Diamond resorts owner..not happy

[on the back 9]

Trying to get to the bottom of my rights as Diamond owner..not wanting to upgrade to Hilton Max....Can Diamond cut us out?
Didn't Hilton acquire us in the merge

 

[artringwald]

Diamond is now owned by Hilton. For now, some properties are being rebranded by Hilton, and others will retain the Diamond name. In either case, you can keep using your Diamond ownership the same way you always have. Most would not recommend upgrading to Hilton Max. It's expensive to do so, and won't gain you much value. If you want more information, you came to the right place. Attending a sales presentation to get more information is really a bad idea. You won't be able to trust anything they say.

 

[kanerf]

Yup, I am HGVC and will not be upgrading either.

 

[on the back 9]

Diamond is now owned by Hilton. For now, some properties are being rebranded by Hilton, and others will retain the Diamond name. In either case, you can keep using your Diamond ownership the same way you always have. Most would not recommend upgrading to Hilton Max. It's expensive to do so, and won't gain you much value. If you want more information, you came to the right place. Attending a sales presentation to get more information is really a bad idea. You won't be able to trust anything they say.

Great to hear reply from someone who understands...still hopeful to use my membership and points as previously did..they did discontinue the club combo thing..which made it easier to use....was being told today that Diamond is still charging me for that service not being used..have other timeshare that will use independently...Thanx

 

[on the back 9]

Yup, I am HGVC and will not be upgrading either.

So you wont be able to use Diamond properties...allegedly..Sounds like they don't want to run 2 companies..good luck

 

[kanerf]

So you wont be able to use Diamond properties...allegedly..Sounds like they don't want to run 2 companies..good luck

Nope, but not really interested. I can trade in through RCI or II anyways.

 

[geist1223]

"They did discontinue club combo thing" that is not completely accurate. They did reduce which timeshares they will take in trade for DRI one time use Points. Though if you buy into Max you do lose it and some other perks.

 

[StrikingOcelot]

Diamond is now owned by Hilton. For now, some properties are being rebranded by Hilton, and others will retain the Diamond name. In either case, you can keep using your Diamond ownership the same way you always have. Most would not recommend upgrading to Hilton Max. It's expensive to do so, and won't gain you much value. If you want more information, you came to the right place. Attending a sales presentation to get more information is really a bad idea. You won't be able to trust anything they say.

So what happens to the resorts keeping the Diamond name? Who will own them?

If I don't buy into Hilton, will I still have access to Diamond properties? Obviously this all very confusing

 

[artringwald]

All the resorts that were owned by Diamond are now owned by Hilton. Rebranding is an expensive process, new signage, stationary, business cards, web site, etc. Initially, only some of the resorts will be rebranded. Over the years, I expect all of them will be. As far as using your ownership, all the privileges as specified in your contract, will still be honored. Some Diamond features that aren't in the contract have changed over time, and will probably continue to change under HIlton ownership. Do not be conned into buying Hilton Max unless you fully understand what you're getting into. You don't have to buy into it to continue used your ownership as specified in your contract.

Coincidently, I received this email today.

 

[DaveNV]

Just a side question: Since Hilton now owns the Kaanapali Beach Club in Lahaina, as well as Point at Poipu on Kauai, and they are no longer Diamond-branded properties, can a Diamond owner book them? I'm wondering if buying Diamond resale would be worthwhile.

I'm not (yet) interested in going full-on Hilton, but wondering if there is any value in becoming a Diamond owner at this point.

Dave

 

[artringwald]

As of today, I can still use my Diamond Club Points to book any Diamond managed or affiliated property in Hawaii. Oddly, it shows that Point at Poipu is a HGV property and Kaanapali Beach Club is a Diamond managed property. I get similar results if I try and use one of my deeded weeks to go through the Diamond Xchange program.

 

[chapjim]

Just a side question: Since Hilton now owns the Kaanapali Beach Club in Lahaina, as well as Point at Poipu on Kauai, and they are no longer Diamond-branded properties, can a Diamond owner book them? I'm wondering if buying Diamond resale would be worthwhile.

I'm not (yet) interested in going full-on Hilton, but wondering if there is any value in becoming a Diamond owner at this point.

