Help us decide

[Hullman]

Ok,

We just got back from Hawaii, my better half book everything. She travels for her job right now and 1st class airfare was free (credit card points), 6 nights at the Marriott in Wailea for free (Marriott credit card points), 5 nights at the Hilton TS in Honolulu (part of try to but Hilton TS because we stayed at the Hilton in NYC and went to the sales pitch (still have 2 nights). While in Honolulu we went through the sales pitch, I told them about resale and TUG and we still bought, only because I knew we could rescind. (they offered over 16,000 bonus points on an EOY 500 points in Orlando). Well… we rescinded but are still interested. Please help us figure out which system is best for us. We liked the resorts that Hilton had, especially the new Bali resort. I’m sure we’ll like Marriott, but not sure how the difference between the points and weeks and if resales are as good as they used to be

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where? Not necessarily

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time? Trade more than half

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? Europe, Caribbean, Orlando, Hawaii

4) How many people do you usually travel with – total, including yourself? 2 -3 (2 grown kids – 30 and 22)

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule? Not locked in

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance? Yes

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time? Yes

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars? 4 minimum

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? $10,000 (flexible)

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year? $1500 (flexible)

11) Are you a detail oriented planner? Yes

12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do? Yes

[SteelerGal]

When you buy in Hawaii, you do not normally trade since the MFs are higher. Often ppl will rent out their Hawaiian TS.
I would read the stickies comparing the multiple companies. There’s Marriott which has Vistana/Hyatt under their umbrella. All are currently separate entities.(Vistana/Hyatt owner). There’s Wyndham/Worldmark. Bluegreen. Diamond/Embarc. Well. Independents.
IMHO, I would rent to best decide which TS company would work best. Take your time because there will always be an opportunity to p/u a resale at a fraction of developer pricing.

[DaveNW]

Agree with ^^^, and also suggest you rent for awhile in different systems, to explore options, and to decide whether that system works for you. There is no rush to buy anything. Take your time, and make a smart choice.

Dave

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