Which ocean do you prefer? Atlantic or Pacific?

When you compare HOT 100 List timeshare resort number 25, Occidental Allegro Vacation Club, Grand Aruba and the Sands of Kahana Vacation Club timeshare, HOT 100 resort number 24, you may find it hard to choose, which beautiful island? Which sunny beach?

Aruba Timeshare at the Occidental Allegro Vacation Club Timeshare

The Occidental Allegro Vacation Club is a multi-destination timeshare with Grand Aruba being a favorite destination of many who are members of this popular vacation club. Recognized as the largest and fastest growing all-inclusive timeshare resort company in the world, the Occidental Allegro Vacation Club has more than 75 properties. Located around the world, you will find Occidental Allegro resorts in Morocco, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, Antigua, France, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Tunisia, and of course, the beautiful resort in Aruba.

If you thought buying timeshare takes the hassle out of vacation planning, and lets you lock-in the price of a lifetime of vacations, imagine what buying timeshare at an all-inclusive resort does for the equation.

Here are some of the benefits of that are part of membership at Occidental Allegro Vacation Club Grand Aruba timeshare and included at no additional fee:

• Unlimited meals, even at their high-end restaurants. Your choice of 6 restaurants, 4 bars and a disco with bar.
• Unlimited snacks and beverages.
• Nightly entertainment.
• Freeform pools with whirlpools. Chaise lounges and towel service at the beach and at the pool.
• Two tennis courts, aqua aerobics, water polo, snorkeling and kayaking.
• Daily activities on the beach and at the pool.
• Kids club.
• And no hidden fees, VIP Check-in, and much, much more.

Hawaii Timeshare at the Sands of Kahana Vacation Club Timeshare

But if you prefer Polynesian charm, you may find yourself more attracted to the next timeshare resort on the HOT 100 List, the Sands of Kahana Vacation Club timeshare.

It starts with location, location, location, and this Hawaii timeshare just so happens to be situated between Kaanapali and Kapalua on the west coast of Maui. How much better can it get? The Sands of Kahana Vacation Club is considered to be the flagship resort of the Consolidated Resorts Properties.

Choose from one, two, and three-bedroom timeshare units, all with full kitchens and in-room washers and dryers. Enjoy the beach, swim in the pool, or soak in the hot tub. You can also enjoy the putting green, tennis courts, exercise room, luxurious spa, clubhouse, bar, lounge and restaurant.

Timeshare is All About Choices

You know, timeshare really is all about choices. You pick the way you like to vacation, you pick the locations you want to explore or revisit again and again, and best of all, as your lifestyle and interests change, timeshare exchange makes it possible to continue to enjoy vacations that are ‘just-right’ for you and your family or friends. Best of all, the opportunities of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals help make flexible, luxury vacations available at affordable prices.

This is the first in a three-part The Timeshare Authority blog post taking an in-depth look at how the timeshare industry is weathering the US economic recession. Part I begins by looking at some very insightful information that appeared in HOTELS magazine earlier this month on the current state of timeshare sales and the timeshare industry.

In an article on 2/1/09, HOTELS Magazine observed that as recently as last October, they were still reporting that vacation ownership (timeshare sales) “defies the downturn“. Candidly, it seemed to most people in the timeshare industry that the historically proven success of timeshares sales would carry the industry through this economic recession. Here at The Timeshare Authority, we were delivering much the same message. In so many ways, it appeared that the proven strength of timeshares sales would even help some hotelier/developers compensate for weak hotel bookings.

But as the HOTELS article so aptly put it: “And then the sky fell.” Howard Nusbaum, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) President explained, “We’ve never had a situation like this before, where we’ve been unable to monetize consumer paper. There were timeshare developers who were still having robust sales, but there was no way to monetize the consumers’ debt, so those developers had to slow their sales down. That has been very problematic for the industry.”

People didn’t lose their desire and interest to buy timeshare and timeshare developers weren’t failing in their goal of keeping plenty of enticing new timeshare resorts on the market. Instead, there simply wasn’t the available credit to finance the purchase of new timeshares. And the problem hit everyone … at least to some degree.

