# Thinking of buying hyatt



## Zac495 (Sep 14, 2009)

We currently own Hilton, but not a lot of Hilton resorts. We're considering trading our Hilton for  a Hyatt (of course there will some cost). We're thinking Beach House or Coconut Plantation. I've been to both. 1400 pts should get us 2 bed in summer. How well does this trade outside Hyatt in your experiences? Is there a Hyatt forum anywhere? THANKS!


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## ScoopKona (Sep 14, 2009)

I think most people here are going to recommend that you get 2200 points. That will get you anywhere you want to go in the Hyatt system.

I have 1300 points. I almost never use the Hyatt system (except for weekend stays with leftover points). My 1300 points gets me three studios or one studio and one 1-bedroom each year.

I like the fact that I pay one MF and get at least two weeks per year. But then again, I don't ski. And I don't often travel in high season -- I avoid crowds, when possible.

Certain Interval resorts are tough to get -- Manhattan Club, Atlantis, everything in San Francisco and most Disney properties. But in general, I've been able to get anything I want through II.

Since purchasing, I have exchanged for two summer weeks in England, several weeks in Italy (including Venice), St. Maarten (easy trade, though), Napa for X-mas (twice), Cape Cod in Summer, and in the Hyatt system, Carmel and Sedona.


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## urple2 (Sep 14, 2009)

> We currently own Hilton, but not a lot of Hilton resorts.



There's not a lot of Hyatt resorts either. Why not keep the hilton and take advantage of the RCI online access through Hilton, for when you want travel outside of the Hilton resort areas.


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## optimist (Sep 14, 2009)

I bought our Hyatt with the idea of trading.  My experience with searching using Hyatt has been that if you can travel off season, it's fabulous. You can get into most any resort. However, if you want to travel when everyone else is, the preferential window that both Marriott and Starwood gives their owners, eats up pretty much everything.  
So because my kids are still in school and I am tied to school holidays, Hyatt is great if you want to go to one of their resorts but not the best as far as trading.


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## Floridaski (Sep 14, 2009)

We own Hyatt and RCI weeks, we have had good luck with Hyatt trading.  About the only think I had a problem with was a Disney Vacation Club search last year, searching for Thanksgiving of 2009.  I now know why this was an issue, Disney was switching from II to RCI.  Now, I see much more Disney availability with RCI.

With Hyatt points, we have gone skiing in Colorado and Whistler during spring break.  I always sweat the spring break snow skiing for obvious reasons.  We invested in a Condo in Summit County, Colorado last summer - so this is not an issue any longer.  But, once our son gets out of High School, we will more then likely want to use the Hyatt points to ski other spots.  But, we will not be fixed by the school calendar. 

Moral of the story - if you are NOT looking for winter high season, Hyatt will do just fine.  You may want to find a nice, week - lots of great buys out there.  Keep the Hilton for a year or so and see how it works.  I find it very useful to own time in both II and RCI.

Bottom line we love Hyatt, the resorts are beautiful and we find them to be very customer friendly.  Anyway, I would look at where Hyatt is located.  It made sense to our family since we own homes in Colorado and Florida - this is where most of the Hyatt properties are located.  Easy to use the points last minute or for a quick weekend get away if you can drive!


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## Zac495 (Sep 14, 2009)

My thought is that I would use Hyatt exclusively. I love Beach House and Coconut Plantation. I would just use Hyatt. Tough trades get on my nerves - I'm not patient enough for the game - would rather just rent.

I was thinking of just renting period - but honestly -owning something makes sense. Hilton has fewer places than Hyatt - I really like some of hyatt's areas/properties.


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## optimist (Sep 14, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Hilton has fewer places than Hyatt -




I though Hilton had something like 40 properties and Hyatt had 11?


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## Twinkstarr (Sep 14, 2009)

optimist said:


> I though Hilton had something like 40 properties and Hyatt had 11?



A big chunk of those are "affiliated" resorts, like the ones in SW FL. Some owners participate in the Hilton point system and others don't.

One of the Sanibel resorts kicked Hilton out, there was a long thread about it here on TUG.


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## Zac495 (Sep 14, 2009)

Twinkstarr said:


> A big chunk of those are "affiliated" resorts, like the ones in SW FL. Some owners participate in the Hilton point system and others don't.
> 
> One of the Sanibel resorts kicked Hilton out, there was a long thread about it here on TUG.



And those affiliated aren't easy to get into. I've tried - there's probably a trick - ask ahead, wait, etc. I just am sick of that trading game. I know that timesharing is probably cheaper in the long run than renting, and I'm nowhere close to quitting timesharing or vacationing, but I can't stand worrying about an exchange.

LOVE the Hyatts-  I'd be happy to put an exchange first with them - wait and see - and just go to one of their resorts if I didn't get what I wanted quickly. 

I like 2 weeks in the summer - so one could be Hyatt and the other could be a rental wherever I felt like going.

Hilton is also nice (nice resorts) but not quite as classy - and Orlando zzzzzz I don't want to go back there.


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## Twinkstarr (Sep 14, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> And those affiliated aren't easy to get into. I've tried - there's probably a trick - ask ahead, wait, etc. I just am sick of that trading game. I know that timesharing is probably cheaper in the long run than renting, and I'm nowhere close to quitting timesharing or vacationing, but I can't stand worrying about an exchange.
> 
> LOVE the Hyatts-  I'd be happy to put an exchange first with them - wait and see - and just go to one of their resorts if I didn't get what I wanted quickly.
> 
> ...




I looked at the Hyatt for our CO ski week. It isn't the easiest system and it took me a lot of reading to figure out the basics. The problem was our Spring Break floats and a few realtors told us that a floating plat ski season would probably work better for us.

So I ended up with a Starwood unit, it's worked out well. Haven't had a problem getting a unit booked. 

