Earlier this week The Timeshare Authority blog updated readers on the Festiva Resorts photo and story contest (Festiva Timeshare Owners Can Win a One-Week Festiva Vacation) in which Festiva timeshare owners can win a week of Festiva timeshare as well as vacation cash prize money.

Now Barceló Hotels & Resorts, in conjunction with Kodak’s Event Imaging Solutions Group and its operational partner Smile Market, is offering a different photo opportunity, providing guests a unique way to preserve their vacation memories from their stay at the all-inclusive Barceló Maya Beach Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Photographers, trained by Kodak, are strategically positioned throughout the resort ready to capture all the smiling moments of your Mexico timeshare vacation. Then, by using an expressly created website, resort guests can select which photos to download and purchase, and can also buy photo-imprinted t-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, calendars, and other personalized gift items.

Ana Chávez, marketing and advertising manager for Barceló Hotels & Resorts in Mexico explains, “Particularly as an all-inclusive hotelier, we want our guests to feel as if they do not have a care in the world. We want our guests to truly enjoy their vacations to the maximum potential and be completely stress-free throughout their stay. This image capturing solution allows Barceló guests to just have fun and leave the memory-saving up to us.”

To learn more, visit: http://www.mybarceloexperience.com.
And enjoy this video, which takes you through some of the sights and pleasures of a Mexico timeshare vacation.

Katharine McPhee, runner up in Season 5 of American Idol, says her favorite places to relax are Cabo San Lucas, Mexico timeshares. Her heavy-duty travel schedule keeps her in and out of hotels, many of which this self-professed “clean freak” says she re-cleans herself because they do not meet her standards. Explaining that she always removes the spreads and blankets and relegate them to the closet, McPhee adds that she sometimes uses the hotel towels to cover a dirty floor or carpet.

It seems, however, that timeshares suit the singing star much better. In an article published by ShowbizSpy, McPhee says her favorite resort destination is, “Cabo (San Lucas, Mexico) because it’s two hours from my home in Los Angeles and you feel like you are in a different world. It’s quick and easy and I love the restaurants. My family has a timeshare so I try and get down there at least once per year.”

“Lying on the beach or sitting by the pool is so amazing. Every once in a while I will rent jet skis. There is nothing quite like jet skiing on the open ocean.”

Katharine is not alone in her love of Mexico timeshares; many vacationers believe them to be some of the most beautiful resorts in the world. And you have it straight from a clean freak that although many hotels fail to live up to her standards, her favorite Mexico timeshare is an ideal place to vacation and relax.

Follow this link to learn more about Cabo San Lucas timeshares and Cabo San Lucas timeshare resales or rentals.

Timeshare exchange company, Trading Places International was recently named one of the top 75 companies in Orange County (California) on the Orange County Register’s Top Workplaces for 2009 List.

“We’ve always been conscious of the fact that our employees seem to enjoy working for us, and our goal has always been to create an atmosphere in which we can strike a balance between working hard and having fun.” says RJ Jackson, president of Trading Places International timeshare company and timeshare exchange. “It is very gratifying to discover, through the results of the employee survey, that we have indeed succeeded in that goal.”

Trading Places International has been in the travel, vacation ownership, and timeshare exchange industries for more than thirty-five years. The company has over 71,000 timeshare owner members at more than thirty timeshare resort locations, including South America timeshares, Mexico timeshares, United States timeshares (mainland), and Hawaii timeshares.

Trading Places International, which boasts a 95 percent confirmed timeshare exchange request rate, is a preferred partner of Sell My Timeshare NOW. Timeshare owner benefits of timeshare exchange with Trading Places include:

• No mandatory membership fee
• Low exchange fees
• Search available inventory before depositing your timeshare week
• Online exchange services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Additional discounts and perks for Trading Places’ Vacation Exchange Club members

All of the companies that made the OC Register’s Top Workplaces List were selected based on a survey involving 31, 311 employees at 121 companies across the county. The survey addressed compensation and training, company leadership, workplace flexibility, and diversity.

Click here to read a Q & A about Trading Places International timeshare company:
Trading Places International: The perks of being a small business

Perspective Magazine, a timeshare sales industry publication, will begin launching regional editions early in 2010, publishing a split regional title starting with the North American edition scheduled for launch in February.