Disney Vacation Club Timeshare Dealing with the Challenging Economy

The Orlando Sentinel reported that in December, even Disney Vacation Club hit a snag when a line of credit the company had used since 1999 expired and was not renewed. In the past, Disney Vacation Club has helped approximately 75 percent of its timeshare buyers finance their purchase. Timeshare sales averaged between $20,000 and $30,000 for one-week of timeshare ‘ownership’ in a two-bedroom timeshare unit at a Disney timeshare resort.

After helping timeshare buyers take ownership of new timeshares, Disney Vacation Club often bundled timeshare mortgages together and resold them to investors. This securitization of mortgages was a source of profit for Disney Vacation Club timeshare, and according to the Sentinel report, “Disney Co. Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said during a December conference with analysts that the practice generated about $40 million in operating profit last year for Vacation Club.”

But Disney Vacation Club has the wherewithal of the Disney corporation behind them as a safety net. The depth of the company enables them to carry timeshare mortgages instead of selling them for profit. By doing this they will still realize the proceeds from the financed timeshare sales; it will just take the lifetime of the timeshare mortgage rather than the quick cash-out available when the mortgages are resold.

How much does this really hurt Disney Vacation Club timeshare? According to Morgan Stanley financial analyst, Benjamin Swinburne, Disney Vacation Club timeshare will see a “small increase” in 2009 rather than the estimated 18 percent growth it experienced last year.

In tomorrow’s The Timeshare Authority post, we will look at measures other timeshare companies are taking during these challenging times.

The Houston, Texas-based timeshare company, Raintree Vacation Club, released news this week that they are not only acquiring additional properties and opening new resorts, they are breaking sales records!

With sales offices in Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Raintree is the largest independent, US-based vacation ownership company operating in Mexico. The company currently has twenty-one timeshare resorts, ten of which are Mexico timeshare. Raintree Resorts can also be found in the western US and in western Canada.

In December, Raintree opened timeshare resort number 20 in Villa Vera Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Property number 21 came when Raintree Timeshares acquired the Phoenix resort previously known as Canyon View, currently under renovation.

According to the company’s president and CEO Doug Bech, the new Phoenix property represents “… over $100 million in future timeshare sales. It was acquired from Resort Funding, which is also providing an excellent working capital/receivables hypothecation line of credit for the consumer notes for both the Phoenix and Villa Vera Puerto Vallarta resorts. We will be rebranding this property quickly and begin operating it as a Raintree Resort.”

Raintree timeshares is pleased to be offering a new timeshare resort destination in Arizona, and enthusiastic about their relationship with Resort Funding, about whom Bech says, “… we believe we will have other future business.”

Clearly Raintree Resorts is Doing Things Right

You already know the situation for many timeshare companies and timeshare developers who are struggling to downsize and ride out the recession. Yet, Raintree is clearly doing things the right way. The company reported they were more than $8 million above sales, year-over-year for 2008.

Raintree Vacation Club is the exchange arm of Raintree Resorts, serving over 50,000 member/owners.

TATOC is the only elected consumers association to represent the interest of timeshare owners in Europe. TATOC works with all aspects of the timeshare industry including the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (OTE), the exchange companies, timeshare developers, the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR), and other governmental agencies.

Formed in 1989, TATOC is a limited company that operates predominately as a networking group for members of timeshare owners committees.

The Objectives of The Timeshare Association TATOC

The objectives of the association are:

• To promote the maintenance of high quality standards of facilities and amenities, and to encourage the efficient management of timeshare resorts through communication and education.
• To lobby and campaign on matters related to timeshare and timeshare owners by liaison with trade industry bodies and government departments.
• To actively promote the positive image of timeshare through all communications channels.

To learn more about TATOC, visit www.timeshareassociation.org
Or contact them at:
Manchester House
84-86 Princess Street
Manchester, United Kingdom
Telephone +44 (0) 845 230 2430
Fax +44 (0) 870 916 7223

To interact with timeshare owners in an online forum, visit The Timeshare Owners Forum for Sell My Timeshare NOW.

