Changes to Developer benefits (including Privileges program)

 

While the health outlook around the coronavirus/COVID-19 has become more positive in Australia and New Zealand, we are only just discovering the economic impacts of the pandemic. These are likely to be long-term, particularly for the hospitality and travel industries.

Post COVID-19, like many businesses, Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, the club’s Developer, will be making some changes to its business model to ensure its sustainability going forward and the security of the benefits it offers Club Wyndham South Pacific owners.

The club itself is secure and will not change – Club Wyndham South Pacific is self-sustaining, financially independent from the Developer and relies only on the Developer for club management. Changes are limited to the Privileges program and other Developer benefits.

We believe some owners may experience financial impacts personally, so a top consideration is how we deliver optimum value for as many owners as possible through Developer Benefits, while minimising the cost to owners.

As a valued owner, we wanted to inform you about some important changes we are making to Developer Benefits from Monday, June 1. This includes changes to the Privileges program as well as any Developer Benefits available to Premier Club Wyndham South Pacific owners as detailed in the Product Disclosure Statement.

Please read this email carefully so you are aware of the details.

What will change?

  1. Reduction in Privileges fees for all Privileges members effective from 1 June 2020
  2. Requirement to surrender housekeeping token/s for transactions where credits are exchanged
  3. Minimum night stay for Privileges complimentary housekeeping benefit
  4. Improved Fun Time benefit
  5. Removal of Golfers Plus and Registry Collection
  6. Expansion of Lifestyle program

Why is the Developer making changes?

These changes are designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of Developer Benefits while providing additional value to the entire Privileges member base, in exchange for some changes to benefits used by only a small percentage of owners.

Enhancing the value of Developer benefits has been a key theme in recent owner feedback. All your feedback is carefully considered, whether it comes through interactions between owners and our teams, at Owner Information workshops, in annual surveys, by email or through social media.

Developer Benefits are not benefits of your Club Wyndham ownership. They are additional benefits extended by the Developer, Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, and are subject to change. The majority of Developer Benefits are provided via the Privileges program, however some Developer Benefits are available to all Premier owners. These are referred to in section 8.2 of the Product Disclosure Statement, entitled Developer Benefits (page 47).

Our Privileges team is currently working on adding cost-effective benefits for all tier levels that will add incremental value to the program and we will communicate these in due course.

The rest of this update explains the changes in further detail. If you still have questions after reading this letter, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.

  1. Reduction in Privileges fees for all members

The Developer will reduce Privileges payments by 12.5 per cent for members in all five tiers. This will automatically take effect for payments from 1 June onwards. Those owners who have prepaid their Privileges fees will receive a credit against their next payment.

  1. Housekeeping Tokens for Exchanges

From Monday, 1 June 2020, you will be required to provide housekeeping tokens to complete transactions involving the exchange of credits, as the housekeeping tokens are intended to be attached to the credits when accommodation is redeemed in the Club. This applies to:

  • Travel Club – including Club Wyndham To/From, Club Tours, Personal Choice, Urban Escapes
  • Wyndham Rewards
  • RCI Rentals
  • OVC Cruises
  • Privileges Holiday Extras

 

The number of housekeeping tokens required will be in accordance with the below table:

Credits Exchanged Housekeeping Tokens Required
1 – 19,999 1
20,000 – 29,999 2
30,000 – 39,999 3
40,000 – 49,999 4
50,000 – 59,999 5
60,000 – 69,999 6
70,000 – 79,999 7
80,000 – 89,999 8
90,000 – 99,999 9

 

Each subsequent block of 10,000 credits exchanged will require an additional housekeeping token.

Housekeeping tokens cannot be borrowed from next year’s allocation and owners who do not have enough tokens at the time of the transaction will have to pay a flat housekeeping “exchange” fee of AU$116 for each token required. This is the average housekeeping cost in 2020 across all room types, and this fee may be adjusted annually to factor in a yearly price increase.

