Dial An Exchange (DAE) North America timeshare exchange has announced its new partnership with some very special resort properties—and they are not timeshare resorts.

Through the creation of daeOptions, the more than 300,000 timeshare owners and DAE members will now be able to rent or exchange their timeshare week for a seven-night stay at a large number of non-timeshare properties. Rentals for DAE members at non-timeshare properties will be at highly discounted rates while exchanges will be available to them when they deposit their timeshare week and pay an exchange fee that ranges between $350 to $450.

The new resort destinations for daeOptions include Chicago, Illinois; San Antonio, Texas; St. Petersburg, Florida; Orlando, Florida Braintree, Massachusetts; Cambridge, Maryland; San Diego, California; Anchorage, Alaska; Oahu, Hawaii; and Whistler, British Columbia.

Tanya Bleuel, Director of Yield Management for DAE, says, “The new program opens a world of vacationing options to our members. Whether the member exchanges or rents at members’ only prices, they are getting a great deal.”

More about Dial An Exchange Timeshare Exchange

It’s interesting that Dial An Exchange has made the timeshare ownership experience better by adding non-timeshare properties to their offerings. Dial An Exchange has always been a fast growing, forward thinking leader in the industry, including offering a no-membership fee option for its member/owners. Through Dial An Exchange, timeshare exchange fees are not billed until the exchange is confirmed.

Today, DAE has offices in Europe, the United States, New Zealand, South Africa and Asia, and the United Kingdom to better serve its members.

At one time, the “hottest” central Florida theme park destination was Cypress Gardens. Opened in 1936, in Winter Haven, just west of Orlando, Cypress Gardens was known for its ski shows, Southern Belles in vintage dresses, and well… its cypress gardens, those manicured grounds of beautifully landscaped floral gardens and stately cypress trees.

In 2010, Cypress Gardens closed its doors for the last time, overshadowed and overwhelmed by the Disney, Sea World and Universal Studios parks in Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa. But you just can’t keep a good theme park destination down for long, because before 2011 is over, the 150-acres of the former Cypress Gardens will be reborn as Legoland Florida.

Plan Your Next Florida Timeshare Vacation and Catch the Opening of Legoland

Last week, Legoland officials announced that the park—planned as the world’s largest Legoland park, will officially open on October 15, 2011. Built to cater to children ages 2 through 12, Legoland Florida will offer over fifty rides, including roller coasters and race cars.

Legoland Florida sales manager Todd Andrus says, “Guests (callers) have been all but begging to know the date, so they can book their flights and accommodations, and purchase admission tickets.”

And with its plan for family-friendly shows and attractions, there is no reason to think that Legoland Florida won’t be at least as successful as the Legoland parks in Denmark; Windsor; England, Germany; and Carlsbad, California. And just like a Grand Pacific Palisades California timeshare offers you the ideal venue for your trip to Legoland California, you can count on an Orlando timeshare resale or Orlando timeshare rental vacation making it fun, affordable, and easy to enjoy your trip to Legoland Florida.

Click here to learn more about Legoland Florida.

And follow this link to get started planning your Orlando timeshare vacation.

More about timeshares and a visit to Legoland: Hawaii Timeshare in Maui, California Timeshare Near the Beach, and Desert Beauty in a Las Vegas Timeshare Resort

Shell Vacations timeshare, already home to 25 distinctive resorts across North America, is expanding its resort collect with the acquisition of San Diego’s iconic Park Manor Suites hotel. This historic hotel is located in the Hillcrest community, near Balboa Park and is considered to be the premier, all-suite boutique hotel in the city, which makes it understandably a perfect fit for the Shell Vacations family of resorts.

Known for its neo-renaissance architecture as well as its service and home-away-from-home amenities, this very special property will be rebranded as the: Inn at the Park. Timeshare guests will be able to choose between studios and one- or two-bedroom suites, all with 9-foot ceilings, expansive windows offering amazing views of San Diego.

Sheldon H. Ginsburg, chairman of Shell Vacations timeshare, explains, “After more than five years of searching in the San Diego area, we are delighted to have found our dream property. The ambiance, location and timeless appeal of Inn at the Park are ideal for our family of customers both current and future.”

Although this Frank P. Allen designed, Italian Renaissance resort is officially recognized as a San Diego Historic Site, it does not scrimp on modern amenities, making it an ideal destination for both vacation or business travel.

For summer travelers, Wyndham Worldwide and Wyndham timeshare have made life a little more rewarding. In celebration of Wyndham Rewards newest offering, members of Wyndham Rewards who book their timeshare vacation through Extra Holidays by Wyndham, have the chance to earn 10 points for every dollar spent during their stay timeshare stay.

To be eligible for this special promotion, you must book your Wyndham Extra Holidays timeshare vacation by June 30, 2011 and have completed it by September 30, 2011. You must stay at least two consecutive nights and your stay must be booked using the rate code “REWARD.” (More information here.)

