# Best weeks to own for internal ski exchanges



## ski_sierra (Oct 9, 2019)

I'm considering buying into the Hyatt system. I have ready the info on http://www.bywindkal.com/HVC.htm and the stickies and my head is spinning. If Hyatt properties weren't as nice, I wouldn't put up with this complexity!

We are a family of 3. My daughter's school district gets week 7 and week 14 or 15 off. Occasionally friends come with us on trips.

*Is it possible to get any of these using wait lists regularly?*

Beaver Creek studio for weeks 51, 52, 7 and 14/15 (in years when ski resort is open). 750 points max.

Aspen studio for week 7 and 14/15 : 750 points as well.
2 BR @ High Sierra Lodge various weekends (Sat to Tue) in Feb/Mar/April. I can go during Dec/Jan if conditions are good and there is availability. 920 to 1120 points.

1 BR in Maui but it's not that important as I have access using SDO trades. 1450 points

Thanksgiving @ Highlands Inn (2 hour drive).
*

LCUP*

I'd prefer not to send points to II. I hope to use points during LCUP for weekend trips at HSL (ski season) or Highlands Inn (anytime). Any comments on availability at those locations during LCUP?
*
What to own?*
Which would be a good week to own in this scenario? A few options:

Gold week 8 or 9 at HSL. I will occasionally use this week myself. MF ~1485. Price $3-4K?

Platinum week 22 to 25 at Wild Oak (very low chance of using it myself). MF ~1265. Price $4-5k?

Platinum Week  12-14, 18-21 at Sedona. MF ~1100. Price $5-6k?

Other?
I have not considered a Diamond week at WOR, or Pinon Pointe as the buy-in cost is hard to justify as it's unlikely we would ever go there. I'm not looking to exchange for a 2200 points week, so is there any reason to own a Diamond week?

Other questions:

How many waitlists can you have?
Can you have waitlists during LCUP?
Can you combine points from next year during this year's LCUP? I don't mind pre-paying MF.
Can you modify reservation (move dates or resort) or you have to pay cancellation fee and then another reservation fee?
Any other tips?


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## DAman (Oct 9, 2019)

High Sierra is easy to get during the winter months. I have been there during week 7 a couple of times. There always appear to be lots of time available during February, March and April.  A quick look shows every weekend in March is available now for a three night stay. Also plenty of availability in December and January.

I own a late June and mid July weeks in Sedona.  I like them because I can use my points during ski season(6 months in advance) and if no trades are available I transfer the points to II or use them at Highlands Inn before my last date to transfer to EEE.  

LCUP points are too hard to use IMHO.


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## grevas1 (Oct 9, 2019)

One can "borrow" points from upcoing year but you will have to pay MF fees, as well as a $41 transaction fee.  You will also have to pay a $41 transaction fee for every wait list request submitted.


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## ski_sierra (Oct 9, 2019)

DAman said:


> High Sierra is easy to get during the winter months. I have been there during week 7 a couple of times. There always appear to be lots of time available during February, March and April.  A quick look shows every weekend in March is available now for a three night stay. Also plenty of availability in December and January.


Thanks.  Great to know. I got a getaway for week 8 this year. Week 7 was also available but since this is the last year in pre-school for my daughter, I picked a more uncrowded week.



> I own a late June and mid July weeks in Sedona.  I like them because I can use my points during ski season(6 months in advance) and if no trades are available I transfer the points to II or use them at Highlands Inn before my last date to transfer to EEE.
> 
> LCUP points are too hard to use IMHO.


Interesting. Sedona looks promising due to low MF. What would be a good buy-in price for a June week?


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## ski_sierra (Oct 9, 2019)

grevas1 said:


> One can "borrow" points from upcoing year but you will have to pay MF fees, as well as a $41 transaction fee.



Got it. So this $41 to borrow is different from the reservation fee?  So you would end up paying $82 for a reservation that uses LCUP points and next year points?


> You will also have to pay a $41 transaction fee for every wait list request submitted.


Do you get your $41 fee back if your wait list does not match?
Also, Can you do waitlists with LCUP points?


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## Marathoner (Oct 9, 2019)

I own a Hyatt week. Except in rare circumstances, you will never get a studio in weeks 7, 51, and 52 at Beaver Creek or Aspen. You may be able to get it at Breckenridge. You will be able to get it at Hyatt High Sierra. You should be able to get week 15 at all three ski resorts.



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## Sapper (Oct 9, 2019)

If you want week 7 at the Colorado properties or Northstar, I would suggest you buy week 7. High Sierra there should be some availability. Breck will still be open week 14/15, and supposedly the Spring skiing there is great, but I have not experienced it. I have seen availability for these weeks in Breck. Aspen and Beaver Creek might shut operations down before these weeks in a bad snow year or stay open if it’s good like last year. I have seen these weeks up for grabs. Weeks 51/52 tend to be tough to get at most properties because that’s when kids are out of school and people get vacation days from work. 

