I really do want to learn about Bluegreen. The Hilton people can’t talk about. Do you have an trial program or are you only allowed to sell VIP program

My son is using the Murphy bed. This has worked well. Can’t imaging an RC park with a lazy river.

@@timesharetraveler And no lazy rivers where we started, cheap motels. I just booked 4 nights, Christmas in Sedona for 2025, 42,000 points for a deluxe one-bedroom, or $270 in MF. This is unbelievable savings when you consider that it isn't easy to match that just for 1 night in the city at a 2.5-star hotel. Even downgrading to the cheapest motel in Cottonwood would come in at $540!

That is what I’m finding. Checked in last night. Going to Winona Judd concert tonight

It is one of my favorite resorts. Just spent two weeks there

Those are all good questions. It most cases you can resale to get out. Sometime you might have to sell at $0 and pay transaction fees. If you have a hilton deed they sell for about $7k for a two bedroom deed. I believe Hilton with take back your point, but I haven’t explored it. Lastly, you have to have an active account to see availability (to the best of my knowledge)

I look forward to the concert at the Venetian. Never been to one there. All the timeshare companies are there so plenty to make a mistake with😁😁😁

It is great that you do. I am looking forward to the update I will be getting plus all the perks. It is important to stay educated and leverage your time to more than just in the units you pay for.

It is all part of the process of getting the most out of your timeshare. The presentations are just another opportunity to get more out of your ownership. The reason owners get more points is that it is easier to sell to people who already understand the benefit / cost than someone who doesn't. Forcing yourself to have a plan is part of making sure you buy when it is the right time. Being educated (even by the sales team) puts you in the right framework if / when you want to buy more (a whole seprate discussion). But it sounds like you enjoy what you have and that comes across. And you sound like you are getting better (and getting more hhonors points as proof :-).

@@timesharetraveler yes sir! We will probably hold off on more purchases for a while. BUT....will keep the updates as a plan to learn, now that Blue Green is happening.

@ I’m interested in seeing what options I can do to incorporate Bluegreen as well. Nothing immediate, but it would be nice to have clarity.

I've never used my home weeks. I own a couple 2 bedroom Plus deeds because the maintenance for a two bedroom and a two bedroom plus is the same. This lowers my maintenance per point. I am always looking to maximize my point usage and off peak does this for me. Some times it is only moving a vacation a week and you save the money. Hawaii off peak has more to do with School being in session as the weather is mostly the same (a little more rain in the winter).

@@timesharetraveler that makes sense. do you take advantage of "Home Resort Priority"? Or do you basically "own" at a resort you don't intend to stay at because of cheaper maintenance fees and use the club season window at the resorts you want to stay at?

Number two. I own for the lowest maintenance fees. It doesn't mean I won't stay there. I just haven't used the home week advantages yet. I normally am happy with a two bedroom and would prefer to use the additional points that a "plus" offers elsewhere. Not saying I won't ever, but it is not why I own where I own.

@@timesharetraveler I don't own anything right now. Thinking about it. Without being able to see the availability of resorts I have anxiety that the place I want to stay in won't be available outside of the home week or home priority window.

thanks for the replies!

Comes with all that stress 😁😁😁

I 95% sure the same is true. I think the savings is a little less on weekends than weekdays just because timeshares charge more points for weekends.

Ok...yeah....weekends being more expensive makes sense.

I did a couple checks. In some cases what was available for a week was not available for the weekend. But in the case of Hawaii, it was available and the weekends were more expensive. Guessing that there is a similar percentage (didn't do the calculation) increase in the rental rate vs. ownership rate.

@@timesharetraveler ok....thanks for checking. Something new for us to keep an eye on for the overall "value" of what we own in points....vs what the maintenance fees are on what we have.

In my experience it is leveraging choices I never had before I owned timeshares. It was a new concept to me that I soon discovered was very beneficial.

It is mostly Marriott. A studio at Worldmark would be $700/week on Maui.

What is the best timeshare company ? Marriott has most availability but seems like maintenance fees are much steeper

I do a comparison of Marriott, Worldmark, and hilton on this channel. Marriott is the most expensive, Worldmark the cheapest, and Hilton in the middle. Hilton and Marriott have similar quality. The hilton club portion of Hilton is not as luxurious as Marriott Hope this helps.

@@anthonylentini2277 I think it is Worldmark or Club Wyndham, though Worldmark is better on the West Coast. Hilton makes sense too, but I would only buy a platinum contract in Vegas, maybe 20,000 points or so, if you want to get the best maintenance fees.

