The Manhattan Club Reviews

Booked one weekend for both of us since we are married. When we arrived, we were told we booked 2 suites. The reservation is apparently did not understand us. Follow up reservations very difficult to schedule, even months in advance. We're told we needed to try to schedule a year or more in advance. Booked a swap in a supposed resort and marina through RCI, but on arrival, found resort to be more like a boy scout camp. The marina was a dirt path where one could merely launch a trailered rowboat. There was no marina. That was South Carolina. The second time we tried another RCI swap, in Florida, we drove up to an aging motel, and decided to leave because the area was questionable and seemed poorly kept up.

In March 2006, I was pressured into buying a yearly 3 days yearly timeshare at the Manhattan Club. We were explained that the Manhattan Club would buy the deed back if we wanted to sell it in the future. I called to offer them to take the deed back today. The response that I got was that they have now stopped any buyback program indefinitely. I was told that I could sell it on my own but the remaining mortgage payment is not transferable. And if I do find a buyer, I needed to contact the Manhattan Club first to give them first option to at least match the price, clearly a tactic to make it impossible to sell or give it to a charity. The only time we have ever been able to stay at the Manhattan Club was the lone evening of that pressure "bait-and-switch scam." I am seeking a lawyer so I can sue them for this shameful behavior.

As an owner of the Manhattan club, I was told by the sales person that I own real estate in New York City. If that is so, all owners of deeded Manhattan Club property should be covered by the law suit. In any event, I too have been tricked in the same ways as the others have stated. Even nine months to the day, you cannot book a room. The maintenance fees have gone through the roof. I would like to be part of any active or future legal action against the management of the Manhattan Club.

We purchased two weeks of flex time at the Manhattan Club nearly 20 years ago. In the early years we were able to access our time share regularly. However, over the next five years the maintenance fees rose dramatically to the current level of $5,000 per year for our fourteen day contract. Simultaneously, it became impossible for us to reserve space at the Manhattan Club. Clearly, the Manhattan Club has sold more space than it has available for owners. In order to book a week for December 2014 we were required to book it in January 2014, AND we were required to pay the maintenance fee at the time we made the reservation even though the maintenance fee was not actually due until September 2014.

Have been an owner for 13 years. Like others we are frustrated with the soaring maintenance fees and lack of available rooms. It doesn't make sense to own a timeshare that costs >$2000 a year in maintenance fees AND is sold out every time you try and book it. AG, doing something about this please.

Although we were sold on the concept that we could request a room for use one day at a time whenever we wished (we lived in a community near Manhattan), after several years this became impossible with a sold-out status every time we called. The maintenance has grown to over $2500/year so in essence we are paying dearly for something for which we have no use. This past year when I tried to book a year in advance, I was told to pay the year's maintenance up front (not due for 8 months from the day I called) or MC would not reserve the room. How does THAT work?

I have been an owner at The Manhattan Club for twenty years. The maintenance fee has been raised from $380 to $2,600 during my ownership period. The dues were raised without owner approval. We have no information on where or into whose pocket our money is going. The owners should be running the board but have not been fairly represented. The club has been run for the personal benefit of Mr. Eichner.

I have owned a Flexshare since 1998. First year they went on sale. The pressure was intense, and the false statements about this investment being a great one is a joke. Sell it? For what, no one wants it. First and foremost, the fees are astronomical. $2600 this year which equates to $371.00 a night. I was able to get a room at the Hampton Inn around the corner at Thanksgiving for $185 a night! Like others, I have a terrible time getting what I need as they give the rooms to RCI members who are trading before owners. When you do trade, there are few places that are equal in value and it is virtually impossible to get a trade with RCI any place I typically would want to go. This is a travesty that needs attention and resolution. Can I just walk away?

We have had ownership since they opened and in the beginning, it was easy to get availability. We have the original contract so we can rent 3 weekends a year. This should work great since we live on Long Island and like to spend long weekends in the city every so often. But their rules keep changing and the rates just keep going up, now over $2,600/year. You now have to book 9 months in advance, can't book until your membership is paid for the year you want to book, and can only book 2 weekends at any time. So we usually get 1 weekend booked 9 months out, and a second a few months later, but by the time we stay, we cant get another weekend before our year runs out.

We bought our Executive Unit in December of 2004 after a grueling, high pressure sales session. We were told that this was an incredible investment that we could deed to our children. We were sold on the fact that we were buying premium real estate in Manhattan with minimal cost ($26.000 and minimal charges - at the time about $600 per year). Well, we have only stayed at the Manhattan Club once because we could never book a reservation as it was always unavailable. The charges have gone up to over $2,200 and we have no way to get out of this money pit as the Manhattan Club owners can't give these units away. The company won't buy them back and you cannot sell them. What an unbelievable scam!

My husband and I purchased a biweekly contract at The Manhattan Club almost 20 years ago. I have stayed there a total of 5 times, never for a week, as promised, but for 2, 3 or once for 4 days. They never have availability. Since my husband died, I have tried to sell this timeshare in various ways, but have only been told that I would have to pay from $3,500-5,000 to have another 'company' take it off my hands. It's bad enough that the fees have gone to almost $2,500 but to not be able to book time is a disgrace. Why is no one starting a class action suit forcing the owners to take back the units not wanted. Or at least make the fees half as much as they are! It is a disgrace that they can take advantage like this.

Eric Schneiderman, the NY's Attorney General saw it fit to investigate the sales presentations and maintenance fees established by THE MANHATTAN CLUB. Schneiderman obtained a court order for THE MANHATTAN CLUB, cease all sales and promotions by THE MANHATTAN CLUB during this litigation. I, together with many other hundreds of share owners of THE MANHATTAN CLUB (over 16,000 shares sold to accommodate about 280 suites), informed the NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE of the alleged fraudulent sales presentations and actual exponentially increasing maintenance fees, most higher than $2,500 for one week's ownership. The case is still in the New York state court.

My husband and I are in our 80's and we want to release ourselves from the oversold shares of the Manhattan Club. It has been such a disappointment. We have talked to those in charge several times. Can anyone help us?? The attorney general?

When we purchased in 2004, we were told we could sell back to them at any time. This time share is an investment. Now the maintenance fees have skyrocketed and they don't even want to know you. And forget about trying to stay in NY. It is just not anything that they told us. If there is a class action suit going on against them I would love to know how to be a part of it.

I have noticed many complaints about the Manhattan Club. No question that there was "high pressure" salesmanship from the management when we purchased our one week per year. But... we have not had one problem in making two reservations over the past year at the times we wanted. Each time was about three months advance notice.

This time-share is a joke - the maintenance fees alone make it impossible to use without feeling ripped off and the fact that the availability of rooms within a reasonable time frame is nonexistent means my original investment was money down the garbage disposal. My dreams of taking my sisters and nieces to New York for a stay was impossible since I could never find more than 2 days in a row, and always on the club's schedule, not mine.

We attended a time-share presentation in 2009 and ended up purchasing what was presented to us as 7 nights in 4 years. We were told we could have, for example, 0 nights in year 1, 4 nights in year 2, 0 nights in year 3, and 3 nights in year 4. Or we could have 2 nights in years 1, 2 and 3, and 1 night in year 4. Or we could even save up and have 7 nights in the fourth year. As we live in Canada, we thought we might use the time every second year or perhaps wait and use it up every fourth year. We definitely weren't planning on 2, 2, 2, and 1 nights over 4 years as it wouldn't be feasible for us to travel that far for only 1 or 2 nights at a time. A couple of years later, when we called the Manhattan Club to try and book 3 nights, we were told that we have a 2/2/2/1 contract with no possibility of the other options mentioned above. Even worse, we learned that we could not even book directly with the Manhattan Club, but have to book through RCI because our contract is a points contract.

Like everyone else, I am an extremely disgruntled owner who would like to get rid of this timeshare and am willing to give it away. The maintenance fees are exorbitant, you can't book a room and there is little trading value with RCI. I see that someone mentioned they were able to sell their unit back for $1. How did you go about doing this? Are there any other options for how to get rid of this thing anyone can suggest?

I am an owner since 2003. Within the past few years, I have been having difficulty booking nights and am told to follow the 9-month rule. I am paying my expensive maintenance fees and can't make use of my supposed investment. I am both frustrated and angry and want out of this disaster. I have come to find out that I can book a room as a tourist but have to pay a hefty price. Just today, I received a bill from financial services for a balance due of 105 dollars. For what? I've also discovered that owners have contacted the NY Attorney General's office and that the developer is using a "bait and switch" scam. Meanwhile, the developer is making all kinds of money off of the owners who can't get their nights.

Dues for one week every other year is up to $2500.00. You can reserve a 4-star hotel for a week in New York for that cost.

