Hilton GRAND Vacation Club Palm Desert Coming Q3 2022

[holdaer]

All,
Looks like former Club Intrawest/Embarc Palm Desert location will get rebranded as a Hilton Grand Vacation Club resort in Q3 2022. It appears that current HGVC members will have access to this resort without being a HGV Max member. On the flip side, Diamond Resort members will need to be a HGV Max member to gain access. I see the highest value of HGV Max to be with Diamond Resort owners and not for current HGVC members. Just my opinion.

 

[Sandy VDH]

That is the best news, as I am more interested in Embarc than I am Diamond.

 

[dayooper]

That’s great news!!!!

 

[mjm1]

That's great news indeed! It's nice to have more good options.

Mike

 

[PigsDad]

So happy to hear this! Hopefully this is a sign of how the rest of the Embarc properties will be integrated.

Kurt

 

[CalGalTraveler]

That is wonderful news! I hope the points levels are the same as when they were an affiliate and not inflated like the newer HGVCs. I've heard this is a beautiful resort. Bring on those Embarcs.

 

[dsmrp]

Does that give the Embarc/Club Intrawest owners reciprocal access to HGVC?

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I would expect so because it would require reciprocal inventory. Would love to hear from some Embarc owners.

 

[zentraveler]

By some miracle, we not only this through II in November of 2020, but with an accommodation credit. Oh for the good old days. We got there from SF 2 hours before California started another mandated quarantine for everyone, but they let us check in and we had a wonderful week. It is a lovely resort and we could go back in a heartbeat.

 

[dayooper]

@holdaer Where did you see that? Is that on the HHonors app? I would love to check when others might be coming out.

 

[Intheknow]

I just found out, this is just a change in the branding of the resort. This does mean Club Member can book at this property at this time.

 

[ocdb8r]

Looks like former Club Intrawest/Embarc Palm Desert location will get rebranded as a Hilton Grand Vacation Club resort in Q3 2022. It appears that current HGVC members will have access to this resort without being a HGV Max member.

What is the basis of this statement? There's no obligation to given existing HGVC members access to every new resort...or access equal to or similar to what we get for other HGVC resorts (i.e. they could significantly shorten the reservation windows). Just wondering if we actually have details of how this will work...Thanks for flagging this exciting development!

Link on the main HGVC webpage here: https://www.hiltongrandvacations.co...ornia/hilton-grand-vacations-club-palm-desert

 

[dayooper]

What is the basis of this statement? There's no obligation to given existing HGVC members access to every new resort...or access equal to or similar to what we get for other HGVC resorts (i.e. they could significantly shorten the reservation windows). Just wondering if we actually have details of how this will work...Thanks for flagging this exciting development!

Link on the main HGVC webpage here: https://www.hiltongrandvacations.co...ornia/hilton-grand-vacations-club-palm-desert

We don’t have any details, but a member emailed one of the high ups several questions. One was about new resorts only being in HGV Max, not HGVC. His reply was that any resort in the HGVC club will be available to all members of that club. I suppose that could be taken many ways, but I read it as if a resort is in HGVC, it’s available to all members of HGVC. I’m somewhat optimistic that these will bookable. I guess this will be the litmus test if all resorts in HGVC will be available to all members of HGVC.

Now, could this be like a SW Florida affiliate with very limited availability? Probably, but its still better than nothing.

 

[GT75]

This is certainly a positive sign but rebranding doesn’t necessarily mean that normal HGVC members will have access. @Bill4728, are you hearing anything?

 

[holdaer]

Per another thread on this forum, it appears that HGV MAX is a vehicle that will enable members to book between HGVC and HVC resorts. Each club will have it's own branded resorts. In order to make reservations to the other club, you will need to be member of HGV MAX. I know nothing is official yet, however, this is my interpretation based on feedback from others on this forum. I'm a visual person and below is how I see this working.

 

[Bill4728]

This is the first I've seen about this BUT I was hoping for something like this although I have no inside info. I'll get back to you.

At this point there are no new resorts that Embarc points can reserve (like a HGVC in orlando or LV) but we'll see about the future.

 

[dioxide45]

I would think that in order for HGVC members to book at this resort, owners at the Embarc resort would need to join HGV through an affiliation of the resort. Kind of like the SW Florida properties? The resort or owners of it would have to make the inventory available for HGVC members by being members of the club also. Then by booking other HGVC inventory or unused inventory at 9 months being made available.

 

[PigsDad]

I would think that in order for HGVC members to book at this resort, owners at the Embarc resort would need to join HGV through an affiliation of the resort. Kind of like the SW Florida properties? The resort or owners of it would have to make the inventory available for HGVC members by being members of the club also. Then by booking other HGVC inventory or unused inventory at 9 months being made available.

Not necessarily. Think about when we used to have booking access to Embarc (Club Intrawest at that time) properties -- the CI owners didn't need to join HGV then; I don't see why they couldn't use that same model.

Kurt

 

[PigsDad]

This is certainly a positive sign but rebranding doesn’t necessarily mean that normal HGVC members will have access.

But as @dayooper mentioned, there was official HGV communication that stated all HGVC members will have access to all new HGVC resorts. I guess we will see if that holds true as new resorts are added to the HGVC collection, but given that communication, I am cautiously optimistic.

For those who didn't see it, here is the communication from HGV:

The second bullet point is the key statement here.

Kurt

 

[dioxide45]

Not necessarily. Think about when we used to have booking access to Embarc (Club Intrawest at that time) properties -- the CI owners didn't need to join HGV then; I don't see why they couldn't use that same model.

Kurt

But how did it work exactly back then? Was there a specific time period when you could make an Embarc reservation with HGVC points? Essentially just promising the leftovers of leftovers?

 

[PigsDad]

But how did it work exactly back then? Was there a specific time period when you could make an Embarc reservation with HGVC points? Essentially just promising the leftovers of leftovers?

I don't know how it worked behind the scenes, but CI members could book HGVC properties, and HGVC members could book CI properties. It was limited availability, but it was pretty decent, as I recall.

Kurt

 

[CalGalTraveler]

We traded for Embarc/Intrawest properties with our points prior to the DRI acquisition for Whistler. It was the same process we have today for Fiesta Americana. It is unknown whether owners had to enroll on their side. With our Scotland weeks, we enrolled in HGVC upon purchase (about $300) and our weeks are automatically listed as reservations in the HGVC system every year. When we need the points, we release those weeks up to 31 days prior and they are added to our account as points. We can also trade those weeks in II or RCI.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Embarc was never pulled into Diamond, it was always seperate. But given the previous history for like for like with CI, that model to make them all HGVC seems likely a scenario. I would love that. They have never said there would be 3 clubs just two HGVC and HVC, so it does make more sense to align it with HGVC.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Hey Roger @holdaer

Where did you get that image from? I tried looking to see if the Ontario Canada Embarc's are listed also, but I can't find anything with even Palm Desert listed?

 

[holdaer]

Hey Roger @holdaer

Where did you get that image from? I tried looking to see if the Ontario Canada Embarc's are listed also, but I can't find anything with even Palm Desert listed?

I found it on the HGVC public website:

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