Snow birds living at HGVC

[GTLINZ]

I am curious - who spends more than a month consecutively at an HGVC resort in the winter, and which resort, and what is it like? I have heard of retirees living on cruise ships - I am just wondering what winter in a timeshare would be like ....

 

[alwysonvac]

Here’s TUG member Tamaradarann posted on January 29th.

Well the 100 nights per year has varied. From 2006 to 2008 we were still working so we only vacationed about 20-30 nights a year. Since 2009 we have been retired. In 2009 we made our retirement vacation celebration tour for the months of January, February and March in San Diego, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii Island, Honolulu, and Miami South Beach. Since then we have always vacationed from January to some time in late April in the Hawaiian Islands. During the rest of the year we vacationed for a week or two in other locations like Las Vegas. This year will be our last to use our timeshares as we have in the past since we bought a Condo in Honolulu. We started out with 15 nights on the Island of Hawaii starting December 7th. We have been in Honolulu since December 22nd. We will be leaving for Kauai on May 2nd for 11 nights before going home.

 

[GTLINZ]

That reminds me of another TUG friend who vacationed in Key West among other places while still working. After retirement he still works part time on his terms and has a permanent location in Key West and spends his time there now as a base. I suspect he uses his timeshare ownerships to host family and friends - lucky lucky relatives and friends !

 

[Panina]

I am curious - who spends more than a month consecutively at an HGVC resort in the winter, and which resort, and what is it like? I have heard of retirees living on cruise ships - I am just wondering what winter in a timeshare would be like ....

It is extremely hard to spend a month consecutively in season at one resort. Almost impossible in the same room.

With that said I tend to go to Florida either two consecutive months or one month twice going home in between as my other half prefers the split.

We just got home from Florida. We had two week in Key West, same unit, not HGVC that we own. The third week we were in HGVC South Seas Captiva Island and then our fourth week at HGVC Sunset Cove Market Island. Both using our points.

Next Year our first week will be in HGVC Eagles Nest, then two weeks same unit Key West, fourth week HGVC Eagles Nest Marco Island, fifth week HGVC Surf Club Marco Island. The Marco Island weeks were gotten using my flex weeks.

We both love it. The ultimate would be to spend all the weeks at one resort in the same room but this works well. It is a great alternative to owning a second home.

 

[brp]

I actually can't imagine wanting to do that. But we love where we live and look forward to coming home when we travel. Of course, once retired, our trips will be somewhat longer, but not that long. It's just too nice being here

Cheers.

 

[GTLINZ]

It is extremely hard to spend a month consecutively in season at one resort. Almost impossible in the same room.

I like your approach - definitely some variety. I think I have read that you own affiliates - it sounds great. Not what I was thinking, but that is why polling tuggers with different approaches is interesting.

I have spent 3-5 nights for the last 15 years at HGVC Tuscany Village in mid march near my birthday. I have met many owners who stay there from 1-5 months. The resort works it out for them and the staff knows them by name. They have to be elite owners as they talk about no reservation fees. It sounds like the resort is happy to work out a specific room for them.

 

[Tamaradarann]

I am curious - who spends more than a month consecutively at an HGVC resort in the winter, and which resort, and what is it like? I have heard of retirees living on cruise ships - I am just wondering what winter in a timeshare would be like ....

As you can see spending a number of months in an HGVC resort in the winter is certainly possible. We usually do stay in the same room if we are staying in the same resort and island. However, we do move around and have visited all of the six Hawaiian Islands that you can go to and most of them 3 times or more. However, the key to us staying so long in Honolulu at the Hilton Hawaiian Village is that we stay without a car to save money, and get involved in many activities in Honolulu that you can walk to or get to easily by the great Bus service. While we do go to the gym, walk the beach, and down Kalakaua often those activities are limited. However, we get involved in events at the Honolulu Museum of Art, Doris Duke Theatre, Blaisdell Complex, Honolulu Convention Center, Hawaii Theatre, and 5 other local theaters for Plays, Musicals, and Concerts. We are out at events at least 5 days/nights a week so staying even in a Studio is not a problem.

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

If staying long in a block is your goal, you have to plan for it. Buy where you want to stay, to get home week advantage. Bay Club has always worked with me to get the same room for my stays. Greter than 4 weeks, mail becomes a headache.

 

[alwysonvac]

If staying long in a block is your goal, you have to plan for it. Buy where you want to stay, to get home week advantage. Bay Club has always worked with me to get the same room for my stays. Greter than 4 weeks, mail becomes a headache.

It really depends on the location.

If there’s availability, you can book a single club reservation up to 28 consecutive nights. That’s what TUG member Tamaradarann has reported in the past (link).

 

[Tamaradarann]

If staying long in a block is your goal, you have to plan for it. Buy where you want to stay, to get home week advantage. Bay Club has always worked with me to get the same room for my stays. Greter than 4 weeks, mail becomes a headache.

Our Son lives with us at home and collects and sends us mail every month or so. We pay most bills automatically on line so late mail is not an issue. The buy where you want to stay advise is certainly good and a conservative approach to staying for a long visit. However, that has limitations in staying for a long visit. If you own a 2 BR at the location you want to stay you must book a 2 BR to get home week advantage.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Sounds intriguing, but there are trade-offs. We have a dog and cats and would not want to be away from them for so long.

 

[GT75]

The HGVC sales rep at Sanibel Cottages Resort told me about a couple who stay the winter months there. They still need to move to different units a couple of times because it basically a fixed week affiliate.

 

[llandaff]

We will be staying at Hilton Hawaiian Village for a month this year. We own two weeks Lagoon Tower and then borrow the following year's points. We prefer to go for one month every two years. Like Tamaradarann, we love Honolulu for the museums and theaters and the great bus transportation.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Sounds intriguing, but there are trade-offs. We have a dog and cats and would not want to be away from them for so long.

We had a cat for a number of years and our Son took car of him while we were away for the winter. We will not be getting another pet. In hindsight if we didn't have the arrangement with our Son to stay in NY while we were gone for the winter we would not have a pet; the freedom to live our retirement lives the way we feel we want and deserve is imperative for us. When you are too old to travel and get away the way we can now it is to late to say we should have!

 

[rapmarks]

We met someone who stayed at Vanderbilt beach club in Naples 18/weeks in a row

 

[Bxian]

There are people at our home resort (Charter Club of Marco) who own 10-16 fixed weeks and spend the winter there.