Timeshares v. Hotels: Debunking Five Common Myths
If you’ve ever wondered about the debate of timeshare vs hotel, you’re not alone. Hotels have long been the default option for travellers, but timeshares have been reinventing themselves. Some travellers swear by their timeshare vacation experience, while others still associate timeshares with old-fashioned sales pitches. The truth? Modern timeshares are nothing like stereotypes.
According to a report1, the global vacation ownership market was valued at $12.2 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach $25.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2024 to 2032. That kind of growth suggests people are rethinking not just how they travel, but how they want their holiday money to work harder.
In this article, we’ll bust some common myths about timeshares (also known as vacation ownership). We’ll also draw a detailed comparison between hotels and timeshares to help you decide what best suits your travel needs and lifestyle preferences.
Lastly, we’ll share why Club Wyndham Asia’s travel membership and lifestyle offering is a standout choice in today’s timeshare market, and why it could be the best way to help you achieve your travel dreams.
Key Highlights
- Timeshares are an evolving and increasingly popular travel option, moving beyond their outdated reputation.
- Modern timeshare models offer flexibility, with diverse options like points systems that allow travel to various locations, not just a single resort.
- Timeshare provides financial benefits such as transparent fee structures, options to bank or borrow points, and even the potential for a share of a resort’s sale proceeds upon a membership’s end.
- The value of a timeshare membership extends beyond just a place to stay, offering additional lifestyle and financial perks.
What is The Concept of Timeshare?
It’s essentially a form of shared property ownership. Instead of one person owning an entire holiday home, multiple people co-own a timeshare property, each enjoying the right to use it for a set period every year.
In short, a timeshare accommodation gives you the comfort of a holiday home, without shouldering all the costs and upkeep. At Club Wyndham Asia, members use their annual points to book at our hotels and resorts across the globe, making every timeshare vacation flexible and easy to plan.
Pros of timeshares:
- Familiar comfort: A guaranteed place that feels like home.
- Cost-effective: You’re essentially pre-paying for tomorrow’s getaways at today’s rates.
- Flexibility: Many modern timeshare programmes let you swap destinations, so your timeshare vacation isn’t stuck in one place.
Cons of timeshares (because let’s be fair, every list has both pros and cons, right?):
- Commitment: Memberships often run for multiple years.
- Planning ahead: Spontaneous last-minute trips might be trickier. Be sure to choose timeshare properties that offer a large network of hotels and resorts internationally, so that it’s easier to find availability.
Debunking Common Timeshare Myths
In the past, timeshares had a bad rap due to concerns about hidden fees, long duration, restricted locations, and tricky exits. New, modern timeshares promise flexibility in choosing timing and locations. Moreover, they offer shorter end dates and returns on investment.
Myth #1. Timeshares are All the Same
Depending on your requirements and preferences, there are four main types of timeshares:
- Fixed-week timeshare: You get the same week at one specific resort every year.
- Floating timeshare: These timeshares allow buyers the flexibility to choose a vacation week without a set date but within a certain season each year. They are ideal for people who would like to keep their travel plans fluid.
- Rotational timeshare: Rotational timeshares combine aspects of fixed and floating timeshares by allowing owners to rotate their vacation weeks each year, giving them a variety of periods for their stays.
- Vacation clubs: You buy a membership that gives you points, which you use to book stays at various resorts, vacation rentals, or hotels.
Myth #2. Timeshares Restrict You to One Destination
The flexibility of timeshare ownership has evolved. Modern timeshare resorts and properties offer extensive exchange networks, giving you a world of travel possibilities with a single purchase.
Additionally, the points system allows timeshare owners to buy a fixed number of points annually. These points serve as a currency, which can then be exchanged for accommodation of your choice, at a time of your choosing, at one of the hotels and resorts within your timeshare membership, depending on availability.
If owners don’t end up using all their allotted points for a given year or want to save up for a more extravagant vacation later, they can bank their points. Conversely, the following years’ points can be borrowed if more points are needed for their travel plans.
Myth #3. Timeshares Come with Hidden Fees
Reputable providers clearly outline costs. Think of fees as part of what maintains the resort and your timeshare accommodation. Some clubs even let you waive annual fees if you don’t travel that year.
Myth #4. Timeshare Maintenance Fees Increase Dramatically
While annual maintenance fees exist, they fund resort upkeep, amenities, and services that enhance your timeshare vacation experience. Some memberships, like the one offered by Club Wyndham Asia, offer a flexi-levy option, which allows you to waive annual fees in years you don’t book a stay.