As promised, The Timeshare Authority is looking at the specific benefits for timeshare buyers brought about by the European Union’s timeshare legislation passed in October.

For starters, the timeshare industry is very important in Europe, representing an approximately $14 billion (US dollars) industry that employs some 40,000 people. And while timeshare laws were in place, aspects of timeshare regulation in Europe did not adequately protect consumers.

In summary, the new European Union timeshare regulations will:

• Cover all vacation ownership properties, including holiday clubs (see yesterday’s The Timeshare Authority to learn more about the problems of holiday clubs).
• Provide consumers comprehensive pre-contractual information enabling them to make informed choices.
• Cover moveable property like canal boats and caravans, and long-term products such as access to websites that offer big discounts on flights, hotels, and rental cars.
• Bans deposits or advance payments of any type, and …
• Create a unified 14-day cooling off or rescission period throughout Europe, in which a timeshare buyer will be able to withdraw from the contract without incurring costs.

Meglena Kuneva, the EU’s consumer commissioner says, “The new rules will ensure that the best possible protection is in place for consumers in the modern holiday market and that rogue operators will no longer be able to exploit loopholes in the law.”

As with any legislation, there are always critics. Sandy Grey, speaking for one timeshare association said, “These con merchants can spot the white knees and red faces of tourists a mile off – and for those holidaymakers that leave their brains at home, two weeks’ grace might not be much use. If they sign up in the first few days of their holiday it could be too late by the time they’re home and have a chance to think about it.”

National governments throughout Europe now have a maximum of two years to ensure the directive is incorporated into law. Until that then, and even when the new legislation is fully enforced, your best protection against timeshare fraud, scams, and misrepresentation is to take your time in making decisions, and never sign a contract that you do not fully understand.

If you buy timeshares in countries other than the United States, the laws of the country in which the timeshare is located govern your transaction. The only exception to this can occur when you have dealt with a sales office that represents timeshare in other countries, but the office itself is located in the United States and your contract closes in the United States.

European Timeshare Sales Slower than in Other Destinations

While timeshare as a concept got its start in Europe, timeshare sales never took off in Europe in the same way they have in the US. Although approximately 1.5 million Europeans have bought timeshares, the consensus is that some of them have been misled in making their purchase.

One major deterrent to European timeshare sales and industry growth has been an ambiguity – a bit of a loophole – that enabled a product known as a “holiday club” to work around Europe’s original timeshare regulation, (Timeshare Directive 94/47/EC) a law that was first passed by the European Union in 1994. Holiday clubs operated outside this earlier EU timeshare law by offering a product with only a three-year duration of ownership, because until October 2008, European Union law applied to timeshare products if they involved more than a three-year period of ownership. With the door wide upon for timeshare scams at unregulated holiday clubs it was often difficult for consumers to identify which European vacation ownership products were “safe” to buy and which ones to avoid.

As Harry Taylor, CEO of TATOC (The Association of Timeshare Owners Committee; the only elected consumers association to represent the interests of timeshare owners in Europe) explains, “The previous Bill was not flexible enough to cover such products as canal boats and as usual there were companies that were able to circumvent the law. For instance, the introduction of holiday clubs … Also there was the confusing aspect of there being different rulings in different countries. This new European legislation will remove any confusion and protect consumers whether they are buying in Spain or Greece.”

Saturday’s The Timeshare Authority will fill you in on more details about the newly passed European Union legislation. And be sure to read The Timeshare Authority blog for Monday, December 1, to learn more about TATOC.

Part II in a two-part series.

In Saturday’s The Timeshare Authority blog, we profiled the women behind WIN, a new professional organization for Women in the Industry that supports and cultivates women as the leaders of tomorrow in the vacation industry.

We had the opportunity to interview several members of WIN’s Board of Directors, and their comments give you a great insight into the current and future role of their organization.

Q. Who founded Women in the Industry (WIN) and when did you launch?

A. Cathy Backus and Lani Kane-Hanan founded WIN. (See Saturday’s The Timeshare Authority to learn more about Backus and Kane-Hanan). Our first official meeting was held at last year’s spring ARDA convention. Cathy Backus had been working on Women in Timesharing; ARDA’s Lani Kane-Hanan had been working on Women in the Industry. They were in concert so they joined forces to found WIN-a stronger organization.

