"Roughing it" while on vacation, at some timeshares

[Carol C]

I'm flexible on the amenities since location is most important to me. But I have to draw the line on the bed. If I cannot sleep (I'm a light sleeper), I will not enjoy anything! I'll be a cranky tired mess. :zzz:

We have been known to pack pillows, including body pillows, as well as the memory foam toppers when we drive. We use two cheap $20 twin toppers (from target) on our king bed so they were easy to roll up and take with us. And so worth it because I slept just as well as I do at home that week!

I think if I found a horrible bed after flying, I'd go buy a cheap twin topper the next morning.

+1. I have rolled up foam toppers and schlepped them to Mexico so many times that I think "aduana" must recognize me by now. They've actually stopped making me untie and unroll my foam topper every time!

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

Being able to sleep comfortably is huge for me. After that, other things matter less. I really do appreciate a comfortable chair or couch (I'm really short) and good lighting and the ability to swim laps at a pool, but high level luxury isn't that important to us as long as it's comfortable.
Liz

 

[Tacoma]

I also vote for location over amenities. Maybe amenities are less important to me since even my house needs lots of work. Every time I think we should remodel the bathroom another vacation comes along. We still go camping since so many beautiful places can really only be enjoyed by camping. Hearing the waves outside our tent in Tofino BC is just one example. Taking my laundry somewhere else in the complex usually just gives me an oportunity to meet someone new.
Recently got back form an extended family holiday to China and although 4 of us in a hotel room is not my first choice it gave us an opportunity to see places many will never experience. All of our accomodations although extremely good quality had the worst beds ever. Apparently the CHinese like their beds HARD. Slept badly, worst flights - 9 hours late getting there with 6 hours of that on the tarmac in Vancouver was the quick direction but I woudn't change it for the world. My children now have an idea where their grandparents grew up and that is priceless.

Joan

 

[shagnut]

Since I don't own a ritzy house I'll go just about anywhere as long as it's clean and convenient. EX: Stayed at Peek N Peek and it was very nice w all the amenities but was in the middle of nowheresville. I will never go back there but still enjoye my vacation as I used it as my base to go to Niagara Falls which was fabulous. shaggy

 

[bigrick]

I always pick where I want to go by location. Then I try to find the best availible timeshare most convenient to the things I want to do. ... Again, location matters. A timeshare or hotel in a historic property, such as a manor house or castle, will always win out for me over anything of modern construction.

Ditto! Another like minded soul!

 

[Carolinian]

I use the same criteria for hotels. Recently on a trip to Sicily, I found a four star hotel of modern construction on the outskirts of Palermo at about the same price as a one star in a 17th century palace built by a local prince that was right in the center of things and an easy walk to most of the sights. The palace won, hands down. Of course, as a one star, I did have to read the reviews, which were positive. The only downside was no TV in the room, but then again I did not go to Palermo to sit in the room and watch TV. Sitting in their parlour with its grand 17th century features like the painted ceiling murals while consulting my guidebook planning the days activities or walking in or out down the marble grand staircase was an ambiance one just doesn't get in a modern luxury hotel.

 

[Transit]

I'm not using my timeshare to "rough it".If I need a specific location I use a hotel when a great timeshare is not available.I guess I've been lucky I never had to "rough it" in a timeshare and hope not to.

 

[Sue S]

I'm going to emigrate

Wow, the American dream seems to be the way to go I don't know a single person who's got a spa bath or hot tub or whatever it's called in their own home! Perhaps we should get into house swapping instead of bothering with timeshare...

We've got a nice, comfortable house but nothing ritzy. We've got a tumble dryer but hardly ever use it because I prefer the smell of laundry dried in the fresh air... (But I do work in Bath and walk past the exquisite Royal Crescent to get to my office so there are compensations living in the UK)

Probably my best timeshare holiday was in Venice where there was no washer/dryer, a very basic bathroom, the downstairs smelled slightly of damp but we could walk to St Mark's Square!

Anyway, I quite fancy the American dream - how easy is it get a green card?

