# Thinking of buying a Hilton where do I start? [moved]



## PearlCity (Jul 21, 2012)

Hi everyone! 

I am thinking of buying a Hilton timeshare. I wanted a marriott but i see they have changed their sysrem making it harder to trade within the marriott system if i buy resale unless i go through an external company. 

Ok this is whay i want to use it for.. i just want points so i can bookrooms throughout hawaii. I live here so i just want tp book staycations on three day weekends or school breaks. But i dont want to oay hight hawaii maintenance fees or buy ins. I was thinking of buying at the flamingo hilton las vegas as i think as i get older and my kids grow its someplace we may actually use. 

I had some questions. I havent gone to a hilton timeshare presentation yet. Whay i know anoit them is from a friend and reading the boards in here

1.. obviously buying a 7000 point week maximizes my poins per maintenance fees but they seem htf and buy in is higher. I see additional points for resale.  Can i buy a 5000 point 
week and add to my points by buying them off resale?    

2. How do i buy off resale and make sure im not getting scammed? Is it better to just work through an agent? If so who do you recommend?

3. If you are a hilton owner have you been happy with their system? Havw they done things like drastically raise the points required for a room?

4. Do you folks revommwnd sirting through a hilton timeshare presentation? I bought three days off my friend over a long weekend coming up. Should i go? Im afraid to go and get stuck for hours or pressured into spending at their overpriced prices.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 21, 2012)

Ah darn it. Am i posting in the wrong folder? This probably should be in newbies....i ll try to move this tonight when i can get to a computer. Im typing off my nook right now


----------



## Ron98GT (Jul 21, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> I am thinking of buying a Hilton timeshare. I wanted a marriott but i see they have changed their sysrem making it harder to trade within the marriott system if i buy resale unless i go through an external company.
> 
> ...


With a Marriott weeks exchange, you have to book thru II, that's the way it is now and was in the past.

With Marriott you can do internal Marriott point exchanges for   most of the other Marriott's, but you don't want to go there with all the skimming of points: way to costly. The Marriott points system is only good for short stays, but at a cost.

You have the right idea, buy HGVC.


----------



## alwysonvac (Jul 21, 2012)

*Have you considered WorldMark?*



PearlCity said:


> Ok this is whay i want to use it for.. i just want points so i can bookrooms throughout hawaii. I live here so i just want tp book staycations on three day weekends or school breaks. But i dont want to oay hight hawaii maintenance fees or buy ins. I was thinking of buying at the flamingo hilton las vegas as i think as i get older and my kids grow its someplace we may actually use



As you already know, Hilton is a point system so you can do short stays and Hilton also offers low rental rates  based on availability 30 days before check-in (aka Open Season). However Hilton only has resorts on Oahu and the Big Island. And you're limited to the RCI exchange company for the other islands. 
NOTE: Marriott and Starwood Hawaii properties are not available through RCI.

If you want access to the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV) on a regular basis and/or want to take advantage of Open Season Rates at their resorts then it makes sense. However I would take a serious look at WorldMark. They have exchange access to both RCI and II resorts and have reduced exchange rates for last minute bookings in both exchange companies (HGVC doesn't have this). You can also get online access to exchange companies rentals with both RCI and II. You can rent additional credits from other owners when you need them. [NOTE: WorldMark won't get you short stay access at HHV]

I guess it depends which island you live on (I'm assuming Oahu based on your TUG username) and how often you think your family will be traveling to the other islands. 

Another idea... Hilton has Oahu and the Big Island and Starwood has Maui and Kauai. Buy a week at HGVC and a week at Starwood. You can pick up a cheap Starwood week and use II for week long exchange for Maui and Kauai. Or pay a little more for StarOptions which will allow internal Starwood trading for shorter stays booked 3 months before check-in.


----------



## Talent312 (Jul 21, 2012)

1. Obviously buying a 7000 point week maximizes my points per maintenance fees but they seem htf *(?)* and buy in is higher. I see additional points for resale.  Can I buy a 5000 point week and add to my points by buying them off resale?

*If you buy a week (direct or resale) and want more  points, you have to buy another week and pay two sets of MF's. HGVC will combine all your points in a single account, but each point-package is based on separate underlying deeds.

Also, there's no need to buy from Hilton... HGVC resale buyers get the exact same features as a direct buyer, save only "elite" status that starts at 14K points.*

2. How do I buy off resale and make sure im not getting scammed? Is it better to just work through an agent? If so who do you recommend?

