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Issue #104 Mar/Apr, 2009
Lawsuit Against RCI is Settled Class Action Agreement Subject to Court Approval
A settlement of the class action lawsuit against RCI, brought by RCI “Weeks Members,” has been memorialized in an agreement which provides for enhanced exchange opportunities and monetary benefits for current and former RCI members. Although the matter has not been formerly certified by the court as a class action, the terms of the settlement agreement, once approved by the court, will bind everyone who was a Weeks Member of RCI at any time between January 1, 2000 and November 20, 2008, except those people who notify the court of a desire to be excluded from the settlement. The settlement terms are subject to approval by the United Stated District Court after a “fairness hearing” scheduled for June 16, 2009.
The monetary part of the settlement, while potentially large in the aggregate, is not significant for individual members, providing for a choice of credits ranging from $20 for an exchange fee or membership renewal up to $100 for a cruise exchange or a free rental night or two month membership extension. On the other hand, that part of the settlement agreement which Weeks Members are likely to regard as most significant, revolves around the exchange system and includes a number of aspects. Trading Power
Prior to a Member’s actual deposit of a week, RCI will disclose the Trading Power for that week, so long as the
request for disclosure is made more than 14 days and less than two years prior to the starting date of the week. Provided a Member submits to RCI the information that would be required for a deposit, RCI will disclose all currently available inventory for which the Member’s week has sufficient Trading Power. These disclosures will be made for a period of two years beginning no later than August 31, 2010. RCI is not required to disclose its methodology for calculating Trading Power. Balancing deposits and rentals
On a calendar year basis, the aggregate quantity of Member-deposited weeks which are rented by RCI must be less that the aggregate quantity of weeks deposited by RCI or others.
Disclosure of activity
For the calendar year 2008 and at least two years thereafter, RCI will make available to Members statistical information regarding activity in the Weeks Exchange Programs.
Priority for exchanges
For a period of two years commencing no later than August 31, 2010, each week deposited more than one year in advance of the starting date of the week shall, for a period of 31 days from date of deposit, be available exclusively for exchange and not for any other purpose including rental. In addition, during the two year period, all weeks, whenever deposited, will be used to satisfy active exchange requests pending at the time of de(Continued on page 12)
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RCI(Continued Lawsuit Settlement from front page.) posit, subject to Trading Power criteria. Other benefits Certain other benefits of the settlement are available only to qualified Members upon submission of a claim form, Claim forms must be filed prior to April 6, 2009. (A claim form is available at www.tstoday.com/claimform.pdf) Members who had deposited weeks with starting dates between January 1, 2000 and August 31, 2008, who paid to extend the exchange period for at least six months and never got an exchange despite having an active exchange request pending, will receive a $30 credit towards the Member’s next exchange. In addition, Members may choose one benefit from among the following: • For a period of two years after the settlement is approved by the court, a Member can search available inventory before making a deposit for exchange. • Two months extension of membership. • For Members whose membership expires more than two years after the settlement is approved, a $20 credit towards membership renewal or an exchange. • Prorated refund of membership fee is a Member elects to terminate membership and a full refund of fees paid for pending exchange requests. • One free night’s stay at any RCI rental added to a rental of at least one night, to be reserved within one year.
•
Mar/Apr, 2009
A $100 credit towards the purchase of each cabin (up to four) on a cruise offered by RCI, to be booked within one year. Former RCI Members can choose between a $15 payment from RCI or a $15 credit towards an RCI Weeks membership. All “Other Benefits” require submission of a claim form. If any Members wish to exclude themselves from the settlement (which would leave them with a right to litigate separately with RCI), they must mail an exclusion request by April 6, 2009 to David Berman, Esq., 71 Maple Avenue, P.O. Box 111, Morristown, NJ 07963-0111. If more than 5% of Members exclude themselves, RCI has a right to opt out of the settlement agreement. Members who do not exclude themselves can file objections to the terms of the settlement agreement, stating why they believe the Court should not approve it. These objections must also be filed by April 6, 2009 and sent to David Berman at the address above or to David S. Sager, Esq., Day Pitney, LLP, P.O. Box 1945, Morristown, NJ 07962-1845. The settlement agreement runs to 37 pages, but is 280 pages with all the exhibits. The full text of the agreement with the exhibits is available through a link at the very bottom of the RCI website, www.rci.com. Members who are considering filing an objection to the agreement should not rely on the summary of the major terms of the settlement agreement that is published here, but should carefully read the text of the agreement before filing any objections.
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TIMESHARING TODAY (ISSN 0000-1069) is published bi-monthly at $19 for 6 issues by TimeSharing Today, Inc., 140 County Road, Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670. Periodicals postage paid at Tenafly, NJ. and at additional mailing offices. POST MASTER: Send address changes to TIMESHARING TODAY, 140 County Road, Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670. Distribution is primarily by mail to subscribers, with limited distribution at resorts. All contents are copyrighted by TimeSharing Today, Inc. Contact us for reprint permission. DISCLAIMER TimeSharing Today makes no in dependent investigation of the proper ties, 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 conse quential damages arising from these advertisements. ARTICLES AND LETTERS All published articles and letters become the property of TimeSharing Today and may be republished in any format without further compensation. Contributors of articles and letters pub lished in TimeSharing Today will be compensated: Letters or photos - a one issue subscription extension; articles 10 or 5 issue subscription extension or a 4-line classified ad. HOW TO CONTACT US TimeSharing Today can be reached by mail at 140 County Rd., 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 the Online Edition, Re sort Report Cards, back issues, special reports, directories, etc. is through the Subscriber Only section. Current username: tstoday Current password: rascal
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Mar/Apr, 2009
Objections to Proposed RCI Settlement Agreement (As submitted by the Editor to the United States District Court)
I have been a member of RCI for approximately 25 years and have wit nessed the deterioration of the Weeks exchange program as both a member of RCI and as editor of TimeSharing Today magazine for the past 20 years. During the two years following approval of the proposed settlement agree ment, the terms of the agreement will go a long way towards resolving the com plaints of Weeks Members. However, after two years, some significant parts of RCI’s obligations will lapse. (If RCI had agreed to these beneficial procedures when the suit was filed, the benefits would have lapsed more than a year ago.) The most critical benefits for Weeks Members (contained in Section II-C) involve enhanced opportunities for fulfillment of their exchange requests. It was the difficulty of securing exchanges that prompted these lawsuits. The genesis of the exchange difficulties encountered by Weeks Members was RCI’s rental of deposited weeks (to both members and non-members). The agreement requires RCI to hold, exclusively for the exchange program for a period of 31 days, those weeks deposited more than a year in advance of the week’s starting date. All deposits, including those made less than one year in advance of the starting date, must be applied to satisfy an active and pending exchange request. These are important changes that should improve a Weeks Member’s chances of securing an exchange. These is no justifiable reason why RCI should not continue these procedures indefinitely, rather than have the procedures lapse by the terms of the agreement after two years. One other change should be made to reflect common behavioral patterns. Although there are certainly exceptions, most people don’t start to think about their next vacations until after they have completed their current ones. RCI encourages its Members to deposit their weeks early, and these early deposits are rewarded with higher Trading Power. As a result, many weeks are depos ited well more than one year in advance of the week’s starting date, perhaps two or three years in advance. Under the proposed settlement agreement, these weeks will be held exclusively for exchange for only 31 days and thereafter be available for rental. However, the exchange requests for these weeks may be made 11, 12 or 13 months before the starting date, long after weeks depos ited two years prior were released for rental after the 31 day holding period. Section II-C should be modified to require that weeks deposited more than one year before the starting date be held exclusively for the exchange program until 11 months before the starting date of the week deposited. If the settlement agreement were amended to reflect the forego ing suggestions, I would urge the court to approve the agreement.
