Hilton Grand Vacations Club Review (HGVC) Timeshare System

The Hilton Grand Vacations Company, LLC (HGVC) sells and operates the Club, which is a point-based property and exchange system that is a subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide, formerly known as Hilton Hotels Corp. HGVC also provides Club property management services and partner resorts. At the time of publication, there are 50 HGVC-related resorts in the world!

Hilton Worldwide was acquired in July 2007 by the Blackstone Group LP (symbol of the BX stock exchange ticker) in a $ 26 billion deal. Blackstone also owns a number of other well-known companies, including Universal Studios Parks, Legoland, Madame Tussauds, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, Allied Waste, Pinnacle Foods and even the Weather Channel!

Early brand history:

In 1919, Conrad Hilton went to Texas to take advantage of the oil boom. When he arrived, he found that local hotels are so overloaded that they cannot provide a room! One hotel owner told him he wanted to sell. Within a week, Konrad gathered an investment group and bought the Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas. The business continued to boom, and the next year Conrad bought two more Texas properties, a Melba hotel in Fort Worth and a hotel in Dallas, named after the famous Waldorf. Thirty years later, Konrad came full circle when he bought the rental in fact Waldorf-Astoria!

Conrad's ambitions and business acumen created such a huge empire of wealth that even the legendary expenses of his second wife Zsa Zsa Gabor and granddaughter Paris Hilton did not fall into a family fortune! Today this brand behemoth owns, manages and franchises thousands of hotels, and the name Hilton is still one of the most recognizable in the world.

The Timeshare Resorts:

HGVC appointments offer both developed and affiliated resorts. Most people do not understand, but only a few time-houses were really built and developed by the Hilton brand. Most hotels in the Hilton Grand Vacation Club are actually apartment resorts. These resorts were developed by other companies, and then entered into an agreement to join the Club. HGVC manages many child resorts, but not all of them. Regardless of the original developer, you can be sure that all subsidiary resorts meet the high standards and the famous Hilton brand's luxury, earning numerous awards such as the prestigious Gold Crown rating from RCI!

Agreements on accession and mutual use are always subject to future changes, but at the time of this writing, the HGVC targets include:

Carlsbad, CA: • Grand Pacific Marbris • Grand Pacific Palisade • Carlsbad SeaPointe Resort

Palm Desert, California: • Club Intrawest Palm Desert

Breckenridge, Colorado: • Waldoro Mountain Lodge

Orlando, Florida: • HGV Club at SeaWorld International Center • HGV Club on an international disk • Parc Soleil by Hilton Grand Vacations

Miami Beach, FL: • HGV Club on South Beach

Stuart, Florida: • Beach Plantation Club at the Indian River Plantation Resort

Captiva Island, Florida: • Cottages at South Seas Island Resort • Harbourview Villas at South Seas Island Resort • Villas at Plantation Bay at South Seas Island Resort • Plantation Beach Club at South Seas Island Resort • Plantation House at South Seas Island Resort • South Seas Club at South Seas Island Resort

Fort Myers, Florida: • SeaWatch on the Beach Resort

Marco Island, Florida: • Club Marco Beach Club • Regency Club on Marco Island • Eagles Nest Beach Resort • Sunset Cove Resort • Marco Surf Club

Sanibel Island, Florida: • Casa Ibel Resort • Hurricane House Resort Hotel • Sanibel Cottages Resort Resort • Island Island Beach Club Resort Club • Tortuga Beach Club Resort Resort

Sandestin, FL: • Club Introval Sandestin

Oahu, Hawaii: • Grand Waikikian • Hilton Hawaiian Village - Calia Tower • Hilton Hawaiian Village - Lagoon Tower

Hawaii's Big Island, Hawaii: • HGV Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort • King's Land by Hilton Grand Vacations • Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort

Las Vegas, NV: • HGVC in Flamingo • Club Hilton Grand Vacations in Las Vegas • HGVC on the Las Vegas Strip

