The hospitality industry’s longest running program devoted to female travelers is Wyndham hotels and Wyndham timeshares, “WOMEN ON THEIR WAY®.” This past week, Wyndham announced that WOMEN ON THEIR WAY® is joining forces with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s “Dreamers into Doers” awards program, to celebrate women of achievement.

Betsy O’Rourke, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Wyndham hotels and Wyndham timeshare says, “Eighty percent of all travel is planned and booked by women today. WOMEN ON THEIR WAY® is about recognizing, supporting, and celebrating women while providing a resource for them to research, plan, and book all their travel, giving them ideas on how to make the most of their valuable time away from work and their everyday lives.”

Since 1995, WOMEN ON THEIR WAY® has been listening to what women have to say about travel accommodations. Because of this, Wyndham hotels and Wyndham timeshares have added features including, coffee bars or coffee makers in bedrooms, full-length mirrors, and healthier room service options. The WOMEN ON THEIR WAY® website offers safety and travel tips for women, special travel promotions, information on travel destinations and resorts, and advice from veteran women travelers.

Enter and Win Vacations for a Lifetime from Wyndham Timeshare

Wyndham’s WOMEN ON THEIR WAY® and the “Dreamers Into Doers” program are celebrating women who have turned a passion into a career, a business, or a philanthropic program, in the same way Martha Stewart did 25 years ago with her first book, Entertaining.

Now through July 11,2008, women are invited to submit a 250-word essay and photos highlighting their accomplishment. From these entries, Martha Stewart and her team at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. will select 1 Grand Prize winner and 10 honorees. The Grand Prize winner will receive $10,000 from MSLO to help her pursue her dream, as well as winning vacations for a lifetime with Wyndham Vacation Ownership. Honorees will receive $1,000 and a one-week vacation at the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort + Spa in Puerto Rico.

You will find the entry form at: www.marthastewart.com/dreamers

To learn more about opportunities for Wyndham vacation ownership through Wyndham timeshare resales or Wyndham timeshare rentals, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

And from Sell My Timeshare NOW and the Timeshare Owners Blog, Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers, wives, sisters, and friends who nurture and build families, businesses, passions, and dreams.

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.

The September 25, 2006 Timeshare Owners Blog told you about Hilton Breaks Ground on New York Timeshare Resort, reported on the groundbreaking of this exciting project. So it was very nice to read this week’s press release from Hilton timeshare, announcing that they are topping off their West 57^th Street Hilton Club project. “Topping off” doesn’t mean the project is complete and ready for your next timeshare vacation, but it does mean that the final bucket of concrete has been poured for the superstructure.

The Hilton timeshare company considers this project to be a significant milestone. According to Mark Wang, president of Hilton Grand Vacations, “Our vision to create a distinctive shared ownership project from the ground up in New York City is another step closer to becoming a magnificent reality. Built in the heart of one of Manhattan’s most prestigious neighborhoods - and upon the legacy of the Hilton commitment to excellence - West 57th Street by Hilton Club transcends traditional timeshare and continues to experience high demand. After years of planning, and working alongside world-class developers including Tishman Construction, we will soon be able to accommodate our owners and guests in unprecedented style.”

Hilton Timeshare Luxury

When complete, the Hilton Club timeshare resort will offer guests the first Spa Chakra in New York City, featuring massages, facials, body treatments, and signature Chakra Health therapies. The property includes 161 luxurious timeshare condos, from studio, to one-bedroom and penthouse suites, all with dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, fine linens, upscale furnishings, flat screen televisions, entertainment systems and marble and granite detailing. On property will be valet laundry service, a 24-hour doorman, concierge, outdoor dining terrace, and the private Owners Lounge for food and beverage service.

As we have mentioned before, the location couldn’t be better. Timeshare owners or timeshare guests will be within walking distance of Central Park, the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Museum of Modern Art, Radio City Music Hall and shopping on Fifth Avenue.

Currently the resort is on schedule to open in the second quarter of 2009.While Hilton timeshare originally listed these timeshare condos as starting at $40,000, up to $100,000, they now quote prices as starting at $58,000.

