Sell My Timeshare NOW’s wrap up of our last HOT 100 timeshare resorts for offers to buy timeshare or rent timeshare includes three favorite Orlando timeshare resorts near the top of the list.

The Sheraton Vistana Resort is HOT 100 timeshare number 14; Marriott’s Grande Vista timeshare resort is HOT 100 timeshare number 13; and the Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort is timeshare resort favorite number 12.

Orlando Timeshares are Perennial Vacation Favorites

You may think of Orlando timeshares for the family vacation, especially when your children are young and still oooh and ahhh over Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. In fact, Orlando timeshares are perfect as a vacation destination that offers entertainment and relaxations to suit all ages. Your family’s interests may change but the attractions of Central Florida are so diverse that everyone from your preschooler to Grandma and Grandpa can find activities to enjoy.

When you’ve been to the theme parks and ridden the rides, don’t count out Orlando. There’s shopping from the upscale shops at Millennia Mall to the discounts at the factory outlet. You can take in the world famous Cirque du Soleil, the lush flowers of the Harry P. Leu Gardens, or golf on any of hundreds of area courses, (including numerous championship courses). Maybe your tastes lean more toward dinner theaters, a performance by the Orlando Ballet, relaxing at a luxurious spa, dining at the signature restaurants of Universal’s CityWalk, or exploring the Orlando Art Museum. For kicks, try a bungee jump, a visit to M&M’s World at The Florida Mall, or International Drive’s shops, restaurants, and entertainment such as Ripley’s Believe it or Not. You get the idea; the entertainment opportunities in Orlando form a list that goes on and on.

But you will need a great place to stay to do it all …

Sheraton Vistana Resort Timeshare

The Sheraton Vistana Resort timeshares are spacious villas in a park-like setting. Despite the tranquility they afford, the Sheraton Vistana timeshare, a Starwood resort, is convenient to all of your favorite Orlando attractions. You will enjoy having a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette (depending on the size of your timeshare unit), free wireless internet, an in-unit washer and dryer, no add-on resort or additional person fees, and the value and convenience of free transportation to four of the Disney parks.

Marriott Grande Vista Resort Timeshare

Marriott’s Grande Vista timeshare is an elegant resort offering one, two, or three-bedroom timeshare villas, with spacious living and dining areas, a full kitchen and a luxurious soaking tub in the master bedroom. Marriott timeshare owners at Grande Vista enjoy access to the Faldo Golf Institute® by Marriott, the biking trails and the four sparkling swimming pools.

Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort

Adjacent to Walt Disney World is the beautiful Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort timeshare. Featuring one and two-bedroom timeshare condos, all with a complete kitchen, washer and dryer, in-suite Jacuzzi tub, and a private balcony or patio. The refreshing swimming pool and the peaceful lazy river are perfect spots for cooling off after a long day in the nearby theme parks or shopping malls.

While there are more Orlando timeshares than in any other city in the world, you’ve just read about three of the “hottest” resorts. The timeshare resales professionals at Sell My Timeshare NOW can help you learn more.

Today is the day things really get rolling at the American Resort Development Association Convention 2009 in Orlando, Florida.

The Sell My Timeshare NOW team and I will be reporting to you all week from the ARDA 2009 Convention and Exposition in sunny Orlando. We will also be providing you podcasts of interviews and other convention updates.

At 4 PM today, we will have the opportunity to hear the keynote address from Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, who is the director of the Global Perspectives Program at the Goizueta Business School of Emory University. Dr. Rosensweig specializes in financial, macroeconomic, and business estimations and predictions and is a professor of international business and finance. I know there will be valuable insights from him and I’ll be sharing them with you in a blog later this week.

So here’s the schedule for what to expect today, and keep reading The Timeshare Authority, where we will be filling you in on all the details.

Highlights for Monday March 30 at the ARDA Timeshare Convention

12:00 PM-3:30 PM
Industry Think Tank
Sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP

4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Opening Keynote Speaker Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig
Sponsored by Group RCI

5:00 PM-8:00 PM
Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by  Disney Vacation Club, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Marriott Vacation Club International & Starwood Vacation Ownership

8:30 PM
ICE Breaker Party
Sponsored by International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE)

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.

Starwood Hotels and Starwood Timeshares have just released a report stating that their fourth quarter profits fell by 46 percent. According to a statement released by Starwood, net income fell from $146 million (74 cents per share) to $79 million (43 cents per share), year-over-year. CEO Frits van Paasschen has authorized job cuts, the closing of Starwood timeshares sales centers, restaurant closings, and has suspended share buybacks. Forbes.com states that fourth quarter earnings at Starwood Hotels and Starwood timeshares was hurt by severance costs and a writedown for two vacation ownership projects.

