Top 10 Reasons to Join a Vacation Club

“The pandemic’s isolation taught everyone the importance of community, joining like-minded people to become part of something bigger than yourself.”

— Joseph S., Hilton Grand Vacations Owner and Journalist

The vacation club industry continues to grow every year. In fact, this industry has been celebrating years of growth, surpassing over $10 billion in sales. Here are the top 10 reasons why families, couples, and adults love their vacation clubs.

1. It’s cheaper than a lifetime of vacations

When you join a vacation club, you’re essentially buying a lifetime of vacations in bulk. Break down the price of your timeshare versus the cost of your vacations over your entire life, and you’ll see that a timeshare is actually much more cost-efficient.

While vacation club maintenance fees do exist, these are important for updating the resort, taking care of the important amenities like pools, fitness centres, restaurants, and paying the resort employees.

People will buy timeshare over a second vacation home because essentially all of the upkeep is done for them. Bankrate.com estimates that the true costs of owning a second home are “steeper than you think”.

In the long haul, timeshare maintenance fees are much less expensive than a vacation home!

2. It encourages you to take an amazing vacation every year

55% of American workers do not take all of their allotted vacation time. The fact is that people who vacation regularly live longer, healthier lives.

Like gym memberships, vacation clubs force you to do something good for your health and wellbeing. They encourage you to unplug, and spend time with your family. Even better, you don’t have to think about where you’re going – an amazing vacation is guaranteed each year.

3. The industry has shifted to a “vacation club” model that is more flexible

A “fixed week” in timeshare means you own a specific week at a specific resort every single year. However, the industry has largely moved towards points-based membership for owners. With points, you are still guaranteed to vacation at your “home” resort every year – but you can also use your annual allotment for other resorts within your brand’s portfolio.

4. Vacation clubs offer units with more space and privacy

You love your family, but you need space too. If you’ve ever vacationed with your grown-up kids, grandkids or extended family members, you know that it can be challenging. Large family vacations usually mean multiple cramped hotel rooms, which is never fun!

The majority of vacation clubs have two or more bedrooms, giving families room and space to truly unwind and relax. Most properties will also have amenities like swimming pools, hot tubs, a gym and beach access that tend to be of higher quality than what you’ll find at hotels.

5. You can rent out your unit on years you don’t use it

Some years we don’t have the time to take a vacation. This is completely normal and it’s something we understand. If there’s ever a year that you simply aren’t making use of your ownership, you can rent it out to help cover the annual dues.

6. There are added perks to being a vacation club owner

Vacation clubs often offer owners-only perks and benefits. For example, Morritt’s owners have access to the exclusive Golden Turtle Club; where they can enjoy discounts on a range of purchases and bookings, including flights through Cayman Airways, car rentals, boat trips and watersports activities through Red Sail Sports, various restaurants, Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits (conveniently located directly across from our resort) and high-speed internet, as well as access to bonus weeks either at our resort or through our exchange network!

7. You make lifelong friends

Vacation clubs bring people together. It is very common for guests to bond over similar interests and forge lifelong friendships. At Morritt’s, it is always heart-warming to see different families returning together as friends, and their celebration of being reunited again.

8. You can trade your points or weeks on vacation exchange networks like RCI or Interval International

If you own a fixed week or have rotated through enough of your developer’s resort portfolio, you might be wondering if there’s any possible way to see the rest of the world with what you already own. The answer is – yes!

Vacation club members can become members of their resort’s affiliated exchange network. After signing up, you can deposit your timeshare points or weeks and exchange them an exciting vacation in a new destination. Whether you’re looking for a city break to catch up on your shopping, or an exotic resort vacation for some pampering, your points can take you there. You can even apply your points toward a cruise, hotel, tour, golf, or spa exchange!

(FYI for Cayman owners – your points are more valuable. This means you can receive multiple weeks in a new destination, in exchange for your one. If you only want to cash in a portion of your week for a partial vacation somewhere else, this option is available to you as well.)

9. It’s more sustainable

Like Airbnb and Uber, vacation clubs also exist in the sharing economy. Actually, vacation clubs could be considered the original sharing economy!

In a sharing economy, vacations are more affordable and more sustainable. By participating in a vacation club, you are sharing your unit with someone else when you aren’t using it – cutting down on emissions and over-construction.

10. You can finance a timeshare purchase

You don’t have to pay all at once. Third-party timeshare financing companies are available. And, if you a buy timeshare resale, you’ll already be savings thousands of dollars on an incredible vacation product. And you can still finance it to ease the cost of the purchase.