Timeshare Trends Blog

Timeshare fee recovery companies are sparking complaints. According to a recent article in Orlando Sentinel newspaper, timeshare owners have lost millions to scam companies falsely claiming to line up buyers for their properties. Now the new worry is fee recovery companies that promise to help recover their losses. The Florida Attorney General has received more than 600 complaints in the past year about so-called “timeshare recovery operations”. Independently, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is looking into telemarketing law violations related to several outfits.

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The Reunion Wyndham Grand Resort recently announced that it will partner with two other Florida resorts in an alliance called the Grand Golf Resorts of Florida. The other resorts include the Innisbrook Resort near Tampa and the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast. Annika Sorenstam, who has a golf academy located on the Reunion property, was on hand for the announcement according to the Orlando Sentinel.

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RCI welcomes Somerpointe Resorts into its exchange network. RCI recently announced an affiliation agreement with Somerpointe Resorts, which includes 12 properties in Las Vegas, Hawaii and Orlando. Somerpointe Resorts is the successor developer of Tahiti Village Vacation Club, Tahiti Vacation Club and the Club de Soleil Vacation Club in Las Vegas, the Gardens at West Maui Vacation Club, Hono Koa Vacation Club, Kahana Beach Vacation Club, Kahana Villa Vacation Club, Maui Banyan Vacation Club, Maui Beach Vacation Club and the Sands of Kahana Vacation Club on Maui; Kona Islander Vacation Club on the Big Island of Hawaii; and the Villas at Regal Palms near Orlando.

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The Las Olas Beach Club in Cocoa Beach continues to be successful. As featured in a recent Orlando Sentinel story, this resort is completely sold out, their owners are happy, and yet it is based on the old formula from when timeshares first started in the 70s– when timeshare buyers purchased the same week in the same unit at the same resort each year. Now many timeshare companies sell points that may be exchanged for different resorts and weeks at locations around the world. Big developers such as Marriott and Wyndham have crowded out many of the old single site developers. Las Olas with its 28 units and 1,000 owners says it considers their longtime owners to be an extended family and they work with each owner to resolve ownership problems, which is one reason why they continue to be successful. The American Resort Development Association is now looking at some of the best practices of legacy resorts like the Las Olas to utilize in the big development timeshare companies.

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The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has secured financing for $360 million to build a luxury resort right on Disney World property and will commence construction in December 2011. The 444-room hotel will include a rooftop restaurant with views of the Magic Kingdom and a lazy river water feature, among other amenities, and is expected to open in mid to late 2014. The project will include as many as 40 Four Seasons timeshare units and up to 90 private residences.

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Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties are expanding. The Orlando based company has recently announced that a transaction has been officially closed with Summer Bays Resorts to add two new destinations to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand of resorts. The Desert Club Resort in Las Vegas and the Sunset Cove Resort in Marco Island, Florida will become Holiday Inn resorts, Sunset Cove is scheduled to join the brand in October and Desert Club Resort will join in the Spring of 2012. Both properties are “gold crown” resorts and add to six properties already under the Holiday Inn name.

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The Fisherman’s Paradise Resort is scheduled to open on September 9. The resort is actually a boat and is moored 15 miles off the Clearwater, Florida coast. It is a barge that after six years of construction has been converted into a five-story $25 million floating palace and boasts a helipad, marina, two-floor gym, a sports bar, a wine cellar, and a movie theater. It will loop between the Gulf of Mexico, Panama, and Belize and its cost will include a helicopter ride and a charter fishing tour. To check in, guests must dock boats in the barge’s marina and take a shuttle boat or go by helicopter from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.

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Island One Resorts has successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved a reorganization plan that also included its Island One Resorts Management affiliate. The restructured company had to divest its Chenay Bay Beach Resort in the Virgin Islands, but will retain operation of its eight resorts in Florida. The company’s executive team also remains intact. Board co-chair Deborah Linden will focus on business development and strategic planning while chief operating officer Sterling Stoudenmire will take over as CEO. Island One resorts include Liki Tiki Village, Orbit One, Bryan’s Spanish Cove, Barefootin’ Resort, Parkway International, Crescent Resort on South Beach, Charter Club Naples Bay and the Cove On Ormond Beach.

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Celebrity Resorts has pulled through its bankruptcy proceedings fully intact and with no job losses. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2010, the Florida-based Celebrity Resorts is back to business as usual with the Florida courts confirming the firm’s reorganization plan.

In a document submitted to the Court, the company blamed their bankruptcy on disagreements between family members that started and owned Celebrity Resorts. As part of the recovery plan, a lending subsidiary of Textron Inc., a multi-industry conglomerate best known as the maker of Cessna airplanes, has agreed to provide Celebrity with $4 million in financing. Celebrity Resorts has 13 properties located in Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Colorado.

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Wyndham Vacation Ownership has now added the Emerald Grande Resort to its Florida portfolio. Wyndham recently announced it has executed a sales and marketing agreement with Emerald Grande, LLC, its fourth fee-for-service sales model agreement overall and second to be signed in 2011. The resort will be marketed as Wyndham Vacation Resorts Emerald Grande at Destin. Through this agreement, unsold vacation ownership interests will become part of Club Wyndham Access, the company’s flexible club-based product. Wyndham will become the exclusive sales and marketing agent for the sale of vacation ownership interests at the Emerald Grande at Harbor Walk Village, with sales anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2011. The resort prides itself on being the photographed waterfront view in Destin with 286 luxury residences, a full- service European spa and world class fitness, security and covered parking, a full service marina, among other amenities.

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