Earlier this fall we published our lists of the most in-demand timeshare resales and the most in-demand timeshare rentals.

Once again, Hawaii timeshares dominated both lists. As you will see in the slides below, part of the reason Hawaii timeshares are so popular as timeshare resales and timeshare rentals is because of the beauty and wonder of Hawaii itself.

But just as importantly is the fact that resorts in Hawaii are vacation destinations within themselves offering you beautiful beaches, mountain vistas, amazing serenity, and yes, even a chance to hula.

Of all the great vacation destinations and all the fantastic resorts in the world, three of the top ten most in-demand timeshare rentals are Hawaii timeshares while three of the top ten most in-demand timeshare resales are also Hawaii timeshares.

Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club in Oahu ranked as the number 2 most in-demand timeshare rental and the number 9 most in-demand timeshare resale. The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas in Maui took the number 3 spot in rentals and the number 5 spot in resales while Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club was number 6 in popularity for timeshare rentals and number 3 among the top timeshare resales.

To obtain the complete Hot 100 Timeshare Resales report, go to: here: www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RESALES-2011.pdf

For the complete Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals, go to: here: www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RENTALS-2011.pdf

The following excerpt is from an article titled, “Timeshare resort management and the power of understanding your brand.” This article, by Jason Tremblay appears in the June edition of The Resort Trades and this portion is reprinted here with their permission.

In it, we take a serious look at brand messaging and why the timeshare industry may be missing the mark when we fail to speak to the hearts of consumers. Vacations truly are about so much more than resort amenities, yet we as an industry often fail to mention or market the benefits that timeshare owners and renters may value most: the memories, the laughter, the relaxation and the bonding time, to name only a few.

To find out more about the power of understanding your brand, and what it means for timeshare owners and the industry as a whole, look for this article in the this month’s The Resort Trades.

In Sunday’s The Timeshare Authority blog, (see: Timeshare Sales Up 55 Percent in Australia Timeshare Holiday Ownership) we looked at the positive growth seen in the Australia timeshare market in 2009. And while the Australia timeshare market looks good now, it has faced many of the same economic challenges that have impacted US timeshare over the past two years. So how did they manage to flourish, given the global economic climate?

The CEO’s of three of the top Australia timeshare companies say the economy has forced them to take some actions that, at the time, felt very aggressive. Action they might not have taken had the tight economy not pushed them in that direction.

Craig Wood, CEO of Accor Vacation Club explains, “At the start of the crisis it was necessary to restructure our business. A combination of a high quality product, world-class service and a fantastic and engaged work-force allowed us not just to weather the initial impact of the crisis but produce a significant increase in profitability due to the austerity measures we implemented during the last year. Two of our key performance indicators, member satisfaction and resort occupancy increased during this year demonstrating the resilience of our business, even in the toughest of economic times.”

Ramy Filo, CEO of Classic Group points to the fact that Australia timeshare survived and by some standards, thrived, over the past two years, as “… an indication of the resilience of the industry … consumer confidence and significant growth in incremental sales.” Classic Group timeshare has more than 45,000 members. The company’s Gold Coast timeshare resorts are operating at greater than 95 percent capacity and regionally, they are at 80 percent (the kind of numbers the hotel industry would love to see). As Filo explains, the Classic Group timeshare product is a great fit with the traditional accommodation industry thereby adding stimulus to their business and expands delivery options to its members.

Barry Robinson CEO and Managing Director of Wyndham Vacation Resorts, is another industry leader who sees the economic downturn as having provided timeshare companies with the opportunity to showcase the benefit of vacation ownership. “Wyndham’s vacation ownership resorts enjoyed average occupancies above 80 percent for the 2009 year, with many Owners commenting that their ownership provided them with a holiday they would not otherwise have been able to take during that time. Having to streamline our operations in the early stages of the GFC has made us focus on becoming more efficient and innovative. Since that time we have experienced a significant increase in our profit margins.”

More than a year ago, here on our timeshare blog we wrote about the then-unfolding economic crisis as a potential challenge for the timeshare industry. Congratulations to these companies and their leaders for rising to meet the challenge. As Craig Wood points out, “John F Kennedy once noted that when written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”

Follow these links to learn more about the opportunities waiting for you in Australia timeshare resales and rentals: Accord Premier Destination Club timeshare resales; Classic Holiday Club timeshare resales and rentals; and Wyndham timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

Source: Travel Daily News International

ATHOC is the Australian timeshare (or as they say down under, ‘holiday ownership’) regulatory body. These days, ATHOC is abuzz over the positive timeshare trends revealed by recent industry reports. Latest findings show Australia timeshare is in a time of robust growth as Australians embrace the concept of vacation ownership.

ATHOC, which stands for Australian Timeshare Holiday Ownership Council, says that despite global economic challenges, Australia timeshare sales for 2009 were up 55 percent to $205.4 million. Based on this research, which was commissioned by ATHOC and conducted by AEC Group Limiteds, and in which 78 timeshare properties participated, there are now 152,000 timeshare owner families in Australia, marking an increase of 20 percent over 2005.

As Australia celebrates this positive news about the timeshare industry, no one is overlooking the greater impact this story has. In 2009, timeshare owner families spent an average of $2,027 per travel party, per trip, (up from $916 in 2005) making a vital contribution to local economies. Now pair that boon with the indirect economic benefit the timeshare industry contributes to the Australian economy, an amount Australians estimate to be more than a billion dollars for 2009, and you see why Australian timeshare is making everybody smile.