_*There are two HGVC brokers who participate in TUG  and are highly respected by the owners here: Judi Kozlowski and Seth Nock... http://www.judikoz.com/ and http://www.sellingtimeshares.net/*_

3. If you are a Hilton owner have you been happy with their system? Have  they done things like drastically raise the points required for a room?

_*While we have quibbles, like a clunky online reservation system and pesky little transaction fees, the vast majority of HGVC owners here (me included), are happy with it. The system itself is very flexible and consumer-friendly.

The TS that you are deeded has a set point-value. Once deeded, Hilton cannot change the point-value of that or any other deeded TS. IOW, point-requirements are fixed at all existing HGVC resorts. A few years ago, Hilton built some new "upscale" resorts (i.e. Kingsland), and used a higher-point scale for the TS's there, but they encountered resistance and retreated in resorts they recently bought into.*_

4. Do you folks recommend sitting through a Hilton timeshare presentation? ... Should I go?[/QUOTE]

_*HGVC may be a great system, but do not buy from them. Buy resale. I'm udderly opposed to folks wasting vacation time on these high-pressure sales sessions, no matter what they offer. I consider my vacation time too valuable to volunteer to have my ears boxed for two hours. I won't even refer someone on the chance of getting bonus points if they buy from Hilton. If you go, say "no" as many times as it takes and head for a nearby watering-hole to hoist a few afterwards.*_


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 21, 2012)

Ron98GT said:


> With a Marriott weeks exchange, you have to book thru II, that's the way it is now and was in the past.
> 
> With Marriott you can do internal Marriott point exchanges for   most of the other Marriott's, but you don't want to go there with all the skimming of points: way to costly. The Marriott points system is only good for short stays, but at a cost.
> 
> You have the right idea, buy HGVC.



Ahh thanks good to know. I love Ko Olina which is why i was looking at marriott at one time.. but i think ill save marriot for a second timeshare if we get one. Their new system and differen rules for resale etc is a bit confusing


----------



## alwysonvac (Jul 21, 2012)

Talent312 said:


> _*The TS that you are deeded has a set point-value. Once deeded, Hilton cannot change the point-value of that or any other deeded TS. IOW, point-requirements are fixed at all existing HGVC resorts...*_



It was noted on the old TUG forum that HGVC changed the point requirement in the late 90s for Flamingo (see below). But that's the only point requirement change that I heard about since joining TUG back in 2002.



> Posted 12-13-2004 09:27 by TUG member GeorgeJ -   http://www.tug1.net/tugbbs1/Forum6/HTML/001340.html
> 
> _"...Later in the 90's, HGVC decided to have both floating and fixed Platinum weeks to more closely correspond to the seasons and pricing in Orlando. Gold weeks became floating Platinum; silver owners were upped to Gold and bronze week owners now had Silver designation and there were no more bronze weeks in Las Vegas..I think that all happened in either 1997 or 1998.."_


----------



## Talent312 (Jul 22, 2012)

alwysonvac said:


> It was noted on the old TUG forum that HGVC changed the point requirement in the late 90s for Flamingo (see below). But that's the only point requirement change that I heard about since joining TUG back in 2002.



Now that you mention it... Hilton does retain a right to change point-scales. But no owner need be concerned that Hilton could use an "adjustment" to deny them use of their "home week" -- its in the rules. In this case, the seasonal changes were passed on to the owners.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 22, 2012)

alwysonvac said:


> As you already know, Hilton is a point system so you can do short stays and Hilton also offers low rental rates  based on availability 30 days before check-in (aka Open Season). However Hilton only has resorts on Oahu and the Big Island. And you're limited to the RCI exchange company for the other islands.
> NOTE: Marriott and Starwood Hawaii properties are not available through RCI.
> 
> If you want access to the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV) on a regular basis and/or want to take advantage of Open Season Rates at their resorts then it makes sense. However I would take a serious look at WorldMark. They have exchange access to both RCI and II resorts and have reduced exchange rates for last minute bookings in both exchange companies (HGVC doesn't have this). You can also get online access to exchange companies rentals with both RCI and II. You can rent additional credits from other owners when you need them. [NOTE: WorldMark won't get you short stay access at HHV]
> ...



Quote, Thanks I'll look into Starwood..  Yes we are on Oahu. Mostly we would stay on island or go to the Big island where we have family. Which is why I was thinking Hilton as my first purchase.  Is Starwood points based or week based?


