(Continued from Day 4, Part 2)
At 8:00 this morning we had the mandatory timeshare presentation that made the whole trip possible. Despite having many, many opportunities in Florida to earn stuff by wasting time in this way, we had never taken advantage of them, and this was our first.
Based on the experiences of others, we expected a boring group presentation and a high-pressure sales pitch. I even brought a book to read, as I was told that is the best way of getting through the presentation.
Not here. First, the presentation was personal, just the agent and us. Surprisingly, that was not boring at all. I survived very well the insistent personal questions—designed to help her tailor her presentation to our personalities—by reminding myself that there was a person behind that sales front, and countering every question with one back at her. “How many children do you have?” she’d ask; “Two; how about you?” I’d respond. We actually had an interesting conversation, instead of me just resenting being asked questions I didn’t want to answer.
The presentation was followed by a tour of the Hilton timeshare properties at Waikoloa Village. (We were staying in their hotel, not a timeshare.) Again, it was just the two of us and our guide.
At the end, we were given the opportunity to buy into the program, and—as we had expected—some incentives to “do it now.” But really, there was little pressure; they expect the program to sell itself.
And if we had been different people, it would have. Timeshares aren’t the burdens they were many years ago, at least not these. If our travelling tastes ran to staying in major cities and tourist destinations, this would be an excellent resource. Hilton has a vast array of properties, from small apartments to major hotels, available for their community members to use on “points” generated by their timeshare properties. Some are more luxurious than others, but all are backed by Hilton quality. The system could save someone who vacations like that a lot of money over time.
But that’s not us. True, we’ve learned to enjoy a nice hotel on the company’s dime dollar. We also stopped patronizing cheap motels when the clientele went from frugal to sleazy, at least along I-95. I’m talking bedbug / appalling personal hygiene / meth residue on the walls kind of sleazy. We like good quality accommodations. But our travel largely revolves around family and friends—the sales rep reluctantly informed us that they have as yet no properties in the Gambia—and we’d rather not have HD TV in the room and a golf course and tennis courts nearby.
So, they didn’t make a sale, but succeeded in proving to us that timeshare programs are like I-95 hotels: you can find a good one if you’re careful.
All in all, considering the value we received, I call it two and a half hours well spent.
It was our fifth day in Hawaii, and we hadn’t yet been swimming. So we headed just a bit north, to Hapuna Beach State Park, which has won numerous accolades for its white-sand beach.
The sand was nice, the water was nice—albeit a bit too calm for my taste—and we spent a pleasant couple of hours there—but it is hard not to be a Florida snob when it comes to sand, surf, and sun.
Back at the resort, we prepared for the evening’s big event, the Legends of the Pacific luau. Big, all-you-can-eat spread of Hawaiian food. Entertainment featuring Polynesian music and dance. Not something that would have drawn us with its $100/person price tag, but for what we paid (it was part of our package), it was fun, and good eating.
This short YouTube video by Westjet gives you a view of the Hilton Waikoloa resort, and you’ll see part of the luau production in the middle. I know some grandkids who would have enjoyed the fire dancer.
Historical note: One of our table-neighbors was playing with his iPad while waiting for dinner to be ready, while his wife nagged him to get rid of it. I sympathized with him, but he put it away and did not share with us what he had been reading—that halfway across the world, Osama bin Laden had been killed.
Did you really ask about properties in the Gambia?
Really did. She asked us to name three countries we'd like to visit, and Porter included the Gambia, for obvious reasons. Made her day, I think. After he told her where it was.
Now I'm curious: what does meth residue look like?
As I understand it, meth residue isn't something the average tourist can see or even smell, but when a hotel room has been used as a meth lab, the gas sticks to everything, and is toxic. It's enough of a problem to have the hospitality lawyers concerned.
It's also a problem for people who unknowingly move into houses or apartments that have been used as meth labs. And while the meth cooking process creates the worst residue, even rooms in which meth has been smoked can be a problem. The residue cannot be removed by ordinary hotel cleaning procedures.
