KCRA 3 News that broadcasts in Sacramento and Stockton, ran an interesting article, warning people about a problematic timeshare deal from Holiday Travel of America.

It seems that the company offers two round-trip coach air tickets and two nights in economy accommodations in Hawaii, if you sit through their timeshare sales presentation. Representatives of the news station tried it, and did in fact receive their certificate good for their airfares and hotel stay.

The certificate from the timeshare company came with the stipulation that it had to be used within 45 days or it would be void. A letter requesting travel dates, restricted to travel on Tuesdays through Thursdays only, plus the payment of a hotel and airline tax deposit followed it.

Too Many Complaints about this Timeshare Sales Company

Other people, who had been through the timeshare sales presentation with Holiday Travel of America, voiced complaints with the process. Many had trouble getting travel dates scheduled by the timeshare company. No matter what two days they picked, even within their limited choices, the answer always came back that those days were unavailable.

The KCRA crew had six different travel dates requested before they called the timeshare company to complain. They were finally offered dates in September, but were told they had to book on the spot, fax a written confirmation of travel with a credit card number, and agree to having a nonrefundable charge of between $75 and $100 placed on their credit cards.

KCRA’s article about the scam said, “The Better Business Bureau of San Diego said other people have had trouble, too: Holiday Travel of America has an unsatisfactory record because of a pattern of complaints.”

Finding the Good Deals in Timeshare Sales and Timeshare Resales

Good job of investigative reporting by KCRA. I wonder, if the current tough economy will bring on a rash of opportunistic vultures, who prey on people’s desire to enjoy a little vacation time despite budgets being tight. Whatever the situation, the advice is always the same. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. There are plenty of good deals available in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, and you don’t have to sit through a timeshare sales pitch in order to enjoy them.

In the face of rising hotel room rates in Hawaii, great deals in timeshare resales have never looked better and ironically, the vacation value of Hawaii timeshare resorts contributes to driving the cost of hotel rooms higher.

According to Joseph Toy, president and CEO of Hospitality Advisors, (as quoted by the Star Bulletin) part of the reason for the island’s gains in hotel room rates is the increase in timeshare and resort condominium conversions, which has decreased the number of traditional hotel rooms. “The traditional hotel product is less, so you therefore have hotel demand compressed into a smaller inventory base,” says Toy. “And timeshare does extremely well, so it forms a very strong base for the island.”

In December, Hawaii’s hotel room rates jumped 7.5 percent year-over-year, reaching an average of $224.70 per night, a new record high. Hotel room rates in Kauai increased by 5.1 percent; in Oahu by 7.4 percent; and on the Big Island by 9.8 percent, bring them to $249.97 per night. In other words, despite declining occupancy, as availability went down, Hawaii hotel rates rose. If Hawaii timeshare resales looked good before, they are now an excellent value when viewed from this perspective.

Here’s what to take away from this information:

• These statistics give evidence to the demand for Hawaii timeshare, which is good news if you plan to sell your Hawaii timeshare resale.
• They are also encouraging for people who own Hawaii timeshare or plan to buy Hawaii timeshare because they show that you are purchasing a product that is in demand and is valued by consumers.
• If you are planning a Hawaiian vacation, your most affordable and available accommodations are likely to be Hawaii timeshare resales and Hawaii timeshare rentals.

If you are interested in Hawaii timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, here are some good places to start looking, with many more available on the Sell My Timeshare NOW website:

• Alii Kai Resales
• Celebrity Resorts Waikiki Resales
• Gardens at West Maui Resales
• Imperial Hawaii Worldwide Vacations Club - Imperial Hawaii Resort Waikiki Resales
• Lea Casa Resales
• Maui Schooner Resales

Marriott Timeshares are usually credited with being the first hoteliers to get into the timeshare real estate business. In fact, some of the first hotel-branded properties were Sheraton timeshares. Sheraton timeshares have been in Hawaii since the 1960’s, and it is little surprise that today, as Starwood timeshare resorts, they continue to thrive in our fiftieth state.

In April, Starwood Vacation Ownership is opening their third vacation ownership (timeshare) resort in the Hawaiian Islands. The Timeshare Blog quoted Denise Wardlow, general manager of the new Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas as saying, “This property gives our travel partners more options to attract upscale clients who are repeat guests to the island of Kaua’i - guests who desire the convenience of a fully-furnished kitchen, washer and dryer, plus all of the luxurious amenities and services of a Westin resort.”