Dave

It being almost universally agreed that HGV Max isn't worth the money, I took a different approach. I stuck my toe in the HGVC water by buying 7,680 points at Tuscany Village for $1.00. Total cost with 2023 maintenance fees and Hilton's add-ons was $2,380.

I don't know if that was a prudent acquisition (I haven't totally wrapped my arms around this Diamond to Hilton thing) but it's not anything close to what HGV Max would cost. Those points along with my modest Diamond account might let me reduce the size of my Wyndham account even further than I already have.

 

[Arusso]

All the resorts that were owned by Diamond are now owned by Hilton. Rebranding is an expensive process, new signage, stationary, business cards, web site, etc. Initially, only some of the resorts will be rebranded. Over the years, I expect all of them will be. As far as using your ownership, all the privileges as specified in your contract, will still be honored. Some Diamond features that aren't in the contract have changed over time, and will probably continue to change under HIlton ownership. Do not be conned into buying Hilton Max unless you fully understand what you're getting into. You don't have to buy into it to continue used your ownership as specified in your contract.

Coincidently, I received this email today.
View attachment 70097

Prudent advice. Based on what else has happened in the industry in the past post-merger period, Hilton needs to determine which properties it wants to keep in its portfolio for strictly business reasons i.e. due to location. For resorts that have not been rebranded already and are not on the docket to do so or 2023, this most certainly will require Hilton to invest $$. In my view, it's unconscionable to believe that Hilton would want to retain properties in its portfolio that do not now nor can in the future meet its specs. Therefore, some properties will be sold off.

I too received the above email from HGV. If I can read into this, I believe that over time, Hilton is planning on burying the Diamond name altogether.

Also, in my USPS mail today, I rec's an invoice for "Club dues." Not surprising. It is after all December. The Dues, or as is referenced in the Header of the Invoice, "2023 Assessment Fee," is actually a composite of two fees. The first is referred to as "2023-The Club® Base Standard Assessment" and the second "2023-The Club® Point Standard Assessment." I do not recall ever seeing the Club Dues itemized in such fashion. The bottom line is that the combines "Amount Due" is $20 more than last year. I'm curious if anyone has noted the separation of fees. I'm not at all surprised at the increase. a $20/yr increase in Club Dues seems to have been the norm for tha past couple of years.

 

[Arusso]

Just a side question: Since Hilton now owns the Kaanapali Beach Club in Lahaina, as well as Point at Poipu on Kauai, and they are no longer Diamond-branded properties, can a Diamond owner book them? I'm wondering if buying Diamond resale would be worthwhile.

I'm not (yet) interested in going full-on Hilton, but wondering if there is any value in becoming a Diamond owner at this point.

Dave

My understanding is that there are no more "Diamond" sales from Hilton. The entire sales force is now employed by Hilton and everything they sell is a Hilton property. As you know, in August 2021, Hilton acquired the entire Diamond portfolio of resorts. As such, and based on some common sense analysis, Hilton has already rebranded some properties as HVC and a scant few as HGVC because they are "good to go as is."

Going forward, the only way to buy a "Diamond" property today is to buy one from a current owner and that particular property has not already been rebranded HGV or HGVC. I suspect some Diamond properties will never be rebranded either because they do not meet Hilton's specs or are in locations that are not desirable. In this case, Hilton will dispose of them. It's also been commented on that if a property is strategically located but not up to snuff, Hilton will spend the $$ to make it worthy of the signage.

 

[DaveNV]

My understanding is that there are no more "Diamond" sales from Hilton. The entire sales force is now employed by Hilton and everything they sell is a Hilton property. As you know, in August 2021, Hilton acquired the entire Diamond portfolio of resorts. As such, and based on some common sense analysis, Hilton has already rebranded some properties as HVC and a scant few as HGVC because they are "good to go as is."

Going forward, the only way to buy a "Diamond" property today is to buy one from a current owner and that particular property has not already been rebranded HGV or HGVC. I suspect some Diamond properties will never be rebranded either because they do not meet Hilton's specs or are in locations that are not desirable. In this case, Hilton will dispose of them. It's also been commented on that if a property is strategically located but not up to snuff, Hilton will spend the $$ to make it worthy of the signage.

