Urban destinations popular for timeshare vacations.

The three most popular destinations for timeshare vacations this Memorial Day Weekend holiday may not be the places you would guess first. Orlando timeshares? Daytona Beach timeshares? Maybe Myrtle Beach timeshares in South Carolina?

Nope. Not if TripAdvisor’s recent Memorial Day Weekend travel survey translates accurately to the vacation ownership industry and timeshare vacations. Although beach vacations for summer rank number one at 51 percent, the single most-visited city will be New York City. The Big Apple is followed by Boston and Washington, D.C.

And while big city destinations may not come to mind first for timeshare vacations, the truth is, you can enjoy excellent (and affordable) timeshare resales and timeshare rentals in all three of these favorite urban vacation spots.

Consider this sampling of urban timeshare vacations resorts:

The Manhattan Club located at 200 West 56th Street in New York City, this New York timeshare vacation spot puts you at the heart of fine dining, Broadway shows, 5^th Avenue shopping, and all the big city fun that is uniquely New York.

Marriott’s Custom House in Boston  is another example of a vacation ownership resort that couldn’t be closer to the hub of all you want to see and do on your timeshare vacation.  In a historic property, (packed with modern day amenities) Marriott’s Custom House overlooks Boston Harbor and Cambridge and provides convenient access to the city’s historic Freedom Trail.

Wyndham Old Town Alexandria is only a short drive across the Potomac River into Washington, D.C. This select location makes it easy to enjoy the neighborhood charm of Old Town Alexandria, while still being convenient to the Washington D.C. transit system and all the nearby historic attractions of our nation’s capital.

And for millions and millions of vacationers in the US, all three of these vacation hot spots are located within a one day drive from home.

Stephen J. Cloobeck of Diamond Resorts International in Undercover Boss Season Finale

According to CBS Broadcasting, Stephen J. Cloobeck of Diamond Resorts International will be among the featured “bosses” shown in tonight’s season finale. As the show wraps up its fourth season, it will be taking a “Where are they now?” look at some of its most popular bosses.

The show’s finale will revisit Dina Dwyer-Owens, chairman and CEO of The Dwyer Group; Don Fertman, Subway’s chief development officer; Cinnabon president Kat Cole; Diamond Resorts International CEO Stephen Cloobeck; and Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory.

Earlier this year, Cloobeck told the press, “It was not easy, sitting at a front desk, working, being trained by a nice, young 21-year-old woman and seeing my picture behind me and her looking at Jack Fisher, my character — who’s dead by the way. He died after the show. Had a heart attack. Will not be seen anymore.

“I was crept out. I was the one who was worried I was going to get busted.”

The popular show is expected to conclude for the season with some of its highest rating.

Keith Trowbridge, author of annual timeshare report on compensation.

Keith W. Trowbridge, Ph.D., President and CEO of Executive Quest, Inc., has announced the publication of the 13th annual timeshare industry salary survey. This insightful timeshare report includes results from more than 27,000 contacts and takes a candid look at pay scale and benefits in today’s timeshare and vacation ownership industry.

Included in the timeshare report survey is information on:

• Timeshare executive salaries
• Timeshare sales or performance commissions
• Bonuses
• And perks, such as company automobile, health and life insurance, contributions to a 401(k), or housing for family-visitors.

Keith Trowbridge, sometimes described as the “father of timeshare,” has spent more than 35 years in the vacation ownership industry, first as a developer, and in the past 19 years as an Executive Header hunter for the company Trowbridge founded, Executive Quest, Incorporated. Says Trowbridge, “This salary information is a valuable tool for budgeting, hiring, promoting, and training objectives for the timeshare industry.”

Executive Quest provides a free monthly on-line newsletter that includes a calendar of upcoming industry conferences and events along with other timely industry articles. More information about the timeshare report survey results is available for purchase at http://www.execq.com/salarystudy.htm. To subscribe to the Executive Quest newsletter, go to http://www.execq.com and click on the green “Subscribe” button.

