How do vacation club points work?

How do vacation club points work?

There have been many instances in the past where bad publicity has attached itself to the vacation club and timeshare markets for vacations. There have certainly been some poor selling techniques relating to timeshares in particular, but the concept is very good because you can buy into an opportunity with vacation points to have a wide range of choices to vacation worldwide.

What is a vacation club?

Vacation clubs are different to the traditional model of timeshares. With a timeshare you buy the rights to a particular unit and you can go there every year. It's a comfortable way of vacationing because you know what to expect.

With a vacation club you'll pay a certain amount upfront to join – costs differ depending on what type of package you decide to buy – and you'll get a number of points that you can redeem each year, but for different vacations. It's not the same as buying into a timeshare because you will have a wide choice of destinations available.

If you really want to explore different places for your vacation then joining a club is a great way to go about it. If you've bought into a timeshare for a fixed week or two then you will probably have to make a commitment to go there at the same time every year. A vacation club gives you much more flexibility, and though you may be restricted by the number of points you have bought, you still have ample opportunity to choose where you want to go.

Are vacation clubs a good deal?

When you're thinking about your vacation options you need to weigh up whether investing in vacation club points will be the best way ahead for you. You might want to consider a timeshare instead, but be aware that there is a lot of supply out there, and although over a period of years you are likely to save money over just booking a resort hotel, you're not likely to have much in the way of equity when it comes to selling up.

You should also be aware that both vacation clubs and timeshares have an initial upfront cost and that you will also be paying an annual maintenance fee, so check that your budget is able to handle that.

With a vacation club it comes back to the flexibility you can have when choosing your vacation destination. If you look at what a good quality resort hotel will cost you for a week or two every year and set it against the costs of vacation club membership, especially for a family, you'll find over a number of years you will have saved a lot of money.

Explore your options

As with any new venture, you'll want to look around and see what suits you best. Why not have a look at Royal Holiday's YouTube to get the bigger picture, and take the first step towards rewarding you and your family with fantastic annual vacations?