Myth #5. Timeshares are Impossible to Exit
Traditionally, timeshare clubs allow you to bequeath, give away or sell your timeshare when you no longer want it, whether due to changing lifestyle preferences or financial reasons. But some inheritors view timeshares as more of a burden than a benefit.
To address this, newer timeshare models offer ownership for a finite duration, which sidesteps the issue of inheritance altogether. For example, Club Wyndham Asia offers end dates where the club’s properties are sold, and members will receive a share of the proceeds. This is a clear answer to exit concerns around timeshares.
For details on how Club Wyndham Asia timeshares work, click here.
Club Wyndham Asia: The Value-Added Timeshare You Need
Travel reshapes our world views and strengthens bonds, while family trips bridge the generational divide and create lasting memories. With Club Wyndham Asia, you can elevate these moments and enjoy cost-effective adventures at multiple exciting destinations.
Here are 5 reasons why Club Wyndham Asia stands out from other timeshare clubs.
1. The Globe is Yours to Explore
You can easily find a Club Wyndham Resort at major Asian vacation destinations, including (but not limited to) Japan, Bali, and Phuket. On top of that, you’ll get access to:
- All properties within the Club;
- Resorts and rentals at WorldMark by Wyndham, and Club Wyndham South Pacific; and
- Other associated resorts.
Whether you crave the bustle of Jakarta or wish to unwind on the sandy beaches of Fiji, with Club Wyndham Asia, you can have it all! Furthermore, Club Wyndham Asia’s agreement with RCI, the world’s largest timeshare exchange provider, allows members to exchange their points for a stay at more than 4,100 RCI-affiliated properties across the globe.
2. Financial Flexibility + Freedom
A Club Wyndham Asia membership offers financial flexibility and options to accommodate different budgets and preferences, such as:
- Affordable monthly instalment plans are available for those who prefer to pay for their membership over a longer period.
- Freedom to customise plans as Club Wyndham Asia allows members to conveniently bank and borrow their vacation points. This means they can carry points from the previous year or borrow points from the following year if their vacation demands more points in a particular year.
- Inflation-proofing as members’ accounts are refreshed annually, with the original number of points they initially purchased when joining the Club. This arrangement ensures that the number of points needed for their accommodation remains unchanged over time.
- ‘Flexi-Levy’ option where members can waive annual fees if they do not plan a stay at a club resort in any given year. This means that members are charged for maintenance only when they use the resorts.
3. Shorter Term + Opportunities to Profit
The fear of not being able to sell or exit a timeshare is one of the primary concerns that prevents people from investing in one.
Club Wyndham Asia addresses this concern by offering short-term timeshares that expire in 2040. Upon the sale of Club properties in 2040, all owners are eligible to receive a share of the proceeds.
This approach appeals to people who don’t want to feel obligated to travel because they’ve invested in a timeshare.
4. Unparalleled Customer Experience
Club Wyndham Asia was created by the innovators at Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, who consistently listen to customers’ feedback, and improve the timeshare model to deliver even greater value to its members.
As of today, most of the timeshare products developed by Wyndham Destinations are points-based and allow for convenient exchange and cancellation.
5. An Ever-Expanding Travel Wallet
Members can also grow their wallet by:
- Earning Travel Cash when they review their experiences at Wyndham and sharing it on social media, and referring the Club to others.
- Getting an exclusive opportunity to exchange their Wyndham Rewards points for fully paid or discounted vacations at over 50,000 resorts and rentals outside of their club or to pay annual levies.
- Redeeming rewards for gift certificates, gift cards, merchandise, lifestyle and beauty products, and store value cards from providers directly affiliated with the Wyndham Rewards Program.
Club Wyndham Asia is also partnering with brands outside of hospitality, including luxury, lifestyle, and more, to offer its members a one-of-a-kind experience and add more value to the time shared. For example, Club Wyndham Asia has partnered with SOGO Department Store to deliver the best of retail and hospitality to its members.
Final Thoughts
So, which is better? Timeshare vs hotel? Hotels offer short-term convenience, but timeshares provide longer-term value, space, and consistency. If you’re still wondering “is renting a timeshare a good idea?”, the answer depends on whether you see travel as a short-term escape or as part of your lifestyle.
With timeshare ownership, every vacation feels like coming home… just in a different corner of the world.
Have more questions? Refer to our FAQs here. (link to FAQs for Non-Members (July 2025) optimised page OR 202508 CWA On-Site Page Optimisation – What’s Timeshare (August 2025), when it’s live).
Reference:
1 Allied Market Research. (2024, July). Vacation ownership (timeshare) industry market size, share, competitive landscape and trend analysis report, global opportunity analysis and industry forecast, 2024–2032.
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