Timeshare Trends Blog

The Beach Republic the Residences was crowned a winner at the sixth annual 2011 Thanachart Bank Thailand Property Awards held during a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok. The most prestigious and sought after acknowledgement of excellence in Thailand’s property and real estate industry, the Thanachart Bank Property Awards are the benchmark for quality and showcase the best of the best. This year the public submitted for consideration over 1,300 companies and developments across 31 categories. Of these, just 80 were shortlisted and subjected to a rigorous review process. Nominated in the category of Best Shared Ownership Development for its Koh Sammui property on the northern tip of Lamai Beach. Beach Republic the Residences was named the winner for the second consecutive year.

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The Club at the Village Coconut Island has joined the Interval International Global Vacation Exchange Network. This resort is the latest Absolute World Group resort to join the global vacation exchange network. The timeshare is a private residence club and is part of an exclusive mixed-use development on a private island off the east coast of the popular holiday island of Phuket in Thailand. The resort has been developed to create the ideal vacation residence for owners and Interval International members according to Bryan Lunt, chairman of Absolute World Group. In fact, the resort was recently named “Best Shared Ownership” development in the inaugural Southeast Asia Property Awards created by Property Report South East Asia. The magazine received more than 1,500 nominations and recognized winners as “the crème de la crème of the industry.” Amenities include a spa and state-of-the-art fitness center offering yoga classes and Thai boxing lessons, two lighted tennis courts, and a children’s club.

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The Namaste Oasis Private Residence Club has selected FractionalExchange.com for its exchange needs. Located in the Pacific northwest area of Costa Rica, this area is widely known for its surfing and its yoga retreats. It is well protected in the environmental sense, and currently remains one of the most pristine and authentic parts of Costa Rica. The Namaste property consists of two-bedroom and two bath units with an open concept living space that embraces indoor and outdoor living. All units have an open terrace, where you can watch the antics of howler monkeys in the canopy above. You have access to a state-of-the-art “floating bridge” and lushly landscaped common areas with a crystal clear pool and private deck area.

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The Vijayshree Heritage Village is now a Wyndham Worldwide resort. Located near the World Heritage site of Hampi, the former capital of the famed Vijayanagara empire, this resort is a classified “five-star” timeshare resort in India and spread across 17 acres of hill-fenced expanse, offering ethnic luxuries with 43 cottages nestled amid 60,000 planted trees. Vijayshree Heritage Village includes amenities such a fine dining restaurant, a health club with a 6,000 square-foot swimming pool, spa, and beauty salon. There’s a wellness center offering Balinese, Swedish, Oriental, Thai and Ayurvedic massages.

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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.

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The Tibisay Hotel has joined the RCI network of affiliated resorts. The Tibisay Hotel, located in the city of Merida, Venezuela, is a highly desirable destination in the Venezuelan Andes. This hotel consists of an elegant building with splendid views of the Andean mountain range with the latest technology in its rooms that are specially designed to provide the maximum comfort to guests.

Among the main attractions of the hotel, which includes a Presidential suite and 81 fully-equipped rooms, are a spa, heated pool, electronic casino and nightly entertainment center, in addition to the unique “Andean friendliness” of its staff. Visitors at the Hotel Tibisay can easily access the lagoons, cable cars, deserts, and other attractions in Merida and the surrounding area.The Tibisay Hotel has joined the RCI network of affiliated resorts.

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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.

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Marriott is spinning off its timeshare operations. In a recent announcement, Marriott International has announced that it will be splitting up into two publicly traded companies. Marriott also reported a higher quarterly profit as a strengthening economy has enabled more companies to send employees back out on the road to do business.

Under the spin-off plan, Marriott representatives have stated that the new company will focus on the timeshare business under the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton brands. Marriott International will concentrate on the lodging management and franchise business. In 2010, Marriott’s timeshare segment reported revenue of around $1.5 billion. At the end of last year, it operated 71 timeshare and fractional resorts with more than 400,000 owners and some 10,000 employees—it also held $1.5 billion in unsold inventory.

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Condé Nast has named Marquis Los Cabos as one of Mexico’s top resorts for 2010. The Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards awarded Marquis Los Cabos, a luxury beachfront resort located in the Baja California peninsula, as one of the “Top Resorts” in Mexico. In the magazine’s prestigious annual survey, the magazine’s readers acknowledge the world’s finest properties based on discerning criteria such as food/dining, location, overall design, rooms and service. Marquis Los Cabos was able to earn its top status because of its exemplary features including a 15,000 square foot holistic spa and fitness center, and an executive chef handling three luxurious restaurants including Five Star Diamond winner Canto del Mar. Among resort features, the Marquis Los Cabos has 40 pools, including a 36-foot waterfall flowing down from the lobby and two infinity pools with a spectacular view of the Sea of Cortes. Its 237 suites offer balconies with a breathtaking view of the ocean, amenities from luxury brand Bulgari, top-quality Frette linens and a state-of-the-art hydro-massage bathtub with separate shower room.

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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.

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