With snow falling this weekend, well… practically everywhere … setting records for earliest snowfall in decades and in some places earliest snowfall ever, you might have started thinking about winter sports.

For skiers, information about best ski destinations is abundant. But you don’t hear people talking about best snowboarding destinations nearly as much. Yet with roughly a million people in the US who are avid snowboarders, and more taking up the sport all the time, it’s good to know where serious snowboarders think you find the best vacation destinations.

In 2010, Transworld Snowboarding, ranked Aspen and Snowmass, Colorado as the top choice for a snowboarding vacation. The Colorado Rockies resorts of Aspen and Snowmass, including Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk, offer parks and trails that are appropriate for both advanced boarders as well as beginners.

Almost as popular are the resorts of Breckenridge, Colorado, which boast both plenty of ski and snowboard trails and peaks, along with a buzzing nightlife in the community. Other popular West Coast snowboard venues include Mammoth Mountain, California, (with over 400 inches of annual snowfall), and Park City, Utah, which was ranked as the number 2 Best Snowboarder Park for 2011-2012 by Freeskier Magazine.

But here’s an addition to the list that may surprise you, unless of course you are trying to dig your way out of Pennsylvania right now. Seven Springs, Pennsylvania is the top East Coast snowboarding destination according to Transworld Snowboarding. Seven Springs combines great daytime boarding and even a few parks for boarding after dark.

And maybe the best part about this list is that you can take advantage of great opportunities in winter sports timeshare destinations. Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals make it easier for serious (and casual) boarders to spend their money on new boards, equipment and great gear for the slopes, because they haven’t dropped a bundle on their vacation accommodations.

Check out a few of the deals on vacation rentals and timeshare resales in these popular locations, because the winter is just getting starting and there’s plenty more of the white stuff yet to fall:

Colorado timeshare resales

Breckenridge timeshare resales

Aspen timeshare resales

Park City timeshare resales

Pennsylvania timeshare resales

What will you (or did you) do for your 50th birthday?

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have made a commitment to plant 10 million trees worldwide in recognition of the company’s 50th birthday.

According to Kathleen Taylor, Four Seasons president and CEO, trees symbolically represent longevity, growth, and life, all of which are reflected in the iconic Four Seasons logo. She sees the Four Seasons 50th birthday pledge to plant 10 Million Trees worldwide as a commitment that “will have a lasting and positive impact for generations to come.”

Four Seasons Resorts are Global and Distinctive

The types of trees planted as part of the initiative have varied greatly from one Four Seasons resort location to another. For example, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka‘upulehu on Hawaii Island has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods to plant up to 500,000 “legacy” koa trees. These trees will never be harvested and will live and grow on 2700 acres of sustainable forest that was once home to the koa forest of King Kamehameha I.

Employees from the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui planted coconut trees at their resort. At the Regent Singapore, Four seasons employees planted a golden rain tree, while employees at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh planted a tree in the Thumama Desert. So far, over 35,000 Four Seasons employees in 34 countries have participated to help meet this goal.

Why Trees Matter at Our Timeshare Resorts, Fractionals, and in Our Lives

Four Seasons recognizes that beyond their beauty, and services as a home and habitat to birds and wildlife, trees are critical to our environment.

Research from Trees Ontario helps show us how very important trees are:

• Trees act as a “carbon sink,” removing the carbon from our environment, storing it as cellulose in their trunk, branches, leaves and roots, and releasing oxygen back into the air.
• Every year, an acre of trees has the capacity to absorb 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide, which is roughly the same amount that a car produces when driven 26,000 miles.
• Shade from trees reduces air conditioning use by up to 30 percent when trees are planted near homes and buildings.

As co-habitants of Planet Earth, maintaining and restoring our environment is a responsibility we all share. Thank you, Four Seasons Resorts for 10 million trees returned to our environment.

To learn more about Four Seasons 10 Million Trees Initiative, visit: http://livingvalues.fourseasons.com/2011/04/18/10milliontrees/

And to learn more about enjoying great vacations and spa holidays at a Four Seasons Resort or Four Seasons Fractional, visit these links:

• Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara
• Four Seasons Punta Mita Villas
• Four Seasons Residence Club Scottsdale At Troon North
• Four Seasons Residence Club Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

Earlier this week, The Timeshare Authority blog shared with you that Holiday Inn Club Vacations is adding a seventh timeshare resort to its network of outstanding properties (Holiday Inn Club Vacations Expands with Marco Island, Florida Timeshare).