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 22, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the info!  

Is there a place I can go to in order to find out all the details/fees etc for HVC without going to the timeshare presentation?  I agree about not spending precious vacation time on a presentation.  Time is precious..  

Also, what would be a reasonable price to pay for a 7000 point week at the Flamingo? What about a 5000 point week? Does Hilton excercise First right of refusal at the Flamingo?

I joined tug to look at price history but I'm not sure how reliable that information is for recent sales as some if it seems a little dated..


----------



## whatsburning (Jul 22, 2012)

Buy resale, but here's a thought...

Buy the minimum amount of points you can, maybe something like a studio every other year in Vegas.  The main point of doing that is to get into the system at the lowest rate possible.  Once in the HGVC system, you can use open season rentals to reserve without any extra points.  Of course, the drawback to that is there is no guarantee to getting a room that close to 
check-in.

Done this way, you can try the system out for a couple of years and really see if this works for you.

My wife and I thought the same as you... taking staycations at the HHV at least twice a year.  Finally, we decided since we were going to stay there anyway, why not buy into it?  Back then, we never knew of TUG so we bought direct, but have bought resale since.  PM me if you have any questions...


----------



## slum808 (Jul 22, 2012)

If you plan on visiting the big island often, then HGVC might be a good choice. Weekend stay will definatly eat away at your points quickly. a 2-bedroom unit at HHV Lagoon tower or Waikaloa will cost you 1400 pts/night during Platinum season or 1000 pts/night for gold. If you only buy a 5000 pt unit, that will be used up by one long weekend stay. If you plan on staying at the Gran Waikikian or Kingsland your talking 2100 pts/ weekend night, so you'll need 7000 pts just to cover the long weekend stay.

Open season is really  your best shot at reasonable stays. $140/ night for a 2-bed platinum season is a great rate. The problem is it can only be booked inside of 30 days.


----------



## slum808 (Jul 22, 2012)

*Marriott*

If you like Ko Olina you may want to consider buying a cheap Marriott platinum and trading in. The new changes to their program don't affect resale weeks. If you buy a Willowridge 2-bedroom lockoff you can get two weeks in Ko Olina for $900 mf + $80 lockoff fee + $89 II membership + $ 2x$119 exchange fee. So for about $1300/year you can get two weeks at Ko Olina. You can get a Willowridge for less than $1000 on ebay. Only problem is there are no Marriott's on the big Island.

If you can be really flexible with your stays, I will second the recommendation to buy into WorldMark. It can be a great trader especially for flextrade (<60 days). I bought my Worldmark in February and so far I've already secured exchages into...

Ko Olina 2-bedroom May Flex
Ko Olina 2-bedroom July Flex
Ko Olina 1-bedroom Labour day weekend Flex
Westin Ka'anapali Villas 2- bedroom October 6 months out
HGVC Kingsland 2-bedroom March 2013 1 year out

The flextrades cost me about $450 in mf and II fees
The regular trades cost about $800

There is also a WM in Kona, Maui, and Kauai. Their not as lux as HGVC, but they're an option.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 22, 2012)

slum808 said:


> If you like Ko Olina you may want to consider buying a cheap Marriott platinum and trading in. The new changes to their program don't affect resale weeks. If you buy a Willowridge 2-bedroom lockoff you can get two weeks in Ko Olina for $900 mf + $80 lockoff fee + $89 II membership + $ 2x$119 exchange fee. So for about $1300/year you can get two weeks at Ko Olina. You can get a Willowridge for less than $1000 on ebay. Only problem is there are no Marriott's on the big Island.
> 
> If you can be really flexible with your stays, I will second the recommendation to buy into WorldMark. It can be a great trader especially for flextrade (<60 days). I bought my Worldmark in February and so far I've already secured exchages into...
> 
> ...




Wow! That is REALLY good to know!  Ko Olina is like no other place on Oahu.  I do like HGVC for the flexibility but I may also need to look in to the Marriott timeshare you mentioned.  For a $1000-$2000 buy in and that kind of maintenance fee it probably be worth it!