The Other New York Hilton Timeshare Option

Hilton timeshare already boasts a fabulous Manhattan timeshare resort, the Hilton Club New York. Currently Sell My Timeshare NOW has Hilton Club New York timeshare resales available, starting at around $14,000. The Hilton Club New York timeshare, located at West 53rd Street and Avenue of the Americas. (Sixth Avenue) is also convenient to the Midtown attractions you want to enjoy. As Hilton’s flagship New York property, it has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation, adding dining options in both the New York Marketplace and Etrusca Ristorante, and a new 8,000 square foot fitness center and spa.

To get started enjoying Hilton timeshare ownership in New York City, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

This week, Doral Golf Resort and Spa (Miami, FL) announced that for a limited time, a forecaddie will be assigned at no charge for each foursome that plays the Blue Monster. Golfers know Doral’s Blue Monster to be one of the most prestigious and challenging championship courses in the world and home to the PGA Tour’s CA Championship. Timeshare owners know the Doral Golf Resort and Spa to be home to Marriott’s Villas at Doral timeshares.

Unless you play golf at a private club that uses caddies on its courses, or you play golf professionally, you may never have experienced the services of a caddie to assist you with your game. Ask a PGA Tour player and he will tell you that a good caddie is gold; so much so, that top professional caddies earn six-figure annual incomes for their contributions to their player’s success.

A forecaddie doesn’t give the same services that Steve Williams provides for Tiger, nor does he do the things that greens keeper, Bill Murray did in Caddyshack. He doesn’t typically assist with club selection, carry your bags, or sabotage gophers. But a good forecaddie does make a round of golf more interesting and flow more smoothly.

According to Doral’s official press release, “We decided to make the Blue Monster caddie inclusive because we want golfers to experience the history and tradition of the course, from strategic shot making to entertaining stories that have been passed on over the years,” said Darrin Helfrick, General Manager of Golf at the Miami golf resort. “This is truly one of the game’s treasured courses, and this caddie program will enhance the overall golfing experience, while making history come to life.”

The complimentary inclusion of a forecaddie in the price of your round of golf is available only through May 20, 2008.

Marriott Timeshare at Doral Resort

Marriott’s Villas at Doral timeshares are located on the property of the Doral Golf Resort and Spa. There are more than 130 two-bedroom timeshare villas, as well as an outdoor pool, fitness center, and convenience store. Timeshare owners and their guests, (or timeshare renters) have access to Doral’s renowned health spa, the five golf courses, a tennis center, The Blue Lagoon water recreation area, and the resort’s restaurants and lounges.

Each timeshare villa has separate living and dining areas, a private balcony, an oversized soaking tub, a fully-equipped kitchen, and a washer/dryer.

Choices in Timeshare Sales and Timeshare Resales

Timeshare condos at Marriott’s Villas at Doral may be available through Marriott Vacation Club (Marriott Timeshare), but for the best values in Marriott timeshare sales, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW. Through Sell My Timeshare NOW, Marriott timeshare resales and Marriott timeshare rentals are available for most Marriott timeshare resorts, including more than two dozen timeshare villas at Doral, starting at just under $7000.

Remember the American Express commercial that featured Tiger Woods in the role Bill Murray made famous in Caddyshack? Thank you, YouTube for these 58 seconds of humor.

Although Sell My Timeshare NOW is a privately held company, and as such, does not report to stockholders, we do like to keep our timeshare buyers, timeshare sellers, and timeshare renters informed on a regular basis about the state of business in our company.

This week, we released our First Quarter 2008 Statistical Synopsis, as well as a statement to the media. Click here to read our media release and here to download the report in PDF format.

The good news of the report is that it is all good news. Sell My Timeshare NOW saw the number of offers to buy or rent timeshare increase in the first quarter of 2008 by 22 percent, compared to the first quarter of 2007. The dollar amount of the offers during this most recent business quarter was more than $90 million, also reflecting an increase over 2007 numbers.

