Bad Deal Alert: Why I Will NOT Do Today’s Daily Getaway to Select Diamond Resorts

May 29, 2014 By Joseph Hostetler

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Today only at 1:00 pm EST, you can buy a 5-night stay at select Diamond Resorts from Daily Getaways.

But I will NOT try to get today’s Getaway. I’ll explain what to look out for!

From May 19, 2014 to June 20, 2014, a new travel deal will be available every weekday at 1:00 pm EST. But you have to be quick to get in on the deals, because they usually sell out very fast!

Bad Deal Alert Why I Will NOT Do Today’s Daily Getaway To Select Diamond Resorts — Save Money on Hotels, Rental Cars, and More With Daily Getaways

Daily Getaways is a promotion sponsored by the US Travel Association and American Express. You can buy discounted hotel and car rental points, and get cheap tickets to theme parks and other events.

And you’ll save an additional 10% if you use your American Express card.

Deal for May 29, 2014 – A 5-Night Stay at Select Diamond Resorts

Link: Daily Getaways Calendar

Link: A 5-Night Stay at Select Diamond Resorts for $600 ($540 With AMEX Card)

Today’s deal is for a 5-night stay at certain Diamond Resorts hotels. You’ll pay $600 for a 5 (consecutive) night, 6-day stay at hotels which include:

This deal works out to $120 a night ($600 for the package / 5 nights). If you use your American Express card, you’ll save 10% and pay $108 per night ($540 for the package / 5 nights).

You have to travel by July 4, 2015. There may be blackout dates depending on destination.

The deal goes live today at 1:00 pm EST, so you’ll need to have the site loaded on your browser and ready to click on the deal just prior to that time. There are only 200 deals available, so they might sell out quickly.

But read on before you decide to book!

Is This a Good Deal?

I don’t know much about Diamond Resorts. They’re a time-share management company that operates a vacation club of sorts. Members purchase points (and presumably pay a membership fee) which can be used toward stays at over 300 hotels worldwide.

However, for this deal, there are only 63 participating hotels on the list.

I tried searching for more information on their website regarding hotel pricing and membership terms, but any links I clicked on directed me to enter my name and phone number and a representative would get back to me. The fine print seems to authorize them or their affiliate companies to call you regarding promotional offers.

I didn’t want to give my personal information (though I should have done it as a test!)

In any case, there was no way I could search their website for prices to compare to the Daily Getaways deal. And I wasn’t about to give them my phone number!

1. Ka’anapali Beach Club, Maui

I checked Kayak for Ka’anapali Beach Club. It’s listed, but doesn’t give a price. They want a phone call too! And they don’t have their own website, except for their listing on Diamond Resorts.

2. Cedar Breaks Lodge, Utah

Kayak did list Cedar Breaks Lodge in Utah for ~$117 per night including tax. The booking was through HotelClub.

This is $3 cheaper than the $120 per night through the Daily Getaways deal. But if you use your American Express card, the deal would be cheaper by ~$9 ($117 Kayak rate – $108 Daily Getaways rate).

3. La Résidence Normande, France

La Résidence Normande is also listed on Kayak, but they want a phone call too. The only website I could find for the hotel is the Diamond Resorts page, and they don’t list prices.

4. Flamingo Beach Resort, St. Maarten

I found the Flamingo Beach Resort on Kayak. You can book it through HotelClub for a rate of ~$137 per night.

In this case, it costs ~$17 more to pay cash for the room. But it might not be that way for all dates.

Be Careful With This Deal

You may be able to find hotels that are cheaper using Daily Getaways. But this deal makes me nervous.

The fine print says:

Diamond Resorts reserves the right to select alternative accommodations, such as hotel, motel or condominium.

I would NOT be happy if I booked a resort and ended up in a motel instead!

I checked Trip Advisor for reviews on Diamond Resorts and found a lot of negative information. And I strongly suspect that if you bought into this deal, at some point you would be subjected to a time-share sales pitch.

And you’ll be staying in a timeshare owned by others. If it’s high season, you might have a hard time finding a room to book!

So my suggestion is that you avoid this deal. It’s NOT worth the aggravation, just to save a few dollars. I’m looking for Big Travel, not a Big Hassle!

That said, if you’re flexible and don’t mind a sales pitch, this deal might save you some money, depending on location and season.

Bottom Line

You can get 5 consecutive nights in selected Diamond Resorts hotels for $600 ($540 if you use your American Express card for the 10% discount) which works out to $108 to $120 per night.

It’s difficult to tell if this is a good value because many of their hotels don’t list prices online. And calling might result in being put on a telemarketing sales list, because this is a time-share company!

You might also be put into a motel instead of a resort, and Diamond Resorts is not terribly well-reviewed company.

I’m curious to learn your experience with Diamond Resorts!

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