SFX & Hilton

I just signed on with SFX and have but a few questions.

This is the part I fathom:
I deposit a week to SFX.
18 months - 3 years later, depending on membership type, I get a week somewhere else.
'Somewhere else' is likely to be upscale.

This rest of it is murky:
Does the deposit need to be at my home resort, King's Land? Or can I deposit, say, 2 bedrooms in Vegas using less points?
If it has to be King's Land, does it have to be a home week? I own 2 bedrooms, but could I trade out a one bedroom for a one bedroom elsewhere? Could I use bonus points? Yes! I bought retail. :-/

Say I deposit a 2 bedroom premier. Would the trade reflect the premier aspect? Or is a 2 bedroom a 2 bedroom? I could end up overlooking a dumpster in the Caribbean?

What happens if no one wants the week I deposited?

How abundant is the inventory? Do you say "Anytime in any winter, on any island, in any ocean?" Or: "I'd like the second week in January 2013 at Marriot's Ocean Club on Maui."?

I sent you an e-mail.

Tony

Adrienne said:

I just signed on with SFX and have but a few questions.

This is the part I fathom:
I deposit a week to SFX.
18 months - 3 years later, depending on membership type, I get a week somewhere else.
'Somewhere else' is likely to be upscale.

This rest of it is murky:
Does the deposit need to be at my home resort, King's Land? Or can I deposit, say, 2 bedrooms in Vegas using less points?
If it has to be King's Land, does it have to be a home week? I own 2 bedrooms, but could I trade out a one bedroom for a one bedroom elsewhere? Could I use bonus points? Yes! I bought retail. :-/

Say I deposit a 2 bedroom premier. Would the trade reflect the premier aspect? Or is a 2 bedroom a 2 bedroom? I could end up overlooking a dumpster in the Caribbean?

What happens if no one wants the week I deposited?

How abundant is the inventory? Do you say "Anytime in any winter, on any island, in any ocean?" Or: "I'd like the second week in January 2013 at Marriot's Ocean Club on Maui."?

Click to expand...

There's an awesome forum over at the timeshareforums called:
Ask SFX

That being said:

You don't HAVE to deposit your home week (although if you do not deposit your home week, you have to get a guest certificate when SFX requests it)

Depending upon which level you get at SFX (meaning your membership) it's possible to deposit a 1 bedroom 1 week and request a 2 bedroom unit with the "free upgrade".

So yes, you can do a 1 bedroom "deposit" for a 1 bedroom with SFX with the potential to actually get a 2 bedroom unit with SFX (again, depends upon the membership level).

You can do an online search, although my experience has been that it's inventory is limited--meaning you'll be better off calling them to see what's there.

It's similar to RCI via HGVC in the sense that you'll call up, say, use my deposit to do a search for "this resort" with check-in dates between X and Y.

I'm NOT sure if you can specify just an area (ie, find me any 1 bedroom unit in Cancun, Mexico).

But the resorts that they show listed are usually higher quality resorts (ie, no "low-end")

hurnik said:

I'm NOT sure if you can specify just an area (ie, find me any 1 bedroom unit in Cancun, Mexico).

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Not only can you specify an area, you can ask for a specific resort on a specific check-in date. But your chances of being successful go down dramatically. SFX says to be as broad as possible in your request to be successful. Even so, I've had them call me when they've had a near match. You're free to say no to anything that doesn't meet your search criteria.

SFX doesn't take studios so they want at least a 1 bedroom.

I've been very pleased with SFX. As part of Grand Bliss membership, they gave us Diamond Rewards for a year, and I made it permanent. First, they let you select your resort before you deposit. Second, they really go through the attributes of the resort with you, and review notes from Trip Advisor and other sites. We traded a week from Grand Bliss to get a week at the LHVC Presidential Suites, which is just as plush as the Grand Bliss. HGVC properties also appear to trade in well. What I did NOT like about RCI is that they rarely ensured you got owners quality accommodations. Often timeshare resorts are tiered, and the RCI bookings are generally for the most basic tier. SFX took the time to make sure I got the upgrades I wanted.

happy with Sfx as well

we exchanged our Seaworld for a Mexico trip with SFX- we were very happy with the exchange itself and the customer service SFX provided.

Thank you, oh wise and wonderful TUGGERS. I've hooked up with SFX and hope to make good use of those embarrassing bonus points somewhere in the Caribbean.

Kind regards,
Adriene

I've had great exchanges and excellent customer service with SFX.

Mike

I have also had great exchanges and excellent customer service with SFX. I've opined on many other posts of the great locations I've received from SFX so I'll save time and space and just say that they were all HGVC quality or above!

Thanks everyone.

Yet another question, if someone is willing. :-/ I was told by SFX that the tendency is to deposit the lowest point one bedroom, no matter what the person owns. Therefore my 2 bedroom premiere would be a wasted deposit. Understandable.

I was also told that spring in Kingsland would be a valuable trade...but valuable to whom? I can deposit a one bedroom in spring, but only a one bedroom plus. Does anyone know if the 'plus' aspect (2000pts more) would be of any benefit to me in a trade? Would spring be of any particular benefit to me? Would Kingsland? Hawaii is always prime season. Why not deposit a Bay Club 1BR for even less points?

I guess my real question is if there is some sort of algorithm or at least an organized system in evaluating a deposit relative to another.

If anyone knows, I'd appreciate the insight. Thanks.

A 1 BR + will not increase your trading power in SFX as far as I understand, as all units are available to trade to all other deposits. If there is a larger unit available you will just pay to upgrade to the larger unit or you might get a free upgrade (For Diamond level membership). Save your points, don't book Kingwood which is a higher point grid, or GW Tower either. Try to give them a Hawaii 1 BR std.

Another idea is, why don't you work backwards, call SFX and ask them if they have any outstanding requests for HGVC for next year. They will likely take a miami Beach or new Myrtle beach. You will have to pay for the GC but that is not a high fee.

I do this all the time with my Wyndham points, I call them, ask what exchanges in Wynd they have outstanding requests for and then try to give them units that they have requests waiting to fill. It make them happy and greatful that your were able to help them out.

I use SFX and I have a search for HGVC Parc Soleil for next summer. They already offer me Sea world but I am hoping to visit Parc Soleil one bedroom. So they already have a request for Parc Soleil waiting to be fill.

durrod said:

I use SFX and I have a search for HGVC Parc Soleil for next summer. They already offer me Sea world but I am hoping to visit Parc Soleil one bedroom. So they already have a request for Parc Soleil waiting to be fill.

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Not to quell your vacation, but the I don't understand the rating system yet.
The Hilton points are the same for a 1 BR Bay Club and Parc Soleil 1 BR. I wonder if SFX sees it that way.

If they do, heck, when do you wanna go?

Summer for 2012, check-in for a week between June 16 and August 18,2012

I have limited experience with SFX and agree that their customer service is outstanding, however, I did not have the good luck in terms of exchange.
As I was doing on-line inventory search, I realized that if I want a prime location during prime time (i.e. school off season or holiday), my chance is very slim. I had an ongoing search for Maui, Banff Canada, and Cancun for almost a year and those requests did not result anything satistifying. I ended up using my week to book a 2-bedroom unit in Big Island for my colleague in an off-season month (May) before my membership expired.
You may find SFX meet your needs, and I may go back to them when I don't need to go by school calendars....

SFX just announced their latest promotion over at TS4MS. It's different from any other offers they've made that I'm aware of. It looks like it could be a great deal, especially if you have a fair amount of vacation time.