TimeSharing
Today
$4.
®
The Trusted Independent Voice of Vacation Ownership since 1991
Issue #89
Sep/Oct, 2006
Rationale Behind Special Assessments
By George Leposky
Next to a tax-deficiency notice from the Internal Revenue Service, few communications in
your mailbox are less welcome than a special-assessment notice from your timeshare resort.
You are obligated to pay a special assessment unless you wish to relinquish your timeshare
or have foreclosure proceedings instituted against it. To make matters worse, you probably
didn’t even participate in the decision to impose the assessment.
A special assessment typically is a one-time charge levied against each owner, although it may be spread over two or more years.
The American Resort Development Association’s professional certification study guide, The Timeshare Industry Resource Manual,
2005 edition, defines a special assessment
as “a charge imposed by the board of an
owners’ association to pay for unanticipated, unusual, or non-recurring expenses,
such as repairing the damage caused by a
natural disaster or fire that was not covMost timeshare owners quickly beered by insurance.”
come acclimated to the concept of vacaToo often, however, special assesstioning in an apartment instead of a single
ments are used to pay repair or replacehotel room So when an exchange to a dement costs due to normal wear and tear
sired location cannot be arranged, ownthat should have been funded through a
ers frequently look to rent a timeshare unit.
reserve account. This can happen when a
It is this demand for rentals, and RCI’s
resort’s developer doesn’t provide for a
willingness to respond to market demand,
reserve account or underfunds it to keep
that has prompted the class action suit
the purchase price low. Later, the responcharging that RCI’s rental of deposited
sibility for funding a reserve account falls
weeks has taken weeks out of the exupon the owners’ association board.
change pool to the detriment of owners.
However, a number of other compaMost Owners Aren’t Involved
nies, unencumbered by the obligations of
If the developer scrimped on the reoperating an exchange service, have
serves,
the board may compound the erevolved to provide timeshare rentals.
ror
by
continuing
to ignore or underfund
TimeSharing Today invited three such
the
reserve
account,
or act wisely to incompanies (all advertisers here) to decrease
the
maintenance
fee so it can catch
scribe their operations.
up.
Even at a resort launched with a
MyResortNetwork.com
proper level of developer-funded reserves,
MyResortNetwork.com, formed in
constant tension exists between a board
2002, is designed to provide timeshare
striving to include an appropriate contriowners an opportunity to connect with
bution to the reserves in each year’s mainvacationers to maximize timeshare ownertenance fee, and owners who complain
Timeshare Rentals:
An alternative to
exchanging
(Continued on page 6)
(Continued on page 16)
paradise, yes. lost, no.
Paradise is now just an exchange away. Hawaii Time Share Exchange
is a full service exchange company with low membership and exchange
More for less.
fees. Choose from weekly rentals and exchanges at selected resorts
throughout the Hawaiian islands for as low as $900 and as a full service travel agency, we can assist
you with all your air and car reservations. For more information call us toll free or visit our website.
MEMBERSHIPS
EXCHANGE & UPGRADES
one year
three year
five year
internal exchange (return to home resort)
external exchange
upgrades (plus exchange fee)
$ 49
125
199
$ 69
89
175
Check our website for our latest world-wide inventory
www.htse.net
P.O. BOX 1077
•
KOLOA, KAUAI, HAWAII 96756
•
1.866.860.HTSE
TimeSharing Today
Page 3
TIMESHARING
TODAY
(ISSN 0000-1069) is published bimonthly at $24 for 12 issues by
TimeSharing Today, Inc., 26
Franklin St., Tenafly, NJ 07670. Periodicals postage paid at Tenafly,
NJ. and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TIMESHARING
TODAY, 26 Franklin St., Tenafly,
NJ 07670.
Distribution is primarily by mail to
subscribers, with limited distribution at
resorts. Subscriptions are promoted
through various media. All contents
are copyrighted by TimeSharing Today,
Inc. Contact us for reprint permission.
DISCLAIMER
TimeSharing Today makes no independent investigation of the properties, products or services advertised or
of the people placing advertisements
in this publication. We accept all ads
that are submitted with the appropriate fee. Accordingly, we cannot accept
any responsibility for any direct or
consequential damages arising from
these advertisements.
ARTICLES AND LETTERS
All published articles and letters become the property of TimeSharing Today and may be republished by it in any
format without further compensation.
Contributors of articles and letters published in TimeSharing Today will be
compensated as follows: Letters or
photos - a one issue subscription
extension; articles - 10 issue subscription extension or a 4-line classified ad.
HOW TO CONTACT US
TimeSharing Today can be
reached by mail at 26 Franklin St.,
Tenafly, NJ 07670, by telephone at 201/
871-4304, by fax at 201/871-4305 or
by email to staff @tstoday.com.
Website: www.tstoday.com.
Access to Online Edition, Resort
Ratings, Resale Value Tracker, etc. is
through the Subscriber Only section.
Current username: timeshare
Current password: ray
Jul/Aug, 2004
Contact, Corrections and Conditions
Contact: In the last issue (#88, page 22), we published “A call to action” from
Belinda Breen, urging Pono Kai resort owners to get involved in order to protect their
rights from incursions by Bluegreen Corporation, which manages the resort and has
significant voting power in electing members of the Board of Directors. We also printed,
at the same time, a response from Bluegreen’s General Counsel. In our zeal to provide
ample space for both sides of this issue, we neglected to provide contact information for
Ms. Breen, whose article urged owners to contact her by phone mail or email. Here is
that information now: Belinda Breen, 1524 Beall St., Houston, TX 77008, [email protected], phone-713/868-2522.
Corrections: As we have done every year for more than ten years, a Comparison
Chart of Exchange Companies was published in the Jul/Aug issue. However, we are
reprinting the Chart in this issue (pages 30 and 31) because of several inaccuracies that
we felt should not wait until next year to be corrected.
Conditions: We are receiving a continuing flow of photos for TSToday Anywhere and we love it! We are trying to publish 3 to 5 of them in each issue. We want to
reiterate that the concept is to show subscribers reading or holding an issue while at
their resort (preferred) or in the resort area while on a timeshare exchange. This means
that pictures taken inside a unit don’t really show the issue in different timeshare locales, since a picture inside a unit looks just like a picture taken at home. The pictures in
this issue (pages 8, 11, 26 and 36) are good illustrations of what will get published,
earning the subject lasting fame and a subscription extension.
TimeSharing Today also receives a steady stream of Resort Report Cards, which
provide the basis for the eight reports published in each issue. We would like to think
that most people submit the Resort Report Card forms with an altruistic view of participating in a community effort to establish resort rating that benefit all timeshare owners
who exchange. But we are realistic enough to know that the one-issue subscription
extension provides an additional incentive that encourages subscribers to submit their
reports. However, we have found a few subscribers who try to “work the system” by
submitting multiple reports for one multiple-week visit to a single resort. While we try to
intercept these multiple reports when received, some inevitably are missed and can
result in skewing the ratings if they are not picked up when we prepare the reports. So
please, no matter how many weeks you are at a resort, only one Resort Card Report form
should be submitted.
Management Company Comparison Chart
The Jul/Aug issue mentioned that we are planning to develop a comparison chart
of management companies. Several companies have already responded expressing their
interest in being included. Over the next few months, we are going to be establishing the
criteria to be included in the chart. If you are with a management company, if you are on
the board of an owners association, or if you are an interested timeshare owner and
would like to provide your suggestions for criteria to include in our comparison chart,
please send an email to us at [email protected] with your complete contact information. Resort management has been among the top issues of concern this year. Many
resorts are aging and maintenance has become a significant factor for owners who are
being confronted with higher fees and special assessments. Those management companies that perform professionally and maintain high ethical standards in carrying out
their responsibilities have an excellent opportunity to build new long term relations with
our readers.
Timeshare Resort Management Newswire
The free monthly eNewsletter for resort managers, association board members and
management companies has been well-received and is now being distributed to over
1,500 recipients. If you are involved in resort management and are not yet getting your
free subscription, email your contact information to [email protected]. All owners
should mention Timeshare Resort Management Newswire to their resort manager when
visiting their home resort.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 4
Sep/Oct, 2006
Letters to the Editor
Available weeks
In your May/Jun, 2006 issue - Page
11 Robert Stern writes in that he uses the
Federal Travel Agency to book all his
travel. Further, he indicates that they always have plenty of timeshare weeks
available for his use. I have tried to locate
this agency on line but have not succeeded. Could you please let me know
how to get in touch with them?
Thanks in advance for your prompt
reply.
Katie Slavin,
Huntington Beach, CA.
Editors reply: We are not aware of a
Federal Travel Agency. He may have been
referring to www.getravelop.com. That
is a website owned by RCI which rents
timeshare to anyone currently or formerly
employed by a governmental agency, lo-
cal, state or national. (The site name refers to government employees travel opportunities.)
Rental through ads
We appreciate your publication in
many ways. It gives helpful advice for
choosing new places to visit. We found
our rental at The Royal Sands through an
ad in your publication. We were apprehensive about trying this for the first time,
but found the couple who owned the week
very pleasant and honest in all our contacts. It was our confidence in your reputation that gave us the courage to make
payment in advance. The oceanfront unit
was better than expected and much less
expensive than renting through the resort
directly.
Timeshares are a great investment if
you know the quality of the unit you will
be getting. The adventure of discovering
new places wears thin when you find yourself in a unit with no view and not the
usual amenities expected. Had I known
about rentals through your ads, I probably would not have invested in floating
weeks resorts, especially resorts we expected to use for exchange. “Too soon
old and too late smart!”
June Hey
Go figure
In response to Larry Foster’s letter in
the issue #87, yes we have traded into into
the Manhattan Club through RCI. In February 2006, we had two weeks available
for trading and placed one week with RCI,
the other with San Francisco Exchange
(SFX). We requested the same trade (Manhattan Club in June 2006) with both companies. RCI came through by April; SFX
never had a week to offer us. We had the
opposite result several years ago trading
into the Big Island in Hawaii: SFX had the
trade to offer, RCI did not. Go figure.
Michael Geiser
Polo Towers OK
A short time after booking a week at
the Polo Towers in Las Vegas I received
my March/April issue of TimeSharing Today magazine. There was a letter to the
editor about Polo Towers that I found disturbing. It stated, “the rooms need painting, the furniture needs to be replaced, the
fixtures are corroding along with shower
doors, and general maintenance is not
being done.” After reading this I was ready
to call and cancel my reservations and
book elsewhere. I’m glad I didn’t.
Lisa at the front desk greeted me and
expeditiously checked me in. I found the
rooms to be spacious and clean. Everything in the room was wonderful and far
surpassed many exchanges that I have
had over the years. Kim at the Concierges
desk was a great help. The smile by Susan
and Janice in the gift shop each morning
certainly brightened my day.
The few times I called for maintenance
they were there within a half hour and took
©The New Yorker Collection 2004 Lee Lorenz from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 5
care of the two problems to my satisfaction in a most professional and pleasant way. I am so glad that I did not cancel
these plans. I guess all of us look at things
differently and some people just demand
more than others. I would highly recommend a stay at Polo Towers in Las Vegas.
Leon M. Cote, Canton, OH
Days destroy weeks
Your article and comparison chart on
Alternative Exchange Companies in the
latest issue of TimeSharing Today was excellent. I have used Trading Places Maui
and have found them to be excellent. I also
believe that these companies will profit
from the RCI trend to points.
In my letter to the editor of issue #88
(Next Class Action?) I failed to mention
one of the most important factors that are
preventing “weeks” owners from trading
their unit; that is when a “points” owner
trades for only 3 or 4 days, that unit becomes totally unavailable for a “weeks”
trade. Only a “points’ owner can use the
balance of the available days. The alternative exchange companies will have entire weeks available for trades.
Jerry Nisker, Orange, CA
I.I. would most likely be one conglomerate. Over the years, the motivation for my
extended family to subscribe to
TimeSharing Today has been the
impecable reputation you own. Thank you
and please do not change.
Michael J Lederer and family
****
I am sorry that it has taken me so long
to renew. I love the magazine and pass on
older issues to anyone who doesn’t know
about it, so they can hopefully subscribe
too. I had hesitated renewing because I
feared that I might be losing my timeshare
in a nasty divorce. However, I decided
that there would be no better place to find
a new timeshare than in your publication.
Thank you for all you do for us owners. It
really is appreciated.
Kathleen
****
I desire that the remaining issues of
my subscription to TimeSharing Today be
sent to my daughter. I no longer own any
of my four timeshares, but my daughter
does own hers.
I have thoroughly enjoyed your magazine over these past 11 3/4 years and it
Sep/Oct, 2006
has helped me to keep abreast of all facets
of the timeshare business. TimeSharing
Today has been a beacon of light in an
ever darkening commercial enterprise.
While I have a somewhat negative feeling
about some of today’s timesharing happenings, your constant eye on the business from every angle, provides a hope
that the “bad guys” in the business will
be exposed and eliminated. Keep up the
good work.
Bob Stephens, Annandale, VA
Tax loss on sale?
We have enjoyed the many worthwhile editorials and reader’s comments in
your publication, but have not read any
articles concerning losses related to sales.
It would seem that long term (over 1 year,
but ours is over 25) ownership would result in a deduction of $3000 per year, and
not be challenged by IRS. Will appreciate
your experiences with this subject.
Also, since we will not be owning after the sale, may we transfer our subscription to a son who owns a unit on St. Johns?
H. Edwin Stiffler, Cary, NC
Editors reply: Yes, you can transfer
Divi corrections
I wish to note a couple of corrections
to the Dillon’s nice article on Divi Little
Bay.
The property is actually located outside of Philipsburg at Little Bay and has
three restaurants, Toucan’s Cafe (located
in the hotel section serving breakfast and
supper, including a super all you can eat
BBQ outdoors dinner Thursday nights
with a live show), Seabreeze Restaurant
(serving casual lunch by the timeshare
pool) and Bayview Cafe (serving casual
breakfast and lunch located in the shopping promenade facing Great Bay.)
