TheAmericanTravelProject
Level 2 Member
Where: Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island, Hawaii
When: July 2014 for 6 nights
Who: 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 8 & 10)
How: We used 2 Free Night certificates from the Hilton Reserve Citi credit card for the first 2 nights (it was a holiday weekend). We booked a timeshare presentation package for the other 4 nights out of curiosity and because we thought it was a decent deal based on the prices the hotel was going for during the week we were there. The Hilton Grand Vacations package was as follows:
– Cost $849
– 4 nights at Hilton Waikoloa Village in a (minorly upgraded) partial oceanview 2 double bed room
– 5 days of car rental (we had the option to pay for our extra days we needed) from Dollar rental (we got a mid-sized sedan)
– $200 to use at a future date for a hotel stay (we had to choose which Hilton brand we wanted the cert for, and we chose Hampton Inn because we have an upcoming stay)
– 25,000 Hilton Hhonors points
– We had to attend a 90 minute timeshare presentation to get all of the above
NOTE: I have since heard of other people getting a better deal than this, so if you are interested in this, try to hold out for something better/cheaper.
This post is about the Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare presentation that we attended. I am writing a separate review of our Hilton Waikoloa Village hotel experience. There is just so much to write about it that it deserves it’s own post.
Our Hilton Waikoloa Village Timeshare Presentation Experience:
How did we get this offer to do the Hilton Grand Vacations Timeshare Presentation?
I had called the Hilton reservations number when I was booking a different vacation (Marco Island, FL). At the end of my call, the rep asked if I was interested in hearing about an offer that they had. I said sure, they gave me the details above, and the rest is history (I said yes). I was in the process of planning a Big Island trip at the time, and I thought it was a good deal.
Meeting with the Concierge
As our vacation got closer, we received an email from one of the vacation club concierges at Hilton Waikoloa Village (from here on out known as HWV). He wanted us to set up a time to meet with him to get our “welcome package” and to set up our time for the timeshare presentation. We scheduled a time to meet him a couple of days after we arrived. Our timeshare presentation wasn’t until our 4th day of the stay, so we had plenty of time.
We found his office (not an easy feat, considering that this resort is enormous), and sat down to talk with him. He gave us Hilton Grand Vacations shopping bags, which actually came in handy for the trip because lots of shops in Hawaii do not have bags. He also provided us with some great maps of the island and ideas for things to do and see. We had already pretty much planned our itinerary, but he gave us some good tips from someone who actually lives there. You can read more about what we did on the Big Island here.
We confirmed the date and time of our timeshare presentation, and he told us how to get there (a short drive from the HWV). We also confirmed that we could bring the kids with us (we had asked when we made the reservation) and were told once again that we could. Pro Tip: I highly recommend bringing your kids or borrowing some if you don’t have any. I think it helps to get you out of there faster. And speaking of kids……
How to prepare your kids for a timeshare presentation
Tell them over and over and over again, prior to the presentation, that you will NOT be buying what these people are selling. Under no circumstances should they start begging you to buy a timeshare in front of the timeshare salespeople. Warn them that the things they say will be held against you. Pleeeeeassse, Mommy!. These vultures salespeople will use this to ramp up their sales pitch, if they are any good at their jobs. They will say “see, little Jonny would love it if you spent his college savings plan on a one week vacation each year” “never mind all of those pesky fees, look into little Annie’s eyes and see how much she wants this family time with her Mommy and Daddy at this lovely 2 bedroom condo in Hawaii.” Bring ipads and headphones. And bribe them with dessert/candy/extra pool time if they act nonchalant. As though the brand new timeshare condo with the awesome view that they are being shown is just yawwwwn. But at the exact right moment (after you’ve said ‘no thanks we don’t want to buy a timeshare’ for about the 50th time), they should start complaining that they are hungry, tired, bored, have to pee. Bonus points if they start picking their noses. You’re welcome.
The Timeshare Presention
We got to the location for our presentation at the appointed time. The presentation took place at the Kings Land portion of HWV, which is a few minutes down the road from HWV Resort. Our specialist (aka saleswoman) brought us into a conference type room. She was very nice and friendly. Right from the start, we told her that we had no interest in buying a timeshare. That we were just in it for the deal. I said ‘I don’t want to waste your time’ a couple of times. She asked lots of questions and kept pressing for the sale.
Then we went over to check out one of the 2 bedroom units. It was beautiful and we loved it. Still not buying into it though, sorry. When we got back to the sales center, she brought in the big guns. Her manager who was supposed to be the ‘numbers’ guy and break down the prices for us. We said we weren’t interested but were curious about the prices. He kind of blew off the question. I guess he realized we weren’t buying into it & didn’t want to waste his time. Or maybe it was because the kids had started picking their noses.
So was the Timeshare Presentation “Worth It”?
I think our answer to that would be yes. We would do this again, and have thought about it for SPG offers we have gotten. I don’t think this will be our last timeshare presentation. I do wish that I held out for a better offer after reading about offers that others had gotten. I didn’t realize at the time that it may be negotiable or that there were possibly better offers out there.
The post Hilton Waikoloa Village Timeshare Presentation appeared first on The American Travel Project.
Continue reading...