HGV Max - Diamond Integration Discussion in Owner Update

[Mongoose]

I saw this notice on the Hilton site today. The are adjusting point values by adding 60%.
Points Adjustment for Club Members
Since acquiring Diamond Resorts, Hilton Grand Vacations has been working toward combining these two great companies into one. As part of this effort, we are adjusting all Points within the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Program on February 24, 2022. Starting on this day, the Club website, mobile app and Club Partner sites will reflect the newly adjusted totals.


See How Your Points Will Change
Use our Points Adjustment Calculator to view your new Points total

 

[escanoe]

I have noticed the Beachwoods is fairly easy to book in RCI for summer if you do it early. But I seldom see good summer Virginia Beach weeks for the DRI properties in Virginia Beach. I assume they are pretty heavily booked in the internal system …. but that is just a guess.

Good summer weeks in OBX are hard to rent right now for hotels, private homes and resorts in OBX.

The Beachwood Resort is the largest timeshare resort in OBX. That should be a big plus for Hilton Vacation Club. IMHO.

 

[ccwu]

I have noticed the Beachwoods is fairly easy to book in RCI for summer if you do it early. But I seldom see good summer Virginia Beach weeks for the DRI properties in Virginia Beach. I assume they are pretty heavily booked in the internal system …. but that is just a guess.

It is hard to book the DRI two top Virginia Beach Oceanaire resort next the Hilton Garden Inn on the beach front. I am DRI platinum member and can book 14 month in advance. But I could hardly find summer week. (If I find one, I would grab it when I see it.). The fixed week owners have priority. Lots of the deeded fixed week owner never join DRI and hold on to their fixed week. Oceanaire is close to Hilton standard. We goes there often in the summer. You can see the resort in Hilton.com (with note: coming soon).


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[dayooper]

It is hard to book the DRI two top Virginia Beach Oceanaire resort next the Hilton Garden Inn on the beach front. I am DRI platinum member and can book 14 month in advance. But I could hardly find summer week. (If I find one, I would grab it when I see it.). The fixed week owners have priority. Lots of the deeded fixed week owner never join DRI and hold on to their fixed week. Oceanaire is close to Hilton standard. We goes there often in the summer. You can see the resort in Hilton.com (with note: coming soon).


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That place looks nice (at least from pictures). The pool areas look great!

 

[escanoe]

There are no Marriott's timeshares in Virginia Beach, VA.
This a win-win for Hilton Vacation Club. IMHO.

There are no Marriott's timeshares in Nage Head (OBX), NC.

No doubt, there will be plenty of people to now market to in VA.

That said, I have assumed it is by design there were no Hiltons or Marriotts (timeshares) in the OBX, Virginia Beach, Ocean City, and the NJ Beaches.

With the shorter prime beach season, nice beach timeshares struggle in this region. Mediocre ones do okay in Virginia Beach where there is a large urban area year round, but that is abt it.

 

[Adrienne53]

Went to an owner's update in Kingsland yesterday wherein we were presented an offer to join "MAX". One has to buy 50K worth of property to join EXCEPT on Kona where it could be bought for a mere 10K. LOL. Went for info on the merger but am never going again. After all we've paid into Hilton, why can't we just get a friendly update as opposed to a hardshell?

 

[Nowaker]

One has to buy 50K worth of property to join EXCEPT on Kona where it could be bought for a mere 10K.

Probably just lies to make a sale, as usual.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Went to an owner's update in Kingsland yesterday wherein we were presented an offer to join "MAX". One has to buy 50K worth of property to join EXCEPT on Kona where it could be bought for a mere 10K. LOL. Went for info on the merger but am never going again. After all we've paid into Hilton, why can't we just get a friendly update as opposed to a hardshell?

That is very interesting. I suspect it may be more sales floor spin, but let me elaborate.

