Just reserved West 57th street

[hvacrsteve]

Last year, HGVC was offering to let you trade in your Hilton Club New York points at their prorated value toward a West 57th Street interest if you traded up by investing an additional $50K in ClubPoints at the new property. Wouldn't hurt to ask if they would do this for you, as the entire value of your Hilton Club leasehold interest becomes totally worthless in 2032 when the property is returned to Hilton under the terms of the lease.

We may book the W 57th on our next visit and see how we like it. I actually like our arrangement with the expiration in 2032, thats 23 more years and I really don't know where
we will be at that point, we love NYC so much we may purchase a place there, I also want have to worry about selling it also or paying fees beyond that time.
It will also be due a make over by then so special assessments may come into play.
I think both properties are great, just depends on your preference and current ages.
I know we love the Club!

 

[DCBob]

Just read your trip advisor review, thanks.

I just looked and hilton hotels is renting out studios and in a 1 month window they range from 299 to 679. Why such an increase, is the first month offered to everyone outside of hgvc at a discount price to get people in?

Also, I cant seem to find what a one bedroom plus would be worth a night. Not a big deal, but I like to know what I would be paying if I didnt have the hgvc. Call is a quark, but it makes me feel better knowing this stuff when people say, TSs are a scam. we are staying 3 nights at the end of this month.

One thing I learned is that under 3 days you have to pay an 85.00 cleaning fee. Also parking is 48.00 a day here. WOW.

The timeshare developer is allowed to rent the unsold units through hilton.com. As more units are sold, the number available online will drop and eventually will disappear altogether. I have no idea how they determine the price of any hotel room, but supposedly it is based on market conditions in New York City. If there is a big convention or high tourist season in Manhattan, expect prices to be high.

The one-time charge for cleaning does not apply to units rented through the developer on hilton.com. It is charged only if you are renting or using points through HGVC and stay LESS than FOUR days. If you stay THREE days or LESS, you will owe just over $100 (because you also have to pay NYC tax on the cleaning fee).

Why anyone would ever drive and park a vehicle in Manhattan is beyond me, but $48 is close to the market rate for parking in Midtown near Central Park. I can take Amtrak one way from Washington, DC to Manhattan for $49 with a 2-week advance purchase and I avoid at least $100 in tolls, parking fees, and gasoline.

 

[DCBob]

I actually like our arrangement with the expiration in 2032, thats 23 more years and I really don't know where
we will be at that point, we love NYC so much we may purchase a place there, I also want have to worry about selling it also or paying fees beyond that time. It will also be due a make over by then so special assessments may come into play.

That's a very interesting and novel way of approaching your investment in the Hilton Club New York. But being an accountant, I think everyone would be better off owning an asset that will retain at least some value in perpetuity rather than owning one that is guaranteed to decline in value in a straight line to zero over the next 23 years. Having been one of the few that has owned and stayed at both properties, I think West 57th Street has the edge by a long shot.

 

[hvacrsteve]

That's a very interesting and novel way of approaching your investment in the Hilton Club New York. But being an accountant, I think everyone would be better off owning an asset that will retain at least some value in perpetuity rather than owning one that is guaranteed to decline in value in a straight line to zero over the next 23 years. Having been one of the few that has owned and stayed at both properties, I think West 57th Street has the edge by a long shot.

We already own property all over the world and have it all rented, I wanted something to force us to actually vacation. We never really got away like we should. Now we are trying to make up for it. I didn't want the noose that sometimes comes with ownership, I have enough of those already. I just want carefree living like the expiring lease. It will not be worth anything when the lease is up, but we don't need it to be either.
I am looking forward to giving W 57th a try though, but we are definitely hooked on the hotel amenities.
We occasionally do drive, when we are headed elsewhere after we leave NY, especially if the train doesn't go there.
My wife has also fell in love with 5th Ave. So I don't like carrying a bunch of stuff with us if we going other places. We sometimes stop along the way as well.

 

[DCBob]

We already own property all over the world and have it all rented, I wanted something to force us to actually vacation. We never really got away like we should. Now we are trying to make up for it. I didn't want the noose that sometimes comes with ownership, I have enough of those already. I just want carefree living like the expiring lease. It will not be worth anything when the lease is up, but we don't need it to be either.
I am looking forward to giving W 57th a try though, but we are definitely hooked on the hotel amenities.
We occasionally do drive, when we are headed elsewhere after we leave NY, especially if the train doesn't go there.
My wife has also fell in love with 5th Ave. So I don't like carrying a bunch of stuff with us if we going other places. We sometimes stop along the way as well.

