Entry Advice into HRC

[jmhpsu93]

Hi, everyone. Owner in MVC (DC and legacy weeks) and Vistana, plus another small TS company in Mexico so I'm very aware of the TS value prop. I'm thinking about expaning into HRC to get access to properties in areas that aren't covered with what I have so far. Specifically, in order of preference:

1. Key West (January occupancy)
2. Carmel Highlands (February PGA tour...week 6 I think or Sept/Oct)
3. Sedona (not sure on time, probably interesting all year)

We're not tied to a school calendar anymore and don't mind shorter mid-week stays and supplementing weekends with cash or other hotels.

Thoughts? Also what does "mid-week" mean for HRC vs. weekend when doing the shorter stays. MVC is Fri/Sat and then lower points for Sun-Thurs while Vistana is highest Fri-Sat, then Sun and Thurs, then less MTW IIRC.

Thanks!

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

We own with both Vistana and Hyatt and absolutely love the Hyatt system. Points go far if you do midweek 4 day stays and 3 day weekend stays are the most, points wise. Specific days vary resort to resort I believe but most 4 day stays start on a Tuesday. You can also do a 2 day stay starting Tues or Thurs.We rarely use our set week and tend to exchange for variety. If you study the information in the stickies at the top you can learn the basics of each resort. If you want Sunset Harbor for Jan you would need to purchase there but should be able to get into the other 2 resorts in Key West.

 

[echino]

Carmel Highlands - very high maintenance fees, about $2,000 for 1br. January and February are Gold season, which is the lowest season for that property, so may be cheaper to purchase. September and October are Diamond season, very expensive to purchase. Also, pay attention to the unit you buy. Some garden view and horizon view units are not good at all. You would want a full ocean view. Most units are 1br, only 5 2br, and only 2 are ocean view 2br. Also, point allocations are one size up, meaning 1br here is equal in points to a 2br at other properties. Property is very old and not up to standard of other Hyatts, in my opinion. Location is great though.

January in Key West is Diamond season, meaning it's an expensive purchase. Key West maintenance fees jumped a lot recently, but still not as high as Carmel. And yes, as Tucsonadventurer wrote, you can trade into Beach House and Windward Pointe, but Sunsent Harbor may be difficult.

Sedona is the lowest maintenance fee property in the Hyatt system, so it's a good purchase to trade into other resorts. If you want to stay in Sedona, it's important to buy a good view unit. Most units have bad views, and only a few are good red rock views.

Points chart is here:

https://clubhouse.hyattresidenceclub.com/jah//files/live/sites/hyattResidenceClubMember-2/files/bootstrap/img/member_resources/POINTSCHART.pdf

 

[capjak]

Can you purchase Sedona with any luck of trading into Kaanapali during Jan/Feb/March?

 

[echino]

Kaanapali during high season is almost never available in advance. Occasionally last minute only.

 

[heathpack]

I completely disagree with @echino about Highlands Inn being subpar. It’s rustic chic with great units with wood burning fireplaces, lovely lush landscaping, a great ocean view bar and is an awesome location on the California Coast.

Pinon Pointe is in a great town but literally is in the parking lot of a stripmall in Sedona. The units are nice enough but very similar in ambience IMO to the Highlands Inn units.

We travel to both locations annually. Besides the differences in COL between Sedona and Carmel to account for the MF differences, Highlands Inn has daily housekeeping. Not necessary IMO in a timeshare but they do a great job and it is nice to not make my own bed each day.

We’ve never been to the Key West properties, so no comment.

Obviously different strokes for different folks but if you’re thinking of purchasing, it’s worth hearing multiple perspectives.

 

[echino]

We just returned from Carmel and we were not impressed with the unit at all. It was a "garden view" unit, it had absolutely no views, faced a walkway and other units, and we had to keep curtains closed for privacy, which resulted in a dark room. There is no laundry in unit, and the communal laundry was always busy. It is a very old property and it shows. There was a clear disconnect between the elevated points requirement (+1 size) and the quality of the unit, compared to other Hyatt properties.

Perhaps if we had an ocean view unit, our impression would be very different. The location and area is gorgeous! I would love to own a 2br ocean view unit there during the summer, 2,950 points! But it's very expensive to buy, and maintenance fees are very high.

