Another article showing timeshares outperforming hotels!

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Hotels feel pinch over festive season - Times LIVE

Yet another article showing the occupancy rate for timeshares outperforming traditional hotel and short-term lodging venues.

If you are a city or business leader in your community- you might want to pay attention and try to solicit some timeshare development in your region..

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

That is no surprise. Timeshares have already been purchased. With a bad economy more people are going to cut back on discretionary spending which affects hotels, etc. because they are optional. Most people that own a timeshare are still going to use it.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Not a surprise to those who understand the industy.. But possibly a wake up call to local business leaders who often fail to understand the economic benefits of timeshare development to their communities.

[PigsDad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PigsDad]

Not a surprise to those who understand the industy.. But possibly a wake up call to local business leaders who often fail to understand the economic benefits of timeshare development to their communities.

But even with the lower occupancy rate, I would bet the local government brings in more tax revenue with a hotel vs. the same sized timeshare. People who stay at a hotel pay a hefty lodging tax, and they also tend to eat out more so they would also be paying more in food service taxes. Plus, a hotel generally requires more staff than a TS, so that is more local jobs.

Bottom line is that while timeshares are good for the local economy, if it came down to trying to lure a TS vs. a hotel to expand into an area, the local government would most likely see better return on their investment with a hotel.

Kurt

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Perhaps some years, but I'd argue not lately!

Respectfully, the concept that timeshare owners huddle inside their villas on a vacation is a little far fetched..

I'd be willing to wager that the average timeshare owner actually spends more per person on a vacation than the average hotel visitor and thus has a bigger economic impact on the area.

I'd also argue that the staff requirement at a timeshare would actually be greater than the staff requirement at a similar sized motel/hotel. The sales people force alone might outnumber the front office staff for a hotel.

Also- consider these points!

First, the stays are longer on average...

Second, the timeshare demographic is often a little more affluent and has more disposable income to spend....

Third, the timeshare owner has a higher rate of return than the hotel visitor.

Fourth, cooking meal after meal while on vacation just plain sucks! It's nice to have the option and the ability to do this while on holiday- but my wife would shoot me if I even suggested she spend the week cooking meal after meal! Literally- shoot me!

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

And fifth, the timeshares still have occupancy in the off season.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Respectfully, the concept that timeshare owners huddle inside their villas on a vacation is a little far fetched..

I'd be willing to wager that the average timeshare owner actually spends more per person on a vacation than the average hotel visitor and thus has a bigger economic impact on the area.

I'd also argue that the staff requirement at a timeshare would actually be greater than the staff requirement at a similar sized motel/hotel. The sales people force alone might outnumber the front office staff for a hotel.

Also- consider these points!

First, the stays are longer on average...

Second, the timeshare demographic is often a little more affluent and has more disposable income to spend....

Third, the timeshare owner has a higher rate of return than the hotel visitor.

Fourth, cooking meal after meal while on vacation just plain sucks! It's nice to have the option and the ability to do this while on holiday- but my wife would shoot me if I even suggested she spend the week cooking meal after meal! Literally- shoot me!

I disagree with almost all of your points. I stay at least 50 nights a year in hotels by choice as well as a few weeks timesharing.

First, are we talking about a 2* hotel or luxury 4/5* hotel? People who stay at hotels definitely eat at restaurants a lot more than timeshare guests. I seriously doubt that timeshare owners are more affluent. Forget the usual Motel 6 argument that timeshare owners like to use. That just doesn't hold water. Higher rate of returning guests is meaningless. Who cares whether the same people come back or the occupants are new guests? The tax revenue is definitely much higher from a hotel. There are more employees at hotels than timeshares. Don''t forget the housekeeping staff at a hotel. Now if you are talking about a large luxury timeshare with all the services and amenities then yes they do have a very large staff. However very few timeshares fall into this category.

Another point, not that many locations are good for timesharing. The location typically has to be a vacation destination.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Appreciate the feedback...

I disagree with almost all of your points. I stay at least 50 nights a year in hotels by choice as well as a few weeks timesharing.

While I appreciate your opinion, I don't think your personal point of view would be considered that of the "average" hotel visitor.. 50 nights a year is pretty extensive!

I'd think "average" would be someone who travels maybe 10 to 20 days per year. Also, the "motel 6" demographic can't be marginalized, even though I heartily agree it is used to create a negative stereotype by developers.

I do think that the majority of casual travelers often stay in lesser accommodations and are very budget minded. I saw a hotels.com report recently which gave the price range an average traveler wanted to pay for a hotel night in the US as between $51 to $90. Orlando's average price per night for the last half of 2009 was $92.

I think the hotel demographic and the timeshare owner demographic are in fact drastically different- both in the amount and quality of their travel.

Finally- since it appears you also own timeshare- what demographic would your dollars fall under anyway! Individuals such as yourself would probably blend into both categories and would not be a good example for either group.

