The Sarasota, Florida-based technology solutions provider, Triton Timeshare Software, has announced three new clients: The Lucayan Resort (Ocean City, Maryland); Emerald Isle Condominiums (Hot Springs, Arkansas); and The Banyan Resort (Key West, Florida).

Each of these resorts will be using Triton’s Property Management System, an integrated software suite with real time capabilities, even functional from PDA’s.

Dale Goodman, President, Goodmanagement whose company uses Triton’s products for 11 of the timeshare resorts it manages, says, “We chose Triton for The Lucayan because we know they always deliver both definition and execution. There are a lot of moving parts in resort operations, and Triton makes sure we stay interconnected through its user-friendly and intuitive system. We’ve been with Triton since 2005 and they continue to amaze us with their efficient installation, professional staff and 24/7 support.”

When your timeshare resort management puts technology solutions to work, everyone benefits because systems run more efficiently and your timeshare ownership experience and days spent in timeshare vacation become more pleasant and easier than ever to enjoy.

As Delaina Probus-Staley, President of Triton, says, “We are proud our Property Management System is working so seamlessly in so many locations. Our product is becoming rapidly sought-after and we hear that it is in part due to our learning tools and training.”

Artist rendering courtesy
of ECS Florida LLC.

Marriott Vacation Club International is formally debuting it’s new Florida timeshare resort, Marriott’s Oceana Palms on prestigious Singer Island. The Oceana Palms will be open to timeshare owners and guests starting tomorrow; it is more than 55 percent booked for opening. Timeshare management expects to see 80 percent booking by the following Friday. Vacationers and guests can also rent Oceana Palms timeshare units as timeshare rentals.

According to the Sun Sentinel, this upscale resort features (in phase one) a 19-story tower with 75 two-bedroom, two-bath timeshare units available now, swimming pools (including a zero entry pool with the Splash Zone and a waterslide), a fitness center, a restaurant, and other amenities. When a second tower is built (in phase two), the number of timeshare units at the Marriott timeshare resort is expected to double.

Timeshare is Good for Timeshare Owners and Good for the Economy

Located at 3200 North Ocean Drive, in Riviera Beach, the new Marriott timeshare resort is built on the oceanfront site of the former Crowne Plaza hotel and is being received with enthusiasm by local residents and business leaders. Jorge Pesquera, president and chief executive of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau, was quoted by the Palm Beach Post as saying, “This is a renaissance of Singer Island. It (the new Marriott timeshare) adds another option to the Riviera Beach/Singer Island corridor, which used to be very significant for tourism.”

Local authorities not only appreciate the jobs created during the construction phase of the resort and the fifty-plus jobs created now that the timeshare resort is operational, but they anticipate a ripple effect from tourists spending dollars at local restaurants, clubs, and stores. Marriott’s Oceana Palms will also create a boost to the tax revenue base.

Since the media seems to prefer to cover more stories of timeshare scams and problems than the testimonials of the many very happy timeshare owners, it can be easy to get the impression that timeshare is the only part of the vacation industry where unscrupulous people try to make money by preying on others.

But when you hear the recent accounts of house stealing, you realize that no industry can be fully insulated—no matter how hard they many try.

House stealing is a crime on the rise and while it shows up in all areas of real estate, privately owned vacation homes can be especially vulnerable.

The crime begins with the identity theft of the vacation home owner (although any property can be at risk). At a vacation home, it can be especially easy to set up mail delivery to the physical address because the absentee owner might never realize this has occurred. However, even safeguarding your mail delivery is not enough to protect you. Home stealers can also operate without access to your mail.

The criminal then uses standard forms for real estate transfer (available at any office supply store) to transfer your vacation home property (at this point they have fake IDs to prove they are “you”) to whomever is their working partner in their crime or even back to their own real identity. Now they appear to own your home, which they can then sell or refinance—either way, keeping any cash for themselves.

Some vacation home stealers take photos of the property to make it easier to sell it online. Out of state buyers may not visit the home for many months. Little will that buyer know that the photos (which could be real pictures of your vacation home or could be photos of any other property) and the keys he received to the front door are totally bogus.

Self Defense for Vacation Home Owners

Owning a vacation home you only visit occasionally has always come with its own measure of challenges, including maintenance, security, and ongoing repairs that all fall to the homeowner. Now it seems that the risk of scams, fraud, and house stealing have become part of the package too.

