II Trading - Club Sunterra vs Worldmark

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

Ive come across many favorable comments about Worldmark and II trading. I've also seen some good ones about Club Sunterra and II.

Am interested in seeing a comparison of Club Sunterra against Worldmark. Does Club Sunterra have the same trading power? Will it pull up the same options? They seem to have the same 59 day window. Same power and pull there also??

Thanks!!

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

Ive come across many favorable comments about Worldmark and II trading. I've also seen some good ones about Club Sunterra and II.
Am interested in seeing a comparison of Club Sunterra against Worldmark. Does Club Sunterra have the same trading power? Will it pull up the same options? They seem to have the same 59 day window. Same power and pull there also?? Thanks!!

I'm not a WM owner but I've seen lots about it's trading through II. Both systems work about the same... nice that you don't have points deducted 'til your trade actually comes through. How the 'value' of the individual points systems stack up, I'm not sure, but they both work well.

Sunterra sees just about everything available in II after it clears the proprietary windows (Marriott for example) but I haven't been able to see Four Seasons Avaria FSA!

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

Searching with the WM float week sure brings up Four Seasons Aviara.

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

Searching with the WM float week sure brings up Four Seasons Aviara.

But the question, I think (knowing the asker) was only about points.

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

But the question, I think (knowing the asker) was only about points.

If we pull any size week during the FleX period, by searching using any size WM floater unit, all we are charged is 4000 WM credits and the exchange fee. It is awesome!!!

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

Only an RCI Hole left

Thanks!!

Motivation comes from the desire to be just Club Sunterra. I would purchase a small allotment of Worldmark points if I couldn't get the kind of II trades I want from Sunterra. But it sounds like Sunterra is just about as good as WM. Both get to seach with a 3BR and no deposit, both see everything for all intent purposes, and both pay only the points required buy unit size and timing of the reservation (flex or non-flex).

I still have to resolve a hole in my potfolio of Sunterra only with getting some RCI only resorts. Any suggestions???

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

If we pull any size week during the FleX period, by searching using any size WM floater unit, all we are charged is 4000 WM credits and the exchange fee. It is awesome!!!

Sunterra gets charged half whatever it would have cost before Flexchange. Those figures are on pr10 of the SunOptions Directory.

Thanks!!
Motivation comes from the desire to be just Club Sunterra. I would purchase a small allotment of Worldmark points if I couldn't get the kind of II trades I want from Sunterra. But it sounds like Sunterra is just about as good as WM. Both get to seach with a 3BR and no deposit, both see everything for all intent purposes, and both pay only the points required buy unit size and timing of the reservation (flex or non-flex).
I still have to resolve a hole in my potfolio of Sunterra only with getting some RCI only resorts. Any suggestions???

Knowing what I know about your portfolio, I'd say that that would be a complicating waste, but if you'd like a top RCI trader, I have three for sale.

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

I am a WM novice, just doing some reading. From my understanding, WM has a more liberal cancellation policy (meaning allowing cancellations withOUT penalties closer to checkin's than Sunterra - and I am not talking about having to buy some travel insurance, either) than Sunterra which makes WM a little more user/pro user friendly.

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

Thanks!!

Motivation comes from the desire to be just Club Sunterra. I would purchase a small allotment of Worldmark points if I couldn't get the kind of II trades I want from Sunterra. But it sounds like Sunterra is just about as good as WM. Both get to seach with a 3BR and no deposit, both see everything for all intent purposes, and both pay only the points required buy unit size and timing of the reservation (flex or non-flex).

...

But if an II unit is not available at time of you call up Sunterra to do an online/live search and you then put in an ongoing request, how does this work? Can you still use a 3 BD to search and if a 1 BD hits, your acct only gets deducted the 1BD rate/amt of points OR would you acct get deducted a 3 BD amt of points?

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

I am a WM novice, just doing some reading. From my understanding, WM has a more liberal cancellation policy (meaning allowing cancellations withOUT penalties closer to checkin's than Sunterra - and I am not talking about having to buy some travel insurance, either) than Sunterra which makes WM a little more user/pro user friendly.

