Diamond Resorts Newsletter - sent by Hilton

[PigsDad]

For some (ok, the very few that can afford it), this is "Camping"

But for many, this is their version of camping (I have been in a travel trailer just like this one).

I'd label both of those "Glamping", but that's just me.

Kurt

 

[dayooper]

I'd label both of those "Glamping", but that's just me.

Kurt

LOL, yes, that's glamping. Before we started down the HGVC path, we explored glamping. We rented a trailer and spent a week at a state park. It was fine for me, but most of the family struggled with the accommodations. It was too cramped and the wife is very much a city /suburban girl and had issues with the bed. Maybe if we stayed in a better trailer, things might have been different. It was a lower level Forest River brand (I can't remember the exact line) with no slide and a tiny sofa bed in the main area. If we had stayed in a Grand Design Imagine like my good friend has (the 2nd picture I posted), we may have bought one.

I'm actually happy the way things turned out as we love traveling in our HGVC accommodations. It fits my families personality much better than a travel trailer. It has crossed my mind to buy a smaller trailer so I can take my youngest places. He really enjoyed the trip and wants to do go camping more often.

 

[travelplus]

Our Family owns at the Sedona Summit and Scottsdale Villa Mirage. One option may be is to keep the Diamond Moniker and name it Diamond By Hilton Grand Vacations just like Hampton inn, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites etc.

 

[dayooper]

Our Family owns at the Sedona Summit and Scottsdale Villa Mirage. One option may be is to keep the Diamond Moniker and name it Diamond By Hilton Grand Vacations just like Hampton inn, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites etc.

I think they want to be as far away from that name as possible. In a presentation to the HOA’s, they said they were “sunsetting” the Diamond brand.

 

[pedro47]

I think they want to be as far away from that name as possible. In a presentation to the HOA’s, they said they were “sunsetting” the Diamond brand.

What is the official word from Hilton CEO ?

 

[dayooper]

What is the official word from Hilton CEO ?

Not sure, but the presentation was shared here and on the Facebook groups.

 

[sfwilshire]

It sounds like this is quite the resort and I think that's the reason it was one of the first to be uploaded into the Hilton Hotel system (still can't book it through Hilton Hotels, says it's coming soon). I hope that HGV will keep the MF's at HVC resorts the same or down a bit. From what I understand, the management fees the resorts had to pay were pretty high. Hopefully HGV can upgrade the resort to the new standard and build up your reserves.

I feel the opposite about the exchange companies. I wish I had access to II through HGVC. Outside of a resort or 2 along the Lake Michigan shore that never have availability when I can go, the only RCI resorts I was interested in were the DVC resorts. Now they are gone and I have no desire to use RCI. If I had access to Hyatt, MVC and Vistana, I might use it more often. I think it's possible that @escanoe may be right in that HGV might use DEX to start their own exchange mechanism. Who knows, but the offerings on RCI I'm interested in are very thin.

I hope you do get some positive changes. I have been very happy with my HGVC purchase. We have had very nice accommodations and the service has been first rate. They do a great job at keeping MF's reasonable (I pay $2240 all in for my 2 platinum weeks and club dues) so I'm hoping they do the same for you all.

It's good that we all have different tastes. For the last few years, II seldom made units available to me in the locations we want to vacation. I got some decent exchanges from them for my Gatlinburg weeks in the early years, but not so much for the Mystic Dunes intervals.

RCI, has pretty consistently through the years had options to a lot of places I want to visit. I have deposits in RCI Weeks and RCI Points, so that expands my options. RCI has also made it easier to extend deposits. I've used the II e-plus a few times, but now the price has increased dramatically for that.

I've enjoyed the HGVC properties I've stayed in and look forward to exploring more of them in the future.

Happy vacations!

Sheila

 

[mitzi]

Shamelessly stolen from Hilton forum on FlyerTalk:

Hilton Vacation Club Mystic Dunes Orlando, it may open as soon as February 25, 2022.
Hilton Vacation Club Scottsdale Villa Mirage, aiming towards March 4, 2022.
Hilton Vacation Club Sedona Summit, on the way to opening March 18, 2022.

Mentioned earlier:
Hilton Vacation Club The Historic Powhatan Williamsburg, slated for March 11, 2022.

