HGV Max in the Club Reference Guide

[HuskerATL]

I sent an email to them indicating that I’m upset that as a retail owner from 2018 I’m not automatically grandfathered into the new program. This was their response:
View attachment 53016

That will be the "we would like to invite you to join Max for $7k" email. Since Max isn't live yet and the portal won't even be up until August, we aren't missing much.

 

[GT75]

However, there is a new and improved HGV Max Elite which will be launched with allowing a 10 month mark for reservations. That will kill the most sought after weeks for legacy HGVC owners.

The problem is that we are all getting this information from sales presentation. There is even a footnote at the bottom of the slide. I am very disappointed with HGV for allowing sales to state this information as facts. I think there will be many upset HGV Max members sometime in the future when the rules are actually released.

 

[escanoe]

The restaurant con$umer$ heard the glorious sound of the sizzle, very little details about the meal were on the menu, ordering it was still too much of a temptation to pass up. In August (maybe) the wait staff will bring out the entre.

We have no reason to think it will not meet expectations, right?

The problem is that we are all getting this information from sales presentation. There is even a footnote at the bottom of the slide. I am very disappointed with HGV for allowing sales to state this information as facts. I think there will be many upset HGV Max members sometime in the future when the rules are actually released.

 

[dayooper]

The problem is that we are all getting this information from sales presentation. There is even a footnote at the bottom of the slide. I am very disappointed with HGV for allowing sales to state this information as facts. I think there will be many upset HGV Max members sometime in the future when the rules are actually released.

I agree. Either they are completely unorganized in this release or they are intentional on allowing sales to say whatever they want in trying to get people to purchase (or both). I hope this isn't a sign that the DRI side of the merger has more influence than the HGVC.

 

[brp]

That is true at this time. However, there is a new and improved HGV Max Elite which will be launched with allowing a 10 month mark for reservations. That will kill the most sought after weeks for legacy HGVC owners.

Agree on the misinformation that others have mentioned. At this time, there is no documentation that indicates that anyone gets more than a 9-month reservation window, including Max Executive Infinity Plus members. They get searches starting at 10 months. That is all that is documented.

Salesweasels may call it a "reservation" to make it sound more attractive but, well, they're salesweasels.

Cheers.

 

[pedro47]

I agree there is too much misinformation floating around at this time.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

My take is that Max is repackaged and rebranded DRI Trust 2.0 for HGVC owners. This is why it doesn't feel like HGV.

 

[HuskerATL]

Agree on the misinformation that others have mentioned. At this time, there is no documentation that indicates that anyone gets more than a 9-month reservation window, including Max Executive Infinity Plus members. They get searches starting at 10 months. That is all that is documented.

Salesweasels may call it a "reservation" to make it sound more attractive but, well, they're salesweasels.

Cheers.

I am not sure of the purpose to search a month out if you can't book. The documentation also stated that they would be fulfilled by Eilte level. My salesweasel said book at 10 months.... For what it is worth.

 

[brp]

I am not sure of the purpose to search a month out if you can't book. The documentation also stated that they would be fulfilled by Eilte level. My salesweasel said book at 10 months.... For what it is worth.

Yeah, not surprised that the salesman said that.

As to reasons, one that seems likely to me, and that I included in one of these threads, is the idea of a "set it and forget it" search that folks who are not us, i.e. the vast majority of TS owners, would like. Sure, it could actually book more than 9 months out, but I have only seen search actually documented.

Convenience without the nuance of second or minute precision is valuable to many.

Anyway, mine is speculation, too. But I see no real reason for them to need to jump the line when just providing the feature caries weight with most.

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

Yeah, not surprised that the salesman said that.

As to reasons, one that seems likely to me, and that I included in one of these threads, is the idea of a "set it and forget it" search that folks who are not us, i.e. the vast majority of TS owners, would like. Sure, it could actually book more than 9 months out, but I have only seen search actually documented.

Convenience without the nuance of second or minute precision is valuable to many.

Anyway, mine is speculation, too. But I see no real reason for them to need to jump the line when just providing the feature caries weight with most.

Cheers.

But if you look at the info about it on the slides, it says that it will fill automatically but, you are right, maybe that is at midnight on day 276.

 

[brp]

But if you look at the info about it on the slides, it says that it will fill automatically but, you are right, maybe that is at midnight on day 276.

I wonder if this is automatically fill if available (since it is a search), or really fill in all cases. In the latter, then it's really not a search but an advance booking. Again, stil not clear and could go either way.

Cheers.

