Hyatt Beach Club in Key West for Points

[Jayco29D]

Several timeshare brokers have been encouraging me to purchase a Hyatt Beach Club in Key West in Diamond season, which comes with 2200 points. They say it is the best value right now and even if we never go to Key West, we would be able to trade to anywhere within the Hyatt system with 2200 points. I am a bit worried for several reasons:

1) How easy is it to trade with points within the Hyatt system for other Hyatt resorts like Kaanapali, Carmel, Lake Tahoe resorts (during ski season) and Siesta Key (Saratoga, FL)?

2) What if there is a hurricane in Key West - would MFs go way up?

3) Overall, which Hyatt timeshares are nicest to visit?

4) How upscale is Hyatt and what is it comparable to?

5) Is it easy and practical to use the points for short stays? This might be my preference when using points to add days onto other stays with our other timeshares or for short getaways in California.

I would appreciate any input from fellow Tuggers.

 

[Sapper]

Hyatt Beach House is lower on the maintenance fees per point, but not the lowest. That would be Pinion Pointe, In AZ. However, because of this, their purchase cost is higher. Having only done trading inside the Hyatt system, I'd agree that having not less than 2000 points is a good idea. 2200 points would allow you to stay in a one or two bed unit at any of the locations during the highest demand time period.

1. Each resort is different in demand and availability. You can get into Wild Oaks Ranch just about any time, even short notice. I have seen Siesta Key open only once, and it was gone later that afternoon.

2. Great question, there was just a massive hurricane that blew through four or five months ago. Our annual maintenance fees did not rise significantly, and there has been no assessment to cover anything at this point. It will be interesting to see how the 2019 maintenance fee looks.

3. That's a pretty subjective question. I like Carmel and Aspen. My wife and son enjoy Wild Oak Ranch and Hacienda Del Mar.

4. I have not been to many timeshares beyond the Hyatt system, so my scope is limited. However, from what I have seen, I'd say Hyatt is at the top of the heap in terms of quality. Their problem is NOT with quality, but quantity. Hyatt has a small footprint. Make sure they have a property where you want to be. I'd also suggest buying at that property.

5. Availability is ever changing on the site. It seems easiest to book at six months out with reducing availability as your target date becomes closer. There seems to be a good mix of full week and shorter multi-day availability.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

Several timeshare brokers have been encouraging me to purchase a Hyatt Beach Club in Key West in Diamond season, which comes with 2200 points. They say it is the best value right now and even if we never go to Key West, we would be able to trade to anywhere within the Hyatt system with 2200 points. I am a bit worried for several reasons:

1) How easy is it to trade with points within the Hyatt system for other Hyatt resorts like Kaanapali, Carmel, Lake Tahoe resorts (during ski season) and Siesta Key (Saratoga, FL)?

2) What if there is a hurricane in Key West - would MFs go way up?

3) Overall, which Hyatt timeshares are nicest to visit?

4) How upscale is Hyatt and what is it comparable to?

5) Is it easy and practical to use the points for short stays? This might be my preference when using points to add days onto other stays with our other timeshares or for short getaways in California.

I would appreciate any input from fellow Tuggers.

Trading within Hyatt is fairly easy. We have been able to get into all the resorts but we are diligent in searching and have also used waitlist. Siesta key is impossible to get in season and difficult to get off season but we are going for our second trip there in May. Maui is also quite difficult to get but again we usually get in once a year for at least 4 days. We do a lot of 4 day midweek trips. Trading in interval is also good. We have stayed at a Marriott in Hawaii and at Westin Lagunamar in Cancun , our 2 favorite trades, and Hyatt points go far in interval. It is not difficult to get 3 even 4 weeks from a 2000 or 2200 point week if you do midweek stays and don't always use 2 bedrooms. We own at Beach House and Pinon Pointe. Pinon Pointe was a few thousand more to purchase initially but the maintenance fees are lower.
My favorite resorts(again subjective) would be Siesta Key and Kaanapali. We love to go to Colorado in the summer, being from Az and also liked Northstar . I can honestly say that we have been happy with all the resorts we have stayed in .

