Affiliate Purchase: GP MarBrisa vs Bay Club

[PenguinTS]

If looking to purchase a HGVC affiliate, what are people's thoughts of MarsBrisa vs Bay Club? Seems MarsBrisa has slightly lower MF (even including the CA Tax) but Bay Club are going for pretty good purchase prices but higher MF, so more a less a wash.

Both properties seem to have a VERY CLOSE relationship w/ HGVC more so than other affiliates, which I find appealing.

So been researching HGVC for awhile and comparing the current pricing for an initial buy-in.

Looks because of ROFR prices at HGVC resorts are holding high around $1.1/pt (GLD) to $1.9/pt (PLT) for initial buy-in.

So started to look at some HGVC affiliates which have up-fronts much lower $.33 - $.85 (based on recent sales) even though they have higher MFs, the cost saving is still very significant to make the break-even around 17yrs which is a very long time for TS ownership.

Looking among the affiliate field and given my location on the West Coast, narrowed down to Bay Club and MarsBrisa.

So looking for opinions on those two properties from owners and others.

Thanks!

 

[djyamyam]

I'm a relative newbie to HGVC but have done the same type of research as you. I'm sure there are going to be more educated comments but the things I would add is that your initial HGVC enrolment fee is higher at Marbrisa (more than double the cost of Bay Club). The good thing about Marbrisa is that you would be considered a GPR member as well so if you were exchanging back into any of the GPR resorts via RCI, the 1 in 4 rule would not apply. However, since you live in CA, I'm not sure how much you would be going to those resorts anyways.

 

[Lmar206]

I rolled the dice with Bay Club, the price was so low the MF will take a long time to catch up. Bought 7k from seth for 5k, and another 4800 on ebay for $700. 11800 points for 5700, not too bad considering Hilton almost had us 4800 points for 26k!

 

[sjuhawk_jd]

I rolled the dice with Bay Club, the price was so low the MF will take a long time to catch up. Bought 7k from seth for 5k, and another 4800 on ebay for $700. 11800 points for 5700, not too bad considering Hilton almost had us 4800 points for 26k!

You can't compare Hilton direct prices with resales: if you do that it will make you giddy so much that you will be sick

However, you are paying close to $3K per year in MF for 11,800 points.

Carefully purchased two 7K point packages (such as at Grand pacific palisades) for about $6K each would have given you 14K points at $2K per year of fees. This is significant difference that will add up quickly.

 

[SmithOp]

You can't compare Hilton direct prices with resales: if you do that it will make you giddy so much that you will be sick

However, you are paying close to $3K per year in MF for 11,800 points.

You have overstated the Bay Club mf. 4800 pts is $1035, and 7000 is $1250. Its a lot closer than you portray.

 

[Lmar206]

I'm okay with 11800 for under 6k, don't really have anther 6k sitting around, so could only afford one of those at 7k. As smithop said, mf are just over 2k, I get enough miles to cover flights each year via my cc, so this deal made a lot of sense to us, especially after signing for 26k/4800 points!

 

[Bill4728]

There is a huge difference between the two.. The bay club is a true affiliate and all the Grand Pacific Ts are "kind of" affiliates.
Everyone who owns at the bay Club can buy into HGVC for a small price but not all GP owners can easily become a HGVC owner. For many GP owners you have to jump thru a number of hoops to be a HGVC owner.

Good Luck

 

[sjuhawk_jd]

There is a huge difference between the two.. The bay club is a true affiliate and all the Grand Pacific Ts are "kind of" affiliates.
Everyone who owns at the bay Club can buy into HGVC for a small price but not all GP owners can easily become a HGVC owner. For many GP owners you have to jump thru a number of hoops to be a HGVC owner.

Good Luck

OP asked for Marbrisa. Marbrisa is not even an affiliate anymore, it is a core HGVC property and all resales enroll automatically with HGVC (you do not have a choice not to enroll in HGVC). This has been discussed and verified few times on these forums already.

Grand Pacific Palisades and Carlsbad Seapointe are different than Marbrisa.

 

[TheWizz]

OP asked for Marbrisa. Marbrisa is not even an affiliate anymore, it is a core HGVC property and all resales enroll automatically with HGVC (you do not have a choice not to enroll in HGVC). This has been discussed and verified few times on these forums already.

Grand Pacific Palisades and Carlsbad Seapointe are different than Marbrisa.

MarBrisa used to be like Palisades (GPP), but it did change sometime last year and HGVC took over the marketing and management of the resort as mentioned so when you buy there now, you're in (the club). We stayed at MarBrisa last year - still dealing with being new/growing pains... I own two units at GPP and it is quite easy to convert a GPP unit to HGVC points IF you buy direct "resale" from the resort's resale dept. You can buy PLT weeks for ~$1 per pt. and the MFs at GPP are less than at MarBrisa which are less than Bay Club - I highly recommend GPP for HGVC access.

 

[Garnet]

Agreement on Marbrisa comments

I think sjuhawk_jd and the wizz are right regarding Marbrisa. I'm not looking to buy, but it seems Marbrisa resales are pretty low right now.

Hilton has figured out that bringing Marbrisa (and nominally, GPP and Seapointe) in was an easy way to expand into the high demand So Cal market.

 

[itradehilton]

When we were at Marbrisa last July they told us that HGVC took over in June. Also all of the new buildings were being built by HGVC.