1. If they are selling Kona ownerships independently of the Hawaii Collection, exactly what are they selling in Kona? For at least10 years, in our "owner updates" DRI has often mentioned a new DRI property on the Big Island. We've been assured that when we come back the next year, there would be Big Island. First it was a property in Hilo they were in the process of acquiring. But nothing came from that. More recently they have been talking about a site on the south side of Kona that DRI purchased, where the prior property was removed and is development ready. They started mentioning that property about five years ago. I'm not ware that anything has happened with that site. In fact, in the time that they first mentioned the Kona site, they have acquired the Modern property in Waikiki.
2. Up to the time of the HGVC acquisition, DRI was selling ownerships in resort collections, not at specific resorts. So if you were offered a purchase that is specifically a Kona purchase, with unit reservation rights that are specific to the Kona location, that is a significant departure from recent practice. In the presentation information that we have received, there has been no indication that the Kona resort might be available to purchase in any fashion other than by purchasing points in the Hawaii Collection.
3. If there is opportunity to buy in Kona that is distinct and separate from the Hawaii Collection, there are advantages to doing so. Specifically, if you make a purchase that is not part of the Hawaii Collection, you will avoid the (not insignificant) annual trust management fees. Of course, if that is an option that you are interested in, you should wait a few yeas and try to acquire a unit on the resale market.

 

[Adrienne53]

T R. , To my understanding the 10K to join Max could be towards a deed anywhere in the Hilton chain. It was the fact that we were sitting in a Kona office that made the 10K (as opposed to 50K) possible. Lucky us! Haha

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

T R. , To my understanding the 10K to join Max could be towards a deed anywhere in the Hilton chain. It was the fact that we were sitting in a Kona office that made the 10K (as opposed to 50K) possible. Lucky us! Haha

I mentioned earlier in this thread at a presentation in Orlando a few weeks ago we were offered a 1600 point deed for either $8000 or $8500. Prices must be going up. The rep was really surprised we didn’t want access to a program that hasn’t even had it’s rules/benefits made public yet.

 

[bizaro86]

That is very interesting. I suspect it may be more sales floor spin, but let me elaborate.

1. If they are selling Kona ownerships independently of the Hawaii Collection, exactly what are they selling in Kona? For at least10 years, in our "owner updates" DRI has often mentioned a new DRI property on the Big Island. We've been assured that when we come back the next year, there would be Big Island. First it was a property in Hilo they were in the process of acquiring. But nothing came from that. More recently they have been talking about a site on the south side of Kona that DRI purchased, where the prior property was removed and is development ready. They started mentioning that property about five years ago. I'm not ware that anything has happened with that site. In fact, in the time that they first mentioned the Kona site, they have acquired the Modern property in Waikiki.
2. Up to the time of the HGVC acquisition, DRI was selling ownerships in resort collections, not at specific resorts. So if you were offered a purchase that is specifically a Kona purchase, with unit reservation rights that are specific to the Kona location, that is a significant departure from recent practice. In the presentation information that we have received, there has been no indication that the Kona resort might be available to purchase in any fashion other than by purchasing points in the Hawaii Collection.
3. If there is opportunity to buy in Kona that is distinct and separate from the Hawaii Collection, there are advantages to doing so. Specifically, if you make a purchase that is not part of the Hawaii Collection, you will avoid the (not insignificant) annual trust management fees. Of course, if that is an option that you are interested in, you should wait a few yeas and try to acquire a unit on the resale market.

HGVC hasn't stopped selling HGVC deeds, which all have a specific location.

 

[Shmiddy]

The way it was explained to me was there will be three ownership tiers:
HGVC - you can access all HGVC properties as you do now
Diamond - They can access all of their properties as they do now
HGV-Max - Can access both HGVC and Diamond properties.
For purchases Jan 14-April 4 you get grandfathered in to HGV Max for free, after April 4 a separate 'acquisition fee' would be charged on top of a deed purchase for HGV Max - supposedly in the $10K range, again on top of the cost of the deed.

