The horrendous hurricanes in Texas and Florida have taken a huge toll in human life and billions of damages in property losses across several Southern states and the Caribbean. To help timeshare owners assess what is going on, RedWeek contacted several companies for updates on their resorts and how to handle cancellations, etc. While the situations are continuing to unfold, here is a quick handle for timeshare owners to monitor the hurricanes and their aftermath.
1. Call your home resort or timeshare company, owner services, to get updates on damages, reservations, and cancellations. Many independent resorts update their Facebook pages with their status faster than they can update their websites, so be sure to check. Most reputable companies are bending over backwards to help travelers rearrange their schedules or, in some cases, get refunds if applicable. We also encourage owners to post their own messages, in the forums on your resort’s page on RedWeek, to help inform other owners.
2. Call your preferred airlines as well to determine their policies. All airlines have posted updates about Harvey and Irma on their websites, usually referring people to hotlines for real-time information.
3. The devastation at many Caribbean resorts will probably require many months for reconstruction and resumption of anything close to “normal” vacationing. Owners on St. Martin resorts, for example, may be unable to use their intervals for months, if not years. Here are some examples of what companies are communicating to timeshare travelers.
4. The Vistana timeshare company (formerly Starwood) sent members an email urging owners at Florida’s Vistana Beach Club, Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort, Sheraton Vistana Resort, Sheraton Vistana Villages and Sheraton Broadway Plantation to seek updates on vistana.com. Vistana’s crisis hotline reported that the Westin St. John on the US Virgin Islands would suspend all near-term incoming reservations until further notice — since the airport and all local ports are damaged and closed.
5. Marriott Vacation Club’s owner services department offers a crisis hotline that is updated every morning at 9 a.m. EST. The Sept. 11 update said Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove resort in St. Thomas was closed until further notice while damages are being assessed for “heavy” landscape losses and water intrusion. Marriott also reported no injuries or loss of life at the resort, and said the resort would reopen “as soon as possible.” Marriott posted a more positive outlook for the St. Kitt’s Beach Club, which is also closed. The resort suffered “no significant damage” and reported that guests are safe. Marriott also urged travelers to contact their travel insurance companies and exchange companies, if applicable, to find out their options.
TimeSharing Today, the industry’s only independent site (other than RedWeek) for national timeshare news, just released a number of hurricane-related stories that are worth review.