Hyatt Vacation Club FAQ

Intro to Hyatt Residence Club

The Hyatt Vacation Club - HVC (previously known as Hyatt Residence Club or HRC) system is characterized by luxurious resorts, high value for its owners, limited availability (just sixteen resorts nationally), and relatively affordable ownership costs. These are the elements for a successful timeshare ownership program. In this resource, we’ve attempted to anticipate many Frequently Asked Questions with answers which will lead to other resources available on TUG.

It is extremely important to note this is COMPLETELY different than the old Welk Timeshare System (originally renamed to Hyatt Platinum) that was purchased by Hyatt in 2023 and renamed to, you guessed it: Hyatt Vacation Club!

Despite still being completely different and independent systems, they are both named exactly the same thing and this an extremely confusing situation for so many owners!

Note that this article covers the Original Hyatt Timeshare System (Hyatt Residence Club) despite it also being named Hyatt Vacation Club! (clear as mud yet?)

There are sixteen resorts located in seven U.S. states plus Puerto Rico. More than half of the resorts are concentrated in two states—Florida and Colorado. The only other state with multiple resorts is California. Other locales include Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. For specific locations, please check out the sticky here: Hyatt Resorts and Abbreviations.

How does Hyatt Residence Club Work?

An outstanding breakdown of the HRC System is available here:
How Hyatt Residence Club Timeshares Work.

What are the advantages of Hyatt Timeshare Ownership?

Of course, this is always subjective—and the answer varies depending on individual owners’ locations of residence and proximity to resorts, age, income, and travel and vacation preferences. That said, we believe Hyatt does offer some distinct advantages over Marriott, Hilton, and Vistana (formerly Starwood).

• If value represents a combination of high quality at a reasonable price, Hyatt is a cut above the rest. It’s generally acknowledged that Hyatt’s quality compares favorably with the other systems, but maintenance fees tend to be consistently lower than the other systems.
• Maintenance—even on some of Hyatt’s older resorts like Sunset Harbor in Key West, FL and Highlands Inn in Carmel, CA—is excellent. HRC does a superb job of keeping the grounds, buildings, and interiors updated, fresh, and relevant.
• Service is excellent, from the owner services department at Hyatt’s main service center in St. Petersburg, FL to the individual managers and staffs at the various resorts, members are made to feel special with attentive service and response times to requests.
• Because of the small size of the Hyatt system—coupled with the locations of the Hyatt resorts in places like Key West, Aspen, Breckinridge, Carmel, and Sedona (among others)—there is a degree of exclusivity that is unique to the Hyatt system.

What are the disadvantages of owning Hyatt Timeshares?

The most obvious one is the relatively small size of the system. With just sixteen resorts—and with half of those concentrated in just two states—Hyatt clearly isn’t for everybody. If, for example, you want to vacation in Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Canada, Hyatt has little if anything to offer.

In addition, the Hyatt Residence Club system appears to have peaked at sixteen member resorts. This is because Hyatt and its parent company, ILG, are in the process of rolling out a new Hyatt Residence Club Portfolio (HRP) points program which will focus future resort development toward this system. Initially the HRP will stock its inventory with acquired weeks from Hyatt Residence Club. But early indications are that ILG will build new resorts exclusively for members of HRP. Details are sketchy at this writing, and these indications could certainly be inaccurate. Stay tuned!

How easy is it to navigate through Hyatt’s reservation system?

It’s not difficult, but it’s not easy either. Compared to the websites deployed by the other major systems mentioned, this is not a highlight for Hyatt. The website is—in a word—uninspired. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it works, it’s reliable, and it’s accurate. Hyatt’s owner services personnel are also readily available to help owners find the information and resources they need through the website. Navigation takes a little getting used to—and new owners are encouraged to spend at least a couple hours early on after their initial registration to familiarize themselves with all of the information that’s available.

Can you describe the HRC points system?

When you acquire an HRC fixed week, you also are assigned a fixed number of points based on the season and unit size you purchase (the below example represents the most common type of weeks purchase—a 2BR lockoff or a 1BR Premier unit):

• Diamond Week 2200 points
• Platinum Week 2000 points
• Gold Week 1880 points
• Silver Week 1400 points
• Bronze Week 1300 points
• Copper Week 1100 points

The number of points required to complete a reservation varies based on the following criteria:

• Resort
• Season
• Unit Size
• Length of Stay (it costs more points for 2 weekend days than for 4 mid-week days)

A chart showing point values and seasons is posted on the TUG Hyatt forum. The sticky is entitled “Hyatt Points Chart”.

I’m interested! Any advice on what I should buy?

