DRI - More to Explore on the U.S. East Coast

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

More to Explore on the U.S. East Coast

We are pleased to announce that Diamond Resorts International® signed an agreement to purchase Gold Key Resorts’ vacation ownership related assets, which will add five vacation ownership resorts located in Virginia Beach, Virginia and one in Outer Banks, North Carolina to our global portfolio.


Gold Key has resorts in the following U.S. locations:
• Beach Quarters Resort in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Turtle Cay Resort in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Boardwalk Resort and Villas in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Ocean Beach Club Resort in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Oceanaire Resort Hotel in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Beachwoods in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina


You will be able to book into these resorts with your points for arrivals in 2016 after the transition period.


If you are an owner at any of the Gold Key Resorts, you will be receiving additional information pertinent to your ownership from Gold Key throughout the transition period.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

While this looks nice, these resorts are pretty much sold out, I think. This means that there's not much to be sold into The Club and the availability to Club members will depend on DRI up-selling traditional weeks owners to The Club.

[SallyHoover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SallyHoover]

While this looks nice, these resorts are pretty much sold out, I think. This means that there's not much to be sold into The Club and the availability to Club members will depend on DRI up-selling traditional weeks owners to The Club.

Prime season in Virginia beach is sold out and gold key had a waitlist for current owners looking to buy more or buy up in season. Beachwoods has been undergoing a large scale renovation and has plans for several more units to be built. I think DRI will be pushing hard to get owners to "upgrade" Funny thing is in the video from the president of gold key indicated that this transition to DRI will increase the value of the ownership. Summer Virginia Beach weeks at these resorts sell for $10,000-$25,000 on the resale market. Diamond points packages sell for $0-$500 on the resale market if they sell all regardless of the size of the package.


I hate the way DRI charges resort fees that average around $15-$20 a day for amenities that most other resorts include for free to both owners and exchangers. This fee adds another $100-$150 per exchange. I wish DRI owners could be charged another $100-$150 everytime they exchanged into anywhere else with the fees going straight to the HOA.

[somerville Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close somerville]

I received my letter from Gold Key yesterday. I own a1BR fixed week, fixed unit interval at Beach Quarters. It includes July 4th in 3 out of 5 years. I am not thrilled about the sale to DRI. Gold Key says "please rest assured that this acquisition does not impact your ownership use rights in any way."

Time will tell. If I can get over $10,000 for the interval as Spence suggests, I probably ought to sell it.

[dcwojo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dcwojo]

I own a one bedroom week 39 at Ocean Beach Club. We have it registered in Club combinations and get points that way. Unless we can add it to our club membership cheaply it will not be worth it. When we go on our next trip in a few weeks we may do an update to ask some questions.

[somerville Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close somerville]

When I received notice of the sale to DRI, the letter included an email address for owners of Gold Key Resorts to submit questions. I asked them to confirm that my right to use my fixed week, fixed unit summer interval at Beach Quarters, including all current amenities would not change.

In response, they sent me some FAQs that they had created, which they claimed would answer my concerns. They did not, and I immediately sent them another email letting them know that, and requested that they respond to my specific issues. I sent them another reminder today. I am not encouraged by their failure to respond to my specific issues.

They will also probably ignore my request that DRI not call me with marketing offers.

[dcwojo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dcwojo]

I will be attending an update with Diamond next week. I plan on asking quite a few questions about the Goldkey acquisition. I will post any sensible answers they will give me. Hopefully they will have more info to share by then.