3 Boutique Hotel Trends that Timeshares Already Offer

Hat Tip to RCI Ventures for their article: Top 10 boutique hotel trends revealed.

The inaugural Boutique Hotel Summit was highly successful and attendees are still raving about their experience there. Thanks to RCI Ventures for summarizing the top ten trends revealed from a panel discussion during the event.

While all ten are remarkably applicable to timeshares, I selected just three on which to focus this timeshare blog post:

1. Experience and integrity: Boutique hotel guests are looking for something different from the “cookie cutter” approach.
2. Clubs: Look out for a proliferation of members’ clubs incorporated in to boutique hotels, particularly in key urban markets such as London and New York.
3. In-room technology: It’s important for boutique hotels to offer technology that is at least as good as the guest would expect to have in their home, but it must be user friendly and practical.

Timeshare Experience and Integrity

Timeshares come in many flavors. Yes, you can always find good ole’ vanilla, but timeshares include brands from the best-known hoteliers to small, family-owned properties. Timeshares are found in destinations around the world from urban and upbeat locations to reclusive retreats. Your vacation experience in a timeshare can be as predicable or as out of the ordinary as you like, depending upon the resort you select.

Like every other business, in order for a timeshare to survive, to stay successful in this demanding world, it must provide its guests with the services they seek. That’s why, depending on the venue, you will find timeshares that offer on-property entertainment, others that offer kids programs, and most that will go out of their way to assist you with special needs such as a baby crib, and a variety of services that make vacationing a little easier or a little more fun.

Vacation Clubs or Timeshares with Tiered Membership

Timeshares recognize the need for member/owner flexibility. Whether it is through a vacation club or a tiered membership option, more and more timeshare are offering “club-based” experiences and exchange for their members.

Timeshare and Technology

Although many timeshares offer one, two or three-night vacation options, they recognize that most timeshare owners or renters are there for at least a one-week stay. During that period, people both desire and need to be connected to their technology. Most people check email even on vacation. Many families don’t want to deal with children going cold turkey from video games and DVDs during vacation week. At the end of a fun-filled day, it is often nice to let the kids relax with their favorite games. Most timeshares offer more than one television and more than one DVD player, depending upon the size of the timeshare unit. Going on vacation shouldn’t necessarily mean a vacation from the technology that makes your life easier.

And technology has its place in timeshare beyond what’s available in the unit or condo itself. Timeshare resorts are constantly updating their booking, exchange, and reservation options with the aid of technology that is industry specific to the needs of vacation ownership.

Timeshare and Boutique Hotels

Although boutique hotels and timeshares seem (at first thought) to be ideas that are far apart, the similarities are remarkable. I encourage you to read the full RCI Ventures article for a look at all ten trends. You’ll find it interesting that every one of the boutique hotel trends is also a trend you’ll find in timesharing.