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Thinking of buying HGVC - advice needed

meamo

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I'm considering buying a HGVC property and have a few lingering questions I was hoping everyone could help me out with:

1) Platinum or Gold Season? I have young children and will be spending the next decade or so limited to vacationing while the children are on school breaks. I'm primarily interested in spring break (which tracks Easter in this part of the country) at one of the three Orlando HGVC resorts. In your experience, will the inventory still be there at nine months that I can reliably get a spring break holiday most years? Also, will a Gold contract give me enough points to reserve a high demand week? Or, should I really only be considering Platinum weeks?

2) Borrowing points? If I start off with an every other year contract, can I borrow against the future year although it's actually two years distant?

3) Disney. After perusing some of the threads in this group, it seems people have been pretty successful trading into DVC. Does the Hilton RCI membership confer some ability to evade Disney's Florida block? Or are these owners just trading using non-Orlando HGVC properties? Should I be looking at one of the non-Orlando resorts? Are the maintenance fees pretty constant across the board? Or do some resorts give more bang for the buck?

Thank you all for the feedback!
 

PassionForTravel

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#1 - Can't speak to. I've never checked Orlando since kids are to old and grand kids aren't old enough. But I suspect that it won't be a problem.

#2 - No, this is the situation I'm in. If I would have know this I would have bought a EY 4800 rather than an EOY 7000. The problem I run into all the time is that I'm say 100 points short of being able to make a reservation or I have points left over because I can't borrow from the next year. The only thing you can do is rescue borrow every other year. i.e rescue your 2015 points into 2016 and then make a 2016 reservation using your rescued points plus borrowed 2017 points. The rescue will incur a fee.

#3 - With HGVC you don't have an individual RCI account tied to a specific location, you have a corporate RCI account that knows nothing about where you actually own. Just that you have ??? points. Vegas ratio is better than Orlando but the buy in price is usually higher. If you have a lot of money to spend up front I think lowest MF per point ratio is Kingsland 14400.

Ian
 

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First off, before buying anywhere, its best to rent in the season you want to travel in and also try different TS Groups. You will get first hand experience and may find for example HGVC Orlando is not as nice as Marriott Orlando, or Orlando is nice but you soon really want to travel to Kauai and of course Marriott is on Kauai but no HGVC. Because of this problem I have bought both HGVC and Marriott and don't forget about Westin. Again, this causes me to think about the virtues of renting, it avoids very costly mistakes such as owning where you no longer wish to travel, and loosing a lot because the resale is rarely profitable.


5,000 vs 7,000 eoy. This is in part an economic issue, how much more are you paying for 7,000. Next, if a two bedroom during Spring Break is 7,000 points, what good is 5,000.

As to borrowing points from EOY, I am not so sure you can. Personally, I don't seek to own EOY simply because I like to travel each year and prefer more points rather than less.
 

meamo

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The RCI corporate account thing seems a little confusing. I currently own one week and have a RCI account. I won't be able to log into that RCI account, see my Hilton property, set up ongoing searches, make trades, etc.? Will I need to maintain my existing account in addition to whatever HGVC does?
 

Jason245

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Read this a minimum of 3 times
http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/hilton-grand-vacation-club-timeshare-information.html

Then go to http://www.hgvclubprogram.com/

And Read everything you can. Specifically click on resorts and look at point costs and then get a copy of their calander so you can line up dates with weeks.

IMHO, if there is a specific week you want every year, buy that specific week. RCI almost always has last call available at some resort in Orlando and HGVC is almost always renting units. Orlando is over built.

It sounds like you want DVC, and if that is what you want, buy it. While RCI may have availability at DVC resorts, it might not have availability in the resorts you want, or the times you want. There are no sure things in this world, and I would not count on a RCI exchange into DVC for a week you want to go, I would however expect a week to be available to someone with a flexible schedule.
 

PassionForTravel

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Correct your current RCI account will not show you your HGVC unit. For HGVC RCI reservations you first log in to HGVC then go through menus to access the RCI account. You can make exchanges, start OGS, etc from there.

You will need to keep your current RCI account if you still want RCI access for your current TS.

Ian
 

itradehilton

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We own in Vegas we first bought HGVC we got 7000 points as we new we would need 2bdrs as our boys outgrew the sofa bed. As a teacher I can only travel during school vacations. In the last 10 years we have not had a problem getting a HGVC resort in Orlando.

As soon as you get your school calendar or 9 months out just book your HGVC room. If you want DVC then set up an ongoing search and as the RCI points window opens ( check sighting board) look daily on RCI for rooms. We have been able to stay AT DVC in both June and July 3 times.
 

meamo

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Thank you all for the feedback. That FAQ is a godsend (I read it over a couple times before I dared post)! I want a specific week, unfortunately that specific week is different every year (Easter). While I don't have an issue planning ahead and setting up appropriate ongoing searches via RCI, the TPU requirements for such a week are high - 40+ for a one bedroom which my kids will soon outgrow; 50+ for a two bedroom. Unfortunately, I just don't have that kind of trading power on a year-to-year basis. I was toying with the idea of doing something like a floating week at a Sheraton property but even that doesn't seem to assure me of getting the week I want when I'm so narrowly restricted. That's why the Hilton system appeals to me. A sort-of-floating-week-sort-of-points system, if what I gleaned from the FAQ was accurate. I don't necessarily want DVC. IMO, the price premium for their properties isn't justified when there's so many surrounding properties that are pretty much equal in terms of quality and amenities. That being said, I know there will be family vacations in my not-too-distant future that will be all about the pilgrimage to the Mouse. While I don't envision myself attempting to trade into DVC very often, I don't know that I want it off the table entirely in the form of a regional block.

