# Club Wyndham vs Hilton Grand Vacation Club vs Marriott Vacation Club (CW vs HGVC vs MVC)



## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

I tried searching a lot on TUG and the net in general but could not find good and up to date info contrasting Club Wyndham, Hilton Grand Vacation and Marriott Vacation Club that might help someone decide which one to to chose between the three major timeshare brands (tempted to throw in Bluegreens as well but let's keep it out for now ) . So i decided to create this thread. Hopefully it is helpful for others like me who are pondering about the same. I am including the relevant links I found on this so that other can also benefit from that by finding it in one place and also posting additional questions to clarify missing pieces. Would be good if folks can contribute other relevant questions as well that aspiring owners should seek answers to. Request existing owners to reply based on their experiences. If this has been discussed elsewhere already, kindly point to that

I did find this very helpful link - https://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/timeshare-system-comparison-chart.html. However, it may not be up to date as it does not seem to reflect HGVC's acquisition of Diamond, as  reflected in the low number of resorts showed for Hilton. So it also makes me wonder if the average MF and points required posted there are accurate or from an earlier year.
[Just for completeness, links to annual fee comparisons across different properties within a particular TS club are posted in the pinned threads in each of the club's discussion forum]

Can people kindly opine about the pros and cons between the three TS from their experience? I am thinking about a use case of about 2 weeks worth of annual travel for a couple, 1 bedroom suite, wanting to travel to different places all over US (rather than just a fixed set of resorts) and perhaps abroad.
- Is there a significant difference in resort quality and overall experience, particularly betwen Wyndham and HGVC, to make HGVC worthwhile (assuming it is somewhat higher cost)? I hear Marriott is quite better and perhaps also quite more expensive (is it true?)
- What are the total number of HGVC resorts now (after Diamond takeover, is it 64+93?) and are Diamond resorts also comparable in quality to Hilton or at least no worse than Wyndham ones?
- I think for Wyndham perhaps this would require average 225,000-250,000 annual points What is the equivalent number of points required for Marriott and Hilton?
- Total annual fee (including all kinds of recurring annual fee due on a contract by virtue of mere ownership, leaving aside one time purchase fee and any usage related fee) for Wyndham would be abt $1400-$1900 for this. What would it be for MVC and HGVC?
- Any significant differences in usage fee for typical usage? I see HGVC has a lot of different types of fee, at least at purchase/enrollment, and overall its fee structure is complex. Not sure if it has more hidden use costs.
- Comparison of benefits and access via the respective exchange (RCI for Wyndham, Interval International for Marriott, RCI for Hilton)? I see RCI has perhaps 2x the number of resorts than II but I hear II ones are much better. True? What abt ease of availability? Does one have more resorts in Europe and Asia (US and Americas are covered well by the main TS programs themselves)? One thing i notice is that through Hilton, one can use RCI for nightly stays (perhaps with some minimum nights) but with Wyndham, it is only weeks - that seems like an important difference?
- What are the other factors to consider?


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## chapjim (Jun 13, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> I tried searching a lot on TUG and the net in general but could not find good and up to date info contrasting Club Wyndham, Hilton Grand Vacation and Marriott Vacation Club that might help someone decide which one to to chose between the three major timeshare brands (tempted to throw in Bluegreens as well but let's keep it out for now ) . So i decided to create this thread. Hopefully it is helpful for others like me who are pondering about the same. I am including the relevant links I found on this so that other can also benefit from that by finding it in one place and also posting additional questions to clarify missing pieces. Would be good if folks can contribute other relevant questions as well that aspiring owners should seek answers to. Request existing owners to reply based on their experiences. If this has been discussed elsewhere already, kindly point to that
> 
> I did find this very helpful link - https://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/timeshare-system-comparison-chart.html. However, it may not be up to date as it does not seem to reflect HGVC's acquisition of Diamond, as  reflected in the low number of resorts showed for Hilton. So it also makes me wonder if the average MF and points required posted there are accurate or from an earlier year.
> [Just for completeness, links to annual fee comparisons across different properties within a particular TS club are posted in the pinned threads in each of the club's discussion forum]
> ...



Pretty complex set of questions!!  You may want to do some comparison shopping -- rent a week or two at the contenders' resorts over the next year or two and make your own judgment about quality.

Here are my takes on questions that I think I have some basis for responding:

*- Is there a significant difference in resort quality and overall experience, particularly betwen [sic] Wyndham and HGVC, to make HGVC worthwhile (assuming it is somewhat higher cost)? I hear Marriott is quite better and perhaps also quite more expensive (is it true?) * You get what you pay for.  Quality-wise, I think most would rank Marriott, HGVC, and Wyndham, in decreasing order.  The real question is how important is the difference in quality. In my opinion, one can have superb vacations in any of the three.  A complication is Hilton's acquisition of Diamond Resorts International (DRI).  Some Diamond resorts can readily be re-branded to Hilton.  Some will never be brought up to Hilton standards, other than that the towels say Hilton.

*- I think for Wyndham perhaps this would require average 225,000-250,000 annual points What is the equivalent number of points required for Marriott and Hilton?  *I think the magic number of Wyndham points is 308,000 ± a little bit.  No opinion on HGVC or Marriott. 

*- Total annual fee (including all kinds of recurring annual fee due on a contract by virtue of mere ownership, leaving aside one time purchase fee and any usage related fee) for Wyndham would be abt $1400-$1900 for this. What would it be for MVC and HGVC?  *Wyndham's annual maintenance fees on 308,000 would be somewhere between about $1,500 and $2,100 (~ $5 to $7 per thousand).  There are a few higher and a few lower. Acquiring a contract with maintenance fees less than $5/1,000 points will cost more money.  (Acquisition cost is a one-time thing.  Maintenance fees are forever.  It's your call.)  No experience with Marriott or HGVC.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

Thanks. Helps to know for CW one needs abt 300k points for abt 2 weeks of vacation in a 1 bedroom suite. Also helps to know that Wyndham is good in general (as has been my experience), just that HGVC and MVC are even better.

Can others post abt the rough number of points required for HGVC and MVC and associated annual recurring fee, and other questions in the OP?


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 13, 2022)

chapjim said:


> Pretty complex set of questions!!  You may want to do some comparison shopping -- rent a week or two at the contenders' resorts over the next year or two and make your own judgment about quality.
> 
> Here are my takes on questions that I think I have some basis for responding:
> 
> *- Is there a significant difference in resort quality and overall experience, particularly betwen [sic] Wyndham and HGVC, to make HGVC worthwhile (assuming it is somewhat higher cost)? I hear Marriott is quite better and perhaps also quite more expensive (is it true?) * You get what you pay for.  Quality-wise, I think most would *rank Marriott, HGVC, and Wyndham,* in decreasing order.  The real question is how important is the difference in quality. In my opinion, one can have superb vacations in any of the three.  A complication is Hilton's acquisition of Diamond Resorts International (DRI).  Some Diamond resorts can readily be re-branded to Hilton.  Some will never be brought up to Hilton standards, other than that the towels say Hilton.



Respectfully disagree on the order: Many would rank Marriott and HGVC equal (some resorts more luxurious some not depends on location but overall 4 -  4.5 stars). Wyndham, Worldmark lower.

Ritz >The Westins > Marriott> Sheratons.

Hilton Club > H*G*VC = Diamond Embarc > HVC (former Diamond DRI).  Former Diamond would likely be 3 - 3.5 now. The prior owners let some DRI properties age. HGV corporate is bringing many up to Hilton Standards but may not be as nice as HGVC. Time will tell.  Suggest if you are interested in HGV, buy a resale HGVC deed and don't bother with HVC/Diamond points.

