Owners update at HGVC Palm Desert (Embarc). Easy meeting but confused.

[JohnnyO]

Our last owners update was at HGVC Palm Desert, which isn't available to us unless we upgraded to their "Embarc" HGVC resort group? This is where I'm confused. Isn't HGVC Palm Desert an Embarc resort which used to be part of DRI and only available via HGVMax? We don't want Max at all. The sales person said they had limited deeded property which are 'Embarc' that they have saved for some buyers. Now I've read that Embarc was a trust? Anyway I didn't want to belabor the point as we wanted out of there and I had not read up thoroughly on TUG about Embarc or HGVC Palm Desert. We stayed at Palm Canyon (DRI/MAX) on a 3 night trip at no cost with owner update. This was part of our tour incentive we got when we toured last year at Elara. Palm Canyon is old and mediocre and we expected the Max sales pitch at their preview center only to find out at the last minute our tour was at HGVC Palm Desert.

It was a pleasant owners update with no sales pressure at all and no closers. The sales person was very nice and seemed informative. I explained to him it was nice that HGVC actually made an upgraded acquisition (Embarc properties) instead of the downgrade of DRI and Bluegreen. I told him straight up Max was a downgrade and that we aren't interested in their resorts nor losing our Legacy Elite status to join Max. He agreed with me and when he looked up our account status (Affiliate Legacy Elite via Marbrisa before HGVC bought out Marbrisa) he outright said DO NOT get rid of what we have as it is deeded, has a lower maintenance fee basis and the Elite Status. He did recommend the only way to move into their upgraded "Embarc HGVC" resorts would be to buy it separately from what we own and to not combine it. He basically thanked us for our information and sent us on our way. Maybe 45 minutes. He knew we weren't going to buy since 99% of our timeshare portfolio is resale.

Now I hear about this "Free Max" ... yikes ... We don't even want it free if it screws up what we already have. So far it has not been offered to us.

 

[ForeverJetsetting]

He agreed with me and when he looked up our account status (Affiliate Legacy Elite via Marbrisa before HGVC bought out Marbrisa) he outright said DO NOT get rid of what we have as it is deeded, has a lower maintenance fee basis and the Elite Status. He did recommend the only way to move into their upgraded "Embarc HGVC" resorts would be to buy it separately from what we own and to not combine it. He basically thanked us for our information and sent us on our way. Maybe 45 minutes. He knew we weren't going to buy since 99% of our timeshare portfolio is resale.

During out update @ Elara (12/22) the sales person said Max was supposed to get access to Embarc as well. That basically all the new acquisition were supposed to be accessible with Max. Who knows, he is a salesman.

He also told me what a great deal my deeds are and not to give them up and buy more instead.

 

[GT75]

Don't buy Max for Embarc access because very few Embarc members are in Max. That means that there will be very little Embarc inventory available in the HgvMax exchange system. This is also consistent with what has been reported by HgvMax members. I have found good inventory available in the DEX exchange system currently. This may change in the future. So getting into DEX exchange via a Scotland Criag Lodge or another means.

 

[ForeverJetsetting]

So getting into DEX exchange via a Scotland Criag Lodge or another means.

Hi have been hearing about DEX exchange a lot... is it just a work around to get into the DRI/BG/Embarc resorts or are there other properties in there as well?

 

[GT75]

is it just a work around to get into the DRI/BG/Embarc resorts or are there other properties in there as well?

No, it isn't a workaround, and I don't know of any BG resorts listed. DEX was a Diamond exchange system before the merger so that is why the former Embarc properties are in the exchange system. There are other non-DRI resorts in the exchange. I am more focused on the former Embarc properties correctly because I know the quality is similar to HGVC. I haven't stayed at any of these properties yet using this exchange system, but that will soon change. Another option with this exchange system is xtra vacations (probably similar to RCI last calls). You have the option (assuming availability) to book using cash. I observed good availability in the former DRI properties drivable from my location. I would use that option for those locations if I could fit them into my schedule.

The other interesting thing is that we are now seeing the current Legacy HGVC properties listed in xtra vacations (We don't see the Legacy HGVC listed {except those included in the program such as Craig} in the normal availability search). I haven't seen any availability yet so I have no idea of what HGV long-term plans are for this exchange system.

 

[GT75]

Looking again at the OPs thread title ("Easy meeting but confused"), I would say that this is part of HGV overall strategy. Keep everyone confused. If it isn't part of their strategy then sales are certainly exploring the situation to the maximum. The last individual that I would recommend to ask for advice is someone in HGV sales.

 

[cd5]

Glad you're a knowledgeable owner. They lie or invent things when they don't know. Glad it wasn't a hard-sell one but much of what you're usually told at these is untrue. You are correct, Embarc doesn't have any deeded properties. Max IS a downgrade (for Embarc members too) because most of what you could get is Diamond, (HVC), which is not same tier as HGVC.
DEX, for now, has lots of Embarc but that will diminish substantially after 2025 since a lot of the Extraordinary ESCAPES (EE) Legacy & 2.0 deposits made because of covid expire, and members opt out of EE. Hilton has cut back on the extras included in EE since the introduction of Max and is letting even those in the "mandatory" 2.0 version get out with little trouble (because they want to sell them Max). Members are opting out because DEX is substantially more expensive to use than Interval or SFX Resorts (our other choices). DEX costs more in points for the same trade, more in annual membership fees, more in exchange & transaction charges etc, etc.
All that to say, many Embarc members are just waiting to drop it once they have used up their deposits. So if one is thinking of buying a Hilton property to get DEX, and specifically to go to Embarc - this is not going to be the best way to get access from 26-27 on.

 

[ForeverJetsetting]

Thank you @GT75 & @cd5 ! I tried looking up their resorts list yesterday and kept getting redirected to HGVCs homepage. Was hoping for some higher quality resorts than the RCI ones HGVC allows us to search.