When Forbes Magazine published its most recent list of America’s top tourist attractions, we couldn’t help but notice that there are great opportunities in timeshare resorts at or near all of these destinations. That means if you own timeshare in these popular areas, you also have a natural market for timeshare rental should there be times you can’t use your timeshare yourself or don’t choose to use it as timeshare exchange.

Here’s a look at only a very few of your timeshare resort options for these favorite tourist destinations:

#3. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C., with 25 million visitors

• Wyndham Old Town (Alexandria, Virginia)
• Wyndham Resorts National Harbor (Ft. Washington, Maryland)

#2. Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada, with 29.1 million visitors

• Las Vegas Timeshare Resales and Las Vegas Timeshare Rentals
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club On The Las Vegas Strip Timeshare
• Marriott’s Grand Chateau Timeshare

#1. Times Square, New York, N.Y. with 37.6 million visitors

• New York City Timeshare Resales and New York City Timeshare Rentals
• Manhattan Club Timeshare
• Hilton Club New York

People are often surprised to learn that timeshares are not just limited to the beach and ski resorts. There are locations available to enjoy urban timeshare worldwide, offering you the convenience and savings that go with owning timeshare.

PH Towers Westgate opened this past December and currently says only about 20 percent of its timeshare units have sold. But the rest of this Las Vegas timeshare’s units are not sitting empty; they are being used as hotel inventory by Planet Hollywood resort (which is owned by Harrah’s Entertainment Inc).

The 52-story, 1200-room Las Vegas timeshare is described by Westgate timeshare as both the world’s largest timeshare building (all units contained within a single structure) and the only timeshare in the world that is fully integrated with a casino.

The timeshare’s builder, Tutor-Saliba Corporation, has filed a foreclosure lawsuit in Nevada’s Clark County District Court against Westgate Planet Hollywood Las Vegas LLC. Tutor-Saliba alleges that Westgate owes the company $19.3 million based on the terms of the 2007 Las Vegas timeshare construction contract. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Westgate Resorts timeshare plans to fight the lawsuit against their newest Las Vegas timeshare property and says that liens filed against the resort by Tutor-Saliba and liens filed by subcontractors cover duplicate issues.

Westgate Timeshare Tells Its Side of the Story

Mark Waltrip, chief operating officer of Westgate Resorts, was quoted as saying, “We have exhausted every effort to work cooperatively with Tutor-Saliba to resolve these issues. We have previously provided Tutor-Saliba a well-documented position that has been independently verified by a third-party construction management firm and proves that not only are these claims totally without merit, but in fact Tutor-Saliba owes Westgate in excess of $18 million. In addition, Tutor-Saliba signed an agreement subordinating its claim to the lenders on this project and therefore has no right to pursue this course of action. We not only intend to vigorously defend these claims brought by Tutor-Saliba, but also seek recovery of millions of dollars in claims due to Westgate, including overcharges, credits due for unperformed work, liquidated damages for untimely performance and failure to comply with the plans and specifications of the project.”

So Westgate timeshare and the construction company for this Las Vegas timeshare agree that somebody owes somebody between 18 and 19.3 million dollars. One thing is certain, until this is resolved, only the attorneys involved benefit by the situation.

Teamwork makes the timeshare industry strong and partnerships like this are great to report: Women in the Industry (WIN), an association that supports the role and the advancement of professional women in the timeshare industry, has announced that The Trades Publishing Company has company has committed to another year of support. The Trades was a charter supporter as WIN launched last year, and has been instrumental in promoting and publicizing WIN to a wide audience.

“We signed up as a corporate benefactor at the very inception of WIN,” says David Kerr, Managing Director of The Trades. “We are pleased to be part of its growth because from the get-go we have believed in its mission.”

