# Question about Hyatt system



## seatrout (Feb 19, 2007)

I am interested in purchasing a Hyatt TS and have few general questions.
Please dirrect me to the location where I can find these info.

1.  What is the general time table in reserving at your home resort vs another in Hyatt.

2.  Does one have to use all of Hyatt point the year of usage - or can I banked it for the next year.  How long do I have before they expire if they are bankable ??

3.  Can we reserve a specific week and unit size   and deposit with II or does  Hyatt pick the week and unit like Starwood system.

4.  Where can I find a chart of previous year maintenance fees for various Hyatt locations.

thanks
Triet


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## Kal (Feb 19, 2007)

Go *Here* to see how the system works.  There is also considerable information on selected resorts and other aspects of the program.

In brief -

1. General timetable: see above site
2. Points usage: you can bank points with Interval or the Hotel program
3. Reservation and depositing with Interval: not sure what you mean, but you cannot place a specific unit into Interval.  That's done by Hyatt thru their contract with Interval.
4. Previous year MF: see above site for some info on MF.  The fees differ from resort to resort so you'll have to get that data from individual owners.


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## seatrout (Feb 19, 2007)

thanks Kal

I did read your site and answer some question.  However, I still need some clarification.

1. With  Hyatt you bank the point to II based on season.  The choice of season does not match the various season with Hyatt.  So -- it is not like Marriott where I reserved a specific week at a specific location and bank--picking the best week of the season??.  Thus I am banking a point and not actual week ??

2.  If I choose not to bank with II, Does it expire after that year--IE can I save some of the point for next year?

3.  Is the conversion to Hyatt hotel point only applicable for direct purchase and not resale ??

4.  There are some post on when an AC would be given--  In Marriott-  as long as I pick a valuable week to deposit-- the AC would be given by II-- Is this not the same with Hyatt ??

Thanks


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## Kal (Feb 19, 2007)

seatrout said:


> 1. With Hyatt II you bank the point based on season. The choice of season does not match the various season with Hyatt. So -- it is not like Marriott where I reserved a specific week at a specific location and bank--picking the best week of the season??
> 
> 2. If I choose not to bank with II, Does it expire after that year--IE can I save some of the point for next year.


 
Let me see if I understand your questions.

1. The fundamental concept is you are issued points annually. You have sole access to use the unit you own, but if you decline, the point value of your owned unit is available. You can transfer as many points as you like into the Interval Exchange Program and retain the balance for reserving a HVC unit(s). You then use those "Interval" points however you desire. The number of points consumed on a given Interval exchange is based on the season (Red, Yellow, Green) and size of unit (3BR, 2BR, 1BR, Studio) you book *thru Interval*. For example, a 1BR Red Week will cost 870 points. The number of points to make an Interval exchange is totally unrelated to the schedule of points used to reserve a HVC unit. You don't book a Hyatt unit and then use that unit as an exchange basis into Interval. Points are like money. You use them to obtain the desired unit.

2. If you leave all your points in the HVC system the points will either be consumed by reserving an HVC unit(s) or they will expire. The expiration date is 18 months after you first receive the points. The 18 month period can be extended by 2 months if on the last day before the points expire you confirm a reservation for a future stay. In that case you must occupy that reserved unit within 60 days of the booking date.

3. The Hyatt Hotel Program is ONLY available if you purchase a unit thru Hyatt.  It does not apply if you buy resale.  [My opinion is it's not a big deal as exchanging into a hotel is a very poor use of points; why trade a 2BR/2 Bath with LR and Kitchen for a hotel room?]

4. Issuance of an AC varies from resort to resort.  I believe exchanging a Key West unit within the first 5 years of purchase will get you an AC.  [My opinion - I don't trade into Interval because the value and quality of a HVC unit far out weighs anything I could find in Interval, much less 2 weeks worth]


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## mesamirage (Feb 19, 2007)

*Hyatt system*



seatrout said:


> I am interested in purchasing a Hyatt TS and have few general questions.
> Please dirrect me to the location where I can find these info.
> 
> 1. What is the general time table in reserving at your home resort vs another in Hyatt.


