Holiday Inn Reviews

They lured me with a show ticket, but the presentation lasted nearly five hours. The salesperson pushed a “flexible points system,” promised access to resorts, cruises, and travel perks, and claimed it was a valuable family investment. He skipped over fees and insisted points would grow in value and be easy to sell or transfer. Under intense pressure, I purchased the lowest package. The contract process was long, confusing, and felt deliberately overwhelming.

Once home, we tried to book a spring break trip and quickly realized the points barely covered a couple nights. Most options required more points and hefty extra fees. The promised “vacations” were misleading. We spent more money trying to make the points usable and discovered the cancellation window had essentially passed. We later attended another seminar in Tahoe after receiving a mail offer. When we shared our frustrations, they simply pushed us to upgrade. Desperate to use the program, we agreed—resulting only in higher costs. Booking remained difficult, especially without total flexibility, and partner options were poor. We couldn’t exit because we still owed money.

After years of payments, we finally used the points in February 2026 for a two-night Vegas stay. Even then, check-in included another aggressive sales pitch. A representative convinced us to “restructure” our contract, promising savings and rental income potential, but it only increased our payments with no clear details on fees. We later learned refinancing wasn’t even possible. Overall, this experience feels like a trap—high-pressure sales, hidden costs, limited usability, and mounting debt. It has been frustrating, expensive, and not at all the value that was promised.

We were also led to believe our membership would appreciate in value and could be passed to our heirs. No one disclosed that our children would inherit all the maintenance fees and dues along with it. Over 12 years, we have spent close to $20,000 and received very little benefit. Annual fees now exceed $500. We are both seniors and have used this membership very little. We have formally requested immediate cancellation with no additional fees. We urge anyone considering a timeshare or vacation club purchase to read the fine print carefully and get every promise in writing before signing anything.

During the visits we did manage to make, enjoyment of the resort was severely hampered because the property was routinely packed with prospective buyers on complimentary introductory stays. We found ourselves competing for amenities with people who hadn't purchased anything. To make matters worse, every visit included lengthy, aggressive upselling presentations that far exceeded what was described to us at the time of purchase — mirroring the same high-pressure approach used during the original sale.

The product we were sold bears little resemblance to what was represented to us. The misrepresentations were material and consistent throughout the entire experience. We would strongly caution anyone considering a purchase through Silver Leaf Resorts or Holiday Inn's timeshare program to thoroughly research their options and get every promise in writing before signing anything.

After being switched to a points-based system, we were assigned only a standard two-bedroom equivalent with no compensation for what we lost. Despite holding 302,000 points and paying $3,300 in annual maintenance fees, we cannot secure reservations for nine months out. Yet those same units are openly bookable on IHG.com by the general public. We were told IHG.com is a "third-party site." That is unacceptable.

Every upgrade was sold to us as the solution to our booking problems. The problems never went away. We financed these purchases through personal loans and credit cards based on promises that were never kept. We have also been subjected to special assessments, steep annual fee increases, and aggressive staff who pressure us into "owner update" sales meetings at every stay. We have formally requested full contract termination and relief from all financial obligations. After 25 years of loyalty, this is not the ownership we were promised.

It's all false. Renting points through Airbnb is apparently prohibited by their own policies. The blackout dates they promised didn't exist? Real. The year-in-advance booking window they never mentioned? Also real. The destinations they showed us in the presentation? Unavailable to us. The tax benefits? Nonexistent. They took our driver's licenses "for verification" — we now believe it was to run a credit check without our consent and keep us from leaving. A closing agent was there but we were told not to ask questions and to "follow up later." Nobody followed up. We've paid $2,000. We owe $14,000 more. We have never once used this membership. We are retirees. My husband served this country. And this company took advantage of us in the most deliberate, choreographed way imaginable. Do not walk into one of their presentations. Run.

What really pushed me over the edge are the maintenance fees. Not only are they a significant financial burden, but they increase every single year — something we were never told during the sales process. This feels like a deliberate omission. Had we known costs would keep climbing indefinitely, we never would have signed.

After thoroughly reviewing all the terms and conditions, it's clear that this timeshare is far less beneficial than advertised. The product was misrepresented during the sales presentation, and we were not provided with full disclosure of the financial obligations we were agreeing to. They add it in their contract that everything was disclosed.

I have formally submitted a cancellation request and am seeking a full refund of all payments made. I strongly urge anyone considering a timeshare with Orange Lake Country Club to read every line of the contract carefully and think twice before signing anything. Do not let the sales pressure cloud your judgment — I wish someone had warned me.

Based on my personal experience, I have concluded that I would have entirely avoided the timeshare membership. Planning my own vacations is far more cost-effective, offers greater flexibility, and frees me from the long-term financial obligations of this membership. I urgently request that Consumer Affairs investigate the deceptive sales practices of Holiday Inn Club Vacations and take immediate, proactive steps to safeguard consumers from these substantial financial challenges.

In 2017, we were pressured into upgrading to a points-based system under false pretenses. We were told our existing ownership would become nearly worthless if we didn't upgrade, and that the new system would be easier to resell and could generate additional income. Neither claim was true. Resale opportunities have been virtually nonexistent. We were also subjected to artificial urgency tactics — told that pricing was only available that day — which prevented us from reviewing the contract or consulting outside counsel before signing.

Over the course of our ownership, we have paid approximately $100,000 in combined mortgage payments, membership fees, and maintenance fees — money that could have funded 20 luxury vacations with far greater flexibility and value. Maintenance fees continue to increase annually with no improvement in usability. We were never informed that this financial obligation could be passed on to our heirs. What was sold as an investment has functioned only as a continuous, escalating financial drain.