7/2022 Owner's Update -- The best explanation I have received on the Diamond Resorts acquisition and how it applies to HGVC members

[daventrina]

None, for the moment but, at some point down the road when many have been added, it may be nice to have access to them. DRI folks will join no matter what we do so our inventory will be impacted so we may as well impact theirs also. Right now sales folks have been telling folks that they can only join with a purchase so I wanted to hear if they are giving the whole truth... That a $7k fee will be an option later.

On availability, I haven't really had problems reserving. We have 9 booked this year without too much effort but when Max is functional, reserving in the 6 month window will be more challenging.

Turns out that for us and probably many others with 50,000 points the don’t add more for $7,000 option doesn’t work out because to maintain most of our benefits unchanged one under Max would need 54,000 points

 

[primeg]

Is HGV Max live yet? August 1st has come and gone

 

[RX8]

Attended an update a couple of days ago. My only way in to HGV Max was a purchase ($29K for 9280/5800 gold). I asked about a one time fee without purchase and the salesman said he had heard of $7000 buy-in but nothing is in place for that at the moment. The salesman kept pushing the 10 month reservation ability for HGV Max preferred+ and above tiers. The 9280 purchase would have put me at that tier. I’ve seen some older Max tier brochures and this benefit is not listed on those. The brochure he showed me however had that 10 month reservation window benefit listed. The salesman said that 10 month window is good for all properties (Diamond and Hilton) except for the bHC properties. I wish I had taken a photo of the brochure. If it wasn’t on the brochure I wouldn’t have believed him. Anyone else heard of the 10 month priority booking window?

One thing I don’t understand, and it is a concern of mine if I ever want to join HGV Max (as close to free as possible), is how the booking reciprocity works. If i am in HGV Max, would I get to book any and all Diamond resorts or is it limited to only to the number of Diamond members who also joined Max? As another poster brought up, this could potentially result in an out of balance situation if more owners are trying to make reservations than there are actual reservations available. The salesman had no answer to this question and danced around it.

 

[HuskerATL]

Attended an update a couple of days ago. My only way in to HGV Max was a purchase ($29K for 9280/5800 gold). I asked about a one time fee without purchase and the salesman said he had heard of $7000 buy-in but nothing is in place for that at the moment. The salesman kept pushing the 10 month reservation ability for HGV Max preferred+ and above tiers. The 9280 purchase would have put me at that tier. I’ve seen some older Max tier brochures and this benefit is not listed on those. The brochure he showed me however had that 10 month reservation window benefit listed. The salesman said that 10 month window is good for all properties (Diamond and Hilton) except for the bHC properties. I wish I had taken a photo of the brochure. If it wasn’t on the brochure I wouldn’t have believed him. Anyone else heard of the 10 month priority booking window?

One thing I don’t understand, and it is a concern of mine if I ever want to join HGV Max (as close to free as possible), is how the booking reciprocity works. If i am in HGV Max, would I get to book any and all Diamond resorts or is it limited to only to the number of Diamond members who also joined Max? As another poster brought up, this could potentially result in an out of balance situation if more owners are trying to make reservations than there are actual reservations available. The salesman had no answer to this question and danced around it.

If you wanted in, you could buy a cheap resale and then pay the $7k fee when it becomes available later which would be a cheaper route. I don't know for sure that all resale will come in but when I was at my last update in July, the salesperson told me that since I am Elite Premier then I would come in as Premier + so all of our points would come in...and I have mostly resale. I am not sure that I buy it but that is what he said....we didn't do it.

 

[dougp26364]

Is HGV Max live yet? August 1st has come and gone ⁉

1. Never believe a salesman when your given a date
2. Always ask “What year?” when they do try to tell you a date.

Right now the sales teams are just making stuff up and putting arbitrary dates out there trying to convince people to buy now. They want to create that sense of urgency so you’ll make $30,000 impulse purchase.

 

[RX8]

Is HGV Max live yet? August 1st has come and gone

I was told a few days ago by the salesman that it was beginning August 1st but even he said he wasn’t sure if it was going to happen. He was trying to get me to buy mostly with the line that prices were going up as well as the value of the 10 month reservation window for all my bookings (versus 6 months for HGV Max and 9 months for HGVC club bookings).

