What's the best timeshare to buy?

We are starting to look into it now....we don't want anything too expensive and 2 weeks every year or even every other year is fine.

TIA!

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

last year we bought a resale on a wyndham.

We get a certain amount of points per year and we can use it at any of their locations for any amount of time. (3 days, a week, etc)

We love it.

We went to one of their programs where they get you to buy their timeshare but realized that what they wanted was out of our league.

My FIL told us about a resale/rental site where he got his. We looked into it. For about $4,000 we got a timeshare worth about $50,000.

We get 323,000 points a year to spend. Which is more than enough for a week plus during prime time.

We can bank our points or use them for Interval.

Our maint fees are about 100 a month.

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

Friends of ours bought into a timeshare that's through Marriott.

I don't know very much about the program but this is my understanding...

They purchased however many weeks in Aruba but if they wanted, they could trade with someone somewhere else and go there.

I'm pretty sure they're very happy with the program as they've had theirs for years and over the years have convinced others to sign up.

Message edited 1/21/2009 1:59:51 PM.

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

Is there timeshare that has no maintenance fees?

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

I am not aware of any timeshare that doesn't have maintenance fees.

We own in Orlando through Starwood and are very happy with it. We've traded to Cabo, Hawaii, Aruba, and Puerto Vallarta. We have a 1br every year.

The top destinations to purchase timeshares are in Orlando, Hawaii or Aruba (the top destination varies by where you are seeing the presentation). The best prices of the three seem to be in the Orlando area from what I've seen.

ETA - We bought directly through Starwood and we got a number of points that we can use for hotels/airfare and we are gold status at Starwood hotels now (which leads to upgrades and late checkout).

Message edited 1/21/2009 2:34:34 PM.

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

we bought one last year ...

its Marriott .. our home timeshare is in Orlando.. which is a prime spot..so when you trade to go somewhere else you have high trading power!

there is a yearly maintenance fee.. i dont think its too bad.

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

We have a Marriott time share in Aruba.

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

I bought a timeshare for $1.00 on ebay!

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

I would also suggest buying a resale or even on ebay. You will get the best price for the week. And no, I don't believe there is any timeshare out there without maintenance fees. They can range from $400-800 a year. I would definitely suggest buying into a company that has trading power. I know a lot of hotel groups now have timshares (wyndham, marriot, starwood) and then there are trade groups like RCI and Interval. Another suggestion is to try to buy a week at a resort that you will go to yearly, or almost yearly. When you use another resort you will have to pay an additional fee to trade your week.

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

We are Disney Vacation Club owners and bought a Starwood resale in Orlando as well

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

We own Marriott on Singer Island in West Palm Beach. We are very happy with our home location, and have traded and gone to Orlando, Bahamas, Mystic, Cancun, and just got Aruba.

Re: What's the best timeshare to buy?

we own at the Hilton Grand Vacation club
and also at the Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay *Mexico)