holiday clubs

bargainaddict

:wave: : This is my first thread so I apologize if it's in the wrong place. Hubby and I attended one of these presentations for a holiday club today where you pay up front and are entitled to holiday at any of their 96 resort properties over the world until 2054. You pay for your flights and an annual management fee of around £350. It did look realy tempting and the accomodation was exceptionally high. We declined as hubbys job is a little uncertain at the moment and thought we would see if any of you guys had experience of these clubs. We were told we had won a one week luxury holiday complete with 2 return flights and car hire, and if we attended the presentation on a weekday, also £50 Argos vouchers. We got our vouchers (great) but the holiday is not so clear cut. If we are prepared to travel anywhere and at very short notice we get the flights and car hire. If we want a little more notice no car hire and flights are BOGOF up to 2 free flights. For the maximum amount of time and choice of destination you don't get the car hire or flights, surprise surprise!! Sorry this is long, been a long day listening to sales patter and sorry if anything wrong with message. I not that good with the computer!! :rotfl:

payless

If you walked out with £50 of vouchers and not signed anything methinks you done well

bargainaddict

Thanks payless. That's what we thought. Just wondering if anyone knows if these clubs work out as good value or not.

payless

Holiday clubs are similiar to timeshare , but without the same legal protection, and no actual property ( points would be midway between the 2)

I assume you would have to pay a fee upfront, then annual fee, on the "promise" that they will get you 5 star accomendation and cheap flights

I would be surprised if the cheap flights come out much different to those you could source on internet yourself

The accomendation is usually good ( purchased from timeshare resorts) although in most cases I would say was more 3.5- 4 star , and perhaps your ( annual) money might be better spent renting privately in the same resorts

I have stayed in many timeshares- some are truely 5 star but also ended up once in a 2star - actual rating was 1 (out of 3) spanish KEY rating

In peak times the choice is limited for exchanges within timeshare exchange systems - would be surprised if the clubs faired even this well.

Whilst I don't regret my timeshare purchase ( that I think is safer than clubs) 10 yrs ago, I was not my best purchase, ( a lot cheaper than many others have paid) and we have had to work the system to get the best out of it, which is hard with school kids ... lucky for us we have managed 2 x 2 weeks in top class Florida resorts, plus a couple of late deals to tenerife - which has "recouped" some of the costs

bargainaddict

They had a price list according to how many points you wanted to buy. Average holiday was 3500 points for a week, higher for the peak season. 7000 points was £11,200. Annual fee £350. Flights and taxes on top. I think they said they own all their own properties. Thought it strange they had no literature for us to take home and look through. I like to take my time over something like this. They offered us a 3 year taster for £1995, which included 'upgrading' the free holiday. This gave us 4000 points which would have got us roughly 1 week a year for 3 years. We don't do expensive holidays away so got nothing to compare it with. My head hurting just thinking about it all. I will have to go and spend argos vouchers to cheer myself up!

payless

sounds well over the top

Ted_Hutchinson

If you search this forum Travel, Trips & Holidays using sunterra as the searchword you will find previous threads where the pros and cons of holiday clubs are discussed.

budgetflyer

I can see the point of a timeshare if you really like the place and can go every year and access cheap flights but for £11000 you could rent a lot of really good accommodation all over the world for quite a few years. Remember you are paying this upfront so if you stuck this away in a decent interest acc. it would generate £5/600 a year towards luxury accom. and youd still have your £11000 for a rainy day.
The holiday club could go bust the week after you pay and youd be left with nothing.

moneywasternomore!

Great book budgetflyer! Many thanks.