# HGVC Open Season booking on-line; only cash?



## GeorgeJ. (May 7, 2008)

I attempted to book some Open Season nights online this morning but the only option I received was to pay cash by the website....is this a new glitch?

The booking page doesn't even mention Club points now; it says you can use "Bonus Points" or cash - no mention of Club Points. *And* as far as actually booking it, the only thing you can click on is cash...What's the deal?

Is this a new HGVC "enhancement"? We can no longer use Club Points to book Open Season? Only "Bonus Points" (if the website actually worked correctly) or Cash? What the heck are "Bonus Points" anyway? Received for referring people for timeshare tours? Received for just being a swell owner?


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## linsj (May 7, 2008)

AFAIK, open season bookings have always been cash or bonus points although you have to call to use those points. If you can find at least three nights in a row, I think you can still book them with points in the reservations section.

I still have bonus points from an owner's update I hadn't planned to do a year and a half ago; they're only good for bookings 30 days or less or toward MF (but the conversion is lousy).


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## PigsDad (May 7, 2008)

I have used regular points to book Open Season before, so it is not true that only Bonus points could be used in the past.

I now see the same thing as you do, George.  This is definitely a change from how it was done before.  I noticed a change in the the bulleted list at the top of the Open Season page as well -- it now says:

Utilize Bonus Points or rent at open season rates to enjoy shorter stays

Personally, this is not a big deal to me, as I have found that using the cash option was a much better value than using my points.  In hindsight, I should have used cash for that one reservation.  I have no problem using up my points!  

Kurt


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## GeorgeJ. (May 7, 2008)

Well, to answer my own question, I called reservations to find out why I was not being able to use  Club Points on line for Open Season...

Answer, one of the 2008 enhancements was to change Open Season; if you use Cash or "Bonus Points" you can still book for 2 nights. *If you want to use Club Points for Open Season, you must book for 3 nights or longer.*  This is a big change from the previous rules, where you could always book a minimum of 2 nights with Club Points.

Linsj, you've always been able to use *Club Points during Open Season *ever since they first instituted it (I believe Open Season has been around since 1996 when we bought our HGVC week). "Bonus Points" are something that's only been around for the last 4 or 5 year maybe.

The reason I was given for this change was Housekeeping. HGVC decided that it was too expensive to keep allowing 2 night reservations with Club Points since only a $49 reservation fee was coming in with those. (Versus a minimum $120 for 2-nights in a studio paid for with cash).  I was told that they figure on a minimum Housekeeping cost of $85 (for a studio) to clean a unit.

In my opinion, this is a devaluing of my points - I typically made several 2-night Open Season reservations per year with Club Points. If I can'y use my points the way I want to, then that's a devaluation in my eyes...So now if I want to make a 2-night reservation I must use cash or "pay" for 3 nights with points and *throw one-night away..*

Would the average HGVC owner mind ponying up a few dollars per year to keep the 2-night Club Points option? Or should there again be a cleaning fee for anyone using Club Points who only wants to stay two nights?

This whole new enhancement really pissed me off this morning so I hung on the phone for 25 minutes when the res agent said she'd connect me with corporate so I could complain. Well, that only got me a res supervisor who started going through again my booking options again, which I really didn't need. So I asked her for the number to corporate so I could complain and she rang through to Kim Robert Kreiger's office to see if he was in this morning and he was nice enough to get on the phone...

I still don't agree with Corporate's view on this, but he did say that he would look into giving owners the option of paying for Housekeeping if they wanted to do a 2-night res with Club Points. In the case of some midweek reservations, that would probably be a waste of points since in the case of a studio, it would likely cost more (in cash) to use points than to just pay cash (ie - $120 cash for two nights, $134 to use points - $49 res fee plus probably $85 Housekeeping fee; fee would increase by unit size). It would actually probably be a wash in that case (*plus you'd use the points*) because you'd also be charged the occupancy taxes over the $120 cash fee..

My other point was how difficult would it be to update the website since it still says that you can use ClubPoints for Home, Club & Open Season reservations (I suggested that it clearly be pointed out that Open Season reserrvations must be 3-nights or longer to use Club Points).

