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Combining Points

T

Troopers

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Location
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I understand that points acquired from different resorts/seasons/points can be combined assuming ownership under the same name. How does HGVC view the combined points? Which property can be booked at the 12 month mark using combined points, if any? Are the points combined per owner's request? Can the points be un-combined? Can partial points be combined?

Thanks.
 
R Chen said:
I understand that points acquired from different resorts/seasons/points can be combined assuming ownership under the same name. How does HGVC view the combined points? Which property can be booked at the 12 month mark using combined points, if any? Are the points combined per owner's request? Can the points be un-combined? Can partial points be combined?
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Hilton allows you to use your timeshare in two very different ways. The first (Home season, up to 12 months in advance) is to use your unit as a traditional time share - 7 days in your size unit at your home resort in your season. The second (Club Season, up to 9 months in advance) it to use your unit for its points value - any length stay (3 days and over), any size unit, any resort, any season.

So the points aren't combined in any sense - if you don't use your unit as a traditional timeshare you have XXXX points that you can use, bank for the next year, or convert at 25 to 1 into HHonors points (timeframe restrictions exist for the bank or convert options).

{edited , corrected club season info in red/Bill4728}
 
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Points are combined "in a sense," and I do it all the time. I own four HGVC timeshares-two developed and two affiliates. The developed units have a one account number and the affiliates have another for a total of 2 accounts. If I make a "home week" reservation (which I almost never do) then HGVC simply deducts the points from the specified timeshare.

However, what usually happens is that I book a larger unit than what I own or stay more days which requires a "club" reservation. In this case HGVC simply takes enough points (or combines points) from my various units to make up the difference. I usually don't care how they do it. But if I know I want to make a home reservation at HHV then I'll tell them not to use those points but rather, to use or combine points from my other units. (eg. affiliates)

Combining points becomes a little clearer if you're using points from different accounts. When making several on-line reservations I needed all my points to be in one account (so that I would have enough points.) I called HGVC and they actually took all the points from my affiliate account and put them into my HGVC-developed account (thus combining them...you get them picture.)

If you cancel a reservation in the time permitted the points are returned to where they came (2008 or borrowed from 2009). What I do not know is if you mess with your home week can you get it back. (ie. You combine / borrow some points from a 2009 home week and then cancel that reservation.) I know the points go back to 2009 but I don't know if you can still make a 2009 home week reservation. I need to find out for myself.

R Chen said:
Which property can be booked at the 12 month mark using combined points, if any?
Click to expand...

If you booked at the 12 month mark then you can't use combined points because that would be and "club" reservation and you can only make a "home" reservation at that time.
 
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jehb2 said:
Points are combined "in a sense," and I do it all the time. I own four HGVC timeshares-two developed and two affiliates. The developed units have a one account number and the affiliates have another for a total of 2 accounts. If I make a "home week" reservation (which I almost never do) then HGVC simply deducts the points from the specified timeshare.

However, what usually happens is that I book a larger unit than what I own or stay more days which requires a "club" reservation. In this case HGVC simply takes enough points (or combines points) from my various units to make up the difference. I usually don't care how they do it. But if I know I want to make a home reservation at HHV then I'll tell them not to use those points but rather, to use or combine points from my other units. (eg. affiliates)

Combining points becomes a little clearer if you're using points from different accounts. When making several on-line reservations I needed all my points to be in one account (so that I would have enough points.) I called HGVC and they actually took all the points from my affiliate account and put them into my HGVC-developed account (thus combining them...you get them picture.)

If you cancel a reservation in the time permitted the points are returned to where they came (2008 or borrowed from 2009). What I do not know is if you mess with your home week can you get it back. (ie. You combine / borrow some points from a 2009 home week and then cancel that reservation.) I know the points go back to 2009 but I don't know if you can still make a 2009 home week reservation. I need to find out for myself.



If you booked at the 12 month mark then you can't use combined points because that would be and "club" reservation and you can only make a "home" reservation at that time.
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Thanks. That's what I thought.
 
ljmiii said:
The second (up to 7 months in advance) it to use your unit for its points value - any length stay (3 days and over), any size unit, any resort, any season.
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Just to be sure you are aware, the second option is at the 9 Month mark, NOT the 7 month mark, called OPEN season.
 
Sandy Lovell said:
Just to be sure you are aware, the second option is at the 9 Month mark, NOT the 7 month mark, called OPEN season.
Click to expand...

R Chen said:
Thanks. OPEN season is aka CLUB season, right?
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Club season starts at 9 months, Open season ( when you can use cash or your points & only a 2 night minimum) begins at 30 days.
 
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Sandy Lovell said:
Just to be sure you are aware, the second option is at the 9 Month mark, NOT the 7 month mark, called OPEN season.
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Sorry, yes Sandy is right. My DVC is 11/7, my Hilton is 12/9, and my fingers were confused.
 
Bill4728 said:
Club season starts at 9 months, Open season ( when you can use cash or your points & only a 2 night minimum) begins at 30 days.
Click to expand...

I got the month right but not the name right. My bad.

So it is
Season/Months
Home at 12 months
Club at 9 months
Open at 1 month. (30 days to be precise).
 
I don't think they particularly keep track of where points come from (or at least don't care), just whether or not you've used you home week priority for a particular resort.

I own 2 HGVC resorts and 3 affiliates. They are all under the same account. My affiliates have weeks that are pre-booked. If I want to use those weeks, I don't do anything. If I'd rather have the points, I cancel the pre-booked reservation and then use the points.

One example of what I've done that makes me think that it doesn't matter what points are used for your home week priority reservation:
I made club reservations for HGVC resort C (which I don't own) using points from HGVC resorts A and B (which I do own), using most of my available points. Months later, I cancelled my pre-booked reservation at affiliate resort D, and used those points to book a home week resort priority reservation at HGVC resort A. It only seemed to matter that I hadn't used my home week resort priority for resort A at that time. It obviously had to use the points from affiliate resort D, as that's all I had left. (I did all this using the on-line system).
 
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dvc_john said:
I don't think they particularly keep track of where points come from (or at least don't care), just whether or not you've used you home week priority for a particular resort.

I own 2 HGVC resorts and 3 affiliates. They are all under the same account. My affiliates have weeks that are pre-booked. If I want to use those weeks, I don't do anything. If I'd rather have the points, I cancel the pre-booked reservation and then use the points.

One example of what I've done that makes me think that it doesn't matter what points are used for your home week priority reservation:
I made club reservations for HGVC resort C (which I don't own) using points from HGVC resorts A and B (which I do own), using most of my available points. Months later, I cancelled my pre-booked reservation at affiliate resort D, and used those points to book a home week resort priority reservation at HGVC resort A. It only seemed to matter that I hadn't used my home week resort priority for resort A at that time. It obviously had to use the points from affiliate resort D, as that's all I had left. (I did all this using the on-line system).
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Thanks (but more confused as ever).

What is a pre-booked reservation? Is it pre-booked annually forever?
 
R Chen said:
Thanks (but more confused as ever).

What is a pre-booked reservation? Is it pre-booked annually forever?
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Pre booked is not the norm for most HGVC properties, but it does happen if you own Event Weeks or some Affiliates. Basically what happens is the week you own is booked automatically for you and you have to purposely CANCEL it if you do not want your own week.

Event weeks are specific holiday weeks like Christmas and New Years. The people that own event week or pre assigned weeks do not have to go out at exactly the 12 month mark and book their week, it is automatically done for them.

Does that help clarify the situation.

A HGVC or Affiliate that is sold will usually advertise if they are an event week. There are very few of them out there compared to regular points are points weeks.
 
I'm sticking my neck out a bit as I have no personal knowledge, but a pre-booked week sounds a lot like a fixed week in other resorts/systems.

The majority of the HGVC system doesn't operate this way...but affiliates can have different arrangements as these are places which HGVC didn't develope and as such can operate under different sales arrangements/agreements.

I think too this would explain why folks say it's harder to get reservations at affilliates. If a percentage of the inventory is tied up in fixed week ownership at a location, I expect many who bought these in popular times for that resort actually use or rent them, leaving less available inventory for HGVC members to book.

That's my guess anyway.
 
For HGVC resorts how to determine Event weeks is easy. Take a look at the guide and look at the back inside cover.

It lists in summary Event Weeks. Also page 168 in the Guide, in the club rules section takes about Event weeks in the 1) Home Week section of Resort Reservations within the Club.

Most resorts do not have Event Weeks, but a few do. I do not know about all affiliates.

Many affiliates are floating and their is a lottery system to get a week. However some weeks might be sold as Event weeks. I own Bay Club and it was sold as weeks 1 - 50 floating. Weeks 51 and 52 were sold as event weeks.
 
I'm wondering what's more advantages: 1)Buying two resorts for points and paying both MF's or 2) Buying one with more points and paying one MF? Paying two MF's just doesn't make sense for the long haul.
 
I'm wondering what's more advantages:
1)Buying two resorts for points and paying both MF's or
2) Buying one with more points and paying one MF?

Paying two MF's just doesn't make sense for the long haul.
Click to expand...

Just a few basics:
-You get more points/unit size if you by a better season
-You'll generally paid more per point for Platinum than gold or silver points
-MFs are not based on the # of pts but the size of the unit@ the resort.

There are many people who feel that buying Platinum points is a better deal than buying gold points because the MF/pt is less. But the key is the difference in the MFs vs the difference in the cost to buy. Sometime it may take 10 years for you to make up the difference ( in lower MFs) you paid buying platinum vs buying gold.

So the real question is how long to you plan to own the TS? If its more than 10 years, one MF will probably be better. But if you're not sure how long you'll own, it might be better to own several smaller pkgs and pay a higher MFs/pt.
 
Bill4728 said:
Just a few basics:
-You get more points/unit size if you by a better season
-You'll generally paid more per point for Platinum than gold or silver points
-MFs are not based on the # of pts but the size of the unit@ the resort.

There are many people who feel that buying Platinum points is a better deal than buying gold points because the MF/pt is less. But the key is the difference in the MFs vs the difference in the cost to buy. Sometime it may take 10 years for you to make up the difference ( in lower MFs) you paid buying platinum vs buying gold.

So the real question is how long to you plan to own the TS? If its more than 10 years, one MF will probably be better. But if you're not sure how long you'll own, it might be better to own several smaller pkgs and pay a higher MFs/pt.
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All these observations are right on and at the end of day you have to decide what makes the most sense for you. Our first ts was a gold week, 5000 points (2 Bdrm) @ Flamingo. We needed more points for the trips we had in mind and it made sense for us to do that by purchasing a 1 bdrm gold (3400 points) to bring us up to 8400. Doing it this way, the analysis is it will take a little over 6 years for the cost per point savings of purchase gold vs platinum weeks to be even given what we paid. After 6 years the MF's make it more expensive than if we bought one platinum week.

However our kids are nearly grown and we've since purchased 3 other TS weeks, all none HGVC. I can foresee a time in the future where we might off-load one or both of the HGVC's, let alone one of the none HGVC's once the kids are gone and it's just the two of us. (At least I keep hoping that will be the case one day.) I'm betting it will fall somewhere around year 6 when we'll be making that decision, although we certainly didn't purchase with that knowledge or strategy in mind.
 
Points are Points

I have been with HGVC since 2001. All my points are under one account. They can all be used the same way under the HGVC rules regardless of which property was purchased to aquire the points. This is what makes HGVC so much more flexible than Marriott or Starwood. However, Marriott and Starwood do have a much greater choice of locations.
 
R Chen said:
What is a pre-booked reservation? Is it pre-booked annually forever?
Click to expand...

Sandy explained it pretty well.

In my case, the affiliates I own are the original Mariner properties on Sanibel Island. They were sold as fixed week resorts. When they were brought into the HGVC system, they maintained their fixed week status. I have a specific week in a specific unit every year forever. I don't have to make a reservation. However, if I want to use points instead of my week, I cancel my reservation, and then use the points. Then (and only then) that week is available to other HGVC members.

As others have mentioned, except for a few 'event' weeks, this is not the norm for HGVC developed resorts.
 
UW surfer,

Since you bought two Gold season that add up to 8400 pts. Can you reserve during the platinum weeks because you have enough pts? Or Are you only allowed to reserve during the gold weeks?
 
drnd said:
UW surfer,

Since you bought two Gold season that add up to 8400 pts. Can you reserve during the platinum weeks because you have enough pts? Or Are you only allowed to reserve during the gold weeks?
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(I not UW surfer, but I went to the University of Waterloo (UW) in Canada, so I feel like I was a UW surfer).

You can reserve anything within the 9 months window. Minimum 3 nights stay is the only requirement. So whatever unit size and stay you can afford you can book.

You can however only book what you own during Home Season. So you could only book your unit season and size during the 12 to 9 month window.
 
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