The Lubner Group, an internationally respected design firm responsible for the outstanding design, refurbishing, and décor at some of your favorite, timeshares, hotels, and resorts, recently completed work on a very unique project at The Coconut Beach Resort, a Key West, Florida timeshare. (See: The Lubner Group Completes Renovation on Key West Timeshare).

In addition to revitalizing an already beautiful resort, this project carried unique historic significance. The Coconut Beach Resort property was once owned by the late Senator John Spottswood and has been a landmark property in the community. Over the years, the property has been  further developed by the Spottswood family and The Sita Group, the marketing firm owned by John Sims and Fawni Spottswood. The Spottswood family has been a cornerstone of Key West real estate, politics, and society for more than 150 years. The Spottswood Companies, Inc. and its affiliates own all or partial interest in multiple hotels, timeshare, marina and other commercial properties in the Florida Keys and throughout the US.

The video below takes you through the renovation and refurbishment of  The Coconut Beach Resort. Fawni Spottswood, Vice President Spottswood Hotels, says, “We are totally delighted with the finished product. Nancy did a tremendous job representing the ambiance and character of our historical architecture and natural surroundings, while preserving our resort’s charm with a design theme that is all about guest comfort and relaxation. Throughout the entire renovation process, the Lubner Group maintained the highest possible levels of integrity, professionalism and dedication to completing our job on time and within our budget. The new units have been extremely well received by owners and guests and will play an important role in increasing rental revenues in the future.”

View the video to see the transformation at The Coconut Beach Resort, which has now been named as an Interval International Select Resort.

The internationally respected Lubner Group has recently completed property renovation and the installation of new furnishings for five “Old Conch” styled buildings at the Coconut Beach Resort.

Always charming, the Coconut Beach Resort, a Key West, Florida timeshare, now has a total renovation to enhance its timeless Old Florida appeal. Located on the Atlantic side of Key West, Coconut Beach Resort timeshare offers ocean views from breezy verandahs, in a quiet haven, nestled among lush tropical landscaping and gardens.

The iconic resort’s facelift was handled by The Lubner Group, which is internationally respected for its hospitality and commercial design work. The renovation and refurbishing was handled under the direction of Nancy Woodhouse, IDS, Lubner Group’s Vice President of Design & Product Development who says, “Our intention at Coconut Beach Resort was to embrace an easy living lifestyle by designing and crafting comfortable, yet durable pieces that are eco-friendly. It was important to achieve a timeless design that would last many years, reflecting the vibrant color palette and charm of Key West while preserving the inspiration of the original property, which the owners requested. An extra touch included the addition of custom logo inspired hardware and hand-etched mirrors for each unit.”

The five buildings of the Coconut Beach Resort vacation ownership property offered unique challenges, as two of the buildings were previously single-family homes, and room sizes at the property range from 800 to 1,150 square feet, with differing ceiling heights. Foremost in the project was blending the existing historic, Victorian gingerbread architecture of the buildings with a fresh and updated tropical design that invites guests to relax in serene tranquility.

The results at this charming Florida timeshare? Well, see for yourself in these beautiful photos. And to learn more about how The Lubner Group created this and other resort transformations, visit us tomorrow here on The Timeshare Authority blog.

Previous news about this and other projects from The Lubner Group:

• Timeshare Industry Welcomes Newly Launched Lubner Group
• Who is Decorating Your Timeshare?

The Sarasota, Florida-based technology solutions provider, Triton Timeshare Software, has announced three new clients: The Lucayan Resort (Ocean City, Maryland); Emerald Isle Condominiums (Hot Springs, Arkansas); and The Banyan Resort (Key West, Florida).

Each of these resorts will be using Triton’s Property Management System, an integrated software suite with real time capabilities, even functional from PDA’s.

Dale Goodman, President, Goodmanagement whose company uses Triton’s products for 11 of the timeshare resorts it manages, says, “We chose Triton for The Lucayan because we know they always deliver both definition and execution. There are a lot of moving parts in resort operations, and Triton makes sure we stay interconnected through its user-friendly and intuitive system. We’ve been with Triton since 2005 and they continue to amaze us with their efficient installation, professional staff and 24/7 support.”

When your timeshare resort management puts technology solutions to work, everyone benefits because systems run more efficiently and your timeshare ownership experience and days spent in timeshare vacation become more pleasant and easier than ever to enjoy.

As Delaina Probus-Staley, President of Triton, says, “We are proud our Property Management System is working so seamlessly in so many locations. Our product is becoming rapidly sought-after and we hear that it is in part due to our learning tools and training.”

Just because it has never snowed (in the history of National Weather Service recordkeeping) in the Florida Keys doesn’t mean this won’t be the year it happens—at least according to The Weather Channel.