 

[Jayco29D]

Trading within Hyatt is fairly easy. We have been able to get into all the resorts but we are diligent in searching and have also used waitlist. Siesta key is impossible to get in season and difficult to get off season but we are going for our second trip there in May. Maui is also quite difficult to get but again we usually get in once a year for at least 4 days. We do a lot of 4 day midweek trips. Trading in interval is also good. We have stayed at a Marriott in Hawaii and at Westin Lagunamar in Cancun , our 2 favorite trades, and Hyatt points go far in interval. It is not difficult to get 3 even 4 weeks from a 2000 or 2200 point week if you do midweek stays and don't always use 2 bedrooms. We own at Beach House and Pinon Pointe. Pinon Pointe was a few thousand more to purchase initially but the maintenance fees are lower.
My favorite resorts(again subjective) would be Siesta Key and Kaanapali. We love to go to Colorado in the summer, being from Az and also liked Northstar . I can honestly say that we have been happy with all the resorts we have stayed in .

Have you been to Coconut Plantation in Bonita Springs? I have been debating between Beach House, Coconut Plantation and High Sierra. I want a home resort that we might sometimes use. Since we live in Northern California and I have family in South Florida where I grew up, it seems either California or Florida makes sense for a home resort that we can afford. I would like to get a Platinum week, if possible.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

Coconut Plantation was the 1st place we stayed at and we loved it. The only negative is that it is not beachfront but they will ferry you to their private island beach which is nice.You also have use of the hotel next door. High Sierra is also quite nice , we love that area but I think a summer unit would be pricey. Beach House is perfect for families. We stayed at Sunset Harbour but I would love to come back with my grandbaby and stay at Beach House. We rode bikes when we were at Sunset , rode by Beach House and toured our unit. They encouraged us to hang out for awhile and we ate by the pool and lounged by the pool and beach. We have never actually stayed at Beach House however or at Wild Oaks. I think Beach House is fairly easy to get into however if you don't own there. Probably of the 3, High Sierra would be the more difficult for summer trades but right now there are dates for Aug and Sept. Good luck. Let us know what you decide. You can also read some back posts of the Timeshare Guru. He owns Beach House and has some good blogs on his strategies.

 

[thetsguru]

Tusconadverturer - Thanks for reading the blog!

Jayco29D - These are all great questions and I have done many blogs on similar topics. You should definitely check out some of my posts on the Hyatt Residence Club here:

The Timeshare Guru Posts on the Hyatt Residence Club

In regards to your questions:

1) How easy is it to trade with points within the Hyatt system for other Hyatt resorts like Kaanapali, Carmel, Lake Tahoe resorts (during ski season) and Siesta Key (Saratoga, FL)?

Trading to other Hyatt's are generally easy but as stated above, Siesta Key, Ka'anapli and prime ski weeks at most ski destinations can be tough to get.

2) What if there is a hurricane in Key West - would MFs go way up?

For 2018, I did not see a large increase in MF's fees even though they did get hit by a hurricane and were closed for a month or so. I was expecting a special assessment but did not see one. I would anticipate that 2019 MF's will increase. I think that most properties should have sufficient insurance but it is possible that MF's can go way up if there is significant damage.

3) Overall, which Hyatt timeshares are nicest to visit?

I have not been to all of the Hyatt Residence Clubs but I have been to a bunch - Wild Oak, Lake Tahoe, Beaver Creek, Carmel, Pinon Point, etc. I have not been disappointed in any of the timeshares and I think that I have very high standards.

4) How upscale is Hyatt and what is it comparable to?

I think that Hyatt is at or near the top. I think that Hyatt and Marriott's are very close in terms of quality although some of the older Marriott's may not be as nice.

5) Is it easy and practical to use the points for short stays? This might be my preference when using points to add days onto other stays with our other timeshares or for short getaways in California.

Hyatt can be great for short stays. My favorite is the 2 night midweek or 4 night midweek. Those can be great deals and if you do not mind moving, can be a great way to maximize your points by staying mid-week at timeshare properties and using hotel loyalty points for stays that have a Saturday night.


Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

The Timeshare Guru

 

[WalnutBaron]

To the OP: you've already received some very good advice, so I will only add the following comments to your questions--

1. Regarding ease of trades within the Hyatt Residence Club, you're much more likely to get what you want by placing an advance request into the system--and then being patient. As others have commented, Siesta Key and Ka'anapali--as well as high season ski weeks in Colorado and California--are extremely difficult to get, but not impossible. But you can certainly increase your chances by making an advance request.
2. It was good to see that a special assessment was not made on any of the Key West resorts. But as the old oil filter ad famously said, "You can pay me now, or pay me later"--meaning MF's on those properties are likely to increase for 2019, if for no other reason than to build up the resorts' reserves in the event of another hurricane.
3. One of the great things about the Hyatt system is that the quality is exceptionally high, no matter which resort you visit. One of the great weaknesses of the Hyatt system is that it's easily the smallest of all of the hotel-branded systems, and so locations are limited. Since your home base would be either Florida or California, I recommend you base in Florida where MF's are lower and then trade internally. As others have pointed out, Pinon Pointe in Sedona has the lowest fees, but it sounds like it would not be an ongoing destination for you so Beach House is a good bet.
4. There have been many past posts about this very subject, but Hyatt ranks consistently at or near the top. One of the things I appreciate about the HRC system is that--even though some resorts are older (e.g. Hyatt Highlands Inn), Hyatt has done a superb job of ongoing maintenance and upgrades to keep their resorts current and in top condition.
5. Hyatt has one of the best and most flexible short stay options available. The only one that's better, in my opinion, is Hilton Grand Vacations Club--but Hyatt is very easy to use for short stays.

 

[Jayco29D]

Thank you for everyone's input. I have decided to put the Hyatt search on hold. I was looking on Interval International last night and I saw that, if I am flexible, I can book getaways at most of the Hyatt resorts I am interested in. So if I trade, I assume I could find even more inventory. I saw many Getaway weeks for Beach House, Coconut Plantation, Windward, Pinon Point and High Sierra. If I fall in love with a particular Hyatt resort, then I will reconsider buying a deeded week.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

Thank you for everyone's input. I have decided to put the Hyatt search on hold. I was looking on Interval International last night and I saw that, if I am flexible, I can book getaways at most of the Hyatt resorts I am interested in. So if I trade, I assume I could find even more inventory. I saw many Getaway weeks for Beach House, Coconut Plantation, Windward, Pinon Point and High Sierra. If I fall in love with a particular Hyatt resort, then I will reconsider buying a deeded week.

Those are all resorts that are in the new Pure Points program so hence the recent influx of getaways. Not typical and I doubt it will continue for long but it is a good way for you to check out resorts

 

[Kal]

I would be interested to see if any of those getaways are within 6 months of occupancy. According to the HPP pitch, HRC owners have access to the HPP units at the 6 month point.

 

[Jayco29D]

I would be interested to see if any of those getaways are within 6 months of occupancy. According to the HPP pitch, HRC owners have access to the HPP units at the 6 month point.

Most were within 6 months - primarily from now through the summer. I can’t recall if any were past the summer. I saw a bunch of Key West Getaways from now all through the summer. If I were to go to Key West, MFT ideal time would be May - mid July but I think the snowbirds like the Winter. It varied by location how many weeks were available but some had a lot of available weeks.

 

[Jayco29D]

Those are all resorts that are in the new Pure Points program so hence the recent influx of getaways. Not typical and I doubt it will continue for long but it is a good way for you to check out resorts

Are Pinon Point and High Sierra in the new HPP program too? I also saw a lot of Carmel weeks and all the Colorado resorts. I did not see any Siesta Key or Hawaii.

 

[Carolyn Arndt]

Have you been to Coconut Plantation in Bonita Springs? I have been debating between Beach House, Coconut Plantation and High Sierra. I want a home resort that we might sometimes use. Since we live in Northern California and I have family in South Florida where I grew up, it seems either California or Florida makes sense for a home resort that we can afford. I would like to get a Platinum week, if possible.

We have owned High Sierra Lodge for 20 years -easy to get to from Northern California and maintained very well. Very hard to trade into Kaanapali. Have traded into many locations. Piñon Point is an easy trade.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

Are Pinon Point and High Sierra in the new HPP program too? I also saw a lot of Carmel weeks and all the Colorado resorts. I did not see any Siesta Key or Hawaii.

Colorado is not in the program with the exception of Aspen. Pinon Pointe is. They are trying to get folks in via getaways to hear the pitch for the new program. When we went to an update they told us no more interval deposits after the 1st of the year, that all those units would go into Portfolio but again, considering the source it is difficult to know for sure. I am seeing more Hyatts in interval than is usual