 

[bccash63]

Yes we Americans do sound rather spoiled--don't we. Most of these 'conveniences' have become 'standard' for us and we are 'roughing' it without them. Thanks for a new perspective. Dawn

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

I don't have all that fancy stuff in my house either, a small 3 bedroom house in the mountains, built as a vacation cabin, but bright and sunny and I love it.
Liz

 

[geekette]

For me, being somewhere else is luxury, regardless of accomodations. We don't have a fancy house so I normally don't feel "a comedown" at all. Definitely not like camping. We've lost power enuf in our own home to know what camping at home is (we're on a well so when we lose power, we lose water).

I still count my lucky stars that I can travel like this, as I never imagined it possible. Every trip feels like living the lifestyle of the rich and famous and I'm grateful for the experience.

don't care about granite countertops, smooth cook top, any of that. While I want a jetted tub in the unit, a hot tub on the grounds works fine for me. that's probably the one thing I would rank nearly "must have" but I will absolutely compromise on it.

Washer/dryer is nice to have, but on one international trip we did choose to do laundry in the common area one night. Wasn't that big of a deal.

My next trip is short, Thurs - Mon and there is w/d in unit, but doubt we'll need them. Will probably spend mornings and evenings on the screened-in porch (will definitely enjoy that).

We like to explore small towns and be out and about. A comfy bed is important and so far we've only had a problem with one. If the fridge works, there's hot water and a tv, we're fine.

Being a Hoosier, I don't want to travel a long way to be Near the ocean, I want to be ON the ocean. If that means giving up some amenities or quality in furnishings, I'm fine with that. It's just never been about luxury for me.

 

[tombo]

Wow, the American dream seems to be the way to go I don't know a single person who's got a spa bath or hot tub or whatever it's called in their own home! Perhaps we should get into house swapping instead of bothering with timeshare...

Anyway, I quite fancy the American dream- how easy is it to get a green card?

After reading some of the posts, there might be some spoiled Americans who wouldn't house swap because you don't have a hot tub. Do you have a king sized bed with a pillow top mattress? Abscence of that is apparently a deal breaker too. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for most including myself. The really demanding Americans are not the majority IMO, just the most vocal.

I look for location, location, location and would gladly house swap for a great location with no jaccuzzi tub, no king size pillow top mattress, and no washer/dryer in a heartbeat. The problem is that I have a nice home with a pillow top king size bed and spa tub, but my location is not close to anything resembling a tourist area. My home is missing the key feature I myself look for, which is location.Woods, farming, and very small towns is all that is around me. It is very boring, but it is home. The closest tourist location to me is New Orleans which is a 3 hour drive. I guess that is why I love to travel so much so I can see and do so many fun things that are so different from my daily life.

I do believe that we are very spoiled in America. I have many friends who have vacationed in Europe, and most come home complaining about their rooms in what was rated as 4 star accomodations. The rooms are usually smaller than the average American accomodations, many have no air conditioning, and some have the bath room down the hall. It is simply a difference in cultures. I don't understand how anyone who is fortunate enough to be able to afford 2 weeks in Europe could possibly come home complaining about the size of the room or the amenities. We all need to appreciate the blessings we have rather than always wanting something better or expecting everything to be perfect.

I saw on the news yesterday that the average young married couple with children in Denmark lives in a home that is less than 400 square feet. If many American timeshare owners traded for a timeshare with less than 400 square feet of living space, they would be checking out immediatelly and calling the exchange company to raise he**.

I enjoy the standard of living we have grown accustomed to in the US and the luxury non-necessities that come with it. However, I am not so entrenched in the spoiled life that I can't enjoy a camping vacation, spending a week in a rustic lodge with no TV, or vacationing in a room that doesn't look like it was decorated to be featured in Better Homes and Gardens. Hopefully the economy won't take those things that we take for granted away from us, but if it does I could live quite happily with much less. I just hope that I will be able to continue to vacation whether it is in motel rooms, camping, or continuing to stay in timeshares in the future.

Get a green card and come on. Smaller houses without jaccuzzi tubs are a bargain now, and so are big houses with jaccuzzi tubs since so many are being reposessed. We have grown accustomed to bigger, better, and more expensive everything, and many Americans have acquired those things on credit. Credit is tight now, jobs are disappearing, and the American Dream is changing. If you get a green card and come here wanting modest home, car, and lifestyle you will do very well. Many Americans might be wishing that they too had bought a modest home and car in the near future unless the economy turns around soon.

