When Celebrity Resorts timeshares filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, timeshare owners at the thirteen Celebrity Resorts properties were justifiably concerned. The owners association at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa in Carson City, Nevada, (one of the resorts formerly affiliated with Celebrity Resorts) immediately stepped up for their owners with meetings, a plan for the future, and web pages where timeshare owners at this Nevada timeshare could get answers to the questions that naturally arise in this situation.

But visit those web pages today, and you no longer see posts from nervous timeshare owners or agendas for upcoming discussions and ‘hashing out’ sessions among the board members. Instead, when you visit the Owners Corner page of the website you find a letter from the Board of Directors, written late in July. In this letter, the board explains how diligently they scrutinized timeshare management companies in search of the right solution for David Walley’s resort and the timeshare owners there.

After choosing Trading Places International (TPI) as the new management company, the board believes that David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa is on the path to a bright future. As Marlena Forst, president of the David Walley’s Resort Association says, “The welcome news that Trading Places had successfully transitioned the Hanalei Bay Resort (Hawaii) from their preceding management company, Celebrity Resorts, was a determining factor in our selection.”

Trading Places’ New Role at David Walley’s Timeshare

Trading Places’ role in management of David Walley’s Resort is as an independent third-party company that assists the resort in finding solutions to the economic challenges it has faced while at the same time, laying the groundwork for the successful operation of the property going forward.

Along with the transition comes a wonderful benefit for timeshare owners at David Walley’s, in that they automatically can take advantage of timeshare exchange through Trading Places International, with no membership fee owed, only the timeshare exchange fee itself to be paid.

It is very good to see how well timeshare can work in the short and long term when the owners association takes responsible action, addresses problems, and effects solutions. And right now, it looks like a win-win situation for both David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa timeshare owners and for Resort Operations at Trading Places.

Previous reports on the changes at David Walley’s by The Timeshare Authority:

David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare Updates to Timeshare Owners
(published March 15, 2010)
Updates for Timeshare Owners at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare
(published April 28, 2010)

Let’s face it, you wouldn’t be reading about a timeshare resale or timeshare rental if you weren’t already a savvy consumer, who knows where the good deals are. But since many people have no choice but to travel for business, and all of us enjoy traveling for vacation and leisure, there is no such thing as too many good tips for travelers.

Whether your next trip is to your timeshare, involves a timeshare rental, or a hotel stay, here are four suggestions that will either save you money or enhance your travel experience—or will do both!

1. Turn to travel experts when it comes to packing your luggage. Two good places to start are TravelSmith and Magellan’s. Both offer packing tubes or bags that make it easy to pack clothing either by type or by outfit. Packing pouches that you use inside your suitcase reduce wrinkling, simplify your system, and make it more likely that you arrive at your destination with all the gear and apparel you meant to bring.
2. Know your perks and benefits programs. Most travelers never fully utilize all their frequently flyer miles, hotel discounts, or other benefits that come with their membership either in a travel association (such as AAA); as a timeshare owner, as a member of a timeshare exchange program; or because they carry a branded credit card. When possible, pick your memberships based on benefits you will actually use; learn what those benefits are; and then take advantage of them.
3. If you travel frequently or like to enjoy last minute vacation opportunities, keep a checklist on your computer and print as needed. A checklist makes it easy to remember all those small items that make travel more pleasurable. You might even consider keeping a suitcase or bag packed with all your basics so when last-minutes travel deals crop up, you are ready to take advantage of them.
4. Finally, wherever you travel, smile, speak up, and engage others in conversation. Beautiful scenery and thrill rides at the theme park are great, but nothing tops the memories you create when you meet new people, chat with the locals, and perhaps launch friendships you will keep for a lifetime.

Follow this link to learn more about great deals on last minute timeshare rentals.

In case you missed the announcement last week regarding the interview Dave Thackeray of RCI Ventures did with Phil Watson and me, today’s The Timeshare Authority revisits this critical topic.

