Hilton Grand Vacation purchase of Diamond international is final

[youppi]

For a short period of time we owned both Developer and resell DRI Points. It was one Account with separate underlying Contracts. The Points were separated but in one Account. You could not combine the Points for a Booking. So once for KBC we had a 4 day Booking from the resell Points and a consecutive 3 day Booking from our Regular Points. Our MF's were based up in the total number of Points.

Do you remember if you paid the base collection fees ($250 + $10.42) once or twice if both developer and resell points were in the same collection ?

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

Certainly would make for a faster integration if there was a sales angle to the merger

At the end of the day it’s all about the sales.

 

[Clifbell]

I think for Hilton is easy. Retail and resale are the same. The method to treat the points are owners level (elite or not elite). I have mixed of retail and resale. The points are combined in my elite premier account when I use them, they are equal. Points are used and treated at owners level. My resale points reservations got elite free upgrade as often as retail points.

But for DRI, it is more complicated. if you have resale and retail, they are in two separate account. Very flexible for retail points, very strict on resale points. You would have two membership number and pay two separate fees. Talking about that, it depends on collection too. Each collection has separate membership fees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a combination of Developer and resale. I have enough retail points for my elite status, but just shy of Elite plus with my purchase of resale points. If I bought enough resale points, would Hilton move me to the next level or is elite status only from retail points?

 

[geist1223]

Do you remember if you paid the base collection fees ($250 + $10.42) once or twice if both developer and resell points were in the same collection ?

View attachment 38202

Paid them once. The Points were all Hawaiian Collection.

 

[brp]

I think for Hilton is easy. Retail and resale are the same.

For now, If there were ever a time to reconsider this going forward (very unlikely to do anything with existing owners), this integration would be the time. Not a good prospect, to be sure. But it makes sense from their standpoint.

Cheers.

 

[escanoe]

For now, If there were ever a time to reconsider this going forward (very unlikely to do anything with existing owners), this integration would be the time. Not a good prospect, to be sure. But it makes sense from their standpoint.

Cheers.

Time to buy resale, now! I have been thinking about improving my portfolio if I find something at the right price as MFs come due. In the unlikely event they do reassess this, it will not be great news for someone trying to get out of an HGVC deed in the future.

 

[dougp26364]

Considering HGVC Club season starts at 276 days from checkout I don’t see how they could offer DRI owners equal access at 9 months unless there is some process for HGVC owners to deposit Home Weeks or exchange points and that inventory is open to DRI owners.

my guess would be all points, DRI and HGVC, would be placed into a combined club pool with a common currency, then reservation abilities would be governed by the rules in that pool.

DRI owners who stay with DRI keep those rules. HGVC owners who stay with HGVC play with those rules. Ownership deed/points inventory placed in the combined product reserve in that inventory.

It will get real complicated real fast, which is why I was surprised to read they thought they’d have something to offer at the start of next year.

My bet is, once they get a good look at the complexities of combining the two programs, it takes considerably longer than they initially thought

Or maybe if you elect to be in the combined product, you ONLY play on that pool, making all of that inventory always available, which would make reservations easier to obtain.

 

[brp]

my guess would be all points, DRI and HGVC, would be placed into a combined club pool with a common currency, then reservation abilities would be governed by the rules in that pool.

DRI owners who stay with DRI keep those rules. HGVC owners who stay with HGVC play with those rules. Ownership deed/points inventory placed in the combined product reserve in that inventory.

It will get real complicated real fast, which is why I was surprised to read they thought they’d have something to offer at the start of next year.

My bet is, once they get a good look at the complexities of combining the two programs, it takes considerably longer than they initially thought

Or maybe if you elect to be in the combined product, you ONLY play on that pool, making all of that inventory always available, which would make reservations easier to obtain.

It is possible that they will do something like they've done with regular HGVC and bHC points, At one point it was one big pool. Then they separated into 2 pools with different rules. With the infrastructure in place, I would think that adding more pools to the equation would be reasonably straightforward.

Cheers.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

In the most recent earning call, they indicated there would be a single common currency after the merger. But there will be three brands, bHC, HGV and Hilton Vacation Club (Diamond Properties). The first tranche of Diamond Properties will be converted in the first half of next year...

