Universal Studios has just released its new Universal app for android and iPhone users.

Universal Studios has made your time at their Orlando theme parks easier than ever to enjoy. With a new mobile application, free to download, park guests can take advantage of GPS navigation.

Featuring details about the attractions, Facebook and Twitter check-ins, an interactive map, and reservation service for the Universal Orlando restaurants, this app helps you navigate the parks and make better use of your time there. Best of all, the app includes a game that offers you a chance to win a savings guide worth up to $150.

Covering Universal CityWalk, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure, home of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the app offers almost everything you might want except providing you information on wait timeshare for busy rides and shows. A spokesperson for Universal Orlando says wait time information is something they do not offer “at this point’, implying it might be coming in the future and points out that the GPS helps you find the closest wait-time boards where you can obtain updated information.

A Blackberry version of the app is in development.

Orlando Timeshare Vacations

Orlando timeshare resales and Orlando timeshare rentals become your home away from home when you hit the theme parks of Central Florida or daytrip to the beaches. With more timeshares in Orlando than at any other destination in the world, picking a resort to fit your needs and your budget couldn’t be easier. You can go upscale or budget-friendly; pick a studio timeshare unit or a spacious 3 or even 4-bedroom timeshare.

And best of all, Orlando timeshare, no matter which one you select, positions you perfectly for more family vacation fun than at any other destination in the world.

Sol Meliá Vacation Club (SMVC) has officially launched Club Meliá as its new rebranding. The name change comes as part of the rebranding of Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts to become Meliá Hotels International.

Denis Ebrill, Executive Vice President of Club Meliá explains, “We are extremely proud and excited about our new name, new look, new branding and positioning. It’s an upscale, updated and impactful way to say in a couple words who we are and what we do, while being joined at the hip with the new positioning of our corporate office in Spain. We have a lot of exciting things to achieve this year and our new name and new look is the driving force behind it.”

With 14 member resorts, and 27 associated resorts, Club Meliá currently has 27,000 members. While the vacation club is based in the timeshare capital of the world, Orlando, Florida, Meliá Hotels International is headquartered in Spain. The 55-year-old international hospitality company has over 300 hotels in 26 countries on four continents.

To get a better feel for the luxury and beauty of Club Meliá, watch this video of Sol Melia Cozumel, from RCI Timeshare videos

Other related news from The Timeshare Authority blog: Sol Meliá Vacation Club and Timeshare Celebrates 3 Years of Success

We recently ran across an interesting tidbit that claimed on certain days of the week vendors and retailers were more likely to discount specific items.

Here’s what the study found:

• Mondays it is men’s and women’s dress pants and sunglasses.
• Tuesdays: Men’s apparel.
• Wednesdays: Shoes and kid’s clothing.
• Thursdays: Women’s handbags.
• Fridays: Accessories, such as jewelry, belts and scarves.
• Saturdays: Intimates, jackets and outerwear.
• Sundays: Swimsuits

Why? Who knows. Is it accurate? We’re not sure, because unfortunately the information wasn’t backed up with its source.

A similar consumer shopping factoid that is documented by many sources is the often-asked question, “When is the best time to buy airline tickets?” According to the Wall Street Journal, many airfare sales, in which seats are discounted by 15 to 25 percent, are launched on Monday night.

Bob Harrell, a fare consultant who has tracked airline pricing for years, says, “Like bread, fares get sort of stale toward the end of the week.”

Of course, when you are looking for deals on air travel, your best savings always occur when you book at least 14 days in advance, and are flexible on your travel times and even travel dates.

But What is the Best Day to Buy Timeshare?

Timeshare resale prices are determined by the popularity of the season (if it is timeshare that can only be used at a specific time); by the size of the timeshare unit; the resort’s features; and the market demand—meaning the number of consumers who are actively seeking to buy timeshare for that date and that resort.

Beyond the impact of the variables to influence the asking or selling price of timeshare resales, what day of the week you buy timeshare really doesn’t make a difference. That’s because the best deals are available 24/7 …365 days … a year when you are shopping for a timeshare resale.

Nevertheless, if you are curious as to the ebb and flow of timeshare resale and timeshare rental offers, Sell My Timeshare NOW will show you the offers and amounts of those offers coming into our website all day, every day. Just go to Up-to-date Timeshare Offers – Buy Offers and Rent Offers.

The truth is, it is always a good time for great deals on timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

Last month, Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare purchased the Ohana Islander Waikiki Hotel, a property that has not been in use as a hotel since 2008.

Build as a 285-key hotel, Hilton timeshare plans to convert the property into an upscale urban timeshare resort, which will be called Hilton Grand Vacations Club-Waikiki Beach Walk. Already Hilton is looking at designers and architects for the project, which the timeshare company plans as a transformation into 143 one-bedroom vacation ownership suites.

