Using interval at all-inclusives

[juliecruise]

I am trying to use my Disney points for Interval Hotel Exchange all inclusive. No one ( not Disney, not Interval and not the hotel) can tell me for sure if the points include the all inclusive part. When I call hotel they don’t understand Interval and one hotel says I owe $2000 for the food and beverage and then another hotel says the points include the food and beverage. I just don’t want to get to Mexico and be told I need $2000 extra to stay there. Seems ridiculous that Disney can’t answer these questions if they suggest using Interval. Can anyone help that has used these before?

 

[erionm]

AFAIK, any mandatory all inclusive fees are paid separately.

 

[Narcoossee11]

I have never heard of food being included.
Points cover the room.
The II website should state the cost.

 

[CarolynFH]

I’ve learned on TUG that most timeshare exchanges into “all inclusive” resorts require additional $$ to cover the items we think of as being part of the “all inclusive” aspect. IOW, it’s not at all unusual that you’d be asked to pay a significant amount of cash in addition to the points. It’s usually much cheaper to book the all-inclusive resort for cash. My impression is that discounts aren’t difficult to find.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have Diamond resorts points, now Hilton. Their reservation system is very clear that if you book time at all inclusive resort there are additional fees for the food and Drinks.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have Diamond resorts points, now Hilton. Their reservation system is very clear that if you book time at all inclusive resort there are additional fees for the food and Drinks.

My point was that I imagine all time share companies are similar.

 

[Brian Noble]

can tell me for sure if the points include the all inclusive part.

They do not.

When someone exchanges into a DVC resort, they do not get the Disney Dining Plan as part of the exchange. Why would you expect the same thing anywhere else?

As an aside: As @CarolynFH mentioned, it is probably cheaper to just book directly with the all-inclusive you are considering. The AI fees for a timeshare exchange are often rack-rate.

 

[rmclain73]

As others have said it is not included. Same as if I exchange my timeshare week into interval for a DVC property I still have to pay $190 in addition for resort fees.

 

[Shellyred8]

The all-inclusive resorts on II have an icon listed by them in the search results page. If you hover over that icon, it says it is an all-inclusive resort that requires the purchase of a meal plan at the resort. It will most likely be at rack rate based on a 7 night stay and maximum occupancy for the room, even if you are only staying for 4 nights and have one person staying there.

 

[cvjw]

I looked into this a few years ago. Points cover the room only. You have to pay extra for the all inclusive part. It was much cheaper to just book the all inclusive on its own for cash and save my DVC points.

 

[sethschroeder]

They do not.

When someone exchanges into a DVC resort, they do not get the Disney Dining Plan as part of the exchange. Why would you expect the same thing anywhere else?

As an aside: As @CarolynFH mentioned, it is probably cheaper to just book directly with the all-inclusive you are considering. The AI fees for a timeshare exchange are often rack-rate.

Except all inclusives have a room rate which gives you food and drink.

There is no room rate at most AI as it's all included when you book a room.

 

[Brian Noble]

If that's your position, then exchanging for an AI resort would not be like-for-like without depositing another AI resort, of which DVC is not an example.

That is, unless you are just arguing for argument's sake.

 

[Noodlez]

They do not.

When someone exchanges into a DVC resort, they do not get the Disney Dining Plan as part of the exchange. Why would you expect the same thing anywhere else?

I don't see this he same as the Disney Dining Plan as that is an optional add on that has a charge. Without the information from previous posters I would have seen this more like an exchange to a Club Level room. I certainly wouldn't expect to arrive and be told I had to pay for the food and drinks in the Club Level as they are included with the room.

I've only stayed at a couple of all inclusive resorts and the main reason most people stayed there was because of the free food and drink! I think it's very reasonable to ask if this is still included with an exchange.

 

[Brian Noble]

It’s not free. It’s included. There is a big difference.

 

[Noodlez]

It’s not free. It’s included. There is a big difference.

I'm not sure I understand your point. If I book a club level room the food and drinks are included so I would not expect to be told I had to pay for them because I booked with points. If I booked a cruise with my points I would be shocked to be told that the food on the cruise ship was no longer included and I had to pay extra. I find it perfectly reasonable when booking an all inclusive resort where food is included to ask if this is still the case when booking with points.

Of course I realised that food isn't actually 'free', but in all of these circumstances the food is usually included in the cost of the room/booking and is not an add-on like the dining plan.

 

[Brian Noble]

And if the club rooms were ever deposited to RCI or II, even once, you'd have a point. They never are, and for good reason.

This is pretty simple. There are lots of AI timeshare resorts in the world. None of them include the AI component when they are deposited for exchange in RCI or II, ever. It is obvious in II that this is true, because there is a big symbol next to the resort name in the exchange results with a plus in a circle. If you hover over it, it states that there is a separate AI fee payable to the resort. Likewise if you book such a resort as a getaway there is a big notice (in all-caps) in the disclosures that there are "MANDATORY ALL-INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE FEES."

I suppose it is possible that someone who doesn't know this wonders if the AI component would be included. And, I suppose there is a world in which you could relinquish enough DVC points to not pay it separately with cash. But, we do not live in that world, and if we did I guarantee that the number of points you'd need would not be a good deal.

I also have bad news about that cruise exchange--at least through Interval. It doesn't work the way DCL does.