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Timeshare Rentals

Monday, March 14th, 2011

For so long we relegated ourselves to staying in hotel rooms on vacation. We just didn’t know about timeshare rentals. I think about how much we missed out on for all those years. Renting a timeshare is far superior for quality, amenities and price. Once you try timeshare rentals, you’ll have a hard time going back. And whether you are vacationing as a couple or a family, you’ll find the amenities and space will enhance your vacation. You’ll find timeshare rentals in the top destinations like Hawaii, Aruba, Mexico and much more.

What are timeshare rentals?

Over 7 million people own a timeshare around the world. Timeshares are owned around the world in over 100 countries in over 5,000 resorts. Some timeshare owners can’t use their week this year for one reason or another so rather than waste that time and money, they want to rent it out to make back some of their money. These timeshare rentals are all professionally managed by the big resort names like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Wyndham so you never have to worry about the quality of the rooms like you do when you rent a private home. The owners pay a yearly maintenance fee like condo owners pay to maintain the resort to its highest quality.

More great information about timeshare rentals.

Why rent a timeshare (rental)?

Since you are renting directly from the owner, the cost is almost always less than a hotel room in the area. And the amenities are better. The rooms are larger and often times the timeshare rental comes with a jacuzzi or hot tub. And unlike private homes, you can be assured that resort is located in a prime vacation area. You don’t have to be familiar with the area to know where to stay. I’ve heard of people renting private homes and staying quite a bit outside the city. The security and safety of your family is assured because that is professionally managed as well.

Examples of quality timeshare rentals:

Marriott Kauai Beach Club timeshare rental

Wyndham Bonnet Creek in Lake Buena Vista Florida timeshare rental

Divi Beach Villas Aruba timeshare rentals

Concerns about listing timeshare rentals:

Perhaps you are a timeshare owner and you want a way to rent your timeshare without breaking the bank but you still want to reach a global audience. I understand your challenge. I am a timeshare owner too. Where do you go? There are many options but how many of them really understand what it’s like to be a timeshare owner? Being timeshare owners, we understand what it’s like. We want a place to go to rent out our timeshare when we are not using it. We want a place that lots of people will see so it rents quickly. We want a place that makes our timeshare look really good so people want to rent it. We want it to be quick and not a big hassle to get it started. And lastly, we want it to be reasonably priced.

Timeshare Rentals Video

We have some of the highest quality timeshare rentals: Hawaii timeshare rentals, Aruba timeshare rentals, Cancun timeshare rentals, and more.We have Timeshare Rentals direct from timeshare owners all over the world. Before you buy a timeshare, I would suggest you rent a timeshare and try it out. There are 5,000 timeshare resorts around the world and you can try them out by renting timeshares direct from timeshare owners. The inventory changes by the minute so if you don’t see what you want, please use the “Alert Me” feature and be updated as soon as a new timeshare is listed at your timeshare resort.

If you own a timeshare already you can still try timeshare rentals or you can exchange your timeshare with another owner and essentially leverage your timeshare to travel the world for free. We thought it would be really cool if you could do both at the same exact time and see which one brought you the best offer.

Timeshare Rentals: Marriott Kauai Beach Club

Timeshare Rentals: Aruba

Timeshare owners get together on websites and contribution content from thousands of timeshare owners around the world. Come and read first-hand reviews of timeshare rentals written by timeshare travelers around the world. Read for yourself about the best and worst timeshare rentals around the world.

You can now rent and exchange timeshares at the same time on Timeshare Juice!

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Tags: timeshare rentals
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Kauai Hawaii Vacation Tips – Attire

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Kauai, Hawaii is an amazing vacation spot. It is so unique and so different than the other islands of Hawaii. It seems to rank just behind Maui and Oahu in popularity with travelers but I don’t want to change that for anything. Our first trip was 15 years ago. And it was by chance that we landed there. It wasn’t part of the plan since we were visiting Oahu and Maui and there was so much to do and see. I’m sure glad we did. So many memories have been created over the years exchanging our timeshare to visit Hawaii.

Kauai is the most rural of the Hawaiian Islands. They have restrictions as to the development of resorts. So there is a completely different feel from the other islands. It is lush and green and many parts feel completely under developed as if you are one of the first to discover it. You can still meet natives living life as if it were 100 years ago. You’ll come upon just amazing waterfalls and tribal land. Natives tell me it has the same feel that Maui did over 20 years ago. Let me share with you some tips I have picked up over the years of traveling to this wonderful island.

