At SellMyTimeshareNOW, we hear a lot of questions about free timeshare vacations. And as all of us in colder climates begin to feel winter’s one-two punch, it is only natural that thoughts turn to white sand beaches, tall cool drinks beside a sparkling blue pool and the sound of balmy breezes rustling through the palm trees.

Which inspires many people to wonder if “free” timeshare vacations are worth it. My answer is a qualified “maybe.”

Most of us have had the experience of receiving a brochure about a timeshare promotion or a sales call from a timeshare company promising us three or four days at a luxurious resort. Are these legitimate? Will you really get a free timeshare vacation?

Let’s start with what we all already know: nothing in life is ever truly free. You may be offered free lodging, but more than likely, you will be offered discounted accommodations. Say a $200-a-night room for only $75. And occasionally the timeshare promotion actually will be a free room—just not necessarily a room at one of the luxury resorts where the timeshare company wants you to buy.

Before you pack your swim trunks and your snorkeling gear, here are some things to watch out for when it comes to a “free” timeshare vacation:

• Even if your lodging actually is free, you may still be expected to pay taxes on your accommodations and perhaps taxes on the full value of the room despite the fact that you are paying a discounted rate. Hotel or room taxes (sometimes called tourist taxes) added on top of state sales taxes can be more than 20 percent of the room’s nightly rate. You could be looking at $20-$30 per night, for every night you stay at the resort.
• Many free timeshare deals will still require you to provide your credit card for incidental expenses such as long distance phone use. Others will require you provide them a deposit, which they will not typically refund if you cancel. However, they may permit you to transfer your deposit to a future stay, provided you canceled in advance of your scheduled vacation date.
• No free timeshare vacation will let you off the hook without you and your spouse (if you are married) attending a timeshare sales presentation together. The presentation may last a few hours or it may take up four to six hours of one day of your vacation. During the sales presentation, the timeshare agent will most likely do everything he or she can to convince you to buy a timeshare—right then—on the spot!
• Your free timeshare vacation may or may not include transportation to the resort. Also your lodging may be at the resort where you will be buying, but it could also be at a less-than-desirable hotel or motel near the resort.

A free timeshare vacation can be a great way to enjoy a discounted holiday and at the same time learn a little more about a timeshare condo that interests you. On the other hand, it can be an unpleasant experience, that not only costs you more than you meant to spend on your vacation, but costs you dearly if you succumb to a timeshare developer’s pitch for a new timeshare at an inflated price. Do your research before you agree to go. And remember, you are under no obligation to buy anything from the resort!

The smart shopper’s way to buy timeshare is to buy it resale, from the owner who is a regular person just like you, not someone who is shelling out freebies to reel you in. Enjoy the freebies a resort offers you, investigate the resort, decide whether you and your family would like to vacation there, and then buy at the best price. Another option which may even be easier than “working” a “free” deal, is to rent timeshare at a resort you are interested in. This gives you much more control and freedom during your vacation.

In recent months, the condotel or condo hotel ownership industry has seen a slight decline in sales. Most industry experts are not concerned and believe it is only part of a normal rise and fall in real estate trends and that the recent lag in sales parallels the overall decline in the housing market nationwide.

Yet apparently, if your name is Donald Trump and the condotels you are offering are well located and well-priced, you are bulletproofed against the effects of a sluggish real estate market.

The Trump Organization, together with Irongate, a Los Angeles investment and real estate company, have co-developed a multi-stage luxury resort project in North Baja, Mexico. Located only thirty minutes from downtown San Diego, when completed, The Trump Baja will include 525 luxury condotel suites. The three cliff side towers will overlook the Coronado Islands and the Pacific Ocean. The first 231 units are expected to be ready for occupancy by late 2008.

Interested buyers paid $5000 apiece to reserve the opportunity to select their specific unit on a first come-first serve basis. Typically, prices for Trump ownership hotel suites start around $700,000. ($799,000 USD for Trump International, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and $815,000 USD for a suite at Trump Chicago). When The Trump Baja began their presales with fully furnished suites priced from the mid $200,000’s to a little over one million dollars, it was not surprising they were gobbled up quickly. One hundred and eighty-eight of the first tower’s units were sold by noon on the first day of presales, accounting for over $46 million. According to an AP report, presales hit $122 million within the first week.

Owners of the condotel units can hold their suite solely for their own use or participate in a rental program, with a management company handling all the details of guest services.

In November 2006, the Bluegreen Corporation announced the purchase of seven acres of land that adjoins the Treasure Island Water and Theme Park in the resort and entertainment community of Wisconsin Dells. Additionally, Bluegreen purchased 24 unsold existing timeshare units at the Treasure Island Park.

Representatives of the Bluegreen timeshare company say their development plans include approximately 75 two and three-bedroom interval timeshare units, which they estimate will be available starting in 2008, with some units not completed until 2009. Additionally, the Bluegreen timeshare company plans to reconfigure and update the existing 24 units at the location, with a target occupancy date of the third quarter 2007.

The Bluegreen Corporation also bought the property management rights for the original 24 units and established a marketing partnership with the resort’s owner and operator, Treasure Island, LLC.

Wisconsin Dells is a unique community located along the Wisconsin River in the central portion of the state. The area bills itself as “The Water Park Capital of the World” and attracts millions of tourists each year for both the indoor and outdoor recreation and entertainment.

The word “branding” used to conjure up visions of a cattle drive and a sizzling imprint stamped on bovine buttocks. But somewhere along the way, the business concept of a company’s “brand” or market image evolved from a noun to a verb, and “branding” became an industry buzzword for the process of spreading one’s corporate image to other goods or services.

Many experts today say that the hospitality industry changed when major hotel brands got into the business of selling vacation ownership and interval timeshare. It is true that big names including Hilton timeshare, Hyatt timeshare, Disney timeshare, along with Marriott, Four Seasons, Starwood and others have had an enormous impact on the timeshare industry as a whole.

The presence of these cornerstone hoteliers made the idea of owning interval timeshare more familiar and more comfortable to many consumers. When big names aggressively entered the timeshare business, a struggling or less reputable timeshare company was certain to be forced out of it. And there is no disputing that a company as large and powerful as Disney timeshare or Marriott timeshare has strong lobbying power on matters of regulating and improving timeshare ownership across the board. But when it truly comes to buying a timeshare vacation property to use and enjoy, remember that there are as many opportunities to buy a fabulous resale timeshare from a company whose name you may not know as there to are to purchase a timeshare owned and branded by a famous hotelier.

Consider the timeshare company known as Bluegreen timeshare. Bluegreen is a leader in developing quality timeshare resorts and vacation ownership properties, yet their name is not necessarily a household word. As a corporation, Bluegreen is a respected builder of residential communities, along with fabulous timeshare condos and timeshare vacation resorts. Yet, many buyers new to timesharing, may not know Bluegreen’s name or realize that this successful company has sold over 54,000 residential and golf community homes in 32 states and is on Forbes’ list of “The 200 Best Small Companies” and FORTUNE’S list of “America’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies”.

Brand loyalty is wonderful. Brand loyalty often allows you to trade perks from one aspect of a company’s services to another, such as loyalty points awarded for hotel stays that can also be used at a timeshare condo. And, if you enjoy one particular hotel chain more than you do others, then automatically booking with that chain takes the guesswork out of travel planning. But when you shop for a timeshare vacation property, whether new or resale, it is a good idea to consider both brand names you know AND those names with which you might not be familiar.

Whether or not you go with a hotel branded timeshare, now is a good time to buy. There are excellent deals available in all types of timeshares and vacation clubs.