New Service Links Up Timeshare Vacation Rentals

A local company unveiled a method of finding potential timeshare customers at a trade show this week in Las Vegas. Altadena-based LeisureLink Inc. introduced the Mini Vacation Tracker, or MiniVac, a Web-based leads and tracking system, at the American Resort Developers Association trade show, which concludes today.

"The reception we're getting is extremely good," said Kelly Tompkins, founder and president of LeisureLink. "People are really very interested in our distribution of vacation rentals for the timeshare industry."

The LeisureLink reservation platform connects property management companies through the Internet with travel agents and Web sites such as orbitz.com and travelocity.com.

MiniVac gives online travelers the tools to book their own vacation rentals, then provides the option of getting a discounted rental if they agree to listen to a formal timeshare presentation.

This provides a cost-effective lead generator for property management companies, said Tompkins.

"We're on track to sign up most of the timeshare industry," he said. "We've either signed up or are in final negotiations with all the leading property managers."

Online travelers take a survey that evaluates their potential as a timeshare owner. If they don't qualify, they can still book their vacation at the regular price.

MiniVac will provide companies with vacationers who come pre-qualified as potential timeshare owners, said Tuzy Snyder-Wall, general manager of RMC Resort Management, which has used LeisureLink for more than a year.

LeisureLink's methods are preferable to costly mailers, she said.

"You're ending up with a lot of expense a lot of times for a shot in the dark," Snyder-Wall said. "A lot of people throw it away."

Also, LeisureLink helps travel agents understand and book vacation timeshare rentals, which have different parameters than hotels, she said.

"Everybody is looking to have as many distribution channels as possible to get their timeshare out to the marketplace," Snyder-Wall said.

LeisureLink brings qualified leads into resorts who have a higher probability to convert to timeshare ownership, said Tompkins, who founded the company in May 2002.

LeisureLink is completing the acquisition of $5 million in venture capital funding to expand and grow, he said, and the launch of MiniVac has accelerated the sales cycle in signing up many big property managers.

Shareblock Option Protects Timeshare Investors

Keith Stewart, the billionaire developer of the award-winning Pezula Private Estate in Knysna, has reassured investors in the Pezula Private Residence Club that their timeshare property investments will be protected under the Shareblock Act - should government's proposed moratorium on foreign land ownership come into effect. By Glenda Nevill

Pezula recently launched the Pezula Private Residence Club, a timeshare ownership scheme that includes residences at three premier destinations: Pezula in Knysna, Shamwari in the Eastern Cape and Franschhoek in the Western Cape.

Because of investor anxiety regarding government's mooted moratorium on foreign land ownership, Stewart has simplified the offering as he does not want any uncertainty with regards to timeshare ownership within the Pezula Private Residence Club. It will now be structured as a shareblock company.

A shareblock scheme, as defined by the Share Blocks Control Act, 1980, Act No. 59 of 1980, means any scheme in terms of which a share confers a right to or an interest in the use of immovable property.

Although there are other ways of structuring timeshare rights, share block schemes have proved popular. Under a share block scheme, a shareblock company - rather than an individual - obtains rights to land and buildings for use or occupation by the shareholders of the company.

'This means that timeshare investors' shares in the Residence Club would be the same as owning shares in a company that manufactures goods, for example,' says Andy McPherson, managing partner of law firm strb Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes.

Shares in Pezula Private Timeshare Residence Club commence at R600 000 (inclusive of VAT) for the first 20 shares. Thereafter, the price will increase to R650 000 (inclusive of VAT). There will be an annual management fee of R15 000 per share which will cover all operating costs, including the regular refurbishment of the residences.

The investment opportunity is limited to only 70 shareholders who will have ownership and use of five luxury residences on the Pezula championship golf course in Knysna.

The Pezula Management Company will allow a member to rent their timeshare out if they are not able to use all or a portion of their time in a particular year.

A limited number of members will ensure a flexible reservation system, enabling timeshare owners to gain access to Pezula.

The timeshare units, 234 square metres, are spacious with two bedrooms, luxurious en suite bathrooms, spacious living and dining areas and well-appointed kitchens and a private heated plunge pool.

South Seas Readying For Friday Timeshare Opening

South Seas Island Timeshare Resort reopens to guests today, more than 19 months after its thrashing by Hurricane Charley.

There’s a lot of unfinished business, however.

Resort leaders call it a “soft opening,” which means there will be little hoopla. Also, many timeshare units and amenities won’t be ready until later this summer. Further, ownership of the resort recently changed, raising questions about its direction long term.

About 30 guest families are expected at the Captiva resort on Friday, said Chris Van der Baars, resort general manager. He expects another 100 families who own homes, condos or timeshare units to arrive as well for the weekend.

Construction permitting, the number of guests will bump up to 200 families by the end of March and swell to 450 by mid-April, he said.
Currently, 88 timeshare units out of 485 accommodations are available for rental with another 100 expected to come online by April 3.

Timeshare Giant Silverleaf Resorts, Inc. Announces Plans to Build Its First Water Park

Silverleaf Resorts, Inc. (AMEX:SVL) today announced plans to build its first indoor water park at The Villages Resort, one of Silverleaf's getaway timeshare resorts serving the Dallas/Fort Worth market.

Sharon K. Brayfield, president of Silverleaf, commented, "Our members enjoy many fun, family-oriented amenities throughout our timeshare resorts. The enthusiasm for water parks continues to grow each year and this new amenity will be a safe and convenient way for families to spend quality time together while increasing the year-round appeal of The Villages."