The new addition, Sunset Cove, a 36-unit, Marco Island, Florida timeshare, is already a great resort but will become even more special as Holiday Inn Club Vacations rolls out its planned renovations.

The timeshare units at Sunset Cove will undergo a total of $1.7 million in upgrades. Planned changes call for property and exterior renovations already intended by the resort’s condo association, along with improvements to the interiors of the timeshare units. Holiday Inn Club Vacations member/owners and guests will enjoy ceramic tile flooring in the living and dining areas (perfect for life at the beach); detailed wood ceiling mouldings; stainless steel appliances; granite countertops  and glass tile backsplashes in kitchens and baths and other luxurious finishes and appointments.

Planned in-room amenities will include flat-screen televisions in the bedrooms and in the kitchen area; bedding and bath appointments from the Signature Collection brand; and even a Signature Collection-monogrammed bathrobe. The pool deck area will also be refurbished using upgraded patio chairs and poolside furnishings that coordinate with the Signature Collection color palette.

Marco Island Timeshares and Holiday Inn Club Vacations

Marco Island timeshares are already some of the most distinctive beach destination resorts. Sunset Cove Resort will now make it easier than ever for Holiday Inn Club Vacations members to enjoy this popular Florida Gulf Coast destination.

Saturday morning, while many of us are sleeping in or enjoying one more pumpkin latte, Jerome Bocquet, our Vice President of Brokerage Sales & Rental at Timeshare Broker Services, will have his running (or maybe walking) shoes on, participating in the HOPEworldwide  Fundraising Event that is a part of the Runnona Walk.

Held at Lake Nona, (Orlando, Florida) the 5K Run/Walk will begin at the University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine and will wind through Lake Nona Medical City, offering views of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Orlando VA Medical Center, Nemours Children’s Hospital and UCF’s just-opened College of Medicine.

The event’s start time is 8:00AM for all who are walking or running the 3.1 miles of a 5K race. Later in the morning, there will be a Halloween Costume Contest for children, the Nemours Kids’s Run and at 9:30AM, the Awards Presentation.

Proceeds from the race will benefit the Tavistock Foundation. Jerome Bocquet is walking in support of HOPE worldwide, an international charity that harnesses the compassion and commitment of dedicated staff and volunteers to deliver sustainable, high-impact, community-based services to the poor and needy. 87 percent of HOPE Worldwide expenditures go directly for program costs.

To learn more about HOPE worldwide, please visit their website at: www.hopeww.org

And “Go Jerome!”

Vacation rentals in a private home or condo are a great idea … except for all the ways they are not a good idea at all.

And nothing illustrates this more clearly than a recent issue that is brewing on Florida’s Anna Maria Island and Holmes Beach.

Located just south of St. Petersburg,  Anna Maria Island and Holmes Beach are the quintessential Florida beach communities. Charming, beachy, with quaint restaurants and shops, these two island villages are true residential communities.

People live here year-round; lucky people, because the views of the Gulf of Mexico to the west and to the east, Tampa Bay beneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, are spectacular. Some of the residents are retirees, but many are working families that commute across the Manatee or the Cortez bridges to jobs in nearby Bradenton or other cities in the area.

Residents love their island lifestyle, the fishing piers, their low-rise buildings and unobstructed views. Although they value tourists and appreciate the revenue of a limited number of vacation rentals… they want to keep that number limited.

This is so much the case that last week’s Popcorn & Politics meeting held outside the  offices of the local newspaper, The Islander, focused much of its attention on the topic of vacation rentals and what it described as, “the accompanying problems for residents.”

These Florida coastal residents see vacation rentals as a quality of life issue.

Why Timeshares Instead of Vacation Home Rentals

Typically, timeshares, like hotels, are built in areas zoned specifically for multi-use, vacation housing. When you rent or buy a timeshare, you are taking vacation ownership in a locale that is designed to accommodate and host vacationers.

Timeshare rentals and resales make an important contribution to local economies and are generally highly welcomed in areas where they are built. Timeshares also afford you peace of mind in many ways that renting a private home does not.

You know when you vacation in a timeshare resale or timeshare rental that the resort maintenance staff will be available to serve you should your timeshare unit or condo have plumbing problems, a faulty air conditioner, or any other problem that can crop up in the real world. But when you rent a private home for vacation, how do you know that these problems will be easily and quickly resolved?

