Hilton Grand Vacations Reviews

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 downstairs 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. Whatever they offer you, it's NOT WORTH PARTICIPATING.

We were told it would be a great investment since we were getting it at much a much lower retail price. We were sold. Unfortunately, we come to find out 3 years later that the timeshare is not worth what they told us, it is now much much lower than our mortgage and we are losing money every month we keep it. If we sell it back they take a whopping 25% commission (this is ridiculous). We feel absolutely deceived. By the time the mortgage is paid we will have paid 2 times more than it is worth. We have looked into selling ourselves but a reputable real estate agent told us it is only worth half of what we want to sell for. It seems we are stuck and will be out a huge amount of money.

I do not understand how resorts are able to get away with this. These sale tactics have to be illegal???? They are deceiving people out of their life savings and what they thought was an investment. The annual fees are climbing and now it is at the point where we can get the same rooms on travel websites for less than what we pay in annual fees. We are at a loss as to what to do. We will never ever buy into timeshare again. If anyone is in the same situation and thinking of pursuing legal action please feel free to contact me.

This morning the lady proceeded to have multiple conversations, almost like she was engaged with multiple people on the phone and when I asked her to remove my number please because I am not who she is trying to reach, she snapped and stated “We don’t care who you are - I get paid to make calls and sell **”. Real professional, I’ll be sure to jump out of bed at 3:30AM and purchase whatever it is you're selling just for that comment alone. If you truly are an affiliate of Hilton, they should be ashamed of how their representatives are handling these calls.

Called the 1888 885 9533 to confirm and I was told the dates were not available and there was nothing available in the system for the last couple of weeks. Getting a refund on the Hilton Grand Vacation but the disappointment to my kids is the worst part besides having to cancelled my flights and trying to get a refund from the airline. Always been wary with telemarketing companies and never used them. It never crossed my mind that Hilton would be associated with such misleading telemarketing organizations and promo it.

First tried booking a stay over Memorial Day weekend 2017 - with only 2-3 weeks' notice. Sorry, no family rooms available. (fair enough. suppose I WAS pretty last-minute)... Except: I could look online and find SEVERAL available family rooms - even at their 'HGV-specific' hotels. ('Yes. but not THOSE ones, sorry. OH - you DID see some online? Let me check. Hmmm... no, must have just missed it.' - Me: 'Umm... No; I just searched again and there it is!') Gave up on that trip and tried again later in the year - same result.

During this time; the agent would call me at random times in the middle of my workday. I have a very busy job with lots of meetings. When I would accidentally answer the call - not knowing who it was or if urgent - then realize it was them and tell them I was in the middle of a meeting - they would HARASS me to just stay on the line a few minutes so they could HELP ME book MY VACATION! I would ask if they could call me back after 5PM - but no - "Sorry, I'm only available during business hours" (MY WORK HOURS). After the 2nd failed attempt; I basically gave up - and hey: they stopped calling.

After the 1-year booking window expired (having failed to ever find availability at their hotels when I wanted to go); they called me up one random Tuesday and offered me ONE LAST CHANCE to SAVE MY DEPOSIT! For $49, they could (GRACIOUSLY!) extend the booking window by 6 months - or EVEN BETTER DEAL: for $99; they'd give me ONE WHOLE EXTRA YEAR!!! But... It was a LIMITED TIME OFFER!!! - and I had to decide to pay THAT DAY ONLY. Stupidly; I actually considered this for a minute. "Hmm... Maybe I CAN somehow save (most of) this wasted 'deposit' - and actually deliver on the trip I'd promised my family for the last year. I'll need to speak to my wife to see if we have a window in the next 6 months where we can go away."

Agent called me next day at 2:55. After that, I gave up. Several weeks later; Agent just called me again - wanting to talk about MY VACATION. Me: "If you are going to tell me that I have to pay more money to 'extend the window' - for a period over which you'll likely then tell me 'it's not available' - don't bother." Agent: "Oh. You don't want to pay to extend? Ok thanks - we'll just cancel and keep your deposit then." This whole experience was a total scam. Not only do I warn everyone to avoid HGV - I will personally avoid ever staying at a Hilton Hotel again - unless it is my absolute ONLY option.

Here are some background to this story. So I booked Hilton using my point then they transferred me to this timeshare vacation deal pitch basically. I know about this kind of promotion because I have done it before at other hotels and it was ok. So I listened. Then the guy keep pushing me to buy saying that for $99 I can booked anywhere from Orlando, Park City Utah, Vegas and Myrtle Beach for 4 nights. He mentioned I will get $200 credit after the stay and I had to do 2 hours tour. I kept saying I can't decide then he said he will give me 5000 Hilton points on top. Then I asked, so what is the expiration, he said March 2019.

He also said that he will put as Orlando then later on I can freely change this to any other destination he mentioned. Then, I agree... Little that I know this was deceiving and Hilton won't honor this sales pitch. Anyway super bad experience. PLEASE DON'T EVER BOOK THIS STUPID VACATION THINKING THAT YOU GET A DEAL. I just want to give everyone warning, that's all.

If we stayed at that hotel, we would have purchased the $1,700 rental package because the apartments were beautiful. Yes, Ab’s manager tried to sell us a timeshare after Ab couldn’t and then offered us a $1,700 rental package. We had to pay for an Uber to and from to go to the presentation! Not happy about that. There was slight pressure to buy. I can see why some people get roped in. You want the “deal”, don’t want to disappoint the person “helping” you get the deal but stay STRONG. They let my husband and I discuss. We walked out with $200 free night which we picked the brand of hotel and have 6 months to use plus my bonus points. We will never consider purchasing. There is no real deal to be had here.

I own every other year at the resort in Vegas (even years) and every other year at the resort in Myrtle Beach (odd years). It's a BIG mistake to buy from the resort. They give you free "bonus" weeks to use, but it's not worth it in the long run. If you want to own at Hilton, or any other resort for that matter do your homework. Don't buy at a resort in Hawaii - the maintenance fees are crazy! You can still trade out with Hilton to go to Hawaii while paying half of what you would to purchase in Orlando or Vegas. You can also purchase a one bedroom unit and trade it out for a larger size. We combine our points and use them every other year to get a larger, premium unit (example - next year we combined our points to stay a week at the new Oceans 22 in Myrtle Beach in the penthouse, THREE bedroom, ocean front unit).

After my first timeshare purchase, I was very reluctant - but I have been able to use my week thru RCI to travel all over the world to the most amazing places I might not have otherwise been able to do. If you want to own, just do your homework and get the biggest bang for your buck. Hilton has amazing properties. We are super glad we own with them and enjoy spending time with friends and family at their first class resorts. Good luck and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Almost 2 years later I answer an unknown number while waiting for Lyft, it was Hilton Grand Vacations. When I told the guy I didn’t have time to talk, he HUNG UP ON ME. To this day, I get calls almost daily, from numbers all over the US, that are linked to HGV. I’m extremely disappointed that Hilton has their name tied to this. Best advice? DON’T EVER SIGN UP.

From practical perspective, it is extremely difficult to book reservation for the location of your choice, if you need to go on vacation during school breaks, because too many timeshare owners are trying to book the same location and they have priority over you because they own the timeshare in that location or they paid a lot more to Hilton.

From the perspectives of a timeshare owner: People who do not own timeshare are treated better because they can reserved the resort that you want by Simply paying as a resort guest without the annual fee and upfront purchasing fee. You, as the owner, cannot book the resort because it is not available to owners at the time when it is available to public. You already paid the annual fee, but cannot reserve the resort at the time you want unless you pay the daily rate on top of your annual fee. To be honest and fair: If you want to live in the same resort every year and have the financial flexibility to pay for the timeshare purchase and annual fee, it may not be too bad to either invest (the sales pitch) or waste (your logical reasoning) some money and frustration on Hilton Timeshare. Good luck.

"I recently reviewed your account with Hilton Grand Vacations and unfortunately it would not be very beneficial to sell your timeshare interval at this time. Based on resale market analysis we believe your timeshare will resell for approximately $3,000 to $4,000. There is also a 25% commission due at the time of sale. As your loan balance is currently $17,807.30, selling the timeshare at this time would mean that you would have to pay a large sum of money out of pocket. However, if you would still like to pursue the resale of your timeshare and you are willing to pay the difference out of pocket, please respond to this e-mail and we will contact you with more information as soon as possible."

When we said ‘no’, she left, and another rep came and gave us another offer. It was a one time package for $1,700 plus. Actually, it was a fair price for a week’s stay at an upscale Hilton. The only reason that I didn’t buy it was because I often stay at a nearby resort for less. Overall, the salespeople were polite, informative and non aggressive. If I had been ten years younger, I would have bought one of their vacation packages. I don’t travel as much anymore. However, I can say honestly that my hotel stay and the vacation presentation was a positive experience. By the way, I received a $100.00 reimbursement voucher for when I stay within the next six months at a Hampton Inn, as well as 15,000 Hilton Hotel points. Overall, a positive experience!

The details are buried deep in the bowels. It was day 5 (since signing) and I decided to really dig deep into understanding what I had just purchased. First off, they told me that an average stay would cost 220 points. At the presentation, I ran the numbers in front of the rep and said 'Wow, that's almost 15 nights - that sounds great'. He confirmed my calculation. However after looking at the fee schedule for their properties - nope, 220 is NOT an average per night cost. I thought I would be getting 2 weeks but instead it was more like 1 week. Then when I took into account all of the fees to book, change, move points, (WHO CHARGES FEES TO USE WHAT YOU BOUGHT???) and the yearly maintenance fee and read reviews regarding the difficulty in using the program I decided that I needed to get out of this ASAP. I was at work.

I told my manager - I need to leave - now. I ran home, got the contract, found the contract rescission form letter, faxed it in and also sent it via FedEx Overnight just in case they claimed that they never received it. I am so glad that I caught my mistake in time to cancel (you have 5 calendar days - at least that's what my contract stated). Also, as others have mentioned, I never received the $200 voucher. When I contacted my salesperson he stated 'I put it in your owner's bag for you'. Sorry, dude - you did not. And, apparently this is standard operating procedure. SHAME on HILTON!!! I put the entire cost of the program on my new Amex Hilton. Per the rescission laws, they have 20 days to return my money. I am hoping and praying that they do that. We shall see.