Q. What are WIN’s objectives and goals?

A. WIN is a non-profit group that advocates, educates, and connects women in the vacation industry. The primary purpose of WIN is to foster the growth of women by recognizing their accomplishments and creating a strong networking environment. In addition to providing a forum for women in the vacation industry to unite and leverage best practices, WIN will also support industry research particularly as it pertains to women.

Q. Who benefits from joining WIN and how?

A. Both individuals and corporations benefit; there is a place in WIN for women and also for men who support women. Individual members of WIN will receive newsletters, educational sessions and information, networking opportunities and access to the membership directory. Corporate memberships receive a number of other benefits as well as their membership serving to show their commitment to support the causes of this not-for-profit group.

Q. What do you hope to see WIN accomplish in the next year? The next 5 years?

A. WIN is a grassroots, volunteer-based organization. What we hope to accomplish in the next few years is to complete the foundation of our organization. We have selected our Advisory Board and with their help, we will grow the member base, finalize local and regional chapters, hold several local and national networking sessions, launch our website and job search tool, and hold educational sessions for women and those who support women in our industry.

Q. What do you see as the greatest challenges the timeshare and vacation ownership industry currently faces?

A. Developing a strong core of new blood, fresh energy, and skilled professionals. Women bring this to the table.

Q. What do you see as the greatest challenges for women working in the timeshare /vacation ownership industry?

A. The industry has long been dominated by men, but this is evolving. Women are in a unique position to understand their fellow women’s needs and to support and nurture professionalism. With women in leadership positions, women’s desires to improve their lifestyle, support their families, and improve their community will be better met.

Wise words.

Women drive many of the buying decisions in the timeshare sales and timeshare resales industry. It makes a great deal of sense to build and grow the timeshare industry to better match the owner base. If you are part of the timeshare and vacation ownership industry in any way, look into what WIN has to offer you and what you have to offer WIN. The organization already includes individuals, resorts, vacation clubs, recreational real estate developers, and funding and lending institutions. The community of support services to the timeshare industry is also getting involved in WIN, including architects, legal advisors, and suppliers.

If you want to learn more about WIN and their vision, contact them at 760-755-0356, or visit www.WomenInTheIndustry.com

Timeshare points can be confusing when you first try to understand them. Each timeshare company runs their points system differently and gives their timeshare points different values. Sometimes as one way of distinguishing that they use a points based system, rather than timeshare real estate ownership, a timeshare company will call itself a vacation club.

But in basic terms, timeshare points function like currency. Timeshare points offer a way for you to accumulate ‘currency’ from year to year, allowing you the spending power to vacation at larger timeshares or more desirable locations than the timeshare you originally purchased. In many cases, timeshare points can also be used to purchase other travel services, such as airline tickets or cruises. It all depends on your timeshare company, and their options and restrictions on timeshare points.

Some timeshare owners are surprised to learn that timeshare points also can be sold. Yes, you can resell timeshare points in much the same way you sell deeded or right to use timeshares. And timeshare points don’t always come from a timeshare developer. Your timeshare exchange company can issue timeshare points as well. If the flexibility of owning timeshare points appeals to you, look into owning RCI Multi-destination timeshare points, purchased in the resale marketplace.

For more on the topic of timeshare points, watch this short Timeshare Authority informational video, posted on YouTube:

Palm Beach Shores Resort and Vacation Villas timeshares and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa timeshares are back-to-back on the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list; and both are very popular Florida timeshare resorts for timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

Palm Beach Shores Resort and Vacation Villas, located in Palm Beach, Florida, ranked number 57 on the HOT 100 list. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa timeshares in Orlando ranked as number 56. These are two luxurious Florida timeshare resorts, but the appeal of each is unique and distinctive.

