affiliated resort Profile
Bright lights,
Rooftop view
Established: 2009
28 floors, all new construction
Units: 161 studios, one-bedroom
suites and penthouse suites
Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a
dramatic complement to sleek
decor and upscale furnishings
Located in the heart of
Manhattan’s prestigious
Plaza District with easy access
to New York’s most notable
treasures, such as Carnegie Hall,
Central Park and Broadway
“Spending a few days in
one of the world’s most
celebrated cities has emerged
as a favorite experience.”
— Kim Robert Kreiger, senior vice president of
Club and Resorts for Hilton Grand Vacations
RCIAffiliates.com
big city vacations
West 57th Street by Hilton Club
U
rban destinations have distin-
guished themselves as unique
and special experiences for
vacation owners. The pace and access
to a variety of activities—shopping, fine
dining, cultural institutions, entertain-
ment, sightseeing and more—fulfills
the increasing demand for flexibility
in resort vacation options. To provide
more resort vacation opportunities in
one of the greatest cities in the world,
Hilton Grand Vacations Club recently
introduced West 57th Street by Hilton
Club—the first purpose-built timeshare
resort in New York City.
Ventures recently spoke with Kim Robert
Kreiger, senior vice president of Club and
Resorts for Hilton Grand Vacations, about
this unique resort.
What about the location on West
V 57th Street in New York City
made sense for a new property?
KRK Our success with The Hilton
Club—New York convinced us
that having a larger presence in the city
would be advantageous for our Club
Members. Spending a few days in one
of the world’s most celebrated cities
has emerged as a favorite experience.
And the West 57th Street neighborhood
is terrific. It’s within walking distance
of Central Park, the shops along Fifth
Avenue and Broadway, and accessible
to New York City’s most renowned and
popular attractions.
A recent Reuters report states
V that the average price of a week
at West 57th Street is $58,000 and a
penthouse week goes for more than
$100,000. How are sales going?
We are on track from the
KRK
original pace of sales. As with
any project of this scope, we expect
sales to continue for the next few
years, but we believe West 57th Street
september/october 2009 I Ventures 6n
 affiliated resort Profile
Floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors and upscale furnishings offer
guests a chic haven of elegance.
will be one of the most in-demand
resorts in our Club collection.
Can you share any demographic
V information about these owners?
Do they skew differently from owners at
more traditional resorts?
KRK We are finding that the Club
members buying at West 57th
Street cut across demographics and
come from around the country and the
world. The common characteristic of all
owners at West 57th Street is their
strong desire to return frequently to
indulge in New York’s cultural treasures,
shopping, dining and entertainment.
V Given the price point, have
you employed a different
marketing approach?
KRK Yes, our strategy for marketing
this property is considerably
different. After all, New York represents
a heightened level of energy, sophisti-
cation and glamour, and those qualities
have greatly informed our marketing
efforts and have enabled us to reach
the right kinds of audiences.
V How does the urban resort
experience differ from timeshare
photos: HILTON GRAND VACATION CLUB(4)
resorts in more traditional destinations?
KRK For one thing, the city delivers
an experience that is inherently
more fast-paced and diverse in its local
attractions. And the services and
amenities vary depending on your
RCIAffiliates.com
location. But no matter where you go, all
vacations share certain characteristics.
Does HGVC have plans for more
V urban timeshare development?
KRK Ever since we introduced The
Hilton Club—New York, we have
recognized the importance of the urban
timeshare market. As we grow and
expand our Club offerings, the addition of
these types of properties to our collec-
tion makes a lot of sense strategically.
What trends are you seeing
V in vacation ownership?
KRK We certainly believe that more
people will embrace the urban
resort concept and see it as a welcome
complement to their beach and ski
getaways and other adventures. As the
economy slowly rebounds, timeshare
vacations will play an increasingly
important role in the lives of people
around the globe.
What explains the success of
V Hilton Grand Vacations Club?
KRK Our Club recently surpassed
150,000 members, and the
number is growing every day. There are
many reasons for our success, notably
the unique benefits and flexibility of our
program. Our Club program combines
the distinctive benefits of Hilton
hospitality with a tremendous collection
of extraordinary travel advantages—it’s
the best of all worlds. V
CUSTOM-BUILT
HOSPITALITY
As the first purpose-built timeshare
resort in New York City, West 57th
Street by Hilton Club broke ground in
more than one way when the project
began five years ago. Kim Robert
Kreiger, senior vice president of
Club and Resorts for Hilton Grand
Vacations, talked about the process
of being an urban resort pioneer.
Location
The project launched in 2004,
when our development team began
searching for just the right location in
Manhattan. The initial search process
involved looking at nearly all available
real estate in Manhattan. Then we
narrowed our focus to Midtown
Manhattan and ultimately, to the
prime location on West 57th Street.
Construction
The two existing buildings on the
site, had to be demolished—care-
fully! Planning, design and construc-
tion were required to fit within the
confines of the available space. It was
a daunting task, but we had a great
team that was able to execute a very
intricate strategy.
Benefits
You can rehab a building or convert
hotel rooms to timeshare accom-
modations, but you always give up
something. When you build from the
ground up, you have complete free-
dom to design, so the guest experi-
ence is phenomenal. From check-in
to the speed of the elevators, the
entire project is designed exactly for
those who will be using it. Hilton has
such a renowned legacy of hospital-
ity in New York—it seems only fitting
that we would be the first brand to
bring a luxurious purpose-built time-
share project to the city.
Exterior of West 57th Street by Hilton Club
september/october 2009 I Ventures 7n