Sell My Timeshare NOW has released its annual HOT 100 List, which shows the top 100 timeshare resales and timeshare rentals advertised on www.sellmytimesharenow.com. The list is based on the number of inbound offers to buy or rent timeshare.

This year’s HOT 100 List reveals some interesting trends, most notably a 56 percent increase in the number of offers to buy or rent timeshare on the HOT 100 List, compared to the previous year. The total number of offers for the HOT 100 List was 70,700.

The report also shows remarkable consistency from last year to this year in the timeshare resale and timeshare rental resort properties that make the top of the HOT 100 List — those on the Top 10. The timeshare resorts that made the Top 10 received 23,317 offers to buy or rent.

Here’s the HOTTEST Timeshares of the HOT 100, the Top 10:

• WorldMark by Wyndham, Multi-Destination Resorts (Number 1 for the second year in a row.)
• Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club, Palm Beach, Aruba
• Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas, Newport Coast, California
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui, Hawaii
• Harborside Resort at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
• Orange Lake’s West Village, Orlando, Florida
• Manhattan Club, New York, New York.
• Marriott’s Grande Vista, Orlando, Florida
• Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Maui, Hawaii
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Center, Orlando, Florida

The full report on all 100 HOT timeshare resales and timeshare rentals is available here: Sell MyTimeshare NOW HOT 100 List, and our official press release is available here: Timeshare Resales Offers up 56 Percent on HOT 100 List as Americans Seek Vacation Savings

According to an article in Travel News Daily, a new report shows very happy timeshare owners in Europe. The research was compiled by The Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute at the Nottingham University Business School on behalf of the Resort Development Organisation (which was formerly the Organisation for Timeshares in Europe).

The comprehensive study of Europe timeshare and UK timeshare showed there are more than 1.5 million timeshare owners in Europe and that 87 percent of them say they are happy with their holiday ownership. Nearly 75 percent say they believe that timeshare accommodations are superior to other holidays they have taken in the past, and that timeshares provide a quality of accommodations that is important to them.

The study begins with the historic perspective of the impact Europe timeshares have had on the economy for more than 40 years. Results show a thriving industry that has a positive effect on local economies throughout Europe. Generating €3.2 billion in expenditures annually and employing nearly 70,000 people, the UK timeshare and Europe timeshare industry is clearly a strong influencer on the European economy.

“Timeshare is a concept that has truly come of age with many thousands of happy owners across Europe,” said Richard McIntosh, the Chairman of the Resort Development Organisation. “The quality of timeshare resorts is high which is why many owners see it as superior to other self catering holidays. With exchange options available, owners also enjoy the flexibility of being able to try out resorts across Europe and the rest of the world.“

There are 1,312 Europe timeshare resorts, which equals 67 million bed nights. Twenty-six percent of Europe timeshare resorts are Spain timeshares; fifteen percent are Italy timeshares, and UK and Ireland timeshare account for eleven percent.

McIntosh, who points out that Europe timeshares have an annual 72 percent occupancy rate, says, “Timeshare is a year round industry with owners as likely to visit in the winter months as the summer, spending money in the local community and providing jobs where they otherwise might not exist.“

Recognizing that timeshare holidays are enjoyed throughout the year, and that timeshare owners spend an average of 1,588 euros per vacation on goods and services in the area where they vacation, Europe timeshare is clearly a substantial boost to local and regional economies.

Travel New Daily quotes Professor Chris Cooper, Director, Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute as endorsing the report by saying, “This report is essential reading for all involved in the timeshare business, not only does it provide a detailed profile of timeshare owners, but it also examines their future intentions and preferences in the timeshare market place“.

To learn more about Europe timeshare, visit the website for the Resort Development Organisation.

Starting July 16, 2009, the Marriott Vacation Club timeshare program will change its timeshare points system by integrating Marriott Vacation Club properties into Marriott Rewards Categories.

The good news for Marriott timeshare owners is that as part of this change, their timeshare stays will now be eligible for Marriott’s Fifth Night Free program, which Marriott describes as follows, “Guests must reserve a stay for a minimum of 5 redemption nights at one hotel to receive the fifth night for free. The fifth night free will be automatically applied when guests reserve for a minimum 5-night redemption stay.”

Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare Assigned New Rankings

According to Marriott Vacation Club, the strategy behind the change involves assigning hotel category levels to the Marriott Vacation Club timeshare resorts. Most timeshare properties will be ranked as a category 5, 6, or 7, in the Marriott Rewards system. This means that a one-night stay will require 25,000 points; 30,000; or 35,000 points respectively, based upon a deluxe guestroom, and depending upon whether the resort is a category 5, 6, or 7 property.

