High Country Club - TUG Special Membership

[Bourne]

The FT article beats the same old tune about T&H. It was a unique case and T&H paid the price for it.

There are hundreds of timeshare companies that went bankrupt too in the past 20 years. It does not make Hilton, Mariott & FS any worse for a timeshare purchase.

At the end, you have to have a sound business plan, good management and an ability to deliver. The ER, UR, PE and HCC of the DC industry do that.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I also agree that that article is OLD NEWS and the T&H problems are well documented so the new clubs do not make the same mistakes twice.

Even with a meltdown of T&H, 600 members joined UR and were able to continue to enjoy destination club membership.

 

[PerryM]

I also agree that that article is OLD NEWS and the T&H problems are well documented so the new clubs do not make the same mistakes twice.

Even with a meltdown of T&H, 600 members joined UR and were able to continue to enjoy destination club membership.

But the question is, did the folks on the Titanic just switch to the Lusitania?

 

[travelguy]

It is a GREAT deal for anyone except the current HCC owners. When I spoke with Heath about this, this is pure and smiple a cheap marketing plan with the hopes of getting them to upgrade to a higher membership category. The TUG special is over on Aug 31, 2007 and travel must be before 12 months. I doubt they will keep the 1 week member as a "official category"

I like the private membership because there is a chance that a week may go unused and leave availability. If HCC gets flooded with 1 and 2 week members, then they for sure will use all their time.

One of the tricks of DCs is that a 30-45 night member may only use 21-25 nights. I know this is blasphmy on TUG to let a week go to waste, but DC owners do not think the same as TS owners.

Good point about 1 week members using all their time and affecting availability. At $20K a week it's the equivalent of $130K for a 6 1/2 week Private membership or TWICE the cash for HCC. That means that they could count three one-week memberships as a full "member" for the member-to-property ratio. More cash and more members for HCC means more properties in more places for us current members!

 

[myip]

This is HOT news for TUGers!

---------------------------------------------

High Country Club is proud to announce a one year trial membership that is only available to TUGers for a limited time.

Starting June 1, 2007 until August 31, 2007, any user of TUG will be able to join the fastest growing and lowest priced Destination Club in the world…..High Country Club . With over 240 members, High Country Club’s portfolio includes 30 homes in 26 destinations across the globe that have an average value of $850,000 each.

Details:
7 nights of use (Travel is subject to the club rules & regulations)
Travel must be within one year of joining
Holiday use not included unless booked within 30 days of travel
$20,000 Membership deposit (100% refundable)
$1,750 Annual dues
No housekeeping or extra nightly fees
Lock-in current membership rates now
Full use of web site
Concierge and travel planning services included

Fine Print:
This limited offer is only for TUGers and will not be posted on the HCC web site. A completed application with payment must be received by HCC between June 1 and August 31, 2007. Members will be able to travel for seven nights to one HCC location and must be completed within one year of joining. TUG members will be able to upgrade their membership to an Associate, Affiliate, Private, or Corporate membership at any time before August 31, 2008 and lock-in the current rates as of June 1, 2007. TUG members that decide not to upgrade their membership will receive a 100% refund of their membership deposit on August 31, 2008.

After the first year, is this membership continue as 1 week usage. Do I have to upgrade assoicate membership for 15 days usage @30K?

 

[Steamboat Bill]

After the first year, is this membership continue as 1 week usage. Do I have to upgrade assoicate membership for 15 days usage @30K?

My understanding is that this is a one year offering and you will have to upgrade to a higher category (2 weeks or more) or you will get a 100% refund.

If you upgrade to the $30k membership, you will simply have to pay an extra $10k and the extra annual dues.

This is really a great deal for TUGers and I am surprised that MORE people are not jumping for joy at this offer. I read other threads about people paying TONS of money for an Atlantis timeshare and this TUG offer much better value.

 

[travelguy]

After the first year, is this membership continue as 1 week usage. Do I have to upgrade assoicate membership for 15 days usage @30K?

Bill is correct that the TUG Special Deal as written requires an upgrade to Associate Membership after the first year or a reimbursement of your membership fee.

However, I would contact Heath at High Country Club if you would like only a one week HCC membership. HCC has been very focused on introducing timeshare owners to the advantages of High Country Club ownership and has been very flexible to accommodate members in many cases.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

Has anyone joined under this special offering?

 

[nigam]

Not yet, but I'm considering it...

Has anyone joined under this special offering?

 

[whatmough]

Not yet, but I'm considering it...

nigam,
hpoefully when you consider it, you won't beat it to death like a lot of the over-analysis you read here. This is a no brainer. Yes, there is some risk is everything that is new, but where else can you get a week in a home in some great destinations that puts any timeshare you can name to shame for a low MF and they give you your $20K back if your not happy? Would any timeshare make that offer? And if you like it, you can pony up a bit more and get another couple of weeks. WOW!!!

 

[puffpuff]

nigam,
hpoefully when you consider it, you won't beat it to death like a lot of the over-analysis you read here. This is a no brainer. Yes, there is some risk is everything that is new, but where else can you get a week in a home in some great destinations that puts any timeshare you can name to shame for a low MF and they give you your $20K back if your not happy? Would any timeshare make that offer? And if you like it, you can pony up a bit more and get another couple of weeks. WOW!!!

Agreed. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. !! Come next year and when you see the higher memebership price / annual dues and you will see what a great deal this is.

PS> I dont work for HCC and derive no benefit whatsover.

