• 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!

Panama: Is Timeshare just for Hotel point a good idea?

rudoe

newbie
Joined
Aug 24, 2015
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Hello,

i am new here and currently don't own a TS.
I am looking for a TS in (the republic of ) Panama. Unfortunately there is no TS of the big brands available at the beach.

So I was wondering if it is a good idea to buy a Marriott, Starwood or Hilton TS just for using it to get the a week in their hotels at the beach.

Unfortunately Hilton has no beach hotel in Panama so I don't think that's an valid option for me

Marriott has only a very expensive JW Marriott at the beach and is developing a Ritz Carlton reserve which is even more expensive.

Starwood had a Sheraton at the beach which would be an option.
Whats the way to get the max amount of SPG Starpoints with minimizing the maintenance fees?
I guess a Starpoint is worth 2 to 3 cents. So is it possible with TS to get a Starpoint for about 1cent?

Thanks for the answers

And if somebody knows about a TS which is in development in Panama I am happy to know.

Thomas

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 

TUGBrian

Administrator
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
22,093
Reaction score
7,677
Points
1,099
Location
Florida

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
It is almost always a losing proposition to convert a timeshare to hotel points, because the conversion rates are very poor - they benefit the management company - not the owner.

In general, you get the most value out of your timeshare, if you use your home resort. If you want to go to Panama every year, then I'd consider buying there.
 

rudoe

newbie
Joined
Aug 24, 2015
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Thanks Brian. I will look for that. I didnt know decameron was timeshare. The Gamboa resort is at the Panama canal not at the Beach unforunately

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 

TUGBrian

Administrator
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
22,093
Reaction score
7,677
Points
1,099
Location
Florida
it is possible they are hotels that simply trade or exchange some rooms into rci or II.
 

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
6,313
Reaction score
1,121
Points
448
So I was wondering if it is a good idea to buy a Marriott, Starwood or Hilton TS just for using it to get the a week in their hotels at the beach.

Do not buy into Hilton timeshares to use their hotels. What you pay for the timeshare, the annual dues and the transaction fees will end up costing you more than just paying for the hotel without being a timeshare owner.
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
Here in TUG, we have a saying, "If you want to go to a certain place, then own there." Owning a timeshare to exchange, is just dumb. Especially, as I gather from the OP about Panama, that timeshares (they want to stay in) just don't really exist there. So it makes no sense to buy into a timeshare system in the hopes they'll build there and you can exchange in.

Otoh, part of the OP was asking "Starwood had a Sheraton at the beach which would be an option.
Whats the way to get the max amount of SPG Starpoints with minimizing the maintenance fees?
I guess a Starpoint is worth 2 to 3 cents. So is it possible with TS to get a Starpoint for about 1cent?
"

I'll leave it to others to answer that question.


Jim
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Otoh, part of the OP was asking "Starwood had a Sheraton at the beach which would be an option.
Whats the way to get the max amount of SPG Starpoints with minimizing the maintenance fees?
I guess a Starpoint is worth 2 to 3 cents. So is it possible with TS to get a Starpoint for about 1cent?
"

I'll leave it to others to answer that question.


Jim

My response in post #3 was directed at this - the conversion rate from Starwood timeshare to hotel points is a loser. Like Hilton - you can just rent for less.
 

rudoe

newbie
Joined
Aug 24, 2015
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Thanks for your replys.
Seems there is one small time share at the Beach.
But i would feel more comfortable with owning a TS from a big company like Marriot, Starwood or ...

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 

am1

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
8,081
Reaction score
1,531
Points
448
You can trade into Decameron or usually last call on RCI but the All Inclusive fees are usually higher then booking from a different third party. Wyndham (not fsp/wm) had a timeshare close by which you could trade in to through RCI but the same thing. It closed in June.

Coronado beach club can be had trading in rci. Not all inclusive or right on the beach. You need a car.

Shearton has an all-inclusive hotel which can be had for $165 for two during the week/off season. Westin and Intercontinetal have all-inclusive optional hotels just past the mouth of the canal but at a rocky beach that used to be call Sh*it beach. Now called Playa bonita. I would not swim in the water.

There are other all inclusive hotels and non all inclusives hotels.

Air bnb or vrbo may work best.

Lots of good prices using cash and points in panama city for when you are coming and going.

I would not buy a timeshare to trade into panama resorts as at times inventory is too small and other times too much.
 

dominidude

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
794
Reaction score
104
Points
153
Location
maryland
Try airbnb, Panama is not yet a timeshare hub like Dominican Republic or Cancun. Therefore, owning a timeshare there is probably not going to be cost effective. Also, using timeshares to get hotel nights nights is also not cost effective. The only reason that the ability to book hotels using timeshares even exists is that people who own timeshares sometimes do not use all their timeshare points, and using the points in a hotel reservation is better than just letting the points expired.
 

am1

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
8,081
Reaction score
1,531
Points
448
Try airbnb, Panama is not yet a timeshare hub like Dominican Republic or Cancun. Therefore, owning a timeshare there is probably not going to be cost effective. Also, using timeshares to get hotel nights nights is also not cost effective. The only reason that the ability to book hotels using timeshares even exists is that people who own timeshares sometimes do not use all their timeshare points, and using the points in a hotel reservation is better than just letting the points expired.

Hopefully it stays that way.
 
Top