Is HGVC Legacy Elite Premier Status worth it? (? Being devalued or useless now with Max)

[JohnnyO]

The only downgrade we have heard of is when people are Legacy Elite then get switched to Max Centum.

I wouldn't put much stock in what you read on FB.

We were just offered a two year "free trial" of Max Centum for a "small" Max purchase of $20k. If we liked it we could upgrade for more points after the trial This was only because the sales rep was making a "special exemption" for us considering we just made our HGV developer purchase (CL resales) and this offer was only good for two months after a developer purchase. The "exemption" was we were beyond our two months.

 

[HuskerATL]

We were just offered a two year "free trial" of Max Centum for a "small" Max purchase of $20k. If we liked it we could upgrade for more points after the trial This was only because the sales rep was making a "special exemption" for us considering we just made our HGV developer purchase (CL resales) and this offer was only good for two months after a developer purchase. The "exemption" was we were beyond our two months.

Did they explain what you would get that you didn't already have?

 

[JohnnyO]

Did they explain what you would get that you didn't already have?

None of us wanted to go there. He knew there was no way we were going to say yes ... and my DW was ready to kick me hard under the table if I asked any questions. We were out in record time for us. Our conversation was only about 10-15 mins. Cya.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Max Centum

The names. The names. I'm holding out for Max Gladiator status.

 

[GT75]

We were just offered a two year "free trial" of Max Centum for a "small" Max purchase of $20k.

There are several problems with this:

• What status would you have after the trial period? We have heard at least one example that HGV didn't honor the agreed on status.
• You would lose Elite Premier status.

 

[JohnnyO]

The names. The names. I'm holding out for Max Gladiator status.

Too funny. I always think of vitamins when I hear Centum. Even though it's Centrum I can't help but go there. Centrum Vitamin C Max. Madison Avenue still in my head after of lifetime of propaganda and indoctrination.

 

[CruzinCarlz]

Hi, I was told in a sales tour that we can only qualify for elite status if we buy direct. Is this correct? We have 2 resales, and I may want to go to elite in the future if it can be done with resales.

 

[GT75]

No , you can not get elite status via direct, it is tier levels buying direct. You can only get elite status via resale purchasing from an onsite HGVC resale agent.

 

[HuskerATL]

Hi, I was told in a sales tour that we can only qualify for elite status if we buy direct. Is this correct? We have 2 resales, and I may want to go to elite in the future if it can be done with resales.

Just to add to what GT75 said, if you buy retail, you will be put in Max where there are tiers, not elite. Elite is a HGVC legacy program. The only way to get elite or raise your elite level, is to buy at one of the few official HGVC resale offices at qualifying properties.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I don't understand why anyone would care that much about getting to these elite levels. The value of the benefit pales in comparison to the cost of getting there.

 

[HuskerATL]

I don't understand why anyone would care that much about getting to these elite levels. The value of the benefit pales in comparison to the cost of getting there.

Not when you get it via resale. We are elite premier with about 100k points and spent less than $30k.

You can get the needed 54k for elite premier for about $14k.

And with Elite Premier, you offset those costs with no fees to book, save, or convert. Upgrades, access to additional properties, $250 Lyft credit, 30% discount on OS, Diamond HH status, etc

Very much worth it, if you need the points.

 

[TolmiePeak]

Not when you get it via resale. We are elite premier with about 100k points and spent less than $30k.

You can get the needed 54k for elite premier for about $14k.

And with Elite Premier, you offset those costs with no fees to book, save, or convert. Upgrades, access to additional properties, $250 Lyft credit, 30% discount on OS, Diamond HH status, etc

Very much worth it, if you need the points.

So which places count towards the status levels? Craig Lodges? I got Las Vegas contracts and they told me I wasn't eligible.

 

[HuskerATL]

So which places count towards the status levels? Craig Lodges? I got Las Vegas contracts and they told me I wasn't eligible.

Craig Lodges, if you buy through the resale office there, Valdoro when you buy from the official person there, I have heard that the Marco Island properties do but not sure. They used to, then stopped but then the sales person there said that they do count when buying there ( not sure though). Marbrisa maybe .. Have heard mixed messages about that. Not sure about others.

Your Vegas resale won't and really only Elite Premier is worth getting. Elite and Elite Plus have some benefits but the best benefits like unlimited free guest certificates, no fees, etc. are at the Elite Premier level.

Here is the Craig page, https://www.craigendarroch.com/sales/

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Elite Plus and a resale bHC NYC or DC with free reservations will give you most of the benefits of Elite Premier.

 

[mountainboy]

Any bHC resale purchase gives AI dues, so no reservation fees, which is very nice, as @CalGalTraveler, alluded to.

In my humble opinion, unless one is fairly close to Elite Plus on the Elite journey (from prior elite qualifying purchases), it is much easier & cost effective to just hit the Elite Premier, as @HuskerATL suggested, via CL purchase, although everyone's journey & goals are different and many ways to get whatever makes the most $ & cents/(sense), in one's unique circumstances !

