Greetings,
We are purchasing a timeshare on Kauai at Marriotts Waiohai Resort on Poipu Beach. According to the salesman, the resort we are looking at to purchase is a "5 Star, High Value" trade. Interval website lists it as a "red week exchange, 1-52" If I were to give up a week to Interval how tough would it be to get a week (2 BDRM/2 BATH unit) at the Boardwalk Villa's? Would I have my choice of the week or would I get whats left? We are new to the timeshare experience. I have not heard good things about RCI (i.e. not all red weeks created equal) I hope Interval is different.
Also, can members of Interval exchange with each other and how does that work?
Thanks
For a 2 BR, dramatically tough, if you are not flexible to somewhat off season, essentially no chance. DVC deposits few 2 BR and mostly off season. But it does happen at times, even for BCV, BWV and VWL.
It sounds like you need to learn more about what you're buying and getting yourself in to. Buy HI if you want to stay there but buying there with the idea of trading very often is not a smart choice. Once can also buy resale and save quite a bit of money, even for HI. It is not worth buying for the points, don't let them con you into that one. If you haven't completed the deal or you are within your cancellation window, I would put things on hold until you truly understand the ins and outs.
To deal with the specifics of your trade questions, 5* and red week means essentially nothing, or at least, almost nothing with II. HI will have good trade power but it will be overkill for the things you can get on trade plus the units there are not lockoff's and are very expensive both up front and in yearly fees. One red week is not the same as another and you don't want it to be. II is not a first come, first serve system, it works on trade power but many other factors as well. You want to learn the system and put yourself in a position to move ahead of most all others and/or to trade with things that cost much less. As a rule, a good resort to own to use and a good resort for trading have little in common. To use, you want something you can't get otherwise and where you'd pay big bucks to rent something equivalent. To trade, you want something relatively inexpensive to buy with lower than average yearly fees, preferably in a lockoff so you can get two, or even 3, trades out of each week of ownership. But something that will trade almost as well as a top resort like HI.
While II is different than RCI, it is very similar in many ways. My feeling, others look at it differently, is that II has better resorts and better availability in those resorts compared to RCI weeks. RCI does have more resorts total and you can plan better given that more deposits are 2 years out. II is more strict on trading like for like so it is a little harder to trade up with II than RCI. RCI points is totally different but that's a good topic for a different BBS.
One thing you may want to consider if you decide to proceed retail is buying two different Marriott's every other year (EOY) or even if you go resale. Last I heard you could buy two this way retail for 50% of the EY price where EOY properties are normally 60%. That way you have two home resorts you can reserve directly without exchanging.