From Fixed Week To Flexible Vacationing

“We started with our first timeshare purchase in the mid-1980 era. We enjoyed that first week experience so much that we committed to a second one before we left the property at the end of that first beach week in the Florida panhandle. At one time we owned seven timeshare weeks spread from Orlando, the Florida panhandle, and New Orleans.

As we aged, travel planning changed with our change in interests, adventures, needs, and creature comforts. We can’t always get away for a whole week or several weeks at a given time.

We decided this past year to convert our fixed-time week interval vacation holdings to Club Wyndham points in Club Wyndham. There were several benefits in the Club Wyndham conversion offering that were appealing to us by our assigning deeded weeks to Club Wyndham. We received points that are exchangeable at other resorts within the Club Wyndham portfolio plus many other benefits.

Some of the benefits listed in the Club Wyndham literature include our access to book at approximately 200 resorts without having to pay an exchange fee. There are over 4,000 additional vacation possibilities across the globe through membership with RCI, plus the option to book RCI Nightly Stays. We have priority booking at our home resort and the choice to book our preferred length of stay.

We have the option to customize each vacation by choosing the location, length of stay, season, and suite size that fits our vacation needs rather than being obligated to week-long stays. We have the ability to book reservations, cancel reservations, and manage our account entirely online. We have a travel guide who works with us whenever we have questions regarding vacation planning and the best way to benefit from the Club.

We used to get that dreaded maintenance assessment bill in November just before the holidays, but now the assessment is paid in more convenient monthly installments electronically. As a Club Wyndham member, we pay program fees of 68 cents per 1,000 points owned or a minimum Program Fee of $190 per year, whichever is greater. This entitles us to receive perks bundled together, instead of having to pay for each individual benefit we will utilize.

Because of COVID-19 guidelines and some unexpected family matters, we have not had that first trip yet using our points, but we are planning now for travel in 2022 with family and friends. We think the Club Wyndham points program will better meet our current vacation circumstances without having to pay all the RCI exchange fees that we were paying prior to the pandemic when planning vacations.”

Larry Baudoin