When you rent a private vacation home you really don’t know about the maintenance, the security, the service or any of the other details that can be critical difference makers in your vacation experience. And while timeshares are built to be your vacation home away from home, they still afford you the privacy of not vacationing in a stranger’s house.

Renting a private vacation home can work out great. But it can also come with a lot of challenges. Do you want to vacation in a community that may see you as one tourist too many? Do you want to deal with an absentee-owner who may or may not respond quickly to your needs? And do you really want to share a stranger’s sock drawer?

… Or do you want to enjoy a timeshare vacation where the details are taken care of for you and the deals are irresistible?

Holiday Inn Club Vacations has added its seventh timeshare resort destination with the addition of a 36-unit resort on the Rio waterway in the City Center District of Marco Island.

Don Harrill, president and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts, the timeshare developer that manages Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties, explains,  “As part of our alliance with IHG, we said we’d grow Holiday Inn Club Vacations in places where our Holiday Inn Club Members have said that they want to vacation. Our Members have asked for another drive-to destination in Florida, and Sunset Cove Resort delivers just that, with a unique and upscale experience for all owners and guests who visit.”

Beautiful Marco Island, located on Florida’s southern Gulf Coast, is an extremely popular Florida timeshare destination with pristine beaches and a unique but elegant island lifestyle. The new Holiday Inn Club Vacations Sunset Cove Resort offers three-bedroom timeshare villas ranging from a spacious 1667 to 1900 square feet, with views of either the Gulf of Mexico or Smokehouse Bay.

In keeping with Holiday Inn Club Vacations standards, the timeshare villas will be renovated to include such details as granite countertops and fabrics and furnishings that are consistent with the company’s Signature Collection décor. Amenities for Holiday Inn Club Vacations owners and their guests include a pool with sundeck, bar, boat dock and fitness center. The property is part of the RCI Registry Collection^® (Resort Condominium International).

Holiday Inn Club Vacations Timeshare

The expanding locations of Holiday Inn Club Vacations include:

• Orange Lake Resort, an Orlando timeshare.
• Panama City, a Panhandle area, Florida timeshare.
• Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
• Brownsville, Vermont.
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
• New expansion with a Las Vegas timeshare destination.
• And member access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.

“At Holiday Inn Club Vacations, we offer great resorts where families can create their own vacation experiences,” said Del Ross, vice president, U.S. Sales and Marketing, IHG. “We offer our guests the flexibility to vacation when, where and how they want to, all under the comfort and security of a well-known and trusted brand like Holiday Inn.”

Jay Bade, Vice President Business Development at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services, was part of the National ALS Foundation’s largest single day walk and fundraiser, the 4th Annual JT Walk & Beach Party.

Earlier this month, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Jay walked with the team from ARDA ROC in support of Josh Thompson, Frank Eck, CHKD, ALS the Virginia Beach Community. The 8,000 walkers participating helped raise over $1.2 Million for the charities, reaching 160 percent of their participant goal and 103 percent of their fundraising goal.

History of the JT Walk

Virginia Beach resident, Josh Thompson was an avid young surfer when he received his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2006. His life turned from a focus on riding the waves to fighting ALS.

In 2007, a group of Josh’s friends, including his brother Chris, decided to join the fight, as an outreach of their non-profit organization, the Virginia Gentlemen Foundation. Their efforts have not only helped fund ALS research but helped underwrite the development and creation of JT’s Grommet Island Beach Park & Playground for EveryBODY. This very special park is the only oceanfront park in the US specifically designed for people with disabilities.

A Job Well Done and a Lot of Fun for All

The Beach Party that followed the walk included great food provided by Beach Bully BBQ and Qdoba Mexican Fiesta, live entertainment by local acts, and special activities and food stations for kids. During the day, the walkers and their supporters consumed over 1100 hot dogs, 2000 servings of cotton candy, 6000 plates of barbeque, and 3000 plates of  Qdoba Mexican food.

Thanks Jay for being part of this important effort and for representing Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services so well. Please visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SellMyTimeshareNOW for more photos from this special day.

Frankly, much of the messaging about where the timeshare industry stands and where it’s going is confusing. And because it is often difficult for those who are part of the industry to discern, it can be truly a puzzle to consumers.

