Vacation Ownership

Why own a vacation?

That's easy! Vacation ownership provides the advantages of owning your own vacation home - plus the assurance of great accommodations, and a possible second home, (U.S. tax deduction) - without the hassles. You pay only for the time you actually need. (Most people can only vacation a week or two a year, so why pay for the 50 weeks you're chained to a desk?) Finally, you're pre-paying for future vacations at today's prices. You make a one-time purchase at a fixed price, then pay an annual fee for maintenance and/or real estate taxes.

Who buys vacations?

Lots and lots of people - more than three million families now own timeshare. What's more, people spent almost $5 billion last year alone to join the growing number of vacation owners.

What do vacation owners actually own?

Ownership types vary, but generally, vacation owners own the right to enjoy accommodations and facilities at a resort for a specified period of time each year. Typically, you may also exchange, rent, or sell your vacation ownership interest - even leave it to your heirs - subject to local laws and your resort purchase contract.

Will I be locked in to the same place every year?

Only if you want to be. That's where we come in. Most resorts belong to an exchange network such as Interval International so their owners can trade their week for one that belongs to someone else. You can exchange for another time, another location, or both. And Interval International has more than 860,000 members who own at resorts in 65 countries, so exchange privileges literally offer a world of vacation opportunities.

What if I've heard some negative things?

We'll be honest. Back in the early days (timeshare started in the late 1960s), a few disreputable operators managed to give the entire industry a bad rap. But that was a long time ago, and things are a lot different now. You've probably changed a lot yourself since the '60s and '70s. So has vacation ownership. Today, you'll find that major brand-name hospitality companies, including Disney, Hyatt, and Marriott, as well as large independent developers, now offer high quality resorts in a variety of locations around the world. Independent research study shows the majority of timeshare owners are satisfied with their purchase.

Do I really deserve this much fun?

Of course you do! You work hard, don't you? Remember, all work and no play makes you dull. Not to mention you won't get much of a tan surfing the 'Net.