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How We Survived A Timeshare Presentation & Got A Free Cruise Vacation Without Buying Any Timeshares

By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

If you’ve never been to a timeshare presentation and you’re thinking about attending one for the free gift, be warned — you’ll probably never know what a high-pressure sales experience really is until you’ve been to a timeshare presentation!

It may have been easier walking into a car dealership flashing $20,000 cash in my hands and negotiating that dreaded onslaught of ambitious car salesmen than dealing with the series of cunning marketing professionals who ran the timeshare seminar I attended with my fiancée.

This Orlando free cruise timeshare presentation we sat through was a harrowing sales experience that felt like the longest 4 hours of our lives.

But we did get the free cruise! So read on…

Why We Went To A Timeshare Seminar

We were at a bridal show when a vendor for a major cruise line approached us to see if we wanted to attend a timeshare presentation — in return for a free cruise AND free tickets to a professional basketball game in Orlando.

Ordinarily, I would’ve passed on the deal right away. But I’ve heard about these free vacation timeshare seminars for what seems like my whole life, and I thought, “Let’s see what they’re all about.” If nothing else, I knew the experience — good or bad — would make for an interesting story that I could blog about and share with others.

We had to give a $30 refundable cash deposit to attend — with the promise that if we showed up to the timeshare presentation, we would get back the money and also get vouchers for a free cruise for 2 people plus those pro basketball game tickets.

Would we really receive the free cruise? And get our $30 back, too?

I thought the experience was worth the risk. So, we went all in and showed up at the vacation club in Orlando, Florida at 10 AM on a Friday for the free cruise timeshare presentation.

NOTE: Timeshares are often rebranded as “vacation clubs” or “vacation ownership plans.”

The Timeshare Sales Pitch That Went On And On…

We walked into the vacation club office (located on the site of a major Orlando resort) and were immediately greeted by friendly concierge staff.

We sat down in the lobby as directed, and just a few minutes later, Mr. Salesman (as I’ll call him) kindly greeted us.

We shook each other’s hands, and then he took us upstairs to a loft area with about a dozen 4-seat round tables .

It looked like a casual café dining area, but it sounded more like a nightclub — because they had fast-paced calypso music playing at a volume just loud enough that we had to speak up a little to talk to anybody farther than a few feet away.

Already, I realized what was going on here… They were setting the stage for a fast close on some tropical vacation deals !

Mr. Salesman proceeded to tell us, “I know you’re here for a free cruise, but will you keep an open mind about this vacation plan?”

My fiancée and I agreed we’d be open to hearing his sales pitch and made polite conversation with Mr. Salesman, who told us a bit about his life story. He soon started showing us pictures of him and his kids having fun on various vacation getaways. Hmm…  looks like he was trying to build an emotional connection with us, his potential customers.

Before long, he knew that I’m a journalist and my fiancée is a certified nursing assistant, and that we spend a few thousand bucks or so each year enjoying road trips. (That was my first mistake — telling him we spend any money on vacations on a regular basis.)

“What would you say if you took that same amount of money and guaranteed that NOT ONLY you and your fiancée could stay in a fancy timeshare, but that the next 4 generations of your family will ALSO have access to this flexible plan?”

I’m thinking to myself, “Wha…? 5 generations?”

“Your great-great grandkids who you’ll never even meet will be thanking you both if you choose this plan,” he went on to say. (No joke.)

Of course, the first thing I’m thinking to myself is “Gosh, how depressing. He’s trying to sell me a plan for the great-great grandkids who I’ll probably never meet ?” Then, I wondered, “Will this timeshare company even still be around a century from now?”

I later found out this type of plan is called an inherited timeshare — it’s basically a timeshare contract that can last up to 99 years and can be very difficult to sell or otherwise get rid of .

I also discovered through some basic research that inherited timeshares can be a nightmare for those hypothetical, yet-to-be-born great-great grandkids to handle. I can almost hear their sarcasm now, “Yeah, thanks a LOT, Great-Great Grandparents!”

And so the elaborate sales pitch went on, and we learned that the program has like 3 tiers — one where we buy into X points per year, another for Y, and a third for Z .

In this plan, certain timeshares use a given number of points. Choose wisely and you might be able to use those points on a few different vacations each year. “I think where you guys travel a few times per year you’ll definitely want “Y.”

He then asked, “How much do you think that would cost?”

I looked to my fiancée and back to Mr. Salesman and I joked, “Um… like $80,000?”

He replied, “Well, we’ll get to that in a minute…”

Apparently 1 minute in the timeshare seminar world means about 2 hours — because somehow this tableside chat kept going until noon, with a rundown on the plan’s flexibility, the number of options, etc.

Then came mention of the additional fees associated with keeping this plan alive for 5 generations. It’s $900 per year to activate your points, Mr. Salesman explains. “Oh, a one-time fee?” I asked. “No, that’s per year, but that’s far less than you spend already on your road trips.”

He then led us up from the table and walked us outdoors to a golf cart. “I’m going to show you the types of places you’ll be staying in,” he said, whisking us at a brisk 12 miles per hour to a timeshare unit similar to the ones advertised in the program. “And this is a 3-star place. The ones available in our plan are 4- and 5-star timeshares,” he added.

We reached our destination and proceeded up to a 4th-floor suite. “It’s got a private kitchen, 2 bedrooms — you can fit up to 10 people in here,” he said, opening up the door to the showroom. “Remember the places where you’ll be staying are even better than this ,” he said.

Frankly, the place he showed us wasn’t too bad. But I couldn’t help but think I’d have no trouble finding similar rooms in a resort community for a competitive rate and without that century-long commitment .

“Your great-great grandkids are gonna thank you,” he said, taking us around the 2-bedroom suite.

“How big is your family?” he asked my fiancée as we look around the suite. She told Mr. Salesman about her big family and many siblings — which he jumped on right away. “Imagine bringing them here. Can you just see the look on their faces when they step in here?” he asked her, leading us into a tropical-themed bedroom.

The rest of the time in the timeshare showroom went this way — no longer involving just us, but also all of our family and those future great-great grandkids who he says we’ll never meet.

By this point, the only door I was looking for was the exit from this high-pressure sales experience. “All I’ve got to do is say ‘no’ at the end,” I kept telling myself.

For some reason, I kept thinking of Nancy Reagan and her “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign in the ’80s. However, just saying “no” wasn’t going to be so easy at this timeshare presentation.

Where’s The Exit Door?

By this point, we were getting to the 3-hour mark in what was supposed to be a 2-hour sales seminar . Even Mr. Salesman said it was getting late in the day (nearly 1 PM) and time to move on.

“OK, well thank you for showing us around,” I told him.

“Let’s head back to the sales center,” he said, motioning us back to the golf cart.

This is where the timeshare seminar went from being drawn out but polite to, “Get me the heck outta’ here… PLEASE!”

We headed back to that roundtable again — a little more tired and sweaty for the wear (after all, it’s January in Florida and a hot 75 degrees). Basically, we were presented those 3 timeshare contract options again: X, Y, or Z.

But this time, Mr. Salesman quoted us prices. No need to go into the messy details here, but the most basic plan began at $15,000. “You know, I just bought a car for $15,000, and now we’re looking to buy a house,” I informed him. “I don’t think the bank’s going to like me spending another 15 grand on a vacation package before buying a home.”

“But it’s a timeshare. And it’s for 5 generations,” he insisted.

“Look, I’ve got really good credit, and I don’t think buying a timeshare is the best idea right now,” I explained (assuming this is what he needed to hear to know that we were simply not interested).

Like clockwork, Mr. Salesman brings over his supervisor. “Hi, I’m Mr Supervisor, how are you?” he asked, extending us a handshake as he sat down across from us at the table. “I hear you guys are interested in buying Plan X.”

My patience was growing thin… “Actually, no, we’re not interested in buying anything. You see, I just bought a car for $15,000 — which I didn’t even plan on buying, but my old car quit and I needed something I can travel long distances in. We’re also about to buy a house, and there’s no way I’m ruining my credit now to buy a vacation plan.”

He countered, “It’s a timeshare plan.”

“I know, and I’m in no position to buy one now — we aren’t even married yet, and we need to get hitched and buy a home first before we do something like this together,” I affirmed, lovingly looking over toward my fiancée, who was sitting beside me.

“Yeah, man — but ‘happy wife, happy life,'” he said, smiling at my fiancée. He then pulled out photos of him and his  bikini-clad fiancée soaking up the sun in Mexico, the Caribbean, and several other balmy destinations.

Then my fiancée spoke up… “I don’t really believe in that cliché, ‘happy wife, happy life,'” she said. “Happiness goes two ways, and we are about to get married and buy a house.”

Mr. Supervisor smirked, probably miffed that he wasn’t going get a sale by using his typical spiel. “Look, if you sign up today, how about we double your points during the first year?” he asked. “We’ll even give you the first year of membership free ,” he added.

“You mean the $900 annual points activation?” I asked.

“No, the $250 membership fee,” he replied.

“You mean there are point activation fees AND an annual membership fee?” I asked.

“Oh, yes — but don’t worry, all of this and the $15,000 will pay for itself in just the first few years as you guys go on vacations and use your points. Remember, this plan lasts 5 generations.”

By this point, whatever patience I still had after wading through all of this was pretty much gone. “Look, I know this is probably a good deal for those who have the money, but we’re in no position to sign this contract and pretty much ruin my credit score with an inquiry and a $15,000 purchase on top of that.”

Just when I thought THAT was going to end the conversation, Mr. Supervisor said, “Well, we can do in-house financing — that way there’s no credit pull!”

“Look, we’re not signing the contract,” I insisted. “Nothing. I’m signing my name on nothing . It’s been almost 4 hours now and we were told this would be a 2-hour seminar,” I told Mr. Supervisor — not angrily, but clearly ticked off at the endless path we seemed to be going on here. “I’m ready to leave.”

Mr. Supervisor pulled out what I presume was Plan D from his proverbial hip pocket. “So, I told you we’d double the points, right?” Before I could even answer back… “I’ve got to keep this quiet, I don’t want the boss to hear, but what if we knock this down to $9,500? Lowest I can go.”

I felt like I was talking to a brick wall that had 2 mouths and no ears . “Sir, look — we’re not buying anything. Can we please call it a day here?” And a day it nearly was… The clock got past 2 PM, and there was still no end in sight to this timeshare presentation for a free cruise.

Mr. Supervisor must’ve signaled to Mr. Boss to come out and close the deal or something, because before long another guy came walking up to the table. Mr. Supervisor sneaked off and Mr. Boss sat down. “Hi, I’m [Mr. Boss], good to meet you.”

“You, too, sir,” I kindly returned, “but I’ve already told Mr. Salesman and Mr. Supervisor that we’re not interested in buying any timeshare plans. We’re about to buy a house and…”

You’ll never believe what came out of his mouth next!

“No way!” he said. “I also manage a realty group here in Orlando. Give me a call sometime and we’ll talk about getting you guys set with a good mortgage.”

No exaggeration — all of this actually happened. 

Now the guy was trying to sell us a timeshare AND a house! Were we the unassuming “victims” in a  Candid Camera  skit or something?

I really don’t know what other polite thing I could’ve said at this point but, “No, thank you, I’ve already got a credit union lined up.” (I did — so no lying there.)

“Look, you’re getting married soon, right?” Mr. Boss asked. “Yes…” I hesitatingly replied. “I’ll throw in X points more — so you can have a free honeymoon . That will leave you more money for buying the house.”

