Timeshare Trends Blog

The Welk Resorts Cabo Sirena Del Mar is now open and is one of the newest members of Interval International. Overlooking the Sea of Cortez near Cabo San Lucas on the Baja California peninsula, this property is the first international location in the Welk Resorts portfolio. It is the Welk Resorts sixth property and is set on a 65-foot bluff on the tip of the peninsula.

The resort property is being built in tiers to maximize its panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez and El Arco, the landmark stone arch. There are two pools on the seven-acre property and cascading decks have wet wall water features, a vanishing edge waterfall and spa, thatched palapas, and a fire pit. At the rim of the seaside cliff is a spiral staircase leads to a cove beach. Sixteen of the 20 two-bedroom villas in phase one of Welk Resorts Cabo Sirena del Mar are lock-off units, and the remaining four units are two-bedroom penthouses.

The build out is scheduled to progress in five phases for a total of 222 units with a range of configurations, including one-bedroom junior suites. All units will include luxury amenities such as whirlpool tubs, stainless appliances, multiple flat screen TVs, complimentary Internet access, and pillow-top king-sized beds. Phase one owners and guests will be able to enjoy a range of on-site amenities including two outdoor pools (one with a swim-up bar), a fitness center, game room, an owner’s lounge and shop selling beverages and sundries. Just five minutes from the property is Cabo San Lucas, with a full spectrum of shopping, dining, golf and water sports.

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The Sol Melia Vacation Club at Gran Melia Palacio de Isora has won RCI’s Developer Innovation Award. The Developer Innovation Award recognizes a resort with new vacation ownership projects that are eco-friendly, have unique features, are family friendly, provide a high level of service, starting with the point of arrival.

The Gran Melia Palacio de Isora is a new property located in Tenerife of the Canary Islands that features 200 one and two-bedroom oceanfront suites with lavish amenities such as plasma televisions, fully equipped kitchens, and upscale wood and granite accents. The resort also includes five restaurants, six bars, room service, wine cellar, golf simulator, two tennis courts, a world class Yhi Spa, four adult swimming pools, two children’s pools, including one of the largest swimming pools in Europe.

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The Disney Doorway to Dreams is a new store now open in the Roosevelt Fields Shopping Center in New York. It is a new and convenient way to discover the excitement of the Disney Vacation Club. The Disney Doorway to Dreams showcases the spacious, family-friendly accommodations featured at the vacation club resorts.

Through the Disney Doorway to Dreams, clients may purchase Disney Vacation Club ownership for anyone of the Disney Resorts located at the Disney parks in Florida and California, as well as separate resorts in South Carolina, Florida and Hawaii. Disney Vacation Club ownership also allows you to utilize more than 500 vacation locations around the world. Also included is the Disney Cruise Line and family-friendly interactive adventures by Disney Trips.

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The Barrier Island Station Duck Resort in North Carolina is now being managed by SPM resorts. The resort’s Board of Directors recently hired SPM Resorts, which has a 30-year history of reliability and integrity. SPM Resorts currently manages 30 resorts and serves approximately 100,000 timeshare owners up and down the United States eastern seaboard.

According to SPM, their philosophy is to maintain an environment of appreciation, respect and sound working conditions for their employees. The SPM team manages the operations of facilities under their control in a highly ethical and professional manner to produce the greatest possible financial accountability and responsibility to the timeshare owners.

In addition, SPM’s management team is frequently called upon by banks and investment groups to assist with workouts and turnaround situations. The resort consists of 130 total units, two swimming pools and is located right in the heart of the quaint town of Duck, and is close to attractions, shopping, and restaurants.

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The Grand Pacific Resorts will not increase the maintenance fees in the 2009-10 fiscal year. This California resort property located in Carlsbad is leading the charge in recommending to its homeowners board that there will be no increase in fees.

The decision to have no increase in maintenance fees came about after a careful analysis of operations and an implemented cost cutting on all fronts. In most years this would not be a newsworthy item, but many timeshare resorts this past year are facing serious criticism over huge increases in maintenance fees, especially in such economically difficult times.

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Grand Lodges in Oregon has now been added to the Interval International exchange network of resorts. Tucked into Oregon’s Cascade Mountain range and a few miles from Mt. Hood, this new fractional resort offers four seasons of recreation, including year-round downhill and cross-country skiing. The central location of Grand Lodges adjacent to three ski areas is ideal for upscale clients, who have the opportunity to visit a high-quality ski-in/ski-out resort.

Owners of 1/16 shares at Grand Lodges can catch the Porch-to-Powder shuttle to the Mt. Hood Skibowl, Timberline Lodge, and Collins Lake Resort and ski back from Timberline via the glade trail to within steps of their front doors. A proposed aerial tramway connecting the three ski areas promises to further expand ski-in options. With panoramic views of Multorpor Mountain, Mt. Hood Skibowl, and Collins Lake, 16 open-plan units are designed for a cosmopolitan market.

Three floor plans ranging from 1,800 to 2,300 square feet offer owners and guests three bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, and a private balcony off the living room and master bedroom. In most units, Brazilian cherry hardwood floors and Cascadian stone fireplaces lend to an ambiance of rustic elegance.

Situated in the slope side village of Government Camp, the resort also offers visitors easy access to the surrounding Mr. Hood National Forest, with more than 1,200 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as world-class rafting, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Further reinforcing the value of ownership, new purchasers will be enrolled as individual members of Interval International, as well as Interval Gold, its upgraded membership program.

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The Gardenia Resort in Egypt is scheduled to be completed in 2011 and will be a member of the Interval International vacation exchange program. The resort will be located in the holiday town of Hurghada on Egypt’s famed Red Sea Riviera.

It is a mixed-use property situated within easy reach of golden beaches and local nightlife. The purpose-built resort will contain 175 timeshare units with a combination of studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Facilities on site will include restaurants and bars, swimming pools, and a kid’s corner.

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The Shell Vacations Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village in Kailua-Kona has been ranked number “one” by TripAdvisor’s Travelers Popularity Index. The resort has managed its top ranking position for four consecutive months. The top ranking is based on consumer comments and incorporates traveler ratings, guidebook entries, and web content sources.

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The Wyndham Seven Mile Beach at a cost of over $21 million recently opened in Tasmania, Australia. Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific is part of Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific and the largest vacation ownership company in the Asia Pacific.

The resort at Seven-Mile Beach employs 35 people, has a total of 61 rooms, including 11 different room types. There is also a restaurant, bar, pool, outdoor spa, tennis court, playground, games room, gym, sauna and BBQ facilities. Inspired by the Wyndham Green initiative, an on site horticulturist has set up a program to restore the native habitat to the original ecosystem that would have characterized the site prior to colonial inhabitation.

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The Solluna Resort in Uttarakhand, India is now a member of the RCI Network of affiliated resorts. RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies recently announced the affiliation with the Solluna Resort. It is located in India’s largest wildlife sanctuary, Jim Corbett National Park and the affiliation brings the total number of RCI affiliated resorts in destinations across India to more than 80.

The property is a five-hour drive from Delhi on the foothills of the Himalayas and is spread over 25 acres of lush green along the banks of the Ramganga River. Nestled within the National Park, the resort offers visitors tranquility along with opportunities for adventure including river rafting, fishing, open-top jeep rides, elephant safaris, horseback riding, wildlife tours and cultural activities such as folk dances and evening bonfires.

The resort replicates the essence of nature in its interiors, and the theme revolves around wildlife with 47 elegant cottages. It is equipped with 24 hour room service, a conference hall, restaurant, bar, swimming pool, library, mini theatre and travel desk.

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