New York, New York: • Hilton Club New York • West 57th Street Hilton Club

British Columbia, Canada: • Intrawest Whistler Club

Quebec, Canada: • Club Intrawest Tremblant

Cancun, Mexico: • Fiesta Americana Villas Cancun

Acapulco, Mexico: • Fiesta Americana Villas Acapulco

Los Cabos, Mexico: • Fiesta Americana Villas Los Cabos

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: • Explorer Kohunlich

Zihuatanejo, Mexico: • Club Ziuatanejo

Vilamoura, Portugal: • Hilton Vilamoura Vacation Club

Coilumbridge, Scotland: • Hilton Coylumbridge

Craigendarroch, Scotland: • Hilton Craigendarroch

Dunkeld, Scotland: • Hilton Dunkeld

Introduction to ownership, system rules and usage strategies:

The first rule of Timeshare is that property should never be considered a financial investment in real estate. Timeshare properties are usually not evaluated over time. Often the only true criterion of a timeshare's value is your use and enjoyment of property, as well as photos and memories of your incredible holidays!

You should never make an impulse purchase for any type or program of owning a vacation! In addition, it will take time to consider the secondary or resale market. Acquiring a share of timeshare in the secondary market from the current owner, who no longer uses his property, can save you thousands on your purchase price. Some benefits cannot be transferred through the resale market, so you will need to compare the positive and negative aspects before purchasing. Finally, buying from an experienced and reputable brokerage is the safest way to ensure that you have all the information you need to ensure that the timeshare you buy gives you years of great vacations!

Ok, now for specific information about the Hilton Grand Vacations Club system ...

A club is actually a point-based reservation system. Club members are given points depending on the type of villa and the season in which they own (or are reserved in some cases) at their home resort. As with any point system, proper planning can greatly improve your use and satisfaction. It is important to understand the various types of property available, the benefits of ownership, the basic rules of the system, and some strategies that current owners use to maximize their use and enjoyment.

Property Types:

Having learned about this system, the difference between the developed HGVC resorts and the HGVC-related resorts is important. Rules of ownership and use may be completely different, depending on what is your home resort. For example, some of the affiliated resorts located in the southwestern region of Florida were originally sold as fixed weekly plots. For owners of fixed and event weeks, the home week is automatically reserved every year, unless the owner cancels the reservation. Most of the developed and built HGVC resorts are sold as floating weekly plots. Primary property is always based on a home resort. Because of this, the usage strategies will differ slightly depending on your home spa.

The fact itself can also vary from resort to resort. Some ownership documents specify a specific week and unit, even if they are used only for inventory purposes. HGVC at Seaworld is an example of this kind of action. Other property rights do not have a week and unit assigned, but instead show the type of use in a particular villa size. HGVC on International Drive uses this second document format. Finally, when you consider the international branches of Fiesta Americana in Mexico - these objects are sold as unused rights to use leased premises with a specific expiry date when your use will end.

In addition, it is very important to understand that the assignment of Elite status cannot be obtained through the purchase of resale and that not all partner resorts allow the transfer of Club rights to the resale market. For example, Carlsbad affiliates do not allow customers to use HGVC points, but Fiesta Americana contracts allow you to transfer point data. Another difference is that some affiliates require $ 399. Reconversion fee must be paid to Hilton after the transfer of the transfer document is transferred, so that the new owner is registered with the Club and has the opportunity to convert his week into Club points. If you are not sure what type of property exists in a particular resort, then consulting with an experienced broker or real estate partner is what you need to do before buying! Contact us with any questions you may have.

Seasons:

This is another area that can often confuse newbies! There are usually four main season names that are used by HGVC: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. The specific weeks that fall into these seasons will vary by resort. Some places will have all four seasons, while others can only be divided into two or three seasons. This confusion begins with several branches. Some partner resorts were originally sold with different season names than those used by Hilton. In addition, some of these resorts may have a float season that spans weeks that fall into the different designations of the HGVC season. It may be possible for the owner to reserve a week in a part of platinum, as well as in the gold season. For these owners, the amount of Club points that the owner receives can actually vary from year to year, depending on the actual week that is reserved. The good news is that this example is the exception rather than the rule.

Club Point values ​​for weeks, seasons, and unit sizes for each resort club can be found in the published User Guide http://www.hiltongrandvacations.com/mg/. Most resale buyers tend to focus on properties built at the Hilton to avoid confusion and ensure that they get a fixed amount of points at the Club every year.

