# Are timeshares for us?



## ehlfg (Jan 9, 2007)

Hello, all -- discovered this forum last month and have had a very interesting time reading through threads here.

We're definitely new to the concept of timeshares.  In fact, we haven't attended a single sales presentation.  What I've read here at TUG is the sum total of my knowledge of timeshares.  We have enjoyed renting a few days at a timeshare property (Marriott Grand Residence at South Lake Tahoe).  That was pretty nice, so I have a pretty favorable impression of timeshare amenities based on that experience.

After reading many threads here, it sounds like timeshares are a great way to vacation.

However, it's not very clear whether timeshares would work well for us.  In fact, I think the answer is no -- timeshares _aren't_ for us.

Here are some reasons:


We take vacations only at peak season, when school is out.

That rules out nice trades during low season.  We have two kids, one still in elementary school, so I don't see that changing for some time.


Looking at our past vacations, we've _never_ stayed in one place for a week or more.

We typically plan and take one "big" vacation a year.  Last year, we went to the UK (England, Wales, Scotland) for three weeks.  Next year, we'll be in China for a bit over two weeks.  Previously, we've toured Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, Norway) for three weeks.  In each case, we stay in one location for two to five days and then move on.

That means that we wouldn't ever trade for full weeks, so a points-based system sounds better than a weeks-based one.  However, for timesharing we'd then have to book reservations that match our traveling itinerary.  For stays under a week, we'd also have to make the reservations in Open Season, no?  I don't know how easy it would be to set up such reservations and link them into a reasonable itinerary.


We sometimes do take trips to a single location, but those are for a few days and taken on shorter notice.

For example, we just spent five nights in Honolulu before Christmas and will be taking a ski trip to Whistler over President's Day weekend (both peak season, I believe).  Both trips were planned on a month or so notice, based in part on how my work schedule looked.


People say that timesharing provides better accommodations for families, but we haven't had any problems so far in renting equivalent accommodations.

For example, during our last UK trip we had a 2BR/2BA flat in London for five nights and a 2BR/2BA unit in an Edinburgh aparthotel for three nights.  Both were well-located and suited us well.  In a prior four-night ski trip stay, we enjoyed a 1BR/2BA unit at the Marriott Grand Residence -- and we made the booking for the week before Christmas (peak season) maybe a month and a half in advance.

We're probably paying more per night, but we don't have to work the trades, pay the upfront acquisition fee, or deal with the MFs and special assessments.


We're currently using airline miles and hotel points.

Both our last UK and upcoming China trips are done completely using airline miles for business-class tickets.  Those are in short supply, so we've needed significant advance planning and date flexibility.  That's enough of a pain by itself, but I imagine that the pain would multiply if I additionally try to coordinate award tickets with timeshare trades.

Most of our hotel points are with Starwood, which has a very nice redemption policy.  If standard rooms are available for purchase, they're available for award bookings.  So I just last week made an award booking for five nights at the Westin Whistler over President's Day's weekend.  I'm not sure that I'd be able to do a similar shorter-notice, peak-season booking using timeshare trades.


We like a variety of accommodations, not just apartments.

During our UK trip, we did have some flat/apartment rentals in London and Edinburgh.  But we also stayed at a 16th-century inn at Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds and at a supremely isolated Scottish farmhouse B&B on the western coast.  I doubt that there even are any timeshare accommodations in those areas. We've enjoyed having the variety of accommodations and locations.


I can imagine longer stays in a single location each summer, but that sounds more like a second home (which isn't feasible now) rather than a weeks-based timeshare.

That is, I can imagine heading off with the family for a month or so in summer.  The family would get a vacation, while I'd just be doing my normal work (feasible if I have broadband, telephone, and access to an airport for last-minute travel). Perhaps that would match with a fractional, but we'd also want to be able to bring our pets.  That's a no-no at many timeshares, no?

Based on the above, my conclusion is that timeshares aren't for us.  Or am I missing something?


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## Denise L (Jan 9, 2007)

Wow, you have a lot of great vacations every year, that is fantastic!

I agree with you that timesharing is probably not right for you. You may find more flexibility in renting at the last moment and varying the type of accommodations you have.  The way you currently travel sounds great to me!