Timeshare Rentals at Sell My Timeshare NOW

In 2007, Sell My Timeshare NOW started a new program, called Rental Assist. We are very proud of how that service helps timeshare owners who want to use their property as a timeshare rental connect with people who are interested in renting timeshare for their next vacation. Rental Assist is undoubtedly an effective tool for timeshare owners and timeshare renters, as evidenced by the fact that at Sell My Timeshare NOW, offers to rent timeshares rose 141 percent quarter-over-quarter 2007 to 2008.

The Obvious Solution When You Want to Sell Timeshare

When you look at our report, and I really hope you will, you will see that for timeshare owners who are ready to sell timeshare, there is no better choice than Sell My Timeshare NOW. In the first quarter of 2008 alone, offers to buy or rent timeshare totaled more than $90 million, while website traffic for the first quarter rose by 13 percent to nearly 7.4 million people.

In these days when the economy is shaky, I am proud to be able to report to our employees, our community, and all the customers who rely on us to help them with their timeshare resales transactions, that at least, in our little corner of the business world, business is booming!

In yesterday’s Timeshare Owners Blog, we looked at an ABC 20/20 investigation of Royal Holiday vacation club. Here is Part II of that post:

The hidden camera videotape made by ABC’s 20/20 investigators reveals that Royal Holiday breaks a lot of rules when it comes to selling timeshare. People who attend the Royal Holiday sales presentation are promised an incentive if they sit through a 90-minute sales pitch, which actually lasts 3 or more hours. They are told that they can only take advantage of special pricing if they buy today…on the spot, and if they prove reticent to buy, that price may mysteriously be cut in half in hopes of getting them to sign up now, as first one and then another salesperson tries to break down their resistance.

Royal Holiday also serves alcoholic drinks to their prospects. It is poor business ethics to do this, and it is an absolute no-no for you, as a prospective buyer, to make the mistake of clouding your good judgment with alcohol. Never, I repeat never, mix alcohol with the decision to buy timeshare.

Other criticisms of Royal Holiday’s sales tactics include promises made by salespeople that a buyer’s money is invested in a foreign bank account and will be returned to them in 30 years; that rooms shown as examples of what you are buying are far nicer than the rooms you actually can book; and that availability in busy seasons is scarce.

How to Avoid High Pressure Timeshare Sales Tactics

All in all, 20/20’s report was extremely negative. There is however, one foolproof way to avoid the heavy hand of a timeshare company salesperson. Buy resale timeshare. Deal only with the person who already owns the timeshare or vacation club membership. Bypass that salesperson who works for the timeshare company yet counts on you to pay his or her salary through commission.

When you shop for timeshare resales or timeshare rentals online, you can take your time. You can ask questions, you can compare products. You can sleep on your decision and consult your attorney or your financial planner. Money doesn’t come easily these days; take your time deciding how you will spend it.

Royal Holiday Vacation Club Timeshare Resales

Currently Sell My Timeshare NOW timeshare resales and timeshare rental advertising company has more than a hundred different listings for Royal Holiday vacations. Some start at under $1000.

The Royal Holiday vacation club affords you the opportunity to travel the United States and Mexico without joining an exchange company. Royal Holiday Club has occupancy rights at Sheraton Cancun Resort and Towers in Cancun; Sol Caribe in Cozumel; Sheraton Ixtapa, Mexico; the Raddison Xanadu in Freeport, Bahamas; Wave Crest in Del Mar, California; Powell Place, San Francisco; Marriott’s Streamside at Vail; Tropicana Golf Estates in Las Vegas; High Point in Orlando; and Brigantine Beach, NJ.

Sell My Timeshare NOW can help you buy, rent, or sell Royal Holiday vacation club timeshares, without the hassle.

Part I of a two-part post.

If you ask the people that own and operate Royal Holiday vacation club and timeshare, they will tell you that 97 percent of their approximately 65,000 timeshare owners or members never complain. Yet a recent investigation by ABC’s 20/20 revealed a different picture.

Let’s start with the semantics of what Royal Holiday Club sells. According to an ABC News report, “Royal Holiday calls its Vacations for Life plan an alternative to the complaint-riddled timeshare business.”