Exchange options:

There are various ways to exchange your property week for another resort. The easiest way is to just simply use Club Points for reservations at another partner club. To go beyond the Club, you must use a third-party exchange system, such as RCI, Interval International, or a smaller system, such as SFX Resorts. Your home resort will determine which exchange systems you have as an owner.

Cost:

The service charge is determined each year based on the total operating budget at the resort. Fees can vary widely from one resort to another, and these estimates will vary depending on the year. Over time, the service charge will increase. You should always consider a maintenance fee before making a purchase decision, and should compare fees between several resorts as part of your research. In some cases, the annual fee may be more important over time, when the purchase price is negotiated!

Typically, the type and size of the unit of measure determine the base amount of the service charge, not the point allocation. The one-bedroom villa in the platinum season will be rated with the same base as the bedroom in the silver season. Only property taxes are likely to change depending on the season, so tax assessment creates a small difference between one bedroom of platinum and silver of one bedroom. Often a good buyer's strategy is to buy a 1-bedroom platinum season property, rather than a two-bedroom week in the lower season, even if villa 1br has a higher price! Your broker can help you compare different scenarios to determine which property best suits your needs and your budget.

There may also be some differences in when fees are charged to the resort. A good example of this can be seen in the owners at Bay Club at Waikoloa. In order for the owner of the Bay Club to borrow points from the next year of use, they will have to pre-pay the estimated amount for fees for the current year (any difference with the estimate is paid or credited at the time of invoicing). The international owners of Craigendarroch cannot pay the prepayment, therefore they cannot borrow funds from the future allocation. SeaWorld’s HGVC owner can take points next year without paying equivalent annual fees as long as their account is valid at the time of booking.

Club fees must also be paid each year. For most resorts in the US and Canada, $ 99 is currently charged. while members residing outside of the United States or Canada currently charge $ 139. (West of the 57th owner are charged $ 197 and $ 232, respectively). Members who own a US resort, as well as an international resort, may be required to pay Club fees for each account, since the two systems cannot be combined into a single payment account. This is very rare and seems to be a system failure, rather than intentional.

Finally, point systems also have side payments that may be charged for various services and transactions, such as club reservations, point backup, removable reservation options, guest certificates and RCI exchange deposits. It is also a good idea to ask about specific rates for visiting the hotel, such as parking fees and tourist taxes before confirming a reservation. If you don’t know before arrival, parking fees in places like New York and South Beach may come as a surprise!

Reservations:

There are five types of reservations at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club.

Home Week Reservations is a full seven-day stay in the exact type of unit and season that belongs to your home. Reservations can range from nine months to one year from your check per day. Required daily checks vary from resort to resort. Since owners get a longer booking window at their home resort, it is often a good idea to buy at a resort that you think you will use most often in the block and season that best fits your future plans. Reservations for the main week have the greatest opportunity to find accessibility other than fixed and random owners.

Hotel reservations at the resort are currently available only to owners of the West 57 Hilton Hilton hotel in New York. There is no minimum stay requirement for these reservations, but reservations must be made at the West 57th resort. These reservations can be made 45 days to nine months before the date of discharge.

Club reservations can be made nine months before the required departure date at most resorts. Club reservations should last three days or more. Reservations may be made at most resorts during this period (for example, in West 57 in New York, just to make the Club’s reservation 44 days before the discharge date), and all points owners have equal opportunity to get reservations. You can book a villa of any type, and at any time of the year, only limited by the number of points that you have!

Bookings in the “Open Season” mode can be made at most resorts (West 57th is excluded) 30 days before your departure date and requires only a two-day minimum stay. These reservations are paid in cash, but at rates that are greatly reduced! Currently, the 1br reservation cost is $ 80 / night for Sun-Thu and $ 100 / night for Fri-Sat.

Hilton Honors Reservations are reservations made through the Hilton Honors system. All HGVC members receive Silver VIP privileges in the Hilton Honors program. Owners can decide to include their weekly property in the Honor program in exchange for Honor points, which can be used for various services and hotel rooms in Hilton affiliated brands. These deposits must be made no later than December 31 of the year before receiving the points. (In other words, points for 2010 must be deposited by December 31, 2009). Trading your week of ownership a week to stay in hotels is usually not a strategy that is recommended, but some owners find this advantage to be beneficial.

Point graphs:

Read the user manual for the latest schedules and seasonal calendars.