Did you go to Orlando in summer? Yuck! my cut off is  Nov-May for Orlando. I'm breaking my own rules and heading down in October for a "mom only" trip to go to Epcot Food & Wine Festival.


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## optimist (Sep 14, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> And those affiliated aren't easy to get into. I've tried - there's probably a trick - ask ahead, wait, etc. I just am sick of that trading game. I know that timesharing is probably cheaper in the long run than renting, and I'm nowhere close to quitting timesharing or vacationing, but I can't stand worrying about an exchange.




And here I am, a Hyatt owner, wanting to trade to european resorts and about to bid on a Hilton. Go figure!  I guess the grass is always greener! So based on your experience, it looks like it will be a mistake.


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## Twinkstarr (Sep 14, 2009)

optimist said:


> And here I am, a Hyatt owner, wanting to trade to european resorts and about to bid on a Hilton. Go figure!  I guess the grass is always greener! So based on your experience, it looks like it will be a mistake.



Firm believer the grass is always greener in another system. 

Are you looking at the Hilton's in Scotland? I think Ellen was trying to get the "affiliate" resorts in SW FL(Marco Island, Sanibel etc).


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## optimist (Sep 14, 2009)

Twinkstarr said:


> Firm believer the grass is always greener in another system.
> 
> Are you looking at the Hilton's in Scotland? I think Ellen was trying to get the "affiliate" resorts in SW FL(Marco Island, Sanibel etc).



I  was thinking of buying a Hilton to trade into the Scotland and Portugal properties. My problem with timesharing is that there is no place that I want to go to over and over again, so for me "buy where you want to go" never made any sense. I want to go somewhere different every time.


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## Zac495 (Sep 15, 2009)

optimist said:


> I  was thinking of buying a Hilton to trade into the Scotland and Portugal properties. My problem with timesharing is that there is no place that I want to go to over and over again, so for me "buy where you want to go" never made any sense. I want to go somewhere different every time.



Yes, I agree - it is a big problem with timesharing. I think Scotland is easier - I can look for you if you want (in other words - i can go into the Hilton website and see what I see).

How many points are you thinking of purchasing? I have 5000 - if you want 2 beds, get 7000 pts IF you buy.


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## Twinkstarr (Sep 15, 2009)

optimist said:


> I  was thinking of buying a Hilton to trade into the Scotland and Portugal properties. My problem with timesharing is that there is no place that I want to go to over and over again, so for me "buy where you want to go" never made any sense. I want to go somewhere different every time.



I would love to get to Scotland, I've been to London and done some business trips in other parts of England. I'm a huge anglophile.

I like how the Hilton system works, but other than the European locations, I don't really need more points in Vegas and Orlando. Got those covered with Wyndham and DVC.


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## optimist (Sep 15, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Yes, I agree - it is a big problem with timesharing. I think Scotland is easier - I can look for you if you want (in other words - i can go into the Hilton website and see what I see).
> 
> How many points are you thinking of purchasing? I have 5000 - if you want 2 beds, get 7000 pts IF you buy.




I was thinking of a platinum 1 BR which has 4800.
I already have a high point Hyatt so I don't really need much more. Even though I would prefer a two bedroom, I don't really want to pay the higher maintenance.   
Can you check availability for Portugal for summer 2010 for me with those points?  Thanks a lot!


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## Zac495 (Sep 15, 2009)

optimist said:


> I was thinking of a platinum 1 BR which has 4800.
> I already have a high point Hyatt so I don't really need much more. Even though I would prefer a two bedroom, I don't really want to pay the higher maintenance.
> Can you check availability for Portugal for summer 2010 for me with those points?  Thanks a lot!



I'm seeing June 12th for 7 nights. I can't go further out since I can only search 9 months out. So indeed, it looks as though Portugal is a possibility.


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## optimist (Sep 15, 2009)

Thanks so much for checking Ellen. That's great to know because I have put in a request for the week of June 18th with II for the Four Seasons in the Algarve.  

As far as buying Hyatt, I think they hold their value pretty well so I don't think you will be sorry if you  buy one.  Good luck with your search.


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## pianodinosaur (Sep 15, 2009)

Zac495:

I am not that familiar with the Hyatt system as I do not own there.  However, I have seen some of their resorts and they are quite nice. Hilton makes it very easy to trade into Club Intrawest and Grand Mayan resorts.  We have had very good experiences with this option.  Hilton also has the advantage in that the points of a person who purchases resale are treated the same way as the points of a person who purchases directly from Hilton except for the Elite benefits.  This cannot be said of Marriott or Starwood.  I do not know about Hyatt's policy.  I think you may want to check into that before you sell your Hilton TS.  

Do you participate in Hyatt Gold Passport?  I have been to several meetings at Hyatt facilities and the convention facilities were excellent.  Hyatt has two excellent Golf resorts in the Texas Hill Country that are quite popular.  There is plenty to do even if you are not a golfer.


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## mesamirage (Sep 16, 2009)

*Hyatt Gold Passport*

As a resale buyer you cannot participate in the Gold Passport program with Hyatt. Consensus among Hyatt owners is that its not a good way to use your points anyhow, so no real loss in value.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=+1]CONVERT TO GOLD PASSPORT [/SIZE][/FONT]​ 
You have the option of depositing the entire point value for one fixed week to the Hyatt Gold Passport Exchange Program during the HRPP period, every other year (every fourth year for biennial members). You must convert the full amount of your Fixed week points.​ 
_Notes:_
_1._ _Club dues and fees must be paid before exchanging to the Gold Passport Program__._
_2. A $129.00 fee is required for the conversion. _
_*3. The Hotel Program is only available to owners who purchased directly from Hyatt - owners who did not purchase from Hyatt are not eligible for the Gold Passport Program.*_​


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## pianodinosaur (Sep 16, 2009)

mesamirage:

Thanks for providing the information.  I do not own at Hyatt but I do participate in Gold Passport.  It's a nice way to stay at a Hyatt Hotel or resort as a non owner and earn points towards free stays and upgrades.

