# I know you all know but the benefit of timesharing



## jpsmit (May 18, 2022)

Here at Newport - and right now really really appreciating timeshares.

Had a horrible experince with a hotel in Albany that was so nasty (still trying to get our money back on that one) and then in its place a lovely but quite expensive Hilton.

So we have 322k points which we typically use as one bedrooms off season. This means we can get up to about 30 days a year. 25 days this year. We are in a two bedroom right now which is more than we need but, such a glaring wonderful contrast to even the nice Hilton hotel room.

On average the units we get average in price from no more than $100 USD and no less than $100 CDN. (dividing out our MF)

All of which is to say that I am so very happy that Timesharing is essentially inflation proof because we are staying better and roomier than pretty much anyone paying for a room in a hotel tonight.

just an example


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## jpsmit (May 18, 2022)

Happy timesharing all!


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## Janann (May 18, 2022)

jpsmit said:


> All of which is to say that I am so very happy that Timesharing is essentially inflation proof


Not really...annual maintenance fees, reservation fees, parking fees at the resorts, etc all continue to go up.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (May 19, 2022)

We're saving about 35-40% on our upcoming HGVC stays at Myrtle Beach and Waikiki.  Or consider it a wash in price with a normal hotel room vs our 1-bedroom resort on the beach.

For our home resort with Club Wyndham, we will be saving 50% against the local 2 star motels alone!  70% in general.


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## chapjim (May 19, 2022)

Janann said:


> Not really...annual maintenance fees, reservation fees, parking fees at the resorts, etc all continue to go up.



So will everything else.


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## jpsmit (May 19, 2022)

90_Min_Sales_Pitch said:


> We're saving about 35-40% on our upcoming HGVC stays at Myrtle Beach and Waikiki.  Or consider it a wash in price with a normal hotel room vs our 1-bedroom resort on the beach.
> 
> For our home resort with Club Wyndham, we will be saving 50% against the local 2 star motels alone!  70% in general.



which is really what I was trying to say - travel costs are increasing at higher than the rate of inflation.





Yes dues etc are higher but by comparison..... quite happy to be staying where we are.


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## r4rab (May 19, 2022)

I think of time sharing as a lay away plan for vacationing (monthly maintenance fees). While it may be less or more expensive for a TS room vs. a hotel room I feel the rooms are definitely larger and more comfortable than any comparably priced hotel rooms plus the ability to fix meals in the kitchen (even if we only fix breakfast in the kitchen) allows us to save a little extra money when we travel.


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## MOXJO7282 (May 19, 2022)

I think the biggest value we now get from timesharing is having the ability to prepare meals for ourselves and avoid spending a fortune on having every meal out. This is especially true if you have a family to feed.  We just had a vacation in St. Thomas and actually brought with us some frozen meats and other food staples and really saved at least $700.


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## bnoble (May 19, 2022)

Over the years, we've found several benefits.

Prepaying for a use-it-or-lose-it vacation means vacations become a priority around which we plan other things, rather than the other way around. Accordingly, I suspect we vacation much more often.

A condo is more comfortable, functional, and relaxing than a hotel room. A hotel room is fine as a place to sleep---barely. Even then, it's awkward. I am more of a morning person; my partner is more of a night owl. A 1BR means never having to apologize for being awake, because you can hang out in the living room while the other person snoozes. More than once, I've caught myself lounging on the couch, maybe with snacks and drinks in real dishes/glassware, thinking: "Huh. Some people think hotel rooms are a vacation."

The costs of lodging are (roughly) known in advance, and the annual increases are usually predictable. It fits in our budget. All in all, we are generally staying in much nicer places than we'd be in if we were just paying as we go, and there have been some very notable examples of "I can't believe we get to stay here."


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## Lisa P (May 19, 2022)

ITA. DH & I have a 4-night weekend scheduled at a SC beachfront resort this summer in a spacious 1BR Deluxe with an ocean view. We booked within our system with no reservation fee, no parking fee, no added fees at all. The MF on our utilized points = ~$425 total for the 4-night stay, all in. There is NOTHING decent out there for anywhere near this price. We'll eat out a couple times but special dietary needs mean that the kitchen makes our stay more affordable _*and*_ more enjoyable. When we travel with family and friends (especially with young kids), the difference is even more pronounced and the reliable in-room washer/dryer is another handy perk. AirBnB and VRBO can't touch this price either. Love, love, love our timeshare.


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## LAYGO (May 19, 2022)

r4rab said:


> I think of time sharing as a lay away plan for vacationing (monthly maintenance fees)



This is how I'm thinking about it. We spent close to $4k for a big family vacation . . . for MY HALF of the total. We'll spend more than that on MF, but have a wider variety.