I own at The Manhattan Club and want to get rid of my timeshare, knowing I will have to take a huge loss - I just want to get out. Any suggestions? Will Manhattan Club take it back? The maintenance fees are just ridiculous at this point.

We bought our time share at the ground floor and felt that we had paid a fair price and the maintenance fees were reasonable. It was never disclosed to us that the developer intended to subsidize the maintenance fee for the first five years, after which it would go up substantially. Neither were we told that only 30% of the units would be reserved for owners. So - 15 years later, we cannot book a room unless we call 9 months in advance and our maintenance fees are over $2500/year. We could go to any hotel - with a last minute reservation - and do better than that. We are interested in becoming part of a class action suit, so if anyone can tell us how to become involved in that, we'd appreciate it. We did file a complaint with the NY Attorney General and are aware that he is investigating charges of consumer fraud.

I have been a member since 2011 and have the same complaints as everyone else. I would like to get out of this nightmare, even if I lose what I've already put in. I just want to walk away at this point. Any advice? Thanks.

Just like the other reviews, we have 7 nights to use within a year, and we only got to use 3 nights because there was no availability. We were waitlisted for every night, and only got a call one time for the same evening and had to decline. I see units listed on Craigslist that are available, but not for owners. They are units supposedly owned by the developer that are being rented like a hotel, but not usable for the owners. It makes me furious! Not to mention the maintenance fees have gone up so much that you could rent a hotel for 7 nights for less money!

The Bottom line - we have been owners for 15 years plus and have only been able to stay at the Manhattan Club once (at signing). I don't try to make dates anymore since it is futile. I can remember the salesman making it clear to us that we need to choose based on our interest in the Club itself and not its trading value since that's what was being offered - and I would guess like most, we decided to engage based on the ability to stay in NYC. Please don't ask me to rate the service or amenities - how would I know? Where the Manhattan Club is concerned - A Good tag Line - "if you own you can not stay"!

We are owners and we cannot use our timeshare as they claim there are no rooms available. They have oversold the timeshare. There needs to be a lawsuit against them. If there is a lawsuit against them, I would like to be part of it. We are owners in NY. In the phone call today, we asked for any date from today onwards to book a room... The answer, there are no rooms available for the next 9 months. Not a single room. The man on the phone claimed that they are no longer selling or trying to sell any units at the Manhattan Club as there are no units for sale at this time. I guess that means no more phone calls asking us to refer a friend to buy into unusable nights. They are selling a service that they cannot supply. We said we would take any night from tomorrow to 9 months in the future. The response there is 0 rooms available.

Owner for about 12 years. A great location, but same comments as everyone else. Maintenance fee is ridiculous based on a daily rate. Seems like you can't get a room at any time. Only option has been to bank with RCI and go elsewhere. Not much value on a cruise exchange, so mostly go to other resorts. If you can find one for the time you want to go.

Well, I have been a shareholder with The Manhattan club for approximately 8 years now and have never ever been able to get a room.

I am also a pre-construction owner who has witnessed the Manhattan Club change its policies to the point where it is nearly impossible to reserve a unit when you want one. I went from being able to book 7 individual weekend nights to now being limited to booking only 2 weekends and then possibly reserving a third weekend only after the first two weekends have been completed. If you don't take your first two weekends in January or February, the possibility of getting a third weekend is nil. If you don't call exactly 9 months TO THE DAY, your chances of getting a unit for a weekend is also close to impossible.

What was said in the preview here is accurate and certainly not an exaggeration in any way. I am really not familiar with the point system but know that making reservations requires at least a 6 month lead time. Each year they raise the maintenance fee so the last time I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000.00, maybe a little more. That comes to about $300.00 for each of the 7 weekday nights our contract allowed, for accommodations that were at best shoddy, required 11:00AM departure and were rarely available before 4 or 5:00 PM.

That's how we feel. Paid 20K in 2001, $500/yr maintenance. By 2008 maintenance was $1800, and "owners" could not book any time. Pressured to trade with RCI. Complained to NY Atty Gen office of such practices. Paid way too much over the years for what we rec'd.

I would like to know how to be contacted to be part of the lawsuit for fraud against the Manhattan. I want all of my purchase price and yearly maintenance fees returned. It is a scam. My email is **. I have not been happy since the day I purchased it when I had to find out myself all the annual fees which were never explained. Also I was told the Manhattan club would buy the timeshare back for my purchase price by the salesperson. What a scam.

