Last week, Sell My Timeshare NOW released the HOT 100 List for timeshare resales and timeshare rentals. Let’s take a closer look at some of the trends the report reveals, especially about the HOTTEST 10 timeshare resorts – those popular ten at the very top of the list.

For the second consecutive year, WorldMark by Wyndham timeshares rank number 1 in the number of offers received to buy or rent. These timeshares are multi-destination ownership, meaning that your WorldMark by Wyndham timeshare gives you a choice of nearly 60 luxurious timeshare resorts in the US (including Hawaii), Mexico, Canada, and Fiji.

Marriott timeshare (Marriott Vacation Club International) claimed four spots on the HOTTEST 10 list. Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club in Palm Beach, Aruba was number 2; Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas, Newport Coast, California was number 3; Marriott’s Grande Vista, Orlando, Florida was number 8; and Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Maui, Hawaii was number 9.

One of the few changes in the HOT 100 List, this year over last year, is that Marriott’s Grande Vista in Orlando is new to the HOTTEST 10, while Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club in Oahu, Hawaii, was number 10 on last year’s list but slipped to number 11 on this year’s list.

By geographic destination, Orlando timeshare dominated, including the Marriott property already mentioned, and two other popular Orlando timeshare resorts: Orange Lake’s West Village, which ranked number 6, and Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Centerdo, new to the list at number 10.

Rounding out the HOTTEST 10 timeshare resales are: the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, Hawaii, number 4 on the list, the Harborside Resort at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, number 5 on the list, and the always popular Manhattan Club, in New York City, moving up from last year’s number 9, to be number 7 on this year’s list.

For the ten resorts making the HOTTEST 10 List, Sell My Timeshare NOW received 23,317 offers to buy or rent in 2008.

Click here to view the entire HOT 100 List for Sell My Timeshare NOW timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

And if you are interested in comparisons, this link will take you to information about last year’s HOT 100 List: Sell My Timeshare NOW Releases HOT 100 List for 2008.

Sell My Timeshare NOW has released its annual HOT 100 List, which shows the top 100 timeshare resales and timeshare rentals advertised on www.sellmytimesharenow.com. The list is based on the number of inbound offers to buy or rent timeshare.

This year’s HOT 100 List reveals some interesting trends, most notably a 56 percent increase in the number of offers to buy or rent timeshare on the HOT 100 List, compared to the previous year. The total number of offers for the HOT 100 List was 70,700.

The report also shows remarkable consistency from last year to this year in the timeshare resale and timeshare rental resort properties that make the top of the HOT 100 List — those on the Top 10. The timeshare resorts that made the Top 10 received 23,317 offers to buy or rent.

Here’s the HOTTEST Timeshares of the HOT 100, the Top 10:

• WorldMark by Wyndham, Multi-Destination Resorts (Number 1 for the second year in a row.)
• Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club, Palm Beach, Aruba
• Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas, Newport Coast, California
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui, Hawaii
• Harborside Resort at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
• Orange Lake’s West Village, Orlando, Florida
• Manhattan Club, New York, New York.
• Marriott’s Grande Vista, Orlando, Florida
• Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Maui, Hawaii
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Center, Orlando, Florida

The full report on all 100 HOT timeshare resales and timeshare rentals is available here: Sell MyTimeshare NOW HOT 100 List, and our official press release is available here: Timeshare Resales Offers up 56 Percent on HOT 100 List as Americans Seek Vacation Savings

Before Sell My Timeshare NOW releases the new HOT 100 List next week, I want to remind you about the favorite timeshare resorts that made the top ten on last year’s list. For anyone who is considering buying timeshare, or who wants to sell timeshare or rent timeshare, comparing this year’s list with the favorites from last year could provide interesting and helpful insights. The timeshare properties that made the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List are those that were advertised on our website and received the greatest number of offers to buy or rent.

Marriott timeshare had four resorts in the top ten last year. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club was number 10; Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas timeshare was number 7; Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club timeshare was number 6; and Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club timeshare was number 4.