 

[pedro47]

Shamelessly stolen from Hilton forum on FlyerTalk:

Hilton Vacation Club Mystic Dunes Orlando, it may open as soon as February 25, 2022.
Hilton Vacation Club Scottsdale Villa Mirage, aiming towards March 4, 2022.
Hilton Vacation Club Sedona Summit, on the way to opening March 18, 2022.

Mentioned earlier:
Hilton Vacation Club The Historic Powhatan Williamsburg, slated for March 11, 2022.

I can not believe The Historic Powhatan @ Williamsburg over Greensprings Vacation Resort in Williamsburg, VA.

 

[escanoe]

I can not believe The Historic Powhatan @ Williamsburg over Greensprings Vacation Resort in Williamsburg, VA.

I thought it was pretty nice if not quite HGVC standards when staying there last fall. It is sure easy to get with discounted points last minute on RCI since the resort fee is so out of whack with the rest of Williamsburg. I only used it for 3 days, so only paid 3 days of the resort fee. Good deal on a 3BR.

 

[trippka]

Westgate has a very nice looking resort (but haven’t step foot inside) at Park City only 1/2 block from HGVC Sunrise Lodge on Canyon side.

We have stayed there and won't stay there again. Lots of maintenance issues, and the upholstery was bad enough in our unit that they actually swapped it out with another unit. That was 2021.

 

[GT75]

We have stayed there and won't stay there again. Lots of maintenance issues, and the upholstery was bad enough in our unit that they actually swapped it out with another unit.

Wow, that is too bad, because the outside looks great. Honestly, I wouldn't purchase Westgate with all of the terrible reviews. But we will be at Sunrise Lodge in less than two weeks. Just waiting for that snow now.

 

[DebbersNJ]

My husband and I stayed at Pacifica in Cabo last week - A+ rating all around!

We did do an update meeting because we haven't been on one in years. I'm not 100% sure this is correct, but I'll do my best to share what we were told.

A new form of membership will be available to purchase soon in HGV MAX that will allow HGVC owners to access two other classes of Hilton timeshare brands: (1) BY HILTON CLUB (BYC) which will house the higher end properties which may become difficult for HGVC owners to access otherwise (these sites are already considered by staff to be 'by Hilton', such as in NY, Cabo, HI, etc) and (2) 'Hilton Vacation Club' which will be the Diamond properties.

HGV MAX ownership includes (some?) access to HGVC, BH and HVC.

The new program is to launch on 4/1/22.

I also understood that any ownership at a BH resort will provide entre to HGV MAX when it is launched, as long as BH owners accept the option to enroll in the benefits of HGV MAX which will be offered for a limited amount of time, with no additional ownership purchase required.

We were not told what kind of access HGVC owners would have at the launch or whether owners in that class would need to make a purchase or not to access HGV MAX. But according to the letter I quote below, it looks as though all new HGVC owners will be provided with this offer (at least those who buy between 1/15/22, according to our rep, and the time of launch which is planned for April 1st).

We were asked to sign a paper that says:

"Thank you for purchasing with Hilton Grand Vacations. We are excited you have decided to become a part of our growing family."

"As you may be aware, HGV recently acquired Diamond Resorts International, Inc and is considering ways to integrate the two companies' product offerings."

"We are presently working on a new program that we plan to call HGV MAX. Although we can't commit to any details or otherwise offer the program today, the general concept would be that through HGV MAX, members would ultimately have access to approximately 150 resorts in the future as we transition Diamond properties to Hilton branded properties along with Hilton Honors membership and select travel benefits available through the Hilton network. At this time, however, the companies' products remain separate and there is no assurance that such future benefits may be available, Accordingly, no reliance should be made on any oral representation regarding the possibility of future benefits."

"If we launch the proposed new program, we will offer you the option to enroll in the offered benefits for a limited period of time with no additional ownership interest purchase required."

"By signing below, you acknowledge that the decision to purchase today was based solely on the current club benefits described in the exchange program disclosure statement for Hilton Grand Vacations Club provided with your purchase and the public offering statement for the project in which you have purchased."


Furthermore, I am in receipt of the following email from HGVC on February 3, 2022:

Dear Club Member,

Hilton Grand Vacations will adjust all Points within the Club Member Program on February 24, 2022. Starting on this day, the Club website, mobile app and Club Partner sites will reflect the newly adjusted totals. If you toured between February 1 and February 24, this was likely discussed during your presentation. However, if you toured prior to February 1, you were likely presented a pre-adjusted Points value.