Does purchasing resale at Hyatt permit one to participate in Hyatt's internal exchange program?


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## steve1000 (Sep 16, 2009)

pianodinosaur said:


> mesamirage:
> 
> Does purchasing resale at Hyatt permit one to participate in Hyatt's internal exchange program?



Yes, resale owners participate in the Hyatt internal exchange program the same way as someone purchasing from the developer.


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## mesamirage (Sep 16, 2009)

Just for clarification... the only benefit you lose by purchasing resale vs the developer (besides the 4x higher price!!) is the option to convert your Hyatt Vacation club points into Hyatt Gold passport points.  You can still independently participate in the Hyatt Gold passport it just will not be linked to your Hyatt ownership.  Again this is not seen as a real loss of any benefit by most Hyatt owners. 

As far as internal exchanges and all other benefits with the Vacation club you keep ALL of those benefits when you purchase resale.


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## Zac495 (Sep 16, 2009)

If you own less points than you need for year X, can you borrow ahead from year Y (like you can with Hilton)? Can you then save the points from year Y and combine them with year Z? Or do unused points need to be deposited? THANKS


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## Kal (Sep 16, 2009)

If you only own a single unit, for all practicable purposes, you cannot readily combine Year 1 points with those issued in Year 2.  There are a few twists around this restriction, but points move into different use limitations every 6 months over an 18 month period.  By the time the Year 2 points are available, Year 1 points have moved into the most restrictive last 6 month period.  In that period the points can be combined, but you must occupy the unit within 60 days of the reservation.  Thus no long term planning for such a stay.


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## mesamirage (Sep 16, 2009)

Kal, 

I have pulled in points from the next year before by paying the next years MF's.. .do you know the policy on that?  I just dont remember if I pulled from the same week or a different week.

Thanks


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## Kal (Sep 16, 2009)

mesamirage said:


> Kal,
> 
> I have pulled in points from the next year before by paying the next years MF's.. .do you know the policy on that? I just dont remember if I pulled from the same week or a different week.
> 
> Thanks


 
Borrowing points from the next year is indeed an option, but the points can only be used to reserve an available unit within 60 days prior to the first day of occupancy.


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## post-it (Sep 16, 2009)

Kal said:


> Borrowing points from the next year is indeed an option, but the points can only be used to reserve an available unit within 60 days prior to the first day of occupancy.



This is good to know in advance of purchasing.  Is the Hilton run the same with borrowing points from the next year?


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## Zac495 (Sep 17, 2009)

post-it said:


> This is good to know in advance of purchasing.  Is the Hilton run the same with borrowing points from the next year?



Hilton is great about borrowing points -just do it. No restrictions for a year. Last year I borrowed 600. So i only have 4400 this year. So I borrowed 400 from next year. Next year I'll only have 4600 so i'll borrow 200. Then I'll be at 4800 which is what you need for a 2 bed red in RCI.

That's a great selling point on Hilton,  but I hate the trade game. Hyatt seems to have nicer places to go (wait - Hilton is gorgeous - but only Orlando, Vegas, Hawaii). If you want to go to those  3 areas, I'd buy Hilton in a heartbeat.


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## post-it (Sep 17, 2009)

Ellen - 

It does sound like you will need to take the Hyatt borrowing for bookings only 60 days out into consideration since you borrow each year for Hilton.  I'm not sure if you can get the resorts you want only 60 days out.  I'm locked into the summer for travel with the kids in school so I already have my bookings for next summer (crazy)!

It would be great to own at 2 nice resorts like Hyatt & Hilton together.  

By the way, how are you feeling after your surgery?


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## Zac495 (Sep 17, 2009)

post-it said:


> Ellen -
> 
> It does sound like you will need to take the Hyatt borrowing for bookings only 60 days out into consideration since you borrow each year for Hilton.  I'm not sure if you can get the resorts you want only 60 days out.  I'm locked into the summer for travel with the kids in school so I already have my bookings for next summer (crazy)!
> 
> ...



Glenda,
I'm feeling GREAT! Thanks.Yeah, i'm thinking of buying an EOY Hyatt and keeping my Hilton..... Just worried that 1400 points may not be enough - it won't get me into all of the resorts - yet Beach house and Coconut plantation are what i really want .


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## ScoopKona (Sep 17, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Glenda,
> I'm feeling GREAT! Thanks.Yeah, i'm thinking of buying an EOY Hyatt and keeping my Hilton..... Just worried that 1400 points may not be enough - it won't get me into all of the resorts - yet Beach house and Coconut plantation are what i really want .



I own Beach House. 

Why do you want Beach House? It's way too far from Old Town. 

When I go home to Key West, I'll trade my Beach House points for a 1 bdrm Sunset Harbor. (I'd go with a studio, but I HAVE to have a kitchen in Key West. The seafood is too good not to have a kitchen.)


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## Zac495 (Sep 18, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> I own Beach House.
> 
> Why do you want Beach House? It's way too far from Old Town.
> 
> When I go home to Key West, I'll trade my Beach House points for a 1 bdrm Sunset Harbor. (I'd go with a studio, but I HAVE to have a kitchen in Key West. The seafood is too good not to have a kitchen.)



I thought Beach House was the one right next to the hotel - with the great pool etc. I know i don't like Windward point - so far away from everything and overlooking the airport. 

Does it really matter what you own? I forget how points work. Say I buy Sedona - can I reserve a year out in Key West? What's the point of owning one property over another other than fee differences?


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## Twinkstarr (Sep 18, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> I thought Beach House was the one right next to the hotel - with the great pool etc. I know i don't like Windward point - so far away from everything and overlooking the airport.
> 
> Does it really matter what you own? I forget how points work. Say I buy Sedona - can I reserve a year out in Key West? What's the point of owning one property over another other than fee differences?



