Vacation Club

About Vacation Club

Vacation Club is an independent timeshare resort in Bellaire, a small town in northern Michigan. It operates outside the big hotel-brand timeshare chains, which typically means a smaller, more personal property with a loyal base of repeat owners rather than large-scale resort facilities. Its RCI affiliation is the main point of flexibility for owners: a week or points balance here can be deposited into the RCI exchange system and traded for a stay at another RCI resort elsewhere in North America or further afield.

Bellaire and the surrounding area

Bellaire sits inland in northern Michigan, within easy reach of Torch Lake, one of the state's best-known lakes for its clear, turquoise-tinted water, swimming and boating. Shanty Creek Resorts, about 10 miles (16 km) away, offers downhill skiing in winter and golf in the warmer months, making the area a genuine year-round destination rather than just a summer spot. Lake Michigan's shoreline is roughly an hour's drive away for beach days and dune walks, and Mackinac Island — reachable by ferry — makes for a worthwhile day trip if you don't mind a longer drive. Bellaire itself is a low-key small town with local shops and restaurants rather than a built-up tourist strip, which is part of its appeal for owners who want a calmer week away.

Selling or renting a week here

If you own a week at Vacation Club and want to sell or rent it out, BidMyTimeshare.com works as an owner-to-owner marketplace: you list your week yourself, set your own asking price, and buyers or renters contact you directly through the platform. There's no commission taken on the sale — sellers simply pay a one-time listing fee to get their week in front of buyers.

Because Vacation Club is an independent resort, resale transfers are handled through the resort's own owners' association or management company rather than a large branded timeshare company. Before agreeing a price with a buyer, it's worth asking the resort directly for the current transfer fee and the latest annual maintenance fee, since these figures aren't published centrally and can change from year to year. It's also sensible to confirm whether the resort or association holds any right of first refusal on resales, and how long a transfer typically takes once a sale is agreed — this varies by property.

A resale buyer at an independent resort should expect to take over the usage rights tied to the week or points being sold, along with the ongoing obligation to pay annual maintenance fees. They won't automatically inherit any loyalty perks, promotional upgrades, or banked points balances the original owner may have accumulated — it's worth being upfront with buyers about exactly what is and isn't included.

What renters typically look for

Renters interested in a week at Vacation Club are usually drawn to the Bellaire location itself, access to Torch Lake in summer, or Shanty Creek's slopes in winter, rather than resort amenities on their own. When listing a rental, it helps to be clear about the unit size, the week or season on offer, and whether the stay is a fixed week or a flexible points-based booking, since that affects how far in advance a renter needs to plan.

Practical notes for owners and buyers

Northern Michigan requires a car; there's no substitute for driving yourself in and around Bellaire. If you're exchanging through RCI during peak summer or ski-season weeks, book exchange requests early, as popular weeks fill up ahead of time. Winter visitors should make sure their vehicle is prepared for snow and cold-weather driving conditions before heading up.