Edited: HGV’s website says it starts late 2022. I don’t consider August late in the year so maybe it has been delayed.

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[HuskerATL]

I was told a few days ago by the salesman that it was beginning August 1st but even he said he wasn’t sure if it was going to happen. He was trying to get me to buy mostly with the line that prices were going up as well as the value of the 10 month reservation window (versus 6 months for HGV Max and 9 months for HGVC club bookings.

He is talking about the loyalty search request which, could, allow you to set up a search at 10 months but not book until 9. Due to the homeweek window, I don't think they can book at 10 plus, I am not convinced that it is for HGVC but really for HVC properties since they get a 6 month window to reserve in HGVC.

 

[HuskerATL]

I was told a few days ago by the salesman that it was beginning August 1st but even he said he wasn’t sure if it was going to happen. He was trying to get me to buy mostly with the line that prices were going up as well as the value of the 10 month reservation window for all my bookings (versus 6 months for HGV Max and 9 months for HGVC club bookings).

BTW, this is from the HGV Max FAQs:
Will HGV Max impact availability for existing Club Members who do not buy in to the program?
Your Home Week Reservation Window remains unchanged, and HGV Max will have no impact on your ability to reserve your Home Week. For Members with Home Resort or Hilton Club priority, there will also be no impact on a Member’s ability to make reservations during these reservation windows. HGV Max reservations can only be made after the Club reservation window and starting six months or less before the check-out date.

 

[brp]

He is talking about the loyalty search request which, could, allow you to set up a search at 10 months but not book until 9. Due to the homeweek window, I don't think they can book at 10 plus, I am not convinced that it is for HGVC but really for HVC properties since they get a 6 month window to reserve in HGVC.

So, for "search at 10, book at 6," what does the search actually mean? It's not like the search could "find" anything that far out because some HGVC member could snap i up before the 6 month window opens. So, the implications of this "search" are still unclear (at least to me).

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

So, for "search at 10, book at 6," what does the search actually mean? It's not like the search could "find" anything that far out because some HGVC member could snap i up before the 6 month window opens. So, the implications of this "search" are still unclear (at least to me).

Cheers.

Me too but I assume that it means that it will automatically book at the allowed time. There is mention in the documents about priority booking by Tier status so if two people search the same week at the same resort but one is premier+ and the other is preferred, then the Premier+ gets it.

 

[RX8]

He is talking about the loyalty search request which, could, allow you to set up a search at 10 months but not book until 9. Due to the homeweek window, I don't think they can book at 10 plus, I am not convinced that it is for HGVC but really for HVC properties since they get a 6 month window to reserve in HGVC.

Your explanation could be right but he was adamant that Preferred+ and above get 10 month booking rights for all resorts (except the bHC). He could have been blowing smoke but as I said, there was a blurb about the 10 month window on the brochure as one of the Max benefits, the same brochure previously shared here but without that benefit. Wondering if it is possibly a new benefit. I wish I had taken a photo.

 

[HuskerATL]

That is why I think it is for HGVC people reserving HVC properties not HVC reserving HGVC. The 10 month window aligns to their booking window plus, you can see the FAQ above.

 

[HuskerATL]

Plus, I don't think the sales people know.

 

[brp]

Me too but I assume that it means that it will automatically book at the allowed time. There is mention in the documents about priority booking by Tier status so if two people search the same week at the same resort but one is premier+ and the other is preferred, then the Premier+ gets it.

Yup. We've talked about this before and this is where the uncertainty of exactly when this happens (something that we will likely never know) matters. Will it happen at T-1second or so, i.e. before exact midnight, so trump as OCD types? Or will it be "about then" with them doing it in tier order, but not the exact second so that we can sneak in?

Also, if it is 6 months, then all of us 9 monthers have a big jump in any event. In this case, it's only tiering among MAXers.

Cheers.

 

[dayooper]

Your explanation could be right but he was adamant that Preferred+ and above get 10 month booking rights for all resorts (except the bHC). He could have been blowing smoke but as I said, there was a blurb about the 10 month window on the brochure as one of the Max benefits, the same brochure previously shared here but without that benefit. Wondering if it is possibly a new benefit. I wish I had taken a photo.