No Anonymous Authors Please
Most articles submitted by subscribers now come as attachments to an email, which is great. However, we need to again remind you to add your name to the article itself. Putting your name in the email is not sufficient. It’s too easy for us to save the article attachment without realizing there is no author’s name at the top or bottom of the article, and we no longer have the email to which the article was at tached when we are finally ready to publish the article months later. So please, no anonymous authors. We want to be able to give you the full credit and subscription extensions you deserve.
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Mar/Apr, 2009
Letters to the Editor More international
Whilst I enjoy reading your publication, I think a more international flavour to the magazine would be of interest to more of your readers. It does tend to have a very US feel (which I appreciate it has to because the majority of your readers are in and take timeshare weeks in the US.) However, I live in New Zealand and would love to read more about timeshare vacations nearer to my home country e.g. Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. Is it possible to have an international timeshare feature every publication for your worldwide audience? I recently spent a week in a timeshare in the South Island of NZ, Wanaka; that may be of interest to the timeshare owners in the US who want to visit NZ. Would you like an article about that for your publication? I could write one for you? Belina Langrish Editor’s reply: We do frequently have articles on resorts outside of the United States, although most of those are in Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. We are happy to run articles about resorts in other parts of the world when we receive them.
We would be pleased to run an article from you about your visit to a timeshare resort in Wanaka. Coincidentally, there is an article about a New Zealand resort on page 6.
Fee to make deposit
We are owners at Marina Fiesta Resort in Cabo San Lucas. I called our timeshare management company to have them deposit our 2009 week with RCI and was informed that there will now be a $15 fee to deposit our week with RCI. I told them that I was never informed of this change and felt they are nickel and diming us to death. They ended up waiving this fee for this time, but I am upset that they would even think about charging such a fee. We already pay an extra maintenance fee every five years which is supposed to be used to upgrade units (no evidence that this is happening). It seems that they are trying to squeeze every dime out of us. Do other timeshares also charge such a fee? Rita Clarke Editor’s reply: We are not aware of similar fees being charged by other resorts. Perhaps other subscribers will provide information on that.
“I don’t want to hear any dumb excuses. There’s no such thing as a bad economy when you’re selling a timeshare.”
Layoffs in sales
I am just back from a week stay at Palm-Aire in Pompano Beach, Florida, a Wyndham resort. While I was there, they called all of the sales teams in from all three of the Wyndham resorts in the area and laid them off -- fired them. It was a large group of people - perhaps over 40. What will this mean to us Wyndham owners? Diane Thomas Editor’s reply: We just saw a report about Hyatt laying off its sales staff in Key West, and other companies have laid off many salespeople. The discretionary purchase of a timeshare is something that many people are deferring until the economic situation improves. The impact on existing timeshare owners is that fewer new resorts will be built, and exchange opportunities will not increase while the country continues in recession.
Group timesharing
We own at Lawrence Welk, Escondido, CA, but haven’t done a group gettogether there yet. We have three experiences with timesharing as a group and all three have worked out fantastic. The first was a family reunion at Eagle Crest (we are all from the San Jose, CA area); 9 of us came up in a pick-up truck and a car. It was our 25th or so timeshare trip, but the first for the brother-in-laws, sister-in-law and two of their kids. They enjoyed it so much that they too bought into Worldmark so they could enjoy more trips. At Eagle Crest, some of us golfed, rode horses, we all went to the caves, and ate together each morning and night with different people cooking each meal. Yes, we decided to do it again. The next time, the reunion was at Bass Lake and again we enjoyed it, but not as much because the units were not next to each other and we had more relatives come from other areas for a day or two. It was still fun, but would have been nicer with less stress. The stress was brought on by the kids driving late at night to get there. The third group encounter was a niece’s wedding at Windsor, with us us-
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ing fax and bonus time to book 13 rooms. It was great; we met a lot of nice people and the resort staff was fantastic at taking care of us. Besides a great wedding right next door, we enjoyed wine tastings, sight seeing and eating together (approximately 70 people ate at once thanks to my wife’s cooking.) Without us mentioning a word, I think we got about 10 new timeshare members just because they had such a fantastic time. If you haven’t gone as a group, do it. Just don’t put any expectations on anyone else as to what the group wants to do. Bart Gach
List of owners
When a dissident owner complained about not getting a list of owners from the Board so he could mail them a letter with his views, an anonymous Letter to the Editor responded: “I have been instructed by the Board of Directors to never give out the names, addresses etc. of the owners to anyone other than themselves. If the list should fall into (let us just say “unscrupulous”) hands and the owners started getting solicitations, calls, etc., the Board would be subject to legal action from the owners. The owner list is held in strict confidence.” **** The point about membership lists getting into the wrong hands is valid. However, the response is a smoke screen ... and doesn’t provide an obvious compromise to provide a level playing field for all. The Board should offer to address to the timeshare membership and deliver to the USPS a letter provided by the writer in an envelope with the proper postage. Of course, the Board has the right to require accuracy and appropriate language. But they also have the responsibility to be tolerant of the expression of views that they don’t agree with. This is what a free and open Democracy demands. Bob Wayland, Albuquerque, NM **** Several States have initiated laws concerning non-disclosure of Timeshare owner lists. However in establishing the law, another means was also instituted for contacting all owners. In Florida, the law provides that: “The managing entity may not publish this owner’s list or provide a copy of it