I said I would like to think about it and we were staying at the hotel and I could let them know something today… Well, they said I had to make a decision cause they tour 100 people a day we they needed to know now and that's where they lost me. They could have offered me 10k cash and I still would have turned it down. In a nutshell, Hilton is not trying to save you money on anything. I am glad I read the reviews on this place cause it seems no one is getting what they are actually sold and that is unfortunate! I am sure there are some clubs that are legit and maybe even Hilton has satisfied customers! 1-2 bad reviews can be overlooked but not hundreds from multiple sites.

No attempt was made to work with me. Then I was told my husband had to attend because I was married!? I had no idea, and he was not able to attend. I then started getting emails that I would have to pay another $198.70. They also note my original amount paid as $179.10. Where'd they get that number from? To add insult to injury, I was charged $104 for the zoo tickets upon check out! Do not do business with this company. Their affiliation with Hilton is disgraceful.

If you were given "bonus" points you cannot use those points with your normal yearly points. You have to make two separate reservations and guess what? Pay TWO reservation fees. So for example, if you have 1K bonus points and 500 regular points and you are trying to make a reservation for a HGVC timeshare for 1500 points at a certain resort for 7 days. You have to spend your bonus points for a 4 day reservation and use your 500 points for a 3 day reservation. You would think you could use the 1K bonus points for 5 days and use your 500 points for two days of the reservation to use all of your bonus points but you have a 3 day minimum to make any reservation. No exceptions. It is a total scam. Again, I will say that our saleswomen did a fantastic job of selling the timeshare.

We went in and did no homework on timeshares because there was no way we were going to purchase one. There is nobody to blame but ourselves for letting the saleswomen con us into purchasing this timeshare. If nothing else leads you to believe that this is a horrible company this should do it. I have called and emailed HGVC referencing selling our timeshare. The response for both email and phone call stated that due to a high volume of customers attempting to sell their timeshares they will not be able to get back to for 21 DAYS! They are either full of ** (more likely) or there are sooo many people regretting their purchase of a HGVC timeshare that it truly takes them 21 days to return a phone call or email. Either way it sums this company up perfectly. They don't care about you after they have your money. If you absolutely feel the need to purchase a timeshare do yourself a favor and don't purchase one from Hilton.

As just ONE example, I was promised a $100 voucher toward a park (AFTER I was promised a $200 dollar meal voucher on top of the $200 toward a future stay... And they said "oh that only applied to this other package in a different city...) I went to redeem the voucher before purchasing the park ticket and, when I asked the front desk how and where I should do that, they instructed me that I was actually supposed to purchase the full ticket from the Disney shop in the building and then once I finish the "tour" I would get a certificate that I would submit to get a rebate.

Well, I finish my "tour" the day after I go to the park and they tell me that it does not work that way... And that I will not get that rebate that way. I then call the Hilton Grand Vacations folks to try to remedy the situation (you'll notice a theme of "pass the blame to someone else in the company... And make the customer do all the work to fix it) and they say it is the hotel's fault and I need to talk to them to see what they can do. WOW... Basically "you fix it, we can't help you." I called the front desk and no answer... MULTIPLE times. Seriously, if you want to be treated like crap then go ahead and sign up for their scheme. But, please, from one consumer to the next, I hope you stay FAR away.

We said that time does not work for us and asked for another. They also changed our reservations to 2 nights and 3 days which is not what we had previously discussed. They were not willing to work with us on either issue. We had to cancel the reservations. They are suppose to refund me which, I looked in my checking account they charged me $19.95 to do and still have not refunded me? This has caused us a huge inconvenience to find another place to stay. Not only did they lose our potential business (like I said we will be doing a lot of traveling in the near future), but they lost my trust in the company. I am not sure I want to be a Hilton Reward Member or stay at their hotels I am really not impressed. During our 17 day travel in the UK we only stay at Hiltons.

“My name is Genesis **, your reservation agent with Hilton Grand Vacations. Thank you for purchasing a great discounted getaway with Hilton Grand Vacations. I noticed your getaway has expired with $249.00 on file and I would like to go over some renewal options and/or location swap with you so you can still utilize your getaway instead of it forfeiting out. Please contact me as soon as possible before the opportunity ends and you lose out on your getaway as well as the money you have placed on file. I am in the office Monday-Friday 2pm-9pm EST. I am looking forward to speaking with you, Please do keep in mind my invitation for this time sensitive opportunity will only be valid for the next 48 hours. Have a Grand Day!”

When I called they said I could still have my credit IF I spent an additional $250 that day!! What?! They are holding my money hostage. They won't even give me a credit for just staying at a Hilton hotel. I HAVE to spend more money or I will "forfeit" my money on file. I said I wouldn't be spending more money. 2 months later I get the EXACT same email. I let them know I would be contacting my lawyer. They responded that they have me on "voice recording" agreeing to the forfeiture. PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR THIS TRAP. I trusted them because Hilton/Hampton sent me to them. Huge mistake.

Eventually she started yelling at me asking if the fact that I didn't want to give her my credit card information and that I was not interested in a vacation at the moment were the "ONLY ONLY reason" I didn't want to take advantage of the offer. I kept trying to explain that she was not going to convince me and that I was going to dinner. I had to just hang up because the screaming was so loud.

I understand if she's giving me a reason that my excuse is invalid because that is a well known sales technique but after declining four times she should have gotten the message. I was convinced it was a scammer who had obtained my information and just wanted to steal my credit card information until I read these other reviews. Thank God I didn't give in to her intense pressure.

They also told me it was good for up to 4 people but 2 of them would have to be myself and my husband. Fine. They also told me, I would receive an additional $200 credit for an American Hilton hotel. They told me I have 1 year to book. I agreed to let them charge my card to "lock in the deal" on the promise they would email me all the details and follow up once I returned to Canada.

Shortly after my return the following month, I received a call from David at Hilton Vacations. I explained I saw my card was charged but hadn't received one single email from them. He said that was strange and that he would get right on it. Note as I write this on Oct 10th I still have never received a single document. Then he changed his tune when I asked to book Orlando for 4. Myself, husband and 2 kids. All of a sudden he is "unable to find accommodations" for 4 people.

I had stressed on the initial call if children were allowed as we have 6 children but 2 of them are very young and would most likely travel with us. I was assured that young children were allowed. So no room for 4. Then I said, "Ok fine." How about mid February for our anniversary. Oh yes! That is perfect... except one catch... according to David, that is an American holiday weekend therefore I am now subject to a "premium". *rolls eyes*

He quotes me like $130 or more and I told him, "No thats ridiculous." He tells me he is going to put me on hold (I am an escalations manager, this is a sales ploy) comes back and tells me his "supervisor" agreed to lower it to $65 plus tax. Fine. I agreed but also explained and stressed I still need documentation and details of the stay in writing and what our obligation was. Nothing. Zero. Now I can't get a hold of "David" and have initiated a dispute with my credit card bank. I may end up having to eat over $300 Canadian for this which is so unfair. I mostly feel stupid, gullible and scammed.

Stay away from Hilton they are thieves. In addition we are trying to sell our timeshares, we reached out to Hilton and now they tell us our properties are only worth 3500. each, are you kidding me? We will continue to pursue our sale and use our points. But I will make sure that whenever I see a couple on the way to a presentation I will stop them and warn them of the thieves.

Instead of charging me 249 as discussed, they charged me the whole thing of 499+tax. I have to call to call back so that they would honor the terms as discussed. When making the reservation, they told me about 99 additional "weekend" fee when I checked in on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Clearly, it was a surprise to me because they didn't bring it up when trying to sell me the great deal. I tried to tell them it's unfair since I wasn't made aware of, and they told me it's covered when they said "additional fees may apply". I guess I should be glad it's only $99 and not another $499 "additional fee" in this case.

During the course of discussing the weekend fee, they made me feel like they are handing out free food for homeless people, that I should be happy when I can get a room. The attitude is definitely different from the people that sold me the "deal". They are NOT flexible at all when it comes to booking the touring time. It cannot be the day when I check in and out. And, they told me they can put me in the 9:30 spots which ended up being 11:30 and NOPE there is no way they can help me out there.

So... I am paying the airfare, and 499 plus tax, to go to NYC to tour their property during prime time when I should be having my vacation. Makes absolutely no sense to me. I really can't see the deal I am getting here. I have not attended the touring when this review is written and I am very skeptical in the Royal Caribbean thing they promise because one thing I learned about them is they are not flexible, they are not what they say they are, and they have extensive fine prints. If the process of booking the tour is already difficult and unpleasant, how can I convince myself this Grand Vacation timeshare will be great for me. I am literally flying myself there at my own expense, pay for the hotel at a slightly discounted rate. This is probably the worst travel decision I have made ever, and I truly regret it. Want to share here so that less people fall into this trap. Really wish I had visited this site before I pay for the "great" deal.

Now it is 10 days past our departure and we STILL have not received the promised 5000 points, NOR the points for staying at the hotel. I have made several phone calls. I talked to Amanda at Hilton Grand Vacations. She said points should be there in 5-7 days. No points. I talked to Sandy who was very helpful and transferred me to Bianca, in the management division. I was on hold for approximately 10 minutes and suddenly found I was disconnected. I called back and asked to speak to Bianca. I was on hold again, and the man who answered came back on the line saying Bianca had "taken care of it". I guess she didn't feel it necessary to speak directly with me. So far the points are not there, but I will check in an hour.

DO NOT BOOK ANYTHING THROUGH HILTON GRAND VACATIONS. They do not communicate with Hilton Club, (who was responsible for trying to sell the timeshare), nor the Hilton Hotel Chain. IT IS A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE. While we had a good time on our trip, the hassle and the runaround from Hilton Grand Vacations, and the way they do business puts a bad taste in our mouths. I will never recommend them to anyone.

However if you take into account the increasing maintenance fee costs, you may not be saving money. (We verified this with my in-laws who owned a timeshare and eventually got out of it.) It might costs the same as staying at a hotel, but you are locked into staying at their hotel for the rest of your life. If you always want to stay at a Hilton Brand for the rest of your life, this may be the right purchase for you. Also, you are not guaranteed to get the weeks you want. I tried a trial membership and bought one week of a timeshare. After trying to book it for two years, I was never able to get the dates I wanted. I like variety, I have kids and am restricted when I can travel, and will shop for the best deal. A timeshare was not a good fit for my lifestyle.