“At the current time, given significant uncertainty in the global economy, it is very difficult to provide any definitive guidance looking out four quarters,” the Starwood statement read.

As bad as all this sounds, shares of Starwood stock rose following the release of the report, because share values were higher than predicted by analysts. At the same time Starwood stocks were gaining, Marriott International fell 1.3 percent; Choice Hotels was down .6 percent, and Wyndham Worldwide dropped by 7 percent. (source: http://uk.reuters.com)

Starwood Hotels and Starwood Timeshares to Receive Tax Refund

Starwood Hotel and Timeshare company is due for an income tax refund from the federal government – a $200 million refund. For several years, Starwood has been in negotiations with the IRS, regarding the tax treatment of the sale of World Directories in 1998. Starwood and the IRS have finally reached an agreement, and the refund, scheduled to be received later this year – couldn’t come at a better time.

No Reason for Starwood Timeshare Owners to Panic

Starwood, like so many other timeshare companies, is feeling significant pain from the decline in consumer spending and the tight credit market. But in the vein of “what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger,” Starwood and other hoteliers and timeshare companies will likely emerge from the recession as stronger companies, with better internal checks and balances, fewer non-performing properties on their books, and a leaner, cleaner approach to doing business. Starwood is moving forward with expansion plans that include opening 100 new hotels this year; expanding its hotel network by more than 40 percent over the next five years; and reaching the significant milestone of opening its 100th resort later this year.

Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 list timeshare resort number 40 is the Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshare. Located in Orlando, Florida, this resort is a great destination for a vacation your family will remember for years to come. When you buy timeshare at the Sheraton Vistana Villages resort, the fun isn’t just a one-time memory; it can become a treasured family tradition you enjoy year after year.

You already know all that Orlando timeshares offer for honeymooners, the family vacation, or the perfect empty-nester destination. There are theme parks, lakes, water fun, and sports, along with restaurants, clubs, museums, and idyllic places to relax. You name it, whether it is golf clubs or nightclubs, the central Florida vacation area offers it all.

Amenities Galore at the Sheraton Vistana Villages Orlando Timeshares

The Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshares are located on Orlando’s famous International Drive, where restaurants, shopping, and attractions abound. Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshare runs shuttle buses to the Walt Disney World ® Resort, Magic Kingdom ® Park, Epcot ®, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom ® Theme Parks. Taxi service is available for Universal Studios Florida ®, Sea World ® Orlando, and Wet ‘n Wild. On or near the property you can also enjoy a fitness center, game room, grocery store, pools, sauna, tennis, massage, basketball, barbeque grills, and a playground.

Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshare units are spacious one, two, or three-bedroom, two-bathroom suites, with a Jacuzzi tub in the master bath, living area with pullout sofa bed, dining area, and a full kitchen. Sleeping capacities range from a family of four to the whole gang, with plenty of room for up to twelve adults. Cribs and highchairs are available upon request.

Join the Starwood Vacation Ownership Family

Owned by Starwood Vacation Ownership, the parent company of Westin and Sheraton hotels, Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshares are part of Starwood timeshare family. In many cases, when you buy Starwood timeshare resales, you may also qualify for membership in the Starwood Vacation Network, giving you access to Starwood properties worldwide. To learn more about the options in timeshare exchange, and what may be possible when you buy Vistana Villages timeshare resales, visit the website of SellMyTimeshareNOW.com

Starwood Hotels and Timeshare Resorts reported a 12 percent drop in profits for the third quarter, 2008. With this announcement, they joined the ranks of other hoteliers and timeshare developers, including Marriott, Hilton, and Westgate timeshare, who have all acknowledged that they are sharply feeling the credit crunch and the economic downturn.

Starwood (the parent company of Westin timeshare resorts and Sheraton timeshare resorts) reported revenue was flat at $1.5 billion, with international operations shoring up those in North America. Earnings for Starwood were $113 million or 62 cents a share, which is down from $129 million or 61 cents a share, in the third quarter 2007. Figuring all adjustments, and earnings from continuing operations, earnings should have been 71 cents per share.

