What Is A Timeshare Presentation
Whether you feel like timeshares may be a good fit for your travel patterns or not, you should consider attending a timeshare preview presentation.
The timeshare market is a competitive one, and most timeshare vacation clubs will offer some form of incentive for an opportunity to introduce you to their program in the hopes of enticing you to purchase one.
What is offered as part of the package varies by the club and even the property, and it can be anywhere from tickets to a theme park or a show, to accommodations at one of their properties for several days at a huge discount, plus maybe even some bonus points for their respective hotel award programs.
If its the accommodation youre after, keep in mind that usually the package will cover a standard room .
Gifts You Can Earn From Attending A Timeshare Presentation
Even if you dont sign up for a timeshare , the incentives offered can totally be worth your while. These can include cash, points for hotel loyalty programs, free passes , and free or heavily discounted rates on hotel stays. Whats more, you may be able to combine incentives think points plus a discount for a hotel stay to attend one presentation.
Here are a few examples of the perks you get:
- Stay in a villa studio in Hawaii, receive points for the hotels rewards program, and even get to do free activities on site. This could include dining credits, sightseeing tours , and luau tickets.
- Head to Orlando and not only will you get discounts on resorts or special accommodation packages, you could get Disney FastPass+ and even free tickets to Disney World itself.
- Some timeshare presentations in Las Vegas offer discounted hotel stays, vacation certificates, resort credits, and even free concert or show tickets.
I dont know about you, but all of these incentives sound pretty good to me that is, if youre willing to sit through a hard sales pitch. If you are, lets move onto how you can get invited to one.
Is It Worth Going To Timeshare Presentations For Freebies
A freebie for attending a presentation can seem like a pretty sweet deal. All you have to do is sit and listen to someone talk for 60 minutes, maybe take a tour of a property, and you walk away with a $100 gift card, or an exciting trip away.
Unfortunately, those 60 minutes can easily slide into 90, and then 120, or maybe even 150 minutes. The next thing you know, half the day is gone, and you still dont have your freebie.
A freebie is a fantastic treat, but sometimes the sacrifice just isnt worth it. No one wants to be missing out on glorious Maui just to watch a presentation for a timeshare they have no intention of investing in.
Also, some presenters can be pretty aggressive with their sales technique. Theyre unwilling to take no for an answer, and it can be difficult to get awayespecially if you want the chance to pick up your freebie.
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Prosof Tahiti Village Las Vegas
- Great family facility
- Close to airport and rental cars agencies
- Great location if using Las Vegas as home base for day trips
- Shopping strip and restaurants within walking distance behind hotel
- Free Shuttle service available every 1/2 hour to and from the strip
- Onsite coffee bar is a nice way to start the day
- As far as free timeshare vacations go, this is a great place to stay
Are Timeshare Presentations A Rip
What’s the hitch? All I had to give them was 90 minutes of my time to hear a Timeshare presentation. I’m not sure how they select Rewards members for the presentation, but the idea of looking into a timeshare in Hawaii was appealing some friends of mine had taken the same tour and actually purchased a timeshare from them. I loved the idea of having my own little piece of paradise!
Hmmmm. Let me think. Several days on a gorgeous island, in return for an hour and a half of my time? Done!
I called a favorite traveling buddy , and signed up for the trip.
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What Is A Timeshare
In a nutshell, a timeshare is a shared ownership program in which you may use a vacation property for a set time period every year.
Properties can range from resorts to condominiums to even campsites. They can be a good option for people who have a favourite destination they like to vacation at every year. Theyll have familiar accommodations to return to each time without the hassle of having to manage a fully owned property while they are away.
Most of the big hotel brands that were familiar with have their own affiliated timeshare division. A few well-known examples include the Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, Holiday Inn Vacation Club, Hyatt Residence Club, and even Disney has their own Disney Vacation Club.
Generally speaking, there are two types of timeshares: those that are points-based and those that give you deeded weeks:
- In a points-based program, you have a certain number of points each year that can be redeemed against nights at your timeshare.
- In a deeded-week program, every year, you have week of the year that you can use your timeshare.
You do not necessarily need to stick with your timeshare property either. Usually, there is a system or program for owners to swap their property for another destination or property for any given year, building some flexibility into the program.
Despite the perks of timeshares, many people choose not invest in one as they can be a money drain if you dont make good use of them.