In early 2016, we began receiving weekly calls, often daily calls, from representatives of this organization. Because we have caller identification, we were able to recognize the toll free calling number and chose not to answer these calls. Clearly, the marketing approach changed and representatives began calling from what appeared to be local numbers of which we were more likely to answer.which we did.

The representatives were not rude; rather cordial, engaging, and passive aggressive in their marketing approach. The marketing pitch was that we, because of past stays with Hilton properties, were being offered this very special deal to vacation at one of their prime properties. We were offered both Orlando and Las Vegas. Initially, we declined both in light of the fact that we both had been to Orlando numerous times, and although, I, Martha had visited Las Vegas a number of times, neither of us had a particular interest in visiting at that particular time.

During the second quarter of the year, Murray reconnected with a first cousin living in Las Vegas, and since he had never visited Las Vegas, we decided at some point to plan a trip by end of fourth quarter to visit his cousin. Coincidental with this decision, we were still receiving calls from Hilton. We decided to investigate accepting their offer should they call again which they did.

The offer, as I best I can remember, required a deposit of around $189.00 to secure the visit which included a three day two night stay at one of their properties. We were offered the Trump property as well as the property we chose to reside for the stay. The offer also included a 200 bonus credit usable at any Hilton facility. The only stipulation was to listen, at no obligation or pressure to buy, to a sales presentation regarding the properties available in their timeshare bank.

At the time of agreement and payment, via credit card, we were told that we needed to travel within six months. Unfortunately, as the six month expiration period approached, due to some family illness, we were unable to book the trip and at that time were willing to forfeit the deposit. We were then told they would “work with us” and give us a grace period until the end of the year to book. We accepted the offer.

During a social gathering with friends, we casually mentioned we were planning a trip to Las Vegas. At that time, our neighbors and long-time friends (also a retired professional couple) mentioned that they too had planned a trip to Las Vegas. In talking with the wife, she shared it was also via a Hilton Grand vacation offer. They already owned a time-share and was going to Las Vegas purely for the convenience of the trip. We agreed to travel by the end of the year and began making plans for air travel, etc.

In retrospect, one of the first “alerts” that something was not quite right was during the booking process. Our neighbor called first and secure the date for visiting, afterwards calling to share the specific information with me so that we might coordinate. I then called and asked for the same date and during my conversation with the booking agent mentioned that we would be traveling with friends who would also be attending a presentation during the same time frame. The tone of the representative immediately changed from cordial to an aggressive, rude reaction in which she responded “It is against company policy to book people from the same area at the same time” I was totally shocked and upon questioning her she became more adamant in her statement.

I then told her to keep the offer and I hung up. We shared our experience with our friends and she advised I should just call back in a couple of days and try to rebook. I called back in perhaps three days and was connected to a different representative who without question, booked us at the same, but different slots, as our neighbors. She also accommodated us at our own expense, of course for an additional nights stay. In order to be available for the presentation, both couples had to come in a day early because of the limitation of flights out of Columbia as well as Charlotte.

On the day of the presentation, our neighbors were scheduled for an early morning presentation. She later shared that it was initially a cordial presentation, but noted that as they persisted in telling them they already had a timeshare and was not interested in purchasing another, it became more high pressured and less cordial. She also said as of this date, they never received the promised $200 coupon for attending the presentation.

Our presentation was scheduled for the afternoon and we planned around and devoted the time allotment as requested for the presentation. We also booked reservations that evening for a show. Upon arrival for the presentation, we were seated in a reception area with other potential clients. Snacks were available as we waited. We checked in at least 10 minutes prior to our presentation and after waiting for at least 15-20 minutes past our allocated time, we again checked with the desk and advised them we were on a tight timeframe. It was obvious that our time was taken for granted and not respected. We were assured that someone would be with us within a few minutes that the person was wrapping up who had been assigned to help us that they were experiencing a high volume of interested clients and were running a little behind.

The gentleman that was sent to talk with us was casually dressed, had the aura of a “low-key, I am here to help you; learning myself attitude”. He engaged us regarding our family and shared tidbits regarding his. After about 40-45 minutes past our assigned times, we advised them we were leaving as we had plans for the evening. We also were clear that our time was just as valuable as theirs and were quite agitated and disappointed with the waiting situation. Upon our threat to leave, someone “miraculously” was free to meet with us. We were escorted into a cubic arrangement of offices and listened to the same guy who had initially been sent to the reception area to engage us. We had initially determined that we definitely would not buy a timeshare, however; after listening to the presentation and asking a lot of questions some of which he could not answer or pretended that he could not, we did change our opinion.

After being bombarded with questions, the representative called in another person (we now feel this was orchestrated and this person was indeed the “closer”). Even as listened and became more interested we kept going back to the statement “We do normally make what we consider major purchases without input from our financial advisor”. To that response, the closer quoted the number of doctors, lawyers and other professionals that have and continue to invest in these properties. The following reasons for investing were also outlined to us. Legacy --- The property can be passed on to our granddaughter and would allow her unlimited international travel opportunities. The resale value of the property will only grow in value due to the relocation of the Oakland Raiders and other anticipated sports teams.

No money down today to execute the contract. Sign and walk away. They will handle all paperwork for filing title, deeds, etc. Units are moving quickly. "Just look at the number of clients here. Once in a lifetime offer at this location feel certain that given your lifestyle the financial advisor would see as a good investment." False Urgency was created to make us believe we could never receive this offer or a comparable Hilton one at a later time; and, we had to definitely purchase that day only. Rental Opportunities for positive income. We were told that if we chose to rent the property, the income would cover the yearly cost of the program. Can immediately begin booking time. Units are being bought by professionals such as ourselves so it obviously must be a good value.

Because of our “perceived” good credit we would have a greater advantage of return on our investment, because we would be able to immediately secure almost an additional 60-80K (will verify #) points by opening up a Hilton American Express account. We shared we already have AMEX accounts and questioned why we could not use them for whatever the incentive might be but obviously there is a financial arrangement between Hilton and AMEX. We did, in fact, open up two different accounts of which $750 was placed on one card (Murray has since paid this off) and $2800+ on the other (I am only paying the minimum on this account). This allowed us to immediately coveted bank points towards vacation timeshares. We were even shown properties in Scotland and Ireland and told these would be available to us.

The credit line for us AMEX was together $35,000 and we were told and encouraged that using the card to pay off the property was an option most people do not have. We are very clear now why they would want a third party to totally assume the debt. Once property paid off it was ours. (We, however, now realize that the reoccurring maintenance fee was never fully explained to the point that it is ALWAYS attached to the property... so we in fact would never really own it). We were told that we were not limited in the time we could stay in a property (upon reading the contract, there is a 30 day continuous stay limitation). The HGVClub was on the Las Vegas strip which supposedly as a value added component in order to resell the property for a profit later.

In retrospect, we realize that the material covered in this presentation was greatly diminished because of the time constraints as a result of the fact that we were boxed in with time. I do not know if this was by design. After the first representative brought the closer in we reluctantly agreed to purchase. In the aftermath of this decision, we now realize that a plethora of information was put in front of us and explained in surface terms. In late February, I still had not signed the paperwork to begin an automatic draft to begin payment on the unit. Someone named Michelle from the corporate office began calling on almost a daily basis regarding the paperwork. She was very rude, and eventually I asked her not to call our house again. I finally sent it in and the first draft of 237.17 was taken out on March 3, 2017. Effective, July 27, 2017, I placed a permanent stop payment on this draft with our bank.

We have chosen not to pay the enormous yearly bill which we received about two months ago. It is almost $1500. We strongly feel that the product was grossly misrepresented and that we were lied to about many features and benefits of this product. We have been constantly bombarded with calls about booking vacations, of which we have not done or plan to do. After one of these calls in mid-June, Murray told the representative we wanted to get rid of the timeshare and was informed that someone would call him from the Resale department within 20 days. We never received a call, but instead the email of July 6 from Senior Resale Specialist, M. Elena ** who advised we were in no position to sell the property and if we choose to proceed it would have to be paid off in full prior to the sale.

Needless, to say, we were absolutely shocked the value of the property was not what they said it was the day the sale was consummated. A drop in 15-16K in less than 6 months... it's paramount to fraud. As we were told the value of this property would increase in the future as it was selling out fast. Your email of July 6, 2017 from your representative in HGV Resales Department totally contradicts this. We continue to receive daily calls and advertisements from various representatives attached to the Hilton Grand Vacation family wanting us to attend owners meetings and encouraging us to book trips on specials many of them to upgrade our current purchase. We have refused all these offers. We have also not used the $200 incentive voucher. Our objective is to totally separate ourselves from affiliation with this organization. This is the exact letter we wrote Hilton. Disgusted. Wish we were never owners.

We weren't gaining much after paying for fees when making a reservation and paying the taxes and maintenance. In fact, we never did use the NYC property because they were going to charge us an $85 maintenance fee and a charge of $25/day for parking. Yes, that was cheaper than a NYC hotel, but it was more hassle than it was worth and didn't feel it justified paying more fees. For the years we didn't use the points, we converted them to Hilton Honors points, but yes there is a fee for everything! When we signed on to the club, they told us our exchange would be 50 pts to every Club point, and there was no charge. That worked fine the first time, but then they changed it to 25 pts to every Club point when I tried to exchange a few Club points left in my account for Hilton Honors, and then they wanted to charge me $95 to do it.

It wasn't worth it. Bottomline is that they charge you a fee for everything, and their whole exchange system has gotten so confusing. You better stay on top of things, because you will lose your points if you don't do something with them (for a fee) at the end of the year. So that's why we got out of it. We'll spend our $1200/yr somewhere else where we can vacation where we want and still come out ahead. If you do go through their resale Dept., allow about 12-15 weeks to get it all done. It would behoove Hilton to rid themselves of all the fees and make it easier to reserve a location at a time you want it, so the owners don't feel so duped.

The Hilton Resort was OK. Rooms antiquated and parking not convenient. Also, the elevator lines were miserable. The presentation venue was not within walking distance as promised and was in fact ~ 8 miles from the resort. Doesn't sound like much but when it starts at 0830, you get the honor of driving through the rush hour traffic of US 17. Took us about 30 minutes to get there. Upon our arrival we checked in and were told to wait for our salesperson. Coffee and snacks were offered.

