HGVC vs Wyndham

[janckenn]

I traded HGVC points through RCI into a Wyndham resort in New Orleans. LaBelle Maison is a great timeshare resort there. While I was there I went to a brief presentation. I did not but retail there. How does Wyndham treat resale buyers? Is there any advantage to owning Wyndham? Should I just be satisfied trading into Wyndham through RCI? How does Wyndham compare with HGVC? They seem to have a lot of desirable locations within the US.

 

[learnalot]

How does Wyndham treat resale buyers? Is there any advantage to owning Wyndham? Should I just be satisfied trading into Wyndham through RCI? How does Wyndham compare with HGVC? They seem to have a lot of desirable locations within the US.

Your resale points will spend exactly like retail points. The only people who will treat you differently or suggest that anyone else will are retail sales staff. Stay far away from them anyway.

 

[ronparise]

The advantage of one system over another, if there is one, is, I think in the list of resort locations. You have already listed one difference, Wyndham is in New Orleans, also Washington DC. of course HGVC has New York

If there are more places you might want to visit on a regular basis in Wyndham, buy Wyndham. If HGVC has more places that appeal to you, buy HGVC

 

[Sandy VDH]

I posted this some years ago, but I updated with current information since wyndham changed it system with RCI.

I own both Hilton and Wyndham.

I love Hilton for Hawaii and Hard to get RCI trades
I love Wyndham for the locations, small unit trades, and the discounts at 60 days because I am VIP.

VIP is a nice perk, but everyone will agree it is NOT WORTH PAYING FOR IT from Wyndham. I got my VIP resale long before they closed the door on obtaining it that way.

There are pros and cons with both.

HILTON
PROs:
High quality resorts, great furnishings, good consistency
Well insured, disasters in FL have had no or very little Special Assessments
Great Management
Great Customer Service, owner focused
Resale owner and purchase from Hilton directly are treated the same.
High trade priority in RC
Access to RCI Weeks and Points
Access to RCI Weeks and Points is available online
Cash option during open season
Good availability during open season (usually)
Complimentary upgrades (some Elite levels)
Reservation and Guest Fees reasonable
Online booking $49 but completely changeable over and over at no extra
Fee for Guest Certificates, reasonable (and far less than Wyndham's cost)
Most resorts are on a fixed scale of points

CONs:
Too concentrated in Vegas, Orlando and Hawaii, but getter better, slowly
Expanding by purchasing inventory at resorts already built
Partnering with other resorts (Grand Pacific, Club Intrawest)
Limited number of resorts available (but getting a little better)
Higher MFs
No Free upgrade in RCI
No discounted in points ever
Higher buy in costs, Platinum (~$1.0 point)
NO real RCI account is provided, but is online so not as big of deal.
New trend is that 2 of the last 3 resorts have 50% more points requirements, butthankfully this has seem to not be continuing with every new resort.


WYNDHAM
PROs:
Very very flexible, even more so than Hilton
Lots and Lots of locations (77 + 44 Affiliates)
Newer resorts have been opening at a good pace
Have some Urban resorts (Washington DC, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Diego, Atlantic City, Honolulu)
Have some Mega Resorts (Bonnet Creek FL, Grand Desert NV, Ocean Blvd SC)
Lots at availability both planning ahead and last minute
Some very nice, deluxe accommodations
Presidential Level units are equal to Hilton level of units
Discounts on points for units up to 60 days prior to check in (Varies by VIP Levels)
Discount on points for selected resorts, at Wyndham's discretion, for all owners
Complimentary upgrades at Wyndham (VIP levels)
Very cheap to buy points, some location, people are giving away unit.
MF are ususally a bit less than Hilton
Receive a free RCI weeks account, other non Wyndham TS can use it too
Online booking available, both in Wyndham and in RCI Weeks.
If you have the Partner Plus option on your account, you have access to RCI Points
Booking Wyndham online to get discounts is also available.
Free upgrade are also now bookable online
Reservation Transactions limited - owners get certain # free (depends on situation) than $30 online, $59 over phone
Housekeeping required per booking (varies by size of unit)
VIP owners get unlimited transactions and housekeeping
Lots of sizes of units, vary from Studio to 4 BR Presidential units

CONs:
Hate the Sales/Corporate Staff
They are not overly owner friendly
Keep changing rules, by taking away options that were once available
They are too reliant on Special Assessments
Access to RCI Weeks only (Access to RCI points only if you have paid for PlusPartner program)
If you have the Partner Plus option, you have access to RCI Points inventory, BUT NO RCI points online option is available, you must book it over the phone.
Allotted # of free GC, but when exceeded, they are $129 phone or $99 online
No standard points requirement (2 BR Deluxe, varies in Prime season from 154K to 275K, views and presidentials are up from that, highest points for a single unit in system is 800K for Presidential 4 BR Oceanfront Upper level unit at Ocean Bvld, SC midsummer)
Extra Housekeeping credits have to be purchased if you run out.


Split Decisions:
Cancelation policy has pros and cons for both
Wyndham's is better if 15 days out then Hilton's becomes better 14 days or less.

Hilton is a scale,
31 or > days - lose fee only, all points returned
30 - 15 days - lose fee + lose 25% of your points
14 to 6 days - lose fee + lose 50% of your points
5 or < days - lose everything (fee + points)

Wyndham is also a scale, but only 2 choices
15 or > days - lose fee only, all points returned
14 or < days - lose everything (fee + points)

 

[Ron98GT]

I traded HGVC points through RCI into a Wyndham resort in New Orleans. LaBelle Maison is a great timeshare resort there. While I was there I went to a brief presentation. I did not but retail there. How does Wyndham treat resale buyers? Is there any advantage to owning Wyndham? Should I just be satisfied trading into Wyndham through RCI? How does Wyndham compare with HGVC? They seem to have a lot of desirable locations within the US.

I'm not a Wyndham fan, BUT, if YOU are going to be using/staying-in Wyndham's, it's not cost effective to trade your HGVC thru RCI for a Wyndham. Your better off picking up a Wyndham trader OR some-other low cost RCI trader. Just make sure that you buy a resale with enough power to get you into where-ever you may want to stay.

Save your HGVC to trade for other HGVC's.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I'm not a Wyndham fan, BUT, if YOU are going to be using/staying-in Wyndham's, it's not cost effective to trade your HGVC thru RCI for a Wyndham. Your better off picking up a Wyndham trader OR some-other low cost RCI trader. Just make sure that you buy a resale with enough power to get you into where-ever you may want to stay.

Save your HGVC to trade for other HGVC's.

I am a Wyndham Fan, but I whole heartly agree with Ron. My HGVC is way too valuable for me to use it to trade into Wyndham.

Wyndham is at a much lower purchase points and MF point than HGVC.

I use HGVC mainly at HGVC, to trade back into HGVC when the point differential is in my favor and the unit is available in RCI, or at very hard to get RCI exchanges. I have only used HGVC via RCI three times. Once to book myself back into Kingsland and twice to book myself into the The Hilton Club NYC.

I use my Wyndham mainly within Wyndham. I only deposit into RCI if I have a specific exchange I want and I don't have enough points in RCI. But mainly I use RCI to get another 2 year life out of points that otherwise would expire in Wyndham. I transfer points to RCI at the end of the year.