| Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Note 2: Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements presented herein include 100 percent of our assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and cash flows as well as all entities in which we have a controlling financial interest. Our accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements reflect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and, accordingly, ultimate results could differ from those estimates. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of full year performance. The determination of a controlling financial interest is based upon the terms of the governing agreements of the respective entities, including the evaluation of rights held by other interests. If the entity is considered to be a variable interest entity (“VIE”), we determine whether we are the primary beneficiary, and then consolidate those VIEs for which we have determined we are the primary beneficiary. If the entity in which we hold an interest does not meet the definition of a VIE, we evaluate whether we have a controlling financial interest through our voting interests in the entity. We consolidate entities when we own more than 50 percent of the voting shares of a company or otherwise have a controlling financial interest. The consolidated financial statements reflect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and, accordingly, ultimate results could differ from those estimates. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic The novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic continues to significantly negatively impact the hospitality, travel and leisure industries due to various mandates and orders to close non-essential businesses, impose travel restrictions, require “stay-at-home” and/or self-quarantine, and require similar actions. Such restrictions and directives have resulted in cancellations and significant reductions in travel around the world, as well as the negative global economic conditions . As a result of the reduction in travel, during the first quarter of 2020 we closed substantially all of our resorts and sales centers resulting in a significant reduction to revenue . In response to the impact of COVID-19, we have taken a variety of actions to ensure the continuity of our business and operations, including workforce furlough, implementing temporary salary reductions for the remaining active employees primarily during the second quarter of 2020, eliminating all discretionary spending, and reducing our planned investment in new inventory by approximately $200 million. Further, during the first quarter of 2020, we drew down on the availability under our credit facility as a precautionary measure to ensure liquidity for a sustained period and on May 8, 2020, we amended our Credit Agreement which amended certain terms of the credit facilities (“Senior Secured Credit Facilities”) to provide us with both near-term and long-term flexibility with respect to satisfying certain negative and financial covenant ratios as may be needed due to the ongoing and uncertain future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations. In October 2020, we completed a workforce reduction plan that impacted approximately 1,500 team members in order to better align our workforce with the Company’s needs in light of the environment, and approximately 1,800 of our team members remain furloughed as of December 31, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company incurred $7 million of expenses in restructuring and related expenses and charges. The majority of these expenses are included within Sales and marketing in our consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2020, $1 million of such restructuring costs were included in Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other in our consolidated balance sheet. In December 2020, we amended our Credit Agreement to provide a waiver period for certain financial covenants, while at the same time imposing certain temporary restrictions during the waiver period. In December 2020, we amended the Timeshare Facility to update the definition of seller financial covenants to be consistent with the amended Credit Agreement. See Note 15: Debt and Non-recourse debt Prior to re-opening our resorts and sales centers, we introduced the HGV Enhanced Care Guidelines, designed to provide owners, guests and team members with the highest level of cleaning protocols and safety standards recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and cleaning solutions approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with providing personal protective equipment to team members, these Enhanced Care Guidelines include low-touch arrivals and departures, frequent and thorough cleaning, reduction of paper items, reduced capacity for our pool decks and fitness centers, and new technologies. While operations were suspended, essential resort personnel worked diligently maintaining the resorts for a safe reopening. Annual deep cleanings, typically scheduled during slower seasons, were moved up and completed, allowing the resorts to be in top shape when owners and guests arrive. Beginning in May 2020, various states and counties started to allow gradual relaxation of restrictions on activities and a resumption of businesses. In response, we began a phased reopening of resorts and resumption of our business activities during the second quarter of 2020, but under new operating guidelines and with safety measures. As of December 31, 2020, we have approximately 85 percent of our resorts and sales centers open and currently operating however, many of our resorts and sales centers are operating in markets with significant capacity constraints and various safety measures. In addition, ongoing strict travel and other restrictions in regions and locations where we have a significant number of resorts and concentration of units, particularly, Hawaii and New York, are significantly impacting consumer demand for our resorts in those areas. While we plan to continue to reopen our resorts and resume our business as conditions permit, the pandemic continues to be unprecedented and rapidly changing, and has unknown duration and severity. Further, various state and local government officials may issue new or revised orders that are different than current ones under which we are operating. Accordingly, there remains significant uncertainty as to the degree of impact and duration of the conditions stemming from the ongoing pandemic on our revenues, net income and other operating results, as well as our business and operations generally. Any significantly extended duration or worsening of the conditions associated with the pandemic may adversely impact our liquidity in the longer term, including our ability to finance our day-to-day business and operations, and may adversely affect our ability to comply with our financial covenants under our debt obligations notwithstanding the recent amendments discussed above. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Revenue Recognition On January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers In accordance with ASC 606, revenue is recognized upon the transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. To achieve the core principle of the new guidance, we take the following steps: (i) identify the contract with the customer; (ii) determine whether the promised goods or services are separate performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price, including considering the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract based on the standalone selling price or estimated standalone selling price of the good or service; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy each performance obligation. Contracts with Multiple Performance Obligations A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and is the unit of account in ASC 606. For arrangements that contain multiple goods or services, we determine whether such goods or services are distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately in the arrangement. When allocating the transaction price in the arrangement, we may not have observable standalone sales for all of the performance obligations in these contracts; therefore, we exercise significant judgement when determining the standalone selling price of certain performance obligations. In order to estimate the standalone selling prices, we primarily rely on the expected cost plus margin and adjusted market assessment approaches. We then recognize the revenue allocated to each performance obligation as the related performance obligation is satisfied as discussed below.
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Sales of VOIs, net — Customers who purchase vacation ownership products, whether paid in cash or financed, enter into multiple contracts, which we combine and account for as a single contract. Revenue from VOI sales is recognized at the point in time when control of the VOI is transferred to the customer which is when the customer has executed a binding sales contract, collectability is reasonably assured, the purchaser’s period to cancel for a refund has expired and the customer has the right to use the VOI. Revenue from sales of VOIs under construction is deferred until the point in time when construction activities are deemed to be completed, occupancy of the development is permissible, and the above criteria has been met. For financed sales, we estimate the variable consideration to be received under such contracts and recognize revenue net of amounts deemed uncollectible as the VOI is returned to inventory upon customer default. Variable consideration which has not been included within the transaction price is presented as a reserve on the financing receivable. See Note 6: Timeshare Financing Receivables for more information regarding our estimate of variable consideration. We award Club Bonus Points (“Bonus Points”) to our customers. These points are valid for a maximum of two years and may be used toward reservations at Club resorts, hotel reservations within Hilton’s system and VOI interval exchanges with other third-party vacation ownership exchanges. At the time of the VOI sale, we estimate the fair value of the incentives to be redeemed, including an adjustment for estimated breakage, to determine the standalone selling price of the first day incentive (“FDI”). We defer a portion of the total transaction price for the combined VOI contract as a liability for the FDI and recognize the corresponding revenue at the point in time when the customer receives the benefits of the FDI, which is upon the customer’s redemption of the Bonus Points. At that time, we also determine whether we are principal or agent for the redeemed good or service and recognize revenue on a gross or net basis accordingly.
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Sales, marketing, brand and other fees — We enter into contracts with third-party developers to sell VOIs on their behalf through fee-for-service agreements for which we earn sales commissions and other fees. These commissions are variable as they are based on the sales and marketing results, which are subject to the constraint on variable consideration and resolved on a monthly basis over the contract term. We estimate such commissions to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of such revenue will not occur and recognize the commissions as the developer receives and consumes the benefits of the services. Any changes in these estimates would affect revenue and earnings in the period such variances are realized. Additionally, we enter into contracts to sell prepaid vacation packages. Our obligation in such contracts is satisfied when customers stay at our property; therefore, we recognize revenue for these packages when they are redeemed. On a portfolio basis, we exercise judgement to estimate the amount of expected breakage related to unused prepaid vacation packages and recognize such breakage in proportion to the pattern of packages utilized by our portfolio of customers.
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Financing — We offer financing to qualifying customers purchasing our VOI. Revenue from the financing of timeshare sales is recognized on the accrual method as earned based on the outstanding principal, interest rate and terms stated in each individual financing agreement. We also recognize revenue from servicing the loans provided by third-party developers to purchasers of their VOIs over the period services are rendered.