The subject of timeshare resales has been the elephant in the room no one in the industry would talk about for too long. You’ve heard me say it before…where would auto manufacturers be if they only sold new cars and provided no options for trade ins and resales?

And unfortunately, if an industry doesn’t put forward a good solution, standardize it, and stand behind it—no matter what the goods or services are—then that industry leaves the door open for fraudsters and fly-by-nights to hark solutions that are really no solution at all. In this case, they are just timeshare scams.

And in such an environment, when ethical businesses come forward offering effective options and trustworthy services—companies including Sell My Timeshare NOW, their message can be hard to hear over the din of confusion already in place.

If you are interested in buying or selling timeshare, currently own timeshare or vacation club membership or points, or are part of the timeshare and vacation ownership industry, I think you’ll be very interested in hearing this interview.

Thank you RCI Ventures and Dave Thackeray for inviting me to be part of your internet radio show, “The Timeshare Resales Revolution.”

You can hear this podcast (internet radio) by downloading it to play anytime or playing it now: Play in new window. You can also catch all of the news and views from RCI Ventures when you subscribe at iTunes to Today’s Timeshare and its sister show, Fractional Focus.

Related The Timeshare Authority blog posts: The Timeshare Resales Revolution… Listen to Jason Tremblay Give the Wake Up Call

Common sense tells you to take more vacation time. You doctor, spouse or significant other, and best friend probably say the same thing, too. But with money tight for many people, how do you manage this?

Here are five ways you can enjoy your vacation without blowing your budget:

1. If you fly, the more flexible you can be, the more you can save. Besides being flexible about your travel dates, consider if there are nearby or alternative airports for your departure. If you are willing to drive a little further first, you may be able to save as much as 40 percent on airline ticket cost.
2. Look for membership benefits. Members of the American Automobile Association and members of AARP are frequently entitled to savings on theme park and attraction tickets. Bank of America cardholders get free admission to more than 100 museums across America. And Target stores offer a program called “Arts & Wonder” that offers reduced admission prices and sometimes even free admission to select cultural events and museums. Anyone can take advantage of Target’s program; just go to their Arts & Wonder webpage and search by city for the events and the days of the week Target underwrites.
3. Check out Restaurant.com for discounts at your favorite eateries. Through this website you can buy discounted gift certificates for restaurants in cities across the country; for example, you might pay $30 for a $50 restaurant gift certificate that you print yourself and then “gift” to yourself to offset the cost of vacation dining.
4. Buy your theme park tickets online before your trip. By purchasing in advance on the website for the theme park you plan to visit, you will be able to not only take advantage of discount pricing but you will not be standing in line to buy a ticket once you arrive at the park.
5. Discover the deals available to you in timeshare rental. Many timeshare owners are eager to use their timeshare or vacation club as a rental during times they cannot make use of it themselves. Renting timeshare offers a way for timeshare owners to offset or cover their costs of annual fees and taxes while offering vacationers some of the best opportunities around in travel accommodations. And don’t assume that these plans have to be made months in advance. The inventory of last minute timeshare rentals is excellent, with some timeshare owners highly motivated to negotiate. As Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO, explains, “Many vacationers don’t yet realize that they can rent a week or two at a fabulous resort and stay in spacious accommodations with one or more bedrooms and bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room – all the comforts of home.”

Maybe you are one of the millions of Americans who worked their job today, and if so, the rest of the country is very appreciative. We need hospitals to run, fire stations manned, and servers in our restaurants. But whether you take time off today or you select another day, just be sure you schedule as many Un-Labor Days as you possibly can.

This week, the hotel management company, Benchmark Hospitality International, released its Top Ten Beverage Trends for 2010. Benchmark is a worldwide leader in the management and marketing of hotels, resorts, conference centers, and Personal Luxury Hotels™. Based in the Woodlands, Texas, Benchmark has a regional office in New Jersey, and international offices in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile.

