Should I take HGVC offered as a gift?

[philfrommem]

So a relative has offered a HGVC as a gift. It is paid off and the only thing we would do is pick up the maintenance fees in 2018. It is 1600 ClubPoints per year. I have been reading around on this forum and researching everywhere I can find online. The posters on this forum seem to be extremely knowledgeable so I wanted to see if anyone could shed some light on my situation. Any suggestions or insight is appreciated. I guess my main questions are:
1. Would you recommend taking it?
2. If so, what is the best way to learn how to get the most out of it?

Let me know if any further information is needed and I will post.

 

[silentg]

What resort?

 

[philfrommem]

Anderson Ocean Club (SC)

 

[Panina]

1600 points is very low. Most of the tuggers will say don't take it, you should look for at least 5000 points, but you will have to spend money to get that many points. I recently acquired 3400 points for only closing costs, so a higher amount of points for free is out there.

If the points are affiliated with a resort that is hard to get into and you plan on only going to that resort then maybe it's a good fit.

 

[Panina]

If I have it right, it's a gold week , weeks 8-20, 36-47,51,52 in a studio.

Spring weather is great but n myrtle beach. I own timeshares in myrtle and love being here in April.

I personally would pass on 1600 points as there are better deals available.

 

[philfrommem]

Would I have to use the points in Myrtle Beach or could I use them at other locations? What is the difference in booking at the home resort vs. booking somewhere else? The way I am looking at it is the maintenance fees are around $575 and the club fee is $159. Basically I would be paying around $700 per year for a week long vacation.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Would I have to use the points in Myrtle Beach or could I use them at other locations? What is the difference in booking at the home resort vs. booking somewhere else? The way I am looking at it is the maintenance fees are around $575 and the club fee is $159. Basically I would be paying around $700 per year for a week long vacation.

Problem is that week long vacation might ONLY get you a shoulder season in MB in a studio.

But it likely will only get a day or two in other units in HGVC. No every resort has Studios, some have ONLY premium points, ALL weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun) are double the points of a midweek stay, so thinking you could do 2 or 3 weekends isn't going work. So 1500 doesn't go far, it gets you a shoulder season in a Studio for a $100 a night.

Standard resorts Studios in high season go for 2200 a week, 1 BR 4800 and 2 BR 7000 for standard views. But now you have to add the PLUS and PREMIUM rooms categories, which increase the price. A lot of resorts are standard point pricing. However there are a bunch of new locations that are a PREMIUM points arrangement. Oahu has 3 of the 5 towers that are some level of premium pricing. in the Big Island Kings Land currently has premium priced units, but I bet when the new Ocean Building at Hilton Waikoloa Village becomes available I see premium points all over it.

So yes basically you have enough points to go to your home resort in the season and size of unit you own for an ENTIRE week, but you like will NOT be able to do that in the rest of HGVC world.

Here are some typical resort chart , not all resorts have every season, Hawaii has only Platinum and Gold. and Gold is only 8 or so weeks out of the entire year. Not all of the charts here are HGVC, some are indicated some are not, but try reading the tag at the bottom of the screen.
http://tinyurl.com/kfr5ont

Problem is HGVC does not give you access to the all the points info unless you are a member and I haven't seen an electronic guide in a few years.

 

[SmithOp]

Would I have to use the points in Myrtle Beach or could I use them at other locations? What is the difference in booking at the home resort vs. booking somewhere else? The way I am looking at it is the maintenance fees are around $575 and the club fee is $159. Basically I would be paying around $700 per year for a week long vacation.

If you will be happy with a studio in gold season or lower, then go for it. Here is the list of seasons at the various resorts.

https://d1m2ucn09z2f8d.cloudfront.n...61ac1/2017-Club-Affiliated-Resort-Seasons.pdf


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[philfrommem]

It is only the wife and I and we have pretty flexible schedules so not too worried about seasons. We like to travel off season. Less kids, crowds, etc. I have logged into the HGVC website and have found bookings we would be interested in for 1600 or less. For example, a week in Vegas at Elara. My concern is, since it is not our Home Resort can we still book there or can we just get reservations there for the Cash Rate, which looks to be just a nightly rate?

 

[Sandy VDH]

It is only the wife and I and we have pretty flexible schedules so not too worried about seasons. We like to travel off season. Less kids, crowds, etc. I have logged into the HGVC website and have found bookings we would be interested in for 1600 or less. For example, a week in Vegas at Elara. My concern is, since it is not our Home Resort can we still book there or can we just get reservations there for the Cash Rate, which looks to be just a nightly rate?

If you are OK to travel off season and there is just 2 of you, then you might make it work for you. But honestly those MFs are high for the point value you receive. I pay $1319 (with membership fee) but get 7000 points. So my MF are not quite double but I get nearly 4 1/2 time the points.

If you ever want more room or a full kitchen, or travel with friends than you won't have enough points.

