• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

"Buying into Hyatt" questions

Floridaski

TUG Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
608
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
South Florida, Summit County Colorado.
Resorts Owned
Hyatt
If the poster is clearly operating on points, the Beach House would be a good purchase. However, he seems to want the guarantee of getting into Key West in something other than a 2 BR unit. Since only Sunset Harbor has the option of 1 BR or Studio, owning at Sunset will satisfy both goals.

BTW, Hyatt is now pricing the Beach House the same as Windward Point.


I trust your information Kal, but I had a friend just purchase a Beach House 1800 point week in December for 11,500 - which is slightly higher then the 1300 or 1400 point weeks. But still, very far below the developer prices. The unit went past ROFR without any problems. They own homes in both Colorado and Florida - so they can drive to both Colorado and Florida resorts. They have already used their points for a studio stay in Aspen and could not be any happier.
 

Kal

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,406
Reaction score
511
Points
499
Location
Redmond, WA
I do not have a lot of vacation time or a lot of cash to invest. HGVC has served me well. I hope you guys can give me insight into how well HVC will work considering my approach to using it. THANKS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR REPLIES ! :)
...I understand the economics of trading a 2 bedroom for 6 or 7 nights in a hotel room. HOWEVER, it is not always a bad deal. If you can’t use your week it’s better to convert to hotel points than lose the week.

I view hotel points as a free insurance policy......

I like what you are saying about the insurance aspect, but let me add some specifics to the Hotel Exchange Program.

If you own 1400 points, an exchange will get you 57,000 Hyatt Gold Passport Points. Here are some options for maximizing use of all those points in a single stay (by Hyatt Hotel Categories) -

Cat 5 (e.g. Grand Hyatt Kauai) 18K/night = 3 nights
Cat 4 (e.g. Hyatt KW Resort) 15K/night = 3 nights
Cat 3 (e.g. Hyatt at Fisherman's Wharf (San Fran) 12K/night = 4 nights
Cat 2 (e.g. Hyatt Summerfield Suites equivalent = 8K/night = 7 nights
Cat 1 (e.g. former AmeriSuites equivalent = 5K/night = 11 nights

Thus if you want to stay in a quality Hyatt hotel, you only get 3 nights.
 
Last edited:

GTLINZ

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
989
Reaction score
432
Points
423
Location
Georgia
Therefore I would consider purchasing a resale week from an authorized Hyatt re-sale broker at a resort that Hyatt no longer has a sale desk at. This has 3 advantages,

1) You can calmly negotiate (as opposed to crazy bidding) the best price for your unit
2) Hyatt controls ROFR so buying from an authorized resale broker helps with passing ROFR. If Hyatt invokes ROFR then they have to sell it again through the resale broker
3) You can exchange for Hyatt Gold Passport hotel points EOY .

Now before I get flamed about points being a “bad deal”. Let me state that often hotel points CAN be a bad deal, I understand the economics of trading a 2 bedroom for 6 or 7 nights in a hotel room. HOWEVER, it is not always a bad deal. If you can’t use your week it’s better to convert to hotel points than lose the week.

I view hotel points as a free insurance policy. If my life won’t allow me to travel, or travel much, I can convert my unit into points and they never expire. Also, hotel points are easier to use (more locations, less restrictions, check in any day of the week, leave when you want, no split week fees, and no reservation fees). Also, I can use points for car rentals and other items.

Usually one needs to buy from Hyatt and pay top dollar for the hotel points option, but not always. Bying from an authorized Hyatt resale broker, you still get the lowest resale price and a point conversation option.

If you would like some advice on who and where to buy resale, please inbox me. Thanks.

-TJ :D

PS - I am not an authorized Hyatt resale agent or affiliated with one

Excellent info, TahoeJoe. I actually bought my HGVC resale directly for Hilton and paid $500 over the best deal I found but knew I would have no issue with ROFL (they do not like to advertise they resell for their owners). I also agree that in general the hotel points exchange is generally a good deal, but having the option is good (HGVC gets that with ANY resale). HVC is trickier to work that HGVC but looks to be the 2nd most flexible of the major chains (for example, you can toss HGVC point into RCI at the last minute before they expire, borrow from next year free, I can go on...). Each one has it's merits. Hyatt for the most part has better locations, for sure.