Located in Kaua’i, in the seaside community of Princeville, the new resort has classic Hawaiian plantation styling and includes seven buildings with a total of 179 timeshare condos, as well as a clubhouse, restaurant, and general store. Rack rates for a studio timeshare condo will start at $600 per night, $800 per night for a one-bedroom timeshare condo, and $1400 per night for a two bedroom timeshare condo.

The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas will combine state of the art amenities with traditional island charm, but before you reach for your checkbook, make sure you look at other opportunities in Hawaii timeshare resales and Hawaii timeshare rentals.

Here are some of the excellent opportunities available to you to buy timeshare or rent timeshare through Sell My Timeshare NOW:

• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort - North Villas Resales
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort - North Villas Rentals
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas Resales
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas Rentals

Yesterday, the Timeshare Owners Blog told you about Disney’s expansion plans in Hawaii. The planned Oahu resort will occupy 21 acres of prime oceanfront property and will be Disney’s first hotel and timeshare resort that is not part of a theme park. While other sources list the property as yet unnamed, the Honolulu Star Bulletin calls it the: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Ko Olina Family Resort.

COURTESY WALT DISNEY PARKS & RESORTS

From a business perspective, there are several ways to view Disney’s move to expand in Hawaii going there without the benefit of thrill rides and mouse ears as a draw for tourists. Even Disney Vacation Club timeshares currently only offer two locations that are not at a theme park destination: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.

In some regards, Disney is a relative newcomer to the hotel and resort industry. The Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, which opened in 1955, was the first Disney-branded hotel, but it was not owned and operated by the Walt Disney company until 1988.

Still, nearly 19 years in the hotel business, is long enough for you to learn some of the ups and downs. And long enough to establish that not everything Disney touches thrives, despite magic pixie dust to help it along.

In the 1990’s Disney planned a project in Newport Coast, California, which was subsequently cancelled, and the land later sold to Marriott, who built the very successful Marriott Newport Coast Villas on the site.

Disney also planned hotels for Beaver Creek, Colorado, and in New York’s Times Square, but neither ever came to fruition. There’s a reason that Disney has shied away from the hotel business in areas that don’t have theme parks and maybe it’s been a good one.

Without Magic Mountain and twirling teacups, a Disney hotel is, well, just another great hotel, and perhaps not even as great as some of their competition. The developers of the property at Ko Olina were also in negotiations with Four Seasons, Trump Entertainment, and Ritz-Carlton for the land Disney has acquired. Recognizing that the Hawaii hotel and resort market is not one of the easiest—after all it’s not a drive-to destination for anyone—you have to wonder if Disney beat out the competition, or if the other hoteliers were wisely more conservative.

As with most things, time will tell. But if you are a member of the Disney Vacation Club, then maybe you’re in luck, and in the near future, a Disney Hawaii timeshare vacation will be in your plans.

Until then, here are only a few of the other excellent options for your Hawaii timeshare vacation:

• Marriott’s Kauai Beach Club
• Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club
• Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club
• Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club
• Shell Vacations Club at Kona Coast Resort I Resales
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas Rentals
• Whaler on Kaanapali Beach Rentals
• WorldMark at Kapaa Shore Rentals
• WorldMark at Kihei Resales
• Wyndham Hawaii at Kona Hawaiian Resort Resales
• Wyndham Hawaii at Royal Sea Cliff Resales

A Disney resort and Disney timeshare will be built in Oahu, Hawaii. The Disney company reportedly paid $144 million for land at Ko Olina Resort and Marina, located on the western side of the island.

COURTESY WALT DISNEY PARKS & RESORTS

The new Disney timeshare and resort is expected to open in 2011, and will include over 800 units, some of which will be for the hotel, and others will be timeshare villas for the Disney Vacation Club. According to Commercial Property News, Disney has not identified how many of the units will be timeshare and how many will be part of the hotel.

Currently there are over 350,000 members of the Disney Vacation Club, with a sixth timeshare property preparing to open in Orlando later in 2007.

The Disney timeshare at Vero Beach, Florida and the Disney timeshare at Hilton Head, South Carolina are the only two existing timeshare properties that are not built at the Disney Orlando theme parks. But this is quickly changing, with the Disney Vacation Club villas planned for the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim, and now the planned Disney timeshares in Hawaii.

Once the Disney timeshare in Hawaii is complete, it will employ 1000 people on the island of Oahu. Commercial Property News quoted Walt Disney Parks & Resorts chairman, Jay Rasulo as saying “This resort hotel will give our guests another way to visit an exciting part of the world with a brand they trust…Hawaii has been among our most requested Disney Vacation Club getaway location beyond our theme parks.” An article in the Honolulu Star Bulletin said that Rasulo also identified beach vacations as the number one most popular trips for families, and Hawaii is the second most popular destination after Florida.

