# Newbie Purchase of Hyatt Coconut Plantation



## PamHB (May 18, 2009)

We are considering purchasing a resale timeshare unit in Hyatt's Coconut Plantation.  Love the Gulf side of Florida; driving to the beach doesn't bother us.  Have read all of Kal's information (thank you, Kal!).  Have also read a number of great reviews on Coconut Plantation.   

We would like to purchase a 2 bedroom lockout, at the diamond or platinum level (so that we can exchange easily into other Hyatt resorts).   We would normally use the unit in March or April.   

Some questions:  

1.   We understand that the units are supposed to be refurbished this year.   Has that actually taken place?  The TVs in the Hyatt video for example look quite old. 
2.   The units don't appear to have a washer/dryer.  Any prospect of this in the refurbishment?  How do guests handle laundry (apart from dragging it home with them).  
3.   What should we expect to pay for a diamond or platinum unit?   
4.   What questions should we be asking about location and/or view?  
5.   If we buy week 52 (which we wouldn't likely use), is there any problem in making our March or April booking?  
6.   We see some 2 bdrm lockout units listed with MF of $780 and some with $1200.  What is going on here?  Is the first seller not including taxes or something?  

Thanks for any help you can give me.


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## dvc_john (May 18, 2009)

PamHB said:


> 1.   We understand that the units are supposed to be refurbished this year.   Has that actually taken place?  The TVs in the Hyatt video for example look quite old.
> 2.   The units don't appear to have a washer/dryer.  Any prospect of this in the refurbishment?  How do guests handle laundry (apart from dragging it home with them).
> 3.   What should we expect to pay for a diamond or platinum unit?
> 4.   What questions should we be asking about location and/or view?
> ...




Sorry, I can't answer most of your questions, as I don't own there. (I wish I did though.) I do go there a lot using my Hyatt points.

2) I can say that all 1-br and 2-br units do have a washer/dryer (and for the studios there is a laundry room in each building.)

4) There are only 3 buildings as of now, so the view won't by much different from building to building. Building 52 would be the closest to the main pool, but all 3 buildings are close. All buildings have ground level parking, with 3 floors of units above the parking.

6) As for mf's, I would imagine that the units would have the same amount. Perhaps some are including taxes or the Hyatt club fee, while others are not. Also, I'm not sure how taxes on this Hyatt are apportioned, but in my Sanibel timeshares, the RE taxes are apportioned somewhat on the value of the week, with prime week owners paying more than off-season week owners.

Also, note that you wouldn't have to drive to the beach if you don't want to. They have a free shuttle boat to a private beach (that is shared with a housing community). There they have free lounge chairs and umbrellas. And the boat ride is fun. But I will say, that as far as the beach there is concerned, there are better beaches nearby.

(I'll be at this resort next week!)


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## ScoopKona (May 18, 2009)

PamHB said:


> 5.   If we buy week 52 (which we wouldn't likely use), is there any problem in making our March or April booking?
> .



You get your points one year in advance. But because the way the HRPP system works, most units become available 6 months before the date in question. So if you want March or April bookings, you'll want to have your request in by September or October (edit: AT THE LATEST. You can always put the request in earlier, and in most cases probably SHOULD put the request in earlier.).

If you're going to travel primarily in the Hyatt system, the week you buy makes a big difference if you expect to get ski weeks or winter/spring in florida weeks.

So in a nutshell, you want to have points in your account, ready to go, when the six-month inventory release happens for the particular week you want.

(Told ya timesharing is not as easy as staying in hotels!)


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## PamHB (May 18, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> .
> 
> (Told ya timesharing is not as easy as staying in hotels!)



That part I've got figured out, for sure!  Baby steps, though.  Buy resale.  Scope the market and do my research to see what will work for us.  Ask lots of questions.  Visit the resort.  Take our time.   

So let's see if I understand this correctly, using Kal's chart.  If I buy week 52, then on December 27th-ish, 2009, I will receive my points for 2010.  For the first six months, I have the exclusive right to confirm my reservation for week 52 of 2010, in the unit that I own.   However, I could alternatively give up my exclusive right and ask at any time after I've received my points to be booked into to an available unit at the resort of my choice in March 2011.   The risk is that if I want a particular size and type of unit at a particular resort in March (3 months away from my week) might not be available until the six month period for the HHRP Reservation Window has expired. The other risk is that unit owners having the size of unit and week that I want at a particular resort all exercise their exclusive rights.  Close?  