Get Referred By A Timeshare Owner
Do you happen to know anyone who owns a timeshare? If so, ask that person to refer you. It doesnt have to be the timeshare they bought into it could be somewhere else within the companys timeshare portfolio. For example, if your friend is a timeshare owner at Club Wyndhams Shawnee Village, they could refer you to a presentation at any Wyndham timeshare property.
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How To Fly To Las Vegas For Free
To make this deal even sweeter, we used airline miles to book my roundtrip ticket so it didnt cost anything. I also added Rodneys ticket using my Southwest Companion Pass so his was free as well.
3 free nights at Tahiti Village for 120 minutes of our time2 round trip tickets
Totally worth it to us.
About The Tahiti Village Deal
To get the 3 free nights, you have to agree to show up for the 120 minute presentation where their sales team will tell you about the benefits of owning a timeshare there.
Youre charged a $99 deposit when you make your reservation thats refunded when you complete the presentation. Also, if you dont show up, youll be charged the going rate for all three nights of your room.
Some people will find this information right up their ally and want to learn more. Obviously, thats why this deal is offered and if you find it works for you, great!
Other people are going to find it doesnt fit their needs and are not going to be interested. Yes, theyre going to try a little harder to appeal to your dont-you-want-to-make-all-the-travel-memories-with-your-familyemotions, but if its not your thing and you know it, then simply stick to your guns, say thanks, but no thanks, and leave at the end of the presentation.
Thats that.
Seriously. Thats that.
Weve done a couple of these time share/membership type presentations and have found them to be worth the value for what we received in return for our time. If youre interesting in learning more about how to score great deals on timeshare properties, Monica at Planner at Heart shares some great tips on how you can do it.
We are interested in travel and although neither of the opportunities appealed to us, thats not to say one day we wont decide that one is a great match for the way we travel and well go for it.
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Top Timeshare Properties For Families
Here are a few examples of popular family-friendly timeshares, many of which are bookable on traditional hotel points. Elite members might receive an upgrade to a larger room when making a hotel reservation. And, another bonus of booking a timeshare-stye property usually ensures that youll get a one-, two- or even three-bedroom unit that will easily fit your family .
- Westin Princeville Ocean Villas: The North Shore of Kauai is light on points hotels, but the Westin Princeville is an option on hotel points or for timeshare owners. Standard rooms are 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night and paid rates start at about $300+ per night. Larger suites are bookable for higher prices. Guests here get to enjoy the nearby beach at the Princeville Resort that is the perfect place to watch Hawaiian sunsets.
*For both Marriott and Hilton, loyalty members can redeem points and receive the fifth night free to increase their savings.
Bring Your Children Along
We all know how well kids behave when it comes to sitting still for long periods of time . And theres arguably no better excuse to getting out of something than when you have a cranky child to attend to. So bring your kid along to the presentation and make your escape when their patience has run out.
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How Do I Book A Timeshare Presentation
Now that you might be considering one, lets go over how you find these offers and sign up for them.
The easiest way is through each respective clubs website. Usually, there is a phone number or online form to complete for additional information.
Hyatt even allows you to book the package online yourself if you reside in the USA.
The Fuzzy Math Of Timeshare Ownership
Ive looked into the details of several of these programs at various times in the past. There actually is a way to make the math work in your favor if you obtain your points or package in a low-cost way.
I do believe you can get good value for your money, especially if most of the following apply to you:
- You usually vacation at resorts .
- Your schedule is flexible and you can travel in the off-season or shoulder seasons.
- You have a job that allows you to work from anywhere .
- You dont expect your preferred vacation style or preferences to change much for decades.
- You are an optimizer and will learn exactly how to squeeze the maximum value out of your allotted points
What I like to do is compare the annual maintenance fees to how many nights you can book in a year. The answer will vary by the time of year you travel, what resort you choose, and how large a place you need.
Id say the average tends to be $500 to $1,000 per week if you can avoid popular spots in their busy seasons. Weekdays tend to require fewer points than weekends.
For what you get, thats actually a pretty good value if you can get the package for next to nothing. Youll find that people part with them for next to nothing .
That use-it-or-lose-it feature is actually a very good thing for the type of people that might never take a vacation if it wasnt already prepaid. Some people, believe it or not, actually have to be forced to travel.
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What If I Change My Mind
Unfortunately, once you purchase a preview package, they are generally considered non-refundable. There have been scattered reports of people receiving refunds if they no longer fulfill the eligibility for the package, but as always, your mileage may vary and this should not be the expectation.