What is Hilton Grand Vacations changing?
With this adjustment, we are changing the number of Points allocated to your vacation ownership interest and the number of Points required to make a reservation. The adjustment will be an increase of 60%. In other words, every 1 Point (including ClubPoints, Bonus Points and Saved Points) will be increased to 1.6 Points.

For example, if your ownership was allocated 5,000 ClubPoints annually before the Points adjustment, the allotment would increase to 8,000 ClubPoints annually, starting February 24, 2022.

Likewise, the number of Points needed to make a reservation will be adjusted by the same 60%. If a reservation required 5,000 ClubPoints on February 23, 2022, that same reservation would require 8,000 ClubPoints starting on February 24, 2022. Hence, your ability to make reservations using your Points anywhere within the Hilton Grand Vacations Club system stays the same.

Why is Hilton Grand Vacations making the Points adjustment?
Soon after our acquisition of Diamond Resorts, we conducted an analysis of all Club programs. The analysis determined that adjusting ClubPoints, Saved Points and Bonus Points up by 60% creates one consistent, simplified Points scale. This is necessary to operate a centralized reservation system that will give Members a seamless booking experience, as well as set the groundwork for a future membership offering that will provide access to more properties in new markets (once details are finalized, including program costs and fees, we’ll share these with you).

What does this mean to you?
Your timeshare ownership interest and access rights remain the same — you’ll be able to make a reservation at a Hilton Grand Vacations property as you do now. Additionally, all ClubPoints allocations and requirements are being adjusted equally. Hence, your ability to make reservations using your Points stays the same.

Will this impact Hilton Honors Points conversions and ClubPartner Perks?
Hilton Honors Points conversions will be proportionally adjusted so you receive a commensurate number of Points. The dollar amount per Points converted for ClubPartner Perks also will be adjusted proportionally for each partner.

How can I learn more?
We’ve created an online learning path to help you learn more. Visit my.hgv.com/points-adjustment to:

• Watch our video tutorials
• Review our Frequently Asked Questions
• Use our Points Adjustment Calculator to see your new Points total

We appreciate your understanding as we work toward our goal of integrating these two great companies. And we look forward to helping you make more fantastic vacation memories in 2022 and beyond!

–Hilton Grand Vacations

 

[pedro47]

So all Diamond owners will receive this newsletter.?

 

[Talent312]

It looks like HGVC plans to upsell each set of owners the right of access to the other.
They stand to rake in millions by convincing us that we need to fork over $$ to get it.

DRi owners should be asking, "How much am I willing to pay for access to the club?"

Any mixing of the memberships will result in greater competition each other's resorts.
We'll soon find ourselves rubbing elbows with DRI folk... I may need to dress better.

 

[geist1223]

We are DRI Owners. At this time no inerest in the up sale to use HGVC.

 

[dayooper]

HGV stands to rake in millions by upselling each set owners access to the other.

DRi owners should be asking, "How much will I need to pay for access to the club?"
Also, "Will I get H-Honors convertibility and silver status, like HGV owners?

Mixing memberships will inevitably result in greater competition for HGV resorts,
and thus, diminish/dilute the value of HGVC.

As long as we still get our booking advantage, HGVC members should be fine. Same with DRI owners. This new membership should not interfere with what we bought. We will see how good of word Mark Wang has. He has continuously said that we will see no disruptions in our purchased rights.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

My husband and I stayed at Pacifica in Cabo last week - A+ rating all around!

We did do an update meeting because we haven't been on one in years. I'm not 100% sure this is correct, but I'll do my best to share what we were told.

A new form of membership will be available to purchase soon in HGV MAX that will allow HGVC owners to access two other classes of Hilton timeshare brands: (1) BY HILTON CLUB (BYC) which will house the higher end properties which may become difficult for HGVC owners to access otherwise (these sites are already considered by staff to be 'by Hilton', such as in NY, Cabo, HI, etc) and (2) 'Hilton Vacation Club' which will be the Diamond properties.

HGV MAX ownership includes (some?) access to HGVC, BH and HVC.

The new program is to launch on 4/1/22.

I also understood that any ownership at a BH resort will provide entre to HGV MAX when it is launched, as long as BH owners accept the option to enroll in the benefits of HGV MAX which will be offered for a limited amount of time, with no additional ownership purchase required.