You can have an unlimited number of waitlist requests. You are only charged the $41 when the waitlist matches a unit, you are not charged when you create the request. If you cancel the waitlist request before it matches a unit, there is no charge. 

If you call to make the reservation, I think you can combine LCUP and CUP points, however, the use must be in the next 60 days. 

You can waitlist using LCUP points, however, the use week needs to be in the next 60 days. 

Modifying dates means a cancellation fee plus another reservation fee. 

I would strongly suggest using points before they hit LCUP. Think of LCUP as the backup plan. 

 If you are not going to use the fixed unit / fixed week feature of the Hyatt system, then points are points and possibly all you care about is the maintenance fee per point; Pinion Pointe is the leader in that department. Maintenance fees can change in the future. You never know if or when there may be a dramatic increase... as it sounds Highlands Inn will be experiencing an 8% increase this year <OUCH>.  However, my guess is Pinion Pointe will remain the lowest maintenance fee property. There have been long drawn out debates on TUG regarding buying a lower purchase price unit with higher maintenance fees vs a higher purchase price with lower maintenance fees.  You will have to decide which is best for you.


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## ski_sierra (Oct 9, 2019)

Thanks for the feedback. I am not interested in going to Breck. Northstar could have been useful but I read somewhere that they don't have too many units there so it's always hard to go. HSL ski weeks are easy to get with II trades. I bought a getaway for week 8, 2020 for around ~$900. Cost to exchange with SDO would be similar. A weekend stay using Hyatt points would be 920 to 1100 points, so once you factor in the purchase price, the cost is similar as a full week exchange. Probably one can get the points reservation easier than the exchange booking. So the advantage is small.

A Sedona platinum week just sold for $4450 plus closing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/312787714060?ul_noapp=true

I will think about this a little bit more before proceeding.


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## SteelerGal (Oct 9, 2019)

I originally wanted to purchase HHS but decided to go EOYE HPP 1880pts.  Cost was less than $2500 including closing.  Deals are out there so keep looking.


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## ski_sierra (Oct 10, 2019)

HPP is pinon pointe? Do you pay some extra fees for owning EOY? Like club fees every year in HGVC?


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## ski_sierra (Oct 10, 2019)

Marathoner said:


> I own a Hyatt week. Except in rare circumstances, you will never get a studio in weeks 7, 51, and 52 at Beaver Creek or Aspen. You may be able to get it at Breckenridge. You will be able to get it at Hyatt High Sierra. You should be able to get week 15 at all three ski resorts.




I know you are big into skiing. How do you use your Hyatt points for skiing ?


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## SteelerGal (Oct 10, 2019)

ski_sierra said:


> HPP is pinon pointe? Do you pay some extra fees for owning EOY? Like club fees every year in HGVC?


Yes to both.


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## PerryKing (Oct 11, 2019)

ski_sierra said:


> Got it. So this $41 to borrow is different from the reservation fee?  So you would end up paying $82 for a reservation that uses LCUP points and next year points?
> 
> Do you get your $41 fee back if your wait list does not match?
> Also, Can you do waitlists with LCUP points?



*Actually you just do a $41 Guarantee via your credit Card when you submit your Wait list request, then the $41 is only actually charged to your Credit Card  if Hyatt fills and confirms your request.  Thus you only pay $41  and it becomes the reservation fee that would be due anyway.   OK?*


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## Marathoner (Oct 11, 2019)

ski_sierra said:


> I know you are big into skiing. How do you use your Hyatt points for skiing ?


I do like skiing and my timeshare ownership revolves around it. I use my Hyatt points to ski at a 2BR at Hyatt Main Street Station every year at Breckenridge.

Breckenridge is a more challenging mountain than Vail and Beaver Creek. That said, there are great aspects to skiing at both Vail and Beaver Creek. 

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## PerryKing (Oct 11, 2019)

ski_sierra said:


> Got it. So this $41 to borrow is different from the reservation fee?  So you would end up paying $82 for a reservation that uses LCUP points and next year points?
> 
> Do you get your $41 fee back if your wait list does not match?  *Its NOT charged until your request is confirmed !*
> Also, Can you do waitlists with LCUP points?



YES, You can use any points and you are also  offered an option to "protect" any points that you do not want used.


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## PerryKing (Oct 11, 2019)

ski_sierra said:


> I know you are big into skiing. How do you use your Hyatt points for skiing ?


Generally and most years , there is no skiing in week 15 at Breckenridge.  or even at Beaver Creek either.


