Good II traders

I am looking to purchase 1 - 2 Interval Internation weeks. I will primarily exchange these weeks in hopes of getting some good units in Hawaii (Preferrably Westin or Marriott) or in the Carribean. Can anyone tell me some good value resorts to look at which I could pick up fairly cheap with reasonable maintenance fees that would give me a great shot at getting into these resorts. I'm also very interested in the Getaway weeks. How much are these weeks and do Marriott's show up very often? I was wondering if it's possible to get a Marriott Aruba or Newport on a Getaway week. I am new to Interval International.

Also, what are the chances of trading into a place like Harborside or maybe the Westin in St. John?

Thanks for all of your help!

I can speak only to the Starwood (Westin) resorts in Hawaii.

Exchanges are inherently uncertain and most on this board would advise against buying for the sole purpose of exchanging. But in this lousy economy, there has been very good availability for Starwood-preferenced exchanges into the Starwood resorts in Hawaii during shoulder season (April - May; September - December 15). Whether that will continue when the economy improves is unknowable.

Bear in mind that there is currently a Marriott to Marriott preference in I.I. as well as a Starwood to Starwood preference. Starwood has revamped its trading protocol and the preference appears to remain in place. There are rumors about changes to Marriott's trading system which remain rumors but could have a significant impact.

One downside to trading into Hawaii is that you have no view guarantee. Another downside is that you can get stuck paying unfavorable airfares.

Please see the responses you have received to your other posts by clicking on Quick Links in the blue bar, and then Your Posts.

There is no easy way to exchange into Harborside or Westin St. John.

Let's see, you want to purchase a bargain basement value week and trade into top resorts in popular destinations. Really, what do you think your chances are? Sure if you're flexible almost anything is possible but, you're talking about buying a week strictly to trade up. While it can happen it's not something to bet the house on or believe you'll be consistant in getting those exchanges.

I own several weeks including Marriott. All of them trade pretty well including the ultra cheap week at Grand Regency Resort in Branson. The Grand Regency week will see Marriott weeks but, it's almost always shoulder season and almost always never the most popular Marriott resorts.

My Diamond Resort week also see Marriott week's but, again not always the size unit I want, the resort I'd like to stay at or the season that would fit our travel needs.

Essentially, if you're wanting to buy something less expensive and trade up your taking your chances. If you do this, at least buy something you can use yourself should all else fail. At least then you won't feel that you're stuck with something that isn't getting you where you want to go.

tighgunderson said:

I will primarily exchange these weeks in hopes of getting some good units in Hawaii (Preferrably Westin or Marriott) or in the Carribean.

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Unless you are very flexible, you would likely be better off purchasing at those destinations. That way you won't subject yourself to the availability and whims of exchanging. Also, if you don't get a trade you are happy with, at least you are left with a destination (your home resort) that you like to visit.

If you like trading into Westin or Marriott in Hawaii and St.John and Harborside, you need to purchase very strong trader (Westin or Marriott). Marriott priority is superb, they have 30 days priority period even during flex change. Starwood (Westin or Sheraton) has 3 days priority.
Always exchange is a game, the rules and trading power change every once in a while.
I am using my Worldmark as a trader. It is very strong trader both for II and RCI, and Worldmark itself has nice resorts on Westcoast including Hawaii. If you cannot find Westins or Marriotts for trade, you can stay at any Worldmark resort.
To be honest, my Worldmark always see more Marriott units than my Westin Mission Hills.

yumdrey said:

..Always exchange is a game, the rules and trading power change every once in a while...........

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IMO, this is the real danger in buying a cheap resort to exchange into more expensive resorts. For that matter, it's the risk of buying any resort just to exchange.

In 11 years time I've seen the landscape change and, in order to keep my options where I want them, I've had to make changes right along with them.

Our Polo Towers units were GREAT exchangers when we bought them. They ALWAYS recieved an AC when I deposited, even if it was just the one bedroom portion of our two bedroom lock-out units.