Divi’s a great family resort, with security on site 24/7.
Robert J. Catanzaro, Staten Island, NY
Grateful readers
I am a long-time timeshare owner.
Currenty I have eleven units but have
owned at least twenty, and thanks to
TimeSharingToday, I have not lost any
money. I am sure that without your magazine, I would not be able to say that. If it
were not for TimeSharing Ttoday, RCI and
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TimeSharing Today
Page 6
your subscription. We asked your tax
question to our timeshare tax guru, CPA
David McClintock. Here is his answer:
“The tax law generally treats a timeshare that you own as a personal asset,
much like your personal automobile.
Thus, when you incur a loss on the sale,
that loss is not deductible.
“However, if you have regularly
rented out your week to others, you might
be able to take the position that the timeshare was business or investment property, with the loss being deductible. In
such a situation, “cost” for determining
loss on sale is equal to the lower of your
actual cost or the resale value of the timeshare when you converted it to rental use.
“Renting your week occasionally or
converting it to rental property in the
year before sale would likely not constitute enough business or investment use
to justify such deductible-loss treatment.
“If you have a gain upon sale of a
timeshare, such gain is taxable for federal income tax purposes. The gain
should generally be reported on Schedule D.”
Management chart
Many Timeshare Associations are interested in seeing a comparison chart on
the companies that manage timeshare resorts indicating length of time managing
company, the maintenance fees, size of the
resort, with costs indicated by the services
provided and/or total management fee. I
also am on a Timeshare Association Board
of Directors.
Janet Susice
Editors reply: See our comment on
page 3 of this issue.
Donating a week
I offered to donate my two-bedroom
blue week 10 at Wolf Run Manor in Dubois
PA, to “Donate for a Cause.” I selected an
orphanage in NJ but they declined. I was
referred to the Florida Vets and the gal accepted it, but charged my credit card for
the $95 “processing fee.” I was a bit taken
back. I’d like to donate a red week, but
won’t if I have to pay a fee to donate it!
C R Hess, Lancaster, PA
****
We recently donated our Mexican
timeshare to a great charity through a company called www.overtimeshare.com
This organization has several charities that they offered to donate our timeshare to, and the process was quite simple.
They presented our timeshare to the charity and ,once accepted ,our timeshare week
was transferred into the charity’s name.
We had to pay the transfer fees and a fee
to Overtimeshare, and received a generous tax receipt from the charity shortly afterwards.
The charity will decide if they want to
sell their week or use it for their use. However we have our tax receipt, so we are
now free and clear of the maintenance fees
and other issues that go with timeshare
ownership. It does appear that there is
some criteria for the selection ( i.e. not all
timeshares will qualify for donation based
on their location and demand) and the
charities can only accept so many
timeshares at a time, so we were fortunate
that the timing was good for us.
William Glover
Sep/Oct, 2006
Timeshare Rentals
(Continued from front page)
ship and provide discount travel opportunities. The website is easy to navigate,
visually appealing and offers timeshare
owners the ability to list their timeshare
condo for rent or for sale. No membership
fees or registration are required to use or
access the site and the resort network/
website is not affiliated with timeshare resort management or real estate agencies.
Often, timeshare owners “trade” their
unit through a centralized timeshare company. MyResortNetwork.com, as an alternative, offers timeshare owners the ability to directly link with interested parties.
Owners wishing to sell or rent their timeshare can go directly to the home page for
www.MyResortNetwork.com and list their
timeshare For Sale or For Rent for a nominal $14.95 fee, due at the time of the posting. Interested parties contact the owners directly to finalize the agreement; email
addresses remain private and are never
sold. Timeshare owners keep 100% of
their rental or sale proceeds.
www.MyResortNetwork.com actively
markets the timeshare listings to potential
vacationers through search engines, mailings, www.BestPriceCondo.com, and advertisements. Popular internet search engines have ranked MyResortNetwork.com
at the top of their listings when a vacationer searches for a condo to rent or buy.
A long lead time is not required, as many
condos are rented within just a couple of
weeks of travel.
www.MyResortNetwork.com also
provides timeshare owners with a unique
opportunity to maximize their timeshare
ownership. Each timeshare resort has a
web-based network, offering owners a
way to reach fellow owners around the
world. Each resort’s network includes information on amenities and location,
space to write a resort review, a photo gallery, resort news, and rental/sale listings.
See company ad on page 23.
Major Getaways
Major Getaways was founded as an
alternative to traditional timeshare exchange and ownership. The exchange
process can be costly and has led to much
frustration by owners (see Timesharing
Today May/June 2006). Additionally,
owners and non-owners are continually
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TimeSharing Today
Page 7
seeking a less expensive way to enjoy more resort vacations. Major Getaways offers timeshare rentals to its Members as well as non-members. All requests
are handled on an individual basis to insure location and amenities desired. This
approach provides the highest degree of
customer satisfaction with a confirmation
rate of 94% or higher every year since 1995.
Our customers are timeshare owners
looking to exchange their week, rent their
week, or rent additional weeks. Our deposit/exchange program is simplified and
is offered at no cost to members. An added
benefit for members is our “TRP – Timeshare Rental Program. With TRP, you can
bank your owned week; we will pay you
in cash when we rent the week for you.
This is a great program for those multiweek owners who are not able to use all
their time and do not need any more “credits” for future use. This income is usually
more than the annual maintenance fees.
We are seeing more consumers examine their ownership options as more companies offer rentals. This rise in rental
sources is driven by the ever increasing
number of unused weeks available nationwide. While most of these sources are
reliable, the consumer should be very careful in their selection. A reservation confirmation received several months prior to
your departure could be worthless when
it comes time to enjoy your vacation and
the company is no longer in business.
Timeshare owners are continuing to
buy additional weeks; the average owned
by an owner now exceeds three weeks.
While this trend demonstrates the desirability of resort vacations, some are simply saving the initial investment and renting what they want, when they want it.
At Major Getaways, we are continuing to grow our customer base – currently
over 4,000 in 40 states and several foreign
countries. We offer all the same resorts as
the major exchanges, plus some privately
owned vacation homes as well.
See company ad on page 26.
week.
Staying in a resort condo instead of a
hotel is becoming increasingly popular
among today’s travelers for a variety of
reasons including the added space, full
kitchens and comfortable living areas.
Timeshare owners already appreciate staying in a timeshare condo, and with
ResorTime.com, they can always have the
freedom and luxury of staying in a condo
whenever they travel.
“I love ResorTime.com!” said Josef
Roch of Peoria, Arizona, a long time user
of the travel site. “Whenever I want, I can
get a great place and a reasonable price;
whether it’s locally overnight or some great
vacation place; short notice or down the
way!”
Now booking a great vacation
through ResorTime.com is easier than
ever! In one click, ResorTime.com members can create their ultimate vacation
wherever they want to go. It’s all made
possible through ResorTime.com’s exclusive TraveLeap search feature.
TraveLeap gives members access to
all of the great nightly resorts they love as
well as two new vacation options: pack-
Sep/Oct, 2006
age deals and weekly rentals from over
3,000 resorts in great national vacations
spots as well as exotic vacation destinations such as Brazil and Australia.
With the addition of great package
deals, guests can book their vacation along
with a shopping pass, spa service, or even
dinner for two at a local restaurant, all at
one time for one price.
Members of ResorTime.com can
choose from all of these great vacation
options in just one click with TraveLeap.
While other Internet travel sites may offer
access to resort properties, competitor
sites are limited to weekly rentals.
ResorTime.com exclusively enables users
to reserve accommodations without stay
limitations, so that travelers have the freedom to book short trips or lengthier vacations.
“In the past, ResorTime.com has operated primarily in the United States,
Mexico and the Caribbean through our
ever-growing affiliate partner program of
300 plus resort properties,” said Sherri
Weeks, ResorTime.com’s general manager.
“The addition of more than 3,000 resorts
allows our members to vacation at great
ResorTime.com
Timeshare Owners across the country are reaping the rewards of ownership
with ResorTime.com. This easy-to-navigate travel web site offers timeshare owners the ability to stay in a spacious and
comfortable timeshare condo for every
vacation, not just during their timeshare
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TimeSharing Today
Page 8
rates anywhere they want to go.
Whether they want to add a night onto
their timeshare week, spend a week in Europe or relax with a spa package getaway,
they can do it all in one click!”
All owners at a ResorTime.com affiliated resort are automatically eligible for a
free Owner Membership which offers rates
averaging at just $90 for nightly rentals
and as low as $399 for weekly rentals.
Even family and friends who don’t
own a timeshare can take advantage of
ResorTime.com. With non-owner rates
starting at just $125 per night and $449 per
week, anyone can enjoy the comfort of a
vacation condo with no strings attached
and no ownership sales presentations required.
See company ad on page 25.
Resortdeals4u.com
VPL Vacations, which is operating as
resortdeals4u.com, with offices in Canada
and the U.S., has been serving the public
with rental weeks around the globe. With
ten years online, they have created a large
client base and supply base for timeshare
weeks. Owner Joseph Strebly has been in
Sep/Oct, 2006
TSToday Anywhere
Frank Debar is enjoying his magazine in front of the Clubhouse at Cape Cod
Holiday Estates in Mashpee, MA. Frank heads the owners group in the
Tampa Bay/Sarasota/Ft. Myers area when he is at his Winter timeshare
acquisitions for over 25 years, and his staff
has been handling reservations over the
last 10 years in both the U.S. and Canada.
The company serves the North
American and European markets, with access into the Asian market. The U.S. market is the strongest, we believe; however
with the dropping value of the dollar, the
http//:www.redweek.com
Rent. Sell. Buy.
Read. Review.
A heavily visited Web site = lots of
exposure & connections.
How much is a week at your resort going for?
Connect with a community of owners and travelers in a fair
and honest marketplace. It takes a great working Web site
with plenty of traffic to help make your timeshare experience
the best it can be. Post your timeshare for rent or sale.
Make a RedWish. Connect today.
Connecting travelers and the timeshare community.
Canadian market is increasing. We feel the
Asian and European markets will follow
this direction.
The timeshare rental market is strong;
however it does have limitations, price being the biggest, with many owners’ now
asking exorbitant prices very close to resort prices. This is causing many people
to simply book reservations under resort
contracts through this office at lower rates
then some timeshare owners are now asking. Owners need to realize that weeks are
not a large income producing product, but
will generate fair return for unused weeks
to recover their costs.
Owners can list rentals in many places
online, but should consider a rental agent
like resortdeals4u.com to reach better results. Some travelers are very nervous
sending money to private individuals. We
understand, and supply personal service
to clients seeking to rent their weeks. We
also provide Travel Insurance for all rentals. The benefits for travelers using
resortdeals4u.com are: secure company,
personal service, insurance availability
and, most important, someone they can
hold responsible if something goes wrong.
As contract holders with most resorts,
extra nights are available to be purchased
through resortdeasl4u.com to make the
weeks usable to match airline arrivals and
departures.
Resortdeals4u.com offers free listings
for all timeshare owners wishing to rent
weeks. Simply request a listing form by emailing [email protected].
See company ad on page 33.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 10
Sep/Oct, 2006
Divergent views on
smoking in units
I don’t know about different timeshare companies and how they arrived at
their “No Smoking in the units” policy, but
I am delighted. We are fortunate that our
timeshares have never allowed smoking
inside the units – only on the balcony/
patios. I believe that was one of the factors that encouraged us to purchase.
Nothing is worse than to enter a nice
condo and be greeted with the stench of
stale smoke. It permeates the furniture,
pillows, mattress, etc. I have had occasion (when exchanging to a unit without
the no smoking policy) to call housekeeping late at night for fresh pillows, as I was
almost gagging with the ones on the bed.
In addition, I am sure that the maintenance cost is much greater with smoking
units – burns in the carpet & furniture –
as well as needing to paint the units more
frequently.
I can sympathize with those who are
addicted, and perhaps owners who smoke
could negotiate with their timeshares to
allow a couple of units to be set aside for
smoking in the rooms. I just never want to
be assigned to those units.
Maggie Gardner
We own many weeks of timeshares in
Florida and Cancun. We were very happy
when the state of Florida went to no-smoking at public facilities and buildings, but
soon discovered it did not include our
timeshares. We went to the annual meeting at Orange Lake Country Club in Orlando and were excited by the discussions
about the reasons for changing to a nonsmoking resort in the rooms. They decided
to put the vote up to the members and
announced it in their newsletter and had a
place on their web site to vote. It passed,
and all residents can smoke only on their
balconies and designated outside areas.
I have been bringing it up repeatedly
at the annual meeting at Estero Island
JRA
Services,
JRA
Inc.
$250
Timeshare
Closings
Celebrating 10 Years of Professional Timeshare Closing Services
www.TimeshareResaleClosings.com
(954) 718-7076
Beach Club on Ft. Myers Beach. We just
got our latest newsletter and they are asking for a vote also.
Long term, it will keep our maintenance fees down since smoking has an
adverse effect on the frequency of replacement of everything from carpeting, bed linens/comforters, burns on the counters/
dressers/end tables, increased cleaning of
drapes, air conditioning systems etc.
Then there are persons like myself,
who are terribly allergic to past and present
smoke residue. We have seen small signs
in some hotels and resorts saying “Thank
You for Not Smoking” on a voluntary basis. We should all get behind this idea to
help keep those upward spiraling maintenance fees in check.
Barbara & Fred Lyon, Estero, FL
When I pay $22,000 to “own” 1200
sq. ft. at a resort for six and a half days, I
will smoke where I wish. Fortunately for
other owners of the same unit, I only smoke
outside for the benefit of my spouse,
guests and grandchildren.
Gerri Niblock
Pity the poor guy that has to go outside in the cold to smoke. What about us
that have allergies to cigarette smoke that
permeates the whole timeshare, especially
in pillows and mattresses. What about us
that have asthma and we have to avoid
the smell of cigarette smoke or be subject
to breathing difficulties. Somehow, health
issues seem more important than getting
a little cold to have a smoke.
