Hilton Grand Vacations ClubŪ Bonus Offers, Specials and Solicitations
Jan 5, 2002, 5:53 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Baltimore/Washington, USA
Programs: AA LT Platinum, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 3,076
Hilton Grand Vacations Club - Anybody Buy In??
Just returned from Hilton Hawaiian Village on ALON - Took the HGVC Lagoon Tower tour and received 30k HHonors points.
Agent thought he had me sold and of course as most do, we walked off.
We did listen and slightly consider as some of the sales pitches made sense.
My question is have any of you bought in to the deal?
They say that the HHV property will be sold out in a year or two and our chance to own a piece of the pie at today's low prices will be gone.
Any takers?
Opinions on the value?
Btw - Rather than staying in the HGVC, we stayed in the Rainbow tower and got upgraded to "01" series room.
Thanks mary2e for the tips!
see:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/003010.html
Agent thought he had me sold and of course as most do, we walked off.
We did listen and slightly consider as some of the sales pitches made sense.
My question is have any of you bought in to the deal?
They say that the HHV property will be sold out in a year or two and our chance to own a piece of the pie at today's low prices will be gone.
Any takers?
Opinions on the value?
Btw - Rather than staying in the HGVC, we stayed in the Rainbow tower and got upgraded to "01" series room.
Thanks mary2e for the tips!
see:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/003010.html
Jan 5, 2002, 10:31 pm
#17
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Home of 'The Rat': Orlando, Florida
Programs: Standard Memberships in all the majors hotel, airlines and Amtrak.
Posts: 185
We took a tour of the Hilton Grand Vacations Club in Las Vegas (behind the Flamingo) since we had some time to kill and they gave us $50 in gaming chips and some buffets.
We did three Timeshare presentations and Hilton was the best in the sense that it wasn't sleazy and cheap looking. The two others reminded you of buying a used car at some corner lot.
However, the bottom line is, you have to pay that yearly maintance fee for as long as you own the unit.
If you want a timeshare, check ebay or timeshares.com for people selling them. Youn can get them much cheaper.
I saw an ad on ebay for the same week(points) that we would of wanted for the Hilton Vegas property. They quoted us $15,700 and the ebay listing was going for about $5,000.
A lot of people try to unload them so they can get out of the maintance fee obligation.
Then again, with all the free miles and hotel stays I rack up, we don't spend much on our vacations other than entertainment.
We did three Timeshare presentations and Hilton was the best in the sense that it wasn't sleazy and cheap looking. The two others reminded you of buying a used car at some corner lot.
However, the bottom line is, you have to pay that yearly maintance fee for as long as you own the unit.
If you want a timeshare, check ebay or timeshares.com for people selling them. Youn can get them much cheaper.
I saw an ad on ebay for the same week(points) that we would of wanted for the Hilton Vegas property. They quoted us $15,700 and the ebay listing was going for about $5,000.
A lot of people try to unload them so they can get out of the maintance fee obligation.
Then again, with all the free miles and hotel stays I rack up, we don't spend much on our vacations other than entertainment.
Jan 5, 2002, 10:44 pm
#18
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: SLC
Posts: 600
Timeshares can be a great investment, it's too bad they carry the odor of "scam".
Re-sales bring a much better price than buying directly from the companies. There are tons of places and realtors that list peoples' timeshares. However, if price is not your biggest concern, you do get a lot of perks when buying straight from the properties.
Re-sales bring a much better price than buying directly from the companies. There are tons of places and realtors that list peoples' timeshares. However, if price is not your biggest concern, you do get a lot of perks when buying straight from the properties.
Jan 6, 2002, 6:54 am
#19
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 1,310
As the others have mentioned, use resale if you want to get into the Hilton system..
The resorts in the HGVC system are nice. We often rent at the owner's rates at the Las Vegas HGVC resorts. The rates have gone up since 1996 when we bought..but a 1-br unit even on the weekends is only $80 a night which can be a great value for weekends..
The developer prices are not a great deal unless you think that you'll never be able to get into HGVC HHV if you don't own at that location. But keep in mind, in a couple more years, you'll see resales for HHV coming on the market at prices much lower than what you'd pay now buying from Hilton..
Although we didn't know better back then, and bought from the developer, luckily we bought into an upscale resort with a decent ddeveloper (Hilton) so we're still happy with our purchase..
The resorts in the HGVC system are nice. We often rent at the owner's rates at the Las Vegas HGVC resorts. The rates have gone up since 1996 when we bought..but a 1-br unit even on the weekends is only $80 a night which can be a great value for weekends..
The developer prices are not a great deal unless you think that you'll never be able to get into HGVC HHV if you don't own at that location. But keep in mind, in a couple more years, you'll see resales for HHV coming on the market at prices much lower than what you'd pay now buying from Hilton..