According to Hotels Magazine, Starwood Chief Executive Frits van Paasschen stated that the company had begun streamlining and reducing costs earlier in the year. Yet, Starwood’s efforts don’t seem to be sufficient to quell concerns. Steve Kent of Goldman Sachs commented on Starwood specifically and the timeshare and hotel industry in general, saying, “… the industry will be hit with increasing supply at the same time demand is falling and [its] negative operating leverage and inability to cut costs quickly suggests margins are going to be under pressure for some time.”

Starwood Says Decline in Hawaii Timeshare and Florida Timeshare Sales is Major Contributor

Pacific Business News reported that Starwood specifically blames a decline in Hawaii timeshares sales and Florida timeshares sales for its revenue shortfall. Compared to 2007, revenue in timeshare sales is down 27.4 percent. Contract sales of vacation ownership intervals decreased almost 30 percent at Starwood timeshares, due both to overall decline and to Starwood’s sellout of Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort North on Maui.

Starwood timeshare says it expects operating income from its timeshare business to drop as much as $115 million this year as demand for Hawaii timeshares and Orlando timeshares decreases.

How about spending your days golfing, swimming, or just relaxing in sunny, southern California and your nights curled up in a Westin Heavenly Bed®? This could be your next vacation if you buy or rent Starwood timeshare at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas.

Located in Rancho Mirage, this California timeshare includes 360 beautifully landscaped acres complete with bubbling streams, terraced fountains, and two championship golf courses. As Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 List timeshare resort number 60, the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas is a desert oasis, a retreat where you can rest and recoup from the pressures and demands of daily life.

Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas Timeshare, a Luxurious Choice

In your Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas timeshare, you will enjoy a fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, color televisions in bedrooms and the living room, Bose stereo system, and a DVD player in the living room. Living room areas feature a queen-size sleeper sofa, along with fireplaces in the living area and the bedroom of many villas. The Westin Mission Hills Resort and Villas timeshare is a luxurious resort for pampering yourself and enjoying some much needed quiet time with family or friends.

But when you have the urge to explore, there are so many nearby attractions to help you fill your vacation days. Enjoy the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, the El Paseo Shopping District, the Palm Springs Air Museum, Knott’s Oasis Water Park, Indian Canyons, and Joshua Tree National Park to name only a few of the nearby points of interest.

Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas Timeshare and More

Sell My Timeshare NOW has outstanding opportunities for you to buy timeshare or rent timeshare at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas timeshare. And if you enjoy the indulgence of the signature Westin bed, Westin bath, and Westin WORKOUT exercise rooms, you may also be interested in these other Westin timeshare resorts, which offer some or all of these amenities.

• Westin Kierland Villas – Scottsdale, Arizona
• Westin St. John Resort and Villas – St. John, US Virgin Islands

Earlier this week, I wrote in the Timeshare Owners Blog about a predicted future escalation in global tourism leading to a shortage of hotel and timeshare resorts. Starwood Hotels and Timeshare resorts is just one of several hoteliers and developers that seem to think such predictions are solid.

In a multi-year strategy to revitalize the brand name of Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Starwood begins this week on an aggressive expansion plan calling for 54 hotels and 20,000 guest rooms to be added to the Sheraton brand by this time next year. According to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Inc, the company will be spending approximately $2 billion just on North American properties. The plans include $1.3 billion in renovations and $400 million in key brand initiatives and upgrades at 100 US hotels.

Starwood’s official news release says that Sheraton is already the company’s largest and most global brand, and that they plan to increase this by opening one hotel every 12 days during 2008. Target markets include Denver, Minneapolis, Dallas, Phoenix, and Washington, DC. Globally, expansion plans include Egypt, China, Ireland, and Argentina.

Hoyt Harper II, senior vice president for Sheraton Hotels and Timeshare Resorts says, “Over the next several years, Sheraton’s footprint will become even more prominent, and as we grow, we will leverage Starwoods’ proven history of building great lifestyle brands to enhance the entire guest experience.”

Ready to Buy Sheraton Timeshare?

If you have ever considered buying Sheraton timeshare, there has never been a better time. You would become a Sheraton timeshare owner just as the company is putting billions of dollars back into their hotels and resorts – think of it as, getting in at the right time. And buying Sheraton timeshare from Starwood is not the only way to become a Sheraton timeshare owner. There are incredible opportunities to buy Sheraton timeshare resales, and bypass paying the developer’s upfront marketing costs. Visit Sell My Timeshare NOW today to learn more.

Here’s a YouTube video about the Starwood Spa collection that is reason enough to become a Starwood timeshare owner.