The other problem posed by buying a week 52 is that I potentially don't get to use the timeshare until 2011, if I want to travel in March.   The seller will have received his 2009 points in December of 2008, but can't begin using them until December of 2009.   Do the points transfer with the resale?


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## bdh (May 18, 2009)

PamHB said:


> The other problem posed by buying a week 52 is that I potentially don't get to use the timeshare until 2011, if I want to travel in March.   The seller will have received his 2009 points in December of 2008, but can't begin using them until December of 2009.   Do the points transfer with the resale?



Any points or reservations in the seller's name/account when Hyatt transfers the week/unit to your name/account, will become yours.  

IE: if you knew the particular resort, date and unit type you wanted in March of 2010, you could have the seller make the reservation request now and once the request gets filled and the ownership of the week 52 property transfers to your name, so will the March 2010 reservation (obviously, points would have to be available in the account when the request opens up or Hyatt will bypass the request).


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## Kal (May 18, 2009)

PamHB said:


> ...The other problem posed by buying a week 52 is that I potentially don't get to use the timeshare until 2011, if I want to travel in March. The seller will have received his 2009 points in December of 2008, but can't begin using them until December of 2009. Do the points transfer with the resale?


 
You can use the points the very minute they appear in your account.  You don't have to wait for anything unless you want to stay in the unit/week you own.  Even then, you have 6-months to assure yourself that you really do want to occupy the owned unit (or portion thereof).


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## ScoopKona (May 18, 2009)

PamHB said:


> So let's see if I understand this correctly, using Kal's chart.  If I buy week 52, then on December 27th-ish, 2009, I will receive my points for 2010.  For the first six months, I have the exclusive right to confirm my reservation for week 52 of 2010, in the unit that I own.   However, I could alternatively give up my exclusive right and ask at any time after I've received my points to be booked into to an available unit at the resort of my choice in March 2011.   The risk is that if I want a particular size and type of unit at a particular resort in March (3 months away from my week) might not be available until the six month period for the HHRP Reservation Window has expired. The other risk is that unit owners having the size of unit and week that I want at a particular resort all exercise their exclusive rights.  Close?



You pretty much have it. Basically, you're jumping on a moving "reservation train." The first year will be the toughest to get what you want. Here's a hypothetical situation you want to avoid:

Buy week 52 with 2200 points still in the previous owner's account -- points came good Dec. 2008, HRPP closes Dec. 2009. You want A March 2010 week, couldn't get it for whatever reason. Now you're in a rush to cash in your points before they go to the (nearly useless) Limited Club Use Period.

Next year, you get the 2010 points in 2009, and you simply make the March 2011 request as soon as your points come good. You're at the top of the request list, so as soon as someone trades out (someone always does), you get your week.

What you want to try to avoid is having your HRPP run out shortly after the time when you're making requests.

While Hyatt is very good about getting people where they want to go, they're not perfect. The idea is to have as long a window as possible to do something else with the points.

Also, don't ever plan on getting the unit you want. Request it, sure. When it happens, great. But the room assignments are handled by the resort in question, not 800-go-hyatt.


Finally, because Hyatt is a fixed-week system*, get a week that you wouldn't mind using if you had to. What if all the owners get sick of Hyatt someday and throw them out as a management company? Then those 2200 points you bought aren't worth squat -- you now own a week at a condo. Make sure you buy something that isn't totally useless.


*Most of them are, at least. The ski resorts have floating time during mud season.


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## PamHB (May 18, 2009)

So in the experience of the Hyatt owners out there, assuming I am likely to want to use a 2 bedroom lockout at Coconut Plantation, Key West or ski resort in February or March, am I better to go with week 52 (knowing that I will have to give up my week and take my chances on the 2 bedroom lockout becoming available at the right time and place within that 3 month window), or do I buy a week in February or March, knowing that I can always go to my home resort, but then have not much of a window if I want to go somewhere else in March or early April?

(Edit:  I think this all just got answered by the last post, which happened while I was busy with mine


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## PamHB (May 19, 2009)

So here's another sample calculation to make certain I understand this correctly.  Assume I am purchasing a two bedroom lockout, and when I am not at Coconut Plantation, I want to be able to trade it for other Hyatt units in February or March.   I buy (on resale) week 13 or 14, which are platinum weeks in early April, and will have 2000 points.