Upgrading from a deluxe guestroom to a one-bedroom timeshare will require an additional 5,000 points per night; a two-bedroom timeshare will call for 10,000 more timeshare points; and a three-bedroom timeshare will be 15,000 more points per night, all above the base points requirement for that resort.

One simple way to look at this is that at a category 5 resort, the cost in points will be 210,000 points for 7 nights in a two-bedroom timeshare. That rate increases to 240,000 points for the same number of nights, and the same size timeshare unit at a category 6 resort, and 270,000 points at a category 7 resort. These numbers include the benefit of using your one free night that is available to you when booking five or more consecutive nights.

Receiving Your Marriott Rewards Credit for Marriott Timeshare Stays

Remember that in order for a Marriott Vacation Club International owner to ensure receiving Marriott Rewards credit for Marriott Vacation Club International nights, he or she should present his Marriott Rewards member ID at either the time of check-in or check-out. The option for Marriott timeshare owners to count timeshare nights towards qualifying for the next level of Marriott Rewards Elite status, went into effect last June 30 (2008) but still comes as a surprise to many Marriott timeshare owners.

The new timeshare points system applies to reservations booked on or after the July 16 effective date. If you have already scheduled to use your timeshare points after the effective date the timeshare rates at the time of booking will prevail.

You may wish to also visit Marriott Vacation Club Rewards FAQs, if you have additional questions.

ARDA (the American Resort Development Association) has introduced its annual contest for timeshare owners. Enter your vacation photo, story, or short video (up to 3 minutes) depicting a special timeshare vacation memory and you could win a $1,000 American Express gift card. Your entry should represent a special timeshare vacation memory, according to ARDA, that had a meaningful effect on your family, your health, or your overall enjoyment of life.

ARDA has always promoted the fact that taking regular vacations is not just fun, it’s good for your health and well-being. Last year, ARDA launched a new website, VacationBetter.org with the purpose of spreading the message, and encouraging more people to simply “Vacation Better”.

Since the contest runs from May 15, 2009 until August 31, 2009, if you don’t already have that special timeshare vacation memory, you have all summer long to buy timeshare resales or rent timeshare and MAKE a memory.

Statistics show that more than 47 million Americans will not use all of their vacation days, proving that we don’t all “get it” when it comes to the importance of leisure time and days spent on holiday. Yet, perhaps the ease, convenience, and long-term value of timeshare, are reasons that, according to Owners Perspective Magazine, “…vacation ownership properties are experiencing more than 80 percent occupancy rates as of March 31, 2009.”

VacationBetter.org will award 3 first place winners, one for photography, one for their written story, and one for video. In each of those categories, there will also be a second place winner, who will receive a $250 American Express gift card. For the complete contest rules, click here.

Before Sell My Timeshare NOW releases the new HOT 100 List next week, I want to remind you about the favorite timeshare resorts that made the top ten on last year’s list. For anyone who is considering buying timeshare, or who wants to sell timeshare or rent timeshare, comparing this year’s list with the favorites from last year could provide interesting and helpful insights. The timeshare properties that made the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List are those that were advertised on our website and received the greatest number of offers to buy or rent.

Marriott timeshare had four resorts in the top ten last year. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club was number 10; Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas timeshare was number 7; Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club timeshare was number 6; and Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club timeshare was number 4.

The Manhattan Club, a signature urban timeshare, was number 9. Harborside Resort at Atlantis in the Bahamas, a unique resort that combines elements of a casino, water park, and beachside timeshare, was number 8.

Hawaii timeshares, always popular, accounted for three of the top 10 spots, including the already mentioned Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club timeshare, which was number 5 on the HOT 100 list, and Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, which was number 2.

Orange Lake’s West Village, now under the umbrella of the Holiday Inn brand, was HOT 100 timeshare number 3, while all the fabulous multi-destinations resorts of WorldMark by Wyndham timeshare ranked at the very top, having received the greatest number of offers to buy or rent.

The new HOT 100 list has seen a few changes although several of these well-liked timeshare properties remain at the top. I think you may be surprised by the INCREASES in both the number of offers to buy timeshare or rent timeshare on the top 10 list and across the top 100. When you see the numbers, you may think twice about whether we are in an economic recession or not. What the numbers validate is the timeless interest in timeshare. No matter the economy, timeshare resales are an opportunity with a global market and are widely recognized as offering great vacation value at your favorite destinations.

