Embarc Resorts
Reviews and Complaints

Been a member since 2010. Can almost NEVER get a vacation reservation over a holiday period. Seems like "insiders" have access to the reservation board long before owners. Now, in 2022, raising HOA fees another 4%. No one in customer service can help, and passes the buck to Diamond Resorts. Just a horrible mess and experience. No one available to answer substantive questions. With the ownership passing to Diamond Resorts, it has become a nightmare experience... and now Hilton owns, with NO communication from them except "welcome". Corrupt BOD who elects themselves year after year, with no accountability, nor availability to owners.

Can never reserve a room—charging to forfeit your points

Recently I tried to book one night (May 6, 2022) with my points but was told there was no availability and that I could not book a single night. However, when I went on-line to look for a room, several units were available at Embarc Palm Desert if I wanted to pay for the room. I decided to pay for it on Expedia, but do not understand why a member could not book a unit with points.

I really cannot believe someone cannot help me in this entire company. I spoke to so many, Kim Wong, a John and never got to speak the the manager, Warren Shum. I've asked to speak to him many times and all I got is an email where I responded and never received a reply back. I sent Warren so many emails and he never received any response to my specific question, ever and this has been happening for over a year. I have emails to back this all up. This issue started around Covid where I called and informed a representative that there was no way I'm traveling with 3 young children and travel restrictions everywhere. That's when someone informed me of this Destination exchange program where I could bank my points for an additional cost of $160, and my points won't expire. First off, during a pandemic, I think they should not be making customers pay just to save their points. But unfortunately, this was the only option I was given. What happened is I assumed this person I dealt with on the phone banked my points into this program I paid for in 2020 and guess what, she didn't! So to my surprise the next following year when I learned that I have 0 points saved into the destination exchange, I was very upset. I advised everyone there that I would not pay for such a thing for no reason, it's logical and I tried to reason with many representatives there. In order for me to save my points the second year during covid, i had to pay again to destination exchange, which i did in order to save 133 points worth. Again still never getting my first issue resolved. The way the destination exchange program was explained to me was not clear whatsoever. The person originally told me i keep those points for 5 years and still use my current points on the extraordinary escapes, like i've done many times before to access other locations. Well that was not true, only the points in destination exchange can be used and here's the kicker, you have to pay $160/yr to just keep those points in the destination exchange program. What kind of Covid work around is this! It should have been no charge at all during these times. Embarc is going down the drain. It was never this bad before. I think your manger Warren is scared to call me on the phone, and I'm a mother of 3 young children. Why can't he speak to me? I think you need to check your management team. I even asked this person, John, to at least request for me 1 year destination exchange fee to be waived for me since the mistake Embarc made in 2020 and never banked my points, and he thought that it may be something he could request for me. Well after John discussed this with Warren, John said he did not get that request approved because it's a third party fee. But how is that my problem? I was charged this cost and never got all my points banked in year 1. And what a terrible program, trying to make money off of people during a pandemic. I think it's terrible. Embarc, do something about your management before the business goes down the drain completely. No one will recommend others to but this timeshare.

We are a member of EMBARC (formerly Club Intrawest) since 2000 and we've been paying the yearly fee as required. With the Covid 19 situation, we are unable to travel to Canada given the quarantine and travel restriction. Due to the inability to travel, we have asked EMBARC to give us permission to bank the points. In total, we have 564 points that can be utilized but we were told we can only bank 250 points. We received this response on December 12, and were told that the "Board of Director does not allow exception of any kind to points savings rule". As an loyal and long time member, this is truly unfair and this is not of by choice on our part, but the global pandemic which prevent us from travel.

This is truly appalling and we request the management and Board of Director to take immediate action to address this unfair policy.

Sincerely
Natasak Rodjanapiches
Vasana Rodjanapiches
Member : 1-185628

January 2021, my mother was vacationing in Whistler at the Embark resort. She was convinced to attend a meeting to which she thought would help her to merge her 2 Embark memberships. Unfortunately it was nothing more than another sales meeting which lasted well over an hour.
Being hard of hearing and 91 years old she became tired and was convinced to sign a loan to purchase an additional 80- points.
She has been a member since the beginning of Intrawest and never felt she needed more than her original points of 320.
Unfortunately she still does not understand what papers she signed, (which she never received a copy of) and does not understand that she owes close to $20, 000.00
Unfortunately member services is of no help and passes it back to sales, sales is of no help as they were happy to collect their commission.
All of this took place during COVID, no masks were worn, very little protocol was in place so on top of all of this it put my mother at great risk of COVID
To top things off there is very little availability at Whistler, which is the closest resort to my mothers home so she stands to lose banked points from 2020.

This is clearly a case of senior abuse and unfortunately no one employed by Embarc is interested in resolving this matter

Contacted Embarc Nov 8, 2018 to request a repurchase. Received a repurchase ticket [protected], they were to go back in 1 to 2 days. Heard nothing. Finally called February 11, 2020 to request a response. February 17 20 emailed Embarc all our documentation. Advised they were behind on updating waitlist. Called again October 14, 2020 as I received no response.Received a letter January 19, 2021 advising us we are on the waitlist as of October 22, 2020. We are number 1665. This is almost 2 years after our original application. We want it back dated.I have called May 27 21, June 21 21 and July 12 21 requesting to speak to a supervisor regarding fixing.No one has called me back, apparently I'm on a wait list for a callback.