 

[Egret1986]

I agree; what matters has changed over the years

I have mixed feeling about this too. Depending on how fancy our home has been, our feelings about this have changed over the years too. We do appreciate our surroundings but the elements that matter more have dramatically changed for us over the last decade - and it's been due more to our change in circumstances (and the ages of our travel party) than to what our home is like.

When we started timesharing, we were wowed by fancy, upgraded kitchens and baths, extensive kids' activities, lounges, golf courses and tons of space in the LR for us all to relax together in the evenings. But with 3 kids and their friends along, we adults felt more like we were on vacation too, when we had all those things. A bit of pampering in the midst of 24 hour Chaperone-ville, I guess.

Now, with the kids all grown, just having a good pool, hot tub and computer access within walking distance is what they want the most. A pool table and/or ping pong is a hit. Being able to walk, bike or drive a short distance to sights or shops is nice too but not really essential as long as its within 20 minutes drive or so.

For us adult parents, location matters! A clean, quiet and well-maintained unit with a decent kitchen, a washer/dryer and a comfy bed are highest on our list. A beautiful view and a pretty and safe place to walk outside in the evenings and computer access have all crept up in the priority list as well. (Never used to care.) The pool, hot tub and good proximity to the area sights are all close but not deal-breakers.

The whirlpool, upgraded kitchen, nicer furnishings, fancy clubhouse, golf course, etc., have all dropped way, way, way down for us. Funny how the things that appeal can change so much over time!

When we first started timesharing and for many years after that, we would jump out of the car and rush in to see what the accommodations provided and would oohhh and ahhhh because it was so much better than what we had at home; fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs, nice kithens, matching furniture sets; not to mention we were in a place where we wanted to go and vacation.

Now, we're happy to have the opportunity to go somewhere, have a decent sized place (though our requirement has changed to requiring at least a two bedroom) that is clean. We now see it as a place to get away from the jobs and spend time enjoying each other's company, doing things together and not worrying about what we need to do or should be doing around the house.

We cannot afford a timeshare or its maintenance fees that would offer more than what our home has in the way of size and features. However, at home we're all so busy and barely pass each other during the week. Then on the weekends, it is a rarity to just be able to sit around and relax, and enjoy each other's company. That is what timeshares and vacations allow us to do, and we're really looking forward to the next one that is less than 4 weeks away. It's been 9 months since the last one and we're ready to relax, walk the beach, play some cards or board games, so some exploring, and eat all our meals together!

 

[Polly Metallic]

I really enjoy staying at the high-end timeshares with luxurious units and beuatiful swimming pools, maybe one or more onsite restaurants etc. for some of our vacations. It is not necessary for every vacation. I can have a perfectly wonderful vacation at a resort that has clean, attractive units and nice facilities that aren't posh. The main fun of going on vacation is to go somewhere different from home and get to explore and experience new things, places, and people. We almost always stay at top rated resorts, but even the 5 Star/Gold Crown resorts vary widely, so some are merely nice, and some are very glamorous. I think we have stayed at two non-rated resorts that got decent reviews, and we had great vacations at both.

Usually the more upscale resorts are quite large and/or they share their facilities with a hotel. It costs a lot of money to build infinity pools, waterfalls, and restaurants. Small resorts don't have enough owners to afford to build lavish amenities. The trade off is that many of the small to moderate size resorts have a very comfortable, homey atmosphere, and are more like owning a vacation home in a resort community, rather than staying at a mega-hotel complex where you're surrounded by crowds of people at the pools and public areas. As I said, I like both experiences for different reasons, and I can be happy at a lavish resort or modest homey resort. To me, the vacation experiences are both good, just different.

 

[kwilson]

A washer and dryer is desired so I don't have to take dirty laundry home.

DW feels that way too. I don't understand it. Why spend vacation time washing clothes when you can put it off until you get home? I would rather turn my shorts inside out and wear them another day than spend my vacation doing laundry.