The Manhattan Club sells Timeshares "owners" cannot book. Manhattan Club Timeshares sell for $1 from other owners. Other owners are paying thousands of dollars to give their timeshares back to the Manhattan Club. The Manhattan Club has 286 rooms and as of last year 18,466 owners. Owners can only reserve from the pool of owner's rooms. The owner's pool is 30% or less or 86 rooms for 18,466 people. The Manhattan Club does not tell consumers the truth.

I agree that there needs to be a class action against the Manhattan Club. I am an original owner, I bought pre-construction. I can NEVER get a reservation when I request one. They say to reserve 6 months in advance; 12 months in advance does not help. Yet, they sell space to non-owners easier and they never stop selling shares. As an owner for over 20 years I have seen my maintenance fee more than quadruple and the Manhattan Club did not keep one of their promises. We owners do need to sue them and they need to buy back our contracts. How can we unite?

I just came back from one of those special meetings that all the owners have been invited to. We were told that the meeting was about learning how to use the new reservations system. Nothing could have been further from the truth. It was a sales meeting sponsored by RCI. If you don't buy into the new RCI Points system for an additional $6,000 you will have even LESS of a chance of ever getting a night at the Manhattan Club. What a scam! Time for a class action suit by the 3 states most represented in ownership. I will initiate CT. Anyone interested in being a part of this?

Yes we bought a week. Everything the sales people told us 10 or even longer years ago was a big fat lie. I agree with all the other negative comments. A totally worthless timeshare you will never be able to use but can pay money to stay there Anytime - no problem. You just can't use your points to stay there even when booking 9 months in advance. RCI is no help either. Help New York! Can't someone do something to this dishonest business. Help us get out of this terrible mess!!!

We bought Timeshare in 2010 and were promised RCI membership and 20,000 opening points. I filled in all the paperwork etc. and when I received nothing, I inquired about it. I was told that they cannot give me RCI membership because I am not a US citizen. Stay away from the Manhattan Club. All their promises are blatant lies.

I purchased the Manhattan Club 14 years ago. I am unable to book a week now unless I do so 9-12 months in advance. This is difficult. I am angry because people who are not owners can book easier than I can. In addition they can get free transportation from the airport. My maintenance goes up every year - now it is $2,585. I was very happy and excited when I purchased. Now I am angry that I am not able to get what I had purchased - and others can get a room who paid nothing for the property.

They promise your apartment whenever you need it. Surprise!!!! It's never available!!! DO NOT BUY HERE.

We purchased a 1/2 share in 2011. This provides alternating 3 nights or 4 nights during odd/even years. Paid $17,000 plus annual proportionate share of the Owners' Association fee and NYC real estate taxes. Reservations are restricted during the December Christmas and New Year's holiday season. The sales staff is all too eager to sell, make promises about availability outside of the restriction and tout how wonderful the "investment" will be. In fact, they even have people available to give testimony of their wonderful experience as an owner. Sales staff makes the promise that resale is easy and that The Manhattan Club will buy back the unit anytime. None of this is near truth.

We were told at closing that we would receive an RCI membership within 10 days and upon inquiring, we were told that was wrong and it would take 60 days... We have been unable to talk to anyone in person as they say that they will call back within 48 hours and that turns out to be untrue also..... I am worried that all the complaints I have been reading are true and we are being led down the primrose path. Is it time for a lawyer to handle this? We love NYC and would like to think that we could enjoy an occasional visit without the hassle it seems to becoming.. Any recommendations?

This entire operation is a fraud. The clown mayor ought to crack down on these crooks and leave the hansom cabs alone.

However if you go online to reserve a room you can book. I paid for my timeshare in 2008, paid in full, the first year I booked a weekend no problem, now this year they are telling my contract was entered into the system incorrectly and now I can only book Saturdays on even years... and guess what?! This year they do not have any Saturday four day books left, for OWNERS!

We purchased many years ago, and the first few years it worked well. However the maintenance fees have skyrocketed. We are not paying over $2500 for 7 nights. It is almost impossible to be able to reserve rooms if you are a timeshare owner, even if you call 9 months in advance, which is ridiculous. When we purchased the timeshare, we were promised that we could pop up to NYC for the weekend since we live 2 hours away. Not, we can never get the nights we request, even though we have a premium contract which includes 3 weekends a year. Yet you can reserve a room easily if you utilize online booking sites. The units have been completely oversold. The Manhattan Club has not listened to owner feedback and complaints over the years and things have gotten worse, not better.

