Requesting a particular unit

[fernow]

Curious to hear anyone else's experience in requesting a particular unit or type of unit with HGVC.

When booking, all you can see is class of unit with no location info. Two bedroom or two bedroom plus etc.

We often stay at and love the Bay Club and were told if we call 2-4 weeks before our stay, they will try to give us the type of unit we want. Floor plan A on second floor, building 1 or 2 if possible, as an example. Staff has always been very helpful and accommodating.

Has always worked until last time. Requested floor plan A, second floor if possible and building 1 or 2 if possible, but at a minimum, no floor plan B. We were staying for 2 weeks with some friends and wanted them to "be impressed". It was Oct low season so usually would not expect a problem.

We got worst building, ground floor and worst floor plan B unit in the Bay Club complex. Seriously, you could not pick a worse two bedroom unit in terms of location at the Bay Club.

When we asked "What happened?" They told us that we were owners at Kohala Suites and not Bay Club. Didn't say it, but implied that therefore we did not deserve a better unit.

I pointed out that the 9 mo booking option for any unit in the HGVC inventory was one of the perks of ownership.

After some persistence and a surprisingly nasty encounter with the manager, we got an A floor plan in a better building. Ground floor, but better then nothing.

Has anyone else requested a particular unit or type of unit? What has been your experience? Does owning one place and staying another make you a second class citizen?

 

[jestme]

Curious to hear anyone else's experience in requesting a particular unit or type of unit with HGVC.

When booking, all you can see is class of unit with no location info. Two bedroom or two bedroom plus etc.

We often stay at and love the Bay Club and were told if we call 2-4 weeks before our stay, they will try to give us the type of unit we want. Floor plan A on second floor, building 1 or 2 if possible, as an example. Staff has always been very helpful and accommodating.

Has always worked until last time. Requested floor plan A, second floor if possible and building 1 or 2 if possible, but at a minimum, no floor plan B. We were staying for 2 weeks with some friends and wanted them to "be impressed". It was Oct low season so usually would not expect a problem.

We got worst building, ground floor and worst floor plan B unit in the Bay Club complex. Seriously, you could not pick a worse two bedroom unit in terms of location at the Bay Club.

When we asked "What happened?" They told us that we were owners at Kohala Suites and not Bay Club. Didn't say it, but implied that therefore we did not deserve a better unit.

I pointed out that the 9 mo booking option for any unit in the HGVC inventory was one of the perks of ownership.

After some persistence and a surprisingly nasty encounter with the manager, we got an A floor plan in a better building. Ground floor, but better then nothing.

Has anyone else requested a particular unit or type of unit? What has been your experience? Does owning one place and staying another make you a second class citizen?

Almost all timeshares try to keep their best units for people who own there. If it was reversed, and you got a lousy unit at Kahala while exchangers got the best one, you probably wouldn't be happy either. Points are points within HGVC, but ownership also counts, and it is an exchange. Requesting a unit is possible, but there are no guarantees. However, when things are empty, and there are no local owners booked, chances are you will get it if you ask in advance.

 

[fernow]

Then there is another example of misrepresentation

Almost all timeshares try to keep their best units for people who own there. If it was reversed, and you got a lousy unit at Kahala while exchangers got the best one, you probably wouldn't be happy either. Points are points within HGVC, but ownership also counts, and it is an exchange. Requesting a unit is possible, but there are no guarantees. However, when things are empty, and there are no local owners booked, chances are you will get it if you ask in advance.

So you have tried it and your experience is that you are treated as a second class citizen?

I expect that if I don't use my "home week" booking option, I am subject to getting whatever unit is available at my "home" resort when I do book. I don't expect Hilton to hold the best unit until and in case I eventually do book.

HGVC does not present it as "an exchange" when you buy but rather as a perk of HGVC ownership and up till now I have found that to be the case.

Besides, it seems unlikely that ALL the other people in the Bay Club in Oct were Bay Club owners except me, particularly considering there were multiple two bedroom units available for Open Season at that time.

But if you have experienced the same thing then I guess they must have a reason for punishing us for using an available unit outside our home resort. Can't figure what that reason would be.

 

[Tamaradarann]

So you have tried it and your experience is that you are treated as a second class citizen?