 

[grupp]

Expanding Trial Membership

Guess the TUG Special isn't exclusive just to TUG members anymore.

http://www.highcountryclub.com/membership/Trial_Membership.asp

Gary

 

[Steamboat Bill]

Guess the TUG Special isn't exclusive just to TUG members anymore.

http://www.highcountryclub.com/membership/Trial_Membership.asp

Gary

Thanks for pointing that out to me....It was offered ONLY to TUG members (at first) and I guess they liked the idea so much, they expanded it to everyone.

The one omission, that they originally offered to TUG is: "Lock-in current membership rates now"

This, in essence, is CHEAP advertising for them as it gives potential members an opportunity to try out the club. It is NOT a huge money maker for the club (IMHO).

 

[ral]

Last Minute Access?

What is the policy for "Last Minute Access"? Do all memberships have access to "Last Minute Access" in addition to the given nights for each membership (15 nights, 25 nights, 45 nights, 42 nights)?

 

[Bourne]

All membership levels have access to Last Minute Reservations.

If I understand your question correctly, the answer is that only Private membership has unlimited usage. Any days booked including last minute reservations will count against allotted days. Once the allotted 45 days are used, a private member can book ulimited Last minute reservations.

 

[pwrshift]

Nice to see you back Bourne. Thought we had lost you.

Brian

 

[oldkey]

Has a private member here....

.....on Tug actually burned through their 45 days and then used last minute opportunities (for the cost of cleaning?) Seems to me that someone who had the time (maybe retired, or could work from the road) could do well with this instead of a second home. Colorado, in the summer, could work out well I would think. Last minute means within a week, correct? Is a last minute reservation a week if available? If you have all your days reserved but not used yet, can you start using last minute reservations.....or must you have actually used all of your days? I ask these questions because I would want to do the above....and wonder if it therefore makes a difference as to when I would start my membership.....what time of the year.

 

[Bourne]

I do remember reading a review of a Private Escapes member on Helium that ended up using 52+ days.

Unlike PE, HCC members do not have to pay cleaning fees/daily usage fees. The dues are the only thing you pay on an annual basis.

Yes, last minute means within a week. Following are examples of a few weeks available for Last minute reservation this week.

Wailea-Maui: Saturday, June 30th to Saturday, July 7th
Telluride: Tuesday, June 26th to Friday, June 29th


I never went away. Just posting info, not opinions

 

[pwrshift]

One of the advantages I have booking my Marriott weeks 13 months ahead is that it's real easy to get business/first class air seats on FF miles 330 days ahead. As you get closer to the check in date, such as you're suggesting above with DC's, it's next to impossible to get air on points.

Why do they place time restrictions like this?

Brian

 

[LisaH]

One of the advantages I have booking my Marriott weeks 13 months ahead is that it's real easy to get business/first class air seats on FF miles 330 days ahead. As you get closer to the check in date, such as you're suggesting above with DC's, it's next to impossible to get air on points.

Why do they place time restrictions like this?

Brian

Actually last minute reward seats are not that difficult. Last Thursday, I booked round-trip saver business class tickets with United for a friend to go to Paris today. Needless to say I made my friend really happy. She told me that she would take a bite of the desserts for me on the flights

Also, my family of four has been on the waiting list for a direct flight back from Kauai for July 14th since I booked the reward tickets 11 month ago. We were cleared two weeks ago

 

[oldkey]

To Lisa's point.....

.....I am amazed at how well you can actually do last minute. I have been to Hawaii, Europe and all over the US within the last two weeks with FFs....but....never when I really needed to! The key, of course, is to be flexible and keep trying.

It's kinda neat actually to "plan" your big vacations, but let luck happen for a couple of extra vacations each year....even if you have to "work" while there. I can't wait until my 10th grader is off to college and my wife and I can travel last minute. I get the feeling that many retired couples travel just this way.....

 

[LisaH]

Well, for my friend's Paris trip, it was a spur of the moment thing. In fact, after I secured the flights for her, she was also able to find a really good rental for a 1BR apt on Left Bank near Latin Quarter.

For our family's Kauai trip, I had a red-eye flight scheduled to leave on the same day. We have been wait-listed for the direct flight since I booked our original flights 11 months ago and it was just cleared recently. So, not much risk here if it didn't clear. The new schedule just makes our trip a lot easier to take...

 

[caribbeansun]

Ah yes but try booking on Errorplan - getting seats at the best of times is very difficult and seems to be getting harder all the time. I tried to book flights to Cayman the other day and it wouldn't let me because the airport isn't set up to accept e-tickets which means you have to call the call center, wait for 45 minutes to talk to someone and then pay an extra $50 because you called them instead of booking on-line, which in this case you can't do.

 

[whatmough]

.....on Tug actually burned through their 45 days and then used last minute opportunities (for the cost of cleaning?) Seems to me that someone who had the time (maybe retired, or could work from the road) could do well with this instead of a second home. Colorado, in the summer, could work out well I would think. Last minute means within a week, correct? Is a last minute reservation a week if available? If you have all your days reserved but not used yet, can you start using last minute reservations.....or must you have actually used all of your days? I ask these questions because I would want to do the above....and wonder if it therefore makes a difference as to when I would start my membership.....what time of the year.

My year with HCC doesn't end until July 1 and I have already used 48 days or 3 over the 45 for private membership. In Colorado, it may be possible to use last minute reservations to great advantage especially if your member year ends in an off peak period and you are willing to move around. I believe that last minute res do count against your yearly max as long as you have unused days available.

 

[oldkey]

So did you pay the cleaning fee for the extra three days beyond your 45?

My goal is to ski/beach it January - May, going to Colorado in the summer when possible. Looks like if I'm going to join, late summer or fall might be the time to join so as to be using last minute reservations during Colorado's slow time.