Best Timeshare Companies

Type of ownership

Timeshare companies sell partial ownership of their properties to buyers. There are several types of ownership plans available.

• Timeshare ownerships: Timeshare ownerships allow travelers to purchase one week of access per year. Timeshares are designed so that each unit has about 52 individual owners, each with access to the unit annually.
• Fractional ownerships: Companies that sell fractional ownerships make units available to owners anywhere from 2 to 12 weeks per year. These properties are often more upscale than standard timeshare properties. Owners can choose how much stake they want in a property, whether that's for 1/26 of a property or 1/13.
• Variety of ownership plans: Some companies have properties that sell both timeshares and fractional ownerships and thus attract a broader base of clientele with different wants and needs.

Flexibility of schedule

The flexibility of a timeshare owner's schedule depends on the timeshare deal they purchase.

• Fixed schedule: Fixed schedule timeshares allow owners to access their unit at a specific, fixed time each year; this means that for the length of their purchase, timeshare owners will return to their timeshare on the same dates annually.
• Floating schedule: Timeshares with a floating schedule designate an amount of time a timeshare owner can access their timeshare each year, and they can choose the dates they want. This is a good choice for consumers who may be changing jobs or school situations and will want to vacation at a different time depending on the year.
• Combinable time: Some timeshare companies allow customers to skip timeshare weeks, and then make up their vacation time during another year or at a later date. While these are less common, they do allow for travelers to skip a short vacation one year to then go on a much longer one the next year.

Number of locations

Timeshare companies can have one resort or vacation destination, or they can have multiple destinations around the world.

• One destination timeshare: A company with one destination for timeshares has only one location for owners to vacation.
• Multi-destination timeshare: Some resort timeshare companies have a number of properties where owners can choose to vacation.
• Points-based timeshares: Points-based timeshares have multiple locations that are each worth a certain level of points. Timeshare owners only have access to high-level properties after accumulating points from buying into properties or purchasing points from the company.

Flexibility of use

Timeshare companies have a variety of restrictions about who can use the timeshare property.

• Owner-only timeshares: Owner-only timeshares only allow the actual owner to spend time there, prohibiting family and friends.
• Timeshares that are friends and family-friendly: Some timeshares allow owners to give their friends and family access to their unit if the owner isn’t able to use it within the allotted time frame.
• Rentable timeshares: Some timeshare companies allow owners to rent out their unit if they're unable to use their vacation time.

Fees

Timeshare companies can charge owners fees, in addition to the cost of buying into the timeshare.

• Annual fees: Some timeshare companies charge timeshare owners annual fees to maintain ownership of their timeshare; these fees start at a fixed rate and often increase through the years of ownership.
• Fee-free: Timeshare companies that are fee-free charge owners nothing more than the cost of buying into the timeshare. This means that once the timeshare owner has purchased their right to use the property, they never have to pay the timeshare company again.
• Maintenance fees: Timeshare owners often pay additional maintenance fees that increase every year to cover things like damage done by weather or natural disasters.

Presence of owners' association

Timeshare companies can have owners' associations who preside over the group of owners of the units.

• Timeshares with owners' associations: Timeshare companies with owners' associations have a group of owners presiding over timeshare units. This association gives the property owners a voice by advocating for things that timeshare owners want and need from the timeshare company, like maintenance fees, concerns about the property or beliefs about fees and rates.
• No owners' organization: A unit with no owners' organization is completely run and presided over by the company that owns the resort timeshare.

Owners' club for sales: Some timeshares have an owners' club that can help individuals interested in selling their timeshare unit. These owners' clubs often advertise available units to friends and family, as they have a vested interested in ensuring the timeshare property is filled with people they enjoy vacationing around.

Specified time-block or week companies

Fixed and floating week companies give owners the right to a certain amount of weeks in a certain timeshare unit each year. These timeshare companies split units between multiple owners who occupy the unit throughout the year.

Timeshare exchange companies

Some companies are solely devoted to helping timeshare owners swap their weeks with other owners. These companies make it easy to find a resort timeshare that is appealing for an owner if they can't or don't want to use their traditional timeshare week.

Timeshare companies with points programs

Timeshare programs with points programs allow owners to accumulate points by buying into properties or purchasing points. Access to destinations varies based on the number of points accumulated.

Right-to-use companies

Right-to-use timeshare companies give customers the right to use a certain timeshare unit for a certain portion of the year. This means timeshare owners never technically own the property, but rather have a right to use their unit.

Large families

Timeshares can be great for large, extended families who want to vacation together every year. Timeshares designate a fixed time during which family members from all over will convene in one place for a vacation.

People who want a luxury vacation property

People who want to vacation at a luxury property may choose a timeshare because it is more affordable than purchasing one outright. Resort timeshares allow users to pay only for the time they use the vacation property and not the time that the property will sit vacantly.

Travelers with a favorite vacation destination

People who love one particular vacation destination should consider a timeshare. A timeshare allows travelers to consistently visit that place each year, often for less than it would cost to book a hotel every time.

Young professionals with some disposable income

Young, healthy professionals may want to consider a timeshare because they offer a vacation destination that is dependable and affordable. They are a good choice for someone who has some excess income, but not enough to invest in buying a property.