Big Takeover Announcement?

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

I certainly hope not. I do not see that being good for us. With BG stock rising one wonders why they would choose to do it now.

Overall I think I'd file it under typical puffing and misinformation all too often used in every sales / update presentation. I'd be very surprised if there is really much meat behind it.

Still, fun to speculate.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Overall I think I'd file it under typical puffing and misinformation all too often used in every sales / update presentation. I'd be very surprised if there is really much meat behind it.

Still, fun to speculate.

When we were at Poipu last August the salesman said that by the end of the year DRI would be have resorts on in Waikiki and Hilo. I saw that his lips were moving when he said it, so I decided I shouldn't hold my breath.

++++++

In the realm of speculation, I note as well that settlement of the Raintree litigation removes a possible obstacle to resurrecting that deal as well. Granted that wouldn't be near the size of a Sunterra type of deal, but it would be significant. And Raintree is still a great fit for DRI.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

The thing is, DRI is big into acquisition to build it's brand. Right now is the time to aquire if you have the money or financing. Financing can be difficult and, I don't think DRI has the cash on hand. It certainly didn't have enough cash on hand to pull of the Bluegreen aquisition when the markets fell and financing dried up.

The salesmen never know what's going on. Sales managers routinely feed the rumor mill. There may be something in the works but they wouldn't know the timing of any deal to come down the line.

It would not surprise me to see DRI merge with another timeshare devloper. They did it with Sunterra, the recently merged in ILX and Pacific Monarch, They almost had Bluegreen. This is how they operate and there are plenty of distressed timeshare management companies to choose from. I was almost surprised they didn't go after Consolidated when they went bankrupt but, my guess is DRI just didn't want three more resorts in Vegas, all of them off strip.

I can see potential targets but, none bigger than Sunterra. It will be interesting to see what happens by the end of the year.......if anything. For all we know there could be something in the works that never ends up being completed. Then it's just another TS salesman spouting half truths that no one should believe.

I'm very indiferent to a Bluegreen aquisition. I'd love to see them aquire Wyndham for the locations. I'd like to think Marriott, HGVC, DVC, Hyatt, Starwood et.... were out of reach but, one never knows in this economy as companies try to downsize. Shell vacation club, Festiva, Southwind,Summerbay, VRI and others in the mid-size range are all possiblities but, I wouldn't consider them larger than the Sunterra buyout.

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

Well, it seems the consensus here is the that rep we spoke with was not telling us the truth. Shame on him, if this were true.

Anyways, I would personally like DRI to take over more depressed location our here on the West Coat and re-face them. We like the Diamond hard-product, and that does NOT include the affiliates, although some of the affiliates' location is another story.

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

We just attended an "Owner Update" at Point at Poipu last week. The salesperson mentioned that a large number of new members (250,000 was the number he mentioned) is very near. He also said that there is some arrangement for financial backing for acquisitions. Of course, he said that the large influx will diminish our ability to get the prime times and we needed to purchase points in the Hawaii Collection to get the 13 month advantage. He also said that the Hawaii Collection is almost sold out and offered a bargain of (minimum purchase) 8500 points for $51,000 and 17,000 points for $107,000. The price per point was in the $6.00/point range. After we declined, he dredged up an old offer at "reduced price" of $2.00/point which we had previously declined. Same thing again, declined. Then another salesperson came out with a sampler offer to hold the current price. We disappointed her also. They were unable to tell me which buildings are scheduled for remodel first. The promised 55 min owner update lasted 1-1/2 hrs and was all sales push, as expected.
Tom

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

It Could Happen but...

It could be true that there is a big acquisition for DRI. However, Owners' Updates are for DRI to make sales pitches. I have always gone to them with the understanding that that was what they are going to do. I go because I want an update on new opportunities in the system. I have no problem saying no and I get any questions I have answered.

