Timeshare Is Stronger and Stabler than You Think
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Last week, rumors turned to fact when Consolidated Resorts filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy through the courts in Nevada. And when something like this happens, everyone feels a little concerned about what the future holds—whether you are employed by the industry, you own timeshares, or you are a vendor who serves timeshare resorts and timeshare owners. But as the Wall Street Journal pointed out this week, “So far this year, Consolidated is the only time-share developer to have said it will file for bankruptcy protection.“
Despite some cutbacks, layoffs, and the assorted challenges that the industry faces, timeshare resorts across the US and around the world are still providing timeshare owners and timeshare renters with quality vacation experiences. And when you consider that the timeshare industry has been hit from more different directions than most by the complexities of the weak economy and poor credit market, the very fact that only Consolidated has been forced to make this move says a lot about the strength and solidity already in place.
In quotes that appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Steve Holmes, Wyndham timeshare‘s chairman and chief executive, says he anticipates the securitization market eventually will loosen a bit for time-share deals. “I’m not calling for a return to the kind of liquidity that existed 18 months or two years ago, but I think, over time, there will be a middle ground that’s found.”
Las Vegas Timeshare Was Expanding
What’s especially sad for Consolidated Resorts is that they were expanding one of their three Las Vegas timeshare properties, the Tahiti Village on Las Vegas Boulevard at Interstate 215. The property has 860 timeshare units but room for expansion, space the other two Las Vegas locations, the Tahiti and Club de Soleil did not offer. Completion of the expansion would have given the company more timeshare to sell, something it needed greatly as its existing inventory was low.
The bottom line is that none of us knows exactly what the bottom line will be in this economy. But timeshare companies, developers, and timeshare resales companies are stepping up their efforts, and scrutinizing how they can improve their product, their services, and their business models. Some of the details may change, but your opportunity to enjoy vacation ownership through timeshares and timeshare resales, remains.