The "WaterPark at The Villages" is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2007. When completed it will be home for multiple themed attractions, including inner tube and body slides, a wave pool, an interactive play system topped by a giant tipping bucket of water, and a lazy river float ride. In addition, the on-site facilities will include food service, a retail area, an arcade and lockers. Silverleaf's planned capital expenditure for this project will be approximately $6.3 million. Management anticipates a boost in low season timeshare occupancy as well as improved sales efficiencies from the addition of this popular attraction.

Based in Dallas, Texas, Silverleaf Resorts, Inc. currently owns and operates 13 timeshare resorts in various stages of development. Silverleaf resorts offer a wide array of country club-like amenities, such as golf, clubhouses, swimming, horseback riding, boating, and many organized activities for children and adults at the timeshare resorts.

Timeshares In Incline, We've Always Had Them

Anyone who has lived in the Bay Area will be familiar with the radio and TV commercial for a dairy called Berkeley Farms that ends with a bovine voice exclaiming "Farms? in Berkeley? Mooooo!" The local version of this at the moment seems to be Timeshares? in Incline? Noooooo!"

To make it clear at the outset, I'm no big fan of timeshares, and neither do I consider them a blight on the universe. Actually, aside from assiduously avoiding getting hooked into listening to marketing pitches on them, I don't have much opinion either way on timeshares (though by way of full disclosure, I did attend a presentation years ago at South Shore and came away with a really nice set of cheap, shoddy luggage).

I am a fan of reason, though, and it seems to me that the current brouhaha over the issue of timeshares in Incline is lacking in that fine commodity.

There may be some fine point of law or regulation that distinguishes between a timeshare and a house that is rented out as a vacation rental, but in practice I can't see the difference. If I (or my brother, my cousin, and my friends Ed and Don and I) buy a house, use it for ourselves for a few weeks a year and rent it out to vacationing families the rest of the year, that seems pretty much the same thing as a timeshare to my untrained eye.

Now here's the joke: There are houses and condos all over Incline that are rented out on exactly that basis. Timeshares in Incline? We've always had them!

Now here come Paul Zahler and Phil Gilanfarr wanting to put them up near Diamond Peak and you'd think somebody was proposing affordable housing or something.

What I've heard from the anti-timeshare side is concerns about traffic, parking, noise, and the like. OK, those are valid concerns for anyone in any neighborhood, but from my understanding what is being proposed is not a high-rise or condo development but a number of single family homes. Again, I think the concerns are legitimate, but they are not, I think, concerns that are unique to time shares. When my neighbor across the street put his house on the market and, while it was being sold, rented it out in three sections to groups of young, unrelated people, I had the same concerns, and had recourse if I wanted to pursue it under the CC&Rs of the neighborhood. How is this different from a timeshare, and how is it different if Messrs, Zahler and Gilanfarr went in and built a bunch of houses that they then sold? Particularly if the purchasers then rented them out as vacation rentals?

Somehow I think there is more involved here than meets the eye. For one thing, Paul Zahler has been subjected to some personal attacks on the issue that I think are out of proportion to a relatively simple zoning dispute. I don't know Paul well, we don't socialize, and we don't agree on a lot of political matters. I have, however, served with Paul on a number of committees and boards and have had occasion to scrutinize his performance in public service on the Citizen's Advisory Board and the fire board and it's my view that he is an honest man, however misguided he may be politically, and that he has a big and authentic commitment to the community. Those things alone, in my view, make ad hominem attacks a particularly egregious form of opposition. I've met Phil Gilanfarr in a business context and have no reason to think that either Paul or Phil are up to any nefarious business here - they're just doing what architects and developers do looking for an opportunity to develop something - that's their profession.

The point is, once again, that we live in a community and that living in a community means that (a) there are laws and regulations that apply equally to everyone - they aren't something to be invoked when the ox being gored is yours and (b) Sometimes, as Mr. Spock said, the good of the many may outweigh the good of the few, and some people are not going to like something that, under our laws, is perfectly legitimate to do. Let's decide this issue in the realm of laws and regulations, not in the court of public attack.

Tips On Timeshares

Timeshares are often marketed as an investment, but they are one of the worst investments that you can make. The reason they are marketed this way is simple - it’s much easier to sell something that sounds like it will make or save you money than something that will cost you a lot of money.

An investment is supposed to increase in value, yet timeshares typically lose 50% to 80% of their value as soon as you purchase it. While the sales person will give you all kinds of reasons that it will supposedly save you money, in all likelihood it will cost you much more than you could have ever imagined.

Here are 7 important facts that the timeshare sales person will likely forget to mention:

1. Timeshares are simply a terrible investment.
2. Whatever the fees are now, timeshare fees will increase and special fees will be assessed.
3. Unless you have a prime vacation date, trading timeshares will be nearly impossible (which means you’ll have to vacation at the same place each year).
4. Financing a Timeshare means you pay double digit interest rates.
5. It costs money to travel to a timeshare (when they add your costs to vacation they will include the travel costs, but those costs will mysteriously be left out of the cost of the timeshare).
6. For most people it makes little sense to buy a timeshare (and if you do, you should always buy used, not from the resort sales agent).
7. It will be extremely difficult to get rid of your timeshare.

If you currently own a timeshare, sit down and run the numbers of what it is actually costing you. You may be surprised at how much that week really costs and if that is the case, the sooner you get rid of it, the better for your personal finances.

How To Unravel A Timeshare Commitment

Timeshares are the right to use a vacation home, often a condo at a resort, usually during a specific week each year.But what if you succumbed to the hard-sell pitch from a timeshare sales representative and bought one, then regretted it?

