II ratings - where do they get them from???

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

http://www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=291
Petit Crest Villas • PES

I am always looking for 'different' resorts to post on sightings and just clicked on this resort as there was a 2BR available for New Years week....
PLEASE - look at the photos and tell me if this resort deserves II highest quality rating...am I missing something?

Post your examples - of deserving and undeserving resorts.

Premier Resort
The highest level of recognition, providing an outstanding vacation experience, with state-of-the-art conveniences, and modern features and appointments.

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

It seems to all tied to favorites

http://www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=291
Petit Crest Villas • PES

I am always looking for 'different' resorts to post on sightings and just clicked on this resort as there was a 2BR available for New Years week....
PLEASE - look at the photos and tell me if this resort deserves II highest quality rating...am I missing something?

Post your examples - of deserving and undeserving resorts.

One of my major pet peeves with II is the completely out of control "rankings" of resorts. Until this year they had only one - 5* - and the variance between the deserving - Marriott, DVC as examples - and the undeserving - Cancun Resort, LV and my own Wastegate VV which hasn't deserved to be at a ranked quality level in 10 years - was so wide as to make the "award" meaningless. Meanwhile deserving resorts that were independent or, heaven help them, primarily an RCI resort got nothing as they weren't in the with the favored developer groups.

Now they do have 2 rankings but it appears nothing really changed. Wastegate still automatically gets top rank - as do the other favored names - and a few resorts got the second tier rank. But almost none of the deserving independents got a rank and those that didn't deserve one haven't been culled. The basis still appears to be the developer standing within II not the true quality or lack thereof of the resorts. It still means you can't trust the II rankings to tell you anything about resort quality or features. This is one area where RCI is clearly superior as the Gold/Silver Crown rankings really do speak to resort quality levels.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I have only stayed at a couple of II properties. Way before internet and a few years before I bought my timeshares.

I was very disappointed with VDP. Unless they have done some SERIOUS unit renovations there is no way that is a 5* property. Nicest thing about it was the pool. It is a non-rated resort with RCI and deservedly so from my point of view.

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

Interval Answer at ARDA Convention

When a Interval representative was asked at the Arda convention in
Las Vegas how they came up with the new names "Premier" and "Select" the person became very defensive and explained how they spent over two years to come up with those names and how it was a very extensive process of choosing the names.
Premier is the first opening of a new show and Select is a bad piece of meat and that took less then one minute to properly identify.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

When a Interval representative was asked at the Arda convention in
Las Vegas how they came up with the new names "Premier" and "Select" the person became very defensive and explained how they spent over two years to come up with those names and how it was a very extensive process of choosing the names.
Premier is the first opening of a new show and Select is a bad piece of meat and that took less then one minute to properly identify.

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

I think that Petit Crest Villas is a Bluegreen resort. Maybe someone who has visited could voice an opinion.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I wasn't looking for a 'bashing' post - really - I just wanted an honest opinion.
Lawren's example of Villa Del Palmar - the one in PV? is a case in point - really not a superior resort - while their new property in NV - VDP Flamingos is beautifully furnished with all the expected amenities - lovely pool, nice restaurants, on-site marketplace, work-out room.

I just don't see how VDP flamingos compares with the resort I first posted about.
LOOK at the pictures of the unit...there is NOTHING Premier about them.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

One of my major pet peeves with II is the completely out of control "rankings" of resorts. Until this year they had only one - 5* - and the variance between the deserving - Marriott, DVC as examples - and the undeserving - Cancun Resort, LV and my own Wastegate VV which hasn't deserved to be at a ranked quality level in 10 years - was so wide as to make the "award" meaningless. Meanwhile deserving resorts that were independent or, heaven help them, primarily an RCI resort got nothing as they weren't in the with the favored developer groups.

Now they do have 2 rankings but it appears nothing really changed. Wastegate still automatically gets top rank - as do the other favored names - and a few resorts got the second tier rank. But almost none of the deserving independents got a rank and those that didn't deserve one haven't been culled. The basis still appears to be the developer standing within II not the true quality or lack thereof of the resorts. It still means you can't trust the II rankings to tell you anything about resort quality or features. This is one area where RCI is clearly superior as the Gold/Silver Crown rankings really do speak to resort quality levels.

How do u feel RCI rating system compares with II?
Do you fel there is more 'fairness' in how they are rated???

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

II free for all - RCI uses a system

How do u feel RCI rating system compares with II?
Do you fel there is more 'fairness' in how they are rated???

