Two popular posts I have written about Timeshare Presentations are my Holiday Inn Club Vacation (HIVC) Presentation in Vegas and the Hilton Grand Vacation (HGV) Presentation in Vegas.
If you have the time and/or patience to sit through one of these presentations, they could be pretty good deals. If you want to know about current offers, you can check out the HIVC website or call HGV at 1-888-810-3205. They have offers in Las Vegas, NV, Orlando, Fl and other cities as well.
If you are going to sit through one, here are some helpful tips:
- When booking the presentation, they don’t schedule it on the day you arrive or leave so if you are traveling from Fri-Sun then your presentation will be scheduled for a Sat. I think an early morning one is better to get it out of the way.
- When booking the vacation, holidays are going to cost you a little extra so be aware of this.
- They won’t do the presentation if you have had a drink or are drunk. So make sure you are sober or at least say you are. You don’t want to miss out on any freebies because of a drink.
- If you are married, you have to do the presentation with your spouse. Don’t try to convince each other that these are good deals because they aren’t.
- Depending on the time you are going, eat a good meal before hand. The presentation lasts from 2-3 hours and you don’t want to be hangry.
- Be knowledgeable about the brand. The sales people ask what you know about them and it makes it go by faster when you are the one talking vs. them.
- If you have the co-branded credit card, bring it with you. It always seems to take them aback when I tell them that I get thousands of points and or free night certificates for a low annual fee. This can also be your weapon so to speak. It shows that you know the value of their points and how to use them. Examples are:
IHG Rewards
Hilton Surpass by American Express
- Be friendly and polite. I promise it goes a long way.
- Most importantly, say no to any offer they give you. They may entice you with the “this offer is for today only” but it’s their job to sell you a timeshare so they will pull out all the stops. Just say No Thank You no matter how many times you have to say it.
I know Marriott, Club Wyndham, Diamond Resorts International, Hyatt Residence Club, and BlueGreen Getaways do Timeshare Presentations as well but I have not yet done one with them. Please comment below to share your experience with any of the properties or to leave your own tips.