Bad Exchange

Elkhorn Village Resort was offered as an exchange for our 5-star Tahoe timeshare. Since this area took almost two years for us to get, we jumped at the only offer. Our exchange company told us the unit at Elkhorn would be assigned upon check-in. According to the photos, the place looked fabulous, so we weren't worried. After a 14 hour car ride, we had to stop at the Tamarack Lodge in Ketchum to check in, which was speedy and uneventful, then drove the five minute car ride to Elkhorn Village. This complex is a series of pet-friendly condos, and other buildings, encompassing a pool and jacuzzis, a market, a fine-dining restaurant and tennis courts. The building we stayed in has never been depicted in any photos, and did not even remotely resemble the resort photos seen on exchange websites. We were shocked to find that our assigned unit sat next to the building entrance on the ground floor, so we rushed back to the Tamarack to request a different unit and/or building. The desk personnel at the Tamarack refused to honor this request, only suggesting that we "check-out". Since we are timeshare owners and pre-pay for these vacations with the exorbitant taxes & dues paid by us each year plus the exchange fee, we felt that her total lack of concern was perhaps based on ignorance. We also called our exchange company, who said that she couldn't do anything until Monday, two days away. We had no choice but to unpack, and get some sleep. Drapes couldn't be opened, unless we wanted to be gawked at by people entering or leaving. The "patio" was unuseable, being positioned next to the building's entry door, a place where people gathered, children played and screamed next to our bedroom window, not to mention dogs barking after 11 p.m. The unit capacity was four, but unless two of them were under age 5, it wouldn't work. The only bed could only be accessed from one side. There was no dishwasher, only a stove & fridge. There are also full-time residents in this building. There are no staff, and no linen exchange. There are washers/dryers in the building. We were given instructions to call a telephone number if we had an emergency. The on-site restaurant menu looked great, but they were closed every day except Saturday nights, so we had some good meals in Ketchum. The on-site market appeared to be well-stocked. The sauna was closed. Pool & jacuzzis were open. There's a free bus that runs throughout the complex and goes to town. Ketchum/Sun Valley is a lovely area, offering skiing in the Winter months, and plenty of hiking trails and lakes to explore in the warmer months. By Monday our exchange company basically reiterated what we had already experienced - that we could not exchange into another unit. We stayed here in August, 2009. Our dues far exceeded the cost of a one week rental in this substandard exchange unit. In the future, we will never confirm an exchange without first knowing the assigned unit.