The WM handbook indicates that what you say is true 30days for WM cancellations while CS is 60. But CS lets you book partial weeks anytime while WM owners have to wait until 60days prior. Lots of little differences.

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

But if an II unit is not available at time of you call up Sunterra to do an online/live search and you then put in an ongoing request, how does this work? Can you still use a 3 BD to search and if a 1 BD hits, your acct only gets deducted the 1BD rate/amt of points OR would you acct get deducted a 3 BD amt of points?

You don't have to 'use' anything to search, you search as a CS member with points, whatever match you end up with is what you get charged.

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

I compared costs between the Sun and WM and found that, on an ongoing basis, Sun was cheaper to trade in II for studios and they were about the same cost for 1 and 2 BRs. This assumed a MF cost at Sun of $0.12 per point (8500 points for about $1000/year in MF for a Hawaii unit) and MF cost at WM of $0.07 (which appears to be about the going rate for rented points, but is actually higher than most pay for owned points).

Of course, this comparison excludes the initial buy-in cost and my impression is that Club Sun is significantly more expensive than WM. But if you already own Club Sun, then I think it may be possible to convert a non-Sun resort to Sun points on a cost efffective basis or if you own an existing Sun resort, you may be able to convert it to Club Sun on a cost effective basis.

Is there a way of "renting" Sun points to use in an II exchange? If not, then WM seems to have much more flexibility because you can do multiple searches without regard to your actual number of owned points by "renting" more points after your trade is confirmed.

-- Suzanne

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

You don't have to 'use' anything to search, you search as a CS member with points, whatever match you end up with is what you get charged.

so a CS member can place an ongoing request for multiple sized units, say for a one bd OR a two bd, and he gets charged whatever gets confirmed?

If yes, this is VERY nice - with II non-CS, if I give up a 2BD to search one or two bd units, I can very well get short changed if I ended up with a 1 BD in return.

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

so a CS member can place an ongoing request for multiple sized units, say for a one bd OR a two bd, and he gets charged whatever gets confirmed?

If yes, this is VERY nice - with II non-CS, if I give up a 2BD to search one or two bd units, I can very well get short changed if I ended up with a 1 BD in return.

This has been my experience.

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

I compared costs between the Sun and WM and found that, on an ongoing basis, Sun was cheaper to trade in II for studios and they were about the same cost for 1 and 2 BRs. This assumed a MF cost at Sun of $0.12 per point (8500 points for about $1000/year in MF for a Hawaii unit) and MF cost at WM of $0.07 (which appears to be about the going rate for rented points, but is actually higher than most pay for owned points).

You can certainly make whatever comparison you'd like about the CS MF but my opinion of anyone with any sort of Hawaii TS is that you bought Hawaii for Hawaii why would you pay those MFs to be anywhere else, it's dumb.

CS MFs should be averaged on the cost of the CSV-1/Florida Trust which is currently $0.073, much less than you're advocating. My own CS MFs are much less than this. I'm staying in a II trade to a Studio in St Thomas at Xmas for an equivalent MF of $196.00.

Of course, this comparison excludes the initial buy-in cost and my impression is that Club Sun is significantly more expensive than WM. But if you already own Club Sun, then I think it may be possible to convert a non-Sun resort to Sun points on a cost efffective basis or if you own an existing Sun resort, you may be able to convert it to Club Sun on a cost effective basis.

I recently bought 11,500 CSV for $930 total and a 11,000 UDI for $400 total. Yes, they were pretty good deals on eBay and anyone could have outbid me. Add $2995 or 2000pts and $5000 and you have a very cheap CS acct. Sunterra sells 11,500 at Kaanapali for $40K and 10,000 at Williamsburg for $30K.

Is there a way of "renting" Sun points to use in an II exchange? If not, then WM seems to have much more flexibility because you can do multiple searches without regard to your actual number of owned points by "renting" more points after your trade is confirmed.-- Suzanne

There is currently no renting of points and no transferring of points between CS accts. Transfers have been talked about and that would lead to private renting if/when that ever happens. A CS member can borrow from the following year if need be, I think WM can to or they can rent.