As a member of the Manhattan Club time share for 10 years, I would like to explain the reason for discontent. The requirements for participation have changed.

Please tell me why, after all the complaints to the Attorney General's office, this corporation can deceptively, fraudulently stay in business and steal monies from owners year after year? We bought our timeshare in 2007. It is now 7 years later and the only time we have gotten a room was when they called with a cancellation and we took it only because if we didn't, we lost our rooms year after year. Total stays at TMC in 7 years is 8 nights, you cannot make this up. Our maintenance fees have tripled from $700.00 per year to $1812.00. We could be staying at the Four Seasons, or any 5-star hotel in NYC. Please, please some governing official crack down on this. The people shelling out their hard-earned money deserve what they paid for. Why do they still sell properties that are already owned by other people. This could never happen in the real estate world. Why are they getting away with obvious fraudulent business practice in the greatest city in the world? I do not have the power to stop this, but our governing offices do. Again, please help. Stop the scam from stealing money from members. I can only hope SOMEONE with the power to change this is reading this.

Just because there is nothing new to say doesn't mean that there isn't a serious problem. We have the same problem as everyone else. We can't unload this worthless investment because it has negative value. It has negative value because the annual fees are exorbitant. We can't book room six months in advance. It's a nightmare.

We purchased many years ago, and the first few years it worked well. However the maintenance fees have skyrocketed. It is almost impossible to be able to reserve rooms if you are a timeshare owner. Yet you can reserve a room easily if you utilize online booking sites. The units have been oversold. On top of all this, I consistently receive requests from Manhattan Club to give them names of friends, family to whom they will try to sell a timeshare. Can this all be legal?

Outrageous Policies of the Manhattan Club Timeshare:

We are happy with the Manhattan Club when we can manage to stay there. But we are nearing retirement, and the maintenance fees over our 12 years of ownership have risen until they are out of our league. We don't stay places that cost over $300 a night! I have adjusted our lives to go when there is more availability, like January, but that isn't what we want or what we had 12 years ago when it worked much better. The current arrangement is NOT what we bought in for. We feel extremely taken advantage of, and trapped, since we don't know how to get rid of our 1/52 Timeshare (on the waiting list to GIVE it back so they can resell it for $38,000!) The Manhattan Club is gouging its owners. If you are considering buying, think again!

In November 2013, I stayed at the Manhattan Club, Unit 1516. This unit possessed all of the 'boutique' features: broken closets handle and kitchen light, a sofa that had marks all over it, cracked granite tile in the bathroom, peeling wallpaper, and the need for a portable heater due to insufficient heat from the built-in room unit. I called maintenance and the gentlemen informed me that all of the sofas are in similar condition, and that the closet handle and light fixture required an engineer to fix them. Of course, the engineer never showed up. Please take note of the attached pictures from my stay.

I feel there is no communication with this agency. I purchased a timeshare in Sept 2013 and was told the bonus certificate for a week in Florida would be sent in the mail. It never came. When I questioned TMC in January, I was told I received it at the signing. It has taken over 8 weeks to get this issue resolved and it is still not resolved to my satisfaction. Booking is not easy. They misrepresented themselves at the sale. The sales person stated "No problem with booking New Year's". Now I learn we needed to buy an additional addendum for those dates. I wish I had read the reviews first. Now I am in a deal I feel I cannot get out of.

Yes, we agreed to the mysterious meeting and I am glad we did. We now have a better understanding of why we are struggling to get our time at the club. I must admit some of the problems that we have had, I guess we created ourselves by not paying attention to the newsletters and by not asking questions. They should have done this meeting thing a long time ago instead of waiting until we are all ** off. We have friends that have told about what is happening but always wondered why the club never did it. Come to find out they did, we just never really knew what it meant or how it would benefit us.

We purchased our timeshare in 2000 and were promised that there would be no issues with booking, but this has become increasingly difficult to the point of losing nights in our year. We call as required 9 months in advance and already the rooms are all sold out. Amazing to me but if you cannot schedule in advance of nine months, how is it that there are no rooms!!!??

We've been an owner since 2005. Have the same complaints as everyone else. I would love to get out from underneath this horrible "investment". We recently received a letter from TMC suggesting that we contact them to set up an appointment for a representative to come out to meet with us. When we called in and tried to get specific details as to what the meting was about, the person told us they really had no details and their rep would fill us in when we all sat down. All we could get out of the person we called was that the rep would be going over some new programs and changes coming up... I'm writing this to see if anyone can shed some light on this. Has anyone had this meeting yet? Very curious.......