You can also reach Keith Trowbridge at 239-454-1100 or contact his partner, Jim Perkins (who serves Southwest United States, Mexico and the Caribbean) at 936-856-3983

Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld for Hilton Timeshare Owners and Renters

Hilton Grand Vacations Club (Hilton timeshare) is a popular and much-loved vacation ownership option for many families and couples today. Not only are HGVC resorts beautiful and located at all the places you love to vacation, but for Hilton timeshare owners, vacation planning is flexible and designed to fit in easily with today’s busy world and busy lifestyles.

But what is it that truly makes Hilton timeshares so uniquely special?

Here are 5 reasons that Hilton timeshare owners love Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HFVC):

1. Luxury accommodations. Hilton timeshares are recognized for offering upscale, spacious accommodations backed by superior customer service.
2. HHonors. When you become a Hilton Grand Vacations Club owner, you automatically become part of the HHonors award program at the Silver Elite Level. This frequent traveler distinction provides Hilton timeshare owners with many benefits that make vacations easier and more fun.
3. Diversity. Hilton timeshare owners benefit from the many relationships established by Hilton Grand Vacations Club with others in the vacation industry, including travel industry partners Grand Pacific, Hilton Resorts of Scotland, Fiesta Americana Hotels, and Club Intrawest.
4. Guest Privileges. For Hilton timeshare owners, making vacation reservations for your guests couldn’t be easier. Family member guests stay at no additional charge. Also, there is no additional charge to reserve in a guest’s name during  your Home Week Season.
5. Flexibility: Hilton Grand Vacations Club is synonymous with flexibility. Book your vacation at a Hilton Grand Vacations Club resort, convert to HHonors points to book at one of the Hilton-affiliated luxury hotels, or book anywhere in the RCI timeshare exchange network.

Vacationing doesn’t get easier than this!

You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of timeshare ownership and its future

This article, written by Jason Tremblay, was previously published in The Resort Trades and is reprinted here with permission of the publisher. Before you read the article, consider this, “Did you grow up with a computer in your home or in your classroom?” If the answer is “No” then you may need to reconsider how many of today and tomorrow’s timeshare owners have had computers seamlessly integrated into their lives since childhood… you may also want to reconsider if the paths you have offered to timeshare ownership in the past are relevant to today’s potential buyers.

Timeshare Ownership: You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of timeshare and its future

At ARDA World 2013, you had the opportunity to hear keynote speaker Don Tapscott discussing the impact of information technology on today’s business world. His theories, outlined in his books, “Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything,” and “Macrowikinomics: New Solutions for a Connected Planet,” put forth innovative and inevitable ideas about doors that are opening (and others that are closing) as information technology, the Internet and the World Wide Web redefine almost everything about how we interact with the world around us.

Yet if you read Tapscott’s books, Growing Up Digital: “The Rise of the Net Generation” (1999) and “Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World” (2008) you will recognize that the real concern is not how the Internet is changing our lives, but how it has already changed the lives of a new generation.

The Net Generation (a term coined by Tapscott) currently ranges in age from 16 to 30-plus, perhaps older as the last age group of American consumers to grow up without access to computers in their classrooms is now over 40 years old. As Tapscott points out, “… the Net Generation has arrived.” The handwriting on the wall appears digitally via an app from your smart phone and clearly points out that, for the vacation ownership industry, the Net Generation is our future, our present, and our only hope.

What makes the Net Generation distinctive

Baby Boomers have been such a large and vocal group for so long it’s almost difficult for many of us in business to think about marketing and selling vacation ownership products to other types of consumers. But if we’ve learned anything from recent presidential elections it should be that young America is a force to acknowledge, creating change from the workplace to the marketplace.

While many of us speak of technology as if it is a “thing” with which we interact, for the Net Generation technology is seamless and invisible. Describing it as being “like the air” for the Net Gen, Tapscott says it is no more a marvel than is a refrigerator or a television.

But here’s one key difference: we watch television passively, while the generation that has grown up with the Internet is never passive in their online experience. Instead, they are searching, seeking, reading, writing, curating, authenticating, collaborating, organizing, and even strategizing. As Tapscott points out, “They do not just observe; they participate.”

Whether we attempt to sell timeshare, vacation club memberships, timeshare exchange memberships, or any other related vacation ownership and vacation rental product or service, we have to recognize that with each passing year, our target market will become less and less willing to “be sold to.”