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 22, 2012)

slum808 said:


> If you plan on visiting the big island often, then HGVC might be a good choice. Weekend stay will definatly eat away at your points quickly. a 2-bedroom unit at HHV Lagoon tower or Waikaloa will cost you 1400 pts/night during Platinum season or 1000 pts/night for gold. If you only buy a 5000 pt unit, that will be used up by one long weekend stay. If you plan on staying at the Gran Waikikian or Kingsland your talking 2100 pts/ weekend night, so you'll need 7000 pts just to cover the long weekend stay.
> 
> Open season is really  your best shot at reasonable stays. $140/ night for a 2-bed platinum season is a great rate. The problem is it can only be booked inside of 30 days.



Hmmm.  That's true. I guess I need to look at a 7000 point timeshare.  What are good places to buy into if I want to get into at least 7000 points at a reasonable price and the big thing, reasonable maintenance fee.


----------



## Tamaradarann (Jul 22, 2012)

*Open Season on Big Island is Great*



whatsburning said:


> Buy resale, but here's a thought...
> 
> Buy the minimum amount of points you can, maybe something like a studio every other year in Vegas.  The main point of doing that is to get into the system at the lowest rate possible.  Once in the HGVC system, you can use open season rentals to reserve without any extra points.  Of course, the drawback to that is there is no guarantee to getting a room that close to
> check-in.
> ...



I have to concur that the approach that Whatsburning is suggesting is the lowest cost to do what you would like to do with some limitations.  By buying a low cost package resale you get into the system.  The points you get may not get you a weekend every year but the initial purchase cost and annual maintenance cost will be very low. 

You can then use the open season to book as many weekends as you would like a pay a low nightly rate subject to what is available one month out.  However, since you live there making last minute plans(one month out or less) works great for you.  Furthermore, the Oahu availability is very tight and some weekends you may not be able to book anything.  However, since you live on that island you can easily pick and choose when you would like to do this subject to the availability with no plane reservation to worry about.  The Hilton Big island open season availability is much greater and you should be able to book that any weekend that you want to visit your family.


----------



## Talent312 (Jul 22, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Is there a place I can go to in order to find out all the details/fees etc for HVC without going to the timeshare presentation?



The Members Guide is available online in two places...

Page-Turning Format -- http://multimedia.hiltongrandvacations.com/mg/Book_Reader.cfm?BookId=19
PDF Format -- http://multimedia.hiltongrandvacations.com/mg/images/member_guide_2012/eng/pdf/ios.pdf

Ignore the pretty pictures and read the rules starting on page 155.
-- _Also ignore the rules for Hilton Club - NY._


----------



## alwysonvac (Jul 22, 2012)

*Take your time and research here on TUG...*

As other have said, whatever you do buy resale.

I personally would skip the timeshare presentation, you'll learn more from TUG.
Some timeshare sales folks also tend to stretch the truth sometimes about how things work to get folks to buy immediately for their so called "deal of a lifetime".  

Here's a brief summary on how HGVC works but definitely take some time to read the 2012 Member Guide that Talent312 provided above. 

HOW DOES THE HGVC SYSTEM WORK?
HGVC is a combination of a week and points timeshare system. The flexible point based system doesn't apply during the home week reservation period. During the home week reservation period (9 to 12 months out) you have to reserve your unit for the full week (each resort has a designated check-in date) in the unit size, unit type/view and season you own. 

HGVC has three reservation windows:
(1) Home Week window (3 month period requires a full week reservation)
(2) Club Reservation window (9 month period requires a three night minimum)
(3) Open Season window (30 day period requires a two night minimum)

*HGVC works like a floating week timeshare system* during the Home Week window which means from 12 months to 9 months before check-in, if you want to visit your home resort then you must reserve the exact unit size and type in the season that you purchased (studio, 1 bedroom plus, etc) for the full week based on the fixed checkin date at your home resort. There is no flexibility. NOTE: Only points earned in the use year can be used in the home resort window. Borrowed, Rescued or Banked points can not be used in the home resort window.

*HGVC works like a point based timeshare system* during the Club Reservation window which means 9 months before checkout anyone can exchange into any season, resort (including your home resort), unit size and/or type for any number of days (minimum of 3 nights). This means all HGVC resort owners have an equal chance at booking at any HGVC resort (except NYC W57) during the Club Reservation window.

Read this old thread for additional info - http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121130


----------



## alwysonvac (Jul 22, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Quote, Thanks I'll look into Starwood..  Yes we are on Oahu. Mostly we would stay on island or go to the Big island where we have family. Which is why I was thinking Hilton as my first purchase.  Is Starwood points based or week based?



