# Question: For anyone that owns more then one time share



## dede (May 10, 2014)

I am new to HGVC and time shares period. Very excited about getting started and feel like I am getting my crash course in tips and points. Thank you! My question is to those of you experienced people that own more then one company's vacation club. (I see there are a lot of you).

In your experience where does Hilton Vacation Club rank in terms of your overall experience.  Specifically in ease of use, getting the properties you want, RCI experience, the properties you have visited? The rules of the Points in general? 

What is the benefit of having the time shares with different companies vs going deeper in points?

In your honest opinion, which is your favorite and why? (Or best combo of clubs)

Since you are a pro - what would you recommend to your friends in terms of which club (s) to join and why?

Thank you!


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## ronparise (May 10, 2014)

I own in more than one points system and I own at some individual resorts (independents) not part pf any system...I dont own HGVC, so I wont speak to it or even compare the system, or the resort experience, one to another.

My advice is to examine the locations of the resorts first , if you see what you want ie if where you want to go is in the mix. put that system on your short list for consideration.  If there are certain areas important to you not represented on your "short list" keep looking for a system that has them included.  The reason to add a second system is because that second system has resorts located where your first system does not

In my case I started with Wyndham, because Wyndham is the only system that has resorts located in Florida, where I live (for those drive to getaways), and in Washington DC, where I have a lot of family and where I travel to frequently and also a nice mix of other places I might want go. But Wyndham is weak on the West coast, so I added Worldmark, in California, in order to have places to stay when I visit my kids and grandkids in Oakland and San Diego

So my advice, start with where you want to go and then worry about the details of how the system works and price and quality. These things are important, but location is your first consideration


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## RuralEngineer (May 10, 2014)

*Advice*

Ron's advice is great.  I like DRI right now.  I am able to use Powhatan Resort as my 2nd home.  Silver benefits are nice.  Club Select is also a nice benefit.  Wyndham is ok but has too many fees for someone with only a few points.  I own at VA beach since it is a well managed community and close to my home.  Rents are very strong in the summer.

Stephen


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## vacationhopeful (May 10, 2014)

I agree with Ron. 

I wanted South Florida very near the beach. As I have some grey hair and not as big of fan of the snow anymore, I wanted a locale much warmer in the winter and near the beach. I decided on a VRI Resort and some Wyndham points & fixed weeks during the time I wanted to be in the area. My resorts are within 6 miles section of Ocean Drive in Broward County FL.

Several of my siblings seem to have set up shop in the Western USA. So I added some Shell Vacation Club points to my collection - and I have now done 2 winter weeks near Phoenix, AZ (2013 & 2014). 

I have done Birthday Party Weeks - to gather my other 4 siblings & their spouses together. We spent multiple years caring for our aging parents (who had passed on by then) and after another funeral for a dear aunt (where one sister had flown 3000+ miles each way and did it in 24 hours - to attend the funeral) - I issued a "BIRTHDAY PARTY SUPRISE WEEK or else" invite. Just all us siblings and most spouses - it was an ADULT only trip - near Ft Lauderdale. It was a super success - and 5 years later, hosted a 2nd trip to Kauai.

I have taken nephews & nieces on very different solo trips -- Disney Vacation Club stay (at AKV) with a 12yo nephew was (reward trip) special but the separate one-on-one week trips with the 18yo niece or the first trip, with 13yo nephew --- were very unique with great memories made by all. But the 15yo nephew's and the 21yo niece's trips made memories for both of us also. 

Those memories are as priceless as are the pictures. Trips their parents (mostly) would NEVER have taken the kids on - like the 13yo nephew who told his parents at the airport when he returned, "I am going to college in Florida' and whose mother's (quick) reply was, "No, you are NOT!". He is at Georgia Tech in engineering & his mother is NOT HAPPY -- my reply is, "It is not Florida" -- her look is not a friendly one. She really just misses that boy as this is his freshman year.


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## GregT (May 10, 2014)

Good morning and welcome to TUG!

I like owning multiple timeshare systems and selected each for a different reason.  I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about where I want to travel (mostly tropical spots) and how to get there the most economically. 

I have two primary things I look for: quality of the accommodations and owner-friendliness of the reservation system.   HGVC meets both of these needs and is a staple in my timeshare world.  The properties are high quality and well located, and it is very owner friendly from a reservation perspective. 

Importantly, it can be purchased resale - not all mini-systems are easy to access via resale. 

Each of the others were purchased for very specific reasons, usually a target property within the mini-system that I liked.  I don't trust the exchange systems (II/RCi) to get me the reservations I need so I prefer to own.   

I hope that helps!