I was referring to buying a Diamond ownership resale, from someone who wants out. There seems to be many Diamond owners who want to let go. My curiosity is whether there would be a reason to take on that ownership. If I could book the properties I'm most interested in visiting (KBC and P@P) then it might be worth it. But if Hilton is stirring the pot to force Diamond owners out, then it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

For the record, I would never, ever buy from the Developer. I've spent way too many years on Tug to fall for that trap.

Dave

 

[artringwald]

Also, in my USPS mail today, I rec's an invoice for "Club dues." Not surprising. It is after all December. The Dues, or as is referenced in the Header of the Invoice, "2023 Assessment Fee," is actually a composite of two fees. The first is referred to as "2023-The Club® Base Standard Assessment" and the second "2023-The Club® Point Standard Assessment." I do not recall ever seeing the Club Dues itemized in such fashion. The bottom line is that the combines "Amount Due" is $20 more than last year. I'm curious if anyone has noted the separation of fees. I'm not at all surprised at the increase. a $20/yr increase in Club Dues seems to have been the norm for tha past couple of years.

It sound like you purchased a deeded week that came with Club membership, as opposed to purchased Club points that were part of a collection. Up until 2015, the Club dues for deeded ownership were a fixed price. Starting in 2015, they switched to a base fee plus an assessment fee based on how many points you had in the Club. If you log into the web site, you can see statements back to 2017. In the FAQ they say:

Q.1. What are assessment fees and who determines them?
A.1. THE Club® Dues covers all the services required to operate the provide the benefits of THE Club®, such as call center and operational services, II
exchange and Gold membership, member publications, as well as audit fees. THE Club® Dues is made up of two components:
THE Club® Base Standard Assessment: A base fee paid equally by all members within the membership class irrespective of how many points
they own.
THE Club® Point Standard Assessment: A per point fee assessed to all members within the membership class.

 

[Arusso]

I was referring to buying a Diamond ownership resale, from someone who wants out. There seems to be many Diamond owners who want to let go. My curiosity is whether there would be a reason to take on that ownership. If I could book the properties I'm most interested in visiting (KBC and P@P) then it might be worth it. But if Hilton is stirring the pot to force Diamond owners out, then it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

For the record, I would never, ever buy from the Developer. I've spent way too many years on Tug to fall for that trap.

Dave

Got it. Always a good strategy ! I imagine the only issue would be if you bought a DRI property resale and Hilton decides not rebrand it and disposes it. That's not likely to occur in prime vacation destinations. Yet, for some reason, I suspect that Hilton will not want to keep a portfolio of three tiers of resorts (HGVC, HVC, DRI) much into the future. They will want to keep what is the most lucrative.

 

[artringwald]

I was referring to buying a Diamond ownership resale, from someone who wants out. There seems to be many Diamond owners who want to let go. My curiosity is whether there would be a reason to take on that ownership. If I could book the properties I'm most interested in visiting (KBC and P@P) then it might be worth it. But if Hilton is stirring the pot to force Diamond owners out, then it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

For the record, I would never, ever buy from the Developer. I've spent way too many years on Tug to fall for that trap.

Dave

I'd wait until KBC fixes the erosion problem before I bought there. It might fall into the sea before they fix it.

You couldn't go wrong buying a deeded week at P@P if you could get a good price. Before Covid and Hilton, they had money set aside for renovating the kitchens and bathrooms. They had to postpone it when Covid hit, and postponed it again when Hilton bought DRI. They gave us a tour of a renovated model unit and it really looked nice.

 

[geist1223]

Dave: If you are thinking of buying resell DRI Points make sure you buy them in the Collection you want to use. Remember one of the negatives of resell DRI Points is they can only be used to Book into that Collection. So if you are interested in Poipu or KBC make sure you buy Hawaiian Collection Points resell. Also resell DRI Points can not be used to Book Affiliates. There are only 3 DRI Resorts in the Hawaiian Collection located in Hawaii. The other Hawaiian Collection Resorts are located in the continuous 48. At one time Hilton seemed to indicate that resell accounts would not be eligible for HGV MAX.