Elara is pretty easy to book in Club season. Vegas in general usually has Open (Cash) Season Rates, but not always on special event weekends. Cash rates are OK, but not as good a deal as they used to be. I have book Elara both in Club and in Open.

You best bang for the buck would be to score a Studio in Gold season at Kalia tower in Oahu, but there is only 1 per floor and I think there are only 5 or 6 timeshare floors, and they are very hard to come by.

 

[Panina]

You can use points at any resort booking 9 months ahead. Using your home resort, using the time period and size of your points , you can book 12 months ahead.

 

[philfrommem]

If we book something with points we do not have to pay the cash rate on top of that do we? The cash rate is what you pay without points correct?

 

[Sandy VDH]

If we book something with points we do not have to pay the cash rate on top of that do we? The cash rate is what you pay without points correct?

Open Season = Cash Rate, NO Points, Booking window starts 30 days prior to checkin.

only caveat this reservations are NON-refundable.

If you scroll down past the first page of fees, you can see the open season rate by property.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/50606535/HGVC 2017 Fee Schedule.pdf

 

[philfrommem]

But I can get a place with points only, correct? I don't have to use pounts and pay the cash rate. Even if I don't book at my home resort?

 

[vacationhopeful]

philfrommem ....

Take a deep breathe .. hold for a long 10 seconds .. release.

Free is sometimes not the best deal. And some free deals are decent. Some freebies are GREAT or can be really rotten.

I have been offered multiple timeshare deals that I declined politely as I can ... not the right season, not the right size, not the right "point to maintenance" fee ratio or I just don't NEED it.

If you are uncertain ... you can wait. Another deal will come down the pike. And then, you can assess if it is better or worst than the last deal. And keep learning ... more knowledge makes ACQUIRING a certain timeshare a good buy for YOU and YOUR family.

Remember, it is far easy to GET a timeshare verses getting RID of a timeshare.

 

[Sandy VDH]

But I can get a place with points only, correct? I don't have to use pounts and pay the cash rate. Even if I don't book at my home resort?

3 separate ways to book

1) Booking during HOME resort

Book exactly the season and size you own, 7 days ONLY, NO reservation Fee required.


2) Using Points in CLUB Season

You have a reservation fee of $59 to book something other than your home resort.

Points are your currency in CLUB Season.


3) Using Case in OPEN Season

A complete and separate type of booking is in OPEN season, which is to pay with cash only. This may give you access to additional stays without purchasing more points.

 

[Bailey#1]

Don't forget with HGVC you have Transfer Fees and Activation Fees that comes with a free HGVC timeshare. I believe that will total about $1,000.

 

[philfrommem]

I took vacationhopeful's advise, stepped away, had a drink and think I now understand. Sandy VDH's breakdown of the different options was great too. Thanks for all of the help and great trips to you all!

 

[GT75]

You made the right decision.

 

[Talent312]

But I can get a place with points only, correct? I don't have to use pouts and pay the cash rate. Even if I don't book at my home resort?

Correct. It's either points or cash.
Well, yes, you can book any resort with points only during the club-reservation window, but if you want a higher season or a premiun resort, you'll end up having to borrow from a future-year's allotment, not that there's anything wrong with that... but you're only getting a single-room -- it hardly seems worth it.

Bear in mind, if you ever decide to chuck the TS, you may have to pay someone to take it off your hands... there'll be no market for it, which is why it's "free" to you.

Also, about cash-rates for open season (last-minute) bookings: Those rates are sometimes more than the same "suite" can been had on hilton.com, with a refundable rate.



.

 

[onenotesamba]

I've got 9600 points (combining two 1 bedroom Platinum weeks at properties with relatively low maintenance fees). Those maintenance fees run at around $1400, not including all of the nickel and dime fees that HGVC charges for everything from making a reservation over the phone to sneezing while thinking about your next vacation.

But by comparison, the number of points you're looking at, and the maintenance fees attached are not a good deal. At all.

 

[presley]

It is 1600 ClubPoints per year.

1. Would you recommend taking it?

No. 1600 points doesn't get you much and remember with HGVC there are fees on top of fees for everything that you do.

If we book something with points we do not have to pay the cash rate on top of that do we? The cash rate is what you pay without points correct?

If you book somewhere else, like Elara as you mentioned, you will only have to pay a reservation fee when booking with cash. If you are planning on traveling during the off season (it sounds like you are), it is possible that you can book Elara from Hilton's hotel website for less money than using HGVC to book it. HGVC owners can book Open Season 30 days out or less, but those are the leftovers and some of the cash prices are actually pretty high. It's no longer considered a benefit to many of the owners here.

I know it probably sounded exciting when someone offered you a vacation ownership for free. Keep in mind they offered it for free because it is extremely difficult to get rid of it. People won't buy a 1600 point contract and the only people who will take it for free are those who haven't looked into HGVC before. I suppose the best way for your friend to unload it would be to find someone who wants to stay at that resort during the home week on a regular basis. It may be worth it to someone who wants to stay there every year, but it isn't worth it for someone who wants to own HGVC and trade within the program.