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to any purchaser or to any third party other than the division. However, the managing entity shall mail to those persons listed on the owner’s list materials provided by any purchaser, upon the written request of that purchaser, if the purpose of the mailing is to advance legitimate owners’ association business, such as a proxy solicitation for any purpose, including the recall of one or more board members elected by the owners or the discharge of the manager or management firm. . . . . A mailing requested for the purpose of advancing legitimate owners’ association business shall occur within 30 days after receipt of a request from a purchaser. The board of administration of the owners’ association shall be responsible for determining the appropriateness of any mailing requested pursuant to this subsection. The purchaser who requests the mailing must reimburse the owners’ association in advance for the owners’ association’s actual costs in performing the mailing. . . . . If the purpose of the mailing is a proxy solicitation to recall one or more board members elected by the owners or to discharge the manager or management firm and the managing entity does not mail the materials within 30 days after receipt of a request from a purchaser, the circuit court . . . may. . .summarily order the mailing of the materials [and] . . . .may order the managing entity to pay the purchaser’s costs, including attorney’s fees reasonably incurred to enforce the purchaser’s rights, unless the managing entity can prove it refused the mailing in good faith because of a reasonable basis for doubt about the legitimacy of the mailing.” Perhaps this will help. Dennis F. DiTinno, CEO Liberte Management Group
Mar/Apr, 2009
**** Just to let you know that with most CA timeshare projects, it is a state requirement that the Owner’s list be made available to all upon request. That baloney about “protecting” the Owners from solicitations is just that, baloney! This withholding the list is usually done by Management Companies who are abusing the Owners and just don’t want any interference. I have seen these companies refuse to hand over the lists until legal action is threatened and even then with great reluctance. Please don’t publish this with my name attached as I have to be very low profile these days. Hope all is well. Name withheld by request
No bonus in Hawaii
I’ve been a member of Interval International for many, many years and have enjoyed using their exchange services. However, I must point out a discriminatory practice. When I phoned recently to request resorts in order to use a soon to expire bonus accommodations certificate, I was told by an II travel advisor that I could not use the bonus certificate in Hawaii! I live in Hawaii and cannot jump in my car to drive to Cape Cod or Branson or Colonial Williamsburg or Orlando or San Diego. Airfare to the mainland is several hundred dollars. I will think hard and long before I ever grab the bait and deposit my high demand Hawaiian properties or Welk weeks with Interval ever again. If I cannot use my bonus certificate in Hawaii, that is a practice that discriminates against Hawaii residents. To other Hawaii residents, beware! M. Bisquera, Oahu Hawaii
Having trouble getting an exchange?
TradeWinds Cruise Club has taken luxury sailing yachts, scrumptious and beautifully presented dishes, invigorating long drinks and added just a splash of timeshare to make the most exotic Caribbean Cocktail on the turquoise ocean. If you can’t get an exchange to TradeWinds Cruise Club, here’s another chance. For details please write to
[email protected] See you in paradise – soon!
www.tradewindscruiseclub.com
TSM Ad No1.indd 1 www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more
08-03-01 19.58.30
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Under the Southern Cross
By Robert Anthony The Maori were the first arrivals to New Zealand and called it Aotearoa, “the land of the long white cloud.” We called it beautiful and, hands down, one of our best exchanges to date. New Zealand’s reputation as a land of gracious and friendly people, coupled with a verdant countryside, was quickly confirmed during our week-long stay. Our timeshare arrangements were made through Dial-An-Exchange (DAE) to Lake Edge Resort in Taupo, North Island. Based upon the description and beautiful pictures provided by the resort and DAE, my wife, daughter, and I were looking forward to our stay. After our 12hour plane flight landed us in Auckland, we found the rental car agency and mentally prepared ourselves for the four-hour drive to Taupo. Off we went, with me in the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel for dear life. My daughter Jennifer sat next to me, in charge of the map, a duty she performed in yeoman-like fashion throughout the week.
My wife Nancy-Jean sat in the back seat, bravely trying to come to terms with the fact that we were in a country that drives on the opposite side of the road. After awhile, we settled down and realized that this was really the best way to see the countryside. Although there are no large mammals native to New Zealand, the island has always had an astonishing variety of native birds, including the iconic
Mar/Apr, 2009
kiwi, a flightless (and now endangered) bird. All of the mammals on the island were brought over by humans, including the ancestors of the cows and millions of sheep that dot the countryside. We arrived at our destination before check-in time, so we were able to spend some time familiarizing ourselves with Taupo and its surroundings. The town is located in the middle of the North Island, beside a lake that locals boast is the size of Singapore. The town also brags about the size and quantity of its Rainbow and Brown Trout. When the time came for us to check into our unit, the smooth process reinforced our impressions of a gracious people. The two-story complex is located right on the shore of the lake and resembles the white buildings of Mediterranean islands. Our impression could best be summed up with a collective, “Wow!” Tired as we all were, we definitely felt that this was to be a great exchange. Our two-bedroom, three-bathroom unit boasted a magnificent view of the lake from both its living room and master bedroom. The master bedroom had a full bath with a whirlpool tub, and the second bedroom contained three single beds. A third full bath was located downstairs – adjacent to the entrance and across the hall from a coinless washer and dryer. The combination dining area and living room provided comfortable furniture in which to relax and watch the lake’s beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The living room contained a large flat screen television, DVD and CD player, and a second television was provided in the master
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bedroom. The complex contained a heated outdoor pool, an indoor and outdoor hot tub, a playground for children, and kayaks for rent. We were not informed prior to our stay that several units in the complex were being renovated, and were also surprised that our unit was due to be upgraded after our departure, as we were quite pleased with its interior. The construction workers apologized for the noise, but since we were out the door by eight a.m. each day and back no earlier than six p.m., we were not disturbed. If so inclined, one could do some serious cooking in the full kitchen. We chose to dine out instead and were never disappointed. The town of Taupo definitely caters to tourists, and there are many fine restaurants, large and small. We were always impressed with the presentation of each meal, regardless of the size of the establishment. On our second day, we chose not to attend the morning welcome get-together, as is our custom, because we had limited time and knew that owning a “share” would be impossible for us, as much as we would have liked that option.
