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Hgvc Waikoloa

JeroMan

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What's does everyone think about owning this timeshare. Basically, it comes out to 7000 points a year. Maintenance fees come out to 1450/year, why are maintenance fees so much higher than Vegas, which are around 800 for same points?
 

GT75

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MFs are high because it is Hawaii. Why are you thinking about purchasing in HI? Are you planning on using Home Week advantage every (most every) year and traveling to HI?
 

brp

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We own Vegas and stay Bay Club or Kohala any time we want with lower MFs.

Cheers.
 

SteelerGal

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It’s the location. Hawaii is expensive. We own at The Bay Club because we always wanted a Villa for our family. It’s what works for you.
 

brp

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I It’s what works for you.

Pretty much. If you would use Home Week and need specialized unit sizes, may be worth the higher MFs. In other cases, there is no advantage to paying more, especially the Home Week part.

Cheers.
 

csodjd

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Pretty much. If you would use Home Week and need specialized unit sizes, may be worth the higher MFs. In other cases, there is no advantage to paying more, especially the Home Week part.

Cheers.
There is a cost to the “security” of the Home Week. One may be the MF cost. But the other is the time cost. My home week is a 2-BR Oceanfront in the Lagoon Tower in Waikiki. I recently used points to reserve a trip for next May and I can go Wed to the following Fri, 9 days, for the same points as my 7-day Home Week. Depending on your travel days, points go further than Home Week. (Plus mid-week air is typically lower.)
 

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MFs are high because it is Hawaii. Why are you thinking about purchasing in HI? Are you planning on using Home Week advantage every (most every) year and traveling to HI?
If I had a vegas one could I use the points in hawaii even though mf are different?
 

SmithOp

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If I had a vegas one could I use the points in hawaii even though mf are different?

Thats the beauty of HGVC points, once you hit the 9 month club season you can book any property. There are exceptions, some of the newer ones are 6 months, and the Residence clubs are 60 days.


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brp

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There is a cost to the “security” of the Home Week. One may be the MF cost. But the other is the time cost. My home week is a 2-BR Oceanfront in the Lagoon Tower in Waikiki. I recently used points to reserve a trip for next May and I can go Wed to the following Fri, 9 days, for the same points as my 7-day Home Week. Depending on your travel days, points go further than Home Week. (Plus mid-week air is typically lower.)

Exactly. Home Week works for those that want to use it. But it is more limited in use and (in this case) more costly than other options.

Cheers,
 

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So it's more ideal to get one with lower maintenance fees, and that's why those ones are more valuable...
 

1Kflyerguy

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So it's more ideal to get one with lower maintenance fees, and that's why those ones are more valuable...

Long term that is the best option, so you may have to pay a premium for the lower MF.

Some people may consider the cash flow and favor a unit with a lower up front cost, with a higher annual MF. You can think about when you will break even on higher purchase price, vs lower up front costs.
 

GT75

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So it's more ideal to get one with lower maintenance fees, and that's why those ones are more valuable...

So what you need to understand is HGVC booking windows and what you can book.

  • If you purchase a fixed week, then your deeded unit is automatically reserved for you each year. You may cancel your fixed week reservation and then those points (whatever that may be) will show up into your account. If you are planning on using this then ensure that you purchase the correct unit, week and resort.
  • Most deeds are however for a season such as platinum, gold, bronze & silver. If you have one of these deeds, that will allow you to book 9-12 months at your resort only from check-in date in your season one week, in your exact deeded unit starting on whatever the check-in day (Thursday, Friday, Saturday {most are Saturday} or Sunday.) We call this home week booking/advantage. This will use all of the points on that deeded property. So, if you are planning to use this then make sure that you purchase the correct season, unit and resort.
  • Now, if you are planning on only book club season (276 days prior to check-out) then it will not matter where you own. Points are points. You should buy the lowest buy-in cost with the lowest MFs. With club bookings, you can book any resort (most like someone previously stated opens at 9 months) which has units available. You can book any unit, 3 or more days (up to 30 days).
That is the basics. There are of course some exceptions to these but if you understand this then I think that will help in making an informed purchase.

