In the contest of vacation club vs timeshare, how do you decide which is right for you? Start here! Understanding the difference between a timeshare and a vacation club is key to making the right decision. In short, a vacation club is a type of timeshare, but a timeshare isn’t necessarily a vacation club. “Timeshare” can have many connotations. In the traditional sense, though, a timeshare confers ownership rights at the same property during the same time interval every year. A vacation club, on the other hand, is a membership- and points-based type of ownership that allows members to stay at multiple resorts within a brand’s portfolio. There are pros and cons to each, and weighing them can be daunting. But fear not. Fidelity Real Estate is here with everything you need to know about vacation clubs vs timeshares!
Understanding Vacation Club Vs Timeshare Ownership Options
Today, vacation clubs have surpassed traditional timeshares as the preferred ownership type. However, traditional timeshares are still right for certain types of travelers. Understanding the difference between timeshares and vacation clubs will help you choose which is right for you.
What Is a Timeshare?
The word “timeshare” has come to encompass a wide variety of ownership types. Traditionally, though, a timeshare is a vacation property whose ownership is shared among multiple people. When you own a timeshare, you own real property, but you only enjoy usage rights during a particular interval of time. This interval is usually a week long and falls on the same week each year. It tends to start on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. This is what’s known as a “fixed-week” timeshare, and it can be ideal for those who prefer to travel during the same time every year. There are, however, other usage types.
Floating Week Timeshare
A floating-week timeshare offers a bit more flexibility than a fixed-week timeshare. With a floating-week timeshare, owners can reserve any week of the year on a first-come, first-served basis. However, floating-week timeshares are generally restricted to a certain season. So, for example, a winter floating-week can only be reserved during the winter months. A floating-week timeshare can be a good option for vacationers who don’t always travel at the same time each year.
Biennial and Triennial Timeshare
Not all traditional timeshare contracts grant usage rights once a year. In the case of biennial and triennial timeshares, owners get to use the property every other year, or every third year, respectively. Biennial and triennial timeshares can come in fixed- or floating-week usage types. They are typically cheaper than annual timeshares and can be a good fit for those who either can’t travel every year or simply don’t want to stay in the same place.
What Is a Vacation Club?
A vacation club is a membership-based timeshare in which members don’t own real property but rather points they can use to stay at multiple properties within the vacation club’s portfolio. Points are allotted each year, and the number of points allotted is based on the value of a “home resort,” which the member chooses when they join the vacation club. Once the points have been deposited in the member’s account, they can use them to stay at their home resort. Or, they can use them at another timeshare with the same points value. If more or fewer points are needed to stay elsewhere, members can usually borrow points from the next year’s allotment or bank their surplus points for the next use year.
Vacation clubs have become the most popular type of timeshare due largely to their flexibility. With a vacation club, members can broaden their travel horizons and experience new vacation destinations every year. Moreover, whereas a deeded, fixed-week timeshare is almost always owned in perpetuity, a vacation club membership can sometimes be canceled at any time.
Want to know the best vacation clubs to join in 2024? Then check out our blog!
Pros and Cons of Vacation Clubs Vs Timeshares
Now that you know the difference between a vacation club and a timeshare, let’s highlight some of the pros and cons of each.
Vacation Clubs
Pros
- Choose when you want to travel
- Choose how long you want to stay
- Experience new destinations every year
- May be easier to cancel than traditional timeshares
Cons
- Availability of your desired resort/interval isn’t guaranteed
- Must reserve your vacation yourself
- Resale restrictions may apply to things like loyalty programs
Fixed-Week Timeshares
Pros
- Guaranteed availability of your timeshare
- Don’t have to make the reservation yourself
- Get to make annual vacation traditions
Cons
- Have to travel during the same week every year (or every two or three years)
- Usage rights only last one week at a time
- Must be willing to travel to the same destination year in and year out
Timeshare Vs Vacation Club Resales
Both vacation clubs and traditional timeshares can be expensive. Whether you join a vacation club or buy a timeshare, you’ll have to pay annual maintenance fees. These can average around $1,000 a year. Moreover, the initial purchase price can be pretty steep. But while there’s no way to get around paying maintenance fees, there is a way to mitigate against the high initial purchase price of a timeshare or vacation club: the resale market!
The resale market is where owners who can no longer use, or afford to use, their timeshares go to sell their vacation ownership. Because owners are usually highly motivated to sell, and because they get to set their own prices, you’ll often find resale timeshares for sale for thousands less than retail timeshares.