My only ownership interest is at West 57th Street, but what is nice about that is that you can convert every ClubPoint to 50 Hilton Honors points (if you convert them in the year prior to the year they are earned). That's twice as much as the value of HGVC points for other properties. I use them in London and other high-cost destinations.

I don't drive to New York because it's always my only destination when I travel there and I don't do any major shopping in NYC. I can always find what I need in DC.

 

[Socko33]

Does anyone have any price updates on W57th?

I'm curious to see if they've come down...

Thanks!

 

[Piper]

First Booking at W. 57th: Not Happy

I just booked my first reservation at W 57th. We've been a members of the Hilton Club for 4 years and have been VERY happy there. We attended two pitches about the new property. At the second one -- in May, 2009 -- they had changed their tune about how much you needed to put up in order to make the switch. We decided to do it. The basically said it would work like the old club -- but be a newer, nicer facility and we would own it forever.

Now, I've booked my first reservation and I am unhappy. In addition to charging a booking fee of anything from $49 to $79, there is the $85 housekeeping fee for staying under 3 days. If you have to cancel your reservation, you may lose your points depending on when you cancel. At the Hilton Club, you just paid a set fee to cancel a reservation in advance of your stay and you kept all your points.

The parking is more expensive than at the Hilton Club. You could also take your car in and out of the garage at the HIlton Club for no extra money. I now see that folks have been talking about those fees here -- but I thought that only applied if you were a HGVC member from another resort.

I thought about trading in some of the points to take advantage of the 50:1 ratio of Hilton Honors to club points but learned that (as I think has been mentioned here), you have to do that a year in advance and you have to trade in ALL your points for the year.

In addition to all that.... we can't book at the old HIlton Club even though we technically didn't purchase the new property until next year.

SO.. at this moment, I'm very unhappy with the decision to change. I feel they misrepresented the new property as being equivalent to the Hilton Club and I'm leaning that this is NOT the case. I don't know if I have any recourse at this point.

 

[hvacrsteve]

I just booked my first reservation at W 57th. We've been a members of the Hilton Club for 4 years and have been VERY happy there. We attended two pitches about the new property. At the second one -- in May, 2009 -- they had changed their tune about how much you needed to put up in order to make the switch. We decided to do it. The basically said it would work like the old club -- but be a newer, nicer facility and we would own it forever.

Now, I've booked my first reservation and I am unhappy. In addition to charging a booking fee of anything from $49 to $79, there is the $85 housekeeping fee for staying under 3 days. If you have to cancel your reservation, you may lose your points depending on when you cancel. At the Hilton Club, you just paid a set fee to cancel a reservation in advance of your stay and you kept all your points.

The parking is more expensive than at the Hilton Club. You could also take your car in and out of the garage at the HIlton Club for no extra money. I now see that folks have been talking about those fees here -- but I thought that only applied if you were a HGVC member from another resort.

I thought about trading in some of the points to take advantage of the 50:1 ratio of Hilton Honors to club points but learned that (as I think has been mentioned here), you have to do that a year in advance and you have to trade in ALL your points for the year.

In addition to all that.... we can't book at the old HIlton Club even though we technically didn't purchase the new property until next year.

SO.. at this moment, I'm very unhappy with the decision to change. I feel they misrepresented the new property as being equivalent to the Hilton Club and I'm leaning that this is NOT the case. I don't know if I have any recourse at this point.

I remember reading about the extra fees and the housekeeping fees. I also wondered about the parking. I also caught them on the 50 to 1 trade in, it only works if you traded it all for the year. I would not want to do that! A partial trade to go where you want, but if yo trade it all, you are stuck in hotels for that year.
I am you at this point, I love the Club and I don't mind the expiration date, I don't expect to travel that much when I get older anyway!
I hope I can, but I like the fact that everything ends and no one else has to worry about it or want it.
I am sorry that you are not happy, try it out though and see, DCBob loves it!

 

[Piper]

We are set to go for July 31st and August 1st. I hope I love it so much that I stop being pissed about the extra fees. I'll report back after my stay.