What was I to say? These guys had played on more emotions than should be legal. “Sir, listen, we appreciate the offers — thank you — but for the last time, we are NOT buying any timeshare plans . Can we please wrap this up now? It’s been 4 hours, and your representatives told us it would be 2. This is enough .”

Mr. Boss stood up from the table and stormed out of the room, and I heard him mutter under his breath, “I can’t believe this — total waste of time.”

Wow… How professional.

We were escorted downstairs to the main lobby by Mr. Salesman in a somber fashion to the front desk, where we were issued a voucher for our free cruise and pro basketball tickets .

Of course, the sales pitch didn’t quite end there…

The guy who issued our vouchers asked if we could supply the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of 10 people that we’d like to invite to go through the same timeshare presentation for a free cruise.

“No thank you,” I said, mumbling to myself, “there’s no one I despise enough to put them through the 4 hours of misery we just experienced.”

We got our $30 back, too.

Are Timeshare Seminars A Scam?

I’m no financial guru, so I won’t spend much time talking about the cost of buying a timeshare versus not buying one. Whether or not you should buy a timeshare is something only you and your financial advisor can decide.

I have a few family members and several friends who have (or at one time  had ) timeshares — some seem to like them, others not so much .

Here’s what I will say…

From the info I picked up through this “free cruise with timeshare presentation,” it sounds like you’ve got to count on being able to take a vacation pretty often to make it worth your while over the long haul. And that’s assuming you can take enough time off from your job.

And then there’s the amount of money it would cost in keeping up the timeshare plan  that we were advertised. These costs include:

• Activating the points ($900 per year)
• Staying a current member of the program ($250 per year)
• Booking a trip ($200 and up per vacation)

Even then, you’re confined to using only the timeshare suites that are in-network — not really beneficial to you if you’re one who likes to backpack through little-known places and stay in independent mountain lodges or rugged hostels.

I can’t say the timeshare seminar is necessarily a scam. Nor can I say it’s a terrible idea to buy a 99-year timeshare contract.

We did get those free cruise tickets, the pro basketball game tickets, and our deposit back, in full — so we got what we were promised.

But the timeshare plan itself certainly wasn’t for us. Not at that time. Not before buying a home and saving for other things — like fixing a broken water heater, repairing a leaky roof, or handling any of the other things that might come up after we become homeowners.

Not to mention the fact that the grueling 4-hour timeshare presentation was emotionally and physically draining — probably not worth the free gifts.

I just hope those great-great grandkids won’t be too disappointed that we turned down a 99-year-long contract on an inherited timeshare.

Should You Attend A Timeshare Presentation For Free Vacation Gifts?

We did it solely for the free cruise.

If you think you have the willpower (and patience) to sit through a free cruise timeshare presentation like I’ve described above, then go for it!

Lots of people repeatedly sit through timeshare seminars — time after time — just for the free gift .

We have sat through several timeshare presentations just to get the ‘freebies’. The hardest sales pitches were from local camping clubs and we walked away with sleeping bags and hats. Lousy pay for four hours of our time. In Mexico, we received a free rental car for one week along with a free breakfast. The pitch there wasn’t too hard to say no to, but the pressure was still hot and heavy. The harder they push, the more we dig our heels in and say no. ~ eubie12 at The Penny Hoarder

If that’s you, then start here:

• Here are some popular timeshare offers by brand that have been vetted by the NerdWallet finance company.
• Here’s how to calculate if it would be worth your time to attend a timeshare presentation just for the free gift.
• And here’s how to find even more timeshares that offer free cruises and other big travel gifts (…so you can basically “travel for free”).

In addition to the links I’ve included in my timeshare review above, the following resources may help you decide if attending a timeshare presentation for free vacation gifts makes sense for you:

• Timeshare 101: How Timeshares Really Work
• How To Survive A Timeshare Presentation (…And How To Say NO)
• Best Tips Ever For Surviving A Timeshare Seminar
• What A Timeshare Presentation For Free Vacation Gifts Is Really Like
• 6 Ways Almost Anyone Can Get A Free Cruise
• Pros & Cons Of Buying A Timeshare: Everything You Need To Know
• #1 Tip For Surviving A Timeshare Presentation: Don’t Engage

Here is a Wyndham timeshare rep’s perspective (what he learned behind the scenes):

I’m a Florida native, a roller coaster junkie, and a frequent traveler. (Long road trips are my favorite.)

Born and raised in Tampa, I grew up visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. I authored the book Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: Images of Modern America, which details the colorful history of the Busch Gardens theme park. As a local historian, I’ve also written about other popular landmarks and attractions for a variety of publications.

Here, on this Travel Guide, I like sharing little-known facts and fun stuff about all the places I’ve been — so you will have a good idea of what those places are like and what you should know before you go. I especially enjoy helping others plan fun trips… on a budget!

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How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation: Tips you Need to Know

• Post author: Scott Fix
• Post published:
• Post category: Couple Travel / Travel Tips

You are here because you want to know how to survive a timeshare presentation. How do I end the sales pitch? How do I resist timeshare sales tricks and just say “no”? After going through the process ourselves and chatting with a sales insider, we are here to share what we have learned. Read on for all you need to know to escape the formidable high-pressure timeshare pitch.

What’s the Deal with Timeshare Presentations? 

Everybody knows the classic “high-pressure timeshare sales pitch”.  You get offered 3 days and 2 nights at a fabulous resort for free, no obligations – you just have to attend a sales presentation.  They promise the pitch will be pretty short and that there’s no obligation to buy.  Sounds great, right?  But we all know the catch – it’s infamous.  The timeshare presentation is excruciatingly long.  Every time you think you’ve said “no” for the last time, they bring in a new salesperson or take you to a new room to start pitching you all over again.  It’s a high-pressure sales marathon.  To top it all off, if you don’t meet your obligated time at the presentation, you’re on the hook to pay for your accommodations.  So why do people still go to these things?  Well, because a free “3 days and 2 nights” at a resort is just too good of a deal to pass up sometimes! In fact, many travelers are trying to find out “How can I attend a timeshare presentation just for the free vacation?”   Well, we wanted to see what all the hype was about. When we got a call saying we’d “won” a vacation package, we shrugged and signed up.  Worst case scenario, we walk out and have to pay for the hotel stay.  

When we started asking around, so many of our close friends had either fallen for the timeshare pitch themselves, or knew a family member that had. We heard story, after story, of high-pressure pitches, salesmen that were insulting or rude, being led between rooms for hours upon hours, etc.  Hearing stories of people so close to us motivated us to write up everything we learned from our experience. 

The Initial Screening 

Cecilia signed up for a “contest” on Facebook that would enter you into a “drawing” for a free stay of 3 days and 2 nights at a resort and a $150 gift card.  We got a phone call saying we’d “won” while we were driving.  

We were asked some basic “info” questions (i.e., name, phone, address), followed by some “survey” questions.  The survey questions were things like:

When was the last vacation you took?

How much did you spend on accommodations?

How often do you travel?   

They also asked us if we only needed a reservation for 2, or if we’d like to bring anyone else up to 4 total.  Of course, we opted to take the 4-person reservation because the more the merrier, right?  

After all the identity information, survey questions, accommodation arrangements, and a spiel about our vacation/gift-card winnings, then came the hook – we’ll have to attend a timeshare presentation.  We were assured that we were only obligated for 90 minutes to 2 hours of the presentation; and with that, my wife and I looked at each other with a “do we believe that?” stare.  

But sure – in for a penny, in for a pound.  

Two things caught both of us off-guard towards the end of the phone call: 

One, we had to book the dates for our stay immediately.  We had to pull over from driving to frantically look at our calendars and figure out a weekend that worked in both of our schedules. The caller would just suggest a block of days from their availability, and we had to tell him if the range worked out for us.  

Two, we had to pay a $99 “refundable deposit” using a credit card.  When he asked for our credit card information, a giant alarm started going off in my head, yelling at me “this sounds like a scam!!”  I almost put the phone on hold to have a conversation with my wife about backing out of the whole thing.  I took a deep breath and reminded myself that our credit cards have fraud protection on them; and we’d just have to keep a closer eye on our credit card statements for awhile.  

Although we haven’t completely confirmed this, our strong-suspicions are that the initial phone call is really a screening. They want to see how susceptible you’re going to be to the timeshare sales pitch. It felt like a test to see if we were people that would make a fast decision, without much information, and commit money instantly for a “too good to be true” deal.  

Well, whatever we did “worked,” because as we later learned, they put us in the “prime candidate” group for the presentation.  More on that later.  

Arriving at Our Destination 

Because of the Covid-19 policy, only one person from our party was allowed into the lobby to check in to our room; our timeshare presentation was scheduled for the second day of our stay at 8 am. Only the person who checked-in signed any paperwork at all; and the other 3 members of our party didn’t sign anything or give any names. 

8am, bright and early, we drove over to the location for the timeshare talk and waited in a small line for a teller.  The person in front of us was having an unfriendly banter with the teller.  The only thing I picked up from my eavesdropping was that all the members of his party weren’t there so he wasn’t able to get signed in. We got called next and checking in only took a few seconds.  She asked if all members of our party were there, we said yes, and she said to wait in a corner for our “agent” to come and get us.

After a few minutes, our salesperson came out of a room, introduced himself, and walked us outside.  He said because of covid restrictions, he wouldn’t give us a tour of the entire facilities and grounds. Instead, we would drive separately over to a condo where he would give us a talk.  

We loaded up into our vehicle and were on our way without ever signing any official paperwork.  Also, we had been told over the phone, and on our “terms and conditions”, that we needed IDs and a credit card, but we didn’t need anything. I’m not sure if that is normal, or just because we showed up during covid restrictions.  

The TimeShare Pitch

We followed our salesperson’s car to a condo. On the ground floor, they had free continental breakfast and drinks set out on a table behind a rope, and someone with gloves handed us whatever we asked for.  We took an elevator up a few floors and our salesperson took the stairs to meet us at the top, then he showed us to a room and left so we could eat our breakfasts without our masks. We thought the room was stuffy, because we were all in our winter jackets, so we opened all the windows.  It was ~30 degrees outside.  When he came back, he sat in a chair across from our sofa.  I imagine he thought we were trying to freeze him out, but we were just hot.  

For the first 20 minutes, there was some minor small talk about nothing. It might have been to put us at ease?  Either way, we were pretty guarded with personal info.  He probably expected us to talk more about ourselves, and we were expecting him to ask us more direct, pointed questions.  

When he started to transition, I asked for an outline of what to expect for the meeting. How was our time going to be broken down?  What is our obligation?  How many people will we talk to?  Are we going on a tour? What is our time frame?  

He said we were there for a timeshare presentation – “yes, it’s a sales pitch.”  We had to be there for “an hour and a half, or 2 hours – whatever they told you.” Then when it was over, he’d take us back to the main building where we’d get our $150 gift certificate and a voucher that waived the cost of our stay.  

And then our “presentation” began.

He flew through a lot of “numbers” and acronyms. He talked so fast, to the point where none of us absorbed anything. To this day, I have no idea what he was even saying. Either way, as fast as he spat out numbers, the topic would always change.  I’m not sure if it was him, or us, or both; but we talked about movies, Pokemon, shoes, horses … just about everything except timeshares. 

After 40 minutes of struggling to sell us, he took us to a luxury apartment in the same complex. I think the intention was to give us a tour and really sell us, but other families walked in on us. Because of covid, only one group was allowed in at a time, so we left and let them see the rooms; but then we just kind of wandered off, back towards the door of the building.  I feel kind of bad for the salesperson, because trying to keep track of the four of us was like trying to wrangle cats.  He’d try to show us to a room, or tell us to wait for another family to get done, and we’d just wander back towards the exit.  He’d run to cut us off, and we’d just all meander around him, chatting about something else.  

