What Should I Buy?

[Kiml]

I'm trying to get a good idea of timeshare system to buy into. We currently own DVC and enjoy it for our Disney vacations. We would keep those contracts, but would like another system for travel outside of Orlando.

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where? No, we do Orlando now, but would use DVC or Interval Getaways.

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time? Probably trade to see a variety of places.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? Hawaii (loved Ko' Olina area and would like to try other islands), Caribbean, Hilton Head, California, and possibly beachy Florida areas.

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself? Currently 6 - 2 adults and 4 kids.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule? Probably moving in that direction with kids starting college classes soon.

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance? Yes.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time? Yes.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars? 3 or better.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? $5000

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year? $2500 or less.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner? Yes

12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do? Yes.

I have been looking at the Marriott system. While points seem to offer flexibility, the better value looks to be deeded weeks and trading. My in-laws bought points and have taken vacations, however they also will buy insurance with their points because points are expiring. I'm unclear on how far the points go in the locations I'm looking at. I'm willing to learn the system and would like direction or suggestions if another system would work better.

 

[geist1223]

Have you looked at HGVC Resell out of Las Vegas? If you look at a Platinum Resell week the cost will be a bit more up front. But you get more Points to use elsewhere in the HGVC System. Also the Maintenance Fees are determined by size of Unit not the Season. So a Gold Week will have the same Maintenance Fees as a Platinum Week in the same sized Unit.

 

[Hindsite]

From having had access to RCI via DVC, do you have a preference for the choice of resorts in RCI or II. That can alter the advice you get.

 

[Kiml]

From having had access to RCI via DVC, do you have a preference for the choice of resorts in RCI or II. That can alter the advice you

From having had access to RCI via DVC, do you have a preference for the choice of resorts in RCI or II. That can alter the advice you get.

I have not looked at what RCI has to offer. I am pretty happy with the Interval choices. I'm assuming I would need to pay for an additional Interval membership if I buy into another timeshare system that uses that system. Is that correct?

 

[Kiml]

Have you looked at HGVC Resell out of Las Vegas? If you look at a Platinum Resell week the cost will be a bit more up front. But you get more Points to use elsewhere in the HGVC System. Also the Maintenance Fees are determined by size of Unit not the Season. So a Gold Week will have the same Maintenance Fees as a Platinum Week in the same sized Unit.

I have not. I know very little about HGVC system. That would be trading through RCI? Do you think there is a good variety of trades available going that route?

 

[GT75]

I know very little about HGVC system.

I can only recommend something that I am familiar with, but it sounds like HGVC (not HVC) would be a very good fit. But I would suggest purchasing a Craigendarroh Lodge 2BR platinum season. If you purchase a CL, you could also trade it in DEX or use the points in HGVC. HGVC checks 3 of your trades, HI (several resorts, Ohau and BI), California (3 resorts in Carlsbad), and HHI (there is one HGVC resort on HHI, and I think that it is the hardest resort in the HGVC to trade into, but still doable). I have two CL, which I am trading in DEX. I like DEX. I have never traded in RCI, so I can not help you there.

 

[littlestar]

If I were you, I would think about a Marriott deeded 2 bedroom lockoff week at possibly Willow Ridge Lodge or Grand Chateau. Marriott has wonderful resorts on Hilton Head Island, Marriott’s Ocean Pointe in Palm Beach Shores Florida, and of course, KoOlina in Hawaii. You would need a personal Interval International account because the Interval International access with DVC is a corporate account. Owning Marriott would give you Marriott preference in Interval on a trade into another Marriott.

We have owned odd and even platinum two bedrooms at Marriott’s Willow Ridge Lodge and Grande Vista in the Florida Club and those worked well for us at the time. We had some health problems and didn’t travel for 2 and a half years so we sold those weeks easily. Our health has improved (husband is cancer free and my dry eye disease is under control). So we have dipped our toe back in and bought a resale deeded 2 bedroom week at Sheraton Desert Oasis. I don’t know how it trades yet, but time will tell. I mainly will use it to trade back in to Sheraton and Marriotts in Orlando during spring break and other school holiday weeks for our grand kids. Of course, we have our DVC points to round things out.