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Instead, we literally started our second day with a bang. Jennifer had decided to cross off one more item in a book called “101 Things to Do Before You Die,” and we spent our second morning in the country watching our daughter dive off a 154-foot cantilever platform above the Waikato River, with a bungee cord tied around her ankles. Traveling in the southern hemisphere in the month of May had its advantages, as the island, located under the constellation of the Southern Cross, was in its fall season. The weather was cooler, and the crowds at sites and attractions were noticeably smaller. We visited the Kiwi Rescue Center, which is sponsored by the government and dedicated to the preservation of these strange birds. The eggs and their eventual hatchlings are nurtured and raised at the hatchery and then released to a neighboring small island free of any predators. We toured the Waitomo Caves, where we rode silently by boat on a dark subterranean river underneath a ceiling of world-famous glowworms. We drove to the city of Napier, which was flattened by an earthquake in the early 1930s and
Mar/Apr, 2009
reminded us of our San Francisco home and its early history. Napier was rebuilt in the architectural style of that period and now enjoys the reputation of being the Art Deco capitol of the world. And we spent time touring the island’s geothermal heartland, replete with hot springs, geyser wonderlands, and adjacent, fern-filled woods that looked like something out of Jurassic Park. We spent many hours on the road during the week, and it came as no surprise that on returning the rental car at the end of our week, we had logged slightly over 1,000 miles on New Zealand’s wellmaintained roads. We were initially surprised that our unit was scheduled for a retrofit directly after our departure. But on our last day, we were given a chance to view a remodeled unit and were impressed with the upgrades. Our only complaint about our stay would be the travel distance. Would we return, despite the long flight? You bet! Would we recommend Lake Edge Resort to others? Absolutely! If I can supply additional information, please email me at
[email protected].
PROFESSIONAL TIMESHARE RESORT MANAGEMENT WE WORK FOR THE UNIT OWNERS AND REPORT TO THE BOARD PROVIDING MANAGEMENT FOR FIXED WEEK, FLOAT/FLEX WEEK AND POINTS BASED RESORTS ACTIVE ON SITE RENTAL AND RESALE PROGRAMS FOR RESORT HOAS AND INDIVIDUAL PRIVATE OWNERS FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT US AT: (407) 253-1789 or via email:
[email protected] SPM RESORTS, INC. 1051 SHINE AVE, MYRTLE BEACH, SC 29577 www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more
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Mar/Apr, 2009
Bridge in Aruba: Delightful but cold
Are you tired of hidden restrictions on your timeshare that you find out about too late? Are you tired of surprise expenses in using your timeshare? Are you tired of the outdated bait and switch tactics that timeshare developers still use? Have you been frustrated with not knowing where to turn for the real truth? Have you made one too many mistakes in using your timeshare, because no one informed you? Well, we’re here to help you! Finally, you can have great timeshare experiences by becoming a member of the National Timeshare Owners’ Association. What is the National Timeshare Owners’ Association? It’s the ONLY national organization solely for timeshare owners. Dedicated to providing educational and networking opportunities to access honest and outstanding vacation service, we provide the resources that owners have been waiting for. Just imagine: In addition, get priceless insiders’ knowledge from experts, including among others: * Steve Luba- Expert in selling/renting timeshare properties * Lisa Ann Schreier-Former timeshare salesperson, turned consumer advocate, author of “Timeshare Vacations For Dummies” and “Surviving A Timeshare Presentation” * Shep Altshuler-Publisher of TimeSharing Today * Ed Hastry-Founder and President of the National Timeshare Owners’Association Bottom line; the NTOA is the ONLY organization that is 100% on your side. If you join now, you’ll be just in time to sign up for a series of exclusive seminars featuring top timeshare gurus. You’ll have the rare opportunity to listen in as they divulge the secrets of successfully renting and selling your timeshare, winning the timeshare exchange game, avoiding the scams and sitting through the spiels. You’ll also hear success stories from other timeshare owners as they navigated the often tricky timeshare waters. These experts are committed to sending you home with the empowering information you need to get the most out of your timeshare. This seminar is open ONLY to NTOA members and will fill up quickly, so you’ll want to sign up early to guarantee your seat at one of these four meetings: * Baltimore, MD - Apr 19 * Cherry Hill, NJ- Sep 27
* Parker, CO * San Diego, CA
May 17 Oct 18
The cost of membership is minimal -only $75. If you’ve been a timeshare owner for any length of time, you’ll realize that it’s a small price to pay for the knowledge and empowerment you’ll gain. All that and peace of mind, friendships, support and vacation opportunities. To join now, or to learn more,
visit www.nationaltimeshareownersassoc.com or call Ed Hastry at 410.719.0064 today.
By Melody Gabriel While vacationing at our Divi Dutch Village timeshare in Aruba in May, I was able to play duplicate bridge in a four-table game with some very nice Dutch ladies. I searched the Internet for games on the island before leaving home and got in touch by e-mail with Addy, secretary of the Aloha Bridge Club Aruba. Addy invited me to play on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. at the member lounge of the Aruba Beach Club, two resorts down from our place at the Dutch Village. Not being a “morning” person, I was not thrilled at the time for the start of the game but I decided to give it a try. My friend, Priscilla, from Concord, N.H., who I see every year at our timeshare resort, is a “party” bridge player, so she asked if she could come with me to see what “serious” duplicate is all about. We arrived at 8:45 and waited for others to arrive. Addy sent me a nice note through one of the players saying she was sorry not to be there but her partner had cancelled at the last minute. My partner, Stascha, called at 9 a.m. to say she had overslept and would be there ASAP. The ladies tried to get my observer, Priscilla, to sit in until Stascha arrived but she didn’t want to and I don’t blame her. She had never played duplicate, was not familiar with bidding boxes, didn’t know many conventions we duplicate players use and just simply wanted to watch! Thankfully, Stascha arrived at 9:20 after two boards had been played and we dove in to catch up. Wouldn’t you know, on the very first hand, with no discussion about our conventions, I took her to 6 no-trump and held my breath. She made 7 no-trump! After the first round was over, we quickly agreed on a few things and moved on to Round 2. Cost to play was $6 and, I was told, members take turns bringing the delicious snacks. As many of my bridge partners know, I am always warm to hot when playing bridge. So, with that in mind, I chose to wear a sleeveless top and shorts to the game. BIG MISTAKE! The member lounge was freezing. I noticed almost everyone had worn either a jacket or a sweater. I kept eyeing a spare table cloth on one of the unused bridge tables to use as a shawl, but, I wanted to be polite so didn’t take any action. Finally, during the last round, when I was actually shivering, I said, “I’m sorry ladies but I am going to wrap this table cloth around me!” They all smiled and apologized for the temperature and said guests should be reminded to wear jackets. I was warm at last! I was invited to return next year on my annual visit and will certainly try to do so. The Dutch ladies made sure they spoke English when we came to the table and were very pleasant and warm. Results were e-mailed to all players the next morning. Much to my surprise, and in spite of our “cold turkey” start, my very lovely partner, Stascha, and I came in second. On a side note, I’d like to dispel the notion that Aruba is not a safe place to visit. Unfortunately, with so much negative publicity aired during the Natalee Holloway case, Aruba’s longstanding reputation as a desired vacation resort for Americans took a hit. But, those of us who have been going there for many years, know that Aruba and its friendly and happy citizens offer a safe and fun place to visit.