 

[Patri]

DW feels that way too. I don't understand it. Why spend vacation time washing clothes when you can put it off until you get home? I would rather turn my shorts inside out and wear them another day than spend my vacation doing laundry.

LOL But what would you do on the THIRD day?
Sometimes it takes so much effort to get back to the household routine, especially catching up on mail and newspapers, and putting clothes, suitcases and supplies away, that I don't want laundry to be part of it.

 

[MuranoJo]

I've only done laundry on one two-week trip. I agree, I don't want to do laundry while on vacation. Blah. I could care less if I come home with dirty laundry--makes it easier for packing...I just shove it into the suitcase and don't worry about folding to avoid wrinkles, etc.

I enjoy different locations and the fun of staying in unusual and 'quaint' places. We've backpacked, camped, taken travel trailer trips, slept in a converted closet in Paris, a snow cave in Idaho. As I get older, the bed is the only thing I start to get picky about--and a comfy bed doesn't always come with 'quaint' locations.

 

[dougp26364]

Does anyone else feel that sometimes their long-awaited vacation is more like a downgrade from your own home?

We have the king pillowtop bed at home, which provides a "heavenly" night's sleep, night after night. Plus, we have the nice whirlpool tub, just like the ones at the better resorts. So when I go to a timeshare that has an average queen bed that has no pillowtop, and/ or if there is no whirlpool tub, I feel like vacation is a "roughing it" kind of experience. I choose not to camp for the same reasons.

Sure, I still enjoy the rest of the timeshare, the views, the pool and hot tubs, and I relax the entire time (don't even make the bed because the bedspreads are just icky), but I miss home quicker.

How about the rest of you? Ever feel this way, or am I just too picky?

Since you first posted this, rather than respond right away, I decided to think about it for a little while.

Yes, sometime we do feel like we are "roughing it" when we exchange. After 10 years of exchanging, we've come to know what we like. We will exchange into what we consider lessor resort to get into certain locations but, we always feel short changed when the resort just doesn't live up to the standards we've come to enjoy from the nicer or major resorts. I make no apology if we've become spoiled by Hilton and Marriott quality.

There are things a I look for in an exchange. Those include washer/dryer combo's in units, gas grills for cooking, seperate bathtub and shower (a great shower is a plus for me) and nice pools. They're not requirements but, these are things that I do look for. Anything less I consider roughing. It's not that we're unhappy. We're just not as happy as we could be.

An example of "roughing it" for us would be Gatlinburg Town Square. While it's a nice resort, it's no Marriott, Hilton, Disney or Hyatt. The fitness center had maybe 4 mahines, the outdoor pool was tiny, the indoor pool very noisy with kids because it was the largest pool, the furnishings adaquate at best and the overall unit seemed smallish. We did feel as if we were "roughing it" just a bit. But, if we were to return to The Great Smokey Mountains, I'd have this resort high on my list because of the wonderful location and, the overall appearence of the resort was relaxing and pleasing to us. It might feel like we're "roughing it" but, it was still a good experience.

 

[beejaybee]

At day's end

all I want in a timeshare is a place that is clean, pleasantly decorated and quiet. Since we typically use a t/s as a base of exploration, resort amenities are not that critical. In all our trades, there has been only one resort that I didn't enjoy returning to. So I consider ourselves pretty lucky thus far!

 

[tombo]

Yes, sometime we do feel like we are "roughing it" when we exchange.

There are things a I look for in an exchange. Those include washer/dryer combo's in units, gas grills for cooking, seperate bathtub and shower (a great shower is a plus for me) and nice pools. They're not requirements but, these are things that I do look for. Anything less I consider roughing. It's not that we're unhappy. We're just not as happy as we could be.

I live in the rural south and what we consider "roughing it" here is a lot different.

At the deer camp there is one shower and one toilet for 15 members plus whatever guests show up. We have one tv with satellite and everyone must watch what the group votes for. There is one giant room with bunk beds where every Saturday night the competition for the loudest snorer begins. We have central heat and a fireplace, but eveyone has to agree upon the temperature.I pay well over $2000 a year to be able to rough it at the camp and we have some great times at the camp that wouldn't be a bit better if we had luxurious accomodations. I enjoy the camp experience, but my wife doesn't get it and has never considered spending a night there. I on the other hand occasionally go to the camp for a weekend to cook and hang out with other members even when it isn't even hunting season.

