"Here comes the sun...." is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Richard0 (RICHARD OUTRAM) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
History
Jon DeHaan and his wife, Christel, founded RCI in 1974. The two divorced in 1987, and Christel DeHaan bought out her husband for full control of the company, which she sold to HFS in 1996 for $825 million. As of 2009, RCI has more than 3 million members.
Function
RCI provides members with access to its network of resorts--more than 3,700 of them, as of 2009. Members pay annual fees and get access to reduced pricing on resorts and other travel services, and can exchange points or weeks for free or discounted stays at RCI's resorts.
Locations
RCI resorts dot the globe, covering six continents and 101 countries, as of 2009. Outdoors enthusiasts can find RCI resorts sitting at mountain bases and bordering pristine lakes, often a stone's throw from sporting action.
Types
RCI awards its highest-rated affiliate resorts the title of Gold Crown Resort, based on member feedback.
Considerations
Booking with RCI can be problematic because it relies on unit availability at its network resorts, which can be limited, especially when a reservation request is made on short notice. RCI recommends booking far in advance of travel.
