Timeshare Trends Blog

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.

Bookmark To:

Wyndham Vacation Ownership has now added the Emerald Grande Resort to its Florida portfolio. Wyndham recently announced it has executed a sales and marketing agreement with Emerald Grande, LLC, its fourth fee-for-service sales model agreement overall and second to be signed in 2011. The resort will be marketed as Wyndham Vacation Resorts Emerald Grande at Destin. Through this agreement, unsold vacation ownership interests will become part of Club Wyndham Access, the company’s flexible club-based product. Wyndham will become the exclusive sales and marketing agent for the sale of vacation ownership interests at the Emerald Grande at Harbor Walk Village, with sales anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2011. The resort prides itself on being the photographed waterfront view in Destin with 286 luxury residences, a full- service European spa and world class fitness, security and covered parking, a full service marina, among other amenities.

Bookmark To:

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.

Bookmark To:

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.

Bookmark To:

The Mision del Sol Resort and Spa has been added to the RCI exchange network of resorts. Located in Morelos, Mexico, this affiliation represents a significant milestone in that RCI members will have the opportunity to visit the first ecological paradise in the area of Cuernavaca. The Mision del Sol Resort offers visitors an extraordinary and modern concept in tourism. In one with nature, the property is a green resort built with recyclable materials. Surrounded by flora and fauna and magnificent landscapes, the resort features 40 spacious apartments in one or two-bedroom choices, a paddle ball court, two tennis courts, and a fully equipped fitness center. The resort also offers a Jacuzzi, traditional Temascal steam bath with aroma and music therapy, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a sauna space. Moreover, Mision del Sol also offers relaxing mental sessions such as meditation, yoga, Thai Chi, and lectures on spiritual and mental health extensive water park, which is equipped with waterslides and free-fall kamikaze.

Bookmark To:

The Weybridge Collection has selected FractionalExchange.com for the vacation exchange requirements of its owners. Headquartered in Chicago, the Weybridge Collection is a unique assortment of residences located in destinations throughout the world. It presently includes five properties in Italy, New Mexico, Colorado, and Mexico. Each one is viewed as a work of art and is available for exchange in two-week increments. The emphasis of Weybridge is to provide a second home experience in locations that have a strong cultural component including art, music, food and wine. The latest property is the Fondo Le Teglie, in the Italian countryside in Umbria. Other properties include Casa Las Artes in Santa Fe and a condominium at the Residences at Snowmass Club in Snowmass Village Colorado.

Bookmark To:

Disney Vacation Club is imposing new restrictions on buyers who purchase their timeshares from existing owners rather than directly from Disney. Disney Vacation Club, which sells points that can be redeemed for stays in various accommodations, said it will no longer allow owners who acquire their points via resales to redeem them for nights in conventional hotel rooms at the company’s five theme park resorts worldwide, voyages aboard its cruise ships or vacations through its guided tour operation. Such owners will only be allowed to use their points only for stays in one of its eleven timeshare properties or in third party hotels available through exchange operator RCI.

Bookmark To:

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.

Bookmark To:

Shell Vacations Club has recently announced the opening of a new offsite sales gallery in Anaheim, California, for the sales of its Shell Vacations Club (SVC) points program. The sales gallery is a 5,000 square foot preview center located within the Shops at Anaheim Garden Walk, which features an oasis of outdoor shopping, entertainment and dining. The Garden Walk is located one block from Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention. The new sales site is also about a block from the Peacock Suites resort, which features 139 one, two, and three-bedroom vacation suites.

Bookmark To:

Timeshare units at this resort in Catskills, New York, face potential liquidation as approved by a bankruptcy court. A bankruptcy judge has ordered the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Nottingham Village Development Corporation to be converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation case. Concerned timeshare holders have already sought the help of the New York Attorney General’s Office in clarifying the situation for shareholders. The Attorney General has recommended that a coalition of shareholders pool their resources for legal counsel in the matter, in the event they were unable to individually afford legal fees. The timeshare setback is the latest blow to Friar Tuck’s financial struggles. In April, the neighboring Friar Tuck Inn was repossessed by Ulster Savings Bank, after the same court dismissed its claim for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Bookmark To: