That Time I Stayed at a Timeshare, and Loved It!

I'm going to let you in a little secret I've never told anyone. While most of my stories published on this site revolve around budget travel with boutique hotels and hostels, before I began the quest for world domination I had an amazing experience when I stayed in an often misunderstood property type - a timeshare. Why did seven friends and I choose to stay at this timeshare during our college spring break? A fair bit of luck, you could say, that turned what could have been a nightmarish experience into one of the best spring breaks ever.
We stumbled upon this timeshare in Hilton Head, SC not through a website listing, but through a friend. As luck would have it, his uncle owned a large multi-floor condo right near the beach in an exclusive complex. When he is not using this amazing summer home, he sells and rents his timeshare weeks on the web for families and friends looking for a week away. Great for us because we got to stay for free, and a great deal for those who do decide to make a reservation to stay there because it's generally pretty cheap.
A Timeshare Can Be a Deal
It is a bit counterintuitive as a world traveler to think that a timeshare could be a deal, because images of pesky sales people trying to con you into a purchase pop up at the same time. But renting a timeshare for a week comes with all the benefits of owning a timeshare except it is a one time cost and no obligation to return year after year. Consider it like renting an apartment or holiday rental, except at an infinitely nicer and larger place with full amenities and in quieter residential locations.
Our condo timeshare was quite the amazing place and had some of the following features:

4 bedrooms
5 bathrooms
Giant living room
Kitchen and dining room
Outdoor patio
5 minute walk to the beach
Private pool for the community

The total asking price for a weekly rental of this timeshare was approximately $1,300. You get a bit of a sticker shock when you hear a weekly price for a room being more than most people's monthly rent or mortgage, but when you do the math you realize that the weekly rental price is only $185 per night. This rate is comparable to many of the hotels in the area and most certainly cheaper than many moderately priced hotels in countries around the world.
But think about that price again for a second. $185/night for a four bedroom, five bathroom, private, multi-floor condo. Then there were eight of us who shared the space comfortably each with their own bed and only a couple people sharing. That is only $23/night per person, $30/night if you wanted your own bed, less than I've spent for a bed in a number of dorms throughout the world. Sure, I did share a room with two twin beds with someone, but that is no different to a dorm like experience. The great part here was that the condo was large enough that I could get away from everyone at anytime if the situation called for it, and our rooms felt like living at someone's home - because we were!
The Trick to Make It Work
Timeshares have one limitation in most instances - a one week minimum rental. To really get the full use of a timeshare, you must be willing to choose one destination for a while. Backpackers may not get the full benefit of the timeshare experience because it is only in select cities that we choose to stay for a week or longer. But to those looking for some time off to plant down at a nice destination and relax, especially those with several friends looking for a great week out together, a timeshare is the only solution.
Suffice it to say, I was shocked by my timeshare experience being amazing. That is not just because our trip was free due to an amazing uncle of a close friend, but also because of the condo itself. Just look at it! If the pictures in this post didn't do the timeshare justice, as these are the actual pictures of the place we stayed at in Hilton Head, SC, I don't know what will. You'll just have to try one for yourself to find out! If you want to stay at the same timeshare resort that I did, there are a bunch of rentals available here.