I earned 40 thousand Hilton Honors points just because I listened to a timeshare presentation

I was recently in Hawaii, the reason for the trip up to the Pacific archipelago. I explained it in this article. On that occasion I stayed at one of the historic hotels in Waikiki Beach: the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu.

Attracted by a postcard promising me 250 free HHonors points I went to the resort concierge to pick up my gifts. Here the attendant asked me a series of questions and then threw out the hook: "What if I offered you to attend a presentation of our Hilton Grand Vacations, and I offered you 40,000 HHonors points as a no-commitment gift?" I knew he was proposing that I attend a presentation to buy a Hilton timeshare and so I accepted, knowing full well that I would (probably) not accept the offer.

I had heard about these offers several times before, namely the possibility of attending product presentations in exchange for a gift. Gift that also means being able to stay for free, or nearly free, in Las Vegas or Mexico or get other benefits such as points from the Hilton Honors loyalty program.

These activities have always existed in Italy as well, hoteliers call them "the pot groups" because these 2 to 3-day mini-vacations were organized by companies interested in selling products to customers willing, in return for a free stay, to attend one or more presentations during their stay

How much are 40 thousand points worth

We have talked many times about how to use Hilton Honors points, depending on the destination can allow you to stay 10 nights in Bali, 3 nights in Milan or "half" night in the Maldives. Let's say that 40 thousand points are worth no less than 200€, but if used well they can be worth even double that.

What is "Timeshare" and how these deals work

In Italy there is timeshare, which is that contract that allows several people to buy a property and enjoy it individually for a certain period of time each year. This activity is recognized by the Tourism Code and is widespread in the world of vacation rentals.

Timeshare, we could say, is an evolution of the timeshare concept since it is based on the same principle of owning a piece of real estate. In this case, however, the real estate unit is virtual since then timeshare owners can enjoy all the properties, as many times as they want each year and also everything is based on points. Points that are awarded each year to the timeshare owner and that he or she can decide to use as he or she wishes.

The initial cost ranges from 8 to $60,000 or more, depending on the quality of the timeshare and the number of points you want to get each year. You also pay an annual fee that covers maintenance costs.

These presentations last between 90 and 120 minutes, the rules in the U.S. are strict for both those who present and those who participate. In fact when you agree to participate you are obliged to take part in the presentation, unfortunately it is not up to the host to decide the time but up to the organization. This means that they could set the appointment at 1:30 p.m. and be forced to miss the whole day.

How did my presentation go

I must say it was very interesting. First because my appointment was at 8 a.m., perfect for killing the time difference with Italy, second because having never attended but only read about these presentations I wanted to know as much as possible about how it works.

Right on time at 8 a.m. I showed up at the tower where the Hilton Grand Vacations offices are located on Maui, checked in, and was offered a drink. A few minutes later my salesman met me and we went to his office. Here, after a series of routine questions, he began explaining to me the costs and benefits of timeshare in Hilton, the various properties in Hawaii, the U.S., and around the world (including one in Tuscany).

The presentation touched on all aspects, especially I appreciated the way the attendant constructed the best solution for my needs, and I must say that on balance he had almost succeeded in convincing me.

Travel "mooching" thanks to these offers

There are people, whole families, including Italians not just Americans who travel often taking advantage of these kinds of offers. In the U.S. it is widespread and also extends to Mexico and the Caribbean. However, there are also many properties in the rest of the world especially in Europe and Japan. This is because they are the classic vacation destinations of Americans.

If you are looking for this kind of offer, you will find plenty of proposals from Disney to Marriott, from Wyndham to Hilton to all those not related to hotel companies, even in Italy and the rest of Europe.

Of course, you have to be sure that the offer is genuine and non-committal, that is, there is no obligation to purchase for the participating user. It is logical that if they give away a stay in Cancun they will do anything to put a piece of paper for you to sign under the pen, just be very firm and polite.

In some cases there is also a safe exit for the traveler, which is to pay in full for his or her stay and free himself or herself from all constraints, but in this way the sense of taking advantage of the offer is lost.

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