I could see it having maybe worked if they labeled some rooms as "concierge" and for more points (not "cash") you got access
DVC never wanted to offer Club amenities at AKV. They got stuck with those units based on geography and are dependent on the resort's offering of Club. If AKV makes substantive changes (which over 50 years: highly likely) they will need to absorb those points elsewhere in the resort. DVC does not want to commit to a point-based amenity for 50 years.
seems like the AKV concierge rooms sell out right away
There are 5. So that is a factor.
Yeah, seemed like a huge money grab by DVC
With the understanding that I think Reunion Station was a stupid concept, stupidly executed, I've been considering the economics of it and $50 per person per day may not have been out of line with mainline club offering.
Alcohol tends to be high margin when sold in restaurants. Food is variable when offered via this kind of amenity, as most food margin at restaurants comes via the markup.. Lease costs and labor are the big fixed costs for any kind of hospitality.
With Reunion Station as a cash offering, they don't have a fixed base of likely occupancy (like a 50-70% range estimate when doing P&L on the main Club Level. Possibly higher).
If we look at the difference in Club Level and non-Club rates at a few resorts...
- Wilderness Lodge, Regular Season: Standard $456/$468/$501, Courtyard $575/$594/$649, Club $728/$754/$828
- AKV, Regular Season: Standard $458/$471/$508, Savannah $633/$659/$735, Club Savannah $756/$772/$816
- Poly, Regular: Garden $626/$655/$740, Garden Club $891/$909/$963
While there is some seasonal variance, it's not huge. The WL and AKL rooms each hold 4 people, so the spread from WL Standard to Club is $272/$286/$327, which is more than $50pp/night. AKL, often known as the cheapest CL (pending CSR), is only $123/$113/$76 for spread, which is obviously less per person per night. Poly, you're looking at a larger spread as well - $265/$254/$223. Now, Poly units hold 5, but I suspect the average occupancy is closer to 3.5. Nonetheless, you're not way out of range of $50pp.
The numbers across the other deluxes also varies, comparing similar view to similar view. The spread at WL is less when you consider Courtyard, but I'm not sure what Club's view is.
You have to add in some fudge for not having the more consistent commitment of Club Units that are bookable - in other words, since it's an add on, demand is far more variable.
I suspect if booked to maximum, the overall profit margin wasn't spectacular, even at $50 per person.