Owner Update and HGV Max

[brp]

Wonder if already paying bHC AI gets grandfathered access? Probably wishful thinking but would love to have some HGV recognition for higher bHC costs. Plus it would support the bHC brand promise of a higher tier.

Well, for those of us with resale bHC paying the bHC AI fee, pretty sure we're not getting access to anything except the already-included removal of fees and bHC windows. No DRI for us.

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

I think the $281 is the new MAX club fee. On the FB page a link has been posted to a Club Reference page that indicates the new fee’s, including a $7,000 initiation fee to join MAX without a points purchase. If this is accurate, and I have no reason to believe it isn’t, I can feel secure passing on future owner updates. If I want a particular resorts in DRI, I’ll pick up enough DRI trust points on the resale market and get the 13 month booking window instead of the 6 month booking window for HVC properties afforded by MAX.

That makes sense for the $281. He said that we would pay the difference between the $281 and the current club fee this year. So, I assume, just the $281 moving forward for folks in Max.


That is interesting for the $7,000 because he clearly said and wrote down the $50k and no deeds. You would just buy points moving forward and not get deeds. So maybe he meant after the grand father and buying into Max...

 

[HuskerATL]

That $7000 number is correct. Here is a screenshot of the reference page from my account.View attachment 50833

Here’s another statement from the reference page about resale.

View attachment 50837

Does this mean if you own resale you can’t be part of HGVMax or does it mean the purchase doesn’t qualify?

To me, it doesn’t matter. We won’t buy from the developer nor will we pay $7000 to join. I’m really disappointed in HGV, but not surprised. The desire to soak owners for even more money is too great. There will be plenty of people who will join and they will make their money, but all of the speculation a year ago was correct, this merger is a negative for many owners.

He did say once you are in Max, you can buy resale to add to your point total but that didn't seem to align to what you posted.

 

[HuskerATL]

Just a guess but I’d read it and the fee schedule above to read that if you’re a retail owner you pay $7000 to get in. If you’re all resale you need to buy a deed from them to be eligible?

Im at a resort now and all retail. There was a 30k point Hilton offer on my reservation page prior to coming but we haven’t been contacted yet. Our check in was at 3am Sun am so that might play into that. Im not too interested in going to one at the moment but will update if I do get invited and go.

He did comment to me that the only reason that we were having this discussion was because we had the Tuscany that was bought directly from them. If we only had the resale Blvds, they wouldn't have the meeting. So, you need to have a developer purchase to have the meeting but they will "upgrade" resales in that meeting.

 

[HuskerATL]

That’s how I read it. Resale owners can’t join or need to purchase a developer deed to play. If this is the case, will they close the Scotland loophole?

I asked about Scotland and he didn't have a good answer about that. He has worked for them for 19 years and acted like that was a new conversation so, I think that is a good loophole but will also depend on if you want to be Elite and if the point totals get you there.

 

[HuskerATL]

Or do the Scotland / SW FL purchases count as "retail", since you are buying through a HGV agent? After all, they did count toward Elite and Elite qualification only counts retail-only purchases.

Kurt

It sounded like it did from my conservation with him. Because, I said, "why pay $25k when I can buy a nice chunk of points for about $8k from Scotland". He said it would work but then I would have 4 MFs and that we should think long term than short.

 

[HuskerATL]

I think the $281 is the new MAX club fee. On the FB page a link has been posted to a Club Reference page that indicates the new fee’s, including a $7,000 initiation fee to join MAX without a points purchase. If this is accurate, and I have no reason to believe it isn’t, I can feel secure passing on future owner updates. If I want a particular resorts in DRI, I’ll pick up enough DRI trust points on the resale market and get the 13 month booking window instead of the 6 month booking window for HVC properties afforded by MAX.
[/QUOT

If you are Elite, you can get 10 month reservation window though but not as far out as DRI

 

[HuskerATL]

Exa

Marriott "lite"?

Exactly. They are restructuring to be points based instead of deeds. The new Chief Innovation Officer came from Marriott and the sales person commented that they are following the Marriott model moving forward.

 

[escanoe]

I suspect over time they will remove the AI option for bHC and go for an upsell on HGV Max.

bHC fees are not additive to Club fees. Since HGV Max is included in the bHC AI fee, it appears that those paying bHC fees are already paying for this.

Wonder if already paying bHC AI gets grandfathered access? Probably wishful thinking but would love to have some HGV recognition for higher bHC costs. Plus it would support the bHC brand promise of a higher tier.

IMO...I am glad they are putting things in writing. The "mays" are probably legalese. Just as MVC painfully learned about mandatory resale Vistana in deeds, I believe they are careful of avoiding lock-in and providing options for future program enhancements. I imagine that Club rules have similar wording.

 

[brp]

I suspect over time they will remove the AI option for bHC and go for an upsell on HGV Max.

Definitely a possibility, albeit an unpleasant one. I hope that they'll let HGVC-only folks stay as is and we just don't get to play in the DRI pool via the combined program.

