Sol Meliá Vacation Club (SMVC) has officially launched Club Meliá as its new rebranding. The name change comes as part of the rebranding of Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts to become Meliá Hotels International.

Denis Ebrill, Executive Vice President of Club Meliá explains, “We are extremely proud and excited about our new name, new look, new branding and positioning. It’s an upscale, updated and impactful way to say in a couple words who we are and what we do, while being joined at the hip with the new positioning of our corporate office in Spain. We have a lot of exciting things to achieve this year and our new name and new look is the driving force behind it.”

With 14 member resorts, and 27 associated resorts, Club Meliá currently has 27,000 members. While the vacation club is based in the timeshare capital of the world, Orlando, Florida, Meliá Hotels International is headquartered in Spain. The 55-year-old international hospitality company has over 300 hotels in 26 countries on four continents.

To get a better feel for the luxury and beauty of Club Meliá, watch this video of Sol Melia Cozumel, from RCI Timeshare videos

Other related news from The Timeshare Authority blog: Sol Meliá Vacation Club and Timeshare Celebrates 3 Years of Success

In an event themed, “AMDETUR, 25 Years Promoting Mexico” the Mexico Resort Development Association is hosting its twenty-fifth annual convention. Held at the beautiful Moon Palace Golf and Spa Hotel in Cancun, Sell My Timeshare NOW is proud to be part of this conference.

AMDETUR (Asociación Mexicana de Desarrolladores Turísticos) is recognized in the US as the Mexican Resort Development Association and acts as the national association for the timeshare and fractional ownership industry in Mexico. Always a beneficial event for those involved in timesharing, this year, as a silver-anniversary milestone for Mexico’s tourism, timeshare, and hospitality industry, it is uniquely special.

Juan Vela Ruiz, Chairman, AMDETUR, explains, “We are very excited about having the opportunity to meet, learn and share again with our colleagues and all attendants to our Annual Convention, particularly in this occasion when we are celebrating its silver anniversary as the most important vacation ownership industry forum in Mexico –a US 12 billion dollar sector that represents 40 percent of the lodging supply in the country.”

The conference has drawn hoteliers, timeshare developers, investors, lenders, government officials, and others from the timeshare and timeshare support industries. Attending from Sell My Timeshare NOW are Jason Tremblay (CEO), Jay Bade RRP, VP of Business Development for SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, and Jerome Bocquet Vice President of Timeshare Broker Services, an affiliate of SellMyTimeshareNOW.com.

AMDETUR is headquartered in Mexico City and has more than 200 members representing the timeshare, hospitality and leisure industries.

Club Intrawest is a one of the top resort clubs in North America, with 18 popular resorts from Sandestin, Florida to Whistler to Zihuatanejo, Mexico to the Big Island in Hawaii. Each of the 16 Intrawest timeshare resorts offers a signature attraction, whether that is beach, skiing, golf, or properties such as those in Orlando that are situated at the heart of some of the world’s most popular vacation attractions.

Club Intrawest Vacation Club Membership

With Club Intrawest timeshare membership, you don’t have to choose between owning timeshare at a ski resort or on the beach. Club Intrawest timeshare or resort club members own vacation points, called “Resort Points,” that enable them to enjoy vacations both at Club Intrawest resorts and at all of the Club Intrawest networked resorts. Your vacation club membership makes it easy to enjoy both. All Club Intrawest resorts are part of RCI timeshare exchange; many are also affiliated with Interval International timeshare exchange as well. With Club Intrawest timeshare, you even have the option to use your vacation club points for hotels and cruises.

When you buy a Club Intrawest timeshare resale, you are purchasing the benefits of timeshare ownership (or in this case vacation club membership), but you are buying timeshare from a current owner, typically at a great savings to you. And you may be surprised to learn, but Club Intrawest timeshare is also available as timeshare rental, too.

If you missed using your timeshare last year, chose a staycation, or just couldn’t work it into your schedule, you may be in for a pleasant surprise on your next visit.

Although media perception has tried to convince the world that timeshare and timeshare resorts were in a total downward spiral, here’s an update from Florida-based, Winter Park Construction (WPC), that paints a very different picture.