Recent Timeshare Owners Blog posts about Starwood timeshares include:

• Starwood Will Be Selling Timeshare from New Sales Galleries
• Starwood Timeshare Opens The Phoenician Residences

Starwood Vacation Ownership (Starwood Timeshares) has expanded their fractional properties with the opening of The Phoenician Residences part of The Luxury Collection Residence Club.

Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, the 250-acre resort has undergone a major renovation to include floor plans that range from 1400 square feet to 2400. Each fractional unit has hardwood floors, a natural stone fireplace, a private plunge pool and spa, an outdoor summer kitchen, LCD televisions, and imported Irish linens.

On-property amenities include a USGA championship golf complex with 3 nine-hole courses, chipping and putting greens, and a driving range. The Tennis Garden offers 12 lighted courts, while other features include nine swimming pools, a 165-foot water slide, private cabanas, and a spa and wellness center.

The MoneyCentral Business Wire on MSN.com quoted Matt Avril, president and managing director of operations at Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc, as saying, “This newest offering in our portfolio of fractional resorts is the perfect complement to the St. Regis Residence Club properties in Aspen and New York. As a premier destination, The Phoenician (R) is a perennial favorite of sophisticated vacationers, and we are extremely excited to offer ownership opportunities through The Phoenician Residences, our first fractional resort under The Luxury Collection brand.”

Prices for fractional ownership at The Phoenician Residences start at $150,000 up to $400,000 and range from three weeks of vacation time upward. Fractional owners at The Phoenician Residences also have the option to exchange weeks for stays at other Residence Club properties or for Starwood Preferred Guests Starpoints.

Starwood properties include the following brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton, LeMeridien, Aloft, Element, and Sheraton timeshare resorts and Westin timeshare resorts. More information is available on Sheraton timeshare resales and Westin timeshare resales from Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Recent Timeshare Owners Blog posts about Starwood timeshares include:

• Starwood Will Be Selling Timeshare from New Sales Galleries

Starwood Resorts and Timeshares has announced that they are building a freestanding timeshare sales gallery inside the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel for the purpose of selling timeshare weeks at that property and at the Sheraton PGA in Port Lucie, FL.

This is the first time Starwood Resorts and Timeshares have used a purpose-built, freestanding timeshare sales office to sell timeshare units and timeshare weeks. The new Starwood Timeshare office will employ 20 to 25 timeshare sales people, and will ultimately sell timeshare weeks at all 25 Starwood properties, which includes Sheraton timeshare resorts and Westin timeshare resorts.

In an article published by PressofAtlanticCity.com, written by business editor Kevin Post, Starwood Vacation Ownership spokesperson David Matheson was quoted as saying, “Timeshares are becoming more and more of a mainstream product. Starwood and companies like it are bringing credibility to the industry.”

The article noted that Starwood timeshare units range from about $13,000 to $28,000 with annual maintenance fees of $400 to $800. On the same day that this article ran, CrainsNYBusiness.com published an article identifying that their new chief executive officer, Fritz Van Paasschen, who took the helm in September of 2007, earned approximately $9.1 million during that 4-month period.

Sheraton Timeshare and Westin Timeshare

While Van Paasschen’s base salary is less than $300,000 annually, his bonuses, incentives, and stock options accounted for the rest of his 9 million dollar-plus compensation. Leaving you to draw your own conclusions here, now seems like a good time to remind you that you can get excellent timeshare deals on Starwood timeshare resales, resorts that carry the brands of Sheraton timeshare resales or Westin timeshare resales.

Timeshare Resales from Sell My Timeshare NOW

When you buy timeshare directly from the person who owns it, you are purchasing vacation time at the same resorts as people who buy timeshare new, from the developer and typically pay much higher prices. Here’s a list of some the opportunities available in timeshare resales in Sell My Timeshare NOW’s current inventory:

• Sheraton Broadway Plantation – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Sheraton Desert Oasis – Scottsdale, Arizona
• Sheraton Mountain Vista – Avon, Colorado
• Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort – Port St. Lucie, Florida
• Sheraton Vistana Resort – Orlando, Florida
• Sheraton Vistana Villages – Orlando, Florida
• The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui
• Westin Kierland Villas – Scottsdale, Arizona
• Westin Mission Hills Resort and Villas – Rancho Mirage, California
• Westin St. John Resort and Villas – St. John, US Virgin Islands
• Harborside Resort at Atlantis – Paradise Island, The Bahamas
• Lakeside Terrace – Avon, Colorado