We certainly appreciate timeshares
that have a no smoking policy, and living
in California with a smoke free workplace
and environment has been a total blessing to those who cannot tolerate the smell
of cigarette smoke. There is nothing worse
for us than to walk into a villa and have
the smell of smoke, or of some freshener
that is trying to mask the smell, greet us at
the front door. Being unable to sleep because of the odors or having to leave the
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TimeSharing Today
Page 11
unit is not fair to those with allergies.
I hope others in the situation will let
smokers know that their cigarettes can be
life threatening to others.
Barbara Moore
Sep/Oct, 2006
TSToday Anywhere
I feel that if a resort was smoking
when I bought it, then I had better be able
to smoke when I use it. If it had been a
non-smoking resort, I would not have purchased it, plain and simple!!!
Dorothy Klein, Toledo, OH
I read with interest the article regarding smoking in units. As a manager of a
timeshare project I faced similar concerns
from non-smoking owners following smoking owners.
Although we also have equipment
that can deodorize a room from smoking.
smoke odors are not always detected by
the housekeepers. Deodorizers do help to
some degree, but are not completely
efective if the smoking has been extremely
heavy. Cleaning after the fact is an interruption for the new owner. Based on ongoing concerns from many owners and the
clearly documentated dangers of second
hand smoke our board decided to take
action.
Upon legal review of the Documentation for our Association and also following recomendations of our attorneys, we
were able to implement a non smoking
policy in our fixed week fee simple units.
We have had very strong support from
our ownership regarding the new policy.
It took a little time and effort and also some
costs for legal research, but I think many
other timeshares may find that they have
the legal right to implement a non smoking unit in timeshare rooms.
Jim Maxwell, Lodge Manager
Iron Blosam Lodge, Snowbird, UT
Avid TimeSharing Today enthusiasts are shown with their magazine after dinner at the Canyon Grille at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido, CA.
From left, Mary Lou Gardner, Lillian Yerdon, Courtney Fallon, Carol Fallon.
Back row, Jerry Gardner, Glenn Yerdon.
Why Timeshare Owners
Buy Multiple Weeks
More than 68% of timeshare owners
own more than one week. Although the
vast majority of first-time owners purchased retail, from the developer, most
second and third week buyers have
looked to the resale market.
Recent interviews of timeshare buyers by Lisa Schreier, founder of independent timeshare consulting firm Timeshare
Insights and author of Timeshare Vacations for Dummies, reveal key reasons for
purchasing multiple timeshare weeks.
“Most of the owners that I inter-
viewed said that the number one reason
for purchasing more timeshare was that
they really enjoyed timeshare vacations
and didn’t want to go back to the “old”
way of renting a hotel or motel,” says
Schreier. “They said that despite what
people who “don’t get” timeshare say, it’s
a great product.”
While many owners choose to own
in a few different locations worldwide, one
of the participants owns six weeks at two
resorts not even 3 miles apart from each
other in Orlando. “Living in Central Florida,
that surprised me,” said Lisa, “but then
you realize that for many people, this really is the vacation capital of the world.”
TimeSharing Today asked Ed Kinney,,
VP at Marriott Vacation Club, if plans to
implement a non-smoking policy were in
store for their timeshare resorts. Here is
his reply, “Yes we are, with the approval
of the respective property COAs. We will
be presenting this as an item at each annual COA board meeting which will be taking place now [July] through the Fall depending on location. We currently have
only a small proportion of Villas at each
property designated as smoking units
based on existing consumer feedback.”
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TimeSharing Today
Page 12
Jul/Aug, 2006
Timeshare’s Tipping Point: Is it near?
By David Skinner,
President Holiday Group
Recently I received an email from a
customer that had purchased his first resale timeshare. Here is the email in its entirety:
“A question:
Do you think that resales are now
on the brink of discovery by the masses,
and that the time to buy is now (or near
future)?
Since purchasing my XXXXX timeshare two weeks ago, I have given a lot of
thought to “why now,” and have read extensively on the resale phenomenon.
Regards,
SN”
I have asked this same question of
myself countless times. Its pursuit has
driven me to study economics, market
theory, securities and options trading, historical events, monetary cycles, human
motivation, divine plan, evolution and
even Greek philosophy. Its quest has assumed evangelical proportions in my career, from a rousing speech to resort developers in 2002 to a recent documentary
on the trends confronting the timeshare
industry. Yes, I ask myself this same question, “Why now? Are we near the tipping
point?”
The phrase, “the tipping point” was
popularized by Malcolm Gladwell’s Y2K
best seller by the same name. He describes
how seemingly small events can precipitate huge social and economic phenomenon. Just as a single match can, when
conditions are right; set a Texas prairie
ablaze, travel at speeds approaching 50
mph, destroy mile upon mile of grasslands,
farms and homes, causing millions of dollars in damage — a catastrophe of epic
proportions. All from a single match.
Most emails that I receive ask about
locations, the exchange or maintenance
fees. This one was different. The writer’s
interest was not going to a timeshare, but
the return on a timeshare; about speculation, not about vacation. What was he
really asking? Do you think: “Is it time to
get in before others discover resales and
drive prices up?”
And my response? Did I encourage
him to mortgage the farm, divest his pension or suggest . . . the moment was near?
You’ll be sadly disappointed. This was my
reply to SN:
“I think the answer to your question
is not based upon supply and demand,
the market vagaries or an explosion of
consumer awareness. I think if you have
remaining time to be still and contemplate life, care for those you love, help
those you do not; then by any measure
you do not own enough.
David”
There are signs; there are suggestions, some hints or precursors, that
Gladwell’s tipping point may be closer than
we think!
Before I reveal these possible signs
of a tipping or divulge the opinions of this
self-appointed pundit, let me tell you that
my new pen pal was not so easily or righteously put off. He further responded:
“Hi David:
Having read a book’s-worth of articles (many from your website) on
timeshares, resales, etc., and then buying
two in the last few weeks, I started thinking of “what ifs.”
Certain phenomena just seem to
erupt from nowhere, even though as we
examine them in retrospect, we can usually trace their beginnings.
As I have regaled friends and colleagues (hopefully without boring them
to death) about my timeshare-buying adventures, they have been keenly interested. I think this interest will be sustained, and can be tapped into. Most of
our friends will need to holiday annually
for at least the next 8-10 years with children, and they are not the campground
bound, economy travelers.
So, I have a good feeling (borne out
by strong indicators) that resales are on
the verge of a major boom, and my fellow
countrymen are looking for a way to
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TimeSharing Today
Page 13
capitalize on this way of vacationing, and dispelling the negative experiences of the pitchmen that they have encountered.
Sincerely,
SN”
As one can surmise from his email,
SN has indeed done his homework. He is
likely well educated, if not well heeled. He’s
entertaining, savvy and enjoys enclaves
with friends treating them to his stories of
daring-do in the uncharted world of resales. He got me to thinking about
Gladwell’s tipping point and what is required for such an event to happen.
Permit me to digress: Malcolm
Gladwell’s book defines Tipping Point as
a sociological term that refers to the moment when something unique becomes
common. The book seeks to explain it as a
“social epidemic” or sudden and often chaotic change from one state to another; similar in its mathematical properties to a disease epidemic. As a group, the phenomenon exhibits common fundamentals:
The Law of the Few
There are an exceptional few people
who are capable of starting epidemics; a
tiny critical mass serving as messengers
that can affect the majority. Important is
their nature. They make things spread. In
his book Gladwell describes three types
of messengers as:
1. Connectors. They seem to know
everybody. They are the “hubs” of the
social network and have mastered the
“weak tie;” a friendly, yet casual social
connection. They serve as social glue:
They spread the message.
2. Mavens. They are knowledgeable people. Once they figure out how to
get that great deal, they want to tell you
about it too. They have the knowledge
and the social skills to start word-of-mouth
epidemics. Mavens are data banks: They
provide the message.
3. Salesmen. They are charismatic
people with powerful negotiation skills.
They exert “soft” influence rather than
forceful power. Salesmen are empathetic
persuaders: They promote the message.
The Stickiness Factor
There are some things that are just
more memorable than others; more engaging, interesting . . . you just can’t put them
down. That’s stickiness. It resounds within
us and others like us. It’s why we remember a jingle, Casablanca the movie, or linger over a latté at Starbucks. It resonates.
And probably . . . wherever that chord vibrates, it sounds deep within our psyches
and amongst others before us. To “tip,”
the message must be sticky.
The Power of Context
Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and
places in which they occur. Whether you
choose to cross the street against the
Don’t Walk sign may depend, whether
others choose to do so and leave you
standing alone. Would you break the law
rather than feel silly by yourself? Most
actions come as responses from environmental stimuli rather than from heart felt
values and predispositions. On the other
hand, circumstances may compliment inner feelings and amplify those responses
also.
Diffusion Theory
Trends and new products spread
through a predictable bell curve called the
diffusion model. First the Innovators
(2.5%) pick up on something, say the
Apple Ipod, having heard about it from
the Connectors, Salesmen and Mavens.
These Innovators are visionaries, risk takers; they are “the first ones on their block!”
If the product has enough “stickiness,” as the Ipod did, arriving at a juncture in the music download revolution, the
Early Adopters (13.5%), a slightly larger
group then joins in. Now we have a movement and a buzz has started.
Hopefully the Power of Context is just
right, Apple’s promotional campaign was
after all – cool, the Early Majority (34%):
that deliberate and skeptical mass, who
would never try anything until the most
respected of their group try it first are now
getting aboard.
Finally as the Innovators have begun
to move on to the next new trend, fad or
product; the Late Majority (34%); those
skeptical, traditional, often of lower socioeconomic status discover a knock-off
product at Wal-Mart and the phenomenon
is featured on the nightly news.
Until at last gasp, the Laggards (16%);
overcome their rhetoric and fear and purchase at a garage sale.
Jul/Aug, 2006
“Dear SN
You are one of those exceptional few
people who could start this epidemic of
timeshare resales. You are a Connector,
a Salesman and a Maven. You are fulfilling your own prophecy, creating the
movement, making the boom. If there will
be a tipping point, I think you will certainly be there to see it and perhaps profit
by it.
I hope it is fueled by a set of values,
sticky enough to resound in the highest
places of our psyches. I hope it is all about
those we love and those we don’t. That it
really stands for something.
Certainly in these days of fear, terror
and distrust it would be so wonderful if
we could all come together over such a
simple product as leisure; if we could just
find the context to make things better
again.
And I hope we will leave no one out
– from the first of us to the last. If I can be
of any assistance, please feel free to call
upon me.
Sincerely,
David”
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TimeSharing Today
Page 14
Sep/Oct, 2006
RESORT REPORT CARDS ®
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the
Report Card ratings for each resort are
averages based on a significant number
of reports received from readers.
THE CLIFFS AT PEACE CANYON
Las Vegas, NV
8.5
COCONUT BAY RESORT
Fort Lauderdale, FL
7.0
Amenities and activities at resort: Exercise room, hot tub,
pool, computer room, game room, covered parking, shuttle
to strip, video library, crafts, BBQ area.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, hot tub, BBQ
grills, elevator, small marina.
Amenities and activities nearby: Casinos, shows, Hoover
Dam, Red Rock Canyon, lake, golf, tennis, restaurants.
Amenities and activities nearby: Beach, state parks,
shopping, fishing, boating, intracoastal waterway, biking,
picnic areas, restaurants, wind surfing, entertainment, golf.
Unit: Furnishings: 9.2
Cleanliness: 9.2
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.9
Maintenance: 9.1
Construction quality: 8.6
Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.4
Nearby: 8.9
Suitable for: Young children: 5.9
Pre-teens: 5.8
Seniors: 7.6
Teenagers: 5.7
Handicapped: 7.0
Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA
Convenience store: NA
Grounds and maintenance: 8 .8
Security: 9.5
Staff: 9.2
General hospitality: 8.8
Exchange affiliation: RCI
Unit: Furnishings: 7.4
Cleanliness: 8.3
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 7.2
Maintenance: 7.5
Construction quality: 7.6
Amenities and activities: At resort: 6.4
Nearby: 8.6
Suitable for: Young children: 5.6
Pre-teens: 6.4
Seniors: 7.9
Teenagers: 6.4
Handicapped: 6.0
Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA
Convenience store: 6.0
Grounds and maintenance: 6.6
Security: 6.6
Staff: 8.0
General hospitality: 8.0
Exchange affiliation: RCI, II
Comments: Resort is approximately fifteen minutes from
the strip. Units are clean and modern with washer/dryer
and gas fireplaces. A car is suggested to be able to fully
enjoy the whole area.
Comments: Small, older resort is a converted apartment
building. Plenty to do within walking distance. Pleasant
staff.
DIVI LITTLE BAY BEACH RESORT
St. Maarten, DWI
6.6
EAGLE’S NEST ON MARCO BEACH
Marco Island, FL
8.8
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, beach, water
sports, activities desk, café, gift shop, fitness center, tennis, car rental, Bingo, internet access.
Amenities and activities at resort: Beach, pools, hot tubs,
game room, library, tennis, grills, video rentals, spa, Bingo,
volleyball, jet skis, tours, exercise programs, shelling.
Amenities and activities nearby: Shopping, beach, gambling, restaurants, boating, island cruises, fishing.
Amenities and activities nearby: Golf, beaches, shopping, Everglades National Park, boating, restaurants, water
sports, fishing, museums, zoo, flea market.
Unit: Furnishings: 6.6
Cleanliness: 6.6
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 7.0
Maintenance: 86.3
Construction quality: 6.4
Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.1
Nearby: 7.6
Suitable for: Young children: 5.3
Pre-teens: 6.0
Seniors: 6.4
Teenagers: 6.0
Handicapped: 3.9
Resort: Restaurant facilities: 6.6
Convenience store: 6.4
Grounds and maintenance: 87.3
Security: 8.4
Staff: 6.8
General hospitality: 6.8
Exchange affiliation: RCI, II
Comments: Older units are tired and in need of updating,
but they are clean. Resort in the process of doing renovations. There are some fantastic views from the units.
