Hyatt/Welk

[ChicagoDave]

I already have an HVC owner account. Since Hyatt now owns Welk, will I still need to set-up a separate Welk owner account if I purchase a Welk property or can it be added to my existing HVC account? Same question for Interval International - if ownership is the same, can it be combined under my II account or will I need to create a separate one for the Welk property?

 

[ScoopKona]

Unless you have a compelling reason to buy a Welk property (because you love the property), I wouldn't. With the exception of a few locations, you can trade into Welk without much fuss with your Hyatt points.

Your II account is part of your Hyatt week -- there is no choice in the matter. (That's why so many Sunset Harbor multi-week owners were so upset -- having to pay for multiple II memberships they never used. Too bad Marriott put their thumb on the scale and wrecked that vote. But I digress.) If you buy Welk, you'll need another II membership if you want to trade Welk. But if you want to trade Welk, why buy it? Hyatt trades better in both "bang for the maintenance fee" and trading power. (Trading power simply doesn't apply to us. It was one of the conditions of Hyatt joining II in the first place.) If it's available, we can get it.

 

[RunCat]

I own a ton of Welk. Any benefit to buying HRC resale?

 

[ScoopKona]

I own a ton of Welk. Any benefit to buying HRC resale?

Depends. Do you like any of the 16 HRC properties a great deal? Enough to want easy access (albeit for more points)?

Do you do a lot of trading in II and want to leverage your points for for more vacations?

If you're set with timeshares and don't find yourself wanting more vacation time, there's no real point. If AirBnbs can take care of any shortfall for less than the cost of the Hyatt price per night (maintenance fee divided by number of days leveraged), then AirBnB is a better option.

Tossing aside the price of the condo (which has long since amortized into dust), we get roughly 21 nights of vacation on a $1500 maintenance fee, for a per night cost of $70. That's about to go up because of Florida condo laws. And I'm very strongly considering leaving the system -- and timeshares entirely -- because there are other options. When we purchased, timeshare was the only game in town which could give us so much for so little. That isn't true today.

 

[Mongoose]

Unless you have a compelling reason to buy a Welk property (because you love the property), I wouldn't. With the exception of a few locations, you can trade into Welk without much fuss with your Hyatt points.

Your II account is part of your Hyatt week -- there is no choice in the matter. (That's why so many Sunset Harbor multi-week owners were so upset -- having to pay for multiple II memberships they never used. Too bad Marriott put their thumb on the scale and wrecked that vote. But I digress.) If you buy Welk, you'll need another II membership if you want to trade Welk. But if you want to trade Welk, why buy it? Hyatt trades better in both "bang for the maintenance fee" and trading power. (Trading power simply doesn't apply to us. It was one of the conditions of Hyatt joining II in the first place.) If it's available, we can get it.

Welk also seems to have higher MFs.

 

[Mongoose]

I own a ton of Welk. Any benefit to buying HRC resale?

Only if there is a specific location and week you want. For me it was Sedona week 22.

 

[ScoopKona]

Welk also seems to have higher MFs.

Well, that's sub-optimal. The best thing about HRC for me is getting three weeks (or more) on a maintenance fee. It's what sets this system apart from any other. Even a condo with lock-off isn't going to provide anywhere near the time I am capable of trading for (five week), or what I typically get (three).

 

[5finny]

(Trading power simply doesn't apply to us. It was one of the conditions of Hyatt joining II in the first place.) If it's available, we can get it.

Interesting data point
I assume that any Marriott preference period still applies and that Hyatt's can't see II Marriott weeks until any preference period has passed?

 

[sponger76]

Interesting data point
I assume that any Marriott preference period still applies and that Hyatt's can't see II Marriott weeks until any preference period has passed?

Yes, Marriott preference comes first. Once the preference period has passed, other systems have access to it. But the ability to bypass trading power after the preference period isn't a feature unique to Hyatt, it's the way pretty much all of the points systems work when trading in II. As long as you have the required amount of points in your points system II chart for the size and TDI of the week you want, you can see and book it.

