Raise your hands if you enjoy a great travel deal!
Condo rentals in Hawaii for $199 a week? Condo vacations for $399 a week in Las Vegas or Branson? Or The Poconos and The Berkshires.
Want to save thousands on premium resorts such as Disney Vacation Club, Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas or Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club? Let me show you how!
Did you know you can rent condos in timeshare resorts just like you would rent vacation homes? After 15 years of being a timeshare owner, I have learned all the ins-and-outs of this vacation segment.
I am not a hidden employee of the timeshare business. I am a frugal fannie who shares my travel hacks to help people go on more vacations no matter what their budget is. You don’t have to attend any timeshare presentations when renting a timeshare.
Table of Contents
What is Timeshare?
What is the Timeshare Rental Process?
You can find great vacation deals at 16 places to rent timeshares
What is Timeshare?
A timeshare resort is a type that allows multiple people to share ownership of a vacation condo. There are many types of timeshare resorts. They can be boutique resorts or small chains, but also household names such as Marriott Vacation Clubs, Hilton Grand Vacations Clubs, Club Wyndham and Disney. You’ve likely stayed in a timeshare if you have stayed at a resort where your unit is more like a condominium.
The best of both worlds: the amenities of a hotel, such as pools, restaurants and on-site entertainment, combined with the comforts of a home.
Timeshare rooms are great for families or those who like to cook on vacation. The layout is the same as condos: living rooms, kitchens and multiple bedrooms.
Some timeshares even include a washer/dryer in the unit. We love the privacy of our bedrooms and having space to spread out. We can’t think of going back to a hotel room.
When you visit timeshare websites, you will see different sized units, such as studios, one bedroom, two bedrooms, and even three or four-bedroom options.
What is the Timeshare Rental Process?
Owners can rent out their timeshare to other people when they are not using it. Redweek.com says that renting a timeshare is cheaper than using a travel agency or hotel.
Did you know there are usually two middlemen who mark up rates between 12 and 25 percent? Renting from a timeshare or a company that wants to fill vacant rooms will allow you to vacation for less.
You can find great vacation deals at 16 places to rent timeshares
You can book timeshare resorts on some hotel sites as well as VRBO, Airbnb and other popular travel deals websites. But I’d like to show you 16 places where you can get these rooms for a fraction of their cost.
Take 20 minutes extra to compare prices and review the terms and conditions of your rental.
Four sites that allow non-timeshare owners to rent timeshares
Timeshare Exchange Companies facilitate resort trades on behalf of owners. RCI membership allows me to exchange my New York timeshare for a vacation in 4,000 resorts across 100 countries.
After I choose a week from one of these owners, I can then deposit my week at the other company.
If these exchange companies still have resort weeks in their inventory 45-90 days before the rental date, they will make them available at prices that can’t be beat!
Many people believe that the rooms available are not ones they would be interested in, no matter what price. Some older resorts may be offered, but these are usually in places with a lot of timeshares or resorts that have thousands of rooms.
Many timeshare resorts are available in destinations such as Orlando, Branson and Gatlinburg. These last-minute offers are often available at resorts like Massanutten Resort The Grandview and Vacation Village Parkway. Some of their 2,000-4,000 units are also available.
Take a look at the four timeshare companies that offer these last-minute rental options to anyone.
- Platinum Interchange
Platinum Interchange has been serving travelers for more than 40 years. Although they are not owned by large companies like Wyndham and Marriott, they still have relationships with over 1,300 resorts around the world.
As the check-in date approaches, they lower their rental rates. They even offer whole weeks at a rental price of $199 within 15 days. This is not a mistake! $199 for a whole week!
A recent search of their website revealed that timeshare rentals were available for under $400 per week in popular vacation spots like Aruba. New York City and San Diego. They had a 2-bedroom condo in Vacation Village Parkway, Williamsburg with four stars out of five on Google at a rate of $299 per week.
- Trading Places International
Trading Places International, a former travel agent turned timeshare resort manager, facilitates vacation exchanges between owners. Timeshare rentals are offered further in advance than other companies, giving you more time to plan your vacation. They offer timeshare rentals in “Hot Deals”, just like Platinum Exchange. Click this button to “on” to filter the lowest price.
When browsing the Hot Deals listings on their website, I recently found a room in a luxury Wyndham resort in Hawaii. This one-bedroom condo was $475 for the entire week ten weeks before the check-in date.
When I compared the prices of the same unit and the same check-in dates on the travel deal websites, they were over $200 per night! This timeshare exchange company offers a rental timeshare at a savings of almost $1,000.
- Trading Places Maui
Trading Places Maui, a subsidiary of Trading Places International that serves the 13,000 rooms in 100 resorts across the Hawaiian Islands, is a spinoff. The average Hawaii hotel rate is $330 per night. Their $199 to $399 weekly timeshare rentals for one- or two-bedroom condominiums are a hidden gem!
Recent last-minute offers included the oceanfront Lawai Beach Resort, which has a Google rating 4.6 out 5 stars. Also included was the Kona Coast Resort located adjacent to a nearby golf course.
- Expectations Interchange
Expectations Interchange has the lowest fee of all timeshare exchange companies on this list. You can view all the timeshare rentals before you decide whether or not to buy a membership. This European company offers great international travel deals.
You can rent a timeshare for less than $500 per week if you have been dreaming about staying at The Crane Barbados, or Snowdonia National Park.
If you have family members or friends who own timeshares, they may be able to book last-minute offers for you with different timeshare exchange companies. These companies require ownership of a timeshare.
