14 benefits of Interval International's Platinum Membership: A Closer Look

Interval International is one of the two large exchange companies where you can exchange your points or timeshare week for other weeks. Interval International (II) does offer various membership levels.  

II recently offered a great deal for upgrading your membership level for 50% off.  I discussed this offer here.

As a quick reminder, II offers three membership levels, General membership, Interval Gold and Interval Platinum.  

Due the offer, I upgraded my membership and I am now a Platinum member.  While platinum membership does not help you with giving you priority trades, there are some decent benefits that you should be aware of. 

The first benefit is that each Interval Getaway is discounted $50.  Interval Getaways allow you to book weeks with cash instead of using your points or weeks.  There are often times some significant weeks that can be had for under $300 for the week.  I have seen prime weeks in Cancun, ski weeks, Caribbean weeks and others.  Now, in addition to those great prices, you will receive $50 off making it an even better deal. 

The second benefit is the ability to issue guest certificates for free.  These guest certificates usually cost $59 per reservation but it is now included as II platinum member.  If you have friends or family, you can reserve getaways and issue a guest certificate for free.  This can be a great way to give vacations to friends or bring friends with you on vacation.  Getaways can make travel really affordable!

The third benefit is what II calls Platinum Escapes.  Every now and again, II runs a promotion that offers significant discounts on available weeks.  These are only offered to platinum members.  I have seen entire weeks for under $150 for the week.  

The fourth benefit is Priority Getaway Viewing.  II claims that you can see different inventory than others for Getaways.  I have not seen this benefit in action but it is an advertised benefit so I assume it must happen every so often. 

The fifth benefit is shortstay exchange.  Shortstay exchanges allow you to reserve rooms by night instead of by the week.  If you do not normally travel by week, this may be a decent benefit but the exchange rates are generally higher than booking by the week.  At times, this may come in handy but generally, I have not found this to be an exciting perk. 

The sixth benefit is called Interval Options.  This allows you to trade your week or points towards the purchase of a cruise, tour, golf or spa vacation.  I will look into this benefit more closely in other posts.  I personally have not used it since I value exchanges very highly.

The seventh benefit is a hotel discount of 10% for hotel stays booked with Orbitz.  In other posts, we can look to see whether this is truly a perk. 

The eight benefit is bonus points on Hertz rentals that are good for 2 free days.  If you book through II, you will get 550 Hertz Gold Plus Rewards with your first rental and another 550 Hertz Gold Plus Rewards with your second rental.  This can be redeemed for 2 free days or you can accrue your points for other rewards. 

The ninth benefit is discounts through Saversguide.  There are dining discounts such as 50% off or BOGO offers.  We'll look into this benefit further but on a quick review, there does seem to be some decent offers. 

The tenth benefit is Airport Lounge Membership.  II includes a standard priority pass membership which can get you access to some lounges.  This is decent but there are a lot of credit cards that offer better access but in any event, it is a good perk.  We can discuss the Priority Club membership in other posts but lounge access can make traveling a lot easier. 

​The eleventh benefit is VIP concierge.  The offer a personal assistance for dining, activities and others.

The twelfth is called the Golf Connection.  As an II platinum member, you can get access to private golf courses.  A 15% discount on golf equipment is also available.  

The thirteen benefit is called Dining Connection.  We can take a closer look at this benefit in other posts but they claim to offer you special amenities including tours, complimentary appetizers and desserts and other special items.  

The fourteen benefit is called City Guides.  II has compiled guides for you to review and use while you travel.  

Overall, I think that there are some significant benefits to getting II's Platinum Membership. I generally use the $50 discount off Getaways and the free guest certificate.  Using just these two perks can easily make up for the fee.  The other perks can be beneficial at the right time.  

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