Jeff Forrest, President of WPC, explains, “In spite of the economy, our firm stayed very busy throughout the entire year handling large and small renovation projects for the timeshare industry’s major developers. Our clients included Starwood Vacation Ownership, Hilton Grand Vacations Company, Orange Lake County Club, The Berkley Group and Wyndham Vacation Ownership. Their resorts were located in Orlando, Kissimmee and Plantation, Florida, as well as in Myrtle Beach, SC; Newport, RI; Lake Geneva, WI and Cancun, Mexico.”

This past year, Winter Park Construction has been busy remodeling timeshare sales buildings, and making hurricane damage repairs and interior refurbishments for over 740 timeshare units. According to Forrest, “Many of our clients know us for building new projects, but refurbishment and renovation work has been a core segment of our business for 37 years. We expect this to grow even more in the future.”
One of WPC’s most fun (or perhaps challenging) timeshare related projects was the construction of a $4 million Fantasy Surf attraction for the Vacation Villas at FantasyWorld Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. Creating the environment to house a surfing simulator, which is designed so that riders “pretend” to ride the Hawaii surf, called for unique construction considerations.

The simulator offers the look of surfing and wakeboarding in a safe and controlled environment. Fantasy Surf features a FlowRider™ Double, designed to allow approximately 30 surf rides per hour. With padded walls, floor and beach all covered by a 3-inch sheet of water, the cushioned surface is surfable but still kind to surfers if they have a ‘wipeout’. While not their usual project, Forrest acknowledges that Winter Park Construction takes such challenges in stride, adding that the Central Florida area is filled with highly imaginative people.

The company, founded in 1974, and known as one of Florida’s largest construction management and general contractors, does not limit its business to construction and renovation in the timeshare industry. WPC’s portfolio include multi-family housing, commercial real estate, military housing, senior living markets and other projects.

René Cardinal has officially been announced as the new President of the timeshare group, Club Intrawest Resort Club Group, a division of Intrawest ULC.

As a part of Club Intrawest for more than ten years, Cardinal serves as a Director of the Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA) and a trustee for ARDA, the American Resort Development Association, where he sits on the Finance Committee.

Prior to assuming the responsibilities of President of Club Intrawest, Cardinal was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Intrawest Resort Club Group, a position he will continue to hold.

Intrawest CEO, Bill Jensen says Intrawest is particularly excited about “the opportunities that we anticipate will come available over the next year. Given the new playing field in the vacation ownership market, our confidence in Club Intrawest’s solid track record of excellence makes us very optimistic about what lies ahead. René’s long term history with Club Intrawest and our organization’s strong team of seasoned professionals will enable us to create, direct and manage new growth as the Club expands its horizons.”

More on Club Intrawest Timeshare and Vacation Club

Club Intrawest is a private vacation club with destinations that include Canada timeshare, California timeshare, and Mexico timeshare, as well as access through Hilton Grand Vacations to Florida timeshare, Hawaii timeshare, and Las Vegas timeshare. Since opening its first timeshare resort in 1994, the company has grown to include eight resorts in Canada, with its Whistler ski destinations being many of the signature properties that come to mind when people think of Intrawest timeshare.

Club Intrawest is exclusively managed by Intrawest Resort Club Group. Intrawest ULC is controlled by funds managed by Fortress Investment Group LLC.

Mexico timeshare is trying very hard to hammer out new guidelines. In fact, the rules that govern the sale of non-deeded Mexico timeshare have been undergoing a revision process that now moves into its third year.

Currently operating under administrative regulations called “Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-029-SCFI-1998” (sometimes referred to as NOM), these rules were first set in place in 1999. The Mexico timeshare sales impacted by the current rules and by the new standards, which are part of the legally mandated updating process, are called: servicio de tiempo compartido. Loosely translated this means: time sharing service.

The new regulations are scheduled to take effect mid-October of this year. But if you own Mexico timeshare, or are considering selling it or wish to buy Mexico timeshare in the future, these new rules may affect you. Moreover, many timeshare owners, along with others in the Mexico timeshare industry, may think they understand the changes without realizing that the changes themselves have changed, with significant provisions included in a May 17, 2010 re-draft.

