Basically you buy into a predetermined number of nights, paying the room fee upfront. When you book you then only pay the all inclusive fee. For giving them money upfront you get a few perks like some better brands of booze, a few additional menu items, easier reservations at the restaurants, better towels by the pool.. reserved chairs by the pool, and so forth. Prices can very per contract and value varies by what the individual person looks for in a vacation. Jamie
After I think 14 trips our last trip we bought in... I think people will tell all kinds of things good and bad.. we've been enough and have used friends referral weeks.. we liked the bonus.. I honestly feel that try a couple times on referral sit through the presentation and decide then.. If you've been a few times and then try the referral you see the difference. I'm still glad we bought. It doesn't appear to me to be like a normal time share.. we go whenever we want.. no set week etc.
.........IMO.............all you need to be able to figure this out is 3rd Grade math. It's really that simple! Or maybe you think buying a 50+ weeks of vacation in your early 30's is a good decision. Go for it! Premier Resorts are great! Pearl is likely one of the most spectacular resorts you'll ever see. Look for after market "sales" of Premeir Members weeks. You can find some really good deals!
Sorry I didn't use my 3rd grade Math! I ask about it, because I don't know and was curious. Not sure if it would be anything we would be interested in, after I understood what it was all about!!! Why would you think I would be interested in 50+ weeks of vacation? Best part of this comment, I would Love to think I was still in my 30's! Thanks for your reply. I now know there are other premiere resorts.!
I'll try I understand your frustration following these threads. The subject is often argued here, sometimes rudely, but nobody ever mentions the prices or terms of the offerings. It's assumed everybody has gone through the presentation, which isn't true. We've never gone through it in our two trips. So I will explain it as best I can, but others are welcome to correct me. "Premiere" refers to the Vacation Club offering of Temptation. It's related to timeshares, but doesn't involve deeded property or specific weeks. It uses the some of the same questionable sales tactics as timeshares. (confession: My first job out of College many many years ago was with a timeshare company) . The premise of the offering is that you buy a number of nights or weeks to stay at the resort for a fixed up front price in the many thousands of dollars. (I would love for people to say prices they were offered at, but nobody ever mentions that here). I believe they have different packages where you can buy different quantity of nights or weeks but goodluck finding a pricelist. If you have bought into the club, you are a premiere member of Temptation and receive their elevated service level with room upgrades, nicer towels, access to the roped off area by the pool, some restaurant perks etc. It's similar to the programs you can pay extra for at most all inclusive resorts. The membership only pays technically for the room. You are still responsible for the all inclusive fee (the drinks, meals, more drinks, etc.) This part is a source of remorse for some buyers as they raise the amount premiere memebers pay for all inclusive each year, and currently the amount for two people is almost the same as you can book a normal room with all inclusive through some of the favored discounts websites you can find on this site (minus the perks). It is possible to trade some of your dates to stay at other resorts using one of the timeshare exchange programs, however there are additional fees for this and success is far from guaranteed. Flexibility is definately required. People who have bought into the program will fall into different categories: * Those who knew what they were getting into, have used the program and feel they have gotten benefit out of it, or will over the life of the program. * Those who thought they knew what they were getting into, but some of the fine print has tripped them up, or their life situation has changed and they more less regret it. People who didn't buy after attending the presentation could probably be divided into: * Wanted to join, but couldn't afford or couldn't justify the cost * Did the math and assume that room rates increase at marginal amounts and that they are better off just booking weekly through tour website. * Don't want anything to do with Timeshare, vacation clubs, etc. IF 1) You love Temptation so much, you don't see yourself going many other places in your life 2) You don't mind paying a little extra for extra benefits 3) You believe Temptation will continue to be the go to resort for the Adult Spring Breakers. Cause let's face it, Temptation itself is a quite average resort, and even after the renovation, it will still have a lousy beach in a city full of resorts with beautiful beaches. We go there for the people and the atmosphere, but those can move. 4) You can afford the upfront purcahse cost You might want to look into it. The more popular opinion here seems to be it's not worth it (and this is a site of Temptation junkies). Having never seen the presentation and not knowing the prices, I can't properly opine. But as I mentioned, having worked in the timeshare business a few months in my early 20's, I would fall into the category of not wanting anything to do with timeshares or Vacation Clubs. Caveat Emptor.
Excellent summary! The only part I slightly disagree with is: More often than not you can find the same stay cheaper than via a Premier membership, but agreed you don't get the perks. I suppose it boils down to how much are the perks worth to you. For me they aren't worth anything. As for prices I have heard of people paying from $2K to $40K and everything in between, but obviously these will not be identical packages. I would guess the average spend is around $8-10K