Best,

Greg


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## GregT (May 10, 2014)

OP,

Looking back at your questions, I would rank the systems as follows:

Ease of points-based reservation system:

1) Worldmark
2) HGVC
3) Disney
4) Starwood

Note I didn't include Marriott because the point system is hard to buy resale. 

Quality of properties:

1) Marriott
2) Starwood
3) HGVC
4) Disney
5) Worldmark (big step down from #4)

If I had to buy today to start a timeshare collection of mini-systems:

1) HGVC
2) Worldmark
3) Starwood
4) Disney

These are just my opinion, and I welcome the comments of others!  My enthusiasm for Hawaii is a major factor here. 

Best,

Greg


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## SmithOp (May 10, 2014)

We live in California and vacation every year in Hawaii (Kona mostly, last 20 yrs), we also like local beach time.  We started buying in to Hilton in 2001 in the Hawaii locations, every other year Oahu then Kona for the home resort booking advantage.  I typically worked 60 hrs a week didn't have the time or inclination to trade in. I retired three years ago, just after joining TUG and learning all the tricks.  We have since picked up a Starwood (free on TUG) to trade into Maui and Kauai, and a GPX ($5 on eBay) for CA beach time.  

Right now we are set for many happy retirement years traveling, I have access to HGVC, Interval, RCI, SFX, and GPX inventory.

I haven't stayed in Marriott, but I would rank the top tier as equals, just depends on location. HGVC, Westin, Marriott, Hyatt.


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## presley (May 10, 2014)

This is a timely question because I have recently come to the conclusion that if I didn't know so much about timeshares, I would have been happy with just one system.  For flexibility and short stays, points systems have a lot to offer.  

I think you could easily buy mega HGVC and live happily ever after.  Same goes for Worldmark or Shell.  Between those 3, I'd say Worldmark is the better bargain.  They have many more locations than the others and their fees are much lower than the others.  Worldmark also trades in both RCI and II.

To your question, "In your experience where does Hilton Vacation Club rank in terms of your overall experience. Specifically in ease of use, getting the properties you want, RCI experience, the properties you have visited? The rules of the Points in general?" 
I enjoy my HGVC membership for stays in Hiltons.  Weekend beach stays do require advanced planning (9 months ahead), but I've been very lucky most of the time for other stays.  
My RCI experience has been bad.  I don't get contacted if I have an ongoing match, I don't see anything online that I want to book, the fees for booking are too high, especially for short stays, the resorts are not as good as Hiltons.... not impressed at all and I am easily impressed.  
Not sure what you mean by rules of the points in general.  We have to book a minimum of a 3 night stay.  That usually works okay.  For open season, we have to book a minimum of 2 nights.  I wish we could just book one night.  

If you are thinking about adding on more HGVC, I suggest you wait at least a year to see how much use you get out of what you have.  When all their fees went up for 2014, I did the math on some stays and found that I would pay less for one of my weeks if I paid open season cash rate instead of owner MF rate.  The downside to that is open season can only be booked 30 days in advance, but that works well for me.


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## Ron98GT (May 10, 2014)

GregT said:


> OP,
> 
> Looking back at your questions, I would rank the systems as follows:
> 
> ...


I don't understand your comment about Marriott resale TS's being hard to purchase?  There's always a good selection on eBay, which is where I purchased mine, for a great price.  You can also find Marriott TS's on our own Tug Marketplace.  Granted, these are weeks, so if your eluding to points, I don't know what the market is like for points, but I wouldn't recommend Marriott points for the newbie only a good 2-BDRM L/O trader Week.

1. I really like my Marriott L/O week for stays at Marriott's and Weston's, primarily Hawaii, but we're looking at trying Cancun, Thailand, Spain, Aruba, etc.
2. I purchased my HGVC for only HGVC stays, primarily Hawaii, but also short stays in NYC.  Also look forward to using HGVC Open Season, primarily for extra days in Hawaii.
3. I like my RCI points (2-BDRM Grandview) for Las Vegas New Years Eve, for HGVC (Hawaii, Marco Island in Florida, and Mexico), and for short stays.

As far as "Quality of properties:", I agree with your top-3 (Marriott, Weston, & HGVC), although I'm not sure how I'd rank them, because each site/TS complex can be so uniquely different, along with different rooms at that TS complex.


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## GregT (May 10, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> I don't understand your comment about Marriott resale TS's being hard to purchase?  There's always a good selection on eBay, which is where I purchased mine, for a great price.  You can also find Marriott TS's on our own Tug Marketplace.  Granted, these are weeks, so if your eluding to points, I don't know what the market is like for points, but I wouldn't recommend Marriott points for the newbie only a good 2-BDRM L/O trader Week.
> .



Ron, you are correct and I should have been more clear - I was talking about using points in these systems and not week ownership.  I will edit the above post. 

