# Does anyone like HGVC or Hilton Club?



## Jasmine658 (Feb 20, 2011)

I posted a poll on another website, and no one voted for HGVC as timeshare they have or would buy. Seems everyone leaning toward DVC, Marriott, and Worldmark these days.

Just wondering if anyone likes HGVC or if not, why not? I do see lots of little fees charged - booking, banking, etc, which DVC does not charge.


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## bogey21 (Feb 20, 2011)

At one time I owned a number of Marriott Weeks.  I sold because I didn't like the direction Marriott was heading.  I never owned any HGVC Weeks but often traded into their Las Vegas Resorts which I think are great.  Don't know if I would buy, but love to use.

George


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## GregT (Feb 20, 2011)

I think HGVC has one of the very best systems in timesharing, and is extremely owner friendly.   I wish HGVC had more locations than its concentration on Orlando, Las Vegas and Hawaii, but that's an observation that's been around for awhile.

Worldmark also has an excellent system, but the quality of the properties themselves is not at the same level as the hotel-branded timeshares (IMO).  Worldmark owners tend to be very passionate and supportive of WM because its such a good system.

Marriott has terrific properties, but Marriott is undergoing dramatic change right now that is just pulverizing its ownership.  They've introduced a new reservation process (that use points versus weeks) and overlaid the points system over their weeks-based system.  It's actually a good system in its own right (the points system) -- not as good as HGVC or Worldmark, but it does have many desirable features.   But there's a great many controversial things that Marriott has done that has hurt its reputation.

But back to your original question, HGVC is a great system and I really like owning, I studied it for a long time before purchasing -- I hope they find a way to add new locations.

Best,

Greg


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## northovr (Feb 20, 2011)

Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Seaworld  is my favorite resort.


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## yumdrey (Feb 20, 2011)

Among all my 14 timeshares including marriott, four seasons and westins (Starwood), Hilton (HGVC) is my most favorite one along with Worldmark.
Look at the each system board. Once starwood was in chaos, now marriott owners are upset, but Hilton owners are always peaceful and quiet 
It shows how HGVC owners are satisfied to their ownership.
Sometimes there are complains about extra fees or hard to reserve desired week at Hawaii, but it is better than change of the major system like starwood or marriott did (and doing).
Also look at the maintenance fee. Starwood had more than 20% increase in many resorts 2 years ago. Marriott owners are scared to get higher MF when Marriott is separated from timeshare business next year.
I don't worry about Hilton's MF each year. It is very important factor for me as a 3 week owner.
Currently, karen ave. location in vegas is under renovation without any special assessment.
If I buy more timeshare ever again, it will be either HGVC or Worldmark. But Hilton exercise ROFR actively and killer deals cannot pass ROFR, so I am done for a while


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## Sandy VDH (Feb 20, 2011)

Love my HGVC.  Very flexible.  Way more owner friendly than my wyndham. My only negative would be locations.  They have however gotten a bit better with the club interwest and grand pacific deals they have made to expand locations.  Still not enough but better.


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## Jasmine658 (Feb 20, 2011)

*Smoking at Hiltons ?*

One thing I read is that Starwood / Westin and Marriott have banned smoking at their hotels, and Hilton is dragging behind, leaving 1-10% of room available to smokers. As a property manager, I hate finding cigarette burns in carpet - next week replacing an entire hallway in building in San Francisco due to cigarette burns - Yes, all building leases read no smoking. 

Think that allowing smoking in buildings and hotels hurts value. But still Hilton seems to have such a user friendly system for booking (not set by week for example), except don't like all the nickel & diming fees that DVC doesn't charge - we own Disney Vacation Club points as our only current pre-paid vacation plan and have realized huge savings already by using it.

Our destinations really are usually international metropolitan cities. This can be tricky with a family. My husband gets asked to speak at conferences around the world, and as a family, we would like to tag along and have THREE beds to sleep everyone, plus a living area and kitchen. These conference destinations are usually NOT golf, beach, ski resorts, but are usually major international cities. My thought was that I can use the Hilton TS points transferred into regular Hilton resorts that are in the cities when necessary, when a "home-like" resort is not available and then just book 2 rooms as needed, or a combination, ie few days in regular Hilton, then resort Hilton somewhere outside of city. Normally we pay $3000 to rent a condo for a week in cities such as Montreal last year, but think that owning a TS purchased on resale market would certainly save us money in long run since MF around $700-$1400 is what I am seeing for 1 week use for 2BR timeshares per year, plus can tax deduct a portion that applies to property taxes helping a lot. My husband is paid for if he stays in conference hotel in regular room, but they don't pay for entire family. Conference opportunity is coming up in Kyoto Japan but see only Marriott has presence there, but not Hilton that only has location in Osaka, an hour away. So far we've been to Montreal, Paris, Koln, Amsterdam for conferences, and have missed opportunities for several locations in China and Hawaii where he was invited. We normally have 11-12 months notice as to the next years conference locations.