They have been using the 10 month window since April, but it’s really the Loyalty Search at 10 months and then, at 9 months, the highest tier status gets the reservations. That’s how it’s been presented on the club manual (it’s pretty vague so it might not be totally accurate). My guess is it’s also just like a home week and not a club booking.

HGVC salesman has been presenting many whoppers this year. They all range from HGVC specific items like the system going to all points and certain resorts will become available in Max to the old reliables like prices will go up once Max is announced in April, June, August or any date after the recession period and resale won’t be able to use points, just the week you bought. Could those be true? Sure, but until they are announced, I will be very skeptical of anything a sales weasel says.

Just because a salesman is adamant that something is happening doesn’t make it more true. In fact, if any salesman is getting like that, I tend to believe the opposite.

 

[SmithOp]

Yup. We've talked about this before and this is where the uncertainty of exactly when this happens (something that we will likely never know) matters. Will it happen at T-1second or so, i.e. before exact midnight, so trump as OCD types? Or will it be "about then" with them doing it in tier order, but not the exact second so that we can sneak in?

Also, if it is 6 months, then all of us 9 monthers have a big jump in any event. In this case, it's only tiering among MAXers.

Cheers.

Here's another thought, us OCD types know to book just 3 day minimum at midnight, then walk the extra days. If the elites are putting in searches for longer than three days we will still beat them to the punch.

Sent from my Lenovo 10e using Tapatalk

 

[brp]

Here's another thought, us OCD types know to book just 3 day minimum at midnight, then walk the extra days. If the elites are putting in searches for longer than three days we will still beat them to the punch.

I've never done this because I have no trouble getting the places we want (W. 57th at 9 months as an owner; anything on the Big Island for any date we've tried and for as much as 6 days so far; some Vegas stuff), but I can see doing this for the harder-to-get places. We know these tricks and most do not.

Cheers.

 

[Cyberc]

He is talking about the loyalty search request which, could, allow you to set up a search at 10 months but not book until 9. Due to the homeweek window, I don't think they can book at 10 plus, I am not convinced that it is for HGVC but really for HVC properties since they get a 6 month window to reserve in HGVC.

My understanding from what I read is that Max members can setup the search or request at 10 months out. But can't book until 6 months out. Normally HGVC members can book club 9 months out, if that also means that HGVC members which become Max members can utilize that 10 months search request to grab a reservation at 9 months or will they have to wait until 6 months before the system checks and confirms a reservation I don't know.

I would argue that they would have to wait until 6 months otherwise HGVC members turning max would get a huge upside compared to DRI members turning max. Of course HGVC max members could always just book club starting 9 months out as regular HGVC members would do.

OTOH I could also argue the opposite too that you setup the search at 10 months and then as soon as possible (depending on your ownership) the system will confirm the reservation.

So, for "search at 10, book at 6," what does the search actually mean? It's not like the search could "find" anything that far out because some HGVC member could snap i up before the 6 month window opens. So, the implications of this "search" are still unclear (at least to me).

Cheers.

I agree its not totally clear how the search request part work, as mention above it could work either way.

We also need to learn if the search is only for 7 consecutive days or if 3 days like the regular club is enough.

Does anyone here know if DRI members always need to book 7 consecutive days or if they could book as little as 1 day?

I think with max members HGV need to have a policy of "one-size-fits-all" so anyone who belongs to Max have the same benefits (only difference is the tier).

 

[pedro47]

DRI Club members could book less than 7 consectuive days; but no less than 3 days.

 

[youppi]

from 7.1.4 in https://cmsprod.diamondresorts.com/sites/default/files/us-member-benefits-book-combined_27.pdf, they say "number of nights". So, we should be able to do less than 7 days.
from 7.2.3, they mention that the normal minimum booking is 2 nights. So, I suppose Silver members & up can put a request at 10 months for 2 nights stay.