 

[dayooper]

The way it was explained to me was there will be three ownership tiers:
HGVC - you can access all HGVC properties as you do now
Diamond - They can access all of their properties as they do now
HGV-Max - Can access both HGVC and Diamond properties.
For purchases Jan 14-April 4 you get grandfathered in to HGV Max for free, after April 4 a separate 'acquisition fee' would be charged on top of a deed purchase for HGV Max - supposedly in the $10K range, again on top of the cost of the deed.

$10K? That’s ridiculous.

 

[Msb1102]

10k? No way. If they had an option to add it to all of my deeds for 2k and it would transfer will my deeds if I ever decided to sell, I might find the value in that but at 10K, it would probably just be better to buy resale into Diamond.

 

[bnoble]

at 10K, it would probably just be better to buy resale into Diamond.

...except that you can't really do that. On resale, a Diamond ownership is withdrawn from The Club and reverts to its underlying rights, either at a specific resort or a smaller collection. You need to purchase "new" points to re-qualify a resale and bring it back into The Club.

 

[GT75]

HGV-Max - Can access both HGVC and Diamond properties

Yes, but when will you get access? At 6 month window?

 

[Shmiddy]

$10K? That’s ridiculous.

That's the hook they are using to get people to buy before April 4th. I'm thinking they will dangle a free or reduced cost access to Max for buyers after.

 

[dayooper]

That's the hook they are using to get people to buy before April 4th. I'm thinking they will dangle a free or reduced cost access to Max for buyers after.

I’m sure of it. I’m pretty sure they will also offer a stand alone membership.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Whatever they decide, it sounds like HGVC is not sitting on their hands and will roll out this program soon. I commend them on taking action. I compare this to MVC who acquired Vistana years ago and has had an integration program "to be announced" for years.

 

[Mongoose]

The question I have is how many diamond locations will be re-flagged HGV.

 

[dayooper]

The question I have is how many diamond locations will be re-flagged HGV.

IMHO, not many. There may some resorts that have both, but almost all will stay in their same system.

 

[dougp26364]

IMHO, not many. There may some resorts that have both, but almost all will stay in their same system.

If they’re planning on using DRI as an entry level product, you may be surprised how many they reflag, especially in locations Hilton doesn’t currently occupy. Sedona, Gatlinburg and Branson are a few. Also, some DRI resorts have various quality units. Sedona Summit has at least three varieties of unit. Branson has standard and deluxe units. There is the possibility that a portion of a resortt or the higher value units get rebranded and the standard units are not. I doubt it, but it’s a possibility.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

All will be reflagged as HGV or Hilton "Grand" (or spun off from the system if they don't meet profit and quality criteria). It sounds like most will be reflagged from Diamond as HGV to support current Diamond members. with Embarc and potentially a select few reflagged as Hilton Grand.

 

[dayooper]

If they’re planning on using DRI as an entry level product, you may be surprised how many they reflag, especially in locations Hilton doesn’t currently occupy. Sedona, Gatlinburg and Branson are a few. Also, some DRI resorts have various quality units. Sedona Summit has at least three varieties of unit. Branson has standard and deluxe units. There is the possibility that a portion of a resortt or the higher value units get rebranded and the standard units are not. I doubt it, but it’s a possibility.

I still go back to the fact that in the 2022 list if units owned HGVC only listed 110 units at Ocean Enclave when in past declarations, it was 330. Chicago and Elara were also short units as well. My wild speculation is there will be some movement between HGVC and DRI properties. Trading units in HGVC with units in DRI might satisfy the legal aspects of the trust and if they are going to move units in certain resorts, they will need to add others.

Units in Maui and Kauai would sell for much more than they would now. The pent up energy for other Islands would push the cost of those refurbished weeks into Ocean Tower range or more.

 

[dioxide45]

Aren't they reflagging a number of properties as "Hilton Vacation Club in April?