Although I don't agree totally with Corporate's views, I do appreciate that Mr. Kreiger spent a half hour on the phone with me. While Corporate can make few decisions that all owners like, this one to me was a dumb one. For a few dollars per year per owner, the rules could have remained the same. If there were not all that many 2-night reservations made with Club Points, then it would cost virtually nothing to continue it with the cost spread out among all owners. After all, we all pay *something* for options we don't use, but others do. My opinion anyway..


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## GeorgeJ. (May 7, 2008)

More updated info on this story......

As confirmed by HGVC res., *if you want to use Club Points you cannot use the Open Season section of the website, no matter how many nights you want to book for.....* Open Season is now *only* for Cash & Bonus Point use. If you try to book the new minimum of 3-nights under Open Season, you still won't get the option to use Club Points. 

To use Club Points, you must use the Club Season section of the website, even if you are booking Open Season....Who would have figured that out, HGVC? If you are going to book Open Season, you go to Open Season, not to Club Season...

This is dumb.

So in reality, there is no real Open Season anymore. There is "Rentals for Cash for HGVC owners" and "Developer Open Season" (where you may stay free if you recently bought from the developer or you recently did some Owner Referrals." )

If you're expecting *"Open Season"*, it no longer exists. *"No soup for you!"*

Bad move HGVC. And badly executed.


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## Talent312 (May 8, 2008)

I've always preferred using cash for open-season stays, anyway.  Open season is a great way to do a HGVC stay w/o using up points.  If you really want to use points, simply reserve thru club-season.  That you can use that as an option to book open-season dates (albeit for 3+ days) is not rocket science.  IMO, its silly to offer to pay both cash for Housekeeping and use points for a stay.


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## WORLD TRAVELER (May 8, 2008)

*downside to cash only for open season*

Hi,

While I agree, that normally I'd pay cash instead of using points for open season for 2 nights, there is a problem when you have guests coming in and staying in a separate unit.  For example, a couple of years ago, my wife and I had our plans to stay in a 1 bedroom at LV Hilton.  The week of our trip, our friends - husband/wife and a father-in-law let us know that they were able to join us on our trip but they needed a separate 2 bedroom unit and would only be staying for 2 nights.  They were going to be arriving at 4 pm at the resort, while my wife and I weren't getting in until around 7pm due to flight conflicts.  

It was no problem using points, we could add their names as guests and wouldn't have to be there in person to check them in.  With having to pay cash, there isn't an option to add guest names to reservations.  This is a downside to the new rules.


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## linsj (May 8, 2008)

WORLD TRAVELER said:


> It was no problem using points, we could add their names as guests and wouldn't have to be there in person to check them in.  With having to pay cash, there isn't an option to add guest names to reservations.  This is a downside to the new rules.



Open season has always been for owners only--at least since I've owned.


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## WORLD TRAVELER (May 9, 2008)

*open season rental res vs. club res.*

Well open season has always been for only for owners when paying with cash (open season rental reservation) but if you booked during open season using points (open season club points reservation), then you could add guests names to the reservation.  This was clearly explained in the previous manuals.  For example in the 2007 guide section 3 on page 121.  

Also, we liked being able to use points for these reservations because then we were only paying the reservation fee for the 2 nights.  It was great for short weekend trips to Vegas.  It really is too bad that this option has been eliminated.


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## DG001 (May 12, 2008)

WT - you might still be able to do this.

Last year, we were booked on an open season cash reservation in LV on the Strip, and my cousin from San Diego was supposed to join us. Well, long story short, US Air asked for volunteers, and for "free domestic travel" vouchers and a next-day upgrade to F, we gave up our seats and called the Strip location - they let my cousin check in with no problems. 

The very nice service agent (we had called the front desk) did tell us that we would have to show our member card when we came in the next day, since OS is for owners only - but no one ever asked us about it (even though I did go up and "show" my card). But she also said that if this occurred again, we could "just call".

One of the many reasons we love HGVC!  

US Air, on the other hand, has had "no availability" for our vouchers for the last six months!


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