With the world shut down, airlines ceasing services and hotels shutting down, travel plans have simply stopped.  While I normally have dozens of trips planned, I have been cancelling our trips one after the other as the airlines change schedules and the news continues to get worse.  

I have no desire on being on a plane at the moment.  The close quarters with a bunch of strangers who are potentially carrying this virus is stressful.

However, while the world is fearful at the moment, the reality is that this will not last forever.  While there have been many talks about flattening the curve in two weeks, the fact remains that this virus will be around for a while.  While we hopefully won't be confined in our homes indefinitely, I would guess that we likely will be home for the next 4-6 weeks.  

After staying at home for this length of time, I would guess that most of us will want some fresh air and get away from their house.  While planes and cruises are going to be off-limits for a little while longer, the ever popular recession coined "stay-cation" will likely come back in full force.  

Instead of getting on a plane, perhaps a road trip or simply heading to a local resort will become the new normal for at least the foreseeable future. 

Considering that this will likely be my plan, I have been perusing Interval International and RCI to see their availability.  Not surprising, availability has been unbelievable.  Almost everyone has cancelled their trips for the next 3-4 months which has provided some opportunities for those who want/need to get away from the house.  

While California is currently on a shelter in place order, this will not last forever and do foresee that things will begin to lift in the next 3-4 weeks.  The Four Seasons Aviara is a tough timeshare to get into as it is one of the nicest throughout the system.  Here is their availability for the next couple of months.

Here are some great weeks at the Four Seasons Scottsdale:

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Conclusion

While I strongly advocate staying at home for the foreseeable future for the benefit of the world, there are some outrageous opportunities for some great weeks at some great resorts.  I know that we are all likely ready for a break from our house and each of us will have their own comfort level for wanting to travel, I do encourage you to review some of these available weeks and bring back the stay-cation or road trip.  

This type of timeshare availability does not come around often and if you have a timeshare in your backyard or one that can be easily reached by car, this could be a good opportunity to get out of house, support the travel industry and take advantage of this rare occurrence of being able to get a week at almost any resort desired. 

Please post below some of the weeks that you may get!

I have talked about Accommodations Certificates before and while the choices can have a lot to be desired, there have been some significant "diamonds in the rough". 

I was recently targeted again for 2 additional Accommodations Certificates from Interval International which allow you to receive up to a 3 bedroom unit for $289 exchange fee for an entire week.  

The destinations or available timeshares for these weeks are generally not prime weeks or prime resorts but if you are diligent, there can be some amazing deals. 

I was searching for some opportunities using my certificates and came across the Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas which had almost every single week of June available in a one bedroom unit. 

Cabo in June should be a decent time of year and while it will be hot, it is prime vacation time. 

Here is the current availability that I am seeing:

This resort has been on my radar for a while and it looks like a great property.  Here are the reviews from Tripadvisor where it gets almost a 5 star rating. 

As you can see, the TOTAL COST of this entire week in a 1 bedroom unit is ONLY $289 for 7 nights or about $41 per night.  This property DOES NOT require an all inclusive meal plan but per the terms and conditions, it is available for a supplemental fee. 

You need to be very careful when you book these accommodations certificates as some properties have MANDATORY all inclusive fees which can easily add $1,000's to your reservation.  

Conclusion:

This is a stellar deal to travel well, in luxury and cheap!  Timeshares definitely have their issues but deals like this continue to show me (and hope you too) that timeshares are not all that bad.  

I have made this offer before but haven't actually had success but I generally don't use these accommodation certificates since I plan our travel so far in advance that these "last minute" items don't work for our travel plans.  However, if any of my readers would like one of these units or others, I would just have them pay the $289 fee plus the $69 guest certificate and you can book one of these weeks. 

Make sure to leave your comments below and if you are interested in one of these weeks, please indicate what week and I will respond.  Alternatively, you can e-mail me directly at [email protected]. 

Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts on this deal!
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The other day I was briefly talking to someone about my blog and they immediately indicated that timeshares are horrible and couldn't fathom why someone would actually own one and felt sorry for someone that actually purchased one.

I wasn't surprised by their reaction as I would say that the vast majority of the population has the same view.  Many people know someone who purchased a timeshare for an exorbitant  price, can never trade into the destination during the time period that they want, doesn't use it and can't sell it.  

Unfortunately, this is a common story which is why I know that a blog like mine is absolutely necessary to avoid these types of stories and begin telling stories like mine. 

As I stated before, one of the best ways that I can show readers that timeshare ownership is worthwhile is to show readers how I am using my timeshares and the incredible (sometimes ridiculous) values that I am able to receive. 

In case you do not read this blog often, I currently own two weeks at the Hyatt Residence Club in Key West, Florida.  By exchanging these weeks into points and exchanging those points with Interval International, I got tremendous value.  Here is a look at some of my upcoming trips.

Economics of Exchanging

As I have discused before, here is some quick math to show you the approximate cost of these upcoming trips. 

Ignoring the initial cost of these weeks, I pay about $1200 per week in maintenance fees for 2,000 Hyatt Residence Club points per week. 

Therefore, for $2,400, I receive 4,000 Hyatt Residence Club Points. 

Therefore, for each point I receive, I pay $0.06 cents.   

Additionally, since I predominantly use my points to exchange through Interval International, the exchange fee is now $199 per exchange.    

