No Club fee for new reservations

[Mcduck]

So I just received an e-mail and thought I would share. They are waiving club booking fee's

April 6, 2020

Dear Club Members,

I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones in good health. As we each face challenges relating to COVID-19, I want to reassure you that we are assessing every day how we can best support you during these uncertain times. We are diligently working on adjusting the Club program, and we continue to modify our policies to provide enhanced vacation flexibility.

In my last email, I introduced revisions to our Bonus Points and Saved Points programs. We also extended our penalty-free cancellation policy for confirmed reservations through May 31, 2020. We hope that with each of these steps, you feel encouraged about your future travel options with Hilton Grand Vacations. With today’s news, I hope to expand on that sentiment.

Plan Forward
Through your Club membership, you’ve invested in a lifetime of travel. You are part of a group that thrives on accessing all the world has to offer. Now, as we all support the effort to flatten the curve by staying home, we wanted to provide you with some hope, a little light to look forward to at the end of this long tunnel.

Starting now through May 31, 2020, Club Members can book a 2020 or 2021 reservation online at any HGV property and pay no transaction fees. You already know that reservations at all HGV properties are changeable, offering you the flexibility to reschedule with ease. We now want to implement the added bonus to dream and book your next vacation now. Our wish is that you’ll use this opportunity to dream about all the places you want to go and start planning how you’ll reclaim your travel freedom. To take advantage of this offer, you must book your stay via the Club website or HGV mobile app only.

Dream Big
I hope that when booking, you’ll dream big and take advantage of the available inventory in locations that are historically hard to find. As I draft this letter, we have accommodations on The Big Island of Hawaii available December 19-26, and Fourth of July weekend is still open in Washington D.C. Additional, available inventory includes Thanksgiving week in Orlando, as well as New Year’s in Las Vegas.

As you consider your options, you’ll want to pick a travel distance that feels most comfortable to you. With gas prices so low, a road trip might be your preferred option. Or, today’s reduced airfares might broaden your horizons. I admit it’s hard to sell the advantages of travel when so many of us currently feel safest at home. But things will eventually change, and I want you to consider all your travel possibilities when these changes finally come.

Return Home
While we have temporarily suspended operations at most locations, our commitment to you remains the same. We are focused on keeping all locations ready for your arrival, implementing additional steps to ensure a safe environment once you return, including sanitizing and deep-cleaning. And, when this period of self-isolation is over, I encourage you to return to the places you love. Our Team Members will be eagerly waiting for your arrival, and even depend on your return.

During times like this, it can be hard to focus on the future. But I encourage each of you to imagine your future travels and rest assured that when you’re ready to return to an HGV resort, we’ll be ready for you.

Sincerely,

Stan Soroka
Chief Customer Officer
Hilton Grand Vacations

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Clearly trying to motivate people to book.. The fee was not holding me back, but certainly always happy to see HGV adapt to the changing environment.

 

[ski_sierra]

It would be interesting to see the effect of no reservation fee on inventory. I own Worldmark points and they have no reservation fees plus seamless borrowing and saving. People make lots of speculative bookings and availability is much worse than HGVC. My guess is high season availability for HGVC is going to get really bad for 2021.

 

[brp]

Now I feel cheated. I paid an extra $129 with my W. 57th dues for the No Reservation Fee option, now y'all are getting it for free

Cheers.

 

[Talent312]

But there's no where to go.
,

 

[alwysonvac]

If you’re going somewhere next year, you can make your placeholder reservation now and change it later

 

[SmithOp]

I have a November reservation we hope to keep, would be nice to get a credit back. I’ll probably make a 2021 res as a free placeholder as suggested.


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[dayooper]

I just did. Made a 3 night reservation from Jan 4-7 (the 7th is 276 days out).

 

[SmithOp]

I just did. Made a 3 night reservation from Jan 4-7 (the 7th is 276 days out).

Lol, I booked 2, WTH free cancellations.


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[CalGalTraveler]

@brp no need to feel cheated. It's only good until May 31 so only takes bookings to 9 months later to Feb 2021. Heavy travel demand will start in mid to late 2021 as this pandemic subsides and you will continue to have free speculative bookings for that.

