Which timeshare program is best for me?

[tylerdred Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tylerdred]

Hi everyone,

I travel about 1-2 weeks a year and am interested in buying a timeshare. I wanted to gather everyone's advice as to which company is the best (Wyndham, Marriot, DVC, etc).

I would like to visit the following areas: Orlando, Miami, DC, NYC, Boston, New Orleans, Las Vegas, LA, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

I like the floating points system the best because I like the flexibility, and I'm not experienced enough to pick desirable locations and times for the best trading power.

So far, I like Wyndham the best because of its resort locations and points system. I like staying within the gates of Disney at Bonnet Creek. However, I don't like how the value of the Wyndham timeshare plummets up to 70% in the resale market. I am considering purchasing Wyndham timeshares in the resale market, but I've heard I won't be able to stay at FairShare plus resorts since I won't be a member.

I like Marriot's strong resale value, but don't like its fixed week system and resort selection.

I like DVC's strong resale value, but I am not impressed with Disney Resorts.

Does anyone have any advice for me or opinions about other programs?

Thanks!

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

Which timeshare program is best for me?

Only you can answer this question. It's not an instant answer, you need to stick around and read, read, read...

Hi everyone,

I travel about 1-2 weeks a year and am interested in buying a timeshare. I wanted to gather everyone's advice as to which company is the best (Wyndham, Marriot, DVC, etc).

I would like to visit the following areas: Orlando, Miami, DC, NYC, Boston, New Orleans, Las Vegas, LA, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

I like the floating points system the best because I like the flexibility, and I'm not experienced enough to pick desirable locations and times for the best trading power.

So far, I like Wyndham the best because of its resort locations and points system. I like staying within the gates of Disney at Bonnet Creek. However, I don't like how the value of the Wyndham timeshare plummets up to 70% in the resale market. I am considering purchasing Wyndham timeshares in the resale market, but I've heard I won't be able to stay at FairShare plus resorts since I won't be a member.

I like Marriot's strong resale value, but don't like its fixed week system and resort selection.

I like DVC's strong resale value, but I am not impressed with Disney Resorts.

Does anyone have any advice for me or opinions about other programs?

Thanks!

You need to forget about resale values, meaning what you could get for your 'investment.' Buying a timeshare is an investment in future vacations. You don't buy retail, you buy resale and consider what you want and what you can afford. One resort, resort system, or exchange company probably won't fill the bill for the destinations you listed.

...and you do to get Faishare Plus if you buy a FSP unit!

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I think you answered your own question. Wyndham is a great value on the resale market. If that's what you want, just learn how to buy it for the best price and use it in the best way.

Don't waste your time checking out too many others. It will just lead to analysis paralysis.

[Arkansas Winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Arkansas Winger]

Purchasing Wyndham on the resale market

Hi everyone,

So far, I like Wyndham the best because of its resort locations and points system. I like staying within the gates of Disney at Bonnet Creek. However, I don't like how the value of the Wyndham timeshare plummets up to 70% in the resale market. I am considering purchasing Wyndham timeshares in the resale market, but I've heard I won't be able to stay at FairShare plus resorts since I won't be a member.

Thanks!

Purchasing Wyndham on the resale market will have no bearing on your ability to stay at FairShare plus resorts. When you purchase a Wyndham points timeshare you will have a FairShare plus account when the contract is placed in your name with Wyndham. They will also open an RCI account for you. All of this takes about 4 to 8 weeks after the deed has been recorded and submitted to them by the closing company. (3 to 6 weeks for the FairShare plus account and then another 2 - 3 weeks before you have the RCI account).

Find what you want - Purchase Resale - And enjoy

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

Great advice. One other company you might want to look at is Worldmark; it's a point based system with quite a few resorts, and it does trade well.

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

I would like to visit the following areas: Orlando, Miami, DC, NYC, Boston, New Orleans, Las Vegas, LA, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
Thanks!

Wyndham has resorts in Orlando, Pompano Beach (but not Miami), Washington, DC, NOLA, LV, Anaheim and Ventura (but not LA), Flagstaff and Sedona (but not Phoenix, but you should be able to trade into the Phoenix area via RCI if you plan ahead and are flexible about what resort you get). Owning Wyndham is one of the few ways to get into a timeshare at DC, since the Wyndham at Alexandria is the only one, currently (Wyndham is building another, though). The Wyndham at Hancock, MA offers bus day trips to Boston and NYC.

I don't know if anyone has successfully and recently traded Wyndham points for the Manhattan Club. Wyndham claims that they have top trading power in RCI, but some FSP owners have reported being unable to get certain weeks sighted using tiger traders.

I don't know how hard it would be to trade FSP points for something the San Francisco area; I suspect it might not be easy (same as for NYC). There are Worldmarks at Windsor and Angel's Camp that are a FSP associate, but availabilty may be limited and the are NOT really close to San Francisco. You might try SFX instead of RCI for this trip.

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

The only timeshare in Boston is the II affiliated Marriott Custom House. You might find buying a decent trader that is dual-affiliated with both II and RCI to be your best course of action to cover all the cities mentioned in your initial post.

Unless you plan to use your week, a really good fixed week is probably better than a floater. With the floater you have the yearly challenge of getting the best week reserved. Some resorts don't even let you choose your week if you deposit with an exchange company.

Sheila

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

Remember, it makes no difference which you pick. You are setting yourself up for a lifetime of yearly increasing fees. You will get hit with SA's. There are fees to join a club to exchange.Then they even charge you to exchange above the cost of the club! You must also know you may leave your kids stuck with ownership after you are gone and they might not even want the thing. They are difficult to get rid of too. Think this all the way through.
There are other ways to vacation.

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

If you buy Wyndham, the only thing you will miss is Marriott. It is not easy to get SFO via RCI or II, but you can try independents.

If you are flexible and can travel off season, the other option is II affilitated mini systems, e.g. Worldmark and Sunterra.

I like II better than RCI.