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## r4rab (May 19, 2022)

LAYGO said:


> This is how I'm thinking about it. We spent close to $4k for a big family vacation . . . for MY HALF of the total. We'll spend more than that on MF, but have a wider variety.


And you'll stay in larger accommodations and probably for more days.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (May 19, 2022)

r4rab said:


> plus the ability to fix meals in the kitchen (even if we only fix breakfast in the kitchen) allows us to save a little extra money when we travel.



We like eating at the local restaurants, especially Asian and Mediterranean.  However, we're going to love the option of making our own breakfast and lunches in the room.


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## Jan M. (May 19, 2022)

Two stories that for us pretty much say it all.

We became then Fairfield now Wyndham owners in 2002, at my insistence. We stayed at Grand Desert in Las Vegas for the first time in 2003. For the next few years you could still find hotel rooms for $19-$39 for week nights and $59-$79 for weekend nights in Las Vegas. The Station Hotels & Casinos, Terribles, the Downtown hotels/casinos, Samstown and even a few places on the Strip had cheap nights.

In March we used to go to Las Vegas for a convention for my job that coincided with our anniversary and some years went again in the fall. After a few years you couldn't find weekend nights for under $200 a night. After you added the taxes and fees for just one weekend night it came to about what a full week cost us based on our maintenance fees at the time. DH still remembers how shocked he was (and me laughing at him) when I told him roughly what our stay would have cost if we didn't have the timeshare.

Our granddaughters are 10 and 5. Many of you know that when I find cheap flights I fly to Ohio and bring one or both of them down to Florida to stay with us for 1-3 weeks at a time. Before they were old enough to start school I'd do that 3-4 times a year. Now that they're both in school they can't come as often nor stay as long. We usually spend a week and sometimes more in Orlando and a few days to a week at the beach. In Orlando the girls have stayed multiple times at each: Bonnet Creek, Reunion, Star Island, Vacation Village at Parkway, Disney's Animal Kingdom and Saratoga Springs. They've stayed at various resorts on Sanibel Island and multiple times at Wyndham Ocean Walk in Daytona, Clearwater, and Palm-Aire in Pompano Beach.

Our DIL loves to tell us how their co-workers, friends, etc. say that just one week of what girls do several times a year is their family's big vacation for the year. They're convinced we're rich. In my dreams, lol.

For our older granddaughter's 6th birthday our son bought a package deal in a junior suite at the Kalahari Hotel and Waterpark in Sandusky. When he opened the door to their suite, which btw was nice, she took one look and informed him and our DIL that it was very small and asked where they, not her, were going to sleep because there was only one bed. She'd only ever known the timeshares and her tone of voice clearly indicated what she thought of a hotel room. Our son told her it would be fine as they'd only be in the room to sleep because they'd be so busy at water park, using the arcade tokens that came with their package and having her birthday dinner with cake. She wasn't buying it. Our son and DIL were still standing in the doorway with the bags and her baby sister when our DIL told our son he had to call us and tell us that we've ruined their daughter for a normal life. They were laughing so hard it took a few tries for them to tell us what she said and the look on her face. They gave her the phone to let her tell me about it and have me convince her it would be fine because at that point they were laughing so hard they were crying.


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## r4rab (May 19, 2022)

90_Min_Sales_Pitch said:


> We like eating at the local restaurants, especially Asian and Mediterranean.  However, we're going to love the option of making our own breakfast and lunches in the room.


We almost always have breakfast in the room. If there is a specialty where we are, we'll go out for 1 or 2. If hanging around the resort, we'll usually eat lunch in the room. Dinner is nearly always at a local restaurant except for a large family dinner (such as Thanksgiving) or a barbecue.


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (May 19, 2022)

Jan M. said:


> Two stories that for us pretty much say it all.
> 
> We became then Fairfield now Wyndham owners in 2002, at my insistence. Our first stay at Grand Desert would have been in 2003. For the next few years you could still find hotel rooms for $19-$39 for week nights and $59-$79 for weekend nights in Las Vegas. The Station Hotels & Casinos, Terribles, the Downtown hotels/casinos, Samstown and even a few places on the Strip had cheap nights.
> 
> In March we used to go to Las Vegas for a convention for my job that coincided with our anniversary and some years went again in the fall. After a few years you couldn't find weekend nights for under $200 a night. After you added the taxes and fees for just one weekend night it came to about what a full week cost us based on our maintenance fees at the time. DH still remembers how shocked he was (and me laughing at him) when I told him roughly what our stay would have cost if we didn't have the timeshare.