We can skip the double talk here. Vacation ownership, fractionals, vacation clubs, and timeshares are all variations of the same thing. The type of ownership will vary. You may have deeded timeshare ownership or you may own the right to use a timeshare resort property. You may even own points that can be used like currency to pay for your vacation accommodations. But in all cases, whether it is one week every other year, or 180 days of glorious vacation time, you still own vacation rights that are measured in intervals of shared time. Voila! Timeshare! And frankly, companies that call themselves something other than a timeshare are usually just looking for an angle they think will improve their marketability.

Two Sides to this Timeshare Sales Story

There are two sides to every argument. Royal Holiday is probably correct, that they have a huge number of satisfied timeshare owners, a.k.a. members. I also think the 20/20 investigators are right that there are unhappy timeshare buyers who justifiably feel ripped off by Royal Holiday.

While the average member at Royal Holiday vacation club, who buys from Royal Holiday, pays $11,000 to join, plus a yearly fee of about $465, this price varies greatly depending on how much vacation time a person is seeking.

And it doesn’t seem that the majority of the complaints are about Royal Holiday’s resorts. The vacation club company has more than 180 destinations, as well as 3000 different cruise itineraries, which members can access by spending their “Holiday Credits” or points.

But here’s the problem. There are some angry people who are very dissatisfied with the difference in what they thought they were buying and what they actually own. And it all goes back to the sales people who sold them their Royal Holiday vacation club memberships, and some very unethical sales practices.

According to the 20/20 investigation, the company has, “…a growing number of members who say Royal Holiday misled them about how the club operates, and the availability of vacations they’d want. The only thing royal about their membership was the way they were ripped off.”

“They lie,” was the accusation raised most often in describing the sales staff at Royal Holiday. And if complaints are the measure of dishonesty, then it looks like lying is a growing trend at this company.

In 2005, there were 282 complaints against Royal Holiday; in 2006, there were 506 complaints; and by 2007, there were 761. Unless the company’s business tripled between 2005 and 2007, their complaint ratio is definitely moving in the wrong direction fast. As further proof of the problems, consider the fact that the Better Business Bureau gives Royal Holiday its lowest ranking, an “F”.

Take a few minutes, watch the 20/20 investigative report on Royal Holiday courtesy of YouTube, and then come back to the Timeshare Owners Blog tomorrow to read the rest of the story…

Gary May of the Ottawa Citizen has written an excellent article with advice for buying timeshare and timeshare resales. The article was printed in last week’s The Vancouver Sun, and covers 10 things to consider when you are ready to buy timeshare.

Here are a few of the reasons his timeshare advice is exemplary:

Gary May does not start or end his article with warnings about why it is a bad investment to buy timeshare. He seems to have a solid (and correct) grasp of the concept, that buying timeshare is no more about investment potential than buying a new car. You buy it to use it, not as a replacement, or even a supplement, to your financial investments.

He identifies that timeshare buyers have choices and options and that time is on their side. He counsels you to shop around and seriously evaluate your needs. How do you and your family vacation? Do you like to visit the same vacation destination every year, or do you like to explore new locations? He talks about maintenance fees, taxes, and timeshare exchange. All of which are very important to consider when you buy timeshare.

And on May’s list are two points, that are very important and resonate with great truth:

“Don’t be railroaded into buying something you aren’t sure about. If you go to a special promotion, you will be required to attend a demonstration. Consider this an education on the merits of timeshare. Don’t buy on a whim. Ask questions. Think it over. If you like what you see, bargain the price down. Never buy at the first price they offer.”

“Consider buying a timeshare from an owner: resales are everywhere since people’s lifestyles change. Resales can usually be purchased for far less than the original price and are listed on timeshare websites and in newspaper want ads.”

Answer to Your Questions about Buying Timeshare

On Sell My Timeshare NOW’s website we have a page - a long page - devoted to answering frequently asked questions about buying timeshare resales. We explain the difference in types of timeshare ownership, discuss banking timeshare weeks, and help you understand why timeshare purchased directly from a timeshare resort developer costs so much more than timeshare resales purchased from their current owners.