Women in the Industry (WIN) is a non-profit organization that advocates, educates and connects women in the vacation (timeshare) industry. It is a dynamic, diverse, non-partisan global organization providing leadership, mentoring, philanthropic and educational opportunities to women and those who support women; connecting members locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Georgi Bohrod Gordon is the Board of Directors Member responsible for WIN communications. Georgi says, “Each month The Trades has consistently been generous in donating ad space and editorial copy to help spread the word about us. Their support has continued to help us grow and we are pleased they have made such a positive commitment to help support the organization in reaching our goals in the upcoming year. We now have two important publications getting the word about WIN to the targeted audience we regard as primary to our goals.”

Thanks to promotion from The Trades and the sponsorship of Marriott Vacation Ownership, Bluegreen Resorts, and CustomerCount©, the first WIN Florida Regional Conference Meeting in Orlando (held at the end of January) was a strong success, with nearly 60 attending. WIN will hold their annual networking event during the 2010 American Resort and Development Association (ARDA) Convention in Las Vegas on March 16.

To find out more contact: Cathy Backus at 858.344.2139 or Lani Kane-Hanan at 407.513.6634.

Previous The Timeshare Authority updates on WIN:

• Timeshare Women In The Industry (WIN) Meeting in Orlando
• WIN – Association for Women in the Timeshare Industry Hosting Special Events at ARDA Convention
• Women Changing the Face of Timeshares and Timesharing (Part I)
• Women Carving Out their Future in the Timeshare Industry (Part II)

TATOC, The Timeshare Association, has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2010 TATOC Conference, titled: “Working Together.”

The global event for the timeshare industry will be held at the Nottingham Belfry, Nottingham, England, on March 26 to March 28. Stephen J. Cloobeck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Resorts International® has been announced as the keynote speaker for the event that is expected to draw timeshare sales and timeshare support industry representatives from around the world and to surpass previous conference records for attendance and sponsorship.

The preliminary TATOC Timeshare Association Conference schedule includes:

• Friday March 26, 2010
• Registration: 5 PM
• Reception: 7-8 PM
• Dinner: 8 PM
• Saturday March 27, 2010
• Breakfast: 7AM.
• Conference begins: 9 AM with usual coffee breaks and lunch
• Conference ends: Approximately 5 PM
• Reception: 7-8 PM
• Dinner and Speaker: 8 PM
• Sunday March 28, 2010
• Breakfast: 7AM.
• Conference begins: 9 AM
• Conference ends: Approximately 11 AM
• TATOC AGM: 11:30 AM
• Lunch: 1PM

Booking forms are now available to download at www.timeshareassociation.org.

Continue following The Timeshare Authority for more updates on the 2010 TATOC Conference, and all the timeshare news and information.

For more TATOC information:

Telephone 00 44 (0)161 237 3611

Fax 00 44 (0)161 237 3611

Previous The Timeshare Authority posts on TATOC events:

TATOC Announces Guest Speaker for Timeshare Conference
TATOC Announces More Info on 2010 Timeshare Conference

 

Topics: Diamond Resorts Timeshare, European Timeshare, Las Vegas Timeshare, Nevada Timeshare, Timeshare Blog, Timeshare News

The long-awaited 52-story Westgate residential, vacation ownership, and timeshare resort, PH Towers at Planet Hollywood, officially opened this week. Grand opening of the 1,201-room resort began with room availability to timeshare owners and will be followed on December 28 by rooms available to the general public.

The resort’s timeshare units account for approximately 20 percent of the total number of rooms at the property and include studio timeshare units, and one and two bedroom timeshare units. Many feature dramatic city views with floor to ceiling windows, marble accented bathrooms, spa tubs, and other luxury amenities. But perhaps the real draw of Las Vegas timeshare at the PH Towers is its location at the heart of the Vegas Strip, on four acres next to the Miracle Mile Shops. At build out, you’ll find some 170 specialty stores and thirty restaurants in what Westgate timeshares describes as “retail bliss” for the “semipro shopper”.

The PH Towers at Planet Hollywood Resort and Las Vegas Timeshare is a partnership development between Planet Hollywood Resort and Westgate timeshare. In opening the PH Towers, more than 800 hospitality professionals have been hired.

…but it is important for timeshare owners at Consolidated Resorts timeshare to continue to make payments and pay dues on the vacation property they own.

