Fairmont President's Club - Own a Fairmont Residence and become FPC Circle, good or not?

I got an email from Fairmont about the posibility to buy (and use only a few weeks per year) an apartment at the Fairmont Heritage in Colorado.

I'm not really good at this, so I dont know it the price is expensive or not but it's approx 200k$ and then "maintenance fee" of approx 10k per year and we can use the apartment for just 5 weeks per year (actually is 4 weeks and we can use the last week in a other propriety).

I don't have this amount of cash and I'm not sure is what I want for my future vacations plans! But a "good" thing, is the FPC Circle.

Fairmont President’s Circle
As soon as you become an owner at Fairmont Heritage Place – At Natures Door, you automatically become a member of the highest dedication of Fairmont Presidents Club – The President’s Circle.
There are currently over one million members of Fairmont President’s Club worldwide but only around 2,000 hold the elite status of President’s Circle.
There are currently over one million members of Fairmont Presidents Club ( silver, gold and platinum ) however only about 2,000 hold the elite status of Fairmont Presidents Club Circle.
Fairmont's Presidents Club Circle membership is by invitation only by the President of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
There is a dedicated VIP Desk to manage all your hotel bookings and ensure all your personal preferences are taken care of.
The Hotel Concierge will ensure that all requests are handled for you in the utmost professional manner with VIP service such as preferred table/time/location for diner reservations, preferred tee times, preferred tennis court bookings and more.
Private reception desk for check in, check out.
Upgraded upon arrival to the best possible room or suite available for the duration of your stay.
Reciprocal benefits at all Raffles Hotels and Resorts.

So, just want to know if someone here is a owner of a Fairmont apartment or is a member of the Circle!

This is an offer that I would definitely not take. And this is probably why I never got that email.

Not to mention the $200K, at $10K a year, I could stay at all kinds of more luxurious places than a Fairmont. And staying in the US for 4 weeks a year would kill me!

But it's good to know that there exists a Fairmont status above Platinum. Sounds good but not attractive enough for me to fork out $200K for it.:eek:

I´ll not bore you with a lenghty financial analysis (not that I can be aprticularly bothered to do one at 2a.m.;)), but just to give you a rough idea: From a purely financial/economic point of view it´s not a bad deal IF:

a) you actually want to stay at the Fairmont Telluride 4+ weeks a year (and you´d actually be willing to pay for 4 weeks there every year) AND
b) you stay at various other Fairmonts over the course of the year (I´d say minimum 30 nights/year or more) AND
c) you´re a pretty demanding customer looking for the very best service available (e.g. how often is it really important to you what table you get? etc.)

A rough guideline which may not necessarily be accurate in this economic climate, but is pretty accurate when applied over several years would be:

opportunity cost of capital: $200k x 5% = $10k/year
maintainance cost/year: $10k/year
total cost per year: $20k/year

return on investments:

35 nights x $500/night (1) = $17.5k
upgrade to best available suite during other stays (2): 30x $100 = $3k
other benefits (better service etc.): $1k

notes:
(1) Many properties (incl. the Telluride property) are more expensive per night, but for a better analysis one should take a figure which one would actually be willing to pay per night
(2) assumption: 30 nights at other properties, same restriction regarding value as in note 1: what would you be willing to pay for a better upgrade than you can already guarantee using your Plat suite upgrade certs?

it´s a better deal than many other timeshares, but the requirement to spend one month at a particular property over the next years would be a bit of a turn-off for me eprsonally.

One should also consider that there are a bunch of these Fairmont fractional timeshare locations, in San Francisco, Durban, and other areas. Buying into any of these locations would get you the Fairmont President's Circle. So if you want to spend a few weeks in Durban a year (or rent it out) then this might make sense.

I guess the fundamental question for all these are the fundamental question for all timeshares: are the timeshares worth it? Hilton, Fairmont, and other places all offer elite status to timeshare holders. Fairmont's maintenance seems a lot more than others, though.

I've been looking into something like a timeshare now for about 8 years.. with a family and kids, we are spending by the end of August 7th this year 53 nights at Fairmonts this year between my profile and my wifes'.. and I guess, unfortunately Fairmont isn't at every location our family wants to be neither.. as we did a 3 week Christmas Break vacation at Disney World.. no Fairmont unfortunately..

I can't find a product out there that meets our needs.. and the current Fairmont Heritage Fractional Ownership is not practical for us.. if there is a fractional that opens up in Alberta.. we may be of interest.

