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HGVC becomes Vidanta/SW FL properties online

Pathways

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Two new HGVC updates:

1) HGVC will give Elite members blue RFID wristbands so everyone will know they are elite. They are currently setup to get you throughout the property and into your room like DVC and others.

Does anyone else see a 'Vidanta' style class system here? "Blue' bands, and only for Elite members? Maybe a special pool chair area for only the Blue bands is next?

2) SW Fl properties (and Scotland) will be available for online booking by the end of the year. That should make A LOT of owners happy. (Not so much the owners at the SW Fl resorts or their employees. Most likely a big increase in short stays.)
 
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PigsDad

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1) HGVC will give Elite members blue RFID wristbands so everyone will know they are elite. They are currently setup to get you throughout the property and into your room like DVC and others.

They started this at Ocean Oak (Hilton Head). They are uncomfortable (elastic band, not loose-fitting) and although they had different sizes, the largest was still very tight on me:
EliteKey.JPG

(sorry for the blurry picture, but that is the only one I had)

I am not a fan...

Kurt
 

Panina

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Two new HGVC updates:

1) HGVC will give Elite members blue RFID wristbands so everyone will know they are elite. They are currently setup to get you throughout the property and into your room like DVC and others.

Does anyone else see a 'Vidanta' style class system here? "Blue' bands, and only for Elite members? Maybe a special pool chair area for only the Blue bands is next?

2) SW Fl properties (and Scotland) will be online booking by the end of the year. That should make A LOT of owners happy. (Not so much the owners at the SW Fl resorts or their employees. Most likely a big increase in short stays.)
I am one of those SW Florida owners and I am :banana:. Long overdue!
 

Panina

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They started this at Ocean Oak (Hilton Head). They are uncomfortable (elastic band, not loose-fitting) and although they had different sizes, the largest was still very tight on me:
View attachment 7757
(sorry for the blurry picture, but that is the only one I had)

I am not a fan...

Kurt
That was the best they could do for their Elite members? Shame on hgvc.
 

HGVC Lover

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Two new HGVC updates:

1) HGVC will give Elite members blue RFID wristbands so everyone will know they are elite. They are currently setup to get you throughout the property and into your room like DVC and others.

We are at the Bay Club and only saw a few people wearing them in the last month. Did not even register that the person was Elite and there never seems to be any thing special about the treatment of Elites at all the resorts we stay at. But now I will know who are the people who paid a lot of money $$$$$$$$$$$$ for nothing.....:)
 

vacationtime1

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We are at the Bay Club and only saw a few people wearing them in the last month. Did not even register that the person was Elite and there never seems to be any thing special about the treatment of Elites at all the resorts we stay at. But now I will know who are the people who paid a lot of money $$$$$$$$$$$$ for nothing.....:)

What do you mean they paid "$$$$$$$$$$$ for nothing"?

They get fancy wristbands. That don't even fit well.
 

Talent312

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"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
-- George Orwell, Animal Farm

Welcome to the farm.
.

 

Jason245

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Good news on sw resorts.. wristbands for your stay at a resort? I get the use at disney, but then when I go there most of my time is spent there.. why would I want to be walking around town with that on by wrist?

The thing I missed about the old website was at least seeing open season on them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 

CalGalTraveler

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For some reason we received them in HI. I found them convenient for going to the beach so not leaving key by beach/pool to risk getting stolen when swimmng. Also not constantly fumbling for room key. Wish we had access to them everywhere.

FWIW.. we are not elite...LoL...insert photo of fox running in middle of pack of hounds that do not notice fox...nothing to see here! :shrug:
 
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PigsDad

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But now I will know who are the people who paid a lot of money $$$$$$$$$$$$ for nothing.....:)
Not necessarily. There are ways of getting Elite status buying resale. I always say we became Elite accidentally -- the first week we got through Seth Nock when he was an "authorized" resale agent (that loophole is now closed), and the second week we got through the resale agent at a SW FL affiliate and we didn't even realize that it would give us Elite until the closing.

We'll take it, but it is not a huge deal as it maybe saves us a little bit on fees every year but that is about it.

Kurt
 

PigsDad

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Good news on sw resorts.. wristbands for your stay at a resort? I get the use at disney, but then when I go there most of my time is spent there.. why would I want to be walking around town with that on by wrist?
The other place I have had them was at Vidanta resorts, but they were much nicer since they were just a cloth strap that you adjusted to fit, not an elastic band. I really liked the convenience of not having to worry about how/where to store a room key when you are at the beach, swimming at the pool, etc. When we went off resort, I just slipped it off my wrist and put it in a pocket just like I would w/ a room key, so no difference there.

