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DRI system is ok
I have been with Diamond (DRI) since 2004 when they bought Epic Resorts. I have been to several properties that are both DRI owned and some of their affiliates. I have been able to get into many of the properties I wanted when I wanted. I have stayed at the during Ka'anapali Beach Club in Maui during the height of primetime season in July, as well as Cypress Pointe and Grand Beach in Orlando during July. I have been to both Scottsdale properties during the Christmas winter season which is high season there. I have even stayed at the Coronado Beach Club on Coronado Island in San Diego during the fourth of July week. (That is almost impossible to get!) This year I will be at the Polo Towers in Las Vegas for four days including New Year's Eve. As you can see, I have benefitted from the DRI system. However, I have taken the time to take advantage of the system. For example, you can get vacations for half the points if you book at 59 days or less. Last year I was able to travel all over the the western US in Sedona, AZ, Phoenix, AZ, Santa Fe, NM, and Las Vegas, NV over a 2 week period using only total 5000 points and almost all of these were 2 bedrooms. It's the planning that's the key and knowing when to travel to these places. Take the time and you can do well with the system.
Also, I have been very successful to use Interval International (II) to exchange into nice resorts as well. I also own Marriott and have stayed at Marriott properties using my DRI points. This may not be as successful now since Marriott has now changed to points too. However, Westin and other nice resorts are available too. Sometimes you can get a nice property using less DRI points in the II system than if you used DRI points in their system. You have to do your homework.
If you have another timeshare deeded week. You can exchange it to DRI for a year to get additional DRI points for that year. I can get 12,000 additional DRI points if I wanted to for my Marriott property. That's DRI's Club Select portion of the Club program.
I have never taken advantage of any of the European properties, but I see that they are available. I looked to see if the property outside of Paris was available last month for next summer and was pleasantly surprised there was availability. I do know that many English timeshare owners of DRI complain about lack of availability.
I will give this warning to you if you are considering joining the DRI Club program. First, the maintenance fees keep going in one direction and that's up. They are a drag. I will say that DRI has been refurbishing and renovating the properties and I have enjoyed staying at them, but sometimes the maintainence fees have increased over 7% in a year. This has been a major complaint.
Secondly, if you are really going to play in the DRI system you really need to have enough points to take advantage of it. In my opinion, if you don't have at least 10,000 points, you will be very limited in the system. With less points, you will be limited in when you can travel, where you can travel, how long you can travel and the size of room you can have. For example, in Hawaii, there are 12 DRI resorts but only 4 of them have 2 bedroom units, and two of them require more than 10,000 points. If you only use one bedrooms you're fine.
I hope that this helps. So the bottom line is if you can afford the increasing maintenance fees and get a nice number of points for good usage and flexibility, the DRI is quite a good system.
I have been with Diamond (DRI) since 2004 when they bought Epic Resorts. I have been to several properties that are both DRI owned and some of their affiliates. I have been able to get into many of the properties I wanted when I wanted. I have stayed at the during Ka'anapali Beach Club in Maui during the height of primetime season in July, as well as Cypress Pointe and Grand Beach in Orlando during July. I have been to both Scottsdale properties during the Christmas winter season which is high season there. I have even stayed at the Coronado Beach Club on Coronado Island in San Diego during the fourth of July week. (That is almost impossible to get!) This year I will be at the Polo Towers in Las Vegas for four days including New Year's Eve. As you can see, I have benefitted from the DRI system. However, I have taken the time to take advantage of the system. For example, you can get vacations for half the points if you book at 59 days or less. Last year I was able to travel all over the the western US in Sedona, AZ, Phoenix, AZ, Santa Fe, NM, and Las Vegas, NV over a 2 week period using only total 5000 points and almost all of these were 2 bedrooms. It's the planning that's the key and knowing when to travel to these places. Take the time and you can do well with the system.
Also, I have been very successful to use Interval International (II) to exchange into nice resorts as well. I also own Marriott and have stayed at Marriott properties using my DRI points. This may not be as successful now since Marriott has now changed to points too. However, Westin and other nice resorts are available too. Sometimes you can get a nice property using less DRI points in the II system than if you used DRI points in their system. You have to do your homework.
If you have another timeshare deeded week. You can exchange it to DRI for a year to get additional DRI points for that year. I can get 12,000 additional DRI points if I wanted to for my Marriott property. That's DRI's Club Select portion of the Club program.
I have never taken advantage of any of the European properties, but I see that they are available. I looked to see if the property outside of Paris was available last month for next summer and was pleasantly surprised there was availability. I do know that many English timeshare owners of DRI complain about lack of availability.
I will give this warning to you if you are considering joining the DRI Club program. First, the maintenance fees keep going in one direction and that's up. They are a drag. I will say that DRI has been refurbishing and renovating the properties and I have enjoyed staying at them, but sometimes the maintainence fees have increased over 7% in a year. This has been a major complaint.
Secondly, if you are really going to play in the DRI system you really need to have enough points to take advantage of it. In my opinion, if you don't have at least 10,000 points, you will be very limited in the system. With less points, you will be limited in when you can travel, where you can travel, how long you can travel and the size of room you can have. For example, in Hawaii, there are 12 DRI resorts but only 4 of them have 2 bedroom units, and two of them require more than 10,000 points. If you only use one bedrooms you're fine.
I hope that this helps. So the bottom line is if you can afford the increasing maintenance fees and get a nice number of points for good usage and flexibility, the DRI is quite a good system.
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