I agree with prior poster comments that renting to check out your desired locations and brands is important so you can compare the quality and location. YMMV.

Congrats on doing your homework! Stick around TUG and we can help you find the best property for your needs.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

One can rent out a couple of times but then every resort differs from another (and I do not have a fixed set of resorts where I will be vacationing most of the time). I think I have noticed that with CW different resorts can have different ratings (perhaps more than just marginally different). I have been to the Ocean 22 resort with HGVC at Myrtle Beach (not stayed there but been there for a presentation) and yes the very look of it gave a different, upper end luxurious feeling. However, I do not know if that single sample is representative of all HGVC resorts (from what i read, it felt like that one is somewhat more special, so others may not be like that). Another problem with HGVC is that now they have Diamond resorts as well and do not know how they compare to HGVC (does anyone know how many under Hilton directly and how many through Diamond. That way we can compare with CW and MVC, hoping at least Hilton ones are up to the mark). Thus, I do not think renting out a couple would do good in forming an overall judgement (besides would take 2 years or so), and would rather go by the experiences of other experienced members to get an overall "high level" sense if one of the clubs is definitely better than the other one.

And once that is known, then the question becomes what does it take to own it? MVC is quite good from what I hear and responses so far here, but the table in the link provided in OP shows the recurring cost of owning it is abt 1.7x-2x compared to CW and HGVC, and HGVC costs less than CW. Not sure if either is really true. If it is true, then the decision is really simple . So want to hear abt the points required and total annual fee for the three TS for the use case described in OP, and other important considerations based on users' experiences


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 13, 2022)

Suggest that answer the following questions and post to the New To Timesharing Forum instead of Club Wyndham so you can get responses from all three system owners. Good luck!

*Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.

Suggestion - copy the questions below, and start a new thread entitled "My Survey" or "What should I buy?," or something similar, and answer the questions in a NEW thread.*

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?

12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 13, 2022)

BTW...If you buy an HGVC resale deed you won't have access to the lower quality Diamond resorts unless you buy a developer deed. You can book short stays within the HGVC system because points are tied to each deed.

Similarly if you buy a Marriott deed resale you cannot trade points unless you pay a hefty fee to the developer. The only way to trade is via II for a week only vacation.

Narrow down on your needs and location preferences so you can consider the best system then go to the forums to read the stickies about program nuance.


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## elaine (Jun 13, 2022)

I'd say HGVC and M quality (amenities, interiors, beds, and overall look/ambience) are equivalent. HGVC demographics (at least in Orlando) seemed a bit more diverse and skewed younger than M. We'd stay in either as our 1st choice. Wyndham seems a step down--although we really liked Bonnet Creek for amenities and would happily stay there again.
As HGVC owner, don't understand why anyone wants access to low tier units by joining MAX? I'd just exchange via RCI for that, or pay cash.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

elaine said:


> MAX


What is MAX? 

Being a HGVC owner, perhaps you could say how many HGVC resorts does Hilton have now and how many acquired through Diamond?
Do you have a rough idea abt the HGVC points and total annual fee required for abt 2 weeks of annual vacation in a 1 bedroom suite (CW would be 300k points and $1700-$2200)? And the same for MVC?


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## chapjim (Jun 13, 2022)

QUOTE="yoprabhat1, post: 2798184, member: 134805"]
*One can rent out a couple of times but then every resort differs from another* (and I do not have a fixed set of resorts where I will be vacationing most of the time). I think I have noticed that with CW different resorts can have different ratings (perhaps more than just marginally different). I have been to the Ocean 22 resort with HGVC at Myrtle Beach (not stayed there but been there for a presentation) and yes the very look of it gave a different, upper end luxurious feeling. However, I do not know if that single sample is representative of all HGVC resorts (from what i read, it felt like that one is somewhat more special, so others may not be like that). Another problem with HGVC is that now they have Diamond resorts as well and do not know how they compare to HGVC (does anyone know how many under Hilton directly and how many through Diamond. That way we can compare with CW and MVC, hoping at least Hilton ones are up to the mark). Thus, I do not think renting out a couple would do good in forming an overall judgement (besides would take 2 years or so), and would rather go by the experiences of other experienced members to get an overall "high level" sense if one of the clubs is definitely better than the other one.

And once that is known, then the question becomes what does it take to own it? MVC is quite good from what I hear and responses so far here, but the table in the link provided in OP shows the recurring cost of owning it is abt 1.7x-2x compared to CW and HGVC, and HGVC costs less than CW. Not sure if either is really true. If it is true, then the decision is really simple . So want to hear abt the points required and total annual fee for the three TS for the use case described in OP, and other important considerations based on users' experiences
[/QUOTE]

That's why it is difficult for someone else to answer the questions for you.  These are subjective values.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

CalGalTraveler said:


> BTW...If you buy an HGVC resale deed you won't have access to the lower quality Diamond resorts unless you buy a developer deed. You can book short stays within the HGVC system because points are tied to each deed.
> 
> Similarly if you buy a Marriott deed resale you cannot trade points unless you pay a hefty fee to the developer. The only way to trade is via II for a week only vacation.
> 
> Narrow down on your needs and location preferences so you can consider the best system then go to the forums to read the stickies about program nuance.



Did not understand your comment. One does not have access to Diamond resort inventory if one buys HGVC resale, even though Diamond is lower in quality? So one is only restricted to HGVC contracts alone? That is good to know since I believe HGVC resorts are somewhat fewer than CW and MVC. I believe with CW resale you can book all of their 80+ resorts, but not WorldMark but that is because perhaps that is a step up, not down. So this sounds a little weird/disappointing.
And I believe in all the 3 TS programs, you can book 3 nights and higher stays by using as many points. Is there anything special with HGVC (or CW and MVC being restrictive in a way HGVC is not)?

What do you mean by trading points in a Marriott deed? The only way I am aware of trading points is through the exchange - RCI or II, which you say MVC also allows.


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 13, 2022)

re: HGVC It depends on location, season and type of unit. Most recommend a minimum 2 bdrm platinum unit =  11,200 points. MF will run about $950 Las Vegas, Scotland to about $1800. If you want to regularly visit South Carolina and Gulf/South Florida locations suggest you purchase there.  Otherwise you can trade. 

You can check HGVC points values for 1 bedroom in your desired location attached 

re: MVC if you buy a 2 bdrm week deed resale in certain locations you can lock off (divide) those units to get 2 weeks (usually 1 bdrm and a studio)


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 13, 2022)

@yoprabhat1 Check out the list of HGVC resorts here. If those don't fit your travel needs then perhaps it is not the right fit for you. You can also trade for Diamond resorts via RCI if you don't buy MAX from the developer.









						Timeshare Vacation Resorts | Hilton Grand Vacations
					

Learn about the upscale timeshare vacation resorts and destinations that Hilton Grand Vacations has to offer. Explore vacation ownership today.




					www.hiltongrandvacations.com
				



 (ignore resorts labeled Hllton Vacation Club (HVC) because those are Diamond)

Each system has pros and cons. MVC has more resorts but more expensive and must trade week for week in II. i.e. no long weekends.

Wyndham and Worldmark have many more locations in the USA. Tradeoffs.


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## dayooper (Jun 13, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> What is MAX?
> 
> Being a HGVC owner, perhaps you could say how many HGVC resorts does Hilton have now and how many acquired through Diamond?
> Do you have a rough idea abt the HGVC points and total annual fee required for abt 2 weeks of annual vacation in a 1 bedroom suite (CW would be 300k points and $1700-$2200)? And the same for MVC?