Consolidated Resorts, a Las Vegas timeshare company that filed for bankruptcy protection at the end of June, is the developer of the Tahiti Village Resort, the Tahiti Resort, and the Club de Soleil, (all Las Vegas timeshares). They also developed three Orlando timeshare resorts and nine Hawaii timeshare resorts. Almost all of the timeshare units at these resorts have been sold, meaning that the timeshare owners (not Consolidated Resorts) hold deeds to these properties.

According to ReviewJournal.com, the bankruptcy attorney for Consolidated and 12 of its affiliated companies, Lenard Schwartzer, has explained that the people who bought deeds to timeshares at the companies’ resorts should not be affected by the bankruptcy filing. “They (the timeshare owners) are able to call up and get their week as if this bankruptcy never happened,” says Schwartzer.

Since the collective of timeshare deed holders own the resorts, and all of the resorts have enough money to remain in operation, (plus the fact that none of the timeshare resort management companies were involved in the bankruptcy filing) there is really no reason for Consolidated Resort’s bankruptcy to become a problem for the resorts. Unless—and this is a very important detail—timeshare owners take it upon themselves to stop paying their annual fees, or stop making payments. If timeshare owners panic and stop paying what they rightfully owe, the timeshare owners themselves could become the downfall of their own resorts and vacation ownership.

Previous related post from The Timeshare Authority:

• Consolidated Resorts Timeshare says Bankruptcy Will Not Affect Timeshare Owners

Sources:

• ReviewJournal.com

The latest news for Consolidated Resorts owners, as Director of Communications Steve Luba explains.

 

 Timeshare Factoids for the week of 7/20/09: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Last week, rumors turned to fact when Consolidated Resorts filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy through the courts in Nevada. And when something like this happens, everyone feels a little concerned about what the future holds—whether you are employed by the industry, you own timeshares, or you are a vendor who serves timeshare resorts and timeshare owners. But as the Wall Street Journal pointed out this week, “So far this year, Consolidated is the only time-share developer to have said it will file for bankruptcy protection.“

Despite some cutbacks, layoffs, and the assorted challenges that the industry faces, timeshare resorts across the US and around the world are still providing timeshare owners and timeshare renters with quality vacation experiences. And when you consider that the timeshare industry has been hit from more different directions than most by the complexities of the weak economy and poor credit market, the very fact that only Consolidated has been forced to make this move says a lot about the strength and solidity already in place.

In quotes that appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Steve Holmes, Wyndham timeshare’s chairman and chief executive, says he anticipates the securitization market eventually will loosen a bit for time-share deals. “I’m not calling for a return to the kind of liquidity that existed 18 months or two years ago, but I think, over time, there will be a middle ground that’s found.”

Las Vegas Timeshare Was Expanding

What’s especially sad for Consolidated Resorts is that they were expanding one of their three Las Vegas timeshare properties, the Tahiti Village on Las Vegas Boulevard at Interstate 215. The property has 860 timeshare units but room for expansion, space the other two Las Vegas locations, the Tahiti and Club de Soleil did not offer. Completion of the expansion would have given the company more timeshare to sell, something it needed greatly as its existing inventory was low.

The bottom line is that none of us knows exactly what the bottom line will be in this economy. But timeshare companies, developers, and timeshare resales companies are stepping up their efforts, and scrutinizing how they can improve their product, their services, and their business models. Some of the details may change, but your opportunity to enjoy vacation ownership through timeshares and timeshare resales, remains.

Consolidated Resorts Inc., a Las Vegas based timeshare company along with its affiliated companies, has commenced the process of filing for Chapter 7 protection this week in Nevada bankruptcy court. A Chapter 7 liquidation filing means that trustees will sell the timeshare company’s assets and then apply the proceeds to repay debtors.

Last month Consolidated Resorts Timeshare Company announced it was closing its sales and marketing offices but that the resorts would remain open for timeshare owners. Consolidated spokesman Ken Chupinsky told The Las Vegas Sun, “…timeshare interval owners will continue to have full use and enjoyment of the resorts.”

