HGVC - Why difficulty in booking time convenient to the owner?

[sanecitizen98]

So I have taken advantage of "timeshare promo invite" 2 times in Las Vegas (4 days/3nights for a minimal price) to explore HGVC. I myself had difficulty booking the exact date range I wanted on both occasions (even 6 to 9months in advance).
As I contemplate buying Hilton Grand Vacations points (via resale), I encounter quite a few posts where even owners seem to have difficulty booking a specific week(or dates) they had in mind. HGVC advertises their point system as having the flexibility needed to accommodate most travelers. At the most recent promo, they kept emphasizing that I could really stretch my 8,400-10,000 points into a few mini-vacations 2 or 3 days at a time.
If my intuition is correct, it seems like Hilton makes it intentionally difficult? WHY? Is it because they want most rooms/suites for the retail market? I presently own some Marriott weeks and never seem to have that much difficulty.

 

[GT75]

So I moved your thread to the HGVC forum.

HGVC advertises their point system as having the flexibility needed to accommodate most travelers.

I personally think that it is.

I encounter quite a few posts where even owners seem to have difficulty booking a specific week(or dates) they had in mind.

I don't know which posts you are referring too. Yes, there are some places difficult to get into at selected times but in general, I find fairly good availability when the club booking window opens.

If you want to give specifics, maybe we can advise.

If my intuition is correct, it seems like Hilton makes it intentionally difficult?

I don't agree with this statement at all.

 

[cindyc]

I have been an HGVC owner for four years and have always gotten what I wanted when I booked at the 9-month club booking window. If I try to book just 4-6 months out, I am about 50-50. I think it is just the universal timeshare truth that the early bird gets the worm. You have to have your plan and act on your plan at the 12-month window for Home Week (the resort, size, and season you own) or 9-month window for Club reservations (anything other than Home Week).

 

[Sandy VDH]

I think the difficulty is more a factor of supply and demand.

If you are staying on a promotional rate, only developer inventory is available NOT all inventory, so high demand time may already be booked. New year eve in Vegas is high demand, but I am not sure what dates you were looking for.

Now generally within HGVC it is pretty easy to book. The exceptions are were owners use a lot of the HOME season weeks, and there is not as much available for CLUB season bookings, and what is available is in high demand from the rest of HGVC members. Oahu is such an example of this. HOME season is 13 to 9 months prior to check in dates. A lot of units get picked up, especially prime like christmas, new years, holidays. There is usually rooms if you check on exactly the 9 months mark for non-owners but wait a day after that and like their are little or no units left, unless you manage to catch a cancellation. Other hard to get areas are going to be Ski season, and Spring availability on the west coast of Florida. These are hard to get as owners either book them during HOME season, or never give them up as they have a fixed week. These owners often rent them out on their own as they can receive a premium for them. So they never even make it into HGVC inventory.

Now if it is Orlando you want, you can find lots of availability for most of the year, the exception is likely Easter time frame.

So it depends on where and when you want to go. I find some HGVC locations are accessible if you are flexible and plan in advance. But that is the exception, MOST are available and easy to book, even only a few months before travel.

 

[brp]

We've done developer package twice and gotten our preferred dates both times (over a holiday weekend). One time we did have to stay at he New York Hilton hotel (rather than W. 57th), but we booked this one pretty late).

As fr using our points, never had a problem getting the dates we want if we book early.

Cheers.

 

[brp]

they kept emphasizing that I could really stretch my 8,400-10,000 points into a few mini-vacations 2 or 3 days at a time.

3 days, yes. 2 days not an option except for the by Hilton Club locations. For regular HGVC, 3-day min.

[QUOTE="sanecitizen98, post: 2212724, member: 108022"
If my intuition is correct, it seems like Hilton makes it intentionally difficult? WHY? Is it because they want most rooms/suites for the retail market? I presently own some Marriott weeks and never seem to have that much difficulty.[/QUOTE]

Unlikely as the conjecture doesn't make mush sense. There would be no reason to do this intentionally.

Cheers.

 

[DannyTS]

So I have taken advantage of "timeshare promo invite" 2 times in Las Vegas (4 days/3nights for a minimal price) to explore HGVC. I myself had difficulty booking the exact date range I wanted on both occasions (even 6 to 9months in advance).
As I contemplate buying Hilton Grand Vacations points (via resale), I encounter quite a few posts where even owners seem to have difficulty booking a specific week(or dates) they had in mind. HGVC advertises their point system as having the flexibility needed to accommodate most travelers. At the most recent promo, they kept emphasizing that I could really stretch my 8,400-10,000 points into a few mini-vacations 2 or 3 days at a time.
If my intuition is correct, it seems like Hilton makes it intentionally difficult? WHY? Is it because they want most rooms/suites for the retail market? I presently own some Marriott weeks and never seem to have that much difficulty.

i do not think that it is difficult to book. Because you do not see the availability online you may have that impression but there are typically plenty of days/ weeks you can chose from. There are certain days/ resorts that are harder to book but you will manage. I got Tuscany in June 2019 for example, one of the ones that are harder to book. I do not think that LV is a problem in general.

Concerning you your potential purchase, there is a list on TUG with the resorts with the lowest MF per point. Good luck!