Now, with the opening of Marriott's Grand Chateau and the soon to be open Westgate Planet Hollywood, exchange power has changed. Sure Polo Towers is still a great resort in a great location but, it's a resort that was built in the '90's. The Marriott and Westgate have essentially the same location with newer/nicer amenities.

Originally purchased to use, our needs have changed and all we do is exchange our Polo Towers units. To compensate we placed both our Polo Towers units into DRI's points system. One year after doing that Interval International changed the amount of points necessary for an exchange. They put in seasons and increased the number of points necessary for high and premium seasons plus, they added catagory's with higher amount of points needed for 3 and 4 bedroom units. So even though I thought I was protecting my exchange power, the system found a way to degrade it anyway.

Buying to exchange might get you what you want for a little while. It might get you what you want for a number of years. But in the end, the landscape will continue to change and what works today might not work tomorrow. If it's someplace you really want to go on a consistant basis you should buy the quality you want in the location you're most likely to want to return to year after year. This appears to me to be the best way to weather the changes that are bound to happen from time to time.

I agree with the advice given so far, but wanted to add something.

Are you wanting to obtain these exchanges into Hawaii & Caribbean in the busy times of year? Do you have children and want to vacation when the schools are out? Do you want to plan 12+ months in advance to get the best price on airfare?

If any of the above questions are "yes" answers then you'll need an excellent trader to get those high demand resorts at popular resorts in advance so you can get your airfare lined up.

You can get some great resorts for a very reasonable fee right now, but something with a low MF isn't going to get you into those top resorts in Hawaii or Caribbean.

However, if you are very flexible and can travel last minute in off season then you might be able to find something that get you into some prime resorts. I love the Marriott program, but the MF aren't low.

Getaway inventory is always changing. I've seen Newport Coast available but only during off season (Nov-early Dec). You won't see NCV available as a getaway in the summer. I don't watch the Aruba getaways so I can't answer that question.

As mentioned Harborside & Westin St. John are extremely difficult exchanges! Without the Starwood priority you will rarely (if ever) see them available.

LAX Mom said:

As mentioned Harborside & Westin St. John are extremely difficult exchanges! Without the Starwood priority you will rarely (if ever) see them available.

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I can't stress this point enough. I was able to get a couple weeks at Harborside last year on II for this Oct, but that was (I believe) the last time Harborside was available with more than one week at a time. Since then the availability has been quite rare (I think I've seen a unit now and then). Be sure to check the sightings board for details.

Also, you are virtually guaranteed never to get St John via II. I don't know if it's been seen there more than once or twice over the last few years. It's extremely difficult to get via StarOptions (Starwood's internal exchange program), and is among the few resorts I have yet to visit due to this issue.

Your expectations need to be realigned with reality. If you tell yourself you can trade into Harborside and St John with any II trader (I don't care how much it costs or the MFs, even if it's a Four Seasons), you will simply be disappointed. You might get lucky and get a trade there once in the next ten years, but will you be happy with that result?

Seems to me you should be looking at a Starwood mandatory property so you get StarOptions to use. That way you will be able to get these resorts, though probably not every year and in the off-season.

Thank you for all of your replies. I understand that these places are more difficult to trade into. Right now it is just my wife and I and we are very flexible with our travel dates. I understand that I might not see these resorts every year but wanna have a resort that would at least give me enough trading power to have the opportunity to exchange into them in case they did ever show up. My wife and I will sometimes plan trips weeks in advance and other times a year in advance. We are also able to take both 1 and 2 bedroom rooms.

I was looking at getting a Sheraton SDO but with Sheraton's new rules with II, I started to think otherwise. I have started to look at available Marriott options as well. My wife and I just spent a week in Aruba at the Surf Club and loved it. We want great resorts like these to be open to us each year. We aren't wanting to go to the same place every year. I would never expect to get into Harborside every year or a Westin on Maui.

We were also wanting to get a resort to join II to get access to getaway weeks. We typically travel to Orlando 1 to 2 times a year and would like to have access to some Marriotts there at Offseason times. My wife and I actually prefer offseason times to avoid crowds.