I wonder if Marriott may upgrade their system to a more flexible point system that transfers out when needed to their other hotels. That would be nice. In the meantime, Hilton still looking more appealing. I'm thinking of purchasing the NYC Hilton Club, since we would use that hotel when visiting - almost impossible to stay there if don't own there - I used to live down the street from there so know the hotel pretty well. Other thought is to buy Las Vegas Flamingo Hilton (also love to go there for vacations) where the maintenance fees are about half of the NYC Hilton Club. We were always partial to Hilton Hampton suites when traveling, but those are too small for us now.

Still does anyone know if Hilton is to ban smoking? I really am on board with  the smoking bans.


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## linsj (Feb 20, 2011)

See this thread:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134439


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## yumdrey (Feb 20, 2011)

please see my answer which I posted on your other thread.
You cannot use hgvc poins to book hilton club.
and all hgvc resorts are non-smoking.


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## Talent312 (Feb 20, 2011)

Count me is as a HGVC fan.
We may whine a bit about its penchant for concentrating resorts in Orlando, Vegas and Hawaii, or nickle+diming us with its _al a carte_ fee structure, but its flexibility, online system and corporate RCI tie-in makes it vers consumer friendly, and darn close to hotel-like for reservations.


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## Jasmine658 (Feb 20, 2011)

*Sounds like need to stick with just NY Hilton Club*

Unless anyone knows of another nicer 2BR timeshare in NYC that trades for locations around the world, then sounds like Hilton Club @ 1355 Av Americas is better membership to have than HGVC because...

1) Can use Hilton Club NY points for any HGVC but HGVC members cannot use their points to stay at Hilton Club NY.
2) If don't own there, almost impossible to get a reservation.
3) Automatic Gold VIP status - not sure all the perks for this.
4) Great for trading power in RCI.
5) RTU expires one day, which I think is a plus just like our DVC points, and expire when I'll be too old to be going to NYC. I think know the difference between assets & liabilities and consider homes, land, timeshares, cars - all liabilities, and net income producers, cash & gold, family & friends all assets. I want to leave assets for kids, not liabilities.

Realize the maintenance fee is more each year for NYC, but cost to stay in NYC would be far more, even in just one of their regular rooms on lower floor (about $400/nt). Plus with TS ownership, can write off the property tax.

Now wish I could locate the 2011 Hilton Club Owners Guide in PDF....anyone have this? I've downloaded the 2010 HGVC Owners Guide, but can't locate the manual for just NY Hilton Club owners.


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## pianodinosaur (Feb 20, 2011)

I love HGVC.  We have been able to travel all over the world staying in in Hotel, timeshares, and via cruising.  We would not have been able to do this without HGVC and HHonors. The system is very user friendly and HGVC places a great deal on customer satisfaction.


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## yumdrey (Feb 20, 2011)

Jasmine658 said:


> Unless anyone knows of another nicer 2BR timeshare in NYC that trades for locations around the world, then sounds like Hilton Club @ 1355 Av Americas is better membership to have than HGVC because...
> 
> 1) Can use Hilton Club NY points for any HGVC but HGVC members cannot use their points to stay at Hilton Club NY.
> 2) If don't own there, almost impossible to get a reservation.
> ...



To correct something from your states...
#2. No, you can stay at Hilton Club NY through RCI exchange. Hilton deposits Hilton Club NY weeks just like other HGVC weeks, but you cannot expect peak holiday weeks. You can exchange into Hilton Club by using your regular HGVC points through RCI.
#3. As a HGVC owner, you get an automatic Silver VIP. But it doesn't have much benefit. I have never used any of my status benefit so far.
#4. No, there's no trading power difference between HGVC ownership and Hilton Club NY ownership. As Hilton owners, we are all the same in RCI.
There's no separate owners manual for NY. You can find ownership and resort info in the same manual in some pages (cannot remember page #).


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## chriskre (Feb 20, 2011)

So far so good for me with HGVC. 
I've yet to use my points but do love the Open Season options.


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