For all the stories coming out now about the life (and death) of music icon Michael Jackson, one of the more intriguing comes from timeshare developer, David Siegel.

Siegel is the founder and CEO of Westgate timeshare and Westgate Vacation Villas, based in Orlando, Florida. Over the years, the theme parks made Orlando a favorite vacation destination for pop king, Michael Jackson, but with his fame and notoriety, he couldn’t exactly enjoy a quiet stay in an Orlando hotel or Orlando timeshare. So he rented private property.

And no residential location in the Orlando area is any more private that the exclusive mansions behind the guarded gates of Isleworth, located in a corner of the Orlando area, in the tiny town of Windermere. In addition to being home to Jacqueline and David Siegel, Isleworth’s famous residents include Ken Griffey Jr., Shaquille O’Neal, Tiger Woods, and a host of other ultra-wealthy celebrities and business moguls who own homes there. But it was one of the two Isleworth homes of Westgate timeshare’s Siegel that appealed to Jackson most among the cloistered mansions, possibly because it is located on a four-acre private island—and privacy is what Jackson stressed mattered most.

So from time to time, Michael Jackson and his entourage would contact Siegel and request to rent the Siegel family’s little 26,000 square-foot home with its 60-foot heated pool bordered in real gold and its 1700 feet of shoreline along the pristine freshwater of the Butler Chain of Lakes. With every Orlando visit, there was always the caveat that Siegel was to tell no one about Jackson’s presence, and for the weekly rental rate of $15,000, Siegel had plenty of motivation to honor the pop star’s request.

Which is why David Siegel found it so amazing, that after all the pledges of secrecy, soon after arriving at the Florida retreat, Jackson would be spotted on the roof of the home. As Siegel explained to FOX News Orlando, “He said he’ll take it under the condition that nobody knows he’s here. I didn’t tell anybody. He moves in. Within a day, he’s up on top of the house waving at boaters!”

How long do you think it takes, in Orlando, Florida, already known as Hollywood East because of the movie production and music recording industry based there, for paparazzi to identify the King of Pop standing on the widow’s walk of a two-story mansion, waiving one gloved hand to the recreational boaters just off shore?

And if you are thinking about enjoying the sunny weather, theme parks, and sparking lakes of Orlando and Central Florida yourself, but you are not planning on renting a private mansion, here are links to beautiful Westgate timeshares you can enjoy for a lot less money … but wherever you go, stay off the roof.

• Westgate Vacation Villas Timeshares
• Westgate Towers Timeshare

As we are wrapping up this past year’s HOT 100 timeshare resorts, let’s look at two very popular Mexico timeshare resorts and four Orlando timeshare favorites.

The Mayan Palace Riviera Maya Cancun is the HOT 100 timeshare favorite number 18, while the Pueblo Bonito Rose Spa and Resort is number 19.

The Mayan Palace Riviera timeshare offers so many exceptional features, including the world’s largest swimming pool, the Brio spa, and a Jack Nicklaus designed 18-hole golf course. It’s all located in a setting that boasts the white sands and clear turquoise waters of the Mexican Riviera.You can also visit ancient Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza (now one of the Seven Wonders of the World), tropical vegetation, caves to explore, and even a crocodile farm.

The Mayan Palace Riviera Mexico timeshare features studio timeshares, and one and two-bedroom timeshares as well as larger two bedroom lockouts, which sleep up to six people.

Or enjoy the Pueblo Bonito Rose Spa and Resort timeshare on El Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas. Just minutes away from the shopping, boutiques, arts, crafts, and restaurants of Cabo San Lucas, Pueblo Bonito Rose Spa and Resort also boasts a state-of-the-art, high tech exercise room, along with spa and health club facilities.

This Mexico timeshare is a resort for those who long to be pampered. From turndown service each night to a full service concierge, your wish is their command. And with timeshare units that range from junior suite to a four-bedroom, five-bathroom luxury penthouse, there are amazing opportunities available in Pueblo Bonito Rose timeshare resales and timeshare rentals to fit every vacation need and budget.

HOT 100 Timeshare Opportunities in Orlando Timeshares

However, with all the great Orlando timeshares, US vacationers can head for sunny destinations and never have to leave the country. Orlando has more timeshare resorts and more timeshare units than anywhere else in the world, so it is no surprise that so many Orlando timeshares show up on the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list.

Favorite Orlando timeshares include Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club (number 17); Westgate Vacation Villas (number 20); Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa Phase I (number 22); and Summer Bay Orlando timeshare (number 23).

Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club timeshare is located near Celebration, Florida, just south of Orlando, and less than 2 miles from Walt Disney Vacation World. Mystic Dunes, well known for its excellent 18-hole golf course, (par 71, and 7012 yards) offers a peaceful vacation retreat near all the Central Florida attractions and fun.

On-property at Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club timeshare, you will find:

• The 18-hole championship golf course
• An 18-hole miniature golf course
• Four pools, including Dunes Lagoon with a two-story water slide and private cabanas
• Restaurant, bar, and room service
• Tennis and basketball courts
• High-speed internet

And many other features to help make your Orlando timeshare vacation relaxing and memorable.

Westgate Vacation Villas and Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa Phase I are both high-demand options within the Westgate Resorts family of timeshares. Westgate Vacation Villas is located in Kissimmee, Florida, convenient to the Orlando International Airport and to the theme parks of the Orlando-Kissimmee vacation area.

Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa timeshare is in Orlando, close to golf, shopping, and of course the theme parks and attractions. At both resorts, the timeshare units range from one-bedroom/two-bath units to two, three, and even four-bedroom timeshares. Known as Grand Villas, Westgate Resort’s four-bedroom timeshares sleep up to 16 people, making them a perfect place for a corporate retreat, a family reunion, or just a vacation destination so spacious even the largest families can spread out and truly relax.

Westgate Vacation Villas timeshares offer 11 swimming pools, basketball and tennis courts, volleyball courts, a weight room, and a game room. Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa provides a beautiful lakefront setting, pools, water sports, biking areas, basketball and tennis courts, and a full range of children’s program.

Summer Bay Resort is an Orlando timeshare vacation destination you could enjoy so much, you would never have to leave the resort, so it makes perfect sense to wrap up today’s list by looking at the features and benefits Summer Bay timeshare has to offer.

Summer Bay Orlando timeshare is located on a private lake, in a quiet and almost secluded setting west of Orlando, near Clermont, yet is still within a short drive of the popular activities in Orlando. The large lake permits boating, skiing, pontooning, and other water sports, and there are smaller lakes, pools, and hot tubs throughout the resort. Enjoy a sandy beach, heated kiddie pools, mini golf, nighttime entertainment, a game room, crafts, basketball court, beach volleyball court, tennis court, fitness and games rooms, store, children’s playground, and a poolside bar and grill.

Timeshares at Summer Bay include one and two-bedroom timeshare units and larger, two-bedroom timeshare condos. As with all the timeshares and vacation ownership properties on the HOT 100 list, Summer Bay has ranked because of the high number of offers to buy or rent timeshare there, through Sell My Timeshare NOW.

If you are looking to sell timeshare at any of these resorts, then clearly Sell My Timeshare NOW has a demonstrated history of attracting offers to buy or rent these timeshares. And if you are looking for the best deal around in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, we invite you to shop the large online inventory of resort properties at www.sellmytimesharenow.com

It is hard to say which is the greater problem: the economy itself or consumer concerns about the economy. Either one gridlocks the flow of money as people spend less and worry more.

Both problems have worked against timeshare developers who must carry on despite there being fewer qualified timeshare buyers and greater reticence to part with their money by those who do have sufficient income to buy timeshare.

The gridlock stops being only a timeshare developer problem and takes on widespread economic impact in any state where timeshares represent a significant part of the hospitality industry and tax base. In Florida, home to more timeshare resorts than any other state in the US, the challenges that have faced the timeshare industry translate to a statewide problem that calls for legislators and the industry to work collaboratively on any measures that could potentially translate to relief.

Help for Florida Timeshares

Florida House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, has been working with lobbyists for the timeshare industry on a plan that will permit Florida timeshare companies to sell debt cancellation policies as part of a timeshare mortgage. Functioning like insurance, such policies would provide a consumer who buys timeshare from the developer with debt forgiveness in the event he (or she) loses his income.

Jason Gamel, vice president of state government affairs for the American Resort Development Association, was quoted by the Orlando Sentinel as saying, “It’s another good product that would allow developers to facilitate sales of time shares, bring tourists to Central Florida and give people comfort about their purchase.” Gamel compared the timeshare mortgage forgiveness policies to a type of travel insurance.

Westgate timeshare is among the Florida timeshare companies lobbying for this legislation. Westgate timeshare already sells similar debt-forgiveness policies as an option with their Nevada timeshares and their California timeshares.

The caveats of the policies have yet to be worked out, but one assumes that they cover loss of income by the head of household due to job loss or death.

The legislation (HB 61) has passed the Florida House and has been sent to the Senate for discussion. With only a couple of weeks left in the 2009 legislative session, approval of the plan may go down to the wire.

Sell My Timeshare Now Director of Communications Steve Luba discusses the real reason why the timeshare industry is in a holding pattern these days.