This year, after releasing their annual dining trends report in June, Benchmark Hospitality found demand was strong for them to assess beverage trends as well. And since enjoying timeshare vacations and travel often includes celebrating with good food and drink, The Timeshare Authority blog thought we’d pass this report on to our readers.

A Noteworthy Sommelier

Mary Watson-DeLauder is Benchmark’s chief sommelier and is recognized as one of the few female wine experts in the US. She was previously the award-winning sommelier for Lansdowne Resort’s On the Potomac restaurant in Leesburg, Virginia; was instrumental in developing an acclaimed curriculum of food and wine for the Culinary University classes; and has developed the wine programs for numerous Benchmark properties. Watson-DeLauder says, “This is an exciting time for the beverage industry, with lots of positive changes occurring. Some of the changes are economically driven, some taste oriented, and still others created out of necessity in response to changing palates and a new generation of consumers.”

So for all who appreciate a fine wine, here are the findings of the report:

Whether you are at your timeshare resort or relaxing in your own backyard, we hope you are finding some time this holiday weekend to do the things you love the most. …To share laughter with friends and family; hike your favorite trail; catch a new movie or savor an old one… and even to sip your favorite beverage whether it is fine wine or sweet tea. Carve out a space for yourself; de-stress and unwind. Tuesday morning will be here soon enough.

It’s not too soon to remind you of the upcoming 2010 Vacation Ownership Investment Conference. Although many outside the timeshare industry blame its recent slump in sales on an economically challenged consumer market, most people inside the timeshare industry would lay the blame more specifically on the tight credit market.

The VOIC is scheduled for October 4-6, 2010, at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida. This important timeshare and vacation ownership industry event primarily targets three groups:

1. Lenders who want to learn more about opportunities in vacation ownership financing and lenders interested in meeting new and current timeshare developers.
2. Timeshare resort developers who are developing a vacation ownership property or are considering developing such a property or product.
3. Anyone in the industry seeking capital or development opportunities.

This year’s keynote speakers will include Marci Rossell, PhD, a former economist for the Federal Reserve and past CNBC chief economist. Rossell reminds us that all financial crises follow a pattern and the current conditions in the US are no exception. Recognizing this, we, as Americans, could learn and benefit by studying the pattern and the successes and failures of past responses to the pattern.

Other Important Info to Be Gained at the 2010 Vacation Ownership Investment Conference

When you attend the VOIC, you’ll hear from experts on current performance statistics about the US timeshare and vacation ownership industry along with learning about relevant research on the industry. These key facts not only tell the tale on what’s happening today but serve as important indicators about what to expect in the future.

You will gain insider insights from lenders about the capital challenges facing today’s economy and learn what facts you will need to present if your timeshare related business or business venture is seeking investment or growth funding.

For all who are affiliated with the timeshares and vacation ownership industry, the VOIC is a critical event always packed with insights and information. To find out more, contact Information@VacationOwnershipInvestment.com or call toll-free 877.700.1153 or 305.668.3495.

Hotel and Motel Management recently ran a report on social media, a topic we feel strongly about at Sell My Timeshare NOW and The Timeshare Authority blog. (Apply marketing basics to social media to sell timeshare)

As they correctly observed, timeshares and social media are a logical match, with author Stephanie Ricca pointing out, “The timeshare industry is known for its marketing savvy, so it makes sense that this segment hit the ground running when it came to adopting social media strategies.”

Much of the report addresses what it defines as, “using social media outlets to strengthen the bond with the most critical mass—current timeshare owners.” This is a good observation and brings up the issue we made in a blog post this past Sunday (Social Media and the Timeshare Industry at the VOASA Conference)

Timeshares inherently have a special need for social media. Timeshare owners may buy timeshare from a developer who gives them plenty of attention, right up until they become a timeshare owner. After that, some timeshare owners feel they are “on their own” when it comes to gaining updates and general information about the opportunities of vacation ownership. This feeling of “aloneness” can be even greater for timeshare owners who bought timeshare as on the resale market. Who do they turn to with their questions? Where is their support system?