Salesperson arrived, introduced himself. He seemed nice. He led us to what I would call a large sales war room. This is where about 20 sales reps (including ours) with their respective clients to go over things like, goals, dreams, bucket lists, etc. Of course he spoke highly of Hilton, great reviews, customer centric, billion dollar company, etc. Nothing specific... Very vague. Lots of noise in this room. We got to listen to stories about the rep's travels, how many places that he visited, etc. We could do that too if we joined. We were told that by the end of the presentation, they needed a yes or a no. A response of "we'd like to think about it" was frowned upon. He says that 1 in 3 sign into the program. As we spoke, he was jotting down notes on some paperwork. Sometimes he was acting like he is writing something down, but simply underlining words that have already been underlined.

After 2 hours of that, we were taken to view the condos. When I say we, I mean not only my wife and I, but the others (reps and clients) as well. Still lots of noise and kind of awkward navigating through these condos, dodging the other clients and reps. I felt like we were cattle being herded around. Next stop... The "seal the deal" room. Another large venue with glass along ocean side of room. Here we got to talk to not only our sales rep, but also the financial person. He seemed nice as well. This person (from what I could gather) goes from table to table working out deals with the prospective clients. He presents unrealistic financing through the Hilton credit card, recommended points, etc. By this time, the initial paperwork has points, numbers, underlined words and percentages peppered all over it. I ask to have a contract to review at home. Nope everything stays here. Can I have the paper with all the financial information... Nope, stays here too.

What I can have is a white, hard back notebook, with all of documents in plastics sleeves. I can review it in the seal the deal room, which would equate to trying to concentrate inside of a jet engine... Loud and lots of hot air being blown around. By now we are well into our 3rd hour. They presented the financial information and left us so we could talk about it.

As we were talking, I see one of the other sales reps do something that really surprised me. As this rep passes our table, I noticed she is kind of like dancing towards the other end of the room, where the financial person is standing facing her. Like a victory dance of sorts... Not blatant, but kind of like signifying to the financial guy that she has "got one". She opens a desk drawer grabbing from what I could tell was a authorization form for financing, spins and closes the drawer with her hip, accenting the motion, reminiscent of Mae West. Really goofy.

Our sales rep returns, we tell him that we appreciate his time, but our answer is no. He stands up and moves us to another part of the closer room so another person can sign us out. He disappears. We are 3.5 hours into this by now. Shortly, a used car salesman slinks to our table, sits down and tries to sway our decision by offering vacations, etc. He makes every attempt to sweeten the deal. At this point we just want to leave. "You'd be crazy not to take advantage of this" he says. I (we) must be crazy. I still ask if we can think about it and he says yes, but all of this is off the table. I ask to be able to call our rep if we have questions and he says they do not take calls from clients. Really? What kind of place is this? Reluctantly, he signs us out and gives us our gift certificate for $200.00 on our next Hilton stay. 4 hours after we arrived, we are now free to go. We were exhausted.

My wife was reviewing the $200.00 "gift" certificate. The fine print reveals that there are a number of Hilton properties/hotels where this is not valid. So many, we had to Google the list of properties/hotels run by Hilton. I still have no idea where we can use it. Also, you have a window of 25 days to use it. If the gift has restrictions and surprises in the fine print, what horrors does the HGVC contract hold? This entire experience was totally worthless to us and quite frankly a little insulting.

We checked out of the Hilton Resort early and spent the remainder of the week in Pawleys Island, SC to cleanse ourselves of the experience. Lastly, assuming you've made it this far in my review, we've decided that we are not going to stay at any Hilton properties moving forward and I will not be using them for my business... Not that it matters to a billion dollar company like Hilton.

I signed on and then paid the approximately $200 which was my share of the cost of the 3 night stay. (While this was a discount over what I would have paid for 3 nights without this agreement, the savings turned out to be not nearly enough to compensate for the ensuing aggravation.) Things went from bad to worse as I tried to schedule my visit and incompetence ensued. Errors and misinformation abounded and when I couldn't stand it any longer I complained to a "supervisor" who offered me an additional 10000 Hilton Honors Points as compensation for my wasted time and inconvenience. (All this happened prior to the trip.) Once in Florida, things got much worse.

I had been advised to call Hilton Vacations on Monday to arrange my transportation to the presentation that Wednesday morning. However, when I called Monday, I was advised to call Wednesday morning. When I called Wednesday morning, after reiterating my transportation requirement yet again, I was finally told someone would be there to pick me up. No one came. Called again. Told they were on the way. No one came. Called again. Finally, after a delay of more than an hour, I was driven to the appointment site. At this point I was introduced to a sales agent who (perhaps knowing what I'd just been through) may have assessed me as a customer not likely to buy, because she immediately began grilling me about my marital status and then after absenting herself for a few minutes, returned to tell me that she was refusing to give me the presentation on the grounds that I was married and there without my husband.

She assured me however that under the circumstances I would still receive the compensation promised and that I should just leave immediately. I was provided with a case number and a phone number, told not to worry about a thing, to "have a great day" and that someone would be calling me later in the day. Of course the call didn't come. Finally, after several calls and messages from me, someone finally did call me back and told me she would get back to me that afternoon.

It was roughly a week later that I finally received an email that I would not be billed the difference for the rooms but when I asked when I would receive the $200 certificate and 10,000 points I was also owed, I was informed again via email that "My supervisor said you will not be receiving gifts. Have a great day." They must have decided that since there was no justifiable excuse for denying me what I had been promised, they wouldn't even try to come up with one - hoping that I would just forget the whole thing. But they are so wrong about that. This company operates in an unethical and dishonest fashion. If this isn't resolved here, I am prepared to face off in Small Claims Court.

Anyhow, our advice is do your due diligence before you go to any timeshare presentations/tours. All timeshares tours are the same: high pressure, deceptive selling. The resale value of timeshare is the equivalent of an automobile vehicle. You use it, the value depreciates. Whether it is Hilton or Marriott or Wyndham or Welk's or Diamond's or Hyatt or Ritz-Carlton, all timeshares lose value over time just as a car does. If you really want to buy a timeshare, buy it direct from an owner through sellmytimesharenow.com. You are not only helping owners who are trying to get out of timeshares, you are also preventing those hotel/resorts companies from continuing their deceptive selling.

I hired a firm to me get out of the Timeshare lease at a cost of $4,500. The Timeshare was sold by them on eBay for $35.00. I paid $18,000 for the Timeshare. I was so disgruntled I never took a single Timeshare vacation and will forever blame myself for my stupidity in buying a Timeshare and for believing the information the sales agent presented as the benefits of owning a Timeshare. It is one huge rip-off. There are companies that have the sole business of getting Timeshare owners out of their Timeshare agreement. My feelings are that once you are a Timeshare owner you are locked into the contractual agreement forever, and that the value of your ownership is nearly nonexistent in the open market if you decide to sell or marked your ownership at a later date.

The meeting with the Hilton grand vacations club salespeople was an entirely different matter. It is amusing to me the similarities experience by others no matter what the location. Our salesman and his initial cohort, which I did not see again, claimed to be from the same area in Pennsylvania as my wife and I. What an amazing coincidence! I can honestly say I did go in with an open mind, despite my disdain for timeshares. My wife and I have more time to travel so I wanted to see what Hilton grand vacations had to offer.

Several of the properties shown during the video presentation, including Mexico and South Florida, are known to me and are nowhere as nice as depicted on the screen. Our salesman kept dropping names of individuals who have purchased timeshares from him, like I care. I felt like saying, that even though I do have some money, I did not recently sell a chain of jewelry stores, as he described one of his customers. His thinking was that we probably would feel that we elevated our social position by buying into the grand vacations club as did those individuals.

When I finally informed him that I am a rather hesitant person and could not "earn his business today", he promptly scowled and disappeared without a thank you or an ** and was replaced by a very nice ** gentleman who is obviously his boss. This person attempted to squeeze $1700 out of us to "hold" a VIP status and ensure 7000 points for a stay in New York within one year. I told him in any event I'm not placing any money down today, at which point he abruptly left the table and told us he would meet us downstairs. We never saw him again or our original salesperson and wandered to the exit table on our own where we received our special gift, a 3 to 4 night Bahamas cruise. Further inspection of this gift provides you with the worst cabin unless you're willing to give an extra $500 or more to "upgrade".

I highly doubt I will be using this cruise after this experience as I will give Hilton grand vacations none of my money. They should be ashamed of themselves for their high-pressure, low-brow tactics and their rude and dismissive behavior when you did not agree to lay down almost $40,000 to get even a base vacation package. This was two hours of my life that I will never get back. It got me to New York however to visit our daughter and that I feel was worth it. I felt however the need to shower after my interaction with these people, I will be calling Hilton grand vacations club to obtain the exact charge on my credit card, as I do not trust them with my credit card information.

It's probably never worth it but if you can get a good deal on a nice place and have to suffer through this two hour presentation, I would recommend that you considerate it. Be careful, however, because they are good at what they do and I can easily see many people agreeing to the deal they propose. With the two grifters that I dealt with, I wanted to asked him why, at their age, they are lowering themselves to rip off people selling timeshares. I realize the economy is bad but come on! It is not my place to judge them however. I feel sorry for those who buy in because by no calculation is it worth it. If you do go, relax at the accommodations which are usually nice, do not under any circumstances write them a check, and enjoy the rest of your stay. Good luck!

There is no housekeeping and when we asked for more towels the front desk acted as if we were asking for some unreasonable. So the next day we were driven to the sales presentation and the greeter at that location was also rude. I had to repeat my last name several times because the employee could not get it straight. She proceeded to be rude to me. They give you a mini breakfast after you check and that was nice, The sales guy who was nice at first said, "Oh yeah this is no pressure- blah blah blah." I listened to his presentation and was not impressed with the product. You are shown a timeshare room and while it is nice. Again no big deal I was then insulted that I could not afford the timeshare when I politely declined. My mom and I were highly offended and advised the sales rep that I made a good living. The whole experience was downright daunting and I am glad it is over!

Buyer beware should always be part of any financial decisions!

The timeshare presentation was never mentioned and is not even located at hotel I was staying. If we did not attend this presentation you would be charged more than a 500.000 difference. I was more than unsatisfied with the customer service at Hilton. I even spoke with two managers that told me nothing could be done beside a refund that would take 5 business days. I will never book with Grand Hilton Vacations again.