Neither is perfect but RCI does seem, once the ratings are guest results based rather than the initial assigned values given to a new resort, at least hold some basis in fact. First of all there are clear values required by the RCI system to be a Gold Crown or Silver crown. You can depend on those. Then the year to year rankings are actually based on results from response cards. Again this isn't perfect as a resort with 100's or even thousands of cards per month can "eat" a few bad ones and maintain a ranking while a smaller resort may only get 50-100 cards and few bad ones - which are bound to occur anywhere - can kill the results. It isn't perfect.

But you can see from the recent fall in ranking levels from Wyndham resorts - under the same corporate umbrella as RCI - that they do actually use the results and not favoritism based on developer status that II seems to base theirs on. It has been clearly established that II has no real standards while RCI - at least it appears - does use guest results and a clear set of criteria to establish their rankings. While neither is absolute of the two RCI's give a much better idea about resort quality if that is important to you.

[Bill4728 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Bill4728]

The II rating make no sense to me.

We own at several resorts.
-The Mountainside lodge in Whistler BC is RCI gold crown (but shouldn't be) and isn't given any rating in II ( not even Select)
- Riviera Shore in SoCal is Select which kind of makes sense since all the 2 bed units face a hill. But Riviera Beach, next store, isn't as nice as the Shores and also has some 2 bds facing the same hill but it is Premier.

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

This topic has come up before.

I have a few friends that have management positions.

they told me a rep from II comes to the resort for a tour, get the royal treatment and they retain the 5 star.

The only thing that can hurt a resort is if enough people put negative comments on the evaluations. Most resorts encourage owners to do the right thing when they visit to maintain the good ratings.

I think many resorts enjoy very comfortable relationships with II.

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

I think that Petit Crest Villas is a Bluegreen resort. Maybe someone who has visited could voice an opinion.

Petit Crest is not a Bluegreen developed or managed resort. The BGVC does own a limited number of units that are available to Club members. The resort is run by RAL Resorts.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

How about TripAdvisor?

How do u feel RCI rating system compares with II?
Do you fel there is more 'fairness' in how they are rated???

I feel that both are beholden to the developers who are their big clients and not to us, the members who give them inventory too. I don't think that II or RCI rate the resorts often enough but RCI has a review section. Will they leave posts with a very negative review? I doubt it because it would make their "big clients" mad. I don't know if II even has a similar forum?

We read the reviews on TripAdvisor. Everything is rated there up to date and people don't differentiate between private condos or timeshare condos. This can be a disadvantage sometimes to some timeshare condos where you have private condos too because some owners may rent out crappy condos but it gives you an idea about the resort in general.

RCI and II are great for looking at a few pictures of the resort and checking out the amenities and getting the directions but TripAdvisor has this too now.

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

This topic has come up before.

The only thing that can hurt a resort is if enough people put negative comments on the evaluations. Most resorts encourage owners to do the right thing when they visit to maintain the good ratings.

I think many resorts enjoy very comfortable relationships with II.

I tend to agree with you on all points.

This is what I used to hear when I first began timesharing -- in the early 80's: "the resort's evaluation ratings are the result of comments from folk who stay at the resort."

However, a lot of resorts automatically received 5-star ratings before groundbreaking.

I own at the Pelican -- now that the Royals have taken over, THEIR newest portion of the resort is 5-star. The old portion of Pelican lost its 5-star rating many moons ago.

[JuneB Member Find all posts View Profile Close JuneB]

I completely disagree that RCI has a better rating system than II. I don't really agree with either one but I think RCI is unbelieveably bad.

Someone from RCI told me they looked at the ratings and would possibly change them once a year. They change them constantly.

One of the nicest resorts I know of (and no, I don't own there) is now not rated at all, not even hospitality. I called RCI and asked them why. They said they would have a supervisor call me back. She did and her answer was they had three comment cards regarding that resort in the past year and they all had some negative comments. This is for a resort that gets very few exchanges in. And since when did the comments cards determine the rating. I know they determine the VEP. When RCI first started this system back in the late 80's I believe, it was to keep exchangers from complaining that they traded down. People would walk in to a unit and immediately call RCI complaining it wasn't nice enough for them. This resort I am talking about has the biggest "wow" factor imaginable. It also has one of the highest Tug ratings.

So are people leaving bad comment cards trying to bring a resort down to make it easier for them to trade into?


Edited to add that this resort has always been 5* and now Premier, laurel or whatever its called with II.

Back in the DeHaan days RCI had more inspections of the resorts. They also encouraged their employees to visit the different resorts in the area when they vacationed and give reports including pictures. They gave the employees incentives for doing this.