What non-HGVC timeshares do you own

[PassionForTravel]

In addition to HGVC we own Marriott, Starwood, and Worldmark.

Ian

 

[GregT]

In addition to HGVC we own Marriott, Starwood, and Worldmark.

Ian

Good choices

 

[Arimaas]

In addition to HGVC we own Marriott, Starwood, and Worldmark.

Ian

What's your thoughts on Worldmark? I am looking into Wyndham to supplement HGVC because I am on the East Coast. I hear Wyndham is not doing good things to Worldmark....

 

[GregT]

What's your thoughts on Worldmark? I am looking into Wyndham to supplement HGVC because I am on the East Coast. I hear Wyndham is not doing good things to Worldmark....

I love my Worldmark, but I have very specific uses for it (like I do for each of my other timeshares). It's a fantastic trading property in both RCI and II, and the property locations are very diverse, with some that I can't access with any of the other systems. Because you can rent credits from others easily, I use Worldmark for family reunions as well, because I can get a bunch of rooms using rented credits.

I don't love Wyndham, and their ever increasing fees. I just paid $100 for a housekeeping fee for a spacebank deposit into II -- it's crazy. But Worldmark gives me a great option to my other timeshares. Because it's probably only a C+/B- in quality (as compared to B+/A- for HGVC) I don't stay there routinely. But it's a great complement to the others.

Best,

Greg

 

[PassionForTravel]

We love Worldmark. It's where we have most of our weeks (actually points) and it was the first timeshare we bought. Worldmark's system has locations you won't find in any other system such as West Yellowstone, Santa Fe, and Estes Park. It's also a great trader. We are in agreement with Greg and aren't big fans of Wyndham in fact, we think the worst thing that happened to Worldmark was when Wyndham purchased the developer/manager (Trendwest). But even with all the changes it's still the most flexible system out there. But we are biased, we are westerns at heart. Before we left on our one year full time trip international trip in September we spent most of our vacation time split between the west and Hawaii. In fact the the reason we purchased HGVC, Marriott, and Starwood, was to exchange into Hawaii.

Ian

 

[frank808]

I love my Worldmark, but I have very specific uses for it (like I do for each of my other timeshares). It's a fantastic trading property in both RCI and II, and the property locations are very diverse, with some that I can't access with any of the other systems. Because you can rent credits from others easily, I use Worldmark for family reunions as well, because I can get a bunch of rooms using rented credits.

I don't love Wyndham, and their ever increasing fees. I just paid $100 for a housekeeping fee for a spacebank deposit into II -- it's crazy. But Worldmark gives me a great option to my other timeshares. Because it's probably only a C+/B- in quality (as compared to B+/A- for HGVC) I don't stay there routinely. But it's a great complement to the others.

Best,

Greg

Didn't worldmark limit the number of points you could rent per year?

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[GregT]

Didn't worldmark limit the number of points you could rent per year?

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Yes, only 2X your annual ownership but that hasn’t really been a problem yet.

Best,

Greg

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

Just recently purchased our HGVC 7800 points (Elara) because I wanted to use it to get to NY. Our other purchases have adhered to the "buy where you want to go" advice, so when we wanted to go to Maui, we bought Vistana (SVO) WKORV in 2012, retail price. Everything else has been resale. We bought a Sheraton Desert Oasis (SDO) for II trading. Then we wanted to go to Walt Disney World, so we bought DVC (Beach Club Villas), and we added on the DVC in Anaheim because we wanted to stay at the Villas at the Grand Californian. Then we wanted to stay at the Hyatt in Tahoe and Carmel, so we bought Hyatt Incline Village. We usually always stay at our home resorts except with our SDO trader, and now with the HGVC Elara points. Just practiced using them to get West 57th Street for a few nights in March.

Just curious how your Elara is working out for you. I am considering Elara also. Thanks

 

[Denise L]

Just curious how your Elara is working out for you. I am considering Elara also. Thanks

So far, so good. I have a lot of points to use, but I've booked 3 nights in NY via RCI and 3 nights via the Club. Looking to book the Big Island for 2019.

 

[Southegirl]

...I know this is an old thread, but... I have a question for P. "I currently also have a regular hgvc week and if I had to do it again I would get an affiliate instead. The affiliates have a choice whether to participate or not. I like that option that I am thinking of gifting my current week and getting another affiliate. My mf is $1113." Have you ever tried to trade your affiliate resort for a HGVC week? My sister has Grand Pacific Palisades and would like to trade next years week for another location within HGVC...is this reasonably easy to accomplish?

 

[dayooper]

...I know this is an old thread, but... I have a question for P. "I currently also have a regular hgvc week and if I had to do it again I would get an affiliate instead. The affiliates have a choice whether to participate or not. I like that option that I am thinking of gifting my current week and getting another affiliate. My mf is $1113." Have you ever tried to trade your affiliate resort for a HGVC week? My sister has Grand Pacific Palisades and would like to trade next years week for another location within HGVC...is this reasonably easy to accomplish?

She would just release her points into the HGVC system and book whatever she can that’s available. Panina would tell HGVC that she would like her points instead of her week. She would then book just like any other HGVC member. She would have had to activate her HGVC account for her week at some point.

Does your sister have an HGVC membership or is it just a Grand Pacific?

 

[Southegirl]

Just GP, its a deeded week.

 

[dayooper]

Just GP, its a deeded week.

I’m not sure if she can deposit her week like Panina can. Others more knowledgeable than me could answer that question.

 

[Panina]

...I know this is an old thread, but... I have a question for P. "I currently also have a regular hgvc week and if I had to do it again I would get an affiliate instead. The affiliates have a choice whether to participate or not. I like that option that I am thinking of gifting my current week and getting another affiliate. My mf is $1113." Have you ever tried to trade your affiliate resort for a HGVC week? My sister has Grand Pacific Palisades and would like to trade next years week for another location within HGVC...is this reasonably easy to accomplish?

Even though I own affiliate weeks, there is a reason owning a regular hgvc week is beneficial. It will always be part of the system. Affiliates can leave, I can recall one in Sanibel that left hgvc and many owners were very upset. I own affiliates because almost always I will use them and not trade them. If my goal was most times to trade I would prefer a regular hgvc week.

I have used my points in the hgvc system for other resorts and thru the hgvc RCI portal with success.

I am not familiar with Grand Pacific Palisade so I can’t comment if it is eligible to be a member of hgvc. If it is, your sister would have to pay a one time enrollment fee to be a hgvc member, yearly hgvc dues and then she could deposit it into the hgvc system and trade like everyone else.

 

[frank808]

Just GP, its a deeded week.

Since it is a week in GPP and not in hgvc, you cannot convert that week into hgvc points. The only way to get into hgvc, would be to trade via rci. You could also do a private trade with an hgvc owner.

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[frank808]

Even though I own affiliate weeks, there is a reason owning a regular hgvc week is beneficial. It will always be part of the system. Affiliates can leave, I can recall one in Sanibel that left hgvc and many owners were very upset. I own affiliates because almost always I will use them and not trade them. If my goal was most times to trade I would prefer a regular hgvc week.

I have used my points in the hgvc system for other resorts and thru the hgvc RCI portal with success.

I am not familiar with Grand Pacific Palisade so I can’t comment if it is eligible to be a member of hgvc. If it is, your sister would have to pay a one time enrollment fee to be a hgvc member, yearly hgvc dues and then she could deposit it into the hgvc system and trade like everyone else.

Hgvc might have closed that loophole that would allow you to enroll a GPP week into hgvc a few years ago.

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[Ianneyan]

We own in a variety of systems because they each offer their own attributes. However, we live in California so some of these may not be as useful for you.

Vacation Internationale - We are Prestige Platinum which gives us amazing perks but would cost a fortune to get now. Mostly Western US, Canada and Mexico. No housekeeping fees but a $20 reservation fee.

Worldmark - This ownership is extremely versatile. Something like 90 resorts now but concentrated in the west. Favorites include Park City (very limited number of units) and the Camlin in Seattle. People complain about pressure to do sales presentations during your stay but just say no.

HGVC - W 57th St and The Residences in Manhattan - sounds like not something your interested in based on your location.

Shell Vacation Club (West) - love this for San Francisco, Napa and San Diego - also access to Hawaii and other resorts. MF are a bit high but they are operating in expensive places. Have used their version of bonus time for midweek hotel room at Inn at the Opera in San Francisco for $30 per night plus $17.50 reservation fee (and you get breakfast).

Vistana (Sheraton Mountain Vista in Avon (Beaver Creek), CO) - Probably the one I'd give up first. It is a voluntary resort which means that the ability to have StarOptions, which are points that let you use other properties or other seasons and unit types, will not transfer with a sale. Anyone that buys this from us will have to use 7 days in the season/unit size we own. At a Mandatory resort, the StarOptions go with the sale. Bought a fairly inexpensive developer every other year summer week to get some ski days at Beaver Creek. Being every other year with a club fee every year makes the MF a bit high for what we get. However, we like the property. We also like that we got Gold status with Starwood and Marriott due to our purchase. Late checkouts (SPG) and free breakfasts (Marriott) are handy.

We also own Sedona Pines (Sedona, AZ) and Oakmont Resort (Pigeon Forge, TN) for RCI points with low MF. Let's us do some exchanges, especially for skiing in Colorado.

Now that we are retired, we are spending over half our time in timeshares. Good luck on your search. There are a ton of options depending on what is important to you. I'm personally a fan of point systems that let me book what I want/where I want/for however long I want with no exchange fees but everybody is different.

I hope to do the same when I retire... have a couple decades to go though!