Although we didn't know better back then, and bought from the developer, luckily we bought into an upscale resort with a decent ddeveloper (Hilton) so we're still happy with our purchase..
Jan 6, 2002, 8:46 am
#20
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: 60601 AA/HH/SPG
Posts: 1,090
We bought a HGVC timeshare a couple a years back and love every part of it.
HHV property is going to be sold out
True enough. Hilton is innovating fast and selling more than other hotel chains. But like any other property, resale market would always be there though prices would go up when supply dries out.
Opinions on the value?
To crunch some number out, a 3000 - 7000 pts. would set you back by $10-20K based on location. In the resale market you are looking at $6-15K for the same. ( 25% is average though you can get a better deal )
7000 points can get you one week at HHV in a two bedroom unit during peak time or it can get you six weeks in a studio ( hotel suite ) in Vegas during off peak season. Based on ALON comparison, you are looking at 100K to 600K value. Based on my usage, I would peg it around 325-375K per year.
Like all timeshares, there are maintenance fees and transaction fees to look at. And HGV isnt cheap. You are looking at approx $400-500 / $100-200 depending on usage.
Points are given on a yearly basis. Do not use them and they expire. HGVC allows you to convert these points into HHonors at a ratio of 1:23. Converting club points into HHonors may be their worst use but at least you have an option to do it to save them from expiring.
A few tips before buying
* DO NOT buy a HGV timeshare property if you are not comfortable with the rules and regulations.
* Buy RESALE. HGVC is the most generous of all hotel timeshares. Unlike other hotels, if you buy a HGV resale and pay the conversion fees ( $99
), you are given all benefits of the system. i.e. HHonors <--> HGVC transactions. Then again, if a 280K HHonors bonus sounds enticing, think otherwise.
* Prices are based on size and location. Size translates into a fixed number of club points per year. You cannot be denied a reservation at your home resort if booked well in advance.
* Location does not matter. Points are based on size and not location. Thus, a 2Br Premier in Vegas = 2Br Premier in HHV = 7000 pts though there is a marked difference in price.
* Buy the biggest size your budget allows in the first go. You always run out of points.
Pros of HGV
* It is the most flexible of all hotel timeshare chains.
* The points usage chart is fixed for the life of the program.
* Can exchange through RCI and SFX.
* Innovative. It practically helped RCI create a points based system.
* Coming in 2002 -> Club points can be used at any HHonors hotels.
* Low transaction fees compared to others.
* Exit door policy. Practically the only timeshare seller to openly advertise the option of rescinding within 10 days in bold. Higher than normal prices in the resale market incase you decide to sell.
* Competitive Open season rental rates for owners. ( credits to GeorgeJ )
Cons of HGV
* Higher than normal maintenance fees. But then again, quality comes at a price.
* Not all properties provide room service. You can get used to that. Some of those who don't provide it at a price.
My two cents
The closest comparison to a HGV timeshare is an AA Airpass. Would you have bought it if it were up for sale today? If yes, buying into HGV is a no-brainer.
A $15K investment would give you 325-375K worth of HHonors points year after year for the rest of your life. And to your kids too as you can will it like any other property. There would be a $500-600 cost to maintain it per year that would go up with inflation.
Using it exclusively for all hotel stays can be restricting at times. We normally use it for long vacations ( 5-7 ) days and use HHonors points for shorter stays ( 1-3 days ).
Suggested reading
Pulling a Rabbit Out of a Hat - Randy Peterson - InsideFlyer June 2001
HGVC member guide
Flyertalk of timeshares HGVC forum.
If you find one dissatisfied HGVC owner on that forum, let me know. ( Gripes on maintenance fees not counted )
[This message has been edited by Bourne (edited 01-06-2002).]
HHV property is going to be sold out
True enough. Hilton is innovating fast and selling more than other hotel chains. But like any other property, resale market would always be there though prices would go up when supply dries out.
Opinions on the value?
To crunch some number out, a 3000 - 7000 pts. would set you back by $10-20K based on location. In the resale market you are looking at $6-15K for the same. ( 25% is average though you can get a better deal )
7000 points can get you one week at HHV in a two bedroom unit during peak time or it can get you six weeks in a studio ( hotel suite ) in Vegas during off peak season. Based on ALON comparison, you are looking at 100K to 600K value. Based on my usage, I would peg it around 325-375K per year.
Like all timeshares, there are maintenance fees and transaction fees to look at. And HGV isnt cheap. You are looking at approx $400-500 / $100-200 depending on usage.
Points are given on a yearly basis. Do not use them and they expire. HGVC allows you to convert these points into HHonors at a ratio of 1:23. Converting club points into HHonors may be their worst use but at least you have an option to do it to save them from expiring.
A few tips before buying
* DO NOT buy a HGV timeshare property if you are not comfortable with the rules and regulations.
