Timeshare Traveler Episode 102... Timeshare Hotel Comparison

[Clifbell]

I wanted to make a video to explain the value of a timeshare as compared to staying in a hotel. This video compares the Hilton Grand Vacations Studio at Ocean Tower to the Hilton Waikoloa basic room. I go through the cost to rent each of them, the maintenance costs as an owner, and the actual room sizes.

And then I show how $27 purchase at Walmart lets you cook in the timeshare (The hotel rooms don't have as much counter space). I even go so far as showing a simple dinner I made.... This is just a way that timeshares can save you money. You can still go out to dinner at the same places if you want to. But with a timeshare that choice is optional... With a hotel, the food choices are the hotel restaurants

Timeshare Traveler Episode 102... Timeshare Hotel Comparison

Map of all my timeshare reviews

 

[Carolinian]

We mostly stopped exchanging a few years ago when RCI went to the dogs with points and then DAE got bought out by RCI. We still have a couple of exchange credits with UKRE to use. I do not consider exchanging a good value these days. However, owning to use, which you are discussing, remains the real value of timeshare today. We own a summer week on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and go every summer. The cost for similar rentals would be much higher. Indeed, while I was working most of the year in Europe, we rented it out at a very nice profit. We are looking to buy a second summer week on the OBX, but had a couple of offers not accepted so far. Under the old RCI regime, exchanging was a great plus to timesharing, but not anymore. We once owned five exchange weeks but got rid of all of them.

 

[noreenkate]

I wanted to make a video to explain the value of a timeshare as compared to staying in a hotel. This video compares the Hilton Grand Vacations Studio at Ocean Tower to the Hilton Waikoloa basic room. I go through the cost to rent each of them, the maintenance costs as an owner, and the actual room sizes.

And then I show how $27 purchase at Walmart lets you cook in the timeshare (The hotel rooms don't have as much counter space). I even go so far as showing a simple dinner I made.... This is just a way that timeshares can save you money. You can still go out to dinner at the same places if you want to. But with a timeshare that choice is optional... With a hotel, the food choices are the hotel restaurants

Timeshare Traveler Episode 102... Timeshare Hotel Comparison

Map of all my timeshare reviews

Kitchens/kitchenettes are exactly why I prefer to timeshare- Do I cook elaborate meals NO

But honestly I need my coffee first thing…None of that little hotel fake pod/packet stuff. We just stayed at the Dreamore @ Dollywood again and although it was beautiful I would have much preferred to have stayed at Wyndham Westgate HIVC or anything available to at least have a microwave or a fridge…

 

[BJRSanDiego]

It can be hard to compare a hotel with a timeshare. For instance, once when we were staying at Marriott Canyon Villas 2 BR unit, I checked to see what it would cost to stay at the nearby JW Marriott in a unit of about 1500 square feet with 2 BR and 2 baths and it was enormous - - something like $1800 a night. At the time I was staying on a Getaway and paid less than $1K for the entire week.

A few years ago I stayed in a 2 BR Four Seasons Troon on an exchange. I think that my "all in cost" was actually less than $800 for the week. The "rack rate" for the timeshare portion was around $800-1000 a night (rental) and for the hotel portion of the complex a 2 BR rented for $3800 a night. So, I agree that when comparing the nightly cost of a timeshare to an equivalent hotel, the timeshare wins hands down.

I enjoy your posts and videos.

 

[linsj]

I wouldn't totally discount hotel stays. Some are equal to timeshare studios and free if you collect hotel points--Embassy Suites, Residence Inn, for example.

A few years ago I went to Maui for 16 nights in hotels (week each at Grand Wailea and Sheraton, bookended at airport Courtyard) on points and a free night certificate. All the rooms had sofas and refrigerators. I still ate well and almost identical to staying in timeshares. Breakfast: free at Grand Wailea (gold benefit), yogurt & fruit from grocery store and farmers market at Sheraton (my normal breakfast in timeshares), cheap purchase at Courtyard Bistro. Dinner at a restaurant almost every day. Salads and sandwiches for supper and occasional lunch when I stayed at the resort instead of going out. I took a sharp knife in a protective shield, super thin cutting board, small bottle of dish soap, small plastic storage containers, paper goods, and plastic silverware, none of which took much space in the suitcase. Probably not practical with a family, but would I do this again? Absolutely.

 

[Clifbell]

Kitchens/kitchenettes are exactly why I prefer to timeshare- Do I cook elaborate meals NO

But honestly I need my coffee first thing…None of that little hotel fake pod/packet stuff. We just stayed at the Dreamore @ Dollywood again and although it was beautiful I would have much preferred to have stayed at Wyndham Westgate HIVC or anything available to at least have a microwave or a fridge…

I agree ... I travel with my Coffee Grinder and french Press.

 

[Clifbell]

I wouldn't totally discount hotel stays. Some are equal to timeshare studios and free if you collect hotel points--Embassy Suites, Residence Inn, for example.