According to Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International, parent company of the publication, the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean make up a dominant readership market. And when you think about the number of US timeshares, Mexico timeshares, Canada timeshares, and Caribbean timeshares, it makes sense that a targeted publication should be very popular.

Appeal for Today’s Timeshare Owner

The launch of Perspective Magazine North America will be well timed for distribution at American Resort Development Association Convention and Expo (ARDA timeshare convention) in Las Vegas in March.

Perspective Magazine has covered a great deal of ground since it first went to press four years ago and was then joined two years later by the companion publication, Owners Perspective. Both publications reflect new trends and new directions in the timeshare sales and timeshare resales industries with beautiful photos, elegant visual style, and informative and insightful articles.

The new North American version plans to launch with more than 12,000 print and online subscribers in place. You can find out more at: www.perspectiverates.com or by calling +1 407 792 2343 for calls from the USA.

Are you concerned about vacationing in a Florida timeshare, Mexico timeshares, or other coastal destinations during hurricane season?

With a nod to the fact that it is officially hurricane season, NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, says the US can expect a, “50 percent probability of a near-normal season. … Forecasters say there is a 70 percent chance of having nine to 14 named storms, of which four to seven could become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5).”

Researchers at North Carolina State University echo a similar thought stating, “2009 will bring a near-normal hurricane season, with storm activity in the Atlantic basin and the Gulf of Mexico slightly above the averages of past 50 years, but staying in line with those from the past 20 years (and) … 11 to 14 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin, which includes the entire Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. …the researchers expect two to four named storms to make landfall along the Gulf, and there is a 70 percent chance that at least one of those storms will be of hurricane status.”

Okay, that’s the weather report. And while the prediction is for a ‘near normal‘ hurricane season, one could ask, “what’s so normal about a hurricane?” So if the threat of inclement weather interfering with your timeshare vacation concerns you, there are ways to create a safety net.

Peace of Mind for Your Timeshare Vacation in Florida Timeshare, Mexico Timeshare and other Beach Locations

The good news is that hurricanes rarely sneak up on you. With the meteorological and technological advancements available today, forecasters do an excellent job of letting you know in advance when a hurricane could be a potential threat. If you pay attention to the forecasts given, and follow the advice of the authorities, you should always have adequate time to evacuate an area well in advance of a storm.

But abandoning a much-anticipated Florida timeshare or Mexico timeshare vacation isn’t a fun prospect. Your lost time, lost money, and lost vacation can’t be put back together again.

… This is where travel insurance comes into play.

Sell My Timeshare NOW does not sell, or have any affiliation with timeshare travel insurance products. But, we are passing on the word that these products are out there, that there are many types of travel insurance and a few, such as Nationwide’s Vacation Guard, that offer insurance specifically designed to meet the needs of timeshare owners and timeshare vacationers.

Because your timeshare vacation should be about peace of mind.

Some Mexico timeshare resorts are extra special, and a select few take the idea of extra special to a whole other level. Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach is one of those timeshares in a class by itself. It is also timeshare resort number 11 as we wrap up the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list.

Vacation in a Cabo San Lucas Timeshare Getaway

Located near beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach is renowned for its incredible vistas, serene locale, and romantic, private golden sand beach. This Cabo San Lucas timeshare is located on a 50-acre site, in the southern Baja, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.

Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach is close enough to the popular tourist destination of Los Cabos, (which means “The Capes” and includes Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo) for you to fully enjoy dining, shopping, and entertainment. At the same time, it is sufficiently private so that you will feel as if you are away from the hustle and bustle, relaxing in your own secluded Mexico timeshare beachside resort.

What to Expect in your Pueblo Bonito Resort Mexico Timeshare

Choose from a Junior Suite, which includes a fully furnished kitchenette, large bath with shower, a private terrace or balcony, a living room area and two double beds. Junior suites at the Pueblo Bonito Resort Mexico timeshare are over 525 square feet of comfortable, luxurious, timeshare accommodation.

The Luxury Suites include all of the amenities of the Junior Suite plus a dining area that seats four, and a private master bedroom and bath which includes two double beds. Luxury suites offer more than 750 square feet of elegant, relaxing space to enjoy.

