I am not sure that everyone has had experience with timeshare companies or “vacation memberships”, so it is worth mentioning in my blog about family travel on a budget. Especially since you can get some pretty awesome deals if you are willing to sit through a timeshare presentation. I am about to unfold the secret to those for you… like right now… (and whether you have a timeshare or are totally against timeshares, more power to you, these are just my personal experiences)
We currently own a “vacation membership” and have had it for 3ish years. Yes, it is like a timeshare, but more flexible. And no, it was not the WORST decision we have ever made. We have now been to 3 different timeshare presentations, in exchange for free stuff or SUPER affordable rates and I do not regret going, though they did waste part of a vacation day. If it is worth it to you to get a good deal on accommodations for your family travel, you may want to think about at least attending the presentation (if you can stand your ground and not get sucked into buying one).
Different Memberships
Villa del Palmar/UVCI
The first time we went to Cancun with friends, we got suckered into going to a timeshare presentation by a guy at the airport. I don’t think I would recommend this method generally, but it worked out okay for us. He offered us like $150, 2 bottles of tequila, and a few other things just to go to the presentation. We did it. They were pretty salesy and it took like 6 hours instead of 2, which was frustrating, but expected. Going to that presentation (and saying not right now), basically got us a free trip back to the resort the following year, when we ended up purchasing the timeshare.
We currently own 1,000 points on an every other year basis that can be used at 8-10 different resorts throughout Mexico. I can also deposit those points into an “exchange system” and go to other destinations for about the same price (plus $200ish exchange fee). Between what we paid for it and what we pay for the maintenance fee (which is the lowest I have EVER seen), we pay about $1000 for each 1,000 points we use for a studio room for a week, plus get member perks and free stuff to go to our update meeting when we go to the resorts. “Update meetings” are essentially a meeting where they feed and drink us and try to get us to buy more stuff, but they give us some really good incentives to participate, like $300 in spa or food credit. We like the resorts, we found some super reasonable direct flights from Minneapolis to Cancun, and it does force us to vacation more (not a bad thing).
Hilton Grand Vacations
I just went to one of these presentations when we went to Orlando last month. The Hilton resorts are a bigger brand with more destinations, but that also comes with a HEFTY price tag. Their membership was something like 3 times the price of mine and the maintenance fee is tripled as well! That’s just crazy! I would rather pay my $400 maintenance fee plus the $200 exchange fee and go to a Hilton location (or Marriott or Westgate, etc) than pay a $1200 maintenance fee.
However, they gave me 3 nights at a luxury resort in Orlando with a one-bedroom suite for only $99 + tax. I’m serious, $99 for all 3 nights ($33/night). PLUS 15,000 Hilton Honors points (which I think gets about 1 night stay at most Hilton hotels) and $100 in theme park tickets. It was totally worth listening to the presentation.
I would also trust this brand to be a little less sketchy than some of the ones you might find in other countries. Especially if you are uncomfortable travelling outside the USA.
Pros
There are some benefits to attending timeshare presentations and even owning a timeshare, IF (notice the BIG IF) you are actually going to use it.
- Deals on Resorts – Go to BookVIP.com and you will find TONS of super amazing deals on resorts that are trying to get you to attend a timeshare presentation. And you can find them pretty much anywhere in the world. If you have friends that use one, ask for a referral because they can usually get you a pretty good deal too. I took my mom to Cancun and got her room for $199 for 3 nights plus a $50 credit for myself for bringing her.
- Taking more vacations – I have noticed that pretty much everyone with a timeshare or vacation membership says that it makes you take more vacations. I do NOT think this is a bad thing. If you LOVE one particular destination and want to go to that same place every year, you can definitely do that with a timeshare.
- Referral bonuses – Your timeshare/membership company will usually give you perks for referring people and give your referrals a good deal. *See my note above about taking my mom*
- Free stuff – When you use your timeshare, you should get extra “member perks”, complimentary items, and upgrades. You can also get resort/spa/meal credit for going to “member update” presentations.
Cons
On the flip side, be aware of some things if you plan to check out timeshares to help your family travel on a budget:
- Not every deal is a good deal- I feel like maybe this should be my motto. Not every timeshare company (I’m sure there are some obscure ones out there), is giving you a better rate than you can find online with a little research. Don’t be afraid to comparison shop.
- High Pressure Sales – These people are sales people for a reason. They are friendly, persuasive, and know how to handle “all” of your objections. If you cannot handle that or don’t have good objections to stand on (I put mine in the next section), do NOT go to a presentation. They also take longer than they say, always. It is not 90 minutes, it’s probably more like 2-3 hours.
- Overpriced – To be honest, some of these are incredibly over-priced. I forgot about the Hard Rock one that we went to in the Dominican Republic (because they were giving us $1500 in resort credit!) because it was a long time ago. Their starting price was $100,000 JUST FOR THE MEMBERSHIP! Not including the annual maintenance fees. However, they have locations around. the. world. and are a very prestigious brand.
- Limited Use – If you get a fixed week or fixed destination, you are VERY limited in your choices on using your timeshare. I STRONGLY suggest some type of point system that is flexible and can be used at any resort location. Someday, flights to Orlando might not be super cheap and you want to try California instead, or meet friends in Vegas? Why limit yourself? On this note, I would also get one that you can borrow/bank from year to year or transfer to family/friends (without a fee) in case there is a year you can’t use it.
Best Advice
If you are interested in checking out how to do family travel on a budget using timeshare companies, here are my top 3 tips:
- Shop around – There is another website like BookVIP that I cannot think of the name of right now that has similar deals. I have seen ads floating around Facebook as well, just make sure to read the fine print on what you are committing to for the “discounted” rate.
- Use a 3rd party – Timeshare owners rent their vacation weeks out on RedWeek.com and a few other sites. You can also buy timeshares FOR $1 on ebay. No, I am not kidding. Make sure to read the fine print about transfer fees and maintenance fees, but people are selling them FOR $1, just to get out from under the payments. Obviously, buying one on ebay commits you to the maintenance fee for the rest of the contract (you are not just buying one week like on RedWeek), so be sure to do your research. Both of these help out timeshare owners and are valid ways to go with finding vacation deals.
- Stand your Ground – Or have a partner that can stand the ground for both of you. Do not say it’s not in your budget, because they will let you pay $5 a day for the rest of your life, just to get you on contract (FYI – that is over $50,000 in 28 years PLUS interest). We are consistent in mentioning that we are only allowed the one week of vacation every year (or say 3 days a year or something) and that we can’t commit to that. At the Hard Rock, we were on our honeymoon and said that we only had the time off because of the honeymoon, that we don’t normally get a week off each year. They cannot argue that you don’t have the vacation time, but they will DEFINITELY make the money argument with you and bring in reinforcements (the supervisor, the more experienced sales person, etc).
Ultimately, it is up to you if you want to go this route. You can find some awesome deals for affordable family travel if you can handle the high pressure sales presentation. Or check out some of those 3rd party sites for renting a timeshare and you can still get a pretty good deal on your family travel compared to regular rates, and without the commitment.
** Do you have any other tips or comments for using timeshare companies to find family travel on a budget? Share them with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.