While Hilton Hotels is often associated with a strong reputation, its subsidiary, Hilton Grand Vacations, paints a contrasting picture in the timeshare industry. They may have an impressive footprint in sought-after destinations like New York City, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and Hawaii. But a vast portfolio doesn’t always translate to satisfied customers — as the Hilton Grand Vacations reviews reveal.
According to feedback via the Better Business Bureau, Hilton Grand Vacations seems to have much room for improvement. Customers often highlight concerns like drawn-out timeshare presentations, limited booking options, challenges with point inflation, and rapidly increasing maintenance fees. Additionally, there are indications of the company leaning on ambiguous sales methods and tricky messaging about timeshare property value to attract buyers.
Let’s delve deeper into the insights from Hilton Grand Vacations reviews.
It may be surprising to see Hilton Grand Vacations‘ 1.1-out-of-five-star customer review rating, given their A+ accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. But a glance at the BBB pages of companies like RCI and Bluegreen Vacations shows that such inconsistencies are prevalent across the industry. Delving deeper into Hilton Grand Vacations reviews will shed light on their predominant customer complaints.
If you are familiar with the world of timeshare ownership, you’ll know that it often starts off with a voucher for a free night stay in a hotel room or some other perk in exchange for attending a sales pitch. As with many other timeshare providers, Hilton Grand Vacations uses this technique to reel in customers who may not otherwise consider timeshare ownership. Then comes the pitch.
Most of the time, HGVC salespeople will tell you that it’s just a two-hour pitch. Friendly staff will greet you and get acquainted by asking about your favorite family vacations, what kinds of things you like to do on trips, and your dream destinations. Once they have the customer feeling comfortable, they’ll start putting the pressure on.
Many reviews of Hilton Grand Vacations mentions that their timeshare presentations last much longer than promised. In fact, many customers say they were trapped for up to nine hours despite the initial two-hour guarantee. During this time, the HGV salespeople will use high-pressure tactics and deception to get you to sign a timeshare contract.
Some reviewers stated that their salesperson told them that buying a timeshare is a real estate investment that increases in value over time. They also say that Hilton Grand Vacations will buy back the property in full if the timeshare owner ever wants to sell it. Unfortunately, these claims are rarely true and are simply said to trick people into signing a contract.
Scan a handful of Hilton Grand Vacations reviews, and you are bound to see recurring complaints about HGV‘s lack of booking availability. Customers will plan months and months in advance. But despite this, their desired stays are not available for the duration their timeshare purchase promised.
Some found that the units they thought they bought were often unavailable. If they were indeed available, it was for fewer nights or in a smaller unit than they paid for. Some reviewers even mentioned going years without using their timeshare due to unavailability.
The primary issue is that customers simply aren’t receiving what they paid for. People decided to hand over their credit cards and purchase a timeshare because it promised an annual trip to their dream vacation. They committed to specific packages, such as a five-night, six-day stay in a two-bedroom suite with a pool area in Las Vegas, NV. The salesperson assured them they could consistently book this package, but that promise wasn’t upheld.
One customer said that when they purchased a timeshare, they thought it would give them access to a spacious unit in New York City. However, they found that booking a spot there was nearly impossible. HGV’s excuse was that popular destinations fill up quickly and that a solution to this was upgrading to a better vacation package. However, some of the customers who did take this action found that booking was still impossible.
The issue with points systems is that while the company continues to sell timeshares to new customers, it doesn’t construct new units. This disparity leads to competition among owners for limited availability. Even top-tier customers experience point inflation.
Many reviews state that customers in HGV’s point system experience booking complications. Despite the many points they’ve accrued, these customers struggle to secure stays in the spacious units and premium locations they’ve dreamed of.
One customer noted a significant loss in value when transferring points from Hilton Grand Vacations to Hilton Honors. Others remarked that even after upgrading to Platinum status, securing reservations remained a significant challenge.
Annual maintenance fees tend to increase with timeshares. It’s an unfortunate reality that many timeshare owners face. But what shouldn’t be a reality is being misled about these increases.
Many of the Hilton Grand Vacations reviews expressed disdain for how much these fees went up each year. And with all the booking issues that HGV has, many of these yearly fees would end up going to waste because the timeshare couldn’t be used.
Throughout the reviews, many HGV customers said that there was no mention of increasing maintenance fees during the initial sales pitch. There is so much focus placed on the endless possibilities of being part of the Hilton Grand Vacations Club and all the perks that come with it. But there is absolutely no discussion of how drastic the fee increases are.
Many reviewers also expressed that when they tried to call HGV about these issues, they were put on hold for hours. They were then passed around from one representative to the next and constantly berated with requests to upgrade their membership level.
If Hilton Grand Vacations reviews tell you anything, it should be that this timeshare developer is not worth investing in. HGV utilizes deceptive sales tactics to sell customers on vacations that are rarely as dreamy as they seem.
According to the reviews, they have sales presentations that last way longer than promised, timeshares at locations that severely lack availability, and ever-increasing maintenance fees that their salespeople fail to discuss during the sales process. Clearly, the best answer to the HGV sales pitch is “No.”
But what if you’ve already become a member of Hilton Grand Vacations Club? You trusted the sales pitch, got yourself locked into pricey maintenance fees, and are unable to escape your timeshare contract. If you’ve fallen victim to fraud, high-pressure sales tactics, or misrepresentation during the Hilton Grand Vacations sales process, reclaiming your rights on your own can be an uphill battle. Centerstone Group is here to help you tackle it.
Here at Centerstone Group, we’ve helped clients escape contracts with some of the worst timeshare companies out there. And how do we do that? With our team of experienced timeshare relief experts and our three-pronged process for contract resolution. Centerstone Group is one of the most affordable, quickest, and best in the industry at achieving results for clients stuck in a timeshare scam. Our A+ BBB grade, 4.8-out-of-five-star rating, and countless positive reviews speak from themselves.
Contact us for a free consultation today.
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