Plans call to get the hotel to timeshare transformation underway as soon as possible with a re-opening date set for 2013. The property was originally purchased from Outrigger Enterprises Group, and Outrigger is expected to act as the property manager of the timeshare.

Says Mel Kaneshige, Outrigger’s executive vice president for real estate and development, “Our new relationship with Hilton Grand Vacations fits perfectly within our ‘Many Brands, One Ohana (Family)’ strategy of managing not only our proprietary Outrigger and Ohana brands, but other brands as well. “

He adds, “With this transaction, Outrigger will now be managing hospitality properties for four of the top five global brands, including Hilton’s Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk. This new Hilton Grand Vacations property at Waikiki Beach Walk will also add to the diversity of hospitality product available there and give guests one more reason to spend their vacations at Waikiki Beach Walk.”

Hawaii Timeshare is Good for Local Economy

As area residents know all too well, the old hotel property has been somewhat of an eyesore for several years. Once scheduled for renovation, the construction was stopped, leaving the hotel shuttered and with a massive construction crane hovering over the rooms, some of which are enclosed only by tarps that flap in the ocean breezes.

The transformation should mean a good boost to the local construction industry followed by new long-terms jobs at the property and a welcome injection into the economy from the Hawaii timeshare owners and renters who will soon be vacationing there.

Planning your vacation should never be work… it should be easy and part of the fun of taking a vacation. That’s why we have been highly focused at Sell My Timeshare NOW on updates and innovative changes to our website to make it easy and pleasant for you to peruse, browse, and then select a vacation ownership resort or rental to enjoy on your next vacation.

Sell My Timeshare NOW has Rebuilt the Timeshare Search Experience from the Ground UP

Searching for a timeshare resale or timeshare rental has become fast, simple, and direct. Here are a few of the reasons why:

1. Every page on the website includes a full text search box.
2. You will find clickable filters; choices to let you narrow your search parameters and more easily find the timeshare that is right for your vacation needs.
3. Your most recent searches are tracked, so you can easily back up and revisit a property that caught your eye.
4. You can click on the search box at the top of any Sell My Timeshare NOW page, and type in the location or resort you are interested in and get an idea of what is available. But you can also type in something much more general, such as “ski in Colorado” or “Orlando golf”.
5. On each timeshare resale or timeshare rental ad you now have immediate access to photos of the resort, every detail we have available for the timeshare unit, and all the details for the resort property. You will also find maps for most destinations to help you know more about the resort you are considering.

The improvements to the SellMyTimeshareNOW.com website are really just too many to cover in only one blog post. Why not watch this video to help you understand more, and then visit the site yourself to check out everything that is new and different there.

In an event themed, “AMDETUR, 25 Years Promoting Mexico” the Mexico Resort Development Association is hosting its twenty-fifth annual convention. Held at the beautiful Moon Palace Golf and Spa Hotel in Cancun, Sell My Timeshare NOW is proud to be part of this conference.

AMDETUR (Asociación Mexicana de Desarrolladores Turísticos) is recognized in the US as the Mexican Resort Development Association and acts as the national association for the timeshare and fractional ownership industry in Mexico. Always a beneficial event for those involved in timesharing, this year, as a silver-anniversary milestone for Mexico’s tourism, timeshare, and hospitality industry, it is uniquely special.

Juan Vela Ruiz, Chairman, AMDETUR, explains, “We are very excited about having the opportunity to meet, learn and share again with our colleagues and all attendants to our Annual Convention, particularly in this occasion when we are celebrating its silver anniversary as the most important vacation ownership industry forum in Mexico –a US 12 billion dollar sector that represents 40 percent of the lodging supply in the country.”

The conference has drawn hoteliers, timeshare developers, investors, lenders, government officials, and others from the timeshare and timeshare support industries. Attending from Sell My Timeshare NOW are Jason Tremblay (CEO), Jay Bade RRP, VP of Business Development for SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, and Jerome Bocquet Vice President of Timeshare Broker Services, an affiliate of SellMyTimeshareNOW.com.

AMDETUR is headquartered in Mexico City and has more than 200 members representing the timeshare, hospitality and leisure industries.

Wow! Or as we say around here, “POW!!”

You know those events that happen in life that you are so excited about you can’t stop talking about them? At Sell My Timeshare NOW, we are having such an experience.

Yes, we are the most trusted name in the timeshare resale and timeshare rental market. Yes, we serve the needs of timeshare buyers, renters, sellers, owners, and developers every day in ways that are effective, efficient, and respectful of our clients. But the truth is, we’ve known for quite some time that we wanted our website to be better…better in every possible way.

We wanted the Sell My Timeshare NOW website to have a fresh, interesting face. Even more importantly, we wanted your experience when using our website to be simple, intuitive, and pleasant.

We wanted you to come to our website and find the vacation ownership and timeshare rental deals you were hoping to find. But we also wanted you to find the things you didn’t quite know how to search for, like a ski vacation destination in Colorado when the price or the resort features might help you decide between Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs.