Think about.... 
How often would you use the timeshare on the Oahu - once a year, three times a year, once a month, etc ?
How often would you use the timeshare on the Big Island - once a year, three times a year, once a month, etc ?
How far in advance can you plan? 
How flexible are your vacation dates? Are you willing to take whatever is available?


I'm assuming you're looking for a resort destination. On Oahu there's 3 major timeshare resort destinations
(1) Hilton Hawaiian Village (Waikiki) - combination week/point based system; three nights minimum using HGVC points 
(2) Marriott Ko Olina - week based system for resale owners;  Marriott to Marriott trades handled via Interval International
(3) Disney Aulani (Ko Olina) - a pure point based system; any number of nights using Disney points 
NOTE: I have photos of the Disney & HHV resorts on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/40089311@N05/sets

HGVC sounds like a great match however there are several things to consider.

You seem to be interested in the Ko Olina area which is very different than the Waikiki area.
If you're planning to spend the majority of your time at the Oahu resort complex during your stays then you might prefer the Ko Olina area. HHV can get very loud and crowded during major conventions and peak travel season & holiday seasons. And one of the major reasons to stay at HHV is easy access to sights & attractions in the immediate area (dining, shopping, entertainment, etc).   


HGVC Big Island Resorts normally have good availability year round for both Club Reservation and Open Season Reservations. 
However the Oahu Resorts are a different story. HHV demand is extremely high. So high that there is currently no rooms available at HHV for the remainder of 2012.   The only thing left for 2012 is possibly Open Season availability (which is 30 days before check-in). 

There is more demand than supply at HHV. The number of rooms available at HHV compare to Vegas and Orlando is small by comparison - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=742200&postcount=18. I think the demand is also due to the fact that HHV also offers lots of oceanview rooms and it sits on beachfront property which the HGVC Big Island resorts don't offer.  

TIPS for HGVC members: 
(1) Open Season availability - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97378
(2) Club Seasons availability - http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134694


*Regarding Starwood*...to me Starwood is somewhat similar to Hilton by offering a combo weeks/points - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=510408&postcount=1
I suggest that you read the following two STICKY threads on the Starwood forum to find out more info about Starwood.
Starwood FAQ - if you are new to Timesharing or Starwood - http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63224
Starwood Owner Resources - http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73314


----------



## alwysonvac (Jul 22, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Thanks everyone for the info!
> Also, what would be a reasonable price to pay for a 7000 point week at the Flamingo? What about a 5000 point week? Does Hilton excercise First right of refusal at the Flamingo?



NO ROFR at Flamingo. 

What actually passes ROFR for the various HGVC resorts varies throughout the year. You can search the HGVC forum on the word ROFR to see the latest information

Generally expect to pay no more than $1/pt for annual gold and $2/pt for annual platinum. HHV resale prices are generall higher.

Here's what was posted earlier this year regarding HGVC overall - 
http://www.timeshareforums.com/foru...ast-two-months?p=480562&viewfull=1#post480562


----------



## alwysonvac (Jul 22, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> I joined tug ..



You're still showing up as a Guest. See this thread on how to appear as a TUG member - http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165570

As a TUG member, you have access to the TUG Reviews on the TUG Resort Database - http://tug2.com/RnR/ResortsGrid.aspx
and access to which timeshare resorts have been sighted as having availability (mostly exchange company sightings) - http://tugbbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=3


----------



## Ron98GT (Jul 22, 2012)

slum808 said:


> If you like Ko Olina you may want to consider buying a cheap Marriott platinum and trading in. The new changes to their program don't affect resale weeks. If you buy a Willowridge 2-bedroom lockoff you can get two weeks in Ko Olina for $900 mf + $80 lockoff fee + $89 II membership + $ 2x$119 exchange fee. So for about $1300/year you can get two weeks at Ko Olina. You can get a Willowridge for less than $1000 on ebay. Only problem is there are no Marriott's on the big Island.
> 
> If you can be really flexible with your stays, I will second the recommendation to buy into WorldMark. It can be a great trader especially for flextrade (<60 days). I bought my Worldmark in February and so far I've already secured exchages into...
> 
> ...



Before you buy a Marriott Willowridge TS as a trader, do some research.  Branson is way over built.  I read of owners trying to trade into Hawaii and not finding anything on II, where I see some, but the prepaid Deposit First option gets me into Hawaii without ever seeing it on II.  Tell them which portion of the Lock-Off you want to use (if you lock it off), tell them your travel dates, prepay for the exchange, and then prepay next years II dues (if you haven't already.  I got my last exchange into Ko Olina, for March 2013 (Whale season), within 5 minutes. 