But as Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA (the American Resort Development Association), explains, “We’re trying to educate our members that viral and word-of-mouth marketing now has a huge megaphone…This is an opportunity every day to ensure you’re igniting your fans and answering your detractors.”

Timeshare Owners Need a Voice…and a Listening Ear

Social media is often called “new media” for a reason. The old way the business world used to communicate with consumers has come to an end. No more one-sided conversations where advertising executives strategize the message, trying to shape the way consumers feel about the product.

Instead, social media has given consumers the voice they should have always had. Whether the product is timeshares, other travel and vacation products, or consumer goods and services, social media is providing the platforms for individuals to express and share their likes, dislikes, needs, and opinions. New media is one of the best directions business has taken in many years, even though it has left most industries—timeshare included—working hard to get up to steam with a presence in all the places its market wants to be heard.

The Timeshare Authority Blog and Sell My Timeshare NOW hope you will follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jasontremblay_ and http://twitter.com/vacationhotdeal

With the Fractional Summit USA underway in Miami today, it is great time to also mention a new book by David Disick: Fractional Vacation Homes: Marketing and Sales in Challenging Times.

David Disick’s book is designed to help timeshare and fractional developers, marketers, and sales agents attract more buyers to the fractional market, while closing more sales and generating more profits. Launching early this month, you’ll find 14+ testimonials from industry leaders—people who know when they are getting straight talk about the fractional and timeshare sales process.

Disick is a former Wall Street attorney with Davis & Cox, and is highly experienced in raising capital and financial structuring. He developed the first private residence club in American, the Franz Klammer Lodge in Telluride, Colorado, with a business and sales model that paved the way for much of the private residence and fractional market in the US today.

Disick is a former Wall Street attorney with Davis & Cox, and is highly experienced in raising capital and financial structuring. He developed the first private residence club in American, the Franz Klammer Lodge in Telluride, Colorado, with a business and sales model that paved the way for much of the private residence and fractional market in the US today.

To learn more about the book, you can contact David Disick at ddisick@msn.com or by calling (001) 435-657-9722. To hear Dave Thackeray’s interview with David Disick for Fractional Focus and RCI Ventures (podcast) click here: Play in new window

I am very excited to have been part of an interview with Phil Watson, who is the managing director of Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket in the United Kingdom. We spoke with interviewer Dave Thackeray of RCI Ventures on the very critical topics of timeshare resales and the changing dynamic of timeshare sales. If you are interested in selling timeshare on the secondary market, you will definitely want to take a few minutes and catch this internet radio podcast.

I share a story you may never have heard—how I came to be part of the timeshare resale industry. This is a very candid interview, where you’ll hear me say, “the timeshare resale industry is wrought with fraud.”

Have I got your interest? Want to know how Sell My Timeshare NOW is working hard to change the face of timeshare resales?

Please listen in…

• I will tell you why Sell My Timeshare NOW is one of the fastest growing timeshare resales companies in the world today.
• You’ll hear me tell what it has been like to be an unwelcomed newcomer in the timeshare industry and what we’ve done to earn the respect of both timeshare developers and very importantly, the timeshare owner, timeshare buyer, renter, or timeshare seller.
• And I’ll take on the existing timeshare sales process and tell you what’s wrong with it—and how it can be made better for the benefit of timeshare buyers and timeshare owners and the health and vibrancy of the industry.

You have several ways to hear this podcast. You can click the link below to play now, catch us on iTunes or download the interview to hear later.

Play it via iTunes or subscribe at iTunes to Today’s Timeshare (and its sister show Fractional Focus).

Listen to today’s show now: Play in new window

Or save it and listen to it later: Download