Palm Beach Shores Resort and Vacation Villas Timeshares

For beachside luxury, you can’t do better than the Palm Beach Shores Resort. Located on prestigious Singer Island, the area has long been a playground for the rich and famous. Timeshare units at the Palm Beach Shore Resort offer your choice of ocean view, pool view, or island view. Units include fully appointed kitchens, king size beds, queen size sleeper sofas, and two televisions. On property, you will find a full service restaurant, nail salon, exercise room, swimming pool, and a spa.

Plan a Palm Beach Shores timeshare vacation when you want to watch the sunrise on the beach or to sleep in and then lounge by the pool. Or schedule a day for marathon shopping at the internationally renowned shops of Worth Avenue. You can also choose from a wide selection of water sports or golf at one of the many nearby championship courses. If you like Vegas-style excitement, you may decided to schedule a day cruise for gambling and games.

The Palm Beach Shores Resort and Vacation Villas timeshare is an RCI Gold Crown Resort.

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Timeshares

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa may be a Florida timeshare, but as its name suggests, it pays homage to horse racing and upstate New York country retreats as they were at the turn of the century.

This is the largest of the existing Disney Vacation Club timeshare resorts, and as of early 2008, is sold out for new timeshare sales. But that doesn’t mean you and your family can’t enjoy a Disney vacation at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa in a Disney Saratoga Springs timeshare resale or timeshare rental.

This Disney Vacation Club property offers studio timeshare units, one and two-bedroom units, and grand timeshare villas. The property includes 12 buildings and approximately 46 timeshare units or villas per building. With its Victorian architecture, shaded lakeside setting and bubbling fountains, you may forget that you are at a Florida timeshare at all, that is, until you hop the Disney monorail and are transported straight to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or any of the other Orlando Disney theme parks and attractions.

Choices for Your Florida Timeshare Vacation

Palm Beach Shores Resort and Vacation Villas timeshares and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa timeshares give you two great choices for a Florida timeshare vacation. But remember, there are more timeshare resorts in Florida than anywhere else in the world, which means more vacation fun and more opportunities to become a vacation property owner. Best of all, you can easily and affordably enjoy Florida timeshares through timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

As part of the Disney Vacation Club’s continued growth, Disney commenced sales last week for their new timeshare resort, the Bay Lake Tower. Opportunities to buy timeshare at this new Orlando timeshare, which will be located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, are made available first to Disney Vacation Club Members, with sales to the public to be available at a later date.

In a press release issued by Disney Vacation Club timeshare, President Jim Lewis said, “Our founder, Walt Disney, was well known for having one foot in the past and one in the future. These new resort developments share that dynamic sensibility, blending modern luxury and design with the nostalgic spirit of two of the most storied resorts in Walt Disney World history.

“What excites me most about this tremendous growth is that we’re not only creating new accommodations, but new experiences. Each of the projects we’ve undertaken at Disney Vacation Club is unlike anything previously available in our resort portfolio, and both Bay Lake Tower and the Treehouse Villas proudly build on that tradition.”

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

If you are old enough to remember when Disney Orlando’s Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, one of the things you will also remember is that parts of the park were very specifically designed to honor Walt Disney’s vision of futuristic (George Jetson-style) living. Much of the design of the new Bay Lake Tower timeshares will pay architectural tribute to Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

Bay Lake Tower timeshare villas will include 295 two-bedroom villas and will be the closest resort to the Magic Kingdom Park. Featuring modern artwork, and an ultramodern color scheme, rooms will include flat-screened televisions, full kitchens, washers and dryers, plus plenty of space for relaxing. Designed to accommodate up to nine people, some timeshare units will be lockouts that can be divided into a one-bedroom timeshare villa to sleep five, with a studio timeshare to sleep up to four. A convenient skybridge will link the timeshare high-rise to shops, restaurants, and the Disney monorail station.

Follow these links to read about other recent developments at Disney Vacation Club timeshare:

• New Disney Timeshare Deal with Four Seasons Hotels, Resorts and Timeshares
• Disney Marketing Gives You a New Reason to Buy Timeshare
• Disney Vacation Club Timeshare is Family Fun, but One Disney Restaurant Is No Longer Family Friendly