Best,

Greg


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## buzglyd (May 10, 2014)

You've gotten some great advice here. 

Buy where you want to go is always excellent advise. And there are also several systems (Worldmark it seems since I don't own) that are what you could call a Swiss Army Knife timeshare.

For example:

My Carlsbad Seapointe week gets me:

6200 HGVC points
RCI system via HGVC portal
GPX access to exchange/bonus weeks
Resortime owner rates
Bonus time rates
Day use

If I could only own one, this would be it for me since I live 5 miles away.

But, even my creaky old Gaslamp (purchased for $3 on ebay) gets me:

RCI and II afilliation
VRI access to bonus weeks and bonus nights
Bonus time

And the ability to reserve and then rent a huge event week (San Diego Comic Con) which will make my maintenance fee 4 times over.

You've got a lot to study now.


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## pedro47 (May 10, 2014)

GregT said:


> OP,
> 
> Looking back at your questions, I would rank the systems as follows:
> 
> ...



You did not rank DR. Why ?


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## Ron98GT (May 10, 2014)

GregT said:


> Ron, you are correct and I should have been more clear - I was talking about using points in these systems and not week ownership.  I will edit the above post.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Greg


That's OK. Up until very recently, I thought resale points could NOT be acquired.  I thought you HAD TO purchase points from the developer. 

But, A Marriott L/O resale, that's the way to go.


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## Ron98GT (May 10, 2014)

pedro47 said:


> You did not rank DR. Why ?


DR who


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## GregT (May 10, 2014)

pedro47 said:


> You did not rank DR. Why ?



I think you are referring to Diamond, but I don't own them so can't really rank them.  Thx


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## lizap (May 10, 2014)

Dave,  for the most part, I agree with your rankings, although I would re-rank slightly: 1. Westin, 2. Marriott 3. HGVC 4. Hyatt 5. Disney.  Westin generally has some gorgeous properties (e.g., Hawaii, WKV).  Marriott and HGVC as well have some beautiful resorts.  Some of the Hyatts (e.g., Residences at Park Hyatt-Beaver Creek) are at the very top, in terms of luxury.  For me, both quality of the resort and location are very important..  I bought Hyatt and not HGVC because of the unique locations.   Eventually most likely will buy Marriott in Florida, where we want to visit.  Would rank Disney fifth because of price and limited locations.




SmithOp said:


> We live in California and vacation every year in Hawaii (Kona mostly, last 20 yrs), we also like local beach time.  We started buying in to Hilton in 2001 in the Hawaii locations, every other year Oahu then Kona for the home resort booking advantage.  I typically worked 60 hrs a week didn't have the time or inclination to trade in. I retired three years ago, just after joining TUG and learning all the tricks.  We have since picked up a Starwood (free on TUG) to trade into Maui and Kauai, and a GPX ($5 on eBay) for CA beach time.
> 
> Right now we are set for many happy retirement years traveling, I have access to HGVC, Interval, RCI, SFX, and GPX inventory.
> 
> I haven't stayed in Marriott, but I would rank the top tier as equals, just depends on location. HGVC, Westin, Marriott, Hyatt.


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## Vacationfuntips (May 10, 2014)

dede said:


> I am new to HGVC and time shares period. Very excited about getting started and feel like I am getting my crash course in tips and points. Thank you! My question is to those of you experienced people that own more then one company's vacation club. (I see there are a lot of you).
> 
> In your experience where does Hilton Vacation Club rank in terms of your overall experience.  Specifically in ease of use, getting the properties you want, RCI experience, the properties you have visited? The rules of the Points in general?
> 
> ...



I own more than one timeshare. I own several - however, they are all within the same system.  Wyndham.  I am happy with my Wyndham timeshare decision.  It is fairly easy to use and the maintenance fees are reasonable.  I have learned to get more than I thought in terms of vacation time and usage by learning my system.  Whatever Wyndham doesn't have, I look at RCI for the rest.  

Hilton is with RCI and I can book there too and for what I think is better pricing than if I purchased from Hilton directly?  I wonder if any others agree with this? 

Grand Pacific Resorts is affiliated with Hilton, and RCI has those properties available too.  Some look really, really nice!  The only thing for me is the 1 in 4 rule.  You can't have everything all of the time.  Oh well !  Additionally, Fiesta Americana properties in Mexico are part of the Hilton system and you can book those also with RCI.

I have started looking at other timeshare systems recently, and at least for now I like the simplicity of owning in just one system. 

 In time, my view may change when I learn more about some other timeshare systems.  I would like to get access to II resorts too, but I will only buy something if I become well read and feel comfortable?  

Additionally, I think one should look at the destinations offered within the system before you buy into it.  If there are not enough resorts that you can see yourself going to, it might be a good idea to look into another system to compliment the one that you have?