Once again, the answer to this question is subjective, depending on the buyer’s home base location and, therefore, proximity to the various Hyatt resorts. In addition, one needs to consider the buyer’s travel calendar, flexibility of travel (for example, is the buyer tied to the school calendar), and budget.

In general, however, we advise these key considerations:

• Buy at a home resort where you will want to travel often, especially if your preference is for a ski week in the Rockies or an annual vacation week in Maui.
• Buy a Diamond or Platinum week. Why? Because your maintenance fees for a Diamond week in February in Breckinridge during the height of the ski season are the same as if you bought a Copper week in the middle of October after the fall colors are gone. Yes, the upfront cost will be much higher for one of these weeks; but your maintenance fees are essentially being subsidized by all of the Gold, Silver, Copper, and Bronze weeks owners.

What are the specific booking windows?

Please refer to the sticky Useful Links and Info About Hyatt Timeshare Ownership. You will find a description of Home Resort Preference Period (HRPP), Club Use Period (CUP), Limited Club Use Period (LCUP), and External Exchange (EEE).

Can points from a lower point week be used to book a higher point property in high season?

Yes. Any points can be used for any week if you have enough points in the appropriate reservation window (i.e. HRPP, CUP or LCUP) and units at a specific resort are available for the desired weeks (or days). If the week or days are not yet available, an owner can still place their name on a waiting list well in advance of the desired stay. Be aware that the points will change status as time goes on. If a reservation is not filled and your points move into the LCUP reservation window, this will restrict your travel plans. LCUP points are only good for reservations where occupancy must occur not later than 60 days after confirmation.

Is it more difficult to get a short week request filled than a request for a full week?

No. Hyatt shows no distinction between "full week" requests and "weekend or midweek" requests. An owner's position on the Wait List is the only criteria used in granting a reservation request. First-come, first served! Otherwise, anything other than a "full week" request would have lesser value.

Can you describe the typical amenities at a Hyatt resort?

When you check into a Hyatt vacation resort, you’re stepping into the lap of luxury. The properties will have beautifully-appointed rooms decorated in the theme of the location—a distinct Southwest style at Pinon Pointe, mountain style at Northstar or Grand Aspen, a beach vibe at Beach House, or classically casual at Highlands Inn. Kitchen and bathroom countertops are polished granite, typically include full kitchens, have multiple flat screen TV’s located in the bedrooms and living area, and include special amenities that set them apart. At Highlands Inn, for example, each unit has a wood-burning fireplace and owners and guests can re-stock their firewood as needed. Aspen provides butler service and daily cleaning of rooms. And Coconut Plantation offers daily grocery service with groceries brought directly to the guest’s door.

The grounds are consistently and uniformly beautifully and professionally maintained for the enjoyment of guests. Activities are available daily, and also vary depending on the location and theme of the various resorts. All resorts include gas grills available for the use of the guests, many offer a gym with up-to-date workout equipment, and swimming pools that beckon in hot weather. For the mountain resorts, many are close to or even adjacent to major ski resorts.

Do the units hold their value in the resale market?

If you bought retail from the developer, no. But they never do. If you thought you suffered a brutal depreciation by driving a new car off the lot, just wait until you buy a timeshare—from any developer, including Hyatt—for full price.

If, on the other hand, you buy on the resale market, Diamond and Platinum weeks will not only hold value, but may even appreciate over time. This is a factor of supply and demand—not only is supply limited both by the relatively small number of Hyatt resorts and their reputation for great quality and service with an affordable fee structure, but demand is strong—and getting stronger now that HRP is competing with resale buyers for these high-demand weeks.

Which of the resorts has the lowest maintenance fees?

Hyatt Pinon Pointe in Sedona, AZ. Some owners believe that this may change soon, since this resort is nearly sold out by the developer and so the incentive to hold down maintenance fees to help sales will soon expire. Other owners believe that maintenance fees are held in check at this property for several reasons: 1) the relatively low property taxes in Arizona; 2) the presence of an active and upscale shopping and retail center adjacent to the timeshare property and on the same grounds which helps offset overall maintenance costs for the timeshares; and 3) lower costs in general for energy, wages, and other operating costs in Arizona.

Why does Hyatt Residence Club charge a membership fee for each week I own instead of just one fee using multiple weeks under the same account?

Under normal circumstances, Interval often charges only a single fee even when an Interval member owns multiple time-share weeks. However, the Hyatt points program would allow a HVC member to reserve multiple HRC or Interval unit-weeks when a single Hyatt unit is owned. This could result in a much higher Interval resource demand compared to the standard program. Therefore, the contract between Hyatt and Interval requires the fee for each Hyatt unit owned.

The Final Word on Hyatt Vacation Club!

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