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## johnmfaeth (Jan 9, 2007)

Hi,

Many travellers have the feeling that their are so many places to see, never go to the same place twice. I think that is also a point you are making and one that flys in the face of ownership, even points. 

I always shared that opinion until I found the one perfect place that kept luring me back. Went from hotels to rental houses and then discovered timeshares as the way to get there once a year IN ADDITION TO my regular vacation whirlwind. Found out the wife was getting sick of my "vacations" as exhausting and loved the idea of one week just sitting on the beach and driving around snorkeling at our "Mecca" - St. John - substitute your own place name when you find it someday.

Just something to consider for the future, not now from what you have stated.

What may make sense now is RENTING timeshares as part of your planning. Even if you are staying somewhere for as little as 4 nights. A weeks rental from an owner is usually far cheaper than paying for just 4 nights at hotel rates plus taxes, fees, etc. When I discovered timeshares as a much cheaper alternative for visiting my favorite place, I bought because renting wasn't (largely) an option 6-7 years ago.

The wife, again gets mention for a great quote that slipped out spontaneously over dinner with friends "A timeshare is just like a really nice room at a nice hotel except with a tear in the wallpaper". If a 6 inch tear in the wallpaper happens at a Westin hotel, the room will often be taken off line and repaired properly, the same thing at a Westin timeshare and it will be patched (maybe) until the next scheduled refurb. Frankly, timeshares get less maintenance than better hotels, they know they have you either way unless it's terrible.

Hope these thoughts help!

John


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## Phill12 (Jan 9, 2007)

ehlfg said:


> Hello, all -- discovered this forum last month and have had a very interesting time reading through threads here.
> 
> 
> ==========================================================
> ...


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## Carol C (Jan 9, 2007)

You sound like a good candidate for a points program, like RCI Points. You might want to keep reading up on the Points forum here on TUG before you rule out timeshare. Of course buy your points on the resale market. (There seem to be lots of deals on points resorts on ebay lately, FYI.) Happy trails!


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## PeelBoy (Jan 9, 2007)

IMHO, you don't need time share because of lack of flexibility.  I have the same travel habits like yours, except that without kids, I can travel off season.  Timeshare is great because I can turn my points from 1 week to almost 5. Booking prime red weeks during school holidays is a nightmare, so lately I bought a red fixed summer week on Myrtle Beach so that I can go there every year.

One interesting thing is you have 2 kids.  Lots of families with children will go to a fixed location every year, because "dragging" kids along during peak season is a very exhausting challenge.


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## Sir Newf (Jan 9, 2007)

OK- 1 Question since you're reading about timeshare- there has to be a little inkling that you want 'in'....
Why do you think it IS right for you/your family? (I get the sense $ is not a huge factor).
...by the way- we have the same vacation habits (except-no kids, so very flexible) and TS has been incredible and it's just our 2nd year...


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## turkel (Jan 9, 2007)

I have two school age children, only travel in peak season.  It works if you know how to plan it  ( or not plan it).  You either need to plan at least a yr in advance or take last minute trades when it works for you. 

 I bought a resort I could drive to and use if I need to, but so far I have only traded and it has been working great no regrets I have to say I do spend at least a minimal amount of time checking II daily and when I really want to go somewhere I have been known to check 5 times a day.  It takes less than 5 min each time.

My timeshare has become my passion my husband says it is an obsession.  But he even agrees now that we would not travel as we do with out one or at such an economical rate.

Do what you know is right for you and yours and enjoy your travels only you can decide if a timeshare is right for you.


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## BocaBum99 (Jan 10, 2007)

Not necessarily so.

Before timesharing, I thought that 7-night stays wouldn't be for me.  Now that I've done it multiple times, I have found that I love it.

People often times adjust what they do based on what is available to them in terms of options.  More options means more choice.  More choice means you will gravitate toward what most suits your needs.

I wouldn't rule out timeshares.  I would just rent them for now.  If you find you aren't renting them that much, then they probably aren't for you.


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## JudyS (Jan 10, 2007)

johnmfaeth said:


> ...The wife, again gets mention for a great quote that slipped out spontaneously over dinner with friends "A timeshare is just like a really nice room at a nice hotel except with a tear in the wallpaper". If a 6 inch tear in the wallpaper happens at a Westin hotel, the room will often be taken off line and repaired properly, the same thing at a Westin timeshare and it will be patched (maybe) until the next scheduled refurb. Frankly, timeshares get less maintenance than better hotels, they know they have you either way unless it's terrible....