There are no perfect ways to get out of a timeshare. But here are some do's and don'ts that might help.

Don't pay an upfront listing fee. If you pay an upfront commission or fee, often $400 to $700, to someone promising to sell your time share, you'll probably get no results.

Do try to sell it back. Check with your home resort to see if it will buy back the time share. ''Resorts that are sold out or close to being sold out may make you a reasonable offer,'' said Shane, founder of EZ Timeshare.

Do try renting your timeshare week. In a few years, you could make more than if you'd dumped it on the resale market at a fire-sale price. And renting it should more than make up for your annual fees, which can run about $500 per year.

Do try to sell it online. Use eBay and other time-share listing Web sites that don't charge upfront fees but take commissions on the sale. Just realize you'll rarely get all your money back on a resale, and eBay shoppers are looking for time shares at huge discounts.

Do try selling it yourself. Advertise in local newspapers and vacation magazines. ''If you want to get the best price, you're going to have to sell it yourself and do a lot of leg work on your own,'' said Jimmy, operator of the Orlando Time Share Sales Web site.

Don't abandon it. If you owe money on the time share, stopping payments probably will damage your credit rating.

i3 Uses 'Timeshare' Concept To Help CLECs With Switching

Houston-based i3 Voice & Data Inc. now offers ala carte access to TDM- and IP-based switching facilities based on a "timeshare" concept to CLECs displaced by the phase-out of UNE-P. The one-year-old company's UNE-3 Fractional Switch Ownership program service goes live next month.

With UNE-3, CLECs purchase only the ports they need (the minimum purchase is 1,000) from a MetaSwitch VP3500 series softswitch that i3 operates out of a PoP in Dallas, where the company also has a MetaSwitch UC9000 Unified Communications System and session border controller equipment from NexTone Communications. The softswitch provides more than 100 Class 5 features including the full range of custom calling and Centrex services, plus TDM, Ethernet and IP protocol support.

Timeshare Traveling Information

Lots of families, looking into the timeshare option,. it's where you buy property and you own it for a set amount of time each year. It's good for people who like to visit the same spots a lot: like Maui, or Puerto Vallarta.

Trading with other owners, could open up your travels even more.

Renee Baws, timeshare owner said, "It really affords us the opportunity to go to places we haven't been before. And if we do like the place, then we decide to go back there again. And friends of ours have timeshares as well, and sometimes, we travel with them."

There are some advantages to owning a time share.

First off, you get plenty of space. the average unit is bigger than two hotel rooms.
They also have kitchens so you can save money, making your own meals.
They're prepaid
You can swap units for other destinations.
The cons?

You'll have to make your own bed, there is no housekeeping or room service.
It can get tough to trade units unless you plan years in advance.
The average price of a timeshare is $14,500 with steeper interest rates.
They can be difficult to sell.

If Not Timeshare Fee, Then What?

Horry County Council this week stared a $5 per night fee for timeshare condo visits in the face -- and blinked. Even though they need a fresh source of revenue to defray tourism infrastructure costs, council members, by a 9-2 margin, wimped out on enacting the fee for fear of triggering a timeshare industry lawsuit and sanctions by the state. State law bars local governments from imposing such fees.

Well, OK. Council members, we suppose, aren't elected to spit in the face of the increasingly powerful S.C. time-share industry, incurring humongous legal fees and risking a negative court judgment. Their reluctance to face down the state and the time-share lobby could be construed as careful stewardship of public resources.

The council majority's failure in courage, however, is potentially bad news for county property owners. They now face greater risk of paying costs that tourists should be paying -- upgrading arterial streets and highways, renourishing beaches, financing the extra police cars needed during high tourism season, tourism marketing and advertising, etc.

Because timeshare stays are an increasingly popular option for overnight and longer-term visitors, state and local accommodations tax revenues have flattened out and likely will decline. State law forbids the county and beach municipalities to charge the accommodations tax on timeshare stays. Never mind that the timeshare units visitors use often look just like hotel rooms in buildings that look just like hotels; the accommodations tax -- which supports tourism infrastructure, tourism marketing and certain tourism-related events -- applies only to overnight hotel stays.

If the county and beach municipalities can't capture comparable revenue from timeshare stays, then timeshare owners parasitically are feasting on public services that, strictly speaking, they don't pay to support.

Timeshare industry spokespeople argue, not wrongly, that they pay property taxes, on a per-unit basis, too. Those tax remittances, they say, are support enough for local government services devoted to tourism.

But upon closer scrutiny, this argument becomes clearly bogus. Hotel owners pay property taxes, too, but don't squawk too much about having to collect the accommodations tax. They know they benefit from it. If local governments didn't use accommodations tax revenue to keep up the beaches, provide public safety protection during tourism season, maintain the roads that lead to hotel driveways, provide tourists with events to attend and attract them to the Grand Strand to begin with, their businesses would wither and die.

Oh, well. Given County Council's lack of resolve try to break out of the straitjacket in which the state has placed it, there's no point in excoriating members for blinking in the face of time-share industry pressure. But council members -- as well as their counterparts in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach -- might enlighten the rest of us on what other ideas they have for ensuring that tourists pay their fair share of the infrastructure that supports them. The money to support tourism has to come from somewhere -- other than local folks' taxes, which are high enough already. Get ready for the timeshare tax!

Unloading Timeshare Likely A No-Win deal

Spending money wisely is important, but it's also important to undo money mistakes. Timeshare vacation properties are a good example.

Timeshares are the right to use a vacation home, often a condo at a resort, usually during a specific week each year. We've previously examined why timeshares are a complicated purchase and are bad as real estate investments, especially if purchased new from a resort.

