Best timeshare on the Beach

[Randi]

I agree with many of the comments on this thread. Where you stay is a very personal decision. We went for years to LaCabana and loved it. We eventually bought at Surf Club as our children were getting older and we felt that teenagers would enjoy the activity of the high rise district.

What I want to address for you is the new point system with the Marriott. I would advise you to think about this very carefully if Aruba is your preferred destination.

We went for our presentation and listened very carefully to the presentation on destination points and feel that for Aruba lovers this is not a wise decision to join this.

If you want to go to Aruba (Palm Beach) during the high season (platinum and platinum plus) you will more than likely not get a week, imo. The return rate of onwers is approx. 98% and to be able to use your destination points an owner will have to deposit a week into the destination points program. Since most owner return (or rent) their week, their won't be much to draw from. In addition, if you want to come for 10 days (for example) they are not going to split a week and have the remaining days sit vacant (potentially).

We also looked at what they would give us for points vs. what it would take to rent back the week. Of course, you are never given the number of points that you will need to actually rent something in similar resort location. In Canada, there are no Marriott properties that have point allocation that is anywhere near what you would need to get into the Marriott during high season in Aruba. You would need to purchase extra points and they are in multiples of 1500 so you could end up with extra points that aren't needed.

My advise is if Aruba is what you want then buy in Aruba. If you are more interested in moving around then look carefully at where you want to go and how many points you will need. It may not be as good a deal as you think. Marriott is not going to do anything that is to our advantage!!

If we want to go anywhere besides Aruba trading into Interval is far more advantageous at this point. I can go anywhere with a trade for no extra money. Due to the fact that Aruba is in such high demand when you deposit a week into II your trading power is very high. I have deposited my SC platinum weeks and requested different SC weeks and got them each time. This past March, I deposited my week in December (with a Feb reservation) and within weeks got my March request.

I think many people who go with the destination program with hopes of coming to Aruba during high season will end up being very disappoited. I think this program may work well for some of the southern US properties and perhaps some of the less demand Carribean locations.

[Kevandra]

Randi,

Thanks very much for the information on the points program. That information is quite helpful. This part of our presentation was not very detailed or clear.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I'm starting to think that the timeshare lifestyle is too much work and drama. It may be easier for us to watch for super sales on on regular vacation packages and plan accordingly. I don't have to worry about banking weeks, renting it out, increasing maintenance fees or a depreciating investment.

What may work for us now may not work in 15 years.

Thanks,
Kevin

[danadog56]

Kevandra,
kind of agree with everyone a little bit....yes, each TS owner has their own opinion of why theirs is best...I own at divi village and like it because the beach is less crowded, you do however have to go up towards high rises for things like parasailing.....but since those kind of beach activities are not our cup of tea we don't care about it...
divi is a non-permenantly owned TS, may have gone with another had I thought it througher when I first bought, but since Dh and I (together) have no children then it is not an issue for the future. Dh has a son from a previous marriage but he and his wife's interests are different so again no issue....
What I will say is this, go to Aruba a see what you think will suit your needs...ie, low rise, high rise...etc and then look on line at the resales first.....bought my first TS through Divi and the rest online.....great, great deals......
Just remember the committment is LONG TERM......and once you own you are obligated to pay a yearly fee in most instances whether you use it or not.....

[billy999]

My vote is for the Playa Linda. I believe it has the best location of any of the timeshares in Aruba hands down. You may pay a little more to own or rent a unit there, but it's worth it.

[AndyM]

We have fixed weeks at Paradise beach Villas. We really like it there and enjoy the friends we have made over the years. That's a benefit/disadvantage of fixed weeks - you're stuck with the same people every year for the most part. PBV is a quieter, older community next to La Cabana.

We chose fixed weeks because it's less hassle for us. We didn't want to be in the position of not being to able to get the weeks we wanted. We feel that, if we want something else, we can always trade via interval or others.

[jarchamb]

Before making your final decision, stay at that resort first! Everyone’s tastes and preferences are different. By staying there yourself, it will help you decide if that resort is best for you.