I haven't had any problems with maintenance in my 10 or so timeshare stays.  Then again, I've only stayed at Gold Crown/ 5 Star resorts so far, with most rated above a 9 by TUG members.

To the OP -- I love my timeshares.  However, my travel patterns are different than yours.  I think you probably could get some nice units that would suit your needs via timeshare trades, but it would involve some work.  If you do decide to buy a timeshare, I'd suggest buying in a points-based system that you plan to use, rather than trade.


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## ehlfg (Jan 10, 2007)

Thanks to everyone for the feedback.  Very useful!

Although some folks seem able to use timeshares work well with similar travel patterns, my overall impression is that we're probably better off just renting and using hotels for the moment for reasons of better flexibility.



			
				Denise L said:
			
		

> I agree with you that timesharing is probably not right for you. You may find more flexibility in renting at the last moment and varying the type of accommodations you have. The way you currently travel sounds great to me!
> January 8, 2007 09:29 PM



Yes, renting seems to be best for flexibility right now (given the current rental market).  We're probably paying more, but we don't have to deal with the upfront costs and long-term commitment for timeshares.



			
				johnmfaeth said:
			
		

> Many travellers have the feeling that their are so many places to see, never go to the same place twice. I think that is also a point you are making and one that flys in the face of ownership, even points.
> 
> I always shared that opinion until I found the one perfect place that kept luring me back. Went from hotels to rental houses and then discovered timeshares as the way to get there once a year IN ADDITION TO my regular vacation whirlwind. Found out the wife was getting sick of my "vacations" as exhausting and loved the idea of one week just sitting on the beach and driving around snorkeling at our "Mecca" - St. John - substitute your own place name when you find it someday.
> 
> Just something to consider for the future, not now from what you have stated.



You know, I think you nailed it.  That's _exactly_ how I feel.  There are so many places that we'd still like to visit -- China, Japan, India, Australia, Italy [again], Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, French Polynesia, ....  It's hard to imagine running out of them.

Lest I leave a false impression, we're hardly seasoned travelers.  In fact, there were many years where we weren't able to travel at all.  So we might be making up a bit of lost time.

The vacation whirlwind can be exhausting, so perhaps we'll change our patterns in a few years.

By the way, I love your wife's story about the wallpaper tear!



			
				SOFTBALLDAD3 said:
			
		

> We found we were wasting more time and money with a timeshare and having to let RCI tell us where we could stay. We found ourselves losing vacation time because of no trades. We traveled like you to Hawaii and other places and spent less than hour booking what we wanted and when we wanted to go.
> 
> The last year we dealt with Rci they had our three bedroom for over a year and told us we would get two bedroom in Maui in one of our three choices in couple weeks from time we gave them our unit. Fourteen months and about 40 phone calls later our friends booked a hotel because we were running out of time. Rci called us three weeks from time we were to go with a bad apartment unit that mostly had full time people living there, but we could look across the hwy and see nice timeshares. Lucky for us we spent most of the time with our friends at their hotel.
> 
> ...



I'm sorry to hear about all the problems you've had with trades.  The RCI Maui experience sounds particularly horrible.

The time and effort required to make trades work is definitely a negative.  Renting and hotel rooms seem much easier, though more expensive.  I guess that's the tradeoff.

In a sense, it sounds like having a significant rental market is a mixed blessing.  It's nice for the owners that do rent (by helping pay for MFs) and for renters like myself, but not so good for the trade market.  Is trade inventory better in points-based systems?



			
				Carol C said:
			
		

> You sound like a good candidate for a points program, like RCI Points. You might want to keep reading up on the Points forum here on TUG before you rule out timeshare. Of course buy your points on the resale market. (There seem to be lots of deals on points resorts on ebay lately, FYI.) Happy trails!



Yes, points systems seem a better match in terms of flexibility.  I'll have to do more reading about them.

I must admit that I don't really understand the points systems, however.  For some reason, I'm not really comfortable with the concept yet.

I somewhat understand non-points deeded timeshares.  My impression is that they're shared ownership of real property, like tenants-in-common.  You own a share of a unit or type of unit at a particular complex, pay your share of the common maintenance expenses, and can trade your usage based on the supply/demand for your particular type of unit, season, and resort.  If the worst happens and liquidation looms, you'll get your share of the liquidation proceeds.

