HGVC Owners Blocked from Booking Many HVC Properties through RCI Portal!!!

[escanoe]

Folks, I noticed a few days ago that some of the DRI properties have FINALLY been rebranded in RCI.

I noticed today when looking at HVC availability through our (HGVC) RCI portal, it shows "no weeks available" for both Historic Powhatan and Sedona Summit. There are tons of weeks available at both resorts using my RCI accounts not affiliated with HGVC.

I have just started playing around looking and am sure there is more to discover ... but sharing what I have seen thus far.

I have two theories. I like #1 much better than #2, but have no idea which it is.

1) HGVC will become more like DRI and DEX will be our new place to trade/exchange for everything in the Hilton universe.

2) They are cracking down hard on access between the systems to strong arm us into buying Max.

**********************

The cynical TUG take will be to automatically think it is #2. I am holding out some hope it is #1.

Update: These booking restrictions may be due to the old "not up to Hilton standards" filter in the RCI portal. See posts 14 and 16 below. Time will tell if something else may be going on.

 

[Nowaker]

This made me write this haiku for you:

It's not number 2
There's no way it's number 2
It was number 2

 

[escanoe]

This made me write this haiku for you:

It's not number 2
There's no way it's number 2
It was number 2

#2 is bad for HGVC owners, but not a bad thing for my RCI accounts. Both of the the properties I mentioned have a glut of inventory and get discounted heavily (trading power) in RCI. RCI/Wyndham will be happy to pocket $269 per exchange for everyone that trades in that way.

 

[SmithOp]

Interesting that some of the ones that haven't been rebranded are available with points, like Springs and Ridge in Sedona.

Check this out though, if you select Extra Vacations then Summit is available for cash stays using the portal.

Sent from my Lenovo 10e using Tapatalk

 

[HuskerATL]

This is interesting, I did a quick search across the DRI states and don't see any but if you select Extra Vacations, like SmithOp commented, they do show up.....odd....but Flamingo Beach Resort is.

 

[escanoe]

While I hold out hope DEX will grow as an exchange and offer more options, early signs are not that encouraging that the newly merged DRI will use their increased size and efficiencies to have HGVC better compete with Wyndham and Marriott from a consumer perspective.

The first significant changes we have experienced related to exchanging have resulted from a newly negotiated contract they have entered into with RCI/Wyndham that 1) requires us to exclusively use RCI/Wyndham for exchanges when in the past we could use smaller independent exchanges like SFX 2) within RCI there are new restrictions barring us from exchanging into properties we used to be able to exchange into and 3) HGV has used none of their negotiating power with RCI/Wyndham to actually lower exchange costs for HGVC owners.

Perhaps, blocking us from DRI resorts in RCI is an approach to promoting Max sales, but I am convinced it will be penny wise, pound foolish, and strengthen RCI/Wyndham.

Why buy Max? RCI lets you trade into the DRI resorts 10 months out or earlier. The properties that have enough inventory to have good availability at 6 months out also likely have enough inventory in RCI that they will be heavily discounted as check-in times approach. If DEX gave us reasonable trades into DRI (and for other properties) I would consider expanding my ownership within the Hilton system. But the way they have it now, if I want to up my usage in the Hilton system (for DRI), I will be expanding my ownership of RCI traders and handing RCI/Wyndham the exchange fees.

And if I really, really wanted to use DRI a lot, I might buy something resale within their system .... but at this point there are too many unknowns. Anyone considering it, should wait a while and see how the dust settles.

 

[escanoe]

Here on the East coast, Beachwoods (NC Outer Banks) has not been rebranded as HVC yet and can still be booked through the HGVC RCI portal.

Note: If I buy an "Extra" RCI vacation at a DRI resort, I will do it through my personal RCI platinum account instead of the HGVC RCI Portal because my platinum RCI account gets a 10% discount. But it is good they remain available through the HGVC RCI portal for now.

This is interesting, I did a quick search across the DRI states and don't see any but if you select Extra Vacations, like SmithOp commented, they do show up.....odd....but Flamingo Beach Resort is.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I have an exchange into P@P for 2023 booked prior to this change. I have several well-aged OGS that have not hit. This may be why.

