should a float week cost less than a fixed?

[optimist]

I have done a lot of price comparisons of Hyatt timeshares and find that float weeks generally cost less than fixed weeks. In other words, someone who owns week 52 will charge more for it than someone selling a float week that includes week 52.
But which one should be worth more?
If with a float week I can get week 52 or week 7, which is another high demand week, shouldn't I go for the one that offers me a lot more flexibility? Why is it cheaper? what am I missing?
Thanks!

 

[falmouth3]

I can't speak for Hyatt properties. However, from my personal point of view, a floating week has a lot of value due to the flexibility. Suppose you own a Florida week and you want to use if during your kids spring break. That week may move from year to year. I always reserve Easter week and that certainly moves.

Also, your own plans may change from year to year so a floating week would fit your vacation plans. Keep in mind that Christmas and 4th of July weeks may vary by a week depending on how the calendar falls.

The drawback is that you have to plan ahead and reserve your week if you want a high demand week. For my Florida week, I reserve 1 year to the day before my check-in date. For a ski week, you may need to pre-pay your maintenance fee in order to reserve the week you want.

Sue

 

[bnoble]

I think it depends on the specific situation.

For example, if one week in the float season is much more in-demand than the rest, then a fixed week for that one week may well be worth more than a float that includes it. This is particularly true if the competition for that week makes booking it with a float difficult.

New Years, in some locations, with some float systems, could easily be such a week.

On the other hand, if many weeks in the season have similar demand, and/or booking demanded weeks is relatively easy, then the float has an advantage. For example, Wyndham weeks converted to points are almost always worth more than similar weeks which are not converted, for the reasons you suggest.

 

[DeniseM]

I can't speak for Hyatt, but in general, it's really tough to get week 52 at a popular resort with a floating week, because there is so much demand for holiday weeks. At many resorts (again, I don't know about Hyatt) week 52 is sold as a fixed week or premium week and it's not even available to floating week owners. That's true for other holiday weeks, as well.

Also - week 52 will be a very good renter and exchanger, because of the demand.

So if you are completely flexible about when you go, a floating week is a good deal for you. If you need always need a particular holiday week, a fixed week may be better.

 

[e.bram]

How can a float week owner get week 52 if a fixed week owner uses or rents that week. Float weeks are based on "availability", if there is no "availabilty" the float week owner won't be able to occupy that unit.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Many resorts with floating weeks have a provision which allows a person who owns multiple weeks to book an entire multi-week stay in one transaction, and the reservation window for the entire transaction is set by the first check-in day.

That probably sounds confusing, so let me explain. Let's say the resort allows reservations to be made 365 days before check-in. So if you wanted to check-in on Dec 28 for a New Years week stay, the first day you could reserve would be Dec. 29 of the prior year.

But now let's say there is an owner who owns two weeks and they want to book two weeks with check-in on Dec 22. That owner can reserve for the entire two-week stay starting on Dec. 23. In many resorts with floating weeks where there are a couple of weeks that are in extremely high demand (such as #7 and #52), owners of single weeks can find it difficult to reserve a week at those peak times because on the day the reservation window opens there most of the inventory has already been reserved by multiple week owners.

But in such a situation if a person owns a fixed week at the resort, they will get usage of their week regardless of what reservations have been made by the float owners.