Unit: Furnishings: 8.5
Cleanliness: 9.1
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 9.3
Maintenance: 8.9
Construction quality: 8.8
Amenities and activities: At resort: 8.4
Nearby: 8.5
Suitable for: Young children: 8.5
Pre-teens: 8.4
Seniors: 8.9
Teenagers: 8.2
Handicapped: 6.6
Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA
Convenience store: 6.6
Grounds and maintenance: 9.3
Security: 8.1
Staff: 8.5
General hospitality: 8.6
Exchange affiliation: RCI, II
Comments: Great beach location with sunset views from
the unit balconies. Grounds attractively landscaped. Spacious units. Beach cabanas and chairs must be rented.
TimeSharing Today
Page 15
Sep/Oct, 2006
RESORT REPORT CARDS ®
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best.
Report Card ratings for each resort are
averages based on a significant number
of reports received from readers.
FAIRFIELD WILLIAMSBURG AT KINGSGATE
Williamsburg, VA
9.1
IMPERIAL HAWAII VACATION CLUB
Honolulu, HI
7.4
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, game room,
exercise room, tennis, mini golf, TV lounge, internet access,
activities director, snack bar, sauna, playground, crafts.
Amenities and activities at resort: Tours, pool, sauna,
hot tub,recreation room, valet parking, internet access, elevators, fitness center, owner’s lounge, laundry facilities.
Amenities and activities nearby: Colonial Williamsburg,
Busch Gardens, Water Country, shopping, restaurants,
Jamestown, Yorktown, shows, museums, golf.
Amenities and activities nearby: Beach, shopping, water
sports, fishing, boating, restaurants, tennis, night clubs, volleyball, entertainment, Pearl Harbor, tours, aquarium, zoo.
Unit: Furnishings: 9.3
Cleanliness: 9.5
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.3
Maintenance: 8.9
Construction quality: 8.7
Amenities and activities: At resort: 9.7
Nearby: 9.6
Suitable for: Young children: 8.9
Pre-teens: 8.5
Seniors: 8.7
Teenagers: 8.8
Handicapped: 8.4
Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA
Convenience store: NA
Grounds and maintenance: 9.5
Security: 9.4
Staff: 9.5
General hospitality: 9.4
Exchange affiliation: RCI
Unit: Furnishings: 6.7
Cleanliness: 7.9
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 5.9
Maintenance: 6.5
Construction quality: 6.4
Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.4
Nearby: 9.6
Suitable for: Young children: 6.5
Pre-teens: 7.6
Seniors: 8.3
Teenagers: 8.0
Handicapped: 6.9
Resort: Restaurant facilities: 6.7
Convenience store: 8.0
Grounds and maintenance: 6.3
Security: 7.5
Staff: 7.9
General hospitality: 8.0
Exchange affiliation: RCI, II
Comments: No elevators in buildings. Much to do in surrounding area. Resort close to Colonial Williamsburg. Units
nicely decorated.
Comments: Units are on the small side. Extremely convenient location to all attractions, but vehicular/pedestrian
congestion around resort. No parking at resort.
SUNTERRA RIDGE-SEDONA GOLF RESORT
Sedona, AZ
8.3
RIVIERA BEACH AND SPA RESORT
Capistrano Beach, CA
8.0
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, spa, tennis, golf,
activities room, exercise room, hot tubs, internet access,
Amenities and activities at resort: Day spa, pools, fitness center, day trips, video rentals, bikes, activities, tennis, BBQ grills, laundry facilities.
Amenities and activities nearby: Hiking, galleries, golf,
shopping, restaurants, tours of Red Rock area, Verde Valley Railroad, tennis, state parks, Jeep rentals.
Unit: Furnishings: 8.7
Cleanliness: 8.2
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.2
Maintenance: 8.4
Construction quality: 8.2
Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.8
Nearby: 8.9
Suitable for: Young children: 6.9
Pre-teens: 7.8
Seniors: 7.6
Teenagers: 7.8
Handicapped: 6.0
Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA
Convenience store: NA
Grounds and maintenance: 8 .5
Security: 7.7
Staff: 8.2
General hospitality: 8.6
Exchange affiliation: RCI, II
Comments: Beautiful views of Red Rocks from the resort.
Terrain at resort quite hilly. A car is necessary to enjoy the
area.
Amenities and activities nearby: Beach, Disneyland,
Catalina Island, Los Angeles, San Juan Capistrano, tours
to Mexico, boating, Knotts Farm, shopping, restaurants,
fishing, whale watching cruises, surfing, swimming, marina.
Unit: Furnishings: 7.9
Cleanliness: 8.5
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.3
Maintenance: 8 .3
Construction quality: 8.0
Amenities and activities: At resort: 8.9
Nearby: 9.4
Suitable for: Young children: 8.1
Pre-teens: 8.4
Seniors: 8.1
Teenagers: 8.4
Handicapped: 7.1
Resort: Restaurant facilities: 8.3
Convenience store: 4.5
Grounds and maintenance: 8.0
Security: 8.1
Staff: 9.3
General hospitality: 9.0
Exchange affiliation: II
Comments: Friendly, helpful staff. Expect highway and
train noise. Good location for southern California activities.
TimeSharing Today
Page 16
Special Assessments
(Continued from front page)
that their maintenance fee is too high.
If you’re among the small minority of
timeshare owners who attend resort board
meetings regularly, you may have heard a
special assessment discussed and had an
opportunity to voice your opinion of it.
For the vast majority, however, the first
inkling of a special assessment is the letter announcing how much is owed and
when it is due.
This circumstance imposes upon the
board a special obligation to explain why
a special assessment is needed, and the
reasoning behind that course of action.
Much of the apoplexy, bile, and contention that special assessments generate
could be avoided if the board president
writing the notification letter would remain
mindful of that obligation. As the saying
goes, “you can catch more flies with honey
than with vinegar.”
How Not to Announce
The recent special-assessment notice
at a timeshare resort in Deerfield Beach,
FL, illustrates why such announcements
often antagonize owners and give the
timeshare concept a bad name.
The president of the owners’ association, sent a “Notice of Miscellaneous
Special Assessment” to the resort’s owners on March 31, 2006. The notice proclaimed:
“Due to devastating damage to the
Resort from Hurricane Wilma, it is necessary to levy a special assessment to all
owners to remain within budget to meet
our financial responsibilities.”
The notice explained that the resort
received “catastrophic damage to the roof,
buildings, and property as well as the interior of the apartments,” and that 25-yearold sliding glass doors to the apartments
were “beyond further repair” and would
have to be replaced.
The assessment was $400 for a studio unit, $430 for a one-bedroom unit, and
$460 for a two-bedroom unit.
The association president declined to
discuss the particulars with TimeSharing
Today because, he said, “I do not like to
divulge any information about our resort
to strangers,” but he sent an owner a
“breakdown” detailing the expenses that
the assessment was imposed to defray.
Wilma-related expenses for the resort
totaled $345,480. They include $200,000 for
a new roof, $87,600 for repairs to 13 rooms,
$15,409 for emergency dryout service, and
the remainder for a variety of lesser expenses: miscellaneous labor for almost two
months after the storm; three dumpsters
for sand, grass, and earth; a Bobcat; grass
and labor to put it in place; a new Tiki hut
with a new floor and bar; sprinkler repairs;
stucco; chair and lounge repairs; removing sand from the beach; and outdoor furniture.
In addition, the breakdown includes
$140,332 (28.89 percent of the total) for an
“Emerald Seas Upgrade:” that consists of
$105,600 for new doors with impact glass,
$25,000 for new windows, $8,000 for a new
computer and check-in software, and
$1,732 for a new front-office check-in desk.
These itemized expenses total
$485,812. The assessment totals $452,880,
minus $32,260 for units owned by the association. Thus, assuming that every
owner pays the assessment, the resort will
take in $420,620, but the president conceded in a hand-written note on the expense breakdown that some owners would
relinquish their units rather than pay the
Sep/Oct, 2006
special assessment.
Adding an $88,486 insurance payment to the $420,620 to be realized from
the assessment gives a total of $509,106,
leaving a surplus of $23,294 in excess of
the itemized expenses. “Some of this will
be eaten up by owners giving their units
back,” the president wrote.
Moreover, he noted that funding for
additional items – fences, railings, paving,
and painting of the building exterior, for
which the breakdown states no costs –
would not be available “unless the ins.
co. comes up with more money.”
Why Owners Were Aggravated
This notice aggravated a number of
the owners receiving it. Of course, no special assessment ever will be greeted with
joy, but this missive made matters worse
in several egregious ways:
• In addition to hurricane-related
items that most reasonable owners would
tolerate under the circumstances, more
than a quarter of the itemized expenses
relate to upgrade items that a well-managed resort should fund through its reserve account without asking owners for
additional money.
• Mingling hurricane-related repair
costs with other unrelated improvements
complicates for the individual owners the
process of claiming the special assessment
as an income-tax deduction (see box).
• The breakdown also includes a list
of unfunded items that, if not ultimately
paid for through additional insurance proceeds, suggests the strong likelihood of
another special assessment in the near
future.
• The notice was written in all capital
letters, which readership studies have
shown are hard to read and tend to irritate
readers.
• The notice doesn’t mention board
action to levy the assessment, or the deliberations that preceded the decision. “It
is necessary to levy…” sends a very different message than “Your owners’ association board of directors has examined all
possible alternatives and determined that
a special assessment is the only feasible
way to cover these extraordinary, unanticipated costs.”
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TimeSharing Today
Page 17
Sep/Oct, 2006
Comments on Special Assessments
Management’s mistakes?
My resort The Flagship Resort Hotel
in St. Thomas just slapped one of those
BS assessments on us. It makes absolutely no scense. They claim it is for mismanaged unsold units. When they sold
us the unit, they promised all kinds of new
construction (like a new pool, recreational
center, etc.) which has never materialized.
I emailed corporate and got a very lame
explanation, and cannot reach anyone by
phone. When I asked who the owners
board representatives are, I was told they
don’t have that information.
One of the reasons I purchased this
resort was I believed buying in St. Thomas which is in the US Virgin Islands
would protect consumers under US laws.
Guess I was wrong. So I was forced to pay
the extra $350, and was told that it may be
the same again next year.
Don’t get me wrong; if the resort suffered from a hurricane or if they were using the money for refurbishing the units, I
could understand. But to make owners
pay for the management’s mistakes is really unfair.
Hope Pagano
Special every 5 years
I wish to remain anonymous, but
wanted to pipe in. My resort in Mexico
charges a special assessment fee every 5
years, which is equal to one maintenance
fee, so that, in that 5th year, you pay
double m/f. I bought resale and didn’t
worry about it then, until it hit me...$1k
this year. They are expanding, but, unfortunately, putting the funds into building
new ‘upper class’ units which aren’t accessible to us ‘standard’ owners. So, yes,
I’m ticked that I’m subsidizing the expansion into elite sections of the resort which
I can’t accommodate
No Name
Careful consideration given
A Board of Directors, made up of
owners, does not request a special assessment without due consideration.
In 1992, Hurricane Iniki caused significant damage to The Cliffs at Princeville,
Kauai, Hawaii. The developer and original
builder repaired the damage. This was
great until mold and mildew appeared secondary to water damage at the time of the
hurricane.
An assessment was made as the association filed law suits, hired experts and
planned to renovate the units. Eventually
the renovation was completed. The Board
elected not to request any more assessments, but to pay off loans from maintenance fees.
Despite attempts to build a capital
reserve, and keep maintenance fees stable,
wear and tear took it’s toll. Some updating
and maintenance projects were delayed.
Last year the Board, after careful consideration and a lot of dialog, decided to asses
owners for some major updates.
Long range plans have been developed and are underway to upgrade and
improve the property. Also the two timeshare corporations on-site have set up
long range plans to continually upgrade
and refurbish the condominium units.
While some owners have trouble accepting an assessment, I can assure them
that the Boards spend a lot of time trying
to fund needed improvements and not resort to an assessment or raise maintenance
fees. The final decision, reached by our
board, was made after deciding what was
best for the resort, the owners and the
guests who utilize the facilities.
The Board also put in motion plans
to build enough capital reserve so that we
do not have to rely on assessments in the
future.
James R. Moyes, M.D. , Director,
AOAO, The Cliffs at Princeville
Entire makeover
I own two units at Ft Lauderdale
Beach Resort and it will cost me an extra
$2400 for a special assessment. The letter
I received stated that the Board of Directors deemed an entire makeover of the resort was necessary. Personally, I thought
that the resort was fine the way it was. It
was “beachy” to some degree, but it IS a
beach resort, right near the ocean!
I am upset that they have the right to
CAYMAN ISLANDS
PLANTATION VILLAGE BEACH RESORT
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Vacation periods at the only Timeshare Resort on famous 7-mile Beach
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345-949-6230
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TimeSharing Today
Page 18
do this, but they said they didn’t have a
proxy and had to act on this so they decided to spend tons of money.
The Fort Lauderdale Beach resort is a
great place, the staff is second to none,
but things like this makes one wary of timesharing as an affordable option. I think
that several people did default on their
ownership rather than pay this relatively
high assessment.
Art R. Johnston, R.I.
Katrina felt in SC?
I have floating weeks at the
Yachtsman Resort in Myrtle Beach. My
annual maintenance fee is $440 per week!
And the fees are raised $10-$20 every year.
In February I received a letter regarding the February Yachtsman Homeowner’s
Meeting and this is a portion of what it
said:
“Following the routine property and
finance annual reports to the owners and
the election of new board members, a
$125 special assessment for 2006 was
announced. It was a tough call for both
boards, but the open discussion with the
homeowners following the announcement
confirmed our decision.
Without any hesitation, we can comfortably state that Katrina had a significant adverse affect on the Yachtsman, as
well as the US economy in general. The
impact was so significant that we had to
revisit the 2006 Yachtsman budget, which
set the Maintenance Fees. The budet was
prepared before the extent of Katrina’s
damage was known.
