Liberty Bank has established a new lending relationship with Breckenridge Grand Vacations timeshare providing an initial loan of $10 million. Bank spokesperson, Denise Brewer, Vice President, says, “We were very impressed by the company’s track record and well-respected position in their community.”

President of Wellington Financial, (the exclusive Resort Finance lending correspondent for Liberty Banks) Ron Goldberg says, “the Breckenridge Grand Vacations team has demonstrated a fantastic track record in developing, marketing, selling and managing Gold Point Resort, Grand Timber Lodge and the Grand Lodge on Peak 7, as well as being a great asset to the community.”

Rob Millisor, resort operator adds, “Over the last 25 years, we’ve (Breckenridge resort) developed a business philosophy to serve investors, owners-and-guests, employees and our community. This attitude governs everything we do and has allowed us to provide family after family with excellent vacations for many years. We strongly believe that our dedication to ensuring the satisfaction of all four of these constituents has given us the focus for our success in the vacation ownership business in Breckenridge.”

Sell My Timeshare NOW is the only authorized reseller for Grand Timeshare Lodge resales. Grand Timber Lodge is a 5-star, year-round resort located at the base of Colorado’s Breckenridge ski resort and within minutes of the shops, restaurants, and entertainment in downtown Breckenridge.

More information about Breckenridge timeshares on The Timeshare Authority Blog:

• Timeshare Sales Good News for Grand Lodge Timeshares in Breckenridge, CO
• Grand Timber Lodge Timeshare Resort

Buying timeshare just does not mean what many people think it means. Instead of a one-week holiday each year in the same timeshare resort, year after year, many timeshare programs are points based and function like currency.

When you buy timeshare in a points based system, or when you take advantage of timeshare exchange, you may have options that include exchanging your timeshare for other travel benefits including airfare and cruises.

Timeshare owners who are members of “The Regency Collection,” for example, can exchange timeshare for one-of-a-kind travel experiences, which include Cunard cruise lines, Crystal Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Silversea and The Yachts of Seabourn. The Regency Collection members also have options that allow them to take advantage of members-only discounted cash options on other cruise lines including Disney, Princess, and Celebrity.

The savings to timeshare owners who want to enjoy luxury cruises can add up quickly. One option offers credit exchange where a portion of “The Regency Collection” members’ credits afford them a savings of up to $1,500 USD per cabin, based on double-person occupancy.

The Regency Collection Timeshare Owners

Currently some 30,000 timeshare owners are members of Wyndham Exchange and Rental’s The Regency Collection, giving them access to over 175 luxury properties worldwide, including condo hotels, timeshare resorts, high-end fractionals, private residence clubs, and fractional yachts. The July 4 holiday weekend is a great time for backyard cookouts, parades, and fireworks. But if you were a member of The Regency Collection, you could be spending this holiday (and many more to come) on board one of the finest cruise ships in the world.

…And although we all appreciate hotdogs with those crispy black edges from being cooked over an open flame, sometimes we just need (and deserve) a little time with a gourmet chef and cruise ship crew at our beck and call.

As if airline add-on fees aren’t bad enough, many hotels may be headed down the same unpopular path.

The TravelMole blog reports that more and more hotels will be adding charges for services such as holding your bags after checkout, bumping up the cost of room service, and tightening their policies (as well as upping their fees) for cancellations, early checkouts, or late check-ins.

Bjorn Hanson, an associate professor at New York University Tisch Center, says, “Despite a forecast for a continued decline in hotel rates in 2010, hoteliers will become more aggressive in collecting fees and surcharges this year.”

That is certainly not what any travelers or vacationers want to hear. And to add insult to the injury your wallet may feel, the fees will vary-not just from chain to chain-but from one hotel to the next within the same brand. This means that the service you take for granted as free at a hotel in Buffalo may cost you an add-on fee at the same branded hotel in Dallas. Travelers will be left with the feeling that they have to ‘ask first’ about every move they make, just to avoid surprise charges.

Thank You Timeshares

Perhaps your hotel stays pay you back in loyalty points, but no matter how many times you stay there, you will continue to pay out of pocket for your business travel or vacation accommodations when you stay in hotels and motels. Timeshare is a different story. Timeshare lets you lock in the cost of your vacation accommodations and then pay them off!

Buy timeshare and use it, and at the least you break even on the amount you would have been paying for hotel or vacation accommodations. More likely, especially when you buy right priced timeshare resales, you will save money over the years you own the timeshare.

There is not much most of us can do to stem the rising cost of living, but locking in the price of vacation accommodations with a timeshare resale makes more sense than ever before.

With Celebrity Resorts timeshares filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, timeshare owners at the 13 Celebrity Resorts properties are naturally concerned as to what this means for them.

David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa timeshare has posted the following information for their timeshare owners and timeshare guests:

• The website, http://www.dwrinfo.com has been established to provide information to timeshare owners at David Walley’s resort.
• David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa timeshare is currently open.
• Two board members were removed from their seats at the Members’ meeting on February 27, 2010. William Prowse was elected by the Board to fill one of the open seats. The board will review resumes of Members who wish to be considered for the other open seat.
• Members interested in being on the board should send their resume to: POA Board Candidates at (630) 681-8995 via fax.
• A third board member seat will become open in May 2010, when current Treasurer, Gary Grottke’s term ends. Grottke plans to resign as quickly as new board members are appointed and are up to speed on the open issues.
• The restaurant & deli at the timeshare resort closed effective March 12, 2010.
• All reservations will be for the Bodie building with the Dillion buildings uses for overflow. The Aurora and Canyon building will be temporarily closed.
• Reservations will be suspended for 30 days. Reservations beyond that time, should be submitted by mail to Quintus Resorts PO Box 1090, Genoa, NV 89411-1090. Include the following information: timeshare owner number, name, email address, and three choices for your reservations marked as your first, second, and third preferences. You will receive a response by email within 30 days of the receipt of your reservation request.
• Ground maintenance for 2010 is being reduced.
• The expectation is that Celebrity will continue to operate the spa building for the remainder of 2010.

In an interview with the Record Courier, Gary Grottke that, “the association is also looking for a new management company for the time-shares, although they can’t hire a new firm until the old contract is terminated and the action approved by the bankruptcy court.”

This is clearly a fluid situation at the moment and timeshare owners at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa timeshare should stay in touch through the special website where updates will be made and additional information is available.

If you want more information on ways to buy, rent, or sell timeshare at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort and Spa timeshare, go to Sell My Timeshare NOW.

On September 19, The Timeshare Owners Blog told you about the three upcoming timeshare owners educational events – very important opportunities for anyone who owns timeshare or is thinking of buying timeshare or selling timeshare. And as information-packed and valuable as these regional conferences are for every timeshare owner, we gave them credit for being able to something they just can’t do … even the knowledgeable speakers and organizers for the National Timeshare Owners Association (NTOA) can’t be in two places at the same time.

So here’s the correct schedule:

• Sunday, October 4, 2009 Cherry Hill, New Jersey
• Sunday October 18, 2009, Orange County, California
• Sunday, November 1, 2009 Venice, Florida

You must be a member of the National Timeshare Owners Association to attend, but membership is benefit-laden and members agree that it easily pays for itself.

Are You an RCI Timeshare Exchange Member with Questions or Complaints?

The NTOA will have representation at the critical RCI timeshare exchange hearing scheduled for November 30. If you are a timeshare owner and RCI member, you just can’t afford to miss an NTOA educational conference. This is your chance to get the facts! New Jersey – California – or Florida – pick one and schedule to attend.

To learn more about these educational events, as well as all the bene fits of becoming an NTOA member, go to: www.nationaltimeshareownersassoc.com

Here’s an Orlando theme park you may not have known about, plus the opportunity to visit it free if your travel or timeshare vacation puts you in Florida early next month.

The Holy Land Experience is a unique theme park venue, visited by millions of people each year. Some people go there for religious reasons, but many simply want to step back in time, 2000 years, to ancient Jerusalem. The park is described as, “the world’s first living, historical, biblical museum.”

Each year the park hosts one day of free admission. This year that day will be Tuesday, October 6. Unless the message of free admission is carried virally through blogs like The Timeshare Authority, the opportunity to visit this park on that day, saving the $35 ticket price, is not publicized by any media outlet other than the park’s owners, the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Reading about this theme park value here on our timeshare blog lets you in on this little-known secret.

Great Value in Orlando Timeshares

The Holy Land Experience is conveniently located near many Orlando timeshare resorts and hotels and the free admission day is happening at an excellent time. An Orlando timeshare vacation in October is a good idea for many reasons. While hurricane season continues until late November, by October the window of time when hurricanes are most likely to hit Florida has already passed. Average daily temperatures for Orlando see highs around 85 degrees and lows in the mid sixties. And this year, more than ever, the number of restaurant and attraction discounts and specials is just amazing.

In addition to the free admission at The Holy Land Experience, here are some other offers and opportunities that make enjoying an Orlando timeshare vacation more affordable than ever:

• Download your free Orlando Magicard from the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau. It’s good for discounts on attractions, golf, transportation—even shopping.
• NASA has at least three more shuttle launches scheduled between now and the end of 2010. You can make the short drive from Orlando to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral to witness the historic launches firsthand (no charge) and then stay to enjoy the beautiful beaches or buy admission tickets to explore the NASA Visitors Complex at SpacePort USA.
• Book it NOW timeshare rentals mean excellent timeshare rental opportunities with the easiest scheduling possible. Follow this link to find 1, 2, and 3-bedroom Orlando timeshare rentals that you can book right now. www.sellmytimesharenow.com/timeshares/index/content/search_rent/

The National Timeshare Owners Association will host an informational seminar on Sunday, July 26, 2009 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM in Venice, Florida. The NTOA conducts these information-packed educational seminars throughout the year and around the US to provide timeshare owners and interested timeshare buyers with insight and updates from vacation ownership experts.

The 2009 series of conferences has focused on buying and selling timeshare and on tips for avoiding timeshare scams. You must be a member of the National Timeshare Owners Association to attend these sessions, but the valuable information presented in the seminars is only a small part of the members’ benefits you receive by joining NTOA.

This year is the National Timeshare Owners Association’s 12th anniversary and marks its largest enrollment ever for new members. Since January, the association has conducted meetings in Venice, Florida and Baltimore, Maryland, with upcoming meetings scheduled in October for Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Orange County, California.

For more information about the National Timeshare Owners Association call 410-536-0064 or email Ed Hastry, President at: hastry@aol.com

http://www.nationaltimeshareownersassoc.com/

Recent The Timeshare Authority posts or Sell My Timeshare NOW media releases about the National Timeshare Owners Association:

• The National Timeshare Owners Association and Sell My Timeshare NOW
• The Secret to Happy Timeshare Owners
• National Timeshare Owners Association Seminar
• Timeshare Resales CEO Part of Speakers Panel for National Timeshare Owners Association

Listen as Steve Luba of Sell My Timeshare NOW, interviews NTOA President, Ed Hastry:

• Interview with Ed Hastry, President of the National Timeshare Owners Association