We have 2 timeshares and have been going to NY for years. However it is becoming almost impossible to use our units despite calling at 9am, 9 months in advance. Our timeshares are Flexible Weeks and the management had encouraged us to swap them out for more restrictive ones. This year when I tried to book 9 months in advance, I was told everything was booked out because other owners had booked a year in advance. I feel we are being forced to book our entire week despite having purchased the Flexible Weeks so we could break our weeks up into smaller segments.

We have owned since 2001 and have had an incredibly hard time booking any time even during the week we purchased. Maintenance fees have gone up substantially every year and are now triple what we originally agreed to with no end in site. When we were able to get a few night's in the property, the rooms and furniture were in need of upgrading and repair. What are the thousands of dollars we pay a year going towards? We have now learned that the property is selling rooms to Expedia, Orbitz, and other similar companies further overselling the rooms we have paid for and are unable to use. We plan on taking legal action as many others have from what I understand.

We've been owners since mid-1990s. Cut and paste every complaint below about reservation issues. Have never been able to book 9 months to the minute in advance. Always end up taking what they have available, like mid-January when even locals don't want to be there. Last weekend, mid-January, I was having breakfast at the chipped glass table top, when I held the table to push back my seat to get up. Not realizing the glass was not at all secured to the metal legs, the glass slid off, knocking my 7-year-old off his seat, hitting the ground and cracked completely in half. Shards of glass all over. Nobody was cut, my son banged his head.

My husband & I have owned this hellish timeshare since 2007, and to date have not been able to book dates when needed. What a waste of money! I am trying to sell it and if I have to give it away, I will. Horrible customer service, you can't even call them! Either or or on hold for hours and hours. This is a scam and we should get our money back for deceptive practices! I own three other timeshares and on a very rare occasion is there ever an issue with booking. I use them every year. Let me know what can be done, if anything. Thanks!

I took the points rather than the time at the Manhattan Club. They failed to tell me that in order to use the points I would have to join RCI every year at $124. The booking prices they gave me for using my points were stated as lower than RCI charges and the last chance rental prices they provided were stated as lower than RCI charges. So now this bargain deal that cost us $12,000 along with maintenance fees and taxes of $2000 a year isn't a bargain at all. If I try to get results from RCI, they tell me to call TMC who then tells me to call RCI. I think we should band together and get our money back before the owner disappears to some beach side South American country and we are left with nothing. I will be writing to the NY Attorney General.

I agree with all the complaints - from exorbitant fees, lack of availability, and deceptive sales practices. I just got off the phone and tried to schedule nine months out (I had to wait to the day to even attempt this), and of course, no availability. This has been an ongoing, continual problem. The few times we have been to the Manhattan Club was by happenstance and when THEY had availability and we were able to accommodate THEIR schedule. I too would like the name of James of Washington DC's attorney but I did not know how to send him the email as he said he was willing to provide this information. I hope the NY Attorney General's Office would give some credence to all the complaints and do some investigating and hopefully do something about this.

My husband and I have purchased a timeshare about a year ago and are unable to get any availability to stay in TMC. The fees are also rising at an alarming rate. We are sorry that we purchased there and only did so because we love NYC and thought we would be able to visit spare of the moment. I would like JJames' e-mail address so that I could get his attorney.

As an owner of 2 weeks at THE MANHATTAN CLUB, I have experienced all or most of the complaints described by at least 18 of the respondents to CONSUMER AFFAIRS on this page. This leads me to wonder: why hasn't the NY state attorney general taken a more active role in seeking some relief for some of the complaints listed here? I have informed the attorney general of my own negative issues with THE MANHATTAN CLUB. I believe other owners of shares in THE MANHATTAN CLUB have notified him as well. He (or one of his deputies) said they would contact THE MANHATTAN CLUB MANAGEMENT about my complaints, but to date, nothing whatever has changed: there still appears to be gross overselling of shares carried out by the sales staff as directed by THE MANHATTAN CLUB management leading to current owners not being able to get desired reservations.