But what if you succumbed to the hard-sell pitch from a timeshare sales representative and bought one, then regretted it? Getting out is difficult, as many readers have found. Here's a sampling:

"Please send me anything that may be helpful to sell these timeshares. I would be happy to get my initial investment back."

"Do you have any suggestions after the damage has been done, as far as unloading this beast?"

"Help! We have a timeshare and don't know how to get rid of it. We know that we will not get our money back, but we don't know where to turn."

"I simply want out of this timeshare, even if it means forfeiting my initial investment and assessments paid to date."


"Unless the time-share owner is in an extremely unique situation, they are going to lose a lot of money," Morris said.

There are no perfect ways to get out of a timeshare. But here are some do's and don'ts that might help.

- Don't pay an upfront listing fee. If you pay an upfront commission or fee, often $400 to $700, to someone promising to sell your timeshare, you'll probably get no results.

"More often than not, these companies are in the business of taking your listing fee and nothing more," said Lisa Ann Schreier, founder of Timeshare Insights, which guides consumers through timeshare arrangements, and author of "Surviving a Timeshare Presentation ... Confessions From the Sales Table" and "Timeshare Vacations for Dummies."

- Do try to sell it back. Check with your home resort to see if it will buy back the timeshare. "Resorts that are sold out or close to being sold out may make you a reasonable offer," Schreier said.

- Do try renting your timeshare week. In a few years, you could make more than if you'd dumped it on the resale market at a fire-sale price. And renting it should more than make up for your annual fees, which can run about $500 per year.

- Do try to sell it online. Use eBay and other timeshare listing Web sites that don't charge upfront fees but take commissions on the sale. Just realize you'll rarely get all your money back on a resale, and eBay shoppers are looking for time shares at huge discounts.

- Do try selling it yourself. Advertise in local newspapers and vacation magazines. "If you want to get the best price, you're going to have to sell it yourself and do a lot of leg work on your own," Strain said.

- Don't abandon it. If you owe money on the timeshare, stopping payments probably will damage your credit rating.

- Don't ask too much. Listing a timeshare above the cheapest comparable timeshare will mean it will sit unsold.

- Do consider using a pro. "You can use a reseller or commissioned real estate agent that only gets paid for the sale, but you'll have to price it under market value or give a bigger commission to get rid of it fast," Morris said.

- Do your homework on resellers. Check out the reseller by contacting the Better Business Bureau, state attorney general's office and consumer protection agencies in the state where the reseller is located. "If there are any complaints against the seller, walk away," Morris said.

- Do try to transfer payments. If you financed the timeshare, just turn it over to someone willing to take over the remaining payments. Whatever you paid will be lost, but you will avoid any future payments and monthly fees.

- Do consider donating your timeshare. Check with your local religious and community organizations, which may take the timeshare and use it in a fundraiser.

- Do consider Donate for a Cause. This for-profit business has alliances with legitimate charities. You donate your timeshare, pick the charity you want it to go to and take a federal income tax write-off of the timeshare's fair market value up to $5,000, or more if you want to get the timeshare appraised.

In getting rid of a timeshare, you'll have to fight human nature, which wants to at least get even on a bad deal before abandoning it. Realize that won't happen on a timeshare you don't want. Dump it, take the loss and be rid of it. Holding onto it while waiting for a good price offer that may never come just makes a bad spending decision worse.

Cendant's Hospitality Timeshare Spin-Off to be Named Wyndham Worldwide

Wyndham Worldwide will become the name of the new hospitality company expected to be created by Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD) later this year in the previously announced
spin-off of its lodging, vacation exchange and rental, and timeshare resorts
businesses, it was announced today.

Upon completion of the timeshare spin-off, Wyndham Worldwide will be an independent,publicly traded, pure-play company focused on the development and performanceof its nine hotel lodging chains including the Wyndham(R), Ramada(R), Super8(R), Wingate Inn(R) and Days Inn(R) brands; its vacation exchange and rental
businesses including RCI(R), Novasol(R) and Landal GreenParks(R), and its
timeshare resorts business including Fairfield(R) Resorts and Trendwest(R)
Resorts.

Stephen P. Holmes, Cendant vice chairman and the new company's chairman
and chief executive officer, said Wyndham Worldwide "represents the elevation
of a signature brand with high consumer appeal to serve as our new corporate
timeshare identity."

"As the leading provider of hotel, vacation exchange and rental, and
timeshare accommodations across six continents, we will leverage a name that
provides us with a familiar corporate identity that unquestionably conveys who
we are and what we provide to millions of consumers worldwide," he said.

Noting that the Wyndham hotel brand is widely known "for its distinctly
personalized approach to hospitality," Holmes said, "We believe Wyndham
Worldwide translates perfectly as the bold new identity for a company that
provides consumers with the widest choice in global travel accommodations for
virtually any occasion, price point and experience."

Wyndham Worldwide will be one of the world's largest hospitality companies
and preeminent providers of hospitality products and services, encompassing
more than 6,300 franchised or managed hotels with over 530,000 hotel rooms
worldwide; serving more than three million members of the RCI timeshare exchange network with access to over 4,000 resorts worldwide; more than 55,000 vacation
exchange and rental properties located in more than 100 countries, and over
140 timeshare resorts serving more than 750,000 timeshare owners throughout
North America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

"Even as we adopt a new corporate brand to represent the sum of our
hospitality businesses, we recognize the tremendous value and equity of each
of our brands," Holmes said. "Our commitment to our total brand portfolio
remains just as strong, and we will continue to grow and enhance the presence
of our brands within their respective market segments."