 

[DCBob]

I am sorry that you are not happy, try it out though and see, DCBob loves it!

Yes, indeed. It is the property itself that matters most to me and there is absolutely NO comparison in terms of sheer luxury that West 57th Street brings in comparison to the aging Hilton Club New York. And the Owners Lounge features a nice outdoor terrace, is far more spacious, and has much better food than the Hilton Club.

Also, I can live with a one-time cleaning fee per stay for 3 days or less. If I don't want to pay it, I will make sure I stay at least 4 days (which won't be a problem as I am retiring in October 2009).

If you want to complain, please do so AFTER you have stayed at both properties and can compare all the features in an objective manner.

 

[fillde]

Went for a preview

$49,000 = aprox 5000 points. If I rember correctly, that is 1 week in a one bedroom. The tour guide liked mentioning that only owners(of W57 st) were allowed to book time. As a non owner , I would only be allowed to stay during open season at a cost of $350 a night for a studio. I didn't argue with him.
It is a beautiful property in a great location. It may is a decent buy. But one of my fears is the maintance. I was told for the 5000 points it was aprox $1000. Will the Hilton follow in the footsteps of the Manhattan Club and raise maintance fees excessevily.

 

[hvacrsteve]

$49,000 = aprox 5000 points. If I rember correctly, that is 1 week in a one bedroom. The tour guide liked mentioning that only owners(of W57 st) were allowed to book time. As a non owner , I would only be allowed to stay during open season at a cost of $350 a night for a studio. I didn't argue with him.
It is a beautiful property in a great location. It may is a decent buy. But one of my fears is the maintance. I was told for the 5000 points it was aprox $1000. Will the Hilton follow in the footsteps of the Manhattan Club and raise maintance fees excessevily.

When I previewed about a year ago, that was the price also, about $10 per point, I remember the maintenance was $1,900.00 or so They have offered me to stay for $150.00 per night, if I can't stay with my city points, I just want book there unless I really have used all of my points! I just hope everyone that purchases it and stays there loves it!
I think its a great addition to the HGVC system, but it is pricey!

 

[alwysonvac]

The timeshare developer is allowed to rent the unsold units through hilton.com. As more units are sold, the number available online will drop and eventually will disappear altogether.

FYI... none of the previous HGVC developed resorts have disappeared altogether from hilton.com.

Hilton not only rents unsold units through hilton.com but also weeks that are acquired via other means such as hhonors conversions, cruise exchanges, etc. therefore there will always be units rented through hilton.com. However don't expect all unit sizes to be available via the hilton.com website.

 

[Piper]

Yes, indeed. It is the property itself that matters most to me and there is absolutely NO comparison in terms of sheer luxury that West 57th Street brings in comparison to the aging Hilton Club New York. And the Owners Lounge features a nice outdoor terrace, is far more spacious, and has much better food than the Hilton Club.

Also, I can live with a one-time cleaning fee per stay for 3 days or less. If I don't want to pay it, I will make sure I stay at least 4 days (which won't be a problem as I am retiring in October 2009).

If you want to complain, please do so AFTER you have stayed at both properties and can compare all the features in an objective manner.

I am hoping that I am so thrilled when I stay at W57 that I will be willing to let go of being mad about the misinformation at the sales pitch. We've set up a meeting with the head of sales for our 2nd morning there. If we are not totally satisfied, we'll discuss with her what our options are.

 

[Carlsbadguy]

Does anyone know if they are offering discounted stays for presentations. I am an owner at the Hilton Club who may be interested in the West 57 location.

 

[Piper]

Does anyone know if they are offering discounted stays for presentations. I am an owner at the Hilton Club who may be interested in the West 57 location.

The sales folks for W57 talked to us when we were already staying at the Hilton Club. We went to presentations twice. Both times, they gave us hilton honors points and other incentives. If I recall correctly, they gave us $100 AmEx gift cards each time. This last time, we also got vouchers for parking at the Hilton Club for the two nights we were there. I don't think they ever offered for us to come up and have a free stay to attend the presentation.

 

[DCBob]

FYI... none of the previous HGVC developed resorts have disappeared altogether from hilton.com.

Hilton not only rents unsold units through hilton.com but also weeks that are acquired via other means such as hhonors conversions, cruise exchanges, etc. therefore there will always be units rented through hilton.com. However don't expect all unit sizes to be available via the hilton.com website.

