DODGING TIME-SHARE HARD BALLS FIVE STAR LIFT Edition

• Published in: St. Louis post-dispatch
• Main Author: Christopher Reynolds 1996, Los Angeles Times
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: St. Louis, Mo Pulitzer, Inc 21.07.1996

THE DAY is cold and windy when we pull up at the well-manicured grounds at Vacation Break corporate headquarters, but inside all is cozy and efficient. Two by two, couples of various ages from various states are led away to the dining room by salespeople until there are more than a dozen threesomes nestled around the buffet tables. Our salesperson is Barbara. She asks about what we do, how long we've been married, our family plans, our plans for the weeks ahead. She tells us we're really very lucky to have been chosen for this offer. She guesses my age six years too young, and remarks briefly upon my resemblance to Fabio, an observation that draws great laughter every time I tell this story to anyone who can see me. Barbara seems a bit cautious about my occupation at first but then plows ahead with her pitch. She shows us the six-minute Vacation Break audiovisual production and leads us through model condominium units. Eventually we sit with Barbara at another table in another room filled with threesomes. Good cheer and easy-listening jazz are in the air. And after more than three hours of geniality and gradual introduction, we hear a price for the first time.