As Hilton HHonors member, I recently received a promotion for a 3 day and 2-night stay at a Hilton Grand Vacations Club resort in my choice of Orlando or Las Vegas for $169 + tax. I could upgrade the package to 4 days and 3 nights for an additional $30, for a total of $199 + tax. These prices factor in a $50 discount that you will book your vacation within 45 days of purchasing the package.
Click here for the latest offer from Hilton Grand Vacations Club
$149 for 4 days in Orlando
Normally, whenever we pay cash for a hotel stay, we use PointsHound or Rocketmiles to earn airline miles for our stays. But, this deal is so cheap for 2 vacations – Las Vegas plus a city of our choosing at a later date – that you can’t turn it down.
We took advantage of this offer in April 2013, and we totally enjoyed ourselves. We stayed at the HGVC Las Vegas Strip (near the Stratosphere) so I could run in the Spartan Sprint race. We then used our $200 credit to stay at the Hilton Del Mar (near San Diego) in July 2013 and fell in love with Pizza Port when we out looking for dinner.
- Trip Report – Hilton Grand Vacations Suites on the Las Vegas Strip (April 2013)
- 4 days and 3 nights in Las Vegas or Orlando for $199 with Hilton Grand Vacations Club
- HGVC Orlando vacation for only $149
In This Post
The offer from Hilton Grand Vacations Club
The email I received was specific to Orlando, but since I live in California, I’m not flying to Orlando for only a couple of days. Ok, well maybe I would… but we already have a trip planned to Orlando for September, so there’s no need to go twice in such a short timeframe.
We took the option to visit Las Vegas instead so we can visit friends and take advantage of cheap Southwest flights from Orange County to Vegas.
When you book the $169 deal, you will get:
- 3 day, 2 night stay at 1 of 3 resorts in Las Vegas
- 10,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points
- $200 “Spend a Night on Us” certificate towards your next Hilton stay
We used our most recent $200 “Spend a Night on Us” certificate at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach
click here to see the review!
Additionally, I received 500 Hilton HHonors points just for making the call! 500 points mean nothing, but I’ll take free points all day long.
Making the call to Hilton Grand Vacations Club
When I called HGVC to take advantage of the offer, the call took about 30 minutes to hear about the details, ask some questions, and get all the confirmations.
With the purchase, I would have 6 months to use the package. If we needed to extend a month, they would do so without a charge, but it would cost $49 if we needed another 3 months’ extension.
You can even use this package for New Year’s Eve, but there would be a $99 additional charge. Still, that’s a great deal since most Las Vegas hotels charge $200-$300 a night for New Year’s Eve.
There are no black-out dates to use the package, but it needs to start on a Sunday through Thursday night. If you want your vacation to start on a Friday or Saturday, there would be an additional charge of $49.
You have to do a 2-hour timeshare presentation as part of this promotion, which is ok with us. We like learning about what timeshares have to offer, even if we’re not looking to buy anything additional at this point. I like sharing what I learn with all my friends, family, and readers!
Why we extended to a 4-day vacation with HGVC
Since we’ve purchased this package in the past, we know that the timeshare presentation cannot be scheduled on the day you arrive, nor on the day that you depart… with the 3-day package, that means that you must attend on the 2nd day.
I don’t want to pay $49 extra to start our vacation on a Friday or Saturday, so we would prefer to start our vacation on a Thursday night and either take Friday off of work or work remotely that day to conserve our limited vacation days. If we have to attend a 2-hour presentation, that wouldn’t be very conducive to work demands, so we extended our package to the 4-day, 3-night package for $30 + tax.
By extending our package an extra day, we are free to arrive on a Thursday night. This saves us the $45 fee for a Friday arrival and saves us money on our inbound flight since Thursday flights are almost always cheaper than a Friday flight to Las Vegas.
When we extended to the 4-day package, our representative also gave us tickets to 2 VIP shows and 2 dinner certificates! SCORE!!!
Our 4 day, 3 night package now cost $222.88 ($199 + tax) for an average of $74 a night. Super cheap.
Booking a reservation with Hilton Grand Vacations Club
Again, we need to book our 4-day, 3-night vacation within 45 days of purchase.
When we’re ready to book, we simply call 800-883-0551 to book our reservations. It was explained to us that our room would be a studio unit, not the traditional 1-bedroom or larger that most timeshares are. However, when we did this before, we were upgraded to a 1-bedroom unit… most likely because I have Gold status with Hilton HHonors.
If you want to guarantee an upgrade to a 1-bedroom unit, there is a $25 per night charge.
Once booked, if we need to change the dates, there is a $19.95 charge. If the change is within 14 days of your arrival, there is a charge of $120, presumably because it would be near impossible to fill your slot with such short notice.