They expect to begin selling the new program early next year, and you will be able to upgrade across the brands, or own multiple brands..

While they sound like they will move a lot faster than MVC has, it certainly does not sound like everything is fully integrated into a single system right away to me.

 

[brp]

In the most recent earning call, they indicated there would be a single common currency after the merger. But there will be three brands, bHC, HGV and Hilton Vacation Club (Diamond Properties). The first tranche of Diamond Properties will be converted in the first half of next year...

Interesting. That implies that bHC and HGV would be recombined. Despite the comments I just don't see that happening.

Cheers.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Interesting. That implies that bHC and HGV would be recombined. Despite the comments I just don't see that happening.

Cheers.

Yes their wording is confusing. I suspect what will happen is a common currency, but which brand the currency is associated with will determine what you can do with it... Sort of like you can use your bHC points to book a regular HGV resort if you want. I can use my HGV points to book into bHC with some extra restrictions... so a common currency, but not all points are equal...

Not certain, and i am not rushing to buy more points just yet..

 

[brp]

Yes their wording is confusing. I suspect what will happen is a common currency, but which brand the currency is associated with will determine what you can do with it... Sort of like you can use your bHC points to book a regular HGV resort if you want. I can use my HGV points to book into bHC with some extra restrictions... so a common currency, but not all points are equal...

Not certain, and i am not rushing to buy more points just yet..

OK. That's an interpretation that makes more sense to me.

Cheers,

 

[ccwu]

I own both bHC, HGV, and DRI, I know the differences. Hgvc is by deed. You don’t pay the same MF fee per points. One pay three times more in the front initial deed purchase for a deed pays less MF annually (if you own HGV, you understand the system). If you hold for 20 years, you will break even. But DRI is per trust point and all points is the same, your home resorts is in the collection you hold. HGV only have a special resort, season, and specific type of unit. Say I have a deeded penthouse one bedroom unit in NYC residence Club. To book home week a year in advance, I need to use total 16,800 points to book a week 12 months in advance. The hardest to book is Thanksgiving for Macy parade that is in front of Hilton. I only need 2-3 days not a week, but I can not book it. If I waited for 9 months, I will have no possibility to get a room. I called HGV elite service to see how can I solve the problem. They told me since all owners of residence of platinum week compete for the thanksgiving week. So the best strategy is wait for midnight after thanksgiving to book the week. When it is 9 month out cancel the reservation and rebook the 3 nights. I did it. One year , I forgot and try to book the home week until two nights after thanks giving for next year thanksgiving, it was gone and no availability. So you can see how difficult is to book popular resort at popular week. The club reservation for bHC is 10 month while HGV to book bHC resort is 89 days now for some bHC resorts. So it is going to be difficult for DRI to book into deeded properties unless the owner put the deeded week for inventory for DRI member to book. Then in DRI system, the platinum members may have priority….

The best way is if you want to book HGV buy HGV. Buy resale is ok with HGV. The resale points is not able to be count toward elite. But all other is the same as bought from developer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[brp]

The club reservation for bHC is 10 month while HGV to book bHC resort is 89 days now for some bHC resorts.

Good summary. Just one correction - Club reservation for bHC is 276 days, so basically 9 months just like HGV - at least it is for us...maybe elite get a winder window? As for when HGV can book bHC, I know that that is all over the place and I can';t keep track anymore

Cheers.

 

[dougp26364]

My head already hurts from the speculation.

One way or another, they’ll be trying to get into everyone’s wallet

 

[PigsDad]

One way or another, they’ll be trying to get into e everyone’s wallet

That is the only given with this merger.

Kurt

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Yes their wording is confusing. I suspect what will happen is a common currency, but which brand the currency is associated with will determine what you can do with it... Sort of like you can use your bHC points to book a regular HGV resort if you want. I can use my HGV points to book into bHC with some extra restrictions... so a common currency, but not all points are equal...

Not certain, and i am not rushing to buy more points just yet..

This seems plausible. I believe there are more DRI property owners than HGVC owners and more DRI properties than HGVC. So if all of DRI is given unrestricted access to HGVC and bHC during the last few months with a common currency, we can kiss HGVC open season and last minute reservations goodbye. I hope they will require a buy-in to HGVC similar to bHC to restrict access and avoid system overload via DRI to HGVC arbitrage.

