Possible Hyatt Buy

[tarabell]

Is there anywhere to get all of the annual MF's for Hyatt resorts? I am trying to decide between Key West, Incline Village and Sedona. I am leaning towards Key West as I can get to Florida easier. I am aware that 2,000 or 2,200 points may be the minimum to do Hyatt right. I have also read all of the reviews and threads on the Key West resorts. Seems that most would rank them in the following order:

1.) Sunset Harbor
2.) Beach House
3.) Winward Pointe (mostly based on location)

Has anyone heard how aggressive Hyatt is on ROFR recently? I may join Hyatt owners soon.

Thanks,

 

[Carmel85]

Is there anywhere to get all of the annual MF's for Hyatt resorts? I am trying to decide between Key West, Incline Village and Sedona. I am leaning towards Key West as I can get to Florida easier. I am aware that 2,000 or 2,200 points may be the minimum to do Hyatt right. I have also read all of the reviews and threads on the Key West resorts. Seems that most would rank them in the following order:

1.) Sunset Harbor
2.) Beach House
3.) Winward Pointe (mostly based on location)

Has anyone heard how aggressive Hyatt is on ROFR recently? I may join Hyatt owners soon.

Thanks,

Sedona went lower this year. Hyatt Tahoe is 100% sold out so resale only, Tahoe HOA is run by the owners and not hyatt so they work very hard in keeping our MF's low.

I personally prefer Sedona and Tahoe over Florida because I never have to worry about the weather every year.

Buy for points because you will always be trading around with Hyatts great resorts, even at you home resort you probably will not be going the exact week you bought.

Hyatt Hyatt Hunting.

 

[sullco]

Hyatt Windward Pointe

Just returned from Key West--Windward Pointe was lovely. Suite was great--top floor with wide open view over pools toward ocean. Staff was good and we got more "tidy service" than I expected as an exchanger.

I met a HVC owner from NY who owns at one of the Colorado HVC properties and who had bought a Diamond Week at Windward Pointe. He was on his first visit to KW and said he had purchased for the points, but had to visit KW once.

Never saw him again after orientation though, but got the impression the price justified the purchase.

Overall impression of Windward Pointe was very positive--the requirement to get yourself into Old Town and other points of interest is no big deal compared to the relative peace and quiet of the WP location. Airport is no problem--the flights taking off from time to time just lent a little visual interest from the lanai.

 

[bdh]

Is there anywhere to get all of the annual MF's for Hyatt resorts? I am trying to decide between Key West, Incline Village and Sedona. I am leaning towards Key West as I can get to Florida easier. I am aware that 2,000 or 2,200 points may be the minimum to do Hyatt right. I have also read all of the reviews and threads on the Key West resorts. Seems that most would rank them in the following order:

1.) Sunset Harbor
2.) Beach House
3.) Winward Pointe (mostly based on location)

MF's for Beach House and Pinon Pointe are about the same at $875 - $900 (the actual price varies a little due to the increased property tax on the higher point value weeks). Sunset Harbor is around $1125. I haven't heard what the MF's for other properties are. Note that Pinon Point is in the last year of the developer's MF freeze - so I would expect it to change next year.

As far as KW properties go:

SH has the best location being 2 blocks from the happening end of Duval.
BH and WP have newer/sexier units.

While everyone has their own pros and cons as to which one is "the best" - the occupancy rate at SH dictates the HVC member preference (SH is always full while BH and WP are not).

The "rule of thumb" is that if you plan on using your home resort and week 50% of the time, then buy that resort and week - otherwise it doesn't matter where you own as "points are points" since you can exchange into any of the Hyatts if you have the points required. I've talked to BH owners that bought 10 years ago and have never stayed at BH - they always trade into SH. While BH typically has the lowest cost per point on the resale market, SH has an attraction and it constantly commands the highest price (and gets it) of the KW locations.

With the newer Hyatts coming online shortly, thats why the recommendation you hear/read is a min of 1880 and ideally 2000 or 2200.

 

[Kelsie]

We had 3 wks. at the BH. Wonderful view of the Gulf of Mexico.
We gave one to our daughter and she trades every year to go go skiing in Tahoe, and sold the other 2 a couple of years ago due to our relocation and loss of vacation time. We loved the BH due to its privacy and on the other side of the island. Once we did Mallory Sq. for the 1 st time, that was enough for us. SH to us is just ok, but if you want to be in the thick of everything, that is the place to be. WP-didn't care for it at all, it is right next to the airport.

