It’s great to be at the ARDA West Regional Meeting (American Resort Developers Association) here at the  Westin Denver Downtown.

Yesterday’s activities got underway with ARDA-WIN Programming and event registration. It was my honor to be part of a panel that addressed, “HOA Challenges and Solutions: Postcard and Rescue Companies, Resales, and Rentals.”

John Funk, Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, was Moderator of the panel that included: John Lee of Christie Lodge; R. Scott MacGregor of InnSeason Resorts; and me, Jason Tremblay of Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services.

We looked at some of the timeshare industry’s significant challenges and ways to solve these challenges. Questions raised included:

• With association maintenance fee delinquencies increasing what are positive methods for HOAs to find replacement owners?
• What can HOAs do about weeks being transferred into trusts, clubs or to individuals who have no intention of paying the fees?
• The current challenge that is putting the reputation of timeshare resales on the line.

Thursday evening’s activities included the Opening Reception with Product Showcase, and time for networking.

Friday’s Schedule at the ARDA West Regional Meeting

The Friday schedule for today is  busy with an  8:05 AM Breakfast and ARDA Updates, including information from and regarding  ARDA-ROC, AIF Research and State Legislative Issues.

Speakers are Kevin Riley, ARDA-ROC; Chris Stewart, ARDA State Affairs; and Darla Zanini, ARDA International Foundation.

Morning sessions include:

• “Retaining Owners Loyalty” moderated by Clark Rowley, Scottsdale Camelback Resort, with speakers: Jeff Andrews, East West Resorts and  Kimberly Tramontana, Breckenridge Grand Vacations.
• “New ADA Requirements”  moderated by Amy Bellman, Baker & Hostetler LLP, with speakers: Jessie Creighton, Ballard Spahr LLP and John Farrow, FARROW Commercial Construction
• HOA Board/ “Ask the Attorney” moderated by Gary Kujawski, Christie Lodge Owners Association with speakers: Candyce Cavanagh, Orten, Cavanagh, Richmond & Holmes LLC; and Jennifer Hayes, Foley & Lardner LLP

Lunch with Guest Speaker Aaron Acker, HOA Information Officer, Colorado Department of Regulatory Affairs, will bring an outside perspective on the latest and hottest regulatory and legislative issues in the HOA and Timeshare industries.

Thank you ARDA for offering these informative and important meetings and to all the sponsors who help make them possible. Special thanks to: ARDA-ROC; Epsilon Targeting; First American Title Insurance Company; RCI, HD Supply, and Interval International.

Our special guest blogger, Brook Doucha, manager of corporate communications and media relations for Orange Lake Resorts, home to Holiday Inn Club Vacations, has already shared a preview with you of the ARDA Northeast Regional Meeting. (See: ARDA Northeast Social Media Session: Getting Down to Brass Tactics)

This timeshare industry event promises to be extremely beneficial to all who are involved. We will be meeting June 6-7, 2011, at the Marriott Providence Downtown in Providence, Rhode Island.

Monday includes a golf tournament at Swansea Country Club, with late afternoon registration. At 4 PM on Monday, we’ll hear from Mike Hampton, Dean, Florida International University, speaking on: “The next generation, Generation R, is about to enter the work force; are you ready for them?” Then we will go to the product showcase, followed by the reception dinner.

Speakers and Panels Planned for Tuesday at the ARDA Regional Timeshare Conference

Tuesday we’ll start with our breakfast speaker and an AIF update from Darla Zanini RRP, Executive Vice President, ARDA International Foundation. At 9 AM, I will be part of a panel discussing the topic, “HOA Challenges and Solutions: Postcard and Rescue Companies, Resales, and Rentals.” It is my honor to be speaking along with R. Scott MacGregor, Chief Financial Officer, InnSeason Resorts; Rich Muller, Senior VP Resort Operations, Vacation Resorts International and moderator John Funk, attorney, Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell. We will look at issues facing timeshare HOAs in today’s economic environment, including significant challenges and how to solve them.

Then Brooke and others will lead the panel on “Using Social Media to Reach Your Owners/Members.” Included in this session will be moderator Stacey Sutherland, Vice President Corporate Communications, Holiday Inn Club Vacations; and speakers Phil Brojan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, RCI; Brooke Doucha, Senior Manager Corporate Communications, Holiday Inn Club Vacations; Sara Bader Little, Director of Corporate Communications, Festiva Hospitality Group; and David Meier, Vice President Products and Partnership, Interval International.

