After a dry summer, a few days of rain and cooler weather have brought beautiful autumn colors to much of the Smoky Mountain vacation area. Although fall’s color showed a little late this year in this part of the US, reports say it is making up for its late arrival with a spectacular show of red, orange, gold, and yellow.

Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare resort is a great location for enjoying this glorious burst of seasonal color, or for taking to the ski slopes in winter months, or spending a lazy summer vacation horseback riding, trout fishing, and hiking the nearby mountain trails. With lots of causal comfort and some amazing on-site amenities, it is easy to understand why the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort is a high-demand destination and ranks as number 49 on Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 Timeshare List.

About Your Westgate Smoky Mountain Timeshare Vacation

The Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare resort is adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which offers over 800 square miles of forest and wildlife preservation area and recreational-use land. The main highway through the park is US 441, Newfound Gap Road, which winds scenically through the mountains between two favorite tourist spots, Cherokee, North Carolina, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Most Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare villas have a fully equipped kitchen with microwave and dishwasher, a stone fireplace in the living area, and a garden spa tub in the master bathroom. Each log cabin-style timeshare villa offers either a mountain view or a creek-side view. This family vacation destination resort features two arcades, an activities program, a fitness center, multiple heated swimming pools, hiking trails, stables, the Serenity Day Spa, a lounge, snack bar, 24-hr. marketplace, the Smokehouse Grill, and the resort’s newest feature, a spectacular 60,000 square foot, climate controlled, indoor, water park.

Wild Bear Falls at the Westgate Smoky Mountain Timeshare

While the nearby mountain streams and waterfalls rarely get warmer than 60 degrees F, the temperature is always just right at the Wild Bear Falls Water Park. Covered by a retractable roof, this is the largest water park in the southern US and includes a 900 foot lazy river, a 360 foot body slide, a 300 foot tube slide, a zero depth entry pool and toddler play area, and a tree house play feature that dumps gallons of water (periodically) on the guests below.

You and your family can enjoy water fun recreation any time of the year, when you take advantage of the opportunities in Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare resales and Westgate Smoky Mountain timeshare rentals available through Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Marriott International, owners of Marriott Hotels and of Marriott Vacation Club International is expected to officially announce a new project that will create some 220 jobs - in Cork, Ireland. Great news for the people of Cork; disappointing news for recently laid off U.S. timeshare company employees like those at Westgate timeshares or Wyndham Worldwide resorts.

According to Finfacts, (Ireland’s top financial news portal) Marriott International is gearing up to more than double the size of its Cork call center which currently employees 160 people in reservations and customer service for inquires originating from Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Continental Europe. The new call center will occupy 10,400 square feet in Blackpool, Cork City and is expected to handle approximately 1,500,000 calls by the end of 2009.

Billy Kelleher TD, Ireland’s Minister for Labour Affairs at the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, says this about Marriott’s expansion in Ireland, “We are delighted that Marriott chose Ireland and Cork for its second operation. It shows a level of confidence that the company has in our ability to provide the highly skilled personnel necessary to support a rapidly growing international business. Marriott’s positive experiences at its existing Vacation Club International facility in Cork and the standard of its Irish management and workforce were instrumental factors in securing this investment for Cork against strong competition from other global locations. It is also a substantial endorsement of Ireland’s reputation in the business of global customer services and support activities.”

Both Cut Backs and Expansion Ahead for Marriott Timeshares

It’s interesting that the news of Marriott’s expansion in Ireland surfaced on the same day as Bill Marriott wrote in his blog, “In early October, we reported our third quarter earnings results and also provided observations about business for the rest of 2008 and into 2009. At that time, we expected business in late 2008 and 2009 to decline, but in just the last few weeks our business outlook has further weakened.”

For more information on the layoffs at timeshare companies, see these recent The Timeshare Authority blog posts:

• Wyndham Timeshare Announces Cut Backs
• Layoffs at Wyndham Timeshare as Wyndham Worldwide Shares Drop
• Layoffs Coming at Westgate Timeshare

Starwood Hotels and Timeshare Resorts reported a 12 percent drop in profits for the third quarter, 2008. With this announcement, they joined the ranks of other hoteliers and timeshare developers, including Marriott, Hilton, and Westgate timeshare, who have all acknowledged that they are sharply feeling the credit crunch and the economic downturn.