Also, don't expect all properties to have availability for club season. For example, if you are planning to use one of the properties for skiing, then you might not have availability for a particular week. If you are flexible, then you will have a better chance. Certain properties in HI book very quickly (like exactly when the club season booking window opens). It is best for club season to book exactly when the club booking window opens at most properties.

I hope this helps.
 

brp

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Certain properties in HI book very quickly (like exactly when the club season booking window opens). It is best for club season to book exactly when the club booking window opens at most properties.

I will say, based on a reasonable amount of experience, that this is not true at Bay Club and Kohala. I don't know about availability trends at Kings Land as we don't stay there. I've read here that Oah'u can be tougher, but we don't stay there either. But definitely pretty cush (in a bit more than half a dozen experiences at various times of year) at the first two.

Cheers.
 

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I will say, based on a reasonable amount of experience, that this is not true at Bay Club and Kohala. I don't know about availability trends at Kings Land as we don't stay there.

Correct. I would put KL in that category (with Bay Club and Kohala) too. I was really referring to Oahu properties especially Lagoon Tower.
 

csodjd

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I will say, based on a reasonable amount of experience, that this is not true at Bay Club and Kohala. I don't know about availability trends at Kings Land as we don't stay there. I've read here that Oah'u can be tougher, but we don't stay there either. But definitely pretty cush (in a bit more than half a dozen experiences at various times of year) at the first two.

Cheers.
I just booked 9 days in the Lagoon Tower (Oahu) in the week leading up to Memorial weekend next year, 2-BR Oceanfront. I had to “walk” the reservation. I started about two weeks ahead, well before the holiday weekend. Grabbed three days. Then patiently added a night every night, and sliced off reservation at the front end, until I had the Wed - Fri (9 days) I wanted. At the same time I also booked a 1-BR ocean view, which was less in demand. But, the point is, even a relatively challenging high-demand location and room was available with points, by doing a bit of work.
 

CalGalTraveler

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I just booked 9 days in the Lagoon Tower (Oahu) in the week leading up to Memorial weekend next year, 2-BR Oceanfront. I had to “walk” the reservation. I started about two weeks ahead, well before the holiday weekend. Grabbed three days. Then patiently added a night every night, and sliced off reservation at the front end, until I had the Wed - Fri (9 days) I wanted. At the same time I also booked a 1-BR ocean view, which was less in demand. But, the point is, even a relatively challenging high-demand location and room was available with points, by doing a bit of work.

Late April through early June is doable on points with diligence like this because there is a lull between spring and summer break. However, the same feat would be very difficult/low odds to reserve consistently Mid June to mid Aug at LT unless you own an OF week and use 12 month window.
 

csodjd

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Late April through early June is doable on points with diligence like this because there is a lull between spring and summer break. However, the same feat would be very difficult/low odds to reserve consistently Mid June to mid Aug at LT unless you own an OF week and use 12 month window.
Agree completely. If you have school restrictions/limitations, then that’s what you have and you have to deal with it. That may mean buying at Lagoon (or another Oahu location) and paying the higher MF to ensure your home week availability. My youngest is transitioning from high school to college, and it opens everything up!
 

giowop

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I just booked 9 days in the Lagoon Tower (Oahu) in the week leading up to Memorial weekend next year, 2-BR Oceanfront. I had to “walk” the reservation. I started about two weeks ahead, well before the holiday weekend. Grabbed three days. Then patiently added a night every night, and sliced off reservation at the front end, until I had the Wed - Fri (9 days) I wanted. At the same time I also booked a 1-BR ocean view, which was less in demand. But, the point is, even a relatively challenging high-demand location and room was available with points, by doing a bit of work.

