TarheelTraveler

TTT - You won't get a sympathetic audience on this forum, and you are painting DCs with broad strokes. A number of equity and non-equity DCs provide an appreciation component, so many of your comments don't apply across the board. Obviously, the ownership comment only applies to non-equity clubs.

Nevertheless, with TTT, you've still got to buy a property, fractional or non-fractional. You've got to hope that someone uses your property so you get points. You've still got to worry about the quality and amenities of the property that you're going to be staying in. You've got to pay extras for various services that are built in with DCs. You're still paying significant commissions when buying a fractional product and have an uncertain resale market. Also, when I've looked into renting comparable homes in DC portfolios, I've almost always found that they were significantly more than the dues.

In any event, TTT absolutely has some merits and is certainly a creative idea. I just think the press release is a little over the top and completely one-sided. My DC has significantly changed the way I travel, and I think the flexibility, simplicity and service are unbeatable.

Kagehitokiri

i will just add that i will recommend TTT to vacation property owners, but i will personally never "own" anything besides destination club(s).

and im not sure i see how one can really compare the two, as TTT is basically an owner exchange program, which requires others to use your property before you can use others. (AFAIK a unique method.)

DC4MS

Has anyone compared One Key to TTT?

Those seem to be pretty similar on first glance.

Kagehitokiri

onekey is basically a rental broker that you prepay.

- full ownership
- fractional ownership
(+ exchange programs)

- rental brokers

- destination clubs

i personally dont see them as competing, but as providing different complementary services. the problem is marketing MBAs.

i mean, yes there is the attempt to increase market awareness of fractional ownership and destination clubs, but once one IS aware, i really dont see the person debating very hard on which they prefer. i use the expression - "everyone values different things a different amount." of course i could be wrong, and of course everyone IS different, but thats just how it seems to me.

TradeToTravel

Hi, JetMikey, I'm not suggesting that hardworking folks such as you and I not have our decadently luxurious and seemless experpiences, I'm just saying that we should have them as often as we wish (why be limited to a certain # of days/year?) and pay as little as possible for them.

Not only do you NOT sacrifice quality or quantity via TTT, you simply receive much more for much less.

Hi, DCTraveler, thank you so much for your support. Words like yours spoken by a longtime member say more about TTT in one paragraph than I could communicate in volumes. The fact that many of our members, who own many of the most luxurious properties on the planet, have been with us for over a decade and still entrust their precious vacations to us year after year speaks more eloquently than I could ever hope to.

Hi, Kagehitokiri and TarheelTraveler, regarding your statements about needing to host a TTT member in your property before traveling yourself, we do have a "New Member Option" which allows new members (within the first 30 days of membership) to purchase up to 3 weeks of points at $100 per point (which is an exceptional value since each TTT point = $400 of rental value). For example, if your property is valued at 20 TTT points per week (a 20 point property would be a property which rents for $8000/wk), you would be able to buy up to 60 points which would enable you to begin enjoying your membership immediately. It's even possible to "trade up" for properties even more luxurious than your own before you ever agree to host your first TTT guest.

Plus, even your $2495 your membership fee is 100% refundable for a full year (for any reason or for no reason at all). You can experience our services completely risk free, saving yourself lots of money the very first time you travel with us. We offer the money-back guarantee and "New Member Option" because we know from 17 years of experience that once you experience a TTT vacation, you'll be a TTT "player" for life!

Hi, Kagehitokiri, thank you so much for any vacation property owner referrals you might send our way :0)

TradeToTravel

Hi, Tarheel Traveler, I'll respond to the other points you brought up as soon as I possibly can (it might take a couple of days, just didn't want you to think I wasn't going to respond). Till then, best regards.

caribbeansun

So you base the points you attach to a property based entirely on the rental rates? How much effort do you do to actually verify the rates?

It would seem to me that the biggest issue you'd have is variances in the quality of the product or getting into debates of my place is worth 20 points and I've traded into another place worth 20 points but my place is wonderful and this is a dump.

Variance in quality is one of the biggest issues within the TS industry but seeing as how you are dealing with private residences in many cases the variances would be even that much more prone to problems. I also note that you have some TS properties on your site.

What protections do you provide to somebody that participates in the program - meaning what guarantees do I have that if I use part of my hard earned vacation time to travel to a TTT property that I will actually stay in a quality property every time?

vineyarder

Personally, I can't imagine anyone buying a home or a fractional just in order to participate in TTT, but for those of us that already have a vacation home, especially one that is under-utilized, it appears to be an excellent adjunct to a DC membership (or two). It is an option that I am considering, based on excellent references from someone who has used them for many years...

__________________
*************
Living in a vacuum sucks!

TarheelTraveler

I agree with vineyarder and Kag. I would definitely consider recommending this to clients who already own a property that they don't mind letting others use, but personally, I also can't see buying a property with the intent of participating in TTT.

Kagehitokiri

well, if i did not outright reject full/fractional vacation ownership, TTT might make me more inclined to do it, as well. i personally just dont like the value. (of full/fractional vacation ownership)

if i had a ton of money, i might buy a villa at amanpulo, but thats it.

Kagehitokiri

well this is certainly interesting... i was just contacted and told that the former CEO of T&H, rob mcgrath, is or was somehow involved with TTT, possibly as an investor...

TradeToTravel

Hi, All, since I'm DROWNING in work and don't have time to dig through numbers (and because destination club members are more interested in EXPERIENCES than in numbers, at least when it comes to your vacations), I thought I'd quickly share a few TTT experiences to give you the tip of the iceberg of an idea of what life in TTT is like.

You can't imagine the flood of stories that spring to mind as I sit to write some of the best. I could literally write for the next several months on "super-cool TTT stories" and never run out of tales to tell. I've traveled 'round this planet many times meeting hundreds of members and swapping thousands of stories, having innumerable adventures (all the while working my ARSE off) and learning, learning, learning. If any members of the media read this and would like to know more than I can write here, please give me a call or shoot me an email.

I guess the most spectacular TTT social event to date occurred five years ago when TTT had the "Presidential Yacht," the USS Sequoia, for the 4th of July, 2002. Only TTT members were aboard as we cruised under a starlit sky up the Potomac River on the 104' John Trumpy yacht to watch the breathtaking fireworks over our nation's capital from the breeze-kissed deck of the vessel which was used by 9 Presidents of the United States. Remember how fiercely patriotic we Americans were all feeling that evening? I thought my heart was going to BURST. There were fireworks which seemed impossible in the shapes of yellow ribbons tied in perfect bows for our troops. The orchestra soared and its music traveled across the water to our privileged ears. You want experiences? TTT specializes in experiences.

Today the USS Sequoia is privately owned and even your catering and bar tab can be paid in TTT points. Dine in the salon in which FDR and Churchill planned D-Day. Stroll the top deck where Nixon and Brezhnev negotiated the first arms control treaty. The ship has been beautifully restored as a floating museum of presidential history. Create your own history by hosting up to 50 guests for a business event or family gathering. 4-hour cruises include candlelight tours of Mt. Vernon or trips to Old Town Alexandria.

The USS Sequoia is T472 on our site. Here are links to the yacht on our site and on the owner's:

http://www.sequoiayacht.com/

Washington, District of Columbia,*United States—Trade to Travel Property #T472

Isn't the photo of Jackie and little JFK Jr touching?

Another story...

Years ago, the owners of T415 in Vence, France (who also own T422 in Bangor, Ireland and a huge, lavish property in Portugal) and the owners of T261 on Barbados visited one another's properties (not simultaneously, and off the top of my head I'm not even sure it was in the same year). The name of the villa on Barbados is "Bon Vivant," which means "The Good Life." After being guests at Bon Vivant (recognized by the London Times as one of the most gracious getaways for the well-heeled including British Royalty), the owners of T415 in Vence returned to their home in Portugal, purchased a yacht, and named her, "Bon Vivant." I believe those two members are still in touch to this day.

The staff of Bon Vivant includes 4 superb chefs who'll spoil you rotten, a housekeeper, cooks, butler, maids, waiters, and a gardener. Here, you literally are treated like royalty. Your clothing is laundered and hand ironed every day, and you're treated with well-mannered charm in the tradition of the island's English heritage. Here's a link to the villa's website: .::. Bon Vivant Barbados .::.

If you're not a member of TTT, but would like to rent Bon Vivant, please give us a call and we'll tell you all about it. Or, if you'd rather contact the owners directly, please feel free to do so via their website and please let them know we sent you. We love to refer rental business to our members (or at least to those who rent their properties, which many of our members do not) so that we can put cash in their pockets in addition to the value we provide via our exchange services.

"Back in the day" when Betty Magee was still running TTT, her brother (owner of T42 in Thailand) had his wedding at Bon Vivant and I never left the villa the entire week except for an occasional afternoon on the stunningly gorgeous beach. I was also lucky enough to spend several weeks one summer in the villa in Vence (T415). (sometimes I love my job!)

Another fun story...

Our EIGHTH member, owner of T008 (as well as T009 in Mt. Tremblant, Canada and T010, their 50' sailing yacht), heard about the idea of Trade to Travel (when that's ALL it was - an idea) via a word of mouth grapevine that reached from Yale, Va (the tiniest farm town imaginable) to a private island off the coast of Hamilton, Bermuda. We had done NO advertising (and there was no internet at that time) when we received a phone call from a woman saying she'd heard about Trade to Travel (though only God knows how) and she offered to host a cocktail party to tell her friends about our concept. Can you believe it? We couldn't! I'm a little bummed to this day that I didn't get to go on that trip, but have heard many times over the years of how my mom and her best friend, Betty, flew to Bermuda, where they were taken to the private island on the owner's yacht...very big time stuff for small town women! That's when we KNEW we were onto something BIG.

Here's a link to the T008, Bermuda:

Hamilton,*Bermuda—Trade to Travel Property #T008

A few months later, we mostly-jokingly said, "What we need is a castle in England." A couple of weeks later, the TTT grapevine had jumped the Atlantic and the owner of Lumley Castle gave us a call (again, before we'd done ANY advertising). Off Betty and Mom went to England and Lumley (T060) has been hosting members of TTT ever since. Following are links to Lumley (on our site and theirs) as well as one to Coombe Abbey, which is owned by the same gentleman:

Chester-Le-Street,*England—Trade to Travel Property #T060

http://lumleycastle.com/

http://coombeabbey.com/

It wasn't long before we got a call from a second castle, this time in Kerry, Ireland - the Park Hotel Kenmare, which became T195 (interesting tidbit - the lower one's TTT membership number, the earlier they became members of TTT). Conde Nast voted this castle the #2 spa in all of Europe and it's been hosting members of TTT for about 15 years. Last year they hosted our Advisory Board meeting.

http://www.parkkenmare.com/

Kenmare,*Ireland—Trade to Travel Property #T195

Ok, that's probably enough stories for one evening. The bottom line of what I'm trying to communicate is that TTT is REAL. And we make people HAPPY. I promise I'll make posts to address everyone's various questions/issues/concerns as soon as I possibly can. For those of you who've said positive things about TTT, thank you! This site is such an EXTRAORDINARY forum for the exchange of ideas, opinions, brainstorming, etc. I couldn't be more impressed with the integrity of DC4MS, the moderators, and all of the participants. What interesting conversations are going on in all of the threads!!

LTTravel

TTT can you comment on Rob McGraths involvement?

TradeToTravel

Hi, LTTravel, Rob McGrath of Private Retreats approached Betty and Mom in the early days of Private Retreats when he realized what an ideal fit our services can be for a destination club. As many of you know, Private Retreats used to promise their members that they could use any PR property in any destination in which PR operated at any time and they promised they'd rent their members a comparable property if/when they wanted to visit a destination in which PR had one or more properties but no availability for the desired dates. Rob realized that allowing our members to enjoy PR properties and vice versa would save PR LOTS of money in rentals (since there was always a good chance that if their members needed a property in a particular location, we'd be able to host them). The arrangement worked EXTREMELY well for both companies right up till the time their ship sank.

Personally, I never met Rob. I've been a single mom my whole adult life and had to drift in and out of TTT over the years whenever we weren't making enough money for me to support myself and my son (Chris, who's now 21 and a Trades Coordinator!). I wasn't working in TTT the year Rob approached us and once I took over running the company, I tried MANY times to contact him via emails and phone calls, but never heard a word from him. That never stopped our reciprocal agreement from being a beautiful thing for both companies, though. The relationship between our two companies kept right on going, even though I couldn't get in touch with Rob to save my soul (I guess he had bigger problems than returning my call).

Like DCTraveler said, quite a few of the properties which used to be in the PR portfolio are still in TTT. For example, Cayo Espanto, one of the most famous private islands in the world (frequented by the likes of Tiger Woods and George Clooney) is located off the coast of Belize. Its owner has used TTT many times over the years and is still a very active and very appreciated member. Following is a link to the property on our site as well as a link to the owner's site:

Cayo Espanto,*Belize—Trade to Travel Property #T456D

Cayo Espanto :: a private island

Btw, we're happy to partner with destination clubs and I'd like to take this opportunity to invite any/all destination clubs to use our services to allow their members to enjoy TTT properties worldwide. We can save each destination club MANY millions because by offering our services, they don't have to build, buy, lease, or rent enough properties to meet their members' needs.

Kagehitokiri

TradeToTravel