After going through all of that, we were finally given an appointment and it seems as if they would have been okay with us not attending and just paying 200 plus dollars per night. Our hotel room was fine as they gave us a one bedroom condo, however we were told that we would be facing the Disney fireworks and not for one night did we get to see them, the only thing we faced was an absolutely dirty construction field with truck who worked from early in the morning until the end of the day and they were quite noisy and when we asked for a change there was nothing available. There wasn't much to do in the resort and it wasn't as appealing as the pics.

They only have one restaurant that delivers to the room but they don't have any room service and the food and pricing is mediocre so we would always have to go out for every meal which was unlike what a resort should have available. Fast forwarding to the day of the presentation, we met the host as well as our personal tour guide and realtor Simon who was friendly but definitely eager to sell and had many stories that related to every rebuttal we gave. I think he even lied and said he wasn't married because we weren't and took his ring off and put it on a different finger granted the tan line on his wedding hand was right there. My bf told me that wasn't our concern but I'm a skeptic so all I could think was why lie? But anyways he was nice granted I should have known that was the beginning of many lies, including his age.

The pressure was intense and they had so many distractions that we actually began to consider purchasing because of the advantages. They took us on the tour, showed us all of these great rooms and amenities, and advised us of all of the Hilton promotions regarding RCI and their point system and how we would be able to go on a hundred trips a year without having to worry because there was always availability at hotels and we would be considered VIP owners and have a full concierge at our disposal so that even when we ran out of points we would still have all of these other amazing promotions to take advantage of from cruises to yachts to RVs to so many different things that we could use at a discounted rate as owners with Hilton.

We actually began to fall in love with the idea and decided to put a down payment to hold the price for a few days and we would think about it and if we were seriously interested, we could call them and they would go ahead and process the remainder of the down payment as we had 10 days to cancel. The remainder of our stay was fine and we decided to complete the down payment but we wanted to use a different card and they advised this that it would be no problem to refund the initial card that we paid with and put the full amount on the 2nd card. They tried to take BOTH and after we saw a refund on our initial payment, two days later we saw another payment withdrawn. Prior to making that official down payment while they were waiting for us to consider, they were super attentive and calling us every day and our realtor was texting us every few hours checking in on our thoughts and the status of our decision.

Upon making that payment, everything changed and if we had any questions the only thing that we were told was not to worry and things would be handled so on the 9th day within our cancellation window we contacted Sheila who processes the payments and advised her that we still hadn't received the refund that we were promised as they overcharged us and she was absolutely rude and advised us to proceed to file an investigation with our credit card company as she didn't know what we were talking about and she hung up on us. By this time I would say that we had been in touch with three different people in their staff and though they had all been extremely attentive prior to our payment processing, communication was nowhere to be found once we tried to reach them regarding a refund or possible cancellation.

We proceeded to read over our contract thoroughly and realized that we would have to mail something in order for it to be processed and legally accepted as a request for a refund within the allowed time frame but what's unfortunate is Sheila she lied to us and stated that we can send a document via email or fax and that suffice.

We sent out an email to everyone about 5 times and had been attempting to reach them since 11 am and didn't get a response from anyone until 4:50 pm and the only person who contacted us was Javier who initially completed our contract with us who was extremely aggressive and rude which an absolute contradiction from his initial demeanor when we first met. He stated that emails wouldn't work even though his colleague Sheila said that would be more than enough but thankfully we read the contract and we realized that as long as the letter was sent via USPS mail prior to the end of the refund window we would be safe so we advised him of that and he even made up a lie saying that we had to sign the letters even though nowhere in the contract stated that. We realized that these people were absolutely fraudulent and are so glad we got out in time. PLEASE GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN.

What's the worst is my boyfriend read these reviews and he never told me about them because he said he was optimistic due to the treatment we had received prior to making the payment and I only began to research after they became unprofessional and I'm so grateful I saw these reviews and got out in time. The absolute worst and most disgusting part of this process was that our realtor Simon who was super attentive and said that he would always advocate on our behalf was nowhere to be found for the entire day and it's only after we spoke with Javier and confirmed our cancellation did he send a text stating that he was in the hospital with his grandfather in a different part of the state but not to worry that he would have our membership fixed first thing in the morning and that we didn't need to cancel, he didn't ask us our opinion but he felt as if he had the right to override our request.

Once we advised all parties that we had already been in contact with attorneys, they stop speaking and proceeded to tell us that we would be out of the contract, it seems as if they've been through this before and they're very much aware of what they're doing to people and how they're taking advantage. I don't believe our realtor was anywhere but in that office with his staff all day waiting to see how they could scam us into staying and how they could go about denying our request for refund. Simon, Javier, and Shiela were absolutely nightmares to deal with and I believe they all work together to lie to people about HGVC. THEY SHOULD NOT EVEN REPRESENT HILTON.

This is really aggravating because here we are paying all this money every month, maintenance fees and money to carry the points over if they are not used and we cannot get a reservation but other people can go on Travelocity and get a reservation for next week and I have to make one 6, 9, or whatever time frame the rules state. Truly is unfair and to all of the people who cannot plan all their vacations half a year ahead or because life happens and you may need to make plans at the last minute and with this timeshare that is not possible. Really and truly unfair. They made it sound like vacations would be simple to plan. VERY UNHAPPY.

Now going on 2.5 hours (told it was 90-120 minutes tops). Price was just not worth it, interest rate is over 14% on 10 year "mortgage". Plus annual maintenance fees. Said no, we can do better with various rewards programs and other discounts, not worth it for us." Now the obnoxious and rude part. Our salesperson and Kathy now start saying things like we can't afford trips we want (not true), we don't know what we're talking about when it comes to actual prices of vacations (also, not true) and that we will be wasting our money on any other trips we take (Um, no, you can't offer us what we prefer as far as settings).

Now trying to get in touch with "Nancy", a sales manager to discuss how poorly her sales staff handled us and how rude they became when we told them we would not be buying the timeshare but to no avail. Was promised a callback, didn't happen. Left 2 messages. Still nothing. So clearly not interested in feedback. Here's my advice. Take the package (make sure to get a supervisor when you buy-in and make sure you get a refund on the stay plus a free night to use afterwards), enjoy the weather and the view and don't be scammed. Not worth the money, especially based on reviews of others saying it is impossible to get desired dates and fees keep going up while re-sale value goes down.

Ultimately, we wish we had never paid the $1700 for the VIP program, but are so grateful we didn't buy the full vacation club. Our $1700 was supposed to have given us a week in a 2 BR, but they would only let us have 3 nights (the minimum) in a 2 BR and then 3 nights in a 1 BR, and then wouldn't address our concerns when we went for our presentation. They also didn't have our contract or our original price, and kept quoting us higher amounts, acting like it was such a deal! While the units are nice, don't be fooled!!! I told HGV during our presentation, their failure to address our concerns cost them what should have been an easy sale. Glad we tested them first!

I really don't understand some of the complaints on this website. We have stayed mainly at Hilton properties with our ownership because we love the quality and customer service that Hilton provides. With that being said, we have also booked several properties with RCI and was pleasantly surprised with those resorts as well. I highly recommend Hilton Grand Vacations Club, but only if you want to take some really nice vacations.

They're just out for one thing, sales. They're a well oiled machine with everybody highly trained and oriented towards that. Never again will I attend anything like that. Last time was in North Carolina 30 years ago and I thought that was bad. Also I paid more for the 2 nights in the mini hotel room than I would of paid somewhere else. Only good thing out of it was good old NY City!

When I called HGVC complain we were that they had nothing to do with RCI properties and we should have done research on the property before staying there. The website showed a totally different picture and made it look amazing. As far as I am concerned that is considered FALSE ADVERTISING by HGVC. They are horrible people and they lie to you when they are trying to sell to you. I am thinking of suing them for false advertising and false marketing. They are stealing people's money and leading them to believe something that is not true.

The phone calls continued repeatedly. When I attempted to inquire about the facilities and the location, I was put on hold and then told that their system was currently no operating so they could not give any information. After repeated calls, I finally learned the location for the sales lecture was on Hilton Head Island and phase I of the property was completed October 2016. Going to Google, I was able to identify the site, some of which was obviously under construction. When I called again, I was informed that this property was not available and that they had booked us in the Hilton Garden Inn which was NOT on Hilton Head Island. This was no different than a bait and switch tactic.

After learning all of this, reading the horror stories in the reviews of HGV, I finally decided that this was unacceptable. When they called last week, I told them my disappointment with their program which resorted to pressure phone calls too numerous to quantify. They are a call center with one motivation and that is NOT to provide customers with a pleasant experience in making vacation plans. Their only interest is selling properties. We have requested a full credit for our prepaid reservation and are praying that this will be the end of this!

I don't care what they documented. I know I wasn't told. I would have NEVER booked anything if there was a fee assessed, due to a change in plans. $20 isn't much but it is the principle!!! When I told them I would never travel with them she was very quick to ask "so you forfeit"? I told her they would never get anything else from me... Period!! Please take note, that means these unscrupulous, underhanded people are keeping the monies I originally paid to book the trip and the untold cancellation fee. STAY AWAY!!! If they call, HANG UP!!! Do yourself a favor don't entertain anything they say... This is why I do not trust TIMESHARES PERIOD... THEY ALL LIE!!! I thought it was safe because it said HILTON but NOT!!!! Hilton Resorts Corp located 6355 MetroWest Blvd Suite 180, Orlando FL 32835.

My girlfriend and I were seriously contemplating a timeshare. I have been blessed with some financial savings and we always travel, which isn't cheap to do. The 2 hours we spent on the tour were enjoyable, entertaining, and we did not find ourselves concerned at any time about being tortured with a serious or vicious sales attempt. But, during the time that we met our lady whom I will not name, she did something that I know was a sales attempt now. She kept talking to my girlfriend about how beautiful she was and how if we moved to Las Vegas, (which we told her was our intentions in the next few months) that she would be able to find a job without any problems. She went on to tell my girlfriend that she knew people that are management at some high end hotels on the strip and that she would contact them about getting her a job, etc. etc...

