Author: Staff Contributor

In an article published July 15, in the Scotsman.com, Macdonald Hotels, Scotland’s largest independent hotel chain, is threatening to cut off power and water to Loch Rannoch timeshare resort. Loch Rannoch Highland Club represents 3,000 timeshare owners of 85 timeshare condos at Scotland’s Loch Rannoch Resort, which until 2003, was managed by Macdonald Hotels. In a decision by the timeshare owners, management was switched to Timeshare Management Services, a company managed by Edward Monks.

Somewhere in the change, someone failed to deal with the matter of water and electrical services, which Macdonald Hotels alleges now total £450,000. In a letter that The Scotsman says it has seen, the timeshare owners committee has been warned that unless, “full payment of the sum the hotel chain claims it is owed is made by 24 July the group would have no alternative but to cut off the lodges’ water and electricity.” …now that would make for an unpleasant timeshare vacation, wouldn’t it?

More to the Story at the Loch Rannoch Timeshare Resort

Based on the report in The Scotsman, there appears to be more to the story than who pays the light bill. Monks explained that they (the timeshare owners) had sent the hotel a check for £177,819 with the stipulation that it be accepted as payment in full. Both the timeshare owners, (led by Monk) and Macdonald Hotels agreed that the hotel owes the timeshare money for past management fees. On the other hand, the hotel says that the timeshare also owes them management fees.

But here’s the detail that may really be the sticking point. Settlement terms offered by the timeshare owners included the stipulation that they be allowed access to the leisure facilities at the Macdonald Loch Rannoch hotel, next door to the timeshare resort. They also asked that the management of the timeshare revert to Macdonald Resorts in 2010 when the current contract with Monk’s group lapses. The timeshare owners have been banned from using the resort facilities since the management change in 2003.

How This Timeshare Tale Will End

It is not likely that timeshare guests at Loch Rannoch will go without either water or electricity, even if the dispute remains unsettled by the target date. While the issues sound problematic, (and owing a half million pounds is nothing to sneeze at) matters such as these, have a way of being worked out.

Loch Rannoch timeshare is a lovely resort in an idyllic setting overlooking the sparkling blue Loch Rannoch. The area is renowned for its fishing and hiking, and overall picturesque tranquility. Let’s hope a little of that harmony rubs off on these two parties in conflict and they get this now 5-year old dispute settled.

Aruba…Jamaica….oooh I wanna take ya’…

Can’t you just hear the Beach Boys singing? And if you can’t now, you will as soon as you arrive at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club for your laidback, Aruba beachside vacation. The resort is located in Oranjestad, which in English is pronounced simply, “Orangetown,” and sits on one of Aruba’s most beautiful beaches — the white sands of Eagle Beach.

Although the resort is undergoing renovation, management at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club timeshares has planned the work to involve only targeted areas at any one time, keeping the overall property vacation-ready and relaxing for timeshare owners, their guests, and anyone who rents timeshare there. La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club timeshare resort is number 86 on Sell My Timeshare NOW’s HOT 100 List and with upgrades in progress to refresh the look and amenities of the units, this hot property may be even hotter in the future.

Vacationers at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club give it high marks for good service and making them feel at home and comfortable. While there are perfect opportunities in Oranjestad to sightsee and visit the historic areas of Aruba, many timeshare owners select this destination because it entices you to do so very little…lounge by the pool, nap on the beach, cool off in the water slide and then resume your “heavy-duty” relaxation routine. If you are seeking a destination to unwind and let the warm breezes carry your everyday stresses away, you can’t get any better than the timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club.

An All-Inclusive Aruba Timeshare Resort

La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club is a casual-style beach resort that offers 1, 2, and 3-bedroom timeshares and studio units. While the timeshare units include kitchens and kitchenettes, they also offer the convenience of optional all-inclusive meal plans. All-inclusive timeshares are rare in the US, and when you find them, they are typically located in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, South America, the Caribbean, and randomly scattered about other parts of the world including Egypt, Spain, and Austria.

La Cabana Beach and Racquet Club offers a variety of meal and drink plans, including one that covers only breakfast and unlimited alcoholic beverages each day. The packages cover anything a person eats or drinks, at any of the timeshare resort’s food service areas. They do not cover liquor by the bottle, shared meals, or room service. Most all-inclusive timeshare meal plans also limit you to eating only one breakfast per day, one lunch, and one dinner… in other words, don’t expect to be able to eat your breakfast at 7, 8, and again at 9 AM on a given day. (For most people, this restriction is not a problem.)

Here’s an added note about La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club Aruba timeshare: Do not confuse this timeshare resort with the former La Cabana Villas that is now known as The Aruban Resort. La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club timeshare is a sold-out resort with approximately 12,000 owners. According to their management, they have a stable owners association and the timeshare property owned there is deeded and held in perpetuity.

To enjoy timeshare vacations at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club and other Aruba timeshares, look for opportunities in Aruba timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

Follow this link to download the complete HOT 100 List from SellMyTimeshareNOW.com

And to get you in the mood for your Aruba timeshare vacation, listen to the Beach Boys singing Kokomo from MTV, by way of YouTube.

Travel writer Lynne Christen is known as a Life Tips Travel Guru. Her book, Travel Wisdom-Tips, Tools, and Tactics for All Travelers was runner up for the best 2004 travel book, voted by the North American Travel Journalists Association. Her newest book, 101 Vacation Rentals Tips, is a handy guidebook that offers exactly what its title promises: 101 tips – many of which are as helpful to timeshare owners as they are to vacation home owners and renters.

As the author explains in her foreword, “A vacation home rental allows us to briefly become ‘locals’ rather than tourists … a good base for exploring the immediate area, venturing forth on entertaining and educational day trips knowing we will be returning to the luxury and privacy of ‘home’ at night.”

That really says a lot about timeshare ownership, doesn’t it? Timeshares offer you the luxury and privacy of home at night and a good base for exploring. For a few days, a week, or maybe two, you become a local at a new and intriguing destination.

In 101 Vacation Rentals Tips, Christen categorizes her advice geographically: Cape Cod; Caribbean; European; Florida; Hawaii; Lake Tahoe; and Las Vegas vacation. She also throws in sections for golf vacation tips and ski vacation tips. It’s all very handy information and is excellent to know when you plan a timeshare vacation – whether you are looking at buying timeshare, renting timeshare, or exchanging a timeshare you already own.

Here are excerpts from 3 tips found in 101 Vacation Rentals Tips that you may find handy:

• Provincetown (Cape Cod) MA. “Provincetown, called P-Town by locals is located in the outermost point of Cape Cod … Over 30 miles of beach front and an active historic seaport make Provincetown the perfect launching point for whale watching …”
• The Emerald Coast of Florida. “Although the pristine, sugar-white sand beaches are the main draw, there’s plenty to do off the beaches … Military buffs enjoy Pensacola’s National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Air For Armament Museum in Fort Walton Beach … And, along the coast of Okaloosa, Walton and Bay Counties golfers can play 18 holes of golf every day for over a month without playing the same hole twice.”
• Las Vegas, Nevada. “Vegas Veterans offer these tips: Set your limits. Determine your gambling budget before you arrive in Vegas and stick to it … practice playing early morning when tables are not crowded … Enjoy the free cocktails, but don’t over-imbibe and let alcohol dull your judgment.”

And to learn more about timesharing in these exciting vacation destinations, use these resources:

• Follow this link to learn more about Provincetown timeshare resales.
• Follow these links to learn more about Emerald Coast timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.
• Follow these links to learn more about Las Vegas timeshare resales and Las Vegas timeshare rentals.

Source: 101 Vacation Rentals Tips, a LifeTips Book Series, by Lynn Christen. © 2006, LifeTips.com Inc., Charlestown, MA.

Owners Perspective magazine launched their first edition last week, and SellMyTimeshareNOW.com was proud to be featured in one of their articles. In a piece called, The Timeshare Resale Solution, our timeshare resales and rental advertising company was identified as a leader, helping to build the strength and integrity of the timeshare resales industry.

The article looked at the inherent problem of timeshare owners, who sooner or later, may need to resell their timeshare. The actual problem lies not in the fact that timeshare owners need to resell timeshare, but that the industry never really factored this into the equation when they developed the model by which new timeshares are sold today.

As the article explains, “Timeshare resales companies and timeshare advertising services may not have been part of the vacation ownership industry’s original vision, but denying the need for them would be akin to saying automobiles can only be purchased new through dealerships or that homeowners cannot resell their residential properties. Timeshares are hardly disposable commodities, even though they do not appreciate in the same way other types of residential or commercial real estate increase in value. Industry statistics place the sales price of new timeshare at nearly $20,000 per one week interval, however as resales, these same timeshare units may be priced 50 percent below the original purchase price. Much like the purchase of that new car, the timeshare buyer gets the benefit of using the vacation property, enjoying it, and at the right time, reselling it to recoup a portion of the original expenditure.”

• To read the full article, sign up for a free subscription to Owners Perspective magazine, or
• Click here to read the article on the SellMyTimeshareNOW.com website.