Timeshare Trends Blog

Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort and Spa is now an Interval International property. The mixed-used resort is located in Carvoeiro, a whitewashed village in the western part of the sun-drenched Algarve on the southern tip of Portugal, one of Europe’s favorite vacation destinations and renowned for its rocky coastline, beautiful beaches, golf, and nightlife. Set in a valley of olive trees with a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and adjoining golf course, this property has 22 acres of landscaped gardens laced with walking paths within its gated grounds. On-site amenities include two outdoor swimming pools, a health club with a heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and gymnasium, and tennis courts. The resort’s world-class spa offers a wide range of massage and beauty treatments.

Bookmark To:

Hyatt announces its first property in Austria. Hyatt Hotels has recently announced plans to sign an agreement to manage the Park Hyatt Vienna. Set to be located in the heart of the city’s famous First District, the Park Hyatt Vienna will be built within a historic building, opening its doors in 2013 to bring the trademark Park Hyatt luxury touch to the city. It hopes to become a central part of one of Europe’s key business and cultural destinations. The Park Hyatt Vienna joins a total of 13 other hotels in development worldwide and, upon opening, will become the seventh Hyatt hotel in Europe and its first property in Austria. .

Bookmark To:

Interval International welcomes Hotel Savoy on Madeira. The timeshare exchange company has affiliated Hotel Savoy on the Portuguese island of Madeira and it will include 246 timeshare apartments upon completion in 2014. All of the Hotel Savoy timeshare apartments will be air-conditioned, offer Internet access, and have ocean-facing balconies or terraces. One-bedroom apartments will have separate lounge and dining areas, a full kitchen and master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. The two and three-bedroom lock-off apartments will be ideally suited to holidays with friends or family sleeping up to six and eight guests respectively. Studio units will have a kitchenette and a spacious lounge area.

Bookmark To:

Royal Aloha slashes fees for its new members. Headquartered in Honolulu, the non-profit timeshare company Royal Aloha Vacation Club has announced the reduction of its perpetual membership initiation fees by 60% as part of its 34th anniversary celebration. The promo, which lasts only until September 20, 2011, covers all nine destinations including Waikiki, Kona and Maui, Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, Chandler, Branson, Oregon, Marbella in Spain, and Acapulco in Mexico. Under the promo, every new member will receive a free iPad for a one-time initiation fee of $1,295 for a one-bedroom/one-week membership, or $2,495 for two-bedroom/one-week application. Both packages include a lifetime membership, tax and escrow closing fees, and use of any Royal Aloha location for a week each year. One of the first vacation clubs ever established in North America, Royal Aloha is owned and managed by 8.500 members and has 227 condominium units.

Bookmark To:

Naima Village is the newest Interval International resort in Italy. The resort is located in Puglia along the Salento coast of southeastern Italy and situated near Castellaneta on the Salento Peninsula. The area features beaches that are not crowded, feasts with a distinct rustic feel and a very good golf course. Naima also stays warm almost throughout the year, and is a picture-perfect setting surrounded by vineyards and olive trees, with majestic sea views The new resort is designed to be family-friendly and is expected to open its doors come May 2012, just in time for new timeshare owners to book for the summer. Current development plans include 105 villas with two studio units, 92 one-bedroom apartments and 11 two-bedroom apartments, all furnished in the classic Mediterranean style. The air-conditioned units will also have open-air verandas overlooking the gardens. Each unit will have its own kitchenette with microwave ovens, as well as an LCD TV with cable or satellite service and Wi-Fi service. Amenities also include two pools, a tennis court, a playground, a theatre, a restaurant health club and spa, and a mini-market.

Bookmark To:

Sol Melia Vacation Club has rebranded as Club Melia. The Orlando based timeshare vacation club’s new moniker goes along with the rebranding of the company’s corporate parent, Spain based Sol Melia Hotels and Resorts now known as Melia Hotels International. The vacation club has 27,000 members, 14 member resorts and 27 associated resorts.

Bookmark To:

Eden Club is now a member of the Exclusive Resorts. The alliance provides Exclusive Resorts members the opportunity to experience the luxury and style of Eden Club’s private estate residences located on the grounds of Scotland’s historic Pittormie Castle. The resort sits a short distance away from the Old Course in St. Andrews, known as the birthplace of golf. Members have access to on site restaurants, itinerary planning services from the staff, and a golf concierge that handles all of the arrangements with St. Andrews and more than 30 other golf courses nearby. In addition, members of Eden Club will be granted access to vacation destinations under Exclusive Resorts, including a long list of beach, mountain, leisure and metropolitan locations around the world. As part of the overall experience, Eden Club members also get the personalized services of Exclusive Resorts staff, including pre-travel planning options, pre-arrival grocery shopping, a daily housekeeping service and the assistance and expertise of an on-site concierge.

Bookmark To:

The Melia Marbella Banus is the newest Sol Melia Vacation Club resort. Located in Costa Del Sol, Spain, the Melia Marbella Banus is surrounded by the best beaches and golf courses in Costa del Sol and is located in the exclusive Puerto Banús area. Just a few miles from the old town of Marbella and less than an hour from the Malaga Airport, the resort offers Sol Meliá Vacation Club members accommodations that include studios for two people, one bedroom suites for up to four people and two bedroom suites for up to six. The Sol Meliá Vacation Club (SMVC) is a leading international vacation membership club with locations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and four member resorts in the Canary Islands.

Bookmark To:

The Weybridge Collection has selected FractionalExchange.com for the vacation exchange requirements of its owners. Headquartered in Chicago, the Weybridge Collection is a unique assortment of residences located in destinations throughout the world. It presently includes five properties in Italy, New Mexico, Colorado, and Mexico. Each one is viewed as a work of art and is available for exchange in two-week increments. The emphasis of Weybridge is to provide a second home experience in locations that have a strong cultural component including art, music, food and wine. The latest property is the Fondo Le Teglie, in the Italian countryside in Umbria. Other properties include Casa Las Artes in Santa Fe and a condominium at the Residences at Snowmass Club in Snowmass Village Colorado.

Bookmark To:

The British government has passed new regulations for timeshares and club memberships. The law should provide better protection for consumers in the United Kingdom that is similar to initiatives sweeping across all of Europe in the timeshare industry. The new rules will be implemented in February 2011 and will enforce fair-trading of timeshares in the industry. According to Consumer Minister Edward Davey, “These products are often sold across borders, so it’s only right that we have protections in place for consumers that also cross borders. Knowing these regulations are in place will boost consumer confidence and boost business for legitimate traders. The guidelines should offer benefits for businesses, such as a simplified version of UK’s current legislation and replaces the old Timeshare Act and the regulations affiliated with it. The new regulations are more standardized and provide the necessary information in a more streamlined manner. The new law will also place “holiday clubs” under the same scrutiny as timeshares, and may put an end to underground business activities. The law should give consumers more confidence in the industry and they will be given vital information before they make any deals and will have new rights in dealing with club sales and timeshare resale services.

Bookmark To: