[drsingh]

I was recently approached by a sales associate of COUNTRY CLUB VACATIONS. Are Indian time share membership s useful?

Members of country club or mahindra holidays kindly share your experience..

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by drsingh

Members of ...mahindra holidays kindly share your experience..

People who are members of Club Mahindra grin and bear with the costs, the unavailability of rooms, and other promises not kept. I took a membership some years ago and ended up being shortchanged. Withdrew the membership, with a substantial financial loss, but still got away cheaply in comparison to paying through my nose year after year.

An excellent factual and dispassionate analysis of why Club Mahindra membership isn't worth taking, can be read about on this blog.

[SDP]

Club Mahindra, Lotus Suites, Country Club or anything else. The story is same everywhere.

I have never been a member of any of them, but have saved at least 10 people from their trap.

Just one advice: "Don't touch them even with a 10 feet barge pole"

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

People who are members of Club Mahindra grin and bear with the costs, the unavailability of rooms, and other promises not kept. I took a membership some years ago and ended up being shortchanged. Withdrew the membership, with a substantial financial loss, but still got away cheaply in comparison to paying through my nose year after year.

An excellent factual and dispassionate analysis of why Club Mahindra membership isn't worth taking, can be read about on this blog.

Fully agree. Lots of people are lured in, but most of the times(esp in season) rooms are never available, and many do not even end up using their time share quota.
If you travel during off season, then you do not need membership, room rates at most places are low anyways!

[mxx]

NO. They are useless.
These days with all the travel booking websites , you get good hotel rates without these time-share nonsense. And as someone already mentioned, there is no guarantee you will get a room if it is in season

[idea]

On similar lines

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...e-careful.html

[drsingh]

Thanks for your inputs guys .My friend had referred my contact details in return for a free air ticket in India.

Now after reading this thread and other links, he has a severe case of buyers remorse.

He has paid by emi and his credit limit on his card has almost been exhausted.

He has showed me some agreement papers and a stamp paper agreement.

Is there a way out? Or has his money gone down the drain.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by drsingh

Thanks for your inputs guys .My friend had referred my contact details in return for a free air ticket in India.

Now after reading this thread and other links, he has a severe case of buyers remorse.

He has paid by emi and his credit limit on his card has almost been exhausted.

He has showed me some agreement papers and a stamp paper agreement.

Is there a way out? Or has his money gone down the drain.

Its never too late to get out. The longer you stay, the deeper is the hole in the pocket. Better to take the hit upfront and get out.

Some of these companies offer 60 day trial etc during which you can ask for a full refund. Isn't that the case with your friend?

Edit: Its like a z-category stock. Would keep on hitting lower-circut every day, deepening the hole in the pocket.

[anujatwork]

Well, I once got an invite from Country Club for a meeting. I went but my experience was just to disgusting. They were completely unprofessional and made me wait for 1 hour. Besides, the gentry that they were attracting for their product was also not upto my liking. They were going to be my neighbours during the future holidays.

However, my experience with Club Mahindra is fantastic. I have no words to express their quality. Indeed, you have to place your bookings 3 months in advance. Depending on season and place you choose, I have got it in 7 days notice as well. The food is cheap compared to 5-star hotels but the quality & upkeep of the properties is a class apart. I have experienced them in Nawalgarh (Rajasthan), Pondicherry & Ramgarh (Rajasthan) over last 2 years and will use them again if I need to. I would suggest that when you choose their properties to stay in, choose resorts / retreats over hotels. You will simply love them. In Pondi, they had a huge number of recreational activities for the family through out the day. For the lazy afternoons, they used to take the kids away to one corner of the resort built specially for kid games and let parents retire to their rooms' privacy to make the best possible obvious use of time ;-). In Nawalgarh, they had beautiful folk music and dance throughout the evenings. Peacocks amble in the gardens in the morning as casually as the crow does!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by anujatwork

However, my experience with Club Mahindra is fantastic.

Their properties are no doubt very good. But the question is : If the scheme is good ? Pointers under discussion :

- You are limited to their places
- Economical?
- You go out once in a while. You might as well chose places with similar budgets and a wider choice available.
- Season availability quite difficult (of course one has to book in advance. But how early is early ?)

[Kaumad]

Wow, let me be the second one after Anuj to go against the tide here on this thread
Been a member of Club M for the past 5+ years and we have enjoyed a wonderful holiday experience, every year for the past 5 years - and I mean every year!

Since many people have already pointed out the "negatives", let me list out a few positives:
1. All the Club M properties we have visited so far [Munnar, Coorg, Ashtamudi, Yercaud] are wonderful and very kid-friendly. Extremely important as this is a family vacation and having a kid-friendly atmosphere is necessary. None of the above properties has disappointed us.
2. Activities - all Club M properties have a host of activities to do. Be it local sight-seeing, nature-oriented [for lack of better phrasing] activities and also in-house ones like painting, crafts....and so on. Again, kids love it!!
3. The location of their properties. I have not seen a single hotel in a tourist place that comes close to the location experience. Period. The landscape, gardens, restaurants, villas.....the combination / package is great!

Originally Posted by tsk1979

....and many do not even end up using their time share quota.

I am sorry mate, but that is a ridiculous argument. Why blame Club M and the time share concept for you [well, I dont mean 'you' personally but...you know what I mean] not being able to plan and use your vacation?

Of course, Club M too has its share of drawbacks:
1. Menu at the restaurants is fairly limited, if you are a vegetarian. Food is good but no great shakes.
2. Yes you have to plan your vacation well in advance in order to get a location and time-slot of your choice. So, instead of complaining about this, why not actually plan your vacation in advance?