We look forward to meeting you! www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more
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Ask Dave M
David McClintock has been a regular contributor to the message board at www.tstoday. com for many years. We are pleased to publish some of his responses to questions posted during the past year.
Posted by Roland on 02/21/2008: How much is the total of all timeshare sales transaction in the world?. Has it reached a billion dollars in total sales? Posted by Dave M on 02/22/2008: Roland - Yes, according to ARDA (the timeshare developers’ industry organization), U.S. timeshare sales totaled $5.4 billion in 2004 and increased by about 14% in each of the next two years. I don’t have any worldwide data. Using those U.S. numbers, including the increases, I would guess - and that’s all it is, a guess - that worldwide sales are now somewhere in the range of $18-$20 billion per year. Posted by Frankie on 2/22/08 I have a timeshare with Marriott and I exchange with II. If I want to exchange/deposit with another exchange company, what would be the proceedure? Posted by Dave M on 02/22/2008: Frankie – A full year in advance, reserve the very best week that you can the week that you believe will be most in demand by others wanting to exchange into your resort. Then contact one of the independent exchange companies and ask how to exchange with them. TimeSharing Today publishes a great annual comparison of the major independent exchange companies, including membership info, # of resorts, fees, deposit/ exchange options and contact info. The chart is in every July/August issue. If you don’t subscribe, you can sign up for as little as $19. (And, no, I don’t work for TimeSharingToday!) Posted by sekydsined on 03/07/2008:
Once again: Can anybody tell me what the accomodations at Club Sevilla in Kissimmee are like? How about at Orange Lakes West Village (besides that they charge extra for everything)? I’m sending relatives there for Disney vacations in April and am hoping they’re gonna be in good quarters? Any comments? Posted by Dave M on 03/07/2008: sekydsined - If you have a Timesharing Today subscription, access the online edition [at tstoday.com.] Then access the index to issues. A “Search” for “Orange” will find three reviews and one report card for Orange Lake. None for Club Sevilla. Posted by Shoreguy37 on 03/16/2008: Only your share of the Real Estate Taxes which apply to your unit are deductible; correct? Posted by Dave M on 03/17/2008: Shoreguy37 is correct. If you have a TSToday subscription, you can access the online copy of the July-August 2001 issue, which has an article discussing allowable deductions related to a timeshare. Assuming you didn’t rent your timeshare in 2007, your 2007 deductions related to the timeshare would include only those property taxes and, if you have a timeshare loan that is secured by the timeshare (i.e., NOT a consumer loan), the interest on the loan would be allowed as a deduction, along with your home mortgage interest, only if you don’t deduct interest expense on another second home or vacation property. [These articles are now also available on the tstoday.com Website under “Special reports/directories.”] Posted by JudiS-R on 03/29/2008: Have exchanged into Escapes at Cherokee Village Arkasas for this June (also known as Los Indios) Can’t find any reports anywhere by people who have stayed or own there. Just trying to get an idea of what to expect regarding
Mar/Apr, 2009
the units and activities...can anyone help with some information? We have stayed at Fairfield Bay Arkansas in the past..... like the laid back quaintness of that area. Thank you for any feed back. Posted by Dave M on 03/31/2008: Judi - The resort is on a small inlet of a private lake. Although about 30 years old, the complex is reasonably well maintained and the units are nicely furnished. If you have any problem with your unit, you’ll find them very responsive to fix it. Not much in the way of onsite activities. Most likely just a welcome gathering on Monday morning and a boat ride on the lake one evening. There is a pool and tennis courts. You will have access to other recreational facilities in the Cherokee Village development. Try to get there during daylight because the hilly, winding, dark roads make it difficult to find your way there after dark. Grocery stores and restaurants are at the Cherokee Village center about a mile away and in two small communities about five miles away.
Daytona Beach, Florida
,
Fun in the Sun! Luxurious oceanfront condo Timeshare units for sale at closeout prices (closing costs included). 1,2,& 3 BRs fully furnished units available in a beautiful 8-story building. Amenities’ include pristine beach, heated pool, fitness center, secure garage parking. MARINE TERRACE CONDO ASSN. 386-253-2000 EXT. 3 www.marineterrace.com
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TimeSharing Today
Page 10
Mar/Apr, 2009
TimeSharing Today Directory Name
Address/Contact info
Area served
RE/MAX Properties S.W. Timeshare Resale Division
6985 Wallace Rd., Orlando, FL 32819 800-541-5666 - www.timeshareprofessionals.com
All
TRI West Real Estate Timeshare Resales and Rentals
13353 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066 800-423-6377 - www.triwest-timeshare.com
Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, USA and Mexico
Banyan Resort Realty
P.O. Box 1281, Key West, FL 33041 305-296-1230 - www.thebanyanresort.com
Key West, FL
Hotel Timeshare Resales International, Inc.
74-924 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Global 800-808-5651 - www.htr4timeshare.com
Sedona Timeshare Resales
PO Box 2888, Sedona, AZ 86339 800-344-3763 - www.sedonatimeshareresales.com
Sedona, AZ
Condolink World Wide
3012 N 93rd Street, Omaha, NE 68122 800-877-9600 - www.condolinkworldwide.com
World wide
Deanna Hull Realty
P.O. Box 2647, Atlantic Beach, NC 28612 800-477-4180 - www.deannahullrealty.com
Mainly Atlantic Beach, NC, also SC
Timeshare Travel
5055 S. State St., Salt Lake City, UT 800-367-3799 - www.timesharetravel.com
Global
Timeshare Broker Services
2014 Ashley Oaks Cir., Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 877-884-9577 - www.timesharebrokerservices.com
Worldwide
DVC by Resale
5237 Gateway Avenue, Orlando, FL 32821 800-844-4099 - www.DVCbyResale.com
Florida and South Carolina
Timeshare Liquidation Service
16272 Cleveland St., Redmond, WA 98052 800-206-0611 - timeshareliquidationservice.com
U.S., Mexico, Canada
Selling Timeshares, Inc.
42 Baxter Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 917-482-8347 - www.sellingtimeshares.net
Marriott, Disney, Manhattan Club, Hyatt, Westin, Hilton
Island Consulting Realty
10351 Saddlebow Lane, Sarasota, FL 34241 800-809-6020 - www.TimesharesToGo.com
U.S., Caribbean, Mexico
Resort Property Marketing International Real Estate (RPMI)
5804 Heber Springs Rd., Quitman, AR 800-844-8404 - www.resort-property.com
International
Desert Vacation Realty
6302 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251 800-283-9174 - www.desertvacation.com
Scottsdale, AZ
Cabo Timeshare Resales A division of RNR Resorts
2710 Rew Circle, Suite 300, Ocoee, FL 34761 877-641-7235 - www.cabotimeshareresales.com
California, Florida, Mexico Las Vegas, Cabo San Lucas
Premier Timeshare Resale
PO Box 681723, Suite 100, Park city, UT 84068 866-827-3900 - www.premiertimeshareresale.com
All
Defender Realty Inc.