Good luck picking the best timeshare system(s) for you!

Cynthia T.


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## chriskre (May 11, 2014)

dede said:


> I am new to HGVC and time shares period. Very excited about getting started and feel like I am getting my crash course in tips and points. Thank you! My question is to those of you experienced people that own more then one company's vacation club. (I see there are a lot of you).
> 
> In your experience where does Hilton Vacation Club rank in terms of your overall experience.  Specifically in ease of use, getting the properties you want, RCI experience, the properties you have visited? The rules of the Points in general?
> 
> ...



I own several systems.  Disney, Hilton, Wyndham, Bluegreen and Vacation Villages along with a few independents.

I love my HGVC because I live in FL where they have a ton of vacation options for a FL owner.  I think if you live near their core of resorts like in Southern California, Hawaii or FL then it's a great system because of the bonus time.   The only negative is that HGVC has pesky fees for everything.

Wyndham is great because it's easy to use and has lots of vacation options although takes a little education on how to avoid their nickel and dime fees.

Disney is easy peasey for a Disneyphile but best used within DVC only.

Bluegreen is also a very owner friendly system with lots of nice club options and few pesky fees.  

Vacation Villages has a large home group and acts as a mini system within RCI with RCI points.   Gives you priority access to several resorts before the rest of the RCI points owners can book.  

If I were advising a friend on what to buy, I'd definitely say buy biennials in several systems and spread out your risk and benefits.


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## UWSurfer (May 11, 2014)

We have HGVC as our primary t/s club and have three other independents which are part of some mini-systems (HIVC, VRI & Soleil (formerly Consolidated Resorts).

Frankly our mix has worked well for us.   We use HGVC for stays within HGVC thus far & a few times with Hhonors using those points we mostly get through an Hhonors credit card.  We did convert some points ahead of a planned trip one year to a part of the country where there wasn't TS and we planned to stay at Hilton affiliated hotels.  The trip didn't happen and those points were used over a couple of years as circumstances popped up and provided a very useful option when we needed a place but didn't want to spend more $$.  When figuring out what the HGVC points actually cost, converting them to HHonors is not considered a good value but it is an option I appreciate having and we felt we got good use from it.

Holiday Inn (Orange Lake) acquired one of our resorts and made a hard sell to get people to join their newly created club a couple years back. Our 2 Bdrm  unit was enrolled in RCI points by the owner prior to our purchasing it and we left it in RCI points.  The HIVC system was too new and didn't seem to offer anything more than the more established HGVC system we already were in.  That said, our HIVC/RCI unit is used almost exclusively as a trader within RCI.  We've had some good stays with it and usually pair a week at one of our other properties with a stay for a second week at a nearby exchange.  

Our other two are in Maui (every other year usage) and San Clemente, CA.  Maui we've paired with both a HGVC stay on another island and with another Maui property using the RCI trader.    San Clemente (VRI) is an annual vacation spot for us we can drive to in less than 90 minutes which is near a world class surfing spot in a beach town.  We also pair it with another resort we'll exchange into usually using the RCI trader or HGVC.  VRI has it's own mini exchange system which we've looked at but never used.  We have however stayed at several VRI managed properties through the RCI trader.

Provided we book far enough out (9 months), we've not had trouble getting what we want at HGVC within the system & their quality and guest service experience has been very good.  The RCI trader has worked well for us, although we keep our expectations down with some of our exchanges and often are pleasantly surprised.   Our combination has worked well for us and has been very complimentary.   I'd like to say we designed it this way but frankly it was mostly accidental how it worked out as we bought most of it inexpensively on the resale market and then learned how to work the systems and properties to do what we want.  We have TUG to credit for that education!


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## RichardL (May 11, 2014)

*Tip: Easy to buy hard to rent*

Best advise is that every member of tug has a different opinion of what they like best.  Obviously it is based somewhat on what they own.  My approach is to travel to as many timeshare shares and locations, and use your first hand experience to influence your decision to buy.

I am a multi-group owner, and inpart that is because after  20+ years going to 10-15 marriotts(i love marriotts), i wanted to experience starwood.

Past 10 years, i have enjoy hgvc.  Far to often after i try a new group i want to acquire one.

So i am a victim of easy to buy & hard to sell.  My advise to all newbies is rent, rent, rent and avoid the free unit on tug until you have a broad base of time at different timeshares.

Am i the only tugger who is not sorry for every ts that i have bought?  But i truly did not need to buy some.  

Hope this provides  another opinion.


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## GregT (May 11, 2014)

RichardL said:


> So i am a victim of easy to buy & hard to sell.