Is there somewhere that I'm able to see point costs for the various HGVC resorts within the system?
 

PigsDad

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If you can plan 9 months out, you will never have an issue getting an Easter week at one of the HGVC properties in Orlando using your HGVC points. So if that is what you are really needing, I would say the easiest would be to buy the number of points you think you will need (4800 for a 1BR or 7000 for a 2BR). It would not matter where those points come from; just get the best deal you can. Look into Las Vegas (lowest MFs usually).

Then, if you want to try and trade into DVC occasionally, you can certainly give it a shot using your HGVC points. BTW, there is NO regional block for trading into DVC with HGVC points, so it doesn't matter where your HGVC ownership is.

Kurt
 
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SmithOp

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The second link Jason provided will take you to the point values, bottom right in each resort. Basically 4800 for 1 br, 7000 2 br. Varies up or down based on season and location, some newer locations have higher point costs in Hawaii.

http://www.hgvclubprogram.com/resort/seaworld-orlando-florida/


Sent from my iPad using the strange new version of Tapatalk
 

Jason245

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http://www.hgvclubprogram.com/

Click on resort collection
Find the resort you want and click on the "points values"

It will give you the table.

For example:

HGVC seaworld runs from 1100 points for a studio during Silver weeks to 9600 points a week for a 3 bedroom plus during Platinum weeks.

One "unwritten" trick is to try and RCI into platinum weeks because they are at or slightly below the points cost of Gold weeks (but there are the RCI fees).

e.g. a 2BR plat costs 7k HGVC points direct or 4800 HGVC RCI points.


On the buy side, there are many trains of thought. Some people prefer to make a large cash outlay for the lowest MF/point ratio. Others prefer to pay less and get more.

For example: many people on this board recommend getting a 7k point EY package for ~$7k from a Vegas Property.

Personally I bought two EOY(one even, one odd) 1BR plat packagages from the Bay Club. Total cost closing included was ~$70 + account set up and enrollment fees with HGVC. My MF are around $3-400 more/year, but my 4800 point packages netted a "savings" profit in year one and it will take upwards of 10 years before that $3-400 additional MF = what I would have paid for a Vegas or Florida property. Also, if it becomes worthless my out of pocket liquidation cost and sunk cost is very low.

You need to do your own math and figure out what is best for you. Remember it is a lot less difficult to add a points package then it is to sell one.
 

brp

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I don't necessarily want DVC. IMO, the price premium for their properties isn't justified when there's so many surrounding properties that are pretty much equal in terms of quality and amenities.

Well, at the risk of sounding like a DCV shill (and we own DCV in addition to HGVC), there are distinct differences to being on Disney property versus surrounding properties in terms of access, feel, theming, etc. If Disney is something you see doing reasonably often, go for DVC. There's also a thriving rental community for DVC and folks that do all the work for you (unlike HGVC, it seems).

But you do have to want to go there on a regular basis. We own two DCV properties (Beach Club and Boardwalk) and we go 3 times per year. Oh, and we don't have kids :)

Cheers.
 

presley

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3.) If you mostly want to stay at DVC, just buy there and at the specific resort that you want. If you prefer the gamble of trading, you can certainly plan to trade in , but there is no reason to buy such an expensive system like Hilton to trade in when you can just as easily trade in with Worldmark or Wyndham.

1.) If you want to buy Hilton to stay in a Hilton, then you should have no problem booking at 9 months and should be able to get a contract anywhere.

2.) If you plan to travel every year, buy an annual contract. I started with an EOY to try out the system and when I found that I was going to use it often, I needed to add on right away.
 

Talent312

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Many folks never darken the door of their home resort.
Home Week bookings are clunky -- exact size, season, check-in day, current-year points.
Club (9-month) bookings are very flexible -- 3N mins (2N for "last minute"), nearly hotel-like.

What I like about HGVC's tie-in with RCI:
- No need for separate account (or membership fee).
- Access to both points + weeks inventory... and no worries about TPU's.
- No deposits... Confirm a booking, pay w-points (incl. future year points).
.
 

brp

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Home Week bookings are clunky -- exact size, season, check-in day, current-year points.
Club (9-month) bookings are very flexible -- 3N mins (2N for "last minute"), nearly hotel-like.

I definitely agree with the second point. I've never booked a Home Week, but the first part seems very accurate as well, from what I can tell. We bought W. 57th to use there, but we don't stay a week, so we can book after that, and go as low as 1 night. We also have Flamingo for use, primarily, in Hawaii, and the Open bookings are great for that.

Cheers.
 

