Make Sense to Save 200 points for $99 fee?

[amy241]

I am a newbie and need advice as to whether it makes sense to save 200 points from 2017 and pay the HGVC fee which is about $99. We have made our vacation plans already for 2017 and 200 points remain.

Does anyone have any advice or guidelines/recommendations on saving points? I am trying to figure out if it is worth the fee?

Thank you!

 

[presley]

It isn't worth it unless you believe you'll be short by 200 points for something next year. I'm letting nearly 400 points expire this year because it isn't worth it for me to pay to save them or deposit them for next year.

 

[brp]

I wouldn't do 200, but might do 400. A weekend in Vegas, for example, can be had for 960, so 400 may be worth the $99.

We just booked a Thanksgiving trip to the Big Island to dip into next year's points. My goal is to always be a borrower since that's free

Cheers.

 

[Maverick1963]

It depends upon your next year's point and vacation planning. 200 points let you stay at a studio on a week day.
The fee should be cheaper than a hotel room. If you have enough points for the next year, such saving will not
be worthwhile. If you plan two years ahead, you may see a different picture. Depositing the remaining 200 points
let you save your point next year and it could be of some help the year after the next. Having said that, it may be
more convenient to borrow points from next year. I recommend that you should make tentative plan and decide what to do.

 

[DaSoul]

I wouldn't do 200, but might do 400. A weekend in Vegas, for example, can be had for 960, so 400 may be worth the $99.

We just booked a Thanksgiving trip to the Big Island to dip into next year's points. My goal is to always be a borrower since that's free

Cheers.

The only downside if you borrow is you forfeit next years home reservation from whatever contract you borrow from, yes? Then you are required to book in club reservation time right?

 

[GT75]

The only downside if you borrow is you forfeit next years home reservation from whatever contract you borrow from, yes? Then you are required to book in club reservation time right?

Yes. You understand it correctly. If you have more that one contract, I was told that the points are pooled. This means that you can make home week reservations (per HGVC rules) until there isn't enough points in the account for that calendar year to cover that reservation.

 

[brp]

The only downside if you borrow is you forfeit next years home reservation from whatever contract you borrow from, yes? Then you are required to book in club reservation time right?

I did not know that. Thanks.

It would not impact us as we never stay anywhere for a week, so would not book Home Week anyway, and always do Club.

Cheers.

 

[MikeinSoCal]

I debated over and over letting something like 300 points expire before. I decided to bite the bullet at the last moment and pay the fee and roll it. It turned out to be a great decision in the end. As the next trip I booked, I needed to use most of those points.

 

[Denise L]

I have been using my sister's HGVC points in RCI if she has some left, and she is thrilled to not have to pay the $99 fee. She doesn't use her home resort, so only uses her points at 9 months out. She had 240 points left in 2016, which I combined with some of her 2017 points to book some nights in RCI for 2017 before the end of last year. So that is what I would do if I had leftover points. I am trying to buy HGVC so I can have my own points to play with, but for now, I pay all the fees associated with using her points and getting a guest certificate for myself. I would LOVE to have the 200 and 400 points that you guys can't use! Try looking in RCI for nights, maybe you will find something. But if you don't like borrowing from the next year and messing up your home reservation preference, then it's not worth doing it.

On another note, I own Hyatt points and always have 120-160 leftover points that I can never use and can never bank forward. So I just close my eyes and watch them disappear. Sad, but there isn't anything to do with those little points in Hyatt.

 

[Talent312]

As Denise L. suggests, you can use remaining points to book a future RCI stay having to save them first. They simply dock your current year points, then the following years' points. The RCI booking fee may be significant, but at least you'll avoid the fee to save, which makes it somewhat palatable.

 

[Sandy VDH]

If you have a use for the points, then perhaps. But I kind of look at the cost of the points your saving. Even at a high end of MF at $0.25 per point, 200 is only worth about $50, so is it worth $99 to save $50 worth of points.

 

[tompalm]

If you have a use for the points, then perhaps. But I kind of look at the cost of the points your saving. Even at a high end of MF at $0.25 per point, 200 is only worth about $50, so is it worth $99 to save $50 worth of points.

Agree, I think basic math and value was the real question in the op. I would pick the property with a smaller maintenance fee. It is too difficult to know how many points you will need each year in the future. I always try to use most of next years points this year and that works for me. The rest of my trips I stay in hotels and use Hilton Honor points from my AmEx card.

 

[brp]

I always try to use most of next years points this year and that works for me.

Different approaches can definitely work. I try to use most of this year's points this year, and borrow a few of next year's. This way, each year is self-supporting with a small borrow from next year to avoid having to pay to save points. Failing that, there's always the occasional rental

Cheers.

 

[Tamaradarann]

If you have a use for the points, then perhaps. But I kind of look at the cost of the points your saving. Even at a high end of MF at $0.25 per point, 200 is only worth about $50, so is it worth $99 to save $50 worth of points.

When I look at the value of the 200 points I don't look at the cost of the 200 points but the benefit of the 200 points. Since one night in a Studio can be booked for 220 points in Platinum Season I would use that as the benefit. A night in Honolulu in the Hilton Hawaiian Village costs about $300 during prime season. So that is the value that I would place on the 200 points.

 

[Sandy VDH]

When I look at the value of the 200 points I don't look at the cost of the 200 points but the benefit of the 200 points. Since one night in a Studio can be booked for 220 points in Platinum Season I would use that as the benefit. A night in Honolulu in the Hilton Hawaiian Village costs about $300 during prime season. So that is the value that I would place on the 200 points.

Yes I thought of that, but the problem is if you have no known use of the points, you can't really apply a value received. If you know you are going to book Hawaii then by all means save the points, but if you are planning on Orlando or Vegas, than it may NOT make sense.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Yes I thought of that, but the problem is if you have no known use of the points, you can't really apply a value received. If you know you are going to book Hawaii then by all means save the points, but if you are planning on Orlando or Vegas, than it may NOT make sense.

That is an interesting point which brings up other questions. There are studios in Orlando and Vegas so you can still book a studio during the week with the 200 points. However, the value of that studio is less in Orlando and Vegas. To further that thinking, using any of your points in Orlando or Vegas is less of valuable than Hawaii. I always wonder why Hilton built/purchased so many properties in Orlando and Vegas where there is an abundance of timeshares and hotels with a great deal of availability and bargain prices.

 

[bizaro86]

That is an interesting point which brings up other questions. There are studios in Orlando and Vegas so you can still book a studio during the week with the 200 points. However, the value of that studio is less in Orlando and Vegas. To further that thinking, using any of your points in Orlando or Vegas is less of valuable than Hawaii. I always wonder why Hilton built/purchased so many properties in Orlando and Vegas where there is an abundance of timeshares and hotels with a great deal of availability and bargain prices.

They built in overbuilt locations for the same reason everyone else did: they could sell it.

 

[Talent312]

They built in overbuilt locations for the same reason everyone else did: they could sell it.

"If you build it, they will come." -- adapted from Field of Dreams (1989)
But that's another topic for a different thread.

Point being: If you have a use for it, do it. If not, save the $$.