6301 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 866-799-0798 - www.defenderrealty.com
MA, DE, MD, SC, FL, Grand Cayman
Paradise Real Estate and Timeshare Resale
4118 Lake Tahoe Blvd, S. Lk Tahoe, CA 96150 800-996-2001 - www.timeshare-resale.com
Lake Tahoe and Hawaii
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TimeSharing Today
Page 11
Mar/Apr, 2009
of Licensed Resale Brokers Fees
Additional fees
Commission at closing, Administrative fee at closing with minimum fee
Commission at closing, with minimum fee
Comments
Specializing in HGVC, Marriott and Westgate and others. Works with exclusive listings until sold.
Optional MLS service fee of $195 Preferred resale broker for Four Seasons, Hilton and approved by CA Dept Real Estate Harbortown Point Marina. CA broker 33 years.
Commission at closing, no minimum fee
None
Currently handles only Banyan Resort.
Commission at closing, negotiable minimum fee
Closing costs as agreed between buyer and seller
Specializes in Marriott, Hilton, Four Seasons, Hyatt and other premium resorts. In business 12 years.
Commission at closing, None no minimum fee
For 14 years, only handled resales at Arroyo Roble; now at all other Sedona resorts.
Commission at closing, Listing/marketing fee with minimum fee
In business since 1978.
Commission at closing, Closing cost - $255 no minimum fee
Selling timeshares 24 years. Handles resales and HOA closeouts in Atlantic Beach. Non-exclusive listings.
Marketing fee for most sellers
Weeks are listed on active website, on mailings to buyers and brokers, and promoted in other media.
Commission at closing, with minimum fee
None Administrative fee at closing
Authorized HGVC reseller and other premium resorts. BBB accredited. ARDA member. Multi-lingual ser-
Commission at closing, None no minimum fee
The only broker exclusively reselling the Disney Vacation Club.
Commission at closing, with minimum fee of $49.95
Specializes in Worldmark Credits and Fractionals; lists and sells all domestic intervals. In business since 1994.
Verification/market analysis fee refundable at closing
Commission at closing, None negotiable minimum fee
Specializes in Hilton, Manhattan Club, Disney, Hyatt, Marriott and Starwood
None Commission at closing, no minimum fee
Non-exclusive listings; cancel anytime. Satisfaction is guaranteed.
Commission at closing, negotiable minimum fee
Closing costs as agreed between buyer and seller
Specializes in Worldmark, Fairfield, Starwood, Royals and other fine resorts. In business 16 years.
Commission at closing, $50 Registration Fee with minimum fee
Exclusive resale broker Scottsdale Camelback Resort. Website posts For Sale by Owner weeks/other resorts.
Commission at closing, None with minimum fee
Specialist in Los Cabos area and Mexico title transfers. RNR Resorts handles other select resorts and areas.
Commission at closing,
Title insurance as agreed between buyer and seller
Experienced, educated professional dedicated to selling properties, not just listing them.
Commission at closing, None
Over 20 years in timeshare resales. Extensive advertising obtains results.
Commission at closing, Buyer pays closing costs with minimum fee
Largest resale broker in Northern CA and NV. Member of BBB, Chamber of Commerce. In business 18 years.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 13
Mar/Apr, 2009
Angel Fire Resort: Not Exactly As It Appears By Louise Clymer, Tucson AZ
We have been timeshare owners for more than 20 years, and often invite friends and relatives to stay with us, resulting in several of them also purchasing timeshares for themselves, since they enjoyed the experience. My brother and his wife had stayed with us a few times, so they decided to return the favor and have us stay with them. They used their Wyndham Points to get into the Angel Fire Resort, which none of us had visited before. Since we would likely be coming in earlier in the afternoon, he called the resort to tell them that, and they put both names on the reservations. We suspected that there were some miles of two lane roads when the driving directions indicated that the 155 miles from Albuquerque would take about three hours. The drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe is on I-25, but it was mostly two lane roads after that. The last 21 miles from Taos to Angel Fire is on a narrow, twisty mountain road that requires you to slow down to 20-25 on some of the curves, and it rises to 9100 feet elevation before dropping down into Angel Fire which is at approximately 8500 elevation. We had no breathing problems at that elevation, but have had friends and relatives who did have problems when staying at resorts at only 7000 feet elevation, such as Wyndham Flagstaff, so I would suggest that someone with serious breathing or cardiovascular problems check with their physician before booking the resort. I think the information about the elevation should be in the Wyndham and RCI books, but it is not. One could argue that a resort that has skiing in the winter is presumed to be at higher elevations, but not all skiing resorts are at that elevation. Finding where to check in was our first challenge. Coming down Highway 434, we saw signs that said Angel Fire Resort, but signage beyond that wasn’t clear. Finally we pulled into a real estate office, and the friendly folks there said head up the hill toward the ski lift, to the Angel Fire Hotel, pull into that parking lot. From the side facing the road, it didn’t look too promising. The hotel had damaged, stained stucco and it appeared to badly need renovation. The parking lot
was full of potholes. However, the front entrance didn’t look too bad, and the lobby was very large and attractive. There was an artist painting in the lobby that some folks were watching, and beyond that a deli. We could see there was some type of bar and restaurant up the long staircase, and a indoor swimming pool beyond some glass doors to the left of the lobby. We asked is this where we check in for the timeshare and were told, “It depends. Some of the timeshare checkins are here, some are not.” That was puzzling, but we were in the right place. We were told that we would be staying at Sun Lodge 4 and were given a map with the warning the street names on the map weren’t correct, but the directions were easy enough to follow. Again, the Sun Lodge building of about 12 townhouse style condos didn’t look very promising from the street. Pulling into the parking lot and seeing the front side, it looked even less promising. The door latch on our unit had been repaired, badly, and one had to be careful not to hurt
their hands when unlocking it. Entering the building, it was dark since all the blinds and drapes were closed, but opening up the blinds, it looked much better. There was a little enclosed sun room with two chairs to the right of the door. Investigating the other doors along the hallway leading to the kitchen and living room, we found a large closet (containing some cleaning equipment) that was plenty large enough for extra jackets, skiing or fishing equipment and the like. Another set of doors hid a washer and dryer, stacking type, but it could have accommodated full sized units. There was plenty of room beside the washer and dryer for laundry bags, detergent, etc. Another large closet had the water heater and an upright vacuum cleaner in the extra space. There was a half bath along this hallway, which ended up being the most used bathroom in the condo. The kitchen was small, but complete, and had modern looking appliances, adequate dishes, cookware and utensils. The dining area had a large table, four
