HGVC South Beach question

[yh52]

Hello Fellow TUGgers,
Our family owns a Wyndham fixed week 51 in Pompano Beach FL which we thoroughly enjoy. We'd like to extend the vacation by spending week 52 down in Florida as well. As such we are looking at HGVC South Beach.
We have a tendency to buy at the resorts where we intend to stay.

What are the pros and cons of buying at the HGVC South Beach?

If we buy platinum points at the HGVC South Beach, how difficult will it be to reserve the same week (week 52 or week 7) at that resort every year? How about if we were to buy Platinum season points for a 2 BR at HGVC South Beach?

Are 2 BR units harder to access than 1 BR units?

What are the maintenance fees for the 1 or 2 bedroom units?

Are week 52 or 7 difficult to rent if we cannot get down there on a particular year?

If there is a week 53 in a given year, are the people who reserve week 52 able to access week 53? Is it automatic or is there a cost to access week 53?

Does HGVC exercise Right of First Refusal on resales?

Have HGVC South Beach owners ever tried to trade into the HGVC New York properties for holidays? Is that difficult?

Thank you!

 

[Cyberc]

Hello Fellow TUGgers,
Our family owns a Wyndham fixed week 51 in Pompano Beach FL which we thoroughly enjoy. We'd like to extend the vacation by spending week 52 down in Florida as well. As such we are looking at HGVC South Beach.
We have a tendency to buy at the resorts where we intend to stay.

What are the pros and cons of buying at the HGVC South Beach?

If we buy platinum points at the HGVC South Beach, how difficult will it be to reserve the same week (week 52 or week 7) at that resort every year? How about if we were to buy Platinum season points for a 2 BR at HGVC South Beach?

Are 2 BR units harder to access than 1 BR units?

What are the maintenance fees for the 1 or 2 bedroom units?

Are week 52 or 7 difficult to rent if we cannot get down there on a particular year?

If there is a week 53 in a given year, are the people who reserve week 52 able to access week 53? Is it automatic or is there a cost to access week 53?

Does HGVC exercise Right of First Refusal on resales?

Have HGVC South Beach owners ever tried to trade into the HGVC New York properties for holidays? Is that difficult?

Thank you!

1. There is a limited number of 2br available so the answer is yes.
2. Look in the sticky MF it has many resorts listed including SOBE.
3. If you buy a platinum week and book right at the 12 month mark for week 52 I think you are all good. If the same applies for week 7 I don't know. Have in mind booking at the 12 month mark will cost all available points for that year and you need to book a week. If a week is not optimal then you have to wait until the 276days mark to book.
4. You have the same option as others platinum owners.
5. Yes hgvc exercises rofr.
6. If you trade through RCI it's not difficult but you need to book approx 9 months in advance since that is when the inventory is released. If through the hgvc portal it's a max of 40days out.

Regards

 

[Tamaradarann]

GHVC South Beach

Our family owns a Wyndham fixed week 51 in Pompano Beach FL which we thoroughly enjoy. We'd like to extend the vacation by spending week 52 down in Florida as well. As such we are looking at HGVC South Beach.
We have a tendency to buy at the resorts where we intend to stay.

What are the pros and cons of buying at the HGVC South Beach? You do get the 12 month reservation period preference if you own there. However, the maintenance is higher than many other HGVC resorts.

If we buy platinum points at the HGVC South Beach, how difficult will it be to reserve the same week (week 52 or week 7) at that resort every year? How about if we were to buy Platinum season points for a 2 BR at HGVC South Beach? You should be able to book week 52 or week 7 at the beginning of the 12 month reservation period if you own there. The 2 bedroom may be more difficult because of much less availability. However, you should still be able to do it.

Are 2 BR units harder to access than 1 BR units? Yes

What are the maintenance fees for the 1 or 2 bedroom units? Including taxes the 1 BR is about $1000 the 2 Br about $1400

Are week 52 or 7 difficult to rent if we cannot get down there on a particular year? I don't know.

If there is a week 53 in a given year, are the people who reserve week 52 able to access week 53? Is it automatic or is there a cost to access week 53?

