Timeshare Trends Blog

Disney has announced the opening of Aulani, a new resort and spa located in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii. August 29, 2011 is the scheduled opening date with major construction having been completed in April. According to Disney reps, the attractions and amenities reflect the importance of Hawaii’s vibrant culture and traditions and they has worked with local historians, artisans and architects in merging Hawaii’s rich history into the resort’s buildings, interior design, art and gardens. The new Disney resort rests on 21 acres of land fronting the ocean, mountain views and magnificent lush grounds. Two 15-story buildings accommodate 359 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom villas similar to the Disney Vacation Club. There are two restaurants, a huge 18,000 square foot spa, an expansive lawn for weddings and a conference center. Water activities will also be available through a central swimming pool, 900-foot tube floating watercourse, wading pool, body slides, hot tubs, adult pool, snorkel lagoon and conservation pool.

Bookmark To:

Hilton Grand Vacations has purchased the Ohana Islander Waikiki Hotel property. It was regarded as an unusual move, primarily because the property itself has not been used as a hotel since 2008. The Ohana Islander Waikiki is a 285-key hotel, which Hilton plans to renovate and convert into an upscale urban timeshare resort, to be named the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Waikiki Beach Walk. As of now, designers and architects are being sought out for the project, which will see the newly acquired property transformed into 143 one-bedroom vacation ownership suites. The property was once one of the most celebrated hotels in the area, with a location that gives access to the vibrant and diverse showcase of dining, shopping and entertainment options that Waikiki has to offer.

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:

Shell Management Hawaii, Inc. has been named one of the”Best Places to Work” in Hawaii for 2011. The annual event sponsored by ProService Hawaii and published annually by Hawaii Business Magazine honors businesses in its “Best Places To Work In Hawaii” program. Company data is gathered and analyzed by an independent research organization, the Best Companies Group, which conducts similar research in states throughout the nation. Honors will be given at an awards dinner in March.

With 292 employees, Shell Management Hawaii, Inc has been named in the large category. Shell Management Hawaii was ranked first in 2010 and fifth in 2009. Shell Vacation Resorts in Hawaii include the Holua Resort at Muana Loa, Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy, Kona Coast Resort, Paniolo Greens, and the Waikiki Marina Resort.

Bookmark To:

While highlighting its significant market opportunities and competitive advantages, Marriott International has informed security analysts and institutional investors in New York, that its earnings per share of stock could hit well above the highest earnings achieved during Marriott’s most recent peak earnings year of 2007. The company expects to add at least 80,000 to 90,000 hotel rooms to its portfolio from 2011 through 2013 with additional opportunities for 22,000 rooms to open in Europe and Asia during that same period. Marriott has plans to adapt and expand current brands, such as Courtyard and Fairfield, to meet the growing needs of customers in markets worldwide. The company will also be expanding its new brands outside of the United States, including Edition, which just opened its first hotel on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. Marriott is also successful in the high-end timeshare market.

Bookmark To:

Interval International has revealed that its U.S. resident members reported annual household income greater than $125,000 per year, 88% are satisfied with their membership, 33% would like to purchase additional holiday time, and Interval International’s U.S. members spend about 23 nights away from home, taken as leisure time. Also determined in the profile, Florida, California and Hawaii are the most popular destinations members said they wanted to visit within the next two years, with New York City the most popular urban destination. The Caribbean is the number one “international” favorite destination for US residents. An official at Interval International said, “The observations and insights drawn from this research reinforce the value our members place on vacationing. This study also represents the latest in Interval’s continuing commitment to bring timely and consumer-centric research to the market.”

Bookmark To:

Wyndham Vacation properties in Hawaii rated as a best place to work. Wyndham Vacation Ownership has been recognized by Hawaii Business Magazine and the Best Companies Group as one of the best places to work in Hawaii in 2010. Ranking in the large companies category, with more than 150 employees, Wyndham was accredited for creating a rewarding work environment particularly for its sales organization. The company was previously recognized as a “Best Places to Work” in 2006. Wyndham, of course, boasts an expansive presence in the Hawaii market with more than a dozen properties including Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk, Wyndham Kona Hawaiian, Wyndham Royal Sea Cliff, WorldMark Kihei, and Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas, among others.

Bookmark To:

Hawaii continues to see tremendous growth in the timeshare industry despite the economy. In 2010, there are currently 4,881 new Hawaii timeshare units either under construction or approved for development. In 2009, despite the economy, Hawaii saw $400 million in timeshare sales growth, increasing the Hawaii timeshare inventory to 8,601 timeshare units spread over nearly 90 timeshare resorts. Not only is there growth in timeshare development, Hawaii timeshares have an occupancy rate of almost 91 percent. According to Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO, the timeshare industry remitted $67.2 million in tax revenues to the state of Hawaii for 2009.

Bookmark To:

The timeshare industry has contributed $69 billion of economic output in the US economy. A recently released economic impact study of the timeshare industry highlights the key economic and fiscal impacts on the U.S. economy in 2009, according to the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). Developed in conjunction with Ernst & Young, the report shows that the U.S. timeshare industry generated an estimated $69 billion of economic output with 465,800 full and part-time jobs, more than $22 billion in income and nearly $8.4 billion in total taxes. “The contribution of the timeshare industry on local economies goes beyond the resort footprint,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “In addition to sales and corporate operations, development of new resorts and renovation projects, it also includes the impact of expenditures from vacationers during timeshare stays.”

Bookmark To:

The Hanalei Bay Resort has received Fodor’s Choice Gold Award in 2010 and recognition as Fodor’s “Best Hotel Pool in the US”. This distinction represents a remarkable achievement and recognizes Hanalei Bay as having one of the top pools located on a US hotel property. The pool is distinguished as one of the best on Kauai, with authentic lava-rock waterfalls, an open-air hot tub, and a kid-friendly sand beach. According to Fodor’s, what really sets it apart is the stunning view of Hanalei Bay and the Napali Coast. The architects used the setting to great effect, by building the resort angling down the cliffs, with the pool as the crown jewel. Hanelei Bay is a Trading Places managed resort.

Bookmark To: