Timeshare Trends Blog

Orlando is the first city to top 50 million in visitors. According to a recent Orlando Sentinel newspaper article, metro Orlando is the first destination to draw more than 50 million visitors in a single year with a record-breaking 51.5 million in 2010. Orlando easily beat New York City in the unofficial race to the million mark. New York had announced earlier this year that it was host to an estimated 48.7 million, making it the only other US city to approach the million milestone.

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Legoland Florida is now scheduled to open on October 15. Legoland Florida will be the fourth major theme park destination in central Florida after Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Sea World and is being built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven. According to the Legoland Florida sales manager, a date has now been provided to aid in vacation planning and because 80% of inquiries have been about the opening date. Admission tickets can now be purchased at www.florida.legoland.com.

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The Palmyra Resort and Spa has just offered fractional ownership with the announcement of the Residences at The Palmyra. The private residence club, now a member of the exclusive Registry Collection, offers access to luxury and sophistication at Jamaica’s premier Montego Bay beachfront community. The resort is aimed at people who are looking for a way to own a second home at the most sought after address in the Caribbean, but with the lower price tag of shared ownership. Among the amenities, there’s a private beach, three PGA-ranked golf courses, an unparalleled level of service with interiors designed in the Traditional British Colonial style with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea and white sand beach. Owners are deeded 1/13th of a specific residence with the rights and privileges of a regular real estate purchase, allowing them to use, lend, bequeath, rent or sell the property as they see fit.

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Snowmass Club is now a member of the Registry Collection. The Registry Collection program is the world’s largest luxury exchange program and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands. Located in Aspen, the Residences at Snowmass Club is a high-end multi-week fractional ownership Colorado residence close to world-famous Snowmass Ski Area. Among the many outstanding amenities, there’s on-site golf, it is minutes from the ski area, first-class service includes a 19,000 square foot athletic club, complete spa services, exclusive restaurants, and award-winning, eco-friendly architecture, lavish furnishings and unrivaled scenery.

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The Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Anderson Ocean Club is the newest Hilton vacation ownership resort. Strand Capital Group has developed the project while Hilton Grand Vacations is set to manage the sales and marketing, as well as oversee the timeshare homeowners association management. The resort is comprised of 152 luxurious vacation ownership units and is scheduled to open in early 2012 within the existing Anderson Ocean Club and Spa resort. The oceanfront property features studios, one, two, and three-bedroom units in a condominium style. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the upscale resort allows for immediate access to Myrtle Beach with ocean view and oceanfront suites, all with a furnished patio and a number of creature comforts from home, including full kitchens, living and dining areas and private bedrooms. On-site amenities also include the Awakening Spa, a fitness center and valet parking.

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The Main Street Inn and Spa has recently been given the honor of AAA’s prestigious Four Diamond rating. Only an estimated 4% of more than 31,000 North American properties have ever received this distinction. The South Carolina resort had previously won awards from a number of travel publications, including the Fodor’s Choice award for 2008, 2009 and 2010, and The Island Packet’s Reader’s Choice Award for 2009 and 2010. The property also received Expedia’s Insider’s Select Award in 2008. Among the resort features, the luxurious rooms have balconies that overlook famous gardens, a full hot breakfast is included and served each morning, and there’s an on-site spa that caters to guests. The resort is managed and operated by Festiva Management Group based in Asheville, North Carolina, which a full-service professional management company, with experience and specialization in resort operations and vacation ownership resorts.

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Manhattan Club is now one of the newest Bluegreen Resort members. Bluegreen Resorts have expanded their fee-based services business with the Manhattan Club in New York City. Located in midtown Manhattan. Bluegreen will be providing sales, marketing and title services to the Manhattan Club. The Manhattan Club is centrally located at 200 West 56th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue in the heart of midtown Manhattan near some of New York City’s most significant attractions including Central Park, Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, the Broadway Theater District, and world-famous shopping on Madison and Fifth Avenues.

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement to open a new Sheraton hotel in Dubai, of the United Arab Emirates and scheduled to open in early 2014. The hotel will be part of a three-tower mixed-use project located in the heart of Dubai’s commercial district. The new Sheraton Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road Hotel is part of the Sheraton brand’s global strategic expansion plan that includes adding more than 60 new hotels and over 20,000 rooms to the Sheraton portfolio over the next three years. It will be comprised of 660 rooms including 480 guest rooms and 180 serviced apartments. The hotel will also feature extensive dining, conference and leisure facilities as well as signature amenities including the all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed, designed to meet AAA’s Five Diamond Award criteria, and the Sheraton Club where guests can socialize or make connections on-line.

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Silverleaf Resorts has announced a merger. The timeshare company has merged with Merger Sub Inc., an affiliate Cerberus Capital Management LP, and has been approved by its shareholders. With the merger completion, Silverleaf will become a private company, wholly owned by SL Resort Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Cerberus, and its common stock will no longer be traded on NASDAQ. Silverleaf timeshare owners should not anticipate any interruptions in services because of these changes.

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Financing has eased up for Diamond Resorts International. The timeshare resort company has announced that it has completed a securitization involving the issuance of $64.5 million of investment-grade rated securities. The issuance was completed through one of its trusts and was comprised of “A” rated vacation ownership loan backed notes. The transaction achieved a 95% advance rate against the outstanding balance of the receivables in the securitization portfolio. According the Chief Financial Officer of Diamond Resorts, this transaction reflects the superlative quality of its vacation ownership receivables, the efficiency of its servicing platform and the strength of the hospitality management and vacation ownership businesses.

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