Significant MF increase at Polo Towers?

[elansing]

I'm curious if anyone has heard about significant MF increases at Polo Towers in Las Vegas for 2020?

My co-owner (former husband) was at PT recently and decided to subject himself to a presentation in order to get free dinner for himself and his friends. We've owned a 2BR Villa at PT since 2004-ish (purchased resale for cheap) and bought 1,000 points in the US Collection in 2009.

Typical PT sleazy salespeople told CO all sorts of lies but one was curious. They said that MF increases at PT are not capped and DRI intends to double them for 2020. They had several reasons for this, including "the Raiders coming to town." Um, yeah, right. They claim our current $1200/year MF for the deeded unit will be over $2200 for 2020.

They told CO this in order to convince him to give up our deeded week and buy more points. MF increases are "capped at 4% per year in the US Collection", they said. We could give up our deed for a mere $17,000(!!), they said. They also told him he could do this without my involvement (wtf?), but he's not an idiot and didn't do anything except enjoy his free dinner.

Even though we vacation separately now, we struggle to use all our points every year (the deeded unit converts to 16,000 points). If the MFs go up much at all, we'll try to relinquish but we've got 34,000 points to use up next year and I hate to lose all those.

Our original paperwork is buried somewhere in a box in CO's house, so I can't check the contract to see about caps on increases. Anyone know?

 

[dougp26364]

We’re former owners of a Suites and Villas week. How funny is it that they’re STILL telling the same lie about MF’s that they told us so many years ago. They want your deed and they want to enroll you in a trust.

As it is, DRI’s fee’s are to high right now. They’re equal to Marriott’s fees and higher than Hilton’s.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Typical PT sleazy salespeople told CO all sorts of lies but one was curious. They said that MF increases at PT are not capped and DRI intends to double them for 2020. They had several reasons for this, including "the Raiders coming to town." Um, yeah, right. They claim our current $1200/year MF for the deeded unit will be over $2200 for 2020.

I am not a Diamond owner but this logic is messed up. Diamond is hired by the HOA to manage the property. If it is like other systems, their fee should be a percentage of the cost to run the resort. On what planet can they justify increasing MF cost because of the Raiders coming to town? That would be an increase to the topline rent potential, not the cost line for MF.

MF should theoretically decline because they could rent unreserved units and put the higher rent against HOA expenses. I know it doesn't work that way in the greedy timeshare world but that's the way it should work.

 

[bogey21]

My co-owner (former husband) was at PT recently and decided to subject himself to a presentation in order to get free dinner for himself and his friends....Even though we vacation separately now, we struggle to use all our points every year...

I'm glad to hear that someone else gets along well with their ex. So often all we see is bitterness and animosity. I have two ex wives and maintain great relationships with both...

George

 

[elansing]

We’re former owners of a Suites and Villas week. How funny is it that they’re STILL telling the same lie about MF’s that they told us so many years ago. They want your deed and they want to enroll you in a trust.

As it is, DRI’s fee’s are to high right now. They’re equal to Marriott’s fees and higher than Hilton’s.

I haven't been to a presentation since they rolled out the trust 10-ish years ago and we bought in. I think if we relinquish, I might look into Marriott.

 

[elansing]

I'm glad to hear that someone else gets along well with their ex. So often all we see is bitterness and animosity. I have two ex wives and maintain great relationships with both...

George

I've been through enough to know the only person who suffers from bitterness and animosity is the person feeling it. And that people just grow apart sometimes! We were friends before we married, no reason not to be friends after.

 

[csalter2]

I have owned Marriott since 2003 and Diamond before they were Diamond since 1999. DRI’s maintenance fees are more expensive than Marriott and the resorts are significantly inferior to Marriott’s. However, they complement each other well os I like having both.

I am at Polo Towers now. I had my free dinner tonight and am going to a presentation tomorrow. I will be interested in what they say.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I have owned Marriott since 2003 and Diamond before they were Diamond since 1999. DRI’s maintenance fees are more expensive than Marriott and the resorts are significantly inferior to Marriott’s. However, they compliment each other well os I like having both.

I am at Polo Towers now. I had my free dinner tonight and am going to a presentation tomorrow. I will be interested in what they say.

Can you elaborate how it complements MVC? (We are Vistana owners.)

 

[csalter2]

DRI complements Marriott because it provides access to areas that Marriott either has limited properties or none at all. Marriott’s move to points has helped close that gap, but DRI still has many more properties.

For example, I love going to Hawaii for five or six weeks. I have owned a week at Marriott at Ko Olina since it opened. Until recently, Marriott did not have a property on the Big Island. I would use my Diamond access for resorts Sea Mountain and Sea Village which are on both sides sides of the Big Island. Plus, Diamond has properties in Waikiki, I love Ko Olina but sometimes I stay downtown in Waikiki and Ko Olina. It makes for a nice contrast. Where Marriott used to be just weeks I could extend time on islands with my Diamond points. Diamond’s property on Kauai is very tranquil. They are like large condos on the beach. I like the environment there compared to the crowdedness at Marriott’s Wahohai.
Plus, I am guaranteed oceanfront with DRI when I request it, Marriott is sometimey on ocean views at Waiohai.

Diamond also has more properties in the South than Marriott does. DRI has several more European resorts including multiple ones in Italy, France, England, and Spain. This is where it really works well for extended European stays. Diamond also has resorts in India, Mexico and throughout Asia and I don’t need to go through Interval International. I use my DRI points to book their resorts or affiliates the same way I use points with Marriott.

Diamond’s quality of resorts can vary, where the Marriott properties are always a cut above. However, DRI’s properties are sometimes very, very nice such as the Ka’anapali Beach Club in Maui or Cabo Azul in Mexico.

One last example of how they complement one another is when I need filler days or weeks. Next summer I am going to South Carolina. I have two weeks with Marriott at Oceanwatch one week and Grand Ocean two weeks later. I am driving across from Houston. I have a few days at DRI’s Hilton Head Island Links reserved to add on to my Grand Ocean week, then a week at the Dunes Village Resort which is a water park resort with DRI with the kids and grandkids in Myrtle Beach and then another quiet week in Myrtle Beach at Ocean Watch. That’s three and a half weeks using both systems easily and it’s already set without using Interval and waiting to see if I could POSSIBLY get it.

The two work well for me.