The three HGVC properties to choose from in Las Vegas are:
- Hilton Grand Vacations Club on the Boulevard (where we stayed in April 2013)
- Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Flamingo
- Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club
There are two other HGVC properties in Las Vegas, but I’m not sure if they are available to choose in this package:
- Hilton Grand Vacations Club on Paradise
- Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas
After purchasing, I received an email enticing me to book quickly. If I booked right away and travel by August 31, 2014, I will also receive:
- Complimentary upgrade to a 1-bedroom suite (based upon availability)
- $50 Caesar’s Palace dining card
Hilton “Stay a night on us” certificate
One of the best benefits of this package is the $200 credit towards a future night at a Hilton hotel. When we did this package last year, the $200 credit was only good for Hilton brand hotels, not any of the offshoots like Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, or Hampton Inn.
This time, they told us we could pick any one of the brands before our trip, but wouldn’t be able to change it after we arrive. The best thing to do is research which hotel brand you like best, or which one has a location near where you want to go, then select that brand.
We picked the Hilton Del Mar because it was a close drive (about 60-90 minutes south of us) and it looked like a nice hotel with a great courtyard pool. We chose a package that included free breakfast and a $25 gas gift card that brought the total to just above $200, so we could use the full amount of the offer.
And the room did not disappoint either!!!
This time, I think we’re going to pick Embassy Suites because we love their free buffet breakfast with made to order eggs and omelets and the evening Manager’s Happy Hour with free snacks and drinks from 5 pm to 7 pm each night.
You pay for your stay, then after your stay is complete, you mail in your receipt and the form to receive a refund check up to $200 within 6-8 weeks.
The Bald Thoughts
If you’re looking to go to Las Vegas or Orlando, this Hilton Grand Vacations Club package might be a perfect fit for you! You can get a great rate on a room, 10,000 Hilton HHonors points, and a $200 credit towards a future stay. Yes, you have to listen to a timeshare salesperson try to sell you for 2 hours, but that’s not a big commitment in the scheme of things. We’ll be bringing our young son, and he’ll be in the playroom while we listen with an open mind, but with every intention of politely saying “No Thank You”.
And remember, NEVER be a jerk to the sales staff. They’re people too, just trying to earn a living. Yes, the product can be way overpriced when buying retail (aka on-site) vs. buying resale (aka eBay), but that’s not the salesperson’s fault. Listen with an open mind, be nice, then say no thank you when the 2 hours are up. Don’t let them keep you any longer than the 2 hours if you’re aren’t ok with it. This is a business transaction… they bought 2 hours of your time with the discounts you received. Nothing more, nothing less.
Wow! This looks so elegant. I would want to stay in this place soon. I just love to travel with my family and experience the fun and comfort of the place to stay in.
Hi. I just recieved the same offer from Hilton for the vegas trip. Can you tell me about your experience with the trip? I assume you have already gone on the vacation ? Which of the resorts did you stay at? Any info would be helpful! still need to decided whether to do the trip and make sure it’s not scammy. I don’t mind sitting in a 2 hr presentation for everything they are offering.
Hi Amanda, glad to see that you’re taking advantage of this promotion. We have done it twice, and plan on going again in the future. Most recently, we went in January 2015 and stayed at the location near the Stratosphere and Circus Circus because we wanted an upgraded room (1 bedroom vs. hotel/studio). The dinner certificate was a huge discount for us when we ate at the Brazilian BBQ restaurant that is an option. If you go at lunch vs. dinner, the certificate should cover almost 100% of the cost. We booked tickets for a show, but ended up not going because we got carried away enjoying the town.
Last time we used the $200 “stay a night on us” certificate at the Hilton Del Mar, near the race track. It was a relaxing location that was a short drive from our home. This time, we’ll be going to the Embassy Suites in Oxnard. I paid about $100 above the certificate value to have a room where you can walk out onto the beach. Both times, I paid for the vacation using my Hilton credit card to maximize points, then mailed in the receipt along with their form, and about 6 weeks later, I received my $200 reimbursement.
A secret tip… when booking your room online to use the $200 certificate, look for packages that offer free breakfast or a $25 gas card to boost your reservation cost closer to, or even a little bit over, the $200 limit. When you mail in your receipt, those upgrade costs will count towards your $200 maximum.
PS: Like any timeshare presentation, there will be some pressure to buy. However, we found that once you say no, they may try to offer you some additional incentives to get you to say yes, but you won’t experience the “hard sell” like some other timeshare companies have a reputation for. That’s why we’ve participated in the promotion the second time and will try to do it again in the future.
Hi Lee,
I’m heartened to read your blog post. I was on the phone with Hilton when they told me about this offer and switched me to the department to hear about it. I paid and was told someone would phone me to book the vacation. That was Tues. This is now Sunday and no one has phoned. I have no number for Hilton and no confirmation number or email. All I have is a payment on my AmEx card. I have read some scary things online about this offer being something of a scam. Any thoughts or ideas for me? Thanks so much.
Claire, I am so sorry about your bad experience. I haven’t had any problems with this offer, so it is a shame in the way that they are treating you.
Have you tried calling 800-883-0551 to book your reservation? That is the number I’ve used in the past. They should be able to look up your information and help you pick your dates.