Terribles... we tried stayed there 20 years ago, and witnessed a drug deal right down the hallway to our room.  We booked 2 beds nonsmoking, and got 1 bed smoking.  The front desk blamed our booking site, and the booking site claimed that the room types were merely a suggestion.  I was traveling with my sister and niece, all of us having allergy to smoke, so we split.

Speaking of conventions, we used our initial HGVC 3 night promo, booked prior to becoming owners, to pair with the ASD Tradeshow.  Back in August, we stayed at Grand Desert during a hobby model trade show.  Definitely great value.


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## jpsmit (May 19, 2022)

r4rab said:


> We almost always have breakfast in the room. If there is a specialty where we are, we'll go out for 1 or 2. If hanging around the resort, we'll usually eat lunch in the room. Dinner is nearly always at a local restaurant except for a large family dinner (such as Thanksgiving) or a barbecue.


same here - always Breakfast and, typically one other meal. This time we went to Trader Joe's and found some wonderful easy prep stuff.


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## Jan M. (May 20, 2022)

I said in my previous post that I insisted we buy the timeshare but not why.

We were 50 and 52 when we bought our first  timeshare points and our son was 15. I figured having the timeshare would allow us to take nice vacations when we were paying for college in a few more years. When DH asked if I was seriously considering buying a timeshare I looked him in the eyes and said "When our son's in college and I'm in my mid 50's I'm NOT spending our vacations staying in a Motel 6 because that's all we can afford."

When we checked in at Grand Desert there was someone playing a piano in the big beautiful lobby. DH took a good long look around and announced "Well it isn't the Motel 6 but I guess it'll do." He'd say that either in the lobby or looking at the view from our balcony everywhere we stayed for the next several years.

Another reason I gave DH for why we should buy was that our son would always be able to take nice vacations. We were approaching our 25th anniversary when we bought. For all of our married life so many people we knew had places they vacationed for free because their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles had places at a beach, on a lake, in the mountains, in Florida, etc. We never had that. For a number of years our finances were really tight and any vacation money we could afford was spent going to stay with our families who lived several hours away. We don't regret choosing family. It was a major turning point in our lives when we eventually had both the money and enough vacation time to see our families and take a cheap vacation too. We paid more for some of those cheap vacations than we now pay for a week stay in the timeshares and it's years later.

Our second stay was at Cypress Palms. We were in the hot tub with a bunch of other people and everyone was introducing themselves and telling where they owned. One guy looked to be in his mid forties and said he wasn't the owner but was there on his Dad. DH and I looked at each other and laughed because that's what I wanted for our son.

DH traveled a lot for work so staying in hotel rooms and eating all or even most meals out wasn't how he wanted to spend his vacations. He immediately fell in love with staying at the timeshares and still tells me he's so glad I insisted we buy.

Several people commented about having furnished kitchens. We're currently about two thirds of the way through a 107 night trip. We had a 23 night trip at the beginning of the year and will have other trips this year. We're both decent cooks and find ourselves eating out far less than we did before Covid. I don't mind paying more for really good food but I'm not happy with paying really good food prices and getting mediocre food and that's been our experience all too often since Covid. Some of the people in the 50 and up age group DH meets at the fitness centers and pools tell him they eat all or most of their meals out. Maybe the women are tried of cooking or aren't very good at it and the men don't know how to do much in the kitchen?  Anyhow this has led to DH having a fascination with how much we'd be spending if we did that. I'm good with numbers and estimating costs so he frequently asks me how much a meal we're eating would cost in a restaurant. It's not only how much money we've saved, which is a lot just in this 107 night trip, but it's also how much healthier we eat.


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## geist1223 (May 20, 2022)

We bought our first 6K Credits in Worldmark together before we we were married. We stayed at Blvd for our Las Vegas Wedding and 6 months later our Honeymoon was at Kihei. We have been able to stay all over the USA, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Fiji,  etc. We have made 4 trips Downunder to New Zealand and Australia. We are finishing up an almost 3 week Road that included stays in Reno, St George, and Santa Fe. We would never have had all these trips and memories without timeshares.


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## LAYGO (May 20, 2022)

r4rab said:


> And you'll stay in larger accommodations and probably for more days.



Close! We stayed like a week in a VERY nice VRBO 6BR/3B gated community house. It really spoiled us as we went to Houston recently (where we're from) & thought we were getting a nice condo VRBO & ended up in a small 2BR/2B apartment in a really old complex. The apartment itself was superficially nice, but our guests got their car towed & the gunfire about 300' away (we found the shell casings on our walk to breakfast the next morning) kinda spoiled the end of the trip.


