willmyclubmakeit

I also think the conversation re: the HCC Breck incident builds more credibility for timely sharing of information vs. rumors and hopefully builds confidence in how the DC handled that situation. Bravo.

TravelGuy

Agreed,

I also believe that the response to the HCC Breck Lodge incident shows that forum posters and HCC members were able to get quick and factual information when it matters without an "official" HCC rep on the board. I prefer it when the board members can post and process events and opinions without the official "spin" from the DC reps.

Kagehitokiri

but see, if its spin, thats BAD for the club, not good for the club. at least IMHO.

you can never have too much information IMHO.

TravelGuy

Kage,

Not sure what you mean about "spin". Are you saying that there is some redeeming social value of the official DC's "spin" for the forum?

Totally agree about never too much info. We're seeing that firsthand as the forum gains momentum and gets more members. I'm just not convinced of the value of official DC reps based upon what we've seen on the forum so far.

For example - I have a DVR on all my TVs so I can skip commercials. I also don't want to see commercials in the midst of forum postings.

Kagehitokiri

i use "spin" and "nuance" pretty much negatively.

Quintess Michael has provided quite a bit of information that can not be found anywhere else.

Starwood Lurker is an incredible asset to flyertalk's starwood forum.

DCTraveler

Here is a list of suggested due dilligence questions from Halogen Guides when considering a Destination Club. I have cut and pasted the ones that I don't believe Ultimate Escapes answers publically or to current members:

Due Diligence Questions
1. What is the member growth rate from the previous year? (both total, how many left and gained, and full-time equivalent)
2. Is there a waiting list to resign, and if so, how many people are on the resignation list? (how many per club level, rate of growth last few months, and estimate of timeframe, how long the last person refunded waited)
3. Can the club provide audited financial statements to demonstrate that at any point in time there is enough cash and equity in the homes to retire the refundable portion of the membership deposit? (do not provide to a good level of detail)
7. What happens to my membership if the club merges or is acquired? (real time situation -- current legacy members are NOT getting information about the plan for going forward, what happens to PE appreciation credits, access to UR hotel plan, discrepancy in housekeeping levels between clubs)
10. What percentage of the homes in the portfolio is leased versus owned? (have not been very forthcoming about which are specifically leased, what is lease timeframe, homes leaving portfolio with no announcements -- you have to go through the reservation system and see when a property disappears or suddenly shows blacked out availability).

I would like to know if others think these are unanswered (or have answers for me) and try to get a moderator to get them officially answered.