Good luck.

 

[Kiml]

If I were you, I would think about a Marriott deeded 2 bedroom lockoff week at possibly Willow Ridge Lodge or Grand Chateau. Marriott has wonderful resorts on Hilton Head Island, Marriott’s Ocean Pointe in Palm Beach Shores Florida, and of course, KoOlina in Hawaii. You would need a personal Interval International account because the Interval International access with DVC is a corporate account. Owning Marriott would give you Marriott preference in Interval on a trade into another Marriott.

We have owned odd and even platinum two bedrooms at Marriott’s Willow Ridge Lodge and Grande Vista in the Florida Club and those worked well for us at the time. We had some health problems and didn’t travel for 2 and a half years so we sold those weeks easily. Our health has improved (husband is cancer free and my dry eye disease is under control). So we have dipped our toe back in and bought a resale deeded 2 bedroom week at Sheraton Desert Oasis. I don’t know how it trades yet, but time will tell. I mainly will use it to trade back in to Sheraton and Marriotts in Orlando during spring break and other school holiday weeks for our grand kids. Of course, we have our DVC points to round things out.

Good luck.

Glad you are doing better. These are initially where I was looking, but I wasn't sure if there were better options or trading power. Thanks for the information. I feel like I have a good grasp on DVC so if we add another company, I want to be sure I understand the system.

 

[Kiml]

I can only recommend something that I am familiar with, but it sounds like HGVC (not HVC) would be a very good fit. But I would suggest purchasing a Craigendarroh Lodge 2BR platinum season. If you purchase a CL, you could also trade it in DEX or use the points in HGVC. HGVC checks 3 of your trades, HI (several resorts, Ohau and BI), California (3 resorts in Carlsbad), and HHI (there is one HGVC resort on HHI, and I think that it is the hardest resort in the HGVC to trade into, but still doable). I have two CL, which I am trading in DEX. I like DEX. I have never traded in RCI, so I can not help you there.

Thank you. I will look into those options.

 

[jp10558]

The thing about what GT75 said is that it's what I'd consider "advanced level" use of HGVC. None of what he suggests is trading in RCI, but you do get that via HGVC as well. Personally, I'm a "try and get as much options as possible" person, so you've already got DVC which also gets you a great trader as I understand it in II. You also have access to II Getaways. Unless you're wanting to just add weeks in hard to get locations that you can't use a Getaway for, I wouldn't think you'd need to double up on II. OTOH, HGVC Craigendarroh Lodge gets you 3 new systems access, HGVC points (you just get those, and would book HGVC with those points if you decided to use it that way that year), RCI (If you decided to use that way, and you can theoretically split RCI and HGVC Points in a year, but more importantly you also get the Cash options of Extra Vacations and Last Calls - in a bunch of places that aren't in II), and you get DEX (if you decided to go that way that year, and DEX cash stays as well). I wish I had bought Craigendarroh Lodge instead of Seaworld, but it was my first purchase and I didn't know better and was scared about the international part. Even if you wanted another II trade, I believe Craigendarroh Lodge ALSO trades in II if you decided to go that way that year.

So - if you want to learn and want the best of all worlds, Craigendarroh Lodge really is it, but you do have to decide if you want to use in HGVC/RCI, II, or DEX each year and can only use in one. You can switch each year for each week you own. II and DEX are week trades only from Craigendarroh Lodge, but RCI/HGVC are points and you can save or split there with the appropriate fees.

I will say, most RCI and DEX locations from what I've been told are 3-3.5* so not as nice as DVC, HGVC or Marriott, but there's also way more locations all over the world.

 

[littlestar]

Disney has their Hilton Head location, of course, but I don’t think it compares to Marriott’s Grande Ocean, Barony, or Surfwatch. I loved Grande Ocean when we stayed there. Of course, it helped that we had an ocean view room.