Hello TUG Members. I am new to this group and I need some advice. I am interested in purchasing one of the two Custom House listings that are currently posted.
I know that Custom House is part of the Marriott Vacation Club.
One of the listings is for a Platinum Season 1/2026-12/2026
One of the listings is for Annual 1Bedroom Platinum Season 5/25-11/25
Can someone explain the difference between these two "Seasons" and how they work. Why does one have a full year and the other only 7 months?
Also, I know that purchasing timeshares today is considered a very "foolish" investment and Im not even really sure why Im doing this.
I live in Western Massachusetts and love to visit Boston and thought that maybe this would be a good investment as the Custom House gets very good reviews.
How does trading work with each of the two above "plans"?
I have so many questions but I thought I would start here and get some baseline knowledge.
Thank you in advance for any information you can provide to help me out with this decision.
Hi Doreen.
As a long time timeshare owner who's down to "only" four timeshares (all of which I think I can easily sell, not for much, but I'm almost certain that I can get rid of them if I wanted), I am NOT a believer in timeshares. I think virtually all timeshares are a burden, not a benefit.
The exception may be timeshares where the rent that you might get far exceeds the annual maintenance fees. Two of my timeshare are in that category. As an example, I own a Palm Beach, Orange Beach, Alabama 1 BR, 1 1/2 baths. Its maintenance was, from the top of my head, about $1200. I rented it last year, having locked in a July 4 week, for slightly more than $3000.
TheTimeTraveler addressed this very issue above when he/she wrote, "I don't think you can make much if you rent because the maintenance fees are over $2K now".
But what I learned some years ago in my attempt to rent for the entire seven days is that people don't want to stay for seven consecutive days. As soon as I changed my listing from "minimum stay seven days" to "minimum stay two or three days", the inquiries came fast and furious. That's what people do nowadays. So now I might rent for the first three days and then the next four days...or even 3, 2, and 2. And always do a "midweek cleaning" between renters.
OK. That being said, a timeshare further involves making a decision perhaps 6 or more months in advance when you might like to travel. What happens if perhaps 35 days prior to your planned arrival date, you find out your best friend is getting married? Oops. Perhaps you can cancel but your options for a re-booking at that point are only for the most undesirable dates.
And timeshare maintenance fees keep climbing ever higher and apparently you'd be on the hook until at least 2057 as a "right to use" owner.
So why obligate yourself? Why not just rent whenever you get the urge and when you know for sure there's nothing keeping you from traveling? And, as you know, Boston is great in February as it is in July.
Here, for example, is the Marriott Revere beach right across from the ocean. Beautiful panoramic views. Extraordinary gourmet free breakfast. Fitness center, business center. Indoor pool. Right on the MBTA's Wonderland blue line stop and quick and easy subway transportation to all Boston has to offer. Freedom trail. North End. Back Bay. Beacon Hill. Boston Symphony Orchestra. Museum of Fine Art. Fenway Park. Any kind of cuisine you can possibly imagine. Harvard Square. TD Garden for the Celtics or Bruins. Again, all accessible via a clean, safe subway system filled with parents with kids in strollers and 300,000 college students attending schools like Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, etc., etc., etc.
In fact, Revere Beach itself has some extraordinary events like the International Sand sculpting competition:
www.internationalsandsculptingfestival.com
There are times when you just can't believe what you're seeing other humans do. This is one of those times.
So...I'm an advocate of renting, not owning a vacation lodging place.
