In my book, I have various expenses that deplete your net worth. One of those expenses was owning a timeshare. I don’t think they’re worth buying and I think they’ll delay your retirement goals in a negative way.
Every once in a while, though, I like to test my truths. Is a timeshare presentation a waste of time? I believe timeshares are, but what about the presentation? You know you can get a pretty cheap vacation out of them if you can say no to the sales pitch.
The Timeshare Presentation
Mark and I used the Hilton Grand Vacations Timeshare. We bought the vacation deal way back in January 2024 for $129 each ($258 total) for four days, three nights somewhere. We had the choice of Orlando, Las Vegas, or Myrtle Beach. I wanted to visit South Carolina as I’ve never been to that state, but a tropical storm thwarted our plans.
So, we picked Vegas and finally went there in March 2025.
Scheduling this trip was super annoying. It took many phone calls and much time on the phone.
But, I’ll give them props. Once we got there, the hotel was very nice. We paid for a one-bedroom and it was huge with a bathtub and a kitchen. We loved the room. It was right on the Las Vegas strip, so we could (and did) walk everywhere. $258 for three nights in this room was a steal.
As for the presentation itself, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t high pressure at all. We arrived at our appointment, ate some snacks, waited around for a video to start, watched a 20 minute advertisement espousing the virtues of travel, then we talked one-on-one with a sales consultant who gave us some numbers that don’t mean a whole lot.
A package worth 11,200 points each year will cost $54,990 over the life of the loan. The interest rate depends on your credit score. There’s also maintenance fees and rollover fees that you pay each year. He calculated the monthly payment to be $897 – $962. We would need a down payment of $6,935 and we would get 22,000 bonus points if we signed on today.
He listed a lot of other numbers that just made my head hurt and I honestly couldn’t tell you what these points will get you. Financing a timeshare seems like a terrible idea. Instead of financing one trip on a credit card, you’re borrowing for all your trips right now! It just boggles my mind.
We said no politely and that was the end of it. We didn’t ask any questions and we just said we weren’t interested in learning a new points-based system and those seem to be the magic words.
The agent “sensed our vibe” and the whole ordeal — from snack time to pushing the elevator button to get out of there — lasted about an hour total.
Besides the cheap hotel for three nights in Vegas, they also gave us 50,000 Hilton points (not to be confused with the timeshare points, which is a completely separate system). We used those points to cover a night in a hotel in Omaha, Nebraska (a $142 value) a couple of weeks later.
All told, with transportation to and from the airports and flights and the hotel, we spent $466.32. I don’t count food because we would have needed to eat anyway. We did visit the Sphere and watch the show inside, which was another $200.
So, surprisingly, I would recommend a timeshare presentation. It’s a good way for a thrifty vacation!
The actual timeshare
Just don’t buy the actual timeshare.
Questions to consider (that we didn’t ask because we didn’t want to the meeting to last longer than necessary):
- How can I get rid of it? What’s the market for selling them like?
- What happens when I die? Will my estate have to pay anything?
- What are the monthly maintenance fees? Are there any limits on how high that number can go?
A timeshare doesn’t make any sense for me because I don’t like the idea of paying money to have less flexibility for my vacation. I don’t want to go to the same place and I don’t want to be tied to one hotel chain for the rest of eternity.
So, it’s not for me. Is it for anyone?
I don’t know. I imagine there’s ways to maximize the points on travel, but I have a hard time picturing a scenario where it turns out to be a good idea. Especially when you consider financing. What if we get sick of traveling in a couple of years? What if we want to go somewhere Hilton doesn’t have a timeshare? Of the list of countries, the only new one would be St. Maarten for me. There are so many uncertainties.
You tell me. Am I wrong to be so skeptical of timeshares?
We went to Mexico and while on a trip, did a timeshare presentation. I was much like I am now and promptly said no thank. My friend, however said yes. While super surprised, we were able to use her freebies to get really nice massages and excursions.
I know that timeshares are really hard to get rid of. Matter of fact I just remembered that we were in Mexico, staying at her mother’s timeshare. The problem is normally you can only go to one place with a timeshare. However in the presentation for this timeshare like the potential timeshare, they would allow her to go anywhere that they had a timeshare at.
As long as it was like open and free so no one was already had reservations for that like area so that’s why she thought it was such a great idea.
Does she regret it now?
Good points to consider. I never really gave a timeshare any thought before.
:-p
Congratulations to y’all Both on Agreeing as a team on refusing to buy a timeshare believe me it’s not all that they say it is Believe me Because if you had signed that contract things would have been completely different it’s call Switch and Bait is the game they play on you also in the Fine Print it reads Sales Person is not held accountable for what he tell you If you know what I mean again Congratulations to you and your husband Tony K
Thanks!
Very expense way to vacation. Lots can change over time. Why lock yourself in. It’s a depreciating rental asset like leasing a vehicle. Think about how many 5-star nights you buy just for the annual maintenance fee. And that fee keeps going up and up. No upper limit. Then consider 5-star accommodation isn’t always needed. And consider meals are sometimes best spent on the town or street side rather than at a resort restaurant. After 3-4 days, I’m tired of resort food. They have you there too. Like $40 for a hamburger in “points”. What a scam those are. With Airbnb there are so many great options for vacationing. Can’t see how they sell these except to ignorantly dumb consumers (which there are a plenty). Great post and info !
Agreed on all points!
Do you like Las Vegas?
It’s always fun to visit.