After a long hot summer of economic turbulence and a long hard week in which the eastern seaboard, from the Caribbean to Canada, has dealt with earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding, this Labor Day weekend holiday comes as a welcome respite to many.

As we head into this last traditional weekend of summer, it’s a good time to look at the top timeshare resales and top timeshare rentals in demand with consumers. These resorts that made this list are timeshares that consumers have made popular with their offers to buy or rent as timeshare resales here at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services.

HOT 100 Timeshare Resales and HOT 100 Timeshare Rentals

Download your free copy of the Hot 100 Timeshare Resales Report

Download your free copy of the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals Report

Who made the top 10 on the Hot 100 Timeshare Resales Report?

1. WorldMark by Wyndham – Multi-Destination
2. Grandview at Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club –  Maui Hawaii
4. Paradise Village Beach Resort & Spa - Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
5. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui, Hawaii
6. Marriott’s Grande Vista – Orlando, Florida
7. Manhattan Club - Manhattan, New York
8. Ocean Beach Club – Virginia Beach,  Virginia
9. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club – Oahu, Hawaii
10. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort- Orlando, Florida

Click the image to download the report.

Who made the top 10 on the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals Report?

1. Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club – Palm Beach, Aruba
2. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club - Oahu, Hawaii
3. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui, Hawaii
4. Harborside Resort at Atlantis – Nassau, Bahamas
5. Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas – Newport Coast, California
6. Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club –  Maui Hawaii
7. Marriott’s Ocean Watch Villas at Grande Dunes – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
8. Manhattan Club - Manhattan, New York
9. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake’s West Village – Orlando, Florida
10. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort- Orlando, Florida

Click the image to download the report

Over the next few days we will look at these resorts and I’ll share more information with you about the current trends we are seeing in timeshare resales and rentals.

Last week, popular timeshare company Orange Lake Resorts and its branding partner, Holiday Inn Club Vacations® announced the addition of two new properties to their family of resorts. (See: Holiday Inn Club Vacation Timeshare Expanding)

Here’s a closer look at what each of these resorts has to offer and what they mean for member/owners at Holiday Inn Club Vacations.

New Orange Lake Las Vegas Timeshare Destination

The Las Vegas Desert Club in Las Vegas (formerly a part of Summer Bay Resorts) gives Orange Lake timeshares it first Las Vegas vacation destination and first destination in the western part of the US. Located just off the Las Vegas Strip, the Las Vegas Desert Club features 5 pools, 5 Jacuzzis, premier concierge service and a complimentary shuttle to many of the most popular locations along The Strip.

This three-story resort includes 648 one-and two-bedroom timeshare units. Other on-property amenities include a new, state-of-the-art clubhouse, a convenience store, fitness center, restaurant, bar, putting green and more.

As the folks at Orange Lake Resorts say, they have, “headed west!” with this addition to their resort destinations that already included Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Panama City, and Orlando, Florida;  Brownsville, Vermont;  Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

New Orange Lake Marco Island, Florida Timeshare Destination

With the acquisition of the Sunset Cove timeshare in Marco Island, Florida, Orange Lake Resorts now has a south Florida resort on the Gulf of Mexico. This beautiful property includes 36 three-bedroom/ 2 bath timeshare villas and is located on the Rio waterway in the City Center, Marco Island’s new entertainment, shopping and dining district.

Each timeshare unit ranges from 1,667 to 1,900 square feet and includes views of either the Gulf of Mexico or the Bay. Amenities include a pool with sundeck, a bar and promenade area, boat dock and a fitness center. This property is part of RCI’s distinguished Registry Collection® program and Orange Lake Resorts will be bringing all Sunset Cove units into its upscale “Signature Collection.”

Any way you look at it, it looks like Orange Lake Resorts and the Holiday Inn Vacation Club just keep getting better and better.

Robb & Stucky Interiors are one of the finalists in the American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) annual Awards Program recognizing excellence in the timeshare and vacation ownership industry.

Competing in the Resort Design Division, Robb & Stucky’s design and décor work includes Bluegreen timeshare’s Harbour Lights resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Carriage House Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, both in the Resort Refurbishment category. For Interior Design on a New Resort Unit, Robb & Stucky is recognized for its work on Bluegreen timeshare’s Presidential Suites at The Fountains Resort, an Orlando, Florida timeshare resort.

Dan Lubner, President Hospitality Division for Robb & Stucky Interiors, says, “This was our second year to enter this competition. We are extremely pleased with this important recognition from ARDA since it reflects the high quality of our work within the vacation ownership resort and hospitality industries.”

Carriage House Resort, a Las Vegas Timeshare

Shown in the picture is one of the beautiful units that was part of the Carriage House renovation. Gail Huff, ASID and NCIDQ, served as Senior Project Designer for the first phase of this renovation, which included 30 of the resort’s 158 total units.

Carriage House, a Las Vegas timeshare, is a mixed-use property, including both hotel rooms and a timeshare resort. With this challenge, Robb & Stucky effectively designed spaces that include modern residential conveniences paired with urban sophistication.

Award winners in each category will be announced at a Black Tie Gala held in conjunction with ARDA’s annual convention in Orlando, Florida, March 30, 2011. Sell My Timeshare NOW is a proud member of the American Resort Development Association.

Last week, ARDA (the American Resort Development Association) released a media announcement looking at American travel trends for 2011. Here’s some of the patterns they identified:

• Americans will be traveling more in 2011 than in the past few years.
• Trip Advisor estimates that 69 percent of travelers will take international trips this year with the top three destinations being Paris, London, and Rome.
• Trip Advisor predictions also show that in the US, top destinations are Las Vegas, New York City, and San Francisco.

Travel and Timeshare Sales and Timeshare Rentals

What does this renewed enthusiasm for travel indicate for timeshare sales, timeshare resales, and timeshare rentals? Many things, all of which are as good for timeshare owners as they are for the timeshare industry.

As more people discover the opportunities of timeshare rentals, the spacious accommodations and the great prices, travelers will quickly realize that their vacation dollars are going further, allowing them to travel more or stay longer. And timeshare owners who want to rent timeshares they currently own may find a larger and more competitive market for renting timeshare.

And as travelers take to the highways and skyways, timeshare sales companies and timeshare resale brokers will be able to market in targeted ways, recognizing in advance the trending interest in Las Vegas timeshare, New York City timeshare, San Francisco timeshare, and European timeshare. As Howard Nusbaum ARDA president and CEO, explains, “This resurgence of travel is terrific news for the timeshare industry. More travelers are beginning to understand the value and comfort of a timeshare vacation and with resorts in all of these popular 2011 destinations, vacationers will find exactly what they need.”

Follow this link to read the ARDA media release in full.

Marlena Forst, president of the David Walley’s Resort timeshare, board of director sums it up like this, “We made a great decision in selecting Trading Places for management — their expertise is unparalleled. The owners (timeshare owners at David Walley’s resort) were eager to ask questions and left feeling optimistic about the bright future of David Walley’s.”

Timeshare stories with a happy ending … they just don’t get enough media coverage. David Walley’s Resort, a Nevada timeshare, was part of Celebrity Resorts, a timeshare company that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The Timeshare Authority blog has followed the story—really two parallel stories—reporting to you on them regularly. On one hand, you have Celebrity Resorts timeshare and 35 affiliates in voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The timeshare company owned and operated thirteen timeshare resorts including Nevada timeshare, Florida timeshare, Hawaii timeshare, and timeshare in Colorado, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Celebrity Resorts, at the time, had approximately $12 million in secured debt and $23 million in unsecured debt.

