Yes, it's mandatory. 81,000 points a year. And I'm trying to sell it.
I never should have bought it. With nothing against the Starwood resorts, the program just doesn't have the flexibility that Hilton does. I see SVO much more as a basic timeshare program where you get a week a year. Sure, you can trade with II into some pretty sweet properties, but you're going to trade your week for a different week. With HGVC you can play your cards right and take the points from your 2BR platinum week and book 3 or 4 weeks in lower seasons and smaller units. Or break it into a bunch of 3-day weekends if you want.
I also like that HGVC lets you borrow points from the next year without having to pay the next years fees. I tried that (booking my 2016 week before I paid my 2016 dues (due 1/1/16) and they wouldn't allow it.
Hilton has a ton of options/resorts, many ways to slice and dice your points, and is really a one-stop shop (unless you venture out into RCI). I found that with SVO and dealing with II it just seems more complicated and more restricted. For example, when I booked my first II trade/week I had to pay an extra fee ($39?) if I wanted to be able to change the reservation at some point in the future. And we're talking about a trip that was 9 or 10 months away. With Hilton you can book whatever you want and as long as you cancel more than 30 days out you get your points back (you lose your $49 fee if you cancel, you don't lose your fee if you just change your dates and/or resort rather than cancel the trip completely).
I'm trying to sell SVO so I can use that money to buy more HGVC points. I really haven't given SVO a shot but have decided that the "fun" of trying a new system isn't worth it and I want all my eggs (and points) in one bucket.