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With regards to the RCI component - am I understanding correctly that I'd be able to initiate ongoing searches without plunking 4800 (or whatever) HGVC points into the system? And if it hits, I pay? Am I still able to request 2 years in advance? And pay a lower price in terms of points than if I'd reserved via the system I'm buying into? Why would I ever trade within HGVC? We've talked a lot about Florida, but how is the availability of the other resorts, particularly Myrtle Beach and Hawaii?
 

Jason245

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Yes. But rci has less hgvc availability than the internal availability. Also, rci reservations cost more real dollars.
 

SmithOp

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RCI searches with the HGVC portal account are limited by the 9 month club season for HGVC, so you may only catch a cancellation. HGVC dumps the bulk deposits a year in advance and they get picked quickly. You can only search non HGVC two years out.
 

PassionForTravel

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To start an OGS you would only pay the search fee. The points don't get deducted until it hits.

As Dave mentioned any HGVC property in RCI cannot be viewed until 9 months out. So the only things left by that point are Vegas and Orlando. I use HGVC to book HGVC resorts using the club and Worldmark to book HGVC resorts through RCI. Even without the lock trading into HGVC with WM is cheaper than HGVC. So what usually happens with us is that I'll pick up a week at an HGVC unit through RCI using WM and then I'll add 3+ days to it using my HGVC points.


Ian
 

GregT

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To the OP,

A couple of your threads have leaned towards using RCI for trading -- if you are buying a trader, I would look at other systems too, primarily Worldmark. This has its own network of properties, and also trades extremely well in both RCI and II.

If I was going to buy an HGVC, I would start with a 1BR Platinum at one of the Orlando or Vegas properties (for lower MFs), and then build from there. That's what I did -- started with a 1BR Orlando Platinum, really liked HGVC's system and properties, bought another 1BR Orlando Platinum, really liked HHV in particular, bought an HHV EOY, continued to love HHV, and bought a 2BR Vegas Platinum. The 1BRs are cheap enough that they are a great foothold in the system, and you can decide from there if/how you want to expand.

Best,

Greg
 

SmithOp

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Its possible to create an OGS with the HGVC account and not pay the exchange fee until it hits, just click continue through the billing section. I created one yesterday for next May at Bay Club. Even though its restricted by the 9 month rule, I have time to see if I can get one before using my HGVC points directly. Since Bay Club is an affiliate it has HGVC bulk deposits as well as owner deposits of non-enrolled weeks.
 

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I have a Platinum 7000 pts at Seaworld Orlando. I love it!

I'd go with Platinum over Gold if you want a week during high seasons. You're paying probably the same amount in yearly fees, except you get 2000 less points if you buy a Gold. And I'll cost you 7000pts for high season.

And yes, you can burrow 2 years out.

And I have never looked for DVS, but I've been told that it is possible for you to get DVS properties even if you own an Orlando property.

Good luck and enjoy
 

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Thanks, Greg. I've been leaning towards RCI for my trading needs simply because I'm already a member and it's what I know. I have no real understanding of how II or SFX (seems like HGVC trades fairly well in there) actually work therefore they're Strange. And Scary! Plus my current timeshare doesn't trade in II,so there would be that issue to deal with.

I've taken a very cursory look at Worldmark but was a bit leery when I saw that all the home resorts are in the Western half of the USA. I'm in NY, so the large majority of my vacationing will be on the Eastern seaboard.
 

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Need Advice - Have 8 Days to Cancel

You guys know this HGVC business better than I do and I need your advice. Here is what I just did on Sunday in Kona at the Kings property being built:

1. Bought the Elite package with 14400 points for $80k....Call me absolutely stupid and I will cancel within the 10 day period. Also got 1.2 million HHonors points or another 45K Elite points
2. We travel at least 30 days per year around the world and need a big package but not at that price. Mostly travel SE Asia...Thailand, China, Italy, Spain
3. The more I am reading about the aftermarket deals, it appears I get something close for half the price or even better.

All and any advice including websites and emails and phone numbers is appreciated. I have 8 days. Thanks in advance.
 

presley

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You guys know this HGVC business better than I do and I need your advice. Here is what I just did on Sunday in Kona at the Kings property being built:

1. Bought the Elite package with 14400 points for $80k....Call me absolutely stupid and I will cancel within the 10 day period. Also got 1.2 million HHonors points or another 45K Elite points
2. We travel at least 30 days per year around the world and need a big package but not at that price. Mostly travel SE Asia...Thailand, China, Italy, Spain
3. The more I am reading about the aftermarket deals, it appears I get something close for half the price or even better.

All and any advice including websites and emails and phone numbers is appreciated. I have 8 days. Thanks in advance.

You can buy resale for tens of thousands of dollars less, however, you don't get the 1.2 million honors points or the 45K Bonus points. Those have some value, but not nearly what you pay when you buy retail like that.

14,400 points won't allow you to travel for 30 days per year in those locations. You really should cancel this contract and then spend many weeks or months researching all the options and see if timesharing is even a good choice for you. Once that is determined, you can compare the timeshare systems.

check resale pricing here: http://www.sellingtimeshares.net/category/listings/hilton/
 
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