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## jpsmit (May 20, 2022)

Jan M. said:


> Several people commented about having furnished kitchens. We're currently about two thirds of the way through a 107 night trip. We had a 23 night trip at the beginning of the year and will have other trips this year.



You are my new hero! 107 days! (and 23 already)





seriously, if you don't mind sharing - where are you going? what are you doing? Is it all timeshare? (do you have that many points?) Mrs JP & I are retiring in about 18 months and are planning to spend at least our first 6 months out of the country (in our case Canada) so, stories and suggestions are completely welcome!!


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## NiteMaire (May 20, 2022)

jpsmit said:


> Here at Newport - and right now really really appreciating timeshares. <snip> just an example


Here's another:
In April/May 2019 we spent back-to-back weeks in 2BR Marriott units on Oahu (Ko Olina - Mountain View) and Kauai (Waiohai - Ocean View).  We followed it up in September 2019 with a week in a 1BR Westin on Maui (WKORV - had a partial view of the ocean - don't know the exact view category).  Total lodging cost was roughly $2,900 including MFs, II (platinum) membership, II exchange fees, Marriott LO fees, etc.  It's a little more if you amortize the $3,500 combined purchase price of the 2 units we exchanged.  After exchanging, I searched Marriott online and those 3 weeks in the same units would have cost $11,500!  

We couldn't afford those types of vacations if we didn't own timeshares.  The studio at Ko Olina is sometimes more than $400/night!  So instead of 1 week in a studio, we had 2 weeks in a 2BR and 1 in a 1BR, all with kitchens.  The difference between a 2BR FK and a hotel room is priceless. I just smile as I make my trades knowing we can afford vacations because we own a timeshare.  I actually get excited when I make an exchange.  I admit to being obsessed with timesharing; DW says I'm addicted...


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## Jan M. (May 21, 2022)

jpsmit said:


> You are my new hero! 107 days! (and 23 already)
> 
> View attachment 55541
> 
> seriously, if you don't mind sharing - where are you going? what are you doing? Is it all timeshare? (do you have that many points?) Mrs JP & I are retiring in about 18 months and are planning to spend at least our first 6 months out of the country (in our case Canada) so, stories and suggestions are completely welcome!!



This trip is a mix of both Wyndham and RCI reservations. In addition to our 1.3M Wyndham points we own several weeks at the Vacation Village resort Grandview at Las Vegas that give us RCI points too.

3/6-8 - Wyndham Emerald Grand, Destin, Florida

3/8-11 - Wyndham Austin

3/11-18 - Worldmark New Braunfels, Texas (RCI)

3/18-25 - Wyndham Austin (RCI)

3/25-4/1 - Worldmark Marble Falls, Texas (RCI)

4/1-8 - Worldmark Hunt Stablewood Springs, Texas (RCI)

4/8-16 Wyndham La Cascada, San Antonio, Texas (RCI & Wyndham points)

4/16-23 - The Wharf, Hot Springs, Arkansas (RCI)

4/23-5/13 - Worldmark Lake of The Ozarks, Missouri (RCI) This is also a Wyndham resort.

5/13-30 - Wyndham Branson at The Meadows, Missouri

5/30-6/2 - Wyndham Nashville, Tennessee

6/2-11 - Wyndham Fairfield Mountains, Lake Lure, NC

6/11-18 - Summit Resort at Massanutten in Virginia (RCI)

6/18-20 - Wyndham Lake Marion, Santee, South Carolina

I could have and should have booked us more than one week at the same resort sooner in our trip. Lesson learned. Moving every week for six weeks until we got to Lake of The Ozarks was too much. It sounded great when I was planning but wasn't so great when we were doing it.

The five RCI weeks in Texas and the week in Arkansas were booked last fall but everything else was booked 30-60 days out.


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## TimMikel (May 21, 2022)

I so enjoy staying in 2br beachfront condos during prime season for the price of an interstate Comfort Inn.  And about 1/3 the price of a monthly rental.  Because of that, I never tell people how much I love timeshare because I can’t find any weeks to buy where and when I want to be there. Don’t need more competition for those weeks.


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## WManning (May 21, 2022)

Jan M. said:


> This trip is a mix of both Wyndham and RCI reservations. In addition to our 1.3M Wyndham points we own several weeks at the Vacation Village resort Grandview at Las Vegas that give us RCI points too.
> 
> 3/6-8 - Wyndham Emerald Grand, Destin, Florida
> 
> ...


Try Victory Kitchen while you are Lake Lure. Very friendly and great service.








