How much would you pay for Max?

[Spivey378]

I've stayed in DRI Sedona several times with Interval ACs, we preferred Sedona Ridge in Oak Creek. The units were very nice, the only issues were crappy wifi and TV (a small 32 inch with maybe 15 channels) - spoiled by the HGVC entertainment options.

I stayed there last March and really liked it. Wonderful location.

 

[escanoe]

I don't have any special status due to just one resale HGVC deed, but I might pay $100 one time, or maybe $20 a year, to see what's available. Especially if it would end up cheaper than the $300 RCI exchange fee. Then again, I tend to hear the availability is bad, so not sure what it gets me.

Is the $300 RCI exchange fee ridiculously high?
Absolutely. There is no reason processing a digital exchange costs so much.

HOWEVER, you have to look at total costs to tell what is the best deal. Even trading for an HGVC property, using the HGVC RCI portal can sometimes be a better deal using HGVC points than booking internally with HGVC. While you are always paying more in an exchange fee with RCI, the point discounting/trading value can sometimes more than offset the difference.

Looking at the exchange fee alone when comparing RCI versus HGVMax, is only looking at one variable in isolation. Of course, HGVMax is seldom going to win in the comparison if the entry cost of being able to use MAX is making a developer purchase. But even if you got MAX for free, the 0 exchange fee would not make it the best deal all the time. Plus, RCI probably has more inventory and could have it further out.

 

[dougp26364]

IMHO, they blew it with the 6 month booking window. Regardless of how pretty they paint the picture, I’m not interested in paying for the membership

 

[CalGalTraveler]

IMHO, they blew it with the 6 month booking window. Regardless of how pretty they paint the picture, I’m not interested in paying for the membership

OTOH if they made this equivalent or better than home week like MVC did with Marriott/Vistana there would be pitchforks because home week inventory would be redirected to the points program as people opt for Abound/Max.

I also would not want to be adding DRI points owner competition at the 9 month club window. It is hard enough to get reservations competing within HGVC Legacy.

New retail buyers get Max. I am fine how it is set up and will use our HGVC Legacy resorts. IMHO with the exception of a few properties (e.g. Cabo Azul), I would rather stay in MVC/Vistana rather than a HVC/DRI property. MVC/Vistana are usually nicer than DRI.

 

[dougp26364]

OTOH if they made this equivalent or better than home week like MVC did with Marriott/Vistana there would be pitchforks because home week inventory would be redirected to the points program as people opt for Abound/Max.

I also would not want to be adding DRI points owner competition at the 9 month club window it is hard enough to get reservations competing within HGVC Legacy.

New retail buyers get Max. I am fine how it is set up and will use our HGVC Legacy resorts. IMHO with the exception of a few properties (e.g. Cabo Azul), I would rather stay in MVC/Vistana rather than a HVC/DRI property. MVC/Vistana are usually nicer than DRI.

The only thing I was saying was I’m not interested in MAX with the 6 month window. Everything else is a different subject

 

[SmithOp]

I voted $0 because I'm still waiting for details on the Loyalty Search Request. Lol

I can't find it on the list of tier benefits now.

 

[ABCTravels]

My perspective is a little different than what has been expressed above, but we have MAX via a HGVC retail purchase and we have used it to stay at a DRI resort. I voted $1-2500 if I owned HGVC and wanted to add MAX. While I fully understand that HGVC resorts are far nicer, for us personally, we have been fortunate enough to actually live in nearly all of the locations HGVC covers and so those locations were not attractive to us. Not that they aren't stunning, but we have just extensively visited in those places and seeing new vacation locations is what matters to us. We aren't really lay around at the resort type of people for more than about 48 hours. We also don't require high end accommodations or amenities. We bought the time share because we wanted a kitchen, laundry, and a gym when we travel plus a "safe neighborhood" which were things VRBO & Air B&B just could not consistently provide. It was the assorted locations via MAX that got me to agree to the purchase. We did not have any trouble booking a vacation week, and we have seen lots of availability at the places we want to visit because we are fortunate to be able to travel at any time of the year. By "downgrading" via MAX it allows our points to stretch, gives us bigger places for less points, expands our choices to more locations, and prevents us from experiencing owning another timeshare in a system with what appears to be high maintenance fees. I know people suggest just owning a TS in each system, but there are good reasons not to do that as well.

