Hilton Grand Vacation Club?

[leanne2255]

Yes, I know this is a DVC board, and I am a DVC owner, but due to trying to save my points on a quick week-end trip, we were able to get a great rate for a studio at HGVC. Did not like it. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was just not special like DVC is. The buildings are very tall, 5 or 6 stories and they have enclosed, screened patios which make the rooms very dark. The studio was very small, but the kitchen area was fairly similiar to DVC. Glass dishes and regular utensils was the only improvement that I could note. We were there on cash ressies, but did not receive any housekeeping services.

The location was not bad, corner of Vineland and Int'l Drive, next to the Premium outlet mall and across from Publix. Very easy driving to and from the parks. Did not visit the pool or any other areas.

Just curious whether or not anyone else had anything to say about this resort.

 

[ppjluvsdvc]

I am interested in anything about this resort. We are DVC members too but have to attend a convention and didn't want to use our points. This is one of the places on the list and I can still get in.

Thanks,

 

[Dean]

We will be staying there in a 2 BR in less than 2 months. My previous impressions were very positive but there are some people that just don't feel the same staying off property compared to on property and there are others that prefer staying off property. My cost for the 2 BR for a week is about $300 total inclusive of all fees and indirect costs.

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

We got a great rate off hhonors for a one bedroom which was superb - yes, its not disney but location was good, one bedroom was very nice and we have been back 4 or 5 times since

David

 

[spiceycat]

Great price Dean!

if you are not into shopping then would definitely go with the HGVC @ SW - it is across the street from SW and is very nice.

what I liked about HGVC vs DVC - is the bigger TV - walking to SW.

when traded thru RCI and got a 2-bedroom - like the water facus on the whirlpool tub - like a shower.

 

[Tigger031266]

We saw those room on our HGVC tour. Very nice (like Disney rooms). I think it is the details that get you:
- they charge for little things like movies
- Dinner at the resort very pricy
- out door entrences (like SSr and OKW)
- Biggest problem is location
- No Disney transportation
- No magical express

DOn't get me wrong. I think they can be a great deal for an offsite hotel. It is interesting that they are renting for such low prices. They must be having difficulty selling and filling them.

 

[Dean]

It is interesting that they are renting for such low prices. They must be having difficulty selling and filling them.

I don't think it's the low rental price but rather the fact that Orlando is overbuilt with timeshares and thus it's easy to trade in as an up trade for all but possibly 3-4 weeks of the year. Almost anything will get up a great trade into Orlando. My cost basis was the exchange fee plus the underlying Maint fees on the studio I gave them. The up front cost for that ownership was negligible. The resorts don't really care who trades in as they get their up front money and their maint fees. Actually they do care as it's fresh meat for a possible sales presentation.

 

[Dean]

Great price Dean!

if you are not into shopping then would definitely go with the HGVC @ SW - it is across the street from SW and is very nice.

what I liked about HGVC vs DVC - is the bigger TV - walking to SW.

when traded thru RCI and got a 2-bedroom - like the water facus on the whirlpool tub - like a shower.

We had our choice and because of the I drive location being newer and slightly better rated, decided to go with that one.

 

[littlestar]

I don't think it's the low rental price but rather the fact that Orlando is overbuilt with timeshares and thus it's easy to trade in as an up trade for all but possibly 3-4 weeks of the year. Almost anything will get up a great trade into Orlando. My cost basis was the exchange fee plus the underlying Maint fees on the studio I gave them. The up front cost for that ownership was negligible. The resorts don't really care who trades in as they get their up front money and their maint fees. Actually they do care as it's fresh meat for a possible sales presentation.

Exactly. Orlando has a BIG supply. Pretty much easy to get at a great price except for a few certain times of the year like Christmas/New Years, President's week, Spring break.

Leanne, I too, don't like really tall buildings. Our favorite non Disney timeshare in Orlando is Marriott's Cypress Harbour - low rise buildings with big porches like OKW. Cypress Harbour also has a refillable mug program like OKW. Marriott Horizons is a close second because I like the Key West theming and pastel colors. I probably like both of those resorts because they remind me of my favorite DVC resorts - laughter.