If things don’t work out, American Express is known for their customer service, so they should be able to take care of you in trying to resolve the issue and get your money back.
Good luck! Please let me know how things go. Hopefully you’ll have just as good of an experience as we did.
I am trying to book something for Orlando. Do these specials come up all the time? Have you had any problems in the past. I was looking to upgrade for 6 people I realize it will cost more but just wondering if the upgrades are a big issue or adding a few extra nighs
Hi Laurie, I have used this promotion a few times for Vegas and have never had a problem booking. I haven’t used it for Orlando yet. If you need to upgrade, there is usually a small fee. We had to upgrade to a 1-bedroom since we brought our 2 children with us, even though they are only 4 and a newborn. The base-level room is a studio and only accommodates 2 people. Extra nights are also generally available for another fee. Good luck and have a great time in Orlando!
Hello What company runs the timeshare tours?
Hi Germaine, thanks for commenting. From what I can tell, the timeshare tours are run by Hilton Grand Vacations Resorts.
Hi Lee…has it ever been an issue that you’ve taken advantage of the offer so many times? How many times can you attend the presentation?? Did you ever take the VIP package they offer when you say no during the initial presentation?
Hi Evelyna, we’ve done the HGVC presentation twice now and they haven’t given us a hard time about it. The biggest thing with timeshare presentations is that it should be 12 months since your last visit (depending upon the company), otherwise you could be disqualified from receiving your gifts. We haven’t taken advantage of any of the promotions with HGVC because we are satisfied with the two timeshares that we do own. If we didn’t have them already, the HGVC offer and program is pretty tempting. However, knowing what I know now, I would most likely buy on the secondary market from eBay or Tug2.net instead of buying direct.
Hi Lee,
Thanks for posting your previous experience with the Hilton time share presentation. We (I) just did the same deal, mostly, a few tweeks with the benefits, but same kind of deal. And, we will probably stay at the Elara in Vegas.
I see from the pictures, that your son was with you….did he attend the presentation with you? And, if so, did they have something for kids? We will be traveling with our 8 year old and he will have to go with us. Perhaps it’s not a bad thing….it might be a good excuse to leave when the 2 hr presentation is up! His attention span is just a little shorter than mine!
Steve
Hi Steve, our son did attend with us. We really don’t have many people to watch him, so we take him everywhere with us. If they won’t let us, then we don’t go. We usually just bring the iPad and something to color with, then he’s happy. I think some places have game rooms, etc. for the kids while the parents are in the timeshare presentation.
hi Lee, I have been a HGVC owner since November 2014. When and how do these offers come to you? Do you get them only via phone or email? I would love to jump on a deal like this but how do I go about getting one to begin with? Thank you
Eric, I don’t recall how I first found out about the deal (probably an email from HGVC or Hilton). Call the number within the post and they will be happy to help.
quick questions guys… I haven’t been offered the deal, but would like to take advantage of this promotion. I am an honors member, what’s the best route to take to get it offered by Hilton??
Call the phone number in the post and ask to speak to someone. They will be happy to help.
Do you know if this promotion is still available?
We are looking for Orlando packages.
Give them a call Nella, I’m sure that they can offer you an Orlando package instead of the Vegas package we did.
I haven’t tried it recently. Last time I tried this promotion was about a year ago, and we did the presentation in January 2015. We used the $200 credit in June 2015 at the Embassy Suites near Santa Barbara (the nicest Embassy Suites I’ve ever been to!).
We had a similar offer recently through Hilton Honors. We went to Las Vegas and stayed for the 4 nights/3 nights at the Hilton Elara Grand Vacations over the Labor day weekend (we payed up front and was refunded the money after the presentation). I was most certainly skeptical of the offer when they called on the phone, but they had information only Hilton would know.
We did the meeting on Sunday morning. It was a low pressure presentation, and they did not push the sale of the timeshare after we said no.
We just called the number they gave us and booked the hotel. I am sure what ever location they offer, if available, they will set you up.
I’d do it again if I had the opportunity! It was one of the nicest hotels we have stayed in.
Steve, thank you so much for leaving this review. I am playing on doing this same vacation package around that holiday and I was worried from reading all the bad reviews how this trip would turn out.
I’m not sure why people are writing bad reviews about the HGVC packages. I’ve done them several times and they are some of the easiest timeshare presentations that I have attended. Additionally, you actually get to stay at an HGVC property. Many other timeshare companies have you stay at nearby hotels instead, so you don’t even get to experience the resort before they ask you to buy. I have a couple of HGVC packages that I need to redeem in 2020.
Tom,
We were just in Vegas through one of their offers. We were told if we didn’t take the offer on the table the same offer would not be available again. It sounds like you have used their offer/package at least twice. How did you arrange that. It appears that some of the other things we were told were untrue also. Trying to make a decision about rescinding our purchase. You look like you don’t have a membership but travel extensively. Does that mean you don’t believe membership has its advantages? Thanks.