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

The other selling point for Max that he pushed was the extra buying power from the HGVC side for DRI properties. The example that he gave was our 2 Blvd 5,000 properties that would yield about 14 nights per year. In Max and using DRI properties, we would get an additional 9 days per year due to the 1.6x point bump for HGV owners.

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

Exactly. They are restructuring to be points based instead of deeds. The new Chief Innovation Officer came from Marriott and the sales person commented that they are following the Marriott model moving forward.

It will be most interesting for the affiliates. The affiliates have the ROFR, not HGVC. Unlike Marriott, which had no affiliates. Bay Club, in particular has a longer non HGVC booking window for non-HGVC owners. 12+ months to 23 months. (Booking is open in December for the <next> year, which means a window of up to a year (depending) before the "home week" HGVC window.)

 

[CalGalTraveler]

The other selling point for Max that he pushed was the extra buying power from the HGVC side for DRI properties. The example that he gave was our 2 Blvd 5,000 properties that would yield about 14 nights per year. In Max and using DRI properties, we would get an additional 9 days per year due to the 0.6x point bump for HGV owners.

So can we assume that the new 1.6x points values match to DRI points? If so what does a week in prime season at the following resorts cost in new HGVC points?

KBC
Point@Poipu
Cabo Azul
Sedona Summit
Tahoe

 

[HuskerATL]

It will be most interesting for the affiliates. The affiliates have the ROFR, not HGVC. Unlike Marriott, which had no affiliates. Bay Club, in particular has a longer non HGVC booking window for non-HGVC owners. 12+ months to 23 months. (Booking is open in December for the <next> year, which means a window of up to a year (depending) before the "home week" HGVC window.)

They did say that existing deeds will not be impacted but new people would be points not deeds. I assume non-HGVC affiliate owners will be business as usual with options to buy in.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

They did say that existing deeds will not be impacted but new people would be points not deeds. I assume non-HGVC affiliate owners will be business as usual with options to buy in.

Well if that isn't an incentive to buy resale weeks. We won't buy trust points - don't trust them - not protected under state real estate laws. Allows for too many games.

 

[HuskerATL]

So can we assume that the new 1.6x points values match to DRI points? If so what does a week in prime season at the following resorts cost in new HGVC points?

KBC
Point@Poipu
Cabo Azul
Sedona Summit
Tahoe

I asked that question and he said no and that we would have more buying power in DRI due to the increase, hence the 9 more nights per year if you use DRI instead of HGVC in Max. I have not stayed in a DRI property so I can't speak to the cost comparison in points.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I asked that question and he said no and that we would have more buying power in DRI due to the increase, hence the 9 more nights per year if you use DRI instead of HGVC in Max. I have not stayed in a DRI property so I can't speak to the cost comparison in points.

Thanks. Sound like salesman double-speak. Maybe 9 more nights in a dumpy resort? We need to understand the trading ratios for the key resorts.

 

[HuskerATL]

And some changes in the HH conversion to 1 to 16 except a few resorts that are 1 to 32.

 

[brp]

And some changes in the HH conversion to 1 to 16 except a few resorts that are 1 to 32.

That just accounts for the 60% increase in points. Net HH points are still the same before and after.

Cheers.

 

[letsgobobby]

:We need to understand the trading ratios for the key resorts.

That, and a lot more before I'd give them even $700 much less $7000 (plus I'm resale only so my guess is they try to get me to change out my Lagoon and Marbrisa for an overpriced developer week at Grand Islander for the privilege).

I'm perfectly happy with what I have, didn't expect and don't need access to Embarc or other DRI certainly not going to switch to retail prices to do it. So far it looks like they're not going to mess with the current program too much and that's the most important thing.

 

[HuskerATL]

That just accounts for the 60% increase in points. Net HH points are still the same before and after.

Cheers.

They showed me the before and after and they are close but not exact

 

[magmue]

what does a week in prime season at the following resorts cost in new HGVC points?

KBC
Point@Poipu
Cabo Azul
Sedona Summit
Tahoe

Pulled this from the TUG DRI sub-forum - it's the membership guide to Destination Exchange: "For North American Traditional Deeded Week Owners"

 

[bizaro86]

It sounded like it did from my conservation with him. Because, I said, "why pay $25k when I can buy a nice chunk of points for about $8k from Scotland". He said it would work but then I would have 4 MFs and that we should think not long term than short.

I would encourage people not to do this.

If enough people tell sales they aren't buying because cheap Scotland resales count, HGVC will kneecap that in some way.

 

[magmue]

So Point at Poipu for example, where we recently purchased a week. If I am understanding correctly, a deeded owner at another DRI resort who wants to trade in to Point at Poipu either needs to have the same "tier" deed, or pay an upgrade fee in addition to the exchange fee.

 

[IAMBIGK]

Who is this Max guy everyone is talking about?

Seriously though...my concern is what happens to a newly built property by Hilton? Does that property go under the New Max Program and only Max Owners will have access? Or does that go into the HGVC Program? Basically...are CURRENT HGVC Members stuck forever with only the current properties as of today? Or will they continue to add properties? Is Max just an added benefit similar to the Elite Benefits or is this a totally new program and the "Legacy HGVC Members" are being phased out?