Do you own points and weeks?

[eglon999]

I own floating weeks and also points. What I really like about points is the flexible check in dates because that allows me to shop for airfare discounts. Although Fri/Sat/Sun check ins are best, sometimes airfares to high demand areas are several hundred $$ higher when you travel on those days.

[GrayFal]

Originally Posted by Jya-Ning

As said, majority of the mini-point system (WorldMark, Wyndham, Disney, HGVC, Diamond ...) keep there point value for today's resort they build. The Wyndham resort when I first bought my home resort, has never change the point value for that resort in 8 years, and I don't see the change happen in any near future. So if you bought point just for the purpose of visit that resort for x days, you will always be able to do that.

However, the newer resort they add in, will cost close to double the points. As said, it is your choice. In some systems that does not protect the home resort owner, or if you bought other places intend to use the point in different resort you will find you need more work just to make reservation in the original resort you plan to stay, and may feel like you are push to make reservation to high point resort that you don't plan to.

The exchange company's point system probably should not stay as constant, but you should still get same day's stay in your home resort

Jya-Ning

My strategy has been slightly different but based on what Jya-Ning stated.
I am also banking on the theory that once the points of a resort are established, they will not change. I am purchasing re-sale Wyndham Points.

The resort I want to go to (primarily) has 2 unit sizes I am interested in that cost 126K and 154K. I am again assuming (and hoping) this will not change.
I know that eventually Wyndham plans on adding more regular units and Presidential suites to this property. They will certainly cost more points to stay.
But I am happy to stay in either one of the 2 units as stated above.

However, the MF to points ratio is too high at this resort, so I am buying points at other Wyndham properties that are more attractively priced - but will have the points I need to stay at my preferred resort.

[mshatty]

Originally Posted by GrayFal

My strategy has been slightly different but based on what Jya-Ning stated.
I am also banking on the theory that once the points of a resort are established, they will not change. I am purchasing re-sale Wyndham Points.

The resort I want to go to (primarily) has 2 unit sizes I am interested in that cost 126K and 154K. I am again assuming (and hoping) this will not change.
I know that eventually Wyndham plans on adding more regular units and Presidential suites to this property. They will certainly cost more points to stay.
But I am happy to stay in either one of the 2 units as stated above.

However, the MF to points ratio is too high at this resort, so I am buying points at other Wyndham properties that are more attractively priced - but will have the points I need to stay at my preferred resort.

Pat,

What happens when new units are added at an existing resort is that the new units may have a different point cost but the original units will retain their point cost. So you will have 2 different point tables. You will know which part of the resort you will be staying in based on the number of points you have to use to reserve your unit.

[Larry]

Originally Posted by mshatty

Pat,

What happens when new units are added at an existing resort is that the new units may have a different point cost but the original units will retain their point cost. So you will have 2 different point tables. You will know which part of the resort you will be staying in based on the number of points you have to use to reserve your unit.

Good Point !!!!

[GrayFal]

Originally Posted by mshatty

Pat,

What happens when new units are added at an existing resort is that the new units may have a different point cost but the original units will retain their point cost. So you will have 2 different point tables. You will know which part of the resort you will be staying in based on the number of points you have to use to reserve your unit.

Yup, which is fine with me.

My point was I am not buying at that resort because of the high MF/1K cost - but am buying with the points needed to stay there in mind.

This could be where the weeks system has points beat.
As a Marriott owner - with the current week to week trading, a week owner in Williamsburg can still trade into Aruba or Hawaii or SoCal with their "old" week. But Marriott uses II as their 'internal trade company' so there are additional fees involved (II yearly fee and exchange fee) that most of the points systems have built into their MF structure.

[mshatty]

Originally Posted by GrayFal

Yup, which is fine with me.

My point was I am not buying at that resort because of the high MF/1K cost - but am buying with the points needed to stay there in mind.

This could be where the weeks system has points beat.
As a Marriott owner - with the current week to week trading, a week owner in Williamsburg can still trade into Aruba or Hawaii or SoCal with their "old" week. But Marriott uses II as their 'internal trade company' so there are additional fees involved (II yearly fee and exchange fee) that most of the points systems have built into their MF structure.