I have status with all hotels and Timeshares, so I wait for the "we thank you for your loyalty for being a premier member", and then I ask for a specific upgrade since they have basically asked me how I can I reward you for your loyalty. The current one I did was an upgrade from a studio to a one bedroom. I am very specific. Or, can you put me as close to the ocean view as possible (which often results in an ocean view upgrade). I don't always get what I want, but I often get part of what I want. I am always very grateful to the person (I specifically tell the person and I really am grateful... Not making it up) and I let them know that being a member with Status has been very rewarding. I feel very blessed with all the benefits I am provided. Both what I paid for and what I get as a free upgrade.

It is surprising what a little research does. I wish I understood this 20 years ago. I like your idea of figuring the best option based on season. Before I had timeshares, I didn’t understand peak seasons even though hotels have even more broad seasonality!!!

​@@timesharetraveler I remember seeing a testimonial on KZbin from a Marriott owners who wasn't doing well with their ownership. MF were too expensive for their local vacation destination, unlike how you utilize in HI. They would plan their summer vacation based on peak hotel pricing, and specifically that timeshare's pricing to the public, just to not feel underwater. Hopefully they can utilize off peak pricing and last-minute deals later on. BTW speaking of Hawaii, I just sold a CD titled "Christmas in Hilo", to someone in Hilo.

It is always Christmas in Hilo. Hilo is a gift to the world. I suspect there are a lot of timeshare owners who could benefit from a little education. Nothing comes without a little risk. And sometimes people are too scared to try and learn new things. Even if they would be better.

Exactly how I felt when I left the hotel and back into a timeshare!!!!!

In general you need more than 7000 credits. Log in to the site and select various sites and see what the points. For example, a two bedroom in Kihei Hawaii is 12000 credits. You should gotten bonus points. Also look at inventory specials and Monday madness where you can buy a weeks vacation for equal to or less than the maintenance fees (there are restrictions).

Staying in a hotel for the holiday when it is just a bedroom especially when you are spending all day with family at their house makes sense. Especially if that means every other year you are staying in Hawaii 😁😁. Not a bad way to spoil yourself.

Congratulations!!! The cost of the VIP is less than the maintenance of a similar number of points. And you didn’t have to pay for the point’s upfront. I look forward to hearing about you week in Hawaii 😁😁😁

Exactly how I felt. I feel very spoiled!!!

I stayed in a regular room at Hyatt Baha Mar in the Bahamas and while the hotel and rooms are very nice, we missed the extra space and kitchen. We requested a refrigerator and a microwave and the microwave is smaller than your average one. The fridge was a mini fridge. No table to eat on except for the desk in the room. We agreed we couldn't stay in a normal room for a whole week again. My niece was running around asking where the other room was!!

@ that is so true. I couldn’t believe how much better a timeshare stay is compared to a hotel. I am staying in a very nice hotel. But it is a hotel. I am so spoiled and happy to be so😁😁😁

There are taxes plus any resort fees. More like $480 in most cases. The resort fees are there even if you book with points

Check RCI if you have access. You can probably get a week for $399 or less. I love the Waldorf Astoria. Stayed at several for free with the card.

@@timesharetraveler Yeah, there's good RCI deals on stays through Dec 27th, but we're not heading in until the 28th - 31st. Probably too much demand for New Years. I currently have Virgin Hotel booked for 60,000 Hilton Honor points per night, plus a night in Laughlin for New Years. I'm still a HGVC owner at the moment, so I'll check there too for a better deal. I loved Waldorf Astoria in Park City and Phoenix. I got upgraded to a 1,200 sq ft villa in Phoenix!

Cool upgrade to a villa. Check the the website, they had a special going on Vegas for a lot less points

Here it is. The Gem that is Grand Pacific Exchange (GPX)... Timeshare Traveler Episode 182 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWjKfYCBdtCof6s

@ Great, exactly what I was looking for to understand that exchange better.

It has been wonderful for me

I booked this on the GPX website (Grand Pacific Exchange). One of my Hilton deeds (Marbrissa) is part of the GPX group which opens up a lot of options for me

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll do that going forward. Got a bunch of reviews in Vegas in a few Weeks and I’ll follow your advice

Yes. Another good year. Thanks for the reminder about TUG. Been looking at resale deeds but not a lot of posts.

You definitely have some really cool trips planned. Yes, fell into GPX as part of a Hilton Marbrissa Deed. $399/week and seem to be available at least all winter if you plan 3 months out. I could stay in lake Tahoe almost full time at that rate. Probably Vegas as well.

That is an amazing story. It is a bit sad as well. Do you feel good about your situation because you bought resale or because you know all the ways to use the system? The fact you were using Wyndham rewards to stay for free shows even then you knew how to work the system.

​@@timesharetraveler I feel good about my situation because: #1 I bought resale. #2 I wasn't mislead in a timeshare presentation. #3 We're utilizing our points in fairly expensive areas, making it easy to break even after using only 50% of our points.