 

[dan and scott]

We toured Horizons when it was still under construction Very nice!!!
It had that OKW feeling and the furnishings were nice or better than DVC at the time.
Would not hesitate to buy into any of the high-end timeshares such as Marriot or Sheraton (the one on the southern part of International Drive) which was also very nice at the time(6-7yrs ago).

Scott

 

[JimC]

...Actually they do care as it's fresh meat for a possible sales presentation.

And they grill you until you are way more than well done if you attend one of their presentations

 

[wdw4us2]

And they grill you until you are way more than well done if you attend one of their presentations

Too true! We attended the presentation in June as part of a deal we got through the Doubletree in DTD. We stayed there in Oct. '07 (instead of OKW because we were a party of 5 on that trip). We were offerred a return stay at Doubletree for $100 for a 4 day 3 night stay if you attended the HGV presentation as part of the return stay.

DH and I went to the presentation while DD & DS went to MK. The presentation was very well done, accommodations looked nice - but the studio is smaller than OKW - and the saw the film. At the end, we told our sales rep we weren't interested because DD is entering college next Summer and we won't have the money for another time share (we had already told them we own DVC). Next came the sales manager who kept saying, "Well, you're going to be taking vacations anyway, so why not spend your money here." To which we told him our daughter's education came before our plans for vacations. He just didn't understand that concept.

 

[Brian Noble]

My brother and his wife accumulate piles and piles of Hilton points through stays, etc., and love love love the chain. They attended an HGVC presentation, once, and walked out in the middle of it. They will never set foot on any of the HGVC properties ever again.

 

[Dean]

My brother and his wife accumulate piles and piles of Hilton points through stays, etc., and love love love the chain. They attended an HGVC presentation, once, and walked out in the middle of it. They will never set foot on any of the HGVC properties ever again.

HGVC has a good system but like most timeshares, one must be able to separate the sales process from the system itself.

 

[Brian Noble]

Well, that's what I keep telling them. But, they are not the sort of people who react well to the guilt-shame-anger phase of the typical presentation. I've been extolling the virtues of a good resale purchase for a while, but the whole process has pretty much fixed "timesare == bad" for them.

They are getting to the point where hotel rooms just aren't adequte though, so there is still hope.

 

[Dean]

Well, that's what I keep telling them. But, they are not the sort of people who react well to the guilt-shame-anger phase of the typical presentation. I've been extolling the virtues of a good resale purchase for a while, but the whole process has pretty much fixed "timesare == bad" for them.

They are getting to the point where hotel rooms just aren't adequte though, so there is still hope.

"cutting off the nose to spite the face" seems to apply here but it's their money, points and decision. I wonder what choices they have to use the Hhonor points for timeshares stays, likely not a lot so it may not matter anyway as buying in for points doesn't make sense and it sounds like they have plenty of points from other sources. One ploy you might consider is the idea of buying something cheap where they can easily and cheaply trade in to HGVC options. You could pitch it as getting over on HGVC, an approach they would likely have some interest in.

 

[Brian Noble]

Honestly, I'm going to have better luck getting them into another system---and, given HGVC's relatively limited set of locations, another system would probably work better for them in any event.

 

[SammieG]

we are dvc and HGVC owners .. and i think they both have merits.

yes.. we like staying onsite at disney resorts.. but in terms of space, and what you get for your money, HGVC wins hands down. In terms of the "extras".. then of course dvc wins!

We love splitting our stays with onsite and offsite and HGVC I drive has the nicest pool in any resort Ive been to.. including Disney. We love the disney pools but we dont like the crowding of them that you get. Its much more peaceful at HGCV

 

[SammieG]

Honestly, I'm going to have better luck getting them into another system---and, given HGVC's relatively limited set of locations, another system would probably work better for them in any event.

You can trade through RCI with HGVC .. so many many options available.

 

[HayGan]

And they grill you until you are way more than well done if you attend one of their presentations

We did the Hilton timeshare tour a few years ago and had a completely different experience. We didn't find it to be high pressure at all. We knew going in that we weren't buying and that no offer they presented was going to convince us to sell. The sales rep was polite as was his reinforcement (manager.)

While we thought the property was nice, it wasn't fo us at all. A friend of mine owns there. She spent about what I did on my DVC. If she went to sell today, she would barely get anything out of it versus the nice resale value of my DVC. Plus she has a bigger maintenance fee than I do!!!