Here are a few relevant facts that should be insightful to timeshare buyers, renters, sellers, and current timeshare owners in trying to get a handle on the true popularity of timeshares and the health of the timeshare product:

• The timeshare industry registered $6.4 billion in total sales volume for 2010, which represents a 1.6 percent increase over sales in 2009. This number reflects only new sales of timeshare and does not include the multi-billion dollars in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.
• Timeshare resort occupancy rates were 79 percent in 2010; an interesting contrast to hotel occupancy rates, which rose from the previous year, but still only reached 58 percent.
• 329,200 timeshare intervals sold last year at an average price of $19,300. Again these figures reflect only at the sales of timeshare from developers, not timeshare resales that happened privately, though a timeshare broker, or through a timeshare resale advertising company.
• Beach timeshares remain the most popular and the most prevalent. Timeshare resorts at golf or theme park destinations tend to be the largest in size and island destination resorts are typically the most expensive and have the highest occupancy percentages.
• In the US, there are approximately 1,548 timeshare resorts. Differences in numbers reported for this often stem from confusion over how  resorts with many phases of construction counts their properties.
• 8.1 million timeshare intervals are owned in the US alone.

With many naysayers ready to condemn the industry, reporting of its impending death and downfall, numbers like these present quite a different (and eye-opening) story.

Before you make any decisions about timeshare, get the facts. Be an informed consumer so that if you chose to rent or buy a timeshare, you wind up with a vacation product you enjoy, fully utilize, and that comes with only good surprises.

With the 28th Annual Caring Chefs Event scheduled for tomorrow in St. Augustine, Florida, Bluegreen timeshare reminds you that the Villas at World Golf Village, is an ideal resort destination for timeshare owners and renters who plan to attend the event.

For 28 years, Florida chefs have been cooking it up to benefit The Children’s Home Society of Florida. In an event held at The Avenues Mall in Jacksonville, Florida, more than 50 restaurants, caterers, wine vendors, and specialty shops will offer tasting samples of their signature food and drinks. The 28th Annual Caring Chefs Event starts at 7 PM to 9:30 PM, and tickets are available for purchase.

Vesko Ivanov, General Manager of Grande Villas at World Golf Village says, “The Caring Chefs Event is a nice addition to any owner’s vacation experience. It will allow attendees to really sample some of the area’s best restaurants for dinner while helping a noteworthy cause.”

Golf and Bluegreen Timeshare

Of course, when you stay at Bluegreen timeshare’s the Villas at  World Golf Village, you are staying in a true golfer’s paradise destination. You can enjoy golf on the two championship golf courses designed by golf legends, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, with both courses available for year-round play. You can also tour the sports museum at the World Golf Village, the World Golf Hall of Fame®.

More The Timeshare Authority blog news about golf vacations at Bluegreen’s Villas at World Golf Village:

Play Timeshare Golf, Perhaps Wind up in the World Golf Hall of Fame

Plan a Bluegreen Timeshare Vacation and Golf TPC Sawgrass

Bluegreen Resorts - Grande Villas At World Golf Village

Interval International timeshare exchange recently announced expanded and extended services for King’s Creek Plantation LLC. (Additional info here: Kings Creek Plantation Timeshare Owners Gain Customize Services with Interval International).

Kevin Jones, cofounder and president of King’s Creek Plantation LLC, says, “Maintaining our strong partnership with Interval supports our customer-first culture, while opening the door for new products with more options. We are excited about our continued relationship and the many opportunities it will bring in the near future.”

Along with news of the extended relations with King’s Creek Plantation, the announcement included important updates about the new King’s Creek points-based vacation club, known as Club Explore.

Interval International is providing reservation services and special opportunities for Club Explore members. Timeshare owner / members who enroll in Club Explore expand their vacation options by being able to convert their timeshare points into club currency. They can then utilize the currency for vacationing at King’s Creek properties or for timeshare exchange within the vast Interval International global network of resorts.

In addition to timeshare exchange, Club Explore Points mean:
·         Members can choose to upgrade timeshare locations, unit size or season
·         As part of Interval Gold®, members can use ShortStay ExchangeSM to take long weekends or mini-vacations
·         Members can opt to exchange for (or purchase) great deals on cruise, golf and spa vacations
·         Access to personal concierge service available 24/7 via phone and e-mail
·         And that members receive complimentary Hertz #1 Gold® membership, as well as special offers on hotels, retail shopping, and restaurants

The spacious timeshare units, cottages, condos, (King’s Creek Plantation cottages and townhomes) and estate homes (King’s Creek Plantation Estates) at King’s Creek Plantation, with their convenient location near the attractions of Williamsburg are great reasons to be a King’s Creek Plantation timeshare owner. Now Interval International has added even more!