Presidential and Penthouse suites are also available and all Pueblo Bonito Resort Mexico timeshare units, including the Junior Suite, offer spectacular ocean views.

On property, you will find the spa, for ultimate relaxation; wedding services; children’s activities; sparkling pools, and so very much more. Nearby golf, eco-tours, horseback riding, sport fishing, and water sports lets you pack a lot of action (or relaxation) into your Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach timeshare vacation.

With Mexico timeshare resales and Mexico timeshare rentals available at great prices, the only thing left for you to do is start packing.

Have you been on a medical vacation?

In case you are not familiar with the term, a medical vacation is one where you combine vacation travel with medical treatment, typically surgery. Categorized under the broader topic of “medical tourism,” the idea of traveling to another country to have surgery, especially elective procedures, is growing in popularity.

Cost, of course, can be a driving factor in the decision by Americans to travel overseas for medical treatment. A November 2007 report (which appears below) prepared by Healthbase, identifies incredible savings, and cites the example of a hip surgery that costs $12,000 in India, but averages $48,000 in the US.

Other reasons often given for traveling abroad to receive medical treatment include: shorter wait times to schedule procedures; relaxed and private location for recovery; new or experimental procedures available that are not yet offered in the US; and the cost savings means you can bring family members along to enjoy the trip as a vacation while you spend your time recouping.

This week South Korea, a country seeking to cash in on medical tourism, announced the debut of the foreign medical tourist visa, designed to simplify the process of traveling to Korea for medical services. Thailand issued a press release, just this week, identifying that they are targeting Qatar, Japan, and England as sources for medical tourists. The release says that the government of Thailand seeks to become a, “medical tourism hub for high-quality, low cost health and medical services,” and goes on to explain that a breast augmentation, that in the US would cost between $3,000 and $8,000, in Thailand costs approximately $2,000.

CNNHealth.com identifies the following destinations as medical tourism hotspots:

• Brazil
• Singapore
• Central America (specifically Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica)
• South Africa (home to what has been dubbed, the scalpel “safari”)
• Malaysia
• South Korea
• Hungary
• India

Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals Fit in this Picture Perfectly

Since you aren’t likely to want to go directly from the hospital to a plane headed home, you will probably want a place to spend a few days before and after your surgery, as well as the fact that your travel companions will need accommodations during the time you are hospitalized. Where would you rather be, a hotel room or a spacious timeshare with kitchen facilities, perhaps separate bedrooms, internet access, and so many of the comforts of home?

That’s easy to answer. You will want space to quietly relax, and spend some down time before you return home. And since the whole idea of the trip was to save money, timeshare resales and timeshare rentals fit that plan perfectly.

Not only are there amazing options in timeshare resales, but if you decide to return for follow-up treatment or to have additional medical procedures performed in that same city, a timeshare makes the rescheduling of your accommodations especially easy.

Medical Tourism Guide

Playa Grande Resort Timeshare, a Cabo San Lucas Mexico timeshare, makes the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list as hot property number 37.

Could you use a little time away from the rest of the world? … Away from your job, your cell phone, and those committees, meetings, and responsibilities? Playa Grande Resort is a Cabo San Lucas, Mexico timeshare resort, located on an amazing strip of private beach that will make you feel like you have escaped to land’s end. Located on Solmar Beach, considered Baja’s most exclusive beach, within an eight-acre sanctuary, Playa Grande Resort timeshare is still only minutes from downtown Cabo.

For an escape, retreat, honeymoon, or romantic memory of a lifetime, how can you beat Playa Grande Resort Mexico timeshare? No surprise at all it is number 37 on the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list of timeshares receiving the most offers to buy or rent.

What to Expect on Your Playa Grande Resort Mexico Timeshare Vacation

The timeshare resort at Playa Grande offers two facilities- (1) the original buildings, which many feel offer the best ocean views and (2) the newest timeshare units in The Ridge. Both offer spacious rooms at a Mexico timeshare resort where owners rave about the attentiveness of the staff and the cleanliness of the timeshare units.

Golf, tennis, and seven beautiful swimming pools provide lots of opportunity for recreation and relaxation. Spa services, private transportation, daily maid service, and turn down service are just a few of the ways to make your luxurious Playa Grande timeshare vacation even heavenlier.