Now that you have a better understanding of the differences between a vacation club vs a timeshare, let’s look at some examples you’ll find for sale on Fidelity Real Estate’s resale marketplace.
Before you buy on the resale market, check out these helpful tips!
Vacation Club Membership Resales
At Fidelity Real Estate, our resale marketplace is home to some of the top vacation club companies in the timeshare industry. Here are some of the premier brands you’ll find on our site:
Disney Vacation Club
Disney Vacation Club is a highly popular vacation club company, and it’s easy to see why. With 15 luxury resorts across the U.S., DVC lets you enjoy Disney magic in some of America’s most sought-after vacation destinations, such as Orlando, Anaheim, Myrtle Beach, and Oahu.
Learn more about Disney Vacation Club and browse available listings!
Marriott Vacation Club
Marriott Vacation Club boasts a portfolio of over 3,200 luxury resorts, making it one of the largest Vacation Club brands in the world. With Marriott Vacation Club, you can enjoy spacious accommodations, modern furnishings, and top-notch amenities in more than 90 countries, including the US, the Caribbean, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Get to know Marriott Vacation Club and see available listings on our brand page!
Club Wyndham
As a Club Wyndham member, you’ll enjoy access to more than 4,000 resorts across 110 countries. What’s more, Club Wyndham can put together a whole vacation package tailored to your needs. They offer a full range of travel services, including itinerary planning, flight and car rental booking, and more!
Club Wyndham offers several different clubs, each with different deed options and benefits. Choose from Club Wyndham Select, Club Wyndham Access, and Presidential Reserve.
Learn more about Club Wyndham and view active listings now!
Timeshare Resales
While vacation clubs have come to dominate the retail timeshare market, you can still find traditional fixed- and floating-week timeshares – especially on the resale market! With Fidelity Real Estate, you can find traditional timeshare resales at the world’s best resorts, with units for every travel size and prices for every budget. Here are a few of our favorites:
Orange Lake Resort
Located in Orlando, Orange Lake Resort is a sprawling, 1,450-square-acre resort complex where you can enjoy exclusive access to four phases worth of amenities. Enjoy the vacation of a lifetime without ever leaving the grounds, with seven pools, three fitness centers, and four golf courses. Or, use the resort as your base of operations to explore Orlando’s world-class theme parks and attractions. Villas at this Holiday Inn Club Vacations property come in one-to-four-bedroom configurations and have everything you need to feel at home during your stay.
Browse Orange Lake Resort resales now!
Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino
Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino is one of Las Vegas’s best resorts. Located just one block from the Strip, it offers walkable convenience to Las Vegas’s best attractions. Meanwhile, with a 95,000-square-foot casino, the world’s largest race and sports book, Vegas’s #1-rated restaurant, and live entertainment all on site, you don’t have to leave this resort to make vacation memories.
Accommodations at this Westgate resort range from studios to four-bedroom villas and feature all the comforts of home. You’ll even find a range of themed rooms, from the Halloween Suite to the Christmas Suite, to the Cowboy Suite, that make your room an attraction in itself!
View available Westgate Las Vegas resales in our marketplace!
The Grand Colorado on Peak 8
Experience the majesty of the Rockies and the charm of Breckenridge at The Grand Colorado on Peak 8! Part of the Breckenridge Grand Vacations family of resorts, The Grand Colorado boasts the kinds of luxury amenities this brand has become known for. They include a world-class spa, on-site dining, a sparkling outdoor pool for the summer months, and a hot tub for warming up in winter. The resort also boasts a prime location, with walkability to the Colorado SuperChair and the Breck Summer Fun Park, and proximity to Downtown Breckenridge. Accommodations range from one-bedroom suites to four-bedroom villas and come generously appointed with home-like comforts.
Find your Grand Colorado on Peak 8 timeshare today!
Why Choose Fidelity Real Estate?
Fidelity Real Estate makes buying vacation club memberships and timeshares easy. As a fully licensed brokerage, we can assist you at every step of the purchase process, from finding financing to closing and everything in between. Moreover, as an ARDA-accredited timeshare resale company with over 30 years of experience and an A+ rating by the BBB, we pride ourselves on our mission to bring credibility to the world of timeshare resales.
So, what are you waiting for? Browse our resale marketplace today to find the vacation club membership or timeshare of your dreams. Or, give us a call at 1-(800) 410-8326 and let one of our experienced agents help you set up your search.
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