To further leverage RCI's unique brand equity in the timeshare exchange
businesses, and in recognition of the recent integration of RCI with our
European vacation rental businesses, the combined vacation exchange and rental
businesses will be renamed the RCI Global Vacation Network. The new name will
reinforce the groups' established global business network of partnerships and
distribution channels enabling the individual brands to flourish in existing
and new markets.

Since the Cendant name will be retired, the company's timeshare
development subsidiary, Cendant Timeshare Resort Group, Inc., will change its
identity to Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Inc. It will continue to operate
under its two highly-regarded resort development brands, Fairfield Resorts and
Trendwest Resorts, as well their respective timeshare programs, FairShare
Plus(R) and WorldMark(R).

Concurrently, Cendant Hotel Group, the unit that manages the company's
franchised and managed hotel lodging business, will change its name to Wyndham
Hotel Group, and the company's namesake hotel brand will become Wyndham Hotels
& Resorts.

"Wyndham will provide an integrated brand identity to bridge our
businesses as we pursue new growth strategies, including mixed-use hotel and
timeshare development," Holmes said. "As an upscale brand, Wyndham provides
both our hotel and timeshare development businesses with a common platform
from which to pursue further growth in higher-end segments.

"These and other integrated strategies will not only help further extend
our timeshare brands globally, but will also dramatically redefine Wyndham as a
worldwide leader in all facets of lodging hospitality," Holmes concluded.

Timeshare Fee Plan Shut down By Lawmakers

A proposed $5 nightly fee on timeshares in unincorporated Horry County was scrapped Tuesday night in a 9-2 vote by County Council.

The vote closed a two-year effort to charge the vacation units a fee similar to the accommodation tax now charged to hotels, motels and campgrounds.

The fee would have been used to maintain beaches, roads, sidewalks and other services related to the tourism industry and was approved by the council twice in 2004.But ultimately the fee was dropped due to lack of support and the likelihood of a major lawsuit against the county.

The cities along the county's coastline, where most timeshares are located, never got behind the county's fee proposal and the few timeshare companies in unincorporated Horry County said Tuesday a fee on them alone would create a competitive disadvantage.

"Your national and international timeshare developers are all located on the beach in the city of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach," said Blaine Liljenquist, CEO of Plantation Resort, a time share company. "Plantation Resort used to have monopoly. We are now a relatively small player and have to compete with these national and international timeshare developers."

Liljenquist said time shares may not pay a fee, but generally pay higher property taxes than hotels that do pay because time share buildings are spread out and billed separately.
Councilman Harold Worley and Chairwoman Liz Gilland supported the fee.
"It is just not fair for some to pay and some to not," Worley said. "We all understand how strong the time share industry is but at the same time somebody is going to have to pay the bill for beach renourishment and fire and EMS."

Timeshares are an increasingly large part of the local tourism industry. In 1995, they accounted for 1 percent of the industry but made up 10 percent by 2002, according to Horry County. Gilland warned that the booming industry will put increasing pressure on tourism-related services and if no fee is created, taxpayers may eventually have to pay the bill.

"This time we can look into the future and say there is going to be a problem. That is why I am disappointed in the cities of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach," Gilland said. The state Legislature also made it difficult for the county to collect money from timeshares by creating a legal exemption on such fees, she said.
Councilman Kevin Hardee said a fee may make the local industry less competitive with other vacation destinations. Also, he said the county should not be so eager to use taxpayer money to fight the industry in the courts.

Councilman Marion Foxworth said he supports a fee on timeshares but legal battles could cancel out any benefits. A lawsuit from the industry is likely, but the county would also have to battle the state General Assembly over the county's right to collect a fee contrary to state law.

Royal Oasis Timeshare Owners Are Still Waiting

More timeshare owners at the Royal Oasis resort are coming forward and inquiring about the pending class action suit; some say talk of new owners is promising news.

Back in January, The Freeport News learned that several owners were talking with lawyers about a lawsuit against the Crowne Plaza Golf Resort and Casino at the Royal Oasis which shut down in September 2004.

The owners cited the reason for the closure was for repairs.

However, 18 months and millions of unpaid dollars later, there has been no word from the owners to the 1,300-plus displaced employees.

The timeshare owners say the only correspondence they received, months after incessant attempts to get answers, was that their "points" had been frozen.

Before now, the owners had made every possible attempt to find some answers from the owners, the timeshare representatives, this daily and even Bahamas government officials, including Prime Minister Christie.

But to no avail.

Frustrated, at their wits' end and fearful that their money was lost, several of the owners turned to one another, formed a coalition and began contemplating a class action suit.

A flurry of e-mails were trafficked back and forth and soon afterwards talks were initiated with lawyers.

One timeshare owner said they did not want the situation to get to a law suit, but their backs were against the wall and, having owned the timeshare just months before the resort had closed, they had no other recourse.

A number of owners who contacted this daily had still been making the regular payments, despite the resort's closure, out of fear they would lose their money or their points if the resort was to reopen.

One Virginia woman said she paid $12,000 cash for her timeshare and has never received a bill for maintenance fees.

Some owners took out loans to purchase their timeshare.

A week ago, The Freeport News confirmed that new players were at the bargaining table bidding for the resort property and had met with government as late as Sunday.

It was the second such talks government has had with an investor in a year.

The property was close to being sold to Harcourt Developments, a property construction and management company based in Dublin, but the deal fell through.

Toursim Minister Obie Wilchcombe disclosed that the new group of players has international reputation but he declined to disclose their name before the deal is done.