Love our HGV journey & truly grateful to @CalGalTraveler , @HuskerATL , @GT75 & others, who mentored newbies like me, to make wiser decisions!

 

[HuskerATL]

I will say that it changes the way that you use the system when you don't have any fees, unlimited free guest certificates, and a lot of points. You book willy nilly and then sort it out later and you aren't worried about hitting the different deadlines to save money when saving points. It is free, so you can wait until December 31st, if you want.

We book out every holiday and other times that we may want and then adjust later. We have booked a month in Vilamoura, knowing that we won't use that but will trim later.

I also have a good idea of the properties where we will get free upgrades and can, kind of, plan them when picking units.

We use the full Lyft credit each year .. So that is $250/year that keeps on giving...

 

[CruzinCarlz]

Not when you get it via resale. We are elite premier with about 100k points and spent less than $30k.

You can get the needed 54k for elite premier for about $14k.

And with Elite Premier, you offset those costs with no fees to book, save, or convert. Upgrades, access to additional properties, $250 Lyft credit, 30% discount on OS, Diamond HH status, etc

Very much worth it, if you need the points.

Would you mind clarifying please? The 54k for elite premier would cost $14k to purchase? Is that resale? I was starting to get the impression that the only way to get EP was to spend $100k direct from the developer.

 

[HuskerATL]

Would you mind clarifying please? The 54k for elite premier would cost $14k to purchase? Is that resale? I was starting to get the impression that the only way to get EP was to spend $100k direct from the developer.

Elite Premier is 54,400 elite qualifying points or more. Weeks bought directly through Craig Lodges, as an example, are elite qualifying. You can look at the sales page to mix and match the weeks to get there and the cost.

https://www.craigendarroch.com/sales/

If you decide to go this route, I would only get platinum weeks and compare to the DEX EU guide to make sure that they are Peak Season weeks in it, if you want to use the weeks in DEX EU. Also, if you want the option of using them on DEX EU, then look at the tiers across properties that you may exchange for. That will tell you what you should think about buying. For example, if you know that you will need a tier 6 unit, then lean toward buying a 2 or 3 bed plat week. If you think that you would use a Tier 4 the most but sometimes higher, then lean toward a 1 bed platinum. We have 1 bed platinum weeks that are tier 4. We are currently staying at the HVC The Cove in Ormond Beach and it is a tier 4, 2 bedroom. So, an even swap with our 1 bed plat week. You don't want to exchange down very often.

I saw this because the 2 or 3 bed plat weeks will have the best mf/pt and have more points but are more expensive, maybe a little trickier to offload later, and exchange as a tier 6 in DEX EU. A 1 bed plat of cheaper, about $2k, trade as a tier 4 but you will need to buy more of them to get to 54,400, however, I like them as traders and I think that they would be easier to offload.

Is this helpful?

 

[CruzinCarlz]

Elite Premier is 54,400 elite qualifying points or more. Weeks bought directly through Craig Lodges, as an example, are elite qualifying. You can look at the sales page to mix and match the weeks to get there and the cost.

https://www.craigendarroch.com/sales/

If you decide to go this route, I would only get platinum weeks and compare to the DEX EU guide to make sure that they are Peak Season weeks in it, if you want to use the weeks in DEX EU. Also, if you want the option of using them on DEX EU, then look at the tiers across properties that you may exchange for. That will tell you what you should think about buying. For example, if you know that you will need a tier 6 unit, then lean toward buying a 2 or 3 bed plat week. If you think that you would use a Tier 4 the most but sometimes higher, then lean toward a 1 bed platinum. We have 1 bed platinum weeks that are tier 4. We are currently staying at the HVC The Cove in Ormond Beach and it is a tier 4, 2 bedroom. So, an even swap with our 1 bed plat week. You don't want to exchange down very often.

I saw this because the 2 or 3 bed plat weeks will have the best mf/pt and have more points but are more expensive, maybe a little trickier to offload later, and exchange as a tier 6 in DEX EU. A 1 bed plat of cheaper, about $2k, trade as a tier 4 but you will need to buy more of them to get to 54,400, however, I like them as traders and I think that they would be easier to offload.

Is this helpful?

Thank you so much for taking the time to clarify. It is helpful! There are terms that I am not familiar with, such as the DEX EU, and the tier rating. Is there somewhere that I can learn more? I used to think I knew the system pretty well, but now I am not sure LOL.

Currently, I have a deed at the flamingo for 11,200/yr and an EOY at the boulevard for 11,200. I shopped these based on the lower mf/pt cost, knowing that we only intended to trade our points and specifically prioritize higher value times to stretch the points. We homeschool and are self employed, so it works great for us. Our kids are at the age where we are trying to do a 2 bed at a minimum on our trips.

I have booked vacations with my parents and my brother and SIL, and they have all expressed interest in the program. We also would like to add points. So the elite premier seems like it could be an attractive option to share with all of our families, if I found a way to get in at a reasonable cost and the amount of points worked for everybody. It seems like the perks lend well to sharing.

