HGVC Resorts on Florida Gulf Coast

[chapjim]

Looks like they are all External Exchanges and have extremely limited availability -- mostly a day or two here and there.

Fort Myers Beach seems to be the worst hit and slowest recovering. Are Captiva, Marco, and Sanibel Islands worth going to or are they still rebuilding?

Even if the resorts are open, if the area still looks like a disaster area, I think I'd hold off for a year or two.

 

[HuskerATL]

Most are not open yet. I heard some may open in the fall. Marco would have the most availability but the only weeks available are the ones that owners release. Most of the time, they use them though so there is always limited availability. In addition, many owners don't join HGV so their weeks are never available.

 

[chapjim]

So, HGVC's list of Gulf Coast resorts is mostly a fantasy.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Right now there is less inventory than every because a bunch of resorts are closed from hurricane damage, and that puts even more pressure on the remaining resorts as people who have HGVC enrolled weeks might try to book up at the other nearby resorts.

It is difficult often, now even more so. I would expect it to ease up a bit in a year or so when the closed resorts become back online.

 

[HuskerATL]

So, HGVC's list of Gulf Coast resorts is mostly a fantasy.

Mostly but they do pop up. You just have to keep checking.

 

[escanoe]

So, HGVC's list of Gulf Coast resorts is mostly a fantasy.

It is a fantasy that you can make reality with a little work and being proactive.

My family did an HGVC booking into the Charter Club on Marco Island for our school spring break this year (week before Easter).

How I booked it:

Scan availability of all the Gulf resorts for when you want to go .... and do it when you can see availability but before the booking window has opened. When the booking window opens, book it at midnight the night the third day is open (and first day you can make a booking). There were 3 options that would have worked for me, and I managed to get my 1st choice. After you have your first 3 days booked, you need to walk the remainder of your reservation. There were some technical challenges the last couple of days of walking, but they were able to do it on the phone for me.

 

[buzglyd]

Many if the gulf resorts have FB pages where you can rent from owners. I think that’s why we’re seeing less inventory as well. Platinum season is fairly limited and gold and silver don’t return many points.

 

[HuskerATL]

I think that is why many owners don't put their week in HGV. They either use it or rent it out.

 

[buzglyd]

As others have said, you have to be a little lucky and check a lot.

I’ve stayed at Charter Club via RCI exchange. I’ve stayed at Tortuga and Hurricane house with HGV points. Only Marco Island is available currently. The others are still under construction.

 

[Talent312]

History Lesson:
The reason for all of the foregoing is that the SW Florida affiliates predate HGVC.
They came into the club when their developer (Mariner) and Hilton partnered up.
At the time, Hilton needed their TS acumen and they became HGVC's managers.
HGVC later bought them out and kept Mariner's resorts as their step-children.
.

 

[weems637]

We own a week at Hurricane House, projected reopening is no sooner than December 2023. Every step of the rebuilding process requires permit after permit from the City of Sanibel. I appreciate the caution, but dang! The new roofing was just completed two weeks ago.

 

[Duanerice]

I live here.... Sanibel and Ft Myers Beach are still pretty devestated. On Sanibel, most of the island is still shut down. FMB pretty much the same. I'd stay away for another year as many places are still not open.

 

[cowboyfan]

I think that is why many owners don't put their week in HGV. They either use it or rent it out.

They rebranded Sandestin Golf and Spa resort to HGVC. Any idea when this resort will be made available to book for legacy HGVC members?

 

[HuskerATL]

They rebranded Sandestin Golf and Spa resort to HGVC. Any idea when this resort will be made available to book for legacy HGVC members?

According to what they have said, is never. Only Max but I don't think there will be much availability. They just made it HGVC to charge more on Hilton to rent unsold inventory

 

[Zenichiro]

They rebranded Sandestin Golf and Spa resort to HGVC. Any idea when this resort will be made available to book for legacy HGVC members?