Best Time to Go to Kauai
Personally, I would rather go when it is not too crowded. I’m not a big fan of lines so I avoid Christmas weeks and then August. From March to June is the best time. The weather is great and there are no crowds. The winter can be rainy (December to March). But it is hard to find a bad week to go. The temp is usually about 78 degrees and varies only 5-10 degrees at most. The ocean is comfortable enough to swim in too.

What to Pack for Kauai
The 3 basic (can’t live without) items are Sun protection, a camera, and the light clothing.
* Sun protection – It might not feel hot, but you will see the results on your body later in the evening and that’s not fun. It’s deceptively mild because of the cool ocean breeze so bring your sunblock. Same thing with sunglasses. You don’t want to be squinting the entire week. Go for the polarized lenses, you’ll thank me later.

* Camera – I suggest bringing 2 if you can; One for the high quality shots (some of the scenery is just stunning) and one smaller one that you can stick in your pocket or purse when going out and about. When we go to the beach, I prefer not to bring the better camera. But if we are going to see the waterfalls, I’m bringing the higher end camera to do my best to capture the beauty.

* Light and Cool Clothing – I mean pack lots of shorts and t-shirts. You can go almost 95% of the island in shorts and t-shirts. It’s a casual dress place. And if you get active you’ll want to be in lighter clothing.

Going out and about (those of you that won’t just sit by the beach/pool and drink frozen cocktails)
Buy a map of Kauai. Be sure to outline the roads and highways that you will be traveling on as well as what activities you will be doing and where they are. Bring water with you when you are hiking and site seeing. You can store it and keep it cold in your timeshare. Kauai isn’t as developed commercially as Maui and Oahu so your opportunities to just buy water for $5 are not there. You don’t want to get dehydrated. I didn’t think they had a bug problem but out on hikes keep in mind that you are in a tropical rainforest. There are all kinds of insect buzzing around. And I suggest wearing light slacks when hiking so you avoid scrapes from plants/bushes and mosquitos nipping at you the entire time.

Attire tips
Bring a hat or baseball cap. One that you don’t mind getting a little worn and sweaty. If you plan to get out and about, bring a pair of low-cut hiking boots. You will thank me. Don’t get caught in sandals on a hike. You also want comfy shoes/sneakers for just general walking around. Bring the older pair of sneakers that you won’t mind getting stained from the red dirt around the island. And for going into the ocean, I suggest some water shoes especially if you are going to be doing some snorkeling or scuba diving. Lastly, have a pair of sandals. This is Hawaii, right? That is perfectly acceptable attire to wear out to restaurants.

Shopping tips
Bring an extra bag for all those little trinkets that you will buy. You’ll have a great time shopping. And for getting out and about those bags you wear around your waist are perfect for carrying sunglasses, camera, money, ID, etc.

Kauai is a special place for us. We have many great memories with our family whether it be out on hikes gazing at waterfalls or playing on the beach or having dinner outside in the beautiful air, Kauai is fantastic. Whether you stay in a timeshare resort or just a hotel, Kauai is a special place to make memories. I hope these tips were helpful. With so much to see and do, I know you’ll become a fan of Kauai too (did I just rhyme?)

Mahalo,

Erick

Tags: hawaii tips, kauai resorts, kauai vacation tips, timeshare exchange
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Must See Honolulu, Hawaii Vacation Tips – Surf to Shave Ice

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Have you vacationed in the island of Hawaii yet? The sun, the beaches, the lush greenery, the food …What are you waiting for? It is an amazing place to visit for beautiful scenery, culture, and food. We’ve been several times now and I want to share some of the sites and activities we enjoy the most. For those that haven’t been, it can be confusing as to where to go and what to do.

So to clear up some confusion, the island is called Oahu. Honolulu is the capital. Waikiki is the tourist area where most of the hotels, timeshare resorts, and shops are. For example, we usually do a timeshare exchange to vacation on the island of Oahu rather than stay in a hotel. Now that we got that geography out of the way, here are some tips on what to do and see.

North Shore – Try something new and get out of the touristy area for the day and rent a car to drive up north on the island . You’ll get to see the mountains and hillsides of the island and the ocean . Most people picture Honolulu as either a giant beach or a big city. If you stay in Waikiki, that’s about all you see. “Lost” Fans? , the North Shore is where they filmed quite a bit of the show. Grab a bite to eat in one of the small eateries near the beach. During the Winter (from November to February) , this is the prime surfing season and this area becomes the host to pro tournaments. The waves can be 20 feet high!

Luau - Yes, the dancing, the leis, the fire-throwing and more; Just like you saw on the “Brady Bunch” show. We enjoyed Germaine’s Luau. We have been before and we look forward to doing it again. It’s more than a show but a view into the historic culture of this island and our friends , the Hawaiians. The kids will love the show, how can they not? The food on the other hand…you might want to pack some snacks for the kids, just in case. Our kids weren’t big on the pig or poi.