Every American has at one time or
another faced an unepected family crisis,
where they did not have enought money
to hand to meet a crisis. That is where
wer are today. Katrina came ashore in
the United States and the impact is still
being felt by all Americans.”
The letter went on to talk about gas
prices, credit card processing fees, and
insurance.
Oh please spare me the sob song.
Since when did Myrtle Beach, SC become
part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast?
And to top it off, the letter also states:
“Please pay your $125 special assessment
as soon as possible, but no later than June
1. If possible please pay by check. You
may of course pay by credit card, but
Sep/Oct, 2006
please add $5 for your credit card fees.”
Now that takes a lot of nerve!!!!
B J Williams
Upgrading
Since the huricane of 1992, we have
been assessed several times, mostly for
lawyer fees. Now they want to put another assessment on us, to bring the property up to standards of a 5-star resort. I
can see that the need is there, but it’s getting to be a hardship. Iam retired and do
not have $3200 to just hand over to satisfy the board. I feel they board should
have been more selective in the past, when
they had the repairs done.
William Jenkins
Who voted for it?
Get a Tax Break From Storm Special Assessment
Information that might be useful for
other timeshare owners. Celebrity Resorts
in Florida has just sent out a letter to all of
it’s owners asking for an assessment of
$997, in addition to the usual yearly maintenance fees. The letter came from Celebrity Resorts, and no one seems to know
who officially voted on this additional assessment. The Board as I have been told
is made up of Celebrity Officials.
Jerry Wetzel, Indianola, IA
If you’ve received a special assessment for 2005 storm damage because your
timeshare resort was clobbered by Katrina, rattled by Rita, or whipsawed by Wilma,
you may be eligible to deduct your payment from your U.S. federal income taxes.
To qualify, you must itemize. Using Form 4684, which deals with casualty and
theft losses, you’ll have to show what you paid for your unit-week, and its fair
market value before and after the storm.
To determine pre-storm fair market value, you could use the price of similar unitweeks listed for resale the day before the storm hit your resort. Ask your resort for a
price list of association-owned units on sale that day. Then you can use the assessment for repair purposes as a guide to the decrease in fair market value, says an IRS
spokesman.
Taxpayers seeking this deduction may take it on their 2005 return or amend their
2004 return. If you requested an automatic filing extension for your 2005 return
before April 15, 2006, you have until October 15 to file. If you can’t get everything
sorted out by then, you have an additional three years – until October 15, 2009 – to
amend your 2005 return.
Normally, a casualty loss deduction must be reduced by $100 and 10 percent of
adjusted gross income, but these reductions have been waived for victims of Katrina,
Rita, and Wilma. To avoid clerical errors involving this waiver, the IRS recommends
that taxpayers affected by Katrina, Rita, or Wilma write the name of the relevant
hurricane in big red letters on EVERY page of a tax return.
If deductions from a casualty loss are greater than your income for the year in
question, the result could be a net operating loss, which may create carry-forward
and carry-back opportunities for which you should seek professional guidance.
For more information, consult IRS Publication 547 (which deals generally with
casualty and theft losses) and Publication 4492 (which contains the January 2006
adjustments for hurricane victims).
****
I encourage you to find out what is
going on in Florida (Aloha Bay Condominium/Indian Shores) with Celebrity Resorts’ special assessments bill received in
a letter of July 17th, with no budget and
little explanation other than we have to
pay the assessment by August 10th or be
fined.
We were told by the Florida Bureau
of Compliance that the notice of special
assessment should provide sufficient details about the intended use of these funds.
The letter states “To compensate for
the lack of funds, loans were acquired each
year to ensure coverage of operational
costs. In addition to reviewing the financial status of the resort, we also performed
thorough reviews of the resort’s condition and considered the age of the property, reaching the conclusion that improvements are a must. In order to regain
the viability of the resort and make necessary improvements, all owners have been
billed a special assessment of $997.09.”
Penny and Andy Pentecost
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TimeSharing Today
Page 19
Russ on
the Road
By Russ Hiner, Hialeah, FL
Crown Point Resort,
Horseshoe Bend, AK
Horseshoe Bend is a small town about
6 to 10 miles from many other small towns.
I expected to have difficulty finding it, but
the RCI directions were good and the resort directional signs at major intersections
were large enough to make it easy. Check
in was fast, even though there was an explanation of each of the handouts we were
given. There was emphasis on resort activities, especially those at the clubhouse
in the evenings.
The resort started as a 4-unit building, with a small beach on a cove of a large
lake. Buildings 2 and 3 are called the “Condominiums.” Then, there is a string of 2floor units in separate buildings, which is
where our unit was. All of these sections
are on the hillside of a cove of the lake.
Higher up, at the same level as the office
and restaurant, there are log cabins. There
are stairs near the canoe/beach area, but
none from the units to the many docks, so
it is a careful slide down or climb up the
grassy slopes.
Lots of small bream, bluegills and
other fish lived under the docks, anxiously
awaiting any thing edible. They were small
and quick, so catching them was not easy.
The condominiums had been bought out
by the resort and converted to timeshare
units. They were making a big deal that
the resort was now RCI Points. I spoke to
one owner who said they were trying to
switch to points. (He was not interested.)
There were no sales pitches, even at the
Monday get together. I was unable to talk
to Paul (the manager and sales agent) to
find out if there were units for sale.
This is one of the most satisfying
places we have been. Very well lighted,
clean, well appointed, with the usual decorators touches in view, but not in the way.
There were sliding glass doors from the
large living room to the balcony, where
there were four chairs. This was a great
place to spend the early evening, relaxing
with view and the birds. The kitchen was
a wall and an island so two people could
cook. The refrigerator had an ice-maker
and ice storage bin. There was a dishwasher, disposal and a microwave. There
were interesting cathedral ceilings with
ceiling fans throughout. The bath was
quite large, with double sinks, and a whirlpool tub at one end.. There was a shower,
without a tub. A “Shower Caddy” would
have been helpful.
The bedroom was very large. The TV
sat on top of the dresser. A full wall of
closets gave plenty of storage. The wall
lamps on each side of the queen headboard had 100-watt bulbs and were operated by wall switches that were right under the lamp! No fumbling around near the
bulb or fooling with a switch on the other
side of the room. Nice. The mattress was
comfortable but sat on a platform instead
Sep/Oct, 2006
of a box spring. The mattress “traveled” a
few inches each night, so it had to be repositioned each morning. (Easy to do, but
unusual.) A chair of some type in the bedroom would be helpful, if only to act as a
clothes rack at night. There was a washer
and a dryer in the unit.
The restaurant next to the office/recreation center served a delicious coffee
cake for the Sunday get together. I wanted
to buy a whole one to enjoy during the
week, but it was not on the menu and I did
not ask. This and the two restaurants in
town were “diner” type. We had a satisfactory lunch in two of them but did not
eat dinner in any of them. Although Horseshoe Bend is a small town there is an above
average grocery store there. Well stocked
with a large frozen food section, lots of
fresh produce and good meat,
There are lots of things to do at the
resort. On site are: beach, lake, fishing,
canoeing, exercise room (with new equipment), sauna, playground and laundry.
There are picnic tables and outdoor grills.
Golf is nearby, and you are in the Ozarks
of Arkansas.
A nice place to stay
Tammac Financial Corp.’s resale financing program will
let you enjoy the good life even more, whether buying
or refinancing a timeshare week.
Some of our Happy Clients Include:
• Owners who refinance or borrow against paid-off
vacation weeks
• New buyers of resales who seek financing
• Owners who buy more weeks
• Resale Brokers
Call us Today!
239-278-7974
or 800-640-6753
[email protected]
Providing developer & resale financing
since 1985!
12995 S. Cleveland Ave. Suite 256 • Fort Myers, Florida 33907 • www.tammacfinancial.com
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TimeSharing Today
Page 20
Sep/Oct, 2006
Chilling out in eastern Europe
By Byron Wiegand, President, Timeshare Resale Alliance, San Diego, CA
We had really planned to go to Italy
this year, but for various reasons (including our perpetual longing for natural hot
springs) we moved the trip east about six
hundred miles and flew from San Diego to
Dubrovnik, Croatia via Houston and London Gatwick.
Our newly adopted system of very
active coverage of an area followed by a
timeshare week to chill out before coming
home is our new standard of excellence.
We intend to apply it to all long trips.
In the absence of a timeshare resort
in Dubrovnik plus no desire to spend that
much time there, we took an inexpensive
apartment, rented over the Internet, within
the old walled city. The positive was that
we got a chance to see first-hand, a delightful functioning Croatian family (our
landlords) who lived a couple of floors
upstairs with their three children. Lots of
love in a really close family and a whole
different way of looking at life.
The high point of Dubrovnik was the
Wall Walk along the top of the wall surrounding the old city. A small admission
was charged but easily worth it. The view
from the tower at the top is exciting. With
the hundreds of off-shore islands,
Portobello style rugged coasts and small
villages, this has to be as beautiful as, or
more so, anything on the west coast of
Italy. My suggestion is to not wait too
long to see it; once word gets out, it (like
Italy) will become over-run.
From Dubrovnik, a rental car took us
up the coast through Ston (a northern fortress of Dubrovnik) to Split with so many
beautiful towns and wonderful stops to
even cover here. You could spend months
exploring these hundreds of delightful
towns and islands. Next stop was the island of Hvar, a short ferry ride from Split.
Since we had determined that we would
not plan every move on this trip (our first
such plan), we had made no prior arrangements.
We did come upon a timeshare there
in Jelsa, one city over from the ferry land-
ing, but would not have booked it ahead
anyway since we had not planned to
spend more than just a few days on the
island and didn’t want to be disconnected
from the mainland. It would have worked
if we had been involved with RCI points
and could have stayed for a few days. As
a final destination chill-out timeshare, it
would have worked, but you could get
pretty tired of it after seven days unless
you really wanted to just relax. If you already own RCI points, Jelsa on Hvar is
the right city and for three or four nights,
I would recommend it. We just rented a
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TimeSharing Today
Page 21
small but really clean and well decorated apartment in Stari Grad by the ferry
landing for three days.
We had previously booked passage
up to Rijeka from Hvar. We landed in Rijeka
at about 7:00 AM and had to scratch to
rent a car there but were on our way to
Istria, Croatia by 10:00 AM. This is beautiful country! Rolling hills, mountains,
vineyards, tiny farms, ancient castles, etc.
resembling Tuscany.
Unless you want to learn Croatian,
Slovenian and Hungarian (each very different) your best bet is German. You must
speak German to get by there. Anita’s
over-forty-years-since-last-use German
was enough. Restaurant menus and waiters sometimes have a rough English translation, but all have German.
A very easy border crossing into
Slovenia then took us to the Hotel Lipa,
site of the Terme Lendava resort right about
where the three countries come together.
It was a very reasonably priced resort spa
that reeked of old Eastern Europe. The
spa water was great (not too hot) and the
grounds were beautiful. Our last
Slovenian hot spa before driving to Hungary, Therme 3000, was at Moraviske
Toplice. It was huge and included a complete waterpark and 22 pools.
With another short and beautiful drive
we came to Heviz in Hungary, widely
known all over Europe as a water resort
with one of the two largest thermal lakes
in the world. Upon arrival, we asked a
parking lot attendant if he knew where the
timeshare was. Showing a puzzled look
we then said, “Club Dobogomajor”. He
brightened and said, Oh, Club DoughBow-Go-Mayour (with a guttural accent
on the basically silent “j.”)
He pointed it out to us through the
trees. This is a huge, beautifully landscaped resort of over 300 units. On site is
a large horse barn, enclosed horse arena,
many outdoor pools (although cold), a
commercial center, a farm with a number of
penned farm animals, clay tennis courts,
thatched roofs and a definite Hungarian
appearance. Although you could spend
the time here without a car, you would
definitely be shortchanging yourself.
There is simply too much to see in Heviz,
the adjoining Keszthely, the huge, shallow Lake Balaton and the neighboring little
towns that you can’t even pronounce, like
Balatonszantgyorgy. Many do not trans-
late to a map as it would have to be too big
to even get the names printed on it.
Most of the time there we encountered a cold and disagreeable rain (Very
unseasonal!) and it was disappointing,
but it required us to relax. Our one-bedroom two-bath townhouse style unit with
a small kitchen was very nice and far more
than adequate. They provided maid service every day but charged a rather husky
price for it, parking and some other features we have become accustomed to receiving free.
A large wellness center in the next
building from ours also provided one of
the best reflexology massages we have
ever had at a very reasonable price. They
are big on massages, manicures, pedicures,
exercise, horses, etc.
ATM machines are everywhere in
every country and are the way to get cash,
as few places will take credit cards except
the high-end resorts, restaurants and establishments in the cities. This is also the
best exchange rate you will get.
Internet Cafés were everywhere we
went; each worked a little differently and
the European keyboard definitely takes
some getting used to. All of them charge
for Internet use.
There was also another timeshare resort by the name of Aparthotel Heviz on
the main tourist street of Heviz and very
close to the thermal lake. It was part of the
top notch, beautiful Hotel Kalma on the
next block. We were able to see a twobedroom two-bath unit that was very nice
and well laid out, but that was as far as we
could get since no one spoke any English
and the front desk Manager correctly
wouldn’t tell us anything. They appeared
to be in sales, but were busy so we
couldn’t interrupt them. It looked like it
Sep/Oct, 2006
might still be under construction. You
would not have to have a car if you stayed
here, but you would miss much. Perhaps
a car for just a few days would do it.
One thing we would have done differently was to fly round-trip into London,
Vienna or Frankfort, then catch a really
inexpensive flight down to Croatia. There
are many very inexpensive flights (like
90% off) originating in London, Austria or
Germany and we definitely recommend the
long term rental of the car if it is affordable. You would miss half the beauty of
the trip without it. It was even worth the
headache of trying to return it in Vienna
where they were absolutely not set up to
receive it.
