hawaii: fire at your feet, seahorse farm, timeshares
° Hawaii ° Kauai ° Maui ° Oahu ° Environmental Stuff
Yes Timeshares
We've owned timeshares for years and have been able to stay in some of the most beautiful locations in the world for minimal cost (once the timeshare is purchased). While there are things we don't like about timeshares, particularly that they are often out-of-the-way and transportation is generally mandatory, and that you are isolated in a non-local community, we appreciate that the few weeks we have each year "force" us to travel . . . as in "use it or lose it."
We also know that we would never pay the $500-$1500/night fees to stay in exquisite resorts such as the Mayan on the Yucatan Peninsula or in a Hilton property. However, in addition to two weeks in a two bedroom, two bath, full kitchen, top floor condominium in Hawaii, our timeshare weeks have also included trades such as the Grand Mayan Riviera in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It, too, was two bedroom, two bath, full kitchen . . . one of the more beautiful places we have ever seen or enjoyed. Or the suite overlooking a vibrant Australian rainforest south of Cairns, replete with a mother kangaroo and her baby off the view deck.
My early argument against timeshares was that "nothing unexpected ever happens," such as the huge cockroaches that we shared a room with in a bargain basement motel in Texas, or the broom-closet-turned-into-a-room for $26/night during my first trip to London ages ago. (The broom closet wasn't that bad -- it was clean, quiet, and had a wall of glass through which I watched snow falling while completing Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" and waiting for shops to open so I could buy a warm coat -- I didn't know at the time that it actually snowed in London!)
However, once I realized surprises happen anywhere, even in timeshares, I opted in. Among the surprises at Hilton's Waikoloa Village were the sea turtles that swam directly under us into the lagoon (above left). On that day, which was one day following the quake that struck Samoa, there were tsunami warnings all around Hawaii's shorelines. Later in the day we were allowed to swim in the secluded waterway above, but the tides were frightening even in this sheltered lagoon. Four people grabbed a rope across the opening under the bridge; it took all their strength to hold on. My father was a professional swimmer/lifeguard and I'm an ocean swimmer, however, I'm not sure I would have made it back against the outgoing tide if I were a little further out. As I was near shore, my daughter grabbed my hand and pulled me in.
All of which is while at the Hilton Bay Club in Waikoloa, we checked out the Hilton's current offerings and found ourselves caught up in the value given by Hilton AND the soft-sell. There was no pressure in this presentation. Also, the timeshare we currently have through TrendWest/WorldMark isn't based anywhere; it is a point system, which we like, but if the company goes under, we have nothing.
Hilton, on the other hand, sells actual fee-simple space in a condo, one that can be exchanged for accommodations anywhere that Hilton has resorts or—and this was the big deal for us—Hilton hotels. Because Hilton has been in the hotel business since the early 1900s, we have complete confidence that any money spent will not go down the drain. So my daughter bought a week (for starters) in a two-bedroom condo in the Hilton on Waikiki, which will be used there, but which will also give her (me!) a week in the Maldives which has some of the best diving in the world, but also has an exotic underwater restaurant (image left). In addition to hundreds of resorts and hotels, Hilton has trade with some of the best outfitters in the world, including OARS Adventure Travel, Tauck (which I believe is one of the best guides in Africa), yacht charters, motorhomes and even motorcycles.
If you decide you really need to consider timeshares, think about talking with Mary Jane "MJ" Schmitz, a real estate agent, time-share sales agent, and Vacation Counselor for Hilton Grand Vacations Club. She is at the Waikoloa Beach Resort and was a pleasure to work with. She knows what she is doing because of her background in residential real estate and gave us excellent advice.
Reading departure signs in some big airport