 

[DaveNV]

Dave: If you are thinking of buying resell DRI Points make sure you buy them in the Collection you want to use. Remember one of the negatives of resell DRI Points is they can only be used to Book into that Collection. So if you are interested in Poipu or KBC make sure you buy Hawaiian Collection Points resell. Also resell DRI Points can not be used to Book Affiliates. There are only 3 DRI Resorts in the Hawaiian Collection located in Hawaii. The other Hawaiian Collection Resorts are located in the continuous 48. At one time Hilton seemed to indicate that resell accounts would not be eligible for HGV MAX.

Thanks, Tom. So you're saying if I bought the Hawaii Collection from someone, since it's resale, I'd be limited to ONLY booking just that one Collection? Is there a place I can learn more current information about the Hawaii Collection and its resorts? KBC and P@P definitely interest me, but I'm wondering what else is part of that group. Googling it just now, I'm seeing a lot of listings with SMTN and similar, and I'm instantly suspect to anything they might say.

Dave

 

[geist1223]

There use to be a "Sticky" in the DRI Section that broke down most of the Collections.

 

[Duh]

I'd wait until KBC fixes the erosion problem before I bought there. It might fall into the sea before they fix it.

You couldn't go wrong buying a deeded week at P@P if you could get a good price. Before Covid and Hilton, they had money set aside for renovating the kitchens and bathrooms. They had to postpone it when Covid hit, and postponed it again when Hilton bought DRI. They gave us a tour of a renovated model unit and it really looked nice.

They are currently painting it (KBC) this ugly beige color if that helps.

 

[Duh]

Dave: If you are thinking of buying resell DRI Points make sure you buy them in the Collection you want to use. Remember one of the negatives of resell DRI Points is they can only be used to Book into that Collection. So if you are interested in Poipu or KBC make sure you buy Hawaiian Collection Points resell. Also resell DRI Points can not be used to Book Affiliates. There are only 3 DRI Resorts in the Hawaiian Collection located in Hawaii. The other Hawaiian Collection Resorts are located in the continuous 48. At one time Hilton seemed to indicate that resell accounts would not be eligible for HGV MAX.

The other 8 resorts in the Hawaii Collection are pretty much West Coast resorts.

As for resales going into Max, I know that Hilton resales cannot go into Max. I haven't heard anything about Diamond resales converting to Max but of course, throw enough money at them and anything is possible.

 

[Duh]

Thanks, Tom. So you're saying if I bought the Hawaii Collection from someone, since it's resale, I'd be limited to ONLY booking just that one Collection? Is there a place I can learn more current information about the Hawaii Collection and its resorts? KBC and P@P definitely interest me, but I'm wondering what else is part of that group. Googling it just now, I'm seeing a lot of listings with SMTN and similar, and I'm instantly suspect to anything they might say.

Dave

Yes, resale points can only be used in that collection and come with no status (such as 50,000 resale points still equals a Standard member, not a Platinum member). The Modern in Honolulu is the third Hawaii Collection resort and I believe some resorts in Las Vegas, Sedona, and Lake Tahoe are dual homed (part US Collection and part Hawaii Collection).

 

[DaveNV]

Yes, resale points can only be used in that collection and come with no status (such as 50,000 resale points still equals a Standard member, not a Platinum member). The Modern in Honolulu is the third Hawaii Collection resort and I believe some resorts in Las Vegas, Sedona, and Lake Tahoe are dual homed (part US Collection and part Hawaii Collection).

Do you have access to a current complete list of the various Collections? I've read back through the FAQ pages, and there was a certain amount of shuffling around of resorts within Collections over the years. I understand the California Collection was merged into the Hawaii Collection a few years ago, but posts by DRI owners mention resorts I'm not seeing in the Collection lists I'm also researching. The US Collections list seems to be a bit of a moving target, too - is it 24, 35, 48 or more resorts in that group? The different lists I'm seeing seem to have a varying list of resorts.

And of course, the big question from me is whether Hilton is going to remove any rebranded DRI locations from any Collections, or whether they're going to stay as they had been. I'm trying to decide if DRI is good fit for me, but I'm having trouble getting to the bottom line of what is and isn't available. I might be willing to take over a DRI ownership, but I am still seeking answers. Is it too soon since the Hilton buyout?

Dave