Timeshare Trends Blog

Six resorts in Thailand are now affiliated with The Registry Collection. All of Absolute Developments luxury vacation ownership properties located in Thailand have now been accepted as members of the Registry Collection.

One of the resorts is Yoo Phuket, a collection of apartments and penthouses situated between three of Thailand’s leading Golf courses and a 10-minute drive to the island’s best beaches. The second, Yoo Samui, is an exclusive boutique beachfront mixed-use development located at the southern tip of Koh Samui, Thailand’s third biggest island.

The Absolute Beach Resort at Nakalay, the third resort on the list is in a private cove on Nakalay beach on the western coast of Phuket Island. The resort offers beachfront luxury apartments and penthouses with stunning panoramic views of the Andaman Sea and jungle-clad mountains.

Fourth is the Absolute Bangla Suites, a stylishly contemporary designed boutique resort hotel situated in the heart of Phuket’s nightlife, dining, entertainment and shopping hub in Patong. It offers a selection of 27 studios, nine junior suites, seven executive suites, and two grand suites, many with private terrace Jacuzzis.

Fifth is the Absolute Signature Villas at Palm Grove, Jomtien, a boutique hotel in Na-Jomtien that consist of villas with a private pool nestled among lush tropical gardens and furnished in Thai contemporary style and offering a first class service.

Sixth is the Absolute Platinum Suites, located in the popular tourist resort of Jomtien, Pattaya. This stylish resort boasts an olympic-sized swimming pool and offers guests a first class concierge service and premium facilities.

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The Villa del Palmar Cancun Luxury Beach Resort and Spa will be an Interval International exchange network property. With the development of its first shared ownership resort in the Mexican Caribbean, the Villa Group is building on its success in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and Loreto.

Currently under construction, the property will be situated on 35 acres along Mujeres Bay, opposite Isla Mujeres, and a 15-minute drive from downtown Cancun. The first phase is slated to open in 2010 and two additional phases are expected to be completed by 2012. Each villa will be elegantly decorated and include a living room, dining room, full kitchen with granite countertops, modern appliances and electronic equipment, and a spacious terrace.

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The Parkside Victoria Resort and Spa is now affiliated with the Registry Collection, a high-end luxury fractional vacation home exchange network with 158 luxury resorts and residences worldwide.

The Parkside Victoria is Aviawest Resort’s newest addition to its portfolio of resort properties. With exquisite interiors, sustainable environmentally friendly design and a robust amenities package, the resort offers affordable, flexible second home ownership in the heart of downtown Victoria in British Columbia.

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Timeshare owners often rent first. Half of recent purchasers have rented a unit prior to buying, according to the Vacation Timeshare Owners Report, 2009 Edition by the ARDA. Also reported, recent timeshare purchasers are younger, wealthier and happy with their vacation product.

Overall, more than six in ten timeshare owners are age 45 or older, with Bby Boomers ranked as the largest generation of timeshare owners (45%). However, recent purchasers are younger than timeshare owners in general, with 58% under the age of 45.

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Timeshare division of Marriott International has hurt earnings. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Marriott International lost $466 million in the recent quarter on hefty impairment charges from its Orlando-based timeshare business, which declined drastically in the recession as vacationers cut back spending.

Marriott lost $1.31 a share for the period ending September 11 compared with a profit of $94 million or 25 cents a share a year earlier. In the recent quarter, adjusted timeshare contract sales declined 42% to $176 million, compared with $49 million in the prior year quarter.

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Halcyon Hills Spa Resort and Marina on the Greek island of Samos is near completion and is Europe’s newest member of the Registry Collection, the world’s largest luxury exchange program.

The Halycon Hills Resort will boast an array of luxury facilities including a large spa, a 35-berth private marina, two beaches, tennis courts and more. The fundamental character of the resort combines luxury with the traditional Greek charm of Samos.

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The International Riviera in Tunisia, North Africa, is set to be completed in 2011 and will be a member of the Registry Collection Exchange Program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program offered by Group RCI.

The International Riviera will include 50 luxury waterfront villas, and the concept was created as a fusion of European elegance and the 21st century pioneering spirit of Dubai. The five-star residential resort development will have at its heart a Las Vegas-style casino complex and a range of other upscale amenities, including golf, spa, marinas and retail.

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The West Sands Phuket Beach Club in Thailand has been added to the Interval International global vacation exchange network. The resort seamlessly blends state-of-the art development with a commitment to green building practices and was honored with the prestigious Green Development Award in 2007 and 2008 at the Thailand Property Awards.

Tucked into 48 lush acres with its own 500 yards of private beachfront, the resort is situated on Mai Khao Beach on Phuket’s west coast. The studio, one, and two-bedroom units range from 990 to 1,798 square feet, and the three-bedroom units measure 3,605 square feet. The residences have been designed to have minimal impact on the environment and all feature European-style kitchens and bathrooms, as well as balconies with views of the pool, gardens, or the Andaman Sea. Mai Khao, which is part of the Sirinat National Park, is home to a golden sand beach, which stretches for 10 miles along the Andaman Sea and is the longest beach in Phuket.

Activities in and around the area include water sports, sailing, diving and fishing and further inland activities include elephant riding, trekking, golf, and horseback riding. Guests at the resort have access to the West Sands Water World, one of the largest water parks in Asia. Facilities at the resort include a fitness center, cooking school, PADI National Geographic Dive Centre, freeform swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, and spa.

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Hawaii timeshare occupancy has increased in 2009. Despite the economy and its impact on Hawaii, according to the Honolulu Star Bulletin, timeshare visitors have posted solid gains.

According to the newspaper, “The number of visitors who stayed in a timeshare for part of their Hawaii vacation rose by 4.6 percent during the first six months of this year, with the number of visitors who spent their entire vacation in a timeshare up by 5.8 percent, according to data from the Hawaii Tourism Authority.”

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Despite tighter credit markets and high unemployment rates, the U.S. timeshare industry continues to demonstrate its resilience.

Although overall sales continue to reflect the national trend of lower consumer spending, timeshare owners continue to enjoy their pre-paid timeshare vacations, with an 80% occupancy rate and an 86% product approval rate. This compares with a 60.4% hotel occupancy rate, according to Smith Travel Research.

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