						Victory Kitchen · 959 Buffalo Creek Rd, Lake Lure, NC 28746
					

★★★★★ · Restaurant




					www.google.com


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## Joe33426 (May 21, 2022)

Jan M. said:


> This trip is a mix of both Wyndham and RCI reservations. In addition to our 1.3M Wyndham points we own several weeks at the Vacation Village resort Grandview at Las Vegas that give us RCI points too.
> 
> 3/6-8 - Wyndham Emerald Grand, Destin, Florida
> 
> ...




Wow Jan!  This is awesome.   The longest that we’ve ever been “on the road” timesharing was about 5 weeks and 7 resorts later we were exhausted.   Your trip is almost 4 months long.   Stay safe and happy travels!!!


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## patwerner1 (May 21, 2022)

Another advantage is having the leftovers when we do eat out.
It is so much nicer to reheat some items in the oven (when available) over using a microwave - and using real dishes/silverware

Frankly I always liked not having daily service (vs hotels) - but with covid changes where some hotels only do service upon request now as well


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## skimeup (May 21, 2022)

20 years ago a friend introduced me to the concept of timesharing and warned me never to pay retail.  I am an opera nut and purchased a week at Inn at the Opera in San Francisco.  I have a one bedroom two bath across the street from the opera house, where the living area can be shut off into a bedroom.  I literally can go home at intermission with lots of time to spare (if I forget my binoculars or some such).  I can easily share the costs with friends and I love the (included) real brunch and the ability to reheat things in the microwave, especially when travelling by myself.  That led to more purchases and I love that I can go to opera and festivals in many cities for less than a hotel room or in a far nicer place for the same price.  With my Hyatt week, I am able to trade into very nice upscale timeshares  - as I've gotten older, sitting at a beachfront for awhile has become more appealing.  II works much better when you own something upscale.  I have dumped a few along the way, as airbnb has made scheduling easier and often far cheaper.  My kids are whizzes at finding great airbnbs or vrbos.  They are all at income levels where they can spring for what they want but I'm on a retired teacher salary so the ts makes it possible for me to pursue the music I like.  (Love the senior rush tickets!)

I loved my years of Royal Holiday but they changed contracts in the cities I love.  I'm looking forward now to some trades into Mexican beachfront properties.  Looking forward to staying places that have interesting day tours and good beaches.  Hoping some RCI points will do that for me!


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## chaparrusa (May 21, 2022)

THERE ARE TWO MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS ABOUT TIMESHARE 
WHEN YOU BUY ONE AND WHEN YOU GET RID OFF THAT ONE


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## Jan M. (May 21, 2022)

chaparrusa said:


> THERE ARE TWO MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS ABOUT TIMESHARE
> WHEN YOU BUY ONE AND WHEN YOU GET RID OFF THAT ONE



That was and will be the exact opposite for us and for many other owners too.

Buying our first timeshare points 20 years ago was a huge step for us and it took us months to stop freaking out over what we'd done. Once we got past that we've had 19 years and some months of being extremely happy timeshare owners.

In our years of staying at the timeshares we've met a number of older owners who know they are in their last year or two of being able to travel. Some of them were on one last stay. All of them had wonderful memories of their timesharing years. Not a one of them would have considered themselves in any way happy to see it coming to an end.

We've stayed at quite a few resorts through RCI where people have been owners for years and have become vacation friends with other owners who have the same weeks. As recently as last November we had an elderly couple offer to outright give us their weeks because they thought we were a good fit with the group and enjoyed meeting and talking to us. It's really sad when they have no family who would want the weeks or who they would want to give the weeks to. We felt really bad saying that at our ages we're good with what we have and it would be better if the weeks went to people younger than us. To people in their late 80's or in their 90's, we at 70 and 72 aren't old yet and have many more years of traveling ahead of us. From their lips to God's ears.


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## Sandy VDH (May 22, 2022)

I purchased my first TS as a single gal, at age 31.  Bought another one and rescinded and discovered resales.  By the age of 36 I got a back door deal that converted a few weeks, did an deed swap and PIC'd two weeks to get VIPP platinum with Wyndham (and got it written into the contract).  Got a TS that turned into a Hilton,  and purchased a resale from Hilton agent that qualified me for Elite status.  Got a TS that turned into Holiday Inn Vacation Club.  Got rid of 1 , still have 3 independents. Over the years  I have taken on 2 more TS that were given to me at no charge. 

Don't regret most of it.  Since I paid not much money, I just considered it a learning curve expense. 

Sandcastle in Ptown in the only real regret.  They will take it back but want 3 yrs of MF and some payment to do it.  May just have to do that on that one.

But I average 26 weeks of timesharing a year, between Friends, family and group trips that I organize for my friends.  I know I am spoiled.  But I like it that way.


