kddpac

After a trip with some relatives who belong to ER, but husband and I decided to check out the DC idea. It is just the 2 of us (no kids) so we weren't sure if the idea made sense for us. After a lot of research, we couldn't help but be tempted by HCC and their resonable member rates. We like the idea of friends and family being able to travel with us for the same or less than what we would normally spend on a hotel. We have only a couple concerns that I wanted to ask current members advice about. Availability is the number one concern. Heath gave us a password to be able to see the reservation calender and it looks pretty booked up. Popular destinations look like the are almost all booked for the whole year already. Does anyone have any insight on that situation? Also we travel mostly long weekends (FRI-SUN) so the reservation date restrictions are a little concern. Is there any thought to an open reservation system (any day for any amount of time like ER)?? Last question is about quality of properties. The pictures look great, how would current members compare HCC properties to say a standard room at a Ritz or Waldorf?
Any thoughts would be appreciated. HCC sure is VERY tempting!!

Kagehitokiri

welcome to the forum

The Club I - Preview Membership

is similar to HCC Associate (2 week), slightly more expensive, but more flexible IIRC.

the HCC members here can probably clear up any questions you have regarding HCC.

pwrshift

As one who went through it, I feel your pain in evaluating the different DC systems - and they are all different. For instance, ER and HCC are different ends of the pole...in terms of cost, locations, members, quality, etc. As a result, it will take you a long time to really evaluate which club is best for you, if any. Most clubs have severe restrictions which I had difficulty coming to terms with - such as not being able to book President's Week two years in a row - not just at the same location but at ANY location.

When Heath provided me with access to the reservation system, I saw the same things you did ... some locations were booked solid while others had days here and there, mostly due to whether the location is an all season place or just winter or summer. While the 'average' occupancy rate is less than 100% there seem to be some that are pretty close to that. In addition, for your long term booking (no holidays included) you've gotta be on the booking system the moment it's available as you're if only one other member beats you by a millisecond it's gone as there is only one...then you might be too late to book your 2nd choice too.

I do like their 3, 4 and 7 night reservation choice system - expecially for areas like NYC where a 7 night stay might be too long. Don't know how many DC's offer that.

HCC is quite void on east coast locations ... as are a lot of DC's. I like to be able to hop in my car and drive to my vacation ... and to stay for more than 1 week at a time in the same location ... and this is not possible in many DC cases. HCC has a list of 'under development' locations but they seem to be falling behind as most of those were listed a year ago when I first looked.

At the same time, I like the HCC people and felt comfortable with them and their flexibility. Many of their locations are quite small which also appeal to me more than going to a 5 bedroom home in some remote location as an empty nester. For others, it's ideal. Different strokes.

smtravelor

Hello kddpac

You may wish to consider Private Escapes which has an open reservation system that allows reservations for any length of time with no minimum.

We have found the quality of the PE properties to be more than comparable to a standard room at a Ritz Carlton, plus you normally get several bedrooms and all the other rooms of a house or condo. We have become spoiled and are now very used to having so much space.

Availability is certainly an issue of concern, however, and you should check that out with their sales people by asking for a trial run of the reservation system.

Steamboat Bill

As a very happy HCC member, here are some of my thoughts:

1. ER and HCC are on opposite ends of the pricing spectrum, but some of the HCC properties (and locations) will rival ER. You need to look at what you are getting for the higher costs of ER or what you are giving up with the lower cost of joining HCC.

2. HCC is the currently the lowest priced Destination Club in terms of cost per night. Their only real competition may be PE and possibly The Markers, depending on how you look at them. PE is a good alternative, but they are in the process of a merger with UR and I would be concerned with how well that marriage will work out.

3. If it is just for two travelers, then joining a club like ER, LUSSO, Quintess, UR may be a waste as many of the homes are 4-5 bedrooms. HCC has several 1-2 bedroom properties and several 3-5 bedroom properties.

4. If availability is the #1 concern and you are a last minute planner, then you might have a problem with all Destination Clubs, and you would be better off staying at the Ritz or Four Seasons as a cash rate.

5. I have visited about 8 HCC properties and they all are awesome and far exceed any hotel experience I have had, but most HCC homes do not provide daily housekeeping (this may be extra) and many homes are not located in a resort type setting with room service, etc.

6. With the one year trial membership and a 100% money back guarantee, you can't go wrong with this option and see if you want to join a higher level or get your deposit back.

7. With any DC, you must plan 365 days in advance for major trips and then keep an eye on their web sites for last minute openings.

good luck

Bourne

First things first. Welcome to the forum. I have split up your post and hope that I can answer some/all of your questions based on my experience.

We bought the membership when our first one was a shade above one year. Prior to that, we exclusively used hotels as the accommodation of choice prior to buying into a Four Seasons and Hilton timeshare.
The space may seem too large to you as you do not have kids(yet) and are used to hotels.

Number one selling point of DCs.. You get more space for same or less money.

I'll first tackle this question specifically from HCC's point of view. The following are considered the cream of the crop...

Home itself - Breck Lodge, Beaver Creek Village Hall, Maui Kula Greens Estate, La Costa, etc
Location - Turks & Caicos, Playa Units, Beaver Creek etc
Prime Holiday week - NY, Christmas, Presidents Day etc..

The perception of availability is relative to a member's needs. I compiled these figures based on myexperience and by running queries on the reservation system. The following may help you figure out the answer...

