1st time poster!

[pjdiaz1]

All...firstly, thanks for this resource. My family and I were solicited with a week long stay in Ocean Towers, HI from 10-16 Feb, and got duped into buying during the presentation (22k for 4800 Plat EOY 1 br + 12k points as an incentive). Needless to say, upon finding this site, and learning about the resale market, we rescinded our contract within their predetermined timeframe.

Now that I have this site and various other FB groups, I’ve honed my path to ownership in a few different approaches. Asking for some veteran advice to see which would be best to go with.

Option 1: We really like the Big Island. WIth that in mind, we are thinking about buying a deed for ~7k or 8400 points to nab that as our go-to sure vacation. Downside, MFs are a bit higher, but we have the ability to book a nice 2 br every year.

Option 2: Buy a few deeds, or find one from a low MF resort (one of the Vegas ones), just to nab points and scour the booking site to book in HI or where ever we want when the timeframe hits for booking somewhere other than your home resort. Possible down side here...owning multiple deeds equals initial higher investment with closing fees, and the more deeds you have, the more fees I’d imagine.

As an aside, most of our travel as of now could be done during Gold weeks, as those weeks work out really well with our kids just getting done with school...so not opposed to securing gold points (I know, gold/platinum...it’s all the same).

Would love to hear any insight anyone may have. Thanks in advance and looking forward to learning from everyone.

 

[giowop]

1. Welcome to TUG!!! Side note - if you haven’t, become a full member! It’ll be the easiest $15 you spend a year!

2. Congrats on Just Saying No! Even if it took a little longer - nearly all TUGgers have similar stories!

3. Many will say that it makes more financial sense to buy where the points and MFs are cheaper. I.E. not Hawaii. Unless you are always wanting to go to one of the specific Oahu venues, or you want to establish your home week as the same week every year, it seems that it’s generally possible to book at one of the 4 Big Island resorts (Bay Club, Ocean Tower, Kohala, Kings’ Land)

4. In addition to the increased closing costs you mentioned, Multiple deeds will also set you back $609 PER DEED as a transfer fee - along with separate MFs each year. Might be worth considering getting a bigger chunk of points in one fell swoop.

5. Platinum points hold value better over time if you want to resell at some point.

Others who are smarter than me will weigh in with better advice!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Talent312]

I agree with all that "giowop" has said.
Of the hotel-systems, HGVC is the most resale-friendly and user-friendly
... once you get away from the sharks in the sales office.
Unless you want Oahu every year, go wherever MF's per point is lowest.
HGVC properties are uniformly high-quality, well-maintained & well-staffed.

 

[AnnaS]

Just wanted to say, Welcome to TUG and congrats on rescinding!!!

Not much help from here - only own DVC. Others will also chime in, good luck with your search!

 

[alwysonvac]

Congratulations on finding us in time and Welcome to TUG.

In Hawaii, the HGVC oceanfront resorts are in higher demand. The Big Island HGVC resorts (Bay Club, Kohala, Kings’ Land) are not oceanfront and not difficult to book but I suggest booking your stay as soon as the club reservation window opens. The lower point value units are typically grabbed first.

NOTE: The Ocean Tower at Hilton Waikoloa Village is still under construction on the Big Island with multiple phases. It’s the only true oceanfront HGVC resort on BI. Availability may be harder in future years but it’s too early to tell.

Just keep in mind, the one-time Purchase price is just one factor to consider. The ongoing ever increasing fees are just as important to consider (maintenance fees, club dues, reservation fees, banking fees, exchange fees, etc).

