In November 2015, I traveled to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic for the first time. My friends and I had bought two deals off of LivingSocial which included our room and the all-inclusive rates. It was a really good deal and we were excited to go down there for our first double-date vacation. We had a blast, as I’m sure you can guess. I mean, come on, were right on the beach, all our food and drinks are included, and were out of the cold New Jersey weather.
As on a lot of vacations, the resort will give you a tour and try and get you to become a member or buy a timeshare. The one thing my parents told me when I left was “Don’t buy a timeshare!” The two of them have a timeshare in Orlando that they’ve had for 30+ years. We love it there, but we didn’t need a second timeshare.
Back to the Dominican Republic … The day we signed up for the tour, they took us out for probably around 3+ hours. We got to see everything that would be included if we decided to become members and all our options of rooms. It was a really nice and informative tour as the resort sits on a pretty large plot of land with a LOT of amenities included. There are two different parties they have every week, 10+ restaurants, several pools, a bunch of bars and a few of the most beautiful beaches I’ve seen. The rooms range from studios to 7-bedroom villas. We saw it all and at the end of the day, they sucked me in to becoming a member (which you can imagine my parents were NOT happy about, oops).
I know, I know. I’m really bad at saying no! Plus, they gave me a pretty good deal. I don’t remember how much I paid but I can’t imagine it being too much or I never would have done it. So now I am a proud owner of a 25-week membership for a studio room in Puerto Plata (well, now 24 weeks now that I went last month).
The resort is beautiful. The people who work there, and also visit, are amazing. The food is delicious. It’s always warm (especially warmer than NJ). I don’t regret getting the timeshare … That much. Our “home” resort is Puerto Plata but we can also use it in Punta Cana and somewhere in Mexico. So, there are a few options for us. But the problem comes when I want to travel somewhere else – I feel like I am letting the weeks go unused. Like, I’ve been a member since 2015 and the first time I’ve gone back was February. Even though those 24 weeks are mine, and aren’t going anywhere, I still feel a little bit guilty and wasteful when I book somewhere else.
The plus side of being a member is that I am a VIP member, meaning there are beaches & restaurants that I can go to with my guests that regular visitors cannot go to. There is a VIP Beach, a VIP Pool, certain restaurants that are just for, well, VIP’s, etc. It is really nice and the people there are so accommodating. Also, I paid the whole membership off while I was there the first time (I don’t know who I thought I was with money back then) so I don’t have to worry about that. I just have to pay for my flight obviously, the room which is pretty cheap and the all-inclusive which is less than $500 per person for the week.
I don’t know… As I look back and think about it, maybe becoming a member was worth it. My boyfriend and I have discussed going back the weekend of Valentine’s Day every year so that will be a nice trip we can take (check out my post on our trip here). I think in the long run I’ll be happy I did it. But I would absolutely recommend thinking about it a LOT before you commit because as you can see, there are pros and cons to it.
Wow! That sounds absolutely lovely. Plus quite a bit of flexibility because you can stay at a few different resorts. When does the 25 weeks expire?
Author
They told us it was 25 weeks, or 25 years – whichever comes first!
Wow 7 bedroom villas?? I would never leave! The perks of being a VIP member sound amazing!
Author
It was amazing! I wish I could splurge get it, but i don’t have that many friends! 😂
I haven’t travelled much so haven’t been offered this anywhere but I can’t say no either and would probably end up going for it! I think it will be worth it as like you said they aren’t going anywhere so you still have plenty of time to use them and you can’t go wrong with all the benefits ☺️
Author
Exactly! I think in the long run it will definitely end up being worth it 😁
We have sat through a few presentations on various trips, but never actually invested in one. I think this is something we might consider when we are ready to settle down a little, but right now we want to visit as many different places as we can rather than returning to any one location over and over.
Author
That’s a good idea .. Sometimes I wish I would have saved it for later in life but I enjoy the resort so much that it’ll definitely get used!
This is so timely; I signed up to do a presentation soon and I’m really nervous because just like you, I have a hard time saying no lol. I honestly have no intentions of purchasing at this point in my life….. But this post is very comprehensive and very helpful and will help others like myself make the right decision.
Author
I’m glad I can help a bit! The way I look at it is – if it’s some place you can see yourself going back to several times, then it may be worth it. I hope you do what’s best!
I’ve always thought about a timeshare and have been tempted by them. One of my family members had a bad experience with a timeshare once so it’s always put me off. It’s great to see that yours and your family’s experiences have been much better! Thank you for the information xxx
Ashley
https://lellalee.com
Author
If you want to get one, definitely think about it a LOT and make sure it’s some place you’ll love going back to a bunch of times! xx
Very in depth and helpful insights! I’ve been on lots of these tours for prospective time shares and haven’t taken the plunge yet! I think when I’m a bit older it’ll be more worth the money
Author
Sometimes I think I should have waited until I was a little older, but then I remember I get to spend so much time while I’m still young & can travel ☺️