I hope others read your comments. Feels fairly “stress free”

The more we can create benefits for both clients and salespeople the better the industry will grow. Thank you for tuning in.

Thank you

You bring up valid concerns and I appreciate your comment. Timeshares are a luxury. The maintenance fees are rising slower than hotel costs. The challenges you mention about booking require a lot of knowledge and I think the timeshare industry falls short. Typically once you learn the rules, bookings become successful most of the time. I agree that the maintenance fees are not made clear prior to a purchase

Consider taking the hotel points and vacationing in a homewood suite. They have kitchens and one bedrooms. Do a comparison of which is better. Good idea on the maintenance fees. I find the hotel points a better value when I realize how many nights I can stay. Always ask for more and see if you can get 40,000 hhonors points at a minimum

I am with you. Excited about Bluegreen resorts becoming available

They are also getting older, have kids, etc…. I think it is more of a rediscovery and reevaluation as the alternatives increase much more quickly

@@timesharetraveler It will be interesting to see if the young lean heavier into resale, being more tech savvy in forums. I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see developer points go on sale online without a presentation, geared towards those that would benefit from status and bypassing the sales commission and gifts.

That would be an interesting twist in the buying process. The contract would have to get simpler. I wonder if resale prices will appreciate if demand picks up?

I’ve noticed that my kids are now much more interested in timeshares (ages 28-39). It seems to take awhile to appreciate the value of a larger room. That just sitting and talking and relaxing is a blessing. When the go go go isn’t the only thing. I was shocked when reading about hotel prices rising. It made my whining about maintenance fees embarrassing. And with consolidation there are a lot more places you can go within your network.

Thanks for another great video. To your point about hotel prices rising, my friend is interested in going to Las Vegas for a music festival and found that the hotel prices are charging event pricing for that weekend (Residence Inn asking $400 per night). I checked MGC and calculated that the MFs for the MVC points needed for his 4 night stay would be about $200 per night. These little hacks make me appreciate my ownership even more.

That sounds really cool. And probably way nicer than the hotel. Check out RCI and Interval also. Sometimes you can get it for under $100/night. Maybe not for a busy weekend.

How much do you own? Assume you own Worldmark. Do you have a loan in addition to the maintenance fees? If you have a loan, how much is the loan. My goal for you is to tell you how to book vacations without need to buy more (especially if you own Worldmark). Can you afford the maintenance fees if you don’t have a loan?

Excellent life choices. I think the future opportunities for work and vacation are tremendous.

I use the virtual background just in case I am facing the pool😁😁😁. Very interesting you could get an audio with airplane WiFi. That means you have no excuse not to do your bucket list as a working vacation 😁😁😁😁

There are so many options that most people don’t explore. It is always good to challenge ourselves

That is hilarious about the chimney. It also makes it harder for my kids to deliver the cookies and milk for Santa

You are happier where you are. I think that is the definition of a good deal.

Exactly how my timeshares developed. I believe that making meals together is easier at a timeshare than at home when everyone is busy with their routines. Some of the best times with my kids now as adults is cooking together.

It is surprise that buying a timeshare saves on food. When I originally bought, I came up with my savings based just on accommodation renting vs maintenance fees. If I had included food savings it would have been three years. It is true also what you say about having a second bedroom. It is hard to explain the difference until you have done it

I couldn’t have written this any better. I had no idea when I bought a timeshare that it would change my travel forever. I just wanted reward myself with something nice. But now I can’t make every trip amazing.

I would give RCI a try first and see if it works for you. Only add if it doesn’t work.

Appreciate your perspective and many agree with you. My experience has been different. I arrive at all owner updates with questions I want answered. I usually get them answered plus usually one new idea.

Amazing that you remember both and that it has the impact on the whole brand not just the location. I tend to do the same and I think is true for most people.

​@timesharetraveler That was my third time staying at Starwoods, and within 60 days of my first stay, so they were building a reputation of luxury and lucrative point earning. I really loved the SPG credit card! I just stayed at a Westin in Vancouver in October, and it reminded me of this time. My problem with Marriott is that it took ovee 12 phone calls to get the charges straighten out. Not all the agents had the same skill or concern. When it was all fixed, I called Marriot to make a formal complaint about the manager's attitude and mess. The agent said she would have to write it out by hand, hinting that they rarely used the complaint forms. Two months later I got an email from Marriot claiming that they got my complaint, but there was no indication as to which property it was pertaining to. Until they had that, they couldn't forward it to the property's manager. OK, nevermind!

That is brilliant. And I am sure you remember every time it happens just like do (obviously you remember since you included the story). These simple acts of kindness change everything

61,000

I have been blessed by wonderful people at many different location. I could have included so many more but these were all a little different and representative of opportunities