Does HGVC exercise Right of First Refusal on resales? Yes

Have HGVC South Beach owners ever tried to trade into the HGVC New York properties for holidays? Is that difficult? Never tried it and don't know how difficult.

 

[phil1ben]

We own a 7000 point (2-BDRM) platinum South Beach unit we bought resale in 2010. We really only use our points for SB and the new Italy property. Have been to SB about 15 times and normally go for three 3-4 day weekends per year. Here are my responses:


Are 2 BR units harder to access than 1 BR units? Yes, I think there are only 6 two bedroom units but most do face the ocean. Keep in mind there is no pool at SB and no parking. There is a hot tub on the roof of one of the buildings. We are happy with our resale purchase.

What are the maintenance fees for the 1 or 2 bedroom units? 2015 fees including everything club dues etc.... were $1,618.19

Are week 52 or 7 difficult to rent if we cannot get down there on a particular year? Yes they are.

If there is a week 53 in a given year, are the people who reserve week 52 able to access week 53? Is it automatic or is there a cost to access week 53? We do not have a specific week. We have home week rights during Platinum season but only if we rent for a full week in a 2 bedroom unit. We normally do not rent for a full week so we must reserve available dates in the 9 month window. I think some flexibility is needed. If you must have a particular week in a 2 bedroom during high season I give you less than 50% success rate. We have used the home week at times and may use it more in the future when I retire.

Does HGVC exercise Right of First Refusal on resales? Yes

Have HGVC South Beach owners ever tried to trade into the HGVC New York properties for holidays? Is that difficult? We have used points for 57th Street

 

[yh52]

Clarification of question

Thanks for your answers so far. They've been very helpful.

So far we love the Pompano Beach area because it is very family friendly. But as our kids get older, I am looking for a resort where we could still keep the kids' interest in going on vacation with "the parental units". Which is why I wanted to look in to the Miami Beach area since it seems to be in the middle of everything.

So far we are constrained by school vacation schedules which is why I am so interested in booking very specific weeks like week 52. Or as they get older, perhaps week 7 for the long President's day weekend.

One question I would like to clarify is this....If we book a week 52 at HGVC McAlpin or Ocean in Miami Beach, BUT we then find ourselves unable to use the week we reserved, would it be difficult to find a paying renter for that week?

And if anyone has had to put their South Beach week up for rent in such a situation (not trading through II or RCI), how do you rent the week? Do you use VRBO, Redweek, TUG marketplace?

Again, many thanks.

 

[PigsDad]

I think you need to look into how the HGVC system works a bit more. It is a point system, so you don't have to worry about whether or not your are going to "use your week" or not. If you don't want to go to South Beach, just use your points for somewhere else. Or "rescue" them to use the following year. Make multiple weekend trips in a studio. Combine your points with another year's points and get a larger unit somewhere. The points aspect make a HGVC ownership very flexible.

Yes, you can still reserve a "Home Week" and rent that out, but I think most HGVC owners find much better uses for their points than going through the hassle of renting out a week.

Kurt

 

[Talent312]

If we book a week 52 at HGVC McAlpin or Ocean in Miami Beach, BUT we then find ourselves unable to use the week we reserved, would it be difficult to find a paying renter for that week?

In a nutshell: No. But you could also simply change or cancel the reservation and use the points to stay somewhere else, some other time. Some HGVC owners never darken the door of their home-resort.

Reservations made online (of by phone w/extra fee) may be canceled or changed w/o penalty up to 30 days out, and inside of 30, there are ways to avoid a penalty. Its a very flexible system.

Your annual allotment of points are intended for use in each calendar year, but if you cancel a year-end booking, you may save ("rescue") them for use in the following year (for a fee). Conversely, if you needed a few extra points, you can borrow from the following future year (for free).
.

 

[mtforeman]

We attempted to buy a 2 br shoulder week, where we could still book week 23. It was a great deal and would have come with 150k points (actual HICV points) since points are mandatory at this resort. We lost it on ROFR, though the purchase price was only $250.

I believe you can book your week type and season at home resort a significant time out if MF are paid. 3 years? It was a long time, so I think you'd be fine getting what you bought. However, I can't speak for getting into other properties.

Hope that helps!