Skyauction: How I get $35/night condo rentals, anywhere in the world!
I mentioned the Skyauction $249 vacation certificate deal a couple of days ago and wanted to take this opportunity to talk a little more about excess time share rental. It’s one of my top tips for traveling with families as you save so much money on food and get to stretch out. In fact, I bought two certificates on this promo I’m thinking of using for Camp Mom this summer. I’m just keeping an eye on Europe and when something opens up that I like, I’ll grab it. If the $249 price is not available, check the site listing for other certificate deals in the $299-$399 range.
However, buying a certificate like this one is not without risk, and I wanted to talk about the process of renting timeshare and what to expect.
To summarize:
Endless Vacation Rentals is owned by Wyndham, which also owns RCI, the largest holder of timeshare exchanges in the world. I have bought numerous weeks through them, including my week in Tenerife last summer, a week we’re taking over Memorial Day in Williamsburg, and weeks in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Guatemala, St. Maarten, and New Orleans, to name a few.
Skyauction is one of their primary venues for selling these weeks, and the $249 is as low as they go: even better than the price the military gets through the Armed Forces Vacation Club ($349).
So what you do is buy a certificate, and then you search for a week that you can use it. In this specific case you have until 8/31 to book, and 7/31/14 to stay (reservations are available 11 months out). You do have the opportunity to search availability before buying, but I usually buy the weeks “on spec”, meaning I don’t have a specific booking in mind, I just know I’ll find a use for it.
When I search units, I always compare their ratings on Tripadvisor so I have an idea what I’m getting. Their search engine is pretty simple to use: you just enter an area, then a calendar shows months with availability. Click on the month and a list of properties will show up.
There will be two options: the ones that default on the screen are your “no charge” options-the ones your certificate will pay for in full. Just book and you’re all set!
The second option is the “upgrade” tab. The upgrade fee is an extra fee to the $249 paid at the time of booking. The fee in some cases gives you larger rooms, or in some cases opens up more dates and resorts. I’ve paid it a few times when it was $100 to go from a studio to a 1 bedroom for instance (I really value that door!). But sometimes the options they show at “upgrade” are just loony: $1000 a week? No, thanks!
Reader Nicki also reminded me of something else to be sure to check: along the right side of the listing are the policies. Usually they’re pretty standard stuff like occupancy limits and “must be 21 to check in”, but, especially in other countries, some can seem weird such as power surcharges, paying for TV service, etc. I’ve never paid more than $50 extra for this stuff, but it is a good reminder to check. Tripadvisor is also a good gut check for that kind of stuff as past guests will rat out any property that tries something too shady.
For instance: I’m reviewing properties right now for “Camp Mom” and Tripadvisor busted one that had a coin operated TV…that would SO not fly with the Deal Kids! Now, I was willing to pay the 20 Euro deposit last year for the remote control to the TV in Tenerife (again, weird, right?), but I got it back at the end of the week…who steals a remote from a Bubble TV?
The downsides are basically two:
1. There’s always the risk you won’t find something and you’ll lose your $249 (hasn’t happened to me in 15 years, but it’s possible).
2. The reservations are non-refundable. At $249 I’m willing to take the risk, but if it’s being bundled with paid airfare I always take out travel insurance. That decision paid off one time when I had to cancel and I had no problem getting refunded.
Is this deal for you?
The Answer is NO if:
1. You’re not comfortable booking a reservation you can’t cancel.
2. You’re expecting 5 star service. Timeshare are APARTMENT rentals and should be thought of as such. They usually have mid-week housekeeping, and if you’re lucky daily trash removal. If you need turn-down service, Timeshares are NOT for you!
3. You want this for Paris in the springtime. At $249 a week, you’re getting one of two things: excess inventory or last minute availability. If you are looking for peak travel times and peak destinations, these certificates will not help you.
4. You are not comfortable booking THE MOMENT YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU LIKE. If you need to gather your thoughts, call a bunch of family members, check the calendar ten times, consult your horoscope, etc. etc. etc. before booking, YOU ARE GOING TO DRIVE YOURSELF CRAZY. Timeshare inventory sells in REAL TIME, meaning the entire world sees that apartment over Christmas week in Maui also, and someone with less, ahem, baggage than you is going to steal your booking right out from under you.
