Platinum vs Gold

[Hsahota1]

Hey fellow tugers, I'm pretty sure this is answered somewhere but my question is

If I have 5000 points (Gold season) can I book anywhere at the 9 month mark?

I know platinum is the way to go but if I can get a really cheap gold it may be worth it.

Thanks

 

[Sandy VDH]

yes you can book anything at the 9 month mark, as long as you have the points. Home season you will be restricted to Gold season only which may be limited.

you will also pay more MF per point. Consider how long you will own that unit. How long will it be before it is more expensive to buy the gold than the platinum. The longer you own the more platinum make sense. Plus consider resale. Platinum will likely sell better. Or consider a location with no ROFR.

 

[zerocylinders]

Hey fellow tugers, I'm pretty sure this is answered somewhere but my question is

If I have 5000 points (Gold season) can I book anywhere at the 9 month mark?

I know platinum is the way to go but if I can get a really cheap gold it may be worth it.

Thanks

Yes with important "buts":

1) As Sandy noted, your cost per point in maintenance fees is higher with gold versus platinum. MFs are (always I think) assessed based on unit size, not season. So you MF is the same for a 1 Bedroom Gold with 3,400 points as for a 1 Bedroom Platinum with 4,800 points. If your MFs are 1,000 per year, you are paying about 29 cents per point per year for the Gold, and about 21 cents per point per year for Platinum. Over many years that can make more difference than the purchase price does. This also impacts resale value for the same reason.

2) You might find that it is very hard to book larger units during a popular week in a popular location if you are relying on the 9 month open season booking. Getting a 3 bedroom unit during Prime ski weeks in a ski resort, spring break week in Florida or California, July/August in South Carolina, Christmas season in Hawaii, etc. If you are flexible, this may not matter to you. For us, we only have specific weeks that we can travel due to school schedules (like everyone else with kids I suppose), and we always get a 2 or preferably 3 bedroom, so we always pick platinum to make sure we can always get the week we want, at the resort we want, with the room we want.

3) NYC is its own world within HGVC, and you won't be able book there with open season.

 

[frank808]

Yes with important "buts":

1) As Sandy noted, your cost per point in maintenance fees is higher with gold versus platinum. MFs are (always I think) assessed based on unit size, not season. So you MF is the same for a 1 Bedroom Gold with 3,400 points as for a 1 Bedroom Platinum with 4,800 points. If your MFs are 1,000 per year, you are paying about 29 cents per point per year for the Gold, and about 21 cents per point per year for Platinum. Over many years that can make more difference than the purchase price does. This also impacts resale value for the same reason.

2) You might find that it is very hard to book larger units during a popular week in a popular location if you are relying on the 9 month open season booking. Getting a 3 bedroom unit during Prime ski weeks in a ski resort, spring break week in Florida or California, July/August in South Carolina, Christmas season in Hawaii, etc. If you are flexible, this may not matter to you. For us, we only have specific weeks that we can travel due to school schedules (like everyone else with kids I suppose), and we always get a 2 or preferably 3 bedroom, so we always pick platinum to make sure we can always get the week we want, at the resort we want, with the room we want.

It is callled club reservations during the 9 month to 31 day window at most resorts. 30 days or less is called open season.

Your platinum week does not give you preference over a gold week owner during the club reservation window. All owners can book during the club reservation window.



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[zerocylinders]

It is callled club reservations during the 9 month to 31 day window at most resorts. 30 days or less is called open season.

Your platinum week does not give you preference over a gold week owner during the club reservation window. All owners can book during the club reservation window.



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Sorry I wasnt clear. I meant that (1) with your home week you can book a year in advance, enabling you to get a high demand unit week every time, and (2) having your home week in platinum season ensures that you will be able to book the home week during the high demand time. Putting 1 & 2 together and you do have a substantial booking advantage over gold for your home resort, during the high season.

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