Sandy
TUG Member
Greetings all,
[I put all configurations of this group name in the title so it can be searched. I have seen it called holiday in club vacations or vacation club. Hence HICV, HIVC.]
We are currently staying at the Holiday Inn South Beach resort in Myrtle Beach. Great resort, and we can see using this many years. We just did the owner's update so I thought I would post some details that will probably apply to everyone who owns within this HICV group.
We originally got units at the Desert Club in Las Vegas resale. When they began affiliation with HIVC HICV we joined because the cost was very reasonable to get into a system. Only $104+$100, not thousands. This includes the RCI fee, and covered all of our units. If you are a member, then you may be familiar with the benefits (deposit points into the Priority club for hotels within the Intercontinental Hotels Group, etc).
The issue that they pressed on us was to upgrade from our current Preferred into their Premier group by buying more to get us over 500,000 points:
Premier Membership
You enjoy the benefits of Preferred membership, plus these additional benefits:
Early check-in/late check-out (up to 3 hours, when available)
Two complimentary 3-day/2-night stay at any Club Member Resort of your choice when you advance to this level
Two free reservation upgrades within 60 days of arrival
Parking Pass with your membership level
Exclusive access to the Club Lounge for expedited check-in
Extended Club Partner booking window of up to 7 days for select partners
Of course, they don't really listen to OUR needs when we say the program is working for us, we are travelling less, we have more points than we can use, etc.
The closer came over and she stressed that when HICV converts a resort, they are really not disturbing the underlying owners. Prior owners keep what they have. All they can do is to buy into the HICV directly, and transfer all of their units to the HICV. She kept stressing that being a member of the club has all of these advantages and that what we have is not 'really' holiday inn because we did not buy through holiday inn? She was making a distinction between buying in through them, and converting/joining. Something she said caused me to ask:
"So are you saying that holiday inn might pull this benefit and kick me out of the club? Didn't you just say we were Preferred members? Can't we just pay the fee annually like all other owners and continue the benefits, assuming we like it?"
She stressed that we are still underlying deeded owners with Desert Club. This is true, and in my mind a benefit in case we don't like the HIVC. But we like it so far.
In any event you tuggers know we DID NOT buy. Here is what they offered for us to get up to 500,000 points:
$17,800!!!! to buy more points.
They had a print out of our ownership which showed the underlying prices paid for the units we bought resale. He wouldn't give it to me, but I saw prices like $18,000; $9000; and $12,000.
Of course, this is a "special" deal for us owners, not offered to the public. Give me a break. We have owned timeshare since 1980, and already get everything and more from our ownership, thanks to tuggers here who have taught me a lot. Their offer was based, at least in part, on the fact that they thought we had paid a lot, so what is a little extra seventeen thousand dollars to become premier!!!:rofl:
Now - here is the new information we learned:
HICV is in the process of affiliating with Massanutten Resort and Kings Creek Plantation in Williamsburg. There are many more they are working on and would not tell us but will double their inventory within the next few years. Anyone who owns at these resorts, keep an eye for their presence and offers. I hope that they offer the $104+$100 deal that they offered Desert Club owners. They prefer to buy existing groups and they will be offering conversion for the current owners.
They are focusing on the west coast, so you owners out there keep on the lookout.
I am a happy camper with the HICV and it works for us. We don't need more and have finally found a group with attractive hotel benefits to use and save our points. We are happy, and I believe that HICV is a good group. Just buy resale if you can. The strategy that might work is, once you find out where they are going next, buy a resale so that you are on owner, then you might be in time for their special conversion. Heck, you can buy several at the precise resorts you like, stay there, trade through RCI, and be thousands $$ ahead of the pack.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any questions. I posted this in All other Systems (our HICV really should have its own section IMHO) so that folks can find this discussion regardless of where they own.
take care,
[I put all configurations of this group name in the title so it can be searched. I have seen it called holiday in club vacations or vacation club. Hence HICV, HIVC.]
We are currently staying at the Holiday Inn South Beach resort in Myrtle Beach. Great resort, and we can see using this many years. We just did the owner's update so I thought I would post some details that will probably apply to everyone who owns within this HICV group.
We originally got units at the Desert Club in Las Vegas resale. When they began affiliation with HIVC HICV we joined because the cost was very reasonable to get into a system. Only $104+$100, not thousands. This includes the RCI fee, and covered all of our units. If you are a member, then you may be familiar with the benefits (deposit points into the Priority club for hotels within the Intercontinental Hotels Group, etc).
The issue that they pressed on us was to upgrade from our current Preferred into their Premier group by buying more to get us over 500,000 points:
Premier Membership
You enjoy the benefits of Preferred membership, plus these additional benefits:
Early check-in/late check-out (up to 3 hours, when available)
Two complimentary 3-day/2-night stay at any Club Member Resort of your choice when you advance to this level
Two free reservation upgrades within 60 days of arrival
Parking Pass with your membership level
Exclusive access to the Club Lounge for expedited check-in
Extended Club Partner booking window of up to 7 days for select partners
Of course, they don't really listen to OUR needs when we say the program is working for us, we are travelling less, we have more points than we can use, etc.
The closer came over and she stressed that when HICV converts a resort, they are really not disturbing the underlying owners. Prior owners keep what they have. All they can do is to buy into the HICV directly, and transfer all of their units to the HICV. She kept stressing that being a member of the club has all of these advantages and that what we have is not 'really' holiday inn because we did not buy through holiday inn? She was making a distinction between buying in through them, and converting/joining. Something she said caused me to ask:
"So are you saying that holiday inn might pull this benefit and kick me out of the club? Didn't you just say we were Preferred members? Can't we just pay the fee annually like all other owners and continue the benefits, assuming we like it?"
She stressed that we are still underlying deeded owners with Desert Club. This is true, and in my mind a benefit in case we don't like the HIVC. But we like it so far.
In any event you tuggers know we DID NOT buy. Here is what they offered for us to get up to 500,000 points:
$17,800!!!! to buy more points.
Of course, this is a "special" deal for us owners, not offered to the public. Give me a break. We have owned timeshare since 1980, and already get everything and more from our ownership, thanks to tuggers here who have taught me a lot. Their offer was based, at least in part, on the fact that they thought we had paid a lot, so what is a little extra seventeen thousand dollars to become premier!!!:rofl:
Now - here is the new information we learned:
HICV is in the process of affiliating with Massanutten Resort and Kings Creek Plantation in Williamsburg. There are many more they are working on and would not tell us but will double their inventory within the next few years. Anyone who owns at these resorts, keep an eye for their presence and offers. I hope that they offer the $104+$100 deal that they offered Desert Club owners. They prefer to buy existing groups and they will be offering conversion for the current owners.
They are focusing on the west coast, so you owners out there keep on the lookout.
I am a happy camper with the HICV and it works for us. We don't need more and have finally found a group with attractive hotel benefits to use and save our points. We are happy, and I believe that HICV is a good group. Just buy resale if you can. The strategy that might work is, once you find out where they are going next, buy a resale so that you are on owner, then you might be in time for their special conversion. Heck, you can buy several at the precise resorts you like, stay there, trade through RCI, and be thousands $$ ahead of the pack.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any questions. I posted this in All other Systems (our HICV really should have its own section IMHO) so that folks can find this discussion regardless of where they own.
take care,
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