Hi Matt and Welcome to TUG
From a potential value perspective, RCI looks like it could be good. However, it seems like the RCI site when logging in via HGVC is a bit different then other RCI members; I see mentions of TPU (Trading Power Units) in other forums and the inventory shown seems to be fairly small compared to the actual units in RCI.
Yes, HGVC members trade in HGVC points currency (not TPUs).
Here's what I wrote for the TUG Advice page. This will provide a brief overview.
RCI offers two exchange programs – RCI Weeks and RCI Points. Resorts affiliated with RCI can participate in RCI Weeks or RCI Points or both. HGVC members have access to both exchange programs.
RCI Directory of Resorts – http://www.rci.com/resort-directory/landing
For RCI Weeks inventory
o Weeks can be booked as early as two years in advance and as late as two (2) days prior to check-in (however actual week availability varies by resort).
o It's best to place an ongoing search request as early as possible to get in the queue. What’s normally seen online are the leftovers after all ongoing requests have been satisfied.
For RCI Points inventory
o Weeks and/or nights can be available as early as 10 months in advance and as late as the day of check-in (however actual availability varies by resort).
o RCI Points does not support ongoing search requests. It requires a manual search. Based on the resort, availability can change constantly.
o To increase your odds of getting your desired travel dates it is best to start searching online as soon as the 10 month window begins (especially for peak travel dates)
RCI membership is included in the HGVC Club Dues. HGVC members use ClubPoints for RCI exchanges. HGVC has a set exchange rate for RCI exchanges (see table below). HGVC deducts ClubPoints from member’s account upon confirmation. Deposits are not required. Simply make the reservation or place an ongoing search request.
NOTE: HGVC members have access to RCI through the HGVC member website (not directly via an individual RCI account). As a result, standard RCI currencies normally associated with individual RCI accounts such as RCI Points or TPU values do not apply to HGVC members.
Number of ClubPoints Required for RCI exchanges
NOTE: Some areas are Red Season only year round (such as Hawaii, Florida, Nevada) while other areas support all three seasons (such as the Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, Tennessee)
For example
RCI Resort: Vacation Club II (RCI Code #5424) in northern Michigan has the following RCI Seasons
BLUE - Mar 15, 2014 thru Apr 26, 2014
BLUE - Nov 01, 2014 thru Dec 13, 2014
RED - Jan 04, 2014 thru Mar 15, 2014
RED - May 31, 2014 thru Oct 25, 2014
RED - Dec 13, 2014 thru Dec 31, 2014
WHITE - Apr 26, 2014 thru May 31, 2014
WHITE - Oct 25, 2014 thru Nov 01, 2014
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation of a RCI reservation will result in forfeiture of the Reservation Fee.
In addition, cancellation made with the timeframes listed below will results in the loss of ClubPoints used to confirm the reservation:
30 to 15 days in advance of the check-in date will result in the loss of 25% of the ClubPoints.
14 to 6 days in advance of the check-in date will result in the loss of 50% of the ClubPoints
5 days or less in advance of the check-in date will result in the loss of 100% of the ClubPoints
ClubPoints from a current or future use year will be returned to the Club Member’s HGVC account.
ClubPoints from previous use years may be deposited to RCI for a fee.
The thing that confuses me is this - how far out can you see availability in RCI? For instance, there are some resorts that I've seen in areas that don't come up in search. But if you do a resort listing they are there. I've then tried clicking on both the options that do show up (I can't look now due to system maintenance), and they never show any results.
Here are some reasons why you may not see availability in RCI:
(1) HGVC has a quality filter in place so we don't see all available inventory in RCI
(2) Availability is based on deposits and all weeks are not deposited. Availability is constantly changing. If no weeks are available at the moment then the resort is not displayed in your search results
(3) What you see online from the RCI Weeks inventory are the leftovers after all ongoing searches have been satisfied.
As a TUG Member, you have access to the TUG Sightings Forum where members post sighted availability at high demand/popular resorts and/or locations.
http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?forums/sightings-distressed.3/
The TUG Sightings forum will give you some ideal on what is possible with the exchange companies. If you can travel anytime during the year, there is some good availability. The key is flexibility.
