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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Timeshare By Owner has announced its Code of Conduct in a recent press release. Timeshares By Owner (TSBO), according to its CEO, is doing this because “there are a lot of bad actors in the timeshare resale industry and we want to display that we have the right intentions.” TSBO, the leading timeshare advertising company, conducts a multimedia advertising campaign that includes Google, Yahoo, Bing, AOL, Facebook, its own radio show, billboards and print advertising. In addition, there’s a full-time Timeshare Concierge service that matches the thousands of offers received per month to its clients. The Code of Conduct distinguishes TSBO from the rest of the industry and informs consumers of their guiding principles, and provides consumers with a set of promises that they can depend on. The Code of Conduct follows 10 points: to advertise your timeshare until it sells, rent your timeshare every year with no additional cost until it sells, showcasing on its website every year and renewal is free (just contact each year by letter, phone or email requesting a free renewal), to never divert for sale by owner leads to a real estate broker that will charge another fee, never charge any fee other than for advertising services, a sales and customer service staff that will treat you honestly and fairly, a customer service department will call back after no more than 48 hours and will try to take calls live, to be notified every time someone views an ad even if there is no offer, a concierge service that will forward as many offers as possible, and last but not least to continue to use the most sophisticated and effective marketing techniques so that offers will be obtained.

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Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has reported that revenue from its vacation timeshare and residential sales and services division rose 6.1 percent to $140 million. Expenses rose as well resulting in earnings that were flat with a year ago. Starwood said the number of timeshare contracts signed increase 8.2 percent, but the average price per unit was down 2.7 percent from the same period last year to about $14,000.

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Wyndham Wordwide timeshare revenue in the recent third quarter increased 5 percent over one year ago and totaled $559 million, according to an Orlando Sentinel article. The increase reflected higher timeshare sales as well as commissions generated by its fee for service operation. Gross timeshare sales totaled $455 million up 10 percent compared to a year ago.

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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.

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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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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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The Bougainville Parque Hotel is now an RCI exchange member. The hotel is situated at the world’s largest hydrothermal complex in Caldas Novas, Goias, Brazil. Located just five minutes from the heart of Caldas Novas town, the property features 58 spacious and modern apartments fully-furnished with appliances and furniture that compliments the style and atmosphere of the hotel. The amenities of the hotel include two large swimming pools, a pool bar, a natural pool surrounded by bountiful flora and fauna, and a full restaurant offering authentic Brazilian cuisine. The Bougainville Parque Hotel renovated its timeshare units as part of its new affiliation with RCI. Refurbishment included new beds, flooring, and complimentary high-speed internet connections in every room.

The Bougainville Parque Hotel is the newest RCI exchange property in Brazil. It is located in the world's largest hydrothermal complex in Caldas Novas, Goias.

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LaSalle Hotel Properties have expanded by acquiring the Chamberlain West Hollywood Hotel in California. Situated in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the 113-key all-suite property was purchased for $38.5 million. The hotel’s neighborhood offers upscale shopping, dining, and vibrant nightlife. Originally constructed in 1970, the building used to be an apartment property, which was converted into an all-suite hotel that opened in 2005 as the Chamberlain West Hollywood. The hotel recently underwent a meticulous $4.5 million renovation that included a refurbishment of the rooms, bathrooms, rooftop, corridors, lobby, and the pool area. In addition to 113 luxury suites, each with a private balcony and a gad-log fireplace, the Bistro at Chamberlain, the hotel’s restaurant, offers seating for 52 guests and presents mouthwatering American and California cuisine. Other amenities include a business center and a heated rooftop pool.

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