Oh, so THATS what it means to walk a reservation??? I kept hearing the terminology but didn’t know what it meant. Now I know. And knowing is half the battle :)


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csodjd

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Oh, so THATS what it means to walk a reservation??? I kept hearing the terminology but didn’t know what it meant. Now I know. And knowing is half the battle :)


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I too had heard of it, but didn't fully get it until now. This was my first go-round. <g> The HGVC website actually makes it quite easy to do once you get that initial 3-day block. You just choose "My Reservations," click on the one you are walking, adjust the slider one day forward, then click on the highlighted block. If it's too soon (not midnight EST) you get a message that you are outside the reservation window. At the right moment it will instead say, "Book Now." You click that, check a couple of boxes to confirm and it updates your reservation to add another night. (And cuts off one at the start if you also want that. I didn't slick off the ones at the start until I got to my last night.)

Once you have that first 3-night reservation you pretty much block others out while you grow your reservation each night by one night. The limitation is home week owners. If they consume what you want before the 276-day window opens you'll not succeed. I would have loved one of the penthouse rooms, but they were never available.
 

Maverick1963

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I have owned Flaming more than ten years and have never been to Las Vegas. For once, I used points for RCI to stay in SoCal. Other than that, I used all of my points for Hawaii, mostly on Oahu. I would say that booking is not easy. As soon as Club window is open, you have to make reservation. When I walk my reservation, I do it for like a month. Of course, that depends upon season and availability. When our son was a kid, we used to have vacations in the third week of March. Only one time I made a reservation in the middle of August. These days I make reservation in October or November. I stayed at Grand Islander as well. Patience and planning is mandatory, but I have made all of club reservations all the time to stay in Honolulu over the years. Since my depreciation of my Flamingo purchase ($13k) is over, now I can stay in a one bedroom suite in Waikiki for a week, paying only $1,500 fee plus hotel tax. The actual cost should be $3,000-4,000 for a week. Resale price is much lower now. You can enjoy the timeshare cost benefit much earlier. The key point is that you make your trip every year. If you plan to do your trip once every two-three years, do not buy any timeshare. That's my piece of advice.
 

SmithOp

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When I walk my reservation, I do it for like a month. Of course, that depends upon season and availability. When our son was a kid, we used to have vacations in the third week of March. Only one time I made a reservation in the middle of August. These days I make reservation in October or November.

There really is no reason to start a month early, I have the same chance as you starting three days before the Saturday check in of the week I want.

Think about how the inventory is loaded into the database, full home weeks with Saturday check-ins. All home week owners have to reserve the full week. Its only at nine months when the weeks get broken up. Walking the week or month before the week you want does nothing, if home resort owners booked all the available units for the week you want your walking reservation will hit a wall.

The optimal start of a walking res is to grab the Thur-Sat of the week you want, that breaks up the Sat-Sat week so you can pick off the remaining days.



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GT75

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There really is no reason to start a month early, I have the same chance as you starting three days before the Saturday check in of the week I want.
That will only be true if inventory is available. If one is booking LT and need specific dates, then I would start earlier.
 

csodjd

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There really is no reason to start a month early, I have the same chance as you starting three days before the Saturday check in of the week I want.

Think about how the inventory is loaded into the database, full home weeks with Saturday check-ins. All home week owners have to reserve the full week. Its only at nine months when the weeks get broken up. Walking the week or month before the week you want does nothing, if home resort owners booked all the available units for the week you want your walking reservation will hit a wall.

The optimal start of a walking res is to grab the Thur-Sat of the week you want, that breaks up the Sat-Sat week so you can pick off the remaining days.
Maybe I'm confused, but by starting earlier, aren't you getting in AHEAD of all the points users that haven't started or reserved yet? It may not jump you ahead of a possible home week user, but it means you've shut out people that are going to do what you are doing... walk a points reservation.
 

SmithOp

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Maybe I'm confused, but by starting earlier, aren't you getting in AHEAD of all the points users that haven't started or reserved yet? It may not jump you ahead of a possible home week user, but it means you've shut out people that are going to do what you are doing... walk a points reservation.

I’m just saying if the home users booked all the units neither of us get one, no matter how early you start. If there are units available we both have the same chance, unless there are say only 5 and there are 5 people like you starting a month before.


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GT75

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unless there are say only 5 and there are 5 people like you starting a month before.

For LT tower, this has been my experience. Inventory would disappear exactly at EST midnight. I even wasn't able to book a reservation at midnight because I was a second or two too late.
 
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