In summary, our favorites in order of
our impressions were Croatia, Slovenia
and Hungary. The Croatian people were
generally beautiful inside and out, were
the most friendly and helpful and had the
nicest countryside followed closely by the
Slovenians. This absolutely beautiful garden-style wine country (reminiscent of
that in the Sonoma Valley in Northern California) was always a complete treat to view
in all three countries.
Restaurant-wise, Hungary would
have to get the nod as the very best, partly
due to the food and much due to the accompanying music. It seemed as though
you would really have to work at getting a
bad meal.
Would we come back? In a heartbeat!
The trip so completely satisfied our Italian longings to the point that we no longer
feel any need to see it! Just don’t wait too
long until these countries become overrun with tourists and suffer Italy’s same
problems. Right now it is an unspoiled,
untouched (by tourists) Italy of forty
years ago. Go for it!
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TimeSharing Today
Page 22
Our first purchase of a timeshare was at Winner’s Circle in
Solana Beach, a suburb of San Diego and just across the street
from Del Mar Racetrack. The resort is fairly small but very wellmaintained, and we were specifically interested in this resort because of its proximity to our home in Los Angeles - it’s only about
a 90-minute drive.
We purchased
two one-bedroom
units through a probate auction at a price
too low to brag about,
and we’ve enjoyed our stays there so much that we’ve since
purchased two additional two-bedroom units (and sold off one
of the 1-bedrooms). Our most recent purchase was a two-bedroom, two-floor unit (one of only 3 at the resort) during racing
season in August, a time when we normally try to vacation there
every year. We purchased our unit through an ad in TimeSharing
Today at about a 50% discount to what other two-bedroom units
are being listed for.
Solana Beach has year-round wonderful weather, but summer during racing season is particularly enjoyable - even if you
never go to the track (which we still haven’t done, although our
kids keep asking to go!) In the afternoon, lounging by the pool,
you can hear the post call, the call of the race, and the gradually
increasing din of the crowd until the final gasp of victory. Most
of the time in the late afternoon, you can watch several hot-air
balloons floating serenely over the Del Mar Valley.
Chino Farms, a very famous Southern California purveyor to
Sep/Oct, 2006
several top restaurants, has its stand about 2 miles from the resort, and of course, you have the traditional fall-backs of Sea
World, the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, the new Padre’s
Petco Park, and the other Southern California attractions of
Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and the rest back up the freeway.
We always spend
some time (and more
money)
at
the
Carlsbad Factory
Stores, about 15 minutes back up the freeway. And no trip is complete without a visit to the Miniature Golf
course about a 5-minute walk from the resort!
Living in Southern California, traffic is always a concern,
and the trip to the resort can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 3
hours, so we plan our driving carefully, but our reward is having
a relaxing and familiar vacation stay without any of the hassles of
flying to other locations. Sure, we’ve exchanged a fair amount,
but we’re always happy to come back to our “home” resort at
Winner’s Circle.
George Ronay, Los Angeles, CA
Where we found Paradise
Yes, I have found Paradise!! I already owned timeshares in
the Berkshires (MA), Poconos (PA), and on the boardwalk in
Atlantic City(NJ). However, I like Fort Lauderdale and go every
year. So, I bought a one-week unit in January at Hollywood Beach
Towers. It’s an older hotel turned timeshare. I have a one bedroom lockout type unit that I use for recharging myself each year.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 23
Sometimes I bring a friend and sometimes
I don’t. But the house rule is “Do not disturb.”
In-house I have a second story outdoor pool and a hot tub and lounge area
overlooking the ocean, a small gym, a coin
laundry, snack and soda and ice machines,
as well as a concierge. Across the highway is the intercoastal and a state park.
Three miles up the road is another state
park with a fishing pier, tiki huts with picnic tables, a snack bar and restaurant.
I can be in Fort Lauderdale or Miami
in about 15 minutes by car. The beach is
right outside my back door, bus service
outside my front door. A two minute walk
(I walk s l o w l y) brings me to great breakfast spots, sports bar, hairdresser, ministore, or dinner restaurants.
The theme here is mature (read old,
very old people). In the last four years,
I’ve seen less than a dozen children total!
This place is ideal for me because I’m using it to get away from my high stress job
and very busy environment. It would
probably be boring for young people, but
I love Hollywood Beach!
Gerri Niblock
La Vista pool
graded to a larger place on the bay. It was
just not the same in a variety of respects.
We, on a number of occasions, had
breakfast next door at La Vista. Breakfast
approached paradise as you sit in an area
next to their pool with the pool overflowing on one end toward the Caribbean making it appear as one large expanse of water. La Vista Resort was building a new
section on the water. Some time ago, someone had said some very nice things about
La Vista in TimeSharing Today as well.
Paradise Regained. We looked at La
Vista’s new building and now take the top
Sep/Oct, 2006
floor of a three story building facing the water for two
of
our four weeks on the island. It’s quiet, clean and
the view of the Caribbean
is breathtaking. Me, my
book and my coffee have
found a new home and
when I am out there by
myself first thing in the
morning, I am as close to
paradise as I am going to
get. My wife finds the same
sort of
paradise but she prefers to
be out there later in the day.
As far as carefree ownership is concerned, La Vista place is pretty close. It is
a family operation, the people are terrific,
the place is well maintained, maintenance
dollars appear to be reinvested in upkeep
and improvements and the owners meetings are social gatherings over food and
drink, discussions of new places to eat
and drawings for free dinners, free weeks,
etc. No worries, just a bit closer to paradise
Steve and Sheila Appelbaum,
Boca Raton, FL
We own at Orange Lake Resort, Orlando, Florida.
Paradise indeed!! We need do nothing but check into our back to back weeks.
No paper work, nothing! To give our time
to someone else we need only email reservations with the names. No fees, no problems!
This resort is cream of the crop for
us. We have been to many resorts in the
USA but Orange Lake has it all.
Bill and Pat Appleby,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
We bought at Pelican Resort and Casino in 1989. We were in the ‘B’ building
on the second floor midway up the hill. As
soon as we arrived, we would head for the
apartment, and after entering, I would put
down our luggage and head for the patio
to get my first glimpse of that beautiful
view of the Caribbean which I had every
morning with my coffee and my book.
Then, there was the summer that I
headed for the patio and there, in my face,
was a new building built on the only property between me and the Caribbean that
Pelican did not own. My view was gone.
I headed for the sales office and upwww.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more
TimeSharing Today
Page 24
Does it ever make sense
for the seller to pay?
By Ray Jacobs
When I received the oversized postcard in the mail, I was offended at first,
and then curious. As an enthusiastic supporter of the timeshare concept, I found
offensive a statement on the postcard that
“friends don’t let friends buy timeshares.”
However, since the postcard was inviting
me to a meeting to learn about a program
for “getting out of” my timeshare, I was
curious to find out if Timeshare Relief was
another bad deal similar to those previously disclosed in TimeSharing Today.
I called the toll-free number provided
and left a message with an operator, who
said someone would call me back. The
next day, I received a call back, found out
the location of the meeting and made a
reservation for the 10:00 a.m. Saturday
meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White
Plains, New York. (There were meetings
being held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3 or 4 times during each day.)
The meeting was held in a room with
five or six round tables having 3 or 4 people
at each table. Coffee and soft drinks were
available at a side table.
Marcus Gillette, a personable low-key
speaker, made a slide presentation about
the company, why we should want to get
rid of our timeshare and why paying them
to take it from us is a smart deal.
For the most part, I felt that Gillette’s
statements were truthful and accurate.
Since his audience was composed of
people who no longer wanted their weeks,
and had probably been burned by paying
large upfront listing fees, any puffing
about the reasons to “get out” fell on receptive ears.
Gillette explained that Timeshare Relief was formed in January, 2004. He stated
that the company has an arrangement to
turn over weeks to Vacation Innovative
Network. Closings are handled by Timeshare Closing Services (which has adver-
Sep/Oct, 2006
tised in TimeSharing Today magazine for
several years.)
Some statements that I thought were
inaccurate were not really relevant.
“Cendant owns 85-90% of all
timeshares.” (Cendant owns Trendwest
and Fairfield; a lot of resorts, but not close
to 85-90%.)
“Cendant tried to buy Interval International last year, but was barred by the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)” (Not so;
in the merger that formed Cendant about
10 years ago, the FTC required II to be
spun off as a separate company.)
“Stroman Realty is owned by Cendant
because ERA is owned by Cendant.”
(ERA is a franchisor and Stroman is an
independent franchisee of ERA.)
On the other hand, the relevant statements were reasonably accurate in providing reasons for the guests to opt for
the program offered by Timeshare Relief.
Gillette reminded his audience that
they had probably paid $500 or more for
someone to list their timeshare for sale.
He pointed out that the large number of
rentals on the market has impacted on resales because many rentals are available
for less than the maintenance fees.
TimeSharing Today Owners Groups
Baltimore, MD area - Contact Ed and Mary Lou Hastry, 2003 Fernglen Way, Baltimore, MD 21228 Phone 410/719-0064 [email protected].
Northern California - Contact Jess Centeno, 2257 Southwood Dr., Pittsburg, CA 94565. Telephone 925/709-1739. Email [email protected]
Southern California - Contact Glenn Bailey, 5926 Hesperia Avenue, Encino, CA 91316. Telephone - 818/585-2212. Email
[email protected].
Cape Cod - Contact W. R. Chandler, 790 Old Fall River Rd., North Dartmouth, MA 02747. Telephone - 508/676-0693.
Cayman Islands - Contact Carol Blair - 6879 Mossvine Circle, Dallas, Texas 75254 972-661-9119 or 214-533-9945 email [email protected].
Chicago, IL - Contact Joe Tragesser, 1057 Partridge lane, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Phone 847/438-6795. Email [email protected].
Columbia, MO - Wayne Behymer, 3201 Rolling Hills Rd, Columbia, MO 65201. 573/442-6783.
Denver, CO - Contact Melvin & Betty Adams, 71 S. Grandbay St., Aurora, CO 80018. Telephone 303/341-7147.
Email [email protected].
Georgia, North and South Carolina - Contact Jack English, P.O. Box 2121, Acworth, GA 30102-2121. Telephone - 678/445-6761. Email
[email protected].
Mid-Atlantic - DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV - Contact Bill and Marty Giggard, 410/437-8377. Email [email protected]
Midwest - Contact Nancy and Jake Seth, 28306 290th St, Henderson, MN 56044. Phone 507/665-6358. Email [email protected].
New York Metro Area - Contact Amy Sien, 71-17 Manse St., Forest Hills, NY 11375, 718/261-7677, email [email protected] or
Caroline Lindholm, Scarsdale, NY 10533, 914/723-5657, email [email protected] or Ben and Dorothy Catanese, Hicksville, NY,
516/822-5912, Email: Bencat@ optonline.net or Betsy Hurley, Hoboken, NJ email [email protected]
Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties - Contact Robert Fishback, 2031A Jason Dr., Huntington Valley, PA 19006. Telephone
215/364-8978. Email [email protected]
Portland, ME - Contact David and Alison Bjork, PO Box 499, Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064. Email [email protected].
San Diego - Contact Bill Cranna, 10411 Oroxco Rd., San Diego CA 92124, Telephone 858/565-0500
Tampa Bay/Sarasota/Ft. Meyers, FL Area - Contact Frank Debar, 7339 Kensington Ct., University Park, FL 34201 941/351-1384. Email
[email protected]. Online at tsownersgroup.com
Toronto, Ontario area - Contact Roy Martin, 651 Cognac Crescent, Pickering, Ontario L1X 1M1. Email [email protected]
www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more
TimeSharing Today
Page 25
It is the ongoing maintenance fee
obligation that, according to Gillette, provides the main reason why this audience
needed to get rid of their timeshares if they
are not being used. He cautioned that leaving the week to your heirs would burden
them with the obligations.
For a fee equal to 7 times the maintenance fee, capped at $3,495, Timeshare Relief takes over the deeded timeshare week
and the owner has no further maintenance
fee obligations. An owner transferring a
week to Timeshare Relief becomes a member in Carefree Journeys, a discount travel
club (carefreejourneys.com) and can, according to Gillette, take a capital loss based
on the initial cost, assessments, the fee to
Timeshare Relief and any amount paid for
listings. Gillette stated that the tax loss is
available if you purchased the week for
investment and not for personal use.
At the conclusion of the presentation,
one staff member came to each table to
speak with the owners, handing out folders with documents inside.
Since one of the slides was a copy of
a recent TimeSharing Today front page
(about the suit against RCI), I introduced
Sep/Oct, 2006
myself to Marcus Gillette as the writer of
that front page article. I was appalled when
a staff member immediately took back my
document folder, stating that they were
short of material for the other meetings.
My dismay was evident and Gillette gave
me his card and told me to contact him.
A few days later, I emailed Gillette that
his associate’s retrieval of the documents
had raised some questions in my mind
about his program, and I requested that
the documents be sent to me. In response,
the company owner, David MacMillan,
contacted me, confirmed that the New
York meeting was low on materials and
agreed to send a set of documents to me.
The company has also recently scheduled
advertising in TimeSharing Today.
The transfer agreement and related
documents are straight forward and make
clear that the future obligations for maintenance fees, taxes and special assessments become that of Timeshare Relief. A
call to Timeshare Closing Services confirmed that the deeds from the owners are
recorded.
Gillette spent a lot of time showing
how the tax loss would more than offset
Discover
More Vacation
the fee to Timeshare Relief. I hope that
anyone considering that as a reason to
transfer the week to Timeshare Relief would
consult with a tax advisor to make sure
this tax loss treatment will work for them.
(Editors note: See page 6 re tax loss.)
And you should consider other ways
to dispose of a timeshare that can’t be sold.
The week might qualify for a donation to a
charity. A friend might take it off your
hands. You can convey the week to a shell
corporation (one with no assets) that you
form for the purpose of owning the timeshare. Your resort may agree to take the
resort back, or you can place an ad that
offers the timeshare for free (or a few hundred dollars).
