Hilton Grand Vacations Goes to Timeshares Only at Scottish Resort

Hilton Grand Vacations has opened its first ultra-luxury, timeshares only resort in Europe. Located at Craigendarroch on Deeside, in northeast Scotland, the resort was previously a Hilton hotel. Now, thanks to £4.1 million refurbishment (more than 6 million US dollars), the 45-room Hilton hotel offers 32 vacation suites available only as timeshares.

Why the move from hotel to timeshares only?

The Scotland Herald, Sunday edition explains, “Richard McIntosh, managing director of Europe and the Middle East and Asia for HGV, who is based at Craigendarroch, described the timeshare concept as “generally recession-resistant as once people have purchased [a share in the property], they continue to use it. The existing timeshare part of this property had around 90 percent occupancy, whereas in the hotel the figure would have been 70-75 percent.”

Hilton Grand Vacations management anticipates that roughly 30 percent of Craigendarroch’s vacation owners will be from Scotland, 40 percent from the rest of the United Kingdom, and 30 percent from overseas, with US  timeshare buyers as a key target market.

The secluded Royal Deeside area has long been a favorite retreat for the British Royal family, offering deep woods and convenient access to the natural beauty of the Cairngorms National Park.