Yes, that makes perfect sense. The information I received was from a West 57th Street sales representative, so I wouldn't doubt it to be in error.

 

[DCBob]

When I previewed about a year ago, that was the price also, about $10 per point, I remember the maintenance was $1,900.00 or so.

Maintenance fees and taxes are exactly $949.76 per year for a studio plus (3,750 points) or a studio premier (4,500 points). This does not include the $95 annual club dues. I paid about 8.1 cents per point in 2007 for a studio plus unit. The amount I paid in 2008 for a studio premier unit isn't as clear because I did a trade-in for my Hilton Club NY unit. However, note that the fees and taxes are not based on the number of points you buy, but the size of the unit those points represent.

Hope this helps.

 

[DCBob]

Does anyone know if they are offering discounted stays for presentations. I am an owner at the Hilton Club who may be interested in the West 57 location.

A friend of mine was offered a discounted stay at $150 per night.

 

[JonathanIT]

Just booked my first stay!

I'm very excited to be going to West 57th for four days next month! I booked four weekdays, from Monday 8/17 to Fri 8/21. It worked out perfectly for a family vacation planned for the same days (my Dad booked three rooms with his Hyatt GP points at the Grand Hyatt NYC).

I thought the rates for a Studio Plus were very reasonable at 375 pts/night for weekdays (1,500 total) in NYC. What's weird is that with HGVC points being twice as much for weekends, it works kind of the opposite from hotel rates/demand in NYC. Almost all hotels have cheap weekend rates, and weeknights are the highest! With 4 nights booked, I also escaped the $85 cleaning fee. I won't have a car to worry about or park.

I was excited to see all the availability online as well... the new "monthly view" section of the (improved!) Revolution booking engine seems to show the most up to date availability for this property. There is pretty wide open availability for Studios.

I love the location; I've been so excited about the prospect of this property opening, I've visited the construction site twice since it was announced on my last two trips to NYC. I can't wait to stay!

 

[amoore007]

Jonathan, I plan to be there (57th) on Saturday 8/1. Do you know of any actual photos of the completed club? I will take and post some on Trip advisor for sure. I am in a 1 BDR and my son in a studio. Al

 

[JonathanIT]

I will take and post some on Trip advisor for sure. I am in a 1 BDR and my son in a studio.

Yes, please do! I have only seen those same four "fake" CG pictures posted everywhere, I'm really curious to see the real thing.

BTW, at a current rate of $299/night (advance purchase through Hilton.com for a studio) for four nights coming out to over $1,370.00 with tax... 1,500 Club points for the same four nights is just about the best value yet I've gotten for any HGVC stay!!

:whoopie:

 

[GimmeMyWeek]

I'm very excited to be going to West 57th for four days next month! I booked four weekdays, from Monday 8/17 to Fri 8/21. It worked out perfectly for a family vacation planned for the same days (my Dad booked three rooms with his Hyatt GP points at the Grand Hyatt NYC).

I thought the rates for a Studio Plus were very reasonable at 375 pts/night for weekdays (1,500 total) in NYC. What's weird is that with HGVC points being twice as much for weekends, it works kind of the opposite from hotel rates/demand in NYC. Almost all hotels have cheap weekend rates, and weeknights are the highest! With 4 nights booked, I also escaped the $85 cleaning fee. I won't have a car to worry about or park.

I was excited to see all the availability online as well... the new "monthly view" section of the (improved!) Revolution booking engine seems to show the most up to date availability for this property. There is pretty wide open availability for Studios.

I love the location; I've been so excited about the prospect of this property opening, I've visited the construction site twice since it was announced on my last two trips to NYC. I can't wait to stay!

Theres lots of Availability online in the new monthly grid, but its impossible to book it...when you try to finalize the deal it says NOT AVAILABLE.

 

[JonathanIT]

Theres lots of Availability online in the new monthly grid, but its impossible to book it...when you try to finalize the deal it says NOT AVAILABLE.

I was told that was primarily a glitch in the "enhanced" booking system online. You can call and book via phone (and they will only charge the $49 [$39 Elite] booking fee for a changeable online reservation). Keep in mind the limited "Club" booking window of 44 days, however.

 

[Flipper12]

I am not able to see any availablility for NYC. Is anyone else having this same issue?