Booking Hilton resorts through RCI vs. Internal

[Sandy VDH]

It will be interesting to see what they say...

I really don't think this is a bug. I'm assuming HGVC requested this restriction since it only occurs for HGVC developed resorts. All other RCI weeks are available online 2 years out.

You are correct it is NOT a bug, it is restricted by design.

I had a very lengthy conversions with a manager today that is part of the HGVC RCI exchange.

He has some interesting comments to make....

HGVC membership in RCI is NOT the standard RCI membership. You have HGVC rules not standard RCI rules. It is more restrictive. Yes you can see resorts 2 years out EXCEPT you can not see any resort that participates in HGVC club. According to club rules you can only book out 9 months out, so that also applies to RCI.

All inventory deposited out into RCI way in advance of home season is HGVC owned inventory, or is inventory that HGVC now owns and is no longer part of the club because owners used Club Partner Perks and exchanged HGVC Points for other products or services. They can do what they want with it. As a matter of fact that have a contractual obligation to give RCI a certain amount of inventory.

HGVC does not have standard inventory trade power with RCI, they limit some of the lower quality resorts, but if RCI has inventory HGVC can get it.
OK I get that, but I did convey that HGVC owners think they are getting shut out of opportunities to book HGVC through RCI.

As far as he was aware HGVC never withholds inventory the is HGVC Club inventory. Some inventory might show up later based on cancellations, canceling of automatically booked weeks, or may be populated as MFs are paid.


I did try to convey why it "feels" like HGVC members are restricted from trading into HGVC while other non-HGVC members have access. While this is limited to non-high demand weeks most of the time, it is annoying to HGVC members.

Luckily I have more than 1 access to RCI: I have RCI, RCI via Wyndham Partner Plus, RCI Points, RCI Points and Weeks via HGVC. I think I have all options covered.

So it is by design and not by accident.

If someone is looking for inventory outside of HGVC viewing weeks PM me and I can look for you.

 

[alwysonvac]

You are correct it is NOT a bug, it is restricted by design.

I had a very lengthy conversions with a manager today that is part of the HGVC RCI exchange.

He has some interesting comments to make....

HGVC membership in RCI is NOT the standard RCI membership. You have HGVC rules not standard RCI rules. It is more restrictive. Yes you can see resorts 2 years out EXCEPT you can not see any resort that participates in HGVC club. According to club rules you can only book out 9 months out, so that also applies to RCI.

All inventory deposited out into RCI way in advance of home season is HGVC owned inventory, or is inventory that HGVC now owns and is no longer part of the club because owners used Club Partner Perks and exchanged HGVC Points for other products or services. They can do what they want with it. As a matter of fact that have a contractual obligation to give RCI a certain amount of inventory.

HGVC does not have standard inventory trade power with RCI, they limit some of the lower quality resorts, but if RCI has inventory HGVC can get it.
OK I get that, but I did convey that HGVC owners think they are getting shut out of opportunities to book HGVC through RCI.

As far as he was aware HGVC never withholds inventory the is HGVC Club inventory. Some inventory might show up later based on cancellations, canceling of automatically booked weeks, or may be populated as MFs are paid.


I did try to convey why it "feels" like HGVC members are restricted from trading into HGVC while other non-HGVC members have access. While this is limited to non-high demand weeks most of the time, it is annoying to HGVC members.

Luckily I have more than 1 access to RCI: I have RCI, RCI via Wyndham Partner Plus, RCI Points, RCI Points and Weeks via HGVC. I think I have all options covered.

So it is by design and not by accident.

If someone is looking for inventory outside of HGVC viewing weeks PM me and I can look for you.

Hi Sandy

Thanks for looking into this and providing a detailed updated

Phyllis

 

[poleary2000]

I'm new to TS and actually just got my HGVC account activated. How do you go about booking the above method of stretching points through RCI? Do you call them directly and tell them that you want to use HGVC points to book a week? Do I have to have a separate membership with RCI?

Thanks!

 

[Talent312]

I'm new to TS and actually just got my HGVC account activated. How do you go about booking the above method of stretching points through RCI? Do you call them directly and tell them that you want to use HGVC points to book a week? Do I have to have a separate membership with RCI?

