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I just returned from my three weeks vacation in China, and stayed two weeks at Beijing Jin Qiao Apartment Hotel. Jin Qiao is not bad a service apartment, within the second ring road of the city. Taxi fare is so cheap that $2 to $3 can take you to all major attractions within the city. The unit is one bedroom with a kitchen, though I never used the kitchen except boiling water for tea and coffee, because dining opportunities are cheap and abundant in the city.
The unit comes with free Internet. During my vacation, I browsed and found Jin Qiao is now an affilitated "resort" with Diamonds.
Jin Qiao is a high rise residential building with hundreds of units. About 50% of them are for short and long term rentals and 50% for daily hotel rentals. The Absolute Private Residence, a time share company in China, owns 5 units in this building. APR provides exchange opportunities to II and now to Diamonds.
The reason I post this is to challenge the benefits of exchanging via Diamonds.
1. I exchanged two weeks via II within the 59 days window. The total points required is 3500 for two weeks which I consider a major steal. Diamonds charges 10000 points for a week. If you rent the unit in the market (the hotel side), it will cost you like $900 per week which is about the MF I pay every year to Diamonds. If I exchange via II, the cost (MF + exchange fees) for two weeks is like $600, i.e. $300 per week. How can I justify booking via Diamonds instead of using II?
2. I don't know how many weeks/units Diamonds has access to. Absolute Private Residence has to satisfy their customers, II and Diamonds with their 5 units only. I doubt it whether Diamonds will have too many weeks available to the members.
Overall, Jin Qiao is an excellent base to explore Beijing. Do not expect North American type of resort and services though.
Diamonds is expanding towards overseas, but the points charged are unreasonably high that we had better exchange via II or rent it in the open market.
Don't know how many of you have tried timeshares in China. Post it to share my experience and observations.
The unit comes with free Internet. During my vacation, I browsed and found Jin Qiao is now an affilitated "resort" with Diamonds.
Jin Qiao is a high rise residential building with hundreds of units. About 50% of them are for short and long term rentals and 50% for daily hotel rentals. The Absolute Private Residence, a time share company in China, owns 5 units in this building. APR provides exchange opportunities to II and now to Diamonds.
The reason I post this is to challenge the benefits of exchanging via Diamonds.
1. I exchanged two weeks via II within the 59 days window. The total points required is 3500 for two weeks which I consider a major steal. Diamonds charges 10000 points for a week. If you rent the unit in the market (the hotel side), it will cost you like $900 per week which is about the MF I pay every year to Diamonds. If I exchange via II, the cost (MF + exchange fees) for two weeks is like $600, i.e. $300 per week. How can I justify booking via Diamonds instead of using II?
2. I don't know how many weeks/units Diamonds has access to. Absolute Private Residence has to satisfy their customers, II and Diamonds with their 5 units only. I doubt it whether Diamonds will have too many weeks available to the members.
Overall, Jin Qiao is an excellent base to explore Beijing. Do not expect North American type of resort and services though.
Diamonds is expanding towards overseas, but the points charged are unreasonably high that we had better exchange via II or rent it in the open market.
Don't know how many of you have tried timeshares in China. Post it to share my experience and observations.
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