The we loooooove Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek Part 4

[keishashadow]

I’m using Vacation Strategy for my upcoming trip in a few weeks, they always get right back with me, this is my third time going through them.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve used them to book WBC. Never an issue.

Had a cancelled ‘covid trip’ that the black out rules hampered using it up so far this year.

Looked at the recently released schedule into
2023 and decided to use the credit in December this year. Already had DVC booked, easy enough to cancel it & use those points later in 2023

Was thrilled with their quote & jumped on it. Lucky to grab reasonably priced
Airfare & rental car rate I can live with

FYI…

Was approx $200 less for 8 nights via calling VS direct vs thru VRBO website

they picked up phone when I did call this AM. Had my confirmation within 30 min.

 

[pmdeve]

We wanted to book Bonnet Creek. For July but unfortunately Vacation Strategy could not book for me in July. I have never used anyone else. I’ve read some bad reviews of other companies.
any suggestions who else I can call? I’d appreciate your suggestions.

 

[Brian Noble]

I can imagine two reasons why they could not book it. One is that there is no availability for the dates you want. If so, then it's not likely anyone else can help you either unless they happened to book your dates on spec.

The other reason is that VS would not be able to book it without running afoul of the Owner Priority policy. If that's the case, then someone else might be able to help, but they'd either need to have not used both of their "exceptions" or they'd need to be traveling during that time as well. Bonnet is on the priority list for the Memorial Day weekend, all of June, all of July and the first half of August.

https://clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinat...rces/reservations/owner-priority-reservations

 

[Upatnoon]

We wanted to book Bonnet Creek. For July but unfortunately Vacation Strategy could not book for me in July. I have never used anyone else. I’ve read some bad reviews of other companies.
any suggestions who else I can call? I’d appreciate your suggestions.

Redweek, go-koala, tugbbs and ebay are places to look.

Wyndham has made it more challenging for the big points owners to book and rent reservations. This means where it was once always easy to rent pretty much anything you wanted, now you may have to hunt and cast a wider net.

 

[pmdeve]

Redweek, go-koala, tugbbs and ebay are places to look.

Wyndham has made it more challenging for the big points owners to book and rent reservations. This means where it was once always easy to rent pretty much anything you wanted, now you may have to hunt and cast a wider net.

Thank you

 

[keishashadow]

Thank you

JMHO, I’d never consider booking one of the new blackout date periods unless the ’small’ owner listed had multiple positive reviews on VRBO.

Additionally, not sure how they would be able to provide written proof as to attaching their “exception” to the reservation in addition to having the reservation placed in your name. Based upon my experience renting @ WBC, most don’t until you make final payment.

This coming from a DVC member who has rented out her own points in the past lol. This whole “excepiton” thing is just too far out of my comfort zone YMMV. Last thing I’d want is to show up and be turned away or have res cancelled relatively last minute by the property

one of my adult kid’s friends was down earlier this year during blackout for a cheer competition there. they were staying WBC on their siblings points. They had no issue checking in at all as he had used his ‘exception‘ however, there was no documentation provided to her to indicate that.

Perhaps it’s an internal sort of bookkeeping thing or in the member’s Wyndham account somewhere that it’s been initiated. Haven’t read back in thread much, not sure if it’s been addressed. However, perhaps a Wyndham member could chime in here?

IMO it all comes down to accepting yet another level of trust to rent during the blackout period…good luck to all

 

[Brian Noble]

I’d never consider booking one of the new blackout date periods unless the ’small’ owner listed had multiple positive reviews on VRBO.

I think if it were me, I'd be comfortable if the owner clearly understood the policy and was able to explain to me why my booking did not run afoul of it. However, that's probably because *I* understand it, and that takes some doing.

(Short version: Check the dates in question on the list to see if the resort is on the list and as of when. If the resort is on it and the GC is being added after the effective dates, am I traveling in an overlapping reservation? If not, have I used both of my exceptions?)

As the end of the day, as @keishashadow says, you have to trust the owner to get this right, but you were trusting the owner in the first place, so maybe this isn't that much more consequential.

Perhaps it’s an internal sort of bookkeeping thing or in the member’s Wyndham account somewhere that it’s been initiated. Haven’t read back in thread much, not sure if it’s been addressed. However, perhaps a Wyndham member could chime in here?

It is internal; we don't (yet) have anything on the web site that tells us how many we've used/have left, and AFAIK there is nothing we could show a guest to prove it.

 

[keishashadow]

It is internal; we don't (yet) have anything on the web site that tells us how many we've used/have left, and AFAIK there is nothing we could show a guest to prove it.

Thanks for that Info!

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Could someone please post the blackout dates for 2022? We tried to rent with go koala for last November but they cancelled it due to it being a black out period.

Thanks!!

Nevermind. I’m a dummy- just saw it posted up above on this very page. Thank you!!

New question: is Vacation Strategy legit?

Thanks!!!!

 

[dioxide45]

Could someone please post the blackout dates for 2022? We tried to rent with go koala for last November but they cancelled it due to it being a black out period.

Thanks!!

Nevermind. I’m a dummy- just saw it posted up above on this very page. Thank you!!

New question: is Vacation Strategy legit?

Thanks!!!!

Many people have used Vacation Strategy, but they are a big point owner and points broker. They have the same limitations as anywhere else. Based on some things I have heard, some of them have found ways around it, but it only works for as long as Wyndham doesn't catch on and lock down more.

