Hotels & Timeshares

Timeshare vs. Hotel - Which is Right for YOU?

One of the newest debates in the travel industry is whether owning timeshare is more convenient and cost-effective than renting traditional hotel rooms. The simple answer? It depends on the way you prefer to vacation.

Many timeshare resellers and timeshare resort marketers will tell you without hesitation that timeshares are better than hotels. But depending on your financial circumstances and how often you vacation, this is not always the case. Below you will find a head-to-head comparison of timeshare accommodations and hotel accommodations to help you decide which option is right for you.

Are Timeshare Resorts More Luxurious than Hotels?

If you consider room space and amenities alone, it is readily apparent that timeshare resorts have a lot more to offer vacationers. Take a look at this comparison of a double hotel room (two beds) and a one-bedroom timeshare suite - both units can sleep four guests, but the differences in how (and how comfortably) are revealing.

Standard Hotel Room Features

• Single Room Accommodation with Two Double or Queen Beds
• Television in Room
• Standard Tub/Shower in Bathroom
• Coffeemaker, Complimentary Coffee and Tea Provided
• Mini-Fridge (some rooms)

Standard Timeshare Suite Features

• Multiple Room Accommodation with Queen Bed in Private Bedroom
• Sleeper Sofa in Separate Living Room
• Television in Bedroom and Living Area
• Jacuzzi Tub in Bathroom
• Fully-Equipped Kitchen, including:
  • Refrigerator, Microwave, Oven/Stove-Top, Dishwasher
  • Dinnerware for Four
  • Separate Dining Area
• Washer/Dryer (some suites)

Click Here To Browse Available Timeshare Resales!

Are Timeshares More Affordable Than Hotels?

Many travelers look for hotel discounts and then make their reservations, and we don't blame them. In an effort to raise room occupancy and to fill empty rooms, many hotel chains offer bonus programs and last-minute deals that truly do provide a good value. But, honestly, how often do you plan a romantic getaway or a family vacation at the last minute? Many people never consider how much more comfortable they might be (or how much they could be saving) if they considered timeshares as part of their travel planning. If you regularly vacation - say at least once or twice a year for a total of seven days or more - timesharing can be one of the most financially beneficial decisions you'll ever make.

Understandably many buyers are deterred by the high initial purchase price of resort timeshares. According to the ARDA International Foundation, in 2008, resorts boasted an "average sales price per interval of $20,152" (view full article). But Timeshare-Resale-Rental is here to let you in on a little secret: Don't buy a timeshare from a resort; buy a timeshare resale from a current owner to save 20-70% on the initial purchase price.

Consider this scenario: In order to holiday in romantic, high-energy destinations like Las Vegas, Aruba and Acapulco, a young couple purchases a one-bedroom timeshare resale interval for 50% of the average resort selling price - that's $10,076. The couple also decides to take advantage of resale financing so that within ten years they will have paid off the initial purchase price and will only have to pay their annual maintenance fees of $500. In this model, for the first ten years that they own the timeshare, it will cost the couple just over $1,500 (principal payment plus $500 annual maintenance fee) for each vacation week - or about $214 per night. After ten years, however, paying only the maintenance fee, it will cost the same couple just under $72 a night to vacation in their luxury timeshare suite.

Taking this example into consideration, it's easy to see why many timeshare owners decide to purchase additional timeshare weeks on the resale market. You'd be hard pressed to find a luxury hotel that could compete with the price of $214 per night (or $72 per night!), let alone the superior amenities offered by a similarly priced timeshare suite.

Click Here To Browse Available Timeshare Resales!

Are Timeshares More Convenient Than Hotels?

We've already established that timeshares are more convenient in terms of comfort, but what about availability? The big names in hotels - Best Western, Holiday Inn, Sheraton, Marriott and Hilton - offer availability at a moment's notice, for as brief as a night's stay, in locations all around the world. They also offer a level of quality that you can depend on.

But did you know that many of the same trusted hoteliers including Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton and even Holiday Inn also offer timeshare resorts? Timeshare resorts with availability in thousands of destinations worldwide, for as brief as a night's stay, often at a moment's notice?

Contrary to popular belief, timeshare availability is not limited to resort destinations like Hawaii and the Caribbean. In fact, you can rent or buy timeshare in the heart of many major metropolitan areas including New York City; Boston; Seattle, WA; London; Vienna, Austria; and even Berlin, Germany. Regular business travelers (and vacationers alike) have found these "urban timeshares" to be highly desirable, providing pleasant, spacious lodging for annual business trips.

So why do newcomers often shy away from timesharing? Because they think that ownership locks them into vacationing the same week at the same resort every year. And while it's true that many timeshare owners choose this option, it's not the only one. Timeshare owners today have the choice to exchange their vacation intervals at their home resorts for comparably valued weeks at other resorts worldwide thanks to exchange networks like those provided by RCI. Owners today also have the option to vacation in flexible time increments rather than just the traditional 7-day interval. The creation of points-based timeshare memberships allows owners to enjoy weekend getaways, single night stays or to save their points for longer getaways.

Consider this: The same couple from our example above might discover that after only a few years, children and other lifestyle changes make them more interested in spending holidays in timeshare destinations like the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, whale watching along Maine's gorgeous tree-lined coast, or at a timeshare resort in Orlando, just outside the Disney resort complex.

And before they know it, this same twosome will be empty-nesters, eagerly revisiting Las Vegas (this time for the shows), or perhaps back to Maui to delight in a second honeymoon. And because this couple did their research before buying their timeshare, they understand that timeshare resorts are real property; unlike temporary hotel lodging, the timesharing experience can be deeded or willed to loved ones to pass on the vacation savings for generations to come.

Timeshare grows with your needs and your family - can a hotel do that?

Click Here To Browse Available Timeshare Resales!

Hotel Rooms, Timeshares & You

The bottom line on quality, affordability and convenience? Timeshares meet hotels head on.

Let's face it, even timesharing can have its downfalls. But - if you can afford the purchase price - timeshare resale ownership is the most flexible and cost-effective way to prepay for your vacation accommodations - no matter how you want to travel. When you have access to reliable timeshare information and when you do the MATH, timeshares truly are a better value than hotels.

Experience the financial benefits of owning a timeshare! Browse our selection of by-owner timeshares for sale now - you won't find value or selection like this anywhere else on the web.

Verify our research on your own! Try renting a timeshare to see for yourself the true differences between timeshares and hotels. We have a vast inventory of timeshare rentals by-owner available - absolutely no commitment to buy.

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Or learn more about timeshare ownership by visiting our timeshare buyer FAQ.