Look for a strong Marriott trader, but with low MF's and a low buy-in.  Example, take a look at the Platinum Palm Desert (Palm Springs, CA) TS's; very popular place.

Suggestion:  1st, buy 7K HGVC, which will get you into HHV and Waikoloa (Kings Land, Waikoloa Beach Resort, & Bay Club).  2nd, buy Marriott Trader, which could get you into Ko Olina (Marriott), Maui (Marriott, Westin, & Whaler), and Kauai (Marriott).  Note: instead of Marriott, you could also look at Westin as an II trader into Maui and Kauai.

Plus the Marriott could get you into Aruba, St Thomas, Phuket, Paris, and Spain.  I see these trades all the time in II.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 23, 2012)

THANKS EVERYONE!! I need to get to a computer tonight to read everything in more detail..


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 25, 2012)

alwysonvac said:


> You're still showing up as a Guest. See this thread on how to appear as a TUG member - http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165570
> 
> As a TUG member, you have access to the TUG Reviews on the TUG Resort Database - http://tug2.com/RnR/ResortsGrid.aspx
> and access to which timeshare resorts have been sighted as having availability (mostly exchange company sightings) - http://tugbbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=3



Ok! Im finally showing up as a tug member! So my co worker had a labor day weekend booked at the lagoon tower but got a bonus week at ko olina so she sold me her days so i can go check it out. We have only stayed at the main hotel and not the timeshares so itll be fun. She did show me the reservations system and it was clunky and changing my reservation to my name apparently takes 3-5 working days?! Seems like a long time..:/ anyway ill keep you folks updated.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 25, 2012)

Ron98GT said:


> Before you buy a Marriott Willowridge TS as a trader, do some research.  Branson is way over built.  I read of owners trying to trade into Hawaii and not finding anything on II, where I see some, but the prepaid Deposit First option gets me into Hawaii without ever seeing it on II.  Tell them which portion of the Lock-Off you want to use (if you lock it off), tell them your travel dates, prepay for the exchange, and then prepay next years II dues (if you haven't already.  I got my last exchange into Ko Olina, for March 2013 (Whale season), within 5 minutes.
> 
> Look for a strong Marriott trader, but with low MF's and a low buy-in.  Example, take a look at the Platinum Palm Desert (Palm Springs, CA) TS's; very popular place.
> 
> ...


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 25, 2012)

Talent312 said:


> The Members Guide is available online in two places...
> 
> Page-Turning Format -- http://multimedia.hiltongrandvacations.com/mg/Book_Reader.cfm?BookId=19
> PDF Format -- http://multimedia.hiltongrandvacations.com/mg/images/member_guide_2012/eng/pdf/ios.pdf
> ...



Thank you! Exactly the info i was looking for!


----------



## GTLINZ (Jul 26, 2012)

You mentioned the Big Island and it is easier to book there with HGVC than HHV. I think you will love HGVC and open season, especially if you split costs with family. I think the best deal is a plat 1br (4800 points) and you go from there - but at least you get the most points for the MF. They are a lot less up front than a 2br plat. 1br gold is really cheap but I like to have the extra points. Happy hunting !


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 26, 2012)

GTLINZ said:


> You mentioned the Big Island and it is easier to book there with HGVC than HHV. I think you will love HGVC and open season, especially if you split costs with family. I think the best deal is a plat 1br (4800 points) and you go from there - but at least you get the most points for the MF. They are a lot less up front than a 2br plat. 1br gold is really cheap but I like to have the extra points. Happy hunting !



I was thinking about that. what about a 2 Br platinum eoy? Are those htf?


----------



## Ron98GT (Jul 26, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Ron98GT said:
> 
> 
> > Before you buy a Marriott Willowridge TS as a trader, do some research.  Branson is way over built.  I read of owners trying to trade into Hawaii and not finding anything on II, where I see some, but the prepaid Deposit First option gets me into Hawaii without ever seeing it on II.  Tell them which portion of the Lock-Off you want to use (if you lock it off), tell them your travel dates, prepay for the exchange, and then prepay next years II dues (if you haven't already.  I got my last exchange into Ko Olina, for March 2013 (Whale season), within 5 minutes.
> ...