Basically, all I'm saying is timeshare development is very beneficial to the local economy- and has been even more so during this period of economic retraction.

Local planning boards in tourist areas who don't look very hard at promoting timeshare development in their region are foolish indeed!

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

I use my timeshare as a nice place to sleep and eat breakfast. We often bring lunch with us during the day, but we also would if we were in a hotel. And we'd likely pick a hotel where some breakfast was provided. I'm gold at Hilton so breakfasts are free there, but also at Hamptons, Marriott's Residence Inn, etc.

Other than that, our timeshare stays are much like a hotel stay. We are out sightseeing, paying admissions, maybe a little shopping, etc. And dinners out.

And I think what people have said here is correct. You already own the TS, and you have to pay maintenance fee, so you might as well use it.

Sue

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

If a timeshare came into my town I'd move.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

LOL! I wouldn't post that too often!

If a timeshare came into my town I'd move.

I heard that Bing's neighbors are getting together tonight to form a cooperative venture so they can start selling intervals!

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I do think that the majority of casual travelers often stay in lesser accommodations and are very budget minded.

Casual travelers, maybe, but what percentage of a hotel's clientele are casual travelers and what percentage business? Going on my observation, business travelers are not budget minded, or at least not as budget minded as they are when traveling on their own dime. And I don't mean people who're obviously abusing the system but even pretty responsible business people will end up paying more because they want to be close to where they're doing the work or there's some other aspect that makes the pricier choice the more logical one. A lot of business travelers prefer a hotel room or suite to a resort condo because it is a more formal setting and keeps them more focused.

Business people are also more likely to eat at a higher priced restaurant because they're hosting a client, etc. So if business travelers are a high enough percentage of travelers, I'd guess hotels are a better "community investment" than TS.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

...Other than that, our timeshare stays are much like a hotel stay. We are out sightseeing, paying admissions, maybe a little shopping, etc. And dinners out....Sue

We never cook any meals in our timeshare and like you, eat out all the time, etc. However, I believe that you and I are definitely in a minority of timeshare owners. Just look at all the threads about people discussing buying groceries, asking about kitchen facilities, etc.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I think the hotel demographic and the timeshare owner demographic are in fact drastically different- both in the amount and quality of their travel.

Finally- since it appears you also own timeshare- what demographic would your dollars fall under anyway! Individuals such as yourself would probably blend into both categories and would not be a good example for either group.

Local planning boards in tourist areas who don't look very hard at promoting timeshare development in their region are foolish indeed!

Yes, of course I own timeshare. We take more non-timeshare vacations than timeshare ones by choice. If there is a luxury timeshare resort with all the amenities and services of a luxury resort hotel at the destination then we will stay in a timeshare. For example the Grand Mayans in Mexico fit the bill. If not then we will opt for a 4/5* luxury hotel. Of course, sometimes there aren't any timeshares nor luxury hotels so we have to choose the best that is available in the area. Location plays a major part in where we stay. We travel to various cities like New York, Seattle, etc. We want to always stay right downtown so a timeshare is out of the question in most places except for New York City, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, etc. The reverse is true in resort areas such as Cancun, where a timeshare is the best. On our driving trip to Las Vegas and Utah we opted for hotels along the route rather than a timeshare as a base. This is much more convenient and gives us a lot more flexibility.

When we went to New York City in July 2008 we stayed 1 week at the Manhattan Club and 5 nights at the Michelangelo Luxury hotel in mid-Manhattan. We had a suite at the Michelangelo. We far preferred the hotel to the timeshare. We will do the same this year when we go to New York in August splitting our visit between the HGVC West 57 St. timeshare and the Michelangelo hotel.

Now, I know that we are not the average traveler but those 4/5* hotels have a lot of guests that spend lots of money.

If I had to choose whether to have a timeshare or 4* hotel in my city, I would choose the hotel hands down.

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

If I had my preference, I'd much rather stay at a TS than a hotel. There's more room, better privacy and, usually, more than one bathroom. We have gotten so spoiled by TSing, that I hate staying in hotels any more (for all the reasons listed above). On the other hand, if we're only staying one night or two, there usually isn't much choice. We do some cooking in our TS, but not every meal. Usually we make breakfast, then hit the road for activities. We typically eat at least one meal out/day. The argument about whether a TS or hotel is better for a city depends upon the location. In places where there are plenty of things to do for most of the year, a TS makes a lot of sense. Excess rooms can be rented just like a hotel room. When tourist season is limited, or there aren't very many tourist opportunities nearby, a hotel is probably a better option because most likely, the stay-overs won't be more than a few days. TS could expand their appeal by having conference rooms, reception halls and good restaurants. That way, the facility could be used by the general public in addition to the TS owners. And it would be a great opportunity to snag new owners.