All this time she is telling her how beautiful she is, being very sweet to her and acting genuinely concerned about her. Now, as someone with an understanding of how these sales go, I was taken aback by what I was seeing. At first though, I naively thought this sales woman was genuinely interested in helping my girlfriend and I. But, after her realizing that the timeshare proposal was just not in good timing for us, and that we weren't going to purchase just yet, the woman left our presence without saying a word. She did not thank us for coming in, she did not say anything. Someone else came to walk us out and we left...

It was a very disconcerting event, in which my girlfriend and I both felt completely conned by this con-artist. One who would go so low as to make you feel like family, then as soon as we were not useful to her, did away with us like we were nothing. I feel sincerely sorry for more naive people than us, that think that this Hilton Grand Vacations and its sales people are doing anything other than using you in any way possible, to sell you on a TIMESHARE.

This is my takeaway from our Hilton Grand Vacations Promotional Presentation. They're very good at what they do. They don't give a damn about anything but making the sale. They will do everything possible, remaining spineless in their attempt to do so. I have never been so pissed off at how low someone would go to try to make the sale (essentially stealing your money with pressure). They will talk you up, just to try to be as friendly as possible so you sign away 12,000+ dollars (READ THIS SEVERAL TIMES, 12,000.00 At Least). I feel sincerely happy for people that find this useful. I would have done it in the future, but not at this current time. I did not appreciate how my girlfriend was USED in this sales attempt, and believe it was awful how they ended this presentation. Give you the boot, and never say thanks for coming or anything. Very awful PR, abusive in nature at the very least.

If they say they'll call you back, "FORGET ABOUT IT". You can't speak to anybody but the sales department. They guard the phone numbers of anyone with influence like Trump's tax returns. No matter how I try, can't get passed the sales department. Now that they have my money, where do I turn??? God forbid if you ask for a refund. They'll have none of that. Could someone please give me any advice or alternatives. I don't have the money to fight their law department. I guess that's what they depend on.

We wrongly assumed they resale value would be equal to the outlay value as in the presentation we had been told the value increases overtime, that is not the case. We have been offered less than a 10th of what we paid for it and told that is market value even though if I bought new today I would be paying more than I did 8 years ago. In my mind the whole thing is a complete con and I wouldn't be taken in by the Hilton Brand name. The whole thing has left a very bitter taste in my mouth and Over $20,000 out of pocket. I would strongly advise people not to be sucked in. I will never have anything to do with any Hilton brand in the future.

Oh, and they recommended we keep it. Or the ridiculous $200+ charge to use RCI. Or the nearly impossible ability to book anything you can reach. We specifically told the agent that we were looking for locations 500 miles of St Louis. We were sold the package with the guarantee that we could stay as many as 10 nights a year nearly anywhere in our area. They use high pressure sales and false promises to con people. Seriously; why are these people not being sued.

We arrived at the Hilton Resort just in time to register at 4PM. Upon arrival I am told we are NOT registered there but next door at the Palms. Believe me the Hilton Resort is first class, the Palms not so much. Our room which I thought was a beach front (maybe I misunderstood) but was beach view and that was a stretch. The room was the smallest hotel room I have ever had the displeasure to use. The Palms is an older condo and its age is showing in the condo we were in. Not at all "Hilton" standards.

First problem no Wi-FI. It took two days for the hotel and their tech people to get it right. Next the very deep tub and shower was so old it had old school sliding glass doors with an opening only a contortionist could fit through. Bedding was horrible. Every night we fought with the bottom sheets, no fitted sheet just one too short and too narrow to tuck in. Nice flat panel TV but most channels no HD and no channel guide, just saying. The carpet was so bad in the hall that its rolled up creating a trip hazard in several places. This set up a most unpleasant weekend certainly not worth what we paid.

We knew what to expect going in and were prepared for a high pressure sales pitch and that's what we received. The promised 2-hour tour ended after the office closed at 5PM. After we toured the condo we went upstairs to a glass enclosed room with full beach views. There the salesperson excused herself. I told my wife "here come the closer" and yes he arrived with a full smiling handshake. After he said "my name is George" I said "yes the closer". He was pissed, made a few comments and signed over to the check out guy.

We knew going in we would not buy but the razzle-dazzle and misleading statements is mind blowing. Our girl told us her cubicle was an investment of over 26,000 in new tech stuff 50" tv on the wall and one embedded in the desk. However when it came time to get to the nitty gritty she pulled out several sheet protectors with computer paper & pencil notes on them. Numbers, lines, arrows, redirection/misdirection, numbers scratched out lower number in its place, percents, etc. Einstein could not follow all she was saying, which was what they wanted.

We have a local car dealer and he ends all his commercials with this line. "Once you experience it, you will never forget it". That about sums it up for me and mind, never again. By the way my phone has not stopped ringing since returning home with travel offers. I guess "Hilton" allows them to sell info. Hilton has devalued the brand and tarnished the name but I guess the money they make is greater importance than the customers they currently have.

Hilton Vacations have stolen, in my opinion, over $10,000 from these kids who are still struggling with low-paying jobs and can barely afford the rent at home. I have been trying to resolve this question. I got the usual push-off and excuses, common to sleaze-ball operations, to discourage such inquiries. I first spoke with a Ludmila **, who passed me off to a supposed supervisor (who was actually just another **) named Monique **. These people are well-versed and trained to put people off and not answer their questions, obviously indicating that this comes up often. The supervisor for them, a Dawna **, was conveniently unavailable at the time. I would seriously recommend to all owners to BEWARE when trying to give a present to your kids through Hilton Grand Vacation and the trouble that they can get into!!! I will continue posting this everywhere I can think of to warn other victims in the future of this organization!!!!

We foolishly signed up for 3400 points at a rate of $234.00 monthly with a $1200.00 yearly maintenance fee (makes me sick) in October 2016. Every time we have free time to travel and a location in mind: A. there is no Resort located there or B. no availability or C. the Resort looks like a 50' style apartment complex. Now mind you -- I only wanted to go to Savannah, GA or perhaps Charleston, SC or the Florida Keys. We have traveled extensively worldwide and like 4-5 star accommodations and made that clear plus we can't book 9 months in advance. They do not care. HGVC is in business to take your money and yes, offer you nice accommodations if you want to stay a week in Orlando (I live in FL) or Vegas. And if you take notice -- 28 locations in Japan out of roughly 113 resorts.

I wish we could just stop paying the monthly fees which have been so far about $3042.00 + the $1200.00 maintenance fees AND we haven't had a vacation with HILTON!!! I despise this company! DO NOT GO THERE! DO NOT LISTEN TO THEIR SPIEL!!! RUN!!! We could have gone to the Amalfi Coast which was my plan this summer but we wasted - tossed the money out of the window this year. I wish we could get a class action suit against them. I feel like they misrepresented their product. I'm an idiot for signing the damn contract.

This time I didn't get my room cleaned at all the first day. This morning I wasn't feeling well after breakfast and went up to my room to lay down. I displayed the privacy sign and awoke to someone in my room. It turned out to be housekeeping cleaning my room. I realize that a "privacy" sign doesn't guarantee privacy but still I am shocked housekeeping would just barge into a room where a guest requested privacy. There were no knocks at my door or phone calls, she just walked in as I was laying down! I should have used the deadbolts like I normally do but forgot. Earlier in the day I overheard someone from housekeeping telling someone to switch their privacy sign since they were leaving their room even though they told her that they intended to return to their room after breakfast. It seems housekeeping is overly aggressive and even rude to guests.

The rooms are beautiful and the bar is nice but housekeeping is the reason I will avoid staying at the Elara even though I'm an HHonors member. It doesn't help that the strip is inaccessible through the Miracle Mile Mall and they have no on-site restaurant. They also charge $9.95 for wireless access which you will probably need to use since cellular and wireless signals don't seem to work from the hotel rooms.

We used the certificate to spend a night at the Hilton figuring we were already in the area. When we sent it in it was denied because it needed to be sent in 30 days after your stay. This is located in very small print at the bottom. At the top of the page it states “Offer Expires six months from personal review”. When I called Hilton they pointed it out. When asked to speak with a supervisor they transferred me to someone who spoke no English. I almost think they were doing it on purpose just because of the way it all played out. The stupidity of it all is that we were considering purchasing a Hilton Property that was adjacent to where we stayed after speaking with a couple we met. Maybe this was a wake-up call for us. We now believe Hilton is a terrible company and would not consider doing business with them. It really is sad that the Hilton name is associated with such tactics.

The other thing to consider are the yearly fees that usually average 1000 per year. Now I just booked a great place in Chamonix for next June thru airb&B (of course the club has nothing nearby) for 600 USD. So your yearly fee goes a long way with AIRB&B and the choice is a lightyears more. Yes the HGVC properties are beautiful but the choice and availability is so limited that hang up when they call as they have some great sales people who walk the line on misrepresenting (no mention of the above).

The presentation began with us meeting Melissa, our "Vacation Counselor (VC)" who was very pleasant and friendly--as one might expect a sales person to be. We were led into a room where there were about 8 potential buyers, each with a VC sitting with them. Sean took over the room and guided us through a very professional and thought-provoking presentation, complete with several personal stories and pictures about his family. Other than a stereotypical assumption about men being "workaholics" (as opposed to women), I thought he did an excellent job of making the preliminary case for buying. He used many standard persuasive speaking strategies and I can see why he is in the job/position that he is.

Following the initial 30 minute group presentation we were then escorted to a cubicle area where we spent the next 45 minutes or so interacting with Melissa. This is where we had a very good exchange/conversation discussing our particular travel needs and lifestyle. Melissa was very professional and listened to our situation. She took us through several potential travel scenarios that we offered up as examples of the type of travel we do regularly, and as we went along it became clear that what she was "selling" was not a great fit for us. She certainly made every effort to see how the program, with all its options and iterations, could work for us.

Toward the end she went and got who I would refer to as her "closer" Andrew. They both clearly knew that we were not a good fit for what they were offering, or at least they knew that our perception was such that it was not a good fit; however, they very professionally and politely went through what they needed to. Andrew then left and we wrapped up with Melissa. We did indicate to her (genuinely) that there is at least one person we think who would likely be interested in at least hearing about the program, due to that person's travel needs and lifestyle. We will be passing along Melissa's contact information and perhaps something will come of it. Following the meeting with Melissa we were walked over to a counter where the "refund" was explained to us, and we were given a "voucher" for a future visit to a Hilton.