To find out more about becoming part of the Disney vacation club by purchasing affordable Disney timeshare resales, visit the following links:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
• The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
• Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

And for a look at the flip side of Disney’s expansion to Hawaii timeshares, be sure to check the blog tomorrow. Perhaps some of the “Imagineers” have escaped from Disney’s design departments and found their way into Disney’s business development divisions.

The chairman of the Maui County Commission, Riki Hokama, is being quoted as trying to put a cap on Maui timeshare growth. According to the Maui News, Hokama has introduced to the county council a draft resolution to limit the number of Maui timeshare units to 2,200.

So here’s the first problem: not only does Maui have 1,974 timeshare units already, but there are hundreds more in development or almost ready to open.

Hokama’s rationale for the resolution, which he introduced to the council without discussion, says that hotel vacationers spend more than twice as much money as Maui timeshare users.

His criticisms include the allegations that timeshare companies pay workers low wages and also that Maui needs hotel rooms in order to accommodate a growing market of convention groups, educators and local families.

Does this make sense to you?

Donalyn Dela Cruz, the executive director of the Hawaii chapter of the national timeshare trade group says they don’t understand why timeshares have been targeted. She points out that timeshare owners have an investment in their Hawaii timeshare and on average, stay longer in Maui than do hotel guests.

The Council Chair’s statement that hotel tourists spend more money than do timeshare guests is generally unclear and hard to follow. Does he mean that timeshare owners spend less per day on their actual accommodations than do hotel guests? If so, he’s probably correct in that regard, because timeshare owners have locked-in tomorrow’s vacations at today’s prices. But as Ms Dela Cruz so accurately points out, many Hawaii timeshare vacationers extend their stays and enjoy longer vacations than do visitors who stay in hotels. And this fact is borne out by the research prepared for the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), which shows that occupancy rates for timeshares averaged 80.9 percent in 2006, but only 63.4 percent for hotels during the same period.

Maui timeshare owners may in fact, spend less money dining in restaurants than do hotel guests, because the kitchens and dining areas found in most timeshares makes in-suite dining so convenient. But whether a traveler has $500 or $5000 set aside for vacation money, if he or she spends less on food, there is simply more money to spend on other vacation pleasures from surfboard rental to souvenirs to pina coladas.

If you have been to Hawaii, you know that the cost of living there is substantial. Employees won’t work for timeshare resorts if they can earn more money doing the same job in a hotel. Hawaii timeshares have no choice but to remain competitive with hotels for employee salaries and benefits. And with so many timeshares today either owned or managed by hotel companies, you know that they are not making it a practice to underpay employees within their vacation ownership divisions, while appropriately paying their hotel employees.

In fact, the Maui News article includes the following information from Ann Baran, whose company provides the management for Maui Schooner Resort in Kiheai. Baran told the Maui News that even though the resort has only 58 units, it still pumps almost $4 million into the economy annually through taxes and tourist dollars. More importantly, she pointed out that the timeshare employs 23 people and has a payroll of almost $800,000, which averages out to almost $35,000 annually, per employee in salary or salary plus benefits.

ARDA released a report in February of this year showing that timeshares “returned back to local economies…an estimated $62 billion in spending; 565,300 jobs; over $21 billion in salaries and wages; and more than $8 billion in tax revenue.”

I have heard local lawmakers in other areas occasionally argue the same points that Hokama raises and I have to say, I never understand it and I always wonder what’s really behind it…

Timeshare resorts seem to make an easy target when politicians or concerned citizens want to speak out against development and what they perceive as too much growth, noise, and construction in their hometowns. Mr. Hokama is a second-generation public servant in Maui and perhaps his interest is genuinely in preserving Hawaii as he remembers it.

But timeshare developments are too often singled out as a culprit, when in fact, they are no more responsible for the changing looks and demographics of an area than are residential condos, hotels, motels, and any other businesses that cater to tourists.

When politicians want to slow development in areas they represent, they should say exactly that and prepare themselves for the outcry by those in their constituencies who depend on growth and development for their livelihoods. But play fair when you address measures to cap growth and don’t just pick on timeshare resorts!

I spent a week recently on the Timeshare Owners Blog posting about pet friendly timeshares, a timeshare version of dog-ownership, and a few other comments about man’s (and woman’s) best feline or fido friends, so I thought I was through writing about pets for a while.

But apparently recent news events about mistreatment and abuse of animals has made us all think about how much our pets mean to us.

Over on the Boomer Blog, Amanda Sobanet wrote an interesting post about how much baby boomers enjoy traveling with their pets and the “tender loving care” some resorts are showing to their pet guests. She notes especially the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Central Park and W Hotels, which offer aromatherapy for pets and special dog treats from the chef.

