Just back from HGVC...so DVC homesick!

[shellbelle1971]

DH and I just got back from a short (3 night) trip to the HGVC property on I-drive in Orlando. The property was very nice, and I enjoyed the sunny FL warmth (and getting off the plane home to the 26 degree Utah winter was such a SHOCK!)

The biggest plus for the HGVC property was that you could walk through a gate into the I-drive outlet malls, and/or across the street to a real grocery store. So it was easier than being at DVC that way. DH and I felt like the jetted tub in our unit was much nicer than the tub in most DVC units. I also liked that the patios/balconies there were screened, which allowed me and DH to enjoy sitting out in the evenings in a relatively insect-free zone.

On the balance, though, the HGVC was just a nice hotel, without any of that great Disney theming/ambiance. Outlet malls are fun, but I really kept wishing I could walk from my villa over to Downtown Disney or the Boardwalk.

Also, I have to say...holy cow!...if you think SSR is too big, you'd probably HATE the HGVC property. It has 7 buildings (the 8th is under construction) and each is 7 stories high, and ENORMOUS! Many of the villas feature scenic parking-garage views , although ours, thank heavens, faced a nice lake with a fountain. (It did appear that most villas would look at the lake, and only a select few could hope for the parking-garage view.)

And speaking of parking...I have to say it's incredibly poorly designed at the HGVC resort. It appears that parking is wholly inadequate. One night, when we couldn't find a space anywhere, we eventually parked outside the property, over in the outlet mall's lot. That part was a pain!

Anyway, maybe I'm just bummed that we had to cut our vacation short so DH could go on an unplanned trip to Japan and Korea, but I'm really missing our DVC homes, and can hardly wait until we can get back to the *real* magic. If anyone has any specific questions about comparing the HGVC property to the DVCs, I'd be happy to answer them as best I can.

 

[alldiz]

What is HGVC
thanks
kerri

 

[littlestar]

What is HGVC
thanks
kerri

Hilton Grand Vacation Club

 

[Cruelladeville]

Please tell us more about HGVC--I have 5000 pts there to use, which is a two bedroom villa for a week. We took the tour, and 5000 pts is, like, a one year use to give you a chance to try it out for about $700. But Hilton calls about every other week to ask us if we have decided to buy yet. It's a pain--we will NEVER buy at a place that makes a nuisance of themselves like that! Other than the parking problem, did you find anything else that was odd compared to Disney? Their rooms at Hilton seemed very nice--which size room did you get?

 

[alldiz]

Hilton Grand Vacation Club

thanks......off property
Just kidding
Kerri

 

[shellbelle1971]

Please tell us more about HGVC--I have 5000 pts there to use, which is a two bedroom villa for a week. We took the tour, and 5000 pts is, like, a one year use to give you a chance to try it out for about $700. But Hilton calls about every other week to ask us if we have decided to buy yet. It's a pain--we will NEVER buy at a place that makes a nuisance of themselves like that! Other than the parking problem, did you find anything else that was odd compared to Disney? Their rooms at Hilton seemed very nice--which size room did you get?

We did the same "VIP Preview Package" thing as you. You're right--the HGVC rooms are beautiful, and in many respects superior to DVC. (Nicer bedding, furniture, finish work, etc.)

We were considering HGVC because we go to Las Vegas frequently, and we wanted to try it there, plus we are looking at options for us to get to Hawaii more often. So we used some of the points at the HGVC on the Strip, which is beautiful, and nearly identical in room type to the HGVC on I-drive. We had enough points left over after our Vegas trip to book a few nights in Orlando, and the points would have expired if we didn't use them, so we took this trip.

We never used the pool in Orlando, though it looked nice, but didn't see a waterslide, which would be important to our kids. (There might have been one, but we didn't see it.) The pool at the HGVC on the Las Vegas Strip is spectacularly beautiful and very serene. All in all, though, we liked the DVC pools better for the theming and recreation for the kids.

We stayed in a 1-bedroom this time. It was just me, DH & baby. When we stayed in Vegas we got a 2-bedroom, and 2 of our kids stayed with their aunt and uncle there. We found that for us, HGVC is not a good choice because in most of their properties a 2-bedroom will only hold 6 people, and a 3-bedroom, where available, will only hold 8. There are some properties where the occupancy rules are different, but this is mostly true. The properties that can fit 8 in a 2-bedroom seem to be mostly older, and not as nice. Because we're a family of nine, that becomes a problem. (At DVC we get a 2 bedroom when one of the kids is staying home for school or whatever, and if everyone is coming a grand villa.)

One nice thing about the HGVC points is that if you are short some points for your trip you can "rent" them (one time use) from Hilton very inexpensively. We were short some, and I can't remember exactly how much we paid for the points we were short, but it was really cheap. Our extra night in a 1-bedroom ended up costing us less than $50.

