RCI or HGVC

[eileenie7]

My husband and I are trying to decide which timeshare company to purchase from. We have narrowed it down to RCI or HGVC and would like your opinions. Which one offers more choices? We don't want to go to the same destination every year. We also read that if we buy HGVC, we can only use RCI properties once every four years.

 

[ronandjoan]

RCI is an exchange company only so it does not have timeshare units for sale.

There are lots of other companies to buy from. I found HGVC to have too high of maintenance fees and not enough resorts to go to where I wanted, however other people like them

I would suggest reading TUG postings for at least six months before buying and then buying resale

Check the bargain deal listings to see opportunities

All the best

 

[Talent312]

You're prolly taking about buying HGVC vs. a TS that relies on RCI for exchanges.

A hotel-based system like HGVC has an internal "club" exchanges, plus RCI or II.
HGVC "gives" its owners access to RCI thru its corporate account with RCI.

With stand-alone TS's, it's up to you to sign-up for a personal RCI or II account.
... if you want to use one of the major exchanges.
Many TS users don't join an exchange and simply use their own TS every year.

We have both a HGVC TS and a stand-alone TS, and we do a bit of both.
HGVC costs are higher, but that gets us a high-quality stay, plus access to RCI.
The stand-alone costs us significantly less, and gets us to where we want to be.
...

 

[eileenie7]

Can you use RCI if you're a member of HGVC anytime you want to? Or are there restrictions?

 

[theo]

Can you use RCI if you're a member of HGVC anytime you want to? Or are there restrictions?

I am admittedly not at all clear on just what you you mean by "use" RCI.

RCI is just an exchange company --- no more, no less. As Talent312 has already noted above, HGVC ownership includes RCI access via the HGVC corporate account.
RCI is not a resort itself and RCI does not actually own or manage any resorts. If you have a RCI membership (you must first own a timeshare affiliated with RCI, HGVC being just one of a whole multitude of possible avenues to having RCI access), you can potentially "exchange" a RCI-affiliated week that you own (whether in HGVC or elsewhere) for a week at some other RCI-affiliated facility somewhere else --- if / when space is actually available there. There are RCI fees for "exchanging" of course, I believe currently $229 per individual exchange. As a RCI member you can also rent outright their offered and advertised "Extra Vacation" weeks, which in general tend to be rental offerings of weeks at less than prime demand places or time periods.

Also unclear on just what you mean by "restrictions', but I hope that some of the above reply is of some help or use to you, regardless.

 

[alexadeparis]

They may mean an RCI points timeshare.

Personally, I would get an HGVC unit, then if you need to access the RCI inventory, you can exchange through RCI (for a fee of course). There are just too many restrictions on RCI points from what I have read in the past - regional blocks, changes to points required, etc. for my taste.

 

[eileenie7]

My husband and I are trying to decide which timeshare company to purchase from. We have narrowed it down to RCI or HGVC and would like your opinions. Which one offers more choices? We don't want to go to the same destination every year. We also read that if we buy HGVC, we can only use RCI properties once every four years.

Yes, I was referring to using HGVC points to stay at an RCI affiliated property.

 

[theo]

Yes, I was referring to using HGVC points to stay at an RCI affiliated property.

To avoid misunderstanding or misinterpretation, let's be very clear that HGVC Points and RCI Points are not the same thing and are very different from one another.

Unless I am mistaken, using HGVC points (which again, are not at all the same thing as RCI Points, a different points "currency" altogether) you may first have to reserve a specific HGVC week somewhere, then deposit that now-reserved HGVC week into RCI and then (...or so you hope) be able to use that deposited week (and the accompanying $209/$229 exchange fee) to exchange into some other non-HGVC (but RCI-affiliated) property elsewhere with space available when you want to go there.

Do I have this right, ye HGVC owners / experts? (...I am neither). If not, I invite and welcome any and all correction or pertinent clarification.

 

[linsj]

Unless I am mistaken, using HGVC points (which again, are not at all the same thing as RCI Points, a different points "currency" altogether) you would first have to reserve a specific HGVC week somewhere, then deposit that now-reserved HGVC week into RCI and then (...or so you hope) be able to use that deposited week (and the accompanying $229 exchange fee) to exchange into some other non-HGVC (but still RCI-affiliated) property elsewhere with space available when you want to go there.

Do I have this exactly right, ye HGVC owners / experts? (...I am neither). If not, I invite and welcome any and all correction or pertinent clarification.

You are mistaken. We don't reserve a HGVC week first to deposit in RCI. RCI pulls the appropriate number of Hilton points from our accounts when we book timeshares in RCI. We have access to both RCI points and weeks, so we don't have to book a full week. There is a quality filter in place so we don't see everything in RCI but can request a specific property that doesn't show up. We do pay the exchange fee.

 

[theo]

You are mistaken. We don't reserve a HGVC week first to deposit in RCI. RCI pulls the appropriate number of Hilton points from our accounts when we book timeshares in RCI. We have access to both RCI points and weeks, so we don't have to book a full week. There is a quality filter in place so we don't see everything in RCI but can request a specific property that doesn't show up. We do pay the exchange fee.

I willingly and gladly stand both corrected and better educated.

 

[eileenie7]

So correct me if i"m wrong, you have to pay $269 every time you use HGVC points to stay at RCI places, correct?

 

[Talent312]

So correct me if i"m wrong, you have to pay $269 every time you use HGVC points to stay at RCI places, correct?

Not eggsactly... From the HGVC Fee Schedule:
RCI WEEKLY RESERVATIONS: Exchange Fee (online) $ 209
RCI NIGHTLY (POINT) RESERVATIONS:
-- 1 Night..$ 39, 2 Nights.. 59, 3 Nights.. 79
-- 4 Nights.. 99, 5 Nights..139, 6 Nights 159
-- 7 or more 209
... This is for "online" bookings; by phone, its $10 more)

--------------------------------
You can use RCI whenever you want, as long as you have the currency.
... and if what you want, when you want it, just happens to be available.
You're competing with everyone else who wants that location, too.
Like finding parking on a college campus... you can hunt all day long. :annoyed:

That's why its said that one should buy in a place where you like to go.
Don't depend on RCI to get you where you want to go.
.

 

[Roger830]

I was impressed with Hilton's resort list until I discovered that the one's that I liked the most are affiliates that aren't likely to be available for prime time bookings.

My research showed that the likely avaiable are Orlando and Las Veagas where I can get low cost rentals, and Waikiki and Big Island.

 

[PassionForTravel]

I was impressed with Hilton's resort list until I discovered that the one's that I liked the most are affiliates that aren't likely to be available for prime time bookings.

My research showed that the likely avaiable are Orlando and Las Veagas where I can get low cost rentals, and Waikiki and Big Island.

and carlsbad ca(san diego), park city, breckenridge, miami beach, mrytle beach, soon maui. I'm sure I've missed some.

HGVC is really not a cost effective RCI trader, the MF are to high and HGVC is on the top of the food chain in RCI. HGVC is best for visiting HGVC resorts.

If you want to primarily go to non HGVC resorts you are better off with something else.

Ian

 

[Duke822]

RCI is an exchange company only so it does not have timeshare units for sale.



There are lots of other companies to buy from. I found HGVC to have too high of maintenance fees and not enough resorts to go to where I wanted, however other people like them



I would suggest reading TUG postings for at least six months before buying and then buying resale



Check the bargain deal listings to see opportunities



All the best

Is there a preferred reseller that most ppl use?
Thx

 

[newportbeach]

I disagree that HGVC is not a very effective RCI point trader and that most desirable locations are not available. Case in point, I just deposited my one bedroom HGVC one bedroom worth 4800 HGVC points, with a maintenance fee of roughly $1,100 with taxes, and secured a 2 bedroom Hilton Lagoons on Waikiki, after paying a $200 exchange fee. So $1300 secures the highest demand Waikiki location. True there is a one in three or four rule, but no problem because there are 2-3 other locations I request in following years.

 

[Talent312]

Is there a preferred reseller that most ppl use.

Posters in the Hilton Forum (in this BBS) recommend Seth Nock and Judy Kozlowski... A simple Google search shows their websites. I encourage anyone interested in HGVC (or other specific TS system) to visit the "Timeshare Resort Systems" part of this BBS and look at forum dedicated to HGVC (and other programs), where such things are discussed.