 

[dayooper]

I wonder if this is automatically fill if available (since it is a search), or really fill in all cases. In the latter, then it's really not a search but an advance booking. Again, stil not clear and could go either way.

Cheers.

I believe it has to be a search that fills at 276 days. Otherwise it would interfere with the 3 month home season reservation window. The precedent has been set when owners in a different system that sued the developer when they infringed on that deeded right. That particular developer shortened the booking window to allow "elite" members earlier access to those weeks. The owners won that lawsuit and the developer was forced to put things back to they way they were. HGVC knows they have to keep those deeded rights so they developed the loyalty searches to go around that.

 

[HuskerATL]

I believe it has to be a search that fills at 276 days. Otherwise it would interfere with the 3 month home season reservation window. The precedent has been set when owners in a different system that sued the developer when they infringed on that deeded right. That particular developer shortened the booking window to allow "elite" members earlier access to those weeks. The owners won that lawsuit and the developer was forced to put things back to they way they were. HGVC knows they have to keep those deeded rights so they developed the loyalty searches to go around that.

Unless, the 10 month window is for HGVC people booking in DRI and the DRI Elite might get a 9 month window booking into HGVC.

 

[GT75]

Many of these elite benefits which are showing up on these slides are just copied from the DRI rules (thanks to @HuskerATL and @cindyc). This Loyalty search request is just one of them.

I honestly don't think that HGV even proofread the slides before they gave them to sales. Now, who knows how this will be implemented. It could be different for each system.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I know we are upset about this HGVC 10 month elite search. But what about HGVC owners trading into DRI via MAX? My understanding is that DRI owners have a 14 month window? If so, how does a 10 month priority into DRI help? This seems to be directed at Max owners trading into HGVC without a reciprocal benefit for HGVC Elite priority into DRI properties.

This further reinforces that all of this is half-baked with benefits based on repositioning DRI Club points 2.0. We need to hold off until we see the final announcement later this year. I am going to avoid sales presentations until this is official and we know what Max really entails.

From what I can tell from DRI deed holders and MVC deed holders, no one lost anything by doing nothing and continuing to enjoy their deeds. Hang onto your wallets until you know for sure.

 

[HuskerATL]

I know we are upset about this HGVC 10 month elite search. But what about HGVC owners trading into DRI via MAX? My understanding is that DRI owners have a 14 month window? If so, how does a 10 month priority into DRI help? This seems to be directed at Max owners trading into HGVC without a reciprocal benefit for HGVC Elite priority into DRI properties.

This further reinforces that all of this is half-baked with benefits based on repositioning DRI Club points 2.0. We need to hold off until we see the final announcement later this year. I am going to avoid sales presentations until this is official and we know what Max really entails.

From what I can tell from DRI deed holders and MVC deed holders, no one lost anything by doing nothing and continuing to enjoy their deeds. Hang onto your wallets until you know for sure.

Would be interesting to see what DRI sales folks are showing their side for Max Elite.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

@HuskerATL I am fairly certain they get the 10 month HGVC language, but what do HGVC Max Owners get for priority into DRI for reservations? I doubt it would be limited to 6 months.

Or if is, Why? If I signed up for Max Elite I would expect to have priority access into P@P or KBC or Tahoe or Sedona just as they *might* have priority access into HGVC top locations. I have yet to see any language which describes this.

 

[HuskerATL]

@HuskerATL I am fairly certain they get the 10 month HGVC language, but what do HGVC Max Owners get for priority into DRI for reservations? I doubt it would be limited to 6 months.

Or if is, Why? If I signed up for Max Elite I would expect to have priority access into P@P or KBC or Tahoe or Sedona just as they *might* have priority access into HGVC top locations. I have yet to see any language which describes this.

Of course this just speculation on my part but our Club Reservation Window is 9 months and theirs is 13 months for their Home Collection, 12 months for home resorts, and 10 months for any resort. Maybe the loyalty search request for each side aligns to the other sides general booking window. So HGVC Elite Max with the loyalty search request is 10 months and DRI Elite Max with the loyalty search request is 9 months and the non-Elite is 6 months for both. Just me spit balling...

 

[GT75]

So HGVC Elite Max with the loyalty search request is 10 months and DRI Elite Max with the loyalty search request is 9 months and the non-Elite is 6 months for both. Just me spit balling...

That would be my guess also. Or at least I think that might be a real possibility.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

@HuskerATL You may be onto something. Since these sales presentations appear to be lifted from the DRI Elite manual, maybe this 10 month loyalty search priority has nothing to do with HGVC and is a DRI only benefit? Do you recall anywhere in the documentation that said 10 month loyalty search was associated with making an HGVC reservations?