Pearl Harbor and Arizona Memorial – I highly recommend this but unfortunately many visitors won’t be able to see it . This is the site of the famous and dastardly attack by the Japanese to start our involvement in WWII . This is a must see; A wonderful memorial to those heroes we lost during that fight. USS Arizona is a battleship attacked by the Japanese . My tip, plan this day in advance and get your tix online. There will most certainly be a line so be prepared . Don’t procrastinate, it’ll book up on you and your vacation will be over. I have heard this from other people. Don’t visit Hawaii and miss this . Get there early when you do have tickets .

Diamond Head – This is the amazing view from Waikiki Beach and former site of volcanic activity. It’s also something you can hike and it’s not overwhelming . The view from the top is fantastic . If you are going to do the hike, wear proper footing and sun protection . The higher you go, the sun gets stronger and hotter. After the hike there’s a “Shave Ice” truck waiting for the over-heated hikers so be sure to bring some cash. This is by far not the best Shave Ice on the island but it hits the spot . My favorite is Waiola Store (named after the street it’s on). They blend it so nicely that it tastes “creamy”. I don’t know how they do it!

Waikiki Beach – Ok, time to hit this area but be sure to come by at night . And stop into the many art galleries so you can see what the local artists are up to. I love this area in the evening . It is so alive with the people and artists (spray paint art, charcoal artists, oil painters and more) on the street. And enjoy the human statues.

Aiea Loop Trail – A trail for hiking in the middle of the island at the Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area is a secret gem. It covers over 4 miles of terrain. Take in views of Pearl Harbor, the Waianae Range, Diamond Head crater , and, if you have a bit of luck you just might see Honolulu.

Duke’s Restaurant: OK, time to talk about food . Duke’s is near and dear to me. I love this place. I have always found the service to be as wonderful as the food . On our first years ago staying in a timeshare exchange, we ate at Duke’s on the advice of the concierge . It’s got the best location sitting right on the beach. It’s a great atmosphere, great fresh food , and really good . The fish is always so fresh and they make it different ways and the waiters always have nice suggestions on how to get the fish prepared. How about the Chilean Sea Bass with Chipotle ? Even if you go for an appetizer and some drinks, you’ll love it.

Sweet Home Waimanalo – Any Fish Taco fans? . Located on the east side of the island , you can stop in and feast on some amazing fish tacos; Also offering great BBQ, cold drinks and smoothies. The area might seem strange since it’s farm country but don’t overlook it . It’s an entirely different feel of the island. You’ll love it.

See you in paradise. Aloha, my friends!

Tags: hawaii, honolulu, oahu, restaurants, things to do, vacation tips, waikiki
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Aruba Vacation Tips

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Aruba is a special vacation for us. It was our honeymoon and as much preparation as we did, we still felt a little overwhelmed with what we could do there. We like to relax on vacation but we also like to do things that we don’t normally get to do during the year. And the best way to do both is proper planning. We ended up in Aruba on a fantastic timeshare exchange with a Marriott Resort. Here are my recommendations on what to do on vacation in Aruba.

We traveled to Aruba on a timeshare exchange. Aruba, an island in the Caribbean, is Dutch-owned and the influence from the Dutch is obvious as you travel the island. It’s a small island but it’s such a great place for us. Whether traveling with a family or as a couple, we highly recommend it. Keep in mind, it’s not a wild party place. There are places to have fun but it gets quiet pretty early. It’s very nice and very clean and also very safe. The weather was great but there is a constant breeze that keeps you cool so don’t forget a light jacket. Be sure to wear suntan lotion as the sun is strong. A cool breeze constantly blows on the island.

Here are our experiences and suggestions organized by activity: Go on a cruise. Take a sunset cruise around the gorgeous island. We used “Strea Charters” and the older lady is so nice and so helpful. We had a lot of fun on the beautiful sunset cruise. You’ll get to see the rocky shoreline, sunset and island. Be sure to bring a camera for the amazing sunsets. Esther will give you a great overview of the history of the area. We learned a lot. It was quite fascinating. Then you get to do some great snorkeling too. The water is so warm. The marine life is fantastic. You’ll see some amazing coral and fish. The colors are so vibrant. You’ll be taken back at the colors of the fish. These fish will come right up to you.