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chairs, and two bar stools for the kitchen counter. The unit had a large living room with a sofa and two chairs, a TV and an attractive fireplace. On the far side of the living room was a small-enclosed deck with two chairs that faced the street side of the building as well as views of nearby mountains. The furnishings were a bit drab, but comfortable. We headed up the carpeted stairs and the first bedroom we encountered was fairly large with a large chest, one nightstand, a TV, a chair, and, surprise, two large closets with mirrored doors. The window faced the parking lot. The next doorway down the hallway led to a full bath, a bit small, but adequate. There was a large linen closet further along, not likely to be needed, but one could store extra things there. The end of the hallway revealed the master bedroom and bath. This room had a king sized bed, a large dresser, two night stands, a TV, and another fireplace which made the room more attractive and served a practical purpose as well. There was a small balcony off the master bedroom with two chairs facing a pretty mountain range. The bath was small, and the closet
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for the master bedroom was very small, but adequate for a short stay. We felt my brother and his wife probably appreciated the king sized bed, private bath and balcony and fireplace more than the extra closet space the other bedroom had, so we left the master bedroom for them, and took the other bedroom for ourselves. Overall, the furnishings were drab and dated looking, but very clean and comfortable. Since the front desk was quite insistent that we fill out the inventory checklist, we did so, and discovered that the largest frying pan was badly scratched, and the non-stick coating was pealing off. We wrote a note about that, but at first it wasn’t replaced. Feeling pictures speak louder than words, we brought in the damaged frying pan to the front desk the next morning and showed them. We had a new pan in a couple hours. The resort didn’t look like the pictures in the Wyndham book, which shows a lake behind the hotel, and mountains beyond that. The nearest lake is a couple miles away, not near the hotel, and the mountains in the picture may have been in the area, but were not the ones behind the hotel. My brother pointed out the discrepancy to one of the employees, who admitted they took some “liberties” with the photo, and yes, the lake photo and mountain range photo were superimposed upon the hotel photo. The Sun Lodge condos didn’t look like either the hotel in the picture or the cabins in other pictures in the Wyndham and RCI books. There were posters up in the lobby announcing their “Renaissance starting Fall 2007.” This was June 2008, and no sign of any renovations could be seen. I commented about that one day when I was in the lobby, and the next day, all the posters disappeared. Coincidence? There is free Internet service in the lobby, but we couldn’t pick it up in the condo. Still a very nice feature that was used by several other guests. The small indoor pool was nice, but to get to the spa, one had to climb up a flight of stairs, then up more stairs to get to the restrooms. No locker facilities. For a hotel guest, that would be no problem, but for someone staying at the Sun Lodges a few blocks away, they really needed a changing area. I think that will be part of their renovations -- when they
Mar/Apr, 2009
finally do it. Stairs for someone with arthritis like myself was a bit of a problem. Having stairs in a condo or house, though, really improves your memory in a hurry. After the sixth time in 30 minutes going up and down the stairs, I stopped to take inventory of what I was going to need before going up and down the stairs once more. Because the condos, pool, and just about everything in the area involves uneven pavement, stairs, or both, I would not recommend the resort for someone with physical limitations. The weather was refreshingly cool for June, and our party went a few miles to Eagle Nest and then two miles to Monte Verde Lake on another day, for recreation and fishing. It’s also a reasonable drive from Angel Fire to Taos and Santa Fe and their art galleries and stores. The Kit Carson house and museum in Taos turned out to be quite interesting. However, Taos, like Angel Fire, involves lots of uneven pavement and steps just about everywhere you go. We found a wonderful restaurant in Taos with an outdoor grill and dining either inside or out on the patios. The restaurant was quite good, better than any we tried in Angel Fire, and the prices reasonable. It was a few blocks from the main plaza. Although the staff at Angel Fire was friendly, they really didn’t do much of a job selling the resort when you check in. They handed us a printed sheet listing attractions in the area, and we only found out Monte Verde Lake was nearby by accident the next to last day we were there. Although our stay there was a refreshing change from the more hectic pace at our homes in Las Vegas and Tucson, I am bothered somewhat by the misleading photos in the Wyndham and RCI books. The resort is badly in need of renovation, which, hopefully, will be done in the near future. The staff needs to work harder on selling the features of the resort, the nearby attractions, etc. Further, there should be a warning that the resort is not recommended for anyone with physical limitations, breathing problems, or serious cardiovascular problems. Although we did fine driving our big sedans around, I would suggest, too, that one would be more comfortable driving an SUV in the area, like most of the local residents.
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TimeSharing Today
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Page 15
RESORT REPORT CARDS
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best.
Mar/Apr, 2009
Report Card ratings for each resort are averages based on a significant number of reports received from readers.
GREENSPRINGS PLANTATION Williamsburg, VA 8.7
INNSEASON RESORTS POLLARD BROOK Lincoln, NH 8.8
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, hot tub, fitness center, volleyball, basketball, miniature golf, golf, activities program, game room, playground, tennis, ping pong, arts & crafts, movie rental, wine & cheese party, horseshoes.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, hot tub, fitness center, game room, BBQ grills, tennis courts, organized tours, playground, basketball, computers in lobby, hiking.
Amenities and activities nearby: Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Busch Gardens, outlet shopping, golf, restaurants, James River Plantations, Virginia Beach. Unit: Furnishings: 8.9 Cleanliness: 9.2 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.7 Maintenance: 8.6 Construction quality: 8.6 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.8 Nearby: 9.4 Suitable for: Young children: 8.3 Pre-teens: 8.4 Seniors: 8.4 Teenagers: 8.3 Handicapped: 5.6 Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 9.2 Security: 9.4 Staff: 9.0 General hospitality: 9.1 Exchange affiliation: RCI
Amenities and activities nearby: Skiing, antique shops, hiking trails, shopping, covered bridge, waterfalls, golf, canoeing, biking, Loon Mountain, Storyland, state parks. Unit: Furnishings: 8.8 Cleanliness: 9.5 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 9.2 Maintenance: 8.9 Construction quality: 9.0 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.7 Nearby: 8.9 Suitable for: Young children: 7.5 Pre-teens: 8.2 Seniors: 8.4 Teenagers: 8.0 Handicapped: 6.4 Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 8.7 Security: 8.5 Staff: 9.3 General hospitality: 9.2 Exchange affiliation: II
Comments: Central location for activities in area, plus much on-site. No elevators in multi-story units. Spacious units with washer/dryer, some with fireplace, balcony, Jacuzzi.
Comments: Outstanding area for outdoor activities. Well constructed quiet units with whirlpool tubs and balconies. Not all buildings have elevators. Staff exceptionally helpful and pleasant.
