As the countdown on the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list continues, we look at three HOT timeshares, each distinctively different from the other. HOT 100 List timeshare number 20 is the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North. Hot List timeshare number 19 is the Grand Pacific Palisades in Carlsbad, California. And Hot List timeshare number 16 is the Wyndham Grand Desert in Las Vegas. Three ways to vacation; three timeshare resorts to enjoy.

A Lush Hawaiian Isle Westin Timeshare Resort

Designed with luxury in mind, the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North is one of two Westin resorts on Ka’anapali Beach. Enjoying a primo location on North Ka’anapali, (a beach that has been recognized as one of America’s Best Beaches) timeshare owners and timeshare renters at this Hawaii timeshare resort can choose verdant island views or stunning ocean vistas from their private balcony or patio. At the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort, studio and one or two-bedroom timeshare villas offer an equipped kitchen, a whirlpool tub, and a relaxing living and dining area.

Located in Lahaina, on the island of Maui, if you watched the season finale of the CBS reality show, The Amazing Race, (this past Sunday night,) you saw enough beautiful views of Maui to make you long for a Hawaii timeshare.

California Timeshare Close to the Beach

Grand Pacific Palisades California timeshare offers you a totally different perspective of the Pacific Ocean than the one you’ll get in Lahaina, Maui, but equally as spectacular. North of San Diego (about 40 miles), and south of Anaheim (approximately 60 miles), Carlsbad has Southern California desert appeal in a location so perfect for family fun it is even located across the street from LEGOLAND®!

During the spring, you can enjoy Carlsbad’s famous Flower Fields® where more than 50-acres of vibrant flowers bloom on a hillside overlooking the ocean. Year-round, Grand Pacific Palisades timeshare tempts you with an ideal location for enjoying golf, the beach, or any of the nearby attractions.

Timeshare units at this beautiful California timeshare resort include one and two bedroom units as well as two bedroom lockouts.

This Las Vegas Timeshare is No Gamble, It’s Always a Winner

The Wyndham Grand Desert in Las Vegas is located only a quarter mile from the glittering Las Vegas Strip, but features a Mediterranean-style ambience. Timeshare owners at the Wyndham Grand Desert enjoy the resort, not only for its style and amenities, but because it makes it easy to balance your vacation between the casinos and nightlife of the Las Vegas Strip with a relaxing resort that offers plenty of entertainment for the whole family.

Considered a flagship property of Wyndham Resorts, Wyndham Grand Desert timeshare units are available in one, two, and three-bedroom units, as well as timeshare lockouts.

Like so many other great Las Vegas timeshare properties, the Wyndham Grand Desert makes it easy to explore both the natural wonders of the Nevada landscape and then take in the shows, dining, and unmatched glitz of Las Vegas after dark.

To learn more about opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at these great HOT 100 destinations and many more exciting vacation spots, talk to the timeshare resales specialists at Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 list timeshare property number 44 is the Westin Kierland Villas timeshare resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Located within the 730-acre master-planned community of Kierland, on ten beautiful acres, this Westin timeshare is an ideal destination for a quiet retreat or a romantic getaway.

Serene and low-key, the décor of this relaxing resort reflects the colors of the desert. Timeshare villas at this popular Westin resort include one-bedroom timeshare villas, one-bedroom premium timeshare villas, and two-bedroom lockoff units.

One-bedroom villas sleep four vacationers comfortably with 543 square feet of living space and 106 square feet of balcony. A larger, 871-square foot one-bedroom premium timeshare villa is actually the lockoff side of a two-bedroom lockoff unit. Two-bedroom lockoff units will sleep up to eight adults. Each side of a two-bedroom villa includes its own fully equipped kitchen and living area as well as its own bedroom and bath.

All of the Westin Kierland timeshare villas include the famous Westin Heavenly Bed ®, granite counter tops, solid maple cabinets, a 32-inch color television, a flat-screen television, CD player, Bose AM/FM radio, DVD player, fully equipped kitchen, dining area and access to a washer and dryer.

The timeshare villas at the Westin Kierland are adjacent to the Westin Kierland Hotel and Spa, making it easy for you to take advantage of all the spa treatments and services for which the resort is so well known. This is also an excellent vacation destination for golfers, bikers, horseback riding, relaxing by the pool, or enjoying local attractions including the Desert Botanical Garden, the Arizona Science Center, the Heard Museum, The Phoenix Zoo, the Pioneer Living History Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.

Own a Westin Timeshare Resale

Currently Sell My Timeshare NOW offers more than 50 timeshare units for sale at Westin Kierland Villas. These are all timeshare resales, meaning that you can buy them directly from the owner for substantially less than they sold for originally.

To learn more about this HOT 100 list timeshare, visit the website for Sell My Timeshare NOW, then buy timeshare resales at Kierland Villas and enjoy the pleasure and convenience of vacation ownership at a truly affordable price.

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.

How about spending your days golfing, swimming, or just relaxing in sunny, southern California and your nights curled up in a Westin Heavenly Bed®? This could be your next vacation if you buy or rent Starwood timeshare at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas.

Located in Rancho Mirage, this California timeshare includes 360 beautifully landscaped acres complete with bubbling streams, terraced fountains, and two championship golf courses. As Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 List timeshare resort number 60, the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas is a desert oasis, a retreat where you can rest and recoup from the pressures and demands of daily life.

Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas Timeshare, a Luxurious Choice

In your Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas timeshare, you will enjoy a fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, color televisions in bedrooms and the living room, Bose stereo system, and a DVD player in the living room. Living room areas feature a queen-size sleeper sofa, along with fireplaces in the living area and the bedroom of many villas. The Westin Mission Hills Resort and Villas timeshare is a luxurious resort for pampering yourself and enjoying some much needed quiet time with family or friends.

But when you have the urge to explore, there are so many nearby attractions to help you fill your vacation days. Enjoy the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, the El Paseo Shopping District, the Palm Springs Air Museum, Knott’s Oasis Water Park, Indian Canyons, and Joshua Tree National Park to name only a few of the nearby points of interest.

Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas Timeshare and More

Sell My Timeshare NOW has outstanding opportunities for you to buy timeshare or rent timeshare at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas timeshare. And if you enjoy the indulgence of the signature Westin bed, Westin bath, and Westin WORKOUT exercise rooms, you may also be interested in these other Westin timeshare resorts, which offer some or all of these amenities.

• Westin Kierland Villas – Scottsdale, Arizona
• Westin St. John Resort and Villas – St. John, US Virgin Islands

Yesterday our timeshare blog announced the release of the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list, revealing the top 100 properties to receive offers to buy timeshare or rent timeshare in 2007. For properties on the HOT 100 list, there were over 48,000 offers to buy or rent placed last year alone.

While we noted that Hawaii timeshares claimed 4 of the top 10 spots on the HOT 100 list, I didn’t go into detail about how strongly Hawaii dominates the top of the list.

Hawaii timeshares start with the HOT 100’s number one property, WorldMark by Wyndham, multi-destination resorts because four of WorldMark by Wyndham’s 60+ timeshare resorts are in Hawaii. There is the: WorldMark by Wyndham Kapaa Shore timeshare resort; the WorldMark by Wyndham Valley Isle in Lahaina timeshare resort; the WorldMark by Wyndham Kihei timeshare resort; and the WorldMark by Wyndham Kona in Kailua-Kona timeshare resort.

As I mentioned in our timeshare blog yesterday, Hawaii timeshares also claimed second place on the list with the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas; fifth place with Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club; sixth with Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club timeshares; and tenth with the Ko Olina Beach Club timeshares.

But Hawaii timeshares accounts for over 27 percent all timeshare resorts among the top 33 properties on the list. The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North timeshares, ranked 21; the Sands of Kahana Vacation Club timeshares, was number 24; Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Hilton Hawaiian Village was number 29; and Marriott’s OceanWatch Villas timeshares ranked number 33.

Why Hawaii Timeshare?

America’s fiftieth state may be small, but in terms of what you get for your vacation dollar, it packs a punch. A Hawaii timeshare vacation means you can enjoy your choice of tropical forests, mountains, beautiful beaches, a cosmopolitan (Hawaii-style) nightlife, or a chance to explore a fascinating culture.

The diverse islands of Hawaii cater to honeymooners, surfers, retirees, family vacations, and everyone seeking the peaceful, laidback style of the islands.

While many of the first timeshares in the US were built in Hawaii, it has never lost its place as a top demand timeshare vacation destination. But let’s face it, Hawaii is one of the more expensive places to live or to visit on holiday because it is a small cluster of beautiful but relatively isolated islands, where most goods must be imported. When you add to that the fact that limited geographic area keeps land values for development very high, the cost of that fabulous Hawaii vacation can be pricey.

While you can’t cut costs by driving there instead of flying or going by cruise ship, you can take advantage of Hawaii timeshare resales to help you control two other vacation costs – meals and accommodations. The kitchen and dining areas found in most timeshares will let you choose to eat in as much as you like and save your restaurant dining for those special luaus. And when you buy Hawaii timeshare resales, you lock the price of your Hawaii vacation lodging in for as long as you own your timeshare. When you do get ready to resell Hawaii timeshare, you can do so with confidence, using indicators like the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 list to affirm that there is a strong and consistent market for Hawaii timeshare resales.

Follow this link to read the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 press release about Hawaii timeshare.

Starwood Resorts and Timeshares has announced that they are building a freestanding timeshare sales gallery inside the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel for the purpose of selling timeshare weeks at that property and at the Sheraton PGA in Port Lucie, FL.

This is the first time Starwood Resorts and Timeshares have used a purpose-built, freestanding timeshare sales office to sell timeshare units and timeshare weeks. The new Starwood Timeshare office will employ 20 to 25 timeshare sales people, and will ultimately sell timeshare weeks at all 25 Starwood properties, which includes Sheraton timeshare resorts and Westin timeshare resorts.

In an article published by PressofAtlanticCity.com, written by business editor Kevin Post, Starwood Vacation Ownership spokesperson David Matheson was quoted as saying, “Timeshares are becoming more and more of a mainstream product. Starwood and companies like it are bringing credibility to the industry.”

The article noted that Starwood timeshare units range from about $13,000 to $28,000 with annual maintenance fees of $400 to $800. On the same day that this article ran, CrainsNYBusiness.com published an article identifying that their new chief executive officer, Fritz Van Paasschen, who took the helm in September of 2007, earned approximately $9.1 million during that 4-month period.

Sheraton Timeshare and Westin Timeshare

While Van Paasschen’s base salary is less than $300,000 annually, his bonuses, incentives, and stock options accounted for the rest of his 9 million dollar-plus compensation. Leaving you to draw your own conclusions here, now seems like a good time to remind you that you can get excellent timeshare deals on Starwood timeshare resales, resorts that carry the brands of Sheraton timeshare resales or Westin timeshare resales.

Timeshare Resales from Sell My Timeshare NOW

When you buy timeshare directly from the person who owns it, you are purchasing vacation time at the same resorts as people who buy timeshare new, from the developer and typically pay much higher prices. Here’s a list of some the opportunities available in timeshare resales in Sell My Timeshare NOW’s current inventory:

• Sheraton Broadway Plantation – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Sheraton Desert Oasis – Scottsdale, Arizona
• Sheraton Mountain Vista – Avon, Colorado
• Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort – Port St. Lucie, Florida
• Sheraton Vistana Resort – Orlando, Florida
• Sheraton Vistana Villages – Orlando, Florida
• The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui
• Westin Kierland Villas – Scottsdale, Arizona
• Westin Mission Hills Resort and Villas – Rancho Mirage, California
• Westin St. John Resort and Villas – St. John, US Virgin Islands
• Harborside Resort at Atlantis – Paradise Island, The Bahamas
• Lakeside Terrace – Avon, Colorado

Because St. Maarten is a popular vacation destination and the location of many wonderful timeshare resorts, air travel there continues to expand. Air service from the US already included American, US Air, Continental, and Delta but the additions of Spirit Airlines flying out of Fort Lauderdale and more recently, JetBlue from New York, gives timeshare owners and vacationers a lot more options in budget friendly airfares for getting to St. Maarten timeshare resorts.

St. Maarten (or Sint Maarten) and St. Martin are the French and the Dutch sides of one of the Caribbean’s most desirable vacation destinations. The two bordering governments co-exist in harmony and there are no checkpoints when crossing the borderlines, so when you vacation there you can swim on a Dutch-side beach in the morning and have lunch at a French-side café without even a trip through customs.

The island is less than 40 square miles in size, but because of the mountainous elevations, the island “lives large” with many villages built on hillside slopes. St. Maarten is considered part of the Netherlands Antilles, which also includes the islands of Bonaire and Curacao, and is just off the coast of Venezuela. The other two islands of the Netherlands Antilles are St. Eustatius and Saba, which are both close to St. Maarten.

One of the largest resorts in St. Maarten will be the new Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Residences in St. Maarten, where an adjacent Westin resort will provide condo owners the amenities of a hotel guest experience. Like other condotel or condo hotel developments, this should prove to be a win-win, where condo owners enjoy up to 28 days per year in their properties while receiving a percentage of the rates for the other days the condo unit is rented. At the same time, Westin can develop the property, relying on money from condo owners to greatly offset the funds the developer must secure in its mortgage.

With more St. Maarten timeshare resort and condo properties from which to choose and more ways for getting to the island, what’s stopping you from planning a St. Maarten timeshare resort vacation? The opportunities in timeshare resales in the Netherlands Antilles are huge, and Sell My Timeshare NOW is the perfect place to start planning your tropical island vacation.

Marriott Timeshares are usually credited with being the first hoteliers to get into the timeshare real estate business. In fact, some of the first hotel-branded properties were Sheraton timeshares. Sheraton timeshares have been in Hawaii since the 1960’s, and it is little surprise that today, as Starwood timeshare resorts, they continue to thrive in our fiftieth state.

In April, Starwood Vacation Ownership is opening their third vacation ownership (timeshare) resort in the Hawaiian Islands. The Timeshare Blog quoted Denise Wardlow, general manager of the new Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas as saying, “This property gives our travel partners more options to attract upscale clients who are repeat guests to the island of Kaua’i – guests who desire the convenience of a fully-furnished kitchen, washer and dryer, plus all of the luxurious amenities and services of a Westin resort.”

Located in Kaua’i, in the seaside community of Princeville, the new resort has classic Hawaiian plantation styling and includes seven buildings with a total of 179 timeshare condos, as well as a clubhouse, restaurant, and general store. Rack rates for a studio timeshare condo will start at $600 per night, $800 per night for a one-bedroom timeshare condo, and $1400 per night for a two bedroom timeshare condo.

The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas will combine state of the art amenities with traditional island charm, but before you reach for your checkbook, make sure you look at other opportunities in Hawaii timeshare resales and Hawaii timeshare rentals.

Here are some of the excellent opportunities available to you to buy timeshare or rent timeshare through Sell My Timeshare NOW:

• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort – North Villas Resales
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort – North Villas Rentals
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas Resales
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas Rentals

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is trying to make booking your hotel or timeshare condo more fun with the addition of an online pillow fight and an online pool splash-fight to their website. Sheraton’s advertising agency for their website, Avenue A| Razorfish and Eyeblaster, a designer and vendor of online technology, joined forces to create two real-time, online interactive games for visitors to the Sheraton website.

Using a combination of artificial intelligence and interactive communication, each of the two games allows website visitors to use their cursor to join in the hotel room pillow fight or the splash fight in the hotel pool.

“Multi-user technology was the perfect fit for the Sheraton audience,” said John Antoniello, of Avenue A| Razorfish. “It’s a simple way for lots of people to jump into a fun, social activity. Who wouldn’t want to join a pillow fight?”

The pillow fight breaks every 15 seconds for users to either regroup or move ahead booking their Sheraton hotel and timeshare accommodations. With all the accompanying publicity, the games are sure to draw many visitors to the Sheraton website. But after 15 seconds of bashing virtual pillows with a stranger, you will probably be ready to go to Sell My Timeshare NOW and buy timeshare resale or book a timeshare rental directly from the current owner. You save money on fabulous timeshare vacation property and the owner of the timeshare gets a convenient way to sell timeshare or rent timeshare he no longer needs. Now to me, saving time and saving money is a much more satisfying way to interact online than splashing in a virtual swimming pool or creating a snowstorm of imaginary feathers.

Sheraton is part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, with resorts in 95 countries, and includes Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc, operating timeshares under the brands of Starwood, Westin, and Sheraton.

• Harborside Resort at Atlantis, Paradise Island, The Bahamas
• Lakeside Terrace, Avon, Colorado
• Sheraton Broadway Plantation, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Sheraton Desert Oasis, Scottsdale, Arizona
• Sheraton Mountain Vista, Avon, Colorado
• Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort, Port St. Lucie, Florida
• Sheraton Vistana Resort, Orlando, Florida
• Sheraton Vistana Villages, Orlando, Florida
• The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui
• Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale, Arizona
• Westin Mission Hills Resort and Villas, Rancho Mirage, California
• Westin St. John Resort and Villas, St. John, US Virgin Islands

I recently wrote about the new Starwood timeshare vacation property at Desert Willow, scheduled for development under the Westin brand in late 2007 or early 2008. I want to share a few enlightening facts about California’s Coachella Valley, the fastest growing area in all of Southern California.

And while I am not prognosticating or recommending that anyone plan a timeshare deal based solely on this information, I think you will find these statistics very interesting. Knowing the next “hot spot” destination can prove to be valuable insight for anyone looking to buy or sell a timeshare condo.

The Coachella Valley is a geographic area that extends roughly 45 miles from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea. Nine cities are located inside this target area: Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Coachella, Indian Wells, Indio, Desert Hot Springs, La Quinta and Palm Desert. There are over 100 great golf courses located here, included the world famous courses at Mission Hills, La Quinta, PGA West, Indian Wells and Tamarisk, to name only a few. And according to research developed by the Global Hospitality Group, the population of the Coachella Valley increased by 59 percent between the years 1990 and 2004.

So what is attracting the influx of both new residents and vacationers to this area?

Surprisingly, despite the number of luxury homes and magnificent resorts, the cost of living in the Coachella Valley beats that of Los Angeles, San Diego or greater Orange County. And the Coachella Valley still represents the desert playground of old-time movie glam stars like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. While all this fast growth and projected development will gobble up nearly 200,000 acres of undeveloped land in the valley, the good news is that despite such expansion, there will still be roughly a million acres of vast, awesome, spectacularly unique undeveloped desert land.