• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

I know you all know but the benefit of timesharing

jpsmit

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
148
Reaction score
70
Points
388
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

1652923309762.png
 

Janann

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2006
Messages
1,363
Reaction score
780
Points
473
Resorts Owned
HGVC on the Boulevard, Las Vegas;
Disney's Saratoga Springs
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.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2021
Messages
311
Reaction score
206
Points
53
Location
AZ
Resorts Owned
Hilton Las Vegas
Wyndham Sedona
Wyndham Kona
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.
 

chapjim

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
6,161
Reaction score
3,804
Points
499
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
Resorts Owned
Wyndham VIPF & PresRes, HVC/DRI (Gold), Quarter House (4), Resort on Cocoa Beach (2), HGVC Tuscany Village, HGVC South Beach-McAlpin, HGVC Parc Soleil
Not really...annual maintenance fees, reservation fees, parking fees at the resorts, etc all continue to go up.

So will everything else.
 

jpsmit

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
148
Reaction score
70
Points
388
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.

1652967621281.png


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

r4rab

Guest
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
244
Reaction score
222
Points
54
Resorts Owned
CWA Margaritaville(USVI)
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.
 

MOXJO7282

Tug Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
5,524
Reaction score
1,300
Points
599
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.
 

bnoble

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
11,634
Reaction score
5,370
Points
798
Location
The People's Republic of Ann Arbor
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."
 

Lisa P

TUG Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,888
Reaction score
416
Points
443
Location
NC
Resorts Owned
Club Wyndham Points
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.
 

LAYGO

Guest
Joined
Apr 23, 2022
Messages
45
Reaction score
25
Points
18
Location
Dallas, TX
Resorts Owned
CWA 825k
Won the auction 5/3, Wyndham approved 7/27, received notification 8/2.
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.
 

r4rab

Guest
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
244
Reaction score
222
Points
54
Resorts Owned
CWA Margaritaville(USVI)
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.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2021
Messages
311
Reaction score
206
Points
53
Location
AZ
Resorts Owned
Hilton Las Vegas
Wyndham Sedona
Wyndham Kona
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.
 

Jan M.

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
4,486
Reaction score
5,844
Points
548
Location
Tamarac, FL
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Presidential Reserve at Panama City Beach
Club Wyndham Access
Grandview Las Vegas and Discovery Beach Resort - Both in RCI Points
Woodstone and Summit at Massanutten - Both in RCI weeks used as Wyndham PICs
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.
 
Last edited:

r4rab

Guest
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
244
Reaction score
222
Points
54
Resorts Owned
CWA Margaritaville(USVI)
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.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2021
Messages
311
Reaction score
206
Points
53
Location
AZ
Resorts Owned
Hilton Las Vegas
Wyndham Sedona
Wyndham Kona
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.
 

jpsmit

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
148
Reaction score
70
Points
388
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.
 

Jan M.

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
4,486
Reaction score
5,844
Points
548
Location
Tamarac, FL
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Presidential Reserve at Panama City Beach
Club Wyndham Access
Grandview Las Vegas and Discovery Beach Resort - Both in RCI Points
Woodstone and Summit at Massanutten - Both in RCI weeks used as Wyndham PICs
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.
 
Last edited:

geist1223

TUG Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Messages
5,974
Reaction score
5,728
Points
499
Location
Salem Oregon
Resorts Owned
Worldmark 97,000 Credits
DRI Cabo Azul 50,500
Royal Solaris San Jose del Cabo
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.
 

LAYGO

Guest
Joined
Apr 23, 2022
Messages
45
Reaction score
25
Points
18
Location
Dallas, TX
Resorts Owned
CWA 825k
Won the auction 5/3, Wyndham approved 7/27, received notification 8/2.
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.
 

jpsmit

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
148
Reaction score
70
Points
388
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)

1653097726375.png


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!!
 

NiteMaire

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
1,471
Reaction score
1,286
Points
374
Location
Living Aloha in Kaneohe, HI
Resorts Owned
Marriott G. Château
HVC Sedona Summit
VVR The Colonies
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...
 

Jan M.

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
4,486
Reaction score
5,844
Points
548
Location
Tamarac, FL
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Presidential Reserve at Panama City Beach
Club Wyndham Access
Grandview Las Vegas and Discovery Beach Resort - Both in RCI Points
Woodstone and Summit at Massanutten - Both in RCI weeks used as Wyndham PICs
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.
 

TimMikel

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Messages
21
Reaction score
9
Points
114
Location
Central Illinois
Resorts Owned
Lake Forest Resort and Club; Windward Passage Resort; Redington Ambassador; Sea Club V
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.
 

WManning

Guest
Joined
Mar 10, 2022
Messages
500
Reaction score
280
Points
73
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.
Try Victory Kitchen while you are Lake Lure. Very friendly and great service.
 
Top