Please tell me if I have this right

[rog2867]

So I own a 1 bedroom premium at the club in Liberty place charleston which is every odd year. I would like to pick up a resale deed to make those points every year. So I could get an EOY even deed or an annual deed and double up on the odd years points. Here is my question. The only time SEASON matters is if you're going to want to go to your home resort at 12 months for booking, correct? If I have enough points to be able to reserve at 9 months in the platinum season, that's all I need. I don't need all platinum deeds; all I need is the points that get me enough to go to wherever I want in the platinum season at 9 months. I just wanted to make sure I have that right. So I just need to get the cheapest deed with the most points for the lowest maintenance fees correct? The sales guy also said that you can only convert HGVC points to HH points every other year unless they are from the club properties then you can do that every year at 32-1 ratio.

 

[Seamaster]

At nine months everything on the HGV side opens up to everyone.

The by Hilton Club properties are a little different though. The all seem to have their own booking windows. So if you are going to those properties, it still holds that, with enough points you can book into any season, the window may be shorter than 9 months though.

 

[rog2867]

At nine months everything on the HGV side opens up to everyone.

The by Hilton Club properties are a little different though. The all seem to have their own booking windows. So if you are going to those properties, it still holds that, with enough points you can book into any season, the window may be shorter than 9 months though.

I am not concerned with the club. I just wanted to make sure I have it right that the season you buy really means nothing unless your going back to that specific resort at the 12 month window. Points are points so if I have enough at 9 months when the window for everyone opens then I can go platinum season because I will have the points to book it.

 

[David M]

I am not concerned with the club. I just wanted to make sure I have it right that the season you buy really means nothing unless your going back to that specific resort at the 12 month window. Points are points so if I have enough at 9 months when the window for everyone opens then I can go platinum season because I will have the points to book it.

The season you book determines how many points you pay per night.

The season you buy determines how many points you get for the same maintenance fee.

To clarify, maintenance fees for a given unit are identical, regardless of season, but you get more points with a higher season.

 

[ernststarhemberg]

As far as booking window, yes, the 12-month window is the biggest thing to be concerned with re: the season of the deed.

As long as the points are there, the booking window is open, and the unit is available, it can be booked.

But there are other material factors to consider in the season, including the maintenance feeoint ratio mentioned above.

The maintenance fees are based on the deed (unit type) and are the same for that unit type regardless of which season the deed is for. A gold season deed comes with fewer points but is charged the same maintenance fees as a platinum season deed that comes with more points. The tradeoff is the gold season deed tends to be more affordable on the front end while carrying a higher MFoint ratio over the long term, while a platinum season deed tends to cost more on the front end (especially for Liberty Place where the resale market is tightly controlled) while offering a lower MFoint ratio over the long term.

If money is no object, then don’t worry about this. But Liberty Place carries with it hefty MFs, so if I wanted to own a Liberty Place deed long term, I’d certainly want to maximize the number of points that come with that deed.

 

[rog2867]

As far as booking window, yes, the 12-month window is the biggest thing to be concerned with re: the season of the deed.

As long as the points are there, the booking window is open, and the unit is available, it can be booked.

But there are other material factors to consider in the season, including the maintenance feeoint ratio mentioned above.

The maintenance fees are based on the deed (unit type) and are the same for that unit type regardless of which season the deed is for. A gold season deed comes with fewer points but is charged the same maintenance fees as a platinum season deed that comes with more points. The tradeoff is the gold season deed tends to be more affordable on the front end while carrying a higher MFoint ratio over the long term, while a platinum season deed tends to cost more on the front end (especially for Liberty Place where the resale market is tightly controlled) while offering a lower MFoint ratio over the long term.

If money is no object, then don’t worry about this. But Liberty Place carries with it hefty MFs, so if I wanted to own a Liberty Place deed long term, I’d certainly want to maximize the number of points that come with that deed.

Thank you. I understand all of this. I know that the platinum deeds are more expensive than the gold deeds but points are points and once you have enough points to be able to book at 9 months out for a platinum reservation it doesn't matter weather those points came from a gold deed, a platinum deed or a silver deed. There are lots of reslaes for zero dollars and just pay the closing costs so I am trying to get the most points for the lowest maintenance fees.
I am really not concerned with the 12 month window so I was just making sure my thinking was correct. I really don't care about Liberty place, I just use it to convert to hh at 32-1 or for the points to add to my total. My only concern is that at 9 months out if I have the points I can book ANY Resort in ANY season because I have enough points to do so. That's what it really boils down to.

