $50 VISA card wasn't worth 2 hours of our time.

All things considered... I think maybe these Wyndham people do a better job of keeping their units clean. On the other hand the exteriors were really bad with mold on the roofing and siding everywhere.

Bottom line... We weren't ready to consider buying into their system.