I expect that if I don't use my "home week" booking option, I am subject to getting whatever unit is available at my "home" resort when I do book. I don't expect Hilton to hold the best unit until and in case I eventually do book.

HGVC does not present it as "an exchange" when you buy but rather as a perk of HGVC ownership and up till now I have found that to be the case.

Besides, it seems unlikely that ALL the other people in the Bay Club in Oct were Bay Club owners except me, particularly considering there were multiple two bedroom units available for Open Season at that time.

But if you have experienced the same thing then I guess they must have a reason for punishing us for using an available unit outside our home resort. Can't figure what that reason would be.

We have been very successful in getting preference in HGVC and Hilton Hotels. We don't always get what we want but we do get preference. At the HGVC which we own that we visit frequently we do get unit preference. In other HGVC we have gotten high floors and the view we wanted as well as upgrades from Studio to 1BR. We are Elite Plus HGVC members and Gold Hilton Honors members so we do have certain privileges that come with those. I understand that if we were Elite Premier HGVC we could select our unit in every resort.

 

[linsj]

Except for one time, I've been successful in getting the location I've requested a week in advance and again when checking in, but I know there's no guarantee. For example, getting the Lagoon studio at HHV that has one bed + love seat instead of two beds (always), one bedroom on second floor at Kings' Land instead of first floor (all but one time; second floor costs more points, which I don't book), building 7 or 6 at Orlando Tuscany, high floor at Flamingo. Tuscany is the only one I own at.

 

[ConejoRed]

When you made your booking, what type of unit did you reserve? When reserving at the Bay Club, I try to reserve the unit type that I want as they do break them down on the reservation site. If you selected a A type unit when reserved but were given a B, I would have thought that was a bit unusual. The codes are there and it is pretty easy to know the types. B units start with a B (with BP being a penthouse unit), A units with an A (again with AP being the penthouse) and the Villas with a V. The building numbers are last (i.e. BP8 would be the B unit penthouse in building 8). Of course these are not necessarily a guarantee of what you will receive when you arrive, but it should certainly help the chances of getting what you want. I have attached a picture of the codes on the reservation site.

I am actually a owner at the Bay Club and will be going there next March. I would have every expectation to get the Villa building I reserved (we reserved our home week first which is a B penthouse, then upgraded to a Villa during Club reservations as we wanted to be sure we had something as it is spring break week), but not necessarily the floor we want (2nd). I will request that a few weeks out and would expect that request to receive some priority as a Bay Club owner over non Bay Club owner reservations.

 

[fernow]

Thanks ConejoRed

I have been using Classic out of habit and Classic does not list the unit info like Revolution does.

Guess it is time to break old habits and move into the future!

Requesting a unit has worked in the past but with unit info on Revolution, that may not be an issue anymore.

I am guessing the manager at Waikoloa was just having a bad day/week/year.

All is well that ends well and still love the Bay Club. I would have bought Bay Club instead of Kohola if I had known what I was doing so many years ago. I remember the salesperson telling us we did not want Bay Club because it was old and poorly constructed etc but the new, not yet built at that time, Kohala Suites would be sooo much better!

 

[ConejoRed]

The key in Revolution to seeing the unit detail is to ONLY select the Bay Club when searching vs. All Resorts on the Big Island, then clicking the Bay Club availability. If you search using All Resorts and then click on the Bay Club availability, you will not see the unit codes in that view. One of the many quirks with Revolution apparently.

Also, I need to put a caveat on the statement regarding the last number being the building number. In looking at the resort map, I don't think this statement is correct and may be something else like the last digit of the unit number (or some other code) so you may still need to ask for a preferred location, but the unit type A,B,C,D and V do correspond. You can also tell somewhat in Classic by hovering over the Unit Size which pops up the unit details and looking at the unit square footage listed as the A units are larger than the B units.

 

[fernow]

Last digit must be some other code since all the A floor plans room numbers end in 3,4 or 5 if the building has one 1 bedroom to your left when you walk into the building courtyard, as there is in building 1, 3 and 9, or end in 4,5 or 6 if there are two 1 bdrm units to the left as there are in buildings 2,4 and 10.

Be interesting to know what that last number represents.