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New Hilton owner... or soon to be

mesamirage

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I currently own all Hyatt/Starwood and thought I would experiment with Hilton. I just purchased a 5800 point (3 bdrm) Orlando unit that is a even year unit, which includes this current years points for a total cost of $2200. I believe every other year maint fees are just under $1000.

Feedback on the purchase?? Things I overlooked by making this purchase (I know one obvious one is the 3 bdrm always having higher maint fees)?? Looking for you current owners to give me some honest feedback... I won't take it personal... give me straight up honest feedback.

Thx!!
 

Bill4728

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Sorry, I think HGVC will not allow the purchase to go thru at that price. Have you heard back from HGVC about the ROFR yet?
 

mesamirage

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It has already cleared ROFR... maybe because it is an EOY at that price?? According to escrow company I should have recorded deed early next week.

Now I will need to join the HGVC club to be able to exchange to other HGVC resorts, thats a one time fee of ~$395 or is there also a yearly fee? I am just starting to read thru all the Hilton FAQ articles.

Thanks for all the help....

Signed,

HGVC Rookie!!
 

jin

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I currently own all Hyatt/Starwood and thought I would experiment with Hilton. I just purchased a 5800 point (3 bdrm) Orlando unit that is a even year unit, which includes this current years points for a total cost of $2200. I believe every other year maint fees are just under $1000.

Feedback on the purchase?? Things I overlooked by making this purchase (I know one obvious one is the 3 bdrm always having higher maint fees)?? Looking for you current owners to give me some honest feedback... I won't take it personal... give me straight up honest feedback.

Thx!!

I think in the future I would advise buying ONLY platinum points since you'll get a lot more points for the exact same maintenance fee. e.g. I have a 3 BR 9600 plat unit at Seaworld for the same maintenance fee. None-the-less welcome too Hilton! It is in my opinion the best system out there! Pete
 

Talent312

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Despite the less than thrilling welcome you've received so far... I say, "Well done! Welcome to the club."

You may find the system confusing initially, but that's 'cuz its so flexible and multi-faceted.
Just remember that the best use of points is for their original purpose... reservations in HGVC resorts.

When you recieve your Members Guide, I urge you to read it thru, cover-to-cover three or four times. That way, you should have no trouble passing the entrance exam (its open book). Then in a few months, you can start lording it over the newbies like the rest of us. ;)
 

mesamirage

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I think in the future I would advise buying ONLY platinum points since you'll get a lot more points for the exact same maintenance fee. e.g. I have a 3 BR 9600 plat unit at Seaworld for the same maintenance fee. None-the-less welcome too Hilton! It is in my opinion the best system out there! Pete

Thank Pete... I have had the same dilemma when purchasing Hyatts in the past... purchase peek season at a higher cost or save on the upfront with a lesser season and eventually spend more money over the long term because of the maintence fees vs usage points.

I'm figuring I paid ~$1600 for my 5800 EOY points if I assign a $600 value to this years usage which is included... what price range do you feel a 9600 point EOY (with same maint fee) would sell for?? That was part of my problem is I didn't have a good idea of the price points for Hilton on resale market.... I tried to do some research but mainly found 7000 point weeks to compare to which made it difficult.

Signed,

Rookie
 

JM48

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mesamirage

Welcome to the club!!!!

Congrats on a very good purchase!

Where did you find this deal?
Which property in Orlando is it?

JM
 

jin

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Thank Pete... I have had the same dilemma when purchasing Hyatts in the past... purchase peek season at a higher cost or save on the upfront with a lesser season and eventually spend more money over the long term because of the maintence fees vs usage points.

I'm figuring I paid ~$1600 for my 5800 EOY points if I assign a $600 value to this years usage which is included... what price range do you feel a 9600 point EOY (with same maint fee) would sell for?? That was part of my problem is I didn't have a good idea of the price points for Hilton on resale market.... I tried to do some research but mainly found 7000 point weeks to compare to which made it difficult.