Timeshare salespeople ALWAYS tell you that you can never get the same deal again if you turn them down. That’s total BS… just using “urgency” as a sales technique.
I bought our timeshares retail (directly from the company), but if I was to do it all over again, I would buy on the resale market to help someone get out of their contract… and help myself to a massive discount, in the range of 50-90% off. Some people will give you their timeshare just so they don’t have to pay the annual maintenance.
Check out websites like RedWeek.com and TUG2.net, as well as eBay.com, for great deals. Just be aware that when buying on the secondary market, certain benefits aren’t available to your membership. Honestly though, with the cash you save from buying resale, you can pay for the “benefits” whenever you feel like using them and still come out way ahead.
Great post. I just booked my second vacation with these live promotion opportunities. I didn’t get it via email, instead after booking a hotel for business, I was transferred to hear the pitch for the 500 points. (Those add up nicely after a while.) The first vacation I took was Carlsbad, CA. It was great – I had never been to California and it just a train ride away from San Diego, so we got to experience San Diego, Carlsbad, and Ocean City. It was well worth the short trip and a good way to use airfare miles as well. Overall a very budget-friendly trip. I have now booked my next trip to Las Vegas. I’m excited to see the city of lights again.
Hey MJ, so glad to hear that you’ve had a positive experience! You’re right, all those little point promotions do add up. Carlsbad is a fun little surf town. My favorite pizza place in San Diego is Pizza Port (they have 5 or 6 locations, including Carlsbad), so we always make a point to stop there when nearby.
Where did you go with your $200 “stay a night on us” certificate? We stayed at the Hilton Del Mar (near Carlsbad) the first time and the Embassy Suites Mandalay Bay (north of LA, near Santa Barbara) the last time.
Once my wife’s work schedule settles down as she gets used to her new job, we’ll be looking to do the timeshare presentation again. Have a great vacation! Let us know how it goes for you the second time around!
Does anyone have a phone number that I could call to take advantage of this offer. Someone called my cellphone, but called was dropped.
Thanks in advance for your assistance
Here’s a number I received recently for the Orlando package – 844-658-5770. I’m sure if you called, they would offer Las Vegas instead.
Hi! I actually work for HGVC. These deals are honestly a steal, the customer service reps genuinely enjoy helping families and individuals get away for a steal, just for 1% of your time.
All of the fine print and details are laid out and have to be verbally read and sent via email to our guests (email addresses are manually entered, so if you don’t receive your email, please call! Human error happens)
These deals aren’t available for employees, which is my biggest issue! So I’m really happy to hear about these great experiences with us. I honestly recommend taking advantage of ANY offer or promotion with Hilton, especially if you know you get away/ will get away / have always had silly excuses for never getting out and traveling a little bit 😉 go explore, we’ll help you!
And of course, remember to be nice to those of us who are earning our living and working, it’s stressful!
Hi Jasmine, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve had great experiences with the HGVC presentations that we’ve attended. Unlike some of the others, there wasn’t a lot of high-pressure sales techniques thrown at us. Basically, they respected our decision and hoped that we would change our mind in the future. That’s one of the reasons why we continue to participate. The HGVC program is pretty good… if we already didn’t own a timeshare, we would have bought into HGVC.
Hi everyone!
I was offered today a deal for a 3 night 4 day stay at one of the options. As I had just signed up for honour points. I caved because I have wanted to go on a trip for a long time now. I chose Las Vegas. My family is worried I got scammed. And I have read SO many reviews saying the same, and to avoid it. The deal is 149$ plus taxes and fees to total about 166$ (which i was already charged for), If I book within 45 days. The deal is good up until 7 months with the option of extendIng it for a fee. We need to attend a 2 hour conference which they will try and sell us; what sounds like, a time share. They also included the 200$ night on us deal. The woman on the phone sold it to me like I would be getting the 200$ off of this stay so essentially I’d be able to get a profit of 34$. I see now this is not true we have to book again to get the 200$ off within 30 days of check out based on all of your posts and comments. How do they know if we Complete the seminar, To ensure I don’t get charged full rate? I was told by a friend she knew someone who took this deal and it lasted 5 hours when they said 1. I guess I’m afraid that at the end of it all I will miss something in the fine print and get charged a full rate. Rather than the amazing offer that seems too good to be true…
Samantha, I hear your concerns. Timeshare presentations can be tricky… and long! I’ve done this package twice already in Vegas and am going to Orlando in early 2017 under a similar promotion. The key to attending a timeshare presentation is to set your alarm for 90 minutes (or however long you agreed to attend for), then let them know that you’re leaving when the time is up. Be strong and stand up for yourself. I went to a timeshare job training once and their attitude is “you have 90 minutes to convince the guest to continue talking”, which means that they want you to stay as long as possible!
The $200 “stay on us” certificate is a great value. We stayed at the Hilton Del Mar (near San Diego) and the Embassy Suites Mandalay Bay (near Santa Barbara wine country) previously using those certificates. You have to pay for the stay, then submit your receipt for reimbursement. It is a little bit of a pain, but you at least you get the Hilton HHonors points for the stay!