 

[GT75]

Is there somewhere that I can learn more? I used to think I knew the system pretty well, but now I am not sure LOL.

Well, don't worry because DEX is really a new addition for those of us who own in Scotland at Craigendarroch.

The easiest one to learn is tier levels. This is only available to HgvMax members and it replaced Legacy Elite levels. Once you are in the HgvMax program, you no longer qualify for Elite levels. You can look at the membership guide on HgvMax for the tier levels. Rules are attached to this post:

2025 HGVC, HCNY, HGV Max Club Rules, Fees and Tips

2025 HGVC, HCNY, HGV Max Club Rules, Fees and Tips (1) Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGVC) 2025 Club Rules & Fees & Resorts Club Point Charts and Open Season Rates - Post #2 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Fee Change Comparison - Post #3 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Open Season Rate Change Comparison -...

tugbbs.com

DEX is more complicated. This is an exchange system similar to RCI but for DRI properties. It was part of the DRI system when HGV bought DRI. A few properties from HGVC such as Craigendarroch, are now allowed to exchange in that system. Rules for that can be found in this post (Note: Craig is part of EU members guide)

2025 HGVC, HCNY, HGV Max Club Rules, Fees and Tips

2025 HGVC, HCNY, HGV Max Club Rules, Fees and Tips (1) Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGVC) 2025 Club Rules & Fees & Resorts Club Point Charts and Open Season Rates - Post #2 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Fee Change Comparison - Post #3 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Open Season Rate Change Comparison -...

tugbbs.com

 

[HuskerATL]

Thank you so much for taking the time to clarify. It is helpful! There are terms that I am not familiar with, such as the DEX EU, and the tier rating. Is there somewhere that I can learn more? I used to think I knew the system pretty well, but now I am not sure LOL.

Currently, I have a deed at the flamingo for 11,200/yr and an EOY at the boulevard for 11,200. I shopped these based on the lower mf/pt cost, knowing that we only intended to trade our points and specifically prioritize higher value times to stretch the points. We homeschool and are self employed, so it works great for us. Our kids are at the age where we are trying to do a 2 bed at a minimum on our trips.

I have booked vacations with my parents and my brother and SIL, and they have all expressed interest in the program. We also would like to add points. So the elite premier seems like it could be an attractive option to share with all of our families, if I found a way to get in at a reasonable cost and the amount of points worked for everybody. It seems like the perks lend well to sharing.

Are your current deed retail or resale? I assume that you are Legacy and not in Max? Other resale points won't count but in retail will. You have to be legacy though.

Destination Xchange (DEX) is the exchange system in Diamond. There are 4 versions of it; DEX US points, DEX US Weeks, DEX Embarc points, and DEX EU. Craig Lodges is in Scotland and last year the HOA negotiated with the DEX folks to allow Craig Lodges owners to deposit their week and use that exchange. It is a nice option; to either use the points in HGVC, use the week at Craig since they are fixed weeks, or deposit in DEX EU.

I will find the other post on here where we talk about DEX and Craig.

It is, sort of, a different discussion than elite but something to know before you buy

 

[HuskerATL]

Depositing Craig Lodges and other HGVC weeks into DEX

I thought it would be good to have a thread about this topic since a number of us are currently going through it with Craig Lodges and they have offered it for Plantation. I am going to add some of the documents that we have collected so far and provide updates on the process. Others, please...

tugbbs.com

 

[CruzinCarlz]

Are your current deed retail or resale? I assume that you are Legacy and not in Max? Other resale points won't count but in retail will. You have to be legacy though.

Destination Xchange (DEX) is the exchange system in Diamond. There are 4 versions of it; DEX US points, DEX US Weeks, DEX Embarc points, and DEX EU. Craig Lodges is in Scotland and last year the HOA negotiated with the DEX folks to allow Craig Lodges owners to deposit their week and use that exchange. It is a nice option; to either use the points in HGVC, use the week at Craig since they are fixed weeks, or deposit in DEX EU.

I will find the other post on here where we talk about DEX and Craig.

It is, sort of, a different discussion than elite but something to know before you buy

Yes, mine are resale and legacy. It seems like there have been so many changes the last couple years, that I haven't kept up. We also moved across the country, so HGVC travel has been on the backburner.

 

[GT75]

Yes, mine are resale and legacy.

Well, Legacy HGVC is still the same (just some rules changes, specifically on change reservations now must be > 61 days). So everything else is still the same with the same properties (maybe a few more). IMO, HgvMax isn't worth it so I have no plans to upgrade ever. For me, it would be a downgrade. Now we have new terms such as Legacy HGVC member and HgvMax member. btw, HGV has made this all so completely confusing by their terminology. Many (Most) new retail members have no idea what they purchased or even what club they are in. Hgv makes it sound like it is one club, which it isn't.

 

[HuskerATL]

Yes, mine are resale and legacy. It seems like there have been so many changes the last couple years, that I haven't kept up. We also moved across the country, so HGVC travel has been on the backburner.

Well, even folks engaged with HGV find this all confusing