Florida International University has announced that its hospitality school has been named the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, in honor of Harvey R. Chaplin and the Chaplain family. (See: http://hospitality.fiu.edu/)

Harvey R. Chaplin is the chair and CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, a company known by many for hosting the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. is the nation’s largest wine and spirits distributor and broker with operations in 35 markets. Included at FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management  is the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center, a 4,500 square-foot facility, built in 1999, that affords the latest technology for beverage tasting and analysis. The Center serves the needs of both FIU students and industry professionals including winemakers and distillers.

The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management provides top rated learning opportunities for students pursuing careers in the hotel, timeshare, and food service industries, and all aspects of tourism. FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism is particularly distinguished by its campus locations, expert faculty, and fast-track career advantages in the international areas of the tourism industry. The Marriott Tianjin China Program, established in 2006, is FIU’s largest international program, with a capacity for up to 2,000 students.

FIU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools(SACS). The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management offers a number of Bachelors and Masters degree programs as well as non-degree certifications.

The Lubner Group, an internationally respected design firm responsible for the outstanding design, refurbishing, and décor at some of your favorite, timeshares, hotels, and resorts, recently completed work on a very unique project at The Coconut Beach Resort, a Key West, Florida timeshare. (See: The Lubner Group Completes Renovation on Key West Timeshare).

In addition to revitalizing an already beautiful resort, this project carried unique historic significance. The Coconut Beach Resort property was once owned by the late Senator John Spottswood and has been a landmark property in the community. Over the years, the property has been  further developed by the Spottswood family and The Sita Group, the marketing firm owned by John Sims and Fawni Spottswood. The Spottswood family has been a cornerstone of Key West real estate, politics, and society for more than 150 years. The Spottswood Companies, Inc. and its affiliates own all or partial interest in multiple hotels, timeshare, marina and other commercial properties in the Florida Keys and throughout the US.

The video below takes you through the renovation and refurbishment of  The Coconut Beach Resort. Fawni Spottswood, Vice President Spottswood Hotels, says, “We are totally delighted with the finished product. Nancy did a tremendous job representing the ambiance and character of our historical architecture and natural surroundings, while preserving our resort’s charm with a design theme that is all about guest comfort and relaxation. Throughout the entire renovation process, the Lubner Group maintained the highest possible levels of integrity, professionalism and dedication to completing our job on time and within our budget. The new units have been extremely well received by owners and guests and will play an important role in increasing rental revenues in the future.”

View the video to see the transformation at The Coconut Beach Resort, which has now been named as an Interval International Select Resort.

The internationally respected Lubner Group has recently completed property renovation and the installation of new furnishings for five “Old Conch” styled buildings at the Coconut Beach Resort.

Always charming, the Coconut Beach Resort, a Key West, Florida timeshare, now has a total renovation to enhance its timeless Old Florida appeal. Located on the Atlantic side of Key West, Coconut Beach Resort timeshare offers ocean views from breezy verandahs, in a quiet haven, nestled among lush tropical landscaping and gardens.

The iconic resort’s facelift was handled by The Lubner Group, which is internationally respected for its hospitality and commercial design work. The renovation and refurbishing was handled under the direction of Nancy Woodhouse, IDS, Lubner Group’s Vice President of Design & Product Development who says, “Our intention at Coconut Beach Resort was to embrace an easy living lifestyle by designing and crafting comfortable, yet durable pieces that are eco-friendly. It was important to achieve a timeless design that would last many years, reflecting the vibrant color palette and charm of Key West while preserving the inspiration of the original property, which the owners requested. An extra touch included the addition of custom logo inspired hardware and hand-etched mirrors for each unit.”

The five buildings of the Coconut Beach Resort vacation ownership property offered unique challenges, as two of the buildings were previously single-family homes, and room sizes at the property range from 800 to 1,150 square feet, with differing ceiling heights. Foremost in the project was blending the existing historic, Victorian gingerbread architecture of the buildings with a fresh and updated tropical design that invites guests to relax in serene tranquility.