Kurt
 

JohnPaul

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We are at The Residences and I've seen one person wearing the Elite version. It's an option here (I asked about it).

When we stayed at The Lodge at Peak 7 in Breckenridge it was the only type of key they had. It is handy when skiing/swimming etc.
 

CalGalTraveler

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We are at The Residences and I've seen one person wearing the Elite version. It's an option here (I asked about it).

When we stayed at The Lodge at Peak 7 in Breckenridge it was the only type of key they had. It is handy when skiing/swimming etc.

It's great for resorts but dont see point for NYC unless they use it for lounge access. At W 57 you hardly see anyone outside the lounge.
 

PigsDad

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It's great for resorts but dont see point for NYC unless they use it for lounge access. At W 57 you hardly see anyone outside the lounge.
I was thinking the same thing. I wouldn't have much use for them in places where we don't spend much time at the property like NYC or Vegas.

Kurt
 

brp

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It's great for resorts but dont see point for NYC unless they use it for lounge access. At W 57 you hardly see anyone outside the lounge.
Wait? When we're there there are other people staying besides us? Never would have thought so :)

But that it true, except for the lobby and lounge, just don't see people often. And, when we're walking in from outside, we're the only ones coming in more than 95% of the time.

So different from Hilton Midtown/HCNY/Residences-YNC.

Cheers.
 

CalGalTraveler

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I have heard similar comments. W57 lobby feels more like a small fractional or luxury apt with a doorman which feels private and upscale by NYC standards.
 

TheCryptkeeper

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This reminds me of Dr. Seuss' Star-bellied Sneetches.
 
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DannyTS

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2) SW Fl properties (and Scotland) will be available for online booking by the end of the year. That should make A LOT of owners happy. (Not so much the owners at the SW Fl resorts or their employees. Most likely a big increase in short stays.)

I agree that this is a big step forward. I am curious if the online booking will allow short stays though. Because the weeks at the affiliated resorts are not deposited automatically in the system there may still be very limited availability which can make the short stays very inefficient for HGVC with lots of empty 2 days
 

PigsDad

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I agree that this is a big step forward. I am curious if the online booking will allow short stays though. Because the weeks at the affiliated resorts are not deposited automatically in the system there may still be very limited availability which can make the short stays very inefficient for HGVC with lots of empty 2 days
They allow short stays now, so I can't imagine why they wouldn't when they go online.

Kurt
 

DannyTS

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They allow short stays now, so I can't imagine why they wouldn't when they go online.

Kurt
i did not know that, you are right
 

Talent312

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We've been promised online access to SW Florida affiliates before.
It may happen this time, but I ain't gonna hold my breath.

Availability at SW-Fla affiliates is limited becuz owners buy there to stay there.
Would you go anywhere else? ... except during red-tides.
So we depend on the kindness of strangers depositing their weeks w-HGVC.
.
 

Sandy VDH

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I just got one in KL. They had 3 sizes, and I have really big wrists, but I found the large OK only if kept at my actual wrist. It is convenient to not have to carry a room key, as this wrist band IS your room key. Especially is you are at the beach or the pool.
 

Panina

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We've been promised online access to SW Florida affiliates before.
It may happen this time, but I ain't gonna hold my breath.

Availability at SW-Fla affiliates is limited becuz owners buy there to stay there.
Would you go anywhere else? ... except during red-tides.
So we depend on the kindness of strangers depositing their weeks w-HGVC.
.
Whereas I purchased my sw fla affiliates with the intent to use I still at times try to see if I can get something better. I use a non hgvc week and if I match I deposit my week in hgvc or in interval. It depends if I want hgvc points.

Just last week I matched for a 3 bedroom at Marriott’s Crystal Shore for the week I own at the hgvc surf club down the road.

Right now we really have no idea how many affiliate owners deposit in hgvc. I do match often in interval to hgvc affiliates. With transparency and availability maybe more affiliate owners will deposit.
 

Tamaradarann

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They allow short stays now, so I can't imagine why they wouldn't when they go online.

Kurt
With the OLD CLASSIC Reservation system you could see the availability of Southwest Florida Properties during Open Season. There were many short stays of 2 days, and some longer that could be booked.
 
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