The Manhattan Club, a signature urban timeshare, was number 9. Harborside Resort at Atlantis in the Bahamas, a unique resort that combines elements of a casino, water park, and beachside timeshare, was number 8.

Hawaii timeshares, always popular, accounted for three of the top 10 spots, including the already mentioned Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club timeshare, which was number 5 on the HOT 100 list, and Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, which was number 2.

Orange Lake’s West Village, now under the umbrella of the Holiday Inn brand, was HOT 100 timeshare number 3, while all the fabulous multi-destinations resorts of WorldMark by Wyndham timeshare ranked at the very top, having received the greatest number of offers to buy or rent.

The new HOT 100 list has seen a few changes although several of these well-liked timeshare properties remain at the top. I think you may be surprised by the INCREASES in both the number of offers to buy timeshare or rent timeshare on the top 10 list and across the top 100. When you see the numbers, you may think twice about whether we are in an economic recession or not. What the numbers validate is the timeless interest in timeshare. No matter the economy, timeshare resales are an opportunity with a global market and are widely recognized as offering great vacation value at your favorite destinations.

The Illinois Bureau of Tourism (IBT) has expanded its ongoing “Presidential Trails” campaign and launched a new component dedicated to the life of President Barack Obama. Stops for vacationers and tourists on the recently developed “Obama Trail” include the current Capitol in Springfield; the Old State Capitol; the University of Chicago Law School, where Obama taught constitutional law; and Grant Park in Chicago, where he gave his famous victory speech after the election.

The state of Illinois already has trails to honor Presidents Lincoln, Grant, and Reagan, each of which is considered to be typically a three-day getaway to explore and follow in the footsteps of history. But the US is not the only country planning to profit from vacation and timeshare travel linked to the life of President Obama.

Somak Holidays is one of several tour companies to have launched tours honoring Barack’s African heritage. Already since the election, Somak Holidays has seen an 8 percent increase in bookings to Kenya in December alone. But visiting Chicago and Kenya, isn’t enough if you are intent on visiting all the places connected to Barack Obama.

According to MSNBC, “… to see all the places connected to Obama’s life story, you’d have to visit three countries, six time zones, and six states. Obama grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, has roots in Kansas and Kenya, and went to school in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. He and his wife have raised their girls in Chicago, where tourists are already seeking out Obama haunts.”

So what about timeshare opportunities in all these places? Here are only a few of the possibilities:

• New York Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals
• South Africa Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals
• Honolulu Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals
• Illinois Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals

American Express Business Travel has just released its annual Global Business Travel Forecast and Trends report, and despite a declining economy, travel prices are projected to climb. The report is typically published each September, but with the unpredictable economy, AMEX held off, wanting to better evaluate the impact of the rollercoaster stock market and the bailout.

US cities where business travel is always significant will see increases in hotel room rates, due in part to international visitors. The AMEX report predicts that in New York City hotel rates will increase by up to 9 percent over 2008 rates, while rates in Chicago will increase by about 8 percent.

Although air travel rates overall are predicted to remain the same or about the same in 2009 as in 2008, Amex see business class fares rising by approximately 2 percent. The report also points out that while fares themselves may not increase, the add-on pricing for luggage, in-flight refreshments, and other services, has added as much as 15 percent to the overall cost of air travel.

Businesses Need to Look to Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals as Savings Solutions

Back in the days when timeshares carried many use restrictions; they didn’t make much sense for the business traveler. But today’s timeshare ownership is marked by choice and flexibility.

With timeshare rentals available around the world, companies can viably look at housing business travelers in more comfortable and spacious accommodations than a hotel offers at a substantially lower cost.

Corporate timeshare ownership offers a way for companies to reward employees, a venue for entertaining clients, or a destination for corporate retreats and strategy sessions. When timeshares once could only be used in increments of 7 days, there often wasn’t enough flexibility to make them a realistic option for most businesses. But today’s timeshare can often be used in 2, 3, or 4 day blocks, and sometimes, even one night at a time.