A guest certificate, which costs less than $100, can be used to reserve rooms for guests who are not owners. It’s still a great deal, even with the extra cost.
Rent timeshares on these 7 marketplaces
There are ways to get great deals on timeshare rentals, even if you don’t like to travel at the last minute. Renting a timeshare through these marketplaces can save you a lot of money if you’re looking to travel during peak seasons like school holidays or if you want a premium resort.
- RedWeek
RedWeek.com, the largest online marketplace of timeshare rentals and resales, has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Redweek.com offers a more comprehensive experience for booking timeshare vacation rentals.
Their prices can be up to 75% less than the resort’s price, and they offer up to 50% more savings on travel deal websites. Rent a room if Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club is out of your budget.
Redweek.com offers the same unit with two bedrooms for only $270 per night. The lowest nightly rate is $500 on the hotel website. These savings make it easy to understand why this resort is Redweek’s most popular resort!
- KOALA
KOALA is a new timeshare website created by industry veterans. It connects users to verified timeshare listings. Owners set their own rental rates, so there are great deals to be had, even in high-end resorts such as Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas or the Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort.
You can also filter the rentals by price on their homepage.
Recent search revealed a $35 listing for a two-bedroom resort at Massanutten. This award-winning resort is located outside Shenandoah National Park. There was also a listing for $85 per night in a 3-bedroom at Wyndham Bonnet Creek.
Do not be fooled by the price. Conde Nast’s Readers’ Choice Awards ranked this Wyndham Resort #4 among Orlando’s top resorts.
- TripBeat
TripBeat, owned by Wyndham Destinations – the world’s largest timeshare conglomerate – is an almost unknown website. This site appears to be a public version of their owners-only timeshare exchange company, RCI.
Tripbeat is a great place to look for timeshare deals. This frugal fannie was available for weekly resort stays starting at $399!
Tripbeat has a large selection of rental options in the U.S. as well as globally. Tripbeat has a lot of options for resorts in Greece. We’re planning a trip there during shoulder season.
Check out the $399 week-long timeshare rentals available in Crete or Corfu. Check out timeshares in popular American destinations or U.S. National Parks.
TripBeat membership is free for everyone despite the confusing sign-up form. You are asked to choose an affiliation in order to register. This makes it seem exclusive. If you scroll down to the “You Decide”, you will see that you do not need an affiliation in order to create a Tripbeat Account.
4. ExtraHolidays
ExtraHolidays, also owned by Wyndham destinations, is a marketplace that allows timeshare owners to list their weeks for rent. You can find great deals on almost 700 resorts worldwide, particularly during their sales.
Sign up for their email to receive regular promotions like the Swing into Spring Sale, which offers 35-40% off select resorts’ rental prices.
- Three Disney Vacation Club Marketplaces
The Disney Magic is included with staying “on-property”. There are also additional benefits, such as amenities. It comes at a high price. You can save thousands by renting the same Disney Vacation Club rooms (DVC) from a timeshare holder. You’ll be able to get the extra Magic Kingdom park hours you desire, and for much less.
Many owners rent their Disney Vacation Club rooms through Disney-specific sites like David’s Vacation Club Rentals DVC Rental Store and DVC Rental.
Check out the timeshares available to rent for your next trip and save a lot of money.
How to rent directly from a timeshare owner: 5 places
How Does Timeshare Work with Rentals? When you rent directly from the timeshare owner there is no middleman involved. This means that the owner does not have to include a listing or site commission in their rental rate. You’re getting a great deal on a vacation rental, while the owner is trying to cover his annual expenses. This is a win-win situation!
- Timeshare Users Group
Timeshare Users Group is a forum site that was created in 1993 by timeshare owners in order to help owners connect before Facebook. They’ve now grown to be the largest timeshare group with over $18 million completed in timeshare rentals. There are usually more than 1200 timeshares available. They also have a bargain basement section for last-minute bookings.
You know you want to go to Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, but you can’t get their “best” price of $5,000 per week. Rent a 2-bedroom condo in the same resort from a timeshare holder for only $2,650!
You may feel nervous about renting a timeshare this way. But remember that TUG members are all timeshare owners who have given extensive contact information in order to become a member of this community. Follow these TUG Rental Tips to ensure your peace of mind when renting directly from the owner.
- Four examples of Timeshare Owners Facebook groups
Timeshare owners at certain resorts, or companies such as Wyndham, have created Facebook groups in order to stay connected. They rent out their weeks, and invite family and friends along for a vacation.
These groups may have forums where they can post reviews of owners, similar to VRBO or Airbnb. You can find out what it’s like to rent from a particular timeshare owner.
Join the Owners Facebook Group to rent directly. A timeshare owner recently posted a great Spring Break rental in Club Wyndham National Harbour, just outside Washington D.C.
The timeshare listing for their one-bedroom condo was $700 per week. A condo room for $100 per night in high season in a pricey location is an amazing deal!
You can find the group by searching Facebook for “Resort Owners”.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake Resort in Orlando is a popular 12-acre resort located right next to Disney Animal Kingdom. Bluegreen, an other popular Timeshare resort chain, also has a group on Facebook for owner-direct rentals. In the DVC Disney Vacation Club Points Rental Group, you can rent directly from Disney Vacation Club owners.
You can turn your travel dream into reality by taking advantage of timeshare rental deals.
This article was originally published on Wealth of Geeks. It has been republished by permission.