We are making all those things and many more happen right now. Over the next few weeks, I will be talking about all the new features, the improved old features, and all the fun of our refreshed, revised face. But don’t just wait on me. Please go to www.sellmytimesharenow.com and see for yourself.

And if you feel the urge to throw your arms in the air and shout, “POW!” it’s okay. There’s been a lot of that going on around our offices all week.

You usually think of the HERSHEYPARK® theme park and the aroma of warm chocolate, or perhaps a visit to the nearby Civil War Gettysburg battlefield, when you think about the great Bluegreen timeshare accommodations at The Suites at Hershey. But this week, many of the guests were there to take in the body-slamming excitement of the World Wrestling Entertainment® SmackDown show at the Giant Center.

As Jay Lloyd, general manager at The Suites at Hershey resort, explains, “We offer convenience to our guests watching WWE Superstars do battle in the squared circle. The Suites at Hershey is a leader in resort-style accommodations in Hershey, Pennsylvania—especially for SmackDown fans.”

Kmart presented WWE SmackDown live, and broadcast worldwide, showing off a night of spectacular wrestling action. The main event featured “The Viper” Randy Orton against Christian. Others appearing were Kane, Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, Wade Barrett, Mark Henry, Sheamus, Chavo Guererro, Daniel Bryan, Ted DiBiase, Sin Cara, and The Divas.

The Suites at Hershey Timeshare Resale and Rental

Known as “Chocolatetown, USA” and “The Sweetest Place on Earth,” Hershey, Pennsylvania is home to Bluegreen timeshare’s Suites at Hershey. These spacious timeshare units sleep up to eight people, and have all the amenities you’ve come to expect at Bluegreen timeshare resorts. Best of all, with great deals on Suites at Hershey timeshare resales and the option to take advantage of timeshare resale financing at affordable rates, you could become a Bluegreen timeshare owner, for a lot less money than you probably ever imagined.

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA-Hawaii), has awarded scholarships to two Hawaii teens headed for the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism.

Presented by the Hawaii Chapter of the American Resort Development Association, both recipients, Fabrienne Cariaga, a graduate of Maui High School and Ciara Allen, a graduate of Lahainaluna High School, have been part of the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) available in their high schools, which is a program currently offered in over 110 high schools across the US.

Daniel Dinell, ARDA-Hawaii Chair and Vice President of Hilton Grand Vacations Club, explains, “The timeshare industry is a growing segment of the visitor industry so we are pleased to offer scholarship support funds to students who are interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality industry.”

Both of the scholarship recipients plan, that upon graduation from the collegiate program at the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, they will return to Maui and work in the visitor industry there.

The Bigger Picture of the Hawaii Timeshare Industry

Hawaii timeshare is where United States timeshare began. In 1968, select hotel rooms and suites in Hawaii began converting to timeshare. With the first oil crisis of 1973, Hawaii timeshare developers began aggressively converting condominiums into timeshares, recognizing that as the price of oil drove travel costs upward, Hawaii vacationers needed options for vacation accommodations at controlled prices.

Today Hawaii timeshare remains a vital part of the tourism industry and an important contributor to local economies in Hawaii. Hawaii timeshares make up roughly 10 percent of the state’s lodging industry and as of 2010, accounted for $511 million in tax revenues to the state; 34,420 jobs; and some $4.5 billion in spending.

Beautiful Hawaii timeshares are some of the most popular vacation ownership destinations in the world. Hawaii timeshare owners can afford a luxurious Hawaiian vacation, knowing that the price of their accommodations is locked in for a lifetime.

Whether it is boosting the economy or providing academic scholarship opportunities, the timeshare industry continues to give back to the people of Hawaii, in appreciation for how they share their beautiful islands with millions of tourists who visit there each year.

The first annual GNEX 2011 conference was held this May at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The beautiful destination and the opportunity to discuss many of the timeshare industry’s burning issues, as well as network and build business alliances, attracted representatives from over 80 timeshare or timeshare related companies. Sell My Timeshare NOW was proud to have participated in this inaugural event.

And as we have already shared here on the Timeshare Authority blog, GNEX 2012 will be heading to Cancun, Mexico and the Ritz Carlton Cancun; the only AAA Triple Five Diamond oceanfront resort in the world. Dial an Exchange (DAE) timeshare exchange has already made their commitment to GNEX 2012 as a Gold Sponsor.

To see video highlights from this year’s conference, go to GNEX 2011 Highlights. And for comments from Jason Tremblay, CEO of Sell My Timeshare NOW, click on the video below.

Related topics in the Timeshare Authority blog:

Timeshare Industry GNEX 2012 Convention Among the Many Events Headed to Mexico

Timeshare Industry’s GNEX Expo Chooses Christel House as Charity of Choice

Sell My Timeshare NOW at Global Timeshare Conference GNEX