A Few “Insider” Tips for Your Playa Grande Timeshare Resort Vacation

Expect warm (hot) weather throughout the summer months. This is Mexico! But remember the seven swimming pools and the ocean breezes are there to help you keep your cool.

The Pacific Ocean at Cabo is for whale watching and scenic viewing, not swimming in unprotected areas. Instead of an ocean plunge, you may want to plan pool time and be prepared that at this busy timeshare resort, people stake out their claim on poolside chairs early each day.

The pool closest to the ocean is an ‘adults only’ pool for those who prefer a quieter venue, but it is a smaller pool.

And there’s a local Wal-Mart and a Costco for stocking up on basics you may need during your Playa Grande Cabo San Lucas Mexico timeshare vacation.

To learn more about all the opportunities available to rent timeshare or buy timeshare resales at Playa Grande Cabo San Lucas, Mexico timeshare, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Watch this YouTube video of the surf at Playa Grande; in less than a minute of watching, it will have you looking for your flip-flops and packing your swimsuit.

Bloomberg News (and other sources) have reported that Arizona-based ILX Resorts has filed for bankruptcy protection. In a story that is becoming all too familiar, ILX Resorts timeshares cites the tight credit market and the growing economic recession as causes.

But here is an important fact to remember: ILX Resorts timeshares are open for business and will continue to operate. Many people learning of the situation at ILX Resorts timeshare will walk away remembering only the word “bankruptcy,” but ILX has filed chapter 11, an important distinction, which is designed to protect a company from its creditors for during a period of restructuring. ILX Resorts has not filed chapter 13 bankruptcy, which is liquidation bankruptcy.

Southwest US and Mexico Timeshares

ILX timeshares owns eleven timeshare resorts, most of which are located in the southwestern US. They also own one Mexico timeshare in San Carlos. In the US, ILX timeshares can be found in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and South Bend, Indiana.

Premiere Vacation Club is owned and operated by ILX Resorts Incorporated and is a vacation ownership program offering the flexibility of staying as few as two nights or as long as multiple weeks in your ILX timeshare. Affiliated with Interval International timeshare exchange, Premiere Vacation Club timeshare can be exchanged internally through the ILX Resort system or through Interval International.

This is the second in a three-part The Timeshare Authority blog. (Read Timeshare Sales and Developer Strategic Responses – Part I) Part II looks at how different timeshare developers and timeshare sales companies are adapting to meet the challenges of difficult economic times.

Marriott Timeshare, Starwood, Wyndham Vacation Ownership And Others

While not every timeshare company enjoys the depth of the Disney corporation with its worldwide network of theme parks, entertainment, and retail merchandise, many of the big dogs in the timeshare industry do have other revenue streams in addition to booking hotel room nights and selling timeshare.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, companies including Marriott Vacation Club International and Starwood Vacation Ownership are adapting to the credit crunch by reducing or eliminating certain incentives for timeshare buyers to finance timeshare through them. At the same time they are making it less inviting to use the timeshare developer as a financing source, they certainly haven’t stopped financing timeshare sales altogether.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership along with Westgate Resorts have had to dig deeper to compensate for the fact that many prospective timeshare buyers are unable to obtain financing. Both Wyndham timeshare and Westgate timeshare have laid-off thousands of employees and in some situations, closed timeshare sales offices.

Orlando timeshare company Sol Meliá, with timeshare resorts in the Europe, Mexico, and other top destinations worldwide, is responding to the credit crunch by restructuring interest rates. Sol Meliá is now typically requiring larger down payments from timeshare buyers.

Sell My Timeshare NOW – the Defacto Solution in Timeshare Resales and the Secondary Market

Already the industry leader in online advertising and marketing of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, Sell My Timeshare NOW, continues to work to help consumers buy, rent, or sell timeshare in affordable and effective ways. We are also expanding our services, working with timeshare developers, offering proactive, business-to-business solutions for the secondary market.

We are living in challenging economic times. All of us – businesses, consumers, support services, and suppliers – need to work together, ride out the storm, and plan for the better days ahead that we know are coming.

In the final installment of this series, The Timeshare Authority looks at how timeshare sales trends and tactics at some development companies may be changing the patterns of timeshare buyers. Watch for Part III tomorrow.