What a great time to spend Canadian dollars on US timeshare! I know I have mentioned this before, but with the value of Canada’s loonie strong to the US dollar, Canadians have never been better positioned to buy timeshare or rent timeshare in the United States.

And since Canadians are quickly realizing this, there have been a number of articles on timeshares and vacation ownership in the Canadian press lately with good advice for anyone who wants to buy timeshare or buy timeshare resales. But, I was particularly impressed with an article I read in Canada.com, titled, “No such thing as a free lunch“. Reporter Sandy Fife has done an excellent job of defining the pitfalls (many) and the benefits (a few) of attending timeshare promotions in order to enjoy a reduced rate vacation.

Notwithstanding the fact that a timeshare promotion deal may enable you to take a vacation with free or deeply discounted rates, and provides you an excellent chance to try before you buy timeshare, the high-pressure tactics of some salespeople may offset the value of what would have otherwise been a relaxing vacation.

If You Attend a Timeshare Presentation…

Fife offers the following good suggestions for surviving a timeshare promotion:

• Choose a reputable name in the hotel and/or timeshare resort industry for your free (or reduced) getaway.
• Be very careful if you choose to respond to a timeshare promotion that contacts you only by email or phone solicitation.
• And lastly, she says, don’t even think about going if you are susceptible to high-pressure sales pitches.

As one seasoned veteran of enjoying timeshare promotions was quoted as saying, “You should never buy at a presentation, because time-shares cost much less on resale.” I couldn’t have said that better myself.

If you have ever considered going on a timeshare promotion vacation, just to enjoy the perks that come with it, take a few minutes and read the Canada.com article first. And if you want to sidestep the sales rush and developer prices, go straight to shopping timeshare resales.

When you visit the website for Sell My Timeshare NOW, we don’t give you free tickets to theme parks, or a coupon good for breakfast, but you can browse and peruse our huge inventory of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals as much, and as often as you like. You can show up in your pajamas or your favorite sweats, and from the comfort and convenience of your personal computer, you can take your time selecting the timeshare vacation option that is right for you. Best of all, what you save when you buy timeshare resales instead of paying developer prices, will help you pay for future vacations—vacations that don’t involve sitting through sales presentations.

Here are links to a few of the timeshare resorts from which you can choose at Sell My Timeshare NOW.

• Bluegreen Timeshare
• Marriott Timeshare
• Shell Vacations Club Timeshare
• Starwood (including Westin and Sheraton) Timeshare
• Fairfield, WorldMark / Trendwest Timeshare
• Hilton Grand Vacation Club Timeshare
• Westgate Timeshare
• Mayan Palace Timeshare
• Orange Lake Timeshare

Last week Wyndham Worldwide Resorts announced the opening of Wyndham Vacation Resorts at Glacier Canyon in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

Hotel News Resource quoted Franz Hanning, president & CEO, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, as saying, “With this new resort we have the opportunity to offer our owners another fantastic destination experience.”

It’s true. Wyndham resorts are very special and Wyndham timeshares are always in high demand by people who want to buy timeshare or rent timeshare vacation properties.

The new Glacier Canyon timeshare resort is designed with a rustic lodge theme. It offers one, two, and three-bedroom deluxe timeshare units, and two, three, and four-bedroom high-end timeshare units, called Presidential suites.

Guests at the timeshare resort will have access to the year-round indoor and outdoor activities the resort offers. The indoor water park covers the equivalent of seven-plus football fields and there are outdoor water parks, a golf course, skiing, and a full range of winter sports.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership is the world’s largest timeshare company with more than 135 timeshare resorts worldwide. Satisfaction with Wyndham timeshares is high and interest in Wyndham timeshares in Wisconsin Dells is so great that construction has already begun to expand Glacier Canyon from 102 timeshare units to 201.

There are excellent opportunities for you to become a Wyndham timeshare owner with the right-priced timeshare resales available through Sell My Timeshare Now.

