What is a MUST in your Timeshare?

[missyrcrews]

I've been reading about Mpumilia's preparation for her trip to the Cape. (I "armchair travel" with many of you!) When mdurette posted the picture of the kitchen facilities in the condo mpumilia will be using, my first thought was "No kitchen!" This got me thinking further about what we MUST have in our condo when we vacation. I think clean is a given....or at least, I hope so! Remember that we travel with 3 teens (our 21 yr old has mostly aged out of going with us) so my answers might not apply to someone traveling as a couple.

1) We have to have a least a partial kitchen. A two burner cooktop is a bare minimum...the kitchen at Samoset is my "line in the sand!"

2) I will think long and hard before staying somewhere without laundry in the room. We do stay places that have it in the building, but given two resorts...we'll pick the one with laundry in the room every time. This might change when it's just my husband and I traveling.

3) Parking. We don't fly to timeshares, and I refuse to go somewhere that I have to pay to park.

I don't need fancy swimming pools, gyms, spas, dishwashers, or a ton of entertainment. I don't mind a ding or two on furniture, as long as it's not covered in dust.

Interested to learn more about you all, and what you look for!

 

[slip]

I know one for my wife was to be close to activities. Walking distance to restaurants and shopping is another plus. A/C in hot or humid locations is another thing that comes to mind.

Laundry in the building is fine. We’ll stay two weeks but mostly in warm locations so we won’t have too much laundry.

 

[jackio]

A washer/dryer is high on my list also. I like at least a mini kitchen, but can make do with a fridge and microwave. Location is more important to me than the unit itself, as we are not "relaxers" but "doers" on vacation.

 

[pedro47]

A full kitchen. washer & dryer in the unit, two (2) bedrooms with two (2) bathrooms these are mandatory items.
Add..location, a nearby golf course and excellent restaurants.

 

[Passepartout]

A great location with lots of activities, restaurants, sights to see. At least a mini kitchen w/cooktop/fridge/micro. A/C if it's hot. Wi-fi. We can survive no in suite laundry. Remember, these are minimums. We enjoy pools, laundry, dishwashers, granite counters, ice makers, stacks of fluffy towels as much as anyone, but all this in the middle of nowhere at a self-contained resort would fail in comparison to a clean, though minimal TS to use as a central location to explore a new, interesting location.

Jim

 

[missyrcrews]

A great location with lots of activities, restaurants, sights to see. At least a mini kitchen w/cooktop/fridge/micro. A/C if it's hot. Wi-fi. We can survive no in suite laundry. Remember, these are minimums. We enjoy pools, laundry, dishwashers, granite counters, ice makers, stacks of fluffy towels as much as anyone, but all this in the middle of nowhere at a self-contained resort would fail in comparison to a clean, though minimal TS to use as a central location to explore a new, interesting location.

Jim

Love this! See...we are "relaxers" on vacation. Somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, lots of space between units, not too "peoply" as my husband would say...BLISS.

Isn't it interesting how differently we all vacation? And yet...we all are able to find a timeshare to suit our needs. Says something for the timesharing concept, I think!

 

[WinniWoman]

I need to be in area with scenery and not a lot of traffic. Not too isolated but not crazy busy either. Hate crowds.

One bedroom is ok (just 2 of us) but I prefer 2 bedrooms just because those units have more square footage overall. I like a full kitchen but would settle for a mini kitchen that had a couple of burners at least. But- I also really like having an oven or toaster oven would be good. I do like having a dishwasher. And- a comfortable KING size bed. And 2 bathrooms.

Must have AC. I prefer a balcony with a view. And at least laundry facilities in the building if not the unit itself.

I love having a pool and a gym. Don't care about nightlife. I would be pissed if we had to pay to park at a timeshare or pay any kind of fee.

As it is, we traded a much nicer and bigger unit for this one in Cape Cod and had to pay an upgrade fee. SMH... I won't do that again.

 

[missyrcrews]

I need to be in area with scenery and not a lot of traffic. Not too isolated but not crazy busy either.

One bedroom is ok (just 2 of us) but I prefer 2 bathrooms just because those units have more square footage overall. I like a full kitchen but would settle for a mini kitchen that had a couple of burners at least. But- I also really like having an oven or toaster oven would be good. I do like having a dishwasher. And- a comfortable KING size bed.

