I wish I could give you more background on this news item, but for now, we will rely on StreetTalk Blog as our primary source. According to a posting last week on their site, Shell Vacations Club timeshare has entered into a letter of intent with Coco Palms Venture II, Inc, the current owners of Kauai’s historic Coco Palms hotel.

The Coco Palms is a Hawaiian resort classic whose fame was enhanced when Elvis Presley filmed the finale of Blue Hawaii there in 1961. Almost all of the last 20 minutes of the film is shot on or near The Coco Palms.

In 1992, Hurricane Iniki did extensive damage to the island of Kauai and threw the local economy into a downward spiral. As the islanders rebuilt, virtually every resort was restored except perhaps its most famous, The Coco Palms.

Without repairs, the beautiful resort has sat unused for nearly 20 years, with only the wedding chapel remaining operational. If Shell Vacations Club timeshare is successful in its efforts to buy and restore the resort, it will be a wonderful benefit to the people of the island and the local economy.

Earlier this year, Hawaii State Senator Gary Hooser explored the idea of a joint venture project - perhaps a public-private effort - to build a park on the property. Whether Shell Vacations intends to be part of this effort, or if there is still any interest in such a park, is not known. Coco Palms Venture II has only owned the resort since 2006, when they purchased it in hopes of building a full service spa there, an idea that never received the approval it needed to move forward. Last year, the company put the property on the market for sale.

The citizens and the legislators of Hawaii are forever walking a tightrope, trying to balance the development necessary to maintain and grow their economy with their responsibility to protect their cultural heritage and beautiful environment.

And on that note, be sure you take a look at this clip from Blue Hawaii, and listen as Elvis sings the Hawaiian Wedding song.

What a great time to spend Canadian dollars on US timeshare! I know I have mentioned this before, but with the value of Canada’s loonie strong to the US dollar, Canadians have never been better positioned to buy timeshare or rent timeshare in the United States.

And since Canadians are quickly realizing this, there have been a number of articles on timeshares and vacation ownership in the Canadian press lately with good advice for anyone who wants to buy timeshare or buy timeshare resales. But, I was particularly impressed with an article I read in Canada.com, titled, “No such thing as a free lunch“. Reporter Sandy Fife has done an excellent job of defining the pitfalls (many) and the benefits (a few) of attending timeshare promotions in order to enjoy a reduced rate vacation.

Notwithstanding the fact that a timeshare promotion deal may enable you to take a vacation with free or deeply discounted rates, and provides you an excellent chance to try before you buy timeshare, the high-pressure tactics of some salespeople may offset the value of what would have otherwise been a relaxing vacation.

If You Attend a Timeshare Presentation…

Fife offers the following good suggestions for surviving a timeshare promotion:

• Choose a reputable name in the hotel and/or timeshare resort industry for your free (or reduced) getaway.
• Be very careful if you choose to respond to a timeshare promotion that contacts you only by email or phone solicitation.
• And lastly, she says, don’t even think about going if you are susceptible to high-pressure sales pitches.

As one seasoned veteran of enjoying timeshare promotions was quoted as saying, “You should never buy at a presentation, because time-shares cost much less on resale.” I couldn’t have said that better myself.

If you have ever considered going on a timeshare promotion vacation, just to enjoy the perks that come with it, take a few minutes and read the Canada.com article first. And if you want to sidestep the sales rush and developer prices, go straight to shopping timeshare resales.

When you visit the website for Sell My Timeshare NOW, we don’t give you free tickets to theme parks, or a coupon good for breakfast, but you can browse and peruse our huge inventory of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals as much, and as often as you like. You can show up in your pajamas or your favorite sweats, and from the comfort and convenience of your personal computer, you can take your time selecting the timeshare vacation option that is right for you. Best of all, what you save when you buy timeshare resales instead of paying developer prices, will help you pay for future vacations—vacations that don’t involve sitting through sales presentations.

Here are links to a few of the timeshare resorts from which you can choose at Sell My Timeshare NOW.

• Bluegreen Timeshare
• Marriott Timeshare
• Shell Vacations Club Timeshare
• Starwood (including Westin and Sheraton) Timeshare
• Fairfield, WorldMark / Trendwest Timeshare
• Hilton Grand Vacation Club Timeshare
• Westgate Timeshare
• Mayan Palace Timeshare
• Orange Lake Timeshare