In the end, when our credit card gets refunded, our stay will end up costing us $1, not including the travel costs to get here. Here is my bottom line: I believe this program is a good fit for some folks and not a good fit for others, just like any "program"--gym membership, travel club, multi-level marketing company, etc. The key is to go in with your "eyes wide open", realize you will receive a very carefully targeted and professionally prepared persuasive "sales pitch", and in the end make a decision if it's a good fit for your travel needs and lifestyle. They know what they're doing with how they've anticipated just about every objection, and they very effectively address these objections using "inoculation techniques"--they bring up the objection before you have a chance to and they have an answer for it.

Be prepared to be "sold to" in a very smooth way--these are professional sales people who know what they're doing. Our experience was NOT one of "high pressure sales", but perhaps others have had different experiences. In the end I enjoyed the experience very much, and Melissa was very professional. Should our travel needs change we would definitely consider contacting Melissa again to see what could be worked out for us.

We are done not going to pay anymore fees for maintenance or to carry over our points, any of it. I looked on eBay and I've seen properties in the same building as we own in with bids starting at $3.00 and not moving up in price. We have decided to cut our losses since it is paid in full and let the county take for back taxes but they might not even want it. Like I said just hang up if you hear this is HGV on your phone.

I had to call them this morning, and was told "at no time was I ever promised a free night stay". I forwarded the email to her that said I was offered it. She said she asked her supervisor, and that there was no record of the first caller promising me a FREE night stay, so they would not honor it. Horrible company; don't do business with them. Hilton should break ties with them too; this makes me think less of Hilton.

The condo facility was not the quality I am used to getting at a Hilton Vacation Club resort. The furniture was cheap looking, and the walls were not even decorated well. Night time lighting was terrible. One of my other complaints is they always give you a deal for sitting through the sales pitch. They gave a stupid cheap umbrella. There were no discount too given for amusement or restaurants and that was unusual. To get a luggage cart you had to wait over one hour. It appeared they only had two. The kitchen in your condo was not equipped well. There were no placemats, salt and pepper, and many missing cooking and serving dishes. Also the number of glasses and dishes was very low. I would never stay at this resort again. If this is the direction the company is going with their resorts then they have ruined their concept and cheapened a resort that was once at the top.

Lastly, I am very dissatisfied with the exchange organization they use, RPI. Most companies are now using Intropol which was all high end resorts for exchange. When you make an exchange with RPI you do not get anything near the quality of your resort. The last three exchanges have been very disappointing. I ended up leaving each one father a few nights they were so bad.

RCI has slipped and Hilton is going down so I guess the two are hand in hand. When you consider the thousands you pay to purchase in Hilton and the annual maintenance of over $1000 a year, you are not getting a good exchange with RCI. It is time they offer you a chance to join the other exchange company. During my recent sales pitch I learned only 3% of the owners exchange with RCI. That should tell you right there that the RCI exchange is not worth it. But you can never get your money out of buying these resorts so at least a better exchange program would improve it.

After purchasing the standard share (15K), we spent the night reviewing online consumer affairs and other gripe sites and came to the conclusion that most likely the ability to obtain a week using your point without fees are small. Nice to have things online but if the service isn't there then why be a club member. The best value is to use the club and have a reduced rate for the nice room. I think this would work out only if the prices remain reduced.

We decided to print the letter in the hotel to stop the contract, and delivered it to the sales reps the next day. Nothing wrong with buyers remorse!! They were professional at all times. They even pointed me to the nearest post office where I sent my letter to the given address via certified mail. Apparently, the post office officer gets lots of business and is very helpful knowing that you are another one to send a certified letter. Overall a bad experience only because the accommodations were poor and entering realville when it comes to need to having a timeshare.

No, with Hilton Grand Vacations BEHIND you there will be a hopeful future for you and your family; no more awful website to try and book a reservation with vernacular that you can never understand like "open season," "home week," "conversion fee," etc.; no more conversations on the phone with persons who while sweet and certainly friendly to pets and other creatures cannot speak clearly nor succinctly; no more hidden fees to convert what you already own to a hotel reservation; no more calls from "Marcus" or "Melody" asking you to pay $159 for a "free" weekend to see the new property that you will never ever go to otherwise; no more clenched fists of rage when you call about resale inquiry and are told your message will be returned "in 21 business days" - Sweet Mary Mother of Our Lord who does business like this?!

Hilton Grand Vacation club, that's who. I would encourage you to call Dwayne ** who's title at Hilton is "Brand Champion." Or you can email him at **. Perhaps he would benefit from these anecdotes about how the Hilton "brand" is taking some hits with the pernicious business practices that are being perpetuated in the Hilton name. As has been suggested in the thread "Class Action" is a good idea, but in all honesty I don't have any more energy to commit to Hilton. It's all been used up while on "hold."

So again I called explained the situation and asked for a refund. I was disconnected again. Again I called and finally got met refund. Hilton is running a bait and switch SCAM. Everything they promised was either less nights than originally offered or at a much higher price. WARNING DON'T sign up for Hilton promotions! The Hilton employees I spoke to were George, Terika, and Laud.

But then I get home and after a few months of making payments for this thing, several factors, including a death in the family, made me realize that this isn't the best time to be planning a vacation. So I call to cancel my plan, only to be told that I can cancel but I won't receive any refund. NONE. So I email them to send my official cancellation, letting them know I was canceling primarily because of a death in the family, and again requested a refund hoping the first lady told me wrong. But I immediately got a curt email back stating that I could cancel but there would be no refund.

IF SOMETHING IS NON REFUNDABLE, IT SHOULD BE SOLD AS SUCH!!! It is deceitful to tell someone you can cancel at any time and not mention that you lose any money paid. I also have a problem with this practice in general. If you aren't providing services and you aren't out anything, you shouldn't be charging people. It's unethical!! So bottom line, Hilton Grand Vacations are deceitful, unethical, crooks, and the vacation packages aren't that grand. I recommend steering clear, unless you are ok with losing any money paid in in the event that you have to cancel.

After I got there, I realized I was cheated but I did not make the fuss about it because I did not want to spend a day fighting them and another day taking a tour and checking out next day. But I lost any trust in them. I was told they put me in this hotel because Hilton was booked. But it was not true either. I saw sign of "vacancy" at Hilton property as I was walking by it!! I felt they were dishonest in how they conduct their business. I listened the sales pitch and said everything was great about their offer because I did not want to prolong the meeting and waste their time as well as my time as I knew I was not buying. At the end I said, I did not want to buy it. Then they offered to sale me vacation packages, I declined it too.

The cost plus the maintenance fees come out to about $50 per night less than you would have paid to stay at the hotel so while it is cost-effective you are not saving a bundle. That is why it needs to be a place that you can enjoy staying. Travel also needs to be taken into consideration. We are a four-hour drive from New York City. It is close enough for us to get there easily but too far to drive back and forth from home (This from someone who drives two hours each way for Baltimore Ravens' home games). Traveling longer than that and going by air creates more of a hassle factor.

Since we have joined, we have seen approximately 12 Broadway plays and have three more scheduled for next week. Having a hotel in the heart of the theater district works very well for us. Add to that the fact that the initial purchase gave us a week's stay at the Anderson Club in Myrtle Beach for us, our three daughters with husbands and our then 8 grandchildren (we are now up to 10) and it certainly has been cost-effective. Like anything else there are pros and cons to the purchase. It works better for some than for others. There are two kinds of offers. We selected the 20 year option because it was a third of the cost of the permanent ownership which they try to have us do at each owner's update. That is because it works well for us. We will be 87 at the end of the 20 year period so why buy something that will just be a hassle for the children to sell.

Spent all of the wedding weekend fighting with these people and yet nothing was done. I had to fly home and pay 1450 bucks to rental place. Security guy named Craig called 3 days after we got back and said he searched himself after the guest checked out (they checked out Monday 48plus hours later) and we all know keys and underwear do not just grow legs and walk out the door. We believe the house keeper took our keys and didn't turn them in. (Thanks Thomas for not believing us) For was treated like **. Didn't offer anything for our troubles. Will be writing this review more on other sites. Thanks for the wedding weekend we will never forget... Shrugs.

This happened Wednesday, I had just booked a vacation and asked if I could talk it over with my husband when he got home. She said that would not be a problem. She would give me until Saturday to make my decision and at that time she would process my information if she did not hear back from me before then. This is where it got frustrating....

After my husband got home we decided that we did not really need to take this vacation seeing as we just booked one. Thursday morning I called the number Annetta gave me to call if I did NOT want to take the vacation. She said all I had to do was call this number and they would take care of it. So that's what I did. But after calling and speaking to a gentleman Thomas and his manager they assured me that it is not their policy to charge people's credit card information days after without talking to me. I still wanted more confirmation that so he told me I could call the hotel back and ask to be transferred to the sales department at HGV. So that is what I did, I spoke with 3 different people who had to each time "speak to the manager" and somehow I would either get redirected to another person who had to again speak to the manager or I would get disconnected.

I was starting to feel like this was a scam and I was getting the runaround. I had not confidence that I would get the issue resolved. I finally talked to another representative who told me the same about her not being able to charge my card but that they would get in touch with Annetta and she would call me Saturday before charging my card. I felt good about that and even asked if they put a note in my file about calling me... he said he did.

Fast forward to Saturday morning when I get an e-mail notification from HGV congratulating me on booking my vacation. This completely ruined my Saturday afternoon as I had to spend the next hour on the phone explaining the issue to HGV to get them to remove the charge of around $600 which they did but it would take 3-7 business days for the charge to come off my card.

I'm a former employee of 10 years and a Hilton honors member I never expected that the company I loved working for would do such a thing. I'm so displeased with the service and outcome, even though I'm getting my money back I do not feel satisfied and still feel taken advantage of. Annetta made cancelling the offer seem so easy over the phone.. "Oh yeah all you have to do is call this number and tell them you don't want the offer and your card won't be charged." I thought ok well that would be easy then. I hope this review will help someone not make the same mistakes I did.

