New HGVC Elite

The new elite has 3 level.
14,000 - Elite
24,000 - elite Plus
34,000 - Elite Premier

Elite Beneits:
Hilton Honor Gold
Special Elite Member check-in desk at HGVC Resorts
Special Live 800 Number
Daily Newspaper
Elite Designated Door Key
Exclusive Property Access ie: Intrawest
Special Property Access with 12 month reservationwindow ie: Kohala for Elite
Online RCI Property Search
10% discount on open season
$39 online reservation fees

Elite Plus
Hilton Honor Gold
All of above except 15% discount on open season
Early check in (12:00pm) and late check out (3:00pm) *
Upgrade to next best unit type at point of check in subject to availability
Current year conversion to HHonors Points
Access to Stirling Club in Las Vegas
Instant Confirmation to Top Requested RCI Properties
$39 for all online transaction fees

Elite Premier
All of the above +
10 year Diamond Hilton Honors
Access to RCI Ultimate properties
800 Concierge Services
Personal Access to General Manager
30% discount on open season
No fee for online transactions
Early checkin (12:00pm) & late check-out(3:00) **

* Depending on availability, first come, first serviced. Excluded fixed unit reservation
** Or Member can request specific unit at time of booking

Thanks! I've heard this was coming, but didn't know the details. When does this go in effect? Has this info been released to the public yet?

nonutrix

myip said:

The new elite has 3 level.

Elite Plus
Upgrade to next best unit type at point of check in subject to availability

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Hey Starwood!!! While you were busy removing room upgrades for elite members, Hilton was busy adding them. Well at least one company is listening to us. Congrats Hilton owners! You chose wisely.

-nodge

Oh wow, I sure like the Elite Designated Door Key and the personal access to the GM!

But, I am glad to have the early check in and late check out, although I hardly every have any trouble to get that anyway.

What is the Sterling Club? And the RCI Ultimate properties?

I just don't understand...why only 10 years HH Diamond...

Oh Wow...

I like that I saved $50,000 (or more) purchasing my weeks resale. I can do much more with the 50K than I'd ever get from these perks! :rofl:

Nice though that they continue to offer more for those who desire it.

nonutrix said:

Thanks! I've heard this was coming, but didn't know the details. When does this go in effect? Has this info been released to the public yet?

nonutrix

Click to expand...

I think it is a public information since theywere trying to get me to buy another timeshare.

I'm trying to behave myself, but this is the biggest scam ever.
I have 14,000 HGVC annual points, and they were all bought on resale.
This month I attended a HGVC TS presentation in Las Vegas at the new
property. When they found out I was a resale only buyer they started
pitching HGVC Elite to me.
Even their Closer admitted to me that there are minimum benefits to
HGVC Elite. I have been Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, and Starwood
Platinum. The major benefits to me were the great flexibility in booking
any great property on almost any dates. Upgrades were nice, but you have to rely on your own negotiating skills in most cases anyway.
There will be people who want to be the Uber Elite, and they will
surely pay through the nose for this trinket. On the other hand, you can
buy HGVC resale and attain Hilton Diamond or Gold status through the Hilton
American Express Card. It works just as well.
You are dealing in some really serious coin to attain the highest status
of the newest HGVC Elite pyramid. It's amazing, and a great marketing tool by
HGVC for the nouveau wannabees.

Any further info on the RCI online property search. When might it be available, and will it be thru the HGVC site or the RCI site?

UWSurfer and bobemac - I think you are completely right and I agree with most of it.

However....

I live in Europe and we do not have the hotel branded credit cards here, at least not in my country. I know that there are some countries where these cards can be obtained but there are not that many. So for many owners outside the US (at least in Europe) it is hard to obtain the number of HH points they used to get before owning a timeshare. I can see that the gold and diamond memberships can be very valueable to them - personally I don't see so much difference between gold and diamond.

If I would have lived in the US and I do realize that almost everybody on this board does, it would be a different story.

I just wanted to mention this - since I have spoken to some of my friends who knew this site before I discovered it, but they all said that the information would not be very accurate - only because of these kind of differences. (By the way, they never told me about owning timeshares - but since I told them about ours they seem so relieved that they can "openly" talk about it....but that's another issue!)

On the other hand, you can
buy HGVC resale and attain Hilton Diamond or Gold status through the Hilton
American Express Card.

I know how to get HHonors gold with AMEX but what is the process for Diamond?

RCI Ultimate?