In a few weeks another massive roughing it event occurs that my wife doesn't understand either, the Talladega 500. That is really roughing it. Porta Potties and camp fires for 5 days with 100,000 other people doing the same thing. There is a shower house up the road that charges $10 to shower and there are long lines every morning. The majority of campers have no electricity or water for the week. I have upgraded to a reserved spot that costs me over $700 a year, but I do have electricity and showers with hot water in the campground, but the showers are a pretty good walk from my camp site. My camper trailer is small with no bath room, but it does have a roof a/c and heater. I have a portable satelite dish and I have TV with all the channels, but nothing else even coming close to the comforts of home. I love the 5 days I spend there and the same people are camping all around me from year to year. Many of my neighbors are wealthy and own their own businesses, so not just a bunch of poor rednecks who can't afford another kind of vacation. I love seeing them each year and we have many group cookouts and camp fire socials. There is a large waiting list to get one of these campsites to be able to rough it for a week in Talladega Alabama.

The worst timeshare I have ever stayed in is no where near the "roughing it" I do every year. Sure, I will absolutelly enjoy being in a plush timeshare on the beach in Aruba in June with poolside drink service and eating out at many fine restaurants, but it doesn't diminish one bit the fun I have each year at the deer camp or the week long camping at Talladega. I wouldn't want to live a lifestyle that was roughing it, but it is fun to do every now and then for a change. In fact I think I am going to call some of the members and see if rather than golfing at the country club this weekend that they might want to instead have a deer camp getaway.

 

[dougp26364]

I live in the rural south and roughing it here is a lot different.

At the deer camp there is one shower and one toilet for 15 members plus whatever guests show up. We have one tv with satellite and everyone must watch what the group votes for. There is one giant room with bunk beds where every Saturday night the competition for the loudest snorer begins. We have central heat and a fireplace, but eveyone has to agree upon the temperature.I pay well over $2000 a year to be able to rough it at the camp and we have some great times at the camp that wouldn't be a bit better if we had luxurious accomodations. I enjoy the camp experience, but my wife doesn't get it and has never considered spending a night there. I on the other hand occasionally go to the camp for a weekend to cook and hang out with other members even when it isn't even hunting season.

In a few weeks another massive roughing it event occurs that my wife doesn't understand either, the Talladega 500. That is really roughing it. Porta Potties and camp fires for 5 days with 100,000 other people doing the same thing. There is a shower house up the road that charges $10 to shower and there are long lines every morning. The majority of campers have no electricity or water for the week. I have upgraded to a reserved spot that costs me over $700 a year, but I do have electricity and showers with hot water in the campground, but the showers are a pretty good walk from my camp site. My camper trailer is small with no bath room, but it does have a roof a/c and heater. I have a portable satelite dish and I have TV with all the channels, but nothing else even coming close to the comforts of home. I love the 5 days I spend there and the same people are camping all around me from year to year. Many of my neighbors are wealthy and own their own businesses, so not just a bunch of poor rednecks who can't afford another kind of vacation. I love seeing them each year and we have many group cookouts and camp fire socials. There is a large waiting list to get one of these campsites to be able to rough it for a week in Talladega Alabama.

The worst timeshare I have ever stayed in is no where near the "roughing it" I do every year. Sure, I will absolutelly enjoy being in a plush timeshare on the beach in Aruba in June with poolside drink service and eating out at many fine restaurants, but it doesn't diminish one bit the fun I have each year at the deer camp or the week long camping at Talladega. I wouldn't want to live a lifestyle that was roughing it, but it is fun to do every now and then for a change. In fact I think I am going to call some of the members and see if rather than golfing at the country club this weekend that they might want to instead have a deer camp getaway.

Shower? Satalite TV? Beds? Central heat AND a fireplace? Man this is a luxury hunting camp if you ask me. Trust me, I've been there, done that. Mostly on fishing trips and rarely with any appliances I didn't carry in on my own. Nothing like sleeping on the hard ground without an air mattress. Some would say that having the sleeping bag and a pillow was a luxury.