We've looked at Four Seasons, Grand Wailea, Ritz Carlton Club.. I almost pulled the trigger on Palace Resorts Presidential Suites.. I'm ready to buy, but nothing is of interest to us right now..

The President's Circle is the elite status of Fairmont President's Club.. Maybe it can be offered to Fairmont President's Club Members who have been Platinum Members for 10 years.;) We are going to be approaching ten years in 2012-2013..

...we are spending by the end of August 7th this year 53 nights at Fairmonts this year between my profile and my wifes'..

Ahem, the plural of "wife" is "wives"...


I'd rather keep the 10k yearly and buy myself the best available room at any Fairmont with the added flexibility of choosing the date/places I want and changing them whenever I want. Not to mention the possibility of not choosing Fairmont.

Ahem, the plural of "wife" is "wives"...


I'd rather keep the 10k yearly and buy myself the best available room at any Fairmont with the added flexibility of choosing the date/places I want and changing them whenever I want. Not to mention the possibility of not choosing Fairmont.

LOL!:D

Its just one wife.. and my first marriage..;)

Seems the economics are reasonable this year.. and keeps it flexible for years to come whether we continue at the pace we are going..

My wife is now American Express Platinum in Canada.. so she could technically just qualify this year on just 5 nights.. but we have these suite upgrades that we are able to use.. so we keep using the rewards, and the nights are adding up pretty good this year..

Anyone know if the Pac Rim is included?

Given how much I spend there, it's actually a good deal for me.

Anyone know if the Pac Rim is included?

Given how much I spend there, it's actually a good deal for me.

I remember that Fairmont put the condos being sold with their name on it.. Whether its Heritage Place.. I think so, but not 100% sure..

Perhaps a phone call to www.fairmontheritageplaces.com would answer that question.. that way you can find listings on the resale market for the properties..

http://www.fairmontheritageplace.com/

No 's' on the end of place ;)

http://www.fairmontheritageplace.com/

No 's' on the end of place ;)

the website was off the top of my head.. so yes..

Pac Rim is a heritage/circle location, and I can add, circle membership is transferable determined on who holds the deed.

I don't see how a 10k maintenance fee can be assessed. Even if you love their location in a certain city, it would be better to use this money on specific destiantions.

When you say Durban, you mean Durban SA? I wasn't aware FHRI had any properties in SA.

Pac Rim is a heritage/circle location, and I can add, circle membership is transferable determined on who holds the deed.

I don't see how a 10k maintenance fee can be assessed. Even if you love their location in a certain city, it would be better to use this money on specific destiantions.

When you say Durban, you mean Durban SA? I wasn't aware FHRI had any properties in SA.

Fairmont sells timeshares at the Fairmont Zimbali Resort near Durban, not sure whether they are classified as Heritage Places.

Fairmont sells timeshares at the Fairmont Zimbali Resort near Durban, not sure whether they are classified as Heritage Places.

It appears to be classified as Fairmont Heritage Place..

http://www.fairmontheritageplace.com/zimbali

Currently at Fairmont San Francisco and noticed in front of check-in a Ghiardelli Square office display and layout.. I read the sign.. pick up phone for info..

Anyone want me to pick up the phone to have any questions answered? I think the maintenance fees for 30 day fractional is $10K to $12k.. and I think they've been having trouble selling the fractionals the last couple of years..

We took a Deluxe San Francisco tour and we were just outside of Ghiardelli Fairmont today loading on the motor coach.. Nice location.. important to pick the units facing out towards the harbour..

Are they offering any of the typical stay free if you take our tours?

I'd be interested in that.

What is the base price for ownership?

Are they offering any of the typical stay free if you take our tours?

I'd be interested in that.

What is the base price for ownership?

So I go to the display room.. no attendant.. so I picked up the phone and followed the instructions to call the sales staff at the Fairmont Ghiardelli Square and no dial tone..

Tip to Fairmont: It would be useful when you provide a phone for your customers in your time share office, and instructions to call sales staff.. that your phone works with a dial tone (phone connected and working). Perhaps, that's part of the reason why the fractionals at Ghiardelli Square is not moving? No staff I saw over 4 days of being there was ever manning the sales office.. A few people I saw, possibly potential buyers, was eyeing up the display..

So I talked with concierge, and the long time staff members picks up the phone with no dial tone.. in total unbelief.. and he says that this is the first time he's ever seen this sign.. he agrees with me its odd..