Need help with timeshare resort choice

[holdem]

which timeshare property would you recommend:
cypress point
embassy vacation resort
fairfield cypress palms
kingston reef
hilton vacation club sea world
oasis lakes
orange lake
sheraton vistana
summer bay

thank you.

 

[swilshire]

Our family's preference would be (for those we've stayed at):

Vistana
HGVC Sea World
Embassy
Summer Bay
OLCC

OLCC is the only one I would hesitate to go back to, but they have a lot of fans. We're staying in a pool house at Summer Bay in October, so they may move up in the ranking after that.

Sheila

 

[holdem]

are your choices in order of which one's you like best?

 

[DianeV]

My order based on staying at or what I have heard:

Cypress Pointe (all units just renovated and great location)
Hilton (stayed twice with no problems)
Embassy: Big units and good location
Oasis Lakes: Heard good about, never been there
Vistana: As long as you dont get the Courts section
Summer Bay: stayed in a house there, rest of it looks nice
Cypress Palms: Clean, nice nothing fancy
Orange Lake: Huge resort but they tend to put exchangers into their older not kept up as well and far from stuff units from what I hear (nice place though)
Kingstown Reef: Havent heard much either way

which timeshare property would you recommend:
cypress point
embassy vacation resort
fairfield cypress palms
kingston reef
hilton vacation club sea world
oasis lakes
orange lake
sheraton vistana
summer bay

thank you.

 

[jbthi]

Of the ones I have stayed at, I prefer Hilton at Sea World. We've stayed there twice, once in a 3 BR and once in a 2 BR. The units were very clean and spacious. There were no children with us, so we didn't use the amenities.

I know I am in the minority here but I didn't care for Summer Bay. The main reason was the location, too far from Disney. It wasn't as clean as it could have been. Nothing really bad, just the overall feel.

June

 

[gjw007]

Orange Lake: Huge resort but they tend to put exchangers into their older not kept up as well and far from stuff units from what I hear (nice place though)

I don't know that this is particularly true. Even though I own there, when I exchange my other timeshares to get into Orange Lake, I have been put in both the newer sections (North and East Villages) and the older sections (West Village). All they see is that it is an RCI exchange and doesn't acknowledge that I am an owner. When staying as an internal exchange, it is noted on the reservation. My point is that even as an owner doing an RCI exchange, OLCC doesn't acknowlege that I am an owner and treat differently than other RCI exchangers, at least in my experience.

Just my opinion, but those who are put in the West Village may have been put in a villa that is near the period where OLCC is about to do a major renovation for those units. OLCC management reports that it will do a major renovation (redoing kitchen cabinets, replacing stoves, refrigerators, etc.) about every 18 years while it does softer replairs and replacements (replacing cushion, curtains, repainting) every 3 or 5 years depending on where it is at schedule-wise. OLCC first opened in 1982 and if they built the units in the phases, the first time for major renovations would be 2000 with the other phases following. The villas that I have stayed at in the West Village were nice and kept up but if you were put in a unit that is just about to get its major renovation, you would probably think that they had not be kept up as it would appear to be well-worn. I think the same is true at all the resorts that have an older section where the major renovations begin to fall into the schedule.

I have only been to OLCC and Vistana Resorts on the list (I recommnd both) but a question also must be asked what is your vacation style? Do you plan to spend a lot of time at the resort? Do you like golf? Do you wish to be in the middle of events? Or do you prefer a more relaxed environment? Depending on what your style is, every resort will have its good and bad points and while a resort might be nice, it might not be the best choice for you.

 

[swilshire]

are your choices in order of which one's you like best?

Yes.

Sheila

 

[DianeV]

gjw: I am basing my comments about Orange Lake on what I have read on Timeshare Users Group...many exchangers have complained about being treated differently and being told that owners get first choice of all units. Even an owner admits that and says that is the way it should be so...maybe there is some way they know you are an owner even when you exchange..

 

[spiceycat]

most timeshares treat their owner differently.

DVC is the only one I know that doesn't show owner preferences to where you stay.

they do show owner preferences to their special meeting and other things - you must should an Owner card to attend these functions.

Marriott, HGVC, Sheraton's, etc. all give their owners the best.

what are the ages of your children?

if you want them entertainment - then I would go with Hilton, Sheraton's Vistana - first.

they have more entertainment possible.

 

[holdem]

will have two 17 year olds with us. transportation for them to the parks would be nice as well.

 

[spiceycat]

timeshares generally do not offer free transportation to the parks. some have a shuttle - HGVC and Sheraton's Vistana definitely do.

they charge from $7.00 SVR to $12 (mgc) per person daily.

You would go on their schedule not yours.

also I would stay at the HGVC at ID - then your teens could walk to the Premium Outlets and take their I-trolley, or Lynx buses to other places.
http://www.iridetrolley.com/index.html

http://www.golynx.com/

 

[DianeV]

I havent felt like I was treated differently at any of the resorts I just listed that I have stayed at because I was not an owner..the only one I have seen anyone really say anything about is Orange Lake (well Westgate does but they werent on the list and I wouldnt advise anyone to stay there)

 

[mickeymousefan]

I just posted a link to my pictures at Summer Bay on the "calling all summer bay experts" thread. I loved it there.

