nanette0269
TUG Member
I'll just relay my story here...and hopefully it will help someone in the future!
I am getting married at Highlands in late September; as a result, we have tried to find proper arrangements for close family and obviously would prefer to use our points. I have, therefore, reserved a unit as well as rented one. I was trying to use points to reserve an additional unit.
I called several weeks ago and was instructed that I would only be able to make a reservation via borrowing points from next year within a 60-day window of the scheduled arrival date. I also was advised NOT to pay my maintenance fees for next year because there was no guarantee that I would even get the unit. So, I was determined to call back at 60 days. I noticed online 60-days out that a unit was available! I called that evening. I was then told that it was too early and that I would have to call back tomorrow, which was the 59-day mark. I call the next day, and the unit is no longer available.
This whole experience has been very disheartening. The fact that I was implicitly instructed NOT to pay my maintenance fees was clear; the fact that a wait list request would definitely never be fulfilled unless points were readily in my account was never mentioned by any person. Therefore, there was no hope of me being on a wait list because the request would never be granted! I find this utterly frustrating. Here I am, getting married at the Highlands Inn, having many friends fly from every corner of the country, rent rooms in the hotel, spending a ridiculous amount of money for a room rental, let alone the higher expenses associated with a seated banquet at Highlands…and the fact that we chose Highlands Inn because we would be able to use our points for proper accommodations for our children and family…and yet, some close family members are currently homeless for the trip (until I find them somewhere else to stay out of my pocket now) because I followed the guidance of an phone representative. I fully acknowledge that it may be difficult to get a unit when your dates are not flexible, but that was not the case here. The room was available; the room was not acquired because a wait list request would not be granted because my fees for next year were not yet paid…and I followed their guidance to a “T”!
Obviously, there was a HUGE disconnect in the logic of the guidance of the phone representative. I honestly had assumed that if the unit was available, that HVC would let me know and I could then pay the maintenance fees. Obviously, paying fees a few months early is not an issue; the fees have to be paid now or in a few months anyways. But, the fact that this was never explained early on (until it was too late) is truly disheartening.
So, if you plan on borrowing points from next year's allotment and definitely want a unit for the wait-listed dates....absolutely pay next years' fees immediately! Whats the worst that can happen? You end up paying your maintenance fees a few months early.
I am getting married at Highlands in late September; as a result, we have tried to find proper arrangements for close family and obviously would prefer to use our points. I have, therefore, reserved a unit as well as rented one. I was trying to use points to reserve an additional unit.
I called several weeks ago and was instructed that I would only be able to make a reservation via borrowing points from next year within a 60-day window of the scheduled arrival date. I also was advised NOT to pay my maintenance fees for next year because there was no guarantee that I would even get the unit. So, I was determined to call back at 60 days. I noticed online 60-days out that a unit was available! I called that evening. I was then told that it was too early and that I would have to call back tomorrow, which was the 59-day mark. I call the next day, and the unit is no longer available.
This whole experience has been very disheartening. The fact that I was implicitly instructed NOT to pay my maintenance fees was clear; the fact that a wait list request would definitely never be fulfilled unless points were readily in my account was never mentioned by any person. Therefore, there was no hope of me being on a wait list because the request would never be granted! I find this utterly frustrating. Here I am, getting married at the Highlands Inn, having many friends fly from every corner of the country, rent rooms in the hotel, spending a ridiculous amount of money for a room rental, let alone the higher expenses associated with a seated banquet at Highlands…and the fact that we chose Highlands Inn because we would be able to use our points for proper accommodations for our children and family…and yet, some close family members are currently homeless for the trip (until I find them somewhere else to stay out of my pocket now) because I followed the guidance of an phone representative. I fully acknowledge that it may be difficult to get a unit when your dates are not flexible, but that was not the case here. The room was available; the room was not acquired because a wait list request would not be granted because my fees for next year were not yet paid…and I followed their guidance to a “T”!
Obviously, there was a HUGE disconnect in the logic of the guidance of the phone representative. I honestly had assumed that if the unit was available, that HVC would let me know and I could then pay the maintenance fees. Obviously, paying fees a few months early is not an issue; the fees have to be paid now or in a few months anyways. But, the fact that this was never explained early on (until it was too late) is truly disheartening.
So, if you plan on borrowing points from next year's allotment and definitely want a unit for the wait-listed dates....absolutely pay next years' fees immediately! Whats the worst that can happen? You end up paying your maintenance fees a few months early.
HYATT Hight Sierra Tahoe owners Please turn in you voting ballots today and PLEASE vote fora great guy Steve Dallas to be on your Hoa Board in Tahoe he is a true asset. I sure wish we could get him on Carmels board but he doesnt own Carmel (except for his home)