Festiva buying Escapes

I have a week with Escapes to Los Lagos at Hot Springs Village. I was contacted a week ago by Festiva informing me that they had bought the interests of the developer of some of the Escapes Resorts. They were offering to take my deeded week and sell me a Festiva points membership. It was tempting, but I'm thinking I'll stay with what I have. They claimed that the Escapes owners were informed of the change months ago, but this was the first I heard of it. Any other Escapes owners out there who were notified of this near the first of the year?

I am in the same boat. Never notified and have not received my 2013 MF bill. I'm at a loss. Resort is not listed on Festiva site. Emails to them go uanswered.

Festiva informed me that they had bought my resort at a sales presentation when I visited that resort. They told me that those who bought their points would have better access to the resorts than those who would not convert. like I'd had in the past. Later on I discovered that those who chose to not convert to their points had a travel club with Festiva of their very own which was never mentioned at the sales presentation. I don't know how hard it is for them to book a resort.

Everytime I visit one of their resorts, they try to get me to attend a sales presentation although they call it a membership update. You can decline the meeting where they will try to sell you more points. I always decline.

I still travel to their resorts but their sales efforts have left a bad opinion of them.

I own 4 Escapes timeshares. I received 2 letters from Escapes, the first dated April 5, 2012 and the second dated July 9, 2012. Both were signed by John A. Cooper, III, discussing selling the resorts at Panama City Beach, FL., and Galveston, TX., and the effect it would have on the Escapes Travel Club (ETC), and a shallow promise of more exciting developments to come. I later received a letter from Festiva Hospitality Group stating they had taken over the Escape resorts at Bella Vista, AR, Hot Springs, AR, Branson Yacht Club, MO, and The Shores in Orange Beach, AL. That still left several resorts unmentioned, Stonebridge, MO, Cherokee Village, AR, and a second Orange Beach, AL, resort.

I tried unsuccessfully for months to get information from Escapes Member Services about what was going on, but was stonewalled repeatedly. I did attend a membership update by Festiva and gave serious consideration to buying into their travel club and relinquishing my Escapes deeds to them, but in the end decided it was not a good investment for me.

The way Escapes dumped the owners of the timeshares was a great example of how not to do it. The lack of information was appalling. If they had given owners straight information, it would have eased the discomfort and allowed a much easier transition.

Some of the Escape resorts are still tied up in legal battles and/or arbitration and are now being managed by Patton Hospitality Management, an off-shoot of Festiva. They answer the phone as Escapes, as before, but it is not the old Escapes. It is a disjointed operation, but I would have to commend Festiva for its efforts in making it easier than it could be, considering the disastrous way Cooper exited the timeshare market. Escapes had been a stand-up organization for many years prior.

I did receive a packet from RTX, Festiva's exchange club, and it informed me that my ETC dues paid for not only RCI membership, but also RTX Premium membership. The RTX has very good last minute deal prices, and seems to be a another good travel option.

garym559 wrote:

I have a week with Escapes to Los Lagos at Hot Springs Village. I was contacted a week ago by Festiva informing me that they had bought the interests of the developer of some of the Escapes Resorts. They were offering to take my deeded week and sell me a Festiva points membership. It was tempting, but I'm thinking I'll stay with what I have. They claimed that the Escapes owners were informed of the change months ago, but this was the first I heard of it. Any other Escapes owners out there who were notified of this near the first of the year?

I have owned at Escapes Stonebridge Village timeshare for over 12 years and have NEVER been contacted by ANYONE from Escapes about Festiva buying Escapes. The resort HOA has never mentioned this when billing us for the HOA fees, either. I will not be hoodwinked into "selling" something by "paying" someone money !! SCAM, SCAM, SCAM. Not sure what to do - cannot even think about paying the 2014 dues until I have more information. All I know is that I am having difficulty at RCI trading for good places as my unit at Escapes does not pull down point values like some other places. I wish that Escapes would communicate with owners. Again, no information or contact from either Festiva or Escapes. Not sure if timeshares are a good way to go anymore and know that there is no market to sell. Stonebridge was not mentioned in the other post, but, is an Escapes property.

steven766 wrote:

I own 4 Escapes timeshares. I received 2 letters from Escapes, the first dated April 5, 2012 and the second dated July 9, 2012. Both were signed by John A. Cooper, III, discussing selling the resorts at Panama City Beach, FL., and Galveston, TX., and the effect it would have on the Escapes Travel Club (ETC), and a shallow promise of more exciting developments to come. I later received a letter from Festiva Hospitality Group stating they had taken over the Escape resorts at Bella Vista, AR, Hot Springs, AR, Branson Yacht Club, MO, and The Shores in Orange Beach, AL. That still left several resorts unmentioned, Stonebridge, MO, Cherokee Village, AR, and a second Orange Beach, AL, resort.

I tried unsuccessfully for months to get information from Escapes Member Services about what was going on, but was stonewalled repeatedly. I did attend a membership update by Festiva and gave serious consideration to buying into their travel club and relinquishing my Escapes deeds to them, but in the end decided it was not a good investment for me.