In brief, about 10 days after your HGVC account is activated, your access
to RCI is set-up and you can reserve RCI thru the HGVC members website...
https://www.hgvclub.com/login.php
Click on the "My Club" tab, then "RCI Affiliated Resorts."
If your RCI access is set up, you'll see a "Reservations" option and be
taken to RCI-land. You do not get an an RCI account of your own.

You can always call, but then you're at the mercy of the CSR you deal with.

 

[poleary2000]

Thanks. I'll get that option soon enough. I guess my question is though, are you somehow able to stretch your points further by calling RCI directly and not using your Hilton link?

 

[kool_kat]

Thanks. I'll get that option soon enough. I guess my question is though, are you somehow able to stretch your points further by calling RCI directly and not using your Hilton link?

No, the way you are stretching your points is by doing an exchange through RCI (through Hilton's corporate account) instead of booking through Hilton's internal exchange.

For example, a 1 bedroom during the gold season is 4,800 points if you book in Hilton's internal exchange (using the "classic" or revolution system). However, if some weeks have been deposited in RCI, you may be able to exchange into that same unit for 3,400 points.

The differences - Hilton booking fee is less than RCI ($49 vs. $179 for online); you can easily book less than a week through Hilton; no 1 in 4 rule with Hilton, but you can come out ahead on RCI by saving points.

I booked the 2 bedroom at Grand Pacific Palisades for 4,800 points. I believe this same week would have cost me 7,000 through Hilton. The extra $120 in fees I paid was well worth the 2,200 points I saved.

 

[poleary2000]

I see. But in order to potentially get that points advantage, you have to deposit points into RCI meaning you can't use them in the Hilton system anymore. Right? How do you deposit to RCI?

 

[poleary2000]

Sorry. I didn't mean to hijack the thread.

 

[kool_kat]

I see. But in order to potentially get that points advantage, you have to deposit points into RCI meaning you can't use them in the Hilton system anymore. Right? How do you deposit to RCI?

No, that's the wonderful thing about the Hilton corporate RCI account. You get to look before depositing. You can start an ongoing search with RCI to find what you want, but you do not have to deposit the points until you actually find what you want & make the exchange. At the time of the confirmed exchange, the points are deducted from your Hilton account.

Now, you do have the option of depositing points in RCI ahead of time to keep them from expiring, but I have never done that so someone with more experience will need to chime in.

 

[itradehilton]

We have done the ongoing search to get Disney in July, Carlsbad for spring break and never had to deposit points ahead of time.

 

[travelguy]

No, that's the wonderful thing about the Hilton corporate RCI account. You get to look before depositing. You can start an ongoing search with RCI to find what you want, but you do not have to deposit the points until you actually find what you want & make the exchange. At the time of the confirmed exchange, the points are deducted from your Hilton account.

Now, you do have the option of depositing points in RCI ahead of time to keep them from expiring, but I have never done that so someone with more experience will need to chime in.

You are correct. You do not have to assign HGVC points to the HGVC/RCI account to start an ongoing search. However, you DO have to pay the RCI fee for the ongoing search.

My rule is that I never transfer the HGVC points to the HGVC/RCI points account unless they are expiring. I almost always have at least one HGVC/RCI ongoing search going. I currently have 12,000+ points in HGVC/RCI and two paid search fees. The ongoing searches cover about 10 different dates and areas, some with specific resorts and others with only area designations.

 

[UWSurfer]

I move the reservation later in the year to keep the points and reservation fee. I typically use the moved reservation as a place holder against another HGVC/RCI or straight RCI ongoing search (or actual straight HGVC points reservation). The only time this doesn't work is within 30 days of Dec 31st or when I run out of trips to book.

My wife and I were talking about this and had a question. When you move the reservation as a place holder, are you then able to rebook a different HGVC resort using the reservation fee & points you have moved? In otherwords, If I book say, HGVC LV Hilton, decide to get it some other way and move the reservation out further into the year, can I the use it to book say, Flamingo or one of their other resorts without using new points or fees?

 

[travelguy]

My wife and I were talking about this and had a question. When you move the reservation as a place holder, are you then able to rebook a different HGVC resort using the reservation fee & points you have moved? In otherwords, If I book say, HGVC LV Hilton, decide to get it some other way and move the reservation out further into the year, can I the use it to book say, Flamingo or one of their other resorts without using new points or fees?

Yes, you can change the reservation to anything in the HGVC reservation system for that same calendar year.