If you purchase HGVC resale, you will not have access to the former DRI resorts. HGV Max is the membership that allows cross booking between HGVC and HVC resorts (formerly DRI). As of right now, you can only join by purchasing a retail deed through HGVC. The HGV Max bookings are only available at 6 months. Many of the more popular HVC/DRI resorts will not be available at that time.

I have 22400 points (all resale) through 2 platinum 2 bedroom deeds (The Flamingo and The Boulevard). This year my MF’s we’re $1087 and $944 respectively. I also paid $193 in club dues. That would get you close to 3 weeks in a platinum 1 bedroom (standard points). There are resorts that cost more points, but that why I suggest buying just more than you you need. You would need 15360 points for 2 weeks in a standard 1 bedroom platinum. If you stay in the gold weeks or limit yourself to weekdays, your points will go even further. Last year I had 1 week in a 2 bedroom in Hilton Head, 5 nights in a 3 bedroom in Vegas at Elara (M-Sat) and 3 nights in Chicago (M-Th) all with my 22400 points. I even had 40 points leftover! All but the Vegas trip were in the platinum season.


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## Tahiya (Jun 13, 2022)

We own WorldMark and some Independents that trade well. We have traded extensively, including to multiple Hiltons and to a couple of highly rated Marriott Resorts.  We used to own Wyndham points but gave those back because our small ownership didn't yield good value. I agree with commenters who say that the Hilton's seem to be as good as the Marriotts. 

I have long considered buying Marriott because it is harder to trade into than some other resorts if you don't own Marriott, but as exchangers we were given units overlooking the parking lot or another building.  I knew someone who had a 2 bedroom Oceanfront at Marriott Maui Ocean Club, and when they traded through Interval they also got units with disappointing views. They sold their unit back to Marriott because of that. Since view is very important to us, that, along with the high maintenance fees, has discouraged me from buying Marriott. 

I don't understand why developers would design resorts where some people get terrible views. By contrast with Marriott, when exchanging into Hiltons we have always gotten the building we requested, and a decent view.


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## VacationForever (Jun 13, 2022)

Marriott would have the highest quality but it is also very expensive to purchase.  If you are looking at internal booking system, then we are looking at MVC DC points.  You would need about 6K to 7K points to book 2 weeks of 1BR, and the point values vary greatly by resort and time of year.  Assuming you buy 6K points in the resale market, and you pay $3.5 per point plus $3 per point of junk fees + $300 education fees, you are looking at about $40K to just buy in.  For a new timeshare owner, I would strongly advise against spending so much.  You can also buy a resale 2BR Marriott week at a location where there are lockoff units and you can make 2 weeks of deposit by locking off the week, into Interval International and trade into other resorts, including Marriott and other brands.  If you buy something like Marriott's Grande Vista or Grand Chateau, you are spending only about $3K upfront.  If it were me, I would go the latter route.  Having said that, I own Marriott DC points and weeks as well as Vistana (Westin/Sheraton) weeks but I knew what we wanted and it was the right decision for us.  I have owned timeshare since 1996 and my Marriott purchases were done after 2013.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

Tahiya said:


> .......... I knew someone who had a 2 bedroom Oceanfront at Marriott Maui Ocean Club, and when they traded through Interval they also got units with disappointing views. They sold their unit back to Marriott because of that......



Did not understand the above comment. If the folks already owned with MVC, why would they need to exchange through II to get another Marriott property? As MVC owners, they can use their points to book any other MVC property and probably would have priority over II requests.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (Jun 13, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> *- What are the total number of HGVC resorts now (after Diamond takeover, is it 64+93?) and are Diamond resorts also comparable in quality to Hilton or at least no worse than Wyndham ones?*



Club Wyndham > HVC/DRI

I just checked out of the Sedona Summit one week ago, a (supposedly) renovated Diamond property, with the new Hilton Vacation Club branding.  The lobby and presentation area looked modernized from prior Diamond stays, and the staff was very friendly.  The resort itself was a bit of a disappointment:

1.  Not all the burners on the stove worked.
2.  No cleaning supplies for the dishes (ie dish soap or scrubby)
3.  No wine glasses or corkscrew.  This is wine country!
4.  The couch was past its prime
5.  Carpet starting to unravel near the tile.
6.  Faucets that leaked out of the handles.
7.  Water damage to one wall.
8.  Some lights in the bathroom abandoned, plates put over where either switches or outlets had once been.
9.  Chipped stucco damage to exterior, pretty common.
10.  Parking was limited due to the proximity of buildings to each other.  One guest was allowed to take up several spaces with their truck, trailer, and motorcycles (which you would think should go back into the trailer).


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

VacationForever said:


> Marriott would have the highest quality but it is also very expensive to purchase.  If you are looking at internal booking system, then we are looking at MVC DC points.  You would need about 6K to 7K points to book 2 weeks of 1BR, and the point values vary greatly by resort and time of year.  Assuming you buy 6K points in the resale market, and you pay $3.5 per point plus $3 per point of junk fees + $300 education fees, you are looking at about $40K to just buy in.  For a new timeshare owner, I would strongly advise against spending so much.  You can also buy a resale 2BR Marriott week at a location where there are lockoff units and you can make 2 weeks of deposit by locking off the week, into Interval International and trade into other resorts, including Marriott and other brands.  If you buy something like Marriott's Grande Vista or Grand Chateau, you are spending only about $3K upfront.  If it were me, I would go the latter route.  Having said that, I own Marriott DC points and weeks as well as Vistana (Westin/Sheraton) weeks but I knew what we wanted and it was the right decision for us.  I have owned timeshare since 1996 and my Marriott purchases were done after 2013.


$40k to buy 6k points? Wow!! Did not have the slightest idea!!

If one buys the 2BR with lockoff unit at Grande Vista, what is the rough total annual fee? I assume if you have to rely on going through an exchange to trade off your lock-off units separately for 2 weeks of 1BR units at other resorts, then you would be highly limited by the inventory of other resorts available on the exchange. This would not be the same as booking any MVC property whenever you want by using your points. Also, I believe, one loses the felixibility to book anything less than a week. Is this right? Then it seems this way is very restrictive, and buying points highly costly. That pretty much settles the question of even considering MVC in that case


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 13, 2022)

dayooper said:


> If you purchase HGVC resale, you will not have access to the former DRI resorts. HGV Max is the membership that allows cross booking between HGVC and HVC resorts (formerly DRI). As of right now, you can only join by purchasing a retail deed through HGVC. The HGV Max bookings are only available at 6 months. Many of the more popular HVC/DRI resorts will not be available at that time.
> 
> I have 22400 points (all resale) through 2 platinum 2 bedroom deeds (The Flamingo and The Boulevard). This year my MF’s we’re $1087 and $944 respectively. I also paid $193 in club dues. That would get you close to 3 weeks in a platinum 1 bedroom (standard points). There are resorts that cost more points, but that why I suggest buying just more than you you need. You would need 15360 points for 2 weeks in a standard 1 bedroom platinum. If you stay in the gold weeks or limit yourself to weekdays, your points will go even further. Last year I had 1 week in a 2 bedroom in Hilton Head, 5 nights in a 3 bedroom in Vegas at Elara (M-Sat) and 3 nights in Chicago (M-Th) all with my 22400 points. I even had 40 points leftover! All but the Vegas trip were in the platinum season.