The way Escapes dumped the owners of the timeshares was a great example of how not to do it. The lack of information was appalling. If they had given owners straight information, it would have eased the discomfort and allowed a much easier transition.

Some of the Escape resorts are still tied up in legal battles and/or arbitration and are now being managed by Patton Hospitality Management, an off-shoot of Festiva. They answer the phone as Escapes, as before, but it is not the old Escapes. It is a disjointed operation, but I would have to commend Festiva for its efforts in making it easier than it could be, considering the disastrous way Cooper exited the timeshare market. Escapes had been a stand-up organization for many years prior.

I did receive a packet from RTX, Festiva's exchange club, and it informed me that my ETC dues paid for not only RCI membership, but also RTX Premium membership. The RTX has very good last minute deal prices, and seems to be a another good travel option.

garym559 wrote:

I have a week with Escapes to Los Lagos at Hot Springs Village. I was contacted a week ago by Festiva informing me that they had bought the interests of the developer of some of the Escapes Resorts. They were offering to take my deeded week and sell me a Festiva points membership. It was tempting, but I'm thinking I'll stay with what I have. They claimed that the Escapes owners were informed of the change months ago, but this was the first I heard of it. Any other Escapes owners out there who were notified of this near the first of the year?

Cooper was a land developer, so its no surprise that when the timeshare side of their portfolio started to slide, they got out.

It looks like Orange Lake Resorts purchased two Escapes! resorts from Cooper (http://corporate.orangelake.com/ourResorts.php Panama City and Galveston) and Festiva got the rest of the resort portfolio (http://www.festiva.com/resorts.php).

I own two weeks with Orange Lake at properties they purchased and converted to their internal points program which partners with RCI (Desert Club NV / HICV Smokey Mtn Resort TN). I believe their conversion price is around $8K, I get a lot of use out of their points system. (We are staying at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas this week and have another week on the books at HGVC Marco Island resort in December.)

Festiva is a good developer trying to make a name for themselves in the private timeshare sector (which is shrinking by the minute). I imagine a conversion into their club should run about what Orange Lake is charging, but from what I can tell their club and exchange company (RTX.Travel) are picking up the pieces of failed projects which makes keeping the old owners happy a big challenge.

I imagine the legal battles steven776 mentioned are the hold up behind any informative transparency with the unclaimed resorts. I don't know who is driving these "legal battles", but until they clear I would expect the owners from those resorts to remain in the dark.

I "worked on" the HOA at Stonebridge Village Condominiums for 14-16 months, before they finally decided to send out some information, which mostly clouded the issue. I have documented my efforts on another forum.

I own in orange beach and have had only cursory information sent from festiva and some from a ownership group who sued them and cooper too I believe.

suit went nowhere apparantly and festiva has tried to sell me on their points deal which I have declined. i hammered them when I bought, got a terrific deal and 1br everyother year MF. I have never stayed there, just use the high value to exchange w II. has worked fine for me as I have always traded into 2 br places that have been very nice and it has went as one would hope.

still concerned about future and nervous about no information available on properties, little about festiva, which has a uneven rep.

havn't seen but one ad for weeks here and it is tough to get even a couple nights available to stay there for an owner. so demand is still very high and usage as well. we shall see how it goes in future.

I guess Festiva has continued to be an annoyance and cloud the issue at Stonebridge Village. There was a letter devoted to it with the maintenance fee notice in November.

The letter said Festiva said they are not going to honor something or other, but I got past caring at least six months ago.

Festiva purchased the Escapes Travel Club at Stonebridge, that is the "point system" inventory there. They did not acquire the remaining fixed week and floating week inventory. For a short while, in what was stated to be an effort to give everyone a single telephone number to make reservations regardless of whether ETC, fixed of float, Festiva, in the form of Patton Management Co., made reservations for all the inventory at Stonebridge. Festiva has since decided not to allowed float or fixed week owners access to the inventory they own.

If it sounds a bit complicated, it seems to me we have the COA's board members to thank. They seem reluctant to get information out to the owners of the fixed and float week inventory under their control. The COA's board members are who should be clarifying the mess that has occurred. They send out letters with acknowledgements that things are difficult, confusing and inconvenient, etc., and ask for patience, as they are diligently working to add new products and services, tell us to standby for more information, then disappear from the scene again leaving even more confusion in their wake.

Since writing the original message in this thread 18 months ago I have been able to schedule my weeks and deposit with RCI successfully. I haven't been to my home resort. I haven't used RTX yet. No real problems yet.

Since I got chewed out for persisting in my effort to get the "COA" to clear the air about the whole mess, I agree with Steven 766.

When Escapes! folded, the "COA" did not even tell the owners, or tell them about the lawsuit they engaged against Escapes!

I have never dealt with a less professional or responsive group. There is no website, there is no email address, and they insist that you ask them questions by sending them a letter. The first phone number they finally sent out did not work, and a google search found it assigned to someone else.