I somewhat understand right-to-use timeshares.  My impression is that you have transferable contractual rights to usage for a set period of time and contractual obligations to pay for shared maintenance.  Again, you can trade your usage based on the supply/demand of your particular type of unit, season, and resort.  Upon expiration of the RTU, you simply walk away.

I don't really understand how points systems work, either deeded or right-to-use.  In a deeded system, you buy shared ownership of real property (as before).  But it sounds like there's a contractual provision that a particular unit type/season/resort is worth a certain number of points.

So people say "points are points" and seemingly try to buy points at the lowest cost and with the lowest maintenance fee. From that perspective, it makes no sense to buy (for example) Hilton Hawaiian Village because the cost per point is double buying the same amount of points elsewhere.

But how can this system hold up over time?  Can't the actual demand for a particular resort can change greatly over time, for example due to overbuilding in the surrounding location?

I can see how trade power would adjust accordingly in a weeks system -- your trade power would decrease to reflect the overbuilding.  But I don't see how a points system would accurately reflect actual changes in demand, if the points are written into the contract.  My impression from some posts is that new resorts might have increased point values as a result, but I don't understand how that alone can compensate.

Don't some timeshare owners eventually get unfair valuations?  That is, increased point values in new resorts would devalue the existing resorts equally -- regardless of actual demand.  For example, take two properties (A and B) both worth 7000 points.  Say that the actual demand for A remains the same, but the demand for B plummets due to overbuilding in its area.  If points in new resorts are increased to handle the decreasing value of B, isn't property A unfairly penalized?

I guess there's no conflict if you take the position that you're just buying points.  But you're actually still buying a deeded property, no?  Shouldn't your trade value reflect the property you bought?

Am I misunderstanding how points systems work?



			
				PeelBoy said:
			
		

> IMHO, you don't need time share because of lack of flexibility. I have the same travel habits like yours, except that without kids, I can travel off season. Timeshare is great because I can turn my points from 1 week to almost 5. Booking prime red weeks during school holidays is a nightmare, so lately I bought a red fixed summer week on Myrtle Beach so that I can go there every year.
> 
> One interesting thing is you have 2 kids. Lots of families with children will go to a fixed location every year, because "dragging" kids along during peak season is a very exhausting challenge.



Sounds like being restricted to peak season travel would make it much harder for us to get good value from a timeshare.

It's sometimes a challenge to "drag" the kids along (especially if shots and foreign languages are involved), but we're looking at it as an educational experience.  So far, it hasn't been too bad.



			
				Sir Newf said:
			
		

> OK- 1 Question since you're reading about timeshare- there has to be a little inkling that you want 'in'....
> Why do you think it IS right for you/your family? (I get the sense $ is not a huge factor).
> ...by the way- we have the same vacation habits (except-no kids, so very flexible) and TS has been incredible and it's just our 2nd year...



Well, there are at least two reasons for my being here.

One is simply that many people get a lot of value from timeshares, so perhaps there's something to it for us as well.

The second is that we do visit Honolulu semi-regularly, because I have family roots (and current family) there.  We try to make it back to Hawaii every year or so, though sometimes just for a day or so on short notice.

I guess the little inkling was at least in part wondering whether a timeshare would be a reasonable way of handling our visits to Honolulu.  But we usually stay for a very short time -- maybe a couple of days -- on shorter notice.  It's not something that we plan out a year in advance.



			
				turkel said:
			
		

> I have two school age children, only travel in peak season. It works if you know how to plan it ( or not plan it). You either need to plan at least a yr in advance or take last minute trades when it works for you.
> 
> I bought a resort I could drive to and use if I need to, but so far I have only traded and it has been working great no regrets I have to say I do spend at least a minimal amount of time checking II daily and when I really want to go somewhere I have been known to check 5 times a day. It takes less than 5 min each time.



Sounds like you're in a similar spot and have gotten timeshares to work for you.  That's good to hear.  I guess the cost is planning ahead (or hoping that for good last minute trades).

Thanks again for all the great feedback!


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## ehlfg (Jan 10, 2007)

BocaBum99 said:


> Not necessarily so.
> 
> Before timesharing, I thought that 7-night stays wouldn't be for me.  Now that I've done it multiple times, I have found that I love it.
> 
> ...



Well, we have rented timeshares, but only for 3- and 4-night stays (Marriott and Sunterra).  Those were fine, but we haven't really tried a 7-night timeshare stay yet.  So I guess that we haven't really had the full timeshare experience yet.


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## ehlfg (Jan 10, 2007)

JudyS said:


> To the OP -- I love my timeshares.  However, my travel patterns are different than yours.  I think you probably could get some nice units that would suit your needs via timeshare trades, but it would involve some work.  If you do decide to buy a timeshare, I'd suggest buying in a points-based system that you plan to use, rather than trade.



Thanks for the suggestion.  The flexibility of points do seem nice, though I still need to do some more reading to understand how they work.


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## wackymother (Jan 10, 2007)

I've been thinking about this post. I've been trying to figure out why some of us are so into the whole timeshare thing and why many of my friends think I'm INSANE! What do I have that they don't have? 

The shopping gene. 

I love to shop. I love to compare prices. I love to feel that I got a great deal. Timeshares are perfect for me: the planning ahead, the daily checking of possible exchanges, the wheeling and dealing, the staying in a nice place and feeling that I paid a great price for it. 

My friends who think I'm a nutjob are more like the OP. They have some money, they have some flexibility, they like to make last-minute plans and go where their fancy takes them. They don't need to feel that they squeezed every bit of value out of every dollar. They want to go where they want to go, and they go there, and they enjoy it. 

Of course then there are the timeshare people who buy at exactly the place they want to go when they want to go, and they go there every year and enjoy it, too. I can identify with those people, too. But it's the real shoppers who turn up on TUG!   I salute you, my fellow shoppers.


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## ROCKJenkins (Jan 10, 2007)

*So Sorry  ...... your a terrible canidate for a timeshare*

but we'd also want to be able to bring our pets. That's a no-no at many timeshares, no?
___________________________________________

timeshare is just like a really nice room at a nice hotel except with a tear in the wallpaper". If a 6 inch tear in the wallpaper happens at a Westin hotel, the room will often be taken off line and repaired properly, the same thing at a Westin timeshare and it will be patched (maybe) until the next scheduled refurb. Frankly, timeshares get less maintenance than better hotels, they know they have you either way unless it's terrible.
___________________________________________





YES...... bringing pets is a BIG NO NO  at 95% of the timeshare industries.  

Although the wallpaper comment might be a true statement for some timeshares (and for some hotels) one must wonder why it's mentioned to someone who wants to bring animals. 

If you would be so kind as to allow me I would like to say that 95% of the (BETTER) hotel that might worry about the wallpaper just might also WORRY about their guest's pets.

Rock


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## ehlfg (Jan 10, 2007)

ROCKJenkins said:


> If you would be so kind as to allow me I would like to say that 95% of the (BETTER) hotel that might worry about the wallpaper just might also WORRY about their guest's pets.



We haven't yet taken our pets when traveling.   The pet comment came up when I was musing about having a place that felt more like a second home rather than vacation lodging.

By the way, Starwood hotels (including all Sheraton, all Westin, all W, and some St. Regis) are supposed to take dogs.  They even provide comfy dog beds and dog treats.  That's not just reluctantly putting up with dogs, that's rolling out the red carpet.  Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton accept small pets, under 25 and 30 pounds respectively.  See, for example, this list of pet-friendly hotel chains.  In addition, many individual upscale and luxury hotels appear to take dogs.

I remember seeing a Starwood press release noting that a survey of pet owners showed that they felt better traveling with their pets and would show more loyalty to a pet-friendly hotel chain.


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## stmartinfan (Jan 10, 2007)

We bought our timeshare when our kids were very young, and we were renting apartment-style units to have the conenience of a kitchen and separate bedroom area.  At that stage, we were also enjoying spending a week at the same location, mostly a beach, because it was too difficult to do an "on the go" vacation with our young kids.  We also feel in love with the location - St. Maarten - and knew we wanted to return.  We are able to swap for the week we need, or to go to other locations like Aruba, within our resort system.