Thanks for the very informative reply. I assume, just like CW one can mix and match points from any number of deeds and use them together. Does it matter whether you get points through bronze/silver/gold/platinum, 1BR/2BR/3BR and which property? At the end does it simply boil down to how many points does each deed get you? HGVC and MVC deed and point system are more complex than CW. CW is very straight forward with no complications arising from seasons attached to a deed/contract; they all just convert to a set number of points.


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## VacationForever (Jun 13, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> $40k to buy 6k points? Wow!! Did not have the slightest idea!!
> 
> If one buys the 2BR with lockoff unit at Grande Vista, what is the rough total annual fee? I assume if you have to rely on going through an exchange to trade off your lock-off units separately for 2 weeks of 1BR units at other resorts, then you would be highly limited by the inventory of other resorts available on the exchange. This would not be the same as booking any MVC property whenever you want by using your points. Also, I believe, one loses the felixibility to book anything less than a week. Is this right? Then it seems this way is very restrictive, and buying points highly costly. That pretty much settles the question of even considering MVC in that case


Annual maintenance fees of Grande Vista is just under $1,500.  Most of the Grande Vista deeds come with Florida Club where you can book at another Florida resort at 6 months out.  But other than that, you can only use Interval International to trade into other weeks.  You cannot use the Marriott internal booking system where you can book 1+ nights.  Only Marriott Destination Club points can do so.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (Jun 14, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> - What are the other factors to consider?



I wouldn't do MVC over the maintenance fees alone.  I don't see the point if you're close to breaking even over renting similar resorts.  We've purchased both HGVC and Club Wyndham within the last 6 months, due to the savings both offer.  Three nights on 4th of July weekend in Vegas, I cancelled an $800 booking with Virgin, and switched to a studio with HGV for $330.  We purchased Club Wyndham Sedona specifically for that resort, and will be paying $107 weeknights for a 1,000 sq ft deluxe 1-bedroom, where motels start at $200 + tax per night.

Overall, I like HGVC better.  For roughly the same amount of money, you get nicer resorts, and access to places like Japan and Scotland.  Wyndham has more resorts, and is more flexible with weeknight rates, Sunday - Thursday nights.  When booking early at your home resort, you can do partial stays with Wyndham, where Hilton makes you book an entire week.  Hilton charges a club fee, Wyndham does not.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 14, 2022)

90_Min_Sales_Pitch said:


> Overall, I like HGVC better.  For roughly the same amount of money, you get nicer resorts, and access to places like Japan and Scotland.  Wyndham has more resorts, and is more flexible with weeknight rates, Sunday - Thursday nights.  When booking early at your home resort, you can do partial stays with Wyndham, where Hilton makes you book an entire week.  Hilton charges a club fee, Wyndham does not.


Thanks for sharing your experience. Would you also say that abt 15000 points with HGVC should suffice to get abt 2 weeks of vacation for a 1BR on avg. Do you have a rough idea how much total annual fee (including all kinds of recurring annual fee, like club dues etc) would it cost (or would be good deal to grab)?
I believe HGVC also allows nightly stays with minimum 3 nights, just like CW. Perhaps the week long booking restriction only applies to home resort

Is it possible to relatively easily get decent quality resorts (any club) through HGVC RCI membership for at least some of the places like Sedona, Williamsburg, Branson and others where HGVC does not have a resort with flexibility on when on to travel (as in availability is not restricted to just a very few select weeks)? Just trying to get a sense of the extent of disadvantage w.r.t HGVC having fewer resorts. I think one advantage with HGVC RCI over CW RCI is that it allows nightly stays rather than full week stays.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (Jun 14, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> Thanks for sharing your experience. Would you also say that abt 15000 points with HGVC should suffice to get abt 2 weeks of vacation for a 1BR on avg. Do you have a rough idea how much total annual fee (including all kinds of recurring annual fee, like club dues etc) would it cost (or would be good deal to grab)?
> I believe HGVC also allows nightly stays with minimum 3 nights, just like CW. Perhaps the week long booking restriction only applies to home resort
> 
> Is it possible to relatively easily get decent quality resorts (any club) through HGVC RCI membership for at least some of the places like Sedona, Williamsburg, Branson and others where HGVC does not have a resort with flexibility on when on to travel (as in availability is not restricted to just a very few select weeks)? Just trying to get a sense of the extent of disadvantage w.r.t HGVC having fewer resorts. I think one advantage with HGVC RCI over CW RCI is that it allows nightly stays rather than full week stays.



I think 15000 would be more than enough for most locations, even 100% covering prime season.  I would buy Las Vegas, where maintenance fees are very reasonable, especially for larger contracts.  For example, this is only $75 more than my 5440 point timeshare, with double the points:









						HILTON GRAND VACATION CLUB ON PARADISE, 11,200 HGVC POINTS, ANNUAL, TIMESHARE  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HILTON GRAND VACATION CLUB ON PARADISE, 11,200 HGVC POINTS, ANNUAL, TIMESHARE at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




Club dues are the same for everyone, $193 currently, even if you own multiple timeshares.  3 Nights minimum, up to 9 months out.  You can book your home resort between 9 - 12 months out, but it has to be the fully allocated week and room type.

I don't know anything about RCI, I've only glanced at the last minute deals (Last Call).  I have too small of contracts to really mess with it other than that.


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## Eric B (Jun 14, 2022)

90_Min_Sales_Pitch said:


> Hilton charges a club fee, Wyndham does not.



Actually, Club Wyndham charges a "program fee" of $0.66 or $0.68 per 1,000 points (depending on whether you have any retail points in the account) with minimum amounts of around $185 for an account IIRC.  That is the equivalent of the HGVC club dues and pays for the ability to book within the system using points and a few other things.  If you own the equivalent deed at a Club Wyndham managed resort but don't have it in the system, for example a 2 BR Deluxe at Bali Hai that would yield 325,000 points, the program fee would be $214.50 (for resale points) while both would have the same underlying maintenance fee.


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## dayooper (Jun 14, 2022)

Eric B said:


> Actually, Club Wyndham charges a "program fee" of $0.66 or $0.68 per 1,000 points (depending on whether you have any retail points in the account) with minimum amounts of around $185 for an account IIRC.  That is the equivalent of the HGVC club dues and pays for the ability to book within the system using points and a few other things.  If you own the equivalent deed at a Club Wyndham managed resort but don't have it in the system, for example a 2 BR Deluxe at Bali Hai that would yield 325,000 points, the program fee would be $214.50 (for resale points) while both would have the same underlying maintenance fee.



One thing HGVC has is a club booking fee of $59 (unless you purchase a Hilton Club deed and pay for unlimited booking). Still not a bad deal, though.


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## cbyrne1174 (Jun 14, 2022)

Why do you feel like you HAVE to choose between them? I have Wyndham and Marriott and if anything they work the best when you own both. Marriott points have pretty high maintenance fees, but the resorts are nicer so I prefer to do II exchanges to get into them. That said, I can only stay exactly 7 nights at a property. What do I do if I want more nights? Stay at the Wyndham nearby....

I'm in St Thomas right now enjoying the 2 bedroom Marriott room I got for $1150/week that retails for $800/night online. If I were to book with Marriott points, it would have costed me twice as much. I just left the Wyndham Limetree that is only 5 mins away from the Marriott and it was about $50/night cheaper than the Marriott. I did 5 nights there in a studio loft because I like doing 12 nights to save a lot on points (10 weeknight and 2 weekend nights). The Marriott was obviously the better deal when you look at room size and amenities, but I can only book exactly 7 nights so Wyndham points are an amazing addon because they're a lot cheaper than Marriott points.