Must have AC. I prefer a balcony with a view. And at least laundry facilities in the building if not the unit itself.

I love having a pool and a gym. Don't care about nightlife. I would be pissed if we had to pay to park at a timeshare or pay any kind of fee.

As it is, we traded a much nicer and bigger unit for this one in Cape Cod and had to pay an upgrade fee. SMH... I won't do that again.

I hear you...but you'll get to explore an area that you might not have seen. I'm sure you'll have fun! And this might help with deciding whether you're ready to say goodbye to Smuggs or not. Better the devil you know and all that!

I've only been on the Cape once for a couple of nights. Thinking we'll wait to explore there until we can go in shoulder season. We re-remembered when at Massanutten last week how much we HATE crowds.

Looking forward to seeing what you think of this place!

 

[Elan]

Only thing that really matters to me is location. Needs to be either scenic/peaceful for relaxation and/or close to what I want to do for activities. Can live without many of the amenities if it is in a good location.

 

[Panina]

Clean and not runned down is a given. If it is the location where I want to be and a time when I want to go nothing more matters. I make it work.

 

[Luanne]

Kitchen, full or partial
Washer/dryer, if not in the unit at least close (and preferably free). There are some cities/locations that just do not have the washer/dryer in the unit.

 

[bluehende]

Kitchen, full or partial
Washer/dryer, if not in the unit at least close (and preferably free). There are some cities/locations that just do not have the washer/dryer in the unit.

This is my big one too. We are active and when we get back to the unit we rarely want to go out again. I don't care much what cooking facilities there are but my necessity is to know what it is. I can cook a decent meal on pretty much anything.

Second is a real bed no murphy beds.

 

[bnoble]

In the unit, I have a strong bias towards:

1: A functional kitchen.
2: In-unit washer/dryer.
3: At attractive and inviting living space separate from the sleeping space

#1 doesn't necessarily mean full kitchen. For example, the recently renovated 1B/Partial units at Pono Kai have a mini-oven/cooktop combo, which is just fine. I rarely turn the oven on, unless I'm heating frozen pizza or garlic bread, and could live without one if I had to, but I would prefer not to. I have breakfast in pretty much every day, and cereal and milk or toast is not getting it done for that. Likewise, if there isn't a dishwasher there has to be something very unique about this resort to get me to stay in that room, because dishes by hand does not sound like vacation to me.

#2 is something I am starting to relax a bit. I'm currently in an apartment where I have to go outside (though just next door) to get to my washer/dryer, and have discovered that's less of a pain than I thought it would be. But, it's still a strong preference.

#3 is close to a must-have. I like to have a comfortable place to relax, unwind, maybe watch a little netflix or read. That could be a great balcony/patio with a relaxing view and weather conducive to spending time there, or it could be a well-appointed living room. I want my sleeping space to be physically (and therefore emotionally) separate from that. I did not get into timesharing to stay in glorified hotel rooms.

I don't care much about how fancy the bathroom is, and while I do enjoy having really nice showers, etc., it's not a thing I look for. The bedroom just need to have a comfortable bed, it doesn't need to be the sort of palatial master suite that seems to be en vogue these days.

I prefer locations where there is something to do out and about but nearby. I am not a sit-on-the-beach/by-the-pool/enjoy-the-resort sort of person. I mean, I do those things, but they shouldn't be the focus. I'd rather be hiking, snorkeling, or doing something else active. That could also be exploring a city's museums, etc. or visiting a theme park. I haven't; done it yet, but could also imagine something like the Berkshires in the summer arts season. This is one way I am different from the rest of my family; they enjoy a different mix.

 

[geist1223]

Having just stayed at KBC - no cloth washer/dryer, no oven, no stove tops, 1 bathroom, with AC. Now at Hono Koa - cloth washer/dryer, full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, but no A.C.

We want cloth/washer dryer, full kitchen, 2 bathroom, and AC. We can do ok with out AC but it is much better with AC.

We have stayed at many Hawaiian timeshares without AC and it is fine November through June. It is a necessity July - September. We have also stayed at many timeshares that only had an stove top, we do fine but prefer oven.

 

[sun starved Gayle]

My MUSTS:

Cleanliness.
Security.
SMOKEFREE.

My IDEALS:

Free, easy parking.
Some kind of a kitchen.
Washer and dryer.
At least one king bed.
Quiet.
Balcony with a table for outside dining.
Good location with food and attractions within walking distance.