Your annual allocation of housekeeping tokens must be exhausted first before you begin paying fees. It is not possible to pay the fee and ‘save’ tokens for a transaction which has a higher housekeeping fee at a later date.

  1. Minimum Night Stay for Complimentary Housekeeping

Complimentary housekeeping available to Privileges Diamond, Platinum and 100 Club members will now be available for stays at Club Wyndham South Pacific resorts that:

  • Are five nights or more, if you are trialling Privileges Diamond
  • Are four nights or more, if you are a Privileges Diamond Member or trialling Privileges Platinum
  • Are three nights or more, if you are a Privileges Platinum or 100 Club member

The complimentary housekeeping benefit is not available for bookings using Associate Resorts, Affiliate Resorts, US Time, One Time, Travel Club credit usage (Personal Choice, Urban Escapes and Club Wyndham To/From), RCI exchanges, OVC Cruise Exchange, Wyndham Rewards exchanges, DAE Exchanges and Interval International exchanges.

As usual, complimentary housekeeping is available to Diamond, Platinum and 100 Club members after the member’s annual allocation of Club issued housekeeping tokens is exhausted. You will only need to pay standard housekeeping charges if your annual allocation of tokens is exhausted and your stay does not meet the minimum night criteria. The applicable fee payable will be dependent on the room size.

There are ways you can save housekeeping tokens and/or minimise any expense by planning ahead and changing your booking patterns. Our Owner Information Centre is happy to share these with you.

Diamond, Platinum and 100 Club members please note: When booking online, you must use a housekeeping token (which can be borrowed), and members with reservations that meet the complimentary housekeeping criteria will be credited with a token back the next business day. Alternatively, you can call Owner Services who will be happy to make the booking for you.

  1. New Fun Time benefit

To add additional value to the Privileges program, we are pleased to launch a revamped Fun Time benefit, which will succeed Fun Time and Fun Time – Priority Access in their current form. Fun Time is now available to all Premier Club Wyndham South Pacific owners to purchase up to their annual credit allocation every year at a low cash rate of AU9 cents per Fun Time credit, inclusive of housekeeping and some jurisdictional taxes (e.g. a Premier owner with 10,000 can purchase up to 10,000 Fun Time credits each year).

Fun Time has a two-night minimum and a 14-night maximum stay per booking. Cancellation rules will be the same as for standard credit bookings.

Fun Time booking windows will depend on Privileges tier:

  • 100 Club – 13 months (including Exotic Resorts)
  • Platinum – 12 months (including Exotic Resorts)
  • Diamond – 10 months (including Exotic Resorts)
  • Elite – 8 months (including Exotic Resorts)
  • Standard – 6 months (8 months for Exotic Resorts)
  • Non-Privileges – 3 months (8 months for Exotic Resorts)
  1. Removal of Golfers Plus and The Registry Collection

The contracts for Golfers Plus and The Registry Collection will end on 20 May 2020 and 20 October 2020 respectively and will not be renewed. Only a very small portion of Privileges members are registered users of Golfers Plus, while The Registry Collection has seldom been utilised and the costs of these benefits cannot be sustained.

  1. Expansion of Lifestyle program

The Lifestyle program is another way we have added value – and continue to add value. Owners have access to hundreds of exclusive deals from big brands that they know and trust. The deals available at lifestylebywyndham.com represent savings on goods, services, and experiences of up to 76 per cent off the market price.

More than 150 brands are now a part of this platform and, recently, a number of high-profile partners came on board, including Vodafone, Click Energy, Foxtel, Chempro Chemists, Endota Spa Products and Tavalon Tea. Through Lifestyle, you can get holiday discounts through deals on airport transfers and parking, car hire and travel insurance – and you can lower your everyday expenses by deals or discounted gift vouchers on fuel, electricity, phone plans, trades and groceries.

Questions?

Some of the key questions you may have about this change are addressed here.

If you have any further questions about these benefits that are not addressed on the landing page above, you are welcome to contact your Owner Services team at owner.services@wyn.com.

The Privileges team

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