From what I have read, I should have no issue trading into SH in Nov. I suspected this - in early December when there SH appeared to be pretty empty. Sounds like it will work to my advantage.
 

GTLINZ

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
989
Reaction score
432
Points
423
Location
Georgia
If the poster is clearly operating on points, the Beach House would be a good purchase. However, he seems to want the guarantee of getting into Key West in something other than a 2 BR unit. Since only Sunset Harbor has the option of 1 BR or Studio, owning at Sunset will satisfy both goals.

BTW, Hyatt is now pricing the Beach House the same as Windward Pointe.

Actually, I want a 2 br for the Keys to travel with friends from Miami. My preferred location is SH after being there and in the middle of everything. Beach House seems to be running $200 a year cheaper on MFs, which I like. My issue is that my preferred travel time is Sept - Nov and few locations have more points then, plus the intial fee matters. I don't need more that one week out of the points, in general, but do not want to lose any either. If I can purchase resale for CLOSE to market and get the hotel points option, at least I can keep from losing points if I have a non Key West year and using a split week. All things to consider.
 

GTLINZ

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
989
Reaction score
432
Points
423
Location
Georgia
I also agree that in general the hotel points exchange is generally a good deal, but having the option is good (HGVC gets that with ANY resale).

Sorry, I misquorted - Hotel points are generally NOT a good deal. :( .. HVC and HGVC share that - I bet they love it if you use your points that way....
 

GTLINZ

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
989
Reaction score
432
Points
423
Location
Georgia
Here are examples to explain my points requirements, why I am looking at Hyatt, and what I am looking at to get from Hyatt/HVC ownership.

We like to go out west every 2-3 years, and living in GA we have easy access to go FL. HGVC has most it's locations in FL (affiliates, but accessible internally and I can avoid RCI). We currently mix Orlando and beach locations then trade for out west thru RCI some years (this is a lot of work). Western locations thru RCI are also limited. We do not have Interval Int. access with HGVC. We also just visited Key West last December, and for once I actually would like to have a home resort there - and we like Nov in the Keys. Hyatt offers locations and units in Carmel, Tahoe and Sedona I want access to (besides the Key West base). We take family on a trip every other year, and we try to do a trip with just my wife and I every year. Trips out west are just for the 2 of us, and we like to travel Sept out west. We are all over spring/early summer in FL using HGVC. So we really only need ONE TRIP PER YEAR out of Hyatt, and Sept - Nov is our target period for HVC travel.

If I buy 1880 or 2000 points and go to Key West in Nov most years, what do I do with the other 580-700 points? The Coconut plantation resort has no draw for me (I prefer HGVC south FL locations). With HGVC, I can move points forward easily and I basically just never have to lose any points - so having extra points in HGVC does NOT require forced trips. Borrowing thru HVC requires LCUP reservations (or at least travel within 2 months). With HVC it looks like the bottom line is that you need to use your points within the defined 3 reservation periods for that year's points. Even if I am in a position to trade for Hyatt hotel points, this is not a good plan. If HGVC would build in more locations, especially out west, I really would not be looking at Hyatt. But Hyatt has a much better plan as far as locations and from what I read it is only going to get better. So I am thinking if I buy Hyatt points I need to use them every year, and the normal one trip I need is a bronze 2br in november.

Also, if I am in an "out west" year with my HVC points and book a partial week, I will have extra points (even with "just" 1300 points) and subject to lose them. At least this is the unusual years. I am more prone to book another trip in this situation. The real rub for my situation with only having 1300 points is that I sure could use 1450 points for a full week 1br diamond for Carmel. But I can live with partial weeks out west because I like to hit multiple stops when there. This seems like the lesser of 2 evils.