----------



## GTLINZ (Jul 27, 2012)

Ron98GT said:


> PearlCity said:
> 
> 
> > Be careful of getting into the system and buying more points later.  To get more points later, you have to buy another TS, which means another MF with associated fees.
> ...


----------



## GTLINZ (Jul 28, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> I was thinking about that. what about a 2 Br platinum eoy? Are those htf?



EOY has some limitations - you cannot borrow points (or push them ahead) plus you pay the Club fee every year...


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 28, 2012)

GTLINZ said:


> EOY has some limitations - you cannot borrow points (or push them ahead) plus you pay the Club fee every year...



Thanks! I didn't realize you couldn't borrow or push points ahead.  What is the club fee? (there are so many darn fees. I need to go make a spreadsheet)....


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 28, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Thanks! I didn't realize you couldn't borrow or push points ahead.  What is the club fee? (there are so many darn fees. I need to go make a spreadsheet)....



Never mind on the club fee. I just printed out the rules from the other post above.. I REALLY need to make a spreadsheet.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 28, 2012)

Ok question. I read the rules..

If you do an online club reservation 9 months out at a resort other than your home resort, is there a reservation fee?


----------



## SmithOp (Jul 28, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Ok question. I read the rules..
> 
> If you do an online club reservation 9 months out at a resort other than your home resort, is there a reservation fee?



Fee Schedule is on page 164 of the guide.  It varies based on by phone or online, changeable or not. $49-$89


----------



## GTLINZ (Jul 28, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> Ok question. I read the rules..
> 
> If you do an online club reservation 9 months out at a resort other than your home resort, is there a reservation fee?



There is a club fee every year - only one club fee no matter how many units you own. There is a reservation fee and it can be changed if made online within the same calendar year. Borrowing points is free, pushing has a fee (I always push in late Dec and have never lost a single point). There is NO fee for open season reservations - just the cost per day. I bought HGVC because it is so flexible and does not punish resale owners.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 28, 2012)

GTLINZ said:


> There is a club fee every year - only one club fee no matter how many units you own. There is a reservation fee and it can be changed if made online within the same calendar year. Borrowing points is free, pushing has a fee (I always push in late Dec and have never lost a single point). There is NO fee for open season reservations - just the cost per day. I bought HGVC because it is so flexible and does not punish resale owners.



Thanks! I saw the fee schedule but it seemed like there were so many fees!


----------



## PearlCity (Sep 4, 2012)

So for biennial years there is absolutely no borrowing and pushing for points? Since originally.posting this thread I have seen listings advertising that you could... So I'm confused... All I.know is I was there this weekend and the kids had a blast. The kitchen was so wonderful...but I really just need a long three or four day weekend per year. I can go during gold season at HHV or waikaloa...


----------



## SmithOp (Sep 4, 2012)

PearlCity said:


> So for biennial years there is absolutely no borrowing and pushing for points? Since originally.posting this thread I have seen listings advertising that you could... So I'm confused... All I.know is I was there this weekend and the kids had a blast. The kitchen was so wonderful...but I really just need a long three or four day weekend per year. I can go during gold season at HHV or waikaloa...



EOY can borrow from next year, so if you had odd years you can use 2013 points in 2012 or 2013, or rescue them into 2014 for a fee (there's those pesky fees again), or convert into RCI and use through 2015.

The disadvantage of EOY is you could not easily combine points from 2 years, you would have to rescue and borrow .

Pg 141 of guide, Point Stretching, explains all the options.

I first bought in 7k EOY, then added the other 8.7k EOY later to get annual points, it's cheaper in mf to expand that way rather than buying a small annual package and then another...


----------



## PearlCity (Sep 4, 2012)

SmithOp said:


> EOY can borrow from next year, so if you had odd years you can use 2013 points in 2012 or 2013, or rescue them into 2014 for a fee (there's those pesky fees again), or convert into RCI and use through 2015.
> 
> The disadvantage of EOY is you could not easily combine points from 2 years, you would have to rescue and borrow .
> 
> ...



Thank you! That is what I was thinking but some of the posts in thus thread was confusing. I just didn't want to overbuy points if I get into Hilton ( the only reason why I was there this weekend was my friend has a platinum flamingo Hilton and has trouble using up.all her points each year as she also owns Marriott and dvc. Yes I could rent points but I would rather use what I buy. I very much appreciate the help!


----------