Consumers who have either grown up with information technology or who have embraced it and integrated it into their lives, will not sit through sales presentations and they will be inherently skeptical of mini vacations as a sales tool.

Tapscott identifies eight characteristics that he says differentiate the Net Generation from Boomers, and if he’s correct, they are all attributes that come into play in the process of selling vacation ownership products. These eight characteristics are:

1. Expects freedom of choice
2. Wants customized products, solutions, and lifestyles
3. Are natural collaborators, who enjoy a conversation, not a lecture
4. Will scrutinize you and your organization
5. Insists on integrity
6. Wants to have fun in all things, including work and school (and timesharing!)
7. Sees speed as normal
8.  Accepts innovation as a part of life (and therefore, probably expects innovation as part of timeshare ownership)

I now pronounce you owner and timeshare … you may kiss the bride!

As of this past Valentine’s Day, according to Doug Brockwell, a contributor for yahoo.com, 17 percent of people meet their spouse online. In 2012, 40 million people used online dating, and the Internet is now the second-most popular way for dating couples to connect, surpassed only by introductions from friends. If 40 million people are willing to search for a life companion online, why would any of us think that consumers would be hesitant to research, select and then rent or buy timeshare over the internet?

But what will it actually take to get a new breed of consumer down the aisle with vacation ownership?

The answer lies in the eight ways that the Net Gens are distinctive from previous timeshare buyers. No matter how we package it, none of us will be able to sell today’s vacation ownership products (as they currently exist) to the next wave of buyers. Instead, timeshare will have to become:

1. Extremely flexible
2. Customizable to suit distinctive vacationing needs and preferences
3. A product designed based on feedback from those who will actually be utilizing it, such as Ikea and Marriott have done in partnering on the new Moxy Hotel chain being built in Europe to target the younger market
4. Extremely transparent, capable of withstanding scrutiny
5.  Integrity-based on all levels including sales, marketing, and resales options
6. Fun to own, but also fun to shop for and buy, and if not fun to resell, at least not painful to resell
7. Prepared to change as quickly and as often as its new, younger owners will expect it to change
8. Innovative in concept, design and service

Perhaps it wasn’t the economy, stupid

During former President Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential campaign, political strategist James Carville posted a sign on Clinton’s Little Rock campaign headquarters that included the phrase, “the economy, stupid.” The statement was intended to help keep campaign messaging on track but it seeped into the media and took on a life of its own.

Since 2008, the vacation ownership industry has responded, “the economy,” whenever queried about declining sales of timeshare ownerships. Possibly, we have used the wrong word. If it turns out the answer should have been, “the Internet,” then we can celebrate the revelation.

While a faltering global economy is a monumental challenge to overcome, one industry’s miscue in responding to a shifting paradigm in consumer profiles is completely within our grasp to rectify. The timeshare industry is rich with far too many bright and clever strategists to be anything but smart about its direction for the future.

The Timeshare Authority expresses its sincere appreciation to The Resort Trades for permission to publish this article. You will find this full article, and other news from the timeshare ownership industry in each issue of The Resort Trades, available online and in print. We would also like to thank ARDA for bringing Donald Tapscott to the 2013 ARDA World event, where the vacation ownership industry learns, shares, networks and advances the future of timeshare ownership.

For more answers to your questions about timeshare ownership, read this page about buying timeshares.

Bruce Carnohan has owned his Summer Bay Resorts timeshare longer than he has been a US Citizen.

Bruce Carnohan of Dallas, Texas has been a Summer Bay Resorts timeshare owner longer than he’s been a US Citizen. Born in England, Bruce has worked during much of his professional career in the United States and Dallas, Texas has come to feel so much like home that just over a year ago, Bruce became a naturalized US Citizen. But Bruce has been vacationing at Summer Bay Resorts timeshare in Orlando, Florida for more than a decade. In 1999, shortly after his sister and brother in-law became owners at the resort, Bruce also bought a timeshare there.  Over the years, he has vacationed at his Summer Bay Resorts timeshare with family members, friends, and even on solo vacations.

So much to do at Summer Bay Resorts timeshare, whether you visit the attractions or just hang out at the resort.

Bruce explains, “One of the remarkable things about Summer Bay Resorts timeshare is that you can be as active and involved as you like or you can enjoy the quiet time of a retreat getaway. The property is conveniently close to all the attractions, restaurants, and theme parks of Orlando but if you just want to go and stay on the campus, you can have a fabulous vacation that way, too—I know, I have done it both ways!”

Summer Bay Resorts in Orlando, is actually, not even in Orlando, but instead is located slightly off the beaten path to give it a Clermont, Florida address. But don’t let that fool you into thinking this is anything other than an Orlando vacation destination resort, located only a short ride via Summer Bay’s complimentary shuttle to all of the Walt Disney World® excitement, including being especially convenient to Epcot and Downtown Disney. At the same time, this Summer Bay Resorts timeshare offers a massive lakeside resort property, along with many smaller lakes scattered throughout the resort. Relax at one of the swimming pools, soak in a crystal clean hot tub, visit the tiki bar, grill on an outdoor bar-b-que or just snooze a lazy day away in the shade of the rustling palms.

Bruce tells great stories about his years of ownership at Summer Bay Resorts. He points out that when he has vacationed alone, the staff seemed to give him extra attention, remembering his preferences and making him feel that he was part of all the activities and fun. His trips to his Summer Bay Resorts timeshare have resulted in friendships that he’s maintained over the years, with new acquaintances he’s made while vacationing there who have over time become cherished friends.

Summer Bay Resorts Orlando, Florida. See Ad: 1521636

Twice during his ownership, he has taken advantage of the flexibility of timeshare exchange, using his timeshare as a way to enjoy vacations at other destinations. And more than once, during years he could not use his timeshare, Bruce has offered it to a silent auction for charity, enabling another family to enjoy it while being able to validly claim it as a tax deductible donation himself.

Timeshare, no matter where you own, can be one of the easiest ways to plan and enjoy a great vacation. But if your life changes, as it has for Bruce and your ownership is no longer a good fit for you, then it is time to turn your vacation ownership into a timeshare resale.

Bruce’s Summer Bay Resorts timeshare can be found on the Sell My Timeshare NOW website as ad number:  1521636. He has deeded ownership of Week 36 in a three-bedroom timeshare lockout, which includes, three baths, and sleeps up to 12 people. Most often he has used it as a double lock out which allows him to split his usage into two full weeks annually.

“What a wonderful way for a couple or family to vacation,” says Bruce, but I often think that the real deal would be for a company to purchase the unit and use it as a corporate incentive. Once their first employee vacationed there and came back to work and shared what a fabulous resort it is, everyone else in the company would be clamoring to earn the right to vacation there next.”

We write a lot about the timeshare and vacation ownership properties available through Sell My Timeshare NOW and VacationOwnership.com, but truly, no one can share the story better than does the owner who has used the timeshare and loved it and now is ready to pass it along at a great price to a new owner.

C.A.R.E. in vacation ownership news

Once again, members of C.A.R.E. (Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers) are actively sharing their time, passions, and talents through a meaningful community service project. Following the recent spring C.A.R.E. Conference in Myrtle Beach, the timeshare, vacation ownership, and vacation industry organization members volunteered to clean classrooms and restrooms at The Boys and Girls Club of the Grand Strand.

Don Hall, Executive Director of the youth organization says, “Volunteers are critical to our success. It is great to have groups such as C.A.R.E. come in and make a difference to the children that we serve.”

Timeshare, Vacation Ownership, and Vacation Industry C.A.R.E. Gives Back

Through a volunteer program called, “C.A.R.E. Gives Back,” timeshare, vacation ownership, and vacation industry C.A.R.E. members support programs in resort communities that serve the vacationing public. The C.A.R.E. project in Myrtle Beach helped maintain the Boys and Girls Club facility, which provides after-school and summer camp programs for children who may not otherwise have adult supervision.  Boys and Girls Clubs are a safe place to learn and grow no matter their circumstances at home or in their immediate neighborhood.