PS : Last thing - people who are good at math [I am most definitely not] may be able to calculate the ROI and finally even prove that these memberships are not worth the money. Fair enough! However, these holidays have given me and my family great fun and experience - my daughter has loved every one of them [boat rides in Ashtamudi, elephant bathing in Coorg, painting / craft activities in the resort] and I can very well say that you cannot calculate the monetary equivalent of these!

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Kaumad

I am sorry mate, but that is a ridiculous argument. Why blame Club M and the time share concept for you [well, I dont mean 'you' personally but...you know what I mean] not being able to plan and use your vacation?

Nope my argument is not ridiculous. What do you expect, people planning a 1 week vacation a year in advance. Usually, 3-4 months before the date of vacation most popular properties are fully booked. That is the reason many are unable to take their quota.

About the fun experience, sure if you had not taken this pacakge, you could have had the same experience in lower money. I can take you to a hotel, where people normally pay 2000rs. charge you 50,000rs a night. You may have a good time, but will it be worth it? Nope it won't. I think that is the point of this thread, that without time share you can have the same or better experience at a cheaper cost.

So you and your daughter had a wonderful time enjoying things like elephant rides. But your argument makes it seem that unless you are a club M member you cannot have that experience, and that my friend, is not true.
The same or even better experience can be had for much cheaper. I can week long vacation every year in Thailand at a virgin white sand beach in a luxury resort with multiple pools and lagoons, and pay less than what club M charges.

[Kaumad]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Nope my argument is not ridiculous. What do you expect, people planning a 1 week vacation a year in advance. Usually, 3-4 months before the date of vacation most popular properties are fully booked. That is the reason many are unable to take their quota.

About the fun experience, sure if you had not taken this pacakge, you could have had the same experience in lower money. I can take you to a hotel, where people normally pay 2000rs. charge you 50,000rs a night. You may have a good time, but will it be worth it? Nope it won't. I think that is the point of this thread, that without time share you can have the same or better experience at a cheaper cost.

You seem to be talking about "people" - are you among them? I mean are you a member and have you tried booking and not got what you wanted?

We have always booked / planned our holidays not more than 3-4 months in advance. In fact, I just booked our next holiday at one of Club Mahindra's most wanted / most popular properties this morning, for the 1st week of August and I got it without hassle. Moreover, my membership is quite basic and does not include all seasons / types of accommodation. Inspite of these, I have never had any issues. So, there you go!!

The "booking needs to be made 1 year in advance" is a myth and unless you have experienced it as a member, you are just contributing to the unrealistic perceptions, thats all I can say

Originally Posted by tsk1979

So you and your daughter had a wonderful time enjoying things like elephant rides. But your argument makes it seem that unless you are a club M member you cannot have that experience, and that my friend, is not true.

Now you are twisting what I said - please dont. Never did I say this is the only place where you can experience such activities.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The same or even better experience can be had for much cheaper. I can week long vacation every year in Thailand at a virgin white sand beach in a luxury resort with multiple pools and lagoons, and pay less than what club M charges.

Of course, you are very right. However, why should that be a reason to dissuade people from taking up Club M membership, saying it is not worth it? - I dont understand.


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[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Kaumad

You seem to be talking about "people" - are you among them? I mean are you a member and have you tried booking and not got what you wanted?

Yes, as a deal I was offered one time GOLD membership. Decided to use the one time booking for Goa in the month of October. Guess what, nothing was available(we started looking in July). So we thought, okay October is season maybe not available. We stayed at a different hotel for 2200/night with its own private pool, a secluded beach within 150 meters, and breakfast. If Club Mahindra had come through we would have paid some 1500+food charges as part of "taxes only" as the resort would have been free.

Next time we tried to get a booking in the month of March in Binsar area. Again, in the month of January it was full. March is an off season there BTW.

We have always booked / planned our holidays not more than 3-4 months in advance. In fact, I just booked our next holiday at one of Club Mahindra's most wanted / most popular properties this morning, for the 1st week of August and I got it without hassle. Moreover, my membership is quite basic and does not include all seasons / types of accommodation. Inspite of these, I have never had any issues. So, there you go!!

Good for you. Are you booking in season or in off season

The "booking needs to be made 1 year in advance" is a myth and unless you have experienced it as a member, you are just contributing to the unrealistic perceptions, thats all I can say

Well three months in advance was not available for us.

That said, you have not replied to my pricing thing. One question. If you were not a Club Mahindra member, and stayed in similar properties, would you be paying more if you did your vacation year after year?
Please do the math.
I did the math and Club Mahindra worked out to be frightfully expensive as compared to doing it on our own.

Originally Posted by Kaumad

Of course, you are very right. However, why should that be a reason to dissuade people from taking up Club M membership, saying it is not worth it? - I dont understand.

I cannot believe you just said that. Of course, if you can have the same experience at a lower price, why should I not dissuade people. Don't we recommend more Value for money cars to people?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Kaumad

Of course, you are very right. However, why should that be a reason to dissuade people from taking up Club M membership, saying it is not worth it? - I dont understand.

If it is indeed important to stay at a Club Mahindra property, one can simply book in advance as a guest through multiple online hotel sites (Expedia, Makemytrip, Travelguru etc.), and bank the lumpsum membership fee as well as the annual service fee that are to be paid otherwise. You can stay for 2 days, 1 week, or even 2 weeks. It still works out cheaper than being a member.

And CM treats cash-paying guests with greater diffidence than their own members - I have felt this personally, as well as had friends report similar experiences.

Originally Posted by Kaumad

3. The location of their properties. I have not seen a single hotel in a tourist place that comes close to the location experience. Period.

Take Binsar as an example. The KMVN property there has a locational advantage that the CM property can never hope to match. Landscaping and luxury might make up for it to some extent, but the Himalayan views from KMVN are, well... the main reason that one visits Binsar.