Ignoring any points the seller may have in his account, I will receive my first set of points in April 2010.   I can use my points to either book a 2 bedroom lockout at Coconut Plantation for my week in April 2011, or I could immediately ask for a 2 bedroom lockout at, for example, Lake Tahoe in March 2012.   This is within my year window to use my points, and if I ask immediately then with 2000 points I will be near the top of the waiting list.   This means waiting a long time  for Tahoe, but then gets me onto the booking cycle I want, with an extended window.  The extended window increases my chances of getting the unit size, week and place that I want. 

The seller will have received his 2010 points in early April of this year.  I would need to be careful that he has not already booked the unit in his name for April of 2010, or otherwise made a reservation emptying the points in his account.   This reservation would need to be canceled or transferred over, so that I have use of the unit in 2010, shortening the gap until the use of the unit in March 2012.   

The 2000 points doesn't give me quite a much flexibility as 2200, but the week gives me greater booking flexibility than the diamond weeks at week 52. 

Am I on the right track?


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## ScoopKona (May 19, 2009)

If you're going to make use of 2 bedroom Diamond weeks (skiing, Key West in February, etc.), you'll need the 2200 points.

Just don't make the mistake of buying a week you cannot possibly use, just because you have faith that Hyatt won't monkey around with the point system. Marriott, Disney and Wyndham have all recently made unpopular changes to their system. Hyatt may or may not. 

But as for your reservation question, I think you've got a good handle on how it works. It takes a learning curve, but it becomes second nature.

I only have 1300 points, but that still gets me where I want to go because I don't need 2 bedroom units and I make heavy use of split weeks and II. But if all hell broke loose, I still own top floor, December, Key West, lighted boat parade. I'd do that every year with a smile if it came down to it.


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## PamHB (May 19, 2009)

Early April is a good time for us, if all else fails.   Icky weather still prevails here in Saskatchewan, and we are bound to get good weather in Florida.   We often holiday mid to late April.  The worst of the tourist season is over.  Thanks for pointing out the level we need for certain vacations.  Looking at Kal's points chart, week 13 is a good choice, because the only place that it is a Diamond week is Hyatt Siesta Key Beach.  Week 14 is even better, because it is not a Diamond week anywhere.  

Slowly but surely, it all begins to fit together....

Edit:  Ackk!   That only works if I want to go skiing in Tahoe or stay at Key West in early April.  Or stay in a smaller unit.   Hmm.   Back to the drawing board.   But at the end of the day, if I'm going with "if all else fails" plan, I'm not fussy about Christmas away from home.


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## Carmel85 (May 19, 2009)

ScoopLV

Please bring me up to speed when you talk about Marriott, Disney and Wyndham have all recently made unpopular changes to their system. Hyatt may or may not. 



Thank you


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## ScoopKona (May 19, 2009)

Wyndham changed the rules about renting (Edit: And they keep increasing the point values of new resorts). Disney switched from II to RCI -- thus giving access to Hilton, but ditching access to Hyatt, Marriott and the like. Marriott changed their rewards program in a way that many are unhappy with.

I'm not saying Hyatt WILL change the system, only that the other majors have. Hyatt Vacation Marketing has always been a reactive company. If the Pritzkers see that others can monkey with the system and get away with it, they may be tempted. Again, total speculation on my part.


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## Kal (May 20, 2009)

PamHB said:


> ... I will receive my first set of points in April 2010. I can use my points to either book a 2 bedroom lockout at Coconut Plantation for my week in April 2011, or I could immediately ask for a 2 bedroom lockout at, for example, Lake Tahoe in March 2012. This is within my year window to use my points, and if I ask immediately then with 2000 points I will be near the top of the waiting list. This means waiting a long time for Tahoe, but then gets me onto the booking cycle I want, with an extended window. The extended window increases my chances of getting the unit size, week and place that I want. ..
> Am I on the right track?


 
First, you are not limited to a 2BR. If you own a 2BR lockout, you have exclusive right to stay in just the lockout section if you desire. You don't have to occupy the entire unit. If you don't use your owned unit/week, it's then just the point value to use as you desire.