In general, you start out with your home resort/week/unit reserved in Hyatts system, then you have until 6 months before your "owned" week to confirm that you want to use your week. If you do not reserve with Hyatt by then your week is release for use by other Hyatt owners. 

You can choose to convert to Hyatt points and reserve at any resort from 12 months before your owned week.



seatrout said:


> 2. Does one have to use all of Hyatt point the year of usage - or can I banked it for the next year. How long do I have before they expire if they are bankable ??


You have from 12 months before to 6 months after your deeded week to use in Hyatts system, or you can bank with II for an additional 2 years past your deeded week.



seatrout said:


> 3. Can we reserve a specific week and unit size and deposit with II or does Hyatt pick the week and unit like Starwood system.


You might be able to, but in my experience it just doesn't make sense to purchase Hyatt with trading as your objective. The Hyatt units are too nice to trade in II, you are better off staying within Hyatts locations internally. You still have the II option on a year where you don't get a chance to use your Hyatt points, but I think its better to purchase a cheap good trader for use with II rather than using your Hyatt for that purpose. I have rented my reserved Hyatt weeks when I couldn't use them rather than attempt to trade thru II. Typically it has been easy to fetch $400-$600 over MF when I have had to rent.



seatrout said:


> 4. Where can I find a chart of previous year maintenance fees for various Hyatt locations.
> 
> thanks
> Triet


 
I not sure this is out there to reference, but Hyatt MFs are not unreasonible. (I think the Florida locations have gone up lately, thus why we sold Beach House and picked up Tahoe, just a few less natural disasters at Lake Tahoe  ) The key factor to consider when purchasing a Hyatt resale (no one buys from the developer.... right??) is to puchase the highest point week you can afford (and I think 1880 is really the lowest point week to own) since the MF is the same for a 1300 point week as a 2200 point week.... yet the 2200 point week gets you 70% more points at the same MF fee. It does seem that 1880 is the sweet spot on resale prices so that may be the best overall way to go..... we had a 1400 point week and it just wasn't enough points for all the vacations we wanted to take.

I hope that helps alittle... there are some good postings to read thru when considering purchasing a Hyatt vs Hilton vs Starwood vs others... Just crank up that search que...

Steve


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## seatrout (Feb 19, 2007)

thankyou

It is very difference from the Marriott.

In the Marriott system, I ofter  of reserve--say a 1BR Florida in the summer which don't cost must Hyatt point and then trade up to a 2BR elsewhere (sometime even in the same resort at same week)-- In Marriott, I could often take the quarter and split it into dime  and nickle and trade for other quarter :whoopie: 

Now I understand why there are so few Hyatt in II.  It is much better to use internally.
There is little insentive to deposit with II.


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## mesamirage (Feb 24, 2007)

seatrout said:


> thankyou
> 
> It is very difference from the Marriott.
> 
> ...


 
I think most Hyatt owners feel it is a big drop in value to trade with II.  The only deposits we have done with II are left over points that we have had after doing Internal Hyatt trades.  It only took ~25% of my yearly points with Hyatt (so about $210 in MF cost) to get a Studio week at Marriott plus the II $129 trade fee.  Normally due the flex of the Hyatt points we will do like a 2 night stay in Sedona if we have left over points to use.


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## brp (Aug 20, 2008)

mesamirage said:


> I
> 
> 
> You might be able to, but in my experience it just doesn't make sense to purchase Hyatt with trading as your objective. The Hyatt units are too nice to trade in II, you are better off staying within Hyatts locations internally. You still have the II option on a year where you don't get a chance to use your Hyatt points, but I think its better to purchase a cheap good trader for use with II rather than using your Hyatt for that purpose. I have rented my reserved Hyatt weeks when I couldn't use them rather than attempt to trade thru II. Typically it has been easy to fetch $400-$600 over MF when I have had to rent.



