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Honolulu resale purchase advice

E

eagle29

Guest
Joined
Jul 11, 2006
Messages
78
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19
Location
Cape Cod
Good morning,
I am looking for advice as to getting 1 or 2 weeks every other year at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Can you "bank" one year's usage into the next year or is an every-other-year ownership the way to go? I would most likely want a 2 bedroom but could certainly "settle" for a one bedroom. I currently own DVC, Westin and Sheraton points/weeks but have zero experience or understanding of the HGVC system. We would probably travel Feb/March every other year.
What would be my most cost-effective strategy to accomplish this? Thank you!!
 
First you’re going to want Platinum Usage if you’re going that time of year. You can find EOY units. I own a 2 bedroom even year at Lagoon tower.

Yes you can bank points but there is always a fee. If you only plan every other year, find one of those.
 
eagle29 said:
Good morning,
I am looking for advice as to getting 1 or 2 weeks every other year at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Can you "bank" one year's usage into the next year or is an every-other-year ownership the way to go? I would most likely want a 2 bedroom but could certainly "settle" for a one bedroom. I currently own DVC, Westin and Sheraton points/weeks but have zero experience or understanding of the HGVC system. We would probably travel Feb/March every other year.
What would be my most cost-effective strategy to accomplish this? Thank you!!
Click to expand...

If you are looking at HHV, you may want to consider purchasing where you want to stay. Now, we don’t frequent Hawaii, but from what I understand, HHV can be difficult to book at the 9 month window. You may need the 12 month home resort window. Other members like @GT75 @CalGalTraveler and others may be better adept in advising you on whether you need a home booking window or not.

HGVC has a couple of different booking windows home owners use. Most of us use the club booking window, which is you can book 276 days (9 months) from your check out date. This can be almost any resort in the system (some by Hilton Club and one of the Honolulu resorts are different). If you own at a resort, you can book your deeded room size/type/season at 12 months. It gives an advantage to those that usually spent more money in upfront costs and higher MF’s to go there. It has to be the same room size/ designation (2 bedroom plus for example) and you have to use your designated season. An owner of a gold unit could not use a home week reservation for a platinum week and vice versa. You also have to checkin and check out on your resorts check in day of the week (usually Friday or Saturday).

You mentioned you may want two weeks every other year. If the home booking window is needed, I would buy two weeks every other year where you want to go. It would give you the advantage in booking at 12 months. Buying 2 every other year requires you to pay 2 transfer fees and 2 enrollment fees (adding up to ~$1000 per unit purchased). The every other year units are usually less expensive, so the extra Hilton fees might be washed out by the cheaper cost.

Good luck and welcome to the HGVC board. HGVC is a great brand with a very flexible system who treats all owners, even resale ones very well. Hope you find what you are looking for.
 
it's free to "pull" points from next year, a cost to save current points to next year, so your strategy should be always borrow. You pay your membership fee every year, and there are costs to enroll your account initially, buying a platinum level every year property with the points you need would be my advice. Look at the point charts and room sizes to kinda plan what your need would be to get the date and sizes you would need over a few year period to figure out what to buy to get there.
 
Honolulu is not impossible to book at 9 months but it is very competitive so I would also say buy where you want to stay especially if you want two consecutive weeks.
 
eagle29 said:
I am looking for advice as to getting 1 or 2 weeks every other year at Hilton Hawaiian Village....I currently own DVC, Westin and Sheraton points/weeks but have zero experience or understanding of the HGVC system. We would probably travel Feb/March every other year. What would be my most cost-effective strategy to accomplish this? Thank you!!
Click to expand...
When you buy HGVC you are buying a number of points that you can use at most HGVC resorts in the Club booking window (generally 9 months). Generally speaking, you are also buying the right to book a weeklong Saturday to Saturday stay in your size room at your Home resort at 12 months. So...as for Honolulu...

If you want one particular highly desirable week - President's Week or the weeks before and after Easter - you may well want to buy at HHV. And if you want two weeks you almost certainly do. One of the ways HGVC is substantially different from DVC is that the booking window opens from day of checkout *not* checkin. So a two week stay can easily be 'outbooked' by people booking shorter stays.

But if you are flexible in your schedule, building, and room choice and are really expecting one week reservations there is no reason to buy at HHV. You are better off buying the 'cheapest' resale week out there (where 'cheapest' is a combination of initial price and continuing maintenance fees).

I own a EOY year at the Lagoon tower in HHV. I knew I wanted to stay in Waikiki in a 2BR every other year on President's Week for the foreseeable future. Actually, as life happened I initially bought an EOY OV week then added an EOY OF one when it became apparent 'the grandparents' wanted to come too (and I didn't want to keep paying for a 'cash' stay). Sadly, now that they are older and our kids are leaving the nest we're back down to just one week - the OF one.
 
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Thank you all for your replies and insight...very helpful!

ljmiii said:
But if you are flexible in your schedule, building, and room choice and are really expecting one week reservations there is no reason to buy at HHV. You are better off buying the 'cheapest' resale week out there (where 'cheapest' is a combination of initial price and continuing maintenance fees).
Click to expand...

This is interesting to me...do you have a suggestion for this scenario?

Thanks again!
 
eagle29 said:
Thank you all for your replies and insight...very helpful!
This is interesting to me...do you have a suggestion for this scenario?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...

100% of the people on here want to know the same answer....there is no perfect choice, only good choices and not so good choices. Also, a great buy today may not guarantee it will always be great if rules or dues change.

Platinum weeks resale at Las Vegas and Kings Land are generally good buys

However, rule #1 is to BUY where you want to go, as trading is just icing on the cake and not guaranteed. Thus, buy a resale 1 or 2 bedroom EOY or EY contract at the location you love.

Think of Hilton like DVC - if you want to book high demand DVC resorts like BCV or VGC on popular weeks, then you have to own higher priced resales at those locations and get to book at 11 months and if you save money and buy at SSR or OKW, then you will get a lower price resale but can only book leftover days at 7 months and compete against all DVC owners.

Hilton is a "little" more restrictive than DVC (the ultimate in flexibility) where DVC is a points based system and Hilton is a combination floating week and points system.

HGVC works like a floating week system during the home resort window which means from 12 months to 9 months before check-in, if you want to visit your home resort then you must reserve the exact unit size and type in the season that you purchased (studio, 1 bedroom plus, etc) for the full week based on the fixed checkin date at your home resort. There is no flexibility.

HGVC works like a point based system during the Club Reservation window which means 9 months before checkout anyone can exchange into any season, resort (including your home resort), unit size and/or type for any number of days (minimum of 3 nights).
 
Hilton Hawaiian Village is huge....and I am not an expert on the different buildings and locations and point costs, but that is also a huge factor here to decide what you want

It all comes down to what you can afford (1 vs 2 bedroom) and (every year vs every other year) and location (building and view) as the cost to buy the resale and the annual dues are not minor expenses.

If you are NOT committed to Hawaii EY or EOY, then just rent or stay at hotel or VRBO

Also, you need to be familiar with the points per week for different buildings and room sizes and know that sometimes the online ads have inaccurate or misleading info. Use a Hilton broker for best options.
 
You have already been given some great advice. I will try to add to the advice given. I think what you need to understand when purchasing HGVC is Home Week vs. Club Reservation.

HOME Week Reservations:
Home Week reservations are consecutive night reservations at the Home Resort in the season and unit type owned, for the number of days owned, checking in on the resort’s standard or available check-in day. Members have a priority reservation period to reserve their Home Week during the Home Week Priority Reservation Window without competing for such reservation with other Members other than those owning the same suite configuration and season at the same resort. This window lasts approximately ninety (90) {for most resorts but a few are longer} days beginning one (1) year (365 days) prior to the desired check-in date and ending nine (9) months (276 days) in advance of the desired check-in date.

If you don't book during this period, you will then be competing with all other club members in normal club reservation period. So, if you aren't planning to utilize this feature, you will be better off to purchase a low cost/low MF resort/deed.

Club Reservation:
Club Reservations require a three (3) night minimum booking in any resort accommodations available within Club using available ClubPoints during the Club Reservation Window. Except for the resorts listed below, the Club Reservation Window commences nine (9) months (276 days) prior to the check-out date and ends thirty (30) days prior to check-in. After the Club Reservation Window ends, Members may still make a Club reservation up to one (1) day prior to check-in, subject to availability.

You have discussed taking a 1-2 week vacation EOY to HHV in either a 1 or 2 Bd. If you wanted a 2 week EOY in a 2 Bd to be able to book via a Home Week Reservation, then you would need to purchase 2 EOY 2Bd deeds in the appropriate season. The room type/view/season which you purchase would be the only room which you would be able to book during "Home Week" booking. Therefore, I think that you need to read/study/understand HGVC rules concerning Home Week vs Club Reservation booking.
 
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Wow, as always awesome feedback from Tuggers...thank you!
I have been doing my research and will continue to do so...
I read through the Hawaii availability thread and it appears that HHV should availability during Club Reservation period as long as I book at 276 days and stay away from school vacations and major holidays...correct?
 
eagle29 said:
Wow, as always awesome feedback from Tuggers...thank you!
I have been doing my research and will continue to do so...
I read through the Hawaii availability thread and it appears that HHV should availability during Club Reservation period as long as I book at 276 days and stay away from school vacations and major holidays...correct?
Click to expand...

Yes but in many cases you'll have to learn how to "walk" your reservation. If you live on the East Coast that means staying up until midnight every night to claim the next day.
 
eagle29 said:
Wow, as always awesome feedback from Tuggers...thank you!
I have been doing my research and will continue to do so...
I read through the Hawaii availability thread and it appears that HHV should availability during Club Reservation period as long as I book at 276 days and stay away from school vacations and major holidays...correct?
Click to expand...
I would also add July and early August. Not sure about whale season.
 
eagle29 said:
Wow, as always awesome feedback from Tuggers...thank you!
I have been doing my research and will continue to do so...
I read through the Hawaii availability thread and it appears that HHV should availability during Club Reservation period as long as I book at 276 days and stay away from school vacations and major holidays...correct?
Click to expand...
The short answer is yes. As long as you can book as soon as the reservation window opens and you are either willing to take whatever is available or able to adjust your travel dates based on availability.

For the long answer, see post #13 in the previous DVC Comparison link ;).
 
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