We weren’t intending to be rude or purposefully being space-cadets or anything. There was just random downtime, so we’d do what any group of friends would do – we’d chat amongst ourselves. We also were never given any real clear instructions on what to do, so we’d just assume we were done and start walking back.  It wasn’t until we looked back on our experience that we realized we were probably sabotaging his sales pitch without meaning to.  

We went back to the “pitch room” and by now it’s about 1 hour and 10 minutes in.  Cecilia leaves the room to go to the restroom. (She was 3 months pregnant at the time, so bathroom breaks happened ALOT.) The salesperson looks at the 3 of us and says, “Okay, just be honest with me here. Why in the world are you guys at a timeshare talk?” There’s a pause while we all just stare at him, wondering what we should say and he fills the void with, “if you’re all so scared of covid that you’re even opening the window when it’s 30 degrees outside to get fresh air, why did you come here in the first place?”  I reply,

“… well, you want honesty?  My wife clicked a link on a Facebook contest that said we could win 3 days and 2 nights at a resort.  They called us while we were driving to say we’d won.  My wife was excited, and I wanted her to be happy, so I said sure, I’d go along with it.  The guy on the phone asked if we had 2 friends that would want to go, too, and we said we weren’t sure; so he said he’d put us down for 4, just in case. We asked our friends, they said they wanted to come, and here we all are.”  

He nodded along; looked at the 3 of us; pulled out his phone; and started playing Pokemon Go.  

Once Cecilia got out of the bathroom, he ran through his pitch at lightning speed.  He showed us a piece of paper with numbers on it that had a large down-payment. He rambled on and said, “but you don’t have that much in the bank, do you?”  After a pause, Scott said “no comment” – because the entire morning, none of us gave away any information about our financial situations.  He instantly flipped the paper over and showed us another price, the “only for today” offer with a lower price with financing; and asked if we wanted to buy at that price.  I said “no.” He said “alright then,” and texted his boss, then went back to playing Pokemon Go.  

Related Content: Traveling Alone or With a Companion: Which is Better?

Leisure Suit Larry 

After a few minutes of the party chatting about nothing again, in walks the boss – we’ll call him Larry.  Larry looks the part.  He’s wearing an olive-green suit that has the kind of texture that looks expensive; and a very high-maintenance hairstyle with a lot of gray speckles.  Larry’s entire presence is summed up by the uncertainty of whether his hair was naturally gray, or if it was purposefully dyed to look older.  

Larry has a calm, methodical delivery any time he speaks, like someone reciting a script that’s been rehearsed to perfection but then delivered so many times until it’s lost its meaning. He speaks without pauses, taking a big breath before each section of his ramble. He would emphasize words by deliberately stretching out the word, not by raising his voice.  Every point he made was framed as if the decision has already been made for you – you will lose money if you don’t make this choice because you are already spending money on vacations. 

Larry is what a used car salesman would be if used cars sold for more money.  

Larry ended his spiel with a piece of paper, which had a unit available for “today only.”  They’re always “only today.” 

He passed the piece of paper over to us, and the age of the paper suggested it wasn’t the first time he’s handed it to someone.  

The number on the paper was drastically less than any of the previous offers – it was less than half of the previous lowest offer.  I looked at the paper, folded it back in half, handed it back, and said no.  Larry was reluctant to take the paper, and asked “why?” 

We knew this moment was coming and prepared for it.  We reminded ourselves that we don’t have to justify any of our answers.  Socially, it’s polite to justify yourself; but you’re never under any obligation to justify yourself.  

We answered, “we don’t make large financial decisions that quickly. We talk through financial decisions together.”  Larry gave another ramble – this one I honestly didn’t listen to.  I just zoned out for a moment.  Then Cecilia answered him, “and we have a kid on the way, which makes it more important to spend time on big financial decisions, so the answer is still no.”  

Larry asked, “so … is there anything I can do or say that’s going to change that decision for you today?”  I said “no,” expecting to have to say that a lot at this point.  But then Larry abruptly said, “Okay, thank you for your time,” stood up, and walked out without a second look at us.  It was just an immediate withdrawal.  

The first salesperson, who had been sitting there quietly during Larry’s entire spiel, slapped his thighs, said “okay, I’ll take you back to the main center to claim your prizes” and visibly ripped up the piece of paper he’d shown us earlier.  He started to make some comments about wasting his time, but we were already walking out the door and didn’t really catch them.  

The Final Boss

We drove back to the main center and through a conference room that, in non-covid times, would have been the first room.  He took us close to a receptionist’s desk and asked us to stay put while he went to talk to someone.  We wandered up closer to them, trying to look out of a window to see a pool, which was just close enough to eavesdrop on the salesperson’s conversation.  He was giving her details about the conversation we’d had with him and Larry – that we “don’t make large financial decisions that quickly.”  He was giving her everything she needed so she would know the right angle to close the deal!  

It turns out, the woman he handed us off to was the Final Boss.  She asked us to go into another room, and Cecilia wandered off to the bathroom.   The three of us walked into the room, realized Cecilia wasn’t there, and wandered back out.  When she got out of the restroom, the four of us went in together to see the Final Boss.  She was sitting behind a small table with two chairs set up in front of it.  She said we could sit down, but we remained standing.  There were four of us and only two chairs.  You could tell that having 4 people there instead of 2 really threw their usual gameplans off.  

She asked us what the final price Larry quoted us was, and I told her; then she said “What if I could offer you that same unit at this price?”  She wrote a number on a piece of paper that was, again, exactly half of what Larry had offered.  

We repeated our line, “We don’t make large financial dec–” She interrupted, “Okay, take this slip into the next room and we’ll settle you up.”  

We hadn’t noticed, but there was a slip of paper already sitting on the desk in front of her.  With the paper in hand, we headed into the next room and handed it to an old man who was polite, friendly, jovial and looked like he was having the time of his life at work.  He slapped a stamp down on the paper, handed us a voucher, and we were out in no time.  We managed to survive the timeshare presentation.

Total time: 1 hour and 39 minutes.  

The Aftermath

After we left, we spent a lot of time talking with one another, trying to understand why we’d been let off so easily.  All of us had heard the nightmare stories about high-pressure timeshares – that people spent an entire day being shuffled from room-to-room, the aggressive salespeople, the insults, the good-cop bad-cop routines, etc.  We got none of that.  We were practically shoved out the door at one point.  

One theory we had was that we were a group of 4 that weren’t related to one another.  We were 2 couples, so they couldn’t pin one of us against the other.  They also couldn’t sell to all 4 of us, because we would never buy something together.  

Another theory was that we were just too chaotic for them.  We constantly changed the conversation – but not really on purpose.  We just filled the silent pauses with jokes or comments that became side-conversations.  

Timeshare Presentation Basics: Insight From an Industry Insider

We had to know why our experience was so different from the ones we’d heard about, so we called up a friend that used to be in the industry as a timeshare salesperson.  

Here’s what we found out:  

The reason some salespeople are pushier than others is because if they don’t sell for awhile, they’re suddenly given “one last chance” to sell, and if they don’t sell on that day, they’re fired.   If someone wants to keep their job, they have to sell; and that can lead to a very high-pressure sale.  

Sometimes they’ll get mad if you’re rude or just blatantly not interested from the start of the talk. They’ll toy with you and keep you longer on purpose out of spite. This can happen when you tell the salesperson from the start: “look, we’re just not interested in buying, we’re only here for the free stay.” 

Often, the salesperson lies about their background to identify with the “prospect”, like saying they have kids too; or they will lie about how long they have been selling; or that they have a dog, are also divorced, etc.  When our insider told us that, we all blinked. Had our salesperson lied about everything he told us the entire time?  At one point, he gave us his kids’ names – and now I’m not sure he even had kids.  

If a salesperson makes a sale on the previous day, then they get “first pick” in the morning; and the 8am timeslot is reserved for people they think are absolutely going to buy.  We were the 8am timeslot.  I have no idea why they put us in that group.  

If enough people are lined up that day for talks and they don’t have enough salespeople, they go on rotation.  As soon as a salesperson finishes their talk, they can go back and get another prospect.  The earlier they can pick a prospect, the higher the chances of getting a sell.  That’s why there’s more incentive for them to end a tour earlier if they know you aren’t going to buy and your tour is in the morning.  Tours in the afternoon aren’t so lucky.  

What if someone owns a timeshare and gets someone else to sign up for the timeshare talk? The timeshare owner gets a kickback – usually waived fees. 

But ultimately, why did our salesperson let go of us so fast?  Because Cecilia was pregnant.  At one point, our salesperson asked why Cecilia was going to the bathroom so much.  We told him she was pregnant, and when she came back in the room, he commented, “I didn’t even notice you were pregnant until you said that.”  That’s when he started flying through his presentation.  That was the change.  Apparently, people who are expecting a child don’t make sudden or “big” financial decisions. They’re too focused on what’s good for the baby.  

Tips on How to Survive a Timeshare Presentation

So here we are, everything we’ve learned boiled down to our top tips for surviving a timeshare talk.  

1. Go in prepared .

There is no reason to be mean or rude.  Just know your stance, be assertive, and remember that you don’t owe anyone anything.  It’s not impolite to say “no” without an excuse.  “No” is a complete answer that doesn’t need to be justified.  

2. Remember that you’re in a sales pitch .

For salespeople, ‘being nice’ is part of the sale. Similarly, ‘being relatable to you’ is more important than them telling you the truth. They butter you up in order to get information out of you, and they rely on the information you’ve volunteered for their pitch.  Things like your job, hobbies, or even your last vacation are used to determine your personal wealth and spending habits.  

3. Silence is your strength.

It’s really, really tempting to argue, or to call the salespeople out when you catch them in a ‘blunder’ or ‘ah-HA’ moment.  But just remember: if you argue, you just feed into their pitch and you’ll end up staying even longer.  They want you to argue so they can sell you harder.  Don’t get into a back-and-forth. 

4. Be on guard for the angle.

The salesperson is always fishing for an angle. If they don’t know what is important to you they cant sell you. They’ll try to get you emotionally invested.  They might try to insult you, or dig at your ego, with things like “you can’t afford this, right? This is too much for you.” Don’t defend yourself. Don’t justify yourself. Just say “no” and leave it at that.  

5. Decide on a secret reason against buying and never disclose it .

If they don’t know why you won’t buy, then they can’t give you a pitch or argue against it.  For us, we knew that a timeshare is just a bad financial decision.  The financing is really expensive, and you don’t “save money” in the end.  That was our secret reason; and when the numbers were explained to us, and we saw the paper showing that it was a bad decision, we didn’t go “ah-HA!”  We just nodded along and kept it inside.  They can’t sweet-talk their way around your roadblock if they don’t know it’s there.  

6. If you really want a timeshare, don’t buy at the pitch.

7. and, of course, if all else fails – be pregnant..

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This post has 15 comments.

I like the idea of timeshares—in fact, my inlaws own several—but I hate the high-pressure sales tactics they employ. It’s such a turn off.

That is such a good point. The concept of a timeshare isn’t all that bad, but the high-pressure talk and the difficulty of selling a timeshare should you ever change your mind are huge turn offs.

I love that the title includes SURVIVE, because that’s totally how it feels! We had to say “no” to like 10 different people before they would let us go!

We have heard so many horror stories like this. So glad we survived our first timeshare experience and came out on the other end with some bits of wisdom. Hoping this article can help out a few others so they do not have to endure a situation like yours!

I always wondered about timeshares. I like the concept but the sales tactic is highly annoying . It makes me wonder if it’s worth it .

