What is a Good Number of CLUB Points?

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

I know that many of you will say it depends, but I kind of wanted to see what people thought.

My question is what is a decent amount of points that one should have in order for DRI to really make sense and on can be comfortable. I know there could be ranges for those who want two weeks, then a month then six weeks or more.

I was looking at their book that arrived today and notice that the point requirements have increased since Diamond has taken over. They have added room types to some of the properties that were not there before.

When one goes into a sales presentation, they have no idea about the number of points they should have to let them truly have flexibility. If you as a DRI member were to buy points, what would be a real reasonable amount of points that you would purchase?

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

I know that many of you will say it depends, but I kind of wanted to see what people thought.

My question is what is a decent amount of points that one should have in order for DRI to really make sense and on can be comfortable. I know there could be ranges for those who want two weeks, then a month then six weeks or more.

I was looking at their book that arrived today and notice that the point requirements have increased since Diamond has taken over. They have added room types to some of the properties that were not there before.

When one goes into a sales presentation, they have no idea about the number of points they should have to let them truly have flexibility. If you as a DRI member were to buy points, what would be a real reasonable amount of points that you would purchase?

You say you noticed that the points have increased since DRI took over? Where? Other than perhaps the addition of deluxe units, I'm not aware of any point increases.

Second, a good number of points would be to get you where you want to go. There really is no staight forward answer to that question. Some people will feel that enough to achieve Platinum Elite status is enough, others will feel that enough points to reserve at their home resort is more than adaquate. If you only need enough points for a 1 bedroom unit at The Suites at Fall Creek, why have enough points for a 1 bedroom at Polo Towers.

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

You say you noticed that the points have increased since DRI took over? Where? Other than perhaps the addition of deluxe units, I'm not aware of any point increases.

Second, a good number of points would be to get you where you want to go. There really is no staight forward answer to that question. Some people will feel that enough to achieve Platinum Elite status is enough, others will feel that enough points to reserve at their home resort is more than adaquate. If you only need enough points for a 1 bedroom unit at The Suites at Fall Creek, why have enough points for a 1 bedroom at Polo Towers.

If you look at the Sunterra book and the new Diamond Selections book for points needed, there has been an increase. Like I stated earlier, the may have added different titles because they have upgraded rooms and made enhancements, but they have also increased the number of points for them.

[d0ugie_fresh Member Find all posts View Profile Close d0ugie_fresh]

I know that many of you will say it depends, but I kind of wanted to see what people thought.

You're exactly right in my opinion. For my travel needs, 8500 points per year is enough for my one big trip per year. I work full time so my job keeps me from being able to take weeks upon weeks of vacation every year.

I don't plan on buying any more points because I will inherit more points/weeks from my parents once they are unable to travel like they do now. They are retired and travel year round so obviously, they need much more than 8500 points.

Also if you are open to traveling based on somewhat short notice, the 1/2 off points on reservations 59 days or less is a great way to get more bang for your buck from DRI.

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

We converted our Fixed Week worth 11K points and added 4K more. That would be two nice weeks in Williamsburg.

That also got us to Silver Elite status which I think I like but am not sure how I would be treated any differently without that status.

We found the conversion was the best method! It really worked for us!

Not sure this helped much but perhaps it does.

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

We have 11,500 points. That gets us 4 BDRMS for one week in Williamsburg at Powhatan (where we like to stay) during the summer, with 500 points left over. I suggest you look at the book and think about where you would like to go and what time of the year. Pick a few options because you may get tired of going to the same place every year. If money is tight, consider the MFs, club dues (if you join) and any, if you join the trust, those fees also. There is another thread on this site that people have used to post annual fees so you have some comparison. Don't buy alot more points than you need, but also, don't underbuy so you're not short. DRI keeps trying to get us to buy more points to get to the 15,000 level. We don't need them and, thus, won't give in.

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

If you look at the Sunterra book and the new Diamond Selections book for points needed, there has been an increase. Like I stated earlier, the may have added different titles because they have upgraded rooms and made enhancements, but they have also increased the number of points for them.

Can you give specific examples of points increases? I do not see where any of the DRI resorts have increased in points unless you look at the Deluxe designated units. Those units have what I consider some significant upgrades in appliances, bathrooms and furniture. IMO, they are worth the extra points.

I do not see where any of the standard units have increased in points. I do not believe DRI could increase the number of points required for units previously sold as they would also have to increase the number of points award to owners of those units if they are members of THE Club. If they didn't, then they would be in violation of the deed to that unit as those owners would not be able to book their own unit.

For that matter, it would be a zero sum game to increase points required for older units. To increase the points required, DRI would also have to increase the points given to owners of those units. If DRI did this across the board, not only would all points increase for units but, points owned by owners of those units would increase by the same amount. DRI would gain nothing in this process.

Diamond Select is a different animal from THE Club. Points in Diamond Select, as I understand it, are prone to variances.

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

Can you give specific examples of points increases? I do not see where any of the DRI resorts have increased in points unless you look at the Deluxe designated units. Those units have what I consider some significant upgrades in appliances, bathrooms and furniture. IMO, they are worth the extra points.

I do not see where any of the standard units have increased in points. I do not believe DRI could increase the number of points required for units previously sold as they would also have to increase the number of points award to owners of those units if they are members of THE Club. If they didn't, then they would be in violation of the deed to that unit as those owners would not be able to book their own unit.

For that matter, it would be a zero sum game to increase points required for older units. To increase the points required, DRI would also have to increase the points given to owners of those units. If DRI did this across the board, not only would all points increase for units but, points owned by owners of those units would increase by the same amount. DRI would gain nothing in this process.

Diamond Select is a different animal from THE Club. Points in Diamond Select, as I understand it, are prone to variances.

Doug,

I was referring to the additional room types that they now have at some of the resorts. They have redone some rooms and changed the names and upgraded them. They created a point value for these rooms that did not exist maybe that is what I meant to say. The point values on these rooms are now higher than the other rooms. There are rooms at Poipu that require a lot more points than when it was Sunterra and the Kannanapali in Maui has very high point requirement.

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

Doug,

I was referring to the additional room types that they now have at some of the resorts. They have redone some rooms and changed the names and upgraded them. They created a point value for these rooms that did not exist maybe that is what I meant to say. The point values on these rooms are now higher than the other rooms. There are rooms at Poipu that require a lot more points than when it was Sunterra and the Kannanapali in Maui has very high point requirement.

Carlos, you're closer to being right now.... New inventory like deluxe rooms at Powhatan and each new phase at Sedona Summit have brought upgrades that you 'pay' more for, but the old units that were your choice before are still there at the same price. When Epic resorts were brought in, they came in a super inflated costs IMO. There have been a couple instances of adjustments over the years like a Powhatan or Greensprings 4BR used to 'cost' less than two 2BRs, but I don't think the Hawaii values have changed at Poipu or KBC, but the new hotels etc that you can book there are certainly more.
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[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Doug,

I was referring to the additional room types that they now have at some of the resorts. They have redone some rooms and changed the names and upgraded them. They created a point value for these rooms that did not exist maybe that is what I meant to say. The point values on these rooms are now higher than the other rooms. There are rooms at Poipu that require a lot more points than when it was Sunterra and the Kannanapali in Maui has very high point requirement.

Carlos, you're closer to being right now.... New inventory like deluxe rooms at Powhatan and each new phase at Sedona Summit have brought upgrades that you 'pay' more for, but the old units that were your choice before are still there at the same price. When Epic resorts were brought in, they came in a super inflated costs IMO. There have been a couple instances of adjustments over the years like a Powhatan or Greensprings 4BR used to 'cost' less than two 2BRs, but I don't think the Hawaii values have changed at Poipu or KBC, but the new hotels etc that you can book there are certainly more.
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This is the middle ground we are looking for. Yes, the newer units cost more but, they come with substantial (at least IMO) upgrades. As Spence has written, the older units are still there and still the same.

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

20000 Points Seems to Give Flexibility

Ok. That's fine, but let's take this a step further. They upgraded the room, but they did not create a new room. It's not as if they created a new floor in the building. Thus, the upgraded room is still what used to be but newer.