The answer is YES if:
1. You’re traveling to an destination on this list:
Orlando
Williamsburg, VA
Las Vegas
Lake Tahoe
Poconos
Cancun/Riviera Maya
The Canary Islands
All are overbuilt with Timeshare units and I’ve never NOT seen a unit available in those locations.
2. You’re a last minute traveler. Peak locations often come available 30 days or less before departure, just like award tickets.
3. You love Ski Resorts in the summer and beaches in the Winter. Pretty much anywhere is available off-season.
4. You’re willing to think outside of the box. If you use availability for inspiration, as I do, you can have some real adventures. I would never considered Tenerife last year and now I’m thinking of taking the kids there this year, because for $35.57 a night I can have a 1 bedroom Ocean-view condo, in Europe, in July. Where (and how) else am I gonna do that?
Heroes Vacation Club: First Responders get First Dibs at Amazing Weekly Rental Deals
Regular Deal Mommy readers know I’m a HUGE fan of weekly rentals for families and here’s one that’s been on my radar. Simply put, Heroes Vacation Club is a no-brainer way for first responders- including police officers, firefighters, EMTs- to save big on weekly rentals. Best of all, the program is 100 percent free.
The best part? Weeks go as low as $349! That’s per 7 night stay in units ranging from studios to 2+ bedrooms. I reviewed the list of resorts in Heroes Vacation Club and to my surprise I’ve stayed in over 10 of them! I recognized properties in Virginia (Williamsburg, VA Beach and Blue Ridge), Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale Florida, the Caribbean (Bahamas and St. Maarten) and Spain (Costa del Sol and Tenerife). All of my experiences were great and the properties ranged from simple and clean to downright luxurious.
Why am I such a fan of weekly rentals such as the ones from Heroes Vacation Club? Lots of reasons, but I’ll highlight a few:
- Full kitchens mean huge savings on restaurant meals. $50 on eggs for 4? No thanks!
- A door you can close when the kids go to sleep- so Mom and Dad get privacy for an hour at night and in the morning before the kids wake up.
- After a couple of days our family of 4 gets downright stir crazy in a 300 sq. ft. hotel room. We’ve had rentals that the kids could play hide and seek in!
- Weekly rentals stay true to my vacation mantra: minimize transitions. 7 days in one spot gives you a chance to go native.
Heroes Vacation Club has launched a brand new site that’s really easy to use. It features a faceted search, integrated social sharing, ideas to plan your vacation and more.
11 Items You’ll Wish You Had Packed for a Vacation Rental
Regular readers know I’m a HUGE fan of the vacation rental or “resort residence”. From our recent trip to Gran Canaria to Hawaii last summer to over 20 other trips over the years I’ve taken advantage of the many benefits resort residences offer. From saving on food to 2 TVs to that all important closing door I recently mentioned it’s hard for me to feel like a trip is luxurious in a regular hotel room when I’m traveling with the Deal Family.
I recently learned about a new source for resort residence rentals: Vacatia. They offer resort residences in top US vacation sites such as Orlando, Florida beaches, and Hawaii. They even offer Disney Vacation Club Rentals.
Browsing the list I immediately spotted Kona Coast Resort where the kids and I stayed last summer. Our 2 bedroom unit was recently remodeled, HUGE, fully equipped and had a gorgeous balcony where we ate most of our meals.
After so many trips you’d think I would have packing for one down to a science. However, every time I check in I realize there’s some random item I forgot. This post is as much for myself as for you! Here’s a handy list of the stuff I always end up wishing I had packed in my bag:
- Coffee filters and fixins: For a week long trip I go through about a normal size bag of coffee. That I’m happy to buy onsite- in fact in places like Hawaii it’s a bonus to buy it locally. But I’m left scrambling for filters and sugar every trip. The idea of buying a pack of 100 filters and a pound of sugar when I need 1/10th that amount drives me nuts! I’ve learned to stick 10 or so filters and a bunch of sugar packets in a ziploc bag. Tip: a paper towel works in a pinch as a coffee filter but a Kleenex does NOT. Trust me on this one.
- Peanut butter: This one is specifically for international trips. Finding peanut butter outside of the states can be a real challenge. I’ve gotten my kids to love Nutella, which is available pretty much everywhere, but if you’ve got a picky eater Skippy may be a life-saver.