We can surmise that HGVC points holders own on average about half the number of points (8 - 10k new points) than the average DRI CLUB points holder at 20k (HT: @Youpi) yet the HGVC units are higher quality and bigger for the equivalent points in DRI (11,200 will reserve a 2 bdrm platinum season in HGVC whereas the equivalent DRI appears to be a 1 bdrm for 11k points based on a quick perusal of their points charts). This imbalance could easily overwhelm the HGVC system if a lot of DRI members signed up for MAX. To counter this, perhaps, they are tilting the loyalty benefit in favor of booking DRI to avoid a mass influx into the HGV system by offering this DRI Loyalty search and by keeping the DRI to HGV window it at 6 months? YMMV.

 

[HuskerATL]

@HuskerATL You may be onto something. Since these pages appear to be lifted from the DRI Elite manual, maybe this 10 month loyalty search priority is a DRI only beneift? Do you recall anywhere in the documentation that said 10 month loyalty search was associated with HGVC reservations?

It is just says HGV Max so that speaks to both now but my speculation was that the 10 month loyalty search was a HGVC Elite benefit to reserve DRI properties. We could confirm my speculation if we could hear from a DRI person and if they get a 9 month window to reserve in HGVC for their elite.

 

[Arusso]

(This is my post from a different thread. I figure this should have a post in it’s own.)

Looks like it’s $7000 to join HGV Max without a developer purchase. Here is a screenshot of the reference page from my account.View attachment 50866

Here’s another statement from the reference page about resale.

View attachment 50867
Does this mean if you own resale you can’t be part of HGVMax or does it mean the purchase doesn’t qualify?

To me, it doesn’t matter. We won’t buy from the developer nor will we pay $7000 to join. I’m really disappointed in HGV, but not surprised. The desire to soak owners for even more money is too great. There will be plenty of people who will join and they will make their money, but all of the speculation a year ago was correct, this merger is a negative for many owners.

So that I'm on the same page here.....

There are Hilton owners and DRI owners. With the acquisition, there was a merger of properties. A few top tier DRI properties were assigned to the HGVC group and the rest (majority) to the HVC grouping of properties. This, of course creates different classes of owners. The DRI owners are being pitched into purchasing into HGV MAX. Are Hilton owners also being pitched the same deal? If a DRI owner has "a qualified purchase" i.e. the purchase was made from the developer, is the fee to join HGV MAX $7,000 + $450 + $199 ?? Or, is another purchase of points with the commensurate MFs from Hilton required? Am I correct in concluding that a DRI owner would need to spend an additional $20,000 (plus the aforementioned fees) to join HVC MAX?????? Do I have this correct?

 

[escanoe]

Do I have this correct?

You are in the right neighborhood, but may not be on exactly the right street.

There are some nuances you probably do not have right …. but truthfully no one on the outside has all the details of how this will work.

For instance, some DRI resorts (Embarc) are up to HGVC standards and may be rebranded as HGVC …. but none of us has any idea what that will mean as far as an internal exchange or anything.

We are all going to have to wait and see exactly how this unfolds.

 

[HuskerATL]

So that I'm on the same page here.....

There are Hilton owners and DRI owners. With the acquisition, there was a merger of properties. A few top tier DRI properties were assigned to the HGVC group and the rest (majority) to the HVC grouping of properties. This, of course creates different classes of owners. The DRI owners are being pitched into purchasing into HGV MAX. Are Hilton owners also being pitched the same deal? If a DRI owner has "a qualified purchase" i.e. the purchase was made from the developer, is the fee to join HGV MAX $7,000 + $450 + $199 ?? Or, is another purchase of points with the commensurate MFs from Hilton required? Am I correct in concluding that a DRI owner would need to spend an additional $20,000 (plus the aforementioned fees) to join HVC MAX?????? Do I have this correct?

If you buy from a developer or upgrade a resale to retail, there is no $7k fee. There may still be a $199/contract fee but I am still not sure about that and there is a $281 club fee. This is for HGVC owners to join HGV Max. I don't know how the DRI side is doing it. Also, I am still not sure that the Max portal isn't just that.... a portal that accesses both HGVC and DRI to book for Max members. That is how it was drawn up at my sales meeting. What I don't know is that if we do get to the arrangement that it is a points system and not deeds, how is Max populated with property. But if all Max people still have deeds, then the system would work the same but with more members vying for the existing properties.

 

[GT75]

So that I'm on the same page here.....

Honestly, what we do know is HGV is selling HGV Max. But we don't know what HGV Max really is (the details anyways).