Timeshare ownership can be a great opportunity for you and your family to enjoy a lifetime of vacations. But like anything else, it should not be purchased in haste, nor should it be bought during a high-pressure sales pitch.

And for more on the subject of timeshares sold by high-pressure tactics, read the Timeshare Owners Blog tomorrow when we will be looking at a Mexico timeshares company that has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

J. W. Marriott Jr, the chairman and CEO of Marriott International Inc, in conjunction with Omar Al Futtaim, CEO of Al-Futtaim Group, has announced a joint venture agreement that will result in the building of Marriott Vacation Club Festival City timeshare resort in the United Arab Emeritus.

The new Marriott timeshare represents, according to ArabianBusiness.com, the first significant equity investment in a hospitality development in Dubai by a US-base global hospitality brand. It is the only equity based joint venture entered into by Al-Futtaim with a hospitality group at Dubai Festival City.

Al-Futtaim was quoted as saying, “We believe Marriott Vacation Club will singularly raise the bar and change the landscape of the hospitality sector in Dubai.”

Plans are for the Marriott timeshare resort to be constructed in four phases, and will include over 3500 timeshare units and timeshare suites when completed. The Marriott Vacation Club Festival City will be the largest timeshare resort connected to a regional shopping center in the United Arab Emirates. As the resort area develops, in addition to the Marriott timeshare, there will be 8 major luxury hotels, 2 boutique hotels, and over 100 restaurants, cafes, and bistros located within the residential and retail area along Dubai Creek and near the Festival Marina. The development is described as an, “elegantly chic, bustling waterfront urban community.”

Own Marriott Timeshare Today

Timeshare owners at Marriott Vacation Club Festival City will have exchange privileges within the worldwide network of Marriott timeshares. You can buy Marriott timeshare from the Marriott corporation, or you can take advantage of the excellent prices available on Marriott timeshare resales advertised by Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Currently Sell My Timeshare NOW has timeshare resales available at nearly 40 Marriott timeshare resorts in the US alone as well as the following international destinations:

• Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club Timeshare Resales - Palm Beach, Aruba
• Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club Timeshare Resales - Palm Beach, Aruba
• Marriott’s Village d’Ile de France Timeshare Resales - Bailly Romainvilliers, France
• Marriott’s Club Son Antem Timeshare Resales - Mallorca, Spain
• Marriott’s Marbella Beach Resort Timeshare Resales - Marbella, Spain
• Marriott’s Playa Andaluza Timeshare Resales - Marbella, Spain
• Marriott’s Phuket Beach Club Timeshare Resales - Phuket, Thailand
• 47 Park Street by Marriott Grand Residence Club Timeshare Resales - Mayfair, London, England

You gotta love Bono.

Bono (aka Paul David Hewson) is the lead singer for the rock bank U2 and is almost as well known as a political activist, campaigner for human rights, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee as he is for his music. But you might not know that he is also in the hotel business.

Bono and fellow band member, The Edge, own the Clarence Hotel in Dublin. Recently the two hired world-renowned architect, Sir Norman Foster, to create a resort design that represents a Viking ship. But whether the idea floats or not remains to be seen.

While Dublin city officials don’t have a problem with Bono and The Edge pumping more than $240 million into the resort hotel project, some object to the fact that several surrounding historic buildings will be destroyed in the process.

Currently the hotel property, which the two musicians have owned since the early 1990’s, has only 49 guest rooms. The new proposal emphasizes that it will turn the hotel into a resort destination. Plans call for, “quadrupling the size of the building and transforming it into an eight-storey, 140-bedroom five-star hotel,” according to the website U2France. There is no mention of whether the resort will include timeshares or any other vacation ownership component.

Ireland Timeshare Resales and Ireland Timeshare Rentals

To learn more about Ireland timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW. And to help you get in the mood for planning a timeshare vacation this summer in Ireland, or any other dreamy location, listen to this YouTube video featuring the Corrs and Bono performing, “Summer Wine.”