Saving Money on a Golf Trip – Orlando Trip Savings

There are several ways to save money when going on any trip or vacation. Money only goes so far and my friends will always ask how I am able to go on so many trips a year. Specifically golf trips. I have become good at earning airline miles, specifically American Airline miles (see my article about how you can earn them too!) In fact I flew American to Orlando on this trip. Normally their US domestic round trip rewards begin at 25,000 miles. But if you have an American Airlines credit card, you are able to get a reduced rate to certain cities, as well as 10% miles back when you book a reward flight. So with the reduced award of 17,500 miles and earning 1,750 bonus miles, I spent a net 15,750 miles for a round trip flight from Austin to Orlando. With the same credit card, our first bag, which was our golf clubs, flew free saving us $50 round trip each! Not too shabby! Hotel points are a bit harder to earn and often don’t hold as much value. But there are other ways to score good deals on hotels.

I had often been offered a reduced rate on hotels by Hilton if I would do one of their Hilton Grand Vacation presentations. Often when you call and speak to someone on the phone they will send you to someone who will give you an offer. Mine was a 3 night stay in either Orlando or Las Vegas for $199 but I would receive a $200 voucher when I finished the presentation. I often had declined but then I realized what a great opportunity. A little more than $200 after taxes is a great deal on a 3 night Hilton stay so when they next time they asked I said heck yes! Once you pay for the stay up front they will send you a confirmation code that is good for up to 6 months. There are a few restrictions and a few fees for peak season and weekends but I wasn’t charge any even though I stayed during a weekend. You must call to book your stay and you can either stay at a Hilton Grand Vacations location or another Hilton property if it is not excluded (think Waldorf Astoria or Conrad).

I ended up booking an Embassy Suite near Walt Disney where there are plenty of golf courses to play. We got two queens and a living area with a wet bar including fridge. They offered free breakfast with an omelet bar and unbeknownst to me, a free happy hour with drinks and snack foods, which was a great addition. There was a parking fee, but honestly there aren’t many hotels near Disney that don’t charge for parking. The room was great and we could see a glimpse of the Epcot fireworks at night.

Now, when you agree for one of these deals you must show up to a 2 hour presentation of the Hilton Grand Vacation and everything they offer. When you book your stay they will set you a time, typically in the morning.  So on the next to last day I headed to the Hilton Grand Vacations I was suppose to have the presentation. You will check in at the presentation office and shortly after a sales staff member will take you on a brief tour of the different room models. After that, the sales pitch is on. I never really felt overly pressured to buy, but I will say my salesman was very good at his job. In the end, I didn’t see the value in it for me, but I can understand why so many people like this style of a vacation club versus a true timeshare.

This is by far one of the better deals I have got for a hotel. A similar stay at the Embassy Suites we stayed at is over $700. It is definitely worth taking one morning and sitting through a presentation and receiving this deal. We enjoyed a nice hotel as well as some great golf. If they offer it again to me I will say, Heck Yes!