Most timeshares have their own BB sites with sections that owners rent out their week. Renting from another owner is less expensive than renting directly from the resort.

Who knows, you may like renting a unit better than the commitment of buying (yearly increase in maintenance fees, etc.)

[macalh]

When purchasing a timeshare many things come into consideration. The price is determined by the location of the resort, location of the unit, view, size and time of year. One thing does remain constant. You will always pay more buying directly from the resort than buying from a private owner. If you are interested in an Occidental unit, I have several that I would consider selling, in various sizes and seasons. I would take the advice of another member and rent a week before you buy any timeshare. macalh@aol.com

Mary

[Arubalisa]

I am wondering if there are any new opinions on this subject.

Given the present state of the economy in the U.S., hotel "deals" in Aruba are still out there. Air Tran has had airfares the cheapest I have ever seen from Atlanta to Aruba ($320 pp if you are flexible).

Right now the only way I can see buying a timeshare would be to perhaps rent it and make a profit. This would take years though to pay off the investment.

Dh and I still feel we are best off paying as we go for convenience of traveling to Aruba when WE want, and not having to worry about escalating maintenance, or worse additional assessments.

Curious to hear other folks thoughts, though I guess if you can afford to go to Aruba, rising maintenance and additional assessments are not an issue? Maybe I am missing something?

[Andrea J.]

Based on my experiences with timeshare you and your dh are very wise.

Timeshare ownership works for many but, also not for many too.

If we were unable to rent our units we'd be "up the creek".

Originally Posted by Arubalisa

I am wondering if there are any new opinions on this subject.

Given the present state of the economy in the U.S., hotel "deals" in Aruba are still out there. Air Tran has had airfares the cheapest I have ever seen from Atlanta to Aruba ($320 pp if you are flexible).

Right now the only way I can see buying a timeshare would be to perhaps rent it and make a profit. This would take years though to pay off the investment.

Dh and I still feel we are best off paying as we go for convenience of traveling to Aruba when WE want, and not having to worry about escalating maintenance, or worse additional assessments.

Curious to hear other folks thoughts, though I guess if you can afford to go to Aruba, rising maintenance and additional assessments are not an issue? Maybe I am missing something?

[dwhaley]

I own 4 different timeshares - Marriott, Westgate, Bluegreen, and a King's Creek, and trade through II and RCI. If you buy a timeshare as a financial investment, you are making a mistake. A timeshare is hard to resell. If you are able to rent it, it may cover your maintenance for the year. The Bluegreen is a points system, the others are a floating week system. Two of mine are every year and two are every other year. My timeshares offer great flexibility on how and when I can use them. I enjoy using my timeshares - either at my home resort or trading, however each company has its quirks. Do I save money buying a timeshare and paying a yearly maintenance fee compared to staying at a hotel? For my situation, I think I break even. I do enjoy having more room, a kitchen, etc., basically the comforts of home. The "investment" you make when buying a timeshare is your personal enjoyment and quality time with your family. If you go to a timeshare sales pitch, that particular one is the best timeshare, timeshare of the year, largest, etc. according to them. It is the same no matter who it is. To someone who is shopping for a timeshare here is my advice:

1. Do not buy in Orlando, FL - too expensive and you can trade into Orlando very easily.
2. Try to buy preconstruction - you usually can't use it the year you buy it but it is much cheaper.
3. Buy the best time/season you can afford - more trading/ renting power
4. Buy a floating week, not fixed, for the flexibility. - Be careful buying from a resell company. The resort may have a clause that if a week is not purchased through them, it becomes a fixed week even if it was originally a floating week.
5. Make sure it is a deeded resort - it is yours as long as the mnt fees are paid and allows you to sell it, give it away, or pass it on to your children.
6. Be aware that mnt fees are higher for timeshares that have onsite golf courses.
7. Do not look at it as financial investment.
8. Timeshares are easy to get into but hard to get out.

Owning a timeshare is not for everyone. I can guarantee that for every positive story, there is a negative story or two about buying a timeshare. BTW, if you want to buy a timeshare, I can make you a sweet deal on one.