Since you recently bought based on information provided at a HGVC timeshare presentation, do your research first before buying to learn FACT vs FICTION. Here’s the link to the 2020 Club Rules (link)

The sales folks are known to stretch the truth. For example
- 401v is an awful idea. Don‘t hoard Hilton hotel points. They will continue to lose value overtime.
- Open Season cash booking only apply for HGVC resorts (not Hilton hotels) and the cash rates vary by locations, unit size and season.
Here’s the link to the 2020 Open Season Rates and Point Charts (link)
- RCI Last Call is the low cost cash getaways reserved 45 days or less. These weeks are normally the leftovers (the lowest demand weeks). You generally won’t find a top resort or a high demand week under Last Call. For example, you’ll won’t find ski resort during ski season or beach resorts during the summer. You can find last call in overbuilt timeshare areas such as Orlando and Las Vegas. Here’s a link to one of many TUG discussions (link)
- Use HGVC points for HGVC resort stays. HGVC allows you to apply your points towards other options such as cruises but it doesn’t save you money. You’ll most likely end up paying more out of pocket using HGVC points vs paying cash.
- Timeshares exchanging requires planning. If you‘re thinking of visiting timeshare locations via RCI, it is important to understand that exchangers only have access to what is deposited and not all weeks are deposited. The number of deposits vary by resort. Some destinations will be harder to exchange into than others. It depends on supply and demand. There will be lots of exchange competition at destinations were most folks want to visit (beach areas in the summer, major city, ski resorts during ski season, national park areas, etc). One should expect high owner occupancy during this time which generally means less exchange deposits (NOTE: Some timeshares owners would rather rent their high demand week than deposit it with an exchange company). With exchange requests, it's best to be as flexible as possible on your requested unit size (there is more competition for larger unit sizes) and travel dates (like any time during the summer) and even then you may not snag a week at your requested resort. With RCI, it's wise to always research the properties that are listed in the RCI Directory to make sure it meets your vacation needs in terms of location, quality, amenities, etc. Depending on the RCI choices, you may decide to visit this location via some other means (hotel/resort stay, etc).


In any event, I’ll repeat what I have posted many times before...

Whatever you decide, don't put all of your future vacation dollars into timesharing.​

This will give you the flexibility in the future to choose the best way to visit your desired destinations. There might not be a timeshare at the location that you want to visit or if there is a timeshare it may be very hard to get an exchange. You may also want to visit a destination in an entirely different way via a cruise, hotel/resort stay, special discounted travel package, tour company, beach house rental, etc.​

​

I also don't believe that one should put all of their eggs into one basket. ​

HGVC and timesharing in general doesn't satisfy all of my vacation needs so I don’t spend all of my vacation money in timesharing. It’s only part of my annual vacation budget.​

 

[CPNY]

All...firstly, thanks for this resource. My family and I were solicited with a week long stay in Ocean Towers, HI from 10-16 Feb, and got duped into buying during the presentation (22k for 4800 Plat EOY 1 br + 12k points as an incentive). Needless to say, upon finding this site, and learning about the resale market, we rescinded our contract within their predetermined timeframe.

Now that I have this site and various other FB groups, I’ve honed my path to ownership in a few different approaches. Asking for some veteran advice to see which would be best to go with.

Option 1: We really like the Big Island. WIth that in mind, we are thinking about buying a deed for ~7k or 8400 points to nab that as our go-to sure vacation. Downside, MFs are a bit higher, but we have the ability to book a nice 2 br every year.

Option 2: Buy a few deeds, or find one from a low MF resort (one of the Vegas ones), just to nab points and scour the booking site to book in HI or where ever we want when the timeframe hits for booking somewhere other than your home resort. Possible down side here...owning multiple deeds equals initial higher investment with closing fees, and the more deeds you have, the more fees I’d imagine.

As an aside, most of our travel as of now could be done during Gold weeks, as those weeks work out really well with our kids just getting done with school...so not opposed to securing gold points (I know, gold/platinum...it’s all the same).

Would love to hear any insight anyone may have. Thanks in advance and looking forward to learning from everyone.

@Grammarhero HGVC 22K

 

[SteelerGal]

There are many of us who have purchased Hawaii because we want to go to Hawaii. I believe in own where you want to stay. We own at The Bay Club, EOY, as an affiliate, so it’s not Hiltonized. Since I am also a multi TS System owner, my strategy is a little different. We are SoCal so we primarily visit HGVC Coast for short stays. Because of this, I recently purchased @ The Blvd. 4800pts and open season will fulfill our needs.

All this to say, continue researching. TS is addictive and one of the reasons why we own in multiple systems.

 

[pianodinosaur]

Welcome to TUG. I agree with much of what the others have stated. Timesharing has been addictive in my case as well and we also own with MVC. I agree that using HGVC for cruising is not as cost effective as using HGVC points for timesharing, but we have taken many cruises HGVC points and had a great time. The least cost effective way to use HGVC points is a HHONORS conversion. However, I did that one time in the last 19 years due to illness in the family when the only other option would be to loose them. They have been redeemed for five day hotel stays in Sante Fe, San Antonio, and Rome. More HHONORS redemptions will be made next year.

I strongly advise getting a HHONORS American Express Card as the points accumulate quickly. I currently have a Surpass but, I may consider upgrading if I drop below Diamond status.

Wishing all of you many more happy vacations.

 

[GT75]

Congratulations and welcome to TUG, How often and how many people usually will be traveling to the Big Island?

 

[pjdiaz1]

Congratulations and welcome to TUG, How often and how many people usually will be traveling to the Big Island?

Thanks! Ideally, every year, and a family of 4. Two kids are 6/8 right now.

 

[GT75]

Thanks! Ideally, every year, and a family of 4. Two kids are 6/8 right now.

So you are on school schedule. That will be harder time to book on Oahu. If you want to go every year, I would recommend owning there in the unit/season which you would like to book every year. This would be my recommendation. But remember, you must be able to commit to booking at 1 year prior to your scheduled date. If you can't commit that far in advance then TS isn't for you.

 

[SteelerGal]

Agree that if you are tied to school schedule and want to visit annually, owning in HI would be your best bet.
And as @GT75 indicated, advanced planning is a requirement. I already have our 2021 July vacation requested, waiting for 2021 Spring Break window to open, and trying to decide where for Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation. 2022 we will be traveling to Hawaii.

 

[T3PO]

Agree that if you are tied to school schedule and want to visit annually, owning in HI would be your best bet.
And as @GT75 indicated, advanced planning is a requirement. I already have our 2021 July vacation requested, waiting for 2021 Spring Break window to open, and trying to decide where for Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation. 2022 we will be traveling to Hawaii.

Are you allowed to request a vacation over 1 year in advance? You mentioned July 2021 vacation was already requested, just checking if that was a typo.

 

[dayooper]

Are you allowed to request a vacation over 1 year in advance? You mentioned July 2021 vacation was already requested, just checking if that was a typo.

Not in HGVC unless you are using your points to exchange in RCI. I could be wrong, but @SteelerGal owns in different systems and they allow a longer booking window.

 

[alwysonvac]

Correct, SteelerGal owns Bay Club.
HGVC membership isn’t mandatory at that affiliate and she didn’t enroll it into HGVC (see last month’s post below)

I own at Bay Club as well. Latest purchase was a free offer as well. Neither weeks are registered w/ HGVC since we plan to use EOY as a family vacation. I do go back and forth trying to decide if I will Hiltonize since we want to use open season. We have zero desire to exchange.

From the resort sticky thread at the top of the forum

Bay Club Home week reservations are different than the HGVC developed resorts. Home week reservation are booked through the Bay Club and all weeks are available for booking at the beginning of the preceding year. ​

​

To ensure compliance with Bay Club Vacation Owners Association Program Rules, all reservation requests must be submitted in writing. Reservation Request forms are made available late in the year for the upcoming use year. Starting in early January, all reservations requests will be processed in the order in which they are received. Reservation Requests received before January will be date stamped upon receipt. A written confirmation will be emailed to the owner once the reservation request has been processed. ln the event the reservation request cannot be fulfilled, the owner will be contacted to discuss alternate dates.​

​

For example: 2019 Home Resort Reservations can be processed as early as January 2018. Reservation Request Forms for 2019 Home Week Reservations will be available in late 2017. lf you do not plan to use your Bay Club Home Week then there is no need to complete the form.​

 

[SteelerGal]

Sorry, yes I own in multiple Systems to meet my families needs. Majority of the Majors have a 12mo window. Then there are Independents who can have anywhere from 12mo up to 24mo reservation windows.