A few years ago I went to Maui for 16 nights in hotels (week each at Grand Wailea and Sheraton, bookended at airport Courtyard) on points and a free night certificate. All the rooms had sofas and refrigerators. I still ate well and almost identical to staying in timeshares. Breakfast: free at Grand Wailea (gold benefit), yogurt & fruit from grocery store and farmers market at Sheraton (my normal breakfast in timeshares), cheap purchase at Courtyard Bistro. Dinner at a restaurant almost every day. Salads and sandwiches for supper and occasional lunch when I stayed at the resort instead of going out. I took a sharp knife in a protective shield, super thin cutting board, small bottle of dish soap, small plastic storage containers, paper goods, and plastic silverware, none of which took much space in the suitcase. Probably not practical with a family, but would I do this again? Absolutely.

Can be done.... Just a little harder... And in the case of this comparison... The timeshare is cheaper even if you rent it via hilton honors like a hotel

 

[noreenkate]

I agree ... I travel with my Coffee Grinder and french Press.

I mostly travel with my own barista- one of my sons manages a Starbucks.

 

[rboesl]

What @Clifbell did is a pretty fair comparison for those that don't own any timeshare. It's like for like. But, a similar comparison can be done on a same for same basis since most timeshare locations have rooms that are sold like hotel rooms. For example, just recently my wife and I stayed for 2 weeks at Villa del Palmar Puerto Vallarta. When I did the booking I also looked up the same type of room on Expedia for the same dates. (I do this for all my timeshare vacations.) The difference in room cost, for a studio, was $1396 ($99.71 per day) more through Expedia.

 

[Clifbell]

What @Clifbell did is a pretty fair comparison for those that don't own any timeshare. It's like for like. But, a similar comparison can be done on a same for same basis since most timeshare locations have rooms that are sold like hotel rooms. For example, just recently my wife and I stayed for 2 weeks at Villa del Palmar Puerto Vallarta. When I did the booking I also looked up the same type of room on Expedia for the same dates. (I do this for all my timeshare vacations.) The difference in room cost, for a studio, was $1396 ($99.71 per day) more through Expedia.

I've done that comparison too... Good idea... I am working on a video on "what to do with 500K Hilton Honors points... Coming out with it next week... I've used my Hilton points I get from Timeshare presentation, dues, etc.... to have some nice vacations... Never say never to a hotel... I personally prefer Homewood suites because you have a full kitchen... I call it timeshare lite.

 

[moonstone]

Kitchens/kitchenettes are exactly why I prefer to timeshare- Do I cook elaborate meals NO

Same here! We figure the money we save by cooking in our unit's kitchen allows us to take more or longer vacations. The odd time when we couldn't book a timeshare when wanting to visit a particular city, we try to book an extended stay hotel room. When that wasn't available we have even stayed in a regular hotel room that had a small fridge and stove for a week, but I packed a tote with an electric fry pan, small electric kettle, toaster and some microwave dishes as well as plates, glasses, mugs and utensils. I brought very small containers of spices, condiments and ingredients for a few meals. I precooked a couple meals at home then froze them for easy reheating.

DS has to often work out of town for many weeks at a time and since he grew up vacationing in timeshares, he missed having a kitchen and disliked eating 3 meals a day in a restaurant. He soon discovered Marriott Residence Inns and his company negotiated a corporate rate with them. Even though he gets a per diem for his meals, he makes it go further (saves most of it) by going to the grocery store and getting simple things to cook in his room. He has even found a few of them with gas grills for guest use.

~Diane

 

[noreenkate]

Same here! We figure the money we save by cooking in our unit's kitchen allows us to take more or longer vacations. The odd time when we couldn't book a timeshare when wanting to visit a particular city, we try to book an extended stay hotel room. When that wasn't available we have even stayed in a regular hotel room that had a small fridge and stove for a week, but I packed a tote with an electric fry pan, small electric kettle, toaster and some microwave dishes as well as plates, glasses, mugs and utensils. I brought very small containers of spices, condiments and ingredients for a few meals. I precooked a couple meals at home then froze them for easy reheating.

DS has to often work out of town for many weeks at a time and since he grew up vacationing in timeshares, he missed having a kitchen and disliked eating 3 meals a day in a restaurant. He soon discovered Marriott Residence Inns and his company negotiated a corporate rate with them. Even though he gets a per diem for his meals, he makes it go further (saves most of it) by going to the grocery store and getting simple things to cook in his room. He has even found a few of them with gas grills for guest use.

~Diane

my youngest is just starting out his career and is traveling 2-3 weeks a month…his first big job last month he and his buddy booked a hotel and it was awful- the neighborhood was awful and no decent food with miles…they wound up eating out of a gas station everyday for almost a month….This month they are booked using multiple last calls at @ HIVC Foxriver Inn. They have a clean 2 bedroom full kitchen washer dryer ect…They had to drive a little further to get to work but that’s fine…