We're working through this same decision, and it seems like it could be beneficial to have something as high end as Hyatt as a trader. Perhaps the experienced could let me know if I'm looking at this all wrong 

We travel a bunch for short trips, weekends domestically, long weekends abroad. maybe 10-15 trips a year. So, we need hotel rooms for that time, and they don't have to be top notch...because we're not in them much.

Let's say we buy even a 1300 point Hyatt week. I've seen them in the $10K range in a few places. I assume that, with respect to II trading, points = points and season & unit size don't matter- we just trade the points?

Since we often travel off-peak, we can get Green studios for 260 points a week. Even if we only use 3-4 days, that covers 5 long weekend trips. Even Yellow gets us almost 4 weeks. If we're at Sedona, the MF are about $500 or so. If we choose these in otherwise expensive places (anywhere not paying on USD is expensive these days ), we could have a few thousand a year in hotels.

Of course, this depends upon studio availability, and that may be more scarce.

Does this make sense, or am I missing something in this analysis, given the way we travel? Maybe even a 1880 week would be better to allow for Yellow or 1BR trades.

Thanks for any input on this scenario!

Cheers.


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## seatrout (Aug 20, 2008)

Wow-- This is an ancient post which I started years ago.  

Since then I have trade my Hyatt several time (from left over point of seller) To answer some of your questions.

1.  Any week that is "Green" can be had for essentiall nothing with II getaway which may cost as low as $200/week.  Understand that when you "trade" it will cost $139 + MF for the points.  So if all you want is offseason, "green" and "yellow" weeks-  then own something cheap and easy.  I think a $1 timeshare would do.  Personally, I have only travel during peak holliday time- but when I looked -- there seems to be more availablity of getaway than week for trade during the "green/yellow" time.

2.  Personally I think Hyatt are good trader when you want weeks that DOES NOT have internal trade (ie disney).  It is easier and cheaper for me to get a Marriott, Westin, Hilton week with  the respective brand week via their own internal trading system.

3.  If your budget is 10K-  there are plenty of other cheaper and more efficient trader-  Marriott Platnium Williamsburg for example.  The TS that you own would be use for hard "red" trade while you just buy II getaway for the "green" week

4.  Although I find the Hyatt to be very flexible in reservation--weekend reservation are expensive on points and may not be cost effective.  Midweek reservation is better but loose expensive "worktime"


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## brp (Aug 20, 2008)

Thanks for the reply, *seatrout*. I wanted to find something similar in nature rather than starting a new thread.

$10K isn't the budget, _per se_. It's just a figure I saw in some resale offerings.

It sounds like you don't think Hyatt is the best approach to trade for II low weeks because there are better (and cheaper) options. I had thought of Hyatt because it has such high demand, and the points required in II for low weeks are quite low compared to the typical point purchase- so it seemed a good way to leverage a medium-sized purchase into a number of low season weeks to fit our travel patterns.

I think that this use of a TS is somewhat non-standard in that we don't really plan to stay at our home resort much (if at all)- we were planning to buy Sedona sight unseen because the MF were low. We just want to, basically, lock in hotel stays into the future at a known, and reasonable rate, so something with high trading value, and ability to turn a reasonable-size point allotment into a number of weeks/weekends.

Sounds like you're suggesting that Marriott may be a good way to go for our travel/stay patterns.

Cheers.


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## seatrout (Aug 20, 2008)

Yes- you are right.

I use my Hyatt to stay at Hyatt location.  Yes I do love my Hyatt for its purpose.

I use other chip to trade as it is easier.  You can not "uptrade" with Hyatt points and thus a studio will not get a 2BR "uptrade" with Hyatt.  During "flextime" I often can get a 2-3BR with a studio depost-  something you can not do with points system

As to trading power.  During "green" week-  I think any decent week will get the trade as there are so much inventory.  Trading during holiday time is about planning and trading power.  During the "green/yellow" weeks, the game is very difference and easier.  If you have an II acount, you can do trade test to see.


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