Now for the good news side of the story. Board members at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa in Carson City, Nevada, a popular regional resort, rolled into action when the bankruptcy was announced, seeking to protect the interests their resort and their timeshare owners. Here are some of the critical steps they took:

1. Opened lines of communication for David Walley’s timeshare owners, keeping them apprised of changes and possibilities as they happened. Through mail, a purpose-built website and no doubt, endless responses to telephone inquiries, timeshare owners knew where things stood throughout the process.
2. The Board then launched a search for the best timeshare management company for their situation, continuing to keep timeshare owners in the loop on where things stood.
3. Most recently, Trading Places International has hosted town hall meetings at multiple sites, convenient to many of their owners, to introduce Summer Winds Resorts and the new role that company will play at David Walley’s timeshare resort.

In meetings in Sacramento and Genoa, (some with attendance so large an additional meeting had to be scheduled) Trading Places International was introduced as the timeshare management company while Summer Winds Resorts was introduced as the owners of the resort spa, restaurant, cottages, numerous unsold timeshare intervals, the deli and undeveloped land nearby to the timeshare resort.

Trading Places International timeshare exchange is experienced in guiding other resorts successfully through the transitions process. For timeshare owners at David Walley’s, the positioning of Trading Places International provides owners the perk of being able to take advantage of timeshare exchange through Trading Places International, with no membership fee owed, only the timeshare exchange fee itself to be paid.

Other News from The Timeshare Authority blog on events at David Walley’s

• Timeshare at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort & Spa Update
• Updates for Timeshare Owners at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare
• David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare Updates to Timeshare Owners

The Tahiti Village, Tahiti timeshare, and Club de Soleil timeshares were acquired on August 31, by The Arthur Spector Companies. The acquisition includes all of the unsold timeshare units and intervals (inventory) and the operating assets of the three Las Vegas timeshare resorts: Tahiti Village Resort timeshare; Tahiti Resort timeshare; and Club de Soleil timeshare.

In 2007, a Goldman Sachs sponsored fund invested in Consolidated Resorts, acquiring 75 percent interest in these three Las Vegas timeshares, while the Spector family retained 25 percent interest in the properties. In 2009, Consolidated Resorts filed for bankruptcy because the credit crisis had virtually cut off the resort ownership’s resources for growth funding. Since that time, the former Goldman Sachs fund has terminated its interest in the timeshare group and the assets again became available for acquisition.

The Arthur Spector Companies and the Spector family are no newcomers to timeshare. Spector companies have been a leading timeshare developer in Las Vegas timeshare, Orlando timeshare and Hawaii timeshare for more than 30 years. The Spector family expects to invest over $30 MM in the Las Vegas economy through timeshare development and timeshare expansion.

Arthur Spector explains, “We are especially thankful that we were able to assist the trustee to protect the interests of over 100,000 timeshare owners in these difficult times. All of the timeshare resorts have remained fully operational, the owners have had uninterrupted use of their vacation plans and continue to choose Las Vegas and Hawaii as their vacation destinations. We look forward to rebuilding this vital sector of the Las Vegas economy.”

Arthur Spector is a trustee member of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).

Past The Timeshare Authority Blog posts on these Las Vegas timeshares:
Timeshare Owners Should not be Impacted by Bankruptcy Filing at Consolidated Resorts
Consolidated Resorts Timeshare says Bankruptcy Will Not Affect Timeshare Owners

When Celebrity Resorts timeshares filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, timeshare owners at the thirteen Celebrity Resorts properties were justifiably concerned. The owners association at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa in Carson City, Nevada, (one of the resorts formerly affiliated with Celebrity Resorts) immediately stepped up for their owners with meetings, a plan for the future, and web pages where timeshare owners at this Nevada timeshare could get answers to the questions that naturally arise in this situation.

But visit those web pages today, and you no longer see posts from nervous timeshare owners or agendas for upcoming discussions and ‘hashing out’ sessions among the board members. Instead, when you visit the Owners Corner page of the website you find a letter from the Board of Directors, written late in July. In this letter, the board explains how diligently they scrutinized timeshare management companies in search of the right solution for David Walley’s resort and the timeshare owners there.

