Wyndham or RCI points?

[moerderin Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close moerderin]

Which point system is better?

Resorts in the following locations is a MUST:
big bear, ca
europe
mexico (cancun)
mexico (others)

I tried searching for a website showing which system has locations in those areas, but I can't tell if the hotels and resorts listed are part of their points system, or a separate arm of the companies that is completely un-related to timeshares.

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Directory
RCI - the largest timeshare vacation exchange network in the world (must log in to see availability, but i'm not a member yet...)

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

Wyndham has nothing in your location. It hyas affilate resort in Mexico, but I believe the inventory is down. For Mexico, Renting or an overall package is more easier and from time to time you will get better deal.

For European, I don't know how many inventories RCI get through their point system. You may as well look at hamping.

Jya-Ning

[moerderin Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close moerderin]

Wyndham has nothing in your location. It hyas affilate resort in Mexico, but I believe the inventory is down. For Mexico, Renting or an overall package is more easier and from time to time you will get better deal.

For European, I don't know how many inventories RCI get through their point system. You may as well look at hamping.

Jya-Ning

By renting, do you mean not dealing with a timeshare all-together, and going through expedia.com or something?

Also, what do you mean by "an overall package"?

edit: What does "hamping" mean?

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

Sorry should be Hapimag, A European point based timeshare company. If you go that route, you can look at Royal Holiday, Diamond, and more potential Marriot's program. RHC and Diamond you will need more preparation before you step in.

Most Mexico's resort are all inclusive, which you have to buy their meal plan. If you go through RCI, you may find from time to time, their meal plan is cost the most% in all the expense. Plus, most of them are offering hotel type of suit, so make no sense to try RCI way.

A good way is to buy overall package like air lodging together, that usually give you discount in both air and lodging, and give you less headache try to match the travel date and lodge.

Jya-Ning

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

I agree with JyaNing that, for Mexico, timesharing does not work well. I love Mexico, so I look frequently and I usually find that the timeshares are MANDATORY all inclusive at 65 to 130 per person per day. It is less expensive to get a package for air and hotel from Apple Vacations of Funjet than it is to do an exchange.

If you are looking for timeshares in Europe, do you understand that European timeshares are not normally in the great cities of Europe? Most are in resort areas (Costa Del Sol, Marbella, the islands of Greece) and in the countryside. There are very few timeshares in the places that I would want to go in Europe: Florence, Milan, Paris, Nice, Barcelona, Rotenburg.

I love timesharing but it is not the sole source of our vacations. It cannot be a one size fits all. It is great for people that want to ski, play golf, sit by a pool, beachcomb. It does not work as well for going to National Parks, visiting the great cities of Europe, or scuba diving in Cozumel.

elaine

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I agree with JyaNing that, for Mexico, timesharing does not work well. I love Mexico, so I look frequently and I usually find that the timeshares are MANDATORY all inclusive at 65 to 130 per person per day. It is less expensive to get a package for air and hotel from Apple Vacations of Funjet than it is to do an exchange.

elaine

The exception to this is the Royal resorts.

http://www.royalresorts.com/

They aren't all inclusive and they are great.

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

The exception to this is the Royal resorts.

Royal Resorts, The best vacation ownership in Cancun

They aren't all inclusive and they are great.

Excellent!!! They must trade on II instead of RCI. I just recently got my II traders and I have not looked for Mexico since then! Something else new to look for!

elaine

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Excellent!!! They must trade on II instead of RCI. I just recently got my II traders and I have not looked for Mexico since then! Something else new to look for!

elaine

Uh-oh. You are really getting infected with timeshareitis.
Similar symptoms of addonitis. It doesn't just affect DVC owners, you know.

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

I do have a serious affliction! And when I checked II this morning, I could pull 4 of the Royal resorts. Now I am working on a cost comparison of taking the ferry back and forth to Cozumel to dive after doing the research that determined that the diving really does stink in Cancun. I think that staying in a really nice resort and taking the ferry to Cozumel a couple of times during the week may be a GREAT getaway for my whole office. Eveyone enjoys the beach. Only some of us scuba dive.

When I am staying in Coz, we just wake up, eat breakfast, get on the boat to dive, wait an hour, dive for the second time on the boat, eat lunch, dive, wait an hour, dive, eat dinner, dive (one time during the trip for a night dive, the rest of the time, no dive), then go to sleep. I made the mistake of taking my office on one of these trips a few years ago and they did not understand why I would not go into the city to explore or go shopping. It just is not my deal. Diving is my deal.

But, if i was at a nice resort and had to take the ferry to go diving, it would force me to spend some time bonding with my employees instead of diving.

The resorts look fantastic!

elaine

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I don't scuba dive but check out Xcaret for fun snorkeling.

Also you might be able to dive off of Isla Mujeres. That's a beautiful island and there is a ferry from downtown Cancun to the island. It's closer than Cozumel and less spring breaky than Cozumel.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

Most Mexico's resort are all inclusive, which you have to buy their meal plan. If you go through RCI, you may find from time to time, their meal plan is cost the most% in all the expense. Plus, most of them are offering hotel type of suit, so make no sense to try RCI way.


Jya-Ning

Although I agree that AI in Mexico are not worth exchanging into and there are many Mandatory AI's I don't agree that most Mexico resorts are AI.

I have been to Cancun 4 times, Puerto Vallarta 3 times Acapulco twice and Cabo once and have never had to stay at an AI in Mexico.

Some of the resorts I have stayed at are.

Mayan Palace ACA
Grand Mayan ACA
Grand Mayan Riviera Maya Cancun
Royal Mayan Cancun
Internationale de Cancun ( forgot complete name but it was the oldest Royal Resort)

Also stayed at Golden shores Cancun which was optional AI when I was there and didn't take AI although I think it is now mandatory.

Villa Del Palmar - PV
Villa Del Mar - PV

All of the above are available through RCI and are not AI although the two Royal resorts are mostly available through II I did get the Royal Mayan through RCI.

I also exchanged to Cabo where most resorts are not AI resorts and are available in RCI.

So if you check RCI for Mexico I have found it to be pretty easy to get a resort that is not AI so you should also have no problems getting it.