Isn't there some sort of trading power issue in your example? Isn't true that not all weeks at one Marriott resort are equal to another week at another Marriott resort. Are you saying in your example that a low season Williamsburg Marriott week will get a high demand week at the Marriott Aruba?

My impression is that there are limitations among Marriott resorts as far as what "season" you own and what you can get.

[GrayFal]

Originally Posted by mshatty

Isn't there some sort of trading power issue in your example? Isn't true that not all weeks at one Marriott resort are equal to another week at another Marriott resort. Are you saying in your example that a low season Williamsburg Marriott week will get a high demand week at the Marriott Aruba?

My impression is that there are limitations among Marriott resorts as far as what "season" you own and what you can get.

Yes there is but I was thinking 'like for like'
A Platinum (high season) week at Williamsburg will trade into other Marriotts during Plat time.
100% of the time, no, because there are factors involved with when u make your request, but even in a point system u still have the availability factor; you can theoretically reserve but if there are no reservatins left, you can't!

[swilshire]

Originally Posted by Dancingfish

We were told this weekend that Points was the wave of the future and that more and more resorts were changing out of the weeks program.
If you own both-- Which program do you like best?
Do you feel you get the same value from Points that you do with weeks.

My DH feels that his weeks contract Guarantees him 7 days for the rest of his life... where in 5 years his points might get him 3 days...

I own both and like them equally. Sometimes I get a better deal in Points. Sometimes with a Weeks deposit.

As for your DH's concern, if you buy points backed up by deeded property, it is unlikely that his fears will come to pass. If you buy points in a system where you just own points and not real estate, then he may be right.

Sheila

[wpwj40e]

We own both and bought them recently(last year). Last year we decided to purchase some timeshare - kinda like ...oh...need to go grocery shopping Anyways - did about 6 months of research and we decided that we wanted a mixture of points and a weeks system. However we wanted the week to be with a resort or series of resorts that we could "drive" to and one that allowed split time. (3/4 nite stays).

We went through a similar analysis as to which point system we wanted - and then factored in how much we wanted to pay (capital - up front cost) and expense (annual MF's, fees RCI etc, Taxes). We set a budget for those numbers and identified the minimum time we wanted to have as a result of our budget. (Worse case scenario - 1 week of points - will only get 1 week etc)

Then once we decided upon the systems we wanted to get into - using the above factors - researched them extensively and identified what we wanted to pay - as each systems has its own ins and outs.

Ultimatley we ended up meeting about 85% of what we wanted to achieve. The missing 15% - is because one of the systems changed the rules on us and what I thought was an RCI affiliation ended up being II - I have yet to join II and have been able to move that week into an independent exchange system. We will see how that goes.

Another factor was I wanted a certain amount of points - but could not locate those with the approrpiate MF factor. I bid upon or made offers on almost 70 different properties unil I finally got one close. Right MF factor - but lower in points than I had originally wanted. And the last factor is that we had originally set out to only pick a point system where the actual unit was deeded and with a home resport we would use in worst case. Well....when it finally came to buying - really focused on the MF cost as that is recurring and hence the home resort is one that we would be unlikely to ever use - although not out of the question.

So even with all the careful analysis - research - budgeting etc - we still did not meet 100% of our goals. We are still pretty happy with the results.

So the very long answer to your question - is to examine what your uses will be - now and in the next 5 years - how and when you will use - what kinds of things you like to do and where - budgets etc. After doing this it should be pretty clear to you whether points, a week or combo will suit your needs best. WHat is important is that you purchase something you know you will use and enjoy!!!

Sorry for the long read!

Therese

[happymum]

Therese, your post made me smile, because it is how I wish I did my purchasing.
It sounds so sensible and deliberate, well-planned and decisive.
We fell into our first purchase (a South African week) at the suggestion of friends, over a few glasses of wine. The next few were e-bay trigger finger mistakes, totally unplanned and the last few have been freebies that the resort was giving away.
Some day, I hope to make a well-researched purchase.