 

[rach]

I would agree with the ranking. We recently did the promotional stay at Windward Pointe and despite the gorgeous suites would never consider purchasing there. Though the airport is not terribly busy it is quite loud when you are half asleep in the morning and it sounds like the plane is landing on the building! Also, Roosevelt Blvd. runs between the sea wall and the property so while it had an ocean view they neglect to mention that a reasonably busy road is part of the lovely view. We also stayed 3 days at Sunset Harbor and even though the rooms there are older and not as luxurious we preferred it to Windward Pointe. The location and view were much better. We visited the Beach House and preferred it to Windward Pointe but liked Sunset Harbour better due to location.

 

[sullco]

KW destinations

SH is claustrophobic, but if you want to be near the "action" all the time, choose it.

BH has direct water access, but because of the siting almost no water view from 90% of the condos.

WP has much more in the way of expansive water views--I can see that the airport could be an annoyance, but we didn't find that. Yes, the planes made some noise when taking off, but it didn't seem excessive. We were there New Year's Week and the pool area was chock full, but we didn't spend much time there. Unit was great, but so are BH units. SH had a refurbishment recently, but I didn't see units there this time.

Hyatt remains the class of the timeshare world, in my opinion.

 

[tarabell]

Thanks to all for posting information. Now it's time to begin hunting for good. I think I'll be patient as the economy doesn't appear as if it is going anywhere fast. I've had my eye on a couple of buys, but have been letting things sink in before I jump. I already own DVC and Wyndham, so Hyatt is more like the icing rather than the cake. I just need to figure out if I own too much time already

I think my biggest decision is between Gold and Platinum. DVC gives me about 2 weeks in a 2 bedroom , so it is good for family gatherings (kid's are basically both in college). I have enough Wyndham points for 2 weeks in prime season in a 1 bedrooms (about 10-11 days in 2bdr) My thought on Hyatt is that it would be used for just my wife and I. Seems a studio or 1 Bedroom would meet our needs, so 2200 seems like a lot of points for the additional resale purchase cost of gold vs platinum (even though MF's are about the same). I'm thinking of 1880 points and seeing how things go. Any and all comments appreciated.

 

[benjaminb13]

Since its just for you and your wife, Do you have have flexibility in travel times?

If so 1880 with Hyatt will go a long way

 

[tarabell]

Benjamin:

Yes, fortunately I have complete flexibility. The only time periods we can spend with the kids is Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is why we purchased DVC. Warm weather, fun place, cheap and easy to get to from anywhere.

The Wyndham buy was basically to fill in gaps in off-seasons. Maybe Destin in October for example, or using it on the front end at Disney (to avoid weekend DVC point costs).

I don't need additional time, but I think I can use it. I have become intrigued by Hyatt after exploring Starwood, HGVC and Marriott. When I compare all of things important to me, Hyatt seems a much better fit. The 1880 packages seem to be priced way more aggresively than the Diamond, and I generally won't use Hyatt at diamond time anyway. With resale prices where they are, the time seems to be now.

Thanks for your feedback

 

[benjaminb13]

If you want a week during prime time- Id say 2000-2200. Best deal for the dollar because you will pay the same MF no matter how many points you buy.

You are one of the lucky ones. Since you have flexibility - 1880 should go a long way. you can break your vacation out to 4,3 and 2 day stays if you like and have almost 2 weeks vac. Or of course each Hyatt resorts asks for different points. So you can fins sme great deals even during the holidays. For example you can get a week in Tahoe early June-for 1880, easter- 1400.

B4 long,You will be using the Hyatt more than you think

You can also trade through II- 1300 points almost always gets me a week on Marriott Newport Coast

 

[Kal]

My suggestion also is to look hard at the 1880 point weeks. But first do some serious "what-if" planning for actual periods of stay and resorts to see if 1880 works. Please be aware that in Key West, there are serious limitations on studio units. Windward Pointe and the Beach House are only 2 BR units which are not lock-outs. Sunset Harbor has the only studios but those are not very nice. No view and no veranda, but a very nice spa in each unit.

If 1880 points don't work, move up to 2000 but you won't get those at a bargain price.

 

[MaryH]

I think from what you described, i would seriously look at Gold 1880. The Gold price have become very attractive.

I was seriously in the process of buying Gold week Hyatt but ended up letting someone with a slightly prior claim take it. I looked at Hyatt seriously again in view of the fact that I ended up buying my sister out of her RHC points at her costs (1/2 of 90K or 45k for her share which typically gets me 2 more weeks) and decided that I have slightly too much time. I ended up going for a Silver 1400 point week instead for a lower price since when I did the calculations, it would take me about 12 years of M/F points differential to make up for the difference in purchase prices.

To be strickly honest, I can trade into Hyatt for lower than Hyatt M/F but like the flexibility of partial weeks versus exchanges into KW, etc. needing to be full weeks swing the scale to buying

 

[benjaminb13]

Hyatts in Colorado are pretty incredible. These are 100,000 resorts and you can access them with very little use of points - so long as you have the flexibility. ---O lucky one.