By afternoon, we’ll be ready to hear about what is currently happening in timeshare legislation and find out about the new ARDA-ROC website and HOA database from Keith Stephenson, Director State Government Affairs at ARDA. And throughout the busy two days, there will be a lot of networking, idea exchange, and camaraderie, which is part of what makes such timeshare industry events so rewarding to attend.

If you want to know more, be sure you follow me on Twitter at: @JasonTremblay_ and @VacationHotDeal. You will also want to follow Brooke at: @BrookeDoucha and @ARDAOrg as well as checking the hash tag #SMbrasstactics.

RCI timeshare, part of Wyndham Worldwide and Wyndham timeshares, used the high-visibility platform of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) 2011 Convention and Exposition as the ideal time to announce that they have added more than 100 newly affiliated resorts to their network in 2010.

Included in the new RCI family additions are InnSeason Resorts and AMResorts, as well as properties from current affiliates including Holiday Club Resorts, Hoteles Decameron Colombia, Fiesta Hotel Group, and Mahindra Holidays and Resorts. RCI timeshare exchange also renewed its relationship with select ongoing affiliates such as Hilton Grand Vacations, Bluegreen Corporation, and Disney Vacation Club.

RCI Timeshare CEO Praises Employees

Geoff Ballotti, CEO of RCI, explains, “The success we had in 2010 was a result of the efforts of our hard-working associates and the great relationships we have forged with our clients. We are going to continue to focus on the things that have made RCI the leading vacation exchange company in the world — developing great innovations, delivering incomparable service to our affiliates, and sending their owners and our members on the vacations of their dreams.”

He adds, “We are extremely proud to have added over 100 newly affiliated properties to our expansive network of high-quality timeshare resort. These fantastic resorts are in some of the world’s most sought-after destinations. Their addition is a testament not only to the innovative and value-added services we can offer new affiliates but the tremendous support our global team provides to help all of our affiliates thrive and grow.”

Congratulations RCI!

Do you own InnSeasons Resorts timeshare at Pollard Brook? Thinking about buying InnSeason timeshare resale at this popular White Mountain, New Hampshire location? Good things are happening there that you should know about. In addition to sprucing up the timeshare units in several buildings, a great deal of attention has focused on improving the outdoor areas.

InnSeason Resorts Timeshares Prepare for Summer Vacations

InnSeason Resorts at Pollard Brook timeshare is getting ready for your summer vacation with renovations and improvements. Get your chocolate bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows ready; a new fire pit near the tennis courts and playground is part of the backyard area renovation. Instead of the fire pit that has been there, expect to find a new stone pit area with paved walk space encircling it. The new fire pit is both more functional and more attractive than the previous one.

Good-bye to the wooden fence that once surrounded the tennis courts! The old fence is gone, replaced with a new green chain link fence that affords a view of the two courts.

In the pool area, the deck around the hot tub has been removed and replaced with a heated stamped-concrete deck to eliminate water retention and ice buildup. And perhaps best of all, is the resurfacing of the Pollard Brook pool, with all new tiles, making the pool more attractive and for summer splash down.

And despite all this, if you are uncertain what to plan during an InnSeason Resorts timeshare vacation, or want activities to take you beyond the fire pit, tennis courts, hot tub, and pool, then just call Eric.

New Hampshire native and White Mountains expert, Eric Pyra, serves as your guide and concierge for timeshare vacation activities at Pollard Brook. He can offer advice, suggestions, or help you track down tickets, tee times, and dinner reservations. He’s also your blog master for White Mountains Adventure Concierge and the Pollard Brook Timeshare Resort blog—blogs we welcome to The Timeshare Authority Blog Roll. You can reach Eric at epyra@innseason.com.

When Bluegreen Resorts timeshares wanted a presence in New Hampshire, they looked to InnSeason Resorts. Last summer, Bluegreen Corporation announced that it would take on the sales, marketing, and operations of the InnSeason Timeshare Resort, South Mountain timeshare in Lincoln, New Hampshire, as well as at the Soundings Seaside Resort in Dennis Port, (Cape Cod) Massachusetts; the Parkside Williamsburg Resort, Williamsburg, Virginia; and the Blue Water Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

While Bluegreen Corporation has dealt with the same types of challenges that have affected other timeshare and residential development companies this past year, timeshares and timeshare management services are looking like an anchor for the company.

