Interval International timeshare exchange welcomes Mai Khao, Phuket’s West Sands resort to its network of vacation ownership exchange properties. Rebranded as West Sands Vacation Club, the eco-friendly Phuket timeshare is expanding its offerings to timeshare owners and their guests, seeking to be more competitive through greater flexibility.

In order to make it easier for owners to enjoy vacations and holidays even when their schedules or budgets are limited, the resort is transitioning from timeshare interval ownership to a timeshare points based system. Additionally, West Sands Vacation Club has affiliated with Interval International timeshare exchange to provide its member-owners with expanded options in timeshare exchange.

An Eco-Friendly Timeshare Resort

West Sands Vacation Club is located in its own bit of paradise, on 48 lush acres with over 500 yards of private beachfront on Phuket’s popular west coast at Mai Khao Beach. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom timeshare units all feature kitchens and balconies overlooking the pool, the garden area, or the Andaman Sea. The entire property was designed to be low impact on the environment while offering guests and timeshare owners both the beauty of natural Phuket along with the fun of West Sands Water World, one of the largest water parks in Asia.

“We are very pleased to have added West Sands Phuket Beach Club to our exchange network,” says Interval International’s Asia Pacific Executive Director, Joe Hickman. He adds, “Along with its high design standards, the eco-friendly development will contribute to preserving the environment and to more enjoyable and economic living.”

As if South Africa timeshare wasn’t already a growth market, the global attention on South Africa during the World Cup served to fuel an ever-increasing desire of many people to travel and vacation there. This year, VOASA, the Vacation Ownership Association South Africa, will be hosting its annual industry conference at the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel in Durban.

Planned as a time for focusing on the future of the growing South Africa timeshare market, attendees can also expect plenty of opportunities for exchanging ideas, interacting with others in the timeshare industry, and helping to chart the future in this potentially hot market. David Clifton, Managing Director of Interval International will be the event’s keynote speaker.

Topics for discussion include:

• The Consumer Protection Act, presented by Brian Mdluli, CEO Direct Marketing Association of South Africa.
• Understanding the New Estate Agents Curriculum, presented by Margaret Nicol, CEO Margaret Nicol and Associates.
• Timeshare Sales, Tele-Sales, and Telemarketing Workshop, presented throughout the conference sessions by Mr. Clive Price of the Peer Group.

The VOASA Conference 2010 (August 29-31) will also include entertainment, a gala awards evening, and of course, great golf. The opportunity to take part in the sponsored Golf Day to be held at the Durban Country Club Beachwood course on August 29 is a reason within itself to attend this timeshare conference. Beechwood, a narrow, links style golf course, is now considered part of the famed Durban Country Club, one of the greatest golf courses in the world.

If you have never been to South Africa, August is an ideal time to go, as the South African ‘winter months’ come to a close, and spring is just around the corner. And when playing the Beechwood Golf Course, don’t be surprised if you run across monkeys in the bushes. Just consider them your gallery, however, and don’t invite them to lunch; golfers are discouraged from feeding the monkeys.

You can learn more about the VOASA Conference 2010 at: www.tisa.co.za

Women in the Industry (WIN) is a non-profit organization created to promote, educate and connect women in the vacation and timeshare industry. In May, WIN launched its second annual Travel Auction that offers WIN members and their friends and families the opportunity to bid on donated vacation weeks beginning at $200 and including timeshare vacation opportunities at resorts worldwide.

The auction raised $9,348 in support of The Auskell Medical Clinic, located on Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Donors included Bluegreen, Island One, Festiva Resorts, Hawaii Vacation Club, ResorTime.Com, Interval International, RCI Endless Vacations, Dial an Exchange, San Francisco Exchange, Vacations Only, Lagonita Lodge/Alderwood Advantage, Marriott Vacation Club, Massanutten Resort, Shell Vacation Club, American Resorts International, Pollard Brook and Ron Jon Cape Caribe, Condominium Travel Club.

A Lifesaving Effort

This year’s target was to raise money to help fund the purchase of a mammography machine for The Auskell Medical Clinic. Because of the efforts of the women of WIN, five women have been saved through early detection provided by a previous mammogram machine that WIN replaced.

With a threefold purpose to unite and ignite combined strengths; to offer education scholarship and research opportunities; and to partner with charities that support the health, education and welfare of women and adolescent girls in need, the women of WIN represent the timeshare industry well.

To learn more about WIN, go to www.womenintheindustry.org

We love the news we receive from TATOC Timeshare Association. Here’s what they said in their last news release. It is just so intriguing we want to share it with you in exactly their own words:

“Wednesday 26th May 2010 was an important day for the timeshare industry. There was no scandal, no new legislation nor a consumer television programme about to reveal all. But in a hotel in Manchester (England) there were representatives from every facet of the industry meeting for the first time to discuss the challenges and problems of the industry and more importantly to discuss action to overcome them.”