So 1300 bronze still seems like the best situation for me. I can pay extra for SH and get a HRPP situation, or save a little money elsewhere and buy 1300-1400 Sept-Nov at the cheapest location which is likely still Beach House (from my reading on Tug). And if I buy HVC points, I don't need as many HGVC points - and since they are easy to retain, having HVC and HGVC ends up being a nice combination.
 

Carmel85

TUG Member
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
913
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
CA
GTLINZ,

Get OFF the fence and buy a Hyatt. Talk talk talk why dont you buy buy buy you have all the info and you seem to know the Hyatt system :eek:

We can only guide you but you have to make your own offers and decisions. You will still be learning at 1300 or 1400 points you will be back in a year or less buying a 2000 or 2200 point week you will see.:hi:

Go get a steal of a deal on a 1300 point week but you will be asking why didnt I listen to us here on the board to buy a higher point week. You will just have to learn on your own!!:shrug:

You think you are going to come west and get a the mid weeks you want.Remember Hyatt fills all the 7 day request 1st then Hyatt fill the mid week requests.:doh:

I know one thing you will not be getting into many if any NEW Hyatt that are coming on line in the next 3-5 years with a little 1300 point week that is 100% for sure. Tahoe,Siesta Key,NYC,Hawaii,California and yes Florida.:cheer:

Carmel85 wwcd
 

tahoeJoe

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
980
Reaction score
47
Points
388
Location
Northern California
I know one thing you will not be getting into many if any NEW Hyatt that are coming on line in the next 3-5 years with a little 1300 point week that is 100% for sure. Tahoe,Siesta Key,NYC,Hawaii,California and yes Florida.:cheer:

Carmel85 wwcd[/QUOTE]

Carmel85 is correct in that it will be very difficult get new resorts in prime season with low points. However, the off season might be a different story. I know Northstar has Silver, Bronze and Copper seasons. They also have 2 bedroom and studio units. So you could get a 2 bedroom for 4 nights in Bronze season for 420 points (340pts for copper) and a week in a studio for silver season for 480 points (360pts for copper). I suspect these off season trades at Northstar will be plentiful, here is why.

Northstar is only selling Diamond, Platinum, and gold weeks (only 20 weeks per year per unit). The remaining 32 weeks are up for grabs. The buyer at Northstar receives a fixed week PLUS an additional 2450 to 3250 points to be used anywhere at anytime. Why would a platinum Northstar owner want to go to Northstar during the off season when they can go during a peak ski or summer week? Most likely they will go there for a week (or split week) during the peak and then trade to Carmel, Maui, or Key West in the off season (they have the points to do so and spent the best week at Northstar already that year).

-TJ
 
Last edited:

GTLINZ

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
989
Reaction score
432
Points
423
Location
Georgia
I know one thing you will not be getting into many if any NEW Hyatt that are coming on line in the next 3-5 years with a little 1300 point week that is 100% for sure. Tahoe,Siesta Key,NYC,Hawaii,California and yes Florida.:cheer:

Carmel85 wwcd

Carmel85 is correct in that it will be very difficult get new resorts in prime season with low points. However, the off season might be a different story.

-TJ[/QUOTE]

I understand the newer resorts will likely cost more points. Hawaii and New York are already available with HGVC, but Siesta Key and more Cali sure sounds good. I also have Vegas access with HGVC but don't care a thing about going there.

1300 points gets me into Key West when I want, and gives me lots of options I do not have now thru Interval (2br week, or a 1br week and a studio week) since I currently don't belong to Interval. It would also give me access to last minute Interval Inventory. In general, Interval inventory looks more attactive to me than RCI. Access to Marriott properties would be a plus. I don't have to worry about losing points with Interval if I submit them in time for EEEP.

Carmel85 - from your responses, it sounds like you can spend as much as you want, but I can't. Hopefully I will be in a position to buy later this year. I think 1300 points will serve me fine. The only one that really "hurts" is being short of a 1br week at Highlands Inn.