- A small spice kit: I use a “days of the week” pill box to store a tablespoon of salt, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic powder, cinnamon etc. It makes all the difference with your eggs or pasta.
- Protein bars: I can usually find pastries right away for breakfast but it may take me a day or so to find the “big” grocery store for a good protein source.
- A corkscrew/bottle opener. Most good resort residences have them but if you need one you don’t want to get caught short.
- Non-bubbly bath salts: Many resort residences have Jacuzzi tubs- in fact our condo in Gran Canaria had one on the balcony. Taking a bath directly below the Big Dipper was a bucket list experience I didn’t know I had on my list! However, using bubble bath in a Jacuzzi is a BIG no-no. One of Deal Dad’s favorite stories is of the time I flooded a hotel bathroom trying to get my bubble on in a Jacuzzi bathtub. A packet of scented bath salts or a fizzy block is now always in my bag.
- High end toiletries from your other trips: Most residences come with basic shampoo and shower gel but I’ll bet you’ve got a ton of Molton Brown or Bliss at home. Bring em! I almost always end up using one more soap bar than a resort provides- I like one at the kitchen sink and they usually only put soap in the bathrooms.
- Beach Towels: Many resort residences have “pool towels” but most don’t have beach towels. I’ve got more than one set bought in distress at the local Walgreens. Throw a set in if they’ll fit.
- Microkites, beach balls: They cost $2, take up no room, and are a blast on pool and beach days.
- A deck of cards: Playing cards take up no space and a sure fire way to entertain the kids after dinner when there’s nothing good on TV.
- A beanie baby sized lovey: If you have younger kids a stuffed friend might help them get to bed in a strange room.
Do NOT Redeem Wyndham Rewards at Timeshares. Here’s Why.
‘m doing a session next week at FT4RL DFW about hotel alternatives. Between the Hyatt program changes and this Wyndham Rewards news it couldn’t come at a better time.
Wyndham Rewards has been all over the blogosphere lately- for some not so good reasons. I’m still a fan of the program in general so you might think I’d appreciate the news that you can now redeem points for time share properties.
I don’t.
For the same reason the Wyndham Credit Card is a terrible value a much better option is available for Wyndham timeshares: Endless Vacation Rentals (EVR). EVR is owned by Wyndham, who also owns RCI timeshare. EVR rents out their inventory at often jaw-droppingly low prices.
I’ve been quietly hacking Wyndham rentals for over 15 years. Our family has rented 2 bedroom Wyndham apartments in Ireland for $549/week. Last August we spent $279 for a WEEK in Hawaii in a 2 bedroom Wyndham condo.
Wyndham Rewards charges 15,000 per bedroom for a timeshare, so a two bedroom unit will run you 30,000 points per night. The Ireland and Hawaii trips listed above run 210,000 points a week under Wyndham Rewards- for a redemption value of 1/5 to 1/10 penny a point. This may be the single worst value redemption in existence, and I’m including points for presents.
If you’re military or a vet, you’ve got an even better option: $349 weeks through AFV club. First responder? Try Heroes Vacation Club.
Using any of these sites is pretty straightforward: you just pick a week you like and buy it.
If you’re really flexible, try SkyAuction. Wyndham Rentals there go as low as $199/week- I’ve rented in Tenerife, Ft. Lauderdale, and Vegas among others using SkyAuction. Here’s a post detailing how I use Skyauction.
Even on a 1 night stay you might be better off buying the week, especially if you find it on Skyauction. The one downside? No cancellation. Only buy with trips you have committed.
A quick caveat: I am talking here about the weekly rentals or the nightly rentals, not the “vacation packages” you might see on EVR. They are an entirely different animal. Consider the packages a discount for your time spent attending a timeshare presentation. With a weekly rental you are NOT required to attend a presentation. Now I’m not saying you won’t get invited to do so, but you are under no obligation to do anything but enjoy your vacation.
PLEASE take a good look at EVR and the other options I’ve mentioned before you think of parting with your Wyndham points at 1/10 of the value you could get using them in other ways. And do come back and let me know about the Wyndham timeshares you’ve visited- I’m always looking for new ideas.