The results at this charming Florida timeshare? Well, see for yourself in these beautiful photos. And to learn more about how The Lubner Group created this and other resort transformations, visit us tomorrow here on The Timeshare Authority blog.

Previous news about this and other projects from The Lubner Group:

• Timeshare Industry Welcomes Newly Launched Lubner Group
• Who is Decorating Your Timeshare?

Author Christopher Elliott had a blog post recently, titled: 12 Things You Shouldn’t Do in 2012. Everything he recommends is a well-placed word to the wise. You might think, here on The Timeshare Authority blog, we wouldn’t be quoting Elliott, who as a consumer advocate has been known to warn his readers about timeshare sales.

But frankly, we agree with many of the points Elliott raises in general and also in his new book, Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. To his credit, he doesn’t echo the often-said, never-correct message that all timeshares are bad, or that consumers are less than smart for buying them. Instead, he tells consumers not to buy timeshares (or anything else) under pressure. He goes so far as to say that in his opinion, buying timeshare can lead to regrets, but he points out there are reasons for these regrets:

• Timeshares come with fees. If you understand before you buy that your timeshare will be subject to an annual fee that will increase over time, and that other, additional fees can be placed on your timeshare over the years you own it, then you are going into your purchase as an educated buyer.
• Timeshares depreciate. You should understand this before you buy your timeshare. Depreciation doesn’t stop you from buying automobiles, electronics, or jewelry, but you won’t be happy if you buy timeshare expecting it to increase in value.
• Timeshares have rules. While Elliott calls these unreasonable rules, these rules probably fall more into the category of many other “unreasonable rules” such as those issued by airlines, hotels, restaurants, and other service industries. The rules are in place to enhance the way the product works for the greatest number of people using it. They won’t always work for everyone. There may be rules you don’t like or rules that don’t work for you. And if you buy timeshare expecting there to be no rules at all, you will be disappointed.

It’s this simple: when you buy a product that you haven’t researched, that you buy under pressure, and without fully understanding what you are buying, you can wind up with regrets. And this is true whether you are purchasing a timeshare, a television, or a toaster; it’s just that in most cases, your expenditure for the timeshare is much greater than it is for a TV and unlike a toaster, if you are truly dissatisfied, you can’t just walk to the trash and throw away your timeshare.

There is no one size fits all. It doesn’t exist in clothing, real estate, or consumer services and it certainly doesn’t apply when it comes to vacations and vacation ownership. When it comes to the truth about timeshares, don’t believe sales hype that isn’t logical and don’t believe negative criticisms that are the result of critics piling on a topic they don’t understand.

As Groucho Marx said, “Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?” … Do your own research before you buy timeshare. Understand the rules, investigate the fees, ask current and past owners, and take a timeshare rental vacation at the property where you are considering becoming an owner.

Over 80 percent of timeshare owners say they are satisfied with their purchase; many are so happy with one timeshare that they go on to purchase two, three, or more timeshares or timeshare resales. When it comes to timeshares, there really aren’t 12 things you shouldn’t do; there is only one. Don’t be an uneducated, impulsive buyer.

Yesterday’s Sunday Business section of the Jamaica Gleaner included an article by Avia Collinder, titled: “Caribbean Timeshares Most Sought After-Industry Expert.” In it, ARDA (American Resort Development Association) Treasurer and industry expert, Robert Webb, points to the Caribbean as a highly sought destination for timeshare vacations. Webb, who is senior hospitality partner at the law firm of Baker Hostetler, explains that a relative scarcity of Caribbean timeshare units, enhanced by the popularity of the “Jamaica brand,” proximity to the US mainland, and the country’s rich natural resources and cultural diversity are all promising signs for Jamaica timeshare.

Yet despite this, the growth of timeshare in Jamaica remains stymied. Passing effective Jamaica timeshare laws appears to be running on, well, island time.

Previously here on The Timeshare Authority blog we published a post titled: Caribbean Timeshare in Jamaica, Maybe Sooner than You Think. We suggested that laws to strengthen and refine Jamaican timeshare would be happening quickly; but the date of that post was July… July of 2009.