Now that our kids are teens, we usually do longer summer vacations where we enjoy exploring Europe or regions of the U.S, using hotels or rented apartments to stay in major cities.  But we use our timeshare for spring break.  For us, it's become a family tradition, and returning to our resort is like "going home."  It's also nice for us all to just spend a week relaxing on the beach, and not having to do the research and planning that our summer trips require.  We revisit favorite places, check out new restaurants, and catch up with favorite staff at the resort.


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## rhonda (Jan 10, 2007)

ehlfg -

My husband and I enjoy a wide variety of travel experiences (last minute bargains, cruises, award travel, etc) -- but also enjoy timeshare.  Timeshare _changed_ our travel style from "just the two of us" to often sharing the experience with friends and family.  We now do far more "group travel" than we would have attempted without the timeshare component.

I'd like to echo the idea of _considering_ a nearby (drive-to) property to call "home."  Something to _use_ more than trade; a place to build family memories through repeat visits; perhaps a place offering day-use access for year-round enjoyment.  If it doesn't tie up much cash -- it _extends_ your recreational options rather than replacing the freedom you now appreciate.

When considering drive-to locations look for special features offered to local owners.

Our favorite timeshare is a unique product built around a country-club model.  It is located in the far back-country of San Diego (a 90-minute drive for us) offering golf, equestrian, hot springs, tennis, spa, sky sailing, an RV park and 2500 acres to explore by foot, bike or horseback.  Our dues include access to the ranch for day-use (for owners and several guests).  Overnight stays are "pay as you go" with different rate structures for owners, extended family and guests.   The ranch has several pet-friendly rooms and provides horse boarding both for owners and guests.  It is affiliated with Interval International (II) for exchange purposes.  

Historically, we've used our ownership for day-use (lots of it!), weekends by ourselves, and large family gatherings (booking several cabins at a time, typically 2-4 nights, weekends).   We  haven't spent much time on the golf-course -- but we adore the "independent rider" program at the equestrian center.  My SIL spends her time on the tennis courts, my father at the pool table, my nephews on the soccer field ... and we all spend hours floating in the large hot-springs pool.  (Ohh, ahh!)  We've banked one week with II just for fun (an added bonus, great flexibility) -- but certainly this property serves "nearby owners" and makes no sense if you couldn't visit the ranch frequently.  

Perhaps there is something similar near you??


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## rhonda (Jan 10, 2007)

Another possible twist on "nearby" resort ownership:  split week options?

At least one resort near me (SoCal area) allows floating week owners to split their stay: 3 nights on one visit, 4 nights on the other.  These reservations cannot be exchanged through RCI/II -- but are very handy for the local owner looking for short-getaways to a familiar location.


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## ROCKJenkins (Jan 11, 2007)

*Your list of Pet Friendly hotels should be well received*

By the way, Starwood hotels (including all Sheraton, all Westin, all W, and some St. Regis) are supposed to take dogs. They even provide comfy dog beds and dog treats. That's not just reluctantly putting up with dogs, that's rolling out the red carpet. Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton accept small pets, under 25 and 30 pounds respectively. See, for example, this list of pet-friendly hotel chains. In addition, many individual upscale and luxury hotels appear to take dogs.
__________________________________________________


Your list of Pet Friendly Hotels should be very useful to those families that love to travel with their extended families of various Pets.

I realize that the wall-paper comment was only conveying some resorts terrific maintence and upkeep of their properties.    One must wonder if any of these rooms would rent for under $100.00 a night in any major vacation destination. 

WHY DO I WONDER?

   .....Well... after a  Panama Cruise out of Pt. Everglade, Florida with my wife's family December 17th thru December 30th we decided to stay a few days longer  for the New Years parties in Key West, Florida.  I settled on a 2 bdrm for four of us for $418.00 a night at the Hyatt BeachHouse.  The remaining 12 other member of the family found various hotels in and around Key West for a little over $100.00.  The family would grouped together at various times of the day at these different motels. We found these $100 dollar rooms to be horrible nightmares.....

These rooms were .....small....dark ...SMELLY DUNGENS.....and WORSE YET.......     

 ..........................NO WALLPAPER. 



But what counts is that they were very happy.:whoopie: 

Rock


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## travelguy (Jan 12, 2007)

*Vacation Club or Destination Club*

To the OP - Have you considered Vacation Clubs (ex: Hilton Grand Vacation Club) and Destination Clubs (ex: High Country Club)?