He added, however, that it was hoped that negotiations can resolve quickly.

One of the more recent timeshare owners to come forward, though weary, was still optimistic with word of new talks.

"We seem to be in the middle of a struggle between Driftwood and the government as each tells us to call the other," he said.

"We hear rumours of a sale and that once that happens, our agreements could be fulfilled with that new owner. That the resort will be rebuilt bigger and better than before. This all sounds good, but we cannot trust any of that information as treatment to date has been unbelievably terrible."

The owner, who has signed a 42-year agreement with the timeshare unit, says he and other owners can't understand why they are being ignored.

"I can't understand why the Bahamas government completely ignores that fact and that I am one of many owners who have the same agreements which translates into tourism dollars for the Bahamas. I can't understand why they ignore or disregard this fact," he said.

He pointed out that the owners have been extremely patient considering they have yet to receive any formal information regarding the status of the timeshare resort or its future direction.

"But, our patience is running thin in the face of more reports of Driftwoods' continuing downward spiral and the lack of a sale or any information how that sale would affect our agreements," he said.

Timeshare Vacations For Dummies On Shelves

Timeshare Vacations For Dummies is new guide to timeshare vacations for the 3 million North Americans who own timeshares around the world and the 210,000 (7%) more who buy them each year.

There are 5,425 timeshare resorts in the world, 1,590 of them in the U.S. Timeshares are a natural subject for a Dummies book, because the process can be confusing, even threatening, and people need help steering safely through the shoals.

The guide answers questions from both existing timeshare owners and those who are considering buying one--what are the smartest ways to buy and sell; are timeshares a wise investment; how do owners find the best swaps; which resorts and destinations offer the best deal for your money, interests and schedule, both domestically and abroad.

Bluegreen Changes Timeshare Colors

Thursday was a mixed bag for real estate developer Bluegreen(NYSE: BXG). The company posted fourth-quarter results that seemed flattish on the surface. Profits fell from $0.23 a share to $0.22 a share for the period, as fourth-quarter sales dipped from $126 million to $120 million.

Dig deeper into the company's two main businesses and that's where the disparity is obvious. The company's timeshare business, which makes up a little over two-thirds of the company's overall business, grew 8.7% higher. Its homesite sales business, where the company buys a large parcel of land and carves it out into individual community lots, fell by 23.7% over the same three months

Yes, Bluegreen was risking that kind of slide in its homesite efforts when the housing market began to rumble. Higher interest rates have cooled off the once red-hot real estate speculation. The company can still make a cozy living buying huge tracts of land and divvying them up accordingly, but it's the company's timeshare business that should excite investors at that point.

Yes, I said timeshare. Even though it's politically correct these days to refer to the travel offerings as "vacation intervals," we all know that we're still talking timeshares here. As housing prices have gone through the roof, but rental and lodging rates have been kept in check, folks who may have been eyeing vacation homes and investment properties are now turning back to timeshares as more affordable alternatives.

It doesn't hurt that you now have big companies like Marriott(NYSE: MAR), Disney(NYSE: DIS), and Hilton(NYSE: HLT) educating the market. It's helped clean up the image of timeshares as a product of strong-armed contracts after high-pressure sales presentations.

You have plenty of public players toiling in this intriguing sector. Beyond Bluegreen you have companies like Sunterra(Nasdaq: SNRR), Silverleaf(Amex: SVL), and Cendant's (NYSE: CD) Trendwest Resorts.

Club Mahindra Set To Enter US Timeshare Market

Club Mahindra Holidays, one of the lifetime holiday majors in the country, is set to market Club Mahindra timeshare in the US market by April this year, according to Mr Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd.

The company also plans to enter the `fractionals' business, following the trend in the evolving US market. Fractionals is the new buzzword in leisure market.
(According to Time magazine calls fractionals the new millennium term for timeshare in upscale projects.) Large resorts are offering stays for a specific period for the entire family for a fraction of the cost of full ownership. Mr Ramanathan said that this product is tailored for high net worth individuals who buy into a vacation time at a premium location.

He said that the Club Mahindra product would offer fractionals in palaces, havelis and heritage homes.

Mr Ramanathan said that the decision to enter the US market was taken after a year's research. The company has developed a new timeshare holiday product, which is being targeted mainly at people of Indian origin.

The product is an extension of the traditional timeshare package and is positioned as a holiday for the extended family, as most Indians from the US would like to spend quality time with their families.

The package will also include some breaks in the US. To facilitate this, Mr Ramanathan said that the company has invested in some US inventory (rooms).

The company will have offices in New Jersey; Washington, DC; and Maryland. The average timeshare package would be priced at about $9,000.

Mahindra Holidays has sales offices in Dubai and Kuwait.

Besides, Club Mahindra will soon move overseas and is planning timeshare resorts in Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives, he said.

The company is gearing for its overseas expansion and has appointed Mr Ulrich Wolffram, an hotelier with international experience, as Head of Operations to manage the existing resorts and open new ones, Mr Ramanathan said.

Today, the domestic market for lifestyle products has grown and more people are buying holidays, he said. The company is improving service levels at the resorts. The company has invested about Rs 1.5 crore in the first phase of a CRM (customer relationship management) package. In the second phase, the investment would be anything between Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore, he said.

Mr Ramanathan said the company is going for a food and safety certification across timeshare resorts. Another area that the company is concentrating on is cuisine.