In yesterday’s Gleaner news article, Rob Webb is quoted as saying, “ARDA believes Jamaica is uniquely positioned to further leverage the valuable economic development resource that the vacation ownership industry provides … However, timesharing will not catch on in Jamaica without a focused, meaningful timeshare law that enables the product to flourish and that protects both developers and consumers.”

Come On Mon! Jamaica Timeshare is Jamaican Me Crazy

While limited vacation ownership property is currently available in Jamaica, developers and existing resort property owners need to see new Jamaican timeshare laws in place before they embrace expanding the product to its true potential. When they do, the island then becomes ripe for the economic growth and development that the industry’s presence could bring.

And although Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has stated that progress is being made, the Gleaner reported last week in its article, “Timeshare Market Inertia,” that the process “has stalled.”

Located just south of Cuba, between the Cayman Islands and Haiti, the English-speaking island of Jamaica is known for its vibrant culture, beautiful beaches, reggae music and kicked back way of life. From its bobsled team to Bob Marley, Patrick Ewing to Ursain Bolt, much of the world already knows and loves Jamaica; most of us can even sing along with Marley’s famous, “One Love, One Heart,” that has come to be the signature song of the island.

As Rob Webb reminds us, “My ARDA colleagues and I encouraged the (Jamaican) Government to design a realistic timeshare law that would facilitate the conversion of hotel rooms into timeshare units, and we offered our assistance in helping to draft such a law. That offer still stands.”

Enhancing the Jamaica timeshare market is a worthy idea that would expand Caribbean timeshare options while likely benefiting the Jamaican economy. So come on Jamaica, “Let’s get together and feel all right…”

Bluegreen timeshare’s Daytona Beach resorts Daytona SeaBreeze and Fantasy Island Resort II, are getting ready to welcome timeshare owners and guests attending Mozart’s Don Giovanni, presented by the Daytona Beach Symphony Society and the Mozart Festival Opera Company, part of the Daytona Beach Winterfest,  Friday, January 27, 2012.

Harold Channell, General Manager at Bluegreen’s Daytona SeaBreeze resort says, “Daytona SeaBreeze is conveniently located right on the World’s Most Famous Beach. It is the perfect place to relax after witnessing what is considered to be one of the best operas ever written—Mozart’s Don Giovanni. If your vacation brings you to Daytona in January, you definitely won’t want to miss this performance.”

The Mozart Festival Opera Company’s presentation of Don Giovanni begins at 7 PM,  Friday, January 27, 2012. But is only part of the Winterfest music schedule for that weekend, which includes: The Canadian Brass on January 28 and Russia’s internationally acclaimed St. Petersburg State Orchestra on January 29. For music lovers, a weekend at the beach doesn’t get much better than this, especially when your days begin and end in the comfort of a Bluegreen timeshare resort.

Yes, Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services have always been your best resource for last minute timeshare vacation rental hot deals, but in recent months these deals have gotten easier for you to explore and even hotter than ever before.

Featured on the homepage of www.sellmytimesharenow.com, Amazing Last Minute Deals are timeshare vacation rentals you can book and enjoy even at the very, very last minute. Because these timeshare rentals are listed chronologically, with the closest rental dates first, you can find a great deal—an amazing deal—on a vacation property, and start your holiday as soon as tomorrow, if you like.

AMAZING LAST MINUTE DEALS ARE:

• Easy to book and make vacation and travel planning simpler than ever.
• Offered by owners, resorts, agents, or HOAs that are highly anxious to book this timeshare rental for you.
• Available (typically) for a full 7-day, 6-night vacation but may also be negotiated for a shorter 2, 3 or 4-night vacation. Some may even be available as overnight rentals (you never know until you ask!).
• Offered at rock bottom rental prices yet are at all your favorite or soon-to-be favorite vacation destinations, with spacious accommodations and great amenities.
• Afford you the best deals out there for a luxury vacation at a discount price.
• Ready to rent NOW!

When you wonder how others afford those fabulous vacations you never seem to be able to take; here’s your answer: LAST MINUTE RENTAL DEALS from Sell My Timeshare NOW.

