• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Data on empty HGVC rooms?

GregT

TUG Member
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
7,128
Reaction score
1,886
Points
599
Location
Carlsbad, CA
Resorts Owned
Marriott: Maui Ocean Club Lahaina Villas (3BRx5), Ko Olina, Shadow Ridge II, Willow Ridge, Aruba Ocean Club, DC Points HGVC: Flamingo, Sea World, I-Drive, Starwood Bella (x4), SDO, TradeWinds, Worldmark
HGVC TUGgers,

As you likely know, Marriott has introduced a new points system to overlay over their weeks system. It's an interesting concept but they've incorporated a controversial component where they are awarding less in points value to someone who participates in the program then that unit is actually "worth" to someone wishing to reserve it with points.

It would be comparable to if you had a deed week at HHV that you owned. Then HGVC introduced a point system and for you to participate with your owned HHV week, HGVC would give you 6,000 points for depositing your week into the system, but then charge 7,000 points to others who want to visit HHV (and use your room).

You would have 6,000 points to use system wide, but you could not book your own room back (you would still be free to not participate in the network and just keep your week).

Marriott's argument appears to be that they are concerned that rooms will be idle as people begin to travel for less than 7 day increments, and they need to "adjust" for that. It has the appearance that Marriott is skimming the points delta.

My question is this: Has HGVC ever published data on exactly what is their idle/empty rooms in their system?

I would be extremely curious to learn if HGVC has anything close to a 15% vacancy rate (even in the Platinum locations). I know Worldmark system wide is approximately 90% occupancy and near 100% for what would be comparable to Platinum weeks.

Marriott did not incorporate an Open Season concept, which I suspect allows HGVC to utilize some of the non-reserved rooms. My gut tells me that Marriott will some day incorporate an Open Season, but at the point the "discount" for enrolling your week is permanent.

Please advise if there is any real data on vacancy rates at HGVC -- thank you in advance!

My admiration for the HGVC system is increasing....

All the best,

Greg
 

linsj

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
2,208
Reaction score
440
Points
443
Location
Chicagoland
Resorts Owned
HGVC
Hilton has open season reservations, during which it sells vacant rooms up to 30 days in advance at less-than-hotel rates. You can't always count on availability or even staying in the same room the whole time you book. But this is a good deal for owners and solves the empty room problem.

I've been following the Marriott changes since I was (emphasis on was) thinking about buying one. But this new system, particularly giving fewer points than it takes to book the same unit and reserving the right to raise the number of points needed to book at any time, is a royal ripoff.
 

SmithOp

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
7,609
Reaction score
3,403
Points
499
Location
Huntington Beach, CA
Resorts Owned
HGVC King's Land 2BR Premier 23.040K Points.
HGVC TUGgers,


Please advise if there is any real data on vacancy rates at HGVC -- thank you in advance!


Greg

If there is any data made public it would be in the Annual Report to Shareholders, you should be able to find that online.

As linsj said, most open bookings are sold at open season rates to program members so the vacancy rate would be very small, that is the reason Hilton is building new inventory or converting hotel rooms - TS is guaranteed occupancy.
 

ricoba

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
6,272
Reaction score
2
Points
323
Location
Metro Los Angeles
Thank you for your explanation of the new Marriott system. I have seen and read the buzz on the Marriott board here, but didn't quite understand the program. When you related it to HGVC, I can see why people would be so mad.:(
 

chriskre

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
4,608
Reaction score
259
Points
468
Location
South Florida
Resorts Owned
DVC- SSR, Poly,
Wyndham Las Cascadas
HGVC Tuscany Village
Bluegreen CMV UDI
RCI pts at VVParkway
Enchanted Isle resort.
I'm oh soooooo glad I bought Hilton instead of Marriott. :D
 

ricoba

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
6,272
Reaction score
2
Points
323
Location
Metro Los Angeles
I'm oh soooooo glad I bought Hilton instead of Marriott. :D

I guess I can't complain so much anymore about HGVC's lack of locations versus Marriott, since more locations obviously doesn't necessarily mean more opportunities.
 

danoquinn

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
36
Reaction score
0
Points
366
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
If there is any data made public it would be in the Annual Report to Shareholders, you should be able to find that online.

As linsj said, most open bookings are sold at open season rates to program members so the vacancy rate would be very small, that is the reason Hilton is building new inventory or converting hotel rooms - TS is guaranteed occupancy.

I belive HGVC/Hilton is privately owned by Blackstone Group and may not publish data.
 

thinze3

Tug Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2007
Messages
6,364
Reaction score
37
Points
483
Location
Houston, TX
Just found this thread and wanted to clarify something.

Each of the three platinum season Marriott timeshares that I own have the ability to reserve weeks within the the platinum season for fewer points than what Marriott has offered me.

BUT, I am not offered enough points to reserve the most premium weeks. For instance, I cannot reserve July 4th week at Legends Edge or Waiohai but can reserve off season weeks like April, May, Sept, Oct etc... and have points left over.

Same goes for BeachPlace Towers. I am not offered enough points to reserve Presidents week but can reserve April and have nearly 20% of my points remaining. All of the quoted weeks are within the platinum season.

Marriott obviously used an averaging system of some sort. Resorts that have prolonged platinum seasons got bit a little more than those that do not. It is very similar to what happened to Starwood owners and their II accounts last year. The "true" platinum owners at SDO now have better trading strength than those who had extended and falsely labeled "platinum" seasons.

I know there's much more to it than what I am explaining, and I do not want this to turn into a Marriott argument, but I just had to throw it out there.

Yes, I too wish Marriott had used a simpler system like HGVC, but they didn't, so we'll learn to make it work.
 

GTLINZ

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
989
Reaction score
432
Points
423
Location
Georgia
Please advise if there is any real data on vacancy rates at HGVC -- thank you in advance!

I am not aware of anything like this. But one thing I have noticed (which is not true all all locations but at many) is that HGVC does not sell studio units. Many are part of a 2br, but there are likely many "unowned" units. And remember also that some units are bought back by HGVC and they do not have to sell them. They are able to rent some of these out thru the HHonorns site (I do not know where that money goes... defraying our MFs?)

But these things help HGVC manage inventory. And higher demand locations, like Hawaii, run out of inventory much faster.

I don't buy this line from Marriott. They, like MANY ts companies, are having a hard time moving lower season inventory so there is some availability. And what do they care if the high demand locations are harder to get into?
 
Top