Anyone have opinions on Hyatt Vacation Clubs?

[madelyn]

We are currently staying at the Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch in San Antonio and just attended their sales timeshare presentation. We accepted the invitation to stay at the resort on a whim without thinking we would seriously consider buying in. Their system is points based but their maintenance fees are based on the size unit you bought, regardless of points. Points purchased can vary depending on the season you buy into. Hyatt members, like DVC cannot be direct members of Interval International and have to trade through Hyatt. The resorts seem very nice although they have no immediate plans to build in the Orlando area. The only other timeshare sales presentation we have ever attended before was DVC about 9 years ago when they were selling BWV. Since many of you are timeshare experts, we thought we'd see if any of you have opinions of the Hyatt Club. I have looked through TUG and what I've read seems favorable. I know resale is always a better buy but there seems to be little resales with Hyatt, unlike Marriotts and Fairfields. The salesperson said Hyatt can buy back a unit if an owner attempts to sell at too low a price, which sounds like how Disney tries to maintain fair resale prices.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

What a coincidence---we just returned from Wild Oak Ranch ourselves!!!! It was tempting because we love San Antonio, and it is a beautiful resort.

But. . . we said no. (for now)

 

[pirateparrot]

I am a DVC member and also a Hyatt owner at the Hyatt Beach House in Key West. From what I have seen, Hyatt does not retain its value as well as DVC and there are some good resale prices available. The week I bought for almost $8000 (Bronze) sold for $12 - $13K originally.

I have only stayed at my home resort but had to pay a booking fee of $39 because I used a different week so trhe plan does not seem as flexible as DVC. I visited all three Hyatt resorts in KW and the resort at Breckenridge CO aqnd all seem very nice but did not stay there.

 

[tamu91]

Hyatt has some nice properties around the country but I've never been through one of their sales presentations so I'm afraid not much help but I do have some questions though .
I'd like to visit this property as well since SA is only about 3 hours from me and it's near SeaWorld.
From what I know, Hyatt doesn't have many resorts but the one in Beaver Creek is first class all the way. So, how hard is it to exchange within Hyatt? And how much is the Wild Oak Ranch units selling for?

 

[madelyn]

Thanks everyone for the advice and info. tamu91, I am not sure how I received the Hyatt invitation in the mail. I am a member of the Gold Passport Club (Hyatt Frequent Stay club) although we don't stay at Hyatts often. I did see on the Hyatt Vacation Club website there was a link for Mini Vacations and it looked like they solicit timeshare presentations through those inquiries. We were looking at buying 1100 points which was just under $9K initially and just over $900 in yearly maintenance fees. This would get a 2-bedroom in a very low season. They also have cheaper options such as a lower number of points or bi-annual weeks, where you get an amount of points every other year and pay maintenance fees every other year but the average pricer per point is higher. I have corresponded with a Hyatt owner and he said he hasn't had any trouble with exchanges within Hyatt as long as the request is made 12 months ahead of time. My husband's brother reported having trouble getting Spring Break week at Hyatt Breckenridge, where they own but I am not sure how far ahead they made the request. JessietheCowgirl, too funny about you just returning from Wild Oak Ranch. We check out on Wednesday. I'm sure the weekend was very crowded, it being the holiday weekend. We were able to see fireworks from our 3rd floor balcony window tonight and it was very nice (but that happens every night for BWV owners with a preferred view!)

 

[pogopossum]

we are there in two weeks, we also got the invite in the mail, not sure what list we are on. how pushy are they in the sales meeting? don't think we want to buy another timeshare.

but it would be nice to have something that close to home and there is nowhere like the hill country.

