What is the best Season to buy a Hyatt in?

[Sugarcubesea]

I'm looking at a Silver Season and a Gold Season and I would just love to get opinions from the experts...thanks

 

[WalnutBaron]

It really depends on you and your objectives. The three considerations I take into account for a decision like this are these:

1. Personal Travel Preference. "Silver Season" is a euphemism for among the lowest-demand weeks on the annual calendar for a given property. If those weeks are still desirable for you, then it doesn't matter if it's Silver Season or Platinum Season--those are weeks that you would still enjoy visiting your home resort. Just also know that the lower you go in terms of ownership, the lower number of CUP points you will have to trade internally within the Hyatt system. Again, that doesn't mean much if you love your home resort and plan to go there every year. In that case, the CUP points are meaningless. But most owners do want to explore some of the other resorts in the system.
2. Maintenance Fees. As many have pointed out on these boards in the past, owners of Silver weeks are essentially subsidizing the MF's of those who own Platinum weeks. Why? Because the MF's are the same, regardless of ownership level. If you own a Platinum Christmas week at Hyatt Pinon Pointe, for example, your MF's for that unit are the same as if you also own the same unit for a Silver week in the slow season of early November before the holidays. Just something to keep in mind.
3. Resale. I always try to keep this in mind--because life presents changes, resorts change, and personal preferences can change, too. If your financial condition changes and you need to unload the burden of MF's every year, it's much better to try to sell a Platinum week where you will have demand to buy your week than to try to give away a Silver week where you may not be successful.

My personal recommendation is to encourage you to be willing to pay more upfront for a Platinum or Diamond week, especially if you plan to use the ownership for the next ten years or more. It will not only retain its value better and eventually be easier to sell, but it will give you much more trade flexibility--not only within the HRC system, but with external trades through Interval if you choose to deposit there in the future.

 

[Sapper]

When I had the same question, I found a post by Kal (please correct me if I'm wrong) which stated a minimum should be platinum, and diamond if you can swing it (paraphrasing a little). He was 100% correct. The two reasons I can think as to why you may not want to would be cost as a barrier to entry or that you want (and will use) a specific week which happens to not be platinum or diamond. As for cost, if you are patient, you can find a deal every now and again on flEaBay, when it's time to sell, you will probably get your initial cost back out if it's a platinum or diamond... Less likely for a 1300 point unit. As for week, that is a personal choice, but you better be thinking of using that week most years and not trading to the other locations.

 

[planzfortomorrow]

The best is the one you'd use, but if you're going to trade some, then the highest points, as the MF are the same no matter what the season. Keep in mind that Hyatt reserves the right to upgrade (or downgrade) your week as well. I don't think it happens very often, but earlier this year some Key West weeks week from 1400 silver to 2000 (diamond?) points.

 

[lizap]

If I was going to buy another Hyatt unit today, I would only consider a Diamond unit.

 

[dagger1]

There are some anomalies in Hyatt's point system, HWOR (where we own) for example. School is out (in Texas) generally the last week of May. The month of June is generally Platinum (2000 points). July thru mid August Diamond (2200 points). Then school starts. But June is generally nowhere near as hot as July/August. So by buying Platinum we got cooler schools out weeks and left July open for our 5 week trek to the Rockies. Platinum worked best for us in this case.

 

[Kal]

I'm looking at a Silver Season and a Gold Season and I would just love to get opinions from the experts...thanks

Divide the MF by the number of points and get a $ per point value. You will be paying the same MF at the resort, so get as many points as you can. Also, you never know what the future holds where you might want to stay in a high points season and not have enough.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

If I was going to buy another Hyatt unit today, I would only consider a Diamond unit.

Thanks, that is good to know