 

[gjw007]

gjw: I am basing my comments about Orange Lake on what I have read on Timeshare Users Group...many exchangers have complained about being treated differently and being told that owners get first choice of all units. Even an owner admits that and says that is the way it should be so...maybe there is some way they know you are an owner even when you exchange..

I have read the reviews as well. All I can say is that I haven't experienced this even when I transfer in on a RCI exchange. Many of the poor comments have came from those who have stayed at Lake Kim Way, an area that I have not stayed at, so I can't make comments. I do know that as an owner, I'm entitled to some discounts. Usually I get those by giving my room number or key when I'm staying there (such as the minature golf) and I get those during my normal week or what RCI refers to as an internal exchange. When I do a RCI exchange for my other resorts, I don't get the discount until I can prove that I'm an owner by showing a card or having them look up my ownership week. It would seem that if the resort can differentiate the discounts based on the room number or key, the reservation should also have that information at checkin as well leading me to wonder if the resort recognizes me as an owner. It may but chooses to treat me as an RCI exchanger rather than an owner. I've also read where people who were put in the older units were transferred to newer units as well.

I've also been put in the older units (I've been put in the West Village twice) and did not find them to be a problem. In some ways, I like the older style better as they are not the highrise types and having the pond just outside the room was nice. That doesn't mean that there weren't units that were problem; just that I hadn't experienced them. I have no doubt that units that are near the major renovation period appear wornout. My unit in East Village was two-years old when I first used it and somebody had already burned the countertop (don't know how), so I end up thinking that while, in theory, the period time for major renovation may be 18 years according to industry standards or the equpment manufacturer's suggested replacement timeframe, a shorter time period may be more realistic. I end up wondering if these older units which were problems were because they were near the major renovation period and were thus worn-out. Since the resort wants people to go the presentations and buy, it doens't make sense to treat people in an inferior way or put them in a position to dislike the resort. I've read the reports on TUG but from a logic perspective, I would think resorts try to put its best face forward to encourage exchangers to buy. I will be there Friday (as a RCI exchange) and the following week as an internal exchange. I've read reports where DVC owners have suggested that after 10 years some units there need renovations.

There comments on TUG where people are saying that the service has slipped. Again, I haven't experienced it but I don't spend most of my time at the resort but I do expect the service to be good. One of the problems may be the growth of the new areas but a failure to add the necessary personnel. Another may be expectations. I don't expect mid-week towel exchange. The first time this happened to me, at Vacation Village at Parkway, it scared the daylights out of me. I clearly was not dressed for somebody coming in the room and I thought I was about to be robbed. So if you expect something like this, and you don't get it, you were say that you had gotten poor service.

Spiceycat makes a point that most timeshares treat their owners differently. To a point I agree with that but that point is when you make reservations and make requests before arriving at the resort. I think owners should be given a priority in meeting their requests. But once at the resort, I think everybody should be treated the same unless there is something specifically reserved for owners such as the time of private lessons starts 1/2 hour earlier than for exchangers and it is clearly published for everybody to understand the reason.

DVC, in theory, does also treat owners different than renters. Renters are not suppose to be given owners benefits such as pool hopping yet there are reports that renters have received these benefits. They also charge an addition $75 for II exchangers.

 

[holdem]

is HGVC at ID a timeshare? didn't see it in the rci book.

 

[lawgs]

HGVC on international drive is the newest HGVC resort with construction still ongoing that may be why it does not appear in the resort directory hard copy

it abuts the premium outlets

we are staying there in september

another one you might think about is "fairfield bonnet creek", we stayed there in may, it was very convenient to WDW but you do not get any WDW perks

when we looked out our balcony into the car lot we could see "carribean beach resort"

 

[holdem]

is hgvc with rci?

 

[spiceycat]

yes

here is the link from RCI

http://www.rci.com/RCIW_index/0,878...09&pageTitle=+Resort&body=RCIW_resortItemBody

 

[ralphd]

Exchange to Orange Lake:
1. Think they give the best units to members.
2. The resort is very large. Plan on driving to the swimming pool or other resort activities.
3. The resort shuttle bus is inconvenient. Think it runs on the hour.
4. The resort is okay if you want a place to sleep/eat.
5. Two bedroon unit was like a condo- one story building.
6. Convenient location to WDW- Black Lake Road to Sherberth and into the park.
7. Okay place for golf.
8. No sales pressure.
9. Exchanged in with a South African week. Easy trade.
Exchange to Silver Lake:
1. Multi story building.
2. Voice mails from sales every day-no direct pressure except at checkin.
3. One bedroom unit was 'okay'.
4. On Blacklake Road- easy drive to WDW.

 

[holdem]

are there other rci resorts on ID?