 

[ernststarhemberg]

If the 12-month window isn’t a concern, I’d consider resale deeds at other bHC properties too (e.g., The District, whose deeds are within the bHC portfolio and come with a lot of points at a relatively low MF ratio (by bHC standards)).

The problem with finding a resale deed at Liberty Place is that HGV/Strand almost always exercise ROFR on Liberty Place resales, so the odds of successfully picking up a resale Liberty Place deed are slim.

If it’s purely for points, one of my goals would be to get as many points for the lowest cost. If I could pick up 15,000 points for $2,000 per year (platinum), or 11,000 points for $2,000 per year (gold), I’d much rather have 15,000 so long as the price difference pays off for the time horizon we plan to hold the deeds. For us, it’s multi-generational, so we are more inclined to pay a higher price for a platinum deed, understanding that the MFs will probably be sticking around for decades.

 

[brial05]

So I own a 1 bedroom premium at the club in Liberty place charleston which is every odd year. I would like to pick up a resale deed to make those points every year. So I could get an EOY even deed or an annual deed and double up on the odd years points. Here is my question. The only time SEASON matters is if you're going to want to go to your home resort at 12 months for booking, correct? If I have enough points to be able to reserve at 9 months in the platinum season, that's all I need. I don't need all platinum deeds; all I need is the points that get me enough to go to wherever I want in the platinum season at 9 months. I just wanted to make sure I have that right. So I just need to get the cheapest deed with the most points for the lowest maintenance fees correct? The sales guy also said that you can only convert HGVC points to HH points every other year unless they are from the club properties then you can do that every year at 32-1 ratio.

If what you are saying is “points are points” and “season/home week does not matter” and asking if this is true, then no that is false.

Buy the cheapest 1 or 2 bedroom Platinum Deed you can find unit with a low point to MF ratio. ( no Studios )
EOY deeds are sort of odd balls, but may make sense for you. I just purchased an EOY.

 

[dayooper]

If what you are saying is “points are points” and “season/home week does not matter” and asking if this is true, then no that is false.

Buy the cheapest 1 or 2 bedroom Platinum Deed you can find unit with a low point to MF ratio. ( no Studios )
EOY deeds are sort of odd balls, but may make sense for you. I just purchased an EOY.

If the OP is looking to keep the 32:1 HH ratio, they will need to purchase a bHC deed, I believe. Regular HGVC has a 16:1 ratio. I agree with @ernststarhemberg above and The District would be the best bet here. I don’t own bHC so I’m not sure, though.

 

[Eric B]

Even if the HH ratio is a concern, a bHC deed that gives points costing $.20 per year would only yield HH points at 0.625 cents each while a regular HGVC deed with $.08 points per year would yield HH points at 0.5 cents each.

Bottom line for me is that OP would probably be better off figuring out what the proper measure of value they want to use is and applying it to decide what to buy. This includes the time value of money to compare the capital cost of a deed with the difference in point cost. You can get HH points for 0.5 cents each often enough when they sell them with promotions; you can also get them by doing updates. I wouldn't weigh the 32:1 ratio too heavily in the equation because that is always subject to change - the point valuations for the deeds in the HGVC system itself are on a more solid footing, though they could also change.

 

[WorldT]

@rog2867
Take the info below as coming from someone who doesn't own in the HGVC system. Everything below is what I have learned in this site. More seasoned users can correct any incorrect info.

You asked two different questions that trying to accomplish both can sometimes go against each other.

Question 1
At 9 months, are all points treated the same?

Answer:
At 9 months (some resorts may be less than 9 months) points are points. Doesn't matter if they came from Platinum or gold deeds. If you have enough points, you can book anything available. This is one of the things that is attractive about HGVC. It also seems that you understand how to maximize your points to MF ratio.

Question 2
Conversion to HH points. I believe you raised this based on a presentation you attended but it not really what you are targeting. The conversion has already been covered in the postings above.

 

[rog2867]

If the 12-month window isn’t a concern, I’d consider resale deeds at other bHC properties too (e.g., The District, whose deeds are within the bHC portfolio and come with a lot of points at a relatively low MF ratio (by bHC standards)).

The problem with finding a resale deed at Liberty Place is that HGV/Strand almost always exercise ROFR on Liberty Place resales, so the odds of successfully picking up a resale Liberty Place deed are slim.

