HGVC Open Season quirk

[GregT]

All,

As TUGgers know, I just had a great trip to HHV -- which was ultimately booked with two Open Season reservations: 2 nights and 4 nights each for my 6 night total trip.

I had an interesting experience that I wanted to relay to see what TUGgers thought.

The history is that I had secured the 2 night Open Season and was holding the subsequent 3 nights with HGVC points. 30 days out the adjacent 4th night appeared in Open Season, but I didn't have enough points available to book it or I would have. It was not yet available to someone else for Open Season booking because only 1 night was available, the second not yet being 30 days out (if there was a second night, not sure).

I called the Call Center and asked if there was any way for me to convert my points reservation into an Open Season reservation and to add the 4th night.

The agent did this for me over the phone -- canceling my points reservation and adding that 4th night. I know that the rules prohibit my converting an existing reservation into an Open Season reservation, so I suspect the exception was because I was adding additional night(s) and making it a longer stay. Or the agent made an error, but she sounded very confident that she could do it when I inquired and she was very experienced.

Has anyone else encountered this? If this is repeatable, then its a great way to stretch HGVC points by effectively renting them for the Open Season rate. I've already recognized the opportunity to book a separate Open Season ressie from available space and change my own changeable reservation, but this is different in that it used my existing days for the Open Season ressie.

Any thoughts? Thanks very much!

Greg

 

[Talent312]

The rule prohibits re-booking "for the same time period." Adding a day is arguably different, and it results in more $$ for Hilton.

We've had reports of the call center bending rules before, particularly when it results in more $$ to Hilton
... and being sticklers at year-end when it would mean less.

 

[GregT]

The rule prohibits re-booking "for the same time period." Adding a day is arguably different, and it results in more $$ for Hilton.

Does Hilton get to keep the Open Season dollars or does that go to the resort?

Either way, they are probably happy to extract cash from us whenever possible and adding an additional day would allow them to still comply with the rule (since its not for "the same time period").

Interesting to see -- thanks for pointing that out.

Best,

Greg