Upcoming Trips

Resort Villas at Welk Resorts (San Diego, California)

The next timeshare trip that I booked will be at the Resort Villas at Welk Resorts during Thanksgiving.  I was able to receive a 2 bedroom unit at the resort over the Thanksgiving holiday.  This resort is located close to San Diego, California and close to Legoland, the key driving force behind getting this unit.  

Cost in Points: 1,300
Cost in Dollars: (1,300 x $0.06) $780
Exchange Fee: $199
Cost per Night:  ($780 + $199) / 7:  About $140 per night. 

While this is probably not the absolute steal that I would expect, $140 per night for a 2 bedroom unit during Thanksgiving Week in a high quality resort isn't bad.  However, I generally try to do much better with my values but I can't say that this is a bad deal.  

As a comparison, the resort is offering the same size unit for the same time period for about $400 per night representing a 65% discount on the retail price.

Marriott Maui Ocean Club Maui, Hawaii

The next timeshare trip planned is in Maui, Hawaii.  As I did last year, we are heading there for the Christmas holiday.  You can read about my "timeshare fail" here.  This year, while I still am attempting to get Christmas week (extremely difficult), we were able to get into the Marriott Ocean Club for the week before Christmas and use points for the other week at the Andaz Maui (awesome resort). We were able to reserve a 1 bedroom for this week. 

Cost in Points: 870
Cost in Dollars: (870 x $0.06) $522
Exchange Fee: $199
Cost per Night:  ($522 + $199) / 7:  About $103 per night. 

As a comparison, the resort is offering the same size unit for the same time period for about $538 per night representing over an 80% discount on the retail price. Not too shabby. 

Westgate Park City in Park City, Utah during Sundance Film Festival

The next timeshare trip is scheduled for Park City, Utah.  I am a huge fan of Park City as it is definitely my favorite ski destination.  This year I was able to score a super prime week during the Sundance Film Festival which occurs during the third week of January. I was able to get a one bedroom unit at the Westgate Park City.  

Cost in Points: 870
Cost in Dollars: (870 x $0.06) $522
Exchange Fee: $199
Cost per Night:  ($522 + $199) / 7:  About $103 per night. 

As a comparison, the resort is offering the same size unit for the same time period for about $647 per night representing over an 84% discount on the retail price. Sweet!

Marriott Timber Lodge in Lake Tahoe

The following timeshare trip is in Lake Tahoe during ski season.  I was able to grab a prime ski week for the last week of February in a Studio Unit.  Hopefully, this will be a good ski season as Lake Tahoe's conditions vary year to year. 

Cost in Points: 430
Cost in Dollars: (430 x $0.06) $258
Exchange Fee: $199
Cost per Night:  ($258+$199) / 7:  About $65 per night. 

As a comparison, the resort is offering the same size unit for the same time period for about $199 per night representing over an 67% discount on the retail price. 

Conclusion:

These are my current outstanding trips planned but already have plenty of other requests pending for other destinations.

As you can see, the discounts from the retail rates are completely ridiculous.  Just in these four trips, the discounts range from 65% to over 84% based on a comparison of the going rates. 

As I say over and over again, timeshares are not for everyone but they are far from being a scam.  The key is to learn the system and maximize their use. 

I would never be able to afford many of the trip above if it was not for timeshares.  Even if I could afford it, I wouldn't want to spend those retail costs for these types of trips.  There are better ways to travel well, cheap and in luxury and timeshares can be one of them!  Timeshares simply give me the access to more vacations at reasonable rates.  It is complicated but doable and the savings can be significant! 

What trips do you have planned?  Make sure to leave comments below. 

I keep a fairly close eye on Park City timeshares since I spend a decent amount of time there during the Ski Season. 

While this season has not been a great snow year, the conditions have been improving and there still is a massive amount of terrain open. 

It looks like Park City Mountain, including the Canyons, and Deer Valley will be closing on April 8, 2018.  However, Alta and Snowbird which are about 30 minutes away tend to have a longer season and generally stay open until mid to late April.  

I just received an e-mail from Interval International with some fantastic deals that are offering weeks for Platinum members at $147 PER WEEK in a studio unit with it increasing to $177 for a one bedroom unit and increasing to $277 for a 2-bedroom unit.  

These prices are almost impossible to beat as the cost for the week is less expensive than most one night stays. 
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Take a look below at the offered rooms at these properties!

Also, for those of you that are chasing Marriott and/or SPG status, timeshare weeks count toward your annual requirement making this a very cheap "mattress" run while also getting a few days of prime skiing!

I'm a huge fan of Park City, Utah.  It has some tremendous skiing available and the ride to the mountains is a quick 30 minute trip. 

I stumbled across this deal where RCI, through its Extra Vacations, is offering a 4 Bedroom unit (Yes, 4 BEDROOMS), at the Raintree's Miners Club in Park City, Utah for only $869.99 for the week. 

This is for a prime ski week of January 13 - 20, 2018.  I really wish that I could use this week as I would grab it immediately.  

If you are interested, grab it soon as this will not last.  
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In an effort to get sightings out to my readers faster and more often, I will start posting "Guru Deals" in the regular blog feed. 

In using my Hyatt timeshare to search Interval International, I came across some great weeks for the Big Island, Hawaii for Summer 2018.  As you can see below, weeks for the entire month of June was available at the Kona Coast Resort.  This is a Shell Vacation Club property.  

I don't talk about Shell Vacation Club properties often but in the future will explore their offerings.  There are a few good ones including this one.    Here is their reviews as found on Trip Advisor.

Like all exchanges, if you see something that you can use, grab it now as great weeks will not last long.  Make sure to use E-Plus to give you the most flexibility.