TATOC (Timeshare Association Timeshare Owners and Committees) is known as the only elected consumers association to represent the interests of timeshare owners in Europe. The topics of their watershed meeting sounded very much in harmony with the issues brought up last week, here in the US at the ARDA New England Regional Meeting. TATOC members addressed, with concern, the fact that the media perception and consequently much of the consumer perception about timeshares is not healthy for the industry. One spTimeshare resales, timeshare news, timeshare blog, timeshare owners, timeshare exchange, RCI timeshare, Interval International, European timeshareecific prevailing topic that the industry is working hard to resolve is that of how to best respond to timeshare owners who wish to resell timeshare.

Harry Taylor, the CEO of TATOC, explains, “Following our very successful Annual conference in March and as an Association who represents the consumer, we felt, that we should keep the impetus going and use this opportunity to move forward as a cohesive body. It is a TATOC initiative and we have been very encouraged as to the companies and interest taken by the industry and also the commitment to address these issues.”

Executives from Worldwide Timeshare, Club la Costa, Diamond Resorts International©, FNTC, RCI, Resort Developers Association, Resort Properties, Resort Solutions, Interval International, and Dial an Exchange participated.

Learn more about TATOC:
www.timeshareassociation.org
Or contact Harry Taylor CEO on +44 (0)845 230 2430

This week I had the opportunity to be part of the 2010 ARDA New England Regional Meeting that was held at the Marriott Providence Downtown in Providence, Rhode Island.

First, let’s give well-deserved accolades to all of the sponsors of the event.

Presenting Sponsors: Interval International and RCI.

Event Sponsors: Customer Count, and Gallagher, Callahan and Gartrell.

National Sponsors: ARDA-ROC, Aspen National Collections, Concord Servicing Corporation, MasterCorp Inc., Ski and Sea International, and TimeShareWare.

Regional Sponsors: BiddingForGood, Inc., Centron Data Services, Inc., Colebrook Financial Company, LLC, Continental Central Credit, Inc., Cotapaxi Custom Design & Manufacturing, GScf Furnishings, Lodging Kit Company, Magna Timeshare Software, Meridian Financial Services, Reservation Services International (RSI), TRITON Timeshare Software and VisitNewEngland.com.

2010 Signature Sponsors: American Express, Equiant Financial Services, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Systems International (HSI), International Cruise & Excursions, Inc., Interval International, RCI, RedWeek.com ResortCom International, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., and VacationGuard, Inc.

The Timeshare Sales, Timeshare Resales, and Supporting Industries Work Together

The weather in Providence was spectacular (vacation weather!) and it is always great catching up with your colleagues who inevitably wind up becoming your friends. One of the very best parts of meetings and conferences when representatives of the timeshare industry get together is that you’d think it was a family reunion.

There’s a great deal of camaraderie in the business, which is part of the reason timeshares, as a vacation product, are constantly being improved—the industry works to together for change that is beneficial to timeshares and timeshare owners. Working together is a natural process that happens to be becoming a real business model for the timeshare industry—which leads into the points made by the event’s keynote speaker Howard Nusbaum, ARDA’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Howard Nusbaum stressed five important directions that are the American Resort Development Association’s top priorities for 2010. In summary, here is key point number one:

1. Seeking solutions to help ‘unfreeze’ capital.

In 2008, timeshare sales reached $9.7 billion. In 2009, they slipped to $6.3 billion. Did people suddenly decide timeshares were not a desirable or affordable product? No. Far from it. If anything, consumers, realizing the potential for long-term vacation savings by buying timeshares and timeshare resales, had an increased interest to learn more. But because lenders were simply not lending, and access to capital for timeshare developers and timeshare financing was so locked up, new timeshare development and new timeshare sales took a hit.

Although it would be easy to assume that actual demand in timeshare sales declined, this just isn’t the real issue. Instead, there has been little to no access to capital by developers and limited money available for financing timeshare sales. And as with many aspects of economics, the problem fed other problems. As timeshare sales and development declined, so did the funds available within timeshare companies for maintaining and supporting sales and marketing. As outreach from the timeshare companies weakened, so did response, which led cyclically to smaller staffs that inevitably led back to decreased timeshare sales. The problem is now self-perpetuating, greatly in need of lenders to free up more growth and investment capital.

I’ll publish “ARDA Regional Meeting Emphasizes Timeshare Solutions and the Importance of Timeshare Resales (Part II)” in tomorrow’s edition of The Timeshare Authority. In it, I’ll be sharing ARDA’s Top 5 Priorities for 2010, numbers 2-4, as well as my thoughts and comments.