Signed,

Rookie

Actually since you are paying so little upfront, you are right -- it may take 2-3 decades before you are "behind" where you would have been had you bought platinum. I paid 16 k 2 years ago for an annual use, so 2 yrs ago it might have cost 8k for an eoy, although I suspect this price is inflated in todays market, and 7k for an eoy 9600 pt unit might be more realistic -- if you can find one. I figure you're paying about 17.2 cents per point in m.f., vs 9.6 cents per pt. I pay for the platinum unit. This calculates to about $443 savings per m.f. paid if the platinum were a 5800 pt unit. By my calculations it would take about 12-14 M.F. payments to reach the added cost difference for a platinum, which for an e.o.y is 24-28 yrs! So I guess Congrats! You did quite well for your first Hilton! Pete :clap:
 

mesamirage

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Pete, Thanks for the input, I have been struggling to come up with realistic todays market pricing to try and work out the same type of comparision of true costs. Its so hard to tell what weeks are worth right now with the continued price drops.

Now I just need to unload my 5800 points at ~70% of market value this year since my reservations/vacation time is already all booked for the year.
 

Talent312

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Now I just need to unload my 5800 points at ~70% of market value this year since my reservations/vacation time is already all booked for the year.

Instead of trying to rent/sell this year's points, you could:
(a) "Rescue" (bank) them for use at a HGVC resort next calendar year; or
(b) Deposit them into HGVC's RCI-exchange program for the next two years.

You can do this online or by phone until 12/31.
 

pianodinosaur

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Welcome to HGVC!!! I think you had a fabulous deal. We have had an excellent experience with HGVC since 2001. Last year we took a European Cruise and stayed a week in Lake Tahoe. We have just completed a 10 day Caribbean Cruise via HGVC and are looking forward to a week at The Residences at the Crane in Barbados later this year.

Talent312 is correct again, as usual. :clap: If you are not going to use your 5800 points this year, you can deposit them into RCI for use over the next two years. That is how we arranged for our vacation in Lake Tahoe last year and for Barbados this year. HGVC trades so well in RCI that we have points left over for a Labor day weekend at the Sunset Harbor Resort in Willis, Tx, by Lake Conroe.
 

mesamirage

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Thanks for in insight... curious how far does 5800 HGVC points go in RCI?? I have been all Interval International up until now. Will 5800 points grab 2- 1 large bedroom week reservations at above avg quality resorts??

Also on your 2 different cruises how many points did those cost? (if you don't mind sharing)

Thanks again to everyone for the help already provided.

Signed,

Rookie in training....
 

Talent312

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... curious how far does 5800 HGVC points go in RCI?... Will 5800 points grab 2- 1 large bedroom week reservations at above avg quality resorts?

Also on your 2 different cruises how many points did those cost? (if you don't mind sharing)

You can use the HGVC's corporate account, either thru the members' website or by phone (you do not get an your own account) to book fine RCI resorts in both "weeks" and "points" (nightly). The following HGVC-point schedule is for 1-BR units...

Red Time = 3400 (7N), or 340-Wkday, 680-Wknd
White Time = 2400 (7N), or 240-Wkdy, 480-Wknd
Blue Time = 1700 (7N), or 170-Wkdy, 340-Wknd

I know that many HGVC'er use their points to book cruises; however, IMHO, its an inefficient use of one's points. $$-wise, they go farther as a substitute for housing-costs than they do for cruising, but hey, whatever floats your boat, so to speak.
 
Last edited:

Bill4728

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I currently own all Hyatt/Starwood and thought I would experiment with Hilton. I just purchased a 5800 point (3 bdrm) Orlando unit that is a even year unit, which includes this current years points for a total cost of $2200. I believe every other year maint fees are just under $1000.

Sorry, I think HGVC will not allow the purchase to go thru at that price. Have you heard back from HGVC about the ROFR yet?
Sorry I didn't pick up on the EOY part of your purchase. :crash:

You did great! You paid about $0.75 per pt which is really pretty good for gold pts.

As others have said, if you can't use them this year, rescue them for use next year. OR put them into RCI.

Good Luck
 
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