Clearly, this is not a scam. But is it a
smart deal? Certainly, for the average person who decides to sell a timeshare, it
doesn’t make sense to pay someone $3,500
to take the week. On the other hand, for
someone who has a week that would be
difficult to sell (e.g., high maintenance fee,
poor time or location), is not using the
week and is desperate to avoid the next
maintenance fee payment, this program
might make sense.
What is ResorTime.com?
A Bonus Time Network of over 300 affiliated resorts and hotels
with nightly rentals and over 3,000 resorts with weekly rentals.
Owners can vacation year-round without using their timeshare
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*Use Reference Number TSToday06 when activating your membership and you
will be entered to win a 8 day/7 night ResorTime vacation! Winners will be
selected every month through December 31, 2006! Good at participating resorts.
www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more
TimeSharing Today
Page 26
Sep/Oct, 2006
Local Dining Guide
TSToday Anywhere
North Conway, NH area
There are several places I would recommend in this area. Primo’s is a coffee
shop located in North Conway on the main
street. It only serves breakfast and lunch,
but it was delightful. My friend’s granddaughter described a drink to them and
they made it for her. Another one in North
Conway was Mountain Smoke House and
Brewing Co. It has a very good menu and
full bar. Both of these are on Route 16.
Another one we enjoyed was Red Parka
Steakhouse & Pub. They also have a very
extensive menu and full bar. We would
eat in all of these again.
Joyce Johnson, FL
Madiera Beach, FL
At John’s Pass, which divides
Madiera Beach and Treasure Island, lies
John’s Pass Village. It includes a large array of better quality shopping opportunities and several eateries. Our favoriteis
the Friendly Fisherman located on the
boardwalk, overlooking the pass. Of
course they are a “fresh from the Gulf”
Blanche Peterson is shown
reading her magazine at Vacation
Village while on an exchange with
her husband, John, in the Berkshire
Mountains near Hancock, MA .
seafood restaurant that serves a large variety, of freshly caught fare. Preparation is
as you prefer, broiled, fried, blackened, or
Cajun. We tried them all and they were
excellent. The variety of sides include a
delicious, creamy coleslaw, a tasty side
salad, baked, French fried and sweet potatoes, applesauce, cottage cheese and
hot bread and soft butter and veggies of
the day.
Service has always been with gusto,
a smile and often a witty quip. Waiters
know the area and are not only funny, but
informative. Lunches run about $10 and
supper (as we say up north) can range
from $10 to $20.
For a “fish place,” they serve very
good steaks and a variety of chicken. I
personally enjoyed the “surf ‘n turf’ and
left full! If you still have room, they have
a daily dessert assortment that is wonderful.
Maybe a couple hours in the shops
might prepare one for a mid-afternoon
sweet break. We tried many of the local
restaurants, but returned to the “Friendly
Fisherman” most often.
Joe Bolander
G
et more time
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TimeSharing Today
Page 29
Sep/Oct, 2006
EXCHANGE PLACE
European exchanges
Exchanging to European
resorts is different...
The accommodations tend to be more
basic, smaller size units, and just “clean
and comfortable,” as opposed to our
American preference for larger and more
luxurious accommodations.
But you cannot exchange to a foreign
country and expect to stay in “American
like” resorts, unless you choose an American hospitality brand name (Marriott,
Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, etc.) who specifically went to Europe to build “American
style” hotels to attract the American traveller.
One of my most memorable exchanges was to the simpliest, smallest and
most basic resort. Located in Mallorca,
which is one of Spain’s Balearic Islands in
the mediterranean.
I rated it as one of my best exchanges
because:
-location, location, location - right
across from the beach, all shops and restaurants right outside my door. So no car
rental necessary either!
-clean
-safe
-had everything I needed
-fully equipped kitchen
-great staff, very attentive to requests
Looking at the above list, isn’t that
what is most important when you are away
from home?
Being an independent boutique
(small) resort it didn’t have many units,
but I was only staying in one of them, so
does it really matter what size the resort
is?
Every night I fell asleep to the gentle
rush of the waves, and awoke the next
morning with gentle sunshine peeking
around the white organza curtains blowing in the ocean’s breeze of the French
doors right next to my bed.
Not to experience European resorts
because you have heard they are “not as
big, luxurious, or have as many organized
activities” as our home based American
resorts is to truly be missing out on a wonderful part of the world - full of history, art,
and cultural events just an overnight flight
away. Remember you are only a guest for
7 nights, not looking to own it.
So try an exchange to Europe and stay
in their vacation style accommodations.
Rather than complaining that it is not like
your home resort, as the saying goes
“when in rome, do as the romans do.”
Joanne Regnault, Cranston, RI
It is not cheap
We recently returned home from a
vacation in Scotland and Northern England. The tour included stops in
Edinburgh, Scotland and Lincoln, England. While in Lincoln, we visited the Lin-
coln Cathedral where some of the DaVinci
Code was filmed. Some members of the
tour, who had read the book and/or seen
the movie, also went to Rosslyn Chapel
while in Scotland. This latter was reported
to be very interesting, as was the Lincoln
Cathedral.
Europe may expect many American
visitors, but it will not be cheap. While we
were there, the dollar was running $1.71 to
$2.00 or more to the English Pound. I spoke
with someone this past week, who indicated the dollar is not very strong against
the Euro dollar either. I just hope everyone understands that all of those souvenirs, personal gifts, information books, etc.
will cost more than expected. Often this is
not realized until the credit card statements
arrive after returning home.
James R. Moyes, M.D.
www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more
TimeSharing Today
Page 30
Sep/Oct, 2006
COMPARISON CHART OF
NAME OF COMPANY
INITIAL MEMBERSHIP
FEE TO JOIN
RCI
PLATINUM
INTERCHANGE
Usually included with No membership fees.
purchase from developer or member resort.
INTERVAL
TRADING PLACES
INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL
Included with purchase
from developer of member resort. Transferable
without charge. Eligible
owners may self enroll
at renewal-fee rate.
No membership requirement to exchange.
Optional vacation club
offered.
RESORTS AVAILABLE More than 3,700 affili- 700+. Resorts are not More than 2,000 resorts 500+. Not all resorts are
ated r esorts worldwide. under contract. Empha- in 75 countries under under contract, but must
be inspected and apsis on individual owner contract.
proved.
service and affiliation.
EXCHANGE FEES
Internal - same resort
External-different resorts
$164- domestic-internal $99 - domestic -internal $135 - domestic
$149 - international
or external
$119- international.
$39 - guest certificate
$199- international.
$109 - $159 depending
on optional member status.
Fee payable when placing exchange request.
Points reservations: $49
for 1 -2 nights, $79 for 3 4, $99 for 5 or more
nights.
ANNUAL DUES
$89 for Weeks;
$99 for Points.
None
$84 for 1 year; $215 for 3 None/$79 Optional.
years. Interval preferred
upgrade is $54/yr.
BANKING OPTIONS
Deposit first, request exchange 1 year before or
2 yrs after date of deposited Week.
No banking with Points;
ceding applies.
Request first and deposit week when exchange is confirmed, or
bank week for exchange
up to 18 months after
date of deposited week.
Three options: Request
first, or deposit week first
and have a 3 year exchange window, or use
flex-change for last
minute exchanges.
UPGRADES
For Weeks, subject to
availability, based on
trading power.
$87 per week on sea- No restrictions apply to Fees and availability
son and/or size, if avail- exchanges under 60 subject to membership
able.
days.
status.
DIRECTORY
Weeks and Points directories highlight resorts,
membership benefits,
maps, cruises, services,
other vacation options.
Available online; search
by region or resort.
Full color directory of the
220 most exchanged
resorts. Website with
complete descriptions
and photos, daily updated list of available
weeks and rentals.
Annual 4 color 500 page
directory lists all member resorts with full information and photos. Also
available online.
100s of most often requested resorts, with
complete description of
amenities. Full color, 72page directory for club
members.
EXCHANGES MADE
2,625,867 in 2005.
30,000+ in 2005.
877,000 in 2005.
Not provided.
COMMENTS
RCI Community is an
exchange network of
over 3 million timeshare
owners worldwide who
experience vacations
through RCI’s weeksbased
and
RCI’s
points-based exchange
networks.
Exchange and discount
rental company since
1986. Resort management, Tricom Management, Inc. since 1979.
Registered and DRE licensee Owner Rental
program.
Full-service travel agency offers below market
rates on airfares and car
rentals. Online services
include exchange, Getaways for additional
weeks and full-service
travel. Golf program.
WorldPoints Visa credit
card provides benefits.
Over 33 yrs in vacation
industry offering consumers and developers
exchange (can request
exchange or deposit
online), rental, travel
agency, resales and resort management services.
(Season or unit)
LOCATION/PHONE/ 9998 N. Michigan Road
Carmel, IN 46032
INTERNET
800/338-7777 (weeks)
877/968-7476 (points)
www.rci.com
1300 N. Kellogg Dr., Suite B. P.O. Box 431920
Anaheim, CA 92807
Miami, FL 33243-1920
800/854-2324
800/622-1861
714/777-3700
[email protected]
305/666-1861
www.platinuminterchange.com www.intervalworld.com
Can request exchange
at time of deposit or may
bank week and exchange up to three years
later. Can search first
before deposit.
23807 Aliso Creek Road,
Laguna Niguel, CA 92656
800/365-1048
949/448-5150
[email protected]
www.tradingplaces.com
TimeSharing Today
Page 31
Sep/Oct, 2006
EXCHANGE COMPANIES
HAWAII TIME
SHARE EXCHANGE
None required.
DIAL AN
None required.
SAN FRANCISCO
EXCHANGE
TRADING
PLACES MAUI
No fee required for Gold None
Membership. Optional
Platinum Membership
offers more features
and benefits.
NAME OF COMPANY
INITIAL MEMBERSHIP
FEE TO JOIN
Resorts throughout Ha- Any resort deposited is
waii, U.S. mainland and available for exchange.
international destinations.
1200+ resorts, most are
Gold Crown/Five Star or
equal. Affiliations with
developers and resorts.
Kraus-Anderson resorts
in Maui, Kauai,Colorado.
Resorts deposited are
available for exchange.
RESORTS AVAILABLE
$69- internal
$89- external
$115- U.S.,Canada, Mex
$140- Hawaii, Central &
South America & further
No charge for guest cer- abroad.
tificates
Fee payable upon confirmation of exchange.
$129 -$149 - domestic
or international, depending on membership status.
Fee payable upon confirmation of exchange.
No charge for Platinum
member guest certs.
$129 - Internal
$139 - External
$159 - International
$90 - Extension fee
EXCHANGE FEES
$49 for one yr, $125 for 3 None.
yrs and $199 for 5 yrs.
None. Optional Platinum None
membership is $199 fir
3 years, $299 for 5 years.
Search first option or Bank and save your
deposit week up to two week for up to 3 yrs.
years in advance.
or Search/Enter your
request and bank later.
Can deposit or request
first depending on membership status, or bank
week and request exchange within 2 years
after date of deposit.
Internal - same resort
External-different resort
Fees payable when exchange confirmed. No
charge for guest certs.
Two year credit on all
deposits. Search first
option and extension
program for expiring
weeks.
ANNUAL DUES
BANKING OPTIONS
$175 for unit size up- No charge for upgrades, Fees and availability de- Upgrade fees apply,
UPGRADES
grade.
pend on membership subject to availability.
if available.
(Season or unit)
status.
Website at www.htse.net
list resorts with weekly
updates. Members can
go online to check availability for exchanges and
rentals.
Website directory and Directory is available on Annual printed directory
also available online at
“TimeTraveller” directory Website.
www.tpmaui.com.
(Australia/New Zealand)
and “Worldwide Destinations” directory.
4,000+ in 2005.
Not released.
Not released.
Not provided.
EXCHANGES MADE
Exchange, rental and
travel company specializing in Hawaii. Receive
a bonus week when depositing a future Hawaii
week.
On-line booking engine.
Members can view their
account, deposit their
weeks, choose, confirm
and print vacation
exchanges, view past
and present exchanges, all from our website, live on-line 24/7.
Specializing in the highest rated resorts in the
U.S., Mexico, Canada,
Caribbean, and Western Europe. Must own a
qualifying Gold Crown/
Five Star resort to qualify
for exchanges.
Specializes in Hawaii
and
West
Coast.
Website has available
exchanges, rental specials and discounted car
rentals. Travel insurance available. Independently owned. Not
affiliated with Trading
Places International.
COMMENTS
P.O. Box 1077
Koloa, HI 96756
866/860-4873
2845 Nimitz Blvd, Ste E
San Diego, CA 92106
800/468-1799
800/468-5799(from Mexico}
www.daelive.com
[email protected]
185 Berry Street, Suite 5411
San Francisco, CA 94107
415/979-0870
800/739-9969
www.sfx-resorts.com
362 Huku Lii Place, Ste #207
Kihei, Maui, HI 97653
800/345-7301
808/875-9082
www.tpmaui.com
[email protected]
LOCATION/PHONE/
INTERNET
www.htse.net
[email protected]
[email protected]
DIRECTORY
TimeSharing Today
Page 32
Sep/Oct, 2006
Looking for a solution to the confusion?
Timeshare Relief has been a huge, huge plus for us.
I feel very relieved not to have to have the burden of
the timeshare anymore. – JAN & JOE BONANNO, Phoenix, AZ
Timeshare Relief has really been wonderful.
It’s really been a good experience. Effortless.
Easy. Done. Relief. – JANICE BORST-SMITH, San Pedro, CA
Getting rid of the timeshare with Timeshare Relief
was one of the very best things that ever happened,
besides my wife. – DANIEL NELSON, Denver, CO
C ALL 1-800-399-7958
www.timesharerelief.com
Toll-Free: 866-859-5769 (JRNY)
[email protected]
Carefree Journeys
is a world-class leader
in providing five star
travel accommodations
exclusively to it’s
members. We provide
you with a hassle free
traveling experience for
all your travel needs.
Membership allows
you to experience the
benefits of luxury resort
ownership free of the
bonds resort ownership.
