Any change in Your Resort's Award Status?

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

So today is Jan 1, the start of the new status award year that RCI designates for its afiliate resorts. As you may know, this past year, RCI instituted a new survey and ranking process in order to resorts to maintain their status. Has it made any difference? Does the resort you own have its status change as a result?

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

FF Royal Sea Cliff dropped 2 levels

Well, I found one resort that dropped from gold crown to hospitality status. And a Hawaii resort no less. In looking at the TUG reviews, there are few of them in 2007 and they are positive for the most part so I'm a bit surprised. So maybe the new standards are having an impact.

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

Kahana Falls also dropped

Just found another one. Kahana falls dropped from silver crown to hospitality.

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

Delay in website updates!

There must have been a delay from Jan 1 on having the resorts' statuses updated. I've relooked at a number of resorts and they've changed since Jan 1, most going down. The new rankings are definitely having a negative impact on resort statuses.

Could a moderator move this to the exchanging forum? Originally, this was just an RCI issue but on further thought, this would also impact owners that use other exchange companies like SFX. SFX professes to only take GC status resorts, with a number of resorts dropping from that status (or from silver crown in some highly demanded areas), their inventory of allowable resorts just shrunk and some accepted resorts now just got dropped!

I can't believe no one has commented on this besides me.

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

My home resort, Wapato Point in Washington state, had dropped from Gold Crown to Silver Crown earlier in 2007. In my most recent newsletter from the resort, it said it had earned back its Gold Crown status due to improvements made during the year (we also had an extra one-time charge added to our annual maintenance fee to pay for the improvements).

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

If the status drops, the fees should also drop.

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

If the status drops, the fees should also drop.

While I've never heard of a performance based management contract for timeshare resorts, there may well be one. That's the only way fees could be trimmed unless you throw out the management company and get a more competent one. It usually costs more money to raise status, anyone who doesn't think so is out to lunch.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

While I've never heard of a performance based management contract for timeshare resorts, there may well be one. That's the only way fees could be trimmed unless you through out the management company and get a more competent one. It usually cost more money to raise status, anyone who doesn't think so is out to lunch.

It sure does....what are ya thinkin', Bing???

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

If I owned an " A " resort and it went down to a " B " resort, I wouldn't think I would have to pay " A " resort fees for a " B " resort. They should decrease as the resort decreases. Also, show me more and I will pay more.
If the resort then stated that fees had to increase I would ask,
what new and different things am I going to get that I am not getting now for the increase?
Increases for the regular old stuff with no changes just doesn't it for me. I think resorts need to be held to performance standards.

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

While I've never heard of a performance based management contract for timeshare resorts, there may well be one.

Funny you should mention that because I'm about to propose something along those lines at one of our resorts. The mgmt company wants to increase its fees for compensation on some upcoming record keeping that needs to be done. I come from a performance based compensation background so I'm going to propose the increase in fees is tied to the resort's award rankings. Maybe do a staggered increase, not unlike what you see with some pro atheletes companesation. We'll see how that goes over.

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

I think resorts need to be held to performance standards.

It's called accountability and I would agree with you on this point. Making it happen is the more difficult part.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

If I owned an " A " resort and it went down to a " B " resort, I wouldn't think I would have to pay " A " resort fees for a " B " resort. They should decrease as the resort decreases. Also, show me more and I will pay more.
If the resort then stated that fees had to increase I would ask,
what new and different things am I going to get that I am not getting now for the increase?
Increases for the regular old stuff with no changes just doesn't it for me. I think resorts need to be held to performance standards.

And since the rankings aren't based on owners comments but only exchange guests how do you guarantee a rise or even maintenance of a ranking? How do you get the guy that was tired and angry after a 20 hour drive and a speeding ticket not to give your resort all "1's" because he didn't like the 5 minutes it took to check in or the candy wrapper outside his door? Those "1's" take 5 or 10 cards with all "5's" (very rare) to get the average back to the 4.7 or 4.8 a Silver or Gold crown rank requires.

The system isn't very good and now that neither RCI or II has the bulk of exchanges it seems to be falling apart as a ranking tool. We need a AAA or Mobil Guide third party to start doing unbiased and consistent ratings for all resorts. Then you could hold management to a goal. Right now they can hurt but can't do much to help scores.

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

Funny you should mention that because I'm about to propose something along those lines at one of our resorts. The mgmt company wants to increase its fees for compensation on some upcoming record keeping that needs to be done. I come from a performance based compensation background so I'm going to propose the increase in fees is tied to the resort's award rankings. Maybe do a staggered increase, not unlike what you see with some pro atheletes companesation. We'll see how that goes over.

You may need to tie it to increases at no more than CPI, otherwise someone could spend a lot of your money trying to get there.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

And since the rankings aren't based on owners comments but only exchange guests how do you guarantee a rise or even maintenance of a ranking? How do you get the guy that was tired and angry after a 20 hour drive and a speeding ticket not to give your resort all "1's" because he didn't like the 5 minutes it took to check in or the candy wrapper outside his door? Those "1's" take 5 or 10 cards with all "5's" (very rare) to get the average back to the 4.7 or 4.8 a Silver or Gold crown rank requires.

The system isn't very good and now that neither RCI or II has the bulk of exchanges it seems to be falling apart as a ranking tool. We need a AAA or Mobil Guide third party to start doing unbiased and consistent ratings for all resorts. Then you could hold management to a goal. Right now they can hurt but can't do much to help scores.

Trip Advisor comes to mind but people there confuse timeshares often with private owned condos that are rented out.

Some resorts have a mixture of both under the same name. This reflects badly on well kept timeshare condos if some of the owners let their condos dilapidate.

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

TripAdvisor reviews for timeshare units also often suffer from the "hey, why didn't the maid come today?" phenomenon---especially in areas where renting to the public is common.