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Is Hilton Grand Vacations Worth It?
Hilton's timeshare program, Hilton Grand Vacations, isn't for everyone. But if you prioritize more space and amenities like kitchens, it can save you money in the end.
After spending seven years in the U.S. Air Force as an Arabic linguist, Carissa is now a freelance writer using points and miles to fund a four-year (and counting!) adventure. She previously worked as a reporter for The Points Guy. Her writing has since been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Business Insider, and The Balance. When she's not flying, you'll usually find her in a Priority Pass lounge somewhere, sipping tea and cursing slow Wi-Fi.
Megan Lee is a former editor on the travel rewards team at NerdWallet. She had more than 12 years of SEO, writing and content development experience, primarily in international education and nonprofit work. She has been published in U.S. News & World Report, USA Today and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like that of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Megan has built and directed remote content teams and editorial strategies for websites like GoAbroad and Go Overseas. When not traveling, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base where she likes to attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food.
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Perhaps you stay frequently enough at a certain hotel or destination that you've started to wonder whether to join a timeshare program. Many major hotel chains offer this option, which provides partial ownership of a hotel or resort and a guaranteed way to vacation. Hilton is no stranger to this type of program, and Hilton Grand Vacations provides customers with the ability to use dedicated points for stays around the world.
But is a vacation ownership with Hilton Grand Vacations worth it? Let’s take a look at HGV and how it's different from Hilton’s hotel loyalty program. Once you know how much HGV timeshares cost, you'll be able to decide whether they’re worth it for you.
Timeshare programs vary, but HGV’s method includes the ability to use points to book your stays. Each year you pay for a specific number of points, which can then be redeemed at a Hilton Grand Vacations property.
Otherwise, members can elect to exchange points for stays at one of RCI’s 4,000-plus locations or Destination Xchange, or they can choose to redeem them for cruises, houseboat rentals and guided tours.
The cost of being a member will depend on how many points you’d like to purchase, meaning the more points you buy, the more vacations you can take.
So, how much is a Hilton Grand Vacations ownership? On average, the price to become a member is $22,000, though keep in mind that you’ll also have to pay closing costs and recurring annual fees, which include the maintenance fees used toward the upkeep of a resort and club dues.
If you don’t use your points one year, you can save them for the next year. Similarly, if you want to take a vacation that costs more than the points you have available, you can borrow points from your future balance for your trip.
HGV offers frequent deals for those interested in learning more about the timeshare program. These specials can include discounted travel packages, a bonus of Hilton Honors points and even a $200 free night certificate. To obtain these offers, you’ll need to commit to attending a 90-minute timeshare presentation at some point during your stay.
Hilton Grand Vacations members can also access unique vacation events to pair with their travel through the company's Ultimate Access experiential travel program, which includes premier events like the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and the Las Vegas Grand Prix Formula 1 race party and hospitality suite.
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Hilton Honors points vs. Hilton Grand Vacations ClubPoints
Hilton Honors is the loyalty program for the Hilton portfolio, which includes more than 8,800 properties worldwide, all of which can be booked using your Hilton Honors points.
ClubPoints, the currency you’ll receive as a Hilton Grand Vacations owner, aren’t inherently usable at Hilton family hotels. As we mentioned above, you can redeem ClubPoints at different Hilton Grand Vacations properties or deposit them for use in an exchange program like RCI or Destination Xchange.
However, it is also possible to convert ClubPoints directly into Hilton Honors points. You may want to do this if you’re looking at a location where there isn’t a Hilton Grand Vacations resort or if you aren’t able to use your points before they expire.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Hilton Honors points don’t expire as long as you’ve had activity on your account within the past 24 months. Activity can consist of many things, including earning and redeeming points.
The conversion rate varies, with 1 ClubPoint equaling 13 to 32 Honors points.
Where you can use your Hilton Grand Vacations points
A room at the Elara. (Photo by Sally French)
There are many ways to use your points, including using them for reservations at HGV’s nearly 200 properties.
These resorts are found in a wide variety of locations around the world. Many of them offer different layouts, including studios and one-, two- and even three-bedroom units.
For example, there are multiple HGV resort options in Las Vegas, including The Boulevard, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club, where you’ll find units with as many as three bedrooms. Another property, Elara, connects to the Miracle Mile shops, making for one of the most central locations you could possibly book on the Las Vegas Strip.
🤓Nerdy Tip
You can book many HGV properties with your standard Hilton Honors points. You don’t have to use points associated with your ownership.
If Las Vegas isn’t your style, how about a tropical vacation? The Grand Waikikian, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club in Honolulu is an all-suite resort near the beach.
You also could opt for Anderson Ocean Club, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
All of this is to say that there are plenty of options for using points. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, you may even decide to redeem points for a trip to the Galapagos, rent an RV for a cross-country tour or embark on a whitewater rafting trip.
Whether you should buy into a timeshare program is a personal decision. We’ve all heard the stories of people who purchased a timeshare and were unable to use it, losing time and money each year.
If you’re a regular traveler who is interested in having dedicated time off each year, buying with HGV may be worth it for you. This is true if you’d like to take advantage of the variety of redemption options available to you as an owner.
However, it’s difficult to recommend timeshares to most people, as their ongoing costs and lack of flexibility can hinder many would-be owners. As an alternative, consider using rewards points to fund your travel. These can come in the form of Hilton Honors points but can also include the ability to earn and redeem points with many other hotel chains.
Rewards points grant flexibility and give you greater access to properties (like those 8,800 Hilton hotels worldwide), but be aware that redeeming points is based upon award availability.
Hilton Grand Vacations can provide value to members who value amenities like larger units and kitchens — particularly if they’re traveling to those destinations where they’re located.
But owning a piece of any timeshare can be limiting if you don’t end up traveling that year — or don’t want to travel to places where you can cash in your points.
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