Hotel brand loyalty vs timeshare brands owned

LurkerBee · Jul 25, 2016

This didn't really fit under Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, or other systems as it applies to all of them. This question, of course, applies to the timeshare systems that are hotel branded.

If you buy from the developer, you (generally) get a benefit of being able to transfer your timeshare to hotel brand points. This benefit seems to never be available for resale. Of course, on TUG, resale is king. So timeshare points won't convert to hotel points.

So, my question is if there if any benefit to being brand loyal to your timeshare brand for hotel stays. For example, I travel occasionally for work (8-15 nights/year - barely enough for low status). I can stay at any hotel within the budgeted rate. Typically, I stay in Marriotts so as to have all points in one system, but most locations also have Hilton and Hyatt options. However, as I am now considering purchasing Hyatt - would there any benefit to switching to Hyatt? Do higher statuses get you anything if you aren't converting to hotel points?

DAman · Jul 25, 2016

You receive no benefit to Hyatt in the hotel points program from owning a Hyatt timeshare.

SMHarman · Jul 26, 2016

Marriott give you night / stay counts for your TS stay.

Starwood does not.

All give points for spending at the resort.

Finntastic · Jul 26, 2016

I have a Credit card with the brand I am loyal too so it helps with the points. My husband travels about 20 -25 nights a year through work so it adds up. That being said we do occasionally stay in other hotels if the city we r in had limited hotels in our brand. Also we generally know what to expect.

ljmiii · Jul 26, 2016

Lots of questions...so here goes. Hilton doesn't allow you to convert resale weeks to Hilton rewards points but does allow all resale weeks to be used as HGVC points. That said, in a feat of linguistic legerdemain you can buy 'resale' weeks (at resale prices) directly from some HGVC affiliates that count as direct sales. However, for whatever reason Hilton has made the decision to treat HGVC as a completely separate entity. Neither I nor the Hilton reservation staff can see my HGVC reservation in the Hilton system. HGVC stays don't count toward my elite status and my Hilton elite status doesn't affect my HGVC room selection.

Marriott Vacation Club allows any week that has been 'enrolled' to be converted - even resale weeks - but in general doesn't allow newly purchased resale weeks to be enrolled (there have been limited, periodic exceptions). However, only enrolled weeks can be 'elected' into MVC points (aka Destination Points aka Vacation Points) to be used to stay at other MVC properties. But (even though MVC was spun off as a separate company in 2011), Marriott and MVC work well together. Marriott tracks my MVCI reservations in their system, my MVCI stays count toward my Marriott status (most importantly my lifetime goals), and MVCI resorts 'care' about your Marriott elite status.

Lastly, the problem with converting weeks (or vacation points) to hotel points is that the conversion rate is fixed but the value of hotel points will always diminish over time. So a conversion rate that sounded great 20 years ago - enough points for a week in a NYC hotel! - might be worth half that today.

BTW, I own HGVC and MVCI (and DVC) and am Hilton Diamond and Marriott Platinum. And I must say that the superior relationship between Marriott and MVCI means I'm more likely to choose stay at Marriott over Hilton.

DeniseM · Jul 26, 2016

Starwood timeshares are now managed by Vistana, and their hotel branch sold to Marriott, so it's really hard to say what the future relationship will be.

Currently:

Converting a Vistana timeshare to Hotel Points (Starpoints) is a real bad deal, because since the inception of Starwood (15+ years) the number of hotel points you get for your timeshare has never increased, although the MF has more than doubled at many resorts, and the number of hotel points required for hotel stays has increased significantly. So the exchange rate is poor.

One benefit we enjoy and use is the Starwood AMEX - but that really has nothing to do with timesharing, since anyone can get the credit card.

If you become Vistana Elite (pay a lot of money - $100K - for a lot of timeshares - 50% developer purchases) you can reach 5 Star Elite and have SPG Plat as long as you own them. But again, with the timeshare branch, and the hotel branch going in different directions - this is going to change. We just don't know how.

LurkerBee · Jul 26, 2016

This is really interesting. Thanks for all the responses. It looks like I may be switching from my Hyatt pursuit back to Marriott. Lost one Hyatt to ROFR and the second my offer was reject. Given the current ROFR environment with Hyatt, I think I may refocus. I do love my Marriotts - it just can't get me to Key West easily. But maybe through II? We shall see (don't worry, I won't hold my breath

edit: I do realize that buying resale means things won't covert to hotel points. That wasn't my goal - instead just wondering if any status benefits would carry between timeshare/hotel systems. It sounds like it will for Marriott, which is good if I go back to looking at Marriotts. Not that this would be the tipping point in my decision, just a data point.

Jason245 · Jul 26, 2016

ljmiii said:
Lots of questions...so here goes. Hilton doesn't allow you to convert resale weeks to Hilton rewards points but does allow all resale weeks to be used as HGVC points. That said, in a feat of linguistic legerdemain you can buy 'resale' weeks (at resale prices) directly from some HGVC affiliates that count as direct sales. However, for whatever reason Hilton has made the decision to treat HGVC as a completely separate entity. Neither I nor the Hilton reservation staff can see my HGVC reservation in the Hilton system. HGVC stays don't count toward my elite status and my Hilton elite status doesn't affect my HGVC room selection.

Marriott Vacation Club allows any week that has been 'enrolled' to be converted - even resale weeks - but in general doesn't allow newly purchased resale weeks to be enrolled (there have been limited, periodic exceptions). However, only enrolled weeks can be 'elected' into MVC points (aka Destination Points aka Vacation Points) to be used to stay at other MVC properties. But (even though MVC was spun off as a separate company in 2011), Marriott and MVC work well together. Marriott tracks my MVCI reservations in their system, my MVCI stays count toward my Marriott status (most importantly my lifetime goals), and MVCI resorts 'care' about your Marriott elite status.

Lastly, the problem with converting weeks (or vacation points) to hotel points is that the conversion rate is fixed but the value of hotel points will always diminish over time. So a conversion rate that sounded great 20 years ago - enough points for a week in a NYC hotel! - might be worth half that today.

BTW, I own HGVC and MVCI (and DVC) and am Hilton Diamond and Marriott Platinum. And I must say that the superior relationship between Marriott and MVCI means I'm more likely to choose stay at Marriott over Hilton.

Umm resale owners of Hilton can transfer hgvc points to hhoners. .. there is a fee.. but the fee is the same for developer purchasers.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

silentg · Jul 26, 2016

Holiday Inn Vacation Club

We own a week at Orange Lake which is part of Holiday Inn Vacation Club. We have exchanged to other HIVC locations and used points to stay at IHG resorts. You could look into purchasing one of those, and use the hotel affiliation.
Just another option. There are many Resales in the Marketplace on TUG.
Silentg

Ochsnrn · Aug 1, 2016

silentg said:
We own a week at Orange Lake which is part of Holiday Inn Vacation Club. We have exchanged to other HIVC locations and used points to stay at IHG resorts. You could look into purchasing one of those, and use the hotel affiliation.
Just another option. There are many Resales in the Marketplace on TUG.
Silentg

Silentg, did you originally buy from the resort or through resale? I wonder of that matters with the HICV.

Hotel brand loyalty vs timeshare brands owned

LurkerBee

DAman

SMHarman

Finntastic

ljmiii

TUG Review Crew

DeniseM

LurkerBee

Jason245

TUG Review Crew: Expert

silentg

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Ochsnrn