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## goaliedave (Jun 14, 2022)

For me it's all about location and ease of booking, all the USA ones are equal to me. Four Seasons and the Asian timeshares like Anantara are higher quality if you travel Asia primarily. Diamond has the best monthly sales and unique tricks for cheap bookings.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 14, 2022)

90_Min_Sales_Pitch said:


> I think 15000 would be more than enough for most locations, even 100% covering prime season.  I would buy Las Vegas, where maintenance fees are very reasonable, especially for larger contracts.  For example, this is only $75 more than my 5440 point timeshare, with double the points:


Thanks. I hope one can mix and match points from any number of deeds and use them together as though i had a big consolidated pool.
Does it matter how you get points - which type of season bronze/silver/gold/platinum, 1BR/2BR/3BR and which property? At the end does it simply boil down to how many points does each deed gets you or you have to consider other factors while buying a deed? HGVC deed and point system are more complex than CW. CW is very straight forward with no complications arising from seasons attached to a deed/contract; they all just convert to a set number of points

Also, are you easily able to find resorts to book within 2-4 months from your travel date or do you have to book much in advance? With CW folks said typically, 3 months is good enough (except around holidays or popular resorts). However HGVC has fewer properties and units (and perhaps fewer members), so not sure how far ahead do you have to plan.


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## dayooper (Jun 14, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> Thanks. I hope one can mix and match points from any number of deeds and use them together as though i had a big consolidated pool.
> Does it matter how you get points - which type of season bronze/silver/gold/platinum, 1BR/2BR/3BR and which property? At the end does it simply boil down to how many points does each deed gets you or you have to consider other factors while buying a deed? HGVC deed and point system are more complex than CW. CW is very straight forward with no complications arising from seasons attached to a deed/contract; they all just convert to a set number of points
> 
> Also, are you easily able to find resorts to book within 2-4 months from your travel date or do you have to book much in advance? With CW folks said typically, 3 months is good enough (except around holidays or popular resorts). However HGVC has fewer properties and units (and perhaps fewer members), so not sure how far ahead do you have to plan.



It doesn’t matter the season except that the higher the season, the better the MF per point ratio is. HGVC pays the same MF regardless of season. It goes by room size. I own a platinum 2 bedroom at The Boulevard and my MF’s are $945. With that deed, I get 11200 points. Someone who owns a gold season deed would get 8000 points for the same $945 MF.

HGVC is a little harder to book short notice. The more popular locations with less resorts will fill up faster. Some places you have to book right at 9 months. Other places can be booked at 6-7 months. There are a few that can be booked 2-4 months, but you would be pushing it to use your points. If you are flexible, you can look for cancellations, but they aren’t always going to be there.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 14, 2022)

I see. Thanks for your reply @dayooper. Given the difficulty in booking within 2-3 months and the fewer resorts overall, it seems like HGVC may not be the right choice for me then. My use case would be travel with a spouse or solo. It would be more based on the desire to explore some place new, and relax rather than a few fixed resorts, and the travel dates would be determined by work. Unlike a family with kids where i can plan much in advance, certainly not 6 months in advance.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 14, 2022)

cbyrne1174 said:


> Why do you feel like you HAVE to choose between them? I have Wyndham and Marriott and if anything they work the best when you own both. Marriott points have pretty high maintenance fees, but the resorts are nicer so I prefer to do II exchanges to get into them. That said, I can only stay exactly 7 nights at a property. What do I do if I want more nights? Stay at the Wyndham nearby....



Both would be nice, but what is the total annual fee we are talking about even with a reasonable deal for both  ? Perhaps around $4000. 
From what i see in this thread, it seems Marriott DC points are not an option at all. The only option would be a fixed deed and then relying on exchanges to get into other resorts, which in itself is problematic due to limited availability vs booking anywhere using points. Does MVC even have a 1BR deed - all I see is lockoff units which can be exchanged for 2 weeks of 1BR at separate resorts? If that is the minimum, that already puts MVC vacation weeks at abt 2, and then gettting some points from CW would mean abt 2.5-3 weeks. I do not have use for that. My use case would be 1.5-2 weeks of 1BR.

Do you have to still pay even while exchanging? Your above comment seems to say, that you paid $1150 for a Marriott week. With RCI exchange using CW/HGVC points that I somewhat understand, you basically trade your points to get a week at another resort (in your case you would trade your home week) and just pay some small exchange fee of abt $259 or so. Seems like MVC and II exchanges are different


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## VacationForever (Jun 14, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> Both would be nice, but what is the total annual fee we are talking about even with a reasonable deal for both  ? Perhaps around $4000.
> From what i see in this thread, it seems Marriott DC points are not an option at all. The only option would be a fixed deed and then relying on exchanges to get into other resorts, which in itself is problematic due to limited availability vs booking anywhere using points. Does MVC even have a 1BR deed - all I see is lockoff units which can be exchanged for 2 weeks of 1BR at separate resorts? If that is the minimum, that already puts MVC vacation weeks at abt 2, and then gettting some points from CW would mean abt 2.5-3 weeks. I do not have use for that. My use case would be 1.5-2 weeks of 1BR.
> 
> Do you have to still pay even while exchanging? Your above comment seems to say, that you paid $1150 for a Marriott week. With RCI exchange using CW/HGVC points that I somewhat understand, you basically trade your points to get a week at another resort (in your case you would trade your home week) and just pay some small exchange fee of abt $259 or so. Seems like MVC and II exchanges are different


The $1150 comes from locking off into 2 sides, and exchanging them to another resort.  Exchange fee Marriott to Marriott is $164 per trade.  II membership is about $99 per year.  "Upsize", i.e. room size upgrade is $99 per 1 bedroom size up.  Assuming you buy Marriott's Grande Vista and maintenance fee is $1500, lock off, each side costs $750 (it is 1BR and 1 studio).  Take one side, trade fees - $164 + $198 (say you use a studio to trade into a 2BR, it is only $99 to go 1 size), total is $1112.  Throw in II membership for the 1 timeshare, comes up to around $50 per side, total is now $1162.

You do that all over again in trading the other side of the lockoff.


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 14, 2022)

Trading in II only works for planning well in advance. Not 2 - 4 months as the OP desires. II also is limited to week long stays and it would be difficult to get 2 weeks in a row unless you stayed at your home resort with MVC.


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## VacationForever (Jun 14, 2022)

OP needs to understand that timeshare reservation is unlike hotel booking.  Vacations need to be best planned 12 months ahead of time.


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 15, 2022)

VacationForever said:


> OP needs to understand that timeshare reservation is unlike hotel booking.  Vacations need to be best planned 12 months ahead of time.


I saw posts saying that with CW you can get a decent amount of resorts at 3-4 months. Even with HGVC, with much fewer resorts, previous posts say you can do that 6-7 months. CW should be better. I am not sure 12 months would be needed..... In fact the reservation window itself is 9-10 months at best for all resorts except home


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## VacationForever (Jun 15, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> I saw posts saying that with CW you can get a decent amount of resorts at 3-4 months. Even with HGVC, with much fewer resorts, previous posts say you can do that 6-7 months. CW should be better. I am not sure 12 months would be needed..... In fact the reservation window itself is 9-10 months at best for all resorts except home


Technically you can book within shorter window, but the issue becomes availability of high demand location and time period.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (Jun 15, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> I saw posts saying that with CW you can get a decent amount of resorts at 3-4 months. Even with HGVC, with much fewer resorts, previous posts say you can do that 6-7 months. CW should be better. I am not sure 12 months would be needed..... In fact the reservation window itself is 9-10 months at best for all resorts except home



I have stayed at 5 Wyndham timeshares prior to becoming an owner, and would rate them pretty consistently at 3.5 stars.  The beds have always been comfortable, the properties well maintained, and staff friendly.  HGVC would be a step up, but not without a tradeoff.