When contacting us during off hours, please feel free
to leave a message or email and a Carefree Journeys
Representative will contact you within one business day.
www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more
TimeSharing Today
Page 33
Sep/Oct, 2006
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Fairfield to build resort in Wisconsin Dells
Fairfield Resorts has announced plans for The Inn at Glacier Canyon,
a new 201-unit resort now under construction adjacent to the Wilderness
Hotel and Golf Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The resort’s first phase is
scheduled to open in late spring 2007 and will have 102 units ranging from
one- to four-bedroom, including 18 luxury penthouse-style Presidential
units. Construction on the second phase of 99 units is scheduled to start
by fall 2007.
The resort will become Fairfield’s second in the Dells area, and will
provide Fairfield owners and guests with direct access to one of the area’s
most popular indoor and outdoor water park attractions at the Wilderness
Hotel and Golf Resort. Its three indoor water parks total nearly 250,000
square feet and the outdoor water parks have more than 200,000 square
feet. The resort area also includes a 30,000 square foot indoor play park
and an outside ice sking rink. An 18-hole golf course will open at the resort
in 2007.
VRI acquires ORE
Vacation Resorts International (VRI)
has announced the purchase of Owners’
Resorts & Exchange Inc. (ORE).
ORE has been headquartered in Salt
Lake City, Utah for the past 15 years and
those offices will remain in tact and operational with the existing team members,
under the direction of VRI. This purchase
adds 25 resort associations in ten states
to VRI. ORE also offers an internal exchange program and manages a program
called Multi-Resort Ownership Partnership (MROP) (a weeks based vacation
club) that includes over 65 resort locations.
Some of the new resort locations included in this purchase are Jackson Hole,
Wyoming; Mesquite, Nevada; Pinetop,
Arizona; Ruidoso, New Mexico; Sun Valley, Idaho; Waikiki and Kauai, Hawaii and
several locations in Utah, including Park
City.
Hilton breaks ground
The Hilton Grand Vacation Company
has started construction on a 331-unit
timeshare development at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. The project, to be
known as the Grand Waikikian, will be
housed in a 38-story building that will include a retail shopping arcade, beachside
restaurant and a pool with slides and a
lazy river.
Cendant spins off its
expanding timeshare
business
In a move that will create one of the
world’s largest publicly traded hospitality
companies, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation was spun off from Cendant Corporation and begin trading on the New York
Stock Exchange under the symbol WYN.
Wyndham Worldwide, which became
a member of Standard & Poor’s S&P 500
index this week, is a global leader in leisure travel accommodations and a major
provider of products and services to business-to-business customers. Its three
business segments include:
• Wyndham Hotel Group, one of the
world’s largest hotel franchisors and a provider of hotel management services;
• RCI Global Vacation Network, operator of the world’s largest vacation exchange network and one of the largest
vacation rental networks; and
• Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the
world’s largest developer of vacation ownership resorts in terms of owners and resorts. This segment is comprised of the
Fairfield and Trendwest timeshare resorts,
which will continue under their present
names.
Wyndham has also announced plans
to construct a Wyndham-brand hotel and
spa at the Fairfield Orlando at Bonnet
Creek Resort currently being developed.
The Fairfield portion of the 70-acre resort
complex will have 1,594 timeshare units in
nine towers when completed.
Wyndham continued its expansion by
acquiring the five-resort Hawaiian chain
owned by Pahio Resorts. The five Kauai-
TimeSharing Today
Page 34
Sep/Oct, 2006
based resorts have more than 400
units and about 20,000 owners. The resorts are Bali Hai Villa, Ka ‘Eo Kai, Kauai
Beach Villas, Shearwater and Makai Resorts. No announcement was made as to
whether these resorts would operate under the Wyndham brand or be folded into
Fairfield or Trendwest.
Westin in Aruba
Starwood Vacation Ownership plans
to launch the first Westin timeshare resort
in Aruba, to be built on land adjacent to
the Westin Aruba Resort Spa & Casino.
Plans call for 154 two-bedroom villas. The
hotel and timeshare resort are on a 7.5 acre
beachfront parcel in the Palm Beach area
north of Oranjestad. Timeshare sales will
start early next year.
Vino Bello opens
Napa, California is the site of the most
expensive (per unit) timeshare resort ever
built by Shell Vacations. Its new 116-room
flagship resort opened in July in an area
that attracts more than 10 million annual
visitors, but had only 3,000 hotel rooms,
mostly in small bed and breakfasts.
Units include large-screen flat panel
TVs in the living room and each of the
bedrooms, a Jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom and porches with views. Resort
amenities include a swimming pool,
children’s pool with water spray playground, and a state-of-the-art exercise facility.
Shell Vacation Club members will also
have access to a Tuscan inspired restau-
rant in the adjacent hotel that opened at
the same time.
Awareness grows
According to a recent study, familiarity with the “timesharing” concept has
grown from 68% of active leisure travelers
in 2000 to 86% in 2006. For “vacation
ownership,” the increase went from 39%
of active leisure travelers in 2000 to 59%
in 2006.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 35
Sep/Oct, 2006
Log cabins in TN
Vistana expands
Global Connections, a travel club with
more than 100,000 members has acquired
property in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where
it intends to construct vacation log cabin
homes. Each two- or three-bedroom cabin
will have almost 1,500 square feet featuring a master suite with a whirlpool bath,
loft game room with pool table, flat screen
TV, covered front porch and screened
back porch with hot tub.
The development of 60 log cabins, to
be called White Oak Lodge and Resort,
will include a large swimming pool and two
“grottos” for lounging. The resort is close
to the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park.
The Sheraton Vistana Villages in Orlando, Florida will be adding an additional 190 units to the property. This
expansion, the Key West phase, will include the resort’s first three-bedroom
units. Amenities in this phase include a
swimming pool, game room, recreation
center, fitness center and beach. The
resort currently has 500 units and will
have a total of 1,425 when completed.
Marcus sells weeks
The Marcus Corporation has sold the
remaining inventory in its Marcus Vacation Club at Grand Geneva to Orange Lake
Resort and Country Club of Orlando, FL.
Marcus had opened the first units in 2000
when it started its vacation club. However, Marcus had only one timeshare development and determined that it would
make more sense for the vacation club to
be run by Orange Lake, a company with
more experience in operating a vacation
club. Marcus will continue to provide management and hospitality services at the
site.
VacationGuard
exhancements
VacationGuard Inc., a Washington
State based insurance agency that develops niche travel protection products, has
enhanced its existing menu of travel protection benefits offered to timeshare owners. The company provides coverage for
financial loss when vacation owners’
plans are altered or cancelled by illness,
weather, accidents or delays.
Now, benefits are available for recreational resort and international trips that
include coverage for equipment rental delay, low snow triggers, and search and rescue operations. The company has also
introduced Identity Theft, which provides
emergency cash and assistance services
for VacationGuard policy holders following a theft incident occurring within their
annual VacationGuard plan period, even if
they are traveling internationally.
Intrawest acquired
The Intrawest Corporation, a public
company which operates Club Intrawest
and nine resorts, including Whistler,
Tremblant and others from Mexico to Hawaii and Florida, is being acquired for $1.8
billion by a private equity firm. After approval is secured from regulators and
shareholders, the deal is expected to close
in October. There was no announcement
of what effect, if any, the acquisition would
have on current Club Intrawest members
Fairfield sales in HI
Fairfield Resorts has begun selling
timeshares at Fairfield Hawaii at Waikiki
Beach Walk, its newest resort in Hawaii.
The resort is scheduled to open in December.
Fairfield’s first resort on Oahu, the
Fairfield Hawaii at Waikiki Beach Walk will
have 195 units, with 95 one-bedroom units,
83 two-bedroom units and 17 presidential
suites.
The resort is part of a large development project that will include specialty retailers, hotel, restaurants and outdoor entertainment venues.
Timeshare Title, Inc.
866-347-1061
www.timeshare-title.com
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TimeSharing Today
Page 36
TSToday Anywhere
Pat Long of Stout, OH,
is enjoying her magazine
while on exchange into
Melia Vacation Club at
Melia Tropical, Dominican
Republic.
Sedona, AZ tips
By Harriet Breslow
I know that you have printed two articles this past year on Sedona, but I
wanted to add a few tips that have not
been previously mentioned that could
enhance your readers’ vacations there.
First of all, when we arrived, we immediately bought a Styrofoam ice chest
and lunch food to carry in the car. We also
carried golf sport seats wherever we went,,
and we used them if there was not a good
place to sit down in the woods to eat or to
rest. We were able to have wonderful picnics whenever and wherever we wanted.
If you want to drive and park where
you do any hiking or climbing on the red
rocks, it is necessary to obtain a car parking pass. I recommend that you buy it on
your first day for the whole week. You can
buy it for $5 a day, $15 for the whole week.,
or $20 for a whole year. Any time you leave
your car in the red rock country, you must
display one of these passes. You can buy
them in the Giant Stores or from the National Forest Visitor Center. There is a center right off the main highway in Oak Creek
Village which is located just south of
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Sep/Oct, 2006
Sedona. Because we waited a couple of
days to buy one, we missed some good
opportunities to get out of the car and
explore.
When we finally stopped at the Visitor Center, we also obtained a newspaper that had very good detailed maps of
all the trails as well as helpful information about the area. Although you can
get some of these papers in other places,
getting them from the rangers gives you
the opportunity to get their suggestions
on an itinerary that best fits your interests. The hotels are helpful when it
comes to booking tours, but the rangers
are the experts on trail information.
When we stopped at Montezuma’s
Castle, south of Sedona, we were disappointed that we could not go into the
ruins. We were therefore very happy
when we visited the Indian ruin at Palatki.
You can actually go inside the small
rooms. This ruin is only open Friday
through Monday, and you need a reservation to visit it. There is a small amount
of hiking up to the ruin on one side of
the cliff and to the Indian art work on
the other side . There is a ranger at each
location, and they are more than happy
to give you a lot of history about the
area. They love their work and it shows.
After we left the ruin at Palatki, we
drove on to Boynton Pass and ended
up at Enchantment, which is one of the
most beautiful resorts I have ever seen.
It is completely surrounded by the red
rocks of Boynton Canyon, and the scenery is spectacular. It is very exclusive,
as rooms start at $395 a night in low season. When we arrived at the gate, the
guard told us that we could not go in,
but then he added with a smile, “Did I
hear you say you wanted to visit the
gift shop?” Of course, we said yes, and
he let us in. Other people we met told us
that they had gone there for a drink at
sunset, and they had told the guard they
were going there for dinner.
One of your previous articles mentioned the Verde Canyon Railroad ,which
I also highly recommend . I would like to
add that it is important to book a first
class ticket and to sit on the right side of
the train as it goes forward. The ride is
four hours long and passes the same
scenery in each direction. Passengers
do not change seats during the ride, and
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TimeSharing Today
Page 37
all the good scenery is on the right
hand side. All the seats on the right hand
side are placed in groups of two. So if you
are with a group of four, it would be better
to split up for the ride.
In first class you sit on cushioned
seats, are served finger food with opportunity to buy drinks, and have only 36
passengers in a car. In second class, you
sit on seats that you would find on a school
bus, and the number of passengers in each
car goes as high as 86. There are open air
cars in between the various cars so that
you can get a better view, but we spent
most of our time in our first class car. Although they served one free glass of wine
or soft drink, I would suggest that you
take your own beverage, and you can even
pack a lunch, as the ride goes from 2:30 to
6:30 in the afternoon.
We took a balloon ride while in
Sedona, and although the company said
that they flew over the red rocks, they did
not. The only company that takes you
close to the red rocks is the Red Rock Balloon company, and their reservations are
booked far in advance. If you are interested in booking a ride, it would be best to
book at least a month ahead.
We recommend Picassos Restaurant
for good pizza and interesting salads. This
restaurant has won all kinds of awards.
We also loved the Hideaway Restaurant
for good Italian food that is very moderately priced. If you eat outside, you get a
great view of Snoopy in the red rocks.
Baby Boomers and Empty Nesters Lead
in Vacation Ownership, According to
New Study
The American Resort Development
Association (ARDA) International Foundation recently released preliminary results of the new 2006 Timeshare Resort Owners: Who They Are Why They
Buy study. The study of 938 recent
timeshare buyers was conducted by
Ragatz Associates and was officially released last month.
Of recent buyers, only 18.5 percent are under 40, whereas 30.4 percent are 60 and over (and 8.8 percent
are 70 and over), according to the study.
Another 23.0 percent are in their 40’s,
and 28.1 percent are in their 50’s. By
comparison, among all owners, 9.3 percent are under 40, 40.2 percent are 60
or over (15.5 percent are 70 or over),
21.0 percent are in their 40’s, and 29.5
percent are in their 50’s.
Only 31.4 percent of recent buyers have children under 18 years of age
living at home. For all owners, this proportion is even lower at 24.9 percent.
This figure is down from 36.4 percent
for those purchasing in 1996 and 34.3
percent of those purchasing in 2002, in
accord with the aging baby boom generation.
The study showed a dramatic increase in the number of single females
as recent buyers with the proportion of
single females increasing from 8 percent in 1996 to 12.7 percent in 2005, a
58.5% increase. At the same time, the
percentage of single male buyers has
remained fairly consistent, with 4.1
comprising new buyers in 1996 compared with 4.3 percent in 2005. Overall, nearly one in five new buyers is
single (17%).
The study also showed:
• 83.0 percent are couples, whereas
17.0 percent are singles;
• 31.4 percent have children under
18 living at home; and,
• 41.5 percent are in their 40’s or
younger, whereas 30.4 percent are in
their 60’s or over.
“With the profile of the average
timeshare buyer becoming increasingly
diverse across population segments, this
study underscores the flexibility and
value of vacation ownership products
for a broad range of consumers and
lifestyles,” said Howard C. Nusbaum,
ARDA’s president and CEO. “This study
will be of great interest to those in the
industry in terms of how timeshare is
marketed and to whom. The owner base
is shifting in accordance with the general population with an increasing number of empty nest couples and single
women.”
Sep/Oct, 2006
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