Over the period of decades the popularity of timeshares has grown by many folds so much so that over two million Americans have timeshare properties in country and out of country. But the rise of timeshare industry saw the rise in scams and frauds. More recently the timeshare industry has been plagued by unscrupulous activities of frauds and scammers. Notwithstanding these serious problems with timeshares a new breed of alternatives are emerging. One of the main reasons why people were attracted towards timeshares was that it will be an expensive affair for a big family to vacation every year at a hotel or a resort. Timeshares proved to be an economical solution to all that.

But on the flip side of it, buying a timeshare requires large upfront fee and the timeshares typically range anywhere from ten thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars also. On top of that the buyers have to pay the annual maintenance fee, property taxes, management fee etc. which could range from few hundreds to over a thousand also. People have begun realizing that why pay more money and still use the same property every year for only one week. And people get bored of going to the same place again and again. Although some timeshares offer exchange program which would allow owners to exchange their timeshare units across different resorts and locations but it is not that easy with exchange costing more bucks. And when the owner wants to sell a timeshare unit it is not that easy task. Timeshares are one of the most difficult properties to sell. Even when they sell they sell at 30%-50% lower than their original price.

A new way of vacationing is taking the industry by storm. Resort memberships and condo hotels are becoming one of the best ways and best values for people to go on vacations. Most resort memberships require you to pay a one time enrollment fee, after which you can enjoy the benefits of the resort for life. Most also require no yearly or monthly maintenance fees or taxes. The price range for membership fees varies greatly from a few thousand dollars to few hundred thousand dollars. A few resorts still charge a yearly fee, but if you do your research you can avoid these companies. Some of the best deals require you to pay around three thousand for a lifetime membership, or two thousand dollars for a limited five year membership. Many companies will also include access to not only the resort you joined, but also any other resort the company owns. The best part is there is no limit on the number of visits or the time of the visits you can make to the resorts. This allows you to be confident that your vacation is always guaranteed.

Another concept that is getting popular is condo hotels which is a relatively new concept and only very few people own condos in hotels. But the concept is receiving good reviews and is gaining popularity with the time. The way it works is it allows people to buy condos in luxurious hotels and utilize the benefits of all the amenities available in the hotel. If the owner is not using the condo he can put his condo for rent and can receive percentage of the revenues it produces. A condo hotel in comparison to a timeshare offers more flexibility, is better furnished, and has better amenities, better services and many locations.