New Online / Web-Based Sales Presentation For The Timeshare Industry

Jointly, Nouis-Air and IT-Consultings.com Inc. announced today the launch of FlexPresentation Sales Solution, a new Web-Based Interactive Sales Presentation platform that allows consumers to view an Online Timeshare Sales Presentation from the comfort of their home or office, in place of attending an onsite traditional Timeshare Sales Presentation.

FlexPresentation established the first Online Vacation Ownership Sales Presentation in 2004 with a resort in North America and the Mediterranean. Prospects could go and view a web-based Online Timeshare Sales Presentation without the fear of being pressured during their decision making and/or buying process. FlexPresentation lets consumers participate in a full interactive Online Timeshare Sales Presentation very similar to a traditional one (in-person Sales Presentation). They can do anything, from choosing a vacation plan, to signing an agreement of ownership online and pay for it without ever meeting face-to-face with a Timeshare Sales Person.

While the traditional in-person Timeshare Sales Presentation is still popular, the focus of the FlexPresentation will be to appeal to those consumers who research Timeshare opportunities online, potential clients who may not be comfortable meeting with Sales Professionals in person at a resort or Sales Center; and to recapture the audience that may have been lost as a result of internet research done before or after the presentation with a Sales Professional at the resort or sales center."

FlexPresentation is intended to turn Information into Sales. Thanks to the internet and changing consumer trends, traditional Timeshare Sales Centers are simply becoming "Timeshare Information Centers" with potential sales being lost.

According to Mr. Compton VanSluytman Director of Operation of FlexPresentation - Division, the Internet is the number one source to assist in the buyer's decision making process and FlexPresentation Sales Solution is a means of expanding the industry to accommodate this trend.

Since industry professionals cannot change consumers' behavior, the industry must adapt to accommodate consumer trends. Nowadays, the in-person (traditional) Timeshare Sales Presentation is really conducted at the end of the sales process, not the beginning. By the time prospects visit the Sales Center or the resort, they have, in general, already researched the company, its reputation, the resale market, consumer reviews, the vacation products and more, online

Quoting Paul Chiu, partner in Accenture's Transportation & Travel Services practice "Consumers today go online to arrange travel the same way they do to bank, shop and chat with friends. The smartest companies in the travel industry will make meeting their customers' demands for online services a top priority not only to satisfy their guests but to help cut operating costs and improve efficiency."

The challenge facing Timeshare Developers today is to make sure that they continue to rebuild the trust in the industry's credibility that has been growing since the 1980's and sustain it online with the new internet savvy consumer.

Timeshare industry professionals are always looking for ways to improve results, provide a more positive overall image, lower sales and marketing costs, produce higher VPG (volume per guest) and enhance Developer profits. FlexPresentation Sales Solutions are very successful; and by using them, Developers will be able to lower their operating costs substantially, which will result in lower prices and more convenience for the consumer thereby creating a higher profit margin and increased sales..

Flex PresentationSM is ideal for any business in the Shared Ownership industry such as Resort/Hotel Developers, Sales Centers, Fractional, Timeshare, Aircraft Fractional, Condo Hotels, Vacation Clubs, Vacation Ownership, Golf Fractional, Cruise Shares, Private Residence Clubs, and Points Based Programs, wishing to increase their market share.

Although FlexPresentation has taken the lead --thanks to Nouiss-Air and IT-Consultings.Com Inc.-- in offering Online Time Share Sales Presentations, it will continue to research and develop Internet Technology to offer the consumer the best shopping experience while supporting revenue management growth in the Timeshare Industry

About FlexPresentation
FlexPresentation is a division of IT-Consultings.com Inc., a Web-Based Interactive Sales platform that was developed with the co-operation of Nouiss-Air, an Aviation and Tourism consultant specializing in Timeshare Sales and Marketing.

This service agency was developed by a group of top Sales and Marketing Professionals in the Timeshare Industry. The head office is in Toronto, Canada with an additional presence in Delaware, USA, Portugal and Belgium

The people behind the FlexPresentation come from all walks of life. Among our Team of Executives and Experts are a Pilot, an Engineer, Accountants and an Association Industry Executive, with extensive combined experience of more than 50 years in the industry. They are however first and foremost Timeshare Sales Experts by excellence. FlexPresentation is also a proud founding member of ATSPI, the Association of Timeshare Sales Professionals-International.

New Shape For Europe’s Timeshare Sector: Fresh Models And Higher Quality Products Are Changing Perceptions And Driving Demand

New research from PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that the timeshare industry is changing with increased interest from branded hotel groups, a greater focus on mixed-use developments and higher quality, more regulated products stimulating fresh interest from consumers.

While analysts and practitioners broadly agree that the old-style, mass market timeshare product is static, demand for higher-quality, branded products and new styles of timeshare such as fractional ownership and condo hotels is strong.

Liz Hall, Hospitality and Leisure research manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers commented:


“Although the timeshare industry in Europe has not provided the investment returns and industry growth predicted 10-15 years ago, it clearly has a role to play in leisure development.
“Increased regulation, more experienced operators and a more informed public have all contributed to changing perceptions and fostering growth in the timeshare sector.
“You just have to look at the increased investment from the branded hotel chains to realise that the sector is quite buoyant at present.”

The research, published in PricewaterhouseCoopers latest ‘Hospitality Directions – Europe Edition,’ examines the timeshare sector in Europe including new business models, market trends, owners, the resorts, key players, the rationale for investment and typical financial profiles as well as key issues and future outlook.