I didn't like the HGVC program because there's a minimum 2-night stay each time you use points. DVC is more flexible. I also believe you don't have the ability to bank and borrow points like you can with DVC.

We also aren't crazy about the HGVC Hawaii locations. Our favorite part of Hawaii is Kauai (sp??), and we like Ko'Olina and Maui, too, but we hate Waikiki. HGVC is mostly on Waikiki and the big island, and we want to own something we can enjoy in Hawaii. I had been thinking about buying the Westin at Ka'anapali or Princeville and the Marriott at Ko'olina, but with DVC announcing a Disney presence at Ko'olina I'm going to wait a while before deciding for sure on that one.

We haven't received sales phone calls from Hilton; maybe they think we're not a good bet. One thing I know for sure is that if I ever were going to buy HGVC (which I'm not because it doesn't meet my needs) I would buy only platinum points, and resale using a reputable broker. You can get them for around $2-3 per point resale, which is much, much less expensive than through Hilton. Buy platinum points because you will save $ on annual dues that way. Hilton doesn't have a ROFR on some of their properties (like the Flamingo in Vegas) and, unlike DVC, it seems like which resort you own points at is relatively unimportant. In other words, their "home resort booking window" is so restrictive that very few owners can use it, so really, points there are just points. So you can get a pretty good deal on HGVC points if you can find the right seller.

But for me...it just doesn't work quite right.

 

[shellbelle1971]

thanks......off property

That's exactly how we felt! It certainly wasn't "home"!

 

[shellbelle1971]

Other than the parking problem, did you find anything else that was odd compared to Disney?

Oh, yeah, I forgot to add...HGVC charges $12 to take their shuttle to/from WDW and you have to have an appointment each direction!

We always have a rental car in Orlando, so this didn't impact me, but I thought, "ugh" compared to being in our DVC where you can walk to Epcot/Disney Studios from BCV & BWV...

Yeah, paying $12 per person for an inconvenient appointment-based shuttle is SO NOT MAGICAL!

 

[dvc_john]

Sorry, but I have to correct a few of your descriptions.

There are 7 buildings total, 2 are 6 floors and 5 are 7 floors.
Overall, it's about 45% the size of SSR (in number of rooms).
Parking can be a problem, especially if coming back late. But there is always parking available near the check-in area, and also at the end near the Pizza Hut. The parking ramp built for the outlet mall is very recent. I haven't stayed there since it was built, but it does look like it would negatively affect the end units of buildings 4 and 5. (about 28 units).
As with most off-site resorts, shuttle service is not free (if available at all), and is limited to a few times a day.
Also, you can easily borrow points, just like DVC.
You can also bank points, but not as easily as DVC.
One thing you can do is book cash reservations at 30 days out (if available) for $60/studio, $80/1-br, $100/2-br.
Since weekend points are twice as much as weekday points (much like DVC), I frequently book weekdays on points, and weekends on cash, stretching my points.

I like this resort a lot, especially for off-site activities (Seaworld, Universal, off-site shopping and dining etc.) Then when I stay at DVC, I park the car and don't go off-site at all.

 

[shellbelle1971]

Sorry, but I have to correct a few of your descriptions.

There are 7 buildings total, 2 are 6 floors and 5 are 7 floors.
Overall, it's about 45% the size of SSR (in number of rooms).
Parking can be a problem, especially if coming back late. But there is always parking available near the check-in area, and also at the end near the Pizza Hut. The parking ramp built for the outlet mall is very recent. I haven't stayed there since it was built, but it does look like it would negatively affect the end units of buildings 4 and 5. (about 28 units).
As with most off-site resorts, shuttle service is not free (if available at all), and is limited to a few times a day.
Also, you can easily borrow points, just like DVC.
You can also bank points, but not as easily as DVC.
One thing you can do is book cash reservations at 30 days out (if available) for $60/studio, $80/1-br, $100/2-br.
Since weekend points are twice as much as weekday points (much like DVC), I frequently book weekdays on points, and weekends on cash, stretching my points.

I like this resort a lot, especially for off-site activities (Seaworld, Universal, off-site shopping and dining etc.) Then when I stay at DVC, I park the car and don't go off-site at all.

Thanks for setting the record straight. I'm glad to have correct information! The resort has some great points, it just isn't right for us.

 

[Mtnman44]

Are you aware that you will likely pay two to three times more for those HGVC points when purchased directly? Whatever you do, check out the resale market before you buy.

Please tell us more about HGVC--I have 5000 pts there to use, which is a two bedroom villa for a week. We took the tour, and 5000 pts is, like, a one year use to give you a chance to try it out for about $700. But Hilton calls about every other week to ask us if we have decided to buy yet. It's a pain--we will NEVER buy at a place that makes a nuisance of themselves like that! Other than the parking problem, did you find anything else that was odd compared to Disney? Their rooms at Hilton seemed very nice--which size room did you get?

 

[3DisneyKids]

Just subscribing.