You definitely have a point. High-pressure timeshare presentations are exactly that, high-pressure. They aren’t necessarily meant to be enjoyable, but I do think the experience depends on the salesperson. If you are assigned to a pleasant and respectful salesperson, then the experience really isn’t all that bad! It’s just playing roulette to see what kind of salesperson you wind up with.

Loved this. Your title caught me and made me laugh. Your last line made me laugh. My in-laws have had a time share for years and have dumped so much into the “maintenance fees”. It is a nightmare now for them to try to get out of it! Moral of the story: Whatever you might spend on the time share, you could simply put toward a nice hotel for your vacations and probably still come out ahead. Don’t fall for the pitch!

That’s such a good point. We haven’t heard of too many people who have been happy with their choice to purchase a time share. I think personally we will stick to the hotels and Airbnb’s as you mentioned!

Ive stayed at friend’s time shares a few times, and they can be really nice, but those pitches are such a turn off! Now I know, mention that I’m pregnant and if we do want to buy, don’t buy it at the pitch!

It’s a pretty good deal for a free holiday for you. :)

Great article with good suggestions. I do these as a travel hack to get free stays and freebies in Vegas. The key is to have an ironclad will and not be afraid to keep saying “no.” No matter what the reps try yo say or do, YOU are in control. They are obligated to give you the gifts and you are under no obligation to be polite or give reasons. The worst thing that can happen is you’ll get berated or insulted. There are worse things to endure and you basically get a free hotel stay. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.

I like the Hunger Games reference. Thanks for sharing your personal experience with surviving timeshare presentations. It takes a strong will to make it through without buying anything, but like you said YOU are in control and have the right to say no.

Well they get you drunk in Mexico I bought a timeshare in Cabo and they kept serving me and my friend drinks to loosen me up. I fell in love with my salesman and finally gave in he was so nice and now I am one of the happiest timeshare owners on the planet. Going to Cancun booked a 1700 square foot 2 bedroom 2 bath bringing 3 friends with me. Hotels are soo soo expensive and with a timeshare I am saving a ton of money and it is making me travel more which I love. Life is short live it to the fullest and don’t look back. I was all ways jealous of friends that owned Timshares but now I get to enjoy all the benefits and I am saving a ton of money.

I LOVED your article and learned a great deal! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge. We definitely will do the things you have suggested. I might even buy a pregnancy belly to wear. Lol

Hahaha good luck, let us know how it goes!

Love your angle and how you shared your experience along with your post realization analysis. We’ve done a few many many years ago and found the perks of going to a high-stress 2 hour meeting somewhat worth it, but then again agonizing.

We are about to go to another in the next month and this was helpful to get us mentally prepared.

Thank you for taking the time to share.

Comments are closed.

Travel on Point(s)

• In & Out In 15 Minutes! My Unique Hilton Timeshare Presentation Experience

• October 11, 2023
• Mark Ostermann

Travel on Point(s) is an independent, advertising-supported website. This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites like CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation does not impact how or where products appear on this site. Travel on Point(s) has not reviewed all available credit card offers on this site. Reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any partner entities.

Travel on Point(s) is an independent, advertising-supported website. This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites like Creditcards.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation does not impact how or where products appear on this site. Travel on Point(s) has not reviewed all available credit card offers on this site. Reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any partner entities.

Hilton Timeshare Presentation Experience

Last week I finally had my 150,000 point Hilton timeshare presentation offer meeting in New York City. This is the second time we have done one of these offers with Hilton, but this one was very unique. I doubt many will be able to recreate my Hilton timeshare presentation experience fully, but I think there are things that can be learned from it. Because of that I figured it was worth sharing with all of you.

Table of Contents

Booking The Hilton Timeshare Offer

This amazing offer was available earlier this year. Believe it or not it was actually one of my first articles at ToP. We wanted to take the kids somewhere for their birthday so I let them pick from the destination list. They decided on New York City and I booked it for October (right around both of their birthdays).

The deal was we would need to go to a 2 hour, or less, sales presentation put on by Hilton Grand Vacations . For doing that we would receive a great reduced rate on a three night stay and 150,000 Hilton Honors points upon completion.

We did a similar offer in Orlando back or 2019 and it took about the full two hours to complete. This time around was completely different though.

Sharing My Hilton Timeshare Presentation Experience

There were several things that were a bit different with this Hilton timeshare presentation experience compared to last time around. I'll go through each of them with you.

The Presentation Center Was In The Hotel

The first thing that was different was that the Hilton Grand Vacations offices were in the Hilton Midtown hotel . They had several timeshare presentation offices within the same building. I believe there were three in all where you could be sent. Our meeting area was the one located on the top floor. It was wasn't the easiest to find, it required riding an elevator to the top floor of the hotel and then walking down a hallway to another small elevator up the last level. This was one of those small one floor elevator types.

From what I could tell there was a Hilton Grand Vacations property on the top few floors of the Hilton Midtown hotel. I have to imagine those rooms were better than what we had below, since the hotel was not great.

There Was No Big Rah Rah Room

This could be a change since covid, or it could just be the limited space of New York City, but there was no rah rah room. In Orlando we were grouped together with like 30 other attendees and the head salesperson went through some things with us and got us in the habit of saying yes. Then we broke off with our individual reps for the one on one sales pitches portion at the same time.

This time around our rep promptly met us upon arrival and took us straight back to her desk. I prefer this set up so that there isn't a needless 30 minute pep rally. I think this set up works to our favor as well, but more on that in a bit.

We Were Done In Under 15 Minutes

This is where things got interesting. We sat down with our representative for some small talk, and the normal chit chat. She seemed super nice and from what I could tell we got one of the more straightforward, honest people in the business. I think she really believed in the program for the right person and that showed.

While chatting, how we found out about the presentation offer came up. I informed our rep that I wrote about it for work and then decided to take advantage of it. That is when we got into miles and points and the fact that I would write about my experience during the meeting as well. I also told her were mainly there for the points bonus.

You could tell this threw her for a curve. She immediately understood that I was not a person that this program would mesh with. I told her I pay next to nothing for my trips, thanks to miles and points, and that is when she said hold on for a few minutes. I assume she left to speak to a supervisor and came back to the table about 5 minutes later. That is when she told me we could leave if we wanted to or we could ask any questions we had. She said there was no point in going through the presentation with us etc. I appreciated this bluntness and we were free to leave after around 15 minutes of entering the sales room.

She was very open about the fact that selling these were her job, and time spent pitching me was wasted and wouldn't benefit her much. I totally agreed with this.

Asking Some Timeshare Questions That Had Been Bothering Me

I didn't leave right away because I actually enjoyed her company and I had a few questions I was interested in hearing the response to for timeshare offers / companies. We also talked about miles and points for 5 – 10 minutes. During that time I encouraged her to get into it a bit more for the airfare side of her travel even if she owned some timeshares. I can not stress enough how open she was and willing to discuss anything, which I found super refreshing. Here are some of the things we discussed:

They Offer A No Fee Credit Card – The Hilton Amex

While we were talking about my work, and using credit cards for discounted travel, she brought up that they have one they offer people. She wasn't sure if it was unique to them, but it was mainly for people that want to buy a timeshare but weren't prepared to do so. She said everyone comes in here expecting to say no, and that all they ask is they have an open mind. The reason for the card offer is the 0% APR it has. The card ended up being the no fee Amex Hilton card. I forgot to ask if they get any bonus etc. for card sign ups, but I assume they do.

What Is Her Response To Someone Buying Timeshares On The Secondary Market

I was really intrigued by this question, since I know it is something people say to bring up in your sales pitch meeting. Grizzled timeshare presentation vets say this is a way to give a firm no! Hilton Grand Vacations, and maybe others, figured out a work around for this. They have the right of first refusal if you ever try to sell your timeshare. If the price is too low they will buy it back themselves to keep it off the secondary market. This ensures the public prices stay where they want them to be. If the price is high enough they will pass on buying it back. Pretty smart.

What Happens When You Die And Your Kids Don't Want It?

I was also curious about the stories of people's heirs getting stuck with the maintenance fees after their parents pass away. From what I had heard they need to inform the company they want to forfeit their right to the timeshare, or they get stuck with the monthly dues. She was not 100% sure on this but she said she didn't think they did anything when someone passed away, assuming the no one in the succession line wanted it.

Points Transfer Rates Depend On Where You Buy

One thing I liked about the Hilton Vacations Timeshare program in particular, and maybe others offer it too, is that you can turn your timeshare points into Hilton Honors points if you are unable to use them that year. The rate at which you can transfer (I believe the two options are 16 to 1 or 32 to 1) depends on where you buy. It has something to do with the deeds etc. for those areas. She informed me that where you have your meeting doesn't matter though. She can sell you to any of these. So if you are in Myrtle Beach, but the NYC package works better for you (one of the 32 to 1 options), then they can make that happen. It should be noted that the higher transfer rate is a more expensive package.

She said if you want to just go to the same destination every year then the lower package makes more sense etc. They will tailor your individual package to whatever your travel desires are.

Who Are Timeshares For?

The last thing we discussed is who she thought timeshares were for. She admitted that they are not for everyone. The ideal person is a middle class couple or family that struggles to use their vacation time. Owning a timeshare forces them to make time for a trip. If you paid for it already then you are more likely to use it.

Being able to pass it down to kids is something many people like as well. Once the upfront cost is paid they look at the monthly dues as a reduced cost vacation. That may be more space than they would have gotten for the same price or a discounted rate in an expensive destination like Hawaii.

She admitted that miles and points people did not fit into this box. Really wealthy people didn't either, because they can pay for wherever they want to go. In her view, this program makes more places accessible to the middle class. I can see where she is coming from.

Hilton Timeshare Presentation Experience Main Takeaways

While my experience was unique I still think there are lessons to be learned.

Individual Pitches Are Our Friend

I think getting straight to the sit down with a sales rep portion is helpful to us. That makes me think they keep pulling from the constant flow of people and they don't want to waste time with a lemon such as us. With the old set up they likely didn't have a new pool to pull from until the next pep rally happened. They were stuck with who they got for the duration. I am not so sure that is the case with this set up.

Be Upfront About Your Travels

I think explaining that you travel A LOT, and most of it is for pennies on the dollar, helps you to a quick exit. I tried to do this in Orlando as well, but in a more roundabout way. They didn't really pick up on that though and when I asked questions for work purposes they mistook that for interest. This time I was as upfront and blunt as I could be. If you do the same maybe they will see you are a lost cause and quickly discard you. Tell them you did it for the discounted room and bonus points.

The Points Posted Really Quickly

They said it could take a few days, but the points were in my account within a few hours. This was a huge improvement compared to my last Hilton timeshare presentation experience years ago. Previously, it ended up taking a few weeks and some follow up to get.

It wasn't special blogger treatment either, since multiple people in the ToP Facebook Group said theirs posted within minutes of their meeting. I was really happy to hear that.

ToP Thoughts

Overall, our Hilton timeshare presentation experience was surprisingly pleasant and refreshing. They were okay dropping a losing hand and our rep was very open and up front about everything. I enjoyed speaking with her and it was interesting to get some more color on the program. It was cool to hear about her experience as a salesperson too.

I don't know if this is unique to her, the New York office or if it is a testament to the entire Hilton Vacation Club company, but I was pleasantly surprised. It almost made me feel bad about not buying something, almost.

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When Is a Timeshare Presentation Offer a Good Deal?

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Would you sit through a two-hour timeshare sales presentation to get three nights at a hotel in Orlando, plus 15,000 Hilton Honors points — all for $199? How about for dinner or a spa voucher at a Marriott hotel in Dubai? Would three nights in Tahoe plus 10,000 IHG points for $249 be worth enduring a long sales pitch?

Companies dangle generous perks to try to sell you a timeshare, with offers ranging from free parking to free hotel nights to deeply discounted hotel stays — provided you sit through a timeshare sales presentation of 90 minutes or more.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a timeshare sales presentation offer.

How timeshares work

What is a timeshare.

A timeshare is a fractional ownership of a vacation property or vacation property lease — usually at a popular travel destination or resort. It’s a lifetime commitment, although it’s possible to resell it. You’re basically investing in the opportunity to spend a week or more at select properties every year.

Many hotel chains have timeshares, including Hilton , Marriott and IHG .

The question "Is a timeshare a good deal?" is different from the question "Is this timeshare presentation offer a good deal?" Timeshares are often pitched as ways to save money on future vacations. Depending on your travel habits, it’s possible the timeshare pros and cons could tilt in your favor. But in most cases, collecting points and miles redeemable for travel is a better way to save.

But even if you know the timeshare route isn’t for you, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should skip out on the timeshare presentation offer. The perks could be well worth your time.

» Learn more: Are timeshares worth it? Possibly, if you buy smart

Timeshare presentation offers

A timeshare presentation offer is any benefit or discount — like free or reduced hotel stays, bonus points or free spa treatments — that you can receive by agreeing to sit through a timeshare sales presentation. These offers can include things like free parking at a resort where you’re staying, free hotel nights or deeply discounted hotel stays and resort experiences.

To determine whether it’s worth sitting through a presentation, consider the value of the perk being offered. In the case of free parking, you would probably be better off spending $50 to self-park and skip the sales pitch.

Can attending timeshare presentations offer a good deal?

Even still, there are times when sitting through a timeshare presentation can be worth your while. You can find good timeshare deals on offers for discounted stays, free nights and more online — or get offers through phone calls or targeted emails. In some cases, you might decide the savings are worth it.

Tip: Watch out for blackout dates, hidden charges and more

Depending on the hotel chain, your offer could be subject to blackout dates, high-season charges and package expiration dates. Read the terms and conditions carefully.

» Learn more: Find the best hotel credit card for you

Worthwhile timeshare offers, by chain

Here are a few offers from major hotel chains that, depending on how you feel about sitting through a sales pitch, might be worth grabbing.

Hilton has a timeshare presentation offer that gets you a three-night stay in Orlando or Las Vegas, plus 15,000 Hilton points for $199. That’s a pretty decent deal considering that rooms normally cost $175 to $500 per night.

This offer is good at several hotels, including the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista — an official Walt Disney World hotel. This means it gives its guests additional benefits, such as extra magic hours and access to FastPass. (Note that both services are currently on hold).

Other Hilton offers include a five-night stay at a resort in Hawaii for $649 plus taxes. The online offer includes 15,000 points. But a recent phone call to Hilton proved that sales representatives have some leeway to negotiate, in this case switching the offer to 5,000 Hilton points and a $200 Hilton gift certificate.

There are two different Hilton packages available for Hawaii — you can pick either Honolulu or the Big Island. Considering room rates here often hover around $500 per night, you can save a bundle by sitting through a timeshare presentation. For example, five nights in September 2021 at the Ocean Tower at the Hilton Waikoloa Village cost about $1,891.

That’s a big discount, not counting that $200 gift certificate and the value of those points, at a sprawling oceanfront resort featuring a saltwater lagoon.

Marriott Vacation Club has a number of specials for travelers willing to attend a timeshare presentation. In Dubai, for example, you can score two free nights at a number of hotels throughout the Middle East.

You can also participate in timeshare presentation in exchange for a dinner or spa voucher at select Marriott hotels in Dubai.

IHG’s vacation club is extending offers for properties in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; New Orleans; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Lake Tahoe, Nevada; among others.

At the Lake Tahoe resort, you can pay $249 plus tax and get three nights in a one-bedroom villa at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations: Tahoe Ridge Resort, as well as 10,000 IHG points .

Considering three nights at that resort can cost upward of $1,000, the timeshare presentation offer may be well worth it.

Some IHG hotels cost as little as 8,000 points per night, which means you can turn those 10,000 points into another free night.

Who qualifies for timeshare presentation offers?

Not everyone will qualify for these offers. Requirements vary by chain, so check the details of your offer before committing to one of these packages.

In the case of Hilton, you must not have attended a timeshare presentation within the past year at the property where you’ll be staying or within the last six months at any other properties. You’ll also need to meet certain other criteria, though they don’t publish details about what these are.

For Marriott’s Vacation Club offer in Dubai, you must be a married couple 30 to 65 years old with a joint income of over $130,000 who has traveled to Europe at least once in the past three years.

IHG’s Holiday Inn Club, meanwhile, requires that you be older than 25 with a minimum income of $50,000.

If you’re tempted by a timeshare presentation offer

Are all timeshare presentation offers a good deal? No, especially if you’re staying somewhere cheap or they’re just handing out free parking. But if you do some research, you can score serious discounts in truly exciting locations.

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Points Programs

Hotel programs, best credit cards, back to {post.category_name}, back to guides, timeshare presentations: how to get cheap & free vacations.

If you’re not familiar with timeshare presentations, now’s the time to take a look at them as a means to very cheap stays in many popular vacation spots.

Written by Amy Tung

Written by {post._embedded?.author[0].name || post.data.author}

On July 25, 2022

Read time 22 mins

If you’re planning to visit some of the world’s most popular destinations, you can run into some hurdles if award availability is scarce and cash prices are high.

Sure, points can help offset the cost, but that means it will cost you a lot of points. What if I told you there’s a way to save those points and snag an awesome deal on your accommodation?

Well, there is – welcome to the world of timeshare presentation packages.  

What Is a Timeshare?

In a nutshell, a timeshare is a shared ownership program in which you may use a vacation property for a set time period every year.

Timeshare properties can range from resorts to condominiums to campsites. They can be a good option for travellers who have a favourite destination they like to vacation at every year.

With timeshares, these travellers will  have familiar accommodations to return to each time without the hassle of having to manage a fully-owned property while they are away. 

Most of the big hotel brands that we’re familiar with have their own affiliated timeshare division. A few well-known examples include the Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, Holiday Inn Vacation Club, Hyatt Residence Club, and even Disney has their own Disney Vacation Club.

Generally speaking, there are two types of timeshares: those that are points-based and those that give you deeded weeks.

• In a points-based program, you have a certain number of points each year that can be redeemed against nights at your timeshare.
• In a deeded-week program, every year, you have a “week” of the year that you can use your timeshare.

You do not necessarily need to stick with your timeshare property either. Usually, there is a system or program for owners to swap their property for another destination or property for any given year, building some flexibility into the program.

Despite the perks of timeshares, many people choose not invest in one, as they can be a money drain if you don’t make good use of them.

There are annual maintenance fees for the upkeep of the property that have to be paid, the process of swapping properties can be quite complicated, and it can be a pain to get rid of them or resell them as they don’t hold much value in the reseller’s market.  

What Is a Timeshare Presentation?

Whether you feel like timeshares may be a good fit for your travel patterns or not, you should consider attending a timeshare preview presentation.

The timeshare market is a competitive one, and most timeshare vacation clubs will offer some form of incentive for an opportunity to introduce you to their program in the hopes of enticing you to purchase one. 

What is offered as part of the package varies by the club and even the property, and it can be anywhere from tickets to a theme park or a show, to accommodations at one of their properties for several days at a huge discount, plus maybe even some bonus points for their respective hotel award programs.

If it’s the accommodation you’re after, keep in mind that usually the package will cover a “standard” room; however, there is a possibility for upgrading, as we’ll discuss later.

What’s the Catch with Timeshare Presentations? 

To take advantage of these fantastic offers, you (and your spouse, if you’re married) need to attend a 1.5- to two-hour sales pitch about the timeshare program while you’re vacationing on your timeshare package.

During that time, they’ll introduce you to their program, how easy it is to use the timeshare, the flexibility it provides, the years of enjoyment you will get out of it, and even give you a tour of a potential timeshare unit. 

Easy enough, right? Most of the time, yes.

Some sales representatives can be pushy and will pull out all the stops to get you to sign on, because that’s how they earn their commission. You may feel pressured to buy, and they may spend a lot of time negotiating a better offer for you.

Most sales reps, however, are quite reasonable. If you’ve put in your time and made it clear you’re not ready to buy, they’ll send you along your merry way. And if you do happen to cave under the pressure and buy the timeshare, it’s not the end of the world (more on this later).

During the pandemic, some timeshares like the Marriott Vacation Club opted to do virtual sales presentations, and in lieu of a vacation deal, you’d earn Bonvoy points instead.

There have been recent offers of up to 20,000–25,000 Bonvoy points; however, you have to be a US resident to take advantage. For the in-person presentation packages, there are no US residency requirements. 

How to Book a Timeshare Presentation

Now that you might be considering taking advantage of a timeshare presentation, let’s go over how you find these offers and sign up for them.

The easiest way is through each respective club’s website. Usually, there is a phone number or online form to complete for additional information. 

Hyatt even allows you to book the package online if you reside in the USA.

Once you purchase the package, there is quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to booking. Although the terms specifically say that the timeshare has to be booked within 12 months of purchase, it is not uncommon for them to extend this deadline. I have done this on a couple of occasions myself, even prior to the pandemic.

Once you book your package, you can still change the dates, although some programs will charge a change fee. During the pandemic, there was even more leniency (I rescheduled a Marriott preview package no less than four times), although this may tighten up a bit as travel opens up.

Unfortunately, once you purchase a preview package, they are generally considered non-refundable. There have been scattered reports of people receiving refunds if they no longer fulfill the eligibility for the package, but as always, your mileage may vary and this should not be the expectation.

My Experiences with Hilton Grand Vacations

Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) has over 50 properties spread across the United States. Their properties differ from the regular Hilton-branded hotels in that they generally offer accommodations with more space, larger and a greater number of bedrooms, and ensuite kitchen and laundry amenities.

Note that not all HGV properties are bookable through timeshare presentations, and some properties are only made available at certain times. 

Thus far, I’ve done a couple of packages with Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando , and another in Honolulu . Here’s a recap of my experiences so far with HGV. 

Parc Soleil by Hilton Grand Vacations

View on the Hilton Grand Vacations website.

2017 Package Deal: Three nights / four days for US$199 and a US$200 “Stay a Night On Us” rebate voucher; upgraded to a two-bedroom suite for an additional US$50

A few years back, I had to call Hilton reservations to change an existing hotel booking I had. At the end of the call, they thanked me for being a loyal Hilton Honors member and asked if I would be interested in hearing about a “great offer” they currently had. I accepted, and so began my journey down the rabbit hole of timeshare packages. 

I was forwarded to another agent, who offered me the above timeshare package. I was considering a trip to Disney for my son’s fifth birthday anyway, and this would definitely help bring down the trip’s cost, so I bought the package.

When we decided on our dates, I called back, and they confirmed availability and booked our accommodation and the timeshare presentation to be done during our stay – and that was it! 

At the time of booking, my youngest was only a few months old and wasn’t the greatest sleeper, and so extra space to accommodate her sleeping situation was desirable. When I inquired whether our one-bedroom suite could be upgraded to a two-bedroom suite, the agent advised that we could do that for an additional US$50, which seemed more than reasonable to me, bringing our grand total to US$249 plus tax. 

We stayed at the HGV Parc Soleil, which is a 15-minute drive into Disney. Other than being a bit further out from Disney, it was a fantastic accommodation option for families.

It had two beautiful outdoor pools, one that was zero-entry with a water slide and another for adults only. They had a kids activity centre and some organized activities throughout the day. There was also a basketball court, tennis court, and outdoor playground for the kids.

The suite itself was spacious, modern and clean with a full kitchen and an in-suite washer and dryer. There was also a paid shuttle service ($10 round trip per person) to the surrounding amusement parks, but times were rather limited. 

We attended the timeshare presentation on the second day. It was located at the Parc Soleil, which made it convenient.

At check-in, they ask for your ID and credit card, then invite you to enjoy snacks and non-alcoholic drinks while you wait for your sales representative. You can also drop off your kids at a small, supervised children’s room (with toys, colouring, and a TV) while you attend the presentation. 

Since it was our first timeshare presentation experience, we did not know what to expect. We were also genuinely interested in learning more about timeshares, which didn’t work in our favour.

They started off with some general questions about our travel habits and destinations we wanted to visit, and then went onto discuss how HGV could make it all happen at a fraction of the cost. 

Once the sales representative realized we actually had some interest, he turned the pressure on. He would show us how he had booked various destinations at fantastic rates and began negotiating on the amount of initial investment required to purchase, while offering additional Hilton Honors points to sweeten the deal.

Each time we declined, he would go back to his manager and come back with a better deal.

This went on for a bit until he finally came back with what seemed to be a decent offer at the time, and we actually signed the papers and walked out with a timeshare after the two and half hours.

The agent offered to refund our US$199 package cost, probably as a kind gesture given that we had just bought a timeshare with him, and then sent us to the front desk to obtain our US$200 “Stay a Night On Us” rebate voucher.

Suffice to say, purchasing a time share was not our initial game plan. Luckily for us, there is a cooling-off period built into the contracts, whereby you have 10 days to rescind a timeshare purchase agreement.

With some time and space to actually think about our impulsive decision, we decided it really wasn’t for us and the next day, we rescinded.

The staff were very kind about it and it was an easy enough process, but lesson learned: do not show any interest in a timeshare if you are in it only for the cheap accommodations.

Hilton Grand Vacations at Tuscany Village

2019 Package Deal: Four nights / five days in a one bedroom suite for US$299, refunded after presentation, one $200 “Stay A Night On Us” rebate voucher OR 10,000 Hilton Honors points

A year later, my husband had a conference in Chicago at the Hilton. HGV had set up a booth in the lobby, where they offered everyone 1,000 Hilton Honors points just for listening to what they had to offer.

Jon took them up on the offer, and this time he was offered packages to either New York City, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, or Orlando. They were two- to four-night packages ranging from US$199 to US$399.

Now, you might be wondering: how often you can purchase a timeshare presentation package? As per HGV’s terms, as long as you have not attended another presentation in the last 12 months, you are eligible to purchase another. 

We were just over a year since our first package, so we bought another, back to Orlando. This time around, the offer was four nights for US$299 plus tax, so we were a little hesitant as our previous offer was better.

The sales agent, sensing the hesitancy, sweetened the package by offering either a US$200 “Stay a Night On Us” rebate voucher or 10,000 Hilton Honors points, and to refund the US$299 after the presentation. That sealed the deal for us. 

This time, we chose to stay at the Tuscany Village, located about 15 minutes from Disney once again. The décor was a bit more dated, but it still had an outdoor playground and a few pools that would satisfy most young kids.

There were also complimentary DVD rentals and a children’s activity centre, albeit a bit smaller than the one at Parc Soleil.

I enjoyed the fact that it was right beside the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets, which meant some retail therapy for me between theme park days. They also had a paid shuttle going to the amusement parks, but once again, the times were limited. 

Our presentation was back at the Parc Soleil. This time, my husband and I had a different game plan: we would tell them that we weren’t ready to buy a timeshare and to let them know early on.

This was working well for us initially, and at the one-hour mark the agent was pretty much finishing up. As we were just about to leave, he advised us that his manager had one last offer for us, which got us our third package… 

The Grand Islander by Hilton Grand Vacations

The manager came out and offered us a trial membership to the HGV program. Now this was different.

There was no set destination for the package; instead, for $1,599 (USD), we would be given enough points to redeem for seven nights in up to a two-bedroom suite at any of the HGV properties in North America, including Hawaii.

We did the math and worked out that it would be less than $230 (USD) a night. If it were any other destination, we would have left it. After looking at the current rates for Hawaii for a Hilton property in Honolulu for March Break, we came to see that it was a great deal.

Keep in mind that these are rates for two adults and two children. If you have more than four in your family, like myself, either you’re paying more, or you’ll find that most hotels won’t even be able to accommodate. The fact that we could book a two-bedroom suite was a big selling point for us.

HGV has quite a few properties in Hawaii, with the Grand Islander by HGV being one of the newer ones. We booked at the Grand Islander for four nights in Honolulu over March Break . 

That leaves us with three nights remaining, which we could have used to extend reservation to seven nights… 

…or book three nights at their New York property, West 57th Street by Hilton Club at the south end of Central Park, another otherwise pricey accommodation option. 

Either way, you can see that our $230 (USD) per night beats the above rates by a long shot. 

An Even Better Offer…

Sticking with Hawaii as our theme destination, HGV currently has an offer on their website for five nights in Honolulu or Waikoloa for $799 (USD) in a standard room, which brings the nightly rate to $160 (USD) – an incredible deal for a night in Hawaii.

Granted, it’s for a standard room, but I’m pretty sure you can request an upgrade offer to a bigger suite at a decent cost when you call in. 

My Experience with Marriott Vacation Club

We originally purchased our Marriott Vacation Club Preview Package back in 2019. This package offered a five nights at Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club for $799 (USD).

After numerous delays and postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we finally enjoyed our stay in March 2022 . 

We rescheduled our timeshare presentation after our arrival, and there were no issues with moving it to a different day. When it came time for the actual presentation, it took place in a cubicle in their outdoor Sales Centre.

We wound up going over the 90-minute allotment, and spent closer to two hours there. I was genuinely interested in the program, so it was more my fault than theirs.

Marriott Vacation Club uses a points-based system. Our sales agent offered us the base-level 1,500 points at $15.84 (USD) per point, totalling $23,760 (USD).

As a signup bonus, they were willing to throw in another 3,000 points for the first year.

To put things into perspective, a one-bedroom villa in Maui at peak season could cost up to 4,500 points per week.

We didn’t show much interest in this, and they tried to sweeten the deal with some more offers, but we kindly declined. As we had an exit interview, another sales agent came in to offer us yet another timeshare presentation package.

The first offer, which was good for the next two years, was five nights at the same property for $1,295 (USD). We weren’t sure when we would be back to Maui again, so, again, we declined.  

They approached us with one last offer: $995 (USD) for four nights at any of their North American properties, including another property in Hawaii for a $300 (USD) add-on fee.

Our family wanted to visit Kauai in the near future, and after a quick check for a four-night stay in the winter revealed prices at around $2,600 (USD) for four nights, we accepted this last offer.

It goes to show that sticking around for more offers can result in some pretty great rates!

If you’re not familiar with timeshare presentation packages, now’s the time to take a look at them as a means to very cheap accommodations in many popular vacation spots.

Timeshare presentations are a great option in areas where points redemptions are either not worth it (e.g., Orlando, where hotels are generally quite cheap to begin with), or in places where redemptions are difficult to make (e.g., Hawaii where the cost of redemptions are high).

It does require a small time commitment and perhaps a bit of finesse in talking down a sales representative, but in my mind, the savings are definitely worth it. 

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Marriott Timeshare Presentation: What to Expect, Plus My Experience in Vegas

Timeshare presentations are a great way to book a free or cheap vacation. One of the reasons why they give away these cheap trips is because there’s a requirement that you must attend the presentation, usually for at least 90-120 minutes. I booked a Marriott Vacation Club stay with a timeshare presentation requirement. I stayed in Las Vegas for three nights and sat down with a Marriott timeshare salesman for 90 minutes. Check out the details below, and learn what to expect from these timeshare offers from my Marriott timeshare experience.

What is a Timeshare?

A timeshare is a property with a divided form of ownership or use rights. These properties are typically resort condominium units, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each owner of the same accommodation is allotted their period of time. You might be assigned a specific week, or you purchase a number of points which you get to use annually at any eligible properties that are part of the program. 

Marriott Vacation Club for example has more than 10,000 vacation options in the most desirable travel destinations worldwide, including villas, and hotels.

Pricing varies widely. The average cost of a timeshare is $22,942 per interval, based on data from the American Resort Development Association. Then there are maintenance fees, which again will vary, but will be on average around $1,000 per year. Additional recurring fees could apply as well. These fees often keep going up every year, unless your contract specifically notes that it is a fixed price.

This article is mainly focused on timeshare presentations and how to leverage them into getting a free or cheap vacation. But if you are really considering buying a timeshare, then your best option should be the secondary market. You will get a big discount on the purchase price from people looking to sell their timeshares, but you will keep paying the same maintenance and recurring charges annually.

Marriot Vacation Club

Marriott Vacation Club is one of the options if you are looking for timeshares, or for timeshare presentation offers. When you become a Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Owner, you receive an annual allotment of Vacation Club Points. These are the “currency” you use to book your vacations.

As I mentioned above, Marriott Vacation Club has more than 10,000 properties around the world and experiences that you can book with these points. These include:

• Marriott Vacation Club Resorts
• Vacation Homes
• Marriott Bonvoy Hotels
• Marriott Vacation Club Pulse
• Hotels and Luxury Residences
• Interval International Partners
• Adventure Travel
• Guided Tours
• Specialty packages

You can see all the options for each points allotment here . To have access to every single property and experience, you need 15,000 Vacation Club Points. With the minimum range of 1,500 points that is shown on the slider, you get access to about 2,400 properties. The minimum amount of points that you can buy is 1,000. So you have access to even fewer properties at the entry level, and most likely you can’t book any of the villas and hotels shown to you throughout the presentation.

During my timeshare presentation I asked about the pricing for the minimum amount of points. Here’s how much you would have to pay for 1,000 Vacation Club Points (minimum purchase):

• $15,600 Purchase Price ($15.60 per points).
• $620 Annual Maintenance ($0.62) per point.
• $260 Fixed Annual Fee.

For 2,000 Vacation Club Points it would be $31,200 to purchase, and then an annual maintenance fee of $1,240 and a fixed annual fee of $260. You can either pay upfront or finance with an interest rate on 15.99%.

I was told that Vacation Club Points do not devalue, the price is fixed for life. I was also told that the annual maintenance fee will not go up ever. But the fixed fees might change.

During the presentation we asked about the resale value of our timeshare. We were told that Marriott Vacation Club will buy it back anytime, but at a fraction of the cost.

Marriott Timeshare Experience

I did one of these offers recently on a trip to Las Vegas. The offer was for three nights in Orlando, Myrtle Beach or Vegas. I chose the latter since I had a trip planned. This wasn’t one of the best offers I have received, but the weekend I was traveling, pricing were sky high. So $199 for a three night stay was decent compared to going hotel prices. I called in and was actually able to get an even better offer, $149 for three nights. But there was no points bonus.

I made the payment over the phone and the received an email confirmation. I received a call from Marriott Vacation Club a few days before my stay. They were just checking in to see how many people were traveling with me and to confirm the dates of the stay and the time and place for the presentation. The same information was again confirmed upon check-in. 

I stayed at Marriott’s Grand Chateau , located on Harmon Ave, less than a block off Las Vegas Strip. The property was a bit outdated. The owner’s suites that you could get once you purchased a timeshare, looked better. There were two pools, one on the fifth floor and another on the top floor with a small rooftop bar.

The timeshare presentation is usually done on the day before you check out. Ours was at 11AM and we were required to attend for at least 90 minutes.

The 90 Minute Presentation

We walked in at 11AM and sat in the waiting area for about five minutes. We were offered coffee or refreshments. Then a sales representative came by, introduced herself and then we went directly to her office. There was no group presentation involved.

For about 30 or 45 minutes, we just chatted away about what countries each one of us had visited. She told us where she grew up, how she ended up working for Marriott etc… She asked about dream vacations, whet we look for in a destination or a hotel stay and other details about our travel habits. It was just a pleasant conversation and not pushy at all up to that point. I explained that I don’t really look for much in a hotel room. I usually look at the location, I expect decent service, a clean room and a good bed.

Then she started asking about the cost of our travels. I explained that I have minimal costs when traveling because of credit card miles and points. As for costs, I said that meals and activities were probably the largest out of pocket expense. She countered that you need a lot of points to stay for free and asked about my points balances. She was impressed 🙂

The sales rep went into a short pitch that I have to spend money to get those points, and instead it would be better to invest them in a timeshare that I could later leave to my kids. I didn’t really get into my spending habits for earning credit cards, but I countered with signup bonuses that get you large amounts of points at once.

We then went into one of the owners’ suite in the hotel so we could see the luxury we could buy with a Marriott Vacation Club timeshare. It was huge and decent, but not really luxurious. We then got back to her office and she asked what would be our ideal price. I said that I wouldn’t pay more than one or two thousand, and even for free I would still have to think if the annual fees make sense for me.

She didn’t push much after that, and she didn’t call in her manager either to show me more incentives (which she told me would happen at the beginning). After that I met with another rep for a quick survey about the experience. There they offered me a Hawaii stay for 5 nights for $999. The cost would be deducted from the timeshare price if I decided to buy. That was a quick no, and we were on our way to enjoy Las Vegas. We actually ended up staying about 10 more minutes past the 90 minute requirement.

Attending a Timeshare Presentation: What You Should Know

Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering on of these offers:

• It’s not fun to attend a timeshare presentation during your vacation.
• Always ask for a better deal when booking. Ask for more points or a lower price. For Hilton presentation for example we have seen bonuses as high as 150K points .
• If you are married or cohabitating and combining income, the couple is most likely required to visit and attend the presentation together.
• Most of these timeshare offers have an income qualification such as $50K, $75K, or even $100K per household.
• If you fail to attend the presentation, or fail to meet any of the other requirements, you not only miss out on the bonus points, but will have to pay the full price for your stay.
• They will show you some of the most amazing properties they have. But when it comes to pricing, they show you the cheapest packages that don’t get you anywhere close to those fancy properties.
• Do you really need a three bedroom villa? If you travel alone or as a couple, most like not.
• Take your time and do the math if you are really considering buying a timeshare. Do your research ahead of time. Check out the secondary market or even eBay where you can buy them for as little as $1.
• You don’t have to purchase a timeshare. The only requirement is to attend a timeshare presentation.
• You only need to stay for 90 or 120 minutes usually. After that, you can leave.
• Prepare some counterpoints, on why timeshares don’t work for you. (You don’t need a mansion for two people. You stay for free with points and free night certs. You just wanted to check out a timeshare presentation, but are not interested in buying, etc.)

Marriott Timeshare Experience: Guru’s Wrap-up

If you’re seriously considering a timeshare, take your time. The secondary market is probably your best option. But normally, timeshares are not the great deal that sales reps make them to be.

On the other hand, a timeshare presentation offer can be a great deal if you know what to expect. You can get a cheap stay at popular destinations like Las Vegas, Hawaii, Orlando, Myrtle Beach and more. Plus these offers usually come with bonus points such as Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors or Wyndham Rewards. My deal was not one of the best. I often write about much better offers here on the site. But I needed a cheap stay in Vegas on a weekend when everything was overpriced.

As for my Marriot Timeshare Presentation experience, I expected it to be much worse. But it was actually painless. That clearly varies between programs and sales reps. But if you have a plan on how to counter the offers, it should make everything easier. Hopefully you can learn from my experiences with Marriott Vacation Club.

Please feel free to share your Marriott timeshare experience, or other timeshare packages (good or bad).

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11 responses to “marriott timeshare presentation: what to expect, plus my experience in vegas”.

[…] Let’s go over how these offers work and how to possibly get a better bonus. You can also check out my experience in Las Vegas with a similar offer from Marriott Vacation Club. […]

I do these presentations just for the perks and freebies. I have done a bunch and have gotten everything from a free room to heavily discounted rates. It’s a nice travel hack when I go to Vegas. You just have to have a strong will and not be afraid to say no. The sales tactics in these presentations are definitely high pressure. Don’t fall for the various “deals” or the pressure from the multiple closers.

I recently attended a presentation in Fort Lauderdale….we have owned 3 timeshares for over 20 years..they told us that since we hadn’t attended a sales presentation for over 20 years that we should become educated.. And I honestly had questions about the new programs and what my investment was worth…but the session was, frankly, an insult to our intelligence…when we asked any reasonable questions such as “ can we have a day to at least read and review the contract?”….the answer was “it is not in our business model”. …..Marriott could care less about long time owners….they are only interested in selling us more of their product… This became a very high pressure sales pitch…we were pushed into a Yes or no answer on the spot..and when we said that the answer was no, nobody even thanked us for coming in….

That sounds painful and definitely a turn off for those who are actually considering buying.

When they find out that I’m attending the presentation alone, will they disqualify me?

If you are married, you and your spouse must both attend the presentation. If not, they will not give you the points, or they can charge you full price for the stay. Exact details might vary depending on the offer, so check the fine print.

The latest Hilton timeshare offer that I posted a few days ago, has the following language “If you are married or cohabitating and combining income, the couple is required to visit and attend the Personal Preview together, except where prohibited by law.”

Thanks. I’m neither married nor cohabitating, so I just want to be sure.

You should be fine then. Which offer you’re going for?

What property in Vegas did Marriott put you up at during your stay… You mentioned it was a little dated?

Marriott’s Grand Chateau. Forgot to add it to the article.

The location worked for me since friends were staying at Waldorf across the street.

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Is Attending a Timeshare Presentation Worth It for Families?

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

We've probably all received an invitation to a timeshare presentation where we'd spend a few hours but get a free or inexpensive vacation out of the deal. Most of the time we say "no" because of the horror stories we've heard from people who have attended a similar event with aggressive sales tactics or with people that didn't respect their time. Today's parents have limited time to spend with their children while balancing work and household duties. Is attending a two-hour timeshare presentation to save a few bucks worth sacrificing time with the family -- especially when you're on vacation?

But some of these timeshare properties, many of which can also be booked with points, are pretty appealing. We'll talk about the timeshare pitch and perks in a minute but let's first look at some timeshare properties families may want to visit.

Top Timeshare Properties for Families

Here are a few examples of popular family-friendly timeshares, many of which are bookable on traditional hotel points. Elite members might receive an upgrade to a larger room when making a hotel reservation. And, another bonus of booking a timeshare-stye property usually ensures that you'll get a one-, two- or even three-bedroom unit that will easily fit your family (and with washing machines!).

• Kidani Village, a Disney Vacation Club property at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas (Orlando, Florida): There are four savannas with more than 200 hoofed animals and birds roaming the resort. Although not part of a hotel loyalty program, points from Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard (not currently available to new applicants) can pay for your room. I found nightly rates in the $300s before tax. You can even "rent" Disney timeshare points from owners. Personally, I want to book a room here for my family just for the unique experiences with the animals.

• The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas* (Lahaina, Hawaii): Beautiful weather year-round and tropical landscapes make Hawaii a favorite for family travel. Cash prices start in the $500s, but rooms are only 50,000 Marriott points per night.

• Marriott's Grande Vista* (Orlando, Florida): My family stayed here before and loved the pools and game rooms. My son really liked the towers and water cannons at the Plaza del Sol pool. Cash rates start at $183 per night or 35,000 Marriott points.

• Hilton Grand Vacations on the Las Vegas Strip* (Las Vegas, Nevada): While gambling is for adults, the shows and attractions are for visitors of all ages. Las Vegas is a popular family destination for food, fun, and shopping. Room rates are as low as 54,000 Hilton Honors points or $124 plus tax. The Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card is a great way to earn points with a 125,000 welcome bonus after spending $2,000 in three months, and 6x points at US Restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations.
• Hyatt Residence Club Maui, Ka'anapali Beach: This property is right next to the Hyatt Regency Maui. The stretch of beach here is fantastic and the pool complexes are exactly what your family dreams about when thinking "Hawaiian vacation." Use 30,000 World of Hyatt points. Cash prices for the one-, two- and three-bedroom units varies depending on the season but are clocking in just shy of $1,000 per night for a two bedroom and $1,089 for a three bedroom this summer. The World of Hyatt Credit Card can help boost your Hyatt points balance.

• Westin Princeville Ocean Villas: The North Shore of Kauai is light on points hotels, but the Westin Princeville is an option on hotel points or for timeshare owners. Standard rooms are 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night and paid rates start at about $300+ per night. Larger suites are bookable for higher prices. Guests here get to enjoy the nearby beach at the Princeville Resort that is the perfect place to watch Hawaiian sunsets.

*For both Marriott and Hilton, loyalty members can redeem points and receive the fifth night free to increase their savings.

The Timeshare Offer

Spending points, however, isn't the only way you can stay at these villa-style properties. Most of them canvas travelers to find some that will exchange their time to attend a presentation for a free or heavily discounted stay, cash or a combination of the two. In most cases, you'll need to set aside at least two hours for the presentation.

The offer will vary based on which company's presentation you attend. If you are actually interested in buying into a timeshare, do your research beforehand to understand the pros and cons of ownership and get a firm handle on pricing. The timeshare resell market can be a great way to save money if you do decide that ownership is right for you.

No matter what the offer is to attend a presentation may be, always negotiate when speaking with the representative. Remember that you'll be giving up valuable vacation time with your family to sit through the timeshare presentation. He or she may have something extra to offer to close the deal.

Here is a timeshare offer we've seen recently:

Holiday Inn Vacations Club

While checking on my IHG Rewards Club account, the telephone agent discussed a Holiday Inn Vacations Club timeshare offer. For $199, my family and I would receive a four-day, three-night vacation in our choice of one of 14 destinations. The options included Orlando, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, the Great Smoky Mountains and other destinations.

Once we attended the presentation, we would receive the $199 back in cash plus a $100 discount certificate for a future Holiday Inn stay. I love a great deal, so I signed up to attend.

Some offers are a bit pricier, such as the $798 offer some receive to spend 5-nights at the Westin Princeville in Kauai, though that offer does include an Avis car rental. Or, at the Disney Aulani in Hawaii attending the sales presentation scores you two luau tickets (normally $139 each).

Our Stay in Gatlinburg

We booked our stay for Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains. We came to find out that the city is a great family destination filled with fun tourist attractions, delicious food and amazing nature hikes. (And don't miss Dollywood , which is nearby.)

Cash Versus Points

If you'd like to stay at the timeshare resort, you can book rooms for less than $200 a night or 35,000 IHG Rewards Club points. The IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card is a great way to earn IHG Rewards points to pay for your stay.

The Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg Downtown is located immediately next door and shares many of the benefits of the timeshare, including the indoor waterpark and pool. On many of the dates I checked, the rooms were very inexpensive when paying cash. You could book a room for 30,000 IHG points, but when the cash price is so low, I would opt for the cash rate or book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal .

Attending the Timeshare Presentation

When you attend a timeshare presentation, remember that you're sitting with trained sales professionals. Their job is to weave a story to create an emotional connection and get you to believe that timeshare ownership is better than staying in a hotel where you want, when you want and paying how you want (cash or points).

Most timeshare presentations say that you need to attend for 90 to 120 minutes. If you let them, they'll keep you there as long as they can. If they've done their job correctly, they'll try to find the emotional trigger that will get you to buy one of their packages before you leave.

Do Both Spouses Need to Attend the Presentation?

Timeshare purchases are a big commitment, so the salesperson wants to ensure that both spouses are there to sign off on the contract. If one spouse is not there, it is an easy excuse to say that "I need to speak with my spouse about this" to get out of the potentially high-pressure sales pitch.

Before I got married, many timeshare companies I spoke with would not book an appointment with me. Their sales presentation is designed around families and the memories you create while traveling.

Can Children Attend With You?

Timeshare companies know the children can be a distraction or an excuse to leave early during the sales presentation. Because of this, your children may not always be allowed to attend the timeshare presentation with you, though there are exceptions to this. For example, the Disney Vacation Club does a great job providing colors and such for kids to stay busy during the presentation. We have heard of children attending with other brands, too, such as Hyatt.

When we travel with our children, they usually go to the kids club while we speak with the sales representative. In most kids clubs there will be toys and video games for them to play with, drinks and snacks to enjoy, and television to watch.

With many vacations jam-packed with activities, the kids club can be a welcome breather for kids to relax and enjoy some free-style play.

The Presentation

After signing in at the front desk, you'll watch a video with the other guests while your sales rep waits in another room. The video is designed to make you think about how you can travel with your family using the timeshare and what fond memories you will create. Timeshare members will talk about the places they travel with their ownership and how they love that the timeshare can be passed down to their children.

Once the video is finished, you'll go to the sales rep's table where he will ask questions about how you like to travel, where you want to go and how much you spend on vacation.

It always amazes them when we talk about how much we travel and how little we spend. Most of the sales reps that we've talked to do not understand the value of miles and points.

The Sales Pitch

The answers you provide help the sales rep craft the presentation and approach to get you to buy. The simple math works like this: You say that you travel a certain number of days each year and spend so much each night. They multiply this number by 40 years and compare your expected spend against the purchase of a timeshare.

The sales rep will tell you that it is better to buy a timeshare than rent hotel rooms. But what they often neglect to mention is that the timeshare locations aren't always in the places you like to travel, popular resorts book up quickly, maintenance dues go up each year and you'll pay the dues even when you don't travel. Additionally, if you go through a phase where you need to tighten up on discretionary spending (such as travel), you can't do that as easily if you owe set dues each year.

After you've listened patiently and politely declined their offer, a manager will come to the table. The manager will ask if the sale rep treated you well and take some notes.

At that point, he or she will probably offer you a trial package or maybe a discounted offer to return. A trial will let you try out the timeshare membership for one to two years by paying $1,000 to $3,000 to have a select group of properties to stay at. This package may lock in today's prices in case you decide to buy in the future.

For many people, the trial or sampler package can be a good deal compared to cash prices for the same properties -- points are sometimes even thrown into the deal.

At our Holiday Inn Vacations Club presentation, they offered us a future eight-day, seven-night stay for $1,499. We would be in a two-bedroom, two-bath unit similar to the one we toured earlier in the day. Although the rooms were attractive and the offer was tempting, we couldn't see our family wanting to visit any of their locations for eight days.

Should You Say Yes?

Although my family owns a couple of timeshares that I bought in my 20s, I generally recommend against buying one today. With so many vacation options using hotel points, discount travel sites like Groupon and timeshare rental websites, it usually doesn't make sense to lock yourself into a timeshare.

Related: Why Timeshares Aren't Always a Scam

If you do decide that buying a timeshare is right for your family, understand that you can buy them significantly cheaper on the secondary market. Websites like eBay, Redweek and Tug2.net offer thousands of listings of people trying to sell timeshare memberships that they no longer use or cannot afford.

Alternatives to Buying a Timeshare

Of course, we're all familiar with using hotel points when we travel. But did you know that you can rent timeshare units as well?

Many timeshare properties are available using hotel points. Others are available for rent on eBay and Endless Vacation Rentals .

Mommy Points recently rented Disney Vacation Club points from David's Vacation Club Rentals for an awesome Walt Disney World getaway. Going this route allows you to enjoy all of the benefits of a timeshare vacation for a given trip without the upfront cost or responsibility of annual maintenance dues.

Booking a Cheap Spring Break Vacation

For example, if you wanted to travel to Orlando for 2020 Spring Break and stay at a timeshare property, you have many options. A one-bedroom villa at the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, Lake Buena Vista/Orlando is available from Endless Vacation Rentals for $161 per night (total of $1,125 for the week).

The same room is available directly from Marriott for $170 per night (total $1,190).

Marriott Bonvoy members can book a week in this room for 300,000 points. The nightly rate is 50,000 points per night, but the fifth night is free as a member benefit.

In my experience, the closer you get to the travel dates, the lower the prices will be on Endless Vacation Rentals because they need to sell the package before the dates pass. Of course, specific dates can sell out.

Is It Worth Your Time?

For our family, giving up two hours of our vacation to earn a big discount on travel expenses is a good trade-off. My wife and I have the strength to decline their best offers to buy, no matter how appealing they may sound in the moment. In our experience, when you attend a timeshare presentation with a well-known name, once you say "no," they will (eventually) respect your decision.

Our family enjoyed a great four-day, three-night vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains for a net cost of $0 after attending the timeshare presentation. Plus, we now have a $100 certificate toward a future Holiday Inn hotel stay. Yes, we spent two hours of our time listening to a timeshare presentation, but it was worth it to have a free family vacation.

Have you attended a timeshare presentation to save money on a vacation? Was it worth it for the perks or will you never do it again?

Timeshare Specialists

Click to Call

Free consultation, what are timeshare presentations.

• By: John Kushman

A timeshare presentation, also known as a discovery tour, is simply a sales pitch designed to introduce potential buyers to the concept of timeshare ownership. During the presentation, sales representatives showcase the benefits of owning a timeshare, such as the flexibility to vacation in various locations, potential cost savings, and the convenience of having a guaranteed vacation spot each year.

How Do Timeshare Presentations Work?

Timeshare presentations typically follow this format:

• Timeshare presentations begin with a warm welcome from the sales team, who will introduce themselves and the timeshare company. They may offer refreshments and make you feel comfortable.
• The sales representative will provide a general overview of timeshare resorts, explaining the different types of timeshares available and how they work. This often includes a video or slideshow highlighting the amenities, locations, and advantages of timeshare ownership.
• You will be given a tour of the property, where you can see the accommodations, amenities, and facilities firsthand. This part of the presentation is designed to showcase the lifestyle and luxury that timeshare ownership offers.
• After the tour, the sales representative will present detailed information about specific timeshare units for sale, including their locations, prices, and features. They will highlight the benefits of the timeshare, such as access to multiple resorts worldwide, the ability to choose vacation dates, and potential cost savings compared to traditional vacations.
• The presentation concludes with a question-and-answer session, where you can ask about any concerns or details you need clarification on. The sales team will address your questions and attempt to overcome any objections you might have.

How Long Are Timeshare Presentations?

Timeshare presentations usually last 90 to 120 minutes but can sometimes extend for several hours. It’s essential to be aware of this time commitment and plan your day accordingly, especially if you’re on vacation and have other activities scheduled.

What to Expect at a Timeshare Presentation

Incentives for attendance.

Many attend timeshare presentations because of the incentives offered, such as free vacations, discounted stays, or other promotional gifts. Be aware that these incentives are a way to entice you to sit through the presentation, and there’s no obligation to purchase a timeshare.

Sales Tactics

Timeshare presentations often involve high-pressure sales tactics. Sales representatives are trained to be persuasive and may use various strategies to convince you to make a purchase on the spot. It’s important to stay firm and remember that you are not obligated to buy anything during the presentation.

Personalized Offers

The sales team may try to tailor their pitch to your specific needs and preferences. They might ask about your travel habits, family size, and vacation interests to present a package that seems like a perfect fit for you.

Potential Savings

One of the key selling points of timeshares is the potential for long-term savings on vacation costs. The presentation will likely include comparisons between the cost of timeshare ownership and traditional vacation expenses.

Tips for Attending a Timeshare Presentation

Before attending a timeshare presentation, it is important to:

• Research the company and the property. Understand the pros and cons of timeshare ownership and read reviews from other buyers.
• Determine your budget beforehand and stick to it. Don’t be swayed by pressure to purchase a timeshare that exceeds your financial limits.
• Be Prepared to Walk Away. If the offer doesn’t meet your needs or you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to walk away. You are under no obligation to make a purchase.
• Ask Questions. Use the Q&A session to ask detailed questions about the costs, maintenance fees, exchange programs, and any other concerns you have. Getting clear answers will help you make an informed decision.

What To Consider Before Committing to Buying a Timeshare

Before deciding to purchase a timeshare, we recommend taking some time to understand what timeshares are and how timeshares work .

It is also essential to evaluate your long-term vacation plans and family needs and consider whether they fit your travel style. Think about your long-term travel goals and how they might change over the years.

Before committing, also assess if the location and amenities align with your family’s preferences and if the financial commitment is within your budget. Timeshare maintenance fees tend to increase yearly by around 6%.

Understanding Timeshares Are Not a Property Investment

Timeshares are not a traditional property investment. Unlike real estate, timeshares generally lose value over time.

When it comes to selling a timeshare, you may face difficulties recouping your initial investment. The resale market for timeshares is often challenging, and many owners end up selling their timeshares at a loss, sometimes even incurring additional fees to complete the sale.

Attending a timeshare presentation can be an informative and beneficial experience if approached with the right mindset. By understanding what to expect and preparing in advance, you can navigate the process confidently and make a decision that’s best for you and your family’s vacation needs.

For free advice on buying timeshares, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1 800-969-6565.

A timeshare presentation, also known as a discovery tour, is a sales pitch designed to introduce potential buyers to timeshare ownership. It highlights the benefits of owning a timeshare, such as vacation flexibility, potential cost savings, and guaranteed vacation spots.

Timeshare presentations typically begin with an introduction from the sales team, followed by a tour of the property, and end with a detailed sales pitch about available timeshare units, including their benefits, pricing, and features.

Timeshare presentations usually last between 90 and 120 minutes but can sometimes extend for several hours, depending on the company and the level of interest shown by potential buyers.

Expect a warm welcome, a property tour, and a sales pitch highlighting the benefits of timeshare ownership. You may also encounter high-pressure sales tactics, but there’s no obligation to buy.

Incentives like free vacations, discounted stays, or promotional gifts are often offered to attendees. These are designed to entice potential buyers to attend the presentation.

Before attending, research the company, determine your budget, and be prepared to walk away if the offer doesn’t meet your needs. Asking detailed questions about costs and the agreement will help you make an informed decision.

Timeshare vs. Fractional Ownership: Understanding The Differences

When it comes to vacation property ownership, timeshares and fractional ownership are popular choices, but they cater to different needs and budgets. Check out the pros and cons of each to find out if a timeshare, fractional ownership, or hybrid option is the right fit for you.

What Are Deeded and Non-Deeded Timeshares

Navigating the world of timeshares? Understand the key differences between deeded and non-deeded timeshares to make informed decisions about ownership, costs, and your long-term investment.

About the Author

John kushman.