 

 The Timeshare Authority Launches New Podcast Service [3:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is the final post in a three-part The Timeshare Authority blog. (Timeshare Sales and Developer Strategic Responses – Part II) Parts I and II looked at how the credit crunch is impacting timeshare developers and timeshare sales, as well as what adjustments some timeshare companies are making to deal with it. Today’s post looks at what appears to be a growing recognition of the values in timeshare resales during these tight economic times.

Looking First at Wyndham Timeshare and Marriott Timeshare Sales

In the 4th quarter 2008, Wyndham timeshare reported that their gross vacation-ownership interest sales (timeshare sales) dropped 11 percent. In 2008, Wyndham timeshare segment contract sales declined 23 percent to $1,076 million. (source: Wall Street Journal)

Declining numbers like these in timeshare sales are no longer headline news; we’ve been hearing this message since last fall when Westgate Resorts timeshares and Bluegreen timeshares first began to send up red flags that they were feeling the pain of the troubled economy. But let’s consider the changes in timeshare sales patterns from all angles.

Sell My Timeshare NOW Saw Timeshare Sales Climb in 2008

At Sell My Timeshare NOW, the overall number of offers to buy or rent timeshares increased by 85 percent from 2007 to 2008, totaling 132,470 offers. The dollar amount of these offers also increased during this period, reaching $461,470,158.00, which represents a 68 percent increase over the dollar amount of offers to buy or rent timeshare in 2007.

Even in the 4th quarter of 2008, when US financial experts had stopped calling it a troubled economy and switched to calling it a recession, Sell My Timeshare NOW saw a 73 percent increase in the number of offers to buy or rent timeshare over the same quarter in 2007. Quarter-over-quarter, we experienced a 43 percent increase in the dollar amount of these offers.

Clearly people are tightening their belts, and personal financial situations range from ‘nervous about the economy’ to those who are dealing with the trauma of foreclosure, job loss, or both. Yet timeshare, both new and timeshare resales are selling. Before the credit crunch, Westgate timeshare was reporting strong sales of new timeshares as well. Westgate timeshare President and CEO David Siegel told the Orlando Sentinel, in an article that ran last September, that Westgate was managing to pay all its bills and will continue to meet all its obligations. But that there is no money for new business. “We’re having a record year. We’re in the most profitable year in our history and the banks are freezing our money. So we have no choice. In order for our company to survive we’re going to downsize until the money starts flowing again.”

And in a time when just about everyone is looking to get his or her dollar’s worth, it is not surprising to see a migration from closed timeshare sales offices to the excellent values available by shopping online for timeshare resales. Timeshare buyers are recognizing the value in timeshare sales on the secondary market and the enormous opportunities in timeshare resales.

This is a challenging economy, but there is nothing going on that the timeshare and vacation ownership industry won’t handle in stride. The industry will come out of this economic period redefined and better and the changes will benefit both consumers and the industry alike.

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.

Channel 7 News from Spartanburg-Greenville SC and Ashville NC, is reporting on an unhappy Westgate timeshare buyer, who recently received her money back. Quanisha Savage believed that she had won a vacation weekend in a radio contest. To her surprise, when she checked in at the resort, she was told that she had to attend an orientation session on the topic of timeshares.

After 4 hours in the presentation, Savage reported that she was, “… very tired and wanted to just get them out of my hair and it did sound like a good deal.” But buyer’s remorse set in quickly and several hours after leaving the presentation, Savage realized that she had made a mistake in agreeing to purchase the timeshare.

Calling Westgate timeshare, according to Savage, yielded no result. Two weeks after the purchase, Savage received documents via email confirming that she had 5 days from the date of purchase to cancel. Had she missed her chance to cancel the sale because Westgate timeshare had failed to respond to her in time?

After contacting Westgate Resorts, Channel 7 TV received an email from David Siegal, founder and CEO of Westgate timeshares. The email stated, “…Since we have to service our owners forever we don’t need to have an unhappy one like Ms. Savage. Let her know that due to your efforts (if you want to take the credit) she is getting her refund. We are a good company and certainly don’t need any bad publicity.”

Westgate Timeshare Did the Right Thing

The timeshare industry never needs more bad publicity, nor would, one hopes, they ever want to do the ethically wrong thing in dealing with a timeshare buyer. In this case, Westgate timeshare was not only doing what was ethically right, but if the facts presented by Channel 7 TV are complete, Westgate timeshare did what was legally correct for them to do as well. And David Siegal was most certainly right; no company worth its salt wants or needs an unhappy customer.

Recent blog posts at The Timeshare Authority on Westgate timeshare:

• Westgate Timeshare Is Paying the Price
• Orlando Timeshare Workers Face More Cutbacks
• Further Layoffs at Westgate Timeshare

Here’s a quick view of the luxurious Westgate Resort at Westgate Lakes Resorts and Spa in Orlando:

Westgate Timeshares is one of two companies that have agreed to settle in a Federal Trade Commission (FTC investigation into some of the timeshare companies’ marketing practices.

The FTC had brought charges against Westgate Resorts timeshare, and against Accumen Management Services, Inc, and its subsidiary All-in-One vacation Club, LLC for violating the National Do Not Call list. Westgate timeshares will pay $900,000 in the settlement while Accumen will pay $275,000.

Both companies were charged with making telemarketing calls to consumers who had completed entry forms for a sweepstakes. Consumers entering the sweepstakes believed they would be eligible to win a vacation package. Westgate, according to the Orlando Sentinel argued that people who give out their personal information, including their phone number, expect to be contacted. They also blamed a third-party lead provider for the violations, and pointed out that they no longer do business with that company.

Westgate Timeshare Asked for Leniency

Asking for financial leniency due to the nationwide recession and credit crisis, Michael Marder, attorney for Westgate timeshares, says they receive a “disappointing response”.

An Associated Press article, states that more than 167 million phone numbers have been placed on the Do Not Call registry and that the FTC has received thousands of complaints against Westgate timeshare over this matter.

This is a tough time for Westgate timeshares, (who has already laid off thousands of employees) to have to pay this kind of money. But there is always good news in a situation like this; any time the government sends a message like this, it helps keep unethical business practices in check, across the board. On top of that, the $1.2 million collected will go in the US Treasury – and in the end, that benefits all of us.

Other recent The Timeshare Authority blog posts about Westgate timeshare:

• Orlando Timeshare Workers Face More Cutbacks
• Further Layoffs at Westgate Timeshare
• The Other Side to the Westgate Timeshare Lawsuit Story
• More Bad News for Westgate Timeshares, Hit with $1 Million Judgment

Following the same path of Wyndham Vacation Ownership timeshare and Westgate Resorts timeshares, Marriott Vacation Club has laid off (or is in the process of letting go) just over 170 workers.

The pink slips started showing up just before Christmas at the Orlando timeshare call center, marking the second recent round of employee layoffs at Marriott timeshare. In November, approximately 80 timeshare employees were let go by the company, which claims it is being hurt by the credit crunch less than other timeshare companies have been. At that time, The Orlando Business Journal reported that Marriott timeshares anticipates rehiring as many as 31 positions during the process of closing one timeshare sales operation (the Horizons project) and expanding at another location.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Ed Kinney, Marriott’s vice president of corporate affairs, said that because Marriott does much of its own financing, they were not being squeezed as tightly by the tight international credit market and slowed consumer spending as are some timeshare developers.

Kinney says the current round of layoffs should be complete in January. Other timeshare companies cutting back and laying off in Orlando and elsewhere include: Wyndham Vacation Club, Westgate Resorts timeshare, and Bluegreen Resorts.

The Orlando Sentinel ran a story this week painting a grim picture for timeshare company employees nationwide, but especially in Central Florida. Workers in Orlando stand to be hit extra hard because the city’s 125 timeshare resorts, and approximately 28,000 timeshare units, qualify Orlando as the top timesharing city in the world.

Reductions at Wyndham Timeshare

According to the OrlandoSentinel.com (and other sources), Wyndham Vacation Ownership (Wyndham timeshare) is cutting a quarter of its companywide workforce, many of whom will be lost from the Orlando offices. Some 4,000 layoffs are anticipated for Wyndham timeshares overall.

Wyndham plans to gear down from annual sales of about $2 billion to approximately $1.2 billion in 2009. The Orlando Sentinel quoted Franz Hanning, chief executive officer of Wyndham timeshare, as saying, “We really don’t see those markets (the credit markets) reappearing for the foreseeable future … We want to take a proactive approach.”

Layoffs at Westgate Resorts Timeshare

At Orlando’s Westgate Resorts, rumors are circulating that the timeshare company stands on the brink of bankruptcy. David Siegel, founder and CEO of Westgate timeshares, insists there is no truth to the rumors, but does confirm that another 1,000 jobs will be cut at Westgate, following layoffs of more than 3,000 workers already this year.

Changes in timeshare sales will not necessarily hurt or help the timeshare resale market. While more people may be looking to resell their timeshare, putting more properties on the market, there may be equally as many people who recognize the value in timeshare resales over new timeshare, creating a strong demand in the resale market.

As with many things that are happening now … time will tell.