But, it is not a phone number for the purpose of asking questions.

Then, they mention a "reseller" in one of their letters, but during my ass-chewing session I was told it is not for owners . . . it is just for the "COA".

Pure, unadulterated BS.

Like I said before, I have documented all my efforts on another forum.

Out of frustration, I transferred two of our weeks to new owners, for free.

Where did you document your efforts?

http://www.timeshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php/134866-Well-This-is-a-Fine-Kettle-of-Fish-Festiva-takes-over-Escape!-Resorts?highlight=fine+kettle

garym559 wrote:

Where did you document your efforts?

I just attended a festiva"update meeting today. Bottom line I was told if I do not buy into festiva my temporary membership with RTX will be going away then I will no longer have an exchange alternative and for the rest of my life I will only be able to go to my home base which is orange beach. Those of you who opted not to but into festival how is it working? Who is your exchange program?

It's a strange Resort ID #, but it is still in the RCI Resort Directory:

Escapes! to the Shores (#C112)

A post on another forum speculated that they did not intend to renew their affiliation with RCI when it expires, and the guess was possibly 2015.

It's also still in the II Resort Directory:

Shores Orange Beach, Alabama ESS

When we have traded our Stonebridge Village, it has been through RCI, but when they converted their Weeks program to faux points, it did not get much respect. With a $700 maintenance fee, 13-18 TPUs makes for a pretty expensive trade. We get 20 TPUs for $350 at another resort.

nancyj282 wrote:

I just attended a festiva"update meeting today. Bottom line I was told if I do not buy...

Remember, these sales people at presentations are notorious for lying, stretching the truth, obscuring relevant facts and figure, and skewing numbers. They will tell you anything, right or wrong, to get you to fork over big bucks for something that is practically worthless.

If this resort will be ending its affiliation with RCI, that does not mean you will be without exchanging options. The resort might be switching affiliation to Interval International (II). If not, there are other smaller, independent exchange companies such as Dial-an-Exchange (daelive.com), Platinum Interchange, and San Francisco Exchange. The resort might also have an internal exchange program. As well, Timeshare Users Group (aka "TUG"; tugbbs.com) has a free program where members can do direct exchanges.

If all that fails, a last resort would be to try to rent out your week and then apply that money towards renting a week that you want. Bottom line is there is no need to buy into whatever this sales person is selling.

lancec13 wrote:

nancyj282 wrote:

I just attended a festiva"update meeting today. Bottom line I was told if I do not buy...

If this resort will be ending its affiliation with RCI, that does not mean you will be without exchanging options. The resort might be switching affiliation to Interval International (II). As well, Timeshare Users Group (aka "TUG"; tugbbs.com) has a free program where members can do direct exchanges.

Per the immediate preceding post, it is already affiliated with II.

Direct exchanges are vey rare. It's hard to match up exactly what you want when you want with someone who wants exactly what you have when you have it. That's why there are exchange companies.

I just banked a Stonebridge COA float week, both A-side and B-side separately with RCI. I received 17 TPUs for the A-side and an additional 13 TPUs for the hotel room size B-side, which I plan to combine with several other TPUs at one time. I am not unhappy with the TPUs I received.

It is interesting to me that when I deposited my Festiva point Stonebridge COA units with RCI, I did not receive TPUs, but rather I received "bonus weeks" instead. The bonus weeks seem to have a better trading value than the TPUs.

jlb wrote:

It's a strange Resort ID #, but it is still in the RCI Resort Directory:

Escapes! to the Shores (#C112)

A post on another forum speculated that they did not intend to renew their affiliation with RCI when it expires, and the guess was possibly 2015.

It's also still in the II Resort Directory:

Shores Orange Beach, Alabama ESS

When we have traded our Stonebridge Village, it has been through RCI, but when they converted their Weeks program to faux points, it did not get much respect. With a $700 maintenance fee, 13-18 TPUs makes for a pretty expensive trade. We get 20 TPUs for $350 at another resort.

Sure, you get more for a lockoff.

Would you feel the same if all you got was (let me go check . . . . )

Deposit Trading Power Maximum Trading Power 12

for your $700?

steven766 wrote:

I just banked a Stonebridge COA float week, both A-side and B-side separately with RCI. I received 17 TPUs for the A-side and an additional 13 TPUs for the hotel room size B-side, which I plan to combine with several other TPUs at one time. I am not unhappy with the TPUs I received.

jlb wrote:

It's a strange Resort ID #, but it is still in the RCI Resort Directory:

Escapes! to the Shores (#C112)

A post on another forum speculated that they did not intend to renew their affiliation with RCI when it expires, and the guess was possibly 2015.

It's also still in the II Resort Directory:

Shores Orange Beach, Alabama ESS

When we have traded our Stonebridge Village, it has been through RCI, but when they converted their Weeks program to faux points, it did not get much respect. With a $700 maintenance fee, 13-18 TPUs makes for a pretty expensive trade. We get 20 TPUs for $350 at another resort.