Second, reserving Lake Tahoe in March 2012 using points issued in April 2010 won't work. Any points used for a reservation have to be "alive" at the time the reservation is confirmed. The April 2010 points expire on October 2011. More importantly, the points have very restricted usage after April 2011. So if the Tahoe 3/2012 units generally become available 6 months prior to occupancy (i.e. 9/2011) your 2010 points can't be used for that reservation. Reason, if the points are still "alive" they would be in LCUP. In LCUP, you must occupy the unit within 60 days of reservation.


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## ScoopKona (May 20, 2009)

Kal said:


> The April 2010 points expire on October 2011.



      

My bad, Kal's absolutely right here. Certainly drives home the point that the week you own is of extreme importance when making reservations.


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## PamHB (May 21, 2009)

So now I am totally confused!    

Let's go back to an easier example.  I have week one at Coconut Plantation.  I receive my points a year in advance.   So I receive my points on January 1, 2010, which allows me to book my size of unit immediately at Coconut Plantation, for January 1, 2011 (one year away).   

But I want to plan for a September vacation in Carmel.  I am prepared to make that booking immediately. Assuming for the moments I have enough points, am I booking for September, 2010, or September, 2011?


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## Carmel85 (May 21, 2009)

PamHB said:


> So now I am totally confused!
> 
> Let's go back to an easier example.  I have week one at Coconut Plantation.  I receive my points a year in advance.   So I receive my points on January 1, 2010, which allows me to book my size of unit immediately at Coconut Plantation, for January 1, 2011 (one year away).
> 
> But I want to plan for a September vacation in Carmel.  I am prepared to make that booking immediately. Assuming for the moments I have enough points, am I booking for September, 2010, or September, 2011?




PAM

I too got confused.  Personally you can call 1-800-go -Hyatt they will answer your questions.

This board really does get confusing.

I would write to KAl directly he knows Hyatt


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## dvc_john (May 21, 2009)

PamHB said:


> So now I am totally confused!
> 
> Let's go back to an easier example.  I have week one at Coconut Plantation.  I receive my points a year in advance.   So I receive my points on January 1, 2010, which allows me to book my size of unit immediately at Coconut Plantation, for January 1, 2011 (one year away).
> 
> But I want to plan for a September vacation in Carmel.  I am prepared to make that booking immediately. Assuming for the moments I have enough points, am I booking for September, 2010, or September, 2011?



The points you receive on January 1 2010 can be used to book a reservation at any time from Jan 1 2010 thru Dec 31 2010 for anything that is available. (Note that that is the booking window, not the travel window.).
If booking on January 1 2010, you would be booking for September 2010, since Sept 2011 travel dates would not be available to book before September 2010. 

You could conceivably book a September 2011 stay using you Jan 2010 points, but you would have to do it between Sept 2010 (when Sept 2011 travel dates may start to open up)and Dec 31 2010 (when your Jan 2010 points go into LCUP). However, the Sept 2011 travel dates may or may not be widely available by then. Once those points go into LCUP, they can only be used for booking stays 60 days out.
.

hth and doesn't make it more confusing.


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## PamHB (May 21, 2009)

If I get my points January 1, 2010 and can book through to December 31, 2010 for any time that is available during that year, how do I then book my own week (assuming it is week 1)?  Do I call Jan 1, 2010 to book my week for 2010 (does not compute), or does it mean I can call to book week 1 of Jan 2011 (in which case, the booking year actually extends into a year plus one week)?


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## PamHB (May 21, 2009)

It won't let me edit my last post, so I will try this again.   So if I want to book my own week of week 1, then I would call anytime within the first six months of 2010, to book for January 1, 2011?  In other words, I have called within the booking period, although I am traveling after the expiry of the one year.    Have no idea why that works for January 2011, when it is outside the year.   So is September 2011.  Arghh!


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## dvc_john (May 21, 2009)

I think you're confusing the booking window with the travel dates.

Disregarding the LCUP period for now, the points are available for _booking_ for 12 months (in your example Jan 2010 thru Dec 2010)for any travel date available. You do not have to travel in those 12 months, just make the booking.

For example, with your Jan 2010 points, if _booking_ in Jan 2010, you could _book_ a reservation for Feb 2010, or May 2010, or Aug 2010, or Nov 2010, if they were available. 

If using your Jan 2010 points and _booking_ in June 2010, you could _book_ a reservation for July 2010, or Sep 2010, or Nov 2010, or Jan 2011, or Mar 2011, or May 2011, if they were available.