In its third quarter report, Bluegreen reported a loss overall attributable to declining sales in its planned residential communities. However, the picture for timeshare sales was very different with Bluegreen Resort sales up 14 percent, to $149.1 million from $130.3 million. The company attributed the jump to a significant increase in timeshare sales to existing Bluegreen Vacation Club owners.

South Mountain Timeshare Resort

This time of year, Bluegreen Vacation Club owners aren’t picnicking or mountain biking at the beautiful resort located at the base of Loon Mountain. Instead, South Mountain Timeshare Resort is typically a winter wonderland, perfect for quiet retreats, taking advantage of the winter ski season, or just browsing the Village Shops in Lincoln.

Inn Season’s Chief Financial Officer Scott MacGregor calls the resort’s relationship with Bluegreen timeshare, “…a perfect fit.“

He explains that the arrangement afforded, “… them (Bluegreen timeshares) the opportunity to step into an established, successful resort and to enhance their portfolio of over 45 owned or managed resorts. For us, the timing was ideal. It allows us to expand in other areas of New England, so we can offer alternate destinations to members of the InnSeason Vacation Club.”

Under the agreements, Bluegreen is providing customized timeshare services and product offerings. Bluegreen timeshare typically manages the operations at each resort, as well as providing timeshare sales and marketing, risk management, timeshare title and escrow, and property management services.

The ever-popular InnSeason Resorts were created as a regional brand of family-oriented timeshare resorts under the development and operations expertise of Dennis M. Ducharme, RRP, president; and the marketing resources of Curran Management Services (CMS®), and its founder, William E. (Billy) Curran, chief executive officer and Sell My Timeshare NOW board member.

In The Timeshare Authority blog yesterday, we shared the announcement of Sell My Timeshare NOW’s working partnership with InnSeason Resorts®. This teamwork relationship was established to help timeshare owners resell timeshare that no longer fits their lifestyle.

William E. “Billy” Curran, the Chief Executive Officer for InnSeason Resorts®, explains, “Life changes and a family’s vacation needs change, too. Timeshare owners are looking for a secure way to resell timeshare. Sell My Timeshare NOW listens to timeshare owners and offers them realistic ways to sell timeshare that no longer fits their lifestyle.”

What Does this Mean for Timeshare Owners at InnSeason Resorts®?

InnSeason Resorts® timeshare owners who want to resell timeshare benefit because their timeshare company has established a special working relationship with Sell My Timeshare NOW, making it easier for them to resale timeshare. Which also means that for timeshare owners who want to buy timeshare resales, or vacationers who are eager to take advantage of vacation ownership, there has never been a better time to buy InnSeason Resorts timeshare resales. Here are some of the reasons InnSeason Resorts® timeshares are so special:

Branded as the “Creator of the Northeast Experience® InnSeason Resorts®, timeshare resales and timeshare rentals are available at all the locations that truly capture the magic of a New England timeshare vacation. You can experience the beach at Cape Cod, a snowy mountain retreat, a quaint harbor town, or a woodsy destination ideal for enjoying autumn’s spectacular colors. With seven popular timeshare resorts, InnSeason Resorts® lets you choose a New Hampshire timeshare, Maine timeshare, or a Massachusetts timeshare holiday.

Working together, Sell My Timeshare NOW and InnSeason Resorts® are filling the gap and strengthening both the timeshare industry for the development and sale of new timeshare and for timeshare resales—a move that ultimately benefits timeshare owners most of all.

Follow this link to read the Sell My Timeshare NOW media release.

Opportunities in InnSeason Resorts® New England timeshare:

• InnSeason Resorts Captain’s Quarters
• InnSeason Resorts HarborWalk
• InnSeason Resorts Mountain View
• InnSeason Resorts Pollard Brook
• InnSeason Resorts South Mountain
• InnSeason Resorts Surfside
• InnSeason Resorts The Falls at Ogunquit
• InnSeason Vacation Club – Multi-Destinations

Steve Luba speaks with InnSeason Resorts CEO Billy Curran about the ARDA Convention, which begins today, and the current state of the timeshare industry.

 

 ARDA interview with InnSeason Resorts CEO Billy Curran. [7:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download