Please note: This article was originally posted incorrectly using the term “RCI Points” which should have been “RCI Credits”. We are reprinting this article with the corrections highlighted in bold.
I have been involved in the timeshare industry for over 30 years and was directly involved in the developer sales of Lifetime in Hawaii at Royal Kuhio from 1985 to 1987. The reason for telling you this is to let you know how familiar I am with this property.
If you are looking for a timeshare property that will give you the maximum number of RCI credits for your deposit – look no further! I received 54 RCI credits for depositing a Christmas week at Lifetime in Hawaii with RCI and in return, was able to get three weeks of vacation through RCI.
This resort is affiliated with both RCI and Interval International and has the lowest maintenance fees of any Hawaii timeshare resort. The 2013 maintenance fees and property taxes are only $455.00.
Just this past year, I used 17 RCI credits to book a week at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGVC) on the Strip in Las Vegas, NV in a two bedroom unit from April 14 – 21, 2012. I then used 19 RCI credits to book a two bedroom unit from May 5 to May 12, 2013 at the Lawrence Welk on the Green Resort in Escondido, CA. In addition, I was able to book an additional week at SandStone Creek Club in Vail, CO in a two bedroom unit for 17 RCI credits. This equals 53 RCI credits, with one credit left over which you can combine with your other deposited weeks/credits. That amounts to three weeks of vacation for $455 in annual fees, three RCI exchange fees of $169 per exchange equals $507, for a total of $962. The total averages out to $320.66 per week of vacation! Now I call that a great way to get the most for your money and maximize your RCI credits!
Even though this resort is not a RCI points resort – if you deposit your use week, RCI allots so many credits that is determined by your trading power. LIH happens to get 54 if you deposit a holiday week like Christmas week or New Years week. When I spoke to the RCI representative she said that was the highest number of credits she had seen on a deposit.
All the units at LIH are studios that sleep 4. It is not a deeded property – it is a lease hold until Dec. 31, 2041. The property is located just two blocks from the beach in the heart of Waikiki which is a great location! And it has free parking with a dedicated parking stall inside the building. The parking is a huge savings when you consider that parking in Waikiki averages around $30/day.
There are a number of units with spectacular Diamond Head views and ocean views, while
others offer views of the city lights or the mountains. The units have full kitchens, a queen sleeper sofa and a queen bed. It is a “floating” resort so you can choose your unit when you reserve your week. If you are exchanging the unit however, the view does not matter – you can still get up to 54 RCI credits.
For me, this Hawaii timeshare makes sense for the timeshare owner on a budget. You can exchange into a name brand like Hilton, whose maintenance fees are about $850.00 in Vegas and even higher in Hawaii.
This is by far the best value in RCI credits, price and maintenance fees. The timeshare units look better now then they did when the developer was selling in the mid 1980s. The Royal Kuhio building has also been maintained nicely. Even Waikiki looks much better than it did when I was living there in the mid 1980s.
You may wonder why the annual fees are so low. The homeowners took over from the developer in the late 1980s and hired a management company which has been there since the beginning. The management company has stayed on top of collecting annual fees and they have very low delinquencies There is no catch to this property.
I am not the only owner at Lifetime that uses it solely for exchange. We have many clients who do the same. In fact, it was one of our clients who told me about the value. While I’ve always thought LIH was a great deal for two people wanting to vacation in Hawaii, with the added bonus of its exchange value, it is really a winner!
If you’ve always dreamed of owning a Hawaii timeshare vacation and didn’t think you could afford it, contact the licensed timeshare resale professionals at Advantage Vacation today! We are located in Hawaii and are very knowledgeable regarding this and other timeshare properties in Hawaii. You can rely on prompt, courteous and professional service when working with Advantage Vacation.
Advantage Vacation is a member of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and offers the best buys on the timeshare re sales market today. We never charge an upfront fee for clients who want to sell a timeshare and only receive a commission, paid from escrow, when the transaction is closed.
We are leaders in the timeshare resale secondary market, have been in the timeshare industry for over 30 years and are Accredited Members of the BBB with an A+ Rating.
Advantage Vacation is using Twitter and Facebook to help educate people on the changes in the timeshare industry along with current timeshare tips, up to date timeshare news and timeshare FAQ’s.
We hope you will follow us and our blog, Timeshare Blogging by Advantage Vacation for the latest news and reviews. If our site does not answer your question or questions, please email us your question and we will answer it and add it to our library. Make your voice heard – what questions do you have?
At Advantage Vacation you can be assured you are working with professionals who believe that honesty and integrity are the most important aspects of the business they are in – timeshare resales. Our business has been built on relationships and we pride ourselves on providing excellent service to our clients.
Would you like more information about Advantage Vacation?
This person may be “familiar” with this property–and it may be a terrific deal for someone who wants to own in Hawaii or at this Resort. But, in repeatedly calling what he has as “RCI points” an uninitiated reader will be given a very incorrect impression.
This is an RCI week. It has nothing to do with RCI Points, which is a very different program. Either there’s a misprint and it should read “54,000” Points (somewhat low for Hawaii) or the author doesn’t understand the difference between RCI Weeks and RCI Points, two very different systems.
Most likely, he is confusing “Credits” which are issued through the RCI “Enhanced Weeks” program, which is designed to make the process of Trading Power more understandable and true Points which is the trading currency with the RCI Points system. This probably comes from “TPU” (Trading Power Units”) and the incorrect use of the term “Points Lite” which is rampant of the blogs. The Point system is Points. The Weeks system is Weeks
Aloha Tomas:
Your are correct! This is a RCI week that will give you 54 RCI CREDITS (Not Points) towards RCI exchanges. This is a weeks system not a points system.
Many thanks for your correction and thank you for following!
Mahalo,
Cheri Becker