 

[keishashadow]

New question: is Vacation Strategy legit?

they voluntarily offered a non expiring credit for our stay that was cancelled for Easter 2020, shortly after the sky fell

From the horror stories I’ve read here, all brokers with TS rentals were absolutely not as forthcoming

They reminded me when I called to book last weekend that I had a credit to use! As if I needed that prompt lol Still, honest of them

We’ve never had an issue utilizing their services. Especially appreciate that they either pick up the phone or return calls within minutes, including on Saturdays

As with all thingsYMMV

 

[KristinU]

JMHO, I’d never consider booking one of the new blackout date periods unless the ’small’ owner listed had multiple positive reviews on VRBO.

Additionally, not sure how they would be able to provide written proof as to attaching their “exception” to the reservation in addition to having the reservation placed in your name. Based upon my experience renting @ WBC, most don’t until you make final payment.

This coming from a DVC member who has rented out her own points in the past lol. This whole “excepiton” thing is just too far out of my comfort zone YMMV. Last thing I’d want is to show up and be turned away or have res cancelled relatively last minute by the property

one of my adult kid’s friends was down earlier this year during blackout for a cheer competition there. they were staying WBC on their siblings points. They had no issue checking in at all as he had used his ‘exception‘ however, there was no documentation provided to her to indicate that.

Perhaps it’s an internal sort of bookkeeping thing or in the member’s Wyndham account somewhere that it’s been initiated. Haven’t read back in thread much, not sure if it’s been addressed. However, perhaps a Wyndham member could chime in here?

IMO it all comes down to accepting yet another level of trust to rent during the blackout period…good luck to all

It is internal; we don't (yet) have anything on the web site that tells us how many we've used/have left, and AFAIK there is nothing we could show a guest to prove it.

Yeah, I hear you @keishashadow . Like you already confirmed @Brian Noble , there isn't anything to show us that we are officially using one of the entitlements at this point. I'll feel a lot more confident about using the exceptions when (if ever???) I can see it in writing.

And on the rental companies - we rented successfully and happily from both Vacation Strategy and Vacation Upgrades before buying in to Wyndham (via resale). Both were great to work with and are legit.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Question for anyone who has been recently, do you still have to bring your own flotation devices for the lazy river? Or are they back to providing them now? Thanks!

 

[redboat45]

Question for anyone who has been recently, do you still have to bring your own flotation devices for the lazy river? Or are they back to providing them now? Thanks!

they provide them now. Have for almost a year (or more).

 

[OSUZorba]

I'm staying at Wyndham Cypress Palms this week because of the guest restrictions at Bonnet Creek. They are offering a free "Wyndham week" if I do an hour long sales pitch. I specifically asked if it was an RCI week and they said no, that it was an actual Club Wyndham week. Does anyone have experience with this offer? If it was actually like 120k points or something I think it would be worth my time, but if it is massively restricted like RCI, nah.

 

[Brian Noble]

I can't imagine it would be worth much---the "normal" incentive for attending is in the $100-$200 range. 120K points would be worth appx 5x that.

Plus, there is the value of your time and emotional equilibrium. I wouldn't even think of going, myself.

 

[redboat45]

I'm staying at Wyndham Cypress Palms this week because of the guest restrictions at Bonnet Creek. They are offering a free "Wyndham week" if I do an hour long sales pitch. I specifically asked if it was an RCI week and they said no, that it was an actual Club Wyndham week. Does anyone have experience with this offer? If it was actually like 120k points or something I think it would be worth my time, but if it is massively restricted like RCI, nah.

I think it would still be restricted to booking only a month in advance or whatever. that's whay it was when tried to do this to us several years ago. Booking only a monht in advance is VERY hard to do.

 

[dioxide45]

I'm staying at Wyndham Cypress Palms this week because of the guest restrictions at Bonnet Creek. They are offering a free "Wyndham week" if I do an hour long sales pitch. I specifically asked if it was an RCI week and they said no, that it was an actual Club Wyndham week. Does anyone have experience with this offer? If it was actually like 120k points or something I think it would be worth my time, but if it is massively restricted like RCI, nah.

100% it will be an RCI certificate. We received one for a presentation at Club Wyndham Clearwater Beach. They too told us it was a free Wyndham week. First it was a pain to actually receive it because they only email the certificate from the RCI system. It seems the domain (Yahoo) on the email that we primarily use blocks the emails from them. I had to finally give them an MSN email address to get it to come through. Then using it wasn't easy. Very few weeks/units/resorts are free. Mostly free were reservations inside 60 days at "lesser" resorts. Think Star Island. Not sure if Cypress Palms was there too. These were usually also small units that were free; studio or 1BRs mostly. We never saw a single Bonnet Creek week, free or paid. Upgrades are available for better resorts, stays further in the future or for larger units. We got down to the wire and finally booked a studio at Kingstown Reef with it. The studio there only has a murphy bed, it wasn't ideal. You will also have to pay for WiFI when coming in on an RCI certificate.

 

[OSUZorba]

Thanks, I assumed it was probably still a scam, but didn't want to miss out of it wasn't.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Anyone have any experience with how to do grocery delivery to this hotel? I'm assuming there's no Bell Services to hold your groceries for you and you have to meet them? If using instacart or something like that, how do facilitate that? What do you put in for the delivery address / etc.? Thanks in advance!