If you tune in to The Weather Channel you know that they have been promising one viewer a “Guaranteed White Christmas.” And since snow-making assistance won’t be needed by much of the US this year, the honor was appropriately won by a Florida Keys resident.

Thanks to his winning video, Howard Livingston is assured that his front yard will be blanketed with tons of snow for Christmas. A Wisconsin-based special effects company will create the snow using shaved ice. Throughout the day, Christmas Day, The Weather Channel’s Adam Berg will be broadcasting live from the scene of the ‘snowfall’.

What did Livingston do to merit such an honor? He created a video explaining how much he would like to share a white Christmas with his grandson, demonstrating how in the past he has tried to create his own snow with a blender powered by a 1952 Johnson outboard motor, (which is really pretty difficult to imagine!)

Your Key West Timeshare Vacation

If you have a Key West timeshare vacation planned for Christmas, you might get to witness the first ‘snowfall’ in the Florida Keys. Otherwise, you will just have to make do with white sand, a sparkling aqua blue ocean, tropical flowers, and balmy breezes—the kind of pleasures that Key West timeshares and Florida Keys timeshares vacations are made of.

People vacation for lots of different reasons … some want to rev up their adrenaline with new experiences. Others want to amp that energy all the way down, lounging by the pool with little more than a test pattern going through their brain. Either way, a timeshare vacation is a perfect solution.

Today’s timeshare resorts can be found in the most popular destinations as well as the most unique settings. Whether you long for excitement, exploration, action sports, nightlife, remote peace and quiet, or all of the above, there’s a timeshare vacation destination that’s ideal for you.

Wherever you choose to enjoy your next timeshare vacation, here are three simple tips guaranteed to make your experience richer and more meaningful.

1. Eat at least once where the locals dine. Yes, your timeshare resort probably offers onsite restaurants, bars, and bistros serving all your favorite foods, but you add a new and unforgettable memorable dimension to any trip or holiday when you make a point to eat what and where the local people eat. Sample conch chowder during your Key West timeshare vacation. Try the unique blends of curry, each one distinctive to the chef who prepares it, when you vacation in an India timeshare or India timeshare resale. Or how about dining one evening on a laulau of butterfish cooked to perfection inside bundled taro leaves before you head back to your beachside Hawaii timeshare? There is no better (or tastier) way to get to know a local culture than through its food and drinks.
2. Do one activity on every timeshare vacation that is part of the lifestyle of that destination. Launch a kayak, ride horseback, or sit by the beach and listen to the rhythm of reggae band— choose what interests you, but make the effort to experience the local culture.
3. Make a friend. During our busy daily routines, most of us rarely take time to stop and chat with people who help shape the quality of our days. Don’t let this same hurried approach apply to your timeshare vacation. Wherever you travel, take time to engage with both other travelers and with the locals at your destination. Ask questions; show people that you are genuinely interested in listening to them share with you. Life shouldn’t just be only about tweeting and Facebook. Life should also be about face-to-face and a timeshare vacation affords you the opportunity to make your travels both real and memorable.

The laidback sound of Ziggy Marley is a perfect example of memorable music to enjoy during your Jamaica timeshare resale vacation.

In addition to using timeshare for memorable vacations, honeymoons, and get-away-from-it-all retreats, timeshares are often the setting for family reunions. Because of their spaciousness, larger timeshare units mean an extended or blended family, or perhaps several families, can often share one timeshare villa, with plenty of room for all. A family reunion at a timeshare resort typically means there will be activities and entertainment to suit family members of all ages.

But for all the family reunions that will happen this summer at timeshare resorts across the country and around the world, there will probably be none more touching than the reunion that took place recently at a popular Key West timeshare, the Galleon Resort and Marina.

A Happy Reunion at a Key West Timeshare Resort

When child protective services separated three little boys from their father, back in the late 1940’s, it meant each brother would grow up without knowing the other two. But last week, a lifetime of separation ended when the three men were reunited.

Jim Shultz, age 62; Mike Searcy, age 61; and Michael Lewis Locker, age 60, came together for the first time since being separated some sixty years ago. As babies and toddlers, they were split up and then sent to orphanages or foster parents, pending adoption.

All of the men were renamed in their new families, with two brothers being given the name “Michael”. Jim, who is now retired, previously worked in the security business while his brother Mike Locker, also retired, chose a similar career in law enforcement. Both Jim and Mike Locker grew up knowing they were adopted and as adults were able to find each other and build a relationship. But Mike Searcy did not know until 2007 that either of the other two existed.