Ellen, have you checked out Kal's website about Hyatt?

http://www.bywindkal.com/HVC.htm

When we looked at Hyatt it was a big help in understanding the system. I think it's a little more complicated than Hilton or DVC. 

Thanks Kal for gathering all that info and putting it in an understandable form!


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## ScoopKona (Sep 18, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> I thought Beach House was the one right next to the hotel - with the great pool etc. I know i don't like Windward point - so far away from everything and overlooking the airport.
> 
> Does it really matter what you own? I forget how points work. Say I buy Sedona - can I reserve a year out in Key West? What's the point of owning one property over another other than fee differences?





Beach House and Windward are both on the extreme east end of the island. Windward next to the airport, Beach House next to the Cow Key Channel bridge.

Hyatt's Old Town resort is called Sunset Harbor. That's the one next to the Westin and close to Mallory Pier.

----------------------


As for the reservation system, you can book a year out, sure. But because owners at Sunset Harbor have a six-month HRPP window (just call it "Home Resort Procrastination Period"), you may not get a confirmation until six months out.

You also need to have enough points to cover your request.

A 2-bdrm unit anywhere in the system runs for 2,200 points for diamond season down to a low of 1,300 points for bronze. If you buy a 1,400-point silver week, you will NOT be able to get a 1-bdrm unit any time of the year because a 1-bdrm Diamond goes for 1,450 points. 

When I was selling this stuff, we always tried to get people to buy Gold or better, because a Gold owner has access to at least a 1-bdrm anywhere in the system, any time of the year.

For an Interval trader, 1,300 is the sweet spot, because that gets a 2-bdrm red week. (Or one 1-bdrm and one studio, or three studios).


http://www.tug2.net/advice/Hyatt.htm


EDIT -- I have gotten in arguments with people here before, but I'll say it again: If you're going to buy Hyatt, buy something that you could use if you had to. My worst case scenario is that I'm "stuck" visiting Key West in December, and watching the sunset from my top floor, awesome view, 2-bdrm condo. (I'll have to bike four miles to Old Town, but who cares. It's a beautiful ride, and the tallest hill in Key West is 27-feet high.) 

I would never buy something I wouldn't use, like a hurricane season week, even from Hyatt. I trust Hyatt more than most companies. But Hyatt management is going to look out for Hyatt's (and the Pritzker's) best interest more than mine.

Hyatt Vacation Club promises they'll never monkey around with the point system. But every other hotel-based timeshare system has (and gotten away with it). So maybe Hyatt eventually will, too.


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## Kal (Sep 18, 2009)

Owners familiar with Key West understand the importance of "location, location, location". Sunset Harbor is situated in the most ideal spot in Key West. Absolutely perfect because it's on the water in Old Town, a few steps from Mallory Square, and a short walk off Duval Street so it's very quiet. You can enjoy many fantastic bars and yet be able to easily crawl back home under any state of physical or mental impairment.

Because of these reasons, Sunset Harbor has the highest occupancy rate of any HVC Resort in the entire system. It also has the highest owner occupancy. On top of that there are only 41 units on the property and it is the only property of the 3 Key West HVC resorts to offer 1 BR or studio units. Taken together, this makes it extremely difficult to get a confirmation at Sunset Harbor.

And all the while everyone who owns in Key West claims "buy elsewhere and stay at Sunset Harbor". This puts a lot of pressure on Sunset Harbor and, unfortunately, every year we are seeing more and more people who can't get into the resort.

So, the easy answer is to buy a Sunset Harbor unit. That will at least guarantee your stay at that property. Otherwise, at best, you'll end up staying in off-season which in Key West is by no means attractive.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 18, 2009)

Kal said:


> And all the while everyone who owns in Key West claims "buy elsewhere and stay at Sunset Harbor". This puts a lot of pressure on Sunset Harbor and, unfortunately, every year we are seeing more and more people who can't get into the resort.
> 
> So, the easy answer is to buy a Sunset Harbor unit. That will at least guarantee your stay at that property. Otherwise, at best, you'll end up staying in off-season which in Key West is by no means attractive.



Agreed. I should have made that more clear. Chances of a non-owner getting SH for Fantasy Fest or Winter are slim. Not impossible, but slim. Non SH owners are going to have to be flexible. If you cannot travel anytime other than, say, Week 6, you'll likely be disappointed. 

But I disagree that off-season in Key West is "by no means attractive." Weeks 45 through 50 are my favorite weeks of the year -- and Bronze to boot. The weather is nice and there are next to no tourists. You get the town to yourself. And while Key West and "bargain" are mutually exclusive, it's easier to get a table at the better restaurants and there isn't a line around the block at Blue Heaven for breakfast.

Having put up with 15 years of Fantasy Fest crowds, Lobster mini-season crowds, Boat race crowds, bike week crowds and spring breakers, I would never return to Key West during season.


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## Zac495 (Sep 18, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> Beach House and Windward are both on the extreme east end of the island. Windward next to the airport, Beach House next to the Cow Key Channel bridge.
> 
> Hyatt's Old Town resort is called Sunset Harbor. That's the one next to the Westin and close to Mallory Pier.
> 
> ...



Good stuff - I guess I want Sunset Harbor.
I get it about the 6 months out - let me ask this - if I wait 6 months, is it likely , considering I put in the request early - that I will get what I want or do owners often book it up? I know with Marriott that's a big issue, as with Hilton. With Hilton, points are points - BUT - Hawaii is booked by Hawaii owners 12 months out. I have to wait until 9 months out with my Orlando Hilton to attempt to get anything other than my Orlando property. EASY if I want to go to Vegas. HARD if I want to go to Hawaii.