If you have a timeshare in another resort like Marriott and they refurbish the room and upgrade it, you are not going to be charged additional anything. Isn't that what maintenance fees are for? To me it's the same room that has been finally modernized. Why should the points increase. Won't the other rooms that did not have a point increase at some time need to be refurbished. Will those points go up? I am just trying to understand the difference.

It seems that to be safe one would need somewhere around 20,000 points to be able to plan and stay almost anywhere during high seasons if they needed more than one bedroom.

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

Ok. That's fine, but let's take this a step further. They upgraded the room, but they did not create a new room. It's not as if they created a new floor in the building. Thus, the upgraded room is still what used to be but newer.

If you have a timeshare in another resort like Marriott and they refurbish the room and upgrade it, you are not going to be charged additional anything. Isn't that what maintenance fees are for? To me it's the same room that has been finally modernized. Why should the points increase. Won't the other rooms that did not have a point increase at some time need to be refurbished. Will those points go up? I am just trying to understand the difference.

It seems that to be safe one would need somewhere around 20,000 points to be able to plan and stay almost anywhere during high seasons if they needed more than one bedroom.

Essentially, what they've done is take developer inventory and upgrade them to Deluxe units. For every 52 intervals DRI has in current inventory, they can take one standard unit and convert and sell it as a Deluxe unit.

For business purposes it's both legal and makes good sense. You don't have to build from the ground up, you make changes that do not have a significant initial cost and then you get to charge thousands more for that unit. At the same time, you're improving your product and your product image AND still providing what the original owners paid for by not removing the required standard units from inventory.

Those that bought standard units can stay there if they want and there is adaquate inventory to provide them with what they purchased. Those that prefer an upgraded unit can upgrade their ownership if they wish. Prospects can be offered two distinct levels of ownership so the sales staff has something to fall back to if the prospect balks at the initial investment required for a Deluxe unit. IMO, it's a no brainer for DRI. I like it because I prefer the Deluxe units to the standard units most times but, if I want to stretch my points on short stays, I can always fall back to the cheaper standard units.

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

The other thing they've done is to increase the number of points required to say during peak season. I don't know if that started with Sunterra, or has been done by DRI.

Let's say that you're the lucky owner of a deeded ocean front unit at Poipu, and you decide to join the Club. they will offer you 15,500 points for your unit. But 19,500 is needed for an ocean front unit at peak times. (Christmas, New Years, Easter, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving). Under the deeded arrangement, you can book those weeks. When you convert to Club you no longer have enough points unless you were sharp enough to negotiate a rider giving you access to year round inventory.

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

Ok. That's fine, but let's take this a step further. They upgraded the room, but they did not create a new room. It's not as if they created a new floor in the building. Thus, the upgraded room is still what used to be but newer.

If you have a timeshare in another resort like Marriott and they refurbish the room and upgrade it, you are not going to be charged additional anything. Isn't that what maintenance fees are for? To me it's the same room that has been finally modernized. Why should the points increase. Won't the other rooms that did not have a point increase at some time need to be refurbished. Will those points go up? I am just trying to understand the difference.

It seems that to be safe one would need somewhere around 20,000 points to be able to plan and stay almost anywhere during high seasons if they needed more than one bedroom.

I don't think you're right, I know of no places where older inventory has been changed, my examples of Powhatan and Sedona were new construction.
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[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

The other thing they've done is to increase the number of points required to say during peak season. I don't know if that started with Sunterra, or has been done by DRI.

Let's say that you're the lucky owner of a deeded ocean front unit at Poipu, and you decide to join the Club. they will offer you 15,500 points for your unit. But 19,500 is needed for an ocean front unit at peak times. (Christmas, New Years, Easter, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving). Under the deeded arrangement, you can book those weeks. When you convert to Club you no longer have enough points unless you were sharp enough to negotiate a rider giving you access to year round inventory.

But isn't this one of those cases where the deed was a 52 week float so they've averaged the points over the whole year and granted that average, people in this situation have been able to book those prime weeks that their float would have obtained if they knew to negotiate this when they converted.
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