Timeshare Trends Blog

Signature Life Hotels has launched fractional ownership opportunities in Africa. In what is being hailed as the biggest private tourist investment launch since the 2010 World Cup, South Africa’s leading independent hospitality group, Signature Life Hotels is offering private investors the chance to buy a stake in three of its prime resort developments. Investors have a choice of hotel rooms, penthouses, and villas at the Jozini Tiger Estate in northern Natal, the Likweti Conference and Hotel in Mpumalanga, and the Fun Club Mauritius in the island nation of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Purchase options include outright sectional title ownership, fractional ownership and a variety of vacation allocation timeshare style options. Prices start as low as $3,300 for a week-a-year up to $328,000 for a whole ownership.

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The Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, New York is now being managed by Urgo Hotels. Urgo Hotels, a major operator, developer and owner of upscale and luxury hotels, recently announced that it has signed a long-term management agreement to operate the Whiteface Lodge Resort and Homeowner’s Association. The resort brings to more than 30 hotels operated or owned by Urgo Hotels. Whiteface Lodge is an award-winning resort that offers 94 one-to-four bedroom suites along with a private residence club. The property features a 5,800 square-foot spa with six treatment rooms and a fully-equipped fitness center. The resort is ranked among the top US spa hotels by Conde Nast Traveller and also has been recognized for excellence by Travel+Leisure and Wine Spectator. Trip Advisor also recommends the resort, which includes an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, ice skating rink, 54-seat movie theater, bowling lanes, tennis courts, snowshoe/cross country trails and a private beach and canoe club. The resort complex also has fractional and full-ownership units.

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Timbers Resort has now added the Dancing Bear Aspen Fractional Development to its growing list of resorts. Dancing Bear is a high end ski-in and ski-out residences resort that will be included in the exclusive Timbers Resorts Residence Club portfolio. Among other Timbers Resorts exclusive properties, are the Esperanza Resort Residences in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; the Rocks Luxury Residence Club in Scottsdale, Arizona; the Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Italy; the Preserve at Botany Bay on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; One Steamboat Place Residences, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; the Orchard at The Carneros Inn of Napa, California; and the Sebastian in Vail, Colorado.

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New timeshare statistics- According to ARDA (American Resort Development Association), in 2010 the total number of timeshares owned in the USA equaled 8.1 million, average sale price was $19,300, average maintenance fees were $731 annually, and total new sales in 2010 equaled $6.4 billion (the sales peak occurred in 2007 with $10.6 billion). The average resale price in the last three years is $9,000 with an actual 20% of timeshares selling on the resale market for less than $1000. Florida has the most timeshares with 23% of all timeshares located in Florida, California has 8%, and South Carolina holds 7%.

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Hilton Grand Vacations just celebrated 20 years in the vacation ownership industry in February. Two decades of industry leadership with a year of special events has already begun. Headquartered in Orlando, the Hilton Grand Vacations brand has grown to include more than 50 Club affiliated resorts, two club membership programs, over 176,000 club members worldwide, and more than 4,500 employees globally. It was also recently awarded the “Best Place To Work” by Perspective Magazine.

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Resort Group Vacation Club is now affiliated with Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services. The Resort Group Vacation Club is based in Cape Verde, a group of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Western Africa. The first resort to be included in the multi-site club is the Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa on Sal, one of the islands in the Cape Verde archipelago. Two other resorts are currently under construction, both on Sal Island. The Tortuga Beach Resort is comprised of spacious two-bedroom apartments that also include a hotel managed by Melia Hotels. Each vacation club apartment has a private terrace or balcony, an Italian kitchen, and an open-plan living area with a 42-inch television.

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White Oak Lodge and Resort has just earned an RCI Gold Crown designation. Global Connections has announced that its White Oak Lodge and Resort has been awarded this prestigious designation. Located practically at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, this property features a fireplace, barbecue grills, nature trails, tennis courts, exercise room, playground, and apparently outstanding personal service.

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Marriott International has reported that net income has fallen 18 percent due to the spinoff of its timeshare business. The Maryland based company earned $141 million, or 41 cents per share, compared with $173 million, or 46 cents per share, a year earlier. Taking out one-time items in both periods, it earned $159 million, or 46 cents per share, compared with $135 million, or 35 cents per share in the fourth-quarter of 2010. Revenue did inch higher to $3.69 billion from $3.64 billion the year before, but the results fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and shares fell slightly in afterhours trading after the results were released. Marriott, which also operates Ritz-Carlton and other lodging brands, expects growth to continue this year as increases in the number of hotel rooms overall slows in North America, allowing for higher prices if demand continues to rise. For the first quarter, the company expects revenue per available room to rise between 5 and 6 percent across North America and worldwide.

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EllicottVillas has become a Preferred Residences member as well as a new member of Interval International. Preferred Residences is a hospitality branded membership and exchange program for luxury shared ownership resorts. The resort is known for its five-star services and club amenities in a community of fully furnished, beautifully landscaped villas. The residences at EllicottVillas offer all of the comforts of an upscale vacation resort, along with a location nestled in the foothills of a historic community known for its great skiing. The resort features the highest quality construction and finishes, and is outfitted with distinctive furnishings, sophisticated technology and quality appliances, and comes with personalized hospitality services that include transportation, grocery shopping, and more. Each well-appointed villa is designed as a three-story town home with garage, private deck, and patio area, providing approximately 3,000 square feet of living space with a spacious great room and kitchen, guest room, and third-floor master with sitting area and fireplace.

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The Marriott Frenchman’s Reef resort has just celebrated its grand re-opening after a $48 million renovation. The resort has put together an “Experience the Ultimate St. Thomas for Less” package from now through August 31, 2012, where guests can mix and match special packages at discounted prices. After recently completing its renovation, this St. Thomas resort boasts all new state of-art amenities overlooking the pristine waters and sweeping vistas of one of the Caribbean’s most majestic yacht harbor.

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