Is Christmas a Good Time for a Timeshare Vacation?

The holidays present their own unique set of circumstances between the excitement of the season, buying presents, religious considerations and the family dynamics which always come into play. So, should you add a vacation into the mix and use your timeshare for a getaway?

You may be surprised to know that Christmas is a really good time for a timeshare holiday for a number of reasons.

You Already Have Time Off

You won’t have to suffer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by being away from work since the expectation is that everyone will be away at some time during the Christmas holidays. Chances are you’ve requested time off months in advance, and since many companies already plan on a skeleton crew you won’t need to worry about what is going on while you’re away.

You Are Already Traveling

According to a survey conducted by travel website The Vacationer, a stunning 161 million Americans plan to travel over the holiday season. Of those, 122 million will travel for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. If this is you, why not redirect your plans into a timeshare and take some down time for yourself?

Timeshares Make it Easy for Large Family Gatherings

Think of this in terms of a family reunion. Because timeshare units are so much larger on average than standard hotel rooms and can be expanded further due to lock-off layouts, everyone can have a comfortable place to stay.

Some of the larger three-bedroom units host as many as 12 people. You could string together condos or stay in a larger condo - much better than cramming into the Motel 6. Plus, you’ll have full kitchens and resort-style amenities so you can choose to eat in or go out and avoid the clean up.

Points Let You Create What You Want

Regardless of how many days off you have, today’s points programs allow you to vacation during those days. Your break doesn’t have to be for a full week if you don’t have that much time available. With Christmas on a Saturday this year, you can build a long weekend around the holiday or string some days off after Christmas weekend and have an extended break.

Break the Routine

I get that traditions and family obligations are important to millions of people, with splitting time between the family and in-laws. But maybe this time you do something different? After all, how much of Aunt Mable’s fruit cake can you eat every year?

Give the Presents Early

By now you may be thinking “but I don’t want to lug around all the presents.” How about surprising the kids by giving out the presents before Christmas?

SPOILER ALERT: if you have little ones this might be a challenge since Santa only comes once a year. I found out about Santa as a kid by finding presents in a closet when we went to visit my grandparents in Florida one year, so I get it. But beyond that, it goes back to the earlier point that maybe you change up the routine this year.

Don't Have to Stay With the In-laws

Timeshare resorts are located in 47 states across America and if Mom and Dad have retired to Florida or Arizona – even better! Florida is home to nearly a quarter of all timeshare resorts in the country, so you can use your timeshare, have the privacy you need and still be able to hang out with family over the holidays.

You Can Still Have Church

One of the great aspects of living in the United States is that there are churches of various persuasions in every town in the country. Just because you may not be at your home church doesn’t mean you can’t attend one in your vacation town. Most timeshare resorts provide a list of houses of worship, so you can still attend while away from home.

Lower Points Requirements

If you are part of a timeshare program such as Club Wyndham or Marriott Vacation Club, you might have lower points requirements during the holidays than during peak travel seasons.

Keep in mind that places such as Hawaii are always in peak season, so be flexible in your expectations. But bargains are on offer.

For example, Wyndham timeshares on the Florida panhandle in Destin such as Wyndham Vacation Resorts Emerald Grande are considered Value season. If you are coming from the frozen tundra up north, you may be able to get a beachfront unit for the lowest point totals.

One hitch this year is that because Christmas falls on a Saturday, timeshare week 52 technically starts on Christmas if your program marks weeks as beginning on a Saturday.  But this could also work to your advantage.

Wyndham resorts such as Wyndham Sedona in Arizona have week 51 as a Value Season week, whereas Week 52 is Prime Season. So, you would use about 20% fewer points needed for two-bedroom suite in week 51 compared to the following week.

Wyndham Ocean Walk in Daytona Beach splits between Value for week 51 and High for week 52, so again a lower point value for the preceding week.

Check with the resort you want to visit, or check with your developer, to clarify when weeks begin/end or that the daily point totals add up correctly. Because you can use your points on a daily basis, there is always a way to make it work.

Resort Availability

As you probably know by now, some resorts are in higher demand than others. Even in destinations with numerous options such as Orlando, you’ll find some resorts available where others are booked up.

This is where timeshare exchange companies can help. If you can’t get into your preferred resort or the point values are too high, see if you can exchange for a different resort with the same quality or location that you originally intended.

The best way to secure vacations over Christmas is to buy a timeshare deeded to a specific resort, which gives you clout to book during your preferred vacation dates. If you need help searching for the right timeshare, give us a call on 877-624-6889 or click here to leave our licensed agents a message.