It’s available pretty decent prices on Hilton.com website. We had it booked but had a plan change. You can even use FNC which is rare for HGVC

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Looks like they are all External Exchanges and have extremely limited availability -- mostly a day or two here and there.

Fort Myers Beach seems to be the worst hit and slowest recovering. Are Captiva, Marco, and Sanibel Islands worth going to or are they still rebuilding?

Even if the resorts are open, if the area still looks like a disaster area, I think I'd hold off for a year or two.

We enjoyed staying at our TS in Marco this year in March and everthing in that area was pretty much back to normal by then

 

[PigsDad]

We enjoyed staying at our TS in Marco this year in March and everthing in that area was pretty much back to normal by then

We stayed on Marco in December, and even then you would not have known hurricane Ian had gone by less than three months earlier.

Kurt

 

[hurnik]

I believe that the HGV Seawatch on the Beach affiliate (I forget what they said in the last newletter) was originally stating somewhere around a September 2023 (ooh, better double-check, maybe it was 2024--eeek) re-open date, but I imagine that it would slip like all things. Only good thing is that if it slips I'll get my MF refunded, if I don't convert them to HGV points.

 

[rdw95]

We own a summer week at Tortuga. We bought there resale so we could get in there on a regular basis. It is still rebuilding. FYI, there is an agent on site there foe resales, with reasonable prices.

 

[dvc_john]

I believe that the HGV Seawatch on the Beach affiliate (I forget what they said in the last newletter) was originally stating somewhere around a September 2023 (ooh, better double-check, maybe it was 2024--eeek) re-open date, but I imagine that it would slip like all things. Only good thing is that if it slips I'll get my MF refunded, if I don't convert them to HGV points.

Posted today for Seawatch-on-the-Beach and Sanibel Cottages resorts (and I assume for other Sanibel resorts.):

Immediately following the landfall of Hurricane Ian, we estimated that SWFL Resorts would likely not open for at least a year, or approximately a year making it September of 2023. We have maintained that date all along as to reduce issuing many changing and moving dates. We are likely going to miss that target due to the amount of damage, supply chain issues, and permitting processes.
We are working with a third-party consultant to set an estimated completion date and will share that estimate once we have it. Owners will be given at least a 30-day notice of reopening.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Marco got storm surge of about 6.5 feet from Ian, but not much damage other than low positioned buildings or buildings closer to the Gulf. Our garage floor is 6.4' above sea level so we got a slight amount of water in our garage, but none in the house. Wind damage was not as bad as Irma in 2017. Very few roofs damaged or trees blown over. The storm surge looked like a river coming down the street and then going back down very quickly as the tide went out again. Weird. Plus, some saltwater damage to plants.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Just picked up an Apr 2024 week at Tortuga. Notes say resort closed until further notice, but no notice of when it is to open. Can I assume by Apr 2024, otherwise why is the week available in HGVC?

 

[buzglyd]

Just picked up an Apr 2024 week at Tortuga. Notes say resort closed until further notice, but no notice of when it is to open. Can I assume by Apr 2024, otherwise why is the week available in HGVC?

Tortuga had a Facebook group. There might be more info from the owners.

 

[Zenichiro]

Just picked up an Apr 2024 week at Tortuga. Notes say resort closed until further notice, but no notice of when it is to open. Can I assume by Apr 2024, otherwise why is the week available in HGVC?

We just booked Charter Club, Marco. Also noticed Casa Ybel had availability

 

[GTLINZ]

The SW Florida "affilates" sure looked great in the brocures they used to send and were great for the sales staff to talk about (without sharing the details of limited availability). But they were certainly hard to book since an owner had to turn in their week for it to be available. It was likely a bit easier before they were online if you were willing to call every day ... which i sometimes did ....

Over the years we have been able to book Casa Ybel on Sanibel, Seawatch Ft Myers beach, Harbourview Villas Captiva, Sunset Cove Marco. Eagles Nest Marco and Charter Club Marco. The last 2 Marco resorts were easier to book as they were high rises and had more villas. Captiva was one our all time favorite trips.