 

[alwysonvac]

I'm not surprised.

Just a fyi...
HGVC currently restricts what members can view through their HGVC RCI Portal.
HGVC members can not view Hilton deposits with checkin dates beyond the 9 month window. It's been that way for 10+ years (link).

NOTE: In the past, I don't believe the restriction impacted exchanges into some of the affiliate Club Resorts.

 

[HuskerATL]

Plus, only EP sees the select properties...

 

[alexinorlando]

In my Hilton Rci portal, I am seeing lots of Mystic Dunes “A Hilton Vacation Club” exchange availability with my Hilton points in the rci portal. So not sure if this is exactly true.

 

[escanoe]

In my Hilton Rci portal, I am seeing lots of Mystic Dunes “A Hilton Vacation Club” exchange availability with my Hilton points in the rci portal. So not sure if this is exactly true.

Glad to hear it is not universal (at least yet). It looks like Flamingo Beach remains available through the portal as well.

I will provide below an example of what I am seeing. My example is Historic Powhatan .... and the same thing is true for Sedona Summit, Lake Tahoe Resort, Scottsdale Villa Mirage, and Scottsdale Links.

My RCI Points Account shows 630 nights available at Historic Powhatan:

HGVC Portal says "No Units Available"

I am not familiar with the history of Mystic Dunes, but maybe it was sold in RCI initially and will remain available there? I have no idea and am just guessing.

 

[alexinorlando]

Actually Mystic Dunes was an always an interval resort since the beginning, but recently was affiliated with Rci.

 

[alexinorlando]

Glad to hear it is not universal (at least yet). It looks like Flamingo Beach remains available through the portal as well.

I will provide below an example of what I am seeing. My example is Historic Powhatan .... and the same thing is true for Sedona Summit, Lake Tahoe Resort, Scottsdale Villa Mirage, and Scottsdale Links.

My RCI Points Account shows 630 nights available at Historic Powhatan:

View attachment 62790

HGVC Portal says "No Units Available"

View attachment 62791

I am not familiar with the history of Mystic Dunes, but maybe it was sold in RCI initially and will remain available there? I have no idea and am just guessing.

These resorts you are not seeing, did you used to see them through your Hilton Rci Portal and now not?

possibly they where never “approved Rci” resorts from Hilton previously and that is the issue.
I believe I heard or read somewhere before Hilton does not allow all resorts to be available to its members though it’s Rci portal. If I remember correctly previously when I would search resorts through my hilton Rci portal it would never return as many results as my other rci accounts would, and this is going back many years ago (I usually don’t use my Hilton for Rci exchanges).

 

[HuskerATL]

These resorts you are not seeing, did you used to see them through your Hilton Rci Portal and now not?

possibly they where never “approved Rci” resorts from Hilton previously and that is the issue.
I believe I heard or read somewhere before Hilton does not allow all resorts to be available to its members though it’s Rci portal. If I remember correctly previously when I would search resorts through my hilton Rci portal it would never return as many results as my other rci accounts would, and this is going back many years ago (I usually don’t use my Hilton for Rci exchanges).

Yes, they were there or at least some and you can pull them up now but they say no availability. Brian, in the HGVC FB group, has made comments about booking them in RCI and/or HH so what is the point of Max. That may have led to the removal....

 

[escanoe]

These resorts you are not seeing, did you used to see them through your Hilton Rci Portal and now not?

You raise a good point.

I do most of my RCI booking and exploring through an RCI Account. I cannot attest that these were available before, and I may have initially drawn the wrong inference (I have renamed the thread and inserted an update at the bottom of the initial post).

More details:

To explore your theory, I called HGVC RCI phone support to see about booking "Historic Powhatan." My understanding is HGVC RCI support can book a reservation if it is not allowed online due to the resort "not being up to Hilton standards."

When I explained to the agent I could see availability for the resort in my RCI account but not through the HGVC portal, she initially said "it may be a resort that is not up to Hilton standards." I told her I doubted that since HGVC has now bought the company that owned it and changed its name to include "a Hilton Vacation Club." That seemed to convince her it was not a "not up to Hilton Standards" issue.