Good luck and let me know how it goes! You can submit your story for a future featured post at http://baldthoughts.boardingarea.com/share-your-story/
Hey Lee
Thanks for all the great info! Much appreciated. We (my wife and I) are on our way to the Vegas location (HGVCLUB ON THE BOULEVARD for a 4 day 3 night stay) in October and I wonder if you know which of the shows we have access to with our certificates? What about options for the dinner certificates? Do they have to be used at the same location or can we eat at one place and catch a show somewhere else?
Thanks in advance for your help and guidance!
I don’t recall which shows were included. We skipped out on the shows because we were having too much fun exploring the city. My favorite food option, if it is still available, is the churrascuria (aka Brazilian BBQ). If you can go, I totally recommend it!
Thanks for the info Lee! Much appreciated. I see that the HGVCLUB on the BLVD is at the very far end of the strip and away from everything. Any suggestions of getting around in Vegas? I have heard others say Uber or perhaps a cab but that seems a little much. Any cost effective recomendations? What about things that are NOT included in the Hotel with this package?
Whenever I’m in Vegas for fun, I never rent a car. I use Uber (baldthoughts.com/Uber for $15 in credits) and Lyft (baldthoughts.com/lyft for $50 in credits) because they’re clean, safe, and (in my opinion) better than taking a cab.
At HGVC, your Hilton status doesn’t get you anything special. You’re treated just like someone who has never stayed at a Hilton before.
The rooms do have a full kitchen, so you can save money by having groceries, snacks, or drinks in the room. Also, you can BBQ down by the pool!
My husband and just attended a timeshare presenation at HGVC in Las Vegas. The sales rep, George, was very nice and personable. We thought the product sounded great, but didn’t have the funds to buy at this time. George said that being a club member, if we were traveling and wanted to stay at a Hilton property, it would only cost us $60 a night for a room. Did I get that straight? After paying $175 a night in Cedar City at SpringHill Suites, I’m thinking it over again to become a HGVC member.
I don’t know about the $60 per night benefit that the salesperson told you about. I would definitely need to see something like that in writing before buying because timeshare salespeople can “conveniently forget” to tell you about exclusions or limitations of benefits such as that. I bought both of my timeshares retail, before I knew better about buying them on the secondary market. If I was to do it over again, I would buy from a place like eBay or RedWeek.com or TUG2.net… you may not get all of the “benefits” of buying retail, but when you save 70-90% off the retail price, your savings will definitely allow you to pay cash for whatever benefits you miss out on and still come out wayyyyyyyy ahead.
I will say that, when we did our last HGVC presentation, the program does seem really good. If I were to start over and buy again, HGVC would be on my short list of timeshare programs to compare and consider for purchase on the secondary market.
Hi, my husband and I just purchased the LV deal for $199 4days and 3nights, I was very excited about it, but the more I think about it, I’m worried about what we are getting ourselves into. I’m afraid we won’t get refunded that 199 and we will be charged for the normal price. I’m hoping all goes well with this. Have you experienced any problems with the refunds or being charged for things you shouldn’t have been? Thank you in advance.
Hey Ashlie, you should have nothing to worry about. Hilton is a reputable company, and I have done this promotion 3 times now. Each time, we received our “$200 stay a night on us” certificate at the end of the presentation (even though we never bought) and had no problems getting the $200 reimbursed to us from Hilton after we paid for a hotel stay and mailed in our receipt along with the form. Like any rebate, just follow the instructions exactly as written, and provide all the documentation they ask for (original receipt and certificate), and you’ll be good. Have a great time!
Great post! We just enjoyed a four-day, three-night vacation at the Elara. The experience was wonderful and we took advantage of the free show and dinner. We also got the gift certificate for one night. The timeshare salesperson was really nice. We planned to pass it on, until right before the end, we were introduced to the Vacation Introductory Program. Have you heard of this? It’s a trial for 18 months. We hope to book the resort in Hawaii for one week.
Christina, glad to hear that you had a great experience at the HGVC presentation. Which show did you see? Where did you eat dinner? I really like the Brazilian BBQ option!
The “try it” option is something that most timeshare companies offer nowadays. It can make sense as a way to get a fun vacation for a reasonable price. If you’re going to buy at the end of your 18 months, consider looking at buying on the resale market via eBay, TUG2.net, or RedWeek.com. You’ll be able to buy at a greatly reduced price (usually 50-75% off). There may be some benefits available only when buying directly from HGVC, but most are not worth paying all that extra money. If those benefits mean so much to you, you can always take some of the savings and pay for it yourself.
Great post>>>my family and I just attend Vegas for this type of promotion!!! They even refunded us the $199 back! so we only paid for the taxes–about $22!! and we also received a $200 spend a night on us!!! Can’t get better then that!!! People don’t be skeptical it really is a great deal!