Ultimately, like many vacation related discussions here, it just comes back to personal preferences and intentions. Also, like many conversations here, it has been a good discussion and I appreciated reading everyone's comments.

 

[Cyberc]

For me to update to Max (is it an upgrade or downgrade? Like an app you update but don’t know for sure if it’s better or worse than before) it would need to bring added value and/or improved functionality.

Right now I know I get access to lower quality resorts to me that’s not an added value. That’s like adding Microsoft products to an Apple Store. I go to the Apple Store to buy a Mac not to buy an inferior product at the same price as a Mac.

I’d like the added functionality of the search but I haven’t seen or heard of anyone having luck with it. If I could search a desirable location during a desirable time and my chances of success are better than all other non owners then I might consider putter a price tag on it. It’s not like I would pay thousands of $$$ for the functionality but maybe a $99 subscription fee per year to get it.

 

[edhov]

For sure I say $0. At least wait until this whole HGV, DRI, and Bluegreen merger shakes out In a year or two. I’m a Bluegreen and DRI (weeks) owner.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

There is a bizarre marketing failure here that I think nobody has mentioned. Shouldn't the HGVC website market Max, if it really is the future? Has anyone seen it ever do that? They seem to be giving Max away with all (?) new developer purchases, but that is a really slow way to rollit out. The various websites should market it, incl showing which resorts are avail in what areas from the other members of the family.

Not that I would buy Max, but they should be marketing it to me. Limiting it to "owner updates" & package presentations treats it like a need-to-know-basis-only product.

 

[dandjane1]

Zero $$. I already have it, and haven't even tried to book an HGV stay with Max points, as the 6-month window is ridiculous. We can use our HGV deed to book further out, but don't.
Like some others in this thread, we don't require high-end amenities - location is everything, and with 13 (and even 14 months at certain resorts) advance booking, DRI works for us, as DRI has some wonderful and '"undiscovered" locations.
Our Hilton Hawaii deed gets converted to HH points, which don't expire.

 

[dayooper]

There is a bizarre marketing failure here that I think nobody has mentioned. Shouldn't the HGVC website market Max, if it really is the future? Has anyone seen it ever do that? They seem to be giving Max away with all (?) new developer purchases, but that is a really slow way to rollit out. The various websites should market it, incl showing which resorts are avail in what areas from the other members of the family.

Not that I would buy Max, but they should be marketing it to me. Limiting it to "owner updates" & package presentations treats it like a need-to-know-basis-only product.

They don’t want to market it. The different systems will stay different and Max is just a gimmick to get people to buy retail.

HGVC, DRI, BlueGreen and Embarc won’t be merged. They will exist as separate entities and HGV will reap the rewards of the management fees and upgrades. If it were easy to use Max to book the other systems, there would be no reason to buy more. If a BlueGreen owner could book an HGVC or HVC/DRI resort with their points why would they upgrade past the purchase that gave them Max?

Marriott is struggling a bit selling points as once you have the points you need, you are done. Nothing more to buy. With HGV, there’s always a different system with different locations or a larger point deed with a better home week or better MF ratio. Mark Wang said it himself when he said BlueGreen was bought to give a longer road in their ownership path. Several purchases in BlueGreen, upgrade to DRI, more points in DRI and upgrade to HGVC and through to Hilton Club. It’s genius marketing. Max is just the signage to bring owners to the path of continuous purchasing and trading in points and deeds.

 

[jp10558]

My perspective is a little different than what has been expressed above, but we have MAX via a HGVC retail purchase and we have used it to stay at a DRI resort. I voted $1-2500 if I owned HGVC and wanted to add MAX. While I fully understand that HGVC resorts are far nicer, for us personally, we have been fortunate enough to actually live in nearly all of the locations HGVC covers and so those locations were not attractive to us. Not that they aren't stunning, but we have just extensively visited in those places and seeing new vacation locations is what matters to us. We aren't really lay around at the resort type of people for more than about 48 hours. We also don't require high end accommodations or amenities. We bought the time share because we wanted a kitchen, laundry, and a gym when we travel plus a "safe neighborhood" which were things VRBO & Air B&B just could not consistently provide. It was the assorted locations via MAX that got me to agree to the purchase. We did not have any trouble booking a vacation week, and we have seen lots of availability at the places we want to visit because we are fortunate to be able to travel at any time of the year. By "downgrading" via MAX it allows our points to stretch, gives us bigger places for less points, expands our choices to more locations, and prevents us from experiencing owning another timeshare in a system with what appears to be high maintenance fees. I know people suggest just owning a TS in each system, but there are good reasons not to do that as well.