* Buy RESALE. HGVC is the most generous of all hotel timeshares. Unlike other hotels, if you buy a HGV resale and pay the conversion fees ( $99
), you are given all benefits of the system. i.e. HHonors <--> HGVC transactions. Then again, if a 280K HHonors bonus sounds enticing, think otherwise. * Prices are based on size and location. Size translates into a fixed number of club points per year. You cannot be denied a reservation at your home resort if booked well in advance.
* Location does not matter. Points are based on size and not location. Thus, a 2Br Premier in Vegas = 2Br Premier in HHV = 7000 pts though there is a marked difference in price.
* Buy the biggest size your budget allows in the first go. You always run out of points.
Pros of HGV
* It is the most flexible of all hotel timeshare chains.
* The points usage chart is fixed for the life of the program.
* Can exchange through RCI and SFX.
* Innovative. It practically helped RCI create a points based system.
* Coming in 2002 -> Club points can be used at any HHonors hotels.
* Low transaction fees compared to others.
* Exit door policy. Practically the only timeshare seller to openly advertise the option of rescinding within 10 days in bold. Higher than normal prices in the resale market incase you decide to sell.
* Competitive Open season rental rates for owners. ( credits to GeorgeJ )
Cons of HGV
* Higher than normal maintenance fees. But then again, quality comes at a price.
* Not all properties provide room service. You can get used to that.
Some of those who don't provide it at a price. My two cents
The closest comparison to a HGV timeshare is an AA Airpass. Would you have bought it if it were up for sale today? If yes, buying into HGV is a no-brainer.
A $15K investment would give you 325-375K worth of HHonors points year after year for the rest of your life. And to your kids too as you can will it like any other property. There would be a $500-600 cost to maintain it per year that would go up with inflation.
Using it exclusively for all hotel stays can be restricting at times. We normally use it for long vacations ( 5-7 ) days and use HHonors points for shorter stays ( 1-3 days ).
Suggested reading
Pulling a Rabbit Out of a Hat - Randy Peterson - InsideFlyer June 2001
HGVC member guide
Flyertalk of timeshares HGVC forum.
If you find one dissatisfied HGVC owner on that forum, let me know. ( Gripes on maintenance fees not counted
) [This message has been edited by Bourne (edited 01-06-2002).]
Jun 27, 2002, 10:48 am
#22
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 385
Hilton Grand Vacation Club telephone offer???
I received a phone call from HGVC this morning. They knew my HHonors gold # and the # of points in my account! The rep made an offer of $99 per night at the New York Hilton near Rockefeller Center. Maximum stay 2 nights from Sunday to Thursday . ( Strange that weekends were $149) Apparently in September part of this property is going to become a timeshare. OK. What hooked me was $40 in Hilton money per night OR 20,000 POINTS FOR THE 2 NIGHTS. Has anyone been contacted by Hilton by PHONE like this? Comments on the hotel and/or this deal? Thanx
Jun 27, 2002, 3:00 pm
#23
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 60
I too was contacted but it was for their property in Orlando...3 nights for $129...The lady knew all my HHonors info. I did not get offered the 20,000 points or I might have jumped at the offer. Alas, I turned it down. I undestand thos time share sales presentations are extremely high pressure sales. Anyone have any experiences to the contrary?
Jun 27, 2002, 7:24 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Monterey, California
Programs: Affiliated with all, participate in some
Posts: 2,188
I got the call Wed night for Las Vegas. $99 for two weekday nights and 15,000 points and $25 dinner voucher. Fine with me as I need to go there and see my parents. More Hilton points and I don't even have to HH hop for the two nights.
Jun 28, 2002, 6:13 am
#26
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Suwanee,Ga ,usa
Posts: 3,617
Time share presentations can kill a good part of a morning or afternoon. If you are going for a short stay,you may not want to invest your time that way. I have friends that are presentation "professional's" (they own 4 weeks in Hawaii). Their advice is to ask for the earliest appointment time and tell the salesperson (in a nice way) that you want him/her to make sure that you are back by the time promised. Most promotions SAY that the tour will take 45 minutes (some might say more).If you weaken on this point,expect a morning "shot".
Jun 28, 2002, 6:32 am
#27
Join Date: May 2001
Location: ATL
Programs: FL, AA, DL
Posts: 663
Is there somewhere in the profile you can click so they don't call you? After receiving a postcard at home, I received a call as well -- and at work! Maybe I have specified somewhere that work is my prefered number, somehow, I don't know. The person on the phone was polite, and when I very quickly said I wasn't interested he politely ended the conversation. All the same, bad enough I get telemarketers calling me at home. I don't need them at work, too!
Jun 28, 2002, 10:36 am
#30
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Chicago, IL - AA PLT
Posts: 973
Just did the HGVC presentation at the Flamingo. It was very low pressure. My friend was tempted to buy but decided that he needed to own a home before he owned a vacation property. I haven't done any other presentations but their system seemed decent.