When they return, they simply restructure the same one or two offers. Suddenly, the one who looks like Fabio (there's always one or two at Parc who looks like Fabio) will ask the other "did you tell him the secret about Maui? Now, don't say this to anyone else." Or, "If we give you all these extra bonus points, you must never tell anyone, please." I spent 8 hours there once. It didn't matter. I am a former Floridian and had time to kill. I went there on my own, wasn't there on a freebie, but I finally told them to knock it off. I once met a former sale rep. He told a slick rep can make up to $300,000 a year. Commissions are enormous. If you don't perform, you are either fired, or become a manager! No wonder why there is such pressure. But the highly skilled reps do in a way that you don't feel it as pressure. They become your best friend. They listen to your problems. They will ask you about your kids.

They happen to have the same hobby you enjoy. They might even admit to your spouse they take the same anti-depressant. They smile. They will offer dream packages they know will make you happy for the rest of your life. You become intoxicated. When you are at your weakest, they go in for the kill. You walk out, having signed everything. I remember going to nearby post office once and seeing several shaken people mailing their "rescission" letters before the deadline. However, many wait until it's too late, and other are happy with their decision. While my sales rep and finance person were in back room "checking availability" and the "best deals" possible, the CEO, Mark Wang, happened to pass by. I have to tell you, he was smartly dressed, but he looked as crooked as they come. He glanced at me, and I saw in him the personification of the worst in the industry--the outright lifting of hard earned money from decent people.

Wang seemed like a man who didn't care about anyone but himself. I wouldn't be surprised if he came up with schlocky ideas like giving Elite Gold door keys to Elite members who spend at least $100K to reach that level. (Such a prestige!) It's OK...another BMW, yet another trip to Bora Bora for Mark. (I am an Elite Plus member and was miffed when he didn't even say hi.) On the other hand, the sales people at the Elara were much friendlier, more considerate of my time, easier to work with, and open to ideas. I have purchased both developer and re-sale properties, and I have been able to "Hiltonize" re-sale properties. "Hiltonizing" has to be done strategically, with a little persistence and attached to a developer purchase. Yet, the only decent perk about Elite Plus is the same year conversion of club points to Hilton Honors points.

I think with all the money Elite members spend to get to that level, management ought to do more to make it truly worth while...i.e. additional annual bonus points that can be used toward maintenance fees. That is by far the biggest single complaint everyone (Elite or not) has. People spend thousands buying properties and are hit with hundreds each year. The standard answers are pretty lame. Management like the uncaring CEO Wang do nothing. Also, the "nickel and diming" is getting worse. A lot of these fees should be free for owners, and free everywhere for Elite. Overall, HGVC's program is more flexible than the others, but too many resorts are clustered in Florida and Vegas. Marriott has many more locations. I do have hope for HGVC. Frankly, if I had to do it over, I would have not given Wang a dime.

As a seasoned traveler, I am aware that certain times of the year (like holidays) room rates go up, so when you are advised that there is a holiday fee for the time you are looking to travel, it is cheaper to pay the holiday fee than to book directly with the hotels through Hilton.com because it is still discounted. Yes, I was advised of the holiday fee before booking the reservation on a past package, but it is not forced. I had the choice to pick alternate dates or pay the holiday fee, which they worked with me on.

Here's an example that most of you can understand: You prepay for a "plain burger" from your fast food chain of choice, you go in an order, but you ask for a burger with everything on it, fries and a drink. When you are told about the difference you would have to pay based on the extra items added, you get mad and throw a fit, go online and write a bad review on that restaurant. That is sad. I guess maybe I was raised different. I don't lie to get things, and I understand fair is fair, so I have never had to call and complain about something to get something else for free. Based on the reviews I am reading, it looks like a lot of people on here are complaining because they did not get away with whatever they were trying to get away with.

Also for those of you that were "forced" to purchase a package, all I can say is that nobody made you get up, get your credit card, and pay for something you did not want... how about hang up, how about tell them you are not interested? Maybe take the time to listen to what is being offered, and if you don't want it, don't buy it. Simple. Like my mom used to say, "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar." Think about it.

She assured me that I would be guaranteed of getting any nights I wanted. So I bought it. Stupid me. I then called to see if we could get the only dates we had available and, guess what? NO!! They were not open those dates!! "But we will call you once those dates open up". Well, that call never came. Our weekend is only a week away. We already have the plane tickets but it does not look like we will be staying at this resort. What a complete scam!! Whatever you do, do not allow these people to scam you. They are NOT honest!!

If one understands basic rules of thumb regarding travel, you will find airfare deals and hotel deals that will cost you FAR less over time than this thing does. Plus you are tied into Hilton properties for your hotel stays; that may be good or bad depending upon what you want to do. Do your homework, and do not fall for the "this deal is only good today" garbage. No one on the face of the planet should be pressured into making what is essentially about a $50,000 decision right then and there. Later I was riding the elevator with a couple and another sales person up to my same floor there, and she said to the male half of the couple - "nice watch, I'll bet that was expensive." Unbelievably rude. If you hate going to buy a car, you'll hate this even worse.

Fortunately I'm very good at shutting these kinds of things down - after 30 minutes he could see I wasn't interested. Do the same - don't show any interest, emotion, or ask questions. You'll be out of there pretty quickly. Oh, and they show you a film of how this will change your life for the better, and it takes about 9 minutes. Interesting - no one else is in this big film room watching this with you. Seems rather inefficient, right. Well, during the film I was checking my phone, looking at email, Facebook, etc. - paying not the least bit of attention. When I exited, this guy had absolutely no interest in me anymore. Do you suppose he was back at his computer watching me in the film room to gauge my interest? Cannot prove it, but the fact that I was alone in there, and he didn't watch it with me gives rise to my suspicion. Hilton has such a proud history in the hospitality industry. What a shameful embarrassment this enterprise is to that name.

We were given a one room suite that was awesome. Bed was comfy and room was clean. All their service staff were polite and friendly. Pool area is lovely. This place is very family-friendly and a little ways from the main strip area, lots of families with kiddos. We went to our scheduled two-hour tour and the guy was nice but super odd. He would seem to make statements that were actually questions and then stare at us... Very confusing to talk to. Throughout our tour we remained uninterested but he was very polite. In the end we have very small kiddos (not with us) and this kind of travel doesn't fit our lifestyle/goals.

We don't stay in hotels. We stay with family/friends. To which he told us our family would get sick of us/we could bring them with as payback, etc. We didn't ask about anything he presented. Nothing! We smiled and responded to his questions nicely and honestly. It was a fine experience but this particular person was easy not to connect to as he was odd and had multiple weird hand gestures which was very distracting. He had us pretend if we could do anything where would we go and we answered but again were not invested or excited. It was supposed to last two hours. We got out in 90 minutes as he could see we weren't interested. He asked about our hotel stays to which we have none really except for work related travel.

In the end he told us to enjoy our vacation. We got our vouchers. He told us he couldn't make us excited about something but he hopes he planted a seed of desire to travel. We thanked him for his time. We then loved the rest of our stay and would definitely stay at a Hilton again as it was a great experience. However for us that isn't likely to be soon as we just don't stay in hotels often. Ps. Only negative was wifi. Is included but super slow!

We told her specifically we were interested in the Waikoloa and Oahu sites. She said that we could get into those without difficulty. She also told us that when going to the Waikoloa site we'd be able to use the facilities, including the pool, at the Hilton Hotel across the way. What actually turned out to be the case was that we couldn't get into Waikoloa for four years! When we got there, the hotel said that we couldn't use any of its facilities. HGVC is willing to lie -- and did so with us -- to get a sale. RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN FROM THIS COMPLETELY FRAUDULENT OPERATION!

BUT there are really good things too. One if you want HGVC property - look to resell. Much cheaper (I got Orlando at Sea World -7200 points for $1500.00) and the points are still the same. (They just do not count towards Elite status). Also, I never hold any club points from year to year. I convert the ones I will not be using to Hilton HHonors which never expire. I travel almost monthly for pleasure and work. I can count on one hand how many times I have had to pay for a hotel room in the last 8 years. I just my points, I stretch my points, I buy things with my points. I only pay reservation fees when I book reservations with club points - not when booking through Hilton Hotels. Because of all my club point conversation I am a Diamond Hilton HHonors member. It really is a great life if you learn to use the system. The only thing I really am not happy with right now is the new HGVC website. I think it sucks.

The problem for us has come after I get a phone call from HGV EVERY month, wanting to get me to purchase a vacation. Despite being told for over TWO YEARS that I'm not interested, they persisted in calling. Eight months ago I started asking to have my name removed from their calling list, as I was NOT interested and would NOT be using them for my vacations, period. I am polite, but to the point. I am continually told they will remove my name and number.

Today, yet another call. After the HGV rep identified herself and asked how I was, I told her "Well I'm fine; however, I have asked to be removed from your call list numerous times..." and, click. Hung up on me. I have sent in a complaint to Hilton and am phoning HGV at their Orlando headquarters tomorrow. They obviously ignore the Do Not Call registry, as well as direct requests to not be contacted... to the extent they have been sued by the New York State, and settled for $250,000, over unsolicited sales calls. Save yourself the hassle of the calls, save yourself the rather belligerent sales meeting you are forced to sit through, and SKIP ANYTHING to do with Hilton Grand Vacations.

You lose the flexibility to book at any given time no matter how early or late you may be doing so. The inventory available via HGV is worthless. Most times, the inventory available will be depleted extremely quickly and by the time you check you have to keep looking further into the future. If you are like me, with preset vacation dates and special occasions when you go on vacations (anniversaries, birthdays, other celebrations), the dates are quite set. You LOSE your points. They don't automatically rolled over, if you don't take your vacation on the given year. You may buy/recover them by paying a fee, before the year expires. But isn't that there already very stupid? You already paid to use this and you cannot use it when you wish?

Honestly, I am a world traveler, and I always end up finding much better deals everywhere else and today's resources are plenty. The HGV program really is a scam that benefits the pockets of the Hilton chain only. DON'T FALL FOR IT! Oh, and if you try to sell it back or to someone else, you can't. Why? Because it's worthless (it loses value faster than a cheap car).

If you want: Flexibility, the best deal for your money, the opportunity to select from a huge inventory, a way to enjoy vacations anywhere in the world while the flexibility of choosing location and time is up to you and not up to what you are offered... Then, STAY OFF HGV because you will only be disappointed, extremely disappointed. And like some others have suggested, I can't give this a negative star because we don't have them here, but certainly the program is worthless.