Vacation Ownership: Time Is On Your Side (NAPSA)—Most people want to go on vacation, at least once, every year. But take a momentto add up everything you’ve spent on all your vacations. Now think aheadto all the trips you dream of taking and what you know they would cost if you bought them individually—thousands of dollars for every trip, without knowing exactly what you are going to get. There are other options. With vacation ownership—commonly known as a timeshare—you have the ability to visit a variety of destinations and the ability to choose when you want to travel and the type of accommodations that best fit your needs. You also know that you'll be able to take your whole family with you, with more than enough room for everyone, without the expense of eating out for every meal and with the convenience and peace of mind of a home away from home. Traditional timeshares limit owners to a single property with the option to use their accommodations either for a specific week during the year or for a week during a specific time interval or season. Alternatively, with pointsbased ownership, instead of purchasing an interest in a specific resort and unit for a certain time every year, you are purchasing points or “currency”that, when redeemed, allow you access to various resort locations in a variety of accommodations, as well as the flexibility to choose when you want to go and your length of stay. For travelers who want to visit a variety of destinations throughout their lifetime—a tropical retreat one year and perhaps snow Points-based vacation ownership allows families to travel when they want to, changing destinations as often as theylike. skiing the next—they are likely to find a flexible points-based ownership system the best option. For example, Sunterra’s vacation ownership program includes nearly 100 properties where members use points for accommodations at Sunterra’s properties and 2,000 resorts worldwide through Interval International. Wheninvestigating properties, here are a few things to keep in mind: * Make sure the property is in good shape; * Check out the company’s background and see how long it has been in business; * Ifit’s a multidestination company or club, review the locations to make sure they offer you the variety of vacation opportunities you and your family are looking for; and * Check testimonials from existing customers. To learn more about pointsbased vacation ownership and Sunterra vacations, go to www.sunterragetaways.com.
