posted 04-14-2005 07:10               

For those who already have experience in reserving a Royal Holiday Club unit for use I have several questions. Any help will be appreciated.

1. How late can I reserve days or weeks to use? I'm interested in London, Paris, New York, Anaheim, Miami, Rome, Mexico, and some of the other urban centers.

2. RHC no longer has Boston or Venice as locations for reservations. How often do they drop locations? When do they add new destinations?

3. Are the use of the RHC points for cruise vacations cost effective? How do they work? RCI has a composite cost for their cruises: an initial cost in RCI points PLUS a cash payment for their cruises. Does RHC do the same or do RHC owners just pay in RHC points?

4. Have there been any really BAD experiences you've had with RHC?

5. Do you expect RHC to be around for 30 or so years so owners can use those points up for the life of their RTUs?

Thanks in advance.

posted 04-14-2005 08:40            

quote:

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Originally posted by RonaldCol:
2. RHC no longer has Boston or Venice as locations for reservations. How often do they drop locations? When do they add new destinations?

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The rules say that they can do this from time to time, but that they have to add other, comparable destinations when they drop one. I don't know how frequently they add or drop resorts. However, I did notice that they now have a resort in Istanbul that you can get for under 8,000 points for a week. I might just go there next year.

posted 04-14-2005 08:44            

quote:

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Originally posted by RonaldCol:
5. Do you expect RHC to be around for 30 or so years so owners can use those points up for the life of their RTUs?

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I wouldn't hazard a guess. I just figured that I wanted to make sure that, after purchase price and annual fees, I came out ahead after 3 years, in case it does go under. Having now used my $150 purchase (plus $330 in annual fees) to book a week in Madrid in the summer and a week in Amsterdam in the summer, I figure that I am ahead after just two years. $780 for two weeks in Europe isn't bad. I just bought another 15,000 point package for about $350 or so (can't remember exactly) that I plan on using for a weekend in New York this November, which I figure puts me ahead on that package this year.

posted 04-14-2005 13:03               

Have you tried to merge your RCH memberships yet? I have thought about adding more points but I would want to merge to get the lower M/F.. just wondering if anyone has done this yet?

Thanks,
Susan

posted 04-14-2005 14:08               

Thanks for the information above.

I paid considerably more than you did in your points purchase. My cost for the 30,000 annual points was $1200 plus $780 in closing costs. The life of the contract is 29 years. Maintenance fees are $570 a year. So, the amortized cost of my contract is $0.0215 cents a point per year.

I'll get my use out of this ownership probably within three years also. We like New York and go there often. The Affinia Dumont, which is the club's only New York access, goes for about 19,500 club points for lowest season and as high as 28,000 points during high season. At 28,000 points it's about $602. Unfortunately the Affinia Dumont charges an additional $32 per day for New York taxes regardless of what season, so that adds up to an additional $224 for a week. During high season, the total cost is $824 for a week in a five star accommodation in mid-town New York. As a basis of comparison, ownership in the Manhattan Club will cost about $750 in yearly maintenance fees and real estate taxes; factor in the cost of purchase which should be about $15,000, and it's money cost of about 6% per annum for an additional $900, and you're looking at $1650 for the week at the Manhattan Club. After a year of RHC ownership using New York as a basis of comparison, we're ahead by $825. Two year's later we're ahead by double that amount, and the math then takes care of itself. The Affinia Dumont rents the week out in the open market at around $2200 for the week.

One of the biggest bargains, aside from the Christmas Mountain UDI's, is the undervalued RHC ownership. Factor in the possibility that the RHC can go under well before thirty years are up and we're still ahead of the game. Of course, RHC is of benefit if travel outside of the US is a consideration. There are no other timeshares, or clubs, that I know of that can access urban destinations as cost effective as the RHC.

posted 04-14-2005 15:56            

quote:

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Originally posted by RonaldCol:
One of the biggest bargains, aside from the Christmas Mountain UDI's, is the undervalued RHC ownership.

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I would agree with that. It has a lot to do with the crybabies who bought from the club itself, and continually scream and whine about how they were ripped off, and they are going to bring a class action suit against RHC, etc., etc. it artificially depresses the resale price. As long as you realize that you probably will get nothing (or next to nothing) on a resale, and factor that into your calculations, you can really do well with an RHC membership.