Thanks Claudia. I’m so happy to hear that you had a great experience with the HGVC people. My biggest question… and I’m sure others want to know as well… is how did you get them to refund your $199?
My family is switching it up a bit this year. Rather than visiting Vegas for the millionth time, we’re using this offer to go to Orlando for a few days. We went a couple of years ago before Scarlett was born, and now that she’s close to being two, it will be great to see her interact with the characters and go on rides… and Timmy will have more fun than last time now that he’ll be 6 when we go.
Where are you planning on using your “Spend a Night on Us”?
Claudia, i had the same question Lee has. How were you able to get the 199$ refunded back? I recently purchased the same promotion for Vegas and was very skeptical about the whole thing. I am so glad i found this post! i feel much better about moving forward and booking my travel dates.
Thank you for the great post! We were just offered a deal tonight. Original we chose Orlando, but now I’m doubting myself – How did you manage to get the free dinner and show vouchers? If Vegas comes with extra perks, it might make more sense to do that location instead. Also, not sure if you’d know but asking anyway 🙂 will I still qualify for my Diamond benefits while staying under the timeshare deal? Trying to decide if we stay at the Hilton Orlando or the Embassy Suites. If I get my benefits, we’ll have dinner and snacks in the Executive Lounge at the Hilton. If the benefits don’t count, I’m thinking we should stay at the Embassy Suites. Thank you again for the great post!
Katrina, thank you for the kind words. The free dinner and show tickets seem to be only available for stays in Vegas. I’m also a Hilton Diamond member, and, it sucks, but Hilton HHonors status does not matter when staying at a Hilton Grand Vacation Resort property. I’m a big fan of Embassy Suites properties because of their Evening Manager’s Happy Hour reception and the made-to-order breakfasts… both of which are big ways to save on travel expenses!
Our family is doing a presentation in Orlando early next year for the first time, after doing the Vegas presentations a few times. It will be interesting to compare and contrast how they are — the presentation itself, the accommodations, and the amenities. Please write back and let us know how it goes!
I was called about the promotion but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it because I have 0 interest in buying there time share so I don’t want to waste there time & I don’t want them to waste my time. Sure getting something free is great but at the end of the day your in Vegas to have fun and 90 minutes they will hound you and ruin your stay. Maybe you can be a pro a B.S. them and bypass the 90 minutes but I rather pay 120 bucks a night and have a piece of mind than pretending I want to be a grand member owner,
Adam, I totally understand your point of view. Timeshare presentations aren’t for everyone. They don’t EXPECT that you’ll buy, only that you’ll have an OPEN MIND to LEARN about their products. Of all of the timeshare presentations that I’ve been to, the HGVC presentations have by far the least amount of pressure to buy. It’s a reasonable trade-off for a cheap 4 day, 3 nights vacation… especially when you factor in the $200 “stay a night on us” certificate you get for a future Hilton Hotels stay.
Where do you normally stay while in Vegas? Do you take advantage of the Hyatt/MLife reciprocal benefits?
Hi I just purchased this great package. However, I have been reading that some of you are getting 10,000 points. I was only offered 500. Is there something I am doing wrong or do I need to purchase something else? I really would like the points on top of this great deal.
From my experience, the 500 points is given just for listening to the pitch over the phone. The 10,000 Hilton HHonors points is provided after you attend the presentation. What does the email confirmation say? If the email confirmation doesn’t mention the 10K points, then call them back and say that you only agreed to the deal because you thought you were also getting the Hilton HHonors points. They should sweeten the pot for you.
Please let us know how it goes!
Has anyone been offered or attended a New York City (Times Square) Promotion? I was told this Promotion includes a hotel stay of 3-day/2-nt., 15,000 HHonor points, 1- free night stay and a 3-4nt. Caribbean Cruise for 2 at a cost of $562. If so where are the presentations held, is it at the same hotel you book? I understand the Reps are trying to make a living but are they pushy and try to keep you past the 2-hr. commitment? I will be flying into New York and while the promotion states 3-day/2 nt. in reality, I actually will only have 1-day after taking into account my Airline arrival and departure times. I was told the hotel would be Doubletree Suites (Time Square) but when I received the confirmation by email it doesn’t state the hotel name. I haven’t called to pick dates as I have not decided what days I will be attending the Seminar. I was told this is an exceptional deal, after reading above not so sure it is. I look forward to reading replies to this post.
Marie, I haven’t seen or heard about the NYC version of this promo. NYC is an expensive place to stay, so this promo isn’t too bad considering the extras you’re getting. I set my phone alarm for the 90 minutes, and when it goes off, I get up to leave. Timeshare sales’ attitude is that they have 90 minutes to convince you to keep talking. Don’t let them, unless you want them to.
Hi Lee,
do you have any advice for buying timeshare on the resale market?
The main sites I would look at are RedWeek, Tug2.net, and eBay. If it was me, before buying, I would do several mini-vacation promos/presentations with brands I’m considering so I could compare and contrast before making a final decision.