She played around and saw that she could do an override on her end and book it and it appeared to be the same thing as the "not up to Hilton standards" issue.

It's sure ironic if we can't book these "a Hilton Vacation Club" properties online through the HGVC portal because "they are not up to Hilton standards."

I have never really understood how these determinations were made. Four Sails in Virginia Beach does not pass their quality filter either ... yet it is reportedly one of the best (relatively speaking) timeshares in Virginia Beach. Overall, though, it does not seem like there are that many resorts they restrict availability to for this reason. There are still plenty of skunks that can be booked.

Perhaps, this is one of those occasions when one should "never ascribe to malice (or greed) that which is adequately explained by incompetence."

 

[NiteMaire]

It is going to be ironic if we can't book these "a Hilton Vacation Club" properties online through the HGVC portal because "they are not up to Hilton standards."

If that's the case, HGV is playing games. Rebranded HVC resorts have clearly met one of Hilton's standards (even if it is a "lower" standard); otherwise, HGV would not have been able to rebrand them. Also, they are available on Hilton's website to book; Hilton would not have listed them there if they didn't meet one of their standards.

That's a way to treat owners; I'd argue it's not the preferred way, but it's a way nonetheless.

 

[escanoe]

Update: We are another month into the rebranding ... and they still have not done anything in the HGVC portal to allow us to book "Hilton Vacation Club" properties that are not available for booking because " they are not up to Hilton standards."

My EP status with HGVC comes from my "Ebay Purchased" resale deeds ! Maybe some of you that have made developer purchases should call customer service to ask them to fix it. I brought it to a CSRs attention over a month ago when I called to figure out what was up.

 

[HuskerATL]

I brought it to a CSRs attention over a month

Wait, you called CS to complain that you got EP via an eBay resale?

 

[escanoe]

Wait, you called CS to complain that you got EP via an eBay resale?

I am saying I have EP status! And in my case that stands for eBay Purchased ownerships and not for elite premiere. I called customer service to figure out why I was being blocked from booking "Hilton Vacation Club" properties via the HGVC RCI portal .... and the answer was the old quality filter that was not updated when the rebranding took place.

If some of you with the most legitimate forms of elite premiere status would call ... that might help.

 

[HuskerATL]

I am saying I have EP status! And in my case that stands for eBay Purchased ownerships and not for elite premiere. I called customer service to figure out why I was being blocked from booking "Hilton Vacation Club" properties via the HGVC RCI portal .... and the answer was the old quality filter that was not updated when the rebranding took place.

If some of you with the most legitimate forms of elite premiere status would call ... that might help.

Still trying to figure out why it would matter if you bought though eBay and yes, for most, EP means Elite Premier.

 

[Jason245]

Before the merger and covid I stayed at a number of dri resorts by booking and renting direct from them for under 100 a night in 2 bedrooms.

The running joke I had with my family for every flaw in the room or at the resort was "never at a hgvc".

I have seen everything from exposed wiring, paint peeling, dishwasher racks rusted completely out, furniture lopsided, and dust that in some places looks like it started being collected the day after the resort opened.

For the life of me I dont understand why people want to pay for the privilege to spend their hgvc mf dollars on those resorts.

All that being said. Please please please trade into them so I have a better chance of booking the hgvc resorts I want to get into.

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[escanoe]

Another month has gone by without HGVC removing the RCI portal "quality filter" that blocks us from booking many of the former DRI properties (now HVC) that are "not up to Hilton standards" through our RCI Portal.

They will "give" you MAX with a new developer purchase but continue to block legacy owners from trading into many of the HVC resorts through RCI without calling in to get a manual override.

If anyone wants to trade into these properties electronically, the affordable way to do it is through buying an RCI trader instead of a new HGVC purchase.

 

[HuskerATL]

I don't know. There have been many posts on the HGV FB page showing HVC available booking to other HGVC non-Max members. Their argument is why but into Max when they can book HVC right now on RCI.

 

[HuskerATL]

I see what you mean now...the non-HVC branded ones are not online...but the HVC ones you can book via RCI.