It reveals that factors helping to change perceptions of timeshare include:


New product models: the timeshare industry now encompasses fractional ownership schemes, private residence clubs, points clubs, condo hotels and partial hotel conversions as well as ‘classical’ timeshare schemes, allowing developers and purchasers a greater selection of opportunities.
New players: the involvement of some of the major branded hotel companies such as Hilton, Marriott, Disney and Starwood in the US has helped raise the profile and credibility of the sector. In Europe, branded hotel groups are also entering and/or expanding their activities for example, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, De Vere Resort ownership and Sol Melia.

Liz Hall, Hospitality and Leisure research manager, added:


“Many hotel companies have changed their position from regarding timeshare as a threatening competitor to looking at timeshare as an increasingly attractive means of raising additional revenues.”

Despite the renewed interest in the timeshare sector, the research expects steady rather than rapid growth for the sector over the next five years, which is in line with overall travel and tourism growth rates.

Key findings of the research for the timeshare sector in Europe include:


1,450 timeshare resorts
3.75 million weeks of accommodation
1.3 million timeshare owners in Europe in 2001 (latest available
data)
fewer timeshare owners in Europe now than four years ago
branded hotel groups now entering the market
quality standards are rising
perception of the industry is changing
new models being developed
regulation is a key issue and is helping improve the industry

New Shape For Europe’s Timeshare Sector: Fresh Models And Higher Quality Products Are Changing Perceptions And Driving Demand

New research from PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that the timeshare industry is changing with increased interest from branded hotel groups, a greater focus on mixed-use developments and higher quality, more regulated products stimulating fresh interest from consumers.

While analysts and practitioners broadly agree that the old-style, mass market timeshare product is static, demand for higher-quality, branded products and new styles of timeshare such as fractional ownership and condo hotels is strong.

Liz Hall, Hospitality and Leisure research manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers commented:


“Although the timeshare industry in Europe has not provided the investment returns and industry growth predicted 10-15 years ago, it clearly has a role to play in leisure development.
“Increased regulation, more experienced operators and a more informed public have all contributed to changing perceptions and fostering growth in the timeshare sector.
“You just have to look at the increased investment from the branded hotel chains to realise that the sector is quite buoyant at present.”

The research, published in PricewaterhouseCoopers latest ‘Hospitality Directions – Europe Edition,’ examines the timeshare sector in Europe including new business models, market trends, owners, the resorts, key players, the rationale for investment and typical financial profiles as well as key issues and future outlook.

It reveals that factors helping to change perceptions of timeshare include:


New product models: the timeshare industry now encompasses fractional ownership schemes, private residence clubs, points clubs, condo hotels and partial hotel conversions as well as ‘classical’ timeshare schemes, allowing developers and purchasers a greater selection of opportunities.
New players: the involvement of some of the major branded hotel companies such as Hilton, Marriott, Disney and Starwood in the US has helped raise the profile and credibility of the sector. In Europe, branded hotel groups are also entering and/or expanding their activities for example, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, De Vere Resort ownership and Sol Melia.

Liz Hall, Hospitality and Leisure research manager, added:


“Many hotel companies have changed their position from regarding timeshare as a threatening competitor to looking at timeshare as an increasingly attractive means of raising additional revenues.”

Despite the renewed interest in the timeshare sector, the research expects steady rather than rapid growth for the sector over the next five years, which is in line with overall travel and tourism growth rates.

Key findings of the research for the timeshare sector in Europe include:


1,450 timeshare resorts
3.75 million weeks of accommodation
1.3 million timeshare owners in Europe in 2001 (latest available
data)
fewer timeshare owners in Europe now than four years ago
branded hotel groups now entering the market
quality standards are rising
perception of the industry is changing
new models being developed
regulation is a key issue and is helping improve the industry

Starwood to Participate in Susquehanna Time Share Day On Thursday, March 2, 2006

Matt Avril, President and Managing Director of Operations for Starwood Vacation Ownership Inc., a subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.(NYSE: HOT), will speak at the Susquehanna TimeShare Day in Orlando, Florida at the Sheraton Vistana Villages on Thursday, March 2, 2006 at approximately 10:30 a.m., eastern time.


Participants may listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference by logging on to Starwood's investor relations website at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/investor_relations.html A replay will be available on the Internet for 30 days.

Starwood Announces Expansion in Orlando

Starwood Vacation Ownership announced today the continued expansion of its award-winning timeshare resort, Sheraton Vistana Villages, located on International Drive in the heart of Orlando's theme park attractions.

The Key West Phase will add an additional 190 units to the property. This newest phase will include Starwood's first three-bedroom units in Orlando, designed to cater to larger families and groups. This phase will include 10 three-bedroom units, 90 two-bedroom units, 50 two-bedroom lockoff units and 40 one-bedroom units. The Key West Phase will include its own amenity package with a swimming pool, game room, recreation center, fitness center, and beach.

The timeshare resort currently has a total of 500 units and will feature 1,415 units upon build-out. The next phase, which includes an additional 115 units, is currently under construction and will open in the summer of 2007. Sheraton Vistana Villages boasts three pools, an interactive kiddie pool, tennis courts, poolside restaurant, staffed recreation center, two fitness centers and lavish tropical landscaping throughout the resort.

Sheraton Vistana Villages was recently named number three of the "Top Ten Family Timeshare Resorts in the U.S." by TripAdvisor.com's Travelers' Choice Awards and the fourth "Best Pool in the U.S." It opened in 2000 as the successor to another nationally acclaimed resort, Sheraton Vistana Resort-the first vacation ownership resort in Orlando and the flagship timeshare resort of Starwood Vacation Ownership's Sheraton brand. Sheraton Vistana Villages is affiliated with RCI as its exchange company, and owners are automatically enrolled in the Starwood Vacation Network.