Timeshare Trends Blog

Ocean Terrace Condominiums has recently joined Fractional Exchange for the vacation exchange requirements of its fractional ownership. Located on Anguilla, the island is famous for its 33 non-exclusive white beaches, clear blue waters and a variety of restaurants. Ocean Terrace Condominiums has 11 one and two-bedroom units, is located on a hill with views of the Caribbean and the southeastern shore of Anguilla. Each condo unit ranges from 1100 to 1500 square feet. Amenities include daily maid service, swimming pool, gourmet kitchens and WiFi Internet access. The resort is located close to the Temenos Golf Course, which was included in Golfweek’s 2011 Best Courses of the Caribbean and Mexico.

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After a multi-million dollar renovation, the historic Bluebeard’s Castle resort hosted its grand reopening April 12th to showcase the property and the numerous updates that have been made. Bluebeard’s Castle is a historic property dating back to the 1600s. It is located on Bluebeard’s Hill and has spectacular views of the harbor and city below. Bluebeard’s Castle is professionally managed by SPM Resorts, Inc. of Myrtle Beach. Renovations included an overhaul of the lobby complete with new furniture, fixtures, fresh paint and check-in pods. The units received new kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, accessories, flat panel televisions, bedding and more. All rooms on property received state-of-the-art card entry door locks and in-room safes to further enhance guest security. The courtyard areas have been newly landscaped and new outdoor furniture was installed.

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A record setting 49.8 million people visited central Florida in 2010 according to Visit Orlando. That’s a 6.9 percent increase over 2009, according to Tourism Economics of Wayne, Pennsylvania. The original projection for Central Florida tourism in 2010 was 48.7 million vacationers, which would have been a 4.5 percent increase over the previous year, but as Daryl Cronk, director of research at Visit Orlando says, “The good news is the recovery is coming faster than many expected.” Although a final count for 2010 will not be released until May, speculation is that it will show Orlando tourism on track to become the first US destination to receive 50 million visitors in a single year.

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Walt Disney World and its related businesses in Florida generate an estimated $18.2 billion a year in economic activity and are responsible for more than one in 50 jobs in the state, according to an impact study paid for by the resort. From a recent article in the Orlando Sentinel, the resort found that Disney’s theme park operations in the state, which include Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, its Disney Vacation Club timeshare business accounts for 2.5 percent of Florida’s cumulative gross domestic product.

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Timbers Resorts has announced the unveiling of the Sebastian Vail. Formerly known as Vail Plaza Hotel & Club, The Sebastian is located centrally at the gateway to Vail Village, allowing its guests to take advantage of the multitude of Vail galleries, bars, boutiques and restaurants. As a Timbers Resort premier residence club, the Sebastian features a wide array of facilities and amenities including luxurious hotel rooms and private residence club accommodations; a new fine dining restaurant, Block 16; destination spa, Bloom; local hot spot, Frost Bar; a gourmet cafe, Market; as well as 8,000 square feet of meeting and conference space; and a Private Residence Club comprised of 36 luxury residences.

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Timeshares By Owner has announced the 12th Anniversary of “Vacation Time, Live!” Radio Show with an expansion of its show. Timeshares By Owner is proud to announce that its syndicated radio show, ‘Vacation Time, Live!’ is expanding to the East Coast of the United States. Saturday April 16, 2011 marked twelve years for the one-hour live talk show featuring the top cruise, resort, airfare and leisure vacation deals available. Each week the show hosts, Mary Biddle and Michael Klimek, bring deep discount travel to their audience. The show travels the country on live remote broadcasts throughout the year, such as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Club Med, Sea World, Universal Orlando and Carnival Cruise Lines. Timeshares By Owner is the presenting sponsor of this show and is the only timeshare resale company that has its own radio show to promote vacations using its owners’ timeshares. The radio show is broadcast in Orlando, Daytona Beach, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, and southwest Florida. The radio show will expand in the 3rd quarter of 2011 to Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Boston and upstate New York. “Vacation Time” is broadcast on Clear Channel Communications affiliates each Saturday at 4pm EST and its flagship station is 540 WFLF in Orlando.

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Silverleaf Resorts reported higher net income in 2010 despite lower vacation interval sales. Net income for the year ending on December 31, 2010 was $5.8 million with earnings per share of $0.15, compared to net income of $5.5 million, or earnings per share of $0.14, for 2009. Vacation interval sales were $206.3 million in 2010 compared to $241.0 million in 2009. The decrease in vacation interval sales is primarily attributable to a reduction in marketing to existing customers, which resulted in lower sales of upgrade intervals. The company implemented more stringent underwriting policies at the end of 2009 to improve the collection of notes receivable. Vacation Interval sales to existing customers comprised 59.3% and 62.0% of total vacation interval sales in the years ending in 2010 and 2009 respectively. Silverleaf Resorts are located in Colorado, Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, and Massachusetts.

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The renovation will focus on its retail district by revamping the streetscape and adding new retail shops. However, the project’s highlight will be the addition of two timeshare towers, which will increase the property’s timeshare inventory to more than 1,200. The first tower will have 37 stories that will house 300 units and will be accessible to public transportation. The second tower will be a 25-story building with 250 units located within a short elevator ride of the resort’s shopping and entertainment district. The buildings will further add to the resort’s seven towers including Diamond Head Tower, Ali’i Tower, Tapa Tower, Rainbow Tower, Lagoon Tower, Kalia Tower and the Grand Waikikian, which opened in December. Hilton also plans to add 8,780 square feet of new swimming pools for adults and children, in addition to its six existing pools. Located in the Waikiki area of Oahu island, the resort sits on 22 acres of prime beachfront property, which features Waikiki’s largest swimming pool, 22 bars and restaurants, botanical gardens and a branch of the Bishop Museum.

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Legacy Vacation Club is the new company name that has emerged from what has been known as Celebrity Resorts. Celebrity Resorts owners have recently received letters from Celebrity Resorts management asking them to bear with them while they transition from Celebrity to Legacy. They have promised no disruption in service and have informed members that they may still visit their owner site for vacation requests, owner news, and payments.

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Timeshares By Owner (TSBO) has announced record rental offers in March 2011. The leading for sale for rent timeshare advertising company in the nation, announced record timeshare rental offers transmitted in the month of March 2011. Rental offers to its timeshare owner clients were almost $1.9 million in that month alone. The highest rental offer for a timeshare week was $5,000. TSBO’s platform is designed to obtain the maximum number and dollar amount of rental offers to its clients. Detailed, time consuming property searches are not required for vacationers to rent from its clients. TSBO’s timeshare concierge service also makes finding the right timeshare quick and easy for people who may need some extra help finding the location and property that will best fit their needs.

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