According to officials at Consolidated Timeshare Resorts, a management company that has not filed for bankruptcy protection will run the condominium associations that are responsible for each resort, adding that resorts are owned by the timeshare owners. Ken Chupinsky was quoted in The Las Vegas Sun as saying, “This has nothing to do with the timeshare owners. The timeshare owners are in fine shape.”

The timeshare company pointed to lack of financing available to timeshare owners to purchase new timeshares and a dwindling inventory as contributing to the problem. Consolidated Timeshare Resorts includes 14 timeshare properties; 3 that are Las Vegas timeshare resorts, 1 Orlando timeshare resort and 9 Hawaii timeshares.

It is hard to predict what the immediate or long-term responses will be by timeshare buyers and sellers.

Here are links to timeshare resales at Consolidated Resort’s 9 Hawaii timeshare properties:

• Sands of Kahana Vacation Club
• Kahana Beach Resort
• Hono Koa
• The Gardens at West Maui
• Kahana Villa Resort
• Maui Beach Vacation Club
• Maui Banyan Vacation Club
• Kona Islander
• Imperial Hawaii

Sources:

• Las Vegas ReviewJournal.com
• The Las Vegas Sun

As the countdown on the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list continues, we look at three HOT timeshares, each distinctively different from the other. HOT 100 List timeshare number 20 is the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North. Hot List timeshare number 19 is the Grand Pacific Palisades in Carlsbad, California. And Hot List timeshare number 16 is the Wyndham Grand Desert in Las Vegas. Three ways to vacation; three timeshare resorts to enjoy.

A Lush Hawaiian Isle Westin Timeshare Resort

Designed with luxury in mind, the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North is one of two Westin resorts on Ka’anapali Beach. Enjoying a primo location on North Ka’anapali, (a beach that has been recognized as one of America’s Best Beaches) timeshare owners and timeshare renters at this Hawaii timeshare resort can choose verdant island views or stunning ocean vistas from their private balcony or patio. At the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort, studio and one or two-bedroom timeshare villas offer an equipped kitchen, a whirlpool tub, and a relaxing living and dining area.

Located in Lahaina, on the island of Maui, if you watched the season finale of the CBS reality show, The Amazing Race, (this past Sunday night,) you saw enough beautiful views of Maui to make you long for a Hawaii timeshare.

California Timeshare Close to the Beach

Grand Pacific Palisades California timeshare offers you a totally different perspective of the Pacific Ocean than the one you’ll get in Lahaina, Maui, but equally as spectacular. North of San Diego (about 40 miles), and south of Anaheim (approximately 60 miles), Carlsbad has Southern California desert appeal in a location so perfect for family fun it is even located across the street from LEGOLAND®!

During the spring, you can enjoy Carlsbad’s famous Flower Fields® where more than 50-acres of vibrant flowers bloom on a hillside overlooking the ocean. Year-round, Grand Pacific Palisades timeshare tempts you with an ideal location for enjoying golf, the beach, or any of the nearby attractions.

Timeshare units at this beautiful California timeshare resort include one and two bedroom units as well as two bedroom lockouts.

This Las Vegas Timeshare is No Gamble, It’s Always a Winner

The Wyndham Grand Desert in Las Vegas is located only a quarter mile from the glittering Las Vegas Strip, but features a Mediterranean-style ambience. Timeshare owners at the Wyndham Grand Desert enjoy the resort, not only for its style and amenities, but because it makes it easy to balance your vacation between the casinos and nightlife of the Las Vegas Strip with a relaxing resort that offers plenty of entertainment for the whole family.

Considered a flagship property of Wyndham Resorts, Wyndham Grand Desert timeshare units are available in one, two, and three-bedroom units, as well as timeshare lockouts.

Like so many other great Las Vegas timeshare properties, the Wyndham Grand Desert makes it easy to explore both the natural wonders of the Nevada landscape and then take in the shows, dining, and unmatched glitz of Las Vegas after dark.

To learn more about opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at these great HOT 100 destinations and many more exciting vacation spots, talk to the timeshare resales specialists at Sell My Timeshare NOW.