Global Access thru Orange Lake Resorts

We've been owners at OL in Florida since 2006. When we went there in 2008, we went to a presentation about GA. We understood that GA was OL's own attempt at getting into the "exchange program". I'm sorry to say that we bought into the idea for $4000 and of course we HAD to purchase something. That something was a tiny bit of their OL in WI (to which we have to pay maintenance fees $100 every year). The only good thing is that now that GA has changed to Holiday Inn Club points, we exchange our 2 bdrm in the West Village for 176,000 Priority Club points. We are considered Platinum club members and get free upgrades. We only use 15,000 a night and end up with a suite at a beautiful Holiday Inn Express where we get a free hot breakfast. We love it!!! So the years we can't make it to Florida from Ontario, we either exchange for another place or Priority Club points. We have exchanged our week with RCI for places in points. For example, we used 33,000 to stay at a gorgeous bed & breakfast in Victoria, BC. The great thing is that we only used a fraction of our points to stay there a week.

We would really like to buy another week but OL won't give us clear info on how much (if any thing) it would cost for this week to be the same as our other week. (convertible to Holiday Inn Club Points). Maybe I'll email them. If anyone knows anyone that I can speak to about this, please email.

Thanks, Hazel

hazelm14 wrote:

We've been owners at OL in Florida since 2006. When we went there in 2008, we went to a presentation about GA. We understood that GA was OL's own attempt at getting into the "exchange program". I'm sorry to say that we bought into the idea for $4000 and of course we HAD to purchase something. That something was a tiny bit of their OL in WI (to which we have to pay maintenance fees $100 every year). The only good thing is that now that GA has changed to Holiday Inn Club points, we exchange our 2 bdrm in the West Village for 176,000 Priority Club points. We are considered Platinum club members and get free upgrades. We only use 15,000 a night and end up with a suite at a beautiful Holiday Inn Express where we get a free hot breakfast. We love it!!! So the years we can't make it to Florida from Ontario, we either exchange for another place or Priority Club points. We have exchanged our week with RCI for places in points. For example, we used 33,000 to stay at a gorgeous bed & breakfast in Victoria, BC. The great thing is that we only used a fraction of our points to stay there a week.

We would really like to buy another week but OL won't give us clear info on how much (if any thing) it would cost for this week to be the same as our other week. (convertible to Holiday Inn Club Points). Maybe I'll email them. If anyone knows anyone that I can speak to about this, please email.

Thanks, Hazel

I recommend that you try purchasing via resale. Such as ebay. There are many many people trying to get rid of their OL timeshares. You'll probably be paying 20 cents on the dollar or less versus purchasing directly from orange lake. on the dollar.

Sorry, it was easier to use my O/L points through RCI. It hooked us up with the Oceanwalk. (Daytona) Great place! It was just easier.

We own a 2 bedroom at Orange Lake West Village and upon checking in we were shepherded to another desk in reception where we were informed that there was a 15 minute maximum update for owners on benefits of Holiday Inn Club. They said that it was definately not timeshare We agreed to go on Tuesday at 8.30 am for breakfast - which turned out to be tea coffee and stodgy buns. We were suspicicious as the letter we had been given said it was timeshare - but we foolishly went.

We had about 1 hour with a lady who explained about the points system and took us on a tour - as she had only started three days previously, she could not answer some of our questions.

Then the hard sell started - where we were informed by another female saleswoman that our week was worthless as Holiday Inn had taken the resort out of RCI with whom we had exchanged several times with no problems.

We were then subjected to a hard sell - He said that we had to buy something to join the club and convert to points. Our unit was worth 159,000 points and if we came in low season or to a smaller unit we could have more weeks - He made many suggestions involving payment of around $10,000 for an extra 50,000 points + half a weeks maintenance - we said that this was far more than we wanted to pay - and after about 2 hours of pressure he got the message that we were being blackmailed into buying what we already owned and would like to join the club but did not want to buy anything.

We thought great, but then came along another person who apologised and said well you did know you were coming to a timeshare presentation and he was only doing his job trying to sell to you This person tried a different technique and made out that he was not selling timeshare but only entry into the points system - basically $5000 + $500 in extras just to join and buy 15,000 extra points.

Fortunately we went away for two days to think about the deal and returned two days later to check a few points. We asked many questions and signed documents supplied by him and completed the loan form - and paid t he deposit , We went into the legal deparment to finalise and sign the legal document and when asked if we were happy about eveything we asked the legal lady to confirm some responses we had just been given by the salesman.

Her answers were different on some topics - and alarm bells started ringing for her and us and it resulted in her tearing up the agreement and returning our deposit.

The contensious points were:

1. Salesman said that if you do not use your weeks with RCI within 2 years you lose them - if you join HI Points Club you can carry them over you never lose them TRUTH - HI points expire in two years from Jan 1 - if you wish to keep them longer you have to pay $45 to transfer them to the Rewards Club and even worse they are then only worth 80% of their original value It may be possible to hold them for a further 6 months for $199

2. Weeks would be useless - RCI would not be dealing with Orange Lake anymore TRUTH The RCI Office on site confirmed that they are still receiving weeks including rental weeks from Orange Lake which was also confirmed by checking on RCI website for upto 2013

3. If we bought another Orange Lake Week privately, because were members of the club it could be converted to points for a nominal sum

TRUTH Because Orange Lake now has a points system, you can only convert weeks to points by paying again - it may be possible to exchange for points if you buy from a timeshare resort does not have a points system

When the salesman realised that we were not completing he said "thanks for wasting my day " - no thought for us who must have been in the offices for 7 hours listening to a lot of misrepresentations of the truth

The only good thing to come out of this - is that we are thankful that we did not join and we have learned a lot more of how the system is supposed to work and will absolutely refuse to go to any more presentations - we will be keeping our week

We found out that the old Timeshare owners did not have points, just weeks. (Bummer) Also if dues at O/L is about $700. a year. I found rentals for the same price in April or May.

Thank you for all the excellent information that you put in your message. I'm glad that you pursued it and shared it with us. Sorry you had to spend so much of your vacation to get it!!

Same here

Have opportunity to purchase an unit in Tennis (West) Village for weeks 6 and 7 and have heard mixed reviews does antone own a unit there and are they upgraded, The unit does not have points.

Thanks for all your information. You seem to be much more in touch than we are. We are also a 2 bdrm owner at OL and think the best way to go is thru RCI. I don't agree with having to pay as an owner, more for a different week, or use so much of the next year. It is all so difficult. We are also owners at Mayan resorts and we just choose our week and if it is available, we can request without extra cost. Why do they have to be so complicted. Any other insight you can pass on would be appreciated. thanks, Anne R

How do you turn them into Priority Points? thanks

If you bought OL now through a resale seller, would you have a clue what you had or how to use it?? MD

vmg2.... if the information you have is such a good deal, why not tell everyone right on this site? is it above board or a 'secret'... or...is this another sales pitch. We have been timeshare owners since 1999. Since then Orange Lake has come up with a new scheme every few years to get more money out of existing owners ....and none of it makes sense to existing owners. The only result is that existing owners get less benefits (converted owners lounge is West Village to HI VIPs) or get to pay for things OL has upgrade (like tubes at River Island) Trading... As a week's owner, we continue to trade through RCI and would not pay the extra money to go to points. My advice...save the money you would pay to change to points and use it to pay the rental at another unit....you may even earn interest on the money you would have had to put out to join the points system and definately would save the extra maintenance dues of another unit if your were talked into buying another one.

what is the best option if you are not going to use your week at ol. i know the maintenance fee of 700 has to be paid regardless but should i try to rent it or bank it

We had extra points from 2012, useing it for River island instead of our unit in 2013. The option is yours... Also you need a renter, depends on the time of year. many resorts in the area. R/W had weeks wanted, that is another option. Enjoy,

we were duped too! at sales presentation, they promise you the world. walk out the door and your on your own. all they know is that you don;t have enough points and they do everything they can to ensure you don't have enough points.

Are you still within your rescission period? It's 10 days for FL. If so, follow the rescission instructions carefully.

Orange Lake is a nightmare to deal with. I guess anybody who has been through their system knows that, starting with the many lies the salespeople tell in the salesroom. I don't know how they live with themselves. I am curious if any lawyers would weigh in on this lawsuit: https://bit.ly/2Mhh1VO. Thanks.

Yeah. great Lake. I have spent three weeks there.

I own units at a resort that I typically deposit into RCI weeks. After exploring and multiple sales presentations I joined HIVC on a small Points Trust Contract. The reason for joining was to use the 'Global Choice' program within HIVC and exhange my weeks in HIVC points. My RCI resort was eligible to exchange weeks into HIVC points via the 'Global Choice' program when I signed the contract. First year it was a good deal. Less than a year into my contract HIVC says my resort is no longer eligible for exchange. All they offered was an apology. This is a typical bait and switch. I've now spoken with people that tell me HIVC did the same to them on the same resort, BEFORE I ever signed up. Sounds like they tell you it's eligible, sign you up then a year later tell you it's not. Typical BAIT AND SWITCH. Fraud. This is not some bum resort. It's in Vail Colorado over looking the slopes.