Ultimately, like many vacation related discussions here, it just comes back to personal preferences and intentions. Also, like many conversations here, it has been a good discussion and I appreciated reading everyone's comments.

I just find that the DRI resorts often are in RCI, and while there's the fee, it's got to be a lot less than paying retail for HGVC to get MAX IMHO.

 

[ABCTravels]

I just find that the DRI resorts often are in RCI, and while there's the fee, it's got to be a lot less than paying retail for HGVC to get MAX IMHO.

Absolutely. The way we went about it I would not endorse or repeat. I have not used RCI yet, so I cannot speak to that program, but I do think there are those out there who would add on to a resale deed with MAX if the cost was significantly less than the ~6K I believe they are charging people.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

different systems will stay different and Max is just a gimmick to get people to buy retail.

Yes, that is a logical conclusion.

 

[letsgobobby]

Zero $$. I already have it, and haven't even tried to book an HGV stay with Max points, as the 6-month window is ridiculous. We can use our HGV deed to book further out, but don't.
Like some others in this thread, we don't require high-end amenities - location is everything, and with 13 (and even 14 months at certain resorts) advance booking, DRI works for us, as DRI has some wonderful and '"undiscovered" locations.
Our Hilton Hawaii deed gets converted to HH points, which don't expire.

that's generally a pretty bad use of HGVC POINTS; why not sell your deed?

 

[artringwald]

I would go slightly higher if allowed to pay with Monopoly money, considering some properties that are “theoretically” available.

The Point at Poipu is available.

 

[heitmullerj02]

All the resorts are old and not the same quality as HGVC. Have stayed @ several in Sedona and it’s a nice area but other than POIPU none interested me. Would not pay a cent.

 

[brp]

All the resorts are old and not the same quality as HGVC. Have stayed @ several in Sedona and it’s a nice area but other than POIPU none interested me. Would not pay a cent.

And this is why, if interested, we will just buy resale in the Hawaii Collection for DRI so we can stay at Poipu and Maui. No exchange, just a separate resale ownership.

Cheers.

 

[hurnik]

Treee Fiddy
(loch ness Monster south park reference)
LOL!

 

[StapelmanMO]

As a DRI member (Cabo Azul) they can not pay me enough to opt into MAX. We would lose most of our Bennies being Platinum. Also lose Club Select Club Combination. We can Book into many Hilton Resorts through RCI more than 6 months in advance.

Exactly! We own in the DRI Hawaii selection that we got into solely to utilize Club Combination to utilize our Wyndham and Worldmark holdings. Unless they bring it back, they need to pay us 10's of thousands of join MAX.

 

[letsgobobby]

hmm. with 4 out of 5 respondents saying they'd pay under $500, I'm wondering if this thread is giving HGVC any bad ideas. Like seeing how worthless most of their most knowledgeable customers view Max, will they start to get some devious ideas about driving us into it? Such as kneecapping the existing HGVC resale program? Should I pull the poll?

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Should I pull the poll?

I never understand the point behind publicizing things like this.

 

[trippka]

I voted $0 because I'm still waiting for details on the Loyalty Search Request. Lol

I can't find it on the list of tier benefits now.

They are still promising the Loyalty Search Request, but the key is how it is implemented. Currently with DRI you can do a search request, but you can only say I need a room for 4 people. You cannot say I want an ocean view for 4 people and wait for that to come available. So, they can fill your request with a studio blocked view which are often available. It would be nice if location were a function of elite level, but DRI charges points for the better views.

 

[brp]

hmm. with 4 out of 5 respondents saying they'd pay under $500, I'm wondering if this thread is giving HGVC any bad ideas. Like seeing how worthless most of their most knowledgeable customers view Max, will they start to get some devious ideas about driving us into it? Such as kneecapping the existing HGVC resale program? Should I pull the poll?

Highly doubtful that they care one whit about this thread (or this board). We're a minuscule portion of their universe and they should not be wasting their time with us. Plus, even if they did waste the time to care, we're not the folks they're targeting.

Cheers.