With jobs and the economy on the forefront of many people’s minds, President Barack Obama picked a beautiful sunshiny day in Central Florida to stand in front of Cinderella’s castle in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and explain his vision and plans for boosting international tourism to the US.

The President’s midday press conference on Thursday began with a few jokes about Mickey Mouse and included his acknowledgement that the weather couldn’t be more perfect. He then touched on a variety of topics related to tourism job growth, focusing on the country’s current stringent policy for screening international tourists. The fact that the US makes it remarkably difficult for tourists from all but 36 countries to visit the US is an issue we have addressed here repeatedly on The Timeshare Authority blog. (see:Marriott Timeshare and Hotel Icon, Bill Marriott Criticizes Government Policy)

Stressing that it was possible to both keep America safe and make it easier for international tourists to visit the US, President Obama discussed specific options to make this happen. In the works are plans for how:

·         America can expand the current list of 36 preferred countries whose visitors are not required to obtain a visa in order to visit.
·         We can create a type of frequent visitor pass for those international tourists who would be willing to undergo an intense one-time background check but could then return more easily upon frequent visits; and
·         To dramatically ease the process for visitors from two target countries: Brazil and China, which both have rapidly growing economies, and emerging middle class that desires to travel, and have a demonstrated history of interest in vacationing in the US.

President Obama plans to sign an executive order to support these and other tourism enhancing initiatives.

Vacationing can be an important part of your healthier new routine says VacationBetter.org and the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), and the timeshare industry is working hard to make it easier to do.

A media release yesterday by VacationBetter.org points out that your resolve to live a healthier lifestyle doesn’t have to dwindle as the New Year transitions into a daily routine. A yearlong—or better still, lifelong—commitment to live a healthier life includes both downtime away from your daily grind and pressures and the opportunity to enjoy more healthful experiences during that vacation time.

David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing Americas for timeshare exchange company, Interval International, says, “Many of our clients’ properties in the Americas and the Caribbean have fitness centers and full-service spas, and those with restaurants are presenting healthier menu options.  This increased consciousness of wellness is reflected in Interval’s most recent U.S. member profile.  Reporting on their preferred vacation activities, nearly half of those surveyed include working out and exercising while close to 40 percent cite spa services.”

As Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA, explains, “Health and wellness amenities are growing in popularity among timeshare owners and resorts are now using these programs to attract new timeshare consumers unfamiliar that such vacation products exist.”

Read: TIMESHARE INDUSTRY SAYS WELLNESS TREND IS HERE TO STAY IN 2012

Do you have a timeshare advertised for sale or rent through Sell My Timeshare NOW? If so, we invite you… urge you… to visit our Facebook page and talk about it!

Here’s an example of what one Sell My Timeshare NOW client posted on our corporate Facebook page:

MONICA NARVAEZ

TIMESHARE FOR SALE OR RENT IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/timeshares/index/

content/details/AdNumber/205367/ FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS.

As quickly as a status update and at no additional cost to her, this timeshare owner expanded the visibility of her Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa Phase II timeshare for sale or rent ad. Because Monica included her SellMyTimeshareNOW.com Ad Number (# 205367) with a direct hyperlink to the ad, we can recognize her as our client, and are delighted to help her share her ad.

Other Facebook friends and visitors will use the ad number and hyperlink, which she included, to take them to the ad page on our Sell My Timeshare NOW website, which is the ad for her specific property. On that page, interested buyers and renters can learn more about the resort’s features and amenities. By taking a moment to post her timeshare ad on our Facebook page, Monica increased the exposure her timeshare for sale or rent will receive proportionally by the power of Facebook.

Do you have a Sell My Timeshare NOW ad for timeshare for sale or rent?

We encourage you to add it to our Facebook page. Just go to: https://www.facebook.com/SellMyTimeshareNOW.

Be sure you “Like” Us and then share the message of your timeshare resale or timeshare rental. Remember, you must include your valid Sell My Timeshare NOW ad number and/or hyperlink to that ad page or your ad will not remain in the publicly visible section of our Facebook page.

Like the idea? Please remember to “Like” us, too… Because we really like the idea of you adding your ad on our page!