 

[LEMONLEE]

I own both bHC, HGV, and DRI, I know the differences. Hgvc is by deed. You don’t pay the same MF fee per points. One pay three times more in the front initial deed purchase for a deed pays less MF annually (if you own HGV, you understand the system). If you hold for 20 years, you will break even. But DRI is per trust point and all points is the same, your home resorts is in the collection you hold.

We are DRI owners, but we have a deeded week at Kaanapali Beach Club. We are not part of the Hawaii trust and never ponied up to convert to points. I am sure we are in the minority, but would guess there are others in our position (i.e. owning deeded weeks) so not all are per trust points).

 

[Eric B]

Yes their wording is confusing. I suspect what will happen is a common currency, but which brand the currency is associated with will determine what you can do with it... Sort of like you can use your bHC points to book a regular HGV resort if you want. I can use my HGV points to book into bHC with some extra restrictions... so a common currency, but not all points are equal...

Not certain, and i am not rushing to buy more points just yet..

IMHO, all points will be equal in the common currency - it's just that some will be more equal than others.

 

[escanoe]

This seems plausible. I believe there are more DRI property owners than HGVC owners and more DRI properties than HGVC. So if all of DRI is given unrestricted access to HGVC and bHC during the last few months with a common currency, we can kiss HGVC open season and last minute reservations goodbye. I hope they will require a buy-in to HGVC similar to bHC to restrict access and avoid system overload via DRI to HGVC arbitrage.

I am not sure I agree with this theory. I think DRI owners may face their points not going that far in HGVC, so they will use them where they can get more vacation in DRI. HGVC owners who are willing to sacrifice a little on luxury may find their points go much further in DRI. Also, there are a bunch of HGVC owners that don't necessarily have good local options in HGVC. With DRI's vast portfolio many HGVC owners could find they now have several more local options.

[Huge Caveat: I still think we are getting way ahead of ourselves on predicting how usage portability may shake out ... and we are almost certainly overestimating what portability may exist.]

 

[dougp26364]

I am not sure I agree with this theory. I think DRI owners may face their points not going that far in HGVC, so they will use them where they can get more vacation in DRI. HGVC owners who are willing to sacrifice a little on luxury may find their points go much further in DRI. Also, there are a bunch of HGVC owners that don't necessarily have good local options in HGVC. With DRI's vast portfolio many HGVC owners could find they now have several more local options.

[Huge Caveat: I still think we are getting way ahead of ourselves on predicting how usage portability may shake out ... and we are almost certainly overestimating what portability may exist.]

DRI does have more local options for us. The problem is, I have better options with other systems. Everyone doesn’t have that availability though, so I can see some HGVC owners looking at this merger as a good thing. It will open up locations like Branson, Gatlinburg, Lake Tahoe, Palm Desert, Sedona to name a few.
What does HGVC bring to the table? Orlando, Oahu, Vegas? Other than Oahu, which can be expensive in points and difficult to book, DRI has Vegas and Orlando covered reasonably well.

But we have the cart before the horse. Absolutely nothing has happened yet.

 

[GT75]

But we have the cart before the horse. Absolutely nothing has happened yet.

I agree with your statement. Per the announcement, the combined DRI/HGVC/bHC will currently remain as is. There may be some future means to book between the different systems but I would except that to cost some money ( IMO, predict much greater than $1K). So my advice is, “ don’t start counting the chickens before they hatch”. Let’s just wait for the announcement, whenever that comes.

 

[brp]

What does HGVC bring to the table? Orlando, Oahu, Vegas? Other than Oahu, which can be expensive in points and difficult to book, DRI has Vegas and Orlando covered reasonably well.

Hawai'i Island. For us our favorite use of our cheaper Vegas points. New York, where we also own and stay several tiems a year.

Cheers.

 

[dougp26364]

Hawai'i Island. For us our favorite use of our cheaper Vegas points. New York, where we also own and stay several tiems a year.

Cheers.

True

 

[CalGalTraveler]

[Huge Caveat: I still think we are getting way ahead of ourselves on predicting how usage portability may shake out ... and we are almost certainly overestimating what portability may exist.]

But we have the cart before the horse. Absolutely nothing has happened yet.

Of course! But it is sure fun to speculate!