My parents bought a 7 day timeshare in the mid-90s with the intent of having a place to bring their new grandchildren on Thanksgiving and during Christmas week. For the last 7 or 8 years, they would attempt to make reservations (usually one year in advance) but would be told that there was no availability. They would get the same story from TMC that has been told on this board over and over: "We're sorry that we couldn't accommodate you this time but next time you want to stay call so and so and we'll do what we can to get you in." All the while, rooms are available for $450 per night through Travelocity, Expedia, etc. It seems that since TMC has the money that you used to buy the timeshare and your commitment to an annual maintenance fee, they can essentially turn around and sell your room to a third party and pocket an extra $450 fee.

We've owned a full one bedroom, 2 bath suite since October 2000. We paid $15,400 for the right to use the unit. It's a 7 night, every other year share for use on odd numbered years like 2013. In 2011, we were only able to use 2 of the 7 nights allotted because TMC didn't have any openings to meet the various dates we tried. We had hoped and planned to visit New York during the Christmas season. We even had several friends lined up to travel with us and were planning to reserve 2 rooms, using up the remainder of our days.

I bought a couple of TMC units when the maintenance fee was at $500.00/year/unit in 1998. My decision was made solely on the promise that I can use it as hotel reservation on a very "short" notice - a day or two. I always have a few overseas visitors every year to NYC and I came to NYC for meetings throughout the year, the paid structural reservations were a good idea to fit my needs. With the assurance of occasionally "1%-2%" increase in annual maintenance fee, if at all, said the sales representative, I plugged-in cash offer for both units.

I purchased a timeshare at The Manhattan Club in 2005. As an owner, getting access to my annual week became increasingly difficult. I was having to make reservations a half year in advance, and often a full week was not available. The only conclusion I can reach is that The Manhattan Club has sold more time than they have available. In addition, they are renting suites on the open market like a hotel, which creates less availability for the owners. The result for owners is not only that the time is unavailable, but the value of the timeshares has dropped dramatically, while the maintenance fees rise. My only rational solution was to sell. But even that was not easy, so I hired an attorney to handle it. I am no longer an owner and am happy to be out. If anyone would like the name of the attorney who handled this for me, email me.

I purchased a timeshare at TMC in 2004. One of the selling points for me was the fact that I could decide last minute to visit NYC and have a place to stay by being an owner of TMC. This worked for about two years. Then it came to a screeching halt. I honestly believe this property is grossly oversold. I have not been able to use this timeshare since 2006, yet I am forced to pay maintenance fees that are outrageous. TMC offers as an excuse that members are allowed to book up to nine months in advance. That's fine if you know in advance that you will be visiting NYC, but for folks like me who want spur of the moment visits, which was a selling point, this is not a viable option. This is one of the worst purchases I've ever made and I have vowed to sell it as soon as I can. It's my understanding that TMC will offer $500 for the property. How disgusting considering what I paid for it.

The Manhattan Club (located at 200 W 56 Street, NYC) in a nutshell: The units are oversold (many new ownership plans offered to skirt the overselling issue) with reasonably convenient reservations nearly impossible to get. Maintenance fees are way out of line for industry standards even for luxury accommodations. On August 1, 2012, Board of Directors/timeshare owners held a meeting but no minutes were sent to owners. (I wasn't present but I understand that Robert's rules were not adhered to, e.g., no "old business" was presented which leads me to believe that this meeting was just a formality to satisfy legal requirements of having such a meeting).

Hundreds of owners that bought a time share at the Manhattan Club are facing mounting maintenance fees while unable to take advantage of their timeshare. TMC offered me and other owners an "amnesty" offer because I have refused to pay my fees as I have been unable to book a stay since 2005. If The Manhattan Club offers you "amnesty", which is just a bad offer that allows you to pay them the "debt owed" while officially barring you from booking your timeshare, don't do it! It's just another scam. They are starting to crack and the lawsuit and bad press coming out in July 2012 will help bring them down! I finally got a response from the Attorney General saying that they will "look into the matter." If you are an owner and haven't filed a complaint with the NY Attorney General - do it today. You can file a complaint at no charge and we need all owners that cannot use their investment to file a complaint asap!

I complained about the same thing all of the other owners here have stated. The simple fact of the matter is that the management just does not care about what their timeshare owners think. Then, they have the audacity to contact us regularly for referrals! What are they thinking we are telling our friends? I have spent $38K for my contract and $1800 annually to not be their priority and so that people can walk in off the street and get a room after I have been told there was no availability for that date.