Some Mexico timeshare resorts are extra special, and a select few take the idea of extra special to a whole other level. Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach is one of those timeshares in a class by itself. It is also timeshare resort number 11 as we wrap up the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list.

Vacation in a Cabo San Lucas Timeshare Getaway

Located near beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach is renowned for its incredible vistas, serene locale, and romantic, private golden sand beach. This Cabo San Lucas timeshare is located on a 50-acre site, in the southern Baja, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.

Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach is close enough to the popular tourist destination of Los Cabos, (which means “The Capes” and includes Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo) for you to fully enjoy dining, shopping, and entertainment. At the same time, it is sufficiently private so that you will feel as if you are away from the hustle and bustle, relaxing in your own secluded Mexico timeshare beachside resort.

What to Expect in your Pueblo Bonito Resort Mexico Timeshare

Choose from a Junior Suite, which includes a fully furnished kitchenette, large bath with shower, a private terrace or balcony, a living room area and two double beds. Junior suites at the Pueblo Bonito Resort Mexico timeshare are over 525 square feet of comfortable, luxurious, timeshare accommodation.

The Luxury Suites include all of the amenities of the Junior Suite plus a dining area that seats four, and a private master bedroom and bath which includes two double beds. Luxury suites offer more than 750 square feet of elegant, relaxing space to enjoy.

Presidential and Penthouse suites are also available and all Pueblo Bonito Resort Mexico timeshare units, including the Junior Suite, offer spectacular ocean views.

On property, you will find the spa, for ultimate relaxation; wedding services; children’s activities; sparkling pools, and so very much more. Nearby golf, eco-tours, horseback riding, sport fishing, and water sports lets you pack a lot of action (or relaxation) into your Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach timeshare vacation.

With Mexico timeshare resales and Mexico timeshare rentals available at great prices, the only thing left for you to do is start packing.

Many states are looking at raising hotel taxes to help offset budget cuts. Director of Communications Steve Luba discusses the issue.

 

 Standard Podcast [2:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sell My Timeshare NOW’s wrap up of our last HOT 100 timeshare resorts for offers to buy timeshare or rent timeshare includes three favorite Orlando timeshare resorts near the top of the list.

The Sheraton Vistana Resort is HOT 100 timeshare number 14; Marriott’s Grande Vista timeshare resort is HOT 100 timeshare number 13; and the Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort is timeshare resort favorite number 12.

Orlando Timeshares are Perennial Vacation Favorites

You may think of Orlando timeshares for the family vacation, especially when your children are young and still oooh and ahhh over Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. In fact, Orlando timeshares are perfect as a vacation destination that offers entertainment and relaxations to suit all ages. Your family’s interests may change but the attractions of Central Florida are so diverse that everyone from your preschooler to Grandma and Grandpa can find activities to enjoy.

When you’ve been to the theme parks and ridden the rides, don’t count out Orlando. There’s shopping from the upscale shops at Millennia Mall to the discounts at the factory outlet. You can take in the world famous Cirque du Soleil, the lush flowers of the Harry P. Leu Gardens, or golf on any of hundreds of area courses, (including numerous championship courses). Maybe your tastes lean more toward dinner theaters, a performance by the Orlando Ballet, relaxing at a luxurious spa, dining at the signature restaurants of Universal’s CityWalk, or exploring the Orlando Art Museum. For kicks, try a bungee jump, a visit to M&M’s World at The Florida Mall, or International Drive’s shops, restaurants, and entertainment such as Ripley’s Believe it or Not. You get the idea; the entertainment opportunities in Orlando form a list that goes on and on.

But you will need a great place to stay to do it all …

Sheraton Vistana Resort Timeshare

The Sheraton Vistana Resort timeshares are spacious villas in a park-like setting. Despite the tranquility they afford, the Sheraton Vistana timeshare, a Starwood resort, is convenient to all of your favorite Orlando attractions. You will enjoy having a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette (depending on the size of your timeshare unit), free wireless internet, an in-unit washer and dryer, no add-on resort or additional person fees, and the value and convenience of free transportation to four of the Disney parks.

Marriott Grande Vista Resort Timeshare

Marriott’s Grande Vista timeshare is an elegant resort offering one, two, or three-bedroom timeshare villas, with spacious living and dining areas, a full kitchen and a luxurious soaking tub in the master bedroom. Marriott timeshare owners at Grande Vista enjoy access to the Faldo Golf Institute® by Marriott, the biking trails and the four sparkling swimming pools.

Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort

Adjacent to Walt Disney World is the beautiful Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort timeshare. Featuring one and two-bedroom timeshare condos, all with a complete kitchen, washer and dryer, in-suite Jacuzzi tub, and a private balcony or patio. The refreshing swimming pool and the peaceful lazy river are perfect spots for cooling off after a long day in the nearby theme parks or shopping malls.

While there are more Orlando timeshares than in any other city in the world, you’ve just read about three of the “hottest” resorts. The timeshare resales professionals at Sell My Timeshare NOW can help you learn more.

Have you been on a medical vacation?

In case you are not familiar with the term, a medical vacation is one where you combine vacation travel with medical treatment, typically surgery. Categorized under the broader topic of “medical tourism,” the idea of traveling to another country to have surgery, especially elective procedures, is growing in popularity.

Cost, of course, can be a driving factor in the decision by Americans to travel overseas for medical treatment. A November 2007 report (which appears below) prepared by Healthbase, identifies incredible savings, and cites the example of a hip surgery that costs $12,000 in India, but averages $48,000 in the US.

Other reasons often given for traveling abroad to receive medical treatment include: shorter wait times to schedule procedures; relaxed and private location for recovery; new or experimental procedures available that are not yet offered in the US; and the cost savings means you can bring family members along to enjoy the trip as a vacation while you spend your time recouping.

This week South Korea, a country seeking to cash in on medical tourism, announced the debut of the foreign medical tourist visa, designed to simplify the process of traveling to Korea for medical services. Thailand issued a press release, just this week, identifying that they are targeting Qatar, Japan, and England as sources for medical tourists. The release says that the government of Thailand seeks to become a, “medical tourism hub for high-quality, low cost health and medical services,” and goes on to explain that a breast augmentation, that in the US would cost between $3,000 and $8,000, in Thailand costs approximately $2,000.

CNNHealth.com identifies the following destinations as medical tourism hotspots:

• Brazil
• Singapore
• Central America (specifically Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica)
• South Africa (home to what has been dubbed, the scalpel “safari”)
• Malaysia
• South Korea
• Hungary
• India

Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals Fit in this Picture Perfectly

Since you aren’t likely to want to go directly from the hospital to a plane headed home, you will probably want a place to spend a few days before and after your surgery, as well as the fact that your travel companions will need accommodations during the time you are hospitalized. Where would you rather be, a hotel room or a spacious timeshare with kitchen facilities, perhaps separate bedrooms, internet access, and so many of the comforts of home?

That’s easy to answer. You will want space to quietly relax, and spend some down time before you return home. And since the whole idea of the trip was to save money, timeshare resales and timeshare rentals fit that plan perfectly.

Not only are there amazing options in timeshare resales, but if you decide to return for follow-up treatment or to have additional medical procedures performed in that same city, a timeshare makes the rescheduling of your accommodations especially easy.

Medical Tourism Guide

One of the reasons people are attracted to timeshare vacations is that timeshare vacation planning is streamlined. Easy to plan, easy to enjoy, and especially easy if you are scheduling a South Dakota timeshare vacation.

That’s because, there is only one timeshare resort in South Dakota … Barefoot Resort Timeshare in the old gold mining town of Lead.

South Dakota Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals

If you are hoping to capture the rustic feel of a western ranch, with plenty of modern comforts and amenities, then Barefoot Resort timeshare is perfect for you. Located in the southwestern corner of the state, not far from the Wyoming state line and the city of Cheyenne, Barefoot Resort offers quiet relaxation and excellent proximity to Terry Peak Ski resort.

Averaging 150 inches of snow annually, Barefoot Resort attracts skiers, snowmobilers, and winter sports enthusiasts. Summers mean hiking, horseback riding, and enjoying the outdoor pools, hot tubs, and saunas. You are also only a short drive from Mount Rushmore, Presidents Park, Deadwood, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave, Spearfish Canyon, Jewel Cave, Custer State Park, and Devils Tower.

Trading Places International recently has been awarded the Barefoot Resort timeshare management contract and will service all timeshare reservations, timeshare exchanges, and financial services of the resort. Perspective Magazine quotes Douglas L. Wilcox, vice president of Resort Management as saying. “This new vacation destination will be a wonderful addition to Trading Places’ growing mid-west family of resorts.”

There are 44 one, two, and three-bedroom timeshare units at Barefoot Resort timeshares. You can learn more about the opportunities in Barefoot Resort timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at Sell My Timeshare NOW.