Robin Korman, Wyndham Hotel Group senior vice president of loyalty marketing explains, “Wyndham Rewards already provides more than eight million active members with the chance to earn and redeem points at more hotels and in more destinations than any other program in the world. By adding the (timeshare) resorts offered through Extra Holidays by Wyndham, we’re providing our members one more way to earn more points and faster rewards.”

Jeff Myers, Wyndham Vacation Ownership (Wyndham timeshare) chief sales and marketing officer adds, “Extra Holidays by Wyndham is a fantastic way for travelers to experience the unique benefits of vacationing in our timeshare resorts, which are located in some of the most highly sought after vacation destinations. This is a great step forward in getting travelers on their next Wyndham Rewards vacation.”

Thanks to Bluegreen timeshare, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial traveling museum has been on display at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park as part of Military Appreciation Days.

The half-size replica of the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC is known as, “The Wall that Heals.” Since 1996, this memorial has been part of a traveling museum and information center that has been displayed in cities across the US where hearts and lives were touched by the Viet Nam War.

Todd Frazier, Regional General Manager at Bluegreen’s Shore Crest Vacation Villas says, “We all look forward to paying our respects during Myrtle Beach Military Appreciation Days. And now, to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial right here in our hometown, is an incredible honor that anyone coming to visit the resort can reflect on and appreciate.”

Myrtle Beach Military Appreciation Days continue through May 29, 2011. Bluegreen resorts at Shore Crest Vacation Villas timeshare, Harbour Lights timeshare, SeaGlass Tower timeshare, and Carolina Grande timeshare, all offer excellent options for those vacationing in the Myrtle Beach area now or anytime in the future.

For more information on Military Appreciation Days and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Myrtle Beach, visit http://vvmf.org/twth.

Follow this link to watch Sell My Timeshare NOW on the Today Show.

When Today Show reporter, Mark Potter, wanted to show the realities of timeshare real estate, one of his resources was Sell My Timeshare NOW and our partner company, Timeshare Broker Services. He looked at the challenges of reselling timeshare—challenges you may face if you own a timeshare condo or timeshare interval at a poorly managed resort, a resort with little demand, or an off season destination.

But the segment, which aired Monday, May 25, 2011, also looked at the industry’s upside—and what is particularly an upside for consumers. Now is a golden opportunity time to buy timeshare resales if you are looking for good deals on vacation ownership property.

As I pointed out in the interview, the devaluation of timeshare on the resale market is not such an issue for timeshares at branded hospitality providers, brands such as Disney Vacation Club, Marriott timeshare, Hyatt Vacation Club timeshare, Hilton timeshare, and some of the other leading destinations. Demand exists for timeshare resales when they are popular resorts, brands, and vacation venues. After all, why not buy these timeshares on the resale market and pay a competitive price? Especially now that there is timeshare financing available. (Follow this link to learn how to finance timeshare resales at a low fixed rate you can apply for online)

When You Really Want to Resell Timeshare

Whether you are selling a high-demand branded timeshare or a lesser-known property, give yourself every opportunity to get it sold. Select a timeshare resales service, either for by owner timeshare or through a timeshare broker that can demonstrate to you an astounding level of prospective buyers visiting their website and proven track record of offers to buy or rent timeshares.

While the Monday May 23, edition of the Today Show shows how competitive it can be to resell a timeshare, it also points out that the downturn economy is a golden opportunity for timeshare buyers.

With $160,445,113 in offers to buy or rent timeshare through Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services so far in this year alone—(yes, you read that right—that’s over $160 MILLION in offers) we clearly know that reselling timeshare is possible, especially with the right internet marketing to help you. And reselling a timeshare from branded hospitality providers, such as Marriott Vacation Club timeshares, Disney timeshares, Hilton timeshares, or other names people know and value from the hotel industry, is typically easier to do than selling older timeshares or timeshares as less popular locations.

But within every challenge, there is always a silver lining, or what the Today Show calls that “golden opportunity.” Timeshare resales offer you the chance to lock-in the cost of your accommodations for many happy years of future vacations. Typically your timeshare will be more spacious than a hotel room and you will find timeshares located across the country and around the world at popular vacation destinations. And as the Today Show points out, now is the perfect time to buy timeshare.

Click here to see this segment from the Today Show, which includes comments about SellMyTimeshareNOW.com Be sure to click on the video to play that says: for timeshare owners, desperate times…

Last week, USA Today reported on an interesting trend … bathtubs are disappearing from hotels. No it’s not that hotel guests have found a way to take home the hotel’s bath tub along with its towels; this is a matter of planning and design.

Hotel developers have noticed that most of their guests prefer showers, citing that many are busy business travelers and don’t have time for a luxurious soak and that others simply choose showers over baths, even when tubs are available.

In the past ten years, Holiday Inn has shifted from 95 percent of its hotels having tubs to only 55 percent having tubs today. At Marriott, the plan is for only 25 percent of their hotels to have bathtubs, and the rest will be showers only.

But the campaign to eliminate bathtubs is not expected to show up in Holiday Inn Vacation Club timeshares, Marriott timeshares or most other timeshare condos. Vacations are an opportunity to allow yourself the extra time to indulge in a long, relaxing bath. Just as importantly, bathtubs are typically preferred for bathing children. A 2008 survey by Embassy Suites found that a tub or bath/shower combination is the first choice for vacationers, especially when traveling with young children.

A Timeshare Condo Mean More Room, More of the Comforts of Home

Let’s face it, most households today have more than one television, they have video games for the children, and DVD players or DVR’s for enjoying favorite movies. When these conveniences are part of our homes, why shouldn’t they also be part of our vacations?

A timeshare condo means a family doesn’t have to squeeze into one or two hotel rooms, eat takeout on the bed, and all agree to watch one television and share a single bathroom.

Timeshare condos are about vacationing in spacious accommodations that include the amenities of home and room to be together as well as space to spread out.

According to AAA, the price of gas isn’t stopping most Americans from taking that much needed vacations, at least not when it comes to this year’s Memorial Day weekend travel.

Gas prices over Memorial Day weekend are projected to be at $3.91 a gallon for a national US average. Nevertheless, nearly 35 million people are expected to travel during the last weekend in May, up slightly over 2010 travel numbers. But Brad Roeber, AAA Regional President, says some travelers will, “compensate for the higher fuel costs by cutting other areas of their travel budgets.”

During the Memorial Day weekend, hotels and resorts with AAA Three Diamond lodgings will average $148 per night, compared to $142 last year. Air travel prices will be up 14 percent, and gasoline is some 38 percent higher than it was this time a year ago.

So how can you travel, enjoy the vacation you need, and still cut your costs?

Timeshare rentals look even better than ever as a way to save money and still enjoy a great vacation.

Why You Save Money When You Rent Timeshare

In our blog post on Friday (Timeshare Enchantment? Ask Guy Kawasaki), I pointed out how surprising it is to me that many people do not know timeshares are available for rent. They assume you have to buy timeshare and never even consider timeshares for rent.

Yet every year, thousands of timeshare owners discover that they cannot use their timeshare this year and for some reason cannot or prefer not to use it for timeshare exchange. What these timeshare owners really want (and sometimes need) to do is use their interval as a timeshare rental, often seeking only enough in rental fees to cover or offset their annual maintenance fee. What are your options to rent timeshare? For starters, Sell My Timeshare NOW has an inventory of over 16,000 timeshares available for rent.

How Timeshare Rentals Work

Timeshare owners can make their timeshare available for rent by contacting the resort and making a reservation for another guest. When you want to rent timeshare, search the Sell My Timeshare NOW website by resort brand or by destination and you will find timeshare rentals that match your vacation plans and your budget.

Next, click on the search results to get the details on the timeshare rental that interests you, make your offer online, and the timeshare owner or a timeshare rental specialist will contact you directly to complete the rental process. You’ll find timeshare rentals with published prices below the cost of hotel rooms. You will also find many others listed as, “Price Negotiable,” perfect for bargain hunting negotiations.

Remember too that timeshares are available in studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts, many sleeping as many as 12 people. For the price of one multi-bedroom timeshare rental, you and friends or family members can share the space and watch your vacation cost dip even lower.

But you’ll never know about these great prices until you visit the Sell My Timeshare NOW website and peruse the listings yourself. Don’t let the price of gas or the rising cost of hotel rooms keep you at home this summer.

Hurry, you have less than a week left to enter Bluegreen Timeshares annual Pix & Flix contest. Each year, Bluegreen Resorts timeshare goes on the hunt for amazing Bluegreen timeshare vacation photos and videos.

This year’s Bluegreen Timeshare contest categories are:

• Most Breathtaking Destination
• Best Bluegreen Resort Timeshare for Kids and Family
• Most Romantic Bluegreen Timeshare Destination
• Favorite Bluegreen Beach Resort
• Best Place to Experience the Great Outdoors

Prizes include a $500 Visa gift card for the Best Video and a $500 Visa gift card for the Best Photo. Additionally, five runners up for each category (total of ten) will each win a $100 Visa Gift card. But hurry, time is running out. All photos and videos must be submitted by May 26, 2011, 11:59 PM. A panel of six Colorful Places Editors will choose finalists based on subject matter and relevance.

The rules are simple. Your photo or video must have been shot at a Bluegreen Resort timeshare between January 1, 2005 and May 26, 2011. You cannot alter or enhance the photo or video in any way, including using special effects, filters, or by adding or deleting anything. For a complete list of contest guidelines and where to send your entry, go to: http://www.colorfulplaces.com/pixandflix/dop.html.

Everyone Wins with a Bluegreen Timeshare Resale or Rental

And if you are looking for more opportunities to vacation in Bluegreen timeshare resales or Bluegreen timeshare rentals, talk to the timeshare specialists at Sell My Timeshare NOW. Best of all, now you can quickly and easily obtain low interest financing to buy timeshare resales. Click Timeshare Resale Financing to learn more.