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## Zac495 (Sep 18, 2009)

Kal said:


> Owners familiar with Key West understand the importance of "location, location, location". Sunset Harbor is situated in the most ideal spot in Key West. Absolutely perfect because it's on the water in Old Town, a few steps from Mallory Square, and a short walk off Duval Street so it's very quiet. You can enjoy many fantastic bars and yet be able to easily crawl back home under any state of physical or mental impairment.
> 
> Because of these reasons, Sunset Harbor has the highest occupancy rate of any HVC Resort in the entire system. It also has the highest owner occupancy. On top of that there are only 41 units on the property and it is the only property of the 3 Key West HVC resorts to offer 1 BR or studio units. Taken together, this makes it extremely difficult to get a confirmation at Sunset Harbor.
> 
> ...




Oops - just read this - thanks - that's what I should buy, then. Maybe - I want to go in the SUMMER. How hard is it to get a summer week (27  - 31)
How about Coconut Plantation? If  I buy Sunset, but decide I want to go to coconut, is that pretty easy?


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## ScoopKona (Sep 18, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Oops - just read this - thanks - that's what I should buy, then. Maybe - I want to go in the SUMMER. How hard is it to get a summer week (27  - 31)
> How about Coconut Plantation? If  I buy Sunset, but decide I want to go to coconut, is that pretty easy?



I went to the Hyatt site, and even this far out, I was able to find a July week in a studio (No June weeks, though):

 	STD  	Sun Jul 11, 2010  	 Sun Jul 18, 2010  	7  	480

So, I wouldn't worry TOO much about summer availability. *But,* what size room do you want? If you need a 2-bdrm, you'll probably want to buy one at Sunset Harbor. Owners there tend to lock-off their units. (Thus getting both their fixed week and points to play in the club.) -- so there's usually a studio available, fewer one bedrooms and fewer still two bedrooms.

You can't really go wrong owning July 4 or Hemingway Days at Sunset Harbor. Do you have a particular summer week in mind?


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## Kal (Sep 18, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Oops - just read this - thanks - that's what I should buy, then. Maybe - I want to go in the SUMMER. How hard is it to get a summer week (27 - 31)
> How about Coconut Plantation? If I buy Sunset, but decide I want to go to coconut, is that pretty easy?


 
Summer is miserable in Key West....absolutely hot and humid. I would definitely spend a week there in July before you buy anything in Key West. Off season weeks can be had especially after the end of June. Fall weeks are even worse.

There is often lots of availability at Coconut during off-season.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 18, 2009)

Kal said:


> Summer is miserable in Key West....absolutely hot and humid. I would definitely spend a week there in July before you buy anything in Key West. Off season weeks can be had especially after the end of June. Fall weeks are even worse.



To each his own.

I tolerated the winters in Key West so I could enjoy my summers there. The diving is better, the fishing is better. All the snowbirds go home (good riddance!) And the locals get their island back -- somewhat. (There's still a few cruise ships each week, but that's an improvement on a few each day.)

Of course, one August (1995, I think) it rained all day, every day, for nearly a month!

August, September and October are the "bad" months in Key West -- always a danger of something tropical happening. (Not that I ever cared. Best thing about hurricanes were the hurricane parties). June and July are just hot -- 92f every day. 

November is my absolute favorite month. It's still warm enough to dive comfortably (highs in the low 80s), and the lows are in the 70s. There's the occasional shower, but nothing spectacular.


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## saturn28 (Sep 18, 2009)

I love Key West in the summer and fall. I enjoy the hot humid weather. The type of weather were your cloths stick to you, and there is always a bead of sweat on your forehead. It is great weather to sit in one of the outdoor bars and enjoy a nice cold beer. For me the hotter it is the better. I even enjoy going to Vegas in the summer.


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## Kal (Sep 18, 2009)

saturn28 said:


> ...there is always a bead of sweat on your forehead...


 
It's more like your shirt is wringing wet 3 minutes after you go outside.  95% humidity, 95 oF is soooo special.


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## pianodinosaur (Sep 18, 2009)

Zac495:  

The Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch and Hyatt Hill Country Resort and Spa is in San Antonio right next door to the Hilton Hill Country Resort and Spa (where I spent the labor day weekend).  The Hyatt TS is a year round golf resort and the facilities are fantastic (this is coming from a non golfer).  I don't think you will disappointed should you visit and that is saying a great deal since I have seen the Marriott resorts in Aruba.  

You have not been with HGVC that long and you were able to trade into Hawaii recently.  Now is not a good time to sell a TS but may be a very good time to purchase one resale.  I think you may do well if you keep your HGVC property and purchase a Hyatt property resale should you be in such a financial position.  

We will be going to Lake Tahoe to celebrate my wife's bithday in October.  We will be at the Red Wolf Lakeside Lodge which is not very far from The Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa and Casino, and The Hyatt North Star Lodge Residence Club.  I intend to write a review on the Red Wolf Lakeside Lodge and I plan to visit The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa and Casino as part of our vacation.  The High Sierra Lodge is right next door.  My plan is to get some pictures without going through a high pressure sales presentation.  

I am getting the impression that while Hyatt may not be as friendly to resale owners as HGVC, it is far more friendly than Marriott and Starwood.  

Should you visit the San Antonio Riverwalk area, The Hyatt Regency San Antonio is a great place with an ideal location. We have had several very good experiences staying there.  We have not yet stayed at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, which is a much newer facility.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 19, 2009)

Kal said:


> It's more like your shirt is wringing wet 3 minutes after you go outside.  95% humidity, 95 oF is soooo special.




Four words:

Columbia. Ventilated. Fishing. Shirts.


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## Zac495 (Sep 19, 2009)

I can only travel in the summer - I'm a teacher. I have 3 kids, so we must have a 2 bed. My husband hates the terribly hot weather. I love the beach in the summer. Part of me keeps thinking - just rent! Then you get what you want. But the timesharer in me say -every rental could have gone into owning it. If the rental price will be more than  2000 and fees are less than 1000, it's something to purchase. 