My wife and I previously owned at HGVC. We loved it but weren't thrilled with RCI and available resorts. Unfortunately with our financial situation we had to sell these resorts. We are now starting to look to get into something again but want something that isn't too big of an initial investment and will have reasonable maintenance fees.

Thanks again for all of your help! I really appreciate all of your time.

tighgunderson said:

My wife and I just spent a week in Aruba at the Surf Club and loved it. We want great resorts like these to be open to us each year.
[...]
ut want something that isn't too big of an initial investment and will have reasonable maintenance fees.

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I think you can have one or the other. I think it is unrealistic to expect both.

I would suggest you start with a more-affordable Marriott week, to take advantage of internal priority and get access to Orlando getaways, recognizing that places like Aruba anywhere even remotely in-season are probably out of bounds unless you get lottery-winner-lucky.

As your financial picture further stabilizes, you can consider upgrading or adding to your holdings for a week that will have better trading power, recognizing that that week is also going to cost more.

I have one suggestion based on speculation. I recently purchased at the Suites at Hershey. I found for all summer weeks there the II demand index is at the top level (150). That is the same level as the Westin St John in the winter, not one week at the Harborside reaches that demand level. I really don't know how it trades since I won't get my week until 2010, and I probably won't buy a II membership just to trade this one week. Another unknown factor is how the internal priority would play against it. But I believe it should trade pretty good.

From what I understand, the travel demand index is not a good tool to compare demand at different locations. Meaning, a 150 in Hershey PA does not equal a 150 in Aruba. That 150 means that is the highest demand time for the Hershey PA area. However the highest demand time in Aruba at 150 is still much more sought after and difficult to get.

janej said:

I have one suggestion based on speculation. I recently purchased at the Suites at Hershey. I found for all summer weeks there the II demand index is at the top level (150). That is the same level as the Westin St John in the winter, not one week at the Harborside reaches that demand level. I really don't know how it trades since I won't get my week until 2010, and I probably won't buy a II membership just to trade this one week. Another unknown factor is how the internal priority would play against it. But I believe it should trade pretty good.

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tighgunderson said:

I was looking at getting a Sheraton SDO but with Sheraton's new rules with II, I started to think otherwise.

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Even with the current II/SVN confusion, I suspect SDO is still a good buy for you. It's significantly less expensive than any Marriott and MFs are reasonable (at the moment). Even my fixed week Sheraton Vistana Resort weeks still pull good resorts. MFs at Vistana are ~$720 for 2010 (2-bed, non-lockoff) and I see the following Starwood resorts via II right now:

WKORV (Maui) - 1 bed in Jan, April and May 2010 (18 weeks available)
WPV (Kauai) - studio in April, May and June (many weeks)
WKV (Scottsdale) - 1 & 2 bed units Jan-April
WMH (Mission Hills / Palm Springs) - 1 & 2 bed units Jan-May
And more

I don't see Harborside or St John right now, as expected. After the II exchange fee, weekly visits will cost about $850 or less (I think II now only charges $109 for a Starwood to Starwood exchange, but I'm not certain). For a week at these resorts (especially in Maui) at a Westin, I consider this price a bargain. You would probably see the same weeks (perhaps even more) with SDO.

FWIW, Vistana Resort weeks can be found on eBay for $1. Seems like a great way to get started again. If you ever want to get rid of the week, you can always donate it or give it away (I'm considering that myself when I'm done with mine).

Another option is the low season Marriott weeks. Marriott was selling bronze weeks at Summit Watch for $1,500. You can get them on e-bay for even less than that. MF are $1,078 for 2010.

Any Marriott gives you lots of options if you can be flexible and travel last minute. Combine this with the getaways from II and you'd have some great vacations!

I have exchanged into Harborside using a Marriott Summit Watch (silver) during Flexchange. It was a couple of years ago and we went to Harborside in Nov. I've never seen Harborside outside of Flexchange with my Marriott weeks.