Ready for some shopping?: Taking the bus downtown only costs a dollar . The buildings downtown are quite a site with bright vibrant colors. They are so unique. I have have never seen another downtown like this. You can sense the Dutch influence for sure in the buildings and colors. But you’ll also get a strong Caribbean feel in the food. The people are really nice and extremely laid back. Tourists talk about the great deals you can get on jewelry. There is quite a bit of locally made items that will catch your eye. Since we stayed in a timeshare resort, we were able to stock up on groceries. We did some grocery shopping as well. Keep in mind that you will not be getting a selection like you do at Wal-Mart.

The Natural Pool: I highly recommend. For this site, we rented some Quads. The “Natural Pool” is hard to get to. Get a clear map from your hotel or the rental place. We rented ATVs for the journey and that was soooo much fun. Riding across the island with the dirt kicking up all over the place was something unique for us. You’ll look forward to a shower later. Bring some snorkel gear. This is a great place to see great sea life in clear waters. The waves come right over the rocks and into the pool.

Food: They have quite a selection here. We like to eat casual most of the time. We just want to wear shorts and tank tops and enjoy the food with some cold beer and/or margaritas. So “Wacky Wahoos” is a great meal. We had the fish and it was sooo fresh and tasty. I recommend making reservations here or you probably won’t get in. I suggest heading over to the Marriott resort Aruba Surf Club as well. It was also very good. The atmosphere is just amazing. It always is at a Marriott timeshare resort. It was more expensive than most but very good. We loved having a fresh fish dinner right there on the beach with the waves coming in.

And we always felt safe on the island. The locals are very nice. We’ve never heard of any issues with crime. Enjoy!

See you on the beach, Erick

Tags: aruba resort, aruba vacation, caribbean vacation, carribean resort, RCI, timeshare exchange
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How does Timeshare Work?

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

How does Timeshare work?

Plain and simple: A timeshare is 1-part ownership in a resort condominium. For example, owning 1 week (your share) of a condo at a particular resort; Most often it is 1/52 of the unit as you own 1 week of the 52 weeks. You purchase a timeshare from a resort developer (e.g. Marriott, Hilton, Westgate etc) for a fixed price and then pay your share of the maintenance fees each year. Timeshare owners have the right to rent, sell, and timeshare exchange.

More complicated explanation: A timeshare is when you own a piece of real estate where a number of individuals share ownership in the subject property. As opposed to a standard home where an individual or, for example, a husband and wife share ownership, a timeshare is owned by many different people, for example 52 different people for 52 different weeks. You pay 1/52 of the maintenance costs for that unit. If there are 100 condominium units in the resort, you divide the total cost to maintain the resort by 100 (100 units) and then by 52 to get your share of the annual costs.

Timeshare Destinations:
Timeshare destinations range from the beach to golf, lakes to skiing, Vegas to Family and from U.S. to Europe and beyond. Here are a few: Myrtle Beach timeshares in South Carolina; Las Vegas, Nevada, and Honolulu, Hawaii are examples.

Timeshare Resorts:
There are over 5,000 timeshare properties worldwide in over 100 countries found anywhere from warm climates like Westgate Resorts in Orlando, Florida Beach Resorts; Wyndham Resorts; Blue Green Resorts; Diamond Resorts and more to colder climates for skiing like Holiday Valley Ski Resort; Boreal Ski Resort; and Bear Mountain Resort; and Fernie Alpine Resort.

There are also international resorts like Mexico: Cabo Azul Resort as well as Europe which a hotbed of resort development especially in Spain on the coast (Marbella).

Timeshare Resort Directory
To find a large directory of timeshare resorts visit RCI Directory or Interval World. They each have large selection of resorts with little overlap. If you want a comprehensive list and selection, visit Timeshare Exchange service, TimeshareJuice.com.

Timeshare properties are larger than simple hotel rooms. Typically, they include one to three bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, a full kitchen and a living room and many times a nice large soaking or Jacuzzi tub. These condominium-style units are almost always fully furnished. Indoor and outdoor swimming pools are common at most timeshare properties.

Instead of owning the standard 1 week (80% of timeshare ownership is this) an owner can also own points. Timeshare points can be redeemed for time at the resort instead of owning the timeshare deed, they merely own the right to timeshare exchange. And you don’t necessarily have to own a fixed week. Some timeshare owners own a floating week whereby they buy the right to use any week within a certain period of time (e.g., Jan to April or Jan to December).

Prices are based on demand. So a timeshare for a week on Vail Colorado during the winter is much more expensive than a week in the summer. Once the owner purchases the timeshare, they are responsible for their “share” of the maintenance fees each year. Those fees are decided upon by the Board, elected by the owners.

