Other point system timeshares like DVC

[dizfanz]

Do any of the other timeshares out there have a point system like DVC? It just so easy to use and have a decent chance of variety among resorts, even at the 7 month window. Thanks.

 

[Dean]

There are many other points systems out there. Hyatt, Hilton, Bluegreen, VRI, Shell, WorldMark, Fairfield, RCI points, Sunterra, Starwood, Club Intrawest are the ones that come to mind that are fairly major players, esp in the UR. There are a couple of smaller ones and a couple isolated outside the US I know about but didn't list.

They all vary in how they work, cost, flexibility and the like. As for flexibility, it depends on what flexibility is important to you. Some are more flexible in some ways than DVC and less in others. What might be perfect for me might be horrible for you. And they vary a lot in price, where and what type of resorts they have.

 

[dizfanz]

I hear that a lot of people are happy with Marriott, and I think I have read your posts saying that their rooms are up to snuff compared with DVC. Are they points? If not, can you easily switch between resorts? Or would you say that Marriott is a "buy where you stay" type of TS.

As far as flexibility, I like DVC because I have my 150 points and can choose which resort, for how ever long of a stay I want, for whatever time of year I want to go. Of those that you listed, which most meets that criteria while having comparable quality to DVC?

Also, every TS seems to have a place somewhere like Williamsburg, VA. If I buy at a place with low demand like that am I destined to exchange to other resorts with say shoddy rooms during monsoon season?

Thanks for your help Dean.

 

[Dean]

I hear that a lot of people are happy with Marriott, and I think I have read your posts saying that their rooms are up to snuff compared with DVC. Are they points? If not, can you easily switch between resorts? Or would you say that Marriott is a "buy where you stay" type of TS.

As far as flexibility, I like DVC because I have my 150 points and can choose which resort, for how ever long of a stay I want, for whatever time of year I want to go. Of those that you listed, which most meets that criteria while having comparable quality to DVC?

Also, every TS seems to have a place somewhere like Williamsburg, VA. If I buy at a place with low demand like that am I destined to exchange to other resorts with say shoddy rooms during monsoon season?

Thanks for your help Dean.

Marriott does not offer a points system but have been rumored to in the next few years. They do allow trading of weeks for their reward points but not weeks bought resale through a third party. Marriott is fairly flexible but it varies from one ownership to another. I think Marriott is the single best complement to DVC for most members but it will depend on specifics. Marriott is one of the few resort systems in II where the members have a true internal trading preference. When a Marriott week is deposited to II it is held for 24 days during which time only Marriott members have access to matching it. They do still use their trade power formulas so you likely won't match a top resort with a dog but it is a MAJOR advantage if you use it correctly.

Marriott weeks often have the same problem as DVC, that is that many of the weeks are too valuable to trade. For that reason you should consider what you will do with a week once you own it. If you want to trade mostly, you want to own one type of thing. If you want to use mostly and go to say HH every summer, you want a different type of week/resort.

As a rule, there is no good system that allows stays shorter than a week consistently. While many of the points systems will theoretically allow it, they give a preference to booking full weeks usually in terms of a several months head start. For example Bluegreen will let you book at 11 months out for 7 days OR MORE but only 5 months out for less than 7 days. Some also have extra fees involved for shorter stays or multiple stays.

For those that are demanding in terms of resort quality and using DVC as a bench mark, I'd say that Hilton, Hyatt, Club Intrawest come to mind along with Marriott as a weeks ownership. Your perception of trade power seems to be on target. Look at Orlando as the poster child for that subject and add Branson, Vegas and Williamsburg to that group. Actually it isn't how many units within the local system but rather the number of units pitted against the demand within the exchange system. As a rule points are points once you are outside your home resort/week priority.

Here's my approach. My core holding are that I own to use and then have things I play with and supplement my other trips. Then I generally rent out my higher demand options off time. Thus I own 4 Marriott's but would only trade 1 of them with any regularity and even then I use it to get ahead of the reservation system for the other 3 weeks I own.