 

[dayooper]

So I have taken advantage of "timeshare promo invite" 2 times in Las Vegas (4 days/3nights for a minimal price) to explore HGVC. I myself had difficulty booking the exact date range I wanted on both occasions (even 6 to 9months in advance).
As I contemplate buying Hilton Grand Vacations points (via resale), I encounter quite a few posts where even owners seem to have difficulty booking a specific week(or dates) they had in mind. HGVC advertises their point system as having the flexibility needed to accommodate most travelers. At the most recent promo, they kept emphasizing that I could really stretch my 8,400-10,000 points into a few mini-vacations 2 or 3 days at a time.
If my intuition is correct, it seems like Hilton makes it intentionally difficult? WHY? Is it because they want most rooms/suites for the retail market? I presently own some Marriott weeks and never seem to have that much difficulty.

Eh. I got a 7000 point 2 bedroom at Ocean 22 in late June (very popular time) at the 8.5 month point and there was still a availability a couple of weeks after. If you want SW Florida for spring break, you will probably be out of luck. Owners buy those fixed weeks to use them, not trade them in. Ski weeks are tough if you don’t own those weeks either. If you ask most people here, they will say that aside from the sales weasels, HGVC is a great product and they treat their owners very well. It’s flexible and with the amount of resorts (and new ones coming all the time), there’s always a place to go.

 

[buzglyd]

80% of the people are after 20% of the time slots.

 

[Talent312]

As always, points are a license to hunt, not a guarantee of space.
Much like a parking pass for a college campus with classes in session.
But if you're flexible as to time or place, you can usually find something.
.

 

[sanecitizen98]

So I have taken advantage of "timeshare promo invite" 2 times in Las Vegas (4 days/3nights for a minimal price) to explore HGVC. I myself had difficulty booking the exact date range I wanted on both occasions (even 6 to 9months in advance).
As I contemplate buying Hilton Grand Vacations points (via resale), I encounter quite a few posts where even owners seem to have difficulty booking a specific week(or dates) they had in mind. HGVC advertises their point system as having the flexibility needed to accommodate most travelers. At the most recent promo, they kept emphasizing that I could really stretch my 8,400-10,000 points into a few mini-vacations 2 or 3 days at a time.
If my intuition is correct, it seems like Hilton makes it intentionally difficult? WHY? Is it because they want most rooms/suites for the retail market? I presently own some Marriott weeks and never seem to have that much difficulty.

---
WOW - Based on the initial feedback, I feel a lot better about the potential success of using HGVC points. Like most of you, I try to book 9-12months in advance whenever I can. I'll chalk up some of the negative feedback I have read (some on non-TUG forums) to people who aren't planning enough ahead of time or who are expecting unreasonable results for high-demand times.

 

[GT75]

I'll chalk up some of the negative feedback I have read (some on non-TUG forums) to people who aren't planning enough ahead of time or who are expecting unreasonable results for high-demand times.

That would be my take also. I also think that some people expect availability like a hotel (maybe 1 to 2 months before their trip they start looking). As I am sure you have experienced from Marriott, this just doesn't work in the TS world.

 

[MikeinSoCal]

I booked Sunrise Lodge (Park City) for a week in mid-January. At 9 months out, there was nothing available. I would check every once in a while and I've seen different weeks pop up as owners cancel their home weeks starting as early as 5 months out. This will be my second visit there. I did something similar on my first visit.

 

[jehb2]

If you are trying to book popular dates at a prime location or a really popular timeshare then this will require some work. For example, the Lagoon Tower in Hawaii requires planning for June, July, and August. It gets completely booked before the Grand Waikikian which shares the same check in lobby. Then there are times when I see lots of availability for the Lagoon Tower. If you can travel outside of school vacations then you’ll be fine.

As my kids get older I see my window for vacationing shrink more and more.

 

[tk25]

Hilton is also adding about 25,000 new retail members/year for the last couple of years which increase demand.

 

[GT75]

Hilton is also adding about 25,000 new retail members/year for the last couple of years which increase demand.

Yes, I do believe this is a true statement but HGV is also adding the inventory for these new members.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Hilton is also adding about 25,000 new retail members/year for the last couple of years which increase demand.

It is still a supply and demand issue. Not everyone can get a holiday week at the beach for July 4th. So holidays are problematic, but for the rest of the times, for most of us, it is good.

 

[audirt]

I understand the OP's concern and I had difficulty getting what I wanted when I was a new owner. As others have said, the trick is booking as close to the 9mo mark as you can, with the exception of some HGVC saturated areas. (You are basically guaranteed to find a condo somewhere in Vegas or Orlando regardless of when you make your reservation.)

You didn't ask about this, but I can tell you that all of the HGVC properties are more than adequate. I haven't stayed in a single resort that I didn't think was great.

As a data point, we got our preferred dates for 5 days at the Grand Waikikian (2BR premium) in Hawaii over spring break... but we made our reservation pretty close to the 9month mark. There were multiple room categories available for our dates.

If your schedule doesn't allow you to make plans 9mos in advance, HGVC may not be right for you. For example, you're gonna have a really hard time booking a room in Breckenridge during ski season with only 3 months notice.