Where is it listed that there is a fee for extending the reservation deadline, and how fees are calculated? I wasn’t told of any fee for extending the reservation deadline at the time I received their original solicitation nor in the purchase confirmation.
Cindy, I’m not sure how your experience went, but whenever I have redeemed this package, they shared these types of costs and fees with me. I found my original email with the booking confirmation. Towards the end of the confirmation, in the fine print is the following explanation regarding reservations.
Reservations.
Full pre-payment using a major credit card is required. This is a non-refundable, nontransferable advance purchase package. Reservation changes may be made 15 days or more prior to your confirmed check-in date for a change fee of $19.95. Should your plans change within 14 days of your scheduled arrival requiring a change of your reservation dates or arrival date, $120.00 ($199.00 in New York and Hawaii) will be applied to the cost of the package. The above fees do not apply when purchasing additional nights consecutive to an existing reservation. This package will expire 210 days from date of purchase; Hawaii packages expire twelve (12) months from date of purchase.
Package Reference: O258
Although extending the reservation deadline is not explicitly stated here, the package does expire after 210 days from date of purchase. Because there is a fee for just about anything beyond the normal booking, I would assume there is a fee for extending the reservation deadline as well.
My suggestion is to call again and try another agent who may be willing to extend the deadline for no fee (or at least a discounted fee) if you can justify the reason why you need the extension. Good luck!
Thanks for the explanation, but according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rules, those types of details are supposed to be disclosed BEFORE purchase as they are considered “Material”.
I agree with you. I would definitely use that when speaking with them.
Just to clarify, we are not affiliated with HGVC in any way. We find deals and share them with our readers.
Also, do they arrange the sales presentations to be in the morning so that you have plenty of time the rest of the day to spend for yourself? For a 3 day/2 night package with tickets to a choice of nearby attractions, it only gives the one AND SAME day to do the attraction since you can’t do the presentation the day of arrival or departure. To do the attraction the day of departure is unreasonable and pretty much forces you to spend more to book an extra night.
Every time I’ve booked this deal, I’ve been presented with several times to choose. From what I recall, the earliest time is 8am. That’s usually the one we’ve taken so that we don’t lose too much of our day.
I just received the same promotion for Orlando. The lady on the phone assured me that I would be able to book my stay at ANY Hilton Orlando location I would like. I made it very clear that I did not want to be put up in the housekeeping closet in a Hilton hotel miles across town. How easy was it to choose the Orlando Hilton hotel/resort of your choice?
From my experience, you are limited based on what inventory is available. I’ve done this promo twice in Vegas and once in Orlando. The Las Palmeras property we stayed at in Orlando a couple weeks ago was really nice (and will be even better when they finish expanding their pool area). I’ll have a review of the property soon. You won’t be in a bad place… they want you to buy, so they will roll out the red carpet for you. Our Las Palmeras unit was a 1-bedroom with a reasonable balcony enough to fit all 4 of us comfortably. It had a mini-kitchen (stove, microwave, sink, and dishwasher), a dining area/work table, and a living room (flat screen TV, pull-out sofa, coffee table, and a comfy chair). The bedroom was separate and good sized. And the bathroom was large. I would definitely consider staying there again the next time I do the promo.
I’m interested in Hilton vacation club and Marriott vacation club. I have presentation set with Hilton and I have not set up the Marriott one yet but Hilton participation contract says if I have an open event …. state not to visit same hotel with in 1 yr and 6 months with other properties….I’m not sure if only those affliated with Hilton or any other properties inclusive to Marriott club.
I would like to return to see and try them out I just left Orlando recently (spring 2017) and have annual passes to WDW and looking to make vacationing cheaper as I begin to travel more, but I feel I should be able to try any I’m interested in and not restricted to only hiltons club and not its competitors.
Can I book both in the week I return in June 2017
Thx jenn
Hey Jenn, you can have active timeshare presentation reservations with multiple companies at the same time. They have no way of knowing unless you specifically tell them… and it is none of their business. What you cannot do is have multiple timeshare presentations from the same company at the same time. They usually have a waiting period (of 12 months or more, depending on the company) before you are eligible to sign up again.
Have a great time in Orlando!
I never received a email confirmation of the vegas trip I purchased under the promotion. Although I did receive the confirmation number from the agent. The agent told me I would receive the email of the hotels to choose from in Vegas or Orlando whichever I chose and I did not receive anything should I be worried? I already paid and I just hope it’s not a scam because I would love to go to vegas
Relax, it’s not a scam. Just call the number again and tell them you didn’t receive your confirmation email. It may have gone to your Spam folder, so check that too. Good luck!
Help I need answers I just hope the $199, 4 day 3night stay to Vegas is not a scam.
i booked this for vegas and never got a emIl. i also called and they have no idea who I am. help
Was your credit card charged? Maybe the transaction didn’t go through. It sounds strange that they don’t have you in the system. If you have been charged, call them again with a copy of your credit card statement and demand to speak with a manager. They’ll get you set up.
