So i usually vacation last minute like 1-2 months before. All this booking 9 months in advance or 12 months is scaring me? Will there be room 1-2 months before?
Also im planning using points no the actual home vacation.
Other than I cant convert to hilton points do i loose anything else since im buying re-sale?
my biggest worry is i get this and then 1-3 months before i try and book and it wont let me cause its full. Does that happen a lot?
Also do you ever convert to non-hilton resorts?
Booking 1-2 months out there is always room but where? Someplace in the HGVC for some number of nights in some size unit there will be room. However, you will not necessarily get to book exactly where you want, in the size unit you want, for the number of nights you want. You are thinking of purchasing a 1 BR in the Elara. Well that is probably the most sought after HGVC timeshare in Las Vegas. By not booking 9-12 months out in a 1 BR you lose the home resort advantage you have by buying that unit in that resort. Then the entire HGVC club has the right to book from 9 months out to check in. Therefore, if you choose to book 1-2 months out the rest of the club will have from 9 months to say 2 months to book all the nights they want before you look to book your vacation.
Two months out you may be still able to book something in the Elara. It may be a 1 BR, however, it may also be a Studio and take less points but not have a full kitchen or a bedroom, or it may be a 2 BR or larger unit and take more points. The weekends in Las Vegas usually book up the quickest. Therefore, you may not be able to book a full week. You may only be able to book Sunday to Thursday. You may be able to book the other resorts in Las Vegas for the nights you want, However, they may not have as prime a location.
We go to Las Vegas in the early fall or mid spring. Late fall, winter and early spring are too cold for us to walk around at night, and summer is too hot to walk around during the day. You may be able to get what you want 1-2 months out during the slower periods like the winter when it is very cold or summer when it is very hot.
As far as booking HGVC units closer to home in California that is a possibility. While what I stated above still probably holds I haven't done it in California so I won't comment. I will say that the HGVC Club Open Season Benefit may be very useful for you. As a Club Member you can book any availability during the last 30 days by paying cash and not using points. While the costs for nights are not as low as they once were, they are usually reasonable as compared to booking hotel rates with resort fees.
In summary, in timesharing you want to book as early as possible so you have the best chance of getting what you want, where you want, when you want, and for as long as you want!