And it is because of the ongoing confusion about what exactly is being implemented that the Ministry of the Economy has opened a second comment period, which expends until September 27, 2010. If the new revisions are accepted, some of the important changes will include:

• Sales contracts must be further augmented to include an explanation of how assessments will be calculated and paid. Developers are also expressly obligated to notify purchasers of any changes in those provisions.
• A purchaser’s rescission right can be exercised by mail, but not by e-mail as contemplated in the initial drafts of the Proposed NOM.
• Termination of a timeshare plan will no longer require the advance permission of administrative authorities.

Speak Out on the Proposed Mexico Timeshare Guidelines

You can make your comments heard on the issues noted here or any other part of the Proposed NOM. The comment period ends on September 27, 2010, and any comments submitted must be in Spanish. You can submit your comments by mail, fax or email to the following address:

Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normalización de Seguridad al Usuario

Información Comercial y Prácticas de Comercio

Avenida Puente de Tecamachalco #6

Colonia Lomas de Tecamachalco

Sección Fuentes

Naucalpan de Juárez

53950, Estado de México

Facsimile: 55 20 97 15

To view the current NOM and the proposed changes, visit: http://dof.gob.mx (This site is in Spanish)

The Island One Resorts Management Corporation filed for voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization this week in US Bankruptcy Court in Orlando, Florida. Island One Resorts is a 25-year-old, Orlando based timeshare developer that currently owns and operates eight Florida timeshare resorts and one Caribbean timeshare.

Island One includes five Orlando timeshares:

• Barefoot’n the Keys timeshare resort (Kissimmee)
• Bryan’s Spanish Cove
• Liki Tiki Village
• Orbit One Vacation Villas
• Parkway International Resort

The company’s other timeshare properties are: The Charter Club Resort in Naples, The Cove on Ormond Beach, The Crescent Resort in Miami, and Chenay Bay Resort in the US Virgin Islands. Through Club Navigo, a points-based vacation club, Island One also offers its member-owners access to numerous US timeshare resorts, Mexico timeshare, and Caribbean timeshare.

According to the Orlando Business Journal, court documents state, “The company attributed the Chapter 11 filing to the downturn in the economy in 2008 and the fact that “unit sales and resort revenues were reduced as consumers generally took steps to limit spending on vacations.”

Island One Resorts Management timeshare company is privately owned and employs approximately 750 people. The company’s primary creditor is the commercial financier, Textron Financial Corporation of Providence, Rhode Island.

Do you know that there is no maximum speed limit for driving in Germany, but there is a minimum speed of 61 kph (roughly 38 miles per hour)? Are you aware that you are required by law to carry a reflective jacket and a red triangle in your car when driving in France? Or that in Bloomfield, Connecticut, it is illegal to eat while driving? The point is, motor vehicle regulations and driving laws vary worldwide, and a ticket or even worse, an automobile accident, is a fast way to take the fun out of your summer holiday or timeshare vacation.

Why British Travel Concerns are Elevated

Breaking Travel News reports that this year especially, Brits may be setting themselves up for traffic accidents and police tickets as they plan their summer travels. With the global economy still challenging and both unpredictable volcanic ash and workers strikes at British Airlines impacting air travel, many more British vacationers and timeshare owners than usual will be driving rather than flying for their summer holiday.

Research from AXA Insurance shows that an estimated 1.1 million Brits will take to the highways this summer as part of vacation travel. Craig Staniland, AXA Insurance director for motor explains, “…there are some very serious misunderstandings that could lead to breaking the law or a serious accident …we would advise any Brits taking their car abroad to spend some time making sure they understand any local regulations and checking they have adequate insurance in place should the worst happen.”

And the Brits are not alone in facing the perils of driving in unfamiliar territory. The World Health Organization cites over 300 traffic-accident related deaths annually to US citizens driving internationally along with thousands of injuries.

Here are 5 helpful tips for any vacationer behind the wheel:

• US citizens should check the website for the US embassy or consulate in every country in which they plan to drive.
• Recognize that many countries have zero tolerance for drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol with severe criminal penalties.
• Laws that regulate cell phone use while driving vary from country to country, state to state, and city to city.
• Most US auto insurance does not cover you when driving internationally and the policies sold as part of car rental in many countries offer only minimal coverage. Consider buying additional insurance.
• Some countries recognize a US driver license as valid for driving, but over 150 countries accept an International Driving Permit (IDP) which can be obtained from either the AAA (American Automobile Association) or the National Auto Club

No matter where you are in the world, don’t let your drive-to timeshare vacation, or your fly-and-then drive-to timeshare vacation be spoiled because you didn’t take a little extra time to familiarize yourself with the rules of the road.

Additional Vacation and Timeshare Resources:

• Europe timeshare resales and Europe timeshare rental
• United Kingdom timeshare resales and United Kingdom timeshare rental
• United States timeshare resales and United States timeshare rental
• Canada timeshare resales and Canada timeshare rental
• Mexico timeshare resales and Mexico timeshare rental

Orlando, Florida-based Sol Meliá Vacation Club offers beautiful timeshare resorts in popular vacation destinations including Mexico timeshare, Puerto Rico timeshares, Central America, the Canary Islands and Spain timeshare. Sol Meliá Vacation Club is part of the fifty-year old hospitality leader, Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts, which is headquartered in Spain.

In what the timeshare and hotel company predicted last year would an “insipid” recovery, the company released its first quarter 2010 financials last week, with Sol Meliá showed a profit of one million Euros. This marks a 124 percent increase over the same period in 2009. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) for the company also increased for the first time since the presentation of the annual results in 2007.

The company is hinging part of its optimism about future earnings on the economic recovery in the US, saying, “The economic recovery in the United States, our most important feeder market for Latin America and the Caribbean makes Sol Meliá confident, nevertheless, that results will improve overall for 2010 in the region; and in particular the reactivation of hotel occupancy from the US (60% of our total guests in the region) also points towards a recovery in Sol Meliá Vacation Club.”

Unpredictable Challenges for Mexico Timeshare, Dominican Republic Timeshares, Venezuela Timeshares, and Spain Timeshares

The company also acknowledges the impact of events additional to the poor economy on its business. These events include the effect the Influenza A virus in Mexico; of earthquakes in Haiti on bookings in neighboring Dominican Republic timeshares; the devaluation of the Bolivar in Venezuela; and the impact of volcanic ash fallout on Spain timeshare and other resorts in Europe.

Sol Meliá currently employs more than 33,000 people worldwide and was one of a select number of RCI timeshare exchange affiliates to meet RCI’s standards of recognition as a top-performing partner. Sol Meliá Vacation Club received the award based on the company’s volume of business.

At the risk of sounding as if I am saying, “I told you so,” Welk Resort timeshare’s press release this week is one of the many good news timeshare stories that I keep writing about.

2009 has proven to be, for Welk Resorts timeshare, a year of record-high numbers. Jonathan Fredricks, Welk Resorts President explains, “Despite a rough economic year for many in the timeshare resort industry, we found that adhering to our core competency in providing an excellent product at affordable prices helped us achieve over $72 million in net revenue with strong sales efficiencies, beating our budget by over 15 percent.”

Welk Resorts timeshares has over 40,000 member-owner families that enjoy beautiful Welk California timeshare resorts located in San Diego and Palm Springs; Branson timeshares, and the company’s new Mexico timeshares in Cabo San Lucas, overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

Hotel Interactive online quotes Don Dubin, director of Welk Resort timeshare’s sales and marketing activities, as saying, “We believe our focus on remaining profitable in our sales and marketing departments, rather than developing a dependence on earnings from the finance side of the business, is a principle reason for our success.” Translation: Welk Resorts is a timeshare company that creates revenue by selling timeshare, not by depending on timeshare financing as its main stream of income.

I think the company’s founder and namesake, the late Lawrence Welk, would be proud of Welk Resorts timeshare’s sound business strategy, which is underpinned by the company’s reputation for providing honest, reliable service, delivered by well-trained employees, many of whom have worked for Welk Resorts for over 20 years.