Timeshare Trends Blog

Seven of Starwood Hotels and Resorts newest properties have made the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List. Starwood is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies, and among timeshares, it provides generally the most luxurious and spacious vacation accommodations. With seven premier new hotels making this year’s Conde Nast Traveler Hot List, it is more than any other hotel group. Bearing the flags of Starwood’s luxury and design-led brands, hotels that gained spots on the famous list includes the majority of new St. Regis hotels that opened last 2009, including three W Hotels from Washington D.C to South Beach to Santiago, Chile, and the first Luxury Collection in Peru. Properties on the Conde Nast list include Hotel Paracas in Peru; St. Regis Atlanta; St. Regis Mexico City; St. Regis Deer Crest in Park City, Utah; the W Santiago, Chile; W South Beach in Miami; and the W Washington, DC.

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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.

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Over 100 new resorts in 2009 were welcomed by RCI, the world’s largest vacation exchange company. Demonstrating that vacation exchange remains a bright spot in the travel industry, RCI, considered the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, announced that it added more than 100 new resorts in 2009 alone, including 10 properties under development.

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The Aulani Resort in Hawaii begins accepting reservations on August 2 and is set to open on August 29, 2011. The notice that reservations would be opening soon was made on the Disney’s Magical Kingdoms blog. The 800-room Aulani Resort is the first Disney hotel not part of one of its theme parks. The hotel is at the Ko Olina Resort and Marina is located on the west side of Oahu and is also home to a Marriott hotel and condominiums. The new Disney hotel, built on 21 oceanfront acres, will have an expansive pool and water play area, with such features as tubes and body slides and a snorkeling lagoon. Accommodations will range from studio units to grand villas. The hotel also has an 18,000-square-foot-spa, a convention center, a lawn set aside for weddings, a children’s club and two restaurants.

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Marriott Vacation Club introduces new vacation ownership program. Marriott Vacation Club, the timeshare brand of Marriott International, recently announced the launch of the points-based Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program in North America and the Caribbean, rather than the once usual week at a designated resort. The points system is designed to accommodate new trends in travel and increase flexibility for timeshare owners, allowing them to book multiple, shorter stays rather than a full week. Current owners of Marriott timeshares will maintain their full rights and privileges, but will also have the option to enroll in the new program.

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A new timeshare expansion is planned in Myrtle Beach. Two new projects at Grande Dunes, an upscale 2,200-acre residential and golf community that stretches from the oceanfront to west of the Intracoastal Waterway is up for review by the city of Myrtle Beach, marking the first significant new development in the area since the economic downturn. A 187-unit, single-family home subdivision and an oceanfront condo tower have been proposed. The tower project is a 16-story, 125-unit condo timeshare project, to be located on oceanfront land next to the Dunes Club. The final plan will consist of three towers with about 500 units on 4 acres with an ocean of pools, open areas and a potential restaurant.

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The Hilton Hawaiian Village is scheduled to add two new timeshare towers to its resort. As part of a 10-year expansion plan at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, two new timeshare towers are to be built. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is situated in Waikiki on the south shore of the island of Oahu. The complex boasts 22 oceanfront acres and claims to be the only true resort in Waikiki. The first tower construction will begin in 2013 and is scheduled for completion in 2015 with stories and 300 units. The resort was named number eight in Ten Best Family Beach Resorts in the US and Caribbean by Parents Magazine. The survey evaluated the resort’s many features and Parents concluded that it offered excellent value for money, fun activities for parents and children, excellent safety factors and a high standard of quality accommodation.

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On line resale advertising is the most popular way to purchase additional timeshares. The vacation timeshare industry has expanded rapidly in the past decade, and every year more and more travelers discover the benefits of timesharing, whether it’s through ownership or timeshare vacation rentals. But how are the majority of new and repeat timeshare owners and renters finding their timeshares? According to a report from the ARDA International Foundation (AIF), “The most popular choice among all timeshare owners for purchasing an additional timeshare is by resale listings online.” Timeshares By Owner is one of the leading on line resale advertising companies.

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Tau Resorts are now members of Interval International. The Tau Nahui and Tau Santa Maria in Nayarit are the two new Tau Resorts that establish the foundation for a collection of beachfront and boutique eco-resorts. Situated northeast of Puerto Vallarta, Tau Santa Maria offers travelers an authentic island-style resort with a fresh breeze of air, crystal-clear waters from the lake, and healthy vegetation from the site plantation. Other features include relaxing gardens and comfortable seats facing the magnificent view of the lake, a restaurant serving authentic Mexican and western foods, a large swimming pool and other water sports spots, and various fun-filled and exciting adventure activities to enroll in. The Tau Nahui, is a 168-unit property located near the shorelines of Banderas Bay in north Puerto Vallarta and features relaxing two-bedroom guest units which will be ready for occupancy by early next year. Each unit is lavishly decorated with elegant wood furniture, up-to-date electronics and appliances, and a large terrace where guest can have a grand view of the beautiful location.

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Sol Melia Vacation Club has opened two new resorts in Coatia. Sol Melia, one of the world’s leading timeshare resort brands has opened two luxury resorts in Umag, Croatia. Previously part of Sol Hotels, both resorts are now part of the Sol Melia group, which owns over 300 properties in 28 countries across four continents. The luxury makeovers mean the Melia Coral and Melia Istran Villas are now the most luxurious properties on the Umag coast. Both resorts offer guests the amenities and standards of service that have become Sol Melia’s gold seal. The Meliá Coral offers 244 rooms, six luxury suites, a spa, pool, solarium, an elegant bar and Mediterranean tavern, and two outdoor leisure areas known as the Club Elite Automat and the Beach Club. The Meliá Istrian Villas is an environmental village without cars in an oasis of 180 properties set on the edge of the sea, well-known for its 15-court tennis center. The villas combine traditional architecture with modern comfort, new facilities include the O Grill restaurant.

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