Have you ever been tempted by one of those offers of a ridiculously discounted hotel stay in a prime tourist area in exchange for taking in a timeshare sales seminar? If you’re a Hilton Honors Member you probably have been. Wondering if you should take the bait? Read on to hear our experience.
“You’ve done what now?”
That was my reply to Steve when he told me that he just booked a two-day stay in New York City following his business travel to Boston that I was tagging along on. He explained that while booking our Hilton stay in the Boston area, he was offered a special deal for Hilton Honors members. It was a deeply discounted rate at the Hilton Midtown in Manhattan as well as other bonus rewards in exchange for … wait for it … participating in a two-hour information session about Hilton Grand Vacations Club.
Really.
We had never even contemplated getting into a vacation timeshare. But, we love New York City, we were already in Boston, and could take the train there, and it was only two hours of our time. What did we have to lose?
Spending time in Central Park on a sunny day is worth a bit of sales talk.
What is Hilton Grand Vacations Club?
Hilton Grad Vacations Club (HGVC) describes itself as “vacation ownership.” It’s the purchase of a “deed” in a specific club property, in our case the New York Hilton Midtown, that would allow us to book vacation stays there with enhanced status of being a club member (perks such as Club Room access with complementary snacks and cocktails). Club properties are more spacious than regular hotel rooms—most have full kitchens (excluding New York), and extra bedrooms.
Purchasing this deed buys you Hilton points that you can use to book time in the property you purchased the deed for, or in any other Hilton Club property. You can also book stays at Hilton affiliates (properties that have a deal with Hilton but aren’t Hilton properties) around the world. There are adventure or tour packages through this program that you can book as well. Accommodations range from resort settings to smaller bed and breakfast types of set ups.
Christina from the Currently Exploring blog does a great job of explaining some of the ins and outs of HGVC ownership.
The Sell
Arriving at the penthouse sales suite at the Hilton Midtown, we were greeted by floor to ceiling windows with the New York skyline spread out in all its glory before us. We waited in reception gazing at the view until our sales representative came to retrieve us a short time later. We were offered a light lunch from a buffet table and then settled in to get started.
Our sales rep was very straightforward, asking us if we had made up our mind before arriving that we would under no circumstances make a purchase today — that we had a pact. We said we had an open mind (partially true). We had done zero research so we were there to learn about the program. He assured us that if we determined the program was not in our best interests, he would be the first to tell us—we were free to end it at any point. But, rest assured, he informed us, this was a business meeting, and we were here to do business. We would either buy or not at the end of the meeting. Whatever offer was negotiated today would be available to us only today because it didn’t make sense for Hilton sales reps to do follow up with prospects all over the globe.
Alright then.
Off we went to join our rep at a multi-media wall of screens where he scrolled through various high definition vistas and properties. We then proceeded to sit at a desk with another screen that our rep used to “work through some numbers.” We started off by calculating how much we presently spend on vacation, developing a “vacation profile” (aka qualifying us for the purchase).
He ran though the various aspects of the program, how it worked, how the points were like “Hilton currency” and how this investment in ownership was an asset, unlike spending vacation cash with nothing more to show for it than a few photos and some memories. We could share this asset with family and friends (what a gift!) and we could will it to someone once we pass on to that ultimate vacation of eternal rest. We would “own” a little piece of New York City real estate – a solid investment that is unavailable to most.
Steve asked a lot of questions about the math. I did not. I’m a words person, not a math person. Even with a clear understanding of how the math works though, there was no way we would make a major “investment” like this without doing significant research about it and examining whether it would truly be in our best interests. We did not get to discussing the amount of purchase, but we did learn the annual fee would be $3,200 for the New York City deed.
Here were some of our other objections:
- We do not enjoy all-inclusive style vacations so the Hilton Club resorts had little appeal.
- We stay in hotels mostly when it is expedient for business travel. On vacation we prefer using Airbnb for a more authentic experience.
- We have no kids so plan to spend most of our money before we expire and give the rest to charity.
- I don’t want to be psychologically tied to using HGVC every time we vacation. If we’re paying that much in “investment” and annual fees, this would inevitably happen.
Once we raised the above objections, our rep ended the meeting abruptly saying that we were obviously not seeing the value in the purchase, that it was not right for us. With that, he took his leave and turned us over to someone from “corporate.” She escorted us back to reception and asked us a few questions about the process. She reassured us that some people are just not ready to make the decision the first time around. Sometimes they came back twice. Nice reframe, there.
What we Got in Return for Our Time
True to their word, the sales presentation clocked in at almost exactly two hours. In return we received the following:
- Two night’s accommodation for our stay at the Hilton Midtown at around half the price. Nice hotel, great location close to main attractions Central Park, Times Square, and Radio City Music Hall.
- Vouchers worth $100 to spend at restaurants, services, or attractions that are part of the Hilton Elevated Rewards program. We spent these on a nice meal at David Burke fabrick restaurant.
- $100 off a future night’s stay at a Hilton brand hotel.
The candied bacon at David Burke fabrick was a worthwhile trade off for Steve.
In all, probably a fair trade off. Although, make no mistake, this is a high-pressure sales situation. If you have any doubt about your ability to say no and walk away, steer clear of this offer.
How it Felt
I admit to feeling slightly disingenuous about taking the deal. We knew going in that it was highly unlikely that we would buy into HGVC. However, in our defence, we did have an open mind at the start. I began to shut down when we learned we’d have to sign on the dotted line at the end of this two-hour meeting. Not in a million years! I’ve spent more time researching and deliberating about which type of earbuds I should buy for my iPhone.
