HGVC vs. RCI

[smilbandit]

My parents had two timeshares, one is an RCI points account at Westgate Vacation Villas with 38,500 points and the other is a HGVC account at Hilton Seaworld with 4,800 points.

My brother and I are trying to decide which one is best for each of us. I have a wife and three kids and he's single if that makes any difference.

We are both new to timeshares so I thought I'd see if anyone here might be able to shed some light on how to comapre the two.

 

[jehb2]

With HGVC you have access to RCI timeshares. RCI membership is included with HGVC membership.

Perhaps this question should be moved to the Hotel-timeshare section?

 

[sfwilshire]

38,500 RCI Points won't get you much. If you are bound by school schedules and need a unit for a large family, that would be a poor choice for you.

Sheila

 

[Bill4728]

You can't compare the two because RCI doesn't have any TS. They are a exchange company only. To get RCI points, you must buy anyone of > ten thousand different RCI resorts and then pay RCI and give up your week and get points which may or may not be able to exchange into a resort you want to visit.

With HGVC, you are buying a Hilton TS at a location. Then if you want to go to another location, you can use your HGVC points to either go to another HGVC resort or trade your HGVC points and possible go to a RCI location. (exchanging is never a sure thing)

At this point you shouldn't buy anything until you become much more educated in the options available to you and your brother. And most of all BUY RESALE AND SAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

 

[maiwah]

4800 HGVC will give you more than 38,000 RCI points, as pointed out earlier, with HGVC. Using the HGVC points, you can exchange into Hilton vacation resort even during the high season. If you do not like HGVC resorts, you can deposit to RCI and exchange into other RCI resort. Both of both worlds.

 

[jim71]

I would go with the HGVC for your family, IF you planning on using it. We have 5000 HGVC points for my family of three and it works for us. I am not sure about the Maint. Fees, they are probably around $700 for the HGVC, which will be due every Christmas.

This link will give you some information on the HGVC Points.

 

[CharlesS]

Put it in your will

My parents had two timeshares, My brother and I are trying to decide which one is best for each of us. I have a wife and three kids and he's single if that makes any difference. We are both new to timeshares

This won't help you but might help others.

Put the distribution of your timeshares in your will. It's hard for siblings to decide which is best for them. It might be a case where one timeshare is best for both siblings. Net result, one is happy and one is not. But, don't avoid a decision by simply having the executor of the estate sell them and then divide the cash equally. You might have a gem which someone else will get for peanuts.

It's not always easy to figure out how to do it, but do it now. You don't know what will happen tomorrow.

Charles

PS I am not a lawyer. I am a retired teacher.

 

[Seth Nock]

The 4800 point unit is worth about $7800 on resale. The points are worth about $1000 on resale. I hope this helps.

 

[wrxdoug]

That is well put.. Seth for a family trying to decide either.. who gets what if the parents are gifting it now or if they are putting it in a will. I thought they may be asking this question more short term to get a trade for this year but obviously it might be a more long term question as well. The hgvc probably will be much more useful to a family then the other as you will not be able to pull the size units you might want and the trades you would want for a family type vacation. Even with that you must educate yourself on how to use hgvc or the westgate for that matter. A family might really use a timeshare and your single brother might find any kind of exchanging too much work and maybe not as useful to him. We love our hgvc timeshare exchanges and it is a wonderful way and cheaper in the long run to do with children as hotels are just too costly for frequent traveling with that many people. Good luck in what you decide to do. Perhaps some others could share a bit more about the westgate timeshare points experience since that has not been adequately explained above. The money worth has been put very well by Seth in terms of the resale market value but what they could actually use them for.. what people have been able to exchange to with westgate. HGVC exchanges are well explained on the site at tug not sure about westgate points. Doug

 

[smilbandit]

Thanks for all the input.

I've been doing some calling to both RCI and Hilton.

I do feel that the Hilton is the best deal for my family and I'll probably suggest that goes to me.

There is one thing that I found out in my calls is that the westgate/rci timeshare is currently in points but in 2009 it will switch back to a weeks account. The people i talked with on the phone didn't know what to tell me other then that I will book vacations by exchanging weeks rather then points.

My question is, is booking by week better then points? The week is at westgate vacation villas in orlando in late august.

 

[Bill4728]

There is one thing that I found out in my calls is that the westgate/rci timeshare is currently in points but in 2009 it will switch back to a weeks account. The people i talked with on the phone didn't know what to tell me other then that I will book vacations by exchanging weeks rather then points.

This isn't true!! The unit will go back from points to weeks only if you don't renew the point contract, which needs to be done every 3 years.

 

[wrxdoug]

You need to ask the westgate experts about that they may suggest that you remain in the points system or not. Also, if you do not.. does that mean you do not get to back to points? Or does your brother then pay a fee to go back to points? Someone above said that is not many points but if your brother just plans on going somewhere with one other person he might only want a studio or one bedroom unit...so is it enough points for that? Doug My understanding is you can use points to book stays for a few days at a time which may work for your brother again, if it is enough points.

 

[DG001]

One thing I love about the HGVC program is the last minute rental - so with your big family, you could rent a 2 BR last minute at pretty good rates. Or go at a different time of year, and get a bigger place. Not sure if you can do that at Westgate.

What you do with the timeshares would really depend on your relationship with your brother. You could just keep membership in both your names, and whoever uses the resort each year pays the maintenance - but what if neither wants it one year, or both want it? You can sell off both and divvy up the proceeds.

Since the value in the resale market is not the same, "You keep one and I'll keep the other" won't really be fair - but then again, if you are the one doing all the research, then there is no harm in suggesting it!