There needs to be one of those smilies that shows head spinnig.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 19, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> I can only travel in the summer - I'm a teacher. I have 3 kids, so we must have a 2 bed. My husband hates the terribly hot weather. I love the beach in the summer.



Well, that makes it easy. Buy Coconut Plantation if you want a Hyatt, because Key West beaches, frankly, suck.

Key West is known for what goes on seven miles out at the reef, not their beach. They only have one decent beach, Smathers, which is a one mile walk from Windward, a two mile walk from from Beach House and a four mile walk from Sunset Harbor.

Key West is also not known as a child-friendly destination. Most of the activities revolve around drinking, sex, fishing, gay sex, and _gay sex with a fish while drinking_. Oh, and art.


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## norm (Sep 19, 2009)

This thread has great information about Hyatt and Sunset Harbor.  

I'm a little confused about the reservation priority for Sunset Harbor.  If an owner doesn't use their deeded week number and choices to visit Sunset Harbor for a different week, do they get reservations priority over other Hyatt owners?

Thanks, Norm


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## Zac495 (Sep 19, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> Well, that makes it easy. Buy Coconut Plantation if you want a Hyatt, because Key West beaches, frankly, suck.
> 
> Key West is known for what goes on seven miles out at the reef, not their beach. They only have one decent beach, Smathers, which is a one mile walk from Windward, a two mile walk from from Beach House and a four mile walk from Sunset Harbor.
> 
> Key West is also not known as a child-friendly destination. Most of the activities revolve around drinking, sex, fishing, gay sex, and _gay sex with a fish while drinking_. Oh, and art.



Gay sex with a fish. NOW COME ON - how can you tell if the fish is male or female to be sure you're coupling with your same sex??!!!:hysterical:


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## bdh (Sep 19, 2009)

norm said:


> I'm a little confused about the reservation priority for Sunset Harbor.  If an owner doesn't use their deeded week number and choices to visit Sunset Harbor for a different week, do they get reservations priority over other Hyatt owners?



Short answer: No

Longer answer: Regardless of which HVC property is owned, the only priority an owner has is for the deeded week at their home resort.  That priority ends 6 months prior to the actual date of the deeded week.  IE: if you own week 26 (call that July 1st), you are guaranteed the specific unit and week you own until 6 months prior to that week (call that Dec 31st).

Because Sunset Harbor only has 40 units and is the oldest property in the system, the maintenance fees are on the high side.  However, due to Sunset Harbor's ideal location, the resale and developer units carry a higher sale price.  No doubt that paradise has its price.


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## athena (Sep 19, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> Well, that makes it easy. Buy Coconut Plantation if you want a Hyatt, because Key West beaches, frankly, suck.
> 
> Key West is known for what goes on seven miles out at the reef, not their beach. They only have one decent beach, Smathers, which is a one mile walk from Windward, a two mile walk from from Beach House and a four mile walk from Sunset Harbor.
> 
> Key West is also not known as a child-friendly destination. Most of the activities revolve around drinking, sex, fishing, gay sex, and _gay sex with a fish while drinking_. Oh, and art.



I can't stop laughing...:hysterical:


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## pianodinosaur (Sep 21, 2009)

Some fish can can change sex just like some frogs can change sex depending upon the population. Just watch Animal Planet and learn about it.


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## Floridaski (Sep 22, 2009)

*Key West can be a family vacation*

First - I have lived in Florida for 20 years and had more then one "fun" weekend in Key West as a single person.  

Now married for years with an 11 year old son, our idea of "fun" is much different.  We found that Key West can actually be a great family vacation spot.  They have great Pirate Museums, Truman's Little White House, an Aquarium, of course all kinds of water sports, fishing, a day trip to Fort Jefferson - expensive but a great trip.  We go to the keys often, are in bed by 10 and do not crawl home from the bars.  

The first time we went to Key West as a family, we were concerned about the gay lifestyles.  But, we did not find that there was any issues at all - Key West is still pretty crazy at times - but with all the cruise ship volume, they have cleaned up during the day time.  There was not even "werid" ie: adult stuff in Fast Freddies shop windows.  We could walk into most shops or stores as family, with the exception of the tatto palors and we would have been fine.  At the time we really were not prepared to answer the questions as he was only 5 years old.  But there was no need to worry.  So, even though the Keys has the reputation of a wild mecca for all kinds of things - it is pretty family friendly.  

We are spending Thanksgiving down in the Keys this year and looking very forward to the trip.  We are taking our Kayak down, fishing poles, scuba gear and I doubt that we will stay up much past 10.  

So, you should be fine taking your family down to Key West, just have them back in the room by 9 or 10 and I seriously doubt that you will see or experience anything that would trouble you.

We have stayed at all 3 Hyatt Key West properties, never had any trouble getting a reservation - but we tend to go during their slower seasons.  They all 3 have different pros and cons.  I prefer Sunset Harbor and Beach House - not a big Windward Pointe fan.  Windward has beautiful units, I just do not like Smathers beach and I found the airport noisy.  We of course always have a car, and bikes so the distance to Duval is not an issue.  Sunset Harbor is nice because you really do not have to move the car.


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## MLC (Sep 26, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> My thought is that I would use Hyatt exclusively. I love Beach House and Coconut Plantation. I would just use Hyatt. Tough trades get on my nerves - I'm not patient enough for the game - would rather just rent.
> 
> I was thinking of just renting period - but honestly -owning something makes sense. Hilton has fewer places than Hyatt - I really like some of hyatt's areas/properties.



You buy Hyatt to trade within their system but that is why points are important.  You might not have enough points to go where you want to go.  Hyatt exchanges with II is worthless.  You can hardly ever be able to get a prime week for Marriott, andStarwood.  Hyatt with II only lets you book no more than a year out.