I'm too new to really answer the availability question, but my impression is that you should still have multiple choices if you are flexible.  The peak season/ high demand locations will be gone.  

I just swapped an $800 booking at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, on 4th of July weekend, for a studio at HGVC for $330, 3 weeks before arrival.  I got lucky I guess, someone must have cancelled!


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## jwalk03 (Jun 15, 2022)

In timeshare land you are ALWAYS going to have the most success planning ahead and booking as far in advance as allowed.  You might find availability later of course and maybe even an occasional gem- but remember the availability shrinks everyday after booking starts.  And the most popular resorts have the most competition!  So don’t think you can book a beachfront resort during peak season at 3-4 months out- the inventory will be long gone.


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## jwalk03 (Jun 15, 2022)

I own Marriott weeks and love exchanging thru II.  The buy-in was significantly less than the cost of Marriott points, and the annual costs are less too!!  I own a 2BR Platinum at Harbour Lake  in Orlando.  My costs work out to about $165/nt when I lockoff and get 2 exchanges.  But I’m very happy with the exchanges I have been able to get so far:

ocean pointe, 1BR, Memorial Day
Lakeshore Reserve, 2BR, MLK Day
Oceanwatch, 2BR, Spring Break
Aruba Surf, 2BR, Fall week
Summit Watch, 1BR, Presidents Week (Peak Ski week!)
Harborside at Atlantis, 1BR, Spring Break

If you always only need a 1BR or a studio that makes getting great exchanges even easier.  Many want 2BRs which is more difficult.  You still need to plan ahead though to get the best stuff!!


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## jwalk03 (Jun 15, 2022)

Sorry for the multiple posts.  I keep thinking of more things I want to add.

I also have stayed at Wyndhams a ton. I got my in-laws resale Wyndham points that I manage for them to book vacations for them and all their adult kids and grandkids. i Do think Marriotts are a step above Wyndham for sure, but Wyndham still has some great resorts that I have really enjoyed!! They also have a wider variety of locations than Marriott. Wyndham points are certainly more flexible than owning Marriott weeks as well to be sure. 
once my in-laws no longer want their points I will certainly take them over and use them to complement my Marriott stays.  I agree with what another postered mentioned that Wyndham and Marriott work well together.  They have many complementary locations where one has a resort and the other does not.

Wyndham-
smokey mountains
Wisconsin Dells 
Puerto Rico 
Pocanos
Daytona, Pompano, Clearwater
Avon, Steamboat
Many cities- Austin, Atlanta, Nashville, Portland, New Orleans, San Antonio

Marriott-
Hilton Head
Ft. Lauderdale, Macro Island, Palm Beach, Miami
Boston
Vail, Breckenridge
Many International- Spain, France, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Costa Rica, Aruba, St. Kitts


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## cbyrne1174 (Jun 15, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> I saw posts saying that with CW you can get a decent amount of resorts at 3-4 months. Even with HGVC, with much fewer resorts, previous posts say you can do that 6-7 months. CW should be better. I am not sure 12 months would be needed..... In fact the reservation window itself is 9-10 months at best for all resorts except home


Just grab ~200,000 Wyndham points first and decide later whether or not you want to addon. Wyndham is the best one to start with.

If I had to choose between Wyndham or Marriott, I would choose Wyndham over Marriott because they have better studio/1 bedroom options. The studios in the Wyndham system actually have functional kitchens for the most part and most resorts have smaller room options. There are a lot of Marriott locations that require you to stay in a 2 bedroom. I'm here at Frenchmans cove in St Thomas and it's kind of rediculous that my  7 year old has her own bedroom, bathroom and ocean front balcony.


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## Eric B (Jun 15, 2022)

cbyrne1174 said:


> ... it's kind of r_diculous that my 7 year old has her own bedroom, bathroom and ocean front balcony.
> _


_

Hmmmm, what does she say about that...?_


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 15, 2022)

Thank you all. Indeed it seems TS may not be right thing for me to buy if one can't plan at least 6 months in advance. Good I realized it prior to buying in!!

Renting might be the only option to get resort accommodations for me vs hotels. Any rough idea if renting out from other TS owners costs considerably more than renting a hotel? I am wondering, with rent, if TS owner are just trying to recoup a part of their MF in the years when they themselves do not use the TS points and thus the rent options may not be that high compared to hotels. However, I also read a few posts from TS owner where they are able to draw profit from rent. So not sure, how the TS rent prices compare to say $150/night hotel option.

Owning just gives you the flexbility to go online and simply check whatever is available for your intended travel dates. Is that possible for renting as well (as in are people to ready to offer points and book you for wherever the availability exists and your travel interest using those points), or is it mostly from a list of fixed properties for a fixed week that you get to choose from?


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 15, 2022)

It depends on where you want to go. Supply and demand. Some places like Hawaii in peak season, or Arizona during baseball spring training, South Carolina coast in summer are profitable, other locations are recouping the maint fees. The owners are renting out based on market conditions. Don't knock them for profiting - they are taking all the risk by putting up capital. You can  pick and choose with little risk.

Check out the rental pricing in Redweek, TUG Marketplace and Koala for the places you would like to visit.  Also look at the last minute TUG rental forum for deals.


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## chapjim (Jun 16, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> Thank you all. Indeed *it seems TS may not be right thing for me to buy if one can't plan at least 6 months in advance*. Good I realized it prior to buying in!!
> 
> Renting might be the only option to get resort accommodations for me vs hotels. Any rough idea if renting out from other TS owners costs considerably more than renting a hotel? I am wondering, with rent, *if TS owner are just trying to recoup a part of their MF *in the years when they themselves do not use the TS points and thus the rent options may not be that high compared to hotels. However, I also read a few posts from TS owner where they are able to draw profit from rent. So not sure, how the *TS rent prices compare to say $150/night hotel option*.
> 
> Owning just gives you the flexbility to go online and simply check whatever is available for your intended travel dates. Is that possible for renting as well (as in are people to ready to offer points and book you for wherever the availability exists and your travel interest using those points), or is it mostly from a list of fixed properties for a fixed week that you get to choose from?



The timing thing isn't necessarily as severe as that.  It could be that severe if you are only considering one resort or one destination (unless that destination is the Orlando area -- chances are better there of picking up a late reservation).  If you identify a week you want to travel and don't have a specific destination or resort, your chances are pretty good.  If you want an event week or other high demand period, then six months is way late.  In that case, make the reservation early and cancel if you can't make it.

When I was renting Wyndham reservations, I always listed at a price that gave me a profit.  (CalGalTraveler has it right as far as risk/reward is concerned.)  Since Wyndham reservations can be canceled as late as fifteen days before check-in, the risk of total loss is next to zero and I tended to price accordingly.  I had scores of listings on Last Minute Rentals.  Some rented, some didn't, but the prices were awesomely low, so low that there were complaints on TUG that the market was being spoiled by all the low prices (not those words but exactly that sentiment).