The Manhattan Club 9 unavailability for timeshare owners: We bought 3 weeks 12 years ago and have had more and more problems booking what used to be 6 months in advance then 9 months in advance. And now, it's more like a year in advance! We bought, precisely because we were told by their sales rep that we would never hear again "we are fully booked" as was supposedly the case with most NYC hotels, specifically refuting any need to have a fixed plan one year in advance!

For the second year, I was unable to book my timeshare with the Manhattan Club. I called in mid-December to ask them to bank it with RCI and was told it was taken care of. When I called RCI a couple of weeks ago, they informed me there had been no deposit of my week and I needed to call the Manhattan Club. When I did they told me and I quote, "You must be mistaken. You never spoke to anyone here. We have no record and can do nothing." They blamed it on me. When I said really, why do I have my week from 2009 banked with RCI? I know the rules and you need to reinstate my week. They were indignant as if I had the problem.

They keep calling me trying to get me to book a room for 300 bucks, for a night plus I have to pay tax on that, 42 bucks for parking and she tells me I'll get tickets to a play but won't tell me which one. Then, you have to make an appointment for a "review" which is the high pressured sales pitch for timeshare. A waste of money as read here. Why get timeshare, you have to book 9 months - a year in advance? For a weekend to boot? Joke. This place is a scam, and they are thieves. They need to be shut down. They just want their money, they don't care about you, your timeshare, or anything. "This is the Manhattan Club calling." Click. Hang up -you'll be glad you did!

You buy a timeshare at the Manhattan Club and expect that you will be able to reserve a night or 2 when needed and enjoy the timeshare. Well that is not the case, they are continually "booked" no matter when you call, yet the maintenance fee has to be paid up front. Yet they are still "selling" timeshares! They have oversold the availability and continue selling more! This is a fraud!

I live on Long Island. I booked reservations (more than 9 months in advance) for August 28-29, 2011. That's when the infamous hurricane Irene visited NY and other areas. As a Manhattan Club owner, I agree that policies need to be established and followed. However, there are such things as wavers and consideration to be taken into account. The club policy that I refer to here is the cancellation policy. If a reservation is cancelled, that night is either lost or a $175 penalty is imposed to have it reinstated, per Salvatore **, executive director of operations at the club.

It is practically impossible for us to use our membership to book a room there. We have been trying for months. They are seriously oversold for members, yet have plenty of rooms available at any time for non-members. These rooms are available "for marketing purposes by the developer" I was told by the reservation agent who hung up when I asked her what is the trick to be able to book a room. We paid about $70,000 for 2 weeks a year, plus about $2000 per year in fees.

The Manhattan Club (TMC) is a time share operation. The sales pitch is you can pop down to NYC and have a great place to stay whenever the spirit moves you. The truth is, you are required to book 9 months in advance for any possibility of getting a reservation. Reservation line opens at 9:00am. At 9:10 am, I was on the line with reservations and was told all rooms for 9 months out are booked. How do you book all rooms in 10 minutes?

I am currently paying $1770 in yearly maintenance fees and am unable to book any room over 9 months in advance. Also the maintenance fees continue to increase while room conditions and property conditions deteriorate. The owner of the property also has controlling interest in the board and refuses to make any changes. He also seems to get preferential treatment with booking. I pay $1775 for no benefit. Also because of the issues, the property is worthless on the open market. You can check eBay where several properties are always for sale at $1 with no bids. Extremely frustrating.

We bought in at The Manhattan Club timeshare in March, 2005, purchasing a one-week-per-year usage of a junior executive suite. The selling price was $27,500. Maintenance fees were quoted as $744/year, which could be financed over twelve months on our credit card. This was the only way such fees were affordable and TMC (The Manhattan Club) focused on this as being a convenience to the buyer.

I purchased 7 deeded floating nights (only one may be a Saturday night) in The Manhattan Club in 2007. I was told that the maintenance fees were subsidized by the developer at the time and when all units were sold, that subsidy would be discontinued and management would be turned over to the owners. I was also told that reservations could only be made 9 months in advance and only after maintenance fees were paid in full. After I had used my 7 days, I would be allowed to reserve additional time at one-half the going rate for comparable hotels.I also was told that there was no rollover, so if I did not use my time within the year, it would be forfeited.

This is timeshare that has increased its maintenance an exorbitant amount. But on top of this increase, they expect you to make a reservation nine (9) months in advance and/or no days are available. This of course is outrageous. Not many people can make plans 9 months in advance. Please help. Thank you.