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## Marathoner (Oct 11, 2019)

PerryKing said:


> Generally and most years , there is no skiing in week 15 at Breckenridge.  or even at Beaver Creek either.


This is inaccurate. There is decent week 15 skiing every year at Breckenridge. At 13,000 feet, snow preserves very well into late April. 



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## ski_sierra (Oct 11, 2019)

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I have decided to skip the Hyatt system. Risk reward ratio is not favorable for me. I will continue to use II Exchanges/Getaways to go to HSL during ski season.


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## Powderday (Oct 12, 2019)

The High Alpine at Breck is usually decent in April.  Whatever else is open, will be boilerplate in the morning and a slushy crowded mess in the afternoon.  If you have good ski ability it would be worth it, otherwise I wouldn't waste the points or buy an April week.


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## boraxo (Aug 11, 2020)

Wow - great advice here. Was considering buying a Gold ski week at HSL - I see a boatload at Redweek ranging from $500-5000. 

But sounds like I would be better off buying a Diamond week at HPP and trading into a ski week at HSL. 

Would the 2200 points provide better access to Aspen and Maui as well (non-peak weeks) or is that just wishful thinking? No interest in Breckenridge or Vail. 

Thoughts?


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## peas (Aug 11, 2020)

Yes, you'd be better off with a HPP 2200 pt & trade into HSL since they're always available.

Better access to non peak week:  Maui has been a tough trade but I have seen availability though a little on the last minute side or partial weeks.  Maybe others may comment as I don't watch Maui much.  As for Aspen, I have often seen Aspen mud weeks available.  We've picked up a very late ski season Aspen 2bdrm and have contemplated a fall weekend when I've seen availability.  Having more points may improve access for the larger point units.  I suspect we picked up the 2 bedroom mud week because maybe others don't really want to pay the 2 bedroom weekend points for late ski season conditions.


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## Kal (Aug 11, 2020)

IMHO, aside from purchasing a ski-week property, try to obtain a reservation thru the CUP points system.  Purchase a resort that you would like stay consistent with your budget limitations.  For the specific week to own think backwards about when the earliest date the ski week property would become available on points.  That could be 6-12 months from the first day of the chosen week.  Thus, you would need to have those points in your account at the time the resort can be booked.

As an example, if you want to reserve Week 5 in 2022, you would have to have points available on the first day of Week 5 2021.  However, if you assume the reservation won't be available until 6 months prior, you would need to have the points available before early August 2021.  Thus, you would need to have ownership of a resort between February and July.  Rarely do units become available 12 months out, but highly likely at 6 months out.  I would suggest owning a week in the early to late spring.

You would need to place your request on the "Wait List" as early as possible.  You don't have to have points in your account to get on the Wait List.  You just want to be at the top of the list when the ski-week reservation becomes available.


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## WalnutBaron (Aug 11, 2020)

ski_sierra said:


> Thanks for the feedback. I am not interested in going to Breck. Northstar could have been useful but I read somewhere that they don't have too many units there so it's always hard to go. HSL ski weeks are easy to get with II trades. I bought a getaway for week 8, 2020 for around ~$900. Cost to exchange with SDO would be similar. A weekend stay using Hyatt points would be 920 to 1100 points, so once you factor in the purchase price, the cost is similar as a full week exchange. Probably one can get the points reservation easier than the exchange booking. So the advantage is small.
> 
> A Sedona platinum week just sold for $4450 plus closing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/312787714060?ul_noapp=true
> 
> I will think about this a little bit more before proceeding.


One thing to consider--especially since you live in the Bay Area and have easy access to the Tahoe region: you are correct that Northstar is hard to get because of limited availability. That is true of Hyatt. But what you may not know is that Hyatt owns a long-term lease on its units for the Northstar property, which is actually owned by Welk. If you'd really prefer Northstar, I suggest you look into buying Northstar from Welk on the resale market. Welk has a much larger supply of available units. Just an idea.


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## ski_sierra (Aug 11, 2020)

WalnutBaron said:


> One thing to consider--especially since you live in the Bay Area and have easy access to the Tahoe region: you are correct that Northstar is hard to get because of limited availability. That is true of Hyatt. But what you may not know is that Hyatt owns a long-term lease on its units for the Northstar property, which is actually owned by Welk. If you'd really prefer Northstar, I suggest you look into buying Northstar from Welk on the resale market. Welk has a much larger supply of available units. Just an idea.


I see that my old thread has come back to life.

I looked into Welk but the program is similar to HPP: lots of low demand inventory bundled with a few prime weeks. The MFs are extremely high. Developer purchase owners have an advantage in booking up inventory before resale owners. I'm tied to school calendar so it's not a good fit for me.

I'm more interested in the other Hyatt resorts. Let's see if a good opportunity to own a Hyatt week shows up.


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