Advantages of Hilton Grand Vacation Club for your situation:
Multiple resort locations worldwide
Fairly easy peak period reservations WITH advanced planning
Purchase as many points as you need to get the time you need
Partial week travel
Great quality of resort
Very affordable @ resale pricing


Advantages of High Country Club for your situation:
Multiple resort locations worldwide
Additional resort locations added MONTHLY
VERY easy peak period reservations with advanced planning
Memberships of 3 weeks to 6 1/2 weeks
Million dollar residences (forget the torn wallpaper!)
Only $30K to $50K for up to 6 1/2 weeks (total, not per week)

Many more advantages but these fit your travel patterns.

Something to consider!


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## johnmfaeth (Jan 12, 2007)

Hi,

Used the wallpaper quote as an easy distinction between hotel and timeshare at the same resort, nothing to do with pets implied.

John


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## ehlfg (Jan 13, 2007)

Thanks again for all the feedback.  

Based on the responses so far (and a recent thread on the Exchanging forum on the changing environment for exchanges due to rentals), it doesn't sound worthwhile for us to buy timeshares as traders.  We'll continue renting and using hotels for now, but a timeshare or fractional could be attractive in the future as a place mostly to use (rather than trade). 

Although people do report success with trading, it sounds like quite a bit of work is required.  I already have to do significant advance planning to get workable airline award tickets, so adding timeshare trades on top of that sounds like a bit too much work for me.

I think I do understand the attraction of returning to a favorite place over and over.  For us, that would probably be Hawaii right now.  Perhaps we'll look at something there in the future.

A local "drive-to" timeshare sounds quite nice as well.  I hadn't even considered the day-use option.  We're in the SF Bay Area, so Tahoe and Monterey/Carmel come to mind.

Regarding Vacation Clubs (and specifically HGVC) -- yes, I did look a bit at HGVC.  We do go to Honolulu semi-regularly (due in part to having family there), so Hilton Hawaiian Village sounds attractive.

However, I'm not sure I really understand point systems. People say that points are points, so there's no reason to actually buy at HHV due to high resale and MFs.  But I'm not sure that I feel altogether comfortable yet with buying the cheapest HGVC points (possibly at a place that we'd never actually visit) and then relying on trading into our desired location.

The underlying issue (possibly unfounded) is that I don't trust the rules of the point system (or available inventory) to stay favorable, so at worst case I'd rather have time at a property that we'd actually use.

Another consideration with HGVC is that (at least for internal trades) it doesn't seem to be in many of the places that we'd like to visit (other than Hawaii).

Regarding destination clubs (and specifically HCC) -- most of the destination clubs are too pricey for us.  HCC might be feasible, but I'm a bit wary of how sustainable it is.  I'd rather wait a few years and see how it goes first.

Again, thanks for all the great feedback!


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## ROCKJenkins (Jan 14, 2007)

*Timeshareing is fun*

Hi,

Used the wallpaper quote as an easy distinction between hotel and timeshare at the same resort, nothing to do with pets implied.

John

___________________________________________________________


Hi John,

There are fantastic timeshare and there are timeshares from Hell.  Their are wonderful hotels and their are motels that can be your worst nightmare.

I know that most timeshares rent out their extra inventories.  In new developements the developers turn-over new units to members equal to the sales to NEW members at TIMESHARE PRESENTATIONS.  Until each units is filled to a 52 week compacity the Developer has the right to uses this inventory of rooms as they desire.    For instance, renting to the public ....or....  encourageing  people to buy into their developement by advertiseing a free or reduced rent for three or more days visit.    But its hard for me to believe that they take better care of these held-back rooms sinced they are serviced by the the samed maintence personels and maids.

Ehlfg asked us to prove that timeshareing was worth his time and his money.  

We failed ehlfg.

Ehlfg gave us nothing but negative reasons for timeshareing and wonderful reasons for staying at hotels.  Most of us seemed to agree with him.

I don't think we really gave timeshareing the real JUSTICE it deserved in trying to answer ehlfg questions.  

I know I didn't

And ehlfg .....  while timeshareing may not be for you ... I know that it works for me, and my many timeshareing friends out there.

It could be that the harder we try to convince ehlfg that timeshareing is cool.....the top banana .... the cat's meow....the harder ehlfg will try to convince us and him-self that its all Tom Foolery.