The next C.A.R.E. project will be a volunteer event at the conclusion of the 57th Semi-Annual C.A.R.E Conference held at Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, Santa Rosa, California from September 28-October 1, 2013. C.A.R.E. was established in 1985, and is considered to be one of the timeshare and vacation industry’s premier trade associations.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership Partners with Give Kids The World Village

Orlando, Florida based Wyndham Vacation Ownership (Wyndham timeshare) has announced its partnership with Give Kids The World. Give Kids The World Village is a resort for children facing life-threatening illnesses and their families. Wyndham Vacation Ownership will be helping to launch an “Extreme Village Makeover” at Give Kids The World Village, which is located just outside of Orlando  in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Extreme Village Makeover, scheduled for January 12 – 25, 2014, will rennovate 100 of the 140 villas at Give Kids The World Village. These villas have welcomed more than 120,000 families from all 50 states and over 74 countries. While the children are guests at the Village, their special vacations create cherished memories for these young guests facing life-threatening illnesses. In a setting that can best be described as whimsical, Give Kids The World Village provides accommodations, attraction and theme part tickets, meals, and other benefits for week-long, no-cost holidays for its very special guests and their families.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership

Now, with the help of Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, and many other donors and volunteers,  the Give Kids The World Village “Extreme Village Makeover” is becoming a reality.

Pamela Landwirth, president of Give Kids The World, and Gary Rall, vice president of resort renovation and design, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, kicked off the project at the 2013 Commercial Construction & Renovation Summit, led by David Corson, publisher and editor of Commercial Construction and Renovation magazine.

Construction will last two weeks while crews work around the clock. Renovations will include cosmetic and structural upgrades such as wood replacement, stucco and drywall repair, tile work, installation of new counter tops, fixtures and crown molding, exterior and interior painting and electrical updates,  all as part of the makeover.

“Give Kids The World is an amazing organization and we’re very excited to be a part of this monumental project,”  says Gary Rall of Wyndham timeshare. “We need a lot of people to make this vision a reality. At this point, we’re calling all members of the construction and design industry to come forward and join us in making a difference by donating or deeply discounting their products, expertise or time. This will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, helping families of children with life-threatening illnesses for decades to come.”

Vendors, contractors, and volunteers must sign up online by June 1, 2013 in order to participate in the Extreme Village Makeover. To register, visit www.givekidstheworld.org/makeover/ or contact Gary Rall at Gary.Rall@wyn.com or 407-626-6411, or Michael Bausman, Director of Facilities for Give Kids The World at MichaelB@gktw.org or 407-396-1114 x4240.

Site of Next ARDA timeshare Regional Meeting- Portsmouth Haborside Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The next ARDA Timeshare Northeast Regional Meeting will be here before you know it. Scheduled for June 3-4, 2013, at the Sheraton Portsmouth Haborside Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, TODAY is the last day to early register and save. (See ARDA registeration online for more information.) For the vacation ownership industry ARDA timeshare regional meetings are extremely important. They keep our industry connected between annual conference events. ARDA timeshare regional meetings allow us to connect as an industry in smaller groups and more intimate settings. But perhaps most importantly, these meetings serve as an opportunity to unify vacation ownership and timeshares across a diverse industry represented by developers, timeshare management, timeshare resales companies, vendors, and so many others.

Monday, June 3, the schedule begins with the ARDA New England Executive Committee Meeting, after which Registration officially begins. Monday evening’s speaker will be Lori Harnois, Director of New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development. Lori will be looking at the topic of “Travel and Tourism in the New England Region.”

Monday evening’s activities will include the Opening Reception with Product Showcase,co-sponsored by First American Title and GCG Law.

Tuesday, June 4, includes continued Registration, breakfast and AIF Research Updates, sponsored by RCI and the first session: “Attracting the Next Generation Part 1: As Industry Professionals,” with speaker Paul Carney, Regional VP, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Inc.

The second session, which begins at 9:15 AM will be, “Attracting the Next Generation Part 2: As an Owner, ” with speaker, Julia Geffner, Senior Director of Marketing, RCI.

10:15 AM,  ”Communicating with Your Owner: An Interactive Workshop,” with speakers Sandra Florentin, Director of CRM and Online Marketing, Interval International and Simon Jaworski, Sr. Vice President, The Research Intelligence Group.