In the end, it was a straight transaction – HGVC bought two hours of our time and we gave them that.
Are you a timeshare owner? What has your experience been?
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[…] Timeshare companies sometimes offer discounted rates to non-timeshare members. If you come across one of these deals, it may seem too good to be true. And it just may. These stays come with a catch – you usually need to spend half a day with a salesperson who will aggressively try to sell you a unit. We stayed for three nights in Las Vegas on one of these offers. After being treated to an expensive breakfast buffet, we embarked on a tour of the resort with an intense sales pitch. It was an interesting experience and we managed to escape without buying anything, but it is an experience we’re not eager to repeat. Deb of Tag Along Travel relates a similar experience she and her husband Steve had at a Hilton Grand Vacation timeshare in New York. […]
Yes the time spent was well worth it. 1. Because now I have better understanding of how timeshare actually works. 2. The young man (Sam) who gave the presentation was very thorough in breaking down all option to buy into the program.
It’s good to hear that you had a positive experience, Tonya.
Despite blocking the HGV phone number, they still managed to get through to me on my business phone number. When I resisted the offer of a cheap stay at a Hilton in Myrtle Beach or Orlando, they piled on enough perks for me to arrange to do some business in Myrtle Beach. I was offered my choice of HGV properties in the city, though they were pushing the DoubleTree. I made the reservation in August of 2017, and was told it was “too early” to confirm, and that I should call back in November to a specific extension. When I called in November, the phone extension was not working. In March of 2018 HGV contacted me to confirm my stay and told me I was booked into the Doubletree. When I stated that my first choice had been another (premier) property, I was told they could fit me in, but I would have to pay $60 per day valet parking (which had NOT been mentioned in the “you can stay in any of these hotels” pitch). It was a clear Bait-and-Switch. I then opted to stay with the Doubletree. The property is a dump—room dirty, linens of poor quality, maid service cursory at best, room service food arrives in a take-out box at standard Hilton prices. I had to leave the patio doors open 24/7 to alleviate the smell in the room. Moldings were broken and the institutional furniture was chipped and in bad condition. I had political graffiti scrawled on my car in the guests-only covered garage two nights in succession. I received a “you must attend the sales meeting” message from HGV three nights in a row at 1:15 a.m. Following instructions to delete the message from the system did not work, and although management assured me it would be removed, it was not. I was waked at 1:15 a.m. by a buzzing phone EVERY NIGHT.
The sales presentation—stated in writing on my reservations contract not to exceed 2 hours—is rigid and personnel deliberately obfuscate prices. When I told the rep exactly what portions I would be interested in, she repeatedly told me I had to go through the entire written script. I told her I had a recent knee injury and would find the walking tour difficult, and she again said I had to participate. Keep in mind if they don’t mark you as released, you automatically pay full rack rate for your stay. I was told there was an elevator—yes, but after having to go down stairs to get to the street and walk across to the building. The rep apparently thought she was portraying herself in a positive light by saying that she had made an elderly woman who could hardly walk take the tour by “walking real slow”.
The cost of the median program in approximately $51,000 (with closing costs) with a minimum down payment of over $11,000. The yearly HOA—which increases a minimum of 1% per year—amortized over 30 years is an additional approximately $39,000. If you bring this up, you receive additional obfuscation or “I’m not a numbers person” comments.
After you tell the sales rep “no”, they bring in a manager (again, they don’t release you). The manager pulls another hard sell. After remarking that the HGV presentation resembled a Scientology pitch, I tried to get out of it by saying I was not interested at this time, maybe next year. HUGE mistake. I was then taken to a British woman who presented a bogus “Price freezing” plan in which HGV takes $1800 for 7 days stay at one of a limited number of resorts in return for a “price freeze” for 18 months. After REPEATEDLY saying NO and being argued with and again comparing the badgering to a Scientology pitch (twice), I then had to argue for the exact benefits I had been promised. All told, I was kept 3 ½ HOURS. I had been the only single female in the group—which I do not find coincidental;the parking lot was empty when they finally “released” me. The final hour of badgering to the point of abuse has not only turned me against HGV, but has turned this lifelong Hilton Honors member completely against the hotel chain.
Wow, that is a remarkably bad experience you had. We had chalked our stay up to a short-term-pain-overall-gain. Your situation sounds like a miserable ordeal that not only lost them a timeshare contract but turned a loyal customer into a brand liability. Yikes!
We were “vacation club” members for a few years in a company that went out of business. We were offered the opportunity to “transfer” our membership into a different property at extra cost. We decided against losing any more money.
We also sat through a timeshare presentation from a different company in return for a few nights stay. This was in Las Vegas. In our case, we gave up a morning. They treated us to a lovely breakfast. Conversation and tactics started low-pressure, but by the end of the morning after being handed off to a couple of other people, we wondered if we’d need to plan an escape! It was an interesting experience but one I’m not likely to repeat.
Our experiences were with apartment-style timeshares, not all-inclusives. I know a couple of people who own several timeshares and that seems to work for them, but I can’t imagine it being worth it for us. If they are such good deals, why does one have to sign immediately that day? (although we did have time to think about the one venture we did get into and that didn’t work out so well.)
Thanks for including thoughts on your experience, Donna. I have the same feelings you do about the whole thing. I’m not likely to repeat the process. In our case, I did feel that the freebies/discounts we received in exchange were worth it. All experiences are learning experiences. 🙂
[…] Are the freebie offers worth your time? Our Hilton Vacations Timeshare Presentation Review. […]