Booking a timeshare is not like booking a hotel where there's lots of availability. Instead of determining where and when you want to go (like a hotel reservation), with timesharing sometimes your choices for when/where may be driven by whatever is available. The TUG Sighting Forum is great for that.
TUG Members also have access to the TUG Resort Database where you can view Resort Rankings and Reivews
Based on TUG rankings
Top RCI resorts -
https://tug2.com/BrowseResorts.aspx?Top RCI Resorts&top=RCI
Maui Resorts Rankings -
https://tug2.com/BrowseResorts.aspx?Hawaii | Maui&area=3&group=19 (includes resorts not affiliated with RCI)
Kauai Resort Rankings -
https://tug2.com/BrowseResorts.aspx?Hawaii | Kauai&area=3&group=18 (includes resorts not affiliated with RCI)
HGVC Resort Rankings -
https://tug2.com/BrowseResorts.aspx?Top Hilton Grand Resorts&top=Hilton-Grand
So, for instance, I want to go to Maui next year - and might trade into Sands of Kahana. But, for 2019, I want to try Kauai.
See this recent thread
Exchanging to the other Hawaiian Islands (2017) -
http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/exchanging-to-the-other-hawaiian-islands.253498/
Is it pretty much mandatory to do an on-going search to get good inventory? I don't want to start a search in case I end up changing my mind. Is there a way to modify it without paying another fee, assuming I didn't accept a search result?
Yes, you can modify your search (assuming you didn't confirm a reservation) without paying another fee.
Ongoing searches only applies to RCI WEEKS Inventory. If you want to get the jump on inventory as soon as it becomes available it's in your best interest to create an ongoing search.
Keep in mind, for RCI POINTS Inventory you have to search online and exchange availability changes daily. Sometimes units are gone within minutes, hours, days and/or weeks after becoming available online. It varies based on resort/location demand, number of units available and travel dates available.
Here's what I wrote in another thread
In order to get a great trade with any timeshare exchange company you need to understand how it works. Some folks start their request too late and/or have unrealistic expectations that anytime they want to travel a week will be available. Once you understand how exchanging works, you'll be better prepared.
It is important to understand that exchangers only have access to what is deposited and not all weeks are deposited. The number of deposits by each resort varies. You will have no idea how many weeks are actually deposited in RCI (for example it could be 1, 10, 30, 60 or 100s), what time of year they make deposits, which weeks do they deposit (Winter, Spring, Fall or Summer week) and where are you in the exchange queue (there could be several folks already ahead of you requesting the same location with equal trading power).
Some destinations will be harder to exchange into than others. It depends on supply and demand. There will be lots of competition for high demand resorts/location during the peak travel seasons. There will be lots of exchange competition at destinations were most folks want to visit (beach areas in the summer, major city, ski resorts during ski season, national park areas, etc). One should expect high owner occupancy during this time which generally means less exchange deposits (NOTE: Some timeshares owners would rather rent their high demand week than deposit it with an exchange company).
With exchange requests, it's best to be as flexible as possible on your requested unit size (there is more competition for larger unit sizes) and travel dates (like any time during the year) and even then you may not snag a week at your requested resort.
With RCI, it's wise to always research the properties that are listed in the RCI Directory to make sure it meets your vacation needs in terms of location, quality, amenities, etc. Depending on the RCI choices, you may decide to visit this location via some other means (hotel/resort stay, etc).
You can sometimes find reviews on RCI, Tripadvisor, Yelp, various travel related sites and from other fellow TUG members by searching the forums or by accessing the TUG Resort Database.
Keep in mind that RCI trading is not cheap. In addition to your annual maintenance fee, you'll have to pay an RCI exchange fee (currently $239 for a one week stay) and sometimes a resort/housekeeping fee. These fees will continue to rise.
For example, currently a Disney World trade it's an additional $429 dollars ($239 RCI exchange fee + $190 Disney Resort Fee).