Getting the most out of it is what it is

[hgv2023]

Long story short we paid a total of

$64,585.04 plus interest over 2.5 years totaling around $9,500 ... for 12,000 points at the residences gold week ...

I've explained from the beginning I'm a hotel stayer but through multiple presentations and 1 "upgrade" "redo" got the 1:32 hilton honors converstion thinking it was a holiday week but turns out the week is in august. yes I feel stupid for ever signing a contract with hgv.

yearly 384,000 hh points for around 2,500 maintenance fees. yikes.

Paid it off because it was pissing me off accuring interest for money I know I'll never get back.

got some bonus points initially but the pay off according to my math would have to stay places worth more than $357 a night if using the 4 nights 5th free points booking. we plan to travel every other year using these hgv or hh points so 768,000 hh points every two years. furthermore so dumb considering you can buy 480,000 hh points a year for less than the current dues on our contract.

I just see it being very hard to start to even touch the loan amount after trying to break even with MF. Am I wrong? Looking to the forum for any help. I've gone to two more presentations since and almost got roped into upgrading/redoing again TWICE. rescinded both times thank goodness. I don't want to give anymore money to hgv. I think the sales people will tell you anything in anyway to try and trick you mind from experience they are super scammy but my fault of course for falling into the trap.

 

[TolmiePeak]

Why wouldn't you just buy resale instead of direct?

 

[hgv2023]

Why wouldn't you just buy resale instead of direct?

because I didn't know about the resale I was uneducated 2.5years ago about timeshares. worst decision ever

 

[kanerf]

I recently bought a resale at the The District in D.C. and added the points to my ownership there. I can use these points just like my retail points. Still get access to the club, not seen as any different when making reservations. I paid $570 for the The District resale contract, 11,520 annual points.

 

[iftravel]

Even with the resales, the math wouldn’t work for OP just converting to hotel points that way. OP should do the math before not after. Consider it a sunk cost as this timeshare is likely worth zero or negative. Only the best units like penthouse in the best season are worth a bit, but still only a small fraction of the developer price.

HGVC isn’t terrible just don’t pay developer price to get in which rarely makes sense. Try to learn and maximize what you already have. There are some scenarios that people “upgrade” their deeds to get access to the best deeds or gain status but it’s very advanced skills and require strong knowledge and negotiation skills as the price is always negotiable. Don’t attempt it unless you know what you want and done the math!

 

[alwysonvac]

Yes, the sale folks will say whatever it takes to make a sale.

As you have realized, using HGVC for hotel stays is not ideal. In the long run you could end up paying more.
Keep in mind, your conversion rate is fixed while both HGVC annual maintenance fees and HHonor point requirements for hotel stays continue to rise.

 

[GT75]

@hgv2023, My first suggestion to you is don’t go to anymore OUs (owners updates). As you are figuring out, they are salespeople only trying to “solve your problem” with another sale. That will always be what they will do. They normally don’t even know much about the TS system besides sales.

Secondly, Need to look at the purchase price as a sunk cost. Our normal advice is the learn to use what you have. If what you have doesn’t work for you then you need to dump the deed.

In general, converting HGVC and in your case bHC points to Hilton honors points in a poor use of points. You are correct, you can purchase more points using cash than converting (based on your MFs).

So that leaves you with using the system. In general, most owners who purchase bHC points use their points at that resort. So that would be The Residences in NYC. You could easily stay in a hotel type room at The Residences using points. You will also get lounge access which bHC owners like. 12,000 pts is a large number of points. You can also use those points in HGVC system. Many HGVC resorts have studio rooms or 1BR.

What do you mean when you when you say that you are a “hotel stayer”? Please explain.

 

[iftravel]

I recently bought a resale at the The District in D.C. and added the points to my ownership there. I can use these points just like my retail points. Still get access to the club, not seen as any different when making reservations. I paid $570 for the The District resale contract, 11,520 annual points.

I am in contract for an EOY District contract to explore HGVC and particularly bHC. Do you find it easy to book NY bHC like Residences with District points?