Virtually every company in America is looking for ways to cut back on expenses. Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals offer a savings option that has been relatively overlooked by most corporations, but if they are smart and seriously interested in saving money, business America will take another look at the opportunities in timeshares and timeshare resales.

According to an article that was reprinted in HOTEL magazine and originally appeared in The New York Sun, occupancy rates in New York City are up. Isn’t it good to hear positive news about the US economy for a change?

We already knew that New York timeshares have been, like the timeshare industry in general, either holding their own or gaining, despite the sluggish economy. Many hoteliers have been leaning on the timeshare side of their businesses to keep them solid during these challenging and unpredictable times. But according to figures released last week by the official marketing and tourism organization for New York City, (known as NYC & Company,) the average cost of a hotel room in New York in May climbed by $50 over the same month in 2007.

Hotel room nights sold in New York City in May increased from 2 million last year, to 2.05 million for 2008, and the occupancy rate for the same period increased by 1 percent. Additionally, New York City’s food and beverage services and its retail sector have added 6,000 new jobs and 3,000 new jobs respectively over the past year, despite the fact that unemployment in general has increased throughout the city, as it has in the nation.

New York Hotels and New York Timeshares

Foreign travelers from many countries are still benefiting from favorable exchange rates, although the travel and tourism industries are reporting a slowdown in foreign visitors to the US, perhaps indicating that interest in US travel on discount currency has peaked. Nevertheless, there are, as always, still good values in New York timeshare resales and New York timeshare rentals that can be enjoyed no matter which legal tender you use.

Manhattan offers travelers and vacationers wonderful options in urban timeshares. Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at the Manhattan Club and the Hilton Club are ideal options whether you are in town to see shows or to conduct business. Currently SellMyTimeshareNOW.com offers more than 250 Manhattan Club timeshare resales and approximately 20 timeshare resales or rentals at the Hilton Club.

Check out the New Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during your New York Timeshare Vacation

And here’s one fun place to visit during your New York timeshare vacation – next year the city plans to open a new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as an annex to the Cleveland-based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. New York’s Mayor, Michael Bloomberg says it is only appropriate that the city that gave us rock legends including Blondie and Paul Simon should house an annex to the original Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Singer-songwriter and New York-native Billy Joel, who was also at the news conference announcing the planned museum, said, “New York gave me my words and my music, and rock and roll gave me a place for that music to live.”

Rock on, New York. The new museum is expected to boost tourism and create new jobs within the city.

Number 99 on Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 List is the Hilton Club New York, a timeshare resale property we have written about many times before. It’s elegant, it’s energetic, and yet it’s affordable New York City accommodations with style.

Located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York City, the Hilton Club New York timeshare is in midtown Manhattan, conveniently within walking distance to cultural and entertainment hot spots like Rockefeller Center, The Museum of Modern Art, shopping on Fifth Avenue, Radio City Music Hall, Broadway, Times Square, Central Park, as well as major corporate locations.

The Hilton Club Timeshare Resales

This property is urban timeshare in every sense of the word. True, you won’t find any golf courses or ocean views at this timeshare resort. But that’s not what you come to Manhattan to enjoy. The Hilton Club timeshare is where you close that big business deal. It’s where you stay to Christmas shop at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales. Or you immerse yourself in culture with an afternoon at the Museum of Modern Art, and an evening enjoying classics on Broadway like “A Chorus Line,” or new hits like “Cry-Baby“. The Hilton Club New York is, simply put, where you go to be upscale and uptown.

Hilton Timeshare Amenities

With wall-to-wall windows, these timeshare suites offer dramatic skyline views. The property includes the largest grand ballroom in New York City (as well as 3 other ballrooms); large meeting and exhibition space (150,000 square feet of meeting area); restaurants and bars; an 8,000 square foot fitness club; and all of it recently revitalized by an $148 million renovation and redesign.

Hilton New York timeshare owners can expect generous suites, on-property laundry service, and the service of a luxury hotel, at the price of a timeshare resales. Sell My Timeshare NOW is your very best resource to learn more about Hilton New York timeshare resales and Hilton Club New York timeshare rentals.

Your purchase of a Hilton New York timeshare resale is points-based, right to use ownership at a location that is priceless. Except you will pay the competitive discounted rate of a timeshare resale.

…And for an Interesting Twist to Your Hilton Club New York Timeshare Vacation

For a totally different perspective on your very elegant timeshare vacation in the Big Apple, you might want to swap your Manolo Blahniks for running shoes and try a guided running tour of the city. City Running Tours, Inc, is a unique company that helps you see a city up close and from a native’s perspective, while you tick off the miles on your daily jog. City Running Tours offer escorted pre-mapped runs through many of your favorite cities, with an expert runner who is also a fitness trainer and a knowledgeable city guide. As an interesting addition to your Hilton New York timeshare vacation, discover the city, named by Runner’s World as one of the top three best running cities in the US.

To whet your appetite for Broadway fun, enjoy this YouTube from Cry-Baby:

Sell My Timeshare NOW has just released its HOT 100 list featuring the timeshare resales and timeshare rentals that received the most offers to buy through our company in 2007 – more than 48,000 offers to buy timeshare or rent timeshare on properties at these 100 resorts alone!

Some interesting trends are evidenced in the list, including just how stable the top ten properties have been over the past year. The 8 timeshare resorts that top the list this year, all made the top 10 last year. Noteworthy is the jump WorldMark by Wyndham, multi-destination timeshare made from seventh on the previous list, to claim the top spot at number one for this year.

Two other trends are also shown. First, Hawaii timeshares claimed four places among the top ten: Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas in second place on the list; Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club in fifth place; Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club timeshares in sixth; and the Ko Olina Beach Club timeshares, new to the top ten list this year, claiming the tenth spot. WorldMark by Wyndham’s multi-destination timeshare locations includes 4 resorts in Hawaii: Kapaa Shore; Valley Isle in Lahaina; Kihei; and Kona in Kailua-Kona.

The other trend that the HOT 100 list reveals is that Marriott is clearly a favorite timeshare brand, with Maui Ocean Club, Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club, Newport Coast Villas, and Ko Olina Beach Club and all making the top ten list.

HOT 100 Timeshare List

The complete top ten list is shown below. You can view the full report, Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100, by clicking this link.

1. WorldMark by Wyndham, (Multi-Destination)
2. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui, Hawaii U.S.A.
3. Orange Lake’s West Village, Orlando, Florida U.S.A.
4. Marriott Timeshare’s Aruba Surf Club, Palm Beach, Aruba
5. Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club, Maui, Hawaii U.S.A.
6. Marriott Timeshare’s Maui Ocean Club, Maui, Hawaii U.S.A.
7. Marriott Timeshare’s Newport Coast Villas, Newport Coast, California U.S.A.
8. Harborside Resort at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
9. Manhattan Club, New York, New York U.S.A.
10. Marriott Timeshare’s Ko Olina Beach Club, Oahu, Hawaii U.S.A.

Click this link to read Sell My Timeshare NOW’s press release about the HOT 100

The September 25, 2006 Timeshare Owners Blog told you about Hilton Breaks Ground on New York Timeshare Resort, reported on the groundbreaking of this exciting project. So it was very nice to read this week’s press release from Hilton timeshare, announcing that they are topping off their West 57^th Street Hilton Club project. “Topping off” doesn’t mean the project is complete and ready for your next timeshare vacation, but it does mean that the final bucket of concrete has been poured for the superstructure.