If it’s purely for points, one of my goals would be to get as many points for the lowest cost. If I could pick up 15,000 points for $2,000 per year (platinum), or 11,000 points for $2,000 per year (gold), I’d much rather have 15,000 so long as the price difference pays off for the time horizon we plan to hold the deeds. For us, it’s multi-generational, so we are more inclined to pay a higher price for a platinum deed, understanding that the MFs will probably be sticking around for decades.

thank you. I am not looking to get a resale deed at liberty place. I am just looking for ANY resale deed to add to my portolio to get me enough points so I can go anywhere I want anytime at 9 months.

 

[rog2867]

If the OP is looking to keep the 32:1 HH ratio, they will need to purchase a bHC deed, I believe. Regular HGVC has a 16:1 ratio. I agree with @ernststarhemberg above and The District would be the best bet here. I don’t own bHC so I’m not sure, though.

I will be able to keep my 32-1 conversion on my liberty place, I am just looking to ADD a resale contract to my portfolio to give me enough points so that at 9 months I can go anywhere at any time as I will have enough points to get platinum season anywhere anytime as points are just points at that point.

 

[ernststarhemberg]

I will be able to keep my 32-1 conversion on my liberty place, I am just looking to ADD a resale contract to my portfolio to give me enough points so that at 9 months I can go anywhere at any time as I will have enough points to get platinum season anywhere anytime as points are just points at that point.

If you're looking to preserve the 1:32 HHonors conversion on all points, then District bHC resale deeds are a good start - 1 BR Platinum annual deeds can go for sub-$4,000 all day every day, and they come with ~11,500 - 14,000 points.

If the 1:32 HHonors conversion is NOT important, then something like a Boulevard HGV deed is a good bet. Affordable and plentiful in the resale market, and low MFs. Within the HGV system, they spend the same as the bHC deeds, but at a lower price and lower annual carrying cost. The only tradeoff from the priorities you've listed is that the HGV deeds are only 1:16 HHonors convertible, which is not an optimal conversion, no matter how it's sliced.

At least the 1:32 conversion with the bHC deeds, paired with HHonors Diamond status (buy four nights with points, get fifth night free) is reasonable, and opens the doors to a lot of nice hotels that otherwise would be outside the HGV/RCI network.

TUG is split on the value proposition of the 1:32 conversion for bHC deeds, but I've documented some journeys using the 1:32 conversion paired with HHonors Diamond and the value proposition is certainly there... if your travel style fits into that bucket (ours does).

Last year, I spent a week at a lovely Hilton (Parliament, Curio) in the historic heart of Reykjavik, Iceland for the equivalent of 10,000 HGV points. As a Diamond member, I got a free night using points, redeemed a free night reward certificate, and got free (and delicious) breakfast every morning (not an insignificant perk given the price of food in Iceland!). Cash price for this same package would have been high -- probably in the realm of $3,000 given that it was peak season.

This past summer, I also stayed a week at the mainline Hilton in the walkable historic center of Vienna, Austria. Again, free night with points, free night reward certificate, excellent location and amenities, and access to the executive lounge for breakfast, snacks and drinks throughout the day, and beer and wine for happy hour. HGV point equivalent: 10,000. Cash price for this package would have probably come in closer to $2,500.

Both properties above were comparable in furnishings and on-site amenities to those of a bHC property as a deeded owner. For the equivalent of 10,000 HGV points for a full week, that ain't bad at all.

 

[ernststarhemberg]

The criticism of the unreliability of the purchasing power of the 1:32 conversion is valid. While it is unlikely that they would overtly decrease the purchasing power of this conversion, they would certainly leave "1:32" in place and float the point value of HHonors reward redemptions up. They're already doing that - increasing standard room prices in desirable locations, and cutting back on the number of "standard" rooms available for rewards redemption at several others. Devaluation through inflation -- standard fare in all aspects of life these days! HHonors is no exception.

So, while in the past it might have been easy to score a 40,000, a 60,000, or an 80,000-point standard reward room at most places, nowadays it's not a sure bet.

This is why we don't rely on the 1:32 conversion for the entire trip; we only use it as a points supplement (if needed) and a fallback in the event we can't forward the points to the next year and don't want to put them into RCI. Most of our HHonors points come from credit card spend, where the point accrual "keeps up with inflation" because our card spend is tied directly to the price of goods and services consumed.

 

[muscae]

thank you. I am not looking to get a resale deed at liberty place. I am just looking for ANY resale deed to add to my portolio to get me enough points so I can go anywhere I want anytime at 9 months.

You will be able to go nearly everywhere in HGVC at 9 months, but some resorts have a smaller club window. For example, you cant go to West 57, Hokulani, or Grand Islander at 9 months on a club booking.