Airbnb Miles and Points Guide
As I move away from hotel points and more towards vacation rentals I thought it would be handy to create an Airbnb miles and points guide. You can both earn miles on Airbnb purchases and redeem points for Airbnb stays, but the process is not quite as straightforward as using hotel points in some cases.
Earning Miles and Points on Airbnb
Portals
Earning airline miles with Airbnb is pretty simple. Just enter through their portal and you’ll get miles when you pay for a rental.
- Delta: 1 Skymile per dollar spent.
- Virgin America: 1 Elevate point per dollar spent plus an extra 1,500 elevate points on first booking.
- Qantas: 1 points per AU dollar (76 cents)
Objectively the Virgin America point is worth the most on travel but I’m using Delta due to ease of redemption and the fact that Delta Skymiles never expire.
If you’re a first timer on Airbnb and are not using the Virgin America deal feel free to sign up on my referral link. You’ll still get the $20 bonus (occasionally raised) and you’ll still get the miles if you purchase through the portal.
Earning on Gift Cards
You can double dip easily with Airbnb by buying gift cards first and using them towards your purchase. Category bonuses are your best friend here. You’ll also see sales from time to time, which can be good for stocking up.
By doing so, however, you’ll lose your travel insurance protection as you’re not using a credit card for actual purchase. Be sure to weigh those two carefully before proceeding. Here are my three favorite plays for airbnb gift cards:
- JetBlue on Amazon: 3 trueblue points per dollar
- Chase Ink at office supply stores: 5 points per dollar
- United Mileage Plus X App: 3 miles per dollar (varies)
Redeeming Miles and Points for Airbnb
The best value play here is the Barclay Arrival+ card. Arrival lets you redeem points for purchases over $100 and gives an extra 5% back if the purchase is on travel. Earning on this card is 2 points per dollar so it’s a solid use of your spending.
You can also redeem American Express Membership Rewards points for Airbnb, but the rate is only one percent for gift cards and less for stays. You’ll likely get better value using Membership Rewards on airline transfers.
However, I’m doing neither of those. I value the insurance on the Chase Sapphire Reserve more than I value the points spend so I’d rather charge the expenses there and have the peace of mind. Airbnb does count towards Chase’s $300 annual travel credit.
Choice Vacation Rentals are Both a Great and a Terrible Deal
You guys know I’m a huge fan of vacation rentals. From saving on food to 2 TVs to that all important closing door I recently mentioned it’s hard for me to feel like a trip is luxurious in a regular hotel room when I’m traveling with the Deal Family. Our Airbnb rental in Las Vegas featured a private game room and 3 bedrooms for $150/night. The Deal Kids were more than happy to hang there over visiting the Vegas sights again.
I’m really excited to see hotel companies enter the vacation rental space.
It’s the Reese’s cup of points: you put your loyalty program in my vacation rental. No, you put a vacation rental in my loyalty program!
The latest is Choice Vacation Rentals.
Choice has entered the fray with a selection of 20,000 professionally managed properties in 35 US destinations. I really like the Choice model: they partner with local management companies so guests have a 24/7 point of contact and backup by the brand if anything goes wrong.
The #1 reason I hear from folks preferring hotels over rentals is lack of consistency. While hotel stays can go wrong, vacation rental nay-sayers point out that they have recourse with corporate. Choice is threading that needle nicely.
The other benefit to standard hotel stays is the ability to earn and redeem Choice Privileges® points. Here’s where the Choice Vacation Rentals model excels- and falls flat.
Excels: Earning
In this way the Choice program reminds me of IHG. Choice Vacation Rentals offer 5 to 10 points per dollar on stays. Considering none of the other rental companies (besides Delta on Airbnb) offer loyalty points the Choice program is a clear winner.*
*Wyndham allows you to redeem points on rentals, but not earn them except in limited circumstances. Don’t spend your Wyndham points on vacation rentals..
Falls Flat: Redeeming
Also like IHG, some Choice redemptions offer terrible value. If you wanted to redeem points for rentals, values range from 1/3 cent to 1/2 cent each. Compare that to hotel redemptions, which are usually over a penny- and I can often get two cents per Choice point.
If you are wondering where to use Choice points, here are my favorite options.