 

[SmithOp]

@brp no need to feel cheated. It's only good until May 31 so only takes bookings to 9 months later to Feb 2021. Heavy travel demand will start in mid to late 2021 as this pandemic subsides and you will continue to have free speculative bookings for that.

Ah but reservations are changeable, so we can move out our free ones to any date in 2021.


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[ski_sierra]

Ah but reservations are changeable, so we can move out our free ones to any date in 2021.


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That's a fantastic idea. I plan to make 3 total reservations for 2021 so I will put placeholder reservations for Jan and Feb and move them out if I don't plan to use them!

 

[SteelerGal]

Now I just need to find dates in San Diego that doesn’t eat all our points.

 

[dayooper]

That's a fantastic idea. I plan to make 3 total reservations for 2021 so I will put placeholder reservations for Jan and Feb and move them out if I don't plan to use them!

That’s what we did. Just as a way to get a free reservation.

 

[DK3]

This is so much better than Hyatt. Hyatt is offering a no cancellation fee policy but not refunding fees for making reservations or for guest certificates. To make a new reservation, a new fee has to be paid and will be lost again if that reservation needs to be cancelled.

 

[alwysonvac]

Now I just need to find dates in San Diego that doesn’t eat all our points.

If you’re talking about a placeholder reservation for 2021, it can be any resort that supports the changeable reservation option. You’ll just need to change it later to your desired resort and travel dates.

Here’s what I reserved earlier when I read the announcement. It doesn’t eat up my points .

 

[Nomad420]

So given the recent email I tried booking late in 2021 and couldn't. Only 12 month out so to April was allowed. I misinterpreted the email thinking you could book throughout 2021 as if they were extending the booking window as well. Just FYI for fools like me.

 

[GT75]

Only 12 month out so to April was allowed

Only 9 months out is allowed or through early January.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I have a November reservation we hope to keep, would be nice to get a credit back. I’ll probably make a 2021 res as a free placeholder as suggested.


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You make a good point. Perhaps I should call guest services and ask if bHC owners who paid for free reservations will get a refund on the $120 fee.

 

[dayooper]

So given the recent email I tried booking late in 2021 and couldn't. Only 12 month out so to April was allowed. I misinterpreted the email thinking you could book throughout 2021 as if they were extending the booking window as well. Just FYI for fools like me.

Just make a 3 day booking in January (a checkout day January 8th is at the 276 day mark for today) and move it later.

 

[tombanjo]

I doubt anyone will be getting cash back. Since the Home Booking is "free" - but may not be possible based on closures, it makes sense to not charge people for what was a single reservation if their resort is not open. For probably the majority of users, they will make a single, 1 week, reservation. Obviously there are people with multiple properties who never once have used their home week and this is a bit of a windfall, but overall, I think the loss of a bit of a perk for bHC owners is made up for by the fact that HGVC seems to have the best interest of the majority of it's owners as a priority

 

[brp]

For probably the majority of users, they will make a single, 1 week, reservation.

Given the point flexibility of HGVC, I would not expect this to be the case. Then again, anyone here is not the normal owner

Cheers.

 

[mogulman]

So, I apologize in advance if this is a 'stupid question'....
Background: If I wish to take advantage of free reservations outside of my home week, I have until May 31. I've read from the above posts, a strategy is to make 'placeholder' reservations now and then move or cancel them at a later date (presumably when I would really like to travel, which is beyond my current 9 month cub reservation window).
Question: If I am planning three trips beyond the present nine month window, should I make three placeholder reservations all within the present 9 month window? (Actual length of the stays doesn't really matter, as long as I'm below my total available points.) When my travel plans come into more focus in the future months (and before the placeholders), I could always cancel one (or more) of the three place holders and combine them into one or two separate vacations... It seems after May 31, you could always "cancel" the placeholders and move these stays into available dates into 'real confirmations' after May 31, without any fees. However, if you don't do anything a club reservation will cost you $$ in reservation costs after May 31.

I'm thinking this is the case, but wanted to confirm. Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[GT75]

should I make three placeholder reservations all within the present 9 month window?

Yes to all of your questions. Post #17 above by @alwysonvac gives a good recommendation which doesn't eat many points.

 

[Mcduck]

Sadly it looks like they took the florida affiliates out of the online booking with this promotion . You could still do the work around but they now are showing call in for booking.