1. Prime locations/homes for a prime holiday week need to be booked one year out within the first hour.

Ski
1. 25%+ availability in the Prime ski season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
2. 10%+ availability in the Prime ski season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)
3. 50%+ availability in the Shoulder ski season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
4 25%+ availability in the Shoulder ski season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)
5. 80%+ availability in the Summer season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
6. 50%+ availability in the Summer season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)

Beach
1. 35%+ availability in the Prime Beach season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
2. 20%+ availability in the Prime Beach season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)
3. 60%+ availability in the Shoulder Beach season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
4 35%+ availability in the Shoulder Beach season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)
5. 80%+ availability in the Hurricane season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
6. 50%+ availability in the Hurricane season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)

Leisure
1. 25%+ availability in the Prime season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
2. 10%+ availability in the Prime season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)
3. 40%+ availability in the Shoulder season going into the Advance reservation period(90-120 Days out).
4 25%+ availability in the Shoulder season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)
5. 60%+ availability in the off season going into the Advance reservation period (90-120 Days out).
6. 40%+ availability in the off season going into the Space Available reservation period(0-90 Days)

City
Only one property. In high demand.

It used to be my biggest issue but was resolved in Nov 2007. IMHO, the system is really flexible now.

Long-term Reservations at Beach, Golf or Mountain properties may be made for:

7 nights checking in Saturday, checking out Saturday
3 nights checking in Saturday, checking out Tuesday(Friday for NYC)
4 nights checking in Tuesday, checking out Saturday (Monday for NYC)

Advance and Space available Reservations may be made for:

4 nights+ any start date.
3 nights checking in Saturday, checking out Tuesday (Friday for NYC)

Any day with a 4 day + reservation under 120 days out and 7/4/3 long term structure is flexible enough for me.
ER is more flexible because of availability of more properties.

I am not a Ritz guy. Wrong frequent stay program .

Having spent 500+ nights on the road during my consulting years in the Westins/Hiltons of the world and to a lesser extent in the Waldorf/St Regis and Four Season, I can safely say that HCC properties are way better than 4* standard hotel rooms in terms of furnishings and amenities. Most but not all of the HCC properties are equal or better than a standard Four Seasons/St Regis room.

A few other comments...
1. All HCC properties look better in person than on the website. As Private Escapes and HCC have a huge overlap, look at the PE website also to get a different perspective( La Costa, Punta Mita, Outer Banks, New York, La Quinta are in the same building/development.)
2. ER and HCC belong to different segments of DC industry. $3 mil will buy you a bigger and better home. That said, HCC is a deal based on the factor of pricing they charge. Check out travelguy's cost per night calculation thread on TUG.
3. If you are unsure, go with a Trial membership with an option to upgrade. The initial price can be locked down for a year or two. Plus, it things do not work out, you get 100% money back.

TravelGuy

I'll simply agree with everything that Steamboat Bill and Bourne stated in their posts (except that Bill has two "#3" in his post). We've been members for over two years and have been to 15 High Country Club properties. All except one were OVER what we expected, and our standards are pretty high. We don't have kids and usually travel as a couple. I will say that you get used to the big homes and will eventually use most of the space during your stay. You can checkout some of the property reviews by me and others here and on TUG to give you a feel for the properties.

Whitesand

I usually plan far ahead and I have been able to easily book prime ski weeks such as spring break without booking at the stroke of midnight one year ahead. With a private membership you will get 3 weeks that you absolutely want. The other weeks will be a little bit of a compromise but for us it works out well, because we always take a vacation in October which is not a prime time. And we always travel to the mountains in the summer--also not prime time. We haven't had issues around Christmas, New Years and Presidents Day because we never travel on those weeks due to family events. So for us HCC works great because the most in demand weeks for HCC are not ones we are interested in traveling. You really have to look at your schedule and how it might mesh with the in demand times at HCC.

The properties are really nice and are very comfortable for 4-8 people. The only place we have stayed that is tight for 4 adults was New York. The New York property is really great in every other way. The properties are generally really comfortable with great kitchens and nice decor. We have not been disappointed at all. We stayed at the Marriott Summitt Watch in Park City recently and HCC properties are clearly nicer.

If you're considering the pricier clubs-check out Lusso. Great Properties. Boutique atmosphere. Really a great club but properties were too large for our usual travel.

Steamboat Bill

You are now The Official TravelGuy approved proof-reader!

I fixed the post....thanks

DC_FAN

I just returned from a week at the Four Seasons Aviara at Carlsbad, and I have to say I missed the HCC touches. For one, the kitchen was woefully indaquate compared to any of the 10 HCC homes I have enjoyed. I really appreciate the spices and the complete sets of pots and pans and cooking gear.

The pool at Aviara is exceptionally nice, but the unit just didn't feel like home in the way that the HCC places do. Kudos to the Management Team for taking care of all the little niceties that make the HCC homes truly feel like home.

If you are considering joining HCC I would encourage you to take the plunge. It has been GREAT for our family!

kddpac

Thank you everyone for all of your helpful information! Just to clarify....Can a 4 night stay at 120 nights out start on any day? I thought it was only within 90 nights that a reservation could start on any day? We are very interested in the long weekend (Fri-Mon) reservations and I don't mind sacrificing a day here and there by having to use 4 nights when we only need three I just wanted to clarify how far out a Fri-Tues reservation could be made? Heath has been great and gave us access to the memership reservation page so we have an idea how quickly we would need to reserve a certain property. We are hoping to have a chance to check out a property in person soon. Thank you everyone for the helpful responses!!

Bourne

You are correct. The system will not allow you to book a reservation starting "any" day unless your are < 90 days.

For > 120 days out, you do have an option of booking a four day but the start day option is limited.

120+
7 nights checking in Saturday, checking out Saturday
3 nights checking in Saturday, checking out Tuesday
4 nights checking in Tuesday, checking out Saturday

pwrshift

If memory serves me correctly, I think the check in day varies depending on whether you are booking CO time or other places? Gets a little confusing.

Tedpilot

Pwrshift - You are correct, however that changes this fall when all destinations will be aligned on a Saturday schedule.