Searcy, who regularly vacations in his Key West timeshare at the Galleon Resort and Marina, told The Key West Newspaper, “We have been building a long-distance relationship for the past six months, but we didn’t meet face-to-face until I picked them up at the airport here last Saturday.”

The Galleon Resort and Marina timeshare is an idyllic place to retreat for any reason. The five-star resort with its own 90-slip marina overlooks the Gulf of Mexico and the warm tranquil waters of Key West. Both the timeshare resort’s sparkling pool and its private, white sand beach no doubt provided these three brothers and their wives a serene setting to relax and get to know each other. As Mike Shultz summed up their week together, “Mike (Searcy) has been showing us around, but what we have been doing mostly is just telling each other about our lives.”

Plan Your Own Memorable Getaway at a Key West Timeshare

You may never plan a Florida timeshare vacation that is quite as dramatic as this story of three long lost siblings reunited. But the experiences you create today with your family are the memories you will treasure for a lifetime. As busy as your schedule is, why not streamline the vacation planning process with an affordable timeshare resale, and devote your free time to some memory making of your own?

Resources for Families

For family members separated through adoption, reconnecting can be challenging as state and local adoption and privacy laws vary greatly across the US. Here are four organizations that people sometimes turn to for help with their search:

• Adult Adoptees
• Adoption.com
• The International Soundex Reunion Registry
• Adoptions Crossroads

As inauguration day dawns cold and clear in Washington DC, the US economy has many timeshare sales employees across the company – even those in sunny Key West – feeling the chill.

Last week The Hyatt Vacation Club in Key West implemented corporate-mandated layoffs in their sales and marketing departments. The resort, known as Windward Pointe, is operated by Hyatt timeshare and owned by the Key West-based Spottswood Companies. Spottswood also owns the Marriot Beachside Hotel, the Coconut Beach Resort, the Holiday Inn, and the Comfort Inn, all in Key West.

Built in 2001, this Key West timeshare has 104 two-bedroom, two-bath timeshare units, that Hyatt sells from just under $10,000; to about $30,000, for the highest demand season, which in Key West is during Christmas and during Fantasy Fest, always scheduled near Halloween.

According to KeysNet.com, Larry Shulman, a senior vice president at Hyatt’s Beverly Hills office said, “We don’t typically comment a lot on these types of things … different than any business across the country … we’ve had to revisit our business model and downsize.” Shulman did mention that cuts were happening across the board at many Hyatt properties, primarily hitting the timeshare sales and marketing departments the hardest.

Sales information at the Monroe County Property Appraiser’s office shows that timeshare sales at Windward Pointe in 2008 were less than half of what they were in 2007, even though the average sale price had increased to $21,551.

Currently there are more than 40 Windward Pointe timeshare resales or timeshare rentals available at Sell My Timeshare NOW, starting at just under $10,000.

Interval International Timeshares Exchange and Kosmas Group International have announced a long-term affiliation agreement in regard to timeshare resort properties in Key West, New Smyrna Beach, and Orlando, Florida.

Craig M. Nash, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Interval Leisure Group says, “The Kosmas Group has been one of the leading companies in vacation ownership for more than 30 years. We greatly value this relationship and are pleased to have the opportunity to continue to provide Kosmas’ owners with exchange and leisure services, as well as to offer KGI a variety of programs to enhance their sales initiatives.”

Representatives of the Kosmas Group explained that they made their decision to renew the alliance with Interval International timeshare exchange because of II’s commitment to work collaboratively. “Interval offers us an innovative portfolio of business development products, including value-added membership and trial ownership programs and tour incentive premiums, which complement our own very successful marketing strategy. Perhaps most importantly, Interval is uniquely positioned to offer our current and future owners access to high quality resorts in very desirable destinations.”

Kosmss Group International (KGI) member owners will be enrolled as individual members of Interval International and of Interval Gold (R), Interval International’s upgraded membership program. Their expanded privileges will enable them to exchange timeshare at other luxurious timeshare resorts, or use the value of their timeshare toward the purchase of cruises, spa vacations, and golf. Other benefits include 24-hr. daily concierge service via phone or e-mail, complimentary Hertz rental car Gold membership, and other hotel and dining discounts.

To learn more about the opportunities of timeshare exchange, talk to the timeshare resales and timeshare rental specialists at Sell My Timeshare NOW. 877-815-4227

The Hyatt Beach House Resort Timeshare is number 65 on the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List of timeshares that received the most offers to buy or rent.

Key West, Florida has been an ‘escape-to’ destination for generations, and the Hyatt Beach House Resort timeshare gives you plenty of reasons to choose it for your own great escape. This Key West timeshare offers a relaxed and slightly reclusive hideaway that is perfect for vacations now, and for many years to come.