Last December the Timeshare Owners Blog told you about Bluegreen timeshare’s expansion plans for land adjoining the Treasure Island Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells.

With millions of tourists annually visiting the area, billed as “The Water Park Capital of the World,” there are outstanding timeshare resales and timeshare rentals available in Wisconsin Dells. Here are a few of the opportunities you’ll find:

• Christmas Mountain Village Timeshare Resales at Wisconsin Dells
• Peppertree at Tamarack and Mirror Lake Resort
• Bluegreen Timeshare Resorts
• Wyndham Vacation Resorts at Glacier Canyon

And here’s a fun You Tube video from a family who obviously had a great time on their Wisconsin Dells vacation.

In November 2006, the Bluegreen Corporation announced the purchase of seven acres of land that adjoins the Treasure Island Water and Theme Park in the resort and entertainment community of Wisconsin Dells. Additionally, Bluegreen purchased 24 unsold existing timeshare units at the Treasure Island Park.

Representatives of the Bluegreen timeshare company say their development plans include approximately 75 two and three-bedroom interval timeshare units, which they estimate will be available starting in 2008, with some units not completed until 2009. Additionally, the Bluegreen timeshare company plans to reconfigure and update the existing 24 units at the location, with a target occupancy date of the third quarter 2007.

The Bluegreen Corporation also bought the property management rights for the original 24 units and established a marketing partnership with the resort’s owner and operator, Treasure Island, LLC.

Wisconsin Dells is a unique community located along the Wisconsin River in the central portion of the state. The area bills itself as “The Water Park Capital of the World” and attracts millions of tourists each year for both the indoor and outdoor recreation and entertainment.

The word “branding” used to conjure up visions of a cattle drive and a sizzling imprint stamped on bovine buttocks. But somewhere along the way, the business concept of a company’s “brand” or market image evolved from a noun to a verb, and “branding” became an industry buzzword for the process of spreading one’s corporate image to other goods or services.

Many experts today say that the hospitality industry changed when major hotel brands got into the business of selling vacation ownership and interval timeshare. It is true that big names including Hilton timeshare, Hyatt timeshare, Disney timeshare, along with Marriott, Four Seasons, Starwood and others have had an enormous impact on the timeshare industry as a whole.

The presence of these cornerstone hoteliers made the idea of owning interval timeshare more familiar and more comfortable to many consumers. When big names aggressively entered the timeshare business, a struggling or less reputable timeshare company was certain to be forced out of it. And there is no disputing that a company as large and powerful as Disney timeshare or Marriott timeshare has strong lobbying power on matters of regulating and improving timeshare ownership across the board. But when it truly comes to buying a timeshare vacation property to use and enjoy, remember that there are as many opportunities to buy a fabulous resale timeshare from a company whose name you may not know as there to are to purchase a timeshare owned and branded by a famous hotelier.

Consider the timeshare company known as Bluegreen timeshare. Bluegreen is a leader in developing quality timeshare resorts and vacation ownership properties, yet their name is not necessarily a household word. As a corporation, Bluegreen is a respected builder of residential communities, along with fabulous timeshare condos and timeshare vacation resorts. Yet, many buyers new to timesharing, may not know Bluegreen’s name or realize that this successful company has sold over 54,000 residential and golf community homes in 32 states and is on Forbes’ list of “The 200 Best Small Companies” and FORTUNE’S list of “America’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies”.

Brand loyalty is wonderful. Brand loyalty often allows you to trade perks from one aspect of a company’s services to another, such as loyalty points awarded for hotel stays that can also be used at a timeshare condo. And, if you enjoy one particular hotel chain more than you do others, then automatically booking with that chain takes the guesswork out of travel planning. But when you shop for a timeshare vacation property, whether new or resale, it is a good idea to consider both brand names you know AND those names with which you might not be familiar.

Whether or not you go with a hotel branded timeshare, now is a good time to buy. There are excellent deals available in all types of timeshares and vacation clubs.