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## Zac495 (Oct 5, 2009)

MLC said:


> You buy Hyatt to trade within their system but that is why points are important.  You might not have enough points to go where you want to go.  Hyatt exchanges with II is worthless.  You can hardly ever be able to get a prime week for Marriott, andStarwood.  Hyatt with II only lets you book no more than a year out.



I get that - I can see direct exchange with a Marriott owner on TUG  - but Hyatt is great and if I can pass ROFR , I'll be happy.


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## pianodinosaur (Oct 6, 2009)

Zac495:

No doubt about it.  Hyatt is a great deal.  IMHO the beaches in Puerto Rico may not be as nice as in Aruba, but they are still very nice.  There is a Hyatt TS in Dorado that you may wish to consider. I think this would be an excellent beach resort.  Just don't go during Hurricane season.


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## Zac495 (Oct 7, 2009)

pianodinosaur said:


> Zac495:
> 
> No doubt about it.  Hyatt is a great deal.  IMHO the beaches in Puerto Rico may not be as nice as in Aruba, but they are still very nice.  There is a Hyatt TS in Dorado that you may wish to consider. I think this would be an excellent beach resort.  Just don't go during Hurricane season.



I've been there - it was awful - everything was closed! The pool and beach were beautiful but there were no restaurants.

What would you pay for EOY 1880 Coconut would you guess?


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## Kal (Oct 7, 2009)

Here are some resales that passed Hyatt's ROFR:

http://www.bywindkal.com/Hyatt/ROFR/ROFRResults.pdf


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## pianodinosaur (Oct 7, 2009)

Zac495:

When were you there?  We are considering a vacation at the Embassy Suites Dorado in the next two years via a HHonors redemption.  At least you have given confirmation that the beach is nice.  Kal provided a very interesting chart on recent Hyatt resales.  I am not in the market for a new TS at this time but I would think you could get a Coconut annual more easily than an EOY.  However, the prices seem less than Marrott's Aruba Surf Club.  

There is a Coconut Plantation 2 bedroom 2000 point Platinum week 6 on ebay at this time being offered by bracecompany. The reserve has not yet been met.  You may wish to follow this one to see what it goes for or perhaps even to bid.  I am totally unfamiliar with the seller, bracecompany.


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## Zac495 (Oct 8, 2009)

pianodinosaur said:


> Zac495:
> 
> When were you there?  We are considering a vacation at the Embassy Suites Dorado in the next two years via a HHonors redemption.  At least you have given confirmation that the beach is nice.  Kal provided a very interesting chart on recent Hyatt resales.  I am not in the market for a new TS at this time but I would think you could get a Coconut annual more easily than an EOY.  However, the prices seem less than Marrott's Aruba Surf Club.
> 
> There is a Coconut Plantation 2 bedroom 2000 point Platinum week 6 on ebay at this time being offered by bracecompany. The reserve has not yet been met.  You may wish to follow this one to see what it goes for or perhaps even to bid.  I am totally unfamiliar with the seller, bracecompany.



I really want an EOY. I own Hilton 5000 pts. EOY is enough - I can see using Hyatt system every other year, not every year. I want enough flexibility that I can do something other than timeshare without the guilt of knowing I own so many timeshares that I shouldn't consider another option. Make sense??


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## Zac495 (Oct 8, 2009)

Kal said:


> Here are some resales that passed Hyatt's ROFR:
> 
> http://www.bywindkal.com/Hyatt/ROFR/ROFRResults.pdf



Awesome - thanks.
Oh piano - it was 2004.
Here are pictures - old pics!

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/4930761


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## b727plumber (Oct 10, 2009)

*Looking for lowest maintenance fees...*

Hello all,

I live in Colorado and would probably use the Hyatt properties in CO during the slow times (outside of prime weeks).  When we looked at the Hyatt Grand Aspen,  we loved the property but found it to be too expensive.

I'm looking for a Hyatt property that we could purchase around 2200 points and also enjoy the lowest maintenance fees.  We wouldn't necessarily stay at the purchased location.

The way I see it, there are only two reasons to buy the Hyatt Grand Aspen:

1) You expect the value of the property to appreciate significantly more than any other Hyatt fractional

and/or

2) You really want to use the deeded week you've purchased every year.

Am I missing something?  Please offer your best advice.

Thanks!!


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## Zac495 (Oct 10, 2009)

I bought 1880 pts - I figure I could go to Grand Aspen for 3 nights in summer and 4 nights in breckenridge cheap. That would be a GRAND VACATION. I got the points for 3200 EOY!


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## mas (Oct 13, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Gay sex with a fish. NOW COME ON - how can you tell if the fish is male or female to be sure you're coupling with your same sex??!!!:hysterical:



If you were a fish, you wouldn't have to ask that question!  :ignore:  

Nice pick-up for the 1880 points.  I've often thought of getting into the Hyatt system. but I already have four weeks; I'm not looking to get rid of my 3 Marriotts and now is not the time to try to dump my Hawaii week.  I've been to Beach House 9 out of the last 10 years for a winter week in conjunction with my Marriott Beach Place(Ft. Lauderdale).


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## Piscesqueen (Oct 13, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> I bought 1880 pts - I figure I could go to Grand Aspen for 3 nights in summer and 4 nights in breckenridge cheap. That would be a GRAND VACATION. I got the points for 3200 EOY!



WOW, that sounds like a great deal!!! Do you mind me asking who you went through and how your experience was? I'm thinking of buying Hyatt but would probably use only EOY since I am also looking into buying Worldmark for yearly usage. I too, am _kind of _trapped into my kids school schedule but the teachers are flexible and allow us to pull the kids out for a week a year. Thanks.