Spanish Kings first laid claim to Key West real estate. Explorers came, seeking the fountain of youth. Generations later, artists, writers, visionaries, and even expatriates called it their home, including John Audubon, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Edison, and Tennessee Williams.

Getting to Your Key West Timeshare Vacation

While many travelers think that Key West is just beyond Miami, Key West is actually more than 150 miles south and west of metropolitan Miami. If you are headed to your Key West timeshare by car, don’t expect to clip along US Highway 1 (an official Florida Scenic Highway) at 70 miles an hour. Schedule time to allow you to stop and enjoy the sights along the way from Key Largo to Marathon to Big Pine Key.

Another fun way to arrive at Key West is via the Key West Express, which operates high-speed passenger ferries from Ft. Myers Beach and Marco Island to the Key West Bight Ferry Terminal, located in the city’s historic Seaport District. Plan about 3.5 hours to make the trip by ferry or you can schedule your air travel directly into the Key West International Airport.

Key West Timeshares Will Have You Living on Island Time

When you vacation in Key West, you are truly living on island time. While the island’s roads accommodate automobiles, there are also trolleys, bicycles, and walking paths for leisurely touring the shops and restaurants.

The timeshare units at the Hyatt Beach House timeshare resort are 2 bedroom and 2 bath units with approximately 1000 square feet of living space that is designed to accommodate 6 to 8 people comfortably. Each timeshare unit offers a screened balcony, with a television, VCR/DVD/and CD player.

Bedrooms have a King bed and whirlpool tub, and there is a Queen sleeper sofa in the living area. Kitchens are fully equipped with a microwave/convection oven and a dishwasher. Washers and dryers, data ports, and high-speed internet are also available.

While there’s a pool for relaxing and a beach to enjoy, don’t expect your Hyatt Beach House Resort timeshare vacation to be high energy and a whirl of activities—that’s just not the way things are done in Key West.

Hyatt Beach House Resort Timeshare

So the next time your job, your commitments, and your daily grind start feeling like the weight of the world, remember what you’ve read about days spent in the Florida Keys. With excellent options to buy Hyatt Beach House Resort timeshare resales or rent Hyatt Beach House Resort timeshares, what’s standing between you and a Key West timeshare vacation?

Somewhere, in the very southern tip of the US, there’s a slice of key lime pie, a tall frosty drink, and a shaded beach chair just waiting for you.

For a tropical storm that, as of the time I’m writing this, has yet to make it to full-blown hurricane status, Fay sure has created havoc in Florida, and clearly isn’t through yet. The only thing that isn’t clear about Fay is where she will make trouble next.

Tropical Storm Fay is responsible for at least 10 known deaths in the Caribbean, but none in the US as of this time. There has been one death indirectly blamed on the storm when a man died from carbon monoxide poisoning while testing his home generator as part of his pre-storm preparations. Additionally, a kite surfer was critically injured when storm winds slammed him first into the ground and then into a building. Neither this death nor this serious injury will be attributed to the Tropical Storm Fay. But this storm is far from finished with Florida.

Fay first made landfall along the southern tip of the Florida Keys on Monday, then veered out into the Gulf of Mexico. On Tuesday, Fay made her second Florida landfall near Naples, still maintaining as a tropical storm, despite spending time over warm open waters, which typically causes a storm to strengthen. Fay then slowly moved northeast across the state, dumping massive amounts of rain. Stalling out over Melbourne and Cape Canaveral, Fay has/and is setting rainfall records, with some areas anticipated to receive 30 or more inches of wet stuff. So over the next two days The Timeshare Authority will look at what you should know if you own Florida timeshare, or have a Florida timeshare vacation planned…

Florida Timeshares in South Florida, Key West Timeshare, and Miami Timeshare

Florida timeshare in most of south Florida, including Key West timeshare and Miami timeshare, had a few days of wind and rain, but experienced no significant damages. Tourists and non-residents were asked to leave the Keys, as it was impossible to predict how much wind and flooding Fay would cause. Approximately 25,000 tourists heeded the warning and headed north, according to officials. If you have Florida timeshare in the southern part of the state, on either coast, it is undamaged and ready for your next visit.

Air traffic in and out of Fort Myers, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale was impacted on Monday and Tuesday. If you had air travel booked into any of these airports, and changed it because of the weather, contact your airlines immediately, as most have waived the change fees for flights during this period. Typically airlines honoring the waived fees will only do so if you ask them about this at the time of the change or immediately afterward.

Okay, that’s the good news about Florida timeshare, including Key West timeshare and Miami timeshare. Tomorrow’s The Timeshare Authority will look at how Tropical Storm Fay is changing vacation plans in the rest of the Sunshine State.