According to Kitty Bean Yancey of the Hotel Hotsheet on USA Today, the Kahala Hotel on Oahu provides perhaps the most creative pet lover’s holiday perks. Pet guests at the Kahala are greeted with leis, provided a customized pet bed, personal dish, and peanut butter biscuits created by the hotel’s chef. But here’s where the resort really goes over the top: the Kahala offers cultural enrichment for your dog by teaching it basic commands in Hawaiian.

…Maybe that’s more perks than even the most devoted pet lovers expect.

Right now there are roughly 80 Hawaii timeshare resorts advertised as by-owner resales at Sell My Timeshare NOW. If you have always meant to take that Hawaiian vacation, (with or without your pet) here are a few of the excellent opportunities in Hawaii timeshare resale and Hawaii timeshare rentals:

• Banyan Harbor Resort Resales
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Hilton Hawaiian Village Resales
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Kalia Tower Resales
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort Resales
• Kahana Falls Resales
• Kahana Villa Vacation Club Resales
• Kamaole Beach Club Resales
• Kona Islander Vacation Club Resales
• Marriott’s Kauai Beach Club Resales
• Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club Resales
• Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club Resales
• Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club Resales
• Shell Vacations Club at Kona Coast Resort I Resales
• Shell Vacations Club at Kona Coast Resort II Resales
• Shell Vacations Club at Paniolo Greens Resales
• Shell Vacations Club at Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai Resales
• Shell Vacations Club Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village Resales
• Shell Vacations Club Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy Resales
• Sunterra Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club Resales
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort - North Villas Resales
• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas Resales
• WorldMark at Kihei Resales
• Wyndham Hawaii at Kona Hawaiian Resort Resales
• Wyndham Hawaii at Royal Sea Cliff Resales
• Wyndham Hawaii at Waikiki Beach Resales

Take Note Before Your Next Timeshare Vacation:

Effective January 2007, the US Department of State and Homeland Security requires that citizens of the US, as well as persons arriving from Bermuda, Canada, and Mexico, must present a passport to enter the US when arriving by air. The only exceptions to this rule will be for persons who possess an Air NEXUS card, US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner document, or a US government form I-551, also known as an Alien Registration Card and are prepared to present that documentation instead of a passport.

While the proposal regarding travel between the US and countries in the western hemisphere originally called for a similar regulation regarding land and sea travel to be implemented in 2008, there remains some discussion of how and when this facet of the law will be put in place.

If you do not have a passport and anticipate that you will need to obtain one, do so as early as possible before your scheduled travel date. In 2006, the US Department of State issued 12.1 million passports to American citizens and they anticipate issuing approximately 16 million in 2007.

And if you do not have a current passport, but you are longing for a tropical vacation, here’s some suggestions should you wish to travel sooner than the 6-8 weeks the US Department of State recommends you allow to process your passport paperwork:

• Plan to vacation stateside at a timeshare resort, hotel, or vacation condo in Hawaii, Miami Beach, or South Padre Island, Texas.
• Pay rush fees (typically about $100 above the standard passport application fee) to a passport expediting company, some of which promise to get you a passport within three days of receiving your application, appropriate documentation, and of course, your money.
• Or, plan to holiday in a US territory. Travel to Guam, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands (as well as American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) does not require you to have a US passport.

If you need further information about applying for a passport before your next business trip or timeshare vacation, visit www.travel.state.gov or call 877-487-2778.

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

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

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

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

The 5th European Tourism Forum was held November 16 and 17 in Cyprus at the Hawaii Grand Hotel & Resort, a five-star property in Lemesos (Limassol). The European Commission, the Finnish Presidency and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus co-hosted the forum, said to be the largest annual tourism event conducted by the Commission.

Prominent industry leaders, academics and policy makers were represented at this year’s forum. Planning sessions and workshops were scheduled to give attendees the opportunity to speak out on issues of consumer security, electronic reservation systems, timesharing, public-private partnerships and cruise tourism, along with other concerns of the travel and hospitality industry.

Key topics included new trends in the tourism industry, specifically the consumer trends to take more and shorter holidays and to be more brand loyal and less price conscious. Other key topics of discussion looked at online travel booking trends, a market that will reach $70 billion in the US alone by the end of 2006. The European Tourism Forum is especially concerned with boosting travel, tourism and timesharing in Europe, all of which have lagged behind the US in recent years. The slower growth is partially attributed to a slower increase in internet usage in European countries as compared to the US or in Asia Pacific countries, where it is growing exponentially.