“Escape the Ordinary”
That’s the timeshare experience Hilton Grand Vacations promises customers on its website.
And you could certainly call the experience that many Hilton owners have had with the company extraordinary – just not in a good way.
For example, take the recent case of a new owner we found among the hundreds of complaints against Hilton on file with the Better Business Bureau.
“On 6/29/2025 we purchased a Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare based on a sales presentation from [a sales agent] in which he verbally promised us included international locations as well as guided tour trips with excursions.”
“The purchase price was $35,899.95.”
$36,000????
That IS extraordinary.
After all, it’s about TWICE the price of a 117-night around the world cruise on the luxury ocean liner the Queen Anne!
So, just exactly how many nights of international timeshare stays does Hilton give you for that kind of money?
“On 8/17/2025, we met with an owners’ relations representative of Hilton Grand Vacations to walk us through the member website.”
“They immediately told us the points we purchased would not get us this type of vacation.”
Exactly ZERO!
ZERO nights.
How can that be?
“The international locations use Hilton Hotels which are available through points purchased in the next level package, Hilton Club, not Hilton Grand Vacations.”
“They said the company never sells Hilton Club points to first time buyers.”
Whaaaat????
That would have been good to know BEFORE Hilton took $36,000 of their money.
So, just how much would it take to access international timeshares?
“We would have to spend an additional $13,000-$15,000 to get what we were verbally assured by [the agent] was included in our purchase.”
That’s almost another world-wide cruise!
“The product we purchased for $35,899.95 has no value because it was sold to us under false and misleading claims.”
A $36,000 bait and switch.
Or, as they call it at Hilton, another extraordinary timeshare experience.
Good thing there is an overdue “bill of rights” for timeshare buyers that is working its way through Congress.
The Timeshare Transparency Act (S.3502) sets out clear, commonsense requirements for timeshare companies, so consumers understand exactly what they are purchasing:
- Total Cost Disclosure: Requires a single document itemizing all acquisition and maintenance costs (including fee increases).
- 14-Day Cancellation Period: Grants buyers in all states a 14-day, penalty-free period to cancel contracts.
- Exit Options: Requires clear, documented procedures for exiting ownership.
- Review Period: Allows buyers to review documents privately without high-pressure sales staff present.
- FTC Enforcement: Empowers the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these regulations.
To be considered further by the U.S. Congress, the Timeshare Transparency Act needs more support.
If you agree, contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. House Representative. Tell them you support the Timeshare Transparency Act (S.3502). Share your own timeshare horror story. Tell your representatives you’re tired of seeing families “misled and flat-out lied to” by an industry that seems to value profits over fairness and transparency.
- Find your Senator: senate.gov
- Find your Representative: house.gov
In the meantime, we have to ask ourselves, is this extraordinarily costly bait and switch the norm at Hilton? Mark Wang, the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, can tell us. Let’s email him at mark.wang@hgv.com to see if there is any way owners can escape the extraordinary dishonesty at Hilton.
Jason Gamel, the CEO and President of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association of the timeshare industry, might be looking for an escape from Hilton right about now. Let’s email him at jason.gamel@arda.org and ask whether Hilton Grand Vacations’ deceptive treatment of owners is extraordinary…or just ordinary…for his profession.
Anything out of the ordinary going on at your timeshare company? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to let your company’s leaders know.
Had an extraordinarily costly experience with your timeshare company? Share it with us info@timesharefacts.com.
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