 

[rog2867]

You will be able to go nearly everywhere in HGVC at 9 months, but some resorts have a smaller club window. For example, you cant go to West 57, Hokulani, or Grand Islander at 9 months on a club booking.

yes thank you.

 

[rog2867]

So what are the places to look for, for the most points with lowest maintenace fees? Is that still vegas?

 

[brial05]

@rog2867,

"Points are point are points" is a common phrase used by the HGVC Sales Agents .....

Yes, points are points at 9 months but, consider:

2026 CLUB DUES	$230.00
2026 OPERATING FEE	$602.68
2026 REAL ESTATE TAXES	$33.73
2026 RESERVE FEE	$208.48

Do you want to pay the above for a 1 BDR Gold and receive 5440 points?

OR

Do you want to pay the above for a 1 BDR Platinum and receive 7680 points?

Same unit, same MF fees; drastic difference in points.

So, yes points are points at nine months, but please do find a PLAT deed. Find one with a great MF ration like that listed above ( BLVD Vegas )

For me "points are points" when purchasing is a terrible mantra. When booking and 9 months, yes is true, when purchasing, you cannot think that way.

 

[jp10558]

So what are the places to look for, for the most points with lowest maintenace fees? Is that still vegas?

Vegas or Craig Lodges in Scotland. It sounds like Vegas may be cheaper to acquire now, hard to say because of closing costs.

 

[brp]

Deleted.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

So what are the places to look for, for the most points with lowest maintenace fees? Is that still vegas?

How many points do you own now and have you thought about how many you would want on an annualized basis?

 

[rog2867]

@rog2867,

"Points are point are points" is a common phrase used by the HGVC Sales Agents .....

Yes, points are points at 9 months but, consider:

2026 CLUB DUES	$230.00
2026 OPERATING FEE	$602.68
2026 REAL ESTATE TAXES	$33.73
2026 RESERVE FEE	$208.48

Do you want to pay the above for a 1 BDR Gold and receive 5440 points?

OR

Do you want to pay the above for a 1 BDR Platinum and receive 7680 points?

Same unit, same MF fees; drastic difference in points.

So, yes points are points at nine months, but please do find a PLAT deed. Find one with a great MF ration like that listed above ( BLVD Vegas )

For me "points are points" when purchasing is a terrible mantra. When booking and 9 months, yes is true, when purchasing, you cannot think that way.

Yes I understand that, I am aware of the fees associated with the points and how that works and you can get more points and the pay the same fees with bigger rooms and contracts and that the fees are based on sq footage. My only goal is to get as many points for the least fees as possible so at 9 months out I can go anywhere even the platinum weeks as I will have the total points needed. thanks for your response.

 

[rog2867]

How many points do you own now and have you thought about how many you would want on an annualized basis?

I have 10080 points. I also am 4 start elite with Vistana and have 400K options. I have Hilton because I like the international properties. I wanted to add an even year or EOY deed to my portofolio so I have more options yearly at Hilton.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

I have 10080 points. I also am 4 start elite with Vistana and have 400K options. I have Hilton because I like the international properties. I wanted to add an even year or EOY deed to my portofolio so I have more options yearly at Hilton.

There are plenty of options out there to add anywhere from 7,000-20,000 point deeds, so I guess that's what you stiil need to decide. What International locations are you looking at stayting and how does the point chart look (how many points would you need) when you would epect to travel? I spent a lot of time researching before I bought and initially thought 10,000 points per year would be enough, and quickly (within a month) realized I could use more. At this time I get about 33,000 points per year and I have dipped into my 2026 points completely and a good way into my 2027 points. Some of this usage is short term in nature (bringing some friends on trips) that may not continue once I am fully retired and I might shift to usage that has my wife and I in CA or HI for extended stays.

Not familiar with Vistana, but that is a decent amount of Hilton points. Most people recommend starting with at least an 11,000 point contract EY, so you are halfway there. I own three EOY (Kings Land, the District and Valdoro) deeds myself (plus and Annual Elara) and think they work really well together and are diverse geographically, which I thgink helps spread out MF's increase risk a little. It sounds like you understand the math behind purchase vs MF, which is at least half the battle. I would spend some time going through the spreadsheet @GT75 puts togther every year and identify the properties and room sizes that will give you a good MF ratio and then start searching for them. As mentioned upthread, Vegas is a good place to look and here are also Scotland deeds that seem easy to deal with on purchase and have decent MF ratio and there are others that are better versed in those. I wouldn't completely rule out all other locations as sometimes you can find a really good deal on a really good deed that is a one off.