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## remowidget (May 22, 2022)

jpsmit said:


> Here at Newport - and right now really really appreciating timeshares.
> 
> Had a horrible experince with a hotel in Albany that was so nasty (still trying to get our money back on that one) and then in its place a lovely but quite expensive Hilton.
> 
> ...


It's awesome someone posting something positive. We are currently in a 1 bedroom Oceanfront room for about $70 a night. We did spend a lot of money on our timeshare, but feel like we have gotten it back plus more.


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## jpsmit (May 22, 2022)

Jan M. said:


> This trip is a mix of both Wyndham and RCI reservations. In addition to our 1.3M Wyndham points we own several weeks at the Vacation Village resort Grandview at Las Vegas that give us RCI points too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



that is absolutely amazing! well done and doubly so for doing them (mostly) 30-60 days out. I also appreciate your comments about more than one week at one place. I used to be a total road warrior when it came to holidays (bathrooms?! bathrooms are for wussies - you can hold it till the next state.  ) Lately (the last decade or so) we have much preferred to stay put and explore. This in part because of the wonderfulness of TS. (please consider posting a bit of a travelog for the rest of us)

Interestingly while TS has spoiled us for regular hotels, a few years ago we walked the Camino de Santiago which spoiled us for just going somwehere and lying on a beach - so from both ends our habits have changed.


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## jpsmit (May 22, 2022)

Sandy VDH said:


> I purchased my first TS as a single gal, at age 31.  Bought another one and rescinded and discovered resales.  By the age of 36 I got a back door deal that converted a few weeks, did an deed swap and PIC'd two weeks to get VIPP platinum with Wyndham (and got it written into the contract).  Got a TS that turned into a Hilton,  and urchased a resale from Hilton agent that qualified me for Elite status.  Got a TS that turned into Holiday Inn Vacation Club.  Got rid of 1 , still have 3 independents. Over the years  I have taken on 2 more TS that were given to me at no charge.
> 
> Don't regret most of it.  Since I paid not much money, I just considered it a learning curve expense.
> 
> ...



Don't even understand all that TS sleight of hand but anyone who is averaging 26 weeks a year is a complete hero in my books - well done!


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## jpsmit (May 22, 2022)

remowidget said:


> It's awesome someone posting something positive. We are currently in a 1 bedroom Oceanfront room for about $70 a night. We did spend a lot of money on our timeshare, but feel like we have gotten it back plus more.



Thanks! I think sometimes we get caught up in the tackiness of the industry, especially when perhaps the most important function of this entire forum has evolved to helping people avoid being taken advantage of. We first considered TS when DVC points were about $50 each - we probably should have gone for it then but, it was too big a stretch even at that price. We joined TUG in 2007 (when South African TS's were all the rage) and started renting about that time. Through which we connected with another member who offered us a couple of Wyndham Contracts in 2019. We got 6 months of use of our own TS before the world shut down and have been pushing stuff forward ever since.

This past April was our first holiday out of country since Feb 2020 (Feb 2020 was Star Island) April 2022 was Hilton head - Coral Sands. Now Newport Onshore, October is Club Wyndham Royal Vista Ft Lauderdale and then our normal 2 weeks at Bonnet Creek in Orlando.

We managed to get ours cheap but, I have also learned the hard way that letting go and enjoying is the way to go - this doesn't come naturally - my theme song is most often "My Way" - Regrets I have a lot - but then again too many to mention." 

I remember years ago there was a conversation on this very forum about the economics of Timesharing. How do you average it was the question. One (wise) person came on and said, simple, 'it costs a lot the first year' and much less each year after. I appreciate this attitude.

It still feels a little embarrasing to say we are timeshare owners to friends who aren't - because of the reputation of the industry - but, when we send a pic of the view from the balcony taken while sitting on said balcony with an adult beverage and when we walk out of said timeshare and stroll a few yards to the closest restaurant and when we make a coffee and breakfast in the kitchen and plunk down on the couch as my spouse is still dozing in bed and especially when I drive out of the parking lot to come home and realize that it has been paid for by the 'vacation layaway' I am a very happy puppy!

PS where are you staying?


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## geist1223 (May 22, 2022)

We just got back from a 2.5 weeks of a timeshare Road Trip. First day drive from Home to Reno NV. RON. Next day drive from Reno to St George UT. Spend 1 week. Tour Bryce Canyon,  Zion, Desert Garden, etc. Spend day driving from St George to Santa Fe NM. Went Northern Route on small Roads in UT, AZ,  and NM. Spent 1 week in Santa Fe. Spent a lot of time walking around Santa Fe visiting the stores, restaurants, churches, and museums. Did a Day Trip to Taos and a day trip to Bernalillo to visit an Ancient Pueblo. Drove to St George. Took a more southern route. Visited the Navajo Bridge. RON. Drive to Reno. Spent 2 nights. Drove home today. Almost 4,000 miles. Averaged just over 20 MPG in a 2014 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab Pickup with an big 8 cylinder engine.


