[carve]

Originally Posted by Nate4641

My family got roped into one of those time share pitches about 6 years ago at Atlantis in the Bahamas. My parents ended up purchasing and have loved it ever since. They offer me the chance to use it and I keep trying to get a turn, but you practically have to book a year in advance and I never know if I'll be able to go. It too is on a point system with seemingly random high amounts of points which probably helps sell to certain people. Research would probably be the best idea in buying a time share instead of just doing the first one that a big tittied blonde pitches to you.

I'm sure it's a nice place, but booking vacations a year in advance sounds like a huge PITA, as does messing with points, as does being limited on where you can go. Have they ran the numbers to see if they're actually saving anything vs. just picking up the phone a month in advance and booking a room?

[Nate4641]

Originally Posted by carve

I'm sure it's a nice place, but booking vacations a year in advance sounds like a huge PITA, as does messing with points, as does being limited on where you can go. Have they ran the numbers to see if they're actually saving anything vs. just picking up the phone a month in advance and booking a room?

Most likely. My parent's are ones to spend money without doing research on it. The point system is actually pretty simple when you look at the calendar and room rates. Certain size rooms are given a point value per day depending on the time of year and tourism trends. At a high tourism part of the year the rooms are worth more. You can stay more time in a smaller room or less time in a bigger room. It is just weird to me that they need to make the points such high numbers when you could knock it down to a few digits max, but like I said it probably sells. My parents love the location and I dont blame them, plus from what I remember, you get huge discounts on other places around the globe. Booking a year out isnt too bad for most in a steady occupation, but being in the military I dont have the luxury to know where I will be that far in advance.

If I had the money I would invest in a good time share, from what I have seen it can be a great deal.

[persian54]

Originally Posted by Nate4641

My family got roped into one of those time share pitches about 6 years ago at Atlantis in the Bahamas. My parents ended up purchasing and have loved it ever since. They offer me the chance to use it and I keep trying to get a turn, but you practically have to book a year in advance and I never know if I'll be able to go. It too is on a point system with seemingly random high amounts of points which probably helps sell to certain people. Research would probably be the best idea in buying a time share instead of just doing the first one that a big tittied blonde pitches to you.

Damn..when I book anything that's not related to work, it's almost always short notice (like a week or something)

longest I ever planned a vacation in advance was about a few months, and that was because we were well over 20 people going to a wedding out of the country....


Hmm... would this thing be beneficial if one has to keep going to a wedding at least once a year out of the country? and almost always with a rather large group?
You mentioned you could use it instead of your parents..so could I send my parents/grandparents/rest of my crazy large Persian family?

Our hotel costs for when we went to Dubai were not cheap... I can tell you that.

$17k is pretty cheap if I can have my entire family stay somewhere for a week or 2 every year. We paid well into the thousands when we were in Dubai and and again a year later in Sweden. I still have a bunch of cousins getting married soon too..
Just asking to learn about this. Maybe I should do some google-ing. hmm

I don't suppose they have resorts in Iran lol

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by carve

Has anyone gone to one of these things and made it clear right off the bat you're just there for the freebie and have zero interest in buying?

I'm doing this next year.

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by carve

1) Bobble: that sounds like kind of a bad deal to me.

Elaborate please.

I've owned for 4 years, paid 22K cash. I get a week or two depending on how I use it anywhere for free. Took the whole family to Maui 2 years ago, check out how much it costs to rent a condo there for a week that sleeps 8 multiply that by let's say 20 years. Which is cheaper in the long run? remember this is a deedable real property, it's in my will going to my kids and I can give it to anyone I want as such.
Yes you do need to plan but we are planners so that's no big deal. I'm self employed so it's actually easier for me to tell clients the beginning of each year not available these weeks do not ask.
And like I said even if I we decide we do not want to use some of the time I transfer it to hotel time and can go anywhere anytime no planning needed just an available room, example was Paris as a birthday gift for my girlfriend.
Honestly we used to drop 7K a year easy for vacation and now it's all prepaid. You just need to be very careful and not get sucked into the traditional a week same week same place crap.
I do the presentations all the time for free crap, just got two ticket American Airlines anywhere continental US for sitting thru a presentation for 90 minutes. At the end I said no, they persisted for about 10 minutes and finally gave up and gave me my voucher. Gave the voucher to my daughter as she has an interview for a doctoral program at UW next month.