I understand the limitations of 1300 point weeks, but they have their place. Covering a 2br in Interval shows the high trading power of HVC. Hilton is high within RCI, but not at as high of a ratio as HVC:
-7000 is 2br peak HGVC, 4800 to pull peak RCI 2br (takes 68.5% of your points)
-2200 is 2br peak HVC, 1300 to pull peak II 2br (takes 59% of your points)
 

Kal

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,406
Reaction score
511
Points
499
Location
Redmond, WA
GTLINZ,
...You think you are going to come west and get a the mid weeks you want.Remember Hyatt fills all the 7 day request 1st then Hyatt fill the mid week requests.:doh: ...

Do you really mean to suggest that midweek requests will never be filled? I have been told many times by Hyatt that ALL requests are on a "first-come, first-served" basis. They don't distinguish between lengths of stay in a request.
 

Kal

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,406
Reaction score
511
Points
499
Location
Redmond, WA
This whole logical thought process on purchasing a 1300 or 1400 point week makes very good sense. However, it is clearly based on:
  • the buyer having other existing properties,
  • preference for specific Hyatt resorts,
  • time of the year to travel, and
  • AVAILABLE FUND$.
The downside is working with two different timeshare programs. It's a bit like Airline Mileage Programs. I could have accounts with 5 different airlines, yet I don't have enough miles in any single account to obtain "free" tickets for me and my SO. If at some point the owner feels trapped in 1400 point neverland, life becomes more difficult.
 

Carmel85

TUG Member
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
913
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
CA
Do you really mean to suggest that midweek requests will never be filled? I have been told many times by Hyatt that ALL requests are on a "first-come, first-served" basis. They don't distinguish between lengths of stay in a request.


Kal,

100% for sure Hyatt fills ALL 7 day requests 1st then the others (mid weeks etc) if there is space.

Carmel85
 

Kal

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,406
Reaction score
511
Points
499
Location
Redmond, WA
You might want to call Hyatt Owner Services and see what they say. Just think, how would a short week requestor ever get that reservation filled?

My personal experience in February is that my short-week request was filled while a good friend's request for a full week for the same week at the same resort was not granted. We both had been on the waiting list for a lengthy period except I put my name on the list ahead of her.
 

Kal

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,406
Reaction score
511
Points
499
Location
Redmond, WA
I just talked to Owner Services to see where I am on the wait list for another request. I also asked about how they handle requests for short-week stays. They confirmed that it is "first-come, first-served" on filling requests. There is no distinction between full weeks and short weeks. They also said that has been a long-standing HVC policy and it has not changed.

I guess we're gonna have to agree to disagree on this one.
 
Last edited:

Floridaski

TUG Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
608
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
South Florida, Summit County Colorado.
Resorts Owned
Hyatt
We often stay mid-week or weekends

I am one of those people that like to get the most from my Hyatt points. We are lucky and live in Florida, so we often take mid-week stays at their various Florida resorts.

I have NEVER had any problem with getting my mid-week reservation filled. We also have just stayed for the weekends, also NEVER a problem. I have also been told by owner services that mid-week and weekend request are treated no differently then full weeks. Now the resort managers much prefer full week stays, but they do not control Hyatt reservations.

I also have to say that we will agree to disagree....on this one.
 

Transit

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2006
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
0
Points
396
Location
Coral Springs, FL
This whole logical thought process on purchasing a 1300 or 1400 point week makes very good sense. However, it is clearly based on:
  • the buyer having other existing properties,
  • preference for specific Hyatt resorts,
  • time of the year to travel, and
  • AVAILABLE FUND$.
The downside is working with two different timeshare programs. It's a bit like Airline Mileage Programs. I could have accounts with 5 different airlines, yet I don't have enough miles in any single account to obtain "free" tickets for me and my SO. If at some point the owner feels trapped in 1400 point neverland, life becomes more difficult.
Having a varied portfolio of good timeshares or sticking with one and having elite status and lots of points is a big consideration and a tough decision. I think having Starwood ,Hyatt and mayby a Marriott in the future will give me a broad quality TS expeirence. By buying resale if my needs change I can opt out at minimal loss.
 

Carmel85

TUG Member
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
913
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
CA
Kal and Flordski,

I think Im telling you wrong. You can be on the waitlist for 7,4,2,3 day stays each one has its own priority #1 in each time frame.

Hyatt always fills the 7 day reservations first then they work the mid week stays.

It makes since because when you turn in your complete HRRP 7 day week and not split up your HRRP week then all 7 days open up. If the owner of HRPP week uses only 2,3, or 4 night stays that is where the other nights come into play., mid week stays.

I can only tell you this is what advisor in member services Hyatt corporate stated.

I also never have a problem getting in Mid-week stays but it is getting harder and harder to get them and some resorts. I just dont want any of the hyatt newbies think they can always get midweeks in Carmel or sunset harbor it just does not happen that easy.

GO HYATT NORTHSTAR
 
Last edited:

Kal

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,406
Reaction score
511
Points
499
Location
Redmond, WA
This is the first I have ever heard that there are 4 wait lists for each week at each resort. There is only one wait list for reservations at a resort. They go down the list according to priority and confirm each reservation in that order. If person #1 wants a 3 day, (s)he gets a 3-day. There is no criteria where that person is skipped because there are only 7-day openings. They do not skip over someone just because they want a 3-day. In the instance where there are ONLY 7-day slots available, they will break it up and assign a short week. Ultimately the next person wanting a 7-day may not get a reservation as there are only short weeks available. At that point the 7-day request is not filled and they continue down the list until they reach the next short week request.

In February 2008 I was assigned a short week stay in a unit where the HRPP owner declined use of the entire week Hyatt split the week. I had specifically requested this exact unit therefore the assignment was of particular interest to me. As I indicated in an earlier post, a friend was on the wait list for a 7-days during that same week and did not get confirmed at all. Obviously they split a week rather than bypass me.

Can you imagine a situation where I did not get a 3-day reservation because there were only full weeks available? And then in the extreme let's suppose it was very low season and those units would remain empty even though I wanted a 3-day reservation and was #1 on the wait list.

Yes, I think we agree to disagree.
 
Last edited:

mesamirage

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Messages
374
Reaction score
2
Points
378
Location
Chandler, AZ
This whole logical thought process on purchasing a 1300 or 1400 point week makes very good sense. However, it is clearly based on:
  • the buyer having other existing properties,
  • preference for specific Hyatt resorts,
  • time of the year to travel, and
  • AVAILABLE FUND$.
The downside is working with two different timeshare programs. It's a bit like Airline Mileage Programs. I could have accounts with 5 different airlines, yet I don't have enough miles in any single account to obtain "free" tickets for me and my SO. If at some point the owner feels trapped in 1400 point neverland, life becomes more difficult.

I think we all agree that without a doubt the best value on a Hyatt week is to get a high points week at a below resale market price. However, as I have posted before there are times that purchasing a 1300/1400 points week does make sense for many many different reasons. I personally like to get the best value possible.... and I have done that with my purchases (or at least I think I have)... and I own a 1300 point week to go with my other 2 weeks.

Lets not be so black and white about the lower point weeks.
 
Last edited:

GTLINZ

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
989
Reaction score
432
Points
423
Location
Georgia
Thanks guys - you thoroughly chewed on the subject that I have the most questions about now - the short weeks. 1300 points covers Key West and II weeks but falls 150 points short of a full week in Carmel during Sept. We LOVE that area.

I really need to know what other tuggers have gotten for "short weeks". With HGVC, if you don't do a home reservation, it is just about points. After home reservation period it is a free for all. Minimum 3 days, maximum by your points. So for a Sunday checkin, I could stay 6 nights and lose a weekend night and save 20% of my points (which would help here). I still do not have a grasp on how rigid the short weeks are.

If I lived near one of the locations I would be all over extra points because it would be easier to spend the points. All of the locations are a plane ticket away for me. Silver 2br is closer but still not there. But it would cover 1br plat.
 
Top