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## TheHolleys87 (May 23, 2022)

geist1223 said:


> We just got back from a 2.5 weeks of a timeshare Road Trip. First day drive from Home to Reno NV. RON. Next day drive from Reno to St George UT. Spend 1 week. Tour Bryce Canyon,  Zion, Desert Garden, etc. Spend day driving from St George to Santa Fe NM. Went Northern Route on small Roads in UT, AZ,  and NM. Spent 1 week in Santa Fe. Spent a lot of time walking around Santa Fe visiting the stores, restaurants, churches, and museums. Did a Day Trip to Taos and a day trip to Bernalillo to visit an Ancient Pueblo. Drove to St George. Took a more southern route. Visited the Navajo Bridge. RON. Drive to Reno. Spent 2 nights. Drove home today. Almost 4,000 miles. Averaged just over 20 MPG in a 2014 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab Pickup with an big 8 cylinder engine.


What a wonderful itinerary! I’d love to do it some day.

But what does RON stand for? It’s too early in the morning, I can’t figure it out!


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## everdave (May 23, 2022)

After doing some research and reading up, about 8 years ago I bought an annual timeshare week in Destin for $50. Had no idea if this was the worst idea ever - had never even been to the place I had bought at! Luckily we loved it and I now own 5 annual weeks. Technically I could deposit and exchange but me and the kids love our place - the staff know the kids names, it's just like a second home. 

People always asking "how do you go to the beach so often?" - well I promise you my maintenance fees are probably less (and I know it is less now) for 5 units than one week in a nice hotel in the panhandle. And ten times less stressful. It has been life changing.


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## geist1223 (May 23, 2022)

RON - Remain Over Night. Old military aviation term.


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## jpsmit (May 25, 2022)

Great stories all, thanks! Let me expand the conversation a bit - could you tell me how you spend you days? especially on the longer journies.

Our home resort is Bonnet Creek, partly because it is Mrs JP's favourite resort and partly because of its proximity to the mouse. That said as we ease into retirement and feel less need to spend crazy money at Disney. I start to wonder how to fill days. Not a big shopper and don't need more stuff even if I did. I am only good for so much (not much) lie by the pool time. We used to live in Orlando so have seen the sights 

what next?


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## r4rab (May 26, 2022)

geist1223 said:


> We just got back from a 2.5 weeks of a timeshare Road Trip. First day drive from Home to Reno NV. RON. Next day drive from Reno to St George UT. Spend 1 week. Tour Bryce Canyon,  Zion, Desert Garden, etc. Spend day driving from St George to Santa Fe NM. Went Northern Route on small Roads in UT, AZ,  and NM. Spent 1 week in Santa Fe. Spent a lot of time walking around Santa Fe visiting the stores, restaurants, churches, and museums. Did a Day Trip to Taos and a day trip to Bernalillo to visit an Ancient Pueblo. Drove to St George. Took a more southern route. Visited the Navajo Bridge. RON. Drive to Reno. Spent 2 nights. Drove home today. Almost 4,000 miles. Averaged just over 20 MPG in a 2014 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab Pickup with an big 8 cylinder engine.



We're slated to go to Taos (and will tour surrounding area) for a week in about a month but have some concerns about the fires & air quality. How were things in the Santa Fe, Taos areas with regards to smoke, fire, etc.? TIA


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## bnoble (May 26, 2022)

jpsmit said:


> I start to wonder how to fill days.


I find that vacation is a good time to catch up on some pleasure reading---usually in lovely environments. Being away from home means not having the thought in the back of my mind that I should be "doing something" around the house. So, instead, I can focus on enjoying a good book. Being on vacation means I can enjoy that book on the beach, or a deck overlooking the mountains, instead of in my living room.


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## Catira (May 26, 2022)

We bought our first timeshare to be able to travel and stay in bigger accommodations. This also forced us to think ahead and plan at least one week of vacation. Otherwise DH would continue to work non stop. When children were younger we greatly appreciated the space and of course having a kitchen for quick meals as well as a washer/dryer. 
Now that our kiddos are older, we still enjoy family time. They get their own room and we of course have ours. If they want to sleep in that’s fine as DH is an early riser. A big benefit is the ability to invite family members along and get to explore different places.