Once you purchase the package, there is quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to booking. Although the terms specifically say that the timeshare has to be booked within 12 months of purchase, it is not uncommon for them to extend this deadline. I have done this on a couple of occasions myself, even pre-pandemic.
Once you book your package, you can still change the dates, although some programs will charge a change fee. Now with the pandemic, there is even more leniency , although this may tighten up a bit as travel opens up.
How Do You Say No To A Timeshare Rep
Practice this: Its been nice meeting you, but were not interested. Since our agreed upon time is up, were leaving now. Ok, it wont be quite that easy, but you do not owe them any other expectation. Theyll run down every list of how you could benefit from buying into their timeshare property and play on every emotion. Simply repeat it again as you stand up and head toward the door. Shake their hand and keep moving.
Will this get you out of there? Not quite, but it will make them move to the next step in the sales process and thats to send in the next guy. Its his job to try a little harder. Repeat the above phrase as you fist bump him and continue this process until youre finally out the door. Then, move on to enjoy the rest of your complimentary stay!
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The Grand Islander By Hilton Grand Vacations
The manager came out and offered us a trial membership to the HGV program. Now this was different.
There was no set destination for the package instead, for US$1599, we would be given enough points to redeem for sevev nights in up to a two-bedroom suite at any of the HGV properties in North America, including Hawaii.
We did the math and worked out that it would be less than US$230 a night. If it were any other destination, we would have left it. But looking at the current rates for Hawaii for a Hilton property in Honolulu for March Break, you can see that it was a good deal.
Keep in mind that these are rates for two adults and two children. If you have more than four in your family, like myself, either youre paying more, or youll find that most hotels wont even be able to accommodate. The fact that we could book a two-bedroom suite was a big selling point for us.
HGV has quite a few properties in Hawaii, with the Grand Islander by HGV being one of the newer ones. We are currently booked at the Grand Islander for five nights in Honolulu over March Break.
That leaves us with two nights remaining, which we could use to extend our current reservation to seven nights
or book two nights at their New York property, West 57th Street by Hilton Club at the south end of Central Park, another otherwise pricey accommodation option.
Either way, you can see that our US$230 per night beats the above rates by a long shot.
How To Get Invited To Timeshare Presentations
Timeshare presentations are widely known as a way to earn a free vacation or gift. In exchange for 90 minutes or more of your time, you may be offered a stay in Orlando and theme park tickets or a complimentary night in Las Vegas with a gambling credit thrown in. Timeshare companies focus their marketing on people who can afford their product, so you might not receive unsolicited invitations unless your income is above a certain level. If this is not the case, there are still ways to get invited.
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What You Get At The Tahiti Village Las Vegas Resort & Spa
In exchange for agreeing to attend their timeshare presentation, youll be giving a three night stay at Tahiti Village at no cost to you. Weve outlined below whats included in your free Vegas getaway to help you decide if its worth it or not.
One Bedroom Suite
First of all, Tahiti Village Las Vegas isnt just another hotel. We were given a nice sized, one bedroom suite with a living room and kitchen for our stay there. At 580 sq. feet, there was plenty of room for us to spread out and feel like we could make ourselves at home. It was just the two of us for this stay, but had we come with the kids, we could have used the pull out sofa for another bed or asked for the two bedroom suite if we were bringing the whole family. The rooms were clean and we felt safe the entire time we were at the resort. Depending on the time of year, you can book this room for anywhere from $100-$300/night, which makes this deal worth approximately $300-$900.
Pool and Lazy River
Tahiti Village Las Vegas Resort & Spa is known for its family friendly pool area with its easy entry and sandy beach, plus a beautiful lazy river. Access is included with your stay there. Even in February when we went, there were families spending their days enjoying the water and hanging out around the pool. We werent there with our kids, but I know they would have enjoyed it, too!
Amenities
Location
How Uncomfortable Is It To Sit Through A Timeshare Presentation
This has a lot a to do with your personality type. People pleasers are going to struggle with feeling rude, while others are going to get a kick out of seeing the sales process play out. Sales reps are trained to spot your weakness and press into that area. If you know ahead of time you have a hard time saying no to people, you definitely want to practice this ahead of time. If both you and your partner are impulse buyers, these 3 free nights in Vegas are going to get really expensive!
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