This is an excellent comment -- these things are very easy to buy and can be hard to sell.  I've only sold three timeshares in my career with mixed results.   My Starwood was easy to sell (and I probably mispriced it) because I wanted to sell it quickly so I could buy an HHV .   My Wyndham I basically gave away (because I basically got it for free) and it was painless.  However, a sale of half of my Worldmark points took months to find a legitimate buyer and I ended up getting much less than I expected.   But I sold it so I could buy my first HGVC.  ........

Richard has given great advice here.....think carefully about the purchase decision -- these things are terrific (in my opinion) but think about your exit strategy too -- even if the exit strategy is to give it away.

Best,

Greg


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## WalnutBaron (May 14, 2014)

*Key Factors To Consider*

I own within the HGVC and Starwood/Westin systems. In both cases, my home resorts are in Hawaii (one on the Big Island and the other on Kauai). I too share Ron's most important piece of advice: focus on the location of your home resort first. In fact, my key considerations in order of importance would look something like this:

1) Location. Make sure you're buying in a place where you truly love to vacation, want to vacation in the future, and don't see yourself growing tired of visiting for many years to come. In this regard, think of your stage of life as well. For example, buying a timeshare unit in Las Vegas probably isn't the best choice if you have young children, even if you and your significant other love it (unless you determine you don't want your kids to vacation with you). On the other hand, buying in Orlando is great if you have young kids, but if you're soon going to become empty-nesters, do you really envision yourself going to DisneyWorld every year? One more thought on location: Do NOT get caught up in "trade value" in order to buy a location you really don't care for but which has good trade value. I'm not saying it's not a consideration, but IMO it should be far down the priority list.

2) Cost of ownership. Too often, buyers focus on the upfront cost of the transaction as the major consideration. It's not. Ongoing maintenance fees are a major consideration, but there are others. For example, what is the annual cost to travel to your desired location? In the case of Hawaii, airfares have risen steeply in recent years as demand for Hawaiian vacations has grown tremendously--driven primarily by Asian visitors from Japan, Korea, and China. Occupancy rates in Hawaii are at near-record levels, and flights to and from Hawaii are near-capacity. This cost--the cost of actual travel to, from, and while visiting your timeshare location--is too often overlooked but should be a critical part of your decision process.

3) Ease of use and access to the resort system. In this respect, I give HGVC very high marks. Their online reservation system is outstanding, easy to use, and generally very accessible with enough advance planning. Reservation fees, cancellation fees, points rescue, points borrowing, and other features provide tremendous flexibility at a good value to the owner. I'm not familiar with the reservation systems for Marriott or Hyatt, but HGVC is superior to Westin/Starwood, even after Starwood finally joined the 21st century earlier this year by providing an online reservation process.

4) Potential resale value. Other TUGgers might put this factor as a higher priority, but in my mind--if you've done your research and have determined the frequency, location, and system you're interested in buying into to best fit your budget, family needs, and long-term goals, then buying something with an eye toward its value when you decide to get rid of it should be less important. That said, it is very true that specific resorts and systems can and do change over time. That's one reason I have stuck with two of the most reputable systems. My theory is that the major hospitality companies do not want their reputations or image sullied by having a timeshare division that degrades its brand, and so Hilton, Marriott, Westin/Sheraton, Hyatt, and Disney will fight like tooth and nail to uphold the quality of their timeshare resort offerings with tight quality standards. With regard to resale, remember that if you buy in an overdeveloped location (Vegas and Orlando come to mind), resale value will be very negatively impacted.

5) Desired level of "luxury". Like everything in life, the more "goodies" you want, the more you're going to be paying for it. For example, maintenance fees at the Westin resorts are among the highest in the industry, but the resorts are first-class, well-maintained, and greatly enhance the overall vacation experience. Lizap ranked Westin number 1 overall, and I would agree with that. I don't own at Marriott, Hyatt, Disney, or WorldMark, but I have stayed at these concepts through exchanges in the past and find Westin to be number one. But if you're willing to give up a little in terms of luxury and pampering, I think you can do very well at Marriott and HGVC with generally cheaper MF's (by several hundred dollars per year).

I know these factors don't answer your specific questions, but I thought I'd pass along some hard-earned knowledge that should help you in your decision-making.


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## momeason (May 14, 2014)

RuralEngineer said:


> Ron's advice is great.  I like DRI right now.  I am able to use Powhatan Resort as my 2nd home.  Silver benefits are nice.  Club Select is also a nice benefit.  Wyndham is ok but has too many fees for someone with only a few points.  I own at VA beach since it is a well managed community and close to my home.  Rents are very strong in the summer.
> 
> Stephen



I do not like DRI. Most benefits are lost on resale and DRI requires more planning on deposits into II. You cannot deposit your points late in the year as you can with Wyndham. My SIL is a poor planner and wastes her points because she cannot deposit points into II late in the year.
A lot of DRI resorts also charge for internet, a sore point for me. The resorts are nice enough, but the system is not user friendly.