[UncleWede]

On the points, I guess random inflation has taken place. When I signed up (1990s) I got 110 points per year.

The real key seems to be Interval International, so you can trade for anything in the world.

[persian54]

Originally Posted by Bobble

not get sucked into the traditional a week same week same place crap.

I'm even more confused now..... there are more than 1 kind?

I just want to know if this TS stuff will be cheaper for us as we go to weddings and other big family events annually... and we have a large ass family so it gets expensive.

We could have pretty much bought that 17k TS the op mentioned just between our Dubai and Sweden trips....

[UncleWede]

Will all 20 of you stay in the same room? IF so, this makes sense.

[persian54]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Will all 20 of you stay in the same room? IF so, this makes sense.

well i mean, didn't someone mention something abut a whole condo?

or can't you get multiple rooms? the point #s seem crazy high..

[Bobble]

OK couple explanations to the questions posted.
With the Starwood program you do get a memebrship to Interval International so yes you can trade your time with anything else in the world but it's not point or option per point or option. The better deal is trading within the Starwood network to their hotels if you do not want to stay at one of the vacation resorts and yes Dubai has a resort/hotel. As far as the hotels go they are all Westin, St Regis, Le Meridien, Loft, Elements and W hotels. If you can't find one of those where you are going it most be a remote place.

Yes there are 2 types of TS programs; the traditional which I originally owned in the 90's and it sucked - you get one week same week same place period; There's also the vacation resort programs that the Marriot and Starwood pioneered which you buy points and can use those points at any of their properties anywhere, much more flexible and it comes with a deed which means it's a real property and can be willed or given away, once paid for it's yours or your families.

On the condo comment what I get is a two bedroom lockoff situation(I have even year my girl has odd year) so we effectively get one week each year. That gets you two separate rooms one a studio and one a one bedroom, each comes full bath, kitchenette, king size bed and queen size sofa bed you can sleep 8 people easily. On ours we can split the week up into two weeks by only using the studio side so effectivley if we are not travelling with family we get two weeks each year by using the studio side only. That's what we did when we went to Paris, we did Maui for a week studio only, convert the other half to points, added some of our extra points (we both have starwood AMEX's and use the crap out of them each have over 150K points on them) and booked a week at the Prince DeGalle in Paris for nothing but the plane fare.

Honestly if you travel and are a couple and like resort settings like Hawaii, Cancun, Bahamas St John etc. it's a good deal. We've had her's for 5 years, added mine 3 years ago and it pushed us into the "Gold" class where we get a few extra perks. We literally do two weeks usually each year at one of the above(was in Cancun end of September) usually May and September off times to escape kids. Gold perks is early booking times(we can book 4 months out, early check in, food and drink discounts vouchers etc). Her brother and his family spend 10K a year for a weeks cruise each year(3 kids). For slightly over two years worth of cruises they could have paid for a vacation property for life. Downside no food included but we do the CostCo thing when we land buy our food and alcohol for 75% of our time and go out to few nice dinners and still only drop @$750 for the week. Works for us but we work the system since she is very familiar with it, used to work in a similar industry so she has it nailed.

[Cdnrockies]

Originally Posted by Bobble

OK couple explanations to the questions posted.

So you pay zero fees annually and zero fees for the time you use at a specific resort?

I have not looked into the Starwood program but met someone who is very happy with it on the golf course. We chose the FS Residence Club and are very happy. Bought it for dirt cheap when your market crashed so our initial investment was very low, but we do have annual fees. Our title is in San Diego and we trade to Scottsdale regularly. Perfect for what we were looking for. YMMV.