Timeshares allow multiple individuals to share ownership of a vacation property, typically a resort condominium, with each owner entitled to use the property for a specific period annually. While they can provide affordable vacation options, timeshares often come with high upfront costs, ongoing maintenance fees, and limited resale value.
According to Report by American Resort Development Association (ARDA):
As noted above, the 2022 U.S. timeshare industry consisted of 1,541 timeshare resorts with approximately 201,600 timeshare units — an average of 131 units per resort. Resorts sell each of these timeshare units to consumers in parts or ownership pieces corresponding to varying amounts of time. Typically, these parts are either weekly intervals (seven nights worth of vacation time) or points-based. Points represent a reservation currency for the use of units in nightly or weekly increments — respondents converted their points into weekly interval equivalents for this study where needed.
People buy timeshares for various reasons:
Many people buy timeshares to ensure they have a guaranteed vacation spot each year. This can be appealing for families who enjoy returning to the same location annually.
Timeshares can offer predictable vacation costs. Instead of paying fluctuating hotel rates, owners pay a fixed annual fee (which raise annually).
Timeshare resorts often come with high-end amenities such as pools, spas, and golf courses, which might be more expensive if booked separately.
Many timeshares are part of exchange programs like RCI or Interval International, allowing owners to trade their weeks for stays at other resorts worldwide.
If you consider purchasing timeshare, follow this guide by ARDA and look for resales — this can be much cheaper than buying from developer.