April and May tend to be popular because it isn't too hot yet in Cancun and the weather still may be cool in our more northern climates. As for timeshares, I'm going to add to what Rob said. I have never, and I do mean never, seen a timeshare program that was worth it. When you take into account the upfront charges, maintenance fees or administrative fees, and so on, it just isn't worth what it costs. If you doubt me, then check on line for the secondary time shares that are available. The reason the sales people get so pushy is they make a pretty hefty commission on the sale.
You can go as many times a year that you want. You have to select a program for the amount of weeks that you want. Again make sure you do not pay any maintenance fees. This plan works for some and not others, we usually go twice a year and we are already saving. Good luck
Timeshares can be a great value if you know what you are doing. #1 Priority, never buy from the Resorts. Secondary markets are the only place to buy. I own 3 timeshares, all purchased on secondary market, last 2 on Ebay. Actually paid $1 for 3 bedroom lockoff Prime Summer Resort in Myrtle Beach. It is a great program when you are vacationing with large families. I have never sat through the Temptations seminar, I have received more honest information on this forum and can base my decision on that. Honestly I have sat through dozens of other timeshare seminars, in addition have read many articles on Timeshares and purchasing them from the original resorts. To sumerize, a resort will try and convince you that this investment will pay off in 20-30 years. In my experience and opinion, no one should make a commitment for that time period on a vacation. My rule of thumb has been I should be ahead of the game within 5 years, after that if I sell it or basically give it away, I am ahead. Just my thoughts on this sensitive issue Paul
Not to mention the very large group of us who recently purchased our Temptation stay at an affordable cost of $26 per person, per night through Alpharooms.
The "timeshare" at TTR is a bit different than others out there that I have experienced. I have been to the Hilton and Marriott presentations. I would like to make a few points based on our experience purchasing in May because having reviewed older contracts and talking with long-time members, I can say things are different now and you can get a lot of misleading information if you search here on older threads or the Internet. Disclaimer, the terms of your contract may vary based on your negotiation skills. Do you wheel and deal? or when you buy a car, do you pay the price on the window? First the TTR membership is night based, not weeks and you are not required to use a certain number of nights per year, but you must use your pool of nights total by the end of the contract, which can vary based on the package you purchase. For example, you buy 70 nights on a 10 year contract, you could go 10 nights one year, 5 the next and zero the year after that. Second, your rate is locked in for the length of the contract. While rates on Expedia and other sites might be at/higher/lower than the rate of your contract, you know what you will pay, for every night, for each night you have in your contract. And in 5 years from now, rates will probably be higher. Buying a membership at TTR is a lot like this. Let's equate it to gas and keep the math easy. You agree to buy 100 gallons of gas for 500 dollars over the next 5 years at $5/gal. You agree to pay 30% of that up front. But each time you go to the pump, you pay $3.50/gal. What is the risk? In those 5 years, the use of gas is no longer required and your $3.50/gal price now is much higher because you never used it all. Or gas goes down to $4/gal and now you are paying more. What is the potential gain? Price of gas two years from now is $7/gal and you are still paying the net of $5/gal. You are first in line at the pump, you get your own pump, a personal pumping assistant and better gas. (the member perks) When we bought, I took the number of nights we purchased, multiplied it by our rate in our contract and added the upfront costs then divided by total investment to get the actual rate we pay every time we stay. I compared that to what we payed the previous two years we stayed with the per night rate. My conclusion was we wanted to purchase. Our risk? We never go back, a life changing event happens, etc... The membership is not for everyone, every contract is similar but different and each person, if they have interest, should sit and listen to the offer. If you go down on say a referral week, you get to enjoy all the perks, spend two hours with the sales guy/gal and get to make up your own mind based on the facts you see in front of you and your situation. Have you ever heard someone say "I would never buy brand X again because of..." while the next person says "I love my brand X, it is the best thing I ever bought!" That is my 2 cents.