Background History of Timeshare
The notion of the term “time-share” was originally created in Europe in the 1960s when Hapimag, a ski resort developer in the French Alps, marketed resort properties by encouraging his guests to “stop renting a room” and “buy the hotel”. This new idea quickly caught on and soon many other developers were following suit and sales grew quickly worldwide.

Timeshare Exchange
Due to the promise of timeshare exchange, these units often sell regardless of their deeded resort.
Learn more about timeshare ownership and timeshare exchange at TimeshareJuice.com as well as how to exchange your timeshare for free at any resort.

Renting a timeshare
Each timeshare owner has the right to rent their unit out to whomever they want. When timeshare owners rent out their unit, the resort takes a credit card as a security deposit on the unit. If the traveler damages the unit, the resort can seek damages from the owner.

Selling a timeshare
Many timeshare owners fed up with the high fees and hassles of timeshare ownership try to sell their unit on their own, use a service or try to give it back to the resort. Selling a timeshare often times yields almost no money and timeshare owners just try to get out from underneath the fees and stress. In my experience, those owners don’t understand the true power and potential enjoyment of a timeshare. They also don’t know about the resources to rent on their own to recoup their annual costs.

I wish you a great vacation in your near future. Have a great year!

Tags: interval international, RCI, timeshare, timeshare exchange, timeshares, vacation exchange, vacation ownership
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Diamond Resorts

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Diamond Resorts

Diamond Resorts is a global timeshare resort company with 177 resorts in 26 countries around the world. They have one of the largest timeshare owner customer bases of 385,000 owners. Of the 177 Diamond Resorts, 69 are managed by Diamond Resorts International and 108 are affiliated. That equates to 24,000 beds to offer around the world!

Here are some of the Diamond Resorts International currently available. Click the link and you can view pictures, videos, real resort reviews as well as available timeshares from Diamond Resort owners (Keep in mind that availability changes minute by minute as owners list and then trade very quickly).

Diamond Resorts Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort
Diamond Resort San Luis Bay Inn
Diamond Resorts Grand Beach
Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club
Diamond Resorts The Point at Poipu
Diamond Resorts Flamingo Beach Resort
Diamond Resorts Royal Palm Beach Resort
Diamond Resorts Cala de Mar
Diamond Resorts Garden Lago
Diamond Resorts Valley Isle
Diamond Resorts Scottsdale Links Resort

Diamond Resorts Background
I have found that there are 3 levels to Diamond Resort ownership: THE Club Diamond – a points-based membership system providing access to all Diamond Club Resorts and affiliated resorts; DRI Collection/Trust Points – points-based memberships limited to a specific “collection” of regional Diamond vacation resorts; and deeded Diamond timeshare ownership at any one of the Diamond resorts.

THE Club at Diamond Resorts International®
Being an owner of this Diamond Resort product gives you access to the entire Diamond Resorts selection. Keep in mind that you must purchase directly from Diamond Resorts. THE Club Diamond memberships can be left by Will to an heir but cannot be resold.

DRI (Diamond Resorts International) “Collections”
Owning this product is buying timeshare points not fixed weeks. There is no deed with this product only the right to reserve time. DRI Collection/Trust points can be given away or resold. You can learn more about non-deeded timeshares or points system.

Deeded Diamond Timeshare Ownership
This type of timeshare ownership is more well-known and typical. With this product you buy into the “weeks” system and therefore own a deed to the property. You can buy Diamond timeshare weeks from a current owner.

Learn more about timeshare ownership and timeshare exchange at TimeshareJuice.com as well as learning how to exchange your timeshare for free at any of over 4,000 resorts worldwide. Oh yeah, and you’ll have lots of fun too!

Tags: deeded timeshare, diamond resorts, diamond resorts international, Diamond timeshare ownership, DRI Collection / Trust Points, The Diamond Club, timeshare, vacation ownership, vacation points
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What is Timeshare?

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

What is a Timeshare?

Here it is, plain and simple: A timeshare is 1 part ownership in a resort condominium. For example, owning 1 week (your share) of a condo at a particular resort. Most often it is 1/52 of the unit as you own 1 week of the 52 weeks. Timeshare owners have the right to rent, sell, and timeshare exchange.

Timeshare Destinations:
Timeshare destinations range from the beach to golf, lakes to skiing, Vegas to Family and from U.S. to Europe and beyond. Here are a few:Myrtle Beach timeshares in South Carolina; Las Vegas, Nevada, and Honolulu, Hawaii are examples

Timeshare Resorts:
There are over 5,000 timeshare properties worldwide in over 100 countries found anywhere from warm climates like Westgate Resorts in Orlando, Florida Beach Resorts; Wyndham Resorts; Blue Green Resorts; Diamond Resorts and more to colder climates for skiing likeHoliday Valley Ski Resort; Boreal Ski Resort; and Bear Mountain Resort; and Fernie Alpine Resort.