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## GregT (May 14, 2014)

WalnutBaron said:


> I own within the HGVC and Starwood/Westin systems. In both cases, my home resorts are in Hawaii (one on the Big Island and the other on Kauai). I too share Ron's most important piece of advice: focus on the location of your home resort first. In fact, my key considerations in order of importance would look something like this:
> 
> 1) Location. Make sure you're buying in a place where you truly love to vacation, want to vacation in the future, and don't see yourself growing tired of visiting for many years to come. In this regard, think of your stage of life as well. For example, buying a timeshare unit in Las Vegas probably isn't the best choice if you have young children, even if you and your significant other love it (unless you determine you don't want your kids to vacation with you). On the other hand, buying in Orlando is great if you have young kids, but if you're soon going to become empty-nesters, do you really envision yourself going to DisneyWorld every year? One more thought on location: Do NOT get caught up in "trade value" in order to buy a location you really don't care for but which has good trade value. I'm not saying it's not a consideration, but IMO it should be far down the priority list.
> 
> ...



This is an outstanding post --  I think very similarly and will point TUGgers to this as a nice summary of things to consider.

Well done!

Best,

Greg


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## TheWizz (May 19, 2014)

momeason said:


> I do not like DRI. Most benefits are lost on resale and DRI requires more planning on deposits into II. You cannot deposit your points late in the year as you can with Wyndham. My SIL is a poor planner and wastes her points because she cannot deposit points into II late in the year.
> A lot of DRI resorts also charge for internet, a sore point for me. The resorts are nice enough, but the system is not user friendly.



I think one's DRI experience is based upon how/when you were able to acquire DRI.  If I was starting out today, the price-point for getting into The Club would probably keep me away.  When I got in (many years ago), I was able to take some of the deeded Sunterra and DRI (Polo Towers) weeks I already owned and pay $2995 to buy-into The Club and overnight was able to become a Gold Elite member with access to any/all DRI resorts and affiliates.  This was important to us since we love Maui and wanted to visit frequently.  Since I own deeded weeks and not Club Points, I can actually use my points for a cruise for close to break-even costs and a few times I booked a cruise, got my $$ back and then cancelled the cruise and pocketed close to what the MFs costs are each year.  But I hear the days of being able to buy-in to The Club for the $2995 are over.     I really like some of the new benes being added to DRI Club Elite levels lately like the Luxury Collection, last minute points rentals, VIP Airport Lounge Access, etc.  

I later added HGVC via two affiliates (GPP) I purchased resale.  One off of EBay (worth 8400 pts) and one direct via the GPP resale dept (worth 6200 pts).  Back then you could buy one unit resale from GPP and bring in existing GPP ownerships into HGVC, so I was able to do something similar with HGVC and get Elite status once I joined.  Similarly, I hear that too is no longer allowed.  But to be honest, the Elite status in HGVC isn't worth as much as the Gold Elite status benes in DRI (IMO). 

We like to travel to all of the Hawaiian islands so having DRI and HGVC is a good mix since I have all islands covered via both companies.  The most important thing to do before jumping into another purchase is do a lot of reading on each of the TS companies on TUG and other sites and ensure whatever else you purchase will "fit" into your family's needs and that you can make full use of the timeshare(s) purchased.  Watch out for the MF costs of pure points based systems.  I know the MF costs in DRI for a deeded week vs. Points is quite different.  So much so that I owned some DRI Points and gave them back several years ago due to the $ per point price difference between my deeded weeks points value vs. the Club Points.  Good luck!


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## Sandy VDH (May 19, 2014)

I own 2 weeks with HGVC for 14K points annually.  I own Wyndham at nearly 1M points.  I also own 1 week in Holiday Inn (cheap conversion for a week I already owned).

HGVC

I like HGVC for the high quality resorts and some of the locations, especially Hawaii. Lately I have been renting out my HGVC to family and friends instead of using my weeks. This is a short term situation. 

Oahu HI has been harder and harder to get.  I do not want to pay the premium in points to stay at GW but prefer LT, which everyone else does too.  The Lagoon Tower at HHV is likely the hardest trade in HGVC.  You have to plan early at exactly the 9 month mark, are hope for a last minute cancellation.  

I don't use HGVC much for RCI trades.  I use other RCI deposits or my Wyndham account if I am going to trade into RCI. My points are of more value to me to use in HGVC.

HGVC is getting a bit more locations, by buying already built inventory, but in general they are too Orlando, Vegas, Hawaii centric.  They need more locations. 


