In the sixties the idea of timesharing sprung up. More people were ready and willing to travel - twenty years after World War II - and entrepreneurs were looking for a way to utilize and expand their vacation accommodation holdings.

Instead of the hotel or resort owner's carrying the whole burden of investment and development, the timeshare method makes it possible to acquire capital from those who will occupy the accommodation.

One bistro owner along the Mediterranean explained the coast development in the same way. Instead of large property owners occupying the whole oceanfront to the exclusion of all others, small businesses could own a part of that oceanfront and thus share it with a larger number of people, while they could also enjoy the profits from their business.

Timeshare owners buy not the whole property, but one week's worth (or multiple weeks), either for a specified number of years without title, or with title for an indefinite period of time, transferable as other real property.
One of the benefits of ownership is that the vacation accommodation is guaranteed.

Although timeshare is primarily thought of as having developed in Florida, where it became popular in the late sixties, the original idea seems to have come from a hotel owner in the French Alps, who encouraged his guests to buy into his hotel rather than just rent a room. The clients who wanted to return year after year were thus guaranteed a spot for their planned vacation time. He showed them that in the end this would be cheaper.

From the individual timeshare owner's perspective, it is a way to own or use a vacation accommodation for a certain period of time each year without the responsibility of year round ownership. The cost of maintaining the accommodation is split among the individual owners, based on the number of weeks each has purchased.

This is only half of the story. Once a great number of these timeshare properties had been established and the units sold, it became clear that continued ownership in one location presented some limitations, the major one being the need always to return to that location for the vacation.

Since timeshare owners had tangible property, exchanges were an obvious solution. Two companies now facilitate the administration of such an undertaking.

Many people now know the concept of timeshare, but the idea is still foreign to some. While this method of vacation ownership has paved the way for developers to create bigger and better resorts, there is a need to create more interest. Marketing the ownership in these resorts goes hand in with big promotional efforts and presentations.

As the demand grows, so do the facilities, The timeshare method is now utilized in resorts all over the world. Facilities range from studios to three-bedroom units, all with kitchen or kitchenette and one or more bathrooms, depending on the size of the unit. It is a home away from home in a resort setting, reducing the outlay for restaurant meals.

Convenience is built in to make the stay a great experience. Facilities are equal to or better that one would have at home: fireplaces, laundry facilities within the unit, and convenient equipment to keep floors clean and shining during holiday use.

The yearly maintenance fee provides the funds to keep the units in top condition. Resort management replaces furniture and furnishings frequently, refurbishing entire units as new equipment and materials become available.

Owning a timeshare is a great way to ensure a vacation year after year in locations around the world - including Paris - for those who are willing to make the initial investment.