There are also international resorts like Mexico: Cabo Azul Resort

Instead of owning the standard 1 week (80% of timeshare ownership is this) an owner can also own points. Timeshare points can be redeemed for time at the resort instead of owning the timeshare deed, they merely own the right to timeshare exchange. And you don’t necessarily have to own a fixed week. Some timeshare owners own a floating week whereby they buy the right to use any week within a certain period of time (e.g., Jan to April or Jan to December).

Prices are based on demand. So a timeshare for a week on Vail Colorado during the winter is much more expensive than a week in the summer. Once the owner purchases the timeshare, they are responsible for their “share” of the maintenance fees each year. Those fees are decided upon by the Board, elected by the owners.

Background History of Timeshare
The notion of the term “time-share” was originally created in Europe in the 1960s when Hapimag, a ski resort developer in the French Alps, marketed resort properties by encouraging his guests to “stop renting a room” and “buy the hotel”. This new idea quickly caught on and soon many other developers were following suit and sales grew quickly worldwide.

Timeshare Exchange
Due to the promise of timeshare exchange, these units often sell regardless of their deeded resort.

Learn more about timeshare ownership and timeshare exchange at TimeshareJuice.com as well as how to exchange your timeshare for free at any resort.

Interval Vacation

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

What is Interval Vacation?
Interval vacation is a term used interchangeably with the term timeshare vacation. An Interval Vacation can be purchased from a vacation or timeshare resort. There are over 5,000 timeshare or Interval resorts in over 100 countries. Today over 7 million families around the world own at least one Interval Vacation.

Interal Vacations can be purchased from large resort developers and vacation clubs like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Westgate as well as small resorts such at Timber Trail Heights in India.

Interval Exchange is the ability to trade one timeshare vacation or interval vacation for another interval vacation. Millions of these exchanges happen every year all over the world. Each timeshare (also called Interval) has the right to exchange their timeshare each year they are owners as long as they are current on their timeshare maintenance fees.

Here’s how Interval Vacation exchange works (A simple scenario):
Jill owns a timeshare interval vacation at a resort in Orlando for the week January 1 – January 8. Rather than vacation at her timeshare in Orlando this year, her family would rather vacation at a resort in Mexico so she exchanges her week at the Orlando resort with a timeshare owner that has a week at a Mexico resort. Jill “leverages” her timeshare to travel to Mexico. It is perfectly in the rights of either owner to exchange their vacation with another owner. In fact, resorts welcome it.

This is just one simple explanation. An owner can also own “points” at a resort that can be redeemed for “time”. They can also own a “floating” week instead of a “fixed” week which means they can pick any week within a certain range (e.g. January through May, June through August, or January through December) to stay at their home resort. And that means they can offer any week during that entire period or year for exchange with another owner. Whether you own a fixed week, points, or floating week you can participate in vacation exchange.

Interval Vacation Exchange Companies:
A vacation exchange company facilitates the trading of vacations between owners. These vacation exchange or timeshare exchange companies act as brokers connecting two parties (owners) that want to exchange. Timeshare exchange companies charge a fee for their services. In this situation, the vacation owner hands over her week to the timeshare exchange company by depositing it into a “bank”. Once it is deposited, the Vacation owner can choose another week from the bank that the timeshare exchange company approves of. The timeshare exchange company gives her deposited week a specific “weighting” (value) and based on that weighting they can choose another interval/week of equal or lesser value. The timeshare weighting process can be very confusing for Vacation owners. Vacation owners often complain of never truly understanding how it works and frustrated with the Vacation exchange process.

Two companies, RCI and Interval International, transact almost all Interval exchanges each year in the Interval exchange business. RCI has been around for 30 years brokering vacation exchanges and now has over 3 million members. Interval International has been around 20 years and now has over 1,800,000 members.

Home Exchanges:
I have noticed some people do something similar with their homes and vacations called “home exchanges”. They might trade/exchange their actual home with someone that lives in another country, for instance. I have heard of a few services that offer those services today. I have not used a home exchange service or tried to do a home exchange on my own.

Learn more about timeshare exchange and how to exchange your timeshare for free.

Tags: interval exchange, interval international exchange, Interval International Vacation Club, interval vacation, interval vacation club
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Timeshare Juice and the Thunder Lizards

Friday, September 10th, 2010

When I started the journey of Timeshare Juice last year I said I was going to be transparent. That honesty sounded really good but I wasn’t really sure what it meant. It was all new to me and I wasn’t sure how it was going to go but I thought it would be interesting to share what I learned with everyone. I was going to write about and tweet about the highs and lows of creating our startup, TimeshareJuice. How can one guy take on 2 multi-billion dollar companies in the vacation club timeshare exchange business? Sometimes I shared too much. But what a ride it’s been. It’s been an amazing journey for sure. It’s surreal to think that a year ago I had idea to change the timeshare and vacation club world and then you look up and it’s happening. Not only do you have this amazing product but a community of passionate users all over the world that love it and spread the word to friends, tweet about it and share it on FB and blogs.

I haven’t written in a while so here’s a summary of what’s been happening:

The People: They call them “Thunder Lizards”. I love that. I remember reading it in Guy’s book “Selling the Dream”. He wrote that if your product is good, you might have enthusiastic Thunder Lizards. I thought, wow that would be amazing to have Thunder Lizards. (Do Thunder Lizards even exist in the timeshare and vacation club world?). I have no idea how he came up with that phrase, but the good news is that we have Thunder Lizards!

I have not advertised the site more than a few dollars on Google and yet the traffic consistently grows – 20-30% per month and we have members from all over the world now. I think it’s just people telling friends and so on and so forth. I don’t know why or how it happens but at a certain point the product is exciting enough that people just start to talk about it (even in timeshare exchange). Sometimes you just stare at your site and wonder why nothing is happening. It’s not scientific it’s just spontaneous. Just like Kawasaki said, the Thunder Lizards are real. If they are passionate about your site they will sing from the mountain tops about it. I shared my stats each month (some good, some bad) in the newsletters and blog posts for all to read.

Why would I tell everyone (including my vacation club exchange competitors) what our site stats are each month, especially when they are down in certain areas? I don’t have a good answer for that except that it’s fun and exhilarating to be completely open and honest. Looking back, perhaps it made the members feel a part of the team. It was like our virtual boardroom. I don’t know for sure.

On the flip side, as a timeshare exchange industry outsider it’s been difficult at times. The Timeshare Industry is very unique. Although large it is comprised of a small number of people in management. And the people in the industry have been here a long time and they all seem to know each other. So a lot of times your calls go unanswered because the other person has never heard of you before. It’s unlike other industries I’ve worked in. That just means you have to try harder and make more calls. But I have certainly made some great contacts and friends in the industry. And some people have gone out of their way to help me network and meet people and got behind my idea in a big way.

Running in Molasses. I also find the timeshare industry very hesitant to change. It seems like 1990 here because some people are doing business the same way they were 20 years ago. Their motto (perhaps even a tattoo on their back) is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. That’s all fine and dandy except if you are bringing something really new and fresh to the industry. Then it might make you wish Happy Hour started earlier some days – like noon.

The baby: The website is working really well now. I don’t get many “how do I do this?” or “this doesn’t work” emails anymore. I’ll tell you that caused a few sleepless nights. We spent a lot of time listening to our users in order to create the user interface and functionality we have today. It did not happen by accident. We would listen, meet, discuss, and make changes right there on the fly. Sometimes we met at Corner Bakery or Panera to discuss it and we’re making adjustments to the site right there. It was fun.

An expert? Recently I have been asked by some Timeshare Industry execs to explain Social Media to them and how it affects the travel and timeshare business. That took me by surprise. It’s been great to have an opportunity to share what I know and am good at. I wrote a blog post about that here . So one of the things I learned was when you are new to an area, industry, company, etc reach out and offer information. Give, give, give.

Opportunity knocks It’s funny how when you are starting out very few people want to be part of the party. It can be really lonely. You wonder if you are on the right path if no one is responding. Now, we get deal opportunities pretty frequently. So to those of you that are just starting out, hang in there. It gets much better. In the beginning you have to be committed and focused, even if you are the only one that believes you can do it. Just stay the course. That doesn’t mean you never make changes to the path to get there but at times you have to put blinders on and go, go, go. If you keep it up long enough, you start to get momentum and then it gets easier. But don’t stop ‘til you get the “Big Mo”.

Lastly, probably the most interesting point of all. We heard through the grapevine that “our competition” has told the resorts (our potential customers) to not get involved with us. If they do, there will be financial repercussions. The exchange companies are very powerful in this industry. More powerful than anything else. As if it wasn’t hard enough to get going, right?…Hmmm, that’s nice. Well that will make it much more difficult for us no doubt. If you ever wonder “Are we on the right track?” and you hear that about your competition, then you probably are.