 

[hgv2023]

@hgv2023, My first suggestion to you is don’t go to anymore OUs (owners updates). As you are figuring out, they are salespeople only trying to “solve your problem” with another sale. That will always be what they will do. They normally don’t even know much about the TS system besides sales.

Secondly, Need to look at the purchase price as a sunk cost. Our normal advice is the learn to use what you have. If what you have doesn’t work for you then you need to dump the deed.

In general, converting HGVC and in your case bHC points to Hilton honors points in a poor use of points. You are correct, you can purchase more points using cash than converting (based on your MFs).

So that leaves you with using the system. In general, most owners who purchase bHC points use their points at that resort. So that would be The Residences in NYC. You could easily stay in a hotel type room at The Residences using points. You will also get lounge access which bHC owners like. 12,000 pts is a large number of points. You can also use those points in HGVC system. Many HGVC resorts have studio rooms or 1BR.

What do you mean when you when you say that you are a “hotel stayer”? Please explain.

I don't really like to stay anywhere for 7 days. I like to travel to NYC but not during the summer when my week is. My family and I like to travel to Orlando and Kauai, but Orlando seems like it's so cheap to pay for the rooms there not sure why I would use my yearly points there. I'm trying to get the most bang for the buck, but I probably need to explore options and cost of resorts first. I used bonus points to book RCI once, Orlando a few times, NYC this winter. I converted next years points so I'm trying to understand the system more resorts wise to have it pay off more than my maintanence fees breaking even if that's even possible. Tried to book Kauai a couple times but the bookings seemed hard to find at the time and the side of the Island it's on doesn't have out favorite beaches although nice we found spots on the other side of the island we love. Outside of this not sure where we would want to go ...

I plan on going to no more presentations for a good while if not ever. Glad it's not accuring interest and paid off now. Just seems like I wasted 74,000 ... I'm not too worried about us breaking even on MF considering we will use it

 

[hgv2023]

I recently bought a resale at the The District in D.C. and added the points to my ownership there. I can use these points just like my retail points. Still get access to the club, not seen as any different when making reservations. I paid $570 for the The District resale contract, 11,520 annual points.

welp that's awesome. resale is the way to go if anything wish I knew that beforehand of course

 

[brp]

I don't really like to stay anywhere for 7 days. I like to travel to NYC but not during the summer when my week is.

Unless I'm missing something, this is a standard purchase of a by Hilton Club property. In that case, you don't have a fixed week. You can use it any time you want. It's just points.

Cheers.

 

[hgv2023]

Unless I'm missing something, this is a standard purchase of a by Hilton Club property. In that case, you don't have a fixed week. You can use it any time you want. It's just points.

Cheers.

it's gold so if I use points for platinum week I won't get as many days?

 

[ljmiii]

it's gold so if I use points for platinum week I won't get as many days?

Correct. Unless you stay in a less expensive unit than the one you own.

 

[brp]

it's gold so if I use points for platinum week I won't get as many days?

Correct. But you mentioned that you don't typically stay for 7 days, so this can work. Especially if you're able to swing weekdays, which are typically (always?) half the point price of weekends.

Cheers.

 

[ljmiii]

I like to travel to NYC but not during the summer when my week is….Orlando and Kauai…

The short answer is that (as you know) NYC bHC points are expensive on a MF/point basis and the only reasonable use for them is to book in NYC (and perhaps DC) during the Home Resort and bHC priority windows.

But as you probably also know, NYC hotel rates are stratospheric and so if you ignore your initial investment you will do well on a MF cost basis.

Another advantage to owning in NYC is that only owners can make Open Season reservations. And while the cash prices are high, they are usually much lower than hotel rates.

 

[hgv2023]

Correct. But you mentioned that you don't typically stay for 7 days, so this can work. Especially if you're able to swing weekdays, which are typically (always?) half the point price of weekends.

Cheers.

good point- I'll have to compare next time I can book

 

[kanerf]

I am in contract for an EOY District contract to explore HGVC and particularly bHC. Do you find it easy to book NY bHC like Residences with District points?

Never tried.

 

[letsgobobby]

sunk costs is super important to understand.

fortunately you own something you want: bHC access to NYC. Use your 12k gold points to book 5 nights in plat season.