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Hello, my name is Syed Sarmad and I am the Principal Broker for Advantage Vacation.
The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the major benefits of timeshare ownership and point out the difference between resale versus retail of timeshares at Disney, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Westin/Vistana and Wyndham. In other words, the difference between buying Disney, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Westin/Vistana or Wyndham retail vs resale.
I have been serving clients in the timeshare industry for nearly 40 years. Advantage Vacation has been specializing in timeshare resales for over 25 years. We specialize in the resales of major, name brand properties. The Advantage Vacation offices are located at the Lahaina Cannery Mall in Lahaina, Maui.
13 resorts and affiliated with RCI
Disney timeshares are a point based timeshare interest with use rights for a specified number of years with an expiration period which varies depending on the Resort.
Owners have 11 months priority in using their points at their home resort and 7 months in advance to utilize points at any other Disney Vacation Club resort.
Disney timeshare resale buyers cannot use their Disney Vacation Club points to make reservations in the Concierge Collection, Disney Collection, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line or receive the Disney Vacation Club membership extra discounts for parks, excursions, tours, etc.
Disney timeshare resale buyers keep all the timeshare benefits, which include booking privileges at all Disney Vacation Club resorts and RCI.
64 resorts and affiliated with RCI
In most cases, one purchases a deeded interest in a specific resort, unit size and season which has a point value associated with it.
The Grand Islander by Hilton Grand Vacations Infinity Pool
Owners have a 12 to 9 month priority when reserving at their home resort in their season or they can book 9 months in advance at any other Hilton Grand Vacation Club resort.
Owners have the option to convert their week into the Hilton Honors Program to stay at Hilton and Hilton affiliated hotels worldwide.
There is no difference between buying a Hilton timeshare resale versus buying directly from the developer unless, one purchases more than 14,000 Hilton Grand Vacation Club points directly from the developer.
Purchasing more than 14,000 points from the developer will give the owner Elite Status which will give the owner Gold VIP Status for Hilton Honors, $39 booking fee when reserving online at other Hilton Grand Vacation Club resorts and no reservation fee when reserving at any Hilton Grand Vacation Club resort for a 7 day stay.
20 resorts and affiliated with Interval International.
Hyatt Kaanapali Beach Resort
Hyatt timeshare buyers receive a deeded interest in a particular resort, for a designated week, in a specific unit or floor plan, with a point value assigned to it. It is a fixed, floating week ownership program.
Owners can make internal exchanges utilizing the vacation club points at their home resort for a time other than the week they own up to 12 months in advance or they can book at any other Hyatt Vacation Club timeshare property up to 6 months in advance.
Hyatt timeshare retail buyers have the option of converting their Hyatt timeshare Club points into Hyatt Gold Passport Points.
Hyatt timeshare resale buyers do not have the option to convert into Hyatt Gold Passport Points. All other Hyatt timeshare member benefits are the same.
80 resorts and is affiliated with Interval International. However, there are a few resorts that are still affiliated with RCI.
Marriott Vacation Club has two types of timeshare vacation ownership programs.
Marriott Maui Ocean Club Lahaina Villas Swimming Pool
The Legacy Week program started over 30 years ago. Marriott timeshare ownership is in a specific resort for a fixed or floating time usage in a designated season in a unit.
Owners make exchanges through II or RCI. Retail buyers have the option to convert into Marriott Reward Points. Marriott timeshare resale buyers can do all the above except convert into Marriott Reward Points.
Multiple week Marriott timeshare owners can reserve their weeks up to 13 months in advance consecutively at their home resorts.
Single week Marriott timeshare owners can reserve up to 12 months in advance at their home resort. Marriott Vacation Club allocates ½ the inventory for owners who can reserve 13 months in advance.
Marriott Vacation Club introduced a Destination Club Points program on June 20, 2010.
The Destination Club Points program consists of inventory from all the Marriott Vacation Club resorts. Timeshares are point based and one purchases beneficial interests in a land trust, which consists of some inventory from all their Marriott Vacation Club resorts.
All Legacy Week owners and any Legacy Week resale owners who purchased before June 20, 2010, has the right to purchase a membership in the Marriott Destination Club Points program and participate in the program and all their benefits.
Owners can reserve up to 13 months in advance for their week of vacation or convert into Marriott Reward Points.
Marriott timeshare resale buyers receive exactly the same benefits as retail purchasers in the Destination Club Points program. There is no difference between resale versus retail for Marriott Destination Club Points.
Marriott point’s resale buyers pay $2.00 per point or $3,000, whichever is greater for an initiation fee. There is a $300 education fee for first time Marriott points buyers.
25 resorts (some resorts are affiliated with RCI) but most are affiliated with IntervaI International.
A Westin timeshare interest is purchased in a particular resort, for a designated week or floating week in a season and unit type.
Units have a numerical value assigned to them called “StarOptions” which entitles retail buyers to exchange into other Starwood Vacation Villas resorts.
Westin Nanea Ocean Villas Pool
Owners have priority in reserving floating time usage in one week intervals from 12 to 9 months in advance at their home resort in the type of unit owned in their season of ownership which has a numerical StarOption value which they can use at any other resort (including their own), for a few days at a time less than 8 months in advance.
Retail buyers have the right to convert their week into StarPoints and participate in the SPG Program, which is not available to a resale owner.
There are two classifications of resorts in the Vistana Vacation ownership program which affects timeshare resale owners – Mandatory and Voluntary.
Mandatory
7 resorts
Westin timeshare resale owners receive StarOption benefits to internally exchange into all Starwood Vacation Villa resorts, they can bank/rollover unused options by a specified date or exchange through II.
Voluntary
Timeshare resale buyers that purchase at a Voluntary resort do not get StarOption benefits so they can only use it at the specific resort where they own. If they want to make exchanges they would need to enroll into II at their own expense, to make any exchanges.
Starwood/Vistana does have a program where one can purchase or re-qualify their resale purchase by purchasing some inventory directly from the Developer and they’ll get the full membership benefits if you purchase a retail timeshare.
Over 100 resorts affiliated with RCI.
Wyndham timeshare ownership is point based at a specific resort.
Reservations can book up to 13 months in advance at home resort or 10 months at other resorts.
Wyndham at Waikiki Beach
The difference between Wyndham timeshare resales and Wyndham timeshares retail is quite minor. The two benefits that do not transfer to a Wyndham timeshare resale buyer is the right to convert into Wyndham Hotel Points or getting VIP status. These two benefits do not transfer to a Wyndham timeshare resale buyer.
I hope this information has been useful and thank you for your time.
Syed Sarmad, Principal Broker for Advantage Vacation