We have been members for over 20 years and have never been treated so badly as now. We came all the way from Australia to ski, the mountain closed one hour prior to our arrival for the week: March 15 - 22nd. We booked our accomodation with Embarc for that week to ski specifically. No notice was sent to us by embarc re: the mountain closure.

We read on the Australian government website they will be prohibiting entry of all visitors to Australia other than permanent residents and citizens. Those on visas - which we are may not be allowed to re-enter Australia due to the coronavirus situation. We booked an early flight back to Australia to: a) ensure we can re-enter due to our visa b) there is no skiing at the mountain during the week we booked.
Embarc will not credit us for the points not used or allow us to move them to a different time of year. We own within the top 10% of member point category and this is how they treat us?

I purchased two twin size air beds sometime in late May or earlly June so that I have sleeping space for my young nieces and nephews when they come to visit. I they're also my favorite place to relax and watch TV on them weekends. I blew one up and used it myself two weekends in a row. On the second weekend, the bed began to lose air. I found the small spot on the felt side of the bed. The patches provided do not stick to it so I tried crazy glue and duck tape and that did not work either. The following weekend I tried the other and after two weekends the same thing happened to this one. That's $70.00 wasted but I didn't give up. I then spent $40.00 on some Flex Seal that was advertised on TV and even that did not seal these very tiny leaks. I am out $110.00 and am very upset. I've been buying air beds for years and have never experienced any of such poor quality. The children never even got a chance to use them. I had not saved the receipts since I'd never encountered this type of problem. I am extremely disappointed with this product especially since it's the most I've ever spent for twin size air beds. I would appreciate some type of explanation or resolution from the manufacturer or the Target store.

We, like many people, attended the supposedly 90 minute presentation which incidentally lasted nearly 3 hours. Fairly hard sell from a professional with the usual offer only available on the table that day. We considered ourselves quite savvy and people that wouldn't be pushed into anything. The sales pitch was so
professional and it sounded so plausible that we did eventually sign up - not pushed but persuaded into it. Back at the hotel I did some homework on this organisation and realised that what we were told was basically an extremely stretched fabrication of lies. You cannot simply sell your 'shares' as we were told and they are most certainly not an asset as stated as Intrawest have first right of refusal meaning they won't and aren't legally obliged to buy back your ownership until they feel like it which could be several years later at a fraction of the cost and with you having paid the annual fee for stays which are simply not available. This is similar to the practice of selling hot air balloon rides - ie they sell more tickets than they can possible accommodate. A couple of days later we did read the small print and exercised our right to cancel with the 7 day cancellation period which took a concerted effort as they tried all avenues and delaying tactics to have us change our mind. What is very disappointing is that this scam was sold to us in the tourist information centre in Whistler whilst looking for tours - presumably they too are paid commission to scam tourists bringing much needed revenue to their town. Whilst this organisation is legitimate, it's sales policy and practices would appear otherwise and I can only hope that any potential owners read these entries before they sign up - experience would say otherwise when it's too late. DO NOT IN ANY WAY DEAL WITH THIS ORGANISATION

My husband and I originally bought 100 points in 2005, then added and additional 50 points. Then in 2012 while on a holiday in Whistler we went to a further sales presentation at which the salesmen noted we travel frequently but rarely through Club Intrawest. He assured us we could go on the high end trips we had through Club Intrawest Extraordinary Escapes and assured us we could get help booking such trips, as I said I had trouble booking through the system. We agreed to purchase an additional 100 points with a 20 point signing bonus. I wasn't advised there is a 7 day rescind period which apparently there is. Also my husband is now ill and will never be able to use even the Club's resorts, our financial situation is completely compromised. The Club will not allow us to sell the 200 shares we have paid for if we could find a buyer until they have there money, even if we were to hold the money in trust for them, so now I can't sell the 320 shares to cover the cost of 100 shares. Plus there is the ever escalating yearly cost, $4.12 per point when we joined now $7.13. Also the Extraordinary Escapes part of the membership is non-transferable so your points are worthless. I just want to walk from this nightmare

I have a loved one incarcerated in Bonham Texas.I set the phone up about a month ago where he could start calling home.Well it's a voice recognized service .Everytime he try to make a call he says the system doesn't recognize his voice.There for the calls aren't going through.My loved one told me that you have to sound the same at the time when you recorded it.What if a person just woke up your voice is not going to sound the same.So i called the phone company to complain they told me i would have to call the facility.The facility told me i would have to call the phone company who do i really call to resolve this matter.All i want them to do is rerecord his voice because obviously the first way isn't working.

As an existing customer on a Sunday I could only reach a representative of Embark by following the new customer promts. For those existing customers that need service on a sunday, to bad. And if another company such as Brighthouse want to request you be disconnected and take over that phone line without your consent, they can. You are left without phone service, and no one but you can ask to resend the mistaken order. Now to find all this out for my 62 year old father with no cell phone it took me multiple phone calls between both providers and thier automated systems to receive No help from Brighthouse who put me on endless hold and never called me back, and ultimately had to take a cell phone over to him and have him ask for his service to be returned to him. What is wrong with this picture? They didn't need to verify with him to end his service!