After choosing Trading Places International (TPI) as the new management company, the board believes that David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa is on the path to a bright future. As Marlena Forst, president of the David Walley’s Resort Association says, “The welcome news that Trading Places had successfully transitioned the Hanalei Bay Resort (Hawaii) from their preceding management company, Celebrity Resorts, was a determining factor in our selection.”

Trading Places’ New Role at David Walley’s Timeshare

Trading Places’ role in management of David Walley’s Resort is as an independent third-party company that assists the resort in finding solutions to the economic challenges it has faced while at the same time, laying the groundwork for the successful operation of the property going forward.

Along with the transition comes a wonderful benefit for timeshare owners at David Walley’s, in that they automatically can take advantage of timeshare exchange through Trading Places International, with no membership fee owed, only the timeshare exchange fee itself to be paid.

It is very good to see how well timeshare can work in the short and long term when the owners association takes responsible action, addresses problems, and effects solutions. And right now, it looks like a win-win situation for both David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa timeshare owners and for Resort Operations at Trading Places.

Previous reports on the changes at David Walley’s by The Timeshare Authority:

David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare Updates to Timeshare Owners
(published March 15, 2010)
Updates for Timeshare Owners at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare
(published April 28, 2010)

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.

The Timeshare Authority blog continues in efforts to spread the word about the changing situation at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare, brought about by the bankruptcy of Celebrity Resorts timeshare earlier this year.

On March 30, 2010, the Property Owners Association (POA) for Walley’s sent a letter to timeshare owners telling them that a proposed $900 special assessment was “dead” and that an emergency special assessment of 5% of the annual dues would be as follows, with the greater amount for each timeshare unit being identified as for “whole” and the lesser amount being for “alt.”:

Last week the POA posted an acknowledgement that is great timeshare news to hear. As of that point, the Timeshare Resort Assistant Manager had received some 2,000 letters from timeshare owners at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort, most reportedly including checks for the special assessment fee. Equally good to hear is that many of them contained words of encouragement and support.

This is a great reminder that the majority of timeshare owners are highly satisfied with their ownership, enjoy their timeshare vacations, and are committed to stepping up in tough times if necessary.

Here’s more news from The Timeshare Authority blog on David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare:

• Updates for Timeshare Owners at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare (April)
• David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa Timeshare Updates to Timeshare Owners (March)

In the midst of all our blogging recently about the ARDA Convention wrapping up this week in Las Vegas, we can’t overlook another important event for timeshare owners.

The National Timeshare Owners Association (NTOA) will meet on Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM in Orange County, California.

Although the meeting is open to all NTOA members who pre-register to attend, the event offers a particularly outstanding opportunity for California timeshare owners and Nevada timeshare owners to meet face-to-face with industry experts.

You’ll hear firsthand insider information about buying timeshares, selling timeshare, timeshare exchange, and how to fully enjoy and maximize the rewards of being a timeshare owner.

When you join the NTOA, you not only gain access to their regional educational events, but you earn other benefits including:

• Discounted costs and liability protection for timeshare rental.
• Serious discounts when you are ready to buy timeshare.
• Legal assistance for dealing with timeshare as a charitable donation, in your will, during a divorce, and more.
• Lower interest fees for financing timeshare or refinancing timeshare.
• Monthly news and tips from timeshare owners and experts.
• Timeshare exchange opportunities without the membership fee, and at the lowest timeshare exchange rates.
• Reduced closing costs for direct timeshare transfers.
• Security and members-only discounts when you sell timeshare.
• The only comprehensive “bible” on timesharing available exclusively through NTOA.

To learn more about the NTOA or to plan to attend the California timeshare event or future educational events for timeshare owners, contact the National Timeshare Owners Association, by emailing hastry@aol.com or calling (410) 719-0064.

You can also download an NTOA membership form by clicking the link below:

Membership Application 2010