rci question.

[osfd36]

hi there,

I'm trying to convince my wife that dvc is a good decision for us. She asked me a question about rci that i didn't know the answer too, so i thought i would ask you fine folk. I know rci isn't typically a good use of points but if we were to go to new york during the new york city marathon weekend a hotel room typically costs $400 a night. if we were trying to get a room in Pittsburgh or Nashville or Boston during an NFL weekend hotel rooms can cost $300 plus a night. My question is are there rooms available on rci during these very hight demand weekends.

thanks very much

 

[_auroraborealis_]

RCI is generally not a trade about "per night." It is trading into timeshares, so it is a week at a time.

 

[limace]

I’d go ask that question on the TUG (timeshare users group) boards, but in general trading into RCI is a bad value-you’d be better typically renting points out to fund your vacation.

 

[Brian Noble]

DVC tends to deposit lesser-demanded resorts (e.g. SSR/OKW) and times to RCI. Likewise, you shouldn't expect the very highest in-demand things deposited at other timeshare resorts.

More broadly: If it were me, I'd make the purchase decision only on my expected use of DVC lodging. I'd want to consider any other use of points as something that might be nice as a change of pace, but not part of the core value and not something I would plan to do.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I had points that were going to expire soon (due to covid-cancelled trip) so I deposited them to RCI. I then planned a trip for Washington, DC next fall that I have been wanting to do and was able to use the RCI points (70 pts.) for the Hilton timeshare there for 5 nights. Not too bad of a deal since I was going to pay for a hotel anyway.

 

[_19disnA]

My parents used to own a non-Disney timeshare that was associated with RCI. Their experience with trading was it worked out best if you wanted to travel at off-times, or to less popular locations, or were flexible on last-minute travel options. Occasionally they were able to find an opening to the most desired locations, but usually they were sold out. Their entire experience with timeshares was such I would never recommend it to anyone.

 

[Brian Noble]

Their experience with trading was it worked out best if you wanted to travel at off-times, or to less popular locations, or were flexible on last-minute travel options. Occasionally they were able to find an opening to the most desired locations, but usually they were sold out.

I use RCI quite a bit. One thing I've learned about RCI (and it applies to most other timeshare exchanges) is that it works best in two situations. One is being opportunistic as you suggest, and I've scored some very cheap fun vacations that way.

The other recognizes that this bit in particular:

usually they were sold out.

is sometimes a bit of a mirage. If you are planning far enough it advance, it's not so much that a resort is sold out as that owners (or resort management) hasn't deposited that time yet. For example, DVC hasn't deposited much of anything past the end of April 2021. If you were looking to go in May, it would look "sold out" when it really just hasn't happened yet.

There are two ways to take advantage of this. One is to plan *very* far ahead (more than a year and as much as two years is not too far) and place some targeted searches for things you want. Then you wait to see what will be deposited. I've had great success with this. Probably the best example was a 3BR penthouse with a wraparound lanai and 2-story floor-to-ceiling windows at the top of Hilton Hawaiian Village's Lagoon Tower in late June 2016 in Waikiki. It was *fabulous* and I shudder to think what it would have cost to rent conventionally. I know I'd've never paid it.

The other is to periodically check on areas that you're interested in, but maybe don't have firm plans for. That by itself can often be a lot of fun. Every once in a while you'll come across something that strikes your fancy. When you do, put it on hold and think about it for a day. If you decide you want to go, you go!

The first (placing targeted searches) is more likely to be successful---nothing shows up in a search without getting past any searches by other owners that might already be in place. So, when you just search open inventory you are by definition only seeing the "leftovers." But, sometimes the leftovers are really quite nice.

 

[Brian Noble]

The other is to periodically check on areas that you're interested in, but maybe don't have firm plans for.

As a coda to this:

We own two annual oceanfront weeks on Kauai's eastern shore. We have (optimistically?) booked 2021's weeks for early/mid August, hoping that travel will be possible by then. We also have an exchange credit with GPX that expires at the end of that month. I had been peeking in periodically to see if anything could be linked to the front end of that or if anything interesting might pop up for June within driving distance.

There hadn't been Hawaii inventory anywhere for the few months I've been checking. Lo and behold, today there was a 2BR ocean view on Maui's west coast for that week I'd been looking for. Not a "name brand" resort, no AC, and reportedly worn around the edges. But within a 5 minute walk of a "locals" beach with a bunch of food trucks, an oceanfront pool, and all lanais with ocean views. Given this was an exchange credit that I didn't have much other use for, I will definitely take it.

 

[_19disnA]

Probably 'not available' would have been a better term then 'sold out'. A desired week might show no availability for several reasons (not yet deposited, already taken by someone else, etc.)