Wyndham

I also have a Platinum VIP membership with Wyndham.  I use these a lot for personal use and I use a lot for rentals.  Wyndham offers a discount at 60 days prior to check in.  I book about 85% of my reservations in this timeframe.  I only do 1 or 2 booking ahead of time during the standard reservation window.  I wish that HGVC has such a program that they offer discounts at last minute, but they do not.  

If you got a presidential unit, they are very much on par with HGVC units.  If you got a regular unit, they are nice, but not as luxury.  I do book a lot of presidential units for my personal use.  I rent out a lot of the regular units to friends and family. 

Wyndham has nearly a 100 resorts with the new Shell units that will be available in July.  They have a lot of resorts in a variety of location, city locations and resort locations.  

I really like my Wyndham, and getting into Wyndham is cheap, however buying to get the VIP via resale in now impossible.  

Others
I own a few other weeks that are deposited in RCI and the Holiday Inn vacation club.  I use these for some off locations, or at times I use them to trade into HGVC when they make the annual deposits (which they just did for many but not all of the resorts).


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## CJinPHX (May 20, 2014)

*HGVC Affiliates and II*

Just a quick note that one downside often noted to owning Hilton is lack of access to II. I have concentrated ownership in Hiltons, but have Southwest FL affiliates.  

The downside of the affiliates is higher maintenance fees per point, but for me a big upside is that individually they trade in II, RCI and SFX as well as being able to convert to HGVC points. Plus, they are all in great rental areas. 

Another upside is that they can often be purchased so cheaply that you can offset the higher maintenance fees for many years with the value at purchase.

So, depending on the year, I have lots of choices with what to do with my HGVC Florida weeks.


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## Bxian (May 29, 2014)

Not all HGVC South Florida affiliates trade within II.  We own at the Charter Club which is RCI only.


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## Bxian (May 29, 2014)

we have mulled over buying into another system as well.  Too much work, not enough time off at this point.  I have considered Hyatt-does anyone know if it is easy to trade within Hyatt if you buy one of the less expensive resorts?  I would imagine that Bonita Springs would be cheaper than some of the other locations-a week there would compliment our HGVC Marco Island weeks-but I worry about the ability to trade elsewhere.  We love our home timeshare, but bought 2 weeks so that we could either keep 1, trade 1 or try to book 2 weeks close together.

We have also considered Sheraton Desert Oasis for Starwood trades, Worldmark because we enjoy visiting the West Coast, and Wyndham because of its East Coast presence.  I still hesitate, though-we use hotel points and miles to great advantage, and also like the occasional cruise.  So many places to travel, so little time 

Would love to hear more feedback about VRI and Bluegreen (quality of resorts, areas where they have a presence), as they are an option that I have not considered and appear to get decent TUG feedback.


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## johnrsrq (Jun 1, 2014)

*thank you all.*



TheWizz said:


> I think one's DRI experience is based upon how/when you were able to acquire DRI.  If I was starting out today, the price-point for getting into The Club would probably keep me away.  When I got in (many years ago), I was able to take some of the deeded Sunterra and DRI (Polo Towers) weeks I already owned and pay $2995 to buy-into The Club and overnight was able to become a Gold Elite member with access to any/all DRI resorts and affiliates.  This was important to us since we love Maui and wanted to visit frequently.  Since I own deeded weeks and not Club Points, I can actually use my points for a cruise for close to break-even costs and a few times I booked a cruise, got my $$ back and then cancelled the cruise and pocketed close to what the MFs costs are each year.  But I hear the days of being able to buy-in to The Club for the $2995 are over.     I really like some of the new benes being added to DRI Club Elite levels lately like the Luxury Collection, last minute points rentals, VIP Airport Lounge Access, etc.
> 
> I later added HGVC via two affiliates (GPP) I purchased resale.  One off of EBay (worth 8400 pts) and one direct via the GPP resale dept (worth 6200 pts).  Back then you could buy one unit resale from GPP and bring in existing GPP ownerships into HGVC, so I was able to do something similar with HGVC and get Elite status once I joined.  Similarly, I hear that too is no longer allowed.  But to be honest, the Elite status in HGVC isn't worth as much as the Gold Elite status benes in DRI (IMO).
> 
> We like to travel to all of the Hawaiian islands so having DRI and HGVC is a good mix since I have all islands covered via both companies.  The most important thing to do before jumping into another purchase is do a lot of reading on each of the TS companies on TUG and other sites and ensure whatever else you purchase will "fit" into your family's needs and that you can make full use of the timeshare(s) purchased.  Watch out for the MF costs of pure points based systems.  I know the MF costs in DRI for a deeded week vs. Points is quite different.  So much so that I owned some DRI Points and gave them back several years ago due to the $ per point price difference between my deeded weeks points value vs. the Club Points.  Good luck!



