In the Beginning

Timeshares started some 34 years ago in the French Alps. Vacation ownership started out with the idea of being able to exchange one’s vacation accommodations with someone else’s. While not everyone could afford that second home at the beach, by owning just a segment of that home, or condo, it now came within most people’s reach. Add an exchange organization to implement trading your beach for someone’s mountain and bingo, you've got an industry!

By locking in the purchase price of accommodations, vacation ownership (time sharing) helps to ensure future vacations at today’s prices at luxurious resorts with amenities, service and ambiance that rival any of the world’s top-rated vacation destinations. The reasons for purchasing most frequently cited by current timeshare owners are the high standards of quality accommodations and service at the resorts at which they own and exchange, followed by the flexibility offered through the vacation exchange opportunities and the cost effectiveness of vacation ownership. Nearly one-third of vacation owners purchase additional intervals after experiencing ownership. This trend is even stronger among long-time owners; 41.2 percent of those who have owned eight years or longer have purchased additional intervals within that time.

Vacation ownership offers consumers the opportunity to purchase fully-furnished vacation accommodations for only a percentage of the cost of full ownership. For a one-time purchase price and payment of a yearly maintenance fee, purchasers own their vacation either in perpetuity or for a predetermined number of years. Owners share both the use and costs of upkeep of their unit and the common grounds of the resort property.

Each condominium, or unit, of a vacation ownership resort is divided into weeks which are sold separately. The weeks are priced according to a variety of factors, including size of the unit, resort amenities, location and season.

Unlike a hotel room or rental cottage, which require payment for each use with rates that usually increase each year, ownership at a timeshare property enables vacationers to enjoy a resort, year after year, for the lifetime of their ownership. Timeshare ownership offers vacationers an opportunity to save on the escalating cost of vacation accommodations over the long term while enjoying all the comforts of home in a resort setting.

A vacation home, your home away from home.