That said, the one problem I have had with them is that their administration is not very good. This year, I got collections notices from their agent (Concord Servicing Corp) on maintenance fees I had paid directly to RHC last year when I made my reservation in Madrid. It took a certified letter and a phone call after I received a second collections notice, before the matter was resolved. Then, after it was resolved with Concord, I got a telephone call a month later from RHC directly telling me that I still owed the money. Then they fixed the problem, as well.

Some of the telephone reps don't speak English that well (I think that they are in Mexico). Some don't know the system that well. But if you know the system and are firm with what you want, it can work quite well for you.

posted 04-14-2005 15:57            

quote:

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Originally posted by rsonc:
HOC,

Have you tried to merge your RCH memberships yet? I have thought about adding more points but I would want to merge to get the lower M/F.

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Susan--

I have talked with a rep about it, but my second ownership has not closed yet. Once it does, he said that I will be able to do it, but there is a fee.

posted 04-14-2005 16:04            

quote:

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Originally posted by RonaldCol:
. . . you're looking at $1650 for the week at the Manhattan Club. After a year of RHC ownership using New York as a basis of comparison, we're ahead by $825. Two year's later we're ahead by double that amount, and the math then takes care of itself.

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Or you can look at it this way: You paid $1,200 for your interest, plus $780 in closing costs. $570 a year for two years means your total costs are $3,120, including purchase price, closing and fees. Two years at the Manhattan Club would cost you $3,300. That means that if RHC goes under after two years, you still saved yourself $180.

posted 04-14-2005 16:20               

I thought the Royal Holiday Club (RHC) also has availability at the Lynden Gardens on the upper East Side in NYC.

Do they still have this affiliation besides the Affinia Dumont?

My wife and I stayed in a Presidential suite at the Affinia Dumont last year and absolutely loved it. Would stay again in a heartbeat.

posted 04-14-2005 18:58               

As in this instance though, and before, how do you know what availability exists and in what time frame for the resorts within the Club.

Seems that would be central to any buying decision and value to you, how is it ascertained.?

posted 04-14-2005 21:59               

quote:

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Originally posted by MULTIZ321:
Ron,

I thought the Royal Holiday Club (RHC) also has availability at the Lynden Gardens on the upper East Side in NYC.

Do they still have this affiliation besides the Affinia Dumont?

My wife and I stayed in a Presidential suite at the Affinia Dumont last year and absolutely loved it. Would stay again in a heartbeat.

Richard

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My apologies for fogetting about the Lyden Gardens. I forgot because it's cost was higher than the Affinia Dumont. I believe it was about 40,000 annual points for the Lyden Gardens.

When you stayed at the Affinia Dumont's Presidential Suite, I assume you used RHC points, correct? Is this the two bedroom unit? If you didn't use the points, do you remember how much it was? Thanks.

posted 04-14-2005 22:49            

quote:

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Originally posted by Spence:
What is the name/ext of your rep, I've never been able to get that answer. I'd love to know.

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I didn't bother to remember his name. He was just a rep I got on the phone.

posted 04-15-2005 14:17               

Glad to hear it was an oversight and the Lynden Gardens is still in the RHC portfolio.

For our stay at the Affinia Dumont - we rented through a RHC member, so I don't know how many points the exchange was for. We wanted to get a whole week but the AD did not have availability for the whole week, so we had a partial week - I think it was 4 nights.
It was a 1 bedroom Presidential Suite. The couch in the Living Room was a sleeper/couch (we didn't need to use it as such). The Living Room also had a work table, ergonomic chair, and high-speed internet hookup if you so desired( I think it was about $10 or $15/day for the connection. The unit had a galley kitchen - we just used it mainly for breakfast foods and snacks.

I'd like to buy a RHC membership if I can find one at a reasonable price. I'm curious where you found your RHC points package?

Thanks
Richard

posted 04-15-2005 14:50               

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I have a question for anyone else that already owns with RHC.

I am thinking of joining II and I was wondering if anyone has ever deposited one of their weeks in II before? can you also use the search first? Also if you did deposit did it trade very well?

Thanks,
Susan

posted 04-25-2005 20:25               

Keep us posted on the outcome.

Thanks

posted 05-11-2005 07:14               

quote:

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Originally posted by reddiablosv:
I am also a RHC credits owner and advocate. I purchased my 30K membership on ebay about a year ago and it came with 30K points for $1500....
[This message has been edited by reddiablosv (edited 04-14-2005).]

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