Westin Lagunamar - How Much Should We Charge Our Friends?

[DeniseM]

To look at it from another angle - if we don't use one of our timeshares, we rent it for at least the maintenance fee. So if guests used one side of our lock-off, for example, we would be out of pocket at least $700. I guess I don't have any friends I like well enough to give a $700 gift to! :hysterical:

We actually haven't ever had TS guests for a whole week. We've taken couples to our Tahoe TS twice - they had their own unit, and I charged them $69 a night because it was bonus time and that's what it cost us out of pocket. (We were renting nights outside our timeshare ownership week.) When we invited them, I said we can get a condo in Tahoe for $69 a night, do you want to go?

BTW - the first time, one couple got mad at the other, and the first couple backed out at the last minute after I had already made a nonrefundable reservation and paid for their unit, and never offered to pay their share. That did make me mad.

 

[Catazog]

BTW - the first time, one couple got mad at the other, and the first couple backed out at the last minute after I had already made a nonrefundable reservation and paid for their unit, and never offered to pay their share. That did make me mad.

That would make me mad too! We plan to reconfirm with everyone 90 days out. If one of them (it's actually a couple and one single person) can't make it at the last minute, then they other will have the studio and we'll have the whole 1BR side. If they all can't make it at the last minute -- well, I guess my husband and I will just alternate sleeping in the 1BR and the Studio!

 

[rocky]

Why should anyone you invite over to dinner at your home get a free meal?

For me, there is great joy in inviting friends to travel with us to WKORV or our home in Mexico and TREATING them to the experience. Regardless of means. It's about hospitality, enjoying each other's company, and doing something incredibly special and unusual for people you care about. I don't invite people to come with me so I can make half of my maintenance fee back... I invite them because the vacation wouldn't be the same without them and and I find great happiness, dare I say, VALUE, to having them with me.

If you are looking for cash, just rent it to strangers. Easier to negotiate and more lucrative.

 

[sjuhawk_jd]

Why should anyone you invite over to dinner at your home get a free meal?

For me, there is great joy in inviting friends to travel with us to WKORV or our home in Mexico and TREATING them to the experience. Regardless of means. It's about hospitality, enjoying each other's company, and doing something incredibly special and unusual for people you care about. I don't invite people to come with me so I can make half of my maintenance fee back... I invite them because the vacation wouldn't be the same without them and and I find great happiness, dare I say, VALUE, to having them with me.

If you are looking for cash, just rent it to strangers. Easier to negotiate and more lucrative.

excellent point Rocky, and I agree with you that the vacation wouldn't be same without them, so there is value to be had even if you do not ask for money. However, do you keep on inviting somebody for dinner at your house and they never reciprocate?

Fortunately or unfortunately, I do not have many friends who will come along for free for a week-long vacation, especially since they know that it is costing me some money. They do not want to come along for free since they know that they can not reciprocate!

 

[thinze3]

excellent point Rocky, and I agree with you that the vacation wouldn't be same without them, so there is value to be had even if you do not ask for money. However, do you keep on inviting somebody for dinner at your house and they never reciprocate?

Fortunately or unfortunately, I do not have many friends who will come along for free for a week-long vacation, especially since they know that it is costing me some money. They do not want to come along for free since they know that they can not reciprocate!

I think there have been many ways expressed above about how to "reciprocate". There OP's question was, "How much should we charge our friends?" Rocky and many others here, like myself, believe that the answer is ZERO. You "should charge" them ZERO.

Yes, your friends can buy some groceries, pay for dinner, take you to a concert at a later date. They can "reciprocate" in any of numerous ways without giving, or being expected to give, cash up front. Would it be totally wrong to take cash if it is offered, absolutely not. Would I accept it, absolutely not.

IMHO you will have a more enjoyable vacation realizing that you are the gracious hosts, and your friends will forever be grateful for the time you have given them by not accepting cash. Your friendship would probably be stronger than ever.

I think this is a great discussion and do hope that the OP does not feel any disrespect from my opinion.

Terry

 

[joyzilli]

When we do an exchange into a 2 bedroom unit, we have to pay all the fees to make this exchange in the first place, so we never ask friends for money if they would like to use the 2nd bedroom. However, if we are utilizing the lock-off portion of our timeshare to acccomodate friends, then, yes, we do charge part of the maint. fees, because we could be using it ourselves for another week, or depositing that portion to use at a later date.

 

[sherilah]

Just an FYI that we discussed the price with our friends. They were THRILLED at $100 a night! Immediately, the wife said, "We are IN"! Considering that last year we paid almost $600 a night at the Four Seasons in Hawaii and they were not able to accompany us, they are more than happy to contribute $100 a night. Like I mentioned, if we were going away for the weekend or they were sleeping on the pull out sofa in the living room of the 1 bedroom, we wouldn't charge.

And I believe that inviting someone over for dinner is A LOT different than going away on vacation.