I remember staying at a rental vacation house with my in-laws when we were young where you did not want to sit on the upholstered furniture, it was so dirty. Never again. Some rooms types at The Camlin in Seattle have only one of my ideals, that being good location, but I don't rule it out. The positive outweighs the negative.

Edited to add SMOKEFREE. Cannot tolerate the smell of stale cigarette smoke in a unit.

 

[silentg]

We have stayed in all kinds of timeshares. We have been lucky, most have suited our needs as we are adaptable. We have stayed in studios, one, two and three bedrooms. Lockouts, hotel units etc.
Two places we stayed this year were a 3 bedroom in North Myrtle Beach, had washer and dryer, dishwasher, comfortable beds, fully equipped kitchen. Right on the beach.
The other was a one bedroom in Pittsfield, MA. Full kitchen, King Bed, washer dryer on each floor, free to use, got all the laundry done using two washers and two dryers. Indoor pool, Stop and Shop across the street. Nice area that we had never explored before. Norman Rockwell Museum, visited upstate NY too.
We also stayed in Vermont at Smuggs, really nice place, two bedroom, but a bit quirky layout.
The second bedroom had a loft bed above a full bed, was difficult to sleep without bumping your head.
And the living room was set up strange, the TV could only be seen in one chair. It was in a credenza that blocked both sides. We spent a lot of time outside so it wasn’t that bad.
As long as the place is clean, smoke free and comfortable beds, we are good to go!
Silentg

 

[CalGalTraveler]

We have different musts depending on the location:

Hawaii
- Large Lanai with a table to eat and ocean view (Don't care about the lanai and view at other locations)

Ski
- ski in, ski out
- fireplace (more than just a hotel room)


New York City
- Security
- access to lounge
- Location

Disney
- proximity to parks
- shuttles to parks

Must have convenient laundry however I am mixed about in-room laundry. At HGVC Lagoon Tower I like it down the hall because I can run 2 loads at once and finish quicker. However if the laundry room is far away or not secure, I would prefer in-room.

 

[Luanne]

This is my big one too. We are active and when we get back to the unit we rarely want to go out again. I don't care much what cooking facilities there are but my necessity is to know what it is. I can cook a decent meal on pretty much anything.

Second is a real bed no murphy beds.

Well, we stayed recently at a place that would not have met any of your specifications, but it's a great place. It's the Coronado Beach Resort, right across the street from the Hotel del Coronado. We were in a studio, so yes it had a Murphy bed. But it was very comfortable and it was nice to be able to fold it up out of the way. It did have a small kitchen, enough for us to do breakfasts in the morning. Laundry was not in the unit, but in the building (and I don't remember if it was free or not). San Diego is one of those cities that doesn't seem to have the washer/dryer in the units. I would definitely stay here again (and actually have stayed here several times). Sometimes it is all about location, location, location.

 

[Magic1962]

because our family travels with us a lot: 2 to 3 bedrooms... up to 10 people.... 2 bathrooms... washer & dryer... living, dining room and a full kitchen... close to or shuttles to beach... air... toilet paper LOL we don't want much.... I LOVE TIMESHARING!!! getting ready to head back down to Hilton Head for a week!!! this time it will just be my wife and I.... and one son-in-law and grand daughter joining us for the last couple of days.... Dave

 

[PigsDad]

Bare minimums:
Smoke-free
Pet-free
Fridge

Location is most important to us, so if it doesn't meet these minimums, we could find a hotel room that would.

Kurt

 

[Makai Guy]

Nobody else already checked into our unit.

 

[Ddee555]

Bare minimums:
* Fridge / Microwave
* One restaurant within walking distance

I also need to be somewhat near civilization. Location is very important to me.

As I tend to prefer urban locales, sometimes hotels are better for my needs. But, if I stay at a hotel, it has to have free breakfast. My family is spoiled having kitchens at timeshares.

 

[VacationForever]

In this order, first 2 are mandatory
- clean unit
- comfortable bed
- walk-in shower
- at least a mini-fridge

 

[Elan]

Indoor plumbing.

 

[TravelTime]

On the ocean with a direct ocean view or ski in/ski out if a ski vacation. Pet friendly is high up there too except very few timeshares are pet friendly.