 

[heathpack]

We just returned from Carmel and we were not impressed with the unit at all. It was a "garden view" unit, it had absolutely no views, faced a walkway and other units, and we had to keep curtains closed for privacy, which resulted in a dark room. There is no laundry in unit, and the communal laundry was always busy. It is a very old property and it shows. There was a clear disconnect between the elevated points requirement (+1 size) and the quality of the unit, compared to other Hyatt properties.

Perhaps if we had an ocean view unit, our impression would be very different. The location and area is gorgeous! I would love to own a 2br ocean view unit there during the summer, 2,950 points! But it's very expensive to buy, and maintenance fees are very high.

Well I imagine a bad room anywhere is a bad room.

We’ve had some kind of ocean view, full or partial, every time we’ve stayed there. We’ve been amazed at how nicely the front desk has accommodated our view requests for our stays.

I can’t say we’ve ever waited to use the laundry facility either.

Pinon Pointe also has some seriously bad views and dark subterranean rooms, so I’d imagine a bad room at either place is not a great experience. And again, it’s in a parking lot. Hyatt has done an impressive job with the site location but there are rooms literally with a view of two rows of parked cars and then a strip mall building.

It’s probably a matter of what you value. Washer/dryer in unit or a fine dining restaurant/bar with views of whales swimming past? Sitting in your unit on a rainy day with a roaring wood fire or switching on the electric fake flames? Someone who makes your bed each morning or not being bothered by housekeeping?

I’ve read this “run down” comment about Highlands Inn previously and I’ve tried to understand where it’s coming from. But I just have never been able to grasp what folks are talking about. And the guests we’ve had join us in our stays have been similarly impressed, so I don’t think we’re just somehow blind to it.

However I will grant you Highlands Inn is not the points bargain that Pinon Pointe is.

 

[Sapper]

Just my two cents: Highlands Inn celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2017... so, yes, it’s old. It has the highest maintenance fees of the non fractional properties (not counting Hawaii) [edit: I just found out Puerto Rico is higher at $2345]. The communal laundry reminds me of a college dorm, I’m not a fan. The parking sucks, the garden view units have a crappy view, and the swimming pool is a hike. There is also no air conditioning in the non-hotel units. There’s the bad. Oh, and it’s a RTU that ends in 2073 (or right around there... I’ll be dead by then anyway, so won’t matter to me).
Now the good: as a realtor friend once said,”location, location, location”. This is ocean view (except the previously stated “garden view” units) California coast; I could throw a foot ball and hit a $20 million dollar house (well, maybe when I was younger, I’m not twenty anymore). If you know where to look, from the right part of the property, you can see Clint Eastwood’s old mansion. It has a classic unique vibe that feels like the costal California of a more relaxed time. (speaking of Clint, watch his movie “Play Misty for Me” and you will understand what I mean). You are a short drive from some great locations to hike, relax on a beach, whale watch, lots of different wonderful restaurants (though the on site place has been hit and miss). Not to mention world class events (PGA tour, the car show, etc)... which reminds me of the world class golf courses if you are into that. The art galleries, little shops, wine tasting etc... in Monterey and Carmel. I could go on, but it’s late and you probably get the idea.

 

[jmhpsu93]

Thanks for all of the responses, everyone. Maybe we'll do a cash stay at them for a couple of nights to see what they're like. I'd try to trade in but I seriously doubt my MGV gold or SVV platinum weeks are going to get me into Carmel or Key West.

 

[IslandTime]

Also what does "mid-week" mean for HRC vs. weekend when doing the shorter stays. MVC is Fri/Sat and then lower points for Sun-Thurs while Vistana is highest Fri-Sat, then Sun and Thurs, then less MTW IIRC.

Thanks!

In Key West, 4 night stays are Sun - Thurs at Sunset Harbor, Beach House and Windward Pointe. WP also has 4 night stays that begin on Tuesday.

 

[dsmrp]

In Key West, 4 night stays are Sun - Thurs at Sunset Harbor, Beach House and Windward Pointe. WP also has 4 night stays that begin on Tuesday.

The 4 night stays depend upon the check-in date of the unit.
I have a Friday check-in unit at Pinon Pt. The 3-nite 'weekend' are Friday-Sat-Sun nights, and 4-nite mid-week is Monday-Thurs, checkout Friday
I think for Saturday check-in, the 3-nite weekend is Sat-Sun-Mon, with Tues-Fri as mid-week.
For Sunday check-in, the 4 nite mid-week is Sun-Wed, and 3 nite weekend is Thur-Fri-Sat.

2 night days of the week are just either half of the 4 night stays.