Festiva Resorts acquires Equivest from Wyndham

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

Not sure where to post this, but it was reported on StreetTalk Blog this morning, and the following announcement is on the Festiva Resorts website:

"We are pleased to announce that the Festiva Development Group has acquired the Equivest Vacation and Travel Club Inc. and assets at resorts formerly belonging to Peppertree Resorts Ltd. Properties involved in the acquisition and previously owned by Peppertree Resorts are located in Wisconsin Dells, WI, Branson, MO, Gatlinburg, TN, Myrtle Beach, SC, and St. Augustine, FL. Four North Carolina resort locations include Outer Banks, Atlantic Beach, Banner Elk, and Maggie Valley."

The StreetTalk post said that the St. Thomas resorts are not included.

I hope this is good news for us EVTC owners, as we have been treated like the unwanted step-child by Wyndham. As an EVTC owner, I would like to hear from Festiva owners about their satisfaction with Festiva Resorts.

http://www.festivaresorts.com/Industry_Release.pdf

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

They already sold off a good portion of the weeks they had at OBBC to individual deeded owners.

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

I have found some additional information about the Festiva purchase. Festiva has renamed EVTC to Peppertree Vacation and Travel Club. Festiva will not be integrating EVTC into Festiva Adventure Club (FAC). However, for a fee, Festiva will allow EVTC members to convert to FAC. I haven't learned what that fee is yet. Stand by.

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

Peppertree Atlantic Beach III

I own here. Fairfield manages it...I send my maintenance, etc. to them. Does this mean that now the management is Festiva?

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

I own here. Fairfield manages it...I send my maintenance, etc. to them. Does this mean that now the management is Festiva?

Yes, Festiva is the new manager. Festiva sent me an e-mail today with a link to FAQs. There is a link for deeded week owners, but it requires a separate password.

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

Thanks. If they are a decent management company, then it probably won't make much of an impact. Only time will tell...should be interesting.

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

Thanks. If they are a decent management company, then it probably won't make much of an impact. Only time will tell...should be interesting.

Holly, If you go to their website, you will find points of contact. You can e-mail or call someone in owner services for the link and password to the deeded owners' information.

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

I've got a fixed week at Peppertree/Tamarack in the Dells. I mailed owner services the day the purchase was announced, but have not yet received a response.

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

I've got a fixed week at Peppertree/Tamarack in the Dells. I mailed owner services the day the purchase was announced, but have not yet received a response.

I sent you a PM.

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

I got my response just shortly after your PM arrived. Here are the relevant bits for any Peppertree fixed-week owners:

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding your new membership with Festiva Resorts. Much of the Tamarack service structure and reservation process will remain unaffected by this acquisition. We have indeed assumed management for Tamarack and will be responsible for billing and customer services for the 08 maintenance fees.

Internal exchange capabilities for Festiva's original resorts is reserved for Festiva Adventure Club members. Peppertree owners will be able to take advantage of bonus week pricing and other promotional travel opportunities at Festiva's resorts.
(...)
We will be working intensively with our new resorts over the next few months to offer promotional rates and special offers. However at this time much of the specifics of availability, rates, etc are up in the air and we are waiting for the same answers you are. We will keep you posted via email mailings and updates on our website as information becomes available.

[TwiggySC1973 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TwiggySC1973]

Festiva owner

I own with Festiva and have been for 2 years now. I used my week (when I owned a 1 bedroom bi-annually in Charleston, SC) last year in Sept 2006 for Disneyworld. I exchanged my week for a fee of 129.00 in II. We stayed on property in a DVC Old Key West Resort. Then in July of last year we up graded to a 2 bedroom annually in Ellington, Murells Inlet and stayed there July of this year.

I absolutely love Festiva. I haven't had any problems with them and I always get an answer from them about a question. Of course the adventure club is new but I'm estatic of all the new properties they have gained. Plus we (festiva owners) are grandfathered in to the new properties (for a price) to switch from a week owner to points which gives us (my hubbie and I) about 6 weeks of vacation to use with the points. Not like we would, but you can borrow against your years and you can roll over.

I'm not an experience owner seeing how we've only owned for 3 years but I feel like I have gotten the best deal.

On the friendliness, in July we would go to the bar at the resort and that's where a lot of the sellers would relax. They love to work for Festiva and they own there too. I'm sure all timeshare sellers own where they work but Festiva just has a homey feeling.

Susan in SC