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## geist1223 (May 26, 2022)

r4rab said:


> We're slated to go to Taos (and will tour surrounding area) for a week in about a month but have some concerns about the fires & air quality. How were things in the Santa Fe, Taos areas with regards to smoke, fire, etc.? TIA



We did not have problem with smoke. When we were deciding between Taos and Santa Fe we decided there was more to do in Santa Fe than Taos. And Taos could be done in a day trip.


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## WyndhamBarter (May 26, 2022)

r4rab said:


> We're slated to go to Taos (and will tour surrounding area) for a week in about a month but have some concerns about the fires & air quality. How were things in the Santa Fe, Taos areas with regards to smoke, fire, etc.? TIA


I see four yellow circles just south of Santa Fe on this air quality map right now.  Nothing but green near Taos.

https://www.iqair.com/air-quality-map/usa/new-mexico/santa-fe

(I use this site a lot during California wildfires)


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## 90_Min_Sales_Pitch (May 27, 2022)

jpsmit said:


> Great stories all, thanks! Let me expand the conversation a bit - could you tell me how you spend you days? especially on the longer journies.
> 
> Our home resort is Bonnet Creek, partly because it is Mrs JP's favourite resort and partly because of its proximity to the mouse. That said as we ease into retirement and feel less need to spend crazy money at Disney. I start to wonder how to fill days. Not a big shopper and don't need more stuff even if I did. I am only good for so much (not much) lie by the pool time. We used to live in Orlando so have seen the sights
> 
> what next?



We purchased Club Wyndham Sedona, to pair with the local film and wine festivals.  We also like the jeep tours there, the art galleries, and proximity to national parks.

For Hilton, we only get 4 weeknights at a time, but hope to pair it with conventions and concerts in Las Vegas, or on a return flight back.  We're also mixing it into 2 stop vacations, such as Charleston, SC, after meeting family in Savannah, GA.  It is not meant to be as relaxing, but a nice stop a part of a larger trip.

I may do a couple presentations in the near future, outside Wyndham and Hilton, once we're on the ground.  Might be funny to pretend we just purchased 2 timeshares, full retail, because we haven't done well under pressure.


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## geist1223 (May 27, 2022)

Visit Museums, historical sites, Jewelry Stores, try different foods, drive the country side, local Farmer Markets, Art Festivals.


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## OutSkiing (May 28, 2022)

Jan M. said:


> 5/13-30 - Wyndham Branson at The Meadows, Missouri


We must have crossed paths at Branson at the Meadows. We were there from 5/22 - 5/25. The weather was much cooler than expected. We went to the Variety show Monday night .. a pleasant surprise at how many top performers come out to basically advertize their shows .. a worthwhile event to see a cross section of entertainment.

Now we’re in Austin .. stopped into Rainey street last night and visited a ‘Wierd Museum’ with mummies, a frozen creature and lots of other unusual things in the ‘dirty’ section of 6th street.  Next week will be at La Cassada San Antonio.

We do breakfasts in the room and I always grill out when the resort has a grill. Other in room meals too.

Bob


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## jpsmit (May 28, 2022)

Great ideas - thanks and keep them coming


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## Icc5 (May 29, 2022)

We currently own in 4 systems.  Started with one about 32 years ago when we were newly married a few years before with a 6 year old from wife's first marriage and then we had our son.  After staying in a hotel room a few times we decided to buy a timeshare.  As I had been single before this I owned a house already and had savings and investments.  My wife also had a house which we combined the two houses, bought a new house and had the funds to pay in full for the timeshare with no payments.
Started traveling as a family and loved trading into new places.  Both of us gained more vacation time at work, bought another timeshare (this time fixed week,2 bedroom.  More travel,more vacation time,more family time and chance for kids to see the USA from coast to coast.
During the next 10 years added 2 more timeshares off secondary market,all paid in full.  Much more travel and most meals ate in our units.  Planning of everything became easier,several family reunions,trips to see Disneyland and Disneyworld.  Tying cruise stays to weeks before or after cruises, days here and there,bonus time, booked guests for weddings,joint family vacations with other family members ownin timeshares also.  Big family bbq's at different resorts.  
Here we are 30+ years later doing Europe trips,enjoying retirement, kids sometimes book resorts for ski trips, we've given trips as wedding gifts, still using our time,trading,etc.  Saves money from eating out all the time when traveling,convenience of laundry in most units,refreshing pools, travels with Grandaughter,kids sometimes.
Timeshares have helped us have a wonderful life while seeing and affording seeing the world,visiting and sharing with people we love and all on grocery industry wages/pensions.  Couldn't have afforded our life's any other way and looking back would have carbon copied the way we did it.
Bart


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