If they never charged your credit card, then call and buy the deal and make sure that it does go through. You should receive an email confirmation shortly after purchasing. I know that I grew tired of all of the emails I received trying to get me to book our dates asap.
Good luck!
I bought this 3 days /4nights hotel stay in NYC Times square for 199$ and the remaining balance of 373$ would have to be paid when I make my reservation. This includes a cruise from Florida to the Bahamas on the Royal Caribbean if I attend the 2 hour session.It’s less than 24 hours since I made this telephonic purchase based on their promotional call and now I want to cancel this payment and opt out if it. Is this possible?
Most offers have a grace period in which you can cancel. Take a look at the paperwork that was emailed to you to confirm the no-cost cancellation period. Good luck!
I’m in the same exact position as Aswini. Purchased it about 24 hours ago, but never received a confirmation email, AS PROMISED. I would like to cancel payment and op-out.
What number would I have to call to do this?
I would call the same number that you did when you called to sign up. It really is a good deal, so consider calling to request immediate receipt of your confirmation. We enjoyed our time in Orlando and just used the certificate for a stay in Temecula wine country Embassy Suites.
I did not initiate the call. They called me randomly. Their callback number was a routed number from Orlando, but they claimed to be calling out of Vegas…
I would call the number within this post then. They should be able to look up your reservation number.
In hindsight, the email was in my spam folder. My apologies. Looks more legitimate. Just dreading the 2 hour presentation. I’d like to surprise my significant other with this trip, but I know she won’t be that thrilled when she finds out about the sales pitch.
Yay! Glad that you found the email. The spam folder gets you every time. HAHA
Don’t fret about the presentation. I do timeshare presentations all of the time, and the HGVC is one of the lowest pressure presentations we’ve ever been on. The salespeople will definitely try to win your business, but it isn’t the hard sell that everyone fears. Go in with an open mind, and if it isn’t for you, then say so and you’ll be fine.
I attended the Manhattan (Times Square) Promo this past week. Initial investment was $572.65. I arrived Saturday, July 29, 2017 for a 2 night stay. Listened to the Presentation and upon completion received 15,000 HH Points, a 3-4 day cruise on Royal Caribbean. I had to remind them my original offer also included a Spend A Night On Us Certificate. After Staff contacted the Corporate office they agreed to give me the Certificate. When I did not purchase a Time Share I was offered another Promotion – VIP Membership where one attends another Timeshare Presentation, this allows one to “sample” other properties before purchase. Promo good for 18 months after purchase. I was given a choice of certain properties located in Florida, Nevada, Washington, DC, New York and South Carolina. 7000 (7 days) Points given for a total cost of $1699.00. Original cost was $1799.00 but I was given a $100.00 discount given when paid in full. If you stay in a New York Property you only get 5000 points for 5 day stay. Has anyone utilized this Promo, if so, is this price reasonable and were there any complications encountered booking this Promo at the above locations. Currently, I am not considering Florida Promo but am interested in the other cities mentioned. Not finding much on this Promo and have 7 days to cancel from date of purchase. I am thinking this Promo is not worth the cost after finding there was an Orlando Promo going for $199 for a 3 night stay. Your thoughts please.
The “sampler” promos are generally pretty good deals. I haven’t participated in the sampler from Hilton before, but HGVC is one of the better options out there from my experience. It all depends on where you would plan to use the points. If Orlando or Vegas is one of your top picks, as you said, you’d be better off doing another timeshare promo to stay at a discount vs. paying $1700.
The article has false information as of 11/2019. When the $200 bonus certificate is discussed, the author says he made sure to get a gift card and food. If the author actually stayed using these certificates lately he would know that only the base hotel room rate is used for the single night validity certificate. No food, gifts, tax, or anything else is reimbursed. Additionally, the certificate is NOT used at check in. You must mail in the original $200 certificate carefully filled out with you hotel receipt and wait two months with our fingers crossed that you receive the rebate check in the mail after you’ve paid the hotel in full.
Thanks for sharing your recent experience. This article was originally published in 2014 for a stay in 2013. It appears that the experience has changed in the last six years.
For our free stay, I chose a rate package that included free breakfast and a $25 gasoline gift card. Thanks for sharing that Hilton has tightened up the policies where these rate packages may no longer be eligible for reimbursement. And I specifically state that “You pay for your stay, then after your stay is complete, you mail in your receipt and the form to receive a refund check up to $200 within 6-8 weeks.” towards the end of the article.
Even back in 2013, the process was the same where you needed to pay for your “free” stay, then mail the certificate in to be reimbursed for your room expenses. Hilton is a reputable company, and I have used this promo several times. Each time I received my money from the “stay a night on us” certificate. Don’t worry, you’ll be reimbursed if you followed the instructions on the form.
I hope that you enjoyed your stay, even if it may not have lived up your expectations.
Is there a number you can call to get this promotion?
You should be able to call this number 800-230-7068 and ask about the current offers.