I sent you a pm with a couple of suggestions

We've gotten really ggod high-end exchanges with Fox Run (fxr). PM me and I'll send you copy of the exchanges.
Anita

Check out Marriott Streamside Birch--the right fixed weeks have low MF's. My Thansgiving week 47 1 bdrm (MF about $520) is always a ski week. I believe every other ski week has MF's well over $1000 for 1 bdrm. It just pulled/and I confirmed a 2 bdrm platinum plus Vegas New Years week at Grand Chateau. My Birch week also gave me a mid-November 2007 Aruba Surf Club that I upgraded to a 2 bdrm and a 1 bdrm at Marriott Maui in mid-May last year. I consider it an excellent trader bought for a low price and low MF.

Been timeshareing for 12 years. (Not as much as some by any means) I never paid very much for my resorts although some of the timeshare's mfs have increased greatly.

I dont know about Westin in Maui, I think the mf's are over $2k. Sands of Kahana are a little cheaper but if you want Maui then you have to think about what people pay in mfs. Are you ready to pay that amount. I wont ever deposit my Hawaii weeks with II because I wont get good value; I will go with SFX.

When you are looking for a resort that trades well. Look for one that trades with II and RCI and qualifies for SFX. I have one resort Longboat Bay Club that trades with both. I paid $2K for the resort and mf are $800. Its a 2 bedroom and not a lock off, so that may be something for you to consider. Ive only traded it once because I use it, but when I did, I got Hawaii. Ive checked trading power with it on II and it gets Marriot Newport Coast, etc. Sometimes getting a good trade just depends on patience, perserverance and luck.

curbysplace said:

Check out Marriott Streamside Birch--the right fixed weeks have low MF's. My Thansgiving week 47 1 bdrm (MF about $520) is always a ski week. I believe every other ski week has MF's well over $1000 for 1 bdrm.....

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I've considered buying at Streamside - Birch, but I've wondered whether the HOA can "rebalance" the MFs between the different seasons -- that is, decide to raise the off-season MFs so that the peak seasons MFs don't have to be as high as they are currently. Do the association rules (and/or Colorado law) permit the HOA to change the ratio of the off-season to peak-season MFs?

If you are wanting access to II's off season Marriott Orlando Getaway weeks and a Marriott you could also visit on the west coast, I would consider a purchase at somewhere like Marriott's Desert Springs.

I like a lock-off because it's more bang for the buck. Two trades for one maintenance fee. We own a lock-off at Marriott's Willow Ridge Lodge in Branson because it's within a day's drive of Indy. We mostly use it to trade back into Orlando with, though. I did trade it for a Marriott KoOlina October week for my nephew's honeymoon recently, though. Since October is kind of low time for Hawaii, the trade came through. I used an Easter week at Branson for the trade.

With things changing all the time with timesharing, I'd definitely buy something I wouldn't mind using if all the rules change tomorrow.

The advice so far is given assuming you will want to keep your timeshare for ten to fifteen years and anticipate all the changes that will come along. I say buy something under $500 that trades well in II and keep it for two or three years. Then you can add on later if you want and upgrade later if you want. SDO might be a good choice. Also, my one bed Sandstone Creek in Vail at Labor Day snagged me a two bedroom Westin Mission Hills during the third week in June when I needed to be in Rancho Mirage anyway. I have gotten plenty of off season Marriotts with it as well and it is a good trader. It takes two to three years to really get the feel of a system so my advice is to buy a one bedroom with maintenance fees under $650 that will trade well - Vail in the summer, Winner's Circle in Southern California in the summer. Others have had good luck with Fox Run. Or get a low cost Marriott recognizing that the maintenance fees will be higher. This is a great time to buy and I would not sweat the small stuff looking for the perfect combo. Funtime

JudyS said:

I've considered buying at Streamside - Birch, but I've wondered whether the HOA can "rebalance" the MFs between the different seasons -- that is, decide to raise the off-season MFs so that the peak seasons MFs don't have to be as high as they are currently. Do the association rules (and/or Colorado law) permit the HOA to change the ratio of the off-season to peak-season MFs?

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My understanding is that the MF's are fixed in the recorded covenant documents (i.e., specified percentages of the total MF's for specific weeks) so the HOA can not make the change. When I get the chance I will look at my copy of the covenants to verify this and let you know.