Question re: Check-in Time.

[onenotesamba]

I'm not yet an owner, but I signed up for a promotional package at the Elara, and we're arriving later this week. (Basically, we get a room for three nights, dinner and a show, a $200 hotel voucher and some Hhonors points for $170, and in exchange for that, we have to listen to the pitch and say the words, "No thanks" for two hours. Then we come home and call Seth or Judi and buy it resale.).

Anyway.

In the materials that HGVC sent me, they say that the check-in time is 4 p.m. We're arriving earlier than that, and I'm wondering whether there's any possibility of latitude for a slightly earlier check-in. Does it even make sense to ask? Should I call in advance, or just take my chances? And if it's not a possibility, will they have a place where we can check our bags for a few hours?

 

[presley]

While I haven't stayed at Elara in particular, I've never known a Hilton that wouldn't store your bags. If you arrive early and they have a room open, they will check you in early. If not, they have still check you in, but you wouldn't have access to your room until the room was ready.

 

[onenotesamba]

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess that was my assumption, since they sell rooms as a hotel inventory on the regular Hilton website, but since it's my first time out, I just wasn't sure.

Thanks again.

 

[NJD42]

It does help to call ahead and let them know when you are arriving. I arrived at the Elara around 10 am and they checked me in and stored my bags. We did not get into the room until about 2.30.
Because I was going to the presentation as a trial member, they insisted on waiting until a room with a great view was available.
Enjoy your stay, the presentation will be a hard sell, but just tell them you like the system and plan on buying resale for about 20% of their offering price.

 

[Talent312]

BTW, in the fine print there's a clause which says: "Whenever I use the phase, 'no thanks' or 'not interested,' it shall be interpreted to mean, 'I am really interested in buying the worst point-package for the most money, and you may continue to harass me for an additional 30 minutes.'"

About the best you can do is pick out a decent watering hole where you can go after the session to decompress. Two or three margaritas will help you recover.
.

 

[Blues]

My experience with HGVC, and yes I've stayed at Elara once, but usually at Flamingo, is this. For check-in times, they operate very similarly to a hotel. If they happen to have a room already cleaned of the type you've reserved, they'll check you in. If they don't, you may have to wait until 4pm. I've gotten in as early as just after lunch, but more often have had to wait until 4. The suites are pretty large and take a while to clean, so they usually don't have a lot of rooms in advance of check-in time. But as noted above, you can always leave your bags while you wait. They all have secure bag check rooms.

 

[JSparling]

a $200 hotel voucher

Make sure you decide what brand (Hilton, Hampton, Homewood...) you want to use before you arrive. You have to declare what brand you are going to use your certificate at and it will only be valid at that brand.

They will let you check-in early if they have a room. But they won't promise anything until that day. Make sure you get a high floor. We were there on the same package and they put us on the 4th floor before I said something and was pushy. So we ended up on the 20-something floor with an incredible view.

 

[FatPedro]

We've checked in as early as 7AM at a sold out Sea World (someone booked and didn't show up apparently so we got the room).

As fellow Tuggers mentioned, as long as a room in your reserved category is available, they'll check you in early. Whenever we've had an early morning checkout, we usually wave bye to the housekeeping folks and I've seen them beeline it right away to get started (especially at Lagoon tower).

Hilton has always happily and securely stored our luggage for us. Some locations have hospitality suites for you to freshen up after your flight whilst waiting for your room - just ask them at the check in counter. Locations that did not have hospitality suites allowed us into the gym to use the change facilities there. They have been very accommodating on both arrival and departure days for us every time.

At W57, we were given an option of taking the first available room on a lower floor, or wait a bit longer for one on a higher floor. DH preferred a higher floor so they took our cell number and called us when the room was ready.

 

[tompalm]

They will probably have a room available when you check in if you are willing to take any room on any floor. But, I recommend you request a room on the upper floor and wait as long as needed. They will probably give you priority because they want you to buy a membership. So play the game that you really like HGVC and want to buy right up until your tour starts.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

We were at the Elara last week, and think we got to the resort about 2:30 and they had both of our rooms available.

But like any hotel, that will depend on how busy the resort is.