Women on Their Way by Wyndham Worldwide is recognized as the longest-running branded program dedicated to female travelers in the hospitality industry. The program, known as WYN, is an online resource for business and leisure travelers to find everything they need to plan and book their next trip, targeting the unique needs and preferences of female travelers. Because of WYN, Wyndham resort properties have paid extra attention to the requests of the female travelers including in-room coffeemakers, full-length mirrors and healthier room service menus in their hotels and resorts.

Now, Women on Their Way has released its annual list of top holiday destinations, which they describe as ranging from fun in the sun to frosty winter wonderland. These resorts were selected because they offer women a way to rekindle relationships, relax, lift their spirits, and create memorable moments.

Here is the 2010 WYN Holiday List. Follow this link to learn about accommodations at Wyndham Hotels and branded properties or click on any of the links below to learn about outstanding opportunities in timeshare resales and rentals at these top 10 destinations.

1. Branson, Missouri. Home to live music shows, shopping, and a festive holiday season.
2. San Antonio, Texas. Holidays in San Antonio happen big—Texas style, with everything from Broadway shows, Spanish missions to explore, and the vibrant Riverwalk.
3. Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada. Scenic Lake Tahoe is an ideal destination for vacations in any season, but this time of year is a paradise for winter sports lovers.
4. Denver, Colorado. Urban chic in the Mile High City with a backdrop of majestic mountains.
5. Atlanta, Georgia. Christmas brings parades, holiday festivities, and both southern charm and city lights to sparkling Atlanta.
6. Alexandria, Virginia / Washington, D.C. History, museums, and Christmas in our nation’s capitol… what could be better?
7. Coastal Carolina. Holiday flotillas, candlelight tours, a Dickens Christmas Carol; New Bern, North Carolina and other coastal Carolina towns offer quaint Christmas charm.
8. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ice skating on the frozen lakes, a true winter wonderland, or shop ‘til you drop at the Mall of America.
9. Oceanside, California. Quite beachside town for a relaxing getaway in the sun.
10. The Great Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Celebrate a country Christmas in the mountains of Tennessee.

Here it is Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year and many parents and grandparents are hitting the stores and descending on the malls, often in search of those ‘just right’ holiday toys. So it is fun to learn that Hyatt Resorts and Hyatt Timeshares are thinking about your children and grandchildren and their toys as well.

Hyatt Resorts announces the new Toy Box program designed with both children and their parents in mind. At participating Hyatt properties, vacationers and travelers will now find a stock of age-appropriate toys to entertain children, from toddlers to ‘tweens.

Traveling with children can be challenging and let’s face it, with airport security tighter than ever, and luggage fees piling up, we are all at least a little stressed by the new rules of packing. Sometimes there is simply not room for those favorite toys that will help entertain your children and make family travel more fun.

Hyatt Toy Box to the rescue with toys recommended by Toy Tips Research Institute for age appropriateness, educational value, and application to the special circumstances of vacations and travel. At participating Hyatt resorts in the US and the Caribbean, families can now review the Toy Box book, which lists 24 available toys a child can checkout and enjoy during the hotel or timeshare stay. And when it is time to head for home, the toys are inspected for broken or missing parts and then cleaned with Toy Tips Toy Cleaner, a non-chemical, eco-friendly cleaner, leaving them ready for the next pint-size guest to enjoy.

Carlos Cabrera, senior vice president of field operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, says, “Traveling with children is a unique challenge, and bringing their favorite toys can be even trickier. With the Hyatt Resorts Toy Box, children of all ages can have a fun-filled vacation with toys at their fingertips, helping parents to alleviate the burden of packing and carrying extra luggage.”

Cry wolf enough times and people start to ignore you. Let’s hope that’s not what is happening with regard to the new US passport laws. For several years now, the US government has been saying that American travelers to Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean will need valid passports to re-enter the country. They have set deadlines, only to delay their enforcement repeatedly because they could not handle the processing overload the new laws created. But June 1, 2009 looks like the ‘real’ deadline.

Unless the rules are delayed yet again (which does not seem likely), beginning next month, US citizens will not be allowed to leave the country without a valid US passport to use when they re-enter the country. So just because your timeshare ownership gives you great exchange privileges at a Mexico timeshare, a Canada timeshare ski resort, or a Caribbean timeshare for sun and surf, doesn’t mean you can take advantage of this unless you have a passport. And the rules apply whether you walk across the border, arrive by plane, or via cruise ship.

Marriott Timeshare Alerting Timeshare Vacationers

Marriott timeshare officials (as well as other timeshare resorts, cruise lines, and hoteliers) have been trying to alert their timeshare owners and timeshare renters, reminding them of the new passport laws.

In an interview with NYDailyNews.com Ed Kinney, vice president at Marriott Vacation Club International, said, “Our Aruba properties are visited by timeshare owners who are typically avid world travelers and who already have their passports. However, we also open our properties to non-owners interested in staying at one of our timeshare properties instead of booking a traditional hotel. When these less-savvy travelers make their reservations, we’ve been alerting them of the new passport regulations to avoid any last-minute problems.”

Kinney adds that he does not anticipate that the new laws will have too much impact on Marriott timeshare owners, explaining, “The people who will be impacted the most are US citizens who don’t currently have a valid passport and who will need to acquire one prior to their next trip. The new rules will help bring consistency and less confusion to international travel.”

Your Mexico Timeshare, Caribbean Timeshare, or Canada Timeshare Vacation

With all the excellent opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals in Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada, don’t be caught off guard over this new passport law. Remember that the price of applying for a US passport also increases on June 1, so if you plan to travel outside the US, now is the time to get your application submitted. And if you get caught in a bind, or find that Caribbean timeshare rental or maybe Mexico timeshare resale that you just can’t resist, there are companies that, for an additional fee, will speed the processing of your passport documents.