Discover Stay #1 - Myrtle Beach, SC

Let’s do the math first — then I will tell you about the stay.

We purchased the Discover package for $1,900 and received 200,000 points in our inventory.

That means our points cost $0.0095 per point (just under one cent each).

This week we are staying at the Maritime Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, SC — oceanfront, 2-bedroom unit, overlooking the beach.

For this stay we used 35,000 points.

Now here’s where it gets interesting.

If we only used these 35,000 points and never used another point again, then this week would effectively cost us the full $1,900 — or about $271 per night.

At that point in the game… we’re behind financially.

So I always ask the front desk:
“What is the normal walk-in rate for this unit?”

He told me:

Monday–Friday: $139 per night

Weekends: $209 per night
Total for the week: $1,113

So again — if we never use the remaining points — we lost money.

But…

At our actual cost of $0.0095 per point, 35,000 points equals $332.50 for the week — or about $47.50 per night.

For a 2-bedroom, beach-view unit with heated pool and hot tub access.

Now we’re talking.

If we use all 200,000 points at that value, this stay represents over $700 in savings compared to being a walk-in customer.

This is where timeshare ownership can provide value.

Tip #5: Always do the math.

I was a Senior Software Engineer at Yale University for over 25 years. I love spreadsheets. I love working the system. I love getting my money’s worth.

My wife says it’s always about money with me.

She’s not wrong.

Because when we save money, we can spend money on other things.
A $10 savings adds up over time.

Now… the Stay

The Maritime Beach Club raised the bar compared to our January 2025 stay at Hollywood Beach Tower.

Waaay nicer.

Not Viking Cruise Ship perfect — but very nice.

We had a true 2-bedroom. Beach view. Comfortable space. Heated outdoor pool. Hot tub. Easy beach access.

Myrtle Beach is the Mini Golf Capital of the world — we always travel with our putters and try to play at least one course wherever we go.

Boardwalk Billys has good Fish & Chips, Great ribs!

Adela's has excellent Mexican food.

The Barefoot Queen River Boat Dinner Cruise was not worth the price of admission. Google it and you will find my Google Review listed.

The weather wasn’t exactly on our side this week, but overall we had a decent time.

It was nice to simply sit in the room and read. I worked on some art projects. Donna did a couple of model horse craft projects. No rushing. No tight excursion schedule. No 6:30 a.m. breakfast calls.

This stay was very different from our 70-day and 140-day Viking cruise adventures.

It wasn’t rushed.

It wasn’t structured.

It wasn’t exhausting.

Donna got the flu while we were in Egypt on one of our cruises — so we’ve learned something about “types of travel.”

Using timeshare points to just go somewhere and relax.
Plan to do nothing.
Maybe see an old friend nearby.

We’re learning we can balance our travel modes.

So you can start to see that timeshare purchases can be worth it.

Know your true ownership costs.
Keep spreadsheets.
Use tools like ChatGPT to ask questions and run the numbers.

But mostly — you have to do the work to work the system.

By the way… it was during this stay that Donna and I purchased the VoyagePlus package from Capital Vacations.

That will be a separate post — with the math and the “why.”

More to come.

We head to Gatlinburg, TN on Sunday.

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#AdelasMexicanKitchenRead more