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Are timeshares right for me?

Jordanj

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Here is what I am looking to do - tell me if I should buy a resale timeshare/points or if I should just stick to hotels.

I am a pilot with my own plane so I can leave almost any time I want and go pretty much anywhere I want within about 400 miles of Phoenix.

I would like to book trips with less than 45 days notice and sometimes I like to pick a place nearby and see if there is a good deal to do a quick staycation.

It is just me and the misses, so no need for a huge place, but we really like amazing rooms with great views.

We both work really hard, and a "week" is almost impossible for us. We really want to take lots of 2-3 day vacations.

We spend lots of time in So Cal on the beach, but want to go all over the place - but because I can fly myself do not really need to plan in advance, thus if a great deal opened up in vegas, we could just go to vegas.

Any other question I should be answering? My real question is, does this make sense for us or should we be sticking to hotels?
 

Passepartout

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Timeshares really don't lend themselves to spur-of-the-moment getaways. In order to get the most from them calls for planning as much as a year in advance. And to make it worse, you have to call EXACTLY 11 or 13 months to the day for hard to get holiday weeks in really 'amazing' places with great views. Stays less than a week are do-able, but the systems are geared for 7 night stays. I just think it's too fussy to work well for you. Stick to the hotels. With your travel perks, I'd think you can get into some pretty nice digs for a few days easily.

Jim
 

Beefnot

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HGVC may be the move for you. Plenty of affiliated properties in So. Cal and Vegas. Their flexible points system will allow you to take short trips, and is very highly regarded by owners.
 

Jordanj

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HGVC seems like a decent option, but would I need to buy a specific week/location or could I just buy X number of points and spend them like cash every year?

Thank you in advance for everyone's advice!
 

SOS8260456

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The key to successfully using timeshares at the last minute is to be very very flexible. Therefore I don't think timesharing is for you, unless you like to plan your dates and then see what locations are available. Even then, high demand times are very hit and miss. If the location comes first in your planning, or you are not interested in exploring new locations just because that is the only area available, then again, I don't think timesharing is for you.

My experience has been that when we cannot get away at the last minute, there are all sorts of great exchanges and unexpected availabilty. But when we purposely want something last minute, then we can't find anything. Murphy's Law :shrug:

Good Luck with your decision!
 

phil1ben

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HGVC is a point based system. I would suggest going on to the HGVC forum and spend at least a week reading posts that will describe how the system works. It also has the added benefit of Open Season which lets you stay at HGVC timeshare resorts by paying cash at greatly discounted rates regardless of the amount of points you have left within 30 days of stay. In effect you buy what is left which may work for you.

Do not buy retail and always buy on the resale market. You will find two brokers often mentioned in that forum. I used Judy Kozlowski and the transaction was very smooth. Good luck. I fly a Piper Arrow.
 

Beefnot

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Also given your desire to travel on short notice, you might want to check out the last minute rentals forum here on TUG, the rentals on TUG marketplace, and sites like redweek.com for some perspective on rental pricing and availability at the locations you are interested in. Alough you will only have a snapshot for the current point in time of last minute rental prices.
 

Jordanj

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Some great advice here! Redweek.com shows a number of timeshares - but it seems they price/compete with hotels directly. But it does a great job to show me the properties available that we could stay at.

Thank you again for everyone's advice, I am in sponge mode right now sucking up any and all comments/feedback/information I can get.

By the way - I hope you fly a straight tail arrow - I flew a T-tail the other day and thought I was going to die, I had to ice my arms the next morning :)
 

linsj

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HGVC seems like a decent option, but would I need to buy a specific week/location or could I just buy X number of points and spend them like cash every year?

You buy a week at a specific location for a set number of points. Then you may use those points at any HGVC property for at least three nights wherever there is availability. Or you may trade them through RCI for other properties.

Do read threads in the Hilton forum to learn about the system and decide if it might work for you.
 

talkamotta

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Since you are in the west.. You might want to check out Worldmark.
 
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