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Re: Diamond Resorts International (by Glen E.):

I can attest that DRI can be a good experience with its growing inventory of resorts and flexibility, but it is expensive and for many people it's better to spend the money directly with hotels, resorts, private timeshare rentals - or buy a cheap timeshare resale and trade it through RCI or II. My DRI points generally get me about the same value in a resort as if I paid cash, and that includes DRI maintenance costs and prorating the initial cost of the DRI Club (projected 20 yr basis). I have two weeks in a mountain resort this year for 6750 points and I have previously banked points so I could have a great ocean view in a good DRI Hawaii resort at high season. Having paid into timeshares, I tend to stay in better places than I would if I was budgeting my cash That's definitely the case with my Starwood timeshare. If value is one's object, go Disney, since the return on your purchase blows all the other timeshare outfits away. But then you have to use RCI for exchanges or limit yourself to the the Disney and affiliate timeshares. I subscribe to the Timeshare Users Group (TUG) and think that is a good place for anyone with questions on timeshares to start (but have to be able to handle stories of timeshare regret).