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## Zac495 (Oct 13, 2009)

mas said:


> If you were a fish, you wouldn't have to ask that question!  :ignore:
> 
> Nice pick-up for the 1880 points.  I've often thought of getting into the Hyatt system. but I already have four weeks; I'm not looking to get rid of my 3 Marriotts and now is not the time to try to dump my Hawaii week.  I've been to Beach House 9 out of the last 10 years for a winter week in conjunction with my Marriott Beach Place(Ft. Lauderdale).



Did you trade into Beach House with a Marriott?
ONce I pass ROFR , I'll mention it on the marriott board as it would be a nice direct exchange with some of my marriott pals.


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## mas (Oct 13, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Did you trade into Beach House with a Marriott?
> ONce I pass ROFR , I'll mention it on the marriott board as it would be a nice direct exchange with some of my marriott pals.



I have used several of my Marriotts in exchange, however, I usually use my KCR II week as this is not a MAR to MAR exchange and I usually use the MAR weeks to exchange to other Marriotts to get $99 special exchange rate.


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## Zac495 (Oct 13, 2009)

mas said:


> I have used several of my Marriotts in exchange, however, I usually use my KCR II week as this is not a MAR to MAR exchange and I usually use the MAR weeks to exchange to other Marriotts to get $99 special exchange rate.



What's KCR II?


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## dvc_john (Oct 14, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> What's KCR II?



I believe it's the Kona Coast Resort II (on the Kona/Kailua side of the Big Island, Hawaii).


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## Zac495 (Oct 15, 2009)

Piscesqueen said:


> WOW, that sounds like a great deal!!! Do you mind me asking who you went through and how your experience was? I'm thinking of buying Hyatt but would probably use only EOY since I am also looking into buying Worldmark for yearly usage. I too, am _kind of _trapped into my kids school schedule but the teachers are flexible and allow us to pull the kids out for a week a year. Thanks.



Great experience - she's been looking for me for awhile. I just waited for the right deal!

Tami Pellegrino 
Timeshare Resale Division 
RE/MAX Properties SW, Inc.
6985 Wallace Road
Orlando, FL 32819
Email: Tami@timeshareprofessionals.com
www.timeshareprofessionals.com
Toll Free 800-541-5666 Ext. 325
Fax (407) 393-5788


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## brp (Nov 2, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> I have 1300 points. I almost never use the Hyatt system (except for weekend stays with leftover points). My 1300 points gets me three studios or one studio and one 1-bedroom each year.
> 
> I like the fact that I pay one MF and get at least two weeks per year. But then again, I don't ski. And I don't often travel in high season -- I avoid crowds, when possible.
> 
> ...



This is good to know. We bought HGVC in Manhattan, live close to San Francisco and  own DVC. So the hard ones are out of the way.

We looked at HVC a few years ago on a tour at Carmel. We definitely got the impression that a given number of points trades into "a lot" in II, especially if one tends to travel off-season. So, buying a low cost/low-MF Hyatt seems like it could be a good plan even if one primarily intends to use it for trade purposes.

We tend to travel domestically for weekends, and internationally for long weekends (Thurs-Mon), and, IIRC, it was not really possible to trade in those size chunks- a week being the minimum, I think. Even if true, a 2200 point week looked like about 3 studio weeks (as noted) in interesting places.

Are there drawbacks to this strategy, assuming that we're off-season enough to be able to get the stuff we want?

Cheers.


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## Piscesqueen (Nov 3, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Great experience - she's been looking for me for awhile. I just waited for the right deal!
> 
> Tami Pellegrino
> Timeshare Resale Division
> ...



Thank you so much for the information. I'll be looking into her when I'm ready to buy. I appreciate you giving me her info


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## Carmel85 (Nov 7, 2009)

****Original post deleted.****

_Please do not post the same thing in more than one thread.  TUG rules don't permit this._

Steve
TUG Moderator


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## post-it (Nov 17, 2009)

Ellen,

Congrats on your purchase!  Owning both Hilton/Hyatt seems like a great idea.  You should try to get into either at Huntington Beach.  Both Hilton/Hyatt have newer properties right across from the beach and very close to the pier.  Your kids would love Huntington.


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## ScoopKona (Nov 17, 2009)

brp said:


> Are there drawbacks to this strategy, assuming that we're off-season enough to be able to get the stuff we want?
> 
> Cheers.



None. Other than the price of a 2200 point week.

An interval red week studio is 430 points (and face it, even off season most weeks are red weeks). That's FIVE weeks in studios. Or more realistically, two one-bedroom weeks (870 each) and one studio.

Often, the resorts I want don't have studios. Or they're hard to get.

I cannot stress enough to cultivate a good business relationship with a Hyatt II operator. Be very nice* to the Interval rep who answers at 1-800-GO-HYATT, and eventually you'll find a really good one. Ask for him or her by name. It makes all the difference.

Also, II simply will not let Hyatt owners trade into some properties. They're "sub-standard." I've traded into one of those in England, and I loved it. So search the getaways as well. If it's available as a getaway, it's often available as a trade if you're persistent.

Residence Dehon in Rome and Citidines in Barcelona are only available as getaways, because they're hotels -- not timeshares. I've stayed at both. No problems. Citidines is particularly nice -- perfect location, albeit 1970s decor.


*EDIT -- One way to make the Interval rep's life easier is to do your homework. Don't say "I want a week in Napa around Christmas." Instead, ask for NPV for week 51.


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## JanT (Aug 5, 2010)

ScoopLV said:


> Also, II simply will not let Hyatt owners trade into some properties. They're "sub-standard." I've traded into one of those in England, and I loved it.



ScoopLV,

Are you saying that Hyatt won't let you trade into properties that they believe are of lower quality than Hyatt?  I have run into that with our Marriott week as well.  Things my Polo Towers week will pull up, my Platinum Marriott Grand Chateau will not.


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