Posts: 140
From: ontario
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 04-29-2005 10:42               

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I'm thinking of breaking down and paying up to join. II is deteriorating as all the large resort families have their own internal exchange programs so II seems to get nothing but leftovers.
Is anyone out there really happy they paid all that extra to join?
Does anyone really regret it?
Im hoping for honest answers.
Thanks.

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Posts: 2025
From: Rochester, NY : Cypress Pointe & Westgate VV, Orlando Fl;FF Kingsgate Williamsburg, VA(FF Pts);Cove @ Yarmouth, Cape Cod MA;Rayburn CC, TX-RCI Pts
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 04-29-2005 13:39               

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I bought into Club Sunterra back in 1998. It has been a good program overall. Do make sure they have resorts where you intend to go. If they do it can be a bargain - if not you're back to II and you already know they have limited choices.

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John Chase
Use Email Icon above for contact address

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Posts: 2497
From: East Coast, Mid-Atlantic; Club Sunterra Founding Member
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 04-29-2005 16:09               

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I paid $1995 as a Founding Member back in 1998 to put my first week into Club Sunterra and I'm generally happy that I did.

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Posts: 26
From: Fort Wayne, IN
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 04-29-2005 20:05               

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I have been a member of Club Sunterra since 2000. I've been very pleased with the trades that I have gotten within the system, as well as the II membership provided by Sunterra. I have found that it is key to search early within the club system. For instance....Sunterra allows you to book 10 months in advance at a resort which is not your home resort. I try to book 10 months to the day that I want to travel, and so far I have gotten all that I wanted.

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Posts: 140
From: ontario
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 04-29-2005 20:50               

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How much time ahead of your home reservation do you have to confirm to guarantee you get it?
Can you then deposit it in the system if you change your mind?

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Posts: 42
From: New York
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 04-30-2005 22:19            

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I heard horror story about Sunterra option points are not transferrable. This would make the ownership worthless for resales, wouldn't it?

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Posts: 2025
From: Rochester, NY : Cypress Pointe & Westgate VV, Orlando Fl;FF Kingsgate Williamsburg, VA(FF Pts);Cove @ Yarmouth, Cape Cod MA;Rayburn CC, TX-RCI Pts
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-01-2005 10:18               

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You cannot resell the Club membership. For a weeks owner (most of those who bought prior to 2001) that means you can sell the week but the new owner would have to pay to get it back into Club. More recently they have changed to UDI and trust based memberships and I can't say how that would affect any resale as I don't own that type.

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John Chase
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Posts: 1208
From: Dublin, GA USA Owner: Cypress Pointe I (floating), CP II (UDI), Sunterra Powhatan (52)
Registered: May 2002

posted 05-02-2005 05:26               

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You can always resell any underlying Sunterra weeks that you own, just as anyone can, but you can't sell or transfer the Club mambership. Think of it like a golf club membership. If you decide to quit playing, you can sell your clubs, golf cart and even the house on the golf course, but whether to join the club woudl generally be up to the new owner.

All that said, I have been a satisfied owner for several years. I still own my weeks, but have them assigned to the Club. It has worked out well for us, although I don't know how I woudl feel if I had joined up with RCI or another group instead. Comparisons to other systems are always difficult, because you don't really get to know what a system is really like (for you) until you have used it a bit. Whatever you do, decide on just one organization and stick with it; most of the dissatisfaction that I read about comes when people try to mix systms and have them do things that were never intended.

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Frank Newman

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Posts: 140
From: ontario
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 05-02-2005 12:13               

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If you join and then purchase another week at a Sunterra resort, do you have to pay again for the new week, or can you just add it to the list?

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Posts: 2025
From: Rochester, NY : Cypress Pointe & Westgate VV, Orlando Fl;FF Kingsgate Williamsburg, VA(FF Pts);Cove @ Yarmouth, Cape Cod MA;Rayburn CC, TX-RCI Pts
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-02-2005 14:41               

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In my experience you can't just add another week into your account. They make you buy more at retail price to bring in more time via resale.

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John Chase
Use Email Icon above for contact address

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Posts: 2497
From: East Coast, Mid-Atlantic; Club Sunterra Founding Member
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-02-2005 14:47               

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quote:

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Originally posted by 1341a:
If you join and then purchase another week at a Sunterra resort, do you have to pay again for the new week, or can you just add it to the list?

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When you join you need to get them to agree/stipulate that you can add additional units in the future. Many things are negotiable!

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Posts: 448
From: Sumner, WA Owner: Club Intrawest, Monarch Grand Vacation & Mountainside Lodge
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 05-20-2005 12:05               

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This may be a little of the subject but, When VI left Sunterra did all the old VI resorts go with them or did Sunterra keep some of the rooms? I noticed that several old VI resorts are still listed on the Club Sunterra web site.

Did you have a choice, when they broke up, who you could go with? Or was the underlining deed the determining factor?

TIA

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Bill

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Posts: 2497
From: East Coast, Mid-Atlantic; Club Sunterra Founding Member
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-20-2005 16:59               

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No choices. Sunterra Pacific = VI
I think they kept some reciprocal trade agreements where each has access to some of the others resorts.

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Posts: 418
From: Hyde Park, NY,USA Powhatan Plantation
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 05-22-2005 10:24               

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Club Sunterra was a good deal for us. We own at PP,which had been going downhill. We also have a week 52 which is a good holiday some years and pretty bad in others. As a result,our trading esperience with RCI wasn't that great. Since we went to points,we have had much better results as we are trading points,and our 15,000 points are,in theory,no better or worse than those of someone with a great trading week. We also find that,as we have no kids and tend to travel slightly off season,we can often trade our two weeks for three at other resorts. That said,we were offered the aforementioned "trust" and decided it was another scheme to extort more money from us and was a bad deal,especially since you appear to lose your deeded week.

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Posts: 2
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Registered: May 2005

posted 05-26-2005 06:39            

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I've been very happy with the exchanges and the flexibility.

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Posts: 1208
From: Dublin, GA USA Owner: Cypress Pointe I (floating), CP II (UDI), Sunterra Powhatan (52)
Registered: May 2002

posted 05-27-2005 15:51               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Arnold Austin:
I've been very happy with the exchanges and the flexibility.

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Me TOO !

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Frank Newman

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Posts: 50
From: Orlando,fl
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 06-01-2005 15:49            

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I am looking at a resale for Polynesian Isles in Kissimmee, FL. Can anyome tell me:

1) How many Sunterra Club points a 2 BR is worth?
2) What it would cost me to join the club, since this is a resale?
3) Is the annual club membership still $139?

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Posts: 2497
From: East Coast, Mid-Atlantic; Club Sunterra Founding Member
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-02-2005 17:23               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Badman:
I am looking at a resale for Polynesian Isles in Kissimmee, FL. Can anyome tell me:

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1) How many Sunterra Club points a 2 BR is worth?
Mid Season 3500
High Season 4500
Peak Season 6500
2) What it would cost me to join the club, since this is a resale?
Good question, the answer can be as little as ~$1200 up to ~$8000 with the required purchase of developer points,
3) Is the annual club membership still $139?
$149 now, I think

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Posts: 50
From: Orlando,fl
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 06-02-2005 19:46            

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Spence:

Thanks. Great info. I appreciate it.

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