Newbie to HGVC question(s)

[ConejoRed]

Just started escrow on a Platinum, 2 bedroom, fixed week 25 at HGVC Craigendarroch Lodges. The purchase comes with free use of the 2015 week (do not have to reimburse 2015 maintenance fees), but we will not be able to actually use the fixed week as we will not be going to the UK until August this year (we go every year to visit family). Once escrow closes, what will my options be once the automatically reserved fixed week transfers to me on the close of escrow? Can it be converted to 2015 points at that point or will it be too late for that? I expect final closing to be some time in March and was not sure if there is a deadline to convert a fixed week to points such as the start of the club reservation period etc. Being new to HGVC, I am not familiar with how it works with fixed week reservation at affiliates etc. and I could not seem to find anything on the subject doing a search (I will download the member guide as soon as I have access). I think my options would be to 1) put it up for rent (which would help offset the purchase cost), 2) deposit either the full week or points with RCI (or II as I believe this is a dual affiliated resort) or 3) rescue any unused 2015 points to 2016 if converting to points is an option at that point (we may use some for short breaks in 2015, but not sure).

Being new to HGVC, I am not familiar with how it works with fixed week reservation at affiliates etc. and I could not seem to find anything on the subject doing a search (I plan on downloading the member guide and reading it cover to cover as soon as I have access) so any suggestions would be appreciated!

For those keeping track of purchase prices here are the details of the purchase. I think I got a fairly decent deal (hopefully).

2 Bed/2 Bath at HGVC Craigendarroch Lodges
Fixed week 25, 7,000 pts annually
$3,750 including free use of 2015, plus closing (est. $1300 including all of the HGVC fees for new members with a new affiliate week).

There is one question on the club fee that also came up in that the resort contact in Scotland quoted the International Club fee, but from what I have read here, since I am in the US, I would only pay the US Club fee, even though the resort is International? Is that the correct understanding.

I am looking forward to having a points membership! I previously purchased a couple of Marriott resale weeks and they have been great but I could not convert those to their DC system. So, I sold one of the Marriott weeks via TUG (at a profit) and will now use the Marriott week I still own for full week reservations in II and Hilton for points reservations via the Club or RCI. Best of both I think!

 

[Talent312]

There are a few HGVC overseas-owners in this board, and they may chime in shortly.
All I can say is welcome. You need to read "The Rules" 3-4x before you get a handle.
It's a very flexible system, but that leads to it's complexity and many questions.

The Rules may not provide all the answers, but at least you'll know where to start.
... There'll be a test later. -- <kidding>.

 

[ConejoRed]

Thanks for the welcome! Upon further on-line research, I found and have been able to download a copy of the "Hilton Grand Vacations Club Rules" dated January 1,2015 and have started to read it. I think my question may have been answered on page 3 in looking at the Resort Reservation Cancellation Chart which indicates a Home Week (including Fixed/Event Weeks) reservation may be cancelled at 31 days or more and incur no penalty. I assume this would then mean the points would then be available to use. Hopefully some nice person here can just confirm that this would be the same for affiliate weeks once they are enrolled in the Club (I know a lot of owners at this resort have not enrolled and just use their weeks, but I plan on enrolling it for full HGVC access).

I am about 1/2 way through the rules document now and will plan on reading it 3-4 times as suggested and also keep it handy for reference!

 

[Great3]

Thanks for the welcome! Upon further on-line research, I found and have been able to download a copy of the "Hilton Grand Vacations Club Rules" dated January 1,2015 and have started to read it. I think my question may have been answered on page 3 in looking at the Resort Reservation Cancellation Chart which indicates a Home Week (including Fixed/Event Weeks) reservation may be cancelled at 31 days or more and incur no penalty. I assume this would then mean the points would then be available to use. Hopefully some nice person here can just confirm that this would be the same for affiliate weeks once they are enrolled in the Club (I know a lot of owners at this resort have not enrolled and just use their weeks, but I plan on enrolling it for full HGVC access).

I am about 1/2 way through the rules document now and will plan on reading it 3-4 times as suggested and also keep it handy for reference!

Can you post the link to the rule book you are talking about if you have it handy. I still need to search and find an updated 2015, so if you can share, that would be great.

I don't know the answer for sure to your question, since I am fairly new to HGVC also (got full access Nov. last year), but from my several months of reading on TUG here before purchasing, my understanding of what I remember reading, is that for affiliates resorts enrolled in HGVC, you can cancel your home week, and you will get the underlying base points, 7,000 pts in this case, for use in 2015. Once you have points, all normal rules apply, use it all in 2015, or pay to rescue (bank) it into 2016.

Hope that helps a little bit, and that others will confirm. And yes, congrats, I do think you got a great deal, and I would that that same deal in a heartbeat if it was available and offered to me .

Great3

 

[ConejoRed]

Here is the link I was able to download it from:

http://www.hgvclubprogram.com/content/1Rules-ENG-Rev010715.pdf

 

[jonevans]

Craigendarroch lodge users manule

I think the question is where is a users guide to Craigendarroch lodge?

The purchase is for a Craigendarroch ( this is a afiliate resort right) but you elect to pay to make it like a HGVC unit. So you must first elect, pay, then deposit, to make a 7000 point unit is my beliefe but i am not a affiliate owner and each affiliate could be different?

Need to call Craigendarroch and get owners / users manal from them


But i dont know the answer but good to know that you and other owners on TUG will be at least answering this soon

 

[Blues]

Wow, you got a terrific deal! Congratulations.

I own at Craigendarroch. I've always made sure to call HGVC before the start of the year to convert my fixed week to points. I used to also call Craigendarroch, but they told me that it's up to HGVC to do the conversion; there's nothing that they can do. So as I said, I always call in December, but I really don't know if that's required. Did you buy directly from HIGVC? If so, ask your sales person.

You're correct that you only need to pay the HGVC membership fee; not the HIGVC fee.

Enjoy your ownership!

Bob

ETA - I've never seen a users guide for Craigendarroch.

 

[ConejoRed]

Blues,

Thank you for the information. I just spoke with the broker I am working with and she spoke to Scotland and they did confirm that as long as I cancel the fixed reservation more than 31 days out, it will then revert to the points. She also confirmed that the Club fee would be the lower US fee. I did not purchase though HIGVC but found a listing through a TS Resale Broker searching specifically for this resort (could have also gotten a 1 bedroom fixed week 5 free from the same owner as well, but the points to MF ratio was not that favorable so I passed on that one). Closing is going quickly it seems as apparently there is no "deed" involved but something called a in perpetuity "Holiday Certificate" (confirmed that it was not RTU with an end date) and just needs to be transferred to my name and then all of the HGVC setup needs to be completed etc. which will probably be the longest part of the transfer time.

While it is only an HGVC managed affiliate resort vs. an HGVC developed resort week which could potentially carry some risk of non-affiliation in the future, given that HGVC just developed the Hotel part into HGVC Craigendarroch Suites, I think the risk of the Lodges going their separate ways to be almost nil so it made the decision to purchase this particular affiliate week an easy one.

I am very excited about all the new flexibility I will have with this purchase (although we will still enjoy using the Marriott system we have as well as it has given us some great trades)!

 

[Xpat]

Wow, you got a terrific deal! Congratulations.

I own at Craigendarroch. I've always made sure to call HGVC before the start of the year to convert my fixed week to points. I used to also call Craigendarroch, but they told me that it's up to HGVC to do the conversion; there's nothing that they can do. So as I said, I always call in December, but I really don't know if that's required. Did you buy directly from HIGVC? If so, ask your sales person.

You're correct that you only need to pay the HGVC membership fee; not the HIGVC fee.

Enjoy your ownership!

Bob

ETA - I've never seen a users guide for Craigendarroch.

Bob, do you own both Craigendarroch and US resorts in the same account and pay only one HGVC membership fee? I remember reading an old thread where it was mentioned that Craigendarroch points had to first go to a separate HGVC account and could then be combined into the account holding the US week(s). This made we wonder if owners of US and Scottish weeks had to pay two membership fees.

 

[ConejoRed]

Received notice from the closing company that the transfer was completed and that they were disbursing funds to the seller. A few days ago HGVC charged my card for the $140 Club dues and the membership transfer fee, but I have not seen a charge for the $250 enrollment fee yet. Should I be contacting HGVC to finish the process and get my account set up and the week enrolled? I did try to use my current Hilton Honors number to see if I could create one myself, but that did not work. What is the best number to contact them at regarding the last steps of the transfer and account setup completed if that is the case?

Thanks! I am looking forward to working with what appears to be a great point based system to compliment my Marriott weeks! Also liking that I have a fixed platinum week that has an automatic reservation each year and I just need to then cancel that if I want the points! No 12 month out reservation stress this way .

 

[Bill4728]

I'm asking this not to muddy the water but what you're talking about is not what I thought I knew about the Scotland resorts.

I thought all the Hilton resorts in Europe where HIGVC not HGVC and although there was some affiliation between HIGVC and HGVC I thought that they were not the same company. But you seems to be saying that they are.

I would have imagined that the rules for HIGVC are different from HGVC rules just like the rules for the Hilton resorts in NYC are different than the rules for the other HGVC resorts.

 

[buzglyd]

Bob, do you own both Craigendarroch and US resorts in the same account and pay only one HGVC membership fee? I remember reading an old thread where it was mentioned that Craigendarroch points had to first go to a separate HGVC account and could then be combined into the account holding the US week(s). This made we wonder if owners of US and Scottish weeks had to pay two membership fees.

That's the case with my Seapointe and Waikoloa accounts. I have separate account numbers and call HGVC and have the points moved from one to the other.

I do NOT have to pay two annual fees.

 

[ConejoRed]

It is my understanding that HGVC membership is based on where the owner resides and not where the actual property is located. This was asked and confirmed during the closing process. I was only charged the US resident rate of $140 not the International resident rate.

