Buying timeshare just does not mean what many people think it means. Instead of a one-week holiday each year in the same timeshare resort, year after year, many timeshare programs are points based and function like currency.

When you buy timeshare in a points based system, or when you take advantage of timeshare exchange, you may have options that include exchanging your timeshare for other travel benefits including airfare and cruises.

Timeshare owners who are members of “The Regency Collection,” for example, can exchange timeshare for one-of-a-kind travel experiences, which include Cunard cruise lines, Crystal Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Silversea and The Yachts of Seabourn. The Regency Collection members also have options that allow them to take advantage of members-only discounted cash options on other cruise lines including Disney, Princess, and Celebrity.

The savings to timeshare owners who want to enjoy luxury cruises can add up quickly. One option offers credit exchange where a portion of “The Regency Collection” members’ credits afford them a savings of up to $1,500 USD per cabin, based on double-person occupancy.

The Regency Collection Timeshare Owners

Currently some 30,000 timeshare owners are members of Wyndham Exchange and Rental’s The Regency Collection, giving them access to over 175 luxury properties worldwide, including condo hotels, timeshare resorts, high-end fractionals, private residence clubs, and fractional yachts. The July 4 holiday weekend is a great time for backyard cookouts, parades, and fireworks. But if you were a member of The Regency Collection, you could be spending this holiday (and many more to come) on board one of the finest cruise ships in the world.

…And although we all appreciate hotdogs with those crispy black edges from being cooked over an open flame, sometimes we just need (and deserve) a little time with a gourmet chef and cruise ship crew at our beck and call.

When Forbes Magazine published its most recent list of America’s top tourist attractions, we couldn’t help but notice that there are great opportunities in timeshare resorts at or near all of these destinations. That means if you own timeshare in these popular areas, you also have a natural market for timeshare rental should there be times you can’t use your timeshare yourself or don’t choose to use it as timeshare exchange.

Here’s a look at only a very few of your timeshare resort options for these favorite tourist destinations:

#3. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C., with 25 million visitors

• Wyndham Old Town (Alexandria, Virginia)
• Wyndham Resorts National Harbor (Ft. Washington, Maryland)

#2. Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada, with 29.1 million visitors

• Las Vegas Timeshare Resales and Las Vegas Timeshare Rentals
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club On The Las Vegas Strip Timeshare
• Marriott’s Grand Chateau Timeshare

#1. Times Square, New York, N.Y. with 37.6 million visitors

• New York City Timeshare Resales and New York City Timeshare Rentals
• Manhattan Club Timeshare
• Hilton Club New York

People are often surprised to learn that timeshares are not just limited to the beach and ski resorts. There are locations available to enjoy urban timeshare worldwide, offering you the convenience and savings that go with owning timeshare.

When the US economy began to visibly dip, and then for many industries plummet, timeshare sales companies, timeshare developers, and some timeshare resales companies were forced to lay off employees. Yet despite the layoffs, many companies in the timeshare industry are repeatedly recognized as outstanding employers. They may have in the past had to cut back staffing, but clearly, these timeshare companies are not cutting back on their respect and concern for employees.

The Timeshare Authority Blog frequently reports on the recognition timeshare companies receive as top employers for which to work. (Recent post: RCI Timeshare Exchange Makes Best Places to Work List)

Two timeshare companies gaining notoriety as great places to work include:

• Shell Management Hawaii, Inc. which has been recognized as the “Number 1 Best Place to Work in Hawaii for 2010,” and
• Wyndham Exchange & Rentals New Jersey, honored among 2010, “Best Places to Work in New Jersey”

Shell Management Hawaii, Inc. (Shell Vacations Club) was honored this spring at an awards dinner at the Sheraton Waikki, Hawaii, as recognized by Pro Service Hawaii and published in Hawaii Business Magazine. Shell Management took the honors in the category for large employers (150 employees or more) and beat out other timeshare companies including Wyndham Vacation Ownership and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, both nominated in the same category.

Linda Anthony, Regional vice president of Shell Management Hawaii said, “Shell Management Hawaii’s recognition as the number one best place to work in Hawaii resulted from a magical blend of amazing employee-centric programs and policies carried out by a deeply committed team of managers.”

Wyndham Exchange & Rental (Wyndham Timeshare) was recognized by NJBIZ as one of New Jersey’s best employers that benefit the state’s economy, workforce and business. Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Wyndham Exchange & Rentals says, “It is because of our passionate, dedicated and incredibly enthusiastic associates that we continue to generate tremendous engagement and a caring community culture through our offices here in New Jersey and around the world.”

Ballotti also pointed out that Wyndham’s Indianapolis location was named among the top companies to work for in Indiana in 2010, for the second year in a row, as well.

Shell Vacations Club timeshares, owner or operator of 23 timeshare resorts in the US, Canada, and Mexico, announces new leadership in three key corporate positions.

Karen Buttice has been selected to lead Shell Vacations Club’s programs that provide extensive fee-based services for resorts, condos, hotels, and timeshare owners associations. Her role specifically includes oversight of Direct Member Affiliate Programs; hospitality and association management; employee certification programs; timeshare rental; distribution of unused inventory; a comprehensive travel program; and sales and marketing services.

Buttice explains, “After decades of leadership in the vacation ownership industry and proven success with our points-based Shell Vacations Club (wwwShellVacationsClub.com), we have recognized a growing opportunity for others to benefit from our expertise and are actively pursuing growth by providing these fee-based services. This is an ideal way to expand our business by leveraging our services and management expertise. We believe the expansion of our fee-based services model validates our commitment to these strategic initiatives. We have received so many calls regarding our expertise in these areas; this is a natural extension of our business. It is exciting to formalize a program that will enable others to share in the facets of our business that have made us successful.”

Ilese Flamm has been appointed by Shell Vacations LLC as Senior VP of Legal Affairs. Flamm has 18 years as a legal professional in the timeshare industry and before joining Shell Vacations, was the Executive VP and General Counsel for Wyndham Exchange & Rentals. She has also been Senior Attorney for the Disney Vacation Club, where she was involved in all aspects of timeshares and timeshare resort development.

Bernard Freibaum is a new-hire at Shell Vacations LLC, recently appointed as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Freibaum will work with Sheldon H Ginsburg, Shell Vacations Chairman and CEO and with Tracy L Sherles, the company’s President and COO, focusing on new growth opportunities for the company and on enhancing business operations within Sell Vacation Club’s many divisions.

Founded in 1963, Shell Vacations has been a leader in the timeshare industry, remaining popular with timeshare owners and timeshare renters. Responding to consumer preferences, in 1999, the timeshare company introduced a timeshare points based system designed to give timeshare owners greater flexibility in the ways they use and enjoy timeshare.

Wyndham Worldwide, parent company of Wyndham Vacation Club (Wyndham timeshare), thinks conversion to US and Caribbean timeshares is a viable solution for an estimated 5000 unsold condos and hotel units. Wyndham Worldwide’s CEO Steve Holmes not only believes it is do-able but feels that it can be profitable and beneficial for Wyndham.

Currently in a recovery period, (like much of the timeshare industry) Wyndham expects to generate around $1.8 billion in revenue this year from timeshare sales, financing, and property management fees, according to an article by Brad Berton on Forbes.com.

But Wyndham’s conversion-to-timeshare plan, it seems, has a second-hand element to it—or maybe that’s third-hand. Rather than put up the equity of fifteen to forty percent typically required in converting thousands of condos to timeshare units, Wyndham plans to do so on a third-party basis. The company will not be assuming the risk of being principal developer in this massive effort.

Wyndham timeshare currently includes approximately 820,000 timeshare owners and some 20,000 timeshare units at more than 150 resorts.

And following up on other recent attention-getting news by Wyndham timeshare is the observation that the referee involved in the ball-tossing altercation with Wyndham Vacation Club CEO, Franz Hanning, was, as predicted, suspended for one game by the NBA for his role in the incident. See: Would You Play Ball With Wyndham Timeshare CEO Franz Hanning?

Emotions were high Tuesday night in Orlando as the Orlando Magic, who had waltzed unbeaten through their first eight games of the play-off season, struggled against a very focused Boston Celtics team in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Yet despite the fact Magic fans were clearly hyped, anxious not to head to Boston 0 and 2, you probably wouldn’t expect Wyndham Vacation Ownership CEO Franz Hanning to be the fan in a verbal altercation that involved tossing around a basketball with NBA referee, Joe DeRosa.

At halftime, as the three officials headed to the scorer’s table to retrieve their warm up jackets, DeRosa still carried a basketball. Disgruntled fans heckled the referees as the three approached the officials table with one fan saying something that clearly struck DeRosa the wrong way.

DeRosa responded by flipping the basketball he was carrying toward the irate fan who countered by immediately tossing it back at the referee. Of course, in the game of one-upmanship with a ref, expect the fan always to come out on the short end of the deal. DeRosa simply called in Amway Arena Security Officials, although it is unclear whether he asked that the fan be ejected or just relocated to another seat. At the time, ESPN and other sources covering the game did not identify the fan, who was later said to be Franz Hanning, CEO of Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the Wyndham timeshare ownership division of Wyndham Worldwide.

It is believed that Hanning was directed to seating in another area of the arena, perhaps out of earshot of the game officials. Regardless of what he or others said, seasoned ref Joe DeRosa, was out of line in throwing a ball at or to a spectator and the NBA is looking into the matter. And although Hanning is an Orlando resident, he is reported to be a friend of Doc Rivers, former Orlando Magic coach and current Boston Celtic coach—all of which makes hard to determine whether Hanning was unhappy because he felt the referees were favoring Orlando or favoring Boston.

Basketball fans score big on accommodations when they schedule timeshare vacations to correspond with big games by their favorite teams. Your Orlando timeshare could make it much more convenient for you to catch the Magic throughout each year’s season play.

Here’s a look at what happened Tuesday night between Hanning and DeRosa:

As reported on Ask Mando, RCI has been recognized among Indiana’s 2010 ‘Best Places To Work’. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, and a global leader in timeshare exchange, with approximately 65,000 vacation and timeshare resort properties in 100 countries worldwide.

And when you learn about some of the RCI timeshare employee benefits, it becomes clear that the company has every reason to have earned this award. Consider how much employee satisfaction could be generated if all employers offered, on-site, a massage room, a meditation room, and a fitness center. How about Wii and Xbox gaming systems, ping pong tables, basketball courts, and shoe shine service to go with it? And once you throw in the annual vacations to timeshare resorts in desirable destinations such as Cancun or the Bahamas, it gets easy to see why RCI timeshare employees rate their employer so highly.

Recognition of RCI Timeshare Indiana

Though a project created by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, BizVoice, Inside INdiana Business, the Indiana Youth Institute, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Best Companies Group, exemplary Indiana employers were recognized from a category that includes: businesses that have at least 25 employees in Indiana, have a facility in Indiana, and have been in business for a minimum of one year.

Winning companies had distinguished themselves through the company’s workplace policies, practices and demographics, and based on an employee survey that measures the employee experience.

Gordon Gurnik, president, RCI North America says, “We are thrilled to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana for the second year in a row.” He noted that RCI Indiana was also named as a Top Work Place by the Indianapolis Star.

Corporate-wide, RCI in New Jersey was honored as a top company to work for in New Jersey in 2010. Worldwide, RCI employs more than 7000 lucky employees, over a thousand of whom are based in Carmel, Indiana.

Follow this link to read about RCI Indiana and the Biggest Loser: RCI Timeshare Exchange Employees Rebrand Themselves as ‘Losers’

Wyndham Vacation Ownership (Wyndham timeshare) is moving in a new direction with a marketing and sales agreement with the Towers on the Grove LLC for a North Myrtle Beach timeshare property. The condo and timeshare units include studio, one, two, and three-bedroom fully furnished units, most with private balconies and many with ocean views.

Towers on the Grove is a beachside condominium for which Wyndham Vacation Ownership has become the exclusive sales and marketing agent. The arrangement will start with 137 units with 50 timeshare units more to be added over the next three years. Wyndham Consumer Finance will service all of the consumer loan originations associated with the sale of these 50 timeshare units. The consumer loan originations that occur for the other 137 timeshare units will be funded by Towers on the Grove South, LLC.

These 187 timeshare units sold or acquired by the company will operate as part of the CLUB WYNDHAM PLUS portfolio of vacation ownership resorts. The Towers on the Grove includes a total of 232 units, of which some 45 are wholly owned as condos. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is now managing the entire property and commenced timeshare sales and timeshare rentals there last month.

Wyndham timeshare already has a strong presence in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina vacation area with Wyndham timeshares available at Myrtle Beach at Westwinds Timeshare.

While your kids are getting excited about their Wyndham hotel or Wyndham timeshare vacation, Wyndham Worldwide want them also to be learning about the environment. With the launch of WyndhamGreen Kids, the hospitality company is hoping to educate children about water conservation, recycling/reusing, energy conservation, community involvement, environmental education, and innovation.

The website includes worksheets and hands-on activities developed by environmental organizations to raise children’s awareness about conservation and the environment Faith Taylor, Wyndham Worldwide vice president, sustainability and innovation, says, “We are proud to be one of the first hospitality companies to launch a dedicated sustainability program for children.” She adds, “As a global company, we are committed to conserving resources, preserving natural habitats, and preventing pollution in order to meet the needs of our customers and the lives of future generations.”

Wyndham Timeshare is Environmentally Responsible

Among the many other environmentally responsible initiatives taken by Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Wyndham timeshares now provide low phosphate and no-phosphate dish and laundry detergent in its resorts and timeshares. This effort alone has reduced pollutants by 90,000 pounds since 2008 when the program began.

Similarly, Wyndham timeshare exchange conserved 1.3 million kilowatts at its Parsippany, NY headquarters and its Indianapolis timeshare call center by replacing bulbs and lighting fixtures and installing motion sensors to control lighting, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation. Also, all of the Wyndham timeshare exchange’s timeshare resort directories, as well as the company’s timeshare magazine, are now printed on Forest Stewardship Council paper.

Good job Wyndham timeshare and Wyndham resorts! We all appreciate the leadership of companies that demonstrate environmental responsibility and a commitment to the future of this planet we all share.

Visit WyndhamGreen.com to learn more.

This is the second blog we’ve posted here on The Timeshare Authority in the past year about a timeshare resort’s renovation creating a windfall for a local charity.

With the scheduled renovations of the Wyndham Nashville timeshare resort, located near the Opry Mills in Nashville, Tennessee, the updates will result in nearly a quarter million dollars in appliances, artwork, mattresses, and furniture going to charity. The recipient will be the GEAR Foundation’s Our Thrift Store located in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. The facility provides employment for people with special needs.

GEAR founder, Dave Krikac says, “This is a template that we hope will attract other caring hotel organizations who might find this an attractive option for dealing with room furnishings that must be disposed of after a renovation.”

Wyndham Nashville resort manager Mike Sellge notes that making the donation is both helpful to the community and environmentally responsible.

More about the Wyndham Nashville Timeshare Resort

The Wyndham Nashville timeshare resort is located approximately one mile from the Grand Ole Opry and near the Opry Mills outlet mall. Formerly a Fairfield timeshare property, the Wyndham Nashville timeshare offers one-bedroom timeshare units that sleep up to four and include an efficiency kitchen; one-bedroom deluxe timeshare units that sleep up to four and include a full kitchen; and two-bedroom timeshare units that sleep up to eight people, also including a full kitchen. All deluxe timeshare units at the resort include a full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, dinnerware for eight, and even a margarita blender.

Opportunities are available now in Wyndham Nashville timeshare resales and Wyndham Nashville timeshare rentals.

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