 

[mdvesper]

Just had a "virtual presentation" where we were given information and allowed to ask questions. We are Diamond owners so this is from that perspective. We were told that Hilton owners paid 3x times as much as us for their Hilton points. So we could either pay the difference (i.e. 2x Diamond retail price) or take advantage of the (and they wanted us to write this down) "Diamond Legacy Initial Launch One Time Incentive". Of couse the guy giving the presentation couldn't give us any details of costs. We had to wait for the closer. That guy told us we would have to buy an additional 7500 points for $29425 with an increase to our maintenance fees of approx. $1400/year. When we explained that we had plenty of points and were retired, he cut the requirment to 3500 additional points. There was no mention of any way to join without buying more points. Even though there were some positives to the HGVmax program, we turned down the chance to join.

 

[csalter2]

DRI Club members could book less than 7 consectuive days; but no less than 3 days.

Diamond Club owners can book a minimum of 2 nights.

 

[csalter2]

I believe that the HGV Max program is such a joke. As a DRI owner, I don’t see the real value for us to buy into the program. First of all, many DRI owners have paid a lot for their timeshare. This nonsense that HGVC people paid so much more than DRI owners is a bunch on salesman gibberish. Diamond points depending on how many you have come at a pretty penny just like Hilton’s. I have been to more than one Hilton sales pitch and their asking price is high but with a lot less places to go compared to DRI. The only thing a DRI owner may be attracted to is the better quality of accommodations but if Hilton is going to rebrand then I don’t see there being a reason for a DRI owner to really buy into the HGV Max. So the salesman who said HGVC owners paid a lot of money for their timeshares to a DRI owner, needs to bring his nose down a notch of two. I am sure those DRI owners who are at Centum and Platinum levels would strongly disagree.

I look at it this way, this is a marriage made for a gain for each company. Diamond needed money and Hilton needed more locations. It’s just that simple to me. This is a marriage of convenience. I never liked Hilton because they did not have a lot of properties and the ones they had were concentrated in a few locations. Who wants to go to the same places all of the time? That would be the attraction for current HGVC owners in my opinion. The ability to travel to more destinations. However, at six months out both Diamond and Hilton owners will have difficulty in making reservations at highly demanded resorts during prime seasons. That will be the cause of lots of frustration. At six months out most inventory is gone at popular locations during highly demanded dates.

Personally, I find no value in HGV Max. I use my Diamond timeshare for places in which Marriott can only take me through a hotel. I paid for more than a hotel. I want a kitchen, space, a living room and a washer and dryer. I love DRI’s 13 and 10 month windows to make my reservations. If Hilton owners come in later, that’s no sweat off of my back. Diamond already rents units out on Expedia, Booking.com and other hotel websites before I can reserve my units at 13 and 10 months out so bring on HGVC owners at six months. I know it’s unsold inventory they are renting, but my point is it makes no difference.

Just my take on it.

 

[ocdb8r]

I agree with many of these posts. I have looked at the system over and over again and watched these threads and I fail to see what an existing HGVC or an existing Diamond owner would want from HGV Max. The only "benefits" it offers are at the elite levels (which are not deeded or guaranteed and are actually pretty minimal). If you had the money to invest and were interested in accessing the "other" system (depending on what you currently own) you get so much more buying something resale in the other system and maintaining two memberships. Better guaranteed booking windows and way more value points wise. For existing owner "upgrades" I think HGV totally missed the mark on product development. The only advantage I can think this whole merger offered is access to a "points" product for HGV to sell lower cost packages (to new owners) than they could offer/devise from the weeks based HGVC products.

 

[HuskerATL]

I agree with many of these posts. I have looked at the system over and over again and watched these threads and I fail to see what an existing HGVC or an existing Diamond owner would want from HGV Max. The only "benefits" it offers are at the elite levels (which are not deeded or guaranteed and are actually pretty minimal). If you had the money to invest and were interested in accessing the "other" system (depending on what you currently own) you get so much more buying something resale in the other system and maintaining two memberships. Better guaranteed booking windows and way more value points wise. For existing owner "upgrades" I think HGV totally missed the mark on product development. The only advantage I can think this whole merger offered is access to a "points" product for HGV to sell lower cost packages (to new owners) than they could offer/devise from the weeks based HGVC products.

The only disadvantage to buying into both sides is two buckets but you would get the best of both booking windows which Max misses. The cost to "upgrade" into Max just isn't worth it, in my opinion.