RichardL --
First: Saying you "deposited" a HGVC unit will confuse people. You spent 4800 HGVC-points that = the unit.
2nd : I don't think the other poster was saying that HGVC lacked trading power, but rather that it's a high-price to pay (cost+MF's) if you're only going use it for RCI access. IMHO, that is true. You pay a lot for the quality and cachet of HGVC resorts, and but if you're looking just to trade, there are likely many more cost-effective ways.
.

 

[ronandjoan]

I disagree that HGVC is not a very effective RCI point trader and that most desirable locations are not available. Case in point, I just deposited my one bedroom HGVC one bedroom worth 4800 HGVC points, with a maintenance fee of roughly $1,100 with taxes, and secured a 2 bedroom Hilton Lagoons on Waikiki, after paying a $200 exchange fee. So $1300 secures the highest demand Waikiki location. True there is a one in three or four rule, but no problem because there are 2-3 other locations I request in following years.

How many TPUs did you receive with that deposit?

 

[chriskre]

I disagree that HGVC is not a very effective RCI point trader and that most desirable locations are not available. Case in point, I just deposited my one bedroom HGVC one bedroom worth 4800 HGVC points, with a maintenance fee of roughly $1,100 with taxes, and secured a 2 bedroom Hilton Lagoons on Waikiki, after paying a $200 exchange fee. So $1300 secures the highest demand Waikiki location. True there is a one in three or four rule, but no problem because there are 2-3 other locations I request in following years.

I agree.
And there is some exclusive inventory held in rci for hgvc club members eyes only.
I got a new years eve rci points stay at Manhattan club for new years eve week in a 1 bedroom more than 12 months out that I did not see with my regular 10 month restricted regular run of the mill rci points from orlando.
so for 3400 hgvc points I got a cheap primo reservation.

Btw. I have also seen exclusive inventory in my dvc portal as well so these expensive rci traders can get you stuff that never hits the regular rci accounts. Mainly Hawaii and other coveted resorts.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[linsj]

How many TPUs did you receive with that deposit?

HGVC doesn't use TPUs. There's a set number of HGVC points for each bedroom-size trade in RCI.

 

[ronandjoan]

HGVC is really not a cost effective RCI trader, the MF are to high and HGVC is on the top of the food chain in RCI. HGVC is best for visiting HGVC resorts.

If you want to primarily go to non HGVC resorts you are better off with something else.

Ian

We agree with that.We used to own HGVC but the MF's kept going up and up = we don;t pay so much for a week, much less to add the RCI exchange fee.

We find we can get even HGVC units or other high quality places through SFX without using HGVC's higher fees

 

[Bill4728]

Moderator note:

I'm going to move this to the HGVC board since it is about buying a HGVC TS

 

[PassionForTravel]

For those who disagreed with my original posting. I did include the word "primarily" and I stick by that. Can you get some good trades via HGVC, yes, but it's still an expensive trader. But it's nice to have that option in the portfolio.

Using an example that Richard cited above. I got the Lagoon tower using Worldmark and my cost's including RCI trading fee was < $800. I then used my HGVC account to book three extra days so that I could save money on airfare.

Ian

 

[Tamaradarann]

HGVC versus RCI Affiliate

My husband and I are trying to decide which timeshare company to purchase from. We have narrowed it down to RCI or HGVC and would like your opinions. Which one offers more choices? We don't want to go to the same destination every year. We also read that if we buy HGVC, we can only use RCI properties once every four years.

I assume that you mean buying an HGVC timeshare versus an RCI affiliate timeshare. Buying an HGVC timeshare gives you priority access to the HGVC timeshare system at a lower exchange fee. The HGVC system is a very flexible points system which enables you to buy anywhere in the system and get to any other resort in the system on any day of the week for as little as 3 days to as many as you want. You must plan ahead just as you must with any timeshare system.

You also get RCI access through the HGVC system. If you exchange to RCI through HGVC you get to the top of the exchange pile so you have the best chance of getting your exchange, as well as you exchange a smaller number of points to get a larger unit than if you exchange within the HGVC system.

 

[mgeez]

And don't forget, several of the HGVC resorts trade in both RCI and II. Marriott resorts trade via II, I believe. Eagles Nest is one of those resorts that give the owner this option.