The Hilton timeshare company considers this project to be a significant milestone. According to Mark Wang, president of Hilton Grand Vacations, “Our vision to create a distinctive shared ownership project from the ground up in New York City is another step closer to becoming a magnificent reality. Built in the heart of one of Manhattan’s most prestigious neighborhoods – and upon the legacy of the Hilton commitment to excellence – West 57th Street by Hilton Club transcends traditional timeshare and continues to experience high demand. After years of planning, and working alongside world-class developers including Tishman Construction, we will soon be able to accommodate our owners and guests in unprecedented style.”

Hilton Timeshare Luxury

When complete, the Hilton Club timeshare resort will offer guests the first Spa Chakra in New York City, featuring massages, facials, body treatments, and signature Chakra Health therapies. The property includes 161 luxurious timeshare condos, from studio, to one-bedroom and penthouse suites, all with dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, fine linens, upscale furnishings, flat screen televisions, entertainment systems and marble and granite detailing. On property will be valet laundry service, a 24-hour doorman, concierge, outdoor dining terrace, and the private Owners Lounge for food and beverage service.

As we have mentioned before, the location couldn’t be better. Timeshare owners or timeshare guests will be within walking distance of Central Park, the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Museum of Modern Art, Radio City Music Hall and shopping on Fifth Avenue.

Currently the resort is on schedule to open in the second quarter of 2009.While Hilton timeshare originally listed these timeshare condos as starting at $40,000, up to $100,000, they now quote prices as starting at $58,000.

The Other New York Hilton Timeshare Option

Hilton timeshare already boasts a fabulous Manhattan timeshare resort, the Hilton Club New York. Currently Sell My Timeshare NOW has Hilton Club New York timeshare resales available, starting at around $14,000. The Hilton Club New York timeshare, located at West 53rd Street and Avenue of the Americas. (Sixth Avenue) is also convenient to the Midtown attractions you want to enjoy. As Hilton’s flagship New York property, it has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation, adding dining options in both the New York Marketplace and Etrusca Ristorante, and a new 8,000 square foot fitness center and spa.

To get started enjoying Hilton timeshare ownership in New York City, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

A weakened US dollar may be creating a tighter economy here at home, but international travelers are enjoying the benefits.

According to a recent article in Hotels Magazine, titled, “Weak Dollar Becomes US Welcome Mat,” not long after Saks Fifth Avenue opened its all-shoe floor last summer, one hundred European women chartered a plane to New York for the sole purpose of shopping – shoe shopping!

International consumers spent almost $3 billion in New York City stores in 2007, insulating many NYC merchants against the economic slump felt by other retailers across the US. Recognizing the value of the foreign shopper, many New York merchants are directing their advertising dollars toward an international clientele.

Historically, New York City is the number one destination for foreign travelers to the US but other cities, such as Miami and Los Angeles, also benefit from international tourist dollars. “According to NYC & Co.,” 46 million people visited the city in 2007, an increase of 5 percent over the previous year. And of those visitors, 8.5 million were non-American, a whopping 20 percent increase for the same time period.” (source: Hotels Magazine ©2008 international herald tribune, February 6, 2008, Special Report; pg. 11. Katie Weisman, The New York Times Media Group, New York)

Saks has partnered with The Daily Telegraph in London, offering four day excursions to New York City this spring. Bloomingdale’s has long maintained an international marketing department in addition to their marketing and sales promotion division, because they recognize the importance of the foreign dollar in their New York stores. Bloomingdale’s also cultivates their foreign consumer at their stores in Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco. At their New York City store, where the employees collectively speak more than 40 different languages, Bloomingdales saw an increase of 35 percent in the number of foreign shoppers for 2007.

As the Hotel Magazine article points out, “No one expects revenues from international shoppers to totally compensate potentially flat or declining sales due to continued economic woes of the American economy.” Yet the reality for timeshare owners is that you do not have to depend on the US economy alone if you are looking to sell timeshare or rent timeshare; but you do have to advertise and market your timeshare resales and timeshare rentals in a place that provides vast global exposure. Look for a timeshare advertising and marketing website with a strong and leading presence on the World Wide Web; look for Sell My Timeshare NOW.