It’s an old thread indeed, and I’m just seeing your new question on it now.
If you own just one deeded week on an annual basis, and you’re thinking of basically using two back-to-back weeks for vacation, then you really only have three options:
1. Book one week directly, and bank the other with an external exchange company (such as II or RCI) and hope to exchange back in to match with your booked dates. This cannot be done internally through the Shell system.
That has increasingly become difficult to get. Windham (who now owns RCI, Shell, and manages PG) controls the inventory quite tightly and limits the ratio of units that can be used by owners in the floating weeks system. It can work if you’re very flexible - say you booked a March week, but an external PG exchange match comes up for June… you could try changing your PG booking to June, based on availability with Shell. You should also consider a Kona Coast/PG split stay. I’ve also accepted exchanges for HGVC properties in Waikoloa resort (Kingsland, Kohala Suites) to get that extra week through an external exchange.
2. Since that scenario implies a PG vacation only every two years, consider finding a cheap every-other year week purchase. This is what I did. I decided to go with an ODD calendar year basis for Hawaii. If you buy one more week - say an Even week - then you can book one week in 2026 using your annual + a second week with your EVEN week. This works the best. Then you can deposit your annual 2027 week and exchange elsewhere, or try your chance for a 3rd week at PG.
3. Swap informally with another PG owner. I’ve done this through TUG successfully, but it implies trust from both parties and the willingness to work with each other over time. It means that you cannot deposit that other annual year for exchange, and must have it accessible for the swap.
I hope that you’ll get many years of great vacations at PG with your gift.