I just know that TIMESHAREING for me is FUN....it adds that SPECIAL something  (zest)  to LIFE.   

Rock


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## m61376 (Jan 15, 2007)

You can't knock it- or decide that it's right for you- until you have really experienced it. 

Our typical family vacation has always been a non-stop whirlwhind, on the go type of travel; my family has always quipped that they needed a vacation after we came home. Over the years we have travelled to many places, generally with 3 generations. Needless to say, the "tour guide" (AKA Mom) spent a lot of time planning itineraries. My husband would comment to friends that he could never get me to just take a relaxing week and sit on a beach.

We kind of stumbled into timesharing by winning an auction for a week in Oahu at a school fundraiser and were all impressed at how great the accomodations were. We recently bought a week in Aruba and just returned from there. I can honestly say that it was one of the most relaxing trips we have ever taken and, while sightseeing and exploring are certainly great, there is something to be said for mellowing out for a week. Timesharing makes the trip so much easier- not only the extra space, but the convenience of the kitchen (no more debating where to go for breakfast, ice cold drinks and snacks for the beach, etc.) put the vacation in a different category. 

To my complete surprise I enjoyed having the opportunity just to recharge my batteries, so to speak, and of course spend relaxed quality time with my family. Looking around, there were certainly lots of couples, but also many familes, including a lot of 3 generation families. I think timesharing naturally lends itself to that type of vacation. As someone who only knew had to take the more active type of vacation, this was a very refreshing change. While I am sure I will still enjoy the changing hotels or different port every day cruise vacations, there is something to be said for the ease of staying put in one place for a week. So- I look at "why timesharing" as an opportunity to spend a different type of vacation spending quality time with my family rather than worrying about what to do next, how to get there and where to go to eat.


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## Mel (Jan 16, 2007)

Timesharing certainly wouldn't fill all your vacationing needs, but it might fit in as part of your portfolio.  You already understand the way points works to some degree without realizing it, because you use Starwood points for your airline reservations.  You know they are limited, and there is a system in place to get what you want.  You follow their rules, and you can usually find what you are looking for.

If you really are interested in a "second home" type of accomodation, a timeshare might fit the bill.  You would get that second home without having to maintain it year round, and without as high a buy-in cost.

Once you have that you could then try exchanging for some of your other needs.  By using the smaller exchange companies, you might be able to ensure what you want is available before you give up your own week (you can do this with II too).  If it's available you book it, if not you use your week for your summer vacation.    Right now you have a travel bug, but you may find you won't always want to travel that way.  You might first adjust to 1 week in a centralized place, and use it as a home base - we did this in England and Wales.  You also might find yourself trying destinantions you really wouldn't have considered before.  You may also find that the kids will prefer a different style of travel.  Mine enjoy our "adventure trips" but also like some stability, and like to return to our home resort, and probably would even more if they made friends with other kids staying the same week each year.  They understand the value of our trips (their memories of Wales will last longer than their friends' iPods), but still like local trips the most.  They still remember the pools at various resorts better than anything else.


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## Aussie girl (Jan 17, 2007)

I agree with Mel, I think you can do both.

We travel a lot, mostly to the South Pacific once a year for 6 weeks at a time and we have never used our timeshare to trade. I would never considered doing a trade to Australia. We can stay in places cheaper than the exchange+maintenance fees. 
We only own one week about four hours from our home and it is a wonderful place for all our extended family to holiday together. Some come for the whole week some just for a few days. We have owned for 10 years but have been holidaying in the area for 25yrs. It's a place we visit 2 to 3 times per year. It is a two bedroom lock off and Interval offers great getaways in the spring and fall. 

In the 10 years we have only traded 4 times. Four Seasons Avaira, Royal Sands X2 and we were just at The Westin Ka'anapali in December.  

Our Children are 17 and 21 and have been to Australia 8 times but if you asked them where their favorite place to vacation is, they would both answer Fairmont Hot Springs. It's where they first learned to swim, golf and ski.


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## ehlfg (Jan 20, 2007)

It does sound like timesharing could be a nice complement to our on-the-go traveling, as a way to mellow out and just enjoy a favorite spot for a while.  I'll be keeping an eye out for possibilities.

Thanks again for all the helpful responses!


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