 

[madelyn]

Pirateparrot, how many points is your Hyatt Beach House Bronze week? I have been corresponding with Ken, someone I found off of TUG, and he mentioned he bought a resale at Sunset Harbor and it is selling for 150% of what he paid. He also mentioned that in general, the value of a timeshare decreases 50% once you walk out the door. It seems that some of the other Hyatt resales, like the one in Carmel, have pretty high prices but Beach House is low. pogopossum, our salesperson, Joe, was not too pushy. We have never been through a timeshare presentation other than DVC so we have nothing to compare to it though. It was kinda awkward towards the end because the salesman didn't really wrap things up and left it open ended and I think one of us finally had to say we did not have a decision for him right then and there. If you are definitely not interested, it would probably wrap up quicker. I went into it with no intentions to buy but was still interested in learning about it and we had to admit there was a slight possibility we would buy. He did ask us at the very beginning of the presentation if it was something we might be interested in and we did say yes. If you said no, positively not, I'm not sure if the presentation would have gone differently. We had alot of questions so we ended up staying about an hour over the allotted time.

 

[tamu91]

I think I filled out the mini vacation offer and they called me to see if I wanted to come up for a visit. I couldn't get away for a weekend visit but I might in September just before the Texas Open.
The offer they gave me was pretty reasonable. FRI-SAT night rates were little more expensive like DVC - Studio $69/night, 1 Bdrm $99 and 2 Bdrm $149 and SUN-THUR rates were Studio $49/night, 1 Bdrm $79 and 2 Bdrm $129.

madelyn - were your offers similar?

 

[madelyn]

tamu91, how much time passed between the time you filled out the mini vacation form and the time they called? I have friends that are interested in coming, but when I called to make the reservation (from my paper invitation), I was told you had to be invited. These friends/family asked us to submit their names if asked for referrals after our presentation but we were not asked. We were told if we purchased, then we could make referrals. Those rates sound identical to those we were offered. I only asked about studio and 1-bedroom units. We ended up in a 1-bedroom over the July 4th holiday, with a check-in on Sunday, July 3 and check-out
Wednesday, July 6. We paid the $79 rate for each of the nights. At the completion of the presentation we were given several "Hyatt checks" which equalled to $200. It is my understanding that these are presented at check-out and we can use them to pay for any items charged to our room. So far we have not been able to spend the full $200. There is only one bar/resaurant on the premises. It serves a lunch menu and for the evening only serves appetizers and pizza. There is a small general store with food items, sundries, etc. There are more restaurants and golfing and the spa over at the Hyatt Hill Country resort and you can also charge from there. My cousin and her husband stayed at the Hill Country resort a few months ago and she said there was a Wild Oak Ranch sign up table in the hotel lobby and their incentive was $100 cash.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

We were also given $200 worth of vouchers and paid $79 per nite for a 1BR.

We ate lunch twice at the Hill Country resort, dinner once, and had pizza take out from the Wild Oak Ranch snack bar. We still had not spent the $200!!! So I sent the kids shopping---they bought pool toys and T-shirts. I bought a glass bottle for dishsoap and a few snacks---that took care of it!!!

Our guide was also very low pressure----he said they are taught to be that way and let the resort sell itself.

We were looking at 1 week in a 2BR in July which would have been in the neighborhood of $14K. Maintenance fees were just under $1,000 annually.

I am surprised to hear of resales being much cheaper? We met with the director of sales who said that Hyatt exercises their right of first refusal often---he also mentioned that a week in Aspen starts at $180K!!!!

They had several resorts---Colorado, Arizona, Key West, Lake Tahoe, Hawaii to name a few.

And your fixed "week" is held until 6 months prior; at that time, you either convert to points (for the other Hyatt resorts) or deposit/trade into II.

As I said, we were tempted. It is beautiful and close to home.

Since only 2 buildings are complete, we had the pools/lazy river practically to ourselves.

My two concerns:

1. Security---they have no gate or guard at the entrance. I do not like that.

2. Dining options at the resort---I think they need to add a more upscale full-service restaurant; we were told they have no immediate plans of doing so.

 

[tamu91]

For me, I think they called me back within a week and it was somebody from the corporate office, not the resort.
Tell your friends to sign up on the internet and they should hear back. I mean these are timeshare sales people, aren't they

 

[bwvBound]

We were looking at buying 1100 points which was just under $9K initially and just over $900 in yearly maintenance fees. This would get a 2-bedroom in a very low season.

Hmm ... personally, I'd say the MF seem high for a 2BR low season week. However, I'm probably not fully appreciating the luxury of the unit appointments and resort facilities. (Sorta like trying to understand Mercedes pricing when I'm happy with my Pontiac?)

Admittedly, I pay twice that for my ranch dues -- but I own a half-share (even months) and enjoy unlimited day use of ranch facilities, natural hot springs, free golf, free horseback riding with 2500 acres to explore, tennis, use of the private airstrip, and more. (Trades through II.)

In terms of points-based timeshare ownership, ~$820/year MF at Worldmark would give you 2 weeks of 2BR use at most Club properties during high season. (Trades through RCI and II.)

Again -- there may be notable differences in product quality and/or the overall "experience."

 

[pirateparrot]

I was on a week that they changed from 1100 points to 1300 points right when I bought it. They changed the week to coincide with II exchange when all of the Hyatts in KW were made II Red Weeks.

My MF last year were around $750.

 

[madelyn]

Well, we check out tomorrow and we haven't even used half of our $200. Supposedly you have up to 60 days from time of issue to use them.
I was hoping to fit in a spa visit which would surely use up what remains. I agree about there being a need for more dining options. We have young kids who were usually too cranky after a long day of being out swimming so we didn't feel like going back out to the Hill Country Resort to eat dinner. I got take out from the one bar/restaurant and the menu for the evening is very limited....only pizza and appetizers! That got old after two nights in a row. It would be nice if there were some kind of security gate as well. We were at the pool after 10:00p the night we arrived and a bunch of teens arrived around 10:15 and were being kinda rowdy. It looked like some of them were in tank tops and shorts and not swimsuits so I was wondering if they were at Sea World and when it closed, they decided to come by for a swim. I will tell my interested friends to sign up on the website. Hyatt charges the same maintenance fee for the same size of unit, regardless of season. So someone in diamond or platinum would pay the same as someone in a lower season. I am glad we did not purchase the copper week equalling 1100 points because it was in January, which would not be a desirable time to be at Wild Oak Ranch. The salesperson was just trying to sell us the points that equalled what our estimated use would be without regard to the time of the actual week we were buying. I was thinking we would just use that week's points to get a partial week at Wild Oak Ranch at a desirable time and use the other points at a different resort. Another Hyatt owner pointed out that there is probably little availability at Wild Oak Ranch since members/owners would have to give up their weeks in order for them to be available and for the first few years of purchase most people use the weeks where they bought.
The other units that are unsold are owned by Hyatt and used for marketing or rented and not available for use by other members. It was also recommended that we purchase at least 1300 points so that is then tradeable through Interval for a 2-bedroom. We are still interested but if we increase to 1300 points and buy in a higher season, that most likely prices it higher than what I am interested in paying at this moment. The resort is very nice though and we have had a great time here. If Hyatt ends up renting rooms to the general public I would be very interested. JessietheCowgirl, did you mean weeks in Aspen start at
$18K, not $180K? If $180K I would think no one that owned in Aspen would ever trade! Well, I'm not saying all resales are much cheaper and it is unlikely to find resales at Wild Oak Ranch at this time.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

JessietheCowgirl, did you mean weeks in Aspen start at
$18K, not $180K? If $180K I would think no one that owned in Aspen would ever trade! Well, I'm not saying all resales are much cheaper and it is unlikely to find resales at Wild Oak Ranch at this time.

That was not a typo---$180,000 Can you imagine?

So, yes, the director of sales said that it is highly unlikely that any weeks will go unused in Aspen--at least for the first few years.

Instead of buying at Wild Oak, we have decided to continue to rent from the adjacent Hill Country Resort. I would love to do an annual extended weekend trip!!

 

[madelyn]

tamu91, when you requested info from the Hyatt Mini Vacations link, which option did you select for the "Area of Interest" question. I notice that the only options are: General Information, High Sierra Lodge or Main Street Station. I don't see an option for Wild Oak Ranch? I'm following up with people who asked us to refer them so they could be invited to take the tour. JessetheCowgirl, $180K is outrageous! That kind of money is definitely out of our league! I walked the grounds of the Hill Country Resort and I think it is definitely more serene and beautiful than Wild Oak Ranch. I prefer the rooms at Wild Oak Ranch though (although we haven't stayed at Hill Country since the renovations). I ended up having to purchase a spa gift certificate to spend the unused balance of the Wild Oak Ranch issued certificates. It was also our understanding that if using points (outside of actual purchased week), your stay had to be a minimum of 3 nights at Wild Oak Ranch, so paying cash at Hill Country offers more flexibility if desiring a short weekend (Fri/Sat) getaway planned during the school year.

 

[dvc_john]

I own at Hyatt (as well as DVC, Hilton, and Marriott).
Here are a few comments:
You do get an individual II membership. It is required, and the fee is included in your Hyatt membership fee, which is part of your maintenance fee. However, the II membership is for your Hyatt ownership only, so if you are already an II member, then you'll get a second membership. Unlike DVC, you can then have access to the II site, and getaways, etc.
Hyatt maintenance fees are a little high, but as I said, it includes you II fee.
They have 11 resorts open (Key West (3), Puerto Rico, Bonita Springs (near Naples Fla), Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Lake Tahoe, Sedona Az, Carmel Calif, and San Antonio. Aspen should open soon. And under development is Maui Hawaii and Huntington Beach Calif. The Colorado properties are extremely expensive, but are sold a little differently. They sell about 21 or so fixed ski season weeks. With that, you also get 10 days floating usage to be used in the non-ski season.
I have stayed at 8 of the properties (and will stay at San Antonio in a month or so), and all have been top-notch.
Trading is a bit tricky, not nearly as flexible as DVC. But so far, I've gotten every trade I've asked for.
Most resorts are on the small side - 50 to 80 units or so. But some of the newer ones are being built in phases and will be much larger.

 

[pogopossum]

we did the sales presentation today, we liked the idea of buying an every other year membership. kind of toying with 1340 or 1880 points. i am curious about the II tradeouts. are they similarly priced for both clubs and does dvc have all the same selections as hvc. i guess i am trying to figure out if they are comparable in price and value. or is it a better deal for us to go to dvc and buy add ons?

 

[madelyn]

Continuing to do research on HVC, although not quite agressively as when we first returned from our promo stay. There is a Yahoo Group w/ lots of info. Hyatt seems less flexible than DVC since you cannot easily bank and borrow points. And you cannot get a few extra points if you need them for a particular stay like you could with DVC (buy a few off another DVC owner if needed to use once). It's also more restrictive since you can't get a single night's stay like you can with DVC. Within Hyatt, it seems to be that members usually get every trade they want, but they say they have to request far in advance (1 year). Maintenance fees are assessed per point with DVC, I believe and with Hyatt it is per unit size and doesn't really take unit or week into account. Dh doesn't like that DVC is a lease and with Hyatt, some are leased but for a much longer term and others are deeded. It is much easier to add on with DVC, since you can get more points, whereas with Hyatt, you would have to purchase a new week and possibly pay double maintenance fees (if you bought another 2 bedroom unit). Someone on the Hyatt Yahoo group posted they requested a trade for DVC through Interval and the request was honored with a 2-bedroom at OKW. So if you want to stay at DVC properties other than OKW, it might be better to buy DVC since it seems that larger units for non-OKW rarely are available. Hyatt does have some very nice properties though and many of them, like the ski properties during ski season and I'm sure Hawaii and Carmel are rarely available through Interval because if given up by an owner, they most certainly will be taken by another Hyatt owner. So it just depends where you want to vacation. A great mix, if we could afford it, would be to buy both DVC and HVC because they seem to complement one another well.