Leading into lunchtime on Tuesday, the next topic is, “Resorts at a Crossroads,” with speakers John Funk, Attorney, Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell and Rich Muller, Senior VP Resort Operations, Vacation Resorts International.

Lunch break (12:15 PM-1:30 PM) includes Northeast Region Legislative and ARDA-ROC Updates with speaker, Keith Stephenson, Director State Government Affairs, ARDA, sponsored by Interval International.

Thanks to all of the event sponsors who make this meeting possible, including: ARDA ROC; First American Title; Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell; Interval International; RCI; Blackwell Recovery; Colebrook Financial Company, LLC; Continental Central Credit, Inc.; Dial An Exchange L.L.C.; GScf; Lodging Kit Company; MasterCorp Inc.; Meridian Financial Services; and the Timeshare Advisor.

Timeshare Closing Services of Orlando, Florida along with Sell My Timeshare NOW has released a second media announcement regarding the passage of a new Florida timeshare law. Efforts by the American Resort Development Association laid much of the groundwork for this new legislation, which was passed into law last week and  is scheduled to take effect later this year.

The following is the complete text of the media announcement:

Timeshare Closing Services Applaud Florida Lawmakers for New Legislation Affecting Timeshare Resellers

Orlando, FL – May 2013 / Hospitality 1ST / Orlando-based Timeshare Closing Services, Inc., along with Sell My Timeshare NOW, applaud Florida lawmakers on the passage of Florida House Bill 7025, which – along with other provisions – limits controversial timeshare resale strategies known as “Viking Ships.”

“Previously, timeshare owners who were unable to sell their vacation time would pay transfer companies to take over their ownership,” said Scott Roberts, CEO of Timeshare Closing Services, Inc. “But some transfer companies would knowingly take the timeshare with no intention of advertising it for resale, renting it, paying a single maintenance fee, or returning it to the association. They would simply transfer ownership to entities commonly referred to as “Viking ships.” Associations without a strong resale strategy, such as a partnership with SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, were left with limited options on what to do with this non-performing timeshare interval. This legislation attempts to address these bad actors without limiting owners’ rights in their property or harming legitimate transfers, such as those done by Timeshare Closing Services,” said Mr. Roberts.

In addition to Florida State Senator Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), Representatives Debbie Mayfield (R-Vero Beach) and Dane Eagle (R-Cape Coral) the American Resort Development Association was instrumental in the passage of the new legislation, which attempts to represent and to protect both the timeshare resale industry and timeshare owners. The new legislation is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2013.

Timeshare Closing Services was one of the main critics of the legislation before it was finalized. As initially proposed, the legislation would negatively impact the timeshare secondary market and increase the cost for timeshare owners to resell their units or points. This prompted meetings with Executives from ARDA, Timeshare Closing Services and Sell My Timeshare NOW who met earlier this year to strategize and share their concern over the legislation in its early stages. (About one third of all U.S. timeshare resorts are located in Florida, which has frequently taken the lead in legislation protecting the timeshare industry.)

Adds Roberts, “The sponsors of the new legislation wisely balanced the needs of timeshare developers along with those of consumers. A timeshare resale market that respects owners’ property rights is critical to the health of the timeshare industry. At Timeshare Closing Services, we are committed to ensuring that lawmakers hear the voices of timeshare owners. In addition to our appreciation to the legislators who helped move the bill forward, we also extend our deep appreciation to ARDA for its willingness to work with us and bring about an acceptable compromise, resulting in the legislation that passed in Florida on May 3. Few pieces of legislation are perfect but this is a good start to helping balance the interests of association management and timeshare owners looking for a viable secondary market.”

About Timeshare Closing Services, Inc.

For over a decade, Timeshare Closing Services, Inc. has specialized in facilitating timeshare transfers of even the most challenging properties. Timeshare Closing Services, Inc., is a full-service title insurance company that is licensed, bonded, underwritten and insured.

Related News from The Timeshare Authority blog:

Timeshare Closing Services Commends Fla. Lawmakers on Timeshare Law