Here’s what the FBI advises to help you protect yourself, “From time to time, it’s also a good idea to check all information pertaining to your house through your county’s deeds office. If you see any paperwork you don’t recognize or any signature that is not yours, look into it.” They also suggest that you be vigilant about getting to the root of any documents you receive in the mail that are related to a mortgage or property transaction. Don’t just assume that because they aren’t from your mortgage company that they are a paperwork error. They could be the tip of the iceberg to a serious crime, of which you may be the victim.

The Timeshare Alternative

Owning timeshare means vacation ownership where you only pay for the days and nights you are entitled to use the property—and not for all the days your schedule wouldn’t permit you to be enjoying it anyway.

Timeshare ownership means that someone is always at your resort property, 365 day a year. Your timeshare vacation home is never a vulnerable empty site, prey to criminals.

When repairs or maintenance is warranted, your timeshare is covered. Your annual fees, along with the fees of all the co-owners at your timeshare resort, take care of not only the cost of the service but the property management to get the job done and follow up that it is done properly.

Owning a timeshare or timeshare resale gives you vacation opportunities at your favorite destination, but, let’s face it, it eliminates many of the vacation homeowner headaches and concerns.

Group RCI has commissioned an in-depth study of patterns within the timeshare industry, particularly looking at where the top demand is for timeshare and where the busiest timeshare areas are located. Essentially, it’s to be a look at timeshare supply and timeshare demand.

Some of the points the RCI timeshare study is expected to show include geographic areas or vacation destinations where timeshares and timesharing has a limited presence as well as identifying areas where demand is being met and the needs of interested timeshare owners are being served. According to HotelNetwork.com the soon-to-be-released RCI Timeshare study will show:

Timeshare: Is the Cup Half Empty or Half Full?

It is interesting to see research that focuses on making timeshare a better product with more application for more people. Perhaps the timeshare industry, like so many other areas of business, has been somewhat lulled into believing that its job is to convince people why they should want or need a timeshare.

In fact, the focus by all of us in the timeshare industry always should be on making timeshare into a product that better serves the vacation and travel wants or needs people already have.

I can’t wait for a day when I can write about timeshare owners at the old Royal Oasis timeshare resort in the Bahamas who are leisurely relaxing poolside, enjoying their vacation ownership Bahamas timeshare property. Last June, The Timeshare Authority posted that after three years of bad news, followed by some hopeful-sounding news, all we could give timeshare owners at Royal Oasis was “no news”.

This week, in what is becoming an anniversary topic, The Freeport News posted their own story of “no new news” about happenings at this Caribbean timeshare property. Their article chronicled the events since 2004, when Hurricane Frances permanently closed the already struggling Bahamas timeshare resort. As the article concluded, “In an attempt to get an update on the Royal Oasis project yesterday, The Freeport News contacted Harcourt’s Grand Bahama office (Harcourt Development Company, the owners who purchased the property in 2007) and was told that Archer (reference to CEO Donald Archer) was out of office and, Minister of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace did not return our call up to press time.”

Will a Thriving Resort Return at this Caribbean Timeshare Property?

The failure of this once popular Caribbean timeshare is not a typical story in the world of vacation ownership. And despite the relational damage that has occurred between the former resort management, the property’s new owners, and the individual timeshare owners, I can’t help but think that at some point in the future, there will again be a luxurious Caribbean timeshare on this property. If for any reasonthe rebuilding of a successful Bahamas timeshare fails to happen here, it will not be because of lack of effort on the part of the owners association or of the Bahamian government. Both groups having put forth extensive efforts to support the return of a successful and thriving resort at this Caribbean timeshare property.

Archive of The Timeshare Authority Blog Updates on the Royal Oasis Caribbean timeshare:

• Dissent Continues Over the Royal Oasis Timeshare Resort
• Uncertain News about Royal Oasis Timeshare Resort
• Royal Oasis Timeshare Resort: A Litany of Problems
• Important Information for Royal Oasis Timeshare Owners
• Updates about Royal Oasis Timeshare
• Optimistic News about Bahamas Timeshare Resales
• Recent Announcement Regarding Royal Oasis Timeshare
• The Other Victims of the Royal Oasis Timeshare Owners Fiasco

Starting July 16, 2009, the Marriott Vacation Club timeshare program will change its timeshare points system by integrating Marriott Vacation Club properties into Marriott Rewards Categories.

The good news for Marriott timeshare owners is that as part of this change, their timeshare stays will now be eligible for Marriott’s Fifth Night Free program, which Marriott describes as follows, “Guests must reserve a stay for a minimum of 5 redemption nights at one hotel to receive the fifth night for free. The fifth night free will be automatically applied when guests reserve for a minimum 5-night redemption stay.”

Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare Assigned New Rankings

According to Marriott Vacation Club, the strategy behind the change involves assigning hotel category levels to the Marriott Vacation Club timeshare resorts. Most timeshare properties will be ranked as a category 5, 6, or 7, in the Marriott Rewards system. This means that a one-night stay will require 25,000 points; 30,000; or 35,000 points respectively, based upon a deluxe guestroom, and depending upon whether the resort is a category 5, 6, or 7 property.

Upgrading from a deluxe guestroom to a one-bedroom timeshare will require an additional 5,000 points per night; a two-bedroom timeshare will call for 10,000 more timeshare points; and a three-bedroom timeshare will be 15,000 more points per night, all above the base points requirement for that resort.

One simple way to look at this is that at a category 5 resort, the cost in points will be 210,000 points for 7 nights in a two-bedroom timeshare. That rate increases to 240,000 points for the same number of nights, and the same size timeshare unit at a category 6 resort, and 270,000 points at a category 7 resort. These numbers include the benefit of using your one free night that is available to you when booking five or more consecutive nights.

Receiving Your Marriott Rewards Credit for Marriott Timeshare Stays

Remember that in order for a Marriott Vacation Club International owner to ensure receiving Marriott Rewards credit for Marriott Vacation Club International nights, he or she should present his Marriott Rewards member ID at either the time of check-in or check-out. The option for Marriott timeshare owners to count timeshare nights towards qualifying for the next level of Marriott Rewards Elite status, went into effect last June 30 (2008) but still comes as a surprise to many Marriott timeshare owners.

The new timeshare points system applies to reservations booked on or after the July 16 effective date. If you have already scheduled to use your timeshare points after the effective date the timeshare rates at the time of booking will prevail.

You may wish to also visit Marriott Vacation Club Rewards FAQs, if you have additional questions.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations continues to expand their timeshare resorts and destinations.

Did we tell you Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshares now includes a ski destination? Not long after Holiday Inn timeshare announced their new resorts in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Panama City, Florida; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Gatlinburg, Tennessee (More Timeshare Resort Destinations for Holiday Inn Vacation Club Timeshares) they followed it with the announcement of a ski-in, ski-out resort at the foot of Vermont’s Ascutney Mountain.

“We’re excited to include Ascutney Mountain Resort as the fourth Holiday Inn Club Vacations property as part of our alliance with Orange Lake, with our fifth and sixth resorts joining the brand in April,” Christian Hempell, vice president, Holiday Inn Club Vacations.

While the new Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare at Ascutney Mountain Resort is the only timeshare ski resort in the Holiday Inn US portfolio, the resort itself is truly a year-round destination. On site or nearby, the timeshare resort offers indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center and spa, an arcade, convenience store, a café and a full service restaurant.

Don Harrill, president and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts timeshare, describes the property as a popular drive-to destination for thousands of timeshare owner/members living in the New England area. Clearly the Holiday Inn timeshare company sees a great future in timeshare development as they continue to seek properties in North America and to finalize plans to build a new flagship timeshare resort in Orlando, increasing their Orlando timeshare units by as many as 2500.

As part of the timeshare brand’s portfolio, Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare at Ascutney Mountain Resort will be owned and operated by Orange Lake, a privately held company. For an overview of how the Orange Lake Resorts/Holiday Inn timeshare arrangement works, you may want to revisit this past The Timeshare Authority post: Another Major Hotelier Entering the Timeshare Resort Industry.

Marriott Vacation Club International has opened their new Marco Island, Florida timeshare resort.

Marriott’s Crystal Shores timeshare resort has opened with 71 timeshare units in Phase I. This new Florida timeshare is an exciting Marriott timeshare destination and the first beachside Marriott vacation ownership property on Florida’s Gulf of Mexico.

Florida Timeshare at Marco Island is an Ideal Destination

The white sand beaches of Marco Island and the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico make an ideal setting for this Marriott timeshare vacation destination. Imagine a zero-entry pool with waterslide, whirlpool spas, and poolside cabanas. The timeshare villas have been designed to take full advantage of the amazing views, while offering architecture and interior design in keeping with the casual lifestyle of the resort community.

Timeshare units at this Marriott timeshare resort range in size from spacious floor plans at approximately 1,100 to 1,450 square feet. Décor is cool, serene, and wonderfully casual with furnishings of natural materials and a blue and sage green color palette. Each timeshare villa offers floor to ceiling glass walls that open to a private patio or balcony where you can relax and enjoy the sea breezes.

The timeshare owner’s lounge (when complete) will provide a large terrace and indoor/outdoor seating area with a view of the beach. When complete, the property will include two swimming pools, a MarketPlace Express convenience store, and a fitness center.

Each timeshare unit has a fully equipped gourmet kitchen with granite countertops; spacious living and dining areas; a washer/dryer; multiple flat-panel televisions; DVD players in living room and bedrooms; and Wi-Fi access.

Marriott Timeshare’s Attention to Getting Things Just Right

The Crystal Shores Florida timeshare resort is a perfect example of Marriott’s attention to creating excellence in the vacation ownership experience for Marriott timeshare owners.

Stephen P. Weisz, president of Marriott Vacation Club International says, “As Marriott Vacation Club International commemorates 25 years of delivering unforgettable vacation experiences, we are thrilled to welcome Owners and guests to Marriott’s Crystal Shores. After more than 17 years of searching for just the right location on Marco Island, we couldn’t be more pleased to see this resort come to fruition on this prime beachfront setting.”

At buildout, this Marriott timeshare resort will have approximately 219 two and three-bedroom timeshare villas and is certainly a wonderful addition to the fine family of Marriott Vacation Club International timeshare resorts.

Home furnishing industry manufacturer, Ethan Allen, is expanding into the timeshare and hotel furniture industry.

After reaching a monthly high in April 2007 of $10.4 billion, US home furniture sales have declined, down by 14 percent in January 2009, year-over-year from 2008. But the creative minds at furniture industry cornerstone, Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc., may have found their solution for declining sales of home furnishings. Ethan Allen is turning to the timeshare industry and the next timeshare unit you buy or rent, may contain furnishings by Danbury, Connecticut based manufacturer, Ethan Allen.

According to The Advocate (Stamford CT), “The manufacturer and retailer of furniture and accessories has started a contract division that will provide furniture for the hospitality, condominium, villa and timeshare markets, in the United States and abroad.”

Furniture industry expert, Ray Allegrezza, editor-in-chief of Greensboro, NC based Furniture Today magazine, says that companies have to look for markets wherever they can and projects that Ethan Allen residential rivals could begin competing as timeshare and hotel furnishing rivals too. Companies mentioned included La-Z-Boy Inc., Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., and Furniture Brands International Inc., as possible competitors for the large timeshare resort and hotel furniture market.

More Good News about Furniture Companies that Serve the Timeshare Resort Industry

The Ethan Allen announcement came on the heels of last week’s North Carolina-based Kellex Corp., announcing that their Valdese, NC offices have met and exceeded their hiring goals. Kellex Corp., is known for manufacturing upholstered commercial furniture for the hospitality, timeshare, and health-care industries.

Despite all the reports of timeshare companies that are failing to meet their goals and releasing weak quarterly reports, stories like this about Ethan Allen and Kellex Corp reminds us that it is not all bad news. Clearly, new timeshare resorts are being furnished and older resorts are being refurnished – the timeshare industry is moving forward with a positive eye on the future.

It has been less than a month since Holiday Inn Club timeshares announced that the Orange Lake timeshare resorts in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Panama City, Florida are joining the Orange Lake Resort in Orlando as Holiday Inn Vacation Club branded timeshare resorts. This week, the timeshare company announced two more additions to its timeshare resort portfolio, with the acquisition of new destinations in Myrtle Beach SC, and Gatlinburg, TN.

The two new resorts are the current South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach and the Crown Park Resort in Gatlinburg. The 256 timeshare unit South Beach Resort will be known by the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand and the 109 timeshare unit resort in the mountains will be renamed the Smoky Mountain Resort. The acquisition was made by Orange Lake Resorts under their exclusive licensing agreement with IHG to brand the properties as Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshares.

New Timeshare Resorts in Popular Timeshare Destinations

The South Beach Resort, built in 2003 and located in the popular timeshare vacation location of Myrtle Beach, offers indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a lazy river, fitness center, and best of all – private access to a beautiful section of beach.

The Smoky Mountain Resort was originally a Crown Park Resort. Situated near the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this resort first opened in 2006; it offers timeshare owners and their guests indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness center, and easy access to many area attractions.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare assumed management of both timeshare resorts on Feb 13 and expects to begin conversion of the properties by April of this year.

Follow these links to read more about the new Holiday Inn Vacation Club timeshares:

• More Orange Lake Timeshare Resorts Join the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Brand
• Holiday Inn Timeshare Unveils New Orlando Timeshare Resort
• Another Major Hotelier Entering the Timeshare Resort Industry