Oh here is our new video. check it out: TimeshareJuice Overview to interval and vacation ownership exchange

I want to recommend a blog that I read. It’s for all you up and coming entrepreneurs. It’s about having little resources but leveraging your strengths to accomplish a lot. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/06/BUKQ1F7CM4.DTL

It’s been an amazing journey so far; one that’s been full of ups and downs. I’m even more excited now than I was in the beginning. We have some really great stuff in the pipeline that we will be announcing over the next few months.

Vacations really are the Juice of Life. So go get some Juice!

My best,

Erick

Tags: exchange, Interval, interval international, RCI, swap, timeshares, vacation club resort, vacation ownership
Posted in Timeshare | 1 Comment »

Timeshare vs. Hotel Room…no comparison.

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

If I have the choice to vacation in a hotel room or a timeshare, it’s not even close. I don’t have to think very long, the timeshare wins hands down. But let me first start off by saying that I am NOT telling you to go out and buy a timeshare. That’s not what this blog or our online community, Timeshare Juice, is about. Timeshare ownership is not for everyone. But it can be a lot of fun. It’s often misunderstood because many people have been abused by devious salespeople with devious sales tactics. What this blog is about is comparing staying in a hotel vs. a timeshare on vacation.

What people don’t realize is that you don’t have to own a timeshare in order to stay in one. There are thousands of timeshares available to rent. Timeshare salespeople make you feel like there is this “shortage” of units and you should have this urgency to buy. You can rent a unit from an owner or from a resort. And you have the freedom to bargain with either one. I have rented my timeshare out several times and it’s always worked out great. You don’t need a management company because the resort handles check-in, security, and any extra charges the renter might ring up on their tab. You simply get payment from the renter and then make the reservation for them at the resort. They check in at the resort, give a credit card for damage deposit, and have a great stay.

Not only does the timeshare offer you more but it’s also less expensive to rent. Here are the 3 biggest reasons why it’s better:
1. Tons of space: Hotel rooms are claustrophobic. It’s one room. There’s barely room to walk by the beds. A whole family in one hotel room is really pushing it. In a timeshare, there are multiple rooms. It has a separate bedroom, a kitchen, and another living room that converts to a bedroom at night (sometimes there’s even a locking door in between that offers complete privacy). You also get a balcony to sit outside, get some fresh air and enjoy a nice glass of wine. That’s not happening in a hotel room. You can eat meals at a kitchen table and/or kitchen island. The bathrooms are much larger and some units include a Jacuzzi tub.
2. Lots of amenities: Just having a kitchen is a huge win. Personally, I like going to the fridge (a real one, not that mini bar thing in your hotel) and grabbing a cold drink and some food when I want. I don’t want to have to call room service and hope it’s open and then hope they remember to bring my food an hour later. I like having it now. And if you are vacationing with kids, every minute counts to avoid the dreaded “meltdown”.

I like not having to rush out in the morning for breakfast before we go out to the theme park or day trip. It’s healthier, less time consuming, less expensive and a more relaxing way to start the day. At night you have separate TVs so there’s no arguing about what to watch and even a DVD player. My unit has a really nice sound system (not that little alarm clock from the hotel room that can’t keep a station unless you hold the antenna and stand on one foot).

And there’s no maid service knocking on your door waking you up to clean the room every day. Timeshares have service once mid-week and once at the end. You don’t have to put that door hanger up for privacy which is ignored or stolen most of the time.

3. Cost – It’s actually less expensive to stay in a timeshare. I know it’s hard to believe but there are thousands of timeshares that you can rent right now for much less than the cost of a hotel room in the same exact area. And if you own, the annual fees are definitely less than the cost of 1 week in a hotel room. A hotel room will cost you at least $150 per night with taxes. That’s over $1,000 for the week. If you’re on an island vacation it’s 2-3x that price. You’ll find almost all timeshares for rent that are below that price.

I know another option is renting a house. But there are a lot of unknown variables with that like who’s liable for damages or theft, location of house in a neighborhood, no brand name and unknown quality. I just think it’s odd to be sleeping in someone else’s bed and using their refrigerator. So to me, it’s not worth the hassle unless you know the owner or know first hand someone that has stayed there and it’s a quality place. And most of the time, the cost to rent a house is much higher anyway. So that’s not a viable option for me.

So there you have it. It’s pretty cut and dry, the timeshare wins. But before I can honestly tell you to go out and buy one, I think the industry has a bunch of things to work out. But I won’t tell you to stay away from timeshares either. If you know how to buy them and how to utilize them each year, you will have so much fun on vacation you’ll be silly!

May a fantastic vacation be in your near future!

Tags: hawaii, house rental, orlando, timeshare, timeshare exchange, timeshare owner, timeshare resale, trade
Posted in Timeshare | Comments Off