Timeshare Trends Blog

Bluegreen Wilderness Club at Big Cedar was presented with the City of Branson’s 2011 Green Initiative award for its eco-friendly practices. While Bluegreen Wilderness Club is decidedly focused on rustic luxury, with 18 Concierge and Presidential villas, slate and hardwood floors, flat-screen TVs, exquisite fireplaces, stainless steel appliances and soft, comfortable and inviting furniture and bedding; it is also diligent about remaining energy conscious and eco-friendly. The resort is eco-friendly in its landscaping practices to reduce use of water and fertilizer to guard against runoff into Table Rock Lake, and to recycle organic materials into the soil by composting and mulching. The resort’s recycling programs divert and transport an estimated 128.5 tons of recyclable material that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.

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The Better Business Bureau, one of the country’s best known consumer watchdog groups, is being accused by business owners of running a “pay for play” scheme in which A plus ratings are awarded to those who pay membership fees, and F ratings used to punish those who don’t. To prove the point, a group of Los Angeles business owners paid $425 to the Better Business Bureau and were able to obtain an A minus grade for a non-existent company called Hamas, named after the Middle Eastern terror group. “Right now, this rating system is really unworthy of consumer trust or confidence,” said Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal in an interview that was broadcast as part of an ABC News investigation on 20/20

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Timeshare operations have learned from the credit crunch. According to a recent article in the Orlando Sentinel, the plummeting sales of timeshares have finally leveled off. Nationwide, timeshare sales have fallen from a peak of $10.6 billion in 2007 to $6.3 billion last year, according to figures released during the 12th annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference held at the Peabody Orlando Hotel. Employment in the industry has fallen 30% from about 279,000 to about 196,300. Timeshare business was humbled as credit markets dried up in late 2008, but the industry’s major trade group said the credit crunch that crippled the industry also helped change the way companies do business for the better. Marketing techniques have changed into more efficient tactics, such as selling more product (upgrades) to current owners and targeting prospects with higher credit scores resulting in higher closing percentages. Down payments are up, occupancy is steady at 80% and individual units are now selling at an average of $20,468 versus $16,278 in 2005. Financing is still tight, but it is easing up, but according to officials in the timeshare industry, it is still going to be awhile until we get back to the way it was three years ago when there was plenty of financing.

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RCI has welcomed Branson’s Nantucket Resort to its global network of resorts. As part of the affiliation, Nantucket Resort plans to offer its owners RCI points platinum membership with free unit upgrades and cash-back rewards for certain transactions. Branson’s Nantucket Resort is a lakefront property that offers views of Table Rock Lake. All homes are Nantucket themed with two, three and five-bedroom options that sleep up to 14 people. Each home has a fireplace, are individually furnished with a fully equipped kitchen, dining room and livingroom, in unit washer/dryer, and more.

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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.”

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Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is adding Minneapolis to its Wyndham Grand Collection of hotels. Wyndham and Graves Hospitality Corporation has announced that the 255-room, 21-story Graves 601 Hotel, a luxury, AAA Four Diamond hotel in the heart of Minneapolis, has joined the exclusive Wyndham Grand Collection of hotels.

The Graves 601 Hotel, flagship of Graves Hospitality Corporation, a Minneapolis-based hotel ownership, development and management company, now will be known as Graves 601 Hotel Wyndham Grand. The hotel has earned numerous accolades since opening in 2003, including designation as one of the World’s Best Business Hotels by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine, selection to the Gold List Reserve of Top Hotels in the World by Conde Nast Traveler and three Gold Key awards from Interior Design and Hospitality Design magazines.

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A 100-acre Michael Jackson entertainment complex is expected to begin construction this year in Gary, Indiana. The Michael Jackson theme park will include a museum, performing arts center, hotel, golf course, and theme park inspired by the artist’s Neverland Ranch. According to a recent newspaper article, the park will include rides from or like the Neverland Ranch, and it will be built over 10 years starting with a museum, arts center and hotel, then golf course and theme park.

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The resort is currently under construction with five units completed that feature a beautiful blend of Minnesota’s rural lake country and resort living. The property features three-bedroom and four-bathroom luxury townhomes that are fully furnished with four fireplaces, five flat-screen high-definition televisions, jetted tubs, wireless Internet and an outdoor grill. The high-end resort is nestled on the beautiful Gull Lake in the Brainerd Lakes area, a popular Midwest vacation destination. Gull Lake also has 38 miles of wooded shoreline with a variety of hiking trails, and each townhouse has its own boat slip in the full-service marina.

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The resort is currently under construction and will eventually include 135 units. All cabins will enjoy luxury furnishings and sleep up to ten guests. They will have two full baths, custom kitchens, and two beautiful porches. The luxury resort will feature an all-season pool, basketball courts, expansive Frisbee grounds, championship golf course, and off-road snowmobile trails.

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Interval International has renewed its affiliation with the Grand Crowne Resorts in Branson, Missouri, which is itself a points based vacation club that includes three different vacation ownership properties in Branson. The resorts include the Surrey Vacation Resort, the Carriage Place at Surrey Vacation Resort, and the Grand Crowne Vacation Resort. At the Grand Crowne properties are complete timeshare properties with amenities that include swimming pools, fully equipped kitchens, in unit washer/dryer, hot tub, exercise facilities, and more.

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