Timeshares
November 2008
Our last notes on timeshares were in 2006 when we were disappointed in the lack of availability in citiies we wanted to visit. Because we generally make last-minute reservations, this has proven to be a problem through the years.
This year, we wanted to try a Mayan Palace Hotel and within two months of our travel date were able to book a suite in the Grand Mayan in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Sure, travel was down due to America's impending presidental election, a worldwide dreadful economy, and we were in a shoulder season. Shoulder seasons are actually my favorite times to travel — fewer people anywhere/everywhere. It is possible to actually enjoy sightseeing without crowds.
This year's stay at the Grand Mayan revised my faith in timeshares. Rack-rate for the two bedroom, two bath suite would have been way out of my budget, even in a good year. The rate for such a room at the Grand Mayan is roughly $1300/night, and we have seen specials around $400/night. We paid less than $400 total for a full two weeks.
It was so deluxe that we purchased another two weeks and now have eight weeks of travel through weeks, points, and timeshare programs. Because we don't have eight weeks vacation, we are able to either give a week or two to other family members, or sell them at low rates to friends and associates. My daughter is about to sell a week at the Grand Mayan's Sea Palace to a friend who is getting married. The young couple would not be otherwise able to afford such luxury.
Through the years, we have found that timeshares are nearly impossible to sell outright, and that it is even difficult to sell a week here and there . . . EXCEPT to family, friends and associates. So we have found a way around having more time than we can actually use at the moment, and we have secured vacations for the next 100 years at low rates. Because we love to travel so much, this is perfect for our family.
So, if timeshare travel is something you have been considering, it's worth looking into. In addition to the timeshare weeks you may have, you can trade them in to large conglomerates such as RCI . . . they "bank" your weeks, sell them, and you then have access to their affiliate resorts around the world.
So far, almost every accommodation we have enjoyed through a timeshare trade has been luxurious. Our biggest glitch was in Phuket years ago, but we have learned a great deal since then about what to ask and where to go. Reading reviews and blog sites from other travellers helped a great deal with our last trip. What might have been a disconcerting logistical problem due to the expanse of the Mayan Palace/Grand Mayan grounds were circumvented due to reading "Get into Buildings 1 through 5" of the Grand Mayan. That made a huge difference in our enjoyment.
Reading departure signs in some big airport