We were not told what kind of access HGVC owners would have at the launch or whether owners in that class would need to make a purchase or not to access HGV MAX. But according to the letter I quote below, it looks as though all new HGVC owners will be provided with this offer (at least those who buy between 1/15/22, according to our rep, and the time of launch which is planned for April 1st).

(My bolding in orig message)

That is the first I have heard of this. What were they trying to get you to buy? Would it happen to be a bHC deed?

 

[dayooper]

My husband and I stayed at Pacifica in Cabo last week - A+ rating all around!

We did do an update meeting because we haven't been on one in years. I'm not 100% sure this is correct, but I'll do my best to share what we were told.

A new form of membership will be available to purchase soon in HGV MAX that will allow HGVC owners to access two other classes of Hilton timeshare brands: (1) BY HILTON CLUB (BYC) which will house the higher end properties which may become difficult for HGVC owners to access otherwise (these sites are already considered by staff to be 'by Hilton', such as in NY, Cabo, HI, etc) and (2) 'Hilton Vacation Club' which will be the Diamond properties.

HGV MAX ownership includes (some?) access to HGVC, BH and HVC.

The new program is to launch on 4/1/22.

I also understood that any ownership at a BH resort will provide entre to HGV MAX when it is launched, as long as BH owners accept the option to enroll in the benefits of HGV MAX which will be offered for a limited amount of time, with no additional ownership purchase required.

We were not told what kind of access HGVC owners would have at the launch or whether owners in that class would need to make a purchase or not to access HGV MAX. But according to the letter I quote below, it looks as though all new HGVC owners will be provided with this offer (at least those who buy between 1/15/22, according to our rep, and the time of launch which is planned for April 1st).

Thanks for the report!

What do you own now? Do you own HGVC or Hilton Club? If they were trying to get you to upgrade to or purchase a Hilton Club deed when you currently own an HGVC deed, they are just putting a spin on the grandfathering of any new purchase made after 1-14-2022 into the HGV Max. Any purchase from Hilton Club or HGVC will be able to be enrolled with no new cost. I think any DRI purchased during this time will be grandfathered in as well, but I'm not sure.

If they weren't trying to get you to purchase a Hilton Club deed, than that is different than what has been said in other presentations.

On a side note, there seems to be some consistencies in the sales presentation reports.

 

[Bxian]

I wonder how this will impact high demand HGVC resorts (such as those on Marco Island)? They are not "ByHilton" resorts, but are high demand locations.

 

[Mongoose]

Shamelessly stolen from Hilton forum on FlyerTalk:

Hilton Vacation Club Mystic Dunes Orlando, it may open as soon as February 25, 2022.
Hilton Vacation Club Scottsdale Villa Mirage, aiming towards March 4, 2022.
Hilton Vacation Club Sedona Summit, on the way to opening March 18, 2022.

Mentioned earlier:
Hilton Vacation Club The Historic Powhatan Williamsburg, slated for March 11, 2022.

I noticed these say Hilton Vacation Club, Not Hilton Grand Vacation Club. So is this an indicator of it being a different brand?

 

[dayooper]

I noticed these say Hilton Vacation Club, Not Hilton Grand Vacation Club. So is this an indicator of it being a different brand?

The majority, if not all of the DRI resorts will be rebranded HVC.

 

[Mongoose]

The majority, if not all of the DRI resorts will be rebranded HVC.

Well that's confusing!

 

[Lodemia]

My understanding - three tiers, Hilton vacation club, Hilton grand vacation club and a Hilton club (Formerly by Hilton club). Those of use who own HCNY are still on an island of our own it seems.

 

[dayooper]

Well that's confusing!

Yup, the HGV system has always been clear as mud. There are different booking windows for certain different properties. Throw in the Hilton Club, where there are close to as many different booking windows as there are properties, it’s kind of a mess.

The DRI resorts, at least those that will stay with that system, will become Hilton Vacation Club (HVC). How that will look is all speculative, but it seems from what has been said by the executives at HGV that they will keep everything just about the same (trust program, different collections). HGVC will also stay the same with the same booking windows, too. Now throw in the new HGV Max (dumb name if you ask me) and everything will really be muddy.

The one thing that is clear is that the HGVC TUG Community will learn how to maximize any new systems or changes to the systems to our advantage.