The soon-to-be-open Bengal Vacation Club at Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa will be affiliated with Interval International timeshare exchange, making it the first Bangladesh timeshare available through II. Under construction at Cox’s Bazar, a popular vacation destination, the Bengal Vacation Club at Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa is scheduled to be operational in October 2011.

Joe Hickman, Interval International’s executive director for Asia Pacific says, “Bangladesh has a population of some 160 million and is visited by a large number of tourists from all over the world. Easily accessible by air and road, we believe Sea Pearl and its spectacular beachfront location will offer our members an appealing new holiday choice.”

At completion this beautiful timeshare resort will include studio timeshares, and one and two bedroom timeshare units, many with ocean views. On-site amenities at the timeshare resort will include a cinema, numerous restaurants, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a clubhouse, and a health club. Located in a serene setting on Sea Pearl Beach, timeshare owners and guests will be able to enjoy miles of natural sand beaches that slope to the Bay of Bengal perfect for beach activities, boating, and horseback riding.

Aminul Haque, chairman and chief executive officer of Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa Ltd, the developer of Bengal Vacation Club, saya, “We are pioneering the timeshare concept in Bangladesh and want to provide high-quality exchanges.”

Other opportunities in timeshare available immediately in the Indian Ocean area include:

• Maldives Timeshare
• Mauritius Timeshare
• Seychelles Timeshare
• Sri Lanka Timeshare
• United Arab Emirates Timeshare

Yesterday The Timeshare Authority offered a rebuttal to a post found on a financial advice blog that claimed timeshares are essentially the worst deal ever. ‘Piling on’ is an expression that describes how critics can jump on the bandwagon against a concept or cause, fueled primarily by the criticisms of others. Some critics of timeshare seem to ‘pile on,’ attacking the concept because others in their field have done so yet never fully exploring what timeshares are all about and how much timeshares have to offer.

If you missed yesterday’s post, (10 Reasons Timeshares are a Good Deal – Part I) we hope you will go back and read it as well as the post below that addresses the final five criticisms of timeshare and our rebuttals:

6. Miss One Year and You’re Better Off Without a Time Share. If you are not going to use a timeshare, don’t buy one. On the other hand, it is hard to say that missing one year of use is the kiss of death either. Many timeshare companies offer you the option to bank your timeshare for use in the future. Another solution to missing a year of timeshare use is to rent your timeshare during the period you won’t be able to use it or to thank someone you know by giving a week’s use to your favorite relative, school teacher, pastor, hardworking employee, or prospective client. There are many ways to benefit from timeshare and they aren’t all wrapped up in whether you personally vacation in it or not.
7. Trading Isn’t Near as Easy as Claimed. Again, this claim is challenging to address as the writer doesn’t say who is making the claims or what those claims are. Each year, thousands of timeshare weeks are exchanged. Timeshare exchange includes in-network exchanges, exchanges through timeshare exchange companies, and even something as simple as swapping a week or a destination with another timeshare owner you know. Timeshare exchange companies come in all sizes from the giants, RCI and Interval International, to dozens of smaller companies, all with different terms and offerings. A timeshare owner may never be able to exchange a January week in a Cape Cod timeshare for the same week in the Caribbean, but there are options for timeshare owners who are willing to learn more about how the timeshare exchange process works best.
8. If You Can’t Pay in Full, It’s a Terrible Deal. If most homeowners paused to look at the amortized cost of home ownership, when financed over 20 or 30 years as is typical with home mortgages, there would probably be a lot fewer people who make the decision to buy a house. One of the excellent benefits of recent regulations in credit card reform is that your monthly statement now shows you very clearly what you are paying when you borrow money at credit card interest rates. Paying in full for anything you buy is almost always the best practice, whether that is for your home, your car, paying off your credit card each month or paying for your timeshare at the time of purchase. But to accurately evaluate the cost of timeshare financing, you have to assess both the purchase price and the financing terms. There are terrible timeshare financing deals, and then there are better ones. Every case is different.
9. Travel Is Not Calculated When Comparisons Are Made. Travel costs do make a difference in the big picture cost of timesharing, which is why it is especially nice that when travel costs are atypically high or your vacation budget is a little smaller than usual, you can exchange timeshare for a destination that is closer to home, keeping your travel costs under control.
10. Hotel Prices Are Increasing (But So Are Time Share Fees).Good advice for anyone who is considering buying timeshare is to research if and how much timeshare fees have increased in the past at the resort where they want to buy. The cost of purchasing many things increases over time but this is not always a decision maker as to whether or not we will buy them. If the cost of buying timeshare or a timeshare resale is a better deal today than the cost of vacationing in a hotel, and both the timeshare and the hotel increase in cost, then the timeshare is still a better deal than the money paid for hotel accommodations.

