The most eager Travel Hacker often give me a skeptical look once I say the words:Timeshare Presentation” to get discounted hotel stays and tons of points for future travel.
The deal is pretty easy: You get a heavily discounted hotel or resort stay and other perks in exchange for attending a timeshare presentation – higher referred to as a sales pitch.
The last email offer I received was in March 2023 from Hilton Grand Vacations. It included a three-day stay in Las Vegas plus 50,000 Hilton Honors Points in exchange for $149 and listening to a 90-minute lecture.
After attending 4 timeshare presentations over the past decade, I find that the discounted hotel stay and extra perks — like hotel points and discounted spa treatments or amusement park tickets — are price my time. All you may have to do is attend the presentation and say “no” (sometimes multiple times) if the timeshare isn't best for you.
Here's how you may get nearly free vacations with timeshare presentations.
Determine the worth of the motion after which negotiate
I even have successfully negotiated the terms of a timeshare presentation previously, so I called Hilton to see if they may sweeten the cope with upgrades, akin to more rewards points or food and beverage credits.
After reviewing the terms of my promotion – and after some polite backwards and forwards – I requested a rise to 100,000 points and a waiver of the extra Resort fees of $34 per night. After a protracted wait, the sales representative's supervisor approved the offer if I accepted it immediately, which I did.
Accordingly Review by NerdWalletHilton points are often price about 0.5 cents per piecewhich supplies the 100,000 points an approximate value of $500. The nightly room rate during my trip was $249 plus $34 per night in resort fees. That works out to over $1,300 in value in exchange for 90 minutes of my time and the $149 I paid for the package.
Understand the constraints and restrictions
Some hotels require a spouse to attend the presentation, while others have specific income requirements. Ask about blackout dates, package expiration dates, and other hidden fees (like those pesky resort fees).
Hilton required me to verbally confirm that my income was above a certain threshold and certify that I had not attended some other Hilton timeshare presentations previously six months.
After I purchased the package, Hilton gave me 12 months to make use of it. After my Las Vegas reservation was booked, Hilton gave me a set date and time for the timeshare presentation. If you miss it, the corporate can charge the complete money price for the stay and revoke any perks offered.
Please also note that you’ll not earn hotel points or elite night credits with the host brand for the promotional stay.
Know what to anticipate through the sales conversation
The sales meeting normally begins with an introduction to your salesperson and a general video or presentation concerning the company's timeshare program. You will then be taken to an office where the salesperson will ask you about your funds and travel habits. You will probably be given an outline of the prices of staying in several property categories – costs may fluctuate seasonally or during times of high demand.
Many timeshare firms, even Disneyhave moved to a points system where you purchase points that you may use for reservations after you change into an “owner.” Keep in mind, nonetheless, that these points are independent of the chain's loyalty program.
Once the salesperson has estimated the fee of living your best timeshare life, they'll walk you thru a model property. Then you'll return to the office and be introduced to the “closer” – the one that will run through the numbers and check out to pressure you into signing.
The sales professionals will appeal to your emotions with ambitious travel fantasies and make you are feeling like family. Remember, they’re incentivized through commissions to get you to buy a timeshare by signing a contract that can last for the remainder of your life.
By timing the sales call using my phone, I used to be in a position to politely inform the salesperson that his time was up once the promotional deadline (typically 90 to 120 minutes) had elapsed.
Be within the “No”
Timeshare is big business. According to a study by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), an industry association for the timeshare industry, domestic revenues will reach $10.6 billion by 2023. For comparison, that's the equivalent of Major League Baseball's annual revenue in 2023.
Hospitality firms wouldn’t offer these lucrative special offers if not enough people bought their products.
This amount covers the initial cost of joining the timeshare and financing the remaining balance, but doesn’t cover ongoing costs akin to membership fees, maintenance fees, or other vital expenses for resort operations.
If you're not in search of a timeshare, no sales pitch should persuade you to purchase one. Before the sales pitch, take into consideration the way you're going to say “no” (or discuss it), and include your spouse within the conversation in the event that they're coming along.
If you later change your mind and judge to sign a contract, a state's cancellation laws assist you to cancel the contract inside a certain time frame after signing – normally between five and ten business days.
“I think that's important because it helps people evaluate whether they're making the right decision for them. And it gives them a very easy way to say no when all is said and done,” Gamel says.
Just pack up and go
Despite the skepticism of my fellow travel hackers, timeshare deals allow me to get monetary savings on travel now and earn rewards that I can use toward free travel in the longer term. It's not for everybody, but for those who're willing to sacrifice just a few hours and know the facility of claiming “no,” it could do the identical for you.
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