"how did you give them back". I am in a very similar circumstance which you were in. I picked up resale US collection points for  .015 and with usage for this year. Some friends will use/clients. But the MF on these points are higher than my TS deeded DRI silver acct and I may want to rid myself of these newly acquired points. Repercussions? I just bought points fom someone else , no deeds, no DRI documents- so can I surrender these eoy? 

I had found this site years ago, too bad I hadn't stayed, learned quite a bit here. Thanks everyone.
I like DRI for the most part and the wifi is free for me and my guests other than those resale points I think.


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## lizap (Jun 1, 2014)

SDO is not a mandatory resort, which means you can't use it to trade with StarOptions within Starwood.  You can get priority within II to exchange into other Starwood resorts.  Regarding Hyatt, the internal exchange system is more challenging to use than Hilton, Starwood, et .  Hyatt is a smaller system and as such, can be more challenging to get the trades you're looking for,  depending on your date and desired resort.  For example, it is difficult to get the Beaver Creek resorts during ski season.  On the other hand, some Hyatts, such as San Antonio and Branson are relatively easy to get.  With Hyatt, you can increase your chances of being successful by putting in a request, which can be done 18 months prior to your desired arrival date. Additionally, Hyatt trades very well within II.  I have gotten 2 great Marriott exchanges with my Hyatt so far. One of the things I like about Hyatt is the unique locations of many  of their resorts, such as Key West, Carmel, Sedona, San Antonio, etc.. Hyatt has a new resort going up in Maui, which is supposed to be first class.




Bxian said:


> we have mulled over buying into another system as well.  Too much work, not enough time off at this point.  I have considered Hyatt-does anyone know if it is easy to trade within Hyatt if you buy one of the less expensive resorts?  I would imagine that Bonita Springs would be cheaper than some of the other locations-a week there would compliment our HGVC Marco Island weeks-but I worry about the ability to trade elsewhere.  We love our home timeshare, but bought 2 weeks so that we could either keep 1, trade 1 or try to book 2 weeks close together.
> 
> We have also considered Sheraton Desert Oasis for Starwood trades, Worldmark because we enjoy visiting the West Coast, and Wyndham because of its East Coast presence.  I still hesitate, though-we use hotel points and miles to great advantage, and also like the occasional cruise.  So many places to travel, so little time
> 
> Would love to hear more feedback about VRI and Bluegreen (quality of resorts, areas where they have a presence), as they are an option that I have not considered and appear to get decent TUG feedback.


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## gnorth16 (Jun 2, 2014)

For me, HGVC is great since I always borrow points (before paying MF's) at no extra cost and open season for Vegas is wonderful.  I love the resorts, but currently, is it more cost effective to trade in with a different RCI TS.


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## TheWizz (Jun 11, 2014)

johnrsrq said:


> "how did you give them back". I am in a very similar circumstance which you were in. I picked up resale US collection points for  .015 and with usage for this year. Some friends will use/clients. But the MF on these points are higher than my TS deeded DRI silver acct and I may want to rid myself of these newly acquired points. Repercussions? I just bought points fom someone else , no deeds, no DRI documents- so can I surrender these eoy?
> 
> I had found this site years ago, too bad I hadn't stayed, learned quite a bit here. Thanks everyone.
> I like DRI for the most part and the wifi is free for me and my guests other than those resale points I think.



DRI used to allow one to give back DRI Club Points for a small admin fee several years ago.  I called to do so in Jan. one year and was told it had to be done before the end of year in Q4, so to call back around Nov-Dec and they would let me do so.  That was the year Poipu happened and they ended the give back option.  So when I called in Dec., was told they don't do that anymore, however, it was documented in my records that I was told to call back and they would do so, so they honored that and did take them back.  If it wasn't documented, I would have been SOL.


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## momeason (Jun 11, 2014)

RichardL said:


> Best advise is that every member of tug has a different opinion of what they like best.  Obviously it is based somewhat on what they own.  My approach is to travel to as many timeshare shares and locations, and use your first hand experience to influence your decision to buy.
> 
> I am a multi-group owner, and inpart that is because after  20+ years going to 10-15 marriotts(i love marriotts), i wanted to experience starwood.
> 
> ...



I have no regrets. I first purchased Wyndham, an II affiliated Wyndham. I was very happy for years and then sold it when Wyndham changed some rules. I got some great deals and 4-8 weeks a year from my 1 week allotment of points. Purchased resale and used it well. I then bought Starwood, SDO, and I love my great trade value and upgrades and Starwood priority. I am a happy owner. i have always resisted buying the great resorts I stay in. The thought always crosses my mind  but I always succeed in reining those thoughts in. I have always managed to get everywhere I wanted to go with a a lot of patience. Research, Research, research before and after the purchase and you should be fine. Do not buy on a whim.


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