You could conceivably even wait until Dec 2010 to book using your Jan 1 2010 points, and book anything available in 2011. But if you couldn't find anything you wanted, you run the risk of your points going into LCUP on Jan 1 2011. So waiting that long is not a good idea.

In the example of getting your points on Jan 1 2010, you could reserve your home resort week of Jan 1 2011 (or the 3 day portion, the 4 day portion, or a 2 day portion of that week, or if a lock-off, the whole thing, or the 1br portion, or the studio portion) at any time from Jan 1 2010 thru June 30 2010 (while your points are in HRPP).


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## PamHB (May 22, 2009)

Okay, I think I get it now.   Once I have received my points in any given year, I can book anything that is in the system regardless of the travel date.  However, the availability in the system depends upon (1) other owners having received their points for travel period I want, and (2) those owners having relinquished their right to use their week by either (a) voluntarily surrendering the week so as to book a different week or (b) having involuntarily surrendered their week because the first six month period has expired.   I can also use my own week for the next year, because I have just received my points for it, making it available within the system. 

So if I have week 13, (early April) and receive my points in 2010, then for example, I might be able to book something in January, February, March of 2011, because those points have been issued for those travel weeks, and other unit owners may have released them into the system.  I should also be able to book anything available in the system for the rest of 2010, because those points for those travel weeks were all released the previous year.  However, the longer those available travel weeks have been out there in the system, the more likely that other owners will have booked them.  

Am I getting warm?


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## dvc_john (May 22, 2009)

Yup, you've got it.


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## PamHB (May 23, 2009)

I have now read the actual HVC club rules, courtesy of Kal's site.   Although it has been a struggle to gain an understanding of the system,  once you have put it all together it is actually a fairly elegant construction.   

One year prior to the first day of my fixed week, I acquire the right to book my fixed week, and where I have a deeded title, I also have the right to stay in my unit for the fixed week.  This right (the Home Reserve Preference Period), expires when I either voluntarily give up my right to book my fixed week, or 6 months have expired, whichever happens first.   I can voluntarily give up my right to book my fixed week by, for example, electing to ask for a reservation at another resort in the Hyatt system or by making an exchange through II.   As soon as I voluntarily give up my right to book my fixed week at my unit, then my interest is converted to points.   Any reservation that I make with my points must not only be made within the 18 month window, but must also be for a week within the 18 month window.  

Requests for reservations outside of my fixed week at my home resort are accepted on a first come, first serve basis.   Anyone who knows a year in advance that they want to trade their week for a different week or a different resort also knows that they gain priority by putting in their reservation at the earliest opportunity; ie, on the first day of acquiring their yearly right.   This immediately releases their own units into the reservation system.  The longer you wait to make a reservation request, the less likely that you will get what you want, especially for the most popular resorts and/or weeks, as you will be further down the wait list.   This creates an incentive to make reservation requests early, thereby releasing your fixed week into the system,  makes trading possible throughout the 18 month window, at a reasonably consistent level.  Hyatt facilitates this incentive to trade by building resorts in similar locations.   People who like to ski will want to trade to other resorts to try other hills; people who like warm weather vacations will similarly be looking for other beaches for a change in scenery.  People who like both types of vacations can rely upon someone wanting to trade to another hill or warm location. 

And of course critical to the reservation system is having the number of points you need to book the type of unit that you want for a particular week at a particular resort.  But that's a whole other chapter...


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## Kal (May 23, 2009)

PamHB said:


> ... Anyone who knows a year in advance that they want to trade their week for a different week or a different resort also knows that they gain priority by putting in their reservation at the earliest opportunity; ie, on the first day of acquiring their yearly right. This immediately releases their own units into the reservation system....


 
The mere placing your name on a request list does not change the status of your HRPP week. You could be on multiple request lists and still no change. However, ONCE A REQUEST IS FILLED (thereby actually using some points) your HRPP week will be released (if your remaining point balance is insufficient to use any portion of your HRPP unit/week. This would allow you to pull your name off the request lists and still have the option to stay in your HRPP week (provided you are still in the HRPP 6-month window).


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## dvc_john (May 23, 2009)

PamHB said:


> Any reservation that I make with my points must not only be made within the 18 month window, *but must also be for a week within the 18 month window. *



Bolded portion is not quite correct. 
The reservation can be made for ANY available week (subject to the 60 day out rule if using LCUP points).


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