Starwood (the parent company of Westin timeshare resorts and Sheraton timeshare resorts) reported revenue was flat at $1.5 billion, with international operations shoring up those in North America. Earnings for Starwood were $113 million or 62 cents a share, which is down from $129 million or 61 cents a share, in the third quarter 2007. Figuring all adjustments, and earnings from continuing operations, earnings should have been 71 cents per share.

According to Hotels Magazine, Starwood Chief Executive Frits van Paasschen stated that the company had begun streamlining and reducing costs earlier in the year. Yet, Starwood’s efforts don’t seem to be sufficient to quell concerns. Steve Kent of Goldman Sachs commented on Starwood specifically and the timeshare and hotel industry in general, saying, “… the industry will be hit with increasing supply at the same time demand is falling and [its] negative operating leverage and inability to cut costs quickly suggests margins are going to be under pressure for some time.”

Starwood Says Decline in Hawaii Timeshare and Florida Timeshare Sales is Major Contributor

Pacific Business News reported that Starwood specifically blames a decline in Hawaii timeshares sales and Florida timeshares sales for its revenue shortfall. Compared to 2007, revenue in timeshare sales is down 27.4 percent. Contract sales of vacation ownership intervals decreased almost 30 percent at Starwood timeshares, due both to overall decline and to Starwood’s sellout of Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort North on Maui.

Starwood timeshare says it expects operating income from its timeshare business to drop as much as $115 million this year as demand for Hawaii timeshares and Orlando timeshares decreases.

Bluegreen timeshares is the blog topic again today here at The Timeshare Authority. Last week, Bluegreen Corporation settled a pending lawsuit with Orlando timeshare magnate, David Siegel, another timeshare industry name who makes our timeshare blog from time to time.

David Siegel founded Central Florida Investments, the parent of the Orlando timeshare company, Westgate Resorts. In recent months, Siegel had acquired 2.3 million shares of Bluegreen timeshare’s common stock. He also had options that would have given him nearly 10 million shares, or about 32 percent of the company’s stock, if he exercised those options.

But this was already in the pipeline when Westgate Resorts timeshares announced budget cutbacks and massive layoffs in response to the credit freeze. A Sept 29, Orlando Sentinel article, said this of Siegel, “He blamed the national financial meltdown and said until the situation in Washington straightens out, Westgate and all other time-share companies likely are in for very hard time.”

Bluegreen’s board had voted and approved bylaws to allow them to dilute the value of Siegel’s holdings, but not the value of other existing shares held primarily by those Bluegreen shares held through the Levitt Corp.

Under the terms of the new settlement, Siegel and his associates must reduce their Bluegreen holdings by at least 5.4 million shares within a year and within two years, have disposed of all of them. Additionally, pending the sale, Siegel’s shares must be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors of Bluegreen. David Siegel has agreed to not pursue any takeover of Bluegreen nor seek to influence Bluegreen’s management.

The Timeshare Authority will continue to keep you abreast of the changes, shake ups, and shake downs in the timeshare industry … interesting times we are living in, to say the least

Other recent posts about Westgate Resorts Timeshares:

• Hotels, Timeshares, and the Bailout
• Layoffs Coming at Westgate Timeshare

Other recent posts about Bluegreen Resorts Timeshares:

• Credit Crisis May Change the Deal for Bluegreen Timeshare Resorts
• Bad News for Bluegreen Timeshares

In yesterday’s The Timeshare Authority Blog, we reported on recent comments and releases by Marriott timeshare, Westgate Resorts timeshare, and Wyndham Hotels and timeshare. Today we are following that timeshare blog post with news of an announcement by Wyndham timeshare that they will be scaling back their timeshare business.

According to an AP release that appeared on Yahoo Finance and other news outlets:

When any company says they will ’shift their sales and marketing efforts to consumers with higher credit quality’, you have to wonder what that says about their past practices. Are some timeshare development companies guilty of the same types of behavior that led mortgage companies to extend credit to subprime consumers? What does a company have to gain by writing loans to customers who may not have the income and creditworthiness needed to carry the debt? The answer is simple: loans equal assets. Assets enable a company to borrow money, expand, or generally improve the look of their portfolio.

If Bill and Mary’s Bakery lets you buy donuts on credit, then the loan document that defines your credit obligation has a value to Bill and Mary as a source of incoming cash. And when Bill and Mary want to splurge on colored sprinkles, they can go to the bank and show your debt document as part of their own security needed to incur debt themselves.

But if you can’t afford to pay your donut debt, then all the lender holds is bad paper.

When you don’t pay Bill and Mary on time, then they in turn can’t pay the bank. And pretty soon, legislators are called in to write a bakery bail-out bill.

Let’s hope the reason some of the big timeshare companies are feeling the impact of the economic downturn is because of the cost of gas and increases in the price of durable goods, and not because they have been playing their own version of the subprime lending game. And if you don’t want to be caught up in any portion of the game, consider buying timeshare on the resale market, dealing directly with the person who owns it. Dollars to donuts, you will always find the best values in timeshare on the resale market.

As you already know, on Friday, Congress voted to pass the revised, reworked, and augmented version of the $700 billion plus plan designed to bail out the US economy. America as a nation was divided, was this the solution? The right solution? Were we trading one set of problems for another?

And while you may think it’s our only choice, or you may see it as a plan for disaster, I thought you might be interested in these comments from some of the executives in the hotel and timeshare industry.

Wyndham Worldwide Hotels and timeshares

Forbes reported that Wyndham CEO Steve Holmes told Reuters last Wednesday, “all that matters is that Congress needs to come together and pass a bill that addresses the immediate problem.” Source: Forbes.com

Marriott Hotels and timeshare

Following up on Marriott’s conference call with investors last Thursday, Forbes reported that Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson said, “We urge the ranking members of both parties to develop and enact a comprehensive stabilization plan. It is important that the plan be big and enacted very, very soon. There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands of jobs at stake in our company alone, and we are typical.” Sorenson’s comments followed the release earlier in the week of Marriott’s third quarter report, which showed quarterly profits down by 28 percent. Source: Forbes.com; time.com

Westgate Resorts Timeshare

After massive layoffs last week at Westgate Resorts, the company’s Executive VP of Sales and Marketing released the following YouTube videos, expressing his support for the bailout. In the videos, he speaks to the people he calls the ‘95% of Americans who are against the bailout because they do not understand it, and why the bailout is exactly what is needed’. This link takes you to Gissy’s video Part I, (7 plus minutes). If you want to view Part II (another 10 minutes), you can find it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31trCMcPoRQ

The full text of the bailout bill is available at the Huffington Post, in case you want to see it for yourself.

In the midst of much positive news about the stability of the timeshare industry and how, in many cases, timeshare sales seem to be anchoring the finances of major hoteliers, a timeshare leader, Westgate Resorts has announced company layoffs. According to an article that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel, Westgate timeshare resorts will lay off hundreds of workers.

In an article that ran on Sept 29, the Orlando Sentinel says, “Company President David Siegel said Friday that Westgate is facing a financing squeeze that came on with the suddenness of a “heart attack.” He blamed the national financial meltdown and said until the situation in Washington straightens out, Westgate and all other time-share companies likely are in for very hard times.”

According to the article, timeshare sales will be shut down for some of the 28 Westgate timeshares, located in 11 US states, although Westgate timeshares’ founder, David Siegel did not comment on how many people would be effected or an exact date when the layoffs would begin.

Siegel sums up the situation like this: “Westgate is managing to pay all its bills and will continue to meet all its obligations. But he said 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.”

Westgate timeshare is currently the seventh largest employer in Central Florida, employing 8,113 people in Central Florid and more than 10,000 nationwide.

For more information about the history of Westgate timeshares and David Siegel’s skills at empire building, follow these links to past The Timeshare Authority posts:

• When The Economic Slump Hits Vegas, Even Casinos and Timeshares Worry
• Timeshare Resort Mogul Found Guilty of Sexual Harassment
• Timeshare Resort Mogul Found Guilty of Sexual Harassment - Part II

The Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List gives you an excellent opportunity to compare two outstanding Florida timeshare resorts, back to back. Yesterday, The Timeshare Authority profiled HOT 100 List timeshare resort number 62 - the Vacation Village at Parkway. Today we are looking at HOT 100 List timeshare resort number 61 - the Westgate Town Center.

Both of these two popular timeshare properties are located in Kissimmee, Florida, which is just to the south of Orlando and perfectly situated for visiting all the Orlando theme parks and attractions, while bypassing much of the local Orlando traffic. Getting to the Westgate Town Center is easy. This Florida timeshare resort is less than 25 miles from the Orlando International Airport. Taxi service from the airport ranges from $43 to $60 or from $25 to $44 for shuttle service. (Since the price of gas fluctuates these days, rates can vary. Visit the ground transportation page for the Orlando International Airport for the latest prices and contact information for transportation providers.)

If you are visiting the Westgate Town Center timeshare resort by car, you will find it easy to reach by taking I-4 West to exit 64B, (that’s the US-192 West/Walt Disney World® exit). The timeshare is only one-quarter mile from this exit.

Once you arrive at the Westgate Town Center timeshare, you may never want to leave - not even to enjoy some of the Florida vacation fun you came to experience. This family-friendly Florida timeshare resort has a fitness room, numerous swimming pools, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, picnic areas, miniature golf, a children’s activity center, and an arcade. While the theme parks are nearby, the resort has so much to offer that it can be a vacation within itself.

Your Westgate Timeshare Villa

The Westgate Town Center offers timeshare villas of all sizes from studios, to 2, 3, and 4-bedroom timeshare units. Most include fully equipped kitchens (kitchenettes in studio units), large-screen TVs, washer and dryers, whirlpool tubs, and balconies or a patio.

According to the floor plans available from Westgate timeshares, your studio unit at Westgate Town Center timeshare includes a queen bed and a sleeper sofa. Two-bedroom timeshare units offer a king bed, 2 double beds, and a queen sleeper sofa. In three-bedroom timeshare units you will have 2 king beds, 2 double beds, and 2 sleeper sofas. And lastly, in the uber-spacious 4-bedroom timeshare units that offer 2522 square feet of living space, you will have 3 king beds, 2 doubles and 3 sleeper sofas - which translates to room enough for 16 people to relax, spread out, and enjoy their holiday time together.

Which Florida Timeshare Resort is Right for You?

The good thing about Florida timeshare is that there are so many of them. But this is also what makes picking one such a challenge. After you look at your needs for space and on-site amenities, you have to consider if you plan to exchange your timeshare unit or visit the same one on a regular basis. Fortunately, the affordable prices of timeshare resales makes it easy for you to buy timeshare or even buy multiple Florida timeshares to enjoy, exchange, or even use as timeshare rentals.

The timeshare resales and timeshare rentals experts at Sell My Timeshare NOW can help you get started today. It is easy to shop the inventory of available Orlando timeshare, Kissimmee timeshare, or timeshares throughout the Sunshine State. The only thing you’ll have to do is pick one!

It’s back to the HOT 100 timeshare list today for The Timeshare Authority blog, as we look at timeshare resort number 63 on this year’s list: The Westgate Park City Resort and Spa timeshare.

This Westgate Vacation Villas timeshare resort, set in the scenic Wasatch Mountains, offers a true ski-in/ski-out experience with more than 140 ski runs that rank from the beginner level to the professional. Ranked Five Stars, the Westgate Park City Resort and Spa timeshare includes approximately 185 timeshare villas, from studio units to 4-bedroom timeshare suites. Most are equipped with a full kitchen, laundry, balcony with hot tub, fireplace in the living area, whirlpool tub in the master bedroom, and TV, DVD and entertainment center. Some of the timeshare villas offer steam showers. For true indulgence, try the famous Papillion the Spa located at this resort.

Amenities at the timeshare resort include a heated indoor/outdoor pool, tennis, gol, and basketball, as well as dining at the Westgate Grill, a full service restaurant that receives glowing reviews from patrons. Onsite is a wine shop, which can be a convenience, since state of Utah liquor laws regarding when and where alcohol can be sold sometimes catch travelers and vacationers off guard.

Planning Your Utah Timeshare Ski Vacation

… here’s some interesting information, as you plan your Utah timeshare ski resort vacation …

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac , a weather resource since 1792, this year will bring average to above average snowfall in the ski country of the northwestern United States. On The Old Farmer’s Almanac map, geographic region number 13 is called “Intermountain,” and includes all or portions of Arizona, California, Colorado (including Colorado Springs and Denver, Idaho, Montana , Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In this region, the winter is predicted to be much colder than normal, with snowfall, above normal in the north. The periods of the most snow are predicted to be mid-November, early and mid-December, mid- and late January, and late February.

Region 12, “The High Plains,” includes all or parts of Colorado (starting at Denver and heading east), Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. In the northern portions of The High Plains, temperatures are predicted to be slightly above normal, but an average of two degrees below normal in the south. The Old Farmer’s Almanac states, “Precipitation will be near or slightly below normal, with below-normal snowfall. The snowiest periods will be in early December, mid-January, most of February, and early and mid-March.”

Based in Dublin, NH (just 80 miles from the Sell My Timeshare NOW offices in Dover, NH) The Old Farmer’s Almanac is North America’s oldest continuously published periodical. While no one can predict the weather with total accuracy, The Old Farmer’s Almanac claims that its weather predictions are on-target 80 percent of the time, which is amazing when one considers they are prepared as much as 18 months in advance.

Although it may still be warm outside, it’s not too early to track down your mittens and go wax your skis. And it is exactly the right time to start shopping Sell My Timeshare NOW’s huge inventory of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at some of the most in-demand ski destinations in North America and around the world.

Not in the mood yet for a ski trip? Watch the snow silently falling in this short video, shot from the balcony of a Westgate Park City Resort and Spa timeshare.

We’ve been updating you all year on what Marriott International and Marriot Vacation Club timeshare is doing to protect and preserve the environment. In February, The Timeshare Authority brought you an update on Marriott Vacation Club employees in Orlando, FL who made the switch from plastic eating utensils and Styrofoam serve ware in their cafeterias. They even switched to SpudWare ™, which are eating utensils that are made from potato starch and that completely biodegrade in 100 days after disposal.

Marriott has also taken steps to make their greens environmentally greener on golf courses at Marriott Hotels and Marriott timeshares, by using more eco-friendly methods of golf course maintenance, including reducing their use of chemicals on the greens and fairways.

Last week in Salt Lake City, Utah, Marriott Vacation Club International expanded their efforts to go green by conducting the Green Fair, involving more than 18 businesses and non-profit organizations. The idea behind the Green Fair is to educate and inform employees and associations about actions they can personally take to recycle and reduce energy consumption.

Over 900 Marriott Vacation Club International associates received reusable eco-friendly mugs and shopping bags. They were also given the opportunity to calculate their individual carbon footprint. Ron Essig, vice president of global owner products and services for Marriott Vacation Club International said, “This is just one step toward Marriott International’s efforts to preserve the environment, acting both locally here in Salt Lake City and across the Marriott Vacation Club International division. With more than 900 associates at the Salt Lake City Marriott Customer Service Center, if we all do our part, we can definitely make a difference-both at the office and at home.”

Marriott vacation club estimates that the immediate result of their effort to go green will be a reduction of nearly 100,000 pieces of plastic ware that would have wound up in landfills.

Sell My Timeshare NOW and Marriott Timeshare

Sell My Timeshare NOW works to reduce, reuse, and recycle in our own work environment. We are proud that our website, www.sellmytimesharenow.com not only advertises and markets right-priced timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, but that our inventory includes Marriott timeshare, a company that is proving their commitment to the environment through their actions.

With timeshare resales from Disney Vacation Club, Westgate timeshare, Hyatt Vacation Club timeshare, and Hilton timeshare, to name only a few, Sell My Timeshare NOW offers you the opportunities of vacation ownership with timeshare companies that are environmentally responsible, at prices that are realistic and affordable in today’s economy.

Related posts on The Timeshare Authority:

• Marriott Hotel and Timeshare CEO Speaks Out for Energy Cost Cuts
• A Timeshare Sales Company Taking an Important Environmental Stand