The other factor for me (and many other owner-renters) is that I had a dozen or so fixed or floating non-Wyndham weeks.  Once a reservation is made for a floating week, it is probably fixed in that there would be a charge for changing the reservation, if the reservation can be changed at all.  The risk is much higher there, especially since some of my fixed weeks were very late in the year.  Also, I hoped that the profit on Wyndham rentals would cover any losses on the fixed/floating weeks.

You can't do a direct comparison of timeshare and hotel prices.  Timeshares and hotels are totally different and once you experience timesharing, it will be difficult to go back to a rather spartan hotel room.

Good luck in deciding!


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (Jun 17, 2022)

chapjim said:


> You can't do a direct comparison of timeshare and hotel prices.  Timeshares and hotels are totally different and once you experience timesharing, it will be difficult to go back to a rather spartan hotel room.



I agree, and find myself looking for timeshares to rent from Wyndham, Hilton, and IHG's hotel websites.  

HGVC has last minute deals for owners this summer, 25-35% off Vegas and Hawaii.  One could actually stretch out your points if they're open and flexible, vacationing on the fly.


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## Arimaas (Jun 17, 2022)

I have both a HGVC deed and a Wyndham deed. I am actually dumping my HGVC deed to add another Wyndham deed. Living in NY, there aren't too many HGVC options for us on the East Coast and I'm getting tired of Orlando. Wyndham has a lot more options for us and I actually like the system better. HGVC is supposed to be a "luxury" brand, but there Orlando properties, to me, are nothing to write home about. I actually like Bonnet Creek better than most of the HGVC Orlando properties I've seen. We are going to an HGVC in Myrtle this summer, so maybe I will be pleasantly surprised, and my brother is using some of my points at a HGVC in Vegas in a few months, but honestly, I really haven't been that impressed with HGVC. My family tends to like the Wyndham properties just fine, and having the choices of locations on the East Coast (Newport, Poconos, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, etc.) is more important to me, than maybe a little fancier lobby. Honestly, how much time am I spending in the room anyway? All about location for me.


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## Jan M. (Jun 17, 2022)

HGVC offers highly desirable locations in Florida where Wyndham doesn't have anything. Sanibel, Captiva, Marco Island, Fort Myers, Stuart. However I notice on the HGVC website that they're all listed as External Exchange Resorts. I thought Vanderbilt Beach Club in Naples used to be on the HGVC list but it's not there now.

For years Wyndham owners have wanted a resort or two on the southern Gulf coast of Florida. Clearwater is in the northern Gulf coast region. It's also north of Sarasota which is where the subtropical climate zone begins. That makes southeast and southwest Florida locations more desirable for their warmer winter months.

HGVC also has a resort on Hilton Head, SC. Another place Wyndham doesn't have anything.

Wyndham owners can book these locations/resorts through RCI. We've used our RCI points account that we have through our point weeks we own at Grandview at Las Vegas to book six different Florida HGVC beach resorts and another two resorts that I think used to be with HGVC. It helps that we live in southeast Florida so can drive to those resorts so don't need flights or a rental car. Also helps that we can travel whenever we want. Not everyone can make what they find on RCI work for them because they need specific times and only want certain resorts/locations.

You can set up ongoing searches through RCI. I've noticed that people get really excited when their ongoing search gets them what they wanted. However a lot of people post that their ongoing searches haven't turned up anything in up to two years. I've wondered if those people who never find anything with their OGS are looking for a unicorn. Something like Christmas week at Disney's Aulani resort in Hawaii. Disney owners would be thrilled to get that so forget thinking you'll get it through RCI. Yes, I know that Disney went back to II, Interval International, with this contract. I'm using it because it's a good example of a OGS for a unicorn..


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## yoprabhat1 (Jun 19, 2022)

Arimaas said:


> I have both a HGVC deed and a Wyndham deed. I am actually dumping my HGVC deed to add another Wyndham deed. Living in NY, there aren't too many HGVC options for us on the East Coast and I'm getting tired of Orlando. Wyndham has a lot more options for us and I actually like the system better. HGVC is supposed to be a "luxury" brand, but there Orlando properties, to me, are nothing to write home about. I actually like Bonnet Creek better than most of the HGVC Orlando properties I've seen. We are going to an HGVC in Myrtle this summer, so maybe I will be pleasantly surprised, and my brother is using some of my points at a HGVC in Vegas in a few months, but honestly, I really haven't been that impressed with HGVC. My family tends to like the Wyndham properties just fine, and having the choices of locations on the East Coast (Newport, Poconos, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, etc.) is more important to me, than maybe a little fancier lobby. Honestly, how much time am I spending in the room anyway? All about location for me.


Yup, I agree and have a similar thinking. Just that when something is tagged luxurious you develop some fascination for it  . Higher number of resorts with Wyndham is definitely a strong advantage they have over HGVC, at least for resale points because you do not have access to Diamond/HGVC MAX properties when you buy resale.
Other than the lobby, aren't the HGVC rooms and other resort amenities (whatever they are and folks typically use. I have not stayed at resorts a lot and am not so familiar, and mostly use the stay to visit attractions at the location rather than be in the resort, just like you) better than Wyndham that might make it attractive?

How much in advance do you (need to) end up booking with Wyndham in order to find decent availability beyond just 3 or 4 resorts? 6 months?


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## chapjim (Jun 19, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> Yup, I agree and have a similar thinking. Just that when something is tagged luxurious you develop some fascination for it  . Higher number of resorts with Wyndham is definitely a strong advantage they have over HGVC, at least for resale points because you do not have access to Diamond/HGVC MAX properties when you buy resale.
> Other than the lobby, aren't the HGVC rooms and other resort amenities (whatever they are and folks typically use. I have not stayed at resorts a lot and am not so familiar, and mostly use the stay to visit attractions at the location rather than be in the resort, just like you) better than Wyndham that might make it attractive?
> 
> *How much in advance do you (need to) end up booking with Wyndham in order to find decent availability beyond just 3 or 4 resorts? 6 months.*



There's no pat answer to that!  Here's what I mean:

Orlando/Kissimmee area:  Wyndham has six resorts in the Greater Orlando area (Bonnet Creek, Cypress Palms, Star Island, Orlando International, Reunion, and Kingstown Reef).  Typically, Bonnet Creek fills first but after that, it's hard to tell.  You can still get 1BR units at Bonnet Creek and Cypress Palms starting July 9 and Bonnet Creek, Cypress Palms, and Reunion starting July 16 (3BR at Reunion).  (I would say availability three and four weeks out mostly reflects how miserable Central Florida is in July, but last time I said anything like that, I got blasted by a bunch of teachers so I won't say anything about how miserable Central Florida is in July.)  You can still book Thanksgiving Week at Cypress Palms, Star Island, and Orlando International.  You can still book Christmas Week (12/23-12/30) at the same three resorts.  Bonnet Creek, Cypress Palms, Star Island, Orlando International, and Reunion still have lots of units available for April 1-8 and April 8-15, 2023.

Pompano Beach:  Four Wyndham resorts in the area:  three (Royal Vista, Sea Gardens, and Santa Barbara are either beachfront or across SR A1A from the beach; one, Palm-Aire is fifteen minutes or so inland.  No question which one is last to fill.  Royal Vista, the only one that is totally beachfront, is next to impossible to book during winter months unless you are an owner.  Also, Royal Vista is one of three Wyndham resorts restricted to owners only all year (Clearwater Beach and Sedona are the others).  I own at Royal Vista and booked two January 2023 weeks in December 2021.  Royal Vista has full weeks in late August and in late September (hurricane season).  Then no full weeks until April 2023. 

Daytona:  Ocean Walk has been booked for months for Race Week and Bike Week but otherwise, availability is pretty good.  You can usually find something.

Newport, RI:  Unless you are an owner, it is almost impossible to book anything from May through September or later, even at ten months before check-in.

I am not familiar with Wyndham resorts west of the Mississippi nor resorts in midwest.  Even when I was renting Wyndham reservations, I never booked those places because I didn't know anything about them.


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## Arimaas (Jun 20, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> Yup, I agree and have a similar thinking. Just that when something is tagged luxurious you develop some fascination for it  . Higher number of resorts with Wyndham is definitely a strong advantage they have over HGVC, at least for resale points because you do not have access to Diamond/HGVC MAX properties when you buy resale.
> Other than the lobby, aren't the HGVC rooms and other resort amenities (whatever they are and folks typically use. I have not stayed at resorts a lot and am not so familiar, and mostly use the stay to visit attractions at the location rather than be in the resort, just like you) better than Wyndham that might make it attractive?
> 
> How much in advance do you (need to) end up booking with Wyndham in order to find decent availability beyond just 3 or 4 resorts? 6 months?


There isn’t much different, in my opinion, to the Wyndham rooms versus the HGVC rooms. Maybe the screened in porches of HGVC Orlando is nicer than the Wyndham open air. That’s really the only difference I notice and/or care about. The Wyndham staff wherever I go is just as attentive as HGVC’s. And like I said, I’m not really impressed with HGVC’s Orlando properties. A lot of people that aren’t owners staying there, destroying the relaxing atmosphere anyhow (loud music until late at night, smoking weed stinking up the place, hogging the pools with beer cans in tow). I rather stay at bonnet creek versus hgvc any day. Also, I have used the gym in every Wyndham location I’ve stayed it - nice enough facilities. No issues.
I haven’t had too many problems getting into Wyndham at the ten month mark. Been lucky with Newport too, but I don’t try for Newport in the summer - maybe early June or late august, but I know better than to try to get in during the heat of the summer.  Like I said, very happy with Wyndham. I bought both Wyndham and hgvc on the resale market and hgvc still cost me $4k versus a basically free Wyndham contract. More value and enjoyment out of Wyndham. I’d probably have a different opinion if I lived out west or went international. But east coast living and vacationing? Wyndham beets hgvc IMHO by a landslide.


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## bnoble (Jun 20, 2022)

yoprabhat1 said:


> Just that when something is tagged luxurious you develop some fascination for it  . Higher number of resorts with Wyndham is definitely a strong advantage they have over HGVC, at least for resale points because you do not have access to Diamond/HGVC MAX properties when you buy resale.


In my experience, the "better" Wyndham properties are at least arguably comparable to the Hilton locations. The difference for me is that Wyndham has a much broader variation in their resorts than Hilton does. That doesn't mean the "less luxurious" Wyndham resorts are bad, necessarily. They are usually clean and comfortable, and in good locations, but maybe without all the bells and whistles or the upscale finishings. Given that my kitchen counters at home are 20+ years old, with appliances that owe no one anything, I can live with that.

You probably won't know what you can (and cannot) live with until you try it out, because everyone's tastes are different.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (Jun 20, 2022)

If I had to pick one of my timeshares to keep, it would be Wyndham.  We're getting max value out of our home resort, appreciate that Sunday is a weeknight, and the flexibility of partial week stays on advanced bookings.

Still, I have to give HGVC the nod on the accommodations.  This is just one example, we've stayed at both properties.  Wyndham was a great stay, HGVC was even nicer.


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## bnoble (Jun 20, 2022)

IIRC, the Desert Rose is one of the Shell resorts they picked up when they acquired that system. Grand Desert and Desert Blue are both probably nicer, though I have yet to stay in any Vegas timeshare.


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## dayooper (Jun 21, 2022)

Comparing, from what I understand, one of the best Wyndham resorts (Bonnet Creek) with some of the oldest and lowest quality resorts (HGVC Orlando resorts) isn’t a true measure of the accommodations. I really don’t know that much about Wyndham other than Bonnet Creek is great and they have many locations. They all could be that level. I do know that if you have only stayed at the HGVC Orlando resorts, your perception of HGVC wouldn’t be all that high.

I’m not saying Wyndham is low quality. I’m just saying there’s more to HGVC than the Orlando resorts.


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## Arimaas (Jun 21, 2022)

dayooper said:


> Comparing, from what I understand, one of the best Wyndham resorts (Bonnet Creek) with some of the oldest and lowest quality resorts (HGVC Orlando resorts) isn’t a true measure of the accommodations. I really don’t know that much about Wyndham other than Bonnet Creek is great and they have many locations. They all could be that level. I do know that if you have only stayed at the HGVC Orlando resorts, your perception of HGVC wouldn’t be all that high.
> 
> I’m not saying Wyndham is low quality. I’m just saying there’s more to HGVC than the Orlando resorts.



I agree with you. Obviously which is better Is subjective. In 2020 I was supposed to stay at HGVC south beach but obviously never made it. Living in NY and trying to vacation without flying limits my ability to explore the system. That’s why I said if I was living out west or vacationed international my opinion of HGVC would likely change. Right now, all it is based on is their Orlando properties, which, IMHO, leave a lot to be desired. No HGVC In Orlando holds a candle close to Bonnet Creek. 

Im staying at one of the HGVC properties in Myrtle beach in a few weeks, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it. But for me, to keep a deed for a nicer Myrtle property that I may or may not even want to go back to seems wasteful. How are Wyndhams Myrtle properties by the way? 

I Rather up my Wyndham points and have access to properties in Virginia, the poconos (which I really wasn’t a fan of but great use of extra points for a weekend trip just to change scenery), Rhode Island, Florida, Myrtle and all the other locations here. I have even taken the Amtrak Crescent train form NY to NOLA to stay in a Wyndham. All of that not possible for me with HGVC.  If I was traveling to their beautiful Hawaii and California properties, I’m sure I’d have a different opinion.  I mean I don’t think they are charging guests for AC (which one of the Wyndham properties did when I put my sister up on one of the Hawaiian islands).


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## Lisa P (Jun 21, 2022)

One amenity at the older, legacy Wyndham resorts that we've really appreciated is the indoor pools. Many have them and it's a fun off-season or rainy day diversion when traveling with kids. We've found relatively few other timeshares that have an indoor pool, especially outside of the overbuilt (Branson, Williamsburg, Orlando) areas.


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## randyz (Jun 25, 2022)

bnoble said:


> IIRC, the Desert Rose is one of the Shell resorts they picked up when they acquired that system. Grand Desert and Desert Blue are both probably nicer, though I have yet to stay in any Vegas timeshare.


Quite accurate, the Desert Rose is not a good comparison since it is a Shell resort, not a core Wyndham Resort of which Grand Desert is something of a flagship like Bonnet Creek. The Elara and Grand Desert are very comparable. The major Elara advantage is it is one block closer to the strip. The Elara and Grand Desert are both on Harmon. Not sure of the cost differences. The rooms including the big soaker tub are all very similar. The Grand Desert has 3 pools, with the one of the main large pools designated adult only, which is a big plus for some. Wyndham units have laundry in the room which may be important to certain families.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (Jun 26, 2022)

randyz said:


> Quite accurate, the Desert Rose is not a good comparison since it is a Shell resort, not a core Wyndham Resort of which Grand Desert is something of a flagship like Bonnet Creek. The Elara and Grand Desert are very comparable.



You are right, it is obvious that Grand Desert is nicer than Desert Rose.


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