 

[GTLINZ]

Interesting data point
I assume that any Marriott preference period still applies and that Hyatt's can't see II Marriott weeks until any preference period has passed?

Marriott preference and any other....

Hyatt can basically pull anything, But we don't see inventory until it is basically become available to everyone - where then your trading power determines what you can see (and we should be able to see everything using HRC points).

So if i really wanted access to Marriott i would buy a lock off week and trade within II for the preference. We travel off season and are able to book using HRC points (which is a great conversion rate) so it works for us so far.

 

[ScoopKona]

As long as you have the required amount of points in your points system II chart for the size and TDI of the week you want, you can see and book it.

Any company holding back inventory from II because of an internal trade scheme won't be seen. It isn't part of II inventory. So it doesn't exist as far as II is concerned.

100% of available II inventory is available to Hyatt traders. Although, II deems some places "not good enough" for us. We stayed in three such places in the UK one summer. Older resorts which don't show up in online searches. The three we stayed in were tired, with odd UK plumbing. But clean, cheerfull, and great staff. One of them is still part of the II network; one was kicked out of the system; and one has been torn down. It's one of those "almost nobody knows about this trick" tricks. There's more in Europe than most people realize. But you have to specifically ask for it -- start by going through the resort directory and then ask for specific resorts which are close to where you want to be.

 

[GTLINZ]

Any company holding back inventory from II because of an internal trade scheme won't be seen. It isn't part of II inventory. So it doesn't exist as far as II is concerned.

Maybe somebody who uses Marriott preference can enlighten us - i have not and cannot say for sure - but I do believe the inventory is in Interval during the preference period but is only seen by those owning Marriott.

For HRC owners, how that works does not really matter - either way we don't see it until it passes the preference period.

 

[ScoopKona]

Maybe somebody who uses Marriott preference can enlighten us - i have not and cannot say for sure - but I do believe the inventory is in Interval during the preference period but is only seen by those owning Marriott.

For HRC owners, how that works does not really matter - either way we don't see it until it passes the preference period.

I've only ever owned the single HRC week. I can only assume they have an internal exchange program just like we do. II never sees that Carmel week that was just relinquished by the owner. It sticks around internally until four months out. (Our version of the preference period.)

 

[sponger76]

Any company holding back inventory from II because of an internal trade scheme won't be seen. It isn't part of II inventory. So it doesn't exist as far as II is concerned.

100% of available II inventory is available to Hyatt traders.

It's kind of semantics I guess but the key to me is that the week has to specifically be deposited into II. There is no option to designate an II deposit only for internal exchange. MVC has the Abound (formerly Destination Club) exchange for that.

When MVC weeks are deposited into II, they are under a preference period that can be as long as 21 days. During that period, only those trading using their own MVC weeks can see and reserve them. After the MVC preference period, there is then an additional (shorter) preference period for those using Vistana ownerships where they can also see and reserve those MVC weeks, while non-MVC/Vistana owners still cannot. After that additional preference period is over, then it opens up to Hyatt and others. It also appears that for those with an OGS, during the preference period an MVC owner will match but a Hyatt or other owner will not.

 

[GTLINZ]

Thanks for the explanation - i did not know about Vistana also.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

Yes, Marriott preference comes first. Once the preference period has passed, other systems have access to it. But the ability to bypass trading power after the preference period isn't a feature unique to Hyatt, it's the way pretty much all of the points systems work when trading in II. As long as you have the required amount of points in your points system II chart for the size and TDI of the week you want, you can see and book it.

Marriott prefence, then Vistana, then Hyatt and everyone else . Not as good inventory as years ago

 

[RunCat]

Marriott prefence, then Vistana, then Hyatt and everyone else . Not as good inventory as years ago

When the three that are listed are all owned by Marriott (plus Welk) and that Marriott owns II, it is not a surprise that inventory not as good. It used to be that II was an unaffiliated middle man. Not so much any more.