Timeshares, as a vacation product, are neither inherently good nor bad; they are simply a choice. Yet for many people, timeshares are a choice that translates to years of vacation enjoyment.

 

Topics: Interval International, RCI Timeshare, Timeshare Blog, Timeshare News, Timeshare Resales, Timeshare Sales

Photo credit: Perspective Magazine Blog for Saturday May 8, 2010

Interval International timeshare exchange has added the Mayhills Resort in the Gangwon Province of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to its inventory of timeshare exchange properties.

The timeshare resort, located approximately three hours from Seoul in a forested setting in Taebaek, includes 357 timeshare units, from studios, to one, and two-bedroom timeshares. Most of the timeshare units have a kitchen, balcony with mountain views, and cable or satellite television. The Mayhills Resorts timeshare also includes a fitness center, family steam room, sauna, two on-site restaurants, a game room, and a convenience store.

Near to this Korea timeshare resort, vacationers can enjoy cross-country and downhill skiing, tennis, golf, bike trails, water sports on the beautiful lakes, several theme parks, and a children’s playground. All of these attractions are easily accessible from National Highway 38.

Joe Hickman, Interval International’s executive director for Asia Pacific, describes the resort as, “…close to Kangwon Land Casino, Korea’s largest with more than 100 game tables and 960 slot machines and video games.” Hickman explains, “We are delighted to welcome Mayhills Resort to Interval’s vacation exchange network.”

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of Hyatt Miami at The Blue. “The Blue” of course, refers to Doral’s most famous golf course, The Big Blue Monster, the nearby deep blue water of the Atlantic Ocean, and the endless blue skies of Miami weather. The17-acre property is also conveniently near the Miami International Airport meaning that your Miami vacation begins almost as soon as you step off the plane.

The resort includes 15 three-story villas, each housing 16 hotel suites. The suites range from 700 square foot studios, to one-bedroom units, and two-story, three bedroom units which are just over 2000 square feet each. All of the units include a terrace with a golf view, fully equipped kitchens, and relaxing rain showers in the marble baths.

ING Clarion Development Ventures II owns the hotel and Davidson Hotel Company is the hotel’s operator. The resort will fly the Hyatt flag.

Chuck Floyd, chief operating officer, North America, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, says, “We are thrilled to add Hyatt Miami at The Blue to our robust portfolio of hotels in the Southeast. The location and quality of the hotel will no doubt appeal to both group and leisure travelers.”

Condo Hotel Ownership of Condotel Units at The Hyatt Miami at The Blue

The Hyatt Miami at The Blue will offer condo hotel residences. Owners of condo hotel units there will be eligible to participate in the Hyatt Vacation Club, with timeshare exchange at fifteen Hyatt Vacation and Residence Clubs or at any of the timeshare resorts within the Interval International timeshare exchange program, which includes over 2200 timeshares worldwide.

Interval International, one of the two largest timeshare exchange companies has added an affiliation with the Emirates Vacation Club, a private residence club in Dubai. Timeshare exchange is consistently one of the top reasons timeshare owners cite for buying timeshare or timeshare resales.

Dubai timeshare was slower to enter the global timeshare market than European timeshare or US timeshare, but delayed their involvement only because governmental leaders wanted to lay careful groundwork for the Dubai timeshare industry, protecting the interests of both the country’s heritage and of prospective timeshare owners. Located in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has already developed some of the most desirable and luxurious seaside resorts in the world, as forward-thinking leaders seek to create marketable resources for a global economy that could grow less and less dependent on Middle Eastern oil reserves in the future.

David Clifton, Interval’s managing director for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, says, “Interval International is excited to welcome Emirates Vacation Club to our network of resorts. This stunning urban property is the flagship resort of Emirates Grand, a hotel ownership and management company formed by Dr. Khalid M. Kadfoor Al-Mehairi, a well-respected attorney and resident of the UAE. We look forward to building on our close relationship with the company, as it adds high-quality properties in destinations throughout the Middle East to its portfolio.”

The Emirates Vacation Club will be built in phases with Phase I including 32 luxury condo units to be part of the 48-story Emirates Grand Hotel. The vacation club condos will include studio, one, and two-bedroom units with fully equipped kitchens and most with soaring views from floor to ceiling windows. Buyers can purchase fractional ownership of multiple weeks or single week intervals. Members of Interval International timeshare exchange have opportunities for timeshare exchange at this lavish resort.

Ashraf El Zarqa, chief operating officer for Emirates Grand says, “Our vision is to provide an outstanding level of luxury at affordable prices that appeal to consumers from around the world. Our initial primary markets include the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. We chose to affiliate with Interval International because of the quality resorts they offer and the great membership benefits they provide our owners.”

El Zarqa also noted that they chose affiliation with Interval International timeshare exchange because of II’s reputation for high levels of service and quality.