What are RCI Ultimate properties?

nonutrix

I just purchased 5000 pts resale (5900 - not bad
Anyway, should I get a Hilton credit card? I already have USAIR (gives me status at the airport and lots of miles) and a Marriott (for nights in hotels). Maybe Hilton has nicer hotels than Marriott plus are there perks as a Hilton owner? THANKS

Congrats

Congrats on the great HGVC buy. That's a nice price, when you consider
that the new HGVC property in Waikiki is charging $5.20 per point!!
This means the new HGVC Top Tier Elite will cost nouveau wannabees a
cool $177,000 in US coin!

The Hilton American Express card has no annual fee. If you stay at
Hilton family hotels; Homewood Suites, Doubletree, Hampton Inn, Hilton,
Conrads, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inns etc you receive a multiple of points depending on HH status.

In 1990, I was a Platinum with Marriott. Those were the good old days.
Marriott has devalued their program significantly. They don't have near as many properties as the Hilton Honors program.

In the Hilton Honors American Express program you attain gold status
based on so many dollars spent per year. You can also reach Diamond status for spending more money annually. Elite status with HH comes with either annual hotel stays, or money spent on the HH Amex card.

My only caveat is; don't maintain balances on this card. The interest rate
is quite high, over 18%!

bobemac said:

Congrats on the great HGVC buy. That's a nice price, wh

My only caveat is; don't maintain balances on this card. The interest rate
is quite high, over 18%!

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ALWAYS pay off a credit card!!!!!!!
Thanks - I think I'll get one!!!

I know if you spend $20,000.00 a year on AMEX you get HHonors gold. Does anyone know what you have to spend to get diamond?

Maybe I'm missing something about the HHonors levels (gold, diamond....), but at the end of the day you are getting HHonors points to redeem with Hilton, yes?

I already have an Platnim Amex from Costco (not the newer aqua green one) which gives me CASH back at the rate of 2% after purchases for the year reach an amount...I belive $6k. Last year after business travel, putting gas in the car, groceries and $10,000 of remodling on the house which I paid with the card...I got a check for just under $700. Now the trick of course is the check is only good at Costco...but I'm already spending money at Costco anyway and if I don't spend the entire amount of the check, they give me the rest as change...cash.

To date I've not figured out how HHonors points are going to benifit me better than cash. I don't mind getting points for stays when I'm already staying with a Hilton or HGVC property...but if it's points vs. cash...I've stayed with cash. Anyone want to enlighten me?

Looks like it is really coming out.

In a Japanese HGVC BBS, I saw a story from a HHV rep that a new elite status scheme is coming out. I just don't know the originator's commet here is true or not. But it is said that different elite levels are the core idea. Does anyone have further info?

I guess this is suppose to make us want to buy more developer points in lieu of actually building properties in more locations than the big three of Hawaii, Vegas and Orlando.

I keep hoping that one of these days Hilton will catch on and realize the owners want new HGVC LOCATIONS and not new benefits or new affiliates with limited availability.

Whatever the new elite status is, it will be a technique to make the upper class resort like Waikikian and Kingsland look gorgeous. It's red herring but I just want to know what it is.

dougp26364 said:

I keep hoping that one of these days Hilton will catch on and realize the owners want new HGVC LOCATIONS and not new benefits or new affiliates with limited availability.

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AMEN & AMEN.....

New Elite

I know for the Elite you must buy one TS from the developer. Does anyone know what the purchase requirements are for the others? Sooby

with respect to RCI and this Elite program

just called the 1-800 number

the first VG knew nothing about this program

asked to speak to a HGVC RCI specialist, who also knew little about this .....with the exceptions that "Hilton and RCI" are ironing out the details and the program has a tentative roll out of January 2008

so as of yet they have not decided what RCI ultimate resorts are or how the "instant" confirmation process will work....

looks like an example of cart before the horse syndrome

but it does look like RCI might be stratifying, the BOOK of Vacation Dreams become even more irrelevant...and on HGVC's side, the lil guy will probably be checking in at 4 pm from now on.....no early concessions

smilawgs

UWSurfer said:

I got a check for just under $700. Now the trick of course is the check is only good at Costco

Click to expand...

No it is not. You can take the check to Costco and get cash for it. You do not need to spend it at costco. I got a check for over $1500 last year as a rebate. Costco didn't have the cash on hand, but actually cut me a real check not the check that came with my AMEX card. I just deposited the cash into the bank.

You can request cash, you do not have to actually spend it at costco.

Just an FYI