However, I believe we're talking in terms relative to the timeshare experience.

 

[tombo]

Shower? Satalite TV? Beds? Central heat AND a fireplace? Man this is a luxury hunting camp if you ask me. Trust me, I've been there, done that. Mostly on fishing trips and rarely with any appliances I didn't carry in on my own. Nothing like sleeping on the hard ground without an air mattress. Some would say that having the sleeping bag and a pillow was a luxury.

However, I believe we're talking in terms relative to the timeshare experience.

Actually it is really nice accomodations considering it is a deer camp.

I know that the 2 don't quite equate (comparing timeshares to deer camps), but if I told my wife that we were going on vacation for a week and we were roughing it, she would assume it was like Talladega or the deer camp and would not go. In fact the worst roughing it we have ever done was on a 3 day trail ride on horses. We spent the weekend in a tent, sleeping on the ground on air mattresses in sleeping bags, bathing in a creek in our bathing suits, and there were no rest rooms of any kind, not even a porta-potti. She still hasn't forgiven me for introducing her to that type of outdoors vacation.

Even though I doubt that my wife will ever go with me on another "roughing it vacation", she would gladly go to Gatlinburg Town Square without reservations. We have stayed there and she loved it. Once you have spent 3 days sleeping in a tent and riding horses for 8 hours a day with no facilities of any kind at your disposal, Town Square feels as luxurious as a Four Seasons resort.

 

[sfwilshire]

DW feels that way too. I don't understand it. Why spend vacation time washing clothes when you can put it off until you get home? I would rather turn my shorts inside out and wear them another day than spend my vacation doing laundry.

It is SO simple to wash a load of clothes while relaxing at the resort in the evening or if you rise early in the morning. I HATE coming home with loads of dirty clothes. At best, we always have a load or so from the last day and the trip home.

Having laundry facilities also allows us to pack much lighter. We usually only take four of everything .... shirts, socks, undies. Much more compact than taking a clean shirt and socks for every day with a few extras for emergencies.

Just unpacking from 9 days in Florida and have one washer load that I have to do this morning. Much better than spending the whole day schlepping laundry.

My first criteria for a timeshare is the location I want. Then I'm happy as long as the unit is comfortable and clean. I HATE noise, such as the noise from the Interstate we just suffered through in our unit that was WAY too close to the highway. It was like sleeping on the shoulder of the road with trucks and motorcycles waking us over and over all night long. What a relief to get home where all you might hear is coyotes if the windows are open.

Sheila

 

[dougp26364]

It is SO simple to wash a load of clothes while relaxing at the resort in the evening or if you rise early in the morning. I HATE coming home with loads of dirty clothes. At best, we always have a load or so from the last day and the trip home.

Having laundry facilities also allows us to pack much lighter. We usually only take four of everything .... shirts, socks, undies. Much more compact than taking a clean shirt and socks for every day with a few extras for emergencies.

Just unpacking from 9 days in Florida and have one washer load that I have to do this morning. Much better than spending the whole day schlepping laundry.

My first criteria for a timeshare is the location I want. Then I'm happy as long as the unit is comfortable and clean. I HATE noise, such as the noise from the Interstate we just suffered through in our unit that was WAY to close to the highway. It was like sleeping on the shoulder of the road with trucks and motorcycles waking us over and over all night long. What a relief to get home where all you might hear is coyotes if the windows are open.

Sheila

I agree! I'd rather come home with a few clean clothes than a ton of dirty clothes. We generally take enough clothes for 2 or 3 days and just wash them when we get ready for bed. If we're still up, they hit the dryer. If not they go in the dryer when we get up and before we eat breakfast.

With the way airlines are tacking on fee's for extra bags, weight et....it's a lot easier and cheaper to pack light. One does not have to take a weeks worth of clothes and then spend a day washing, drying and folding them before coming home.

 

[mav]

DW feels that way too. I don't understand it. Why spend vacation time washing clothes when you can put it off until you get home? I would rather turn my shorts inside out and wear them another day than spend my vacation doing laundry.

LOL:hysterical: :rofl: