Pre-sales have already started for the new Hilton Grand Vacations Club timeshare to be built at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. The timeshare vacation resort will become Hilton’s second timeshare property at this location and may be built in as many as seven stages. The 198 villas of stage one are expected to be complete in August of 2008 and will offer one, two and three-bedroom units.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club has identified a continued demand for upscale accommodations on Hawaii’s Big Island. In June of 2006, the Hilton timeshare company broke ground for the 331 unit Grand Waikikian on the island of Oahu. The Grand Waikikian is also expected to open in 2008.

With these two new timeshare resorts, Hilton Grand Vacation Club will have a total of seven timeshare properties in the state of Hawaii. This seems to me like seven great reasons to buy a Hilton timeshare resale from SellMyTimeshareNOW.com and start planning your next vacation.

Hilton Grand Vacation Club resorts are located in Orlando, Las Vegas, Miami Beach and multiple destinations in Hawaii. Hilton Grand Vacation Club affiliated resorts can be found in prime destinations throughout Florida, Colorado, California, Mexico, Scotland, Ireland and Portugal.

Starwood Capital Group has recently announced that they have entered into a strategic relationship with Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Company Limited. Jin Jiang currently has 263 hotels either in operation or under development, including 160 properties under the brand, Jin Jiang Inn.

In response to Jin Jiang’s IPO, Starwood Capital has made a $30 million investment in the company, making Starwood the largest shareholder outside the Jin Jiang company. Before Starwood’s investment, Jin Jiang was a state-owned enterprise under the control of the Shanghai City Government.

The two hotel powerhouses will work together to develop and strengthen hotel business in China. Barry Sternlicht, the chairman and ceo of Starwood Capital, was quoted in Hospitality News (http://www.hospitalitynet.org) as saying, “Starwood Capital is very excited about the potential for Jin Jiang in China and abroad, and for our future partnership together… Jin Jiang’s geographic reach and portfolio of owned assets across all hotel categories leaves it uniquely positioned to benefit from the explosive growth in the Chinese hotel industry, fueled by rapidly expanding tourism and business travel. By combining Jin Jiang’s portfolio, which features irreplaceable hotels in Shanghai and other major Chinese cities, with our track record of creating global brands and enhancing asset value in both the luxury and budget categories, the partnership has the potential to create significant value for both companies going forward.”

And as we all know, where hotels go, timeshares and vacation ownership is sure to follow, which is good news as the People’s Republic of China prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

Do you like auctions? They’re like the holidays: there’s drama, anticipation, maybe disappointment, hope, joy…. and bragging rights if all goes well.

Auctions are very popular nowadays. Well, actually, they have been for ages. Probably the cavemen held them over the very best dwelling: “I’ll trade ya twelve saber-toothed tiger hides for that there awesome cave with a spring in it.” With the advent of a really workable internet, auction sites like eBay have changed the way we do business. You don’t have to roast beast with your neighbor before doing business; you can transact with someone on the other side of the planet, in the middle of your night and their breakfast, even if you don’t speak their language. The internet is an awesome tool.

Opposable thumbs were a good start, and they have led us to some amazing technologies. But you’ve got to have the right tool for the right project. And the right auction for what you’re looking to sell or buy. If you want to unload an old but useful item, like a banged-up bureau, and you don’t care about its value or receiving any money for it, then a charity fundraiser is a great way to go. If you have an extremely valuable chair used by Napoleon, you’ll want to head to Christie’s. Reason: the right audience of buyers will pay the very best price. And, by the same token, if you want to buy a brilliant piece, you would go to the very best auction, not to the corner pawn shop.

Timeshare auctions work the same way. Not only is the timeshare itself important, but the venue in which it is being sold affects price and the types of buyers. SellMyTimeshareNOW.com is “la creme de la creme.” We rise to the top of the internet world every day, whether you are in New Zealand or Russia or the United States or anywhere in between. We have the best venue, the best available inventory, and the best prices.

Go to the top, the cream of the crop.

At SellMyTimeshareNOW, we hear a lot of questions about free timeshare vacations. And as all of us in colder climates begin to feel winter’s one-two punch, it is only natural that thoughts turn to white sand beaches, tall cool drinks beside a sparkling blue pool and the sound of balmy breezes rustling through the palm trees.

Which inspires many people to wonder if “free” timeshare vacations are worth it. My answer is a qualified “maybe.”

Most of us have had the experience of receiving a brochure about a timeshare promotion or a sales call from a timeshare company promising us three or four days at a luxurious resort. Are these legitimate? Will you really get a free timeshare vacation?

Let’s start with what we all already know: nothing in life is ever truly free. You may be offered free lodging, but more than likely, you will be offered discounted accommodations. Say a $200-a-night room for only $75. And occasionally the timeshare promotion actually will be a free room—just not necessarily a room at one of the luxury resorts where the timeshare company wants you to buy.

Before you pack your swim trunks and your snorkeling gear, here are some things to watch out for when it comes to a “free” timeshare vacation:

• Even if your lodging actually is free, you may still be expected to pay taxes on your accommodations and perhaps taxes on the full value of the room despite the fact that you are paying a discounted rate. Hotel or room taxes (sometimes called tourist taxes) added on top of state sales taxes can be more than 20 percent of the room’s nightly rate. You could be looking at $20-$30 per night, for every night you stay at the resort.
• Many free timeshare deals will still require you to provide your credit card for incidental expenses such as long distance phone use. Others will require you provide them a deposit, which they will not typically refund if you cancel. However, they may permit you to transfer your deposit to a future stay, provided you canceled in advance of your scheduled vacation date.
• No free timeshare vacation will let you off the hook without you and your spouse (if you are married) attending a timeshare sales presentation together. The presentation may last a few hours or it may take up four to six hours of one day of your vacation. During the sales presentation, the timeshare agent will most likely do everything he or she can to convince you to buy a timeshare—right then—on the spot!
• Your free timeshare vacation may or may not include transportation to the resort. Also your lodging may be at the resort where you will be buying, but it could also be at a less-than-desirable hotel or motel near the resort.

A free timeshare vacation can be a great way to enjoy a discounted holiday and at the same time learn a little more about a timeshare condo that interests you. On the other hand, it can be an unpleasant experience, that not only costs you more than you meant to spend on your vacation, but costs you dearly if you succumb to a timeshare developer’s pitch for a new timeshare at an inflated price. Do your research before you agree to go. And remember, you are under no obligation to buy anything from the resort!

The smart shopper’s way to buy timeshare is to buy it resale, from the owner who is a regular person just like you, not someone who is shelling out freebies to reel you in. Enjoy the freebies a resort offers you, investigate the resort, decide whether you and your family would like to vacation there, and then buy at the best price. Another option which may even be easier than “working” a “free” deal, is to rent timeshare at a resort you are interested in. This gives you much more control and freedom during your vacation.