Timeshare presentations get a terrible rep but this pitch wasn't half bad.
If you have a branded hotel credit card or are a loyalty member of Marriott, IHG, or Hilton, you’ve probably received an offer advertising something like this: “Exclusive 4-Day New York City Vacation from Only $499!”
Whether it arrives via email or on thick card stock in your mailbox, these inexpensive getaways are oh-so-tempting. But you, like me, may hesitate because while you, of course, could use a night-night, four-day golf vacation in Scottsdale, city exploration in Manhattan, or a theme park in Orlando, your anxious self cannot handle the possibility of three nights and four days of aggressive sales pitches.
You may keep the offer in your inbox or on the kitchen counter for a week or two before eventually tossing it—a vacation gone because of a fear of sales pressure. But just how sales-y are these vacations? And how much pressure is actually applied before, during, and after the mandatory presentation you must sit through to secure the affordable trip? Is becoming a deeded owner in The Marriott Vacation Clubs more like buying a car from a pushy salesperson or buying a box of Girl Scout cookies from a charming young lady in a pin-adorned green vest outside a grocery store?
My wife Lorelei and I recently spent three nights in Southern California on a vacation club package to find out. From oohing and aahing at animals in zoos and in the wild, a soccer match under the lights, reading books outside in the sunshine, enjoying multiple bubble baths in an oversized tub, and indulging in several cones of chocolate gelato—our three nights in a Marriott Newport Coast two-bedroom villa looked an awful lot like all of our other vacations, with one notable exception: a 90-minute presentation at a desk, in an office, with lots of very big numbers and even bigger travel possibilities being tossed around.
The Sales Pitch
As I got dressed for our 11:30 a.m. presentation, there weren’t so much as a few butterflies fluttering around in my stomach as a migration of monarchs on their way up the coast. I felt like I was going to be sick, but there was no backing out now. We committed to giving up an hour and a half of our time in exchange for days of California springtime sunshine, so I put my big boy pants on, and off we went to the Sales Gallery across the koi pond from the main building of the resort housing the front desk, The Cove entertainment area complete with indoor activity room, cinema, and arcade, and the outdoor pools, hot tubs, cafe, and bar.