I usually am very humored by the salespeople's claims. I went to Ka'anapali Beach Club one year and the saleslady tried to get me to buy more points. I told her that I already had 30,000 of them. She took me on a tour and said would not I like to come hear more often. Of course, I said yes. She tried to tell me that I would not be able to get in there if I did not buy more points in the Hawaii collection because summer is difficult to get. I told her that I did not understand since my wife and I were there talking with her during July 4 week in an ocean view room. She told me that that was a rarity. I told her that I like my chances. Every year I look at 10 or 9 months out and see summer weeks there available without fail. My advice is to just be cautious before buying more points.

[johnsorg Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnsorg]

I have generally found that I know much more about what is going on with Diamond than the salesmen. They will basically say anything to close the deal. I have corrected them when they make inaccurate statements and generally they just look at you or continue the sales pitch. I only went to the presentations for the perks and had no intention of adding additional points. I always told them my intentions at the beginning of the sales pitch.

I have quit going because it is not worth the hassle they put you through. I almost hit the closer the last time because he accused me of being stupid and that he was used to dealing with intelligent people. The sales manager came running over when I became loud and he tried to smooth things over but that was the end for me.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I have generally found that I know much more about what is going on with Diamond than the salesmen. They will basically say anything to close the deal. I have corrected them when they make inaccurate statements and generally they just look at you or continue the sales pitch. I only went to the presentations for the perks and had no intention of adding additional points. I always told them my intentions at the beginning of the sales pitch.

I have quit going because it is not worth the hassle they put you through. I almost hit the closer the last time because he accused me of being stupid and that he was used to dealing with intelligent people. The sales manager came running over when I became loud and he tried to smooth things over but that was the end for me.

I always take into consideration most timeshare salesmen don't actually own, or use, the product they're selling. Those that do own it either don't use it enough or have such basic knowledge vs extensive knowledge as to render their advice useles to all but the least experienced owner.

I've never had an issue with a DRI sales rep save for one, who complained that I knew to much and became frustrated with me. What was odd was by showing his back sides, he lost a sale. My FIL was with us and had every intetion of buying until the salesman turned ugly.

We have had several TS salesmen with various resorts that were less than professionsal. We once had a Bluegreen sales manager call me stupid and a liar, all while he was wearing an ill fitting yellow plaid polyester sports coat that looked as if it had come directly from Goodwill. He barely appologized when I was able to prove him wrong.

Like you we skip the presentations. It only wastes the salesmans time as we have no intention of buying additional points. I have more than I can efficiently use now and paying several thousand dollars for a few hundreded dollars in perks makes little sense to me. The hassle and loss of vacation time isn't worth the incentives they provide for attending.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

Doug your thread is right on the mark. I do not wish to purchase any more Diamond Points or join the Marriott DVC club.

So why attend another sales presentation? I am wasting my vacation time and that sales staff person time.

Enough said.

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

...

So why attend another sales presentation? I am wasting my vacation time and that sales staff person time.

Enough said.

...but, they are often the ones cold calling us at home insisting they are strictly owners updates to inform us of the many changes to the system since we last attended a presentation (in our case it was in 2008)...it will be nice not to get fed a fib. This just seuss the wrong tone before a potential customer walks through the door. Absolutely stupid tactic.

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

Was visiting at the Polo Towers today and was informed that the acquisition hopefully will go through real soon. The rumor is Pacific Monarch but time will tell.

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

Was visiting at the Polo Towers today and was informed that the acquisition hopefully will go through real soon. The rumor is Pacific Monarch but time will tell.

Oh, wasn't that news already posted somewhere late 2011?

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Pacific Monarch is hardly on the scale of Sunterra.

Perhaps they'll acquire Great Wolf, but that's also hardly Sunterra size.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I believe they had already announced the aquisition of Pacific Monarch several months back. While nice it covers a lot of area already covered by DRI. As mentioned it's hardly on the scale of the Sunterra aquisition but, we all know how sales reps like to stretch the truth just a little bit.

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

Oh, wasn't that news already posted somewhere late 2011?

Sorry, Winger. You are right. I'm not on here much anymore and missed that the thread was about a HUGE buyout bigger than Sunterra back 4 or so years ago.