 

[Xpat]

That's the case with my Seapointe and Waikoloa accounts. I have separate account numbers and call HGVC and have the points moved from one to the other.

I do NOT have to pay two annual fees.

Thanks for the info. I have called two of the Scottish Hilton resorts and they have also confirmed that it will be two separate account numbers but one club fee.

Some points of interest I was able to gather from talking to the Hilton sales offices:
- weeks can be converted to points as early as January 1st one year before use year and as late as 31 days before check-in date
- the transfer fee is £180 and does not involve a deed but a certificate of ownership (in perpetuity)
- electricity is not included in the maintenance fees but charged to guests at the end of stay. This should benefit owners who exchange to points.

I am currently closing on a platinum week at Craigendarroch to supplement my Las Vegas strip week. Like ConejoRed I think that Hilton completing the conversion of the on site hotel into timeshare units is a good sign that Craigendarroch will remain a Hilton-branded, HGVC affiliate for the foreseeable future. It also removes the risk of rate increases for the services provided by the hotel - I think this has been an issue at a couple of Marriott timeshares attached to Marriott hotels.

 

[ConejoRed]

jpl88,

Great to know that that weeks can be converted up to one year before use year! I would expect you would have to do something like that if you wanted to borrow points from the next year but it is good to know for sure that it is allowed. Did you happen to ask if maintenance fees have to be pre-paid to use a future year? The fact that there is no deed involved makes the transfer process very easy (and short!).

Thanks!

 

[Xpat]

jpl88,

Great to know that that weeks can be converted up to one year before use year! I would expect you would have to do something like that if you wanted to borrow points from the next year but it is good to know for sure that it is allowed. Did you happen to ask if maintenance fees have to be pre-paid to use a future year? The fact that there is no deed involved makes the transfer process very easy (and short!).

Thanks!

I forgot to ask but hope to find out soon enough
I think you're going to love the flexibility of HGVC points to supplement your Marriott weeks.

 

[ConejoRed]

Thanks! I have read some affiliates require it and some do not so will need to find that one out (don't expect to need to do that for a couple of years).

We gave up waiting for Marriott to relent on allowing post DC resale weeks the opportunity to convert to points (even if it was conditioned on a trust purchase) but the fact that they do not yet give us a good excuse for not going to an owners update/sales presentation until they do. Our answer to the invitations are "we will come when you change your policy on post DC resale weeks" and leave it at that. After a lot of research here on TUG, it was clear that Hilton treated their resale owners the best of all of the brand timeshares and was the very flexible.

 

[hyperjewl]

Thanks! I have read some affiliates require it and some do not so will need to find that one out (don't expect to need to do that for a couple of years).

We gave up waiting for Marriott to relent on allowing post DC resale weeks the opportunity to convert to points (even if it was conditioned on a trust purchase) but the fact that they do not yet give us a good excuse for not going to an owners update/sales presentation until they do. Our answer to the invitations are "we will come when you change your policy on post DC resale weeks" and leave it at that. After a lot of research here on TUG, it was clear that Hilton treated their resale owners the best of all of the brand timeshares and was the very flexible.

I was just reading through your post. It's been a long time now, I was wondering how you've enjoyed your Scotland ownership with HGVC? I'm looking at various resale options to add to a weeks TS we have with RCI and I was curious about this as an option. Have you found the maintenance fees to be lower? Also, did you work through a broker or go direct?

 

[ConejoRed]

Currently the maintenance fee is one of the lowest due to the favorable exchange rate. It was a under $800 this year. We have not actually stayed at the lodge we own, but did stay in the Suites last summer and it was very nice. I found the week on one of the online resale site and it was a very easy transfer as it does not involve a deed, but an inperputity holiday certifcate for the week. It is a fixed week which is nice as it is booked automatically, but we have not used the actual week and just convert it to points which is simple. Since HGVC develpoed the Suites, I don't foresee the Lodges not being a part of HGVC any time soon so the fact that the Lodges is just an "affiliate" is not concerning to us at all. They do have an owner site that has resale listings and you may want to start there at http://www.craigendarroch.co.uk/sale.htm. It's ended up to be a very inexpensive way to acquire 7,000 annual points when all said and done for us.

 

[Mosescan]

I was just reading through your post. It's been a long time now, I was wondering how you've enjoyed your Scotland ownership with HGVC? I'm looking at various resale options to add to a weeks TS we have with RCI and I was curious about this as an option. Have you found the maintenance fees to be lower? Also, did you work through a broker or go direct?

If you're still in the market, I purchased 2 units direct from HGVC Craigendarroch lodges this winter. They actually broker resales for their owners there and so I was able to pick up 2 x 9600 point 3 BR Plus platinum weeks for 7950 pounds each. With exchange that's about $11200 US each. Maintenance fees are 868 pounds or about $1200. The best part is, even though they are resales, because they are brokered by HGVC they count towards elite status, so I was able to get elite status for resale prices. Win/Win.