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Resort and club management — As part of our VOI sales, our customers enter into a Club arrangement which gives the customer an annual allotment of Club points that allow the customer to exchange the Club points for a number of vacation options. We manage the Club, receiving Club activation fees, annual dues and transaction fees from member exchanges. Club activation fees and the member's first year of annual dues are payable at the time of the VOI sale. The Club activation fee relates to activities we are required to undertake at or near contract inception to fulfill the contract, and does not result in the transfer of a promised good or service. Since our customers are granted the opportunity to renew their membership on an annual basis for no additional activation fee, we defer and amortize the activation fee on a straight-line basis over the seven year average inventory holding period. Annual dues for membership renewals are billed each year, and we recognize revenue from these annual dues over the period services are rendered. A member may elect to enter into an optional exchange transaction with their allotted Club points at which point the member pays their required transaction fee. This option does not represent a material right as the transactions are priced at their standalone selling price. Revenue related to the transaction is recognized when the services are rendered. As part of our resort operations, we contract with homeowner’s associations (“HOAs”) to provide day-to-day-management services, including housekeeping services, operation of a reservation system, maintenance, and certain accounting and administrative services. We receive compensation for such management services, which is generally based on a percentage of costs to operate the resorts, on a monthly basis. These fees represent a form of variable consideration and are estimated and recognized over time as the HOAs receive and consume the benefits of the management services. Management fees received related to the portion of unsold VOIs at each resort which we own are recognized on a net basis given we retain these VOIs in our inventory.
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Rental and ancillary services — Our rental and ancillary services consist primarily of rental revenues on unoccupied vacation ownership units, inventory made available due to ownership exchanges through our club program and ancillary revenues. Rental revenue is recognized when occupancy has occurred. Advance deposits on the rental unit and the corresponding revenue is deferred and recognized upon the customer’s vacation stay. Ancillary revenues consist of food and beverage, retail, spa offerings and other guest services. We recognize ancillary revenue when goods have been provided and/or services have been rendered. We account for rental operations of unsold VOIs, including accommodations provided through the use of our vacation sampler programs, as incidental operations. Incremental carrying costs in excess of incremental revenues are recognized in the period incurred. In all periods presented, incremental carrying costs exceeded incremental revenues and all revenues and expenses are recognized in the period earned or incurred.
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Cost reimbursements — As part of our management agreements with HOAs and fee-for-service developers, we receive cost reimbursements for performing the day to day management services, including direct and indirect costs that HOAs and developers reimburse to us. These costs primarily consist of insurance, payroll and payroll related costs for management of the HOAs and other services we provide where we are the employer and insurance . Cost reimbursements are based upon actual expenses with no added margin, and are billed to the HOA on a monthly basis. We recognize cost reimbursements when we incur the related reimbursable costs as the HOA receives and consumes the benefits of the management services. We capitalize all incremental costs incurred to obtain a contract when such costs would not have been incurred if the contract had not been obtained. We elect to expense costs incurred to obtain a contract when the deferral period would be one year or less. Commissions for VOI sales for resorts under construction are expensed when the associated VOI revenue is recognized which is upon completion of the resort. These commissions are classified as Sales and marketing expense As of December 31, 2020, the ending asset balance for costs to obtain a contract was $26 Other than the United States, there were no countries that individually represented more than 10 percent of total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. We earn commission and other fees related to fee-for-service agreements to sell VOIs. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we did not earn more than 10 percent of our total revenue from one customer. We are required to collect certain taxes and fees from customers on behalf of government agencies and remit these back to the applicable governmental agencies on a periodic basis. We have a legal obligation to act as a collection agent with respect to these taxes and fees. We do not retain these taxes and fees and, therefore, they are not included in revenues. We record a liability when the amounts are collected and relieve the liability when payments are made to the applicable taxing authority or other appropriate governmental agency. Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates We account for investments in unconsolidated affiliates under the equity method of accounting when we exercise significant influence, but do not maintain a controlling financial interest over the affiliates. We evaluate our investments in affiliates for impairment when there are indicators that the fair value of our investment may be less than our carrying value. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Restricted Cash Restricted cash includes deposits received on VOI sales that are held in escrow until legal requirements of the local jurisdictions are met with regards to project construction or contract status and cash reserves required by our non-recourse debt agreements. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses Accounts receivable primarily consists of trade receivables and is reported as the customers’ outstanding balances, less any allowance for credit losses. The expected credit losses are measured using an expected-loss model that reflects the risk of loss and considers the losses expected over the outstanding period of the receivable. Cloud Computing Arrangements We capitalize certain costs associated with cloud computing arrangements (“CCAs”). These costs are included in Other assets Derivative Instruments We use derivative instruments as part of our overall strategy to manage our exposure to market risks primarily associated with fluctuations in interest rates and do not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. We record the derivative instrument at fair value either as an asset or liability. We assess the effectiveness of our hedging instruments quarterly and record changes in fair value in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) for the effective portion of the hedge and record the ineffectiveness of a hedge immediately in earnings in our consolidated statement of operations. We release the derivative’s gain or loss from AOCI to match the timing of the underlying hedged items’ effect on earnings. Timeshare Financing Receivables and Allowance for Financing Receivables Losses Our timeshare financing receivables consist of loans related to our financing of VOI sales that are secured by the underlying timeshare properties. We determine our timeshare financing receivables to be past due based on the contractual terms of the individual mortgage loans. We recognize interest income on our timeshare financing receivables as earned. The interest rate charged on the notes correlates to the risk profile of the borrower at the time of purchase and the percentage of the purchase that is financed, among other factors. We record an estimate of variable consideration as a reduction of revenue from VOI sales at the time revenue is recognized on a VOI sale. We evaluate this portfolio collectively, since we hold a large group of homogeneous timeshare financing receivables, which are individually immaterial. We monitor the credit quality of our receivables on an ongoing basis. There are no significant concentrations of collection risk with any individual counterparty or groups of counterparties. We use a technique referred to as static pool analysis as the basis for determining our financing receivables losses reserve requirements on our timeshare financing receivables. The static pool analysis includes several years of default data through which we stratify our portfolio using certain key dimensions including: FICO scores and equity percentage at the time of sale. The adequacy of the related allowance is determined by management through analysis of several factors, such as current economic conditions and industry trends, as well as the specific risk characteristics of the portfolio including assumed default rates, aging and historical write-offs of these receivables. The allowance is maintained at a level deemed adequate by management based on a periodic analysis of the mortgage portfolio. We apply payments we receive for loans, including those in non-accrual status, to amounts due in the following order: servicing fees; interest; principal; and late charges. Once a note is 91 days past due we cease accruing interest and reverse the accrued interest recognized up to that point. We resume interest accrual for loans for which we had previously ceased accruing interest once the loan is less than 91 days past due. We fully reserve for a timeshare financing receivable in the month following the date that the loan is 121 days past due and, subsequently, we write off the uncollectible note against the reserve once the foreclosure process is complete and we receive the deed for the foreclosed unit. Inventory and Cost of Sales Inventory includes unsold, completed VOIs; VOIs under construction; and land and infrastructure held for future VOI product development at our current resorts. We carry our completed VOI inventory at the lower of cost or estimated fair value, less costs to sell, which can result in impairment losses and/or recoveries of previous impairments. Projects under development, along with land and infrastructure for future development are under a held and use impairment model and are reviewed for indicators of impairment quarterly. We capitalize costs directly associated with the acquisition, development and construction of a real estate project when it is probable that the project will move forward. We capitalize salary and related costs only to the extent they directly relate to the project. We capitalize interest expense, taxes and insurance costs when activities that are necessary to get the property ready for its intended use are underway. We cease capitalization of costs during prolonged gaps in development when substantially all activities are suspended or when projects are considered substantially complete. We account for our VOI inventory and cost of VOI sales using the relative sales value method. Also, we do not reduce inventory for the cost of VOI sales related to anticipated defaults, and accordingly, no adjustment is made when inventory is reacquired upon default of the related receivable. This results in changes in estimates within the relative sales value calculations to be accounted for as real estate inventory true-ups, which we refer to as cost of sales true-ups, and are included in Cost of VOI sales Property and Equipment Property and equipment includes land, buildings and leasehold improvement and furniture and equipment at our corporate offices, sales centers and management offices which are recorded at cost. Additionally, certain property and equipment is held for future conversion into inventory. Construction in progress primarily relates to development activities. Costs that are capitalized related to development activities are classified as property and equipment until they are registered for sale. Costs of improvements that extend the economic life or improve service potential are also capitalized. Capitalized costs are depreciated over their estimated useful lives. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Other than the United States, there were no countries that individually represented over 10 percent of total property and equipment, net as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful lives, which are generally as follows: buildings and improvements (eight to 40 years); furniture and equipment (three to eight years); and computer equipment and acquired software (three years). Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful life, based on the estimates above, or the lease term. We evaluate the carrying value of our property and equipment if there are indicators of potential impairment. We perform an analysis to determine the recoverability of the asset’s carrying value by comparing the expected undiscounted future cash flows to the net book value of the asset. If it is determined that the expected undiscounted future cash flows are less than the net book value of the asset, we calculate the asset’s fair value. The impairment loss recognized is equal to the amount that the net book value is in excess of fair value. Fair value is generally estimated using valuation techniques that consider the discounted cash flows of the asset using discount and capitalization rates deemed reasonable for the type of asset, as well as prevailing market conditions, appraisals, recent similar transactions in the market and, if appropriate and available, current estimated net sales proceeds from pending offers. If sufficient information exists to reasonably estimate the fair value of a conditional asset retirement obligation, including environmental remediation liabilities, we recognize the fair value of the obligation when the obligation is incurred. Assets Held for Sale We classify long-lived assets to be sold as held for sale in the period (i) we have approved and committed to a plan to sell the asset, (ii) the asset is available for immediate sale in its present condition, (iii) an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to sell the asset have been initiated, (iv) the sale of the asset is probable, (v) the asset is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, and (vi) it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. We initially measure a long-lived asset that is classified as held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset until the date of sale. Upon designation as an asset held for sale, we stop recording depreciation expense on the asset. We assess the fair value of a long-lived asset less any costs to sell at each reporting period and until the asset is no longer classified as held for sale. The methodology utilized to determine fair value at the time of classification as held for sale is dependent on the type of long-lived asset reclassified. All methodologies utilized to determine fair value involve judgment. Leases We lease sales centers, office space and equipment under lease agreements. We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Amounts related to operating leases are included in Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, net Operating lease liabilities ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term as of the commencement date. Because most of our leases do not provide an explicit or implicit rate of return, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments on an individual lease basis. Our incremental borrowing rate for a lease is the rate of interest we would have to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments for the asset under similar terms. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components. Our operating leases may require minimum rent payments, contingent rent payments based on a percentage of revenue or income or rental payments adjusted periodically for inflation or rent payments equal to the greater of a minimum rent or contingent rent. Our leases do not contain any residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. Leases with a lease term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the consolidated balance sheets and lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We monitor events or changes in circumstances that change the timing or amount of future lease payments which results in the remeasurement of a lease liability, with a corresponding adjustment to the ROU asset. ROU assets for operating and financing leases are periodically reviewed for impairment losses under ASC 360-10, Property, Plant, and Equipment Intangible Assets Our intangible assets consist of management agreements and certain proprietary technologies with finite lives. We have management agreements that were recorded at their fair value at the time of the completion of a merger on October 24, 2007 where Hilton became a wholly-owned subsidiary of an affiliate of The Blackstone Group L.P. (“Blackstone”). Additionally, we capitalize costs incurred to develop internal-use computer software, including costs incurred in connection with development of upgrades or enhancements that result in additional functionality. These capitalized costs are included in Intangible assets, net We review all finite life intangible assets for impairment when circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If the carrying value of an asset group is not recoverable, we recognize an impairment loss for the excess of the carrying value over the fair value in our consolidated statements of operations. Deferred Financing Costs Deferred financing costs, including legal fees and upfront lenders fees, related to the Company’s debt and non-recourse debt are deferred and amortized over the life of the respective debt using the effective interest method. These capitalized costs are included in Other assets Debt, net Debt & Non-recourse debt Costs Incurred to Sell VO |