MARRIOTT WAIOHAI BEACH CLUB Kauai, HI 9.9
PLANTATION RESORT OF MYRTLE BEACH Myrtle Beach, SC 8.5
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, beach, fitness center, children’s activities, complimentary fruit/juice, playground, hot tubs, BBQ grills, entertainment, tennis.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, hot tub, fitness room, planned activities, game room, sauna, computers, video rental, bikes, beach shuttle, BBQ grills, golf.
Amenities and activities nearby: Water sports, diving, boating, hiking, golf, shopping, historic sites, restaurants, beach, deep sea fishing, boat tours, Wiamea Canyon.
Amenities and activities nearby: Golf, shopping, bars, restaurants, deep sea fishing, theaters, dinner shows, beach, tennis.
Unit: Furnishings: 9.8 Cleanliness: 9.5 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 9.9 Maintenance: 9.5 Construction quality: 9.9 Amenities and activities: At resort: 9.5 Nearby: 9.8 Suitable for: Young children: 9.5 Pre-teens: 10.0 Seniors: 9.8 Teenagers: 9.9 Handicapped: 9.5 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 8.8 Convenience store: 8.7 Grounds and maintenance: 9.9 Security: 9.7 Staff: 9.9 General hospitality: 10.0 Exchange affiliation: II
Unit: Furnishings: 8.5 Cleanliness: 8.7 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.6 Maintenance: 8.7 Construction quality: 8.4 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.9 Nearby: 9.1 Suitable for: Young children: 7.5 Pre-teens: 7.6 Seniors: 8.1 Teenagers: 7.9 Handicapped: 6.9 Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 8.5 Security: 7.8 Staff: 8.5 General hospitality: 8.5 Exchange affiliation: RCI
Comments: Absolutely beautiful grounds, pools, public areas, and villas. Parking very convenient. Two-bedroom set-up perfect for two couples.
Comments: Staff is very helpful. Large resort in excellent location for many water sport activities. Three golf courses on-site.
TimeSharing Today
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RESORT REPORT CARDS
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best.
Mar/Apr, 2009
Report Card ratings for each resort are averages based on a significant number of reports received from readers.
SEDONA SUMMIT Sedona, AZ 8.3
VACATION VILLAGE AT PARKWAY Kissimmee, FL 8.4
Amenities and activities at resort: Exercise room, hot tub, pools, maid service, clubhouse, game room, entertainment, arts and crafts, BBQ area, playground, DVD rentals.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, internet, game room, exercise center, playground, BBQ facilities, hot tubs, dinner theater, planned activities, fishing, hiking, tennis.
Amenities and activities nearby: Hot air balloons, shopping, fishing, museums, hiking, Indian ruins, Jeep/helicopter tours, restaurants, golf, horseback riding, rafting, skiing, entertainment, boating, tennis, Grand Canyon, galleries.
Amenities and activities nearby: Disney World, Sea World, MGM and Universal Studios, shopping, restaurants, live entertainment, Kennedy Space Center, Busch Gardens, golf, Pleasure Island, Animal Kingdom, Gatorland.
Unit: Furnishings: 8.2 Cleanliness: 8.2 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.0 Maintenance: 8.7 Construction quality: 8.5 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.4 Nearby: 9.0 Suitable for: Young children: 6.4 Pre-teens: 7.0 Seniors: 7.9 Teenagers: 6.7 Handicapped: 7.1 Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 8.6 Security: 8.5 Staff: 8.1 General hospitality: 8.3 Exchange affiliation: RCI
Unit: Furnishings: 8.6 Cleanliness: 9.3 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.3 Maintenance: 9.1 Construction quality: 9.2 Amenities and activities: At resort: 8.6 Nearby: 9.7 Suitable for: Young children: 8.9 Pre-teens: 8.7 Seniors: 8.5 Teenagers: 8.5 Handicapped: 8.1 Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 9.2 Security: 7.9 Staff: 7.9 General hospitality: 8.0 Exchange affiliation: RCI
Comments: Exceptional red-rock scenery. Spacious nicely decorated units; some older units being refurbished. Many activities nearby.
Comments: Maintenance staff speedy, courteous. Not enough parking spaces. Units have washer/dryer, buildings have elevators. Partial kitchen in “B” part of lockoff units.
OASIS LAKES AT THE FOUNTAINS Orlando, FL 8.9
VARSITY CLUBS OF AMERICA Mishawaka, IN 7.8
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, hot tubs, spas, pool bar, boat rentals, entertainment, kiddie pool, game room, internet access, tennis, basketball, playground.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, fitness center, billiard room, golf, concierge, BBQ facility, hot tub, sauna, putting green, organized activities, bocce court.
Amenities and activities nearby: Disney World, Sea World, MGM Studios, Universal Studios, shopping, golf, horseback riding, flea markets, Animal Kingdom, Gatorland.
Amenities and activities nearby: Museums, College Football Hall of Fame, University of Notre Dame, Amish country, Lake Michigan, wineries, shopping, restaurants, Studebaker museum, biking, boating, fishing, golf, casino.
Unit: Furnishings: 9.7 Cleanliness: 9.8 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 9.6 Maintenance: 9.8 Construction quality: 9.7 Amenities and activities: At resort: 8.6 Nearby: 9.6 Suitable for: Young children: 8.6 Pre-teens: 8.6 Seniors: 8.2 Teenagers: 8.8 Handicapped: 8.3 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 8.7 Convenience store: 8.2 Grounds and maintenance: 9.3 Security: 9.4 Staff: 9.0 General hospitality: 8.9 Exchange affiliation: RCI Comments: Centrally located to everything. Hotel-like resort with several stories, and there are elevators.
Unit: Furnishings: 7.6 Cleanliness: 8.8 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 7.1 Maintenance: 8.5 Construction quality: 9.0 Amenities and activities: At resort: 6.9 Nearby: 7.9 Suitable for: Young children: 6.4 Pre-teens: 6.6 Seniors: 7.7 Teenagers: 6.9 Handicapped: 7.8 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 7.6 Convenience store: 6.0 Grounds and maintenance: 8.6 Security: 7.7 Staff: 8.8 General hospitality: 9.0 Exchange affiliation: II Comments: Pet-friendly resort. Knowledgeable concierge, friendly staff. Units are small; building has elevator.
TimeSharing Today
Page 18
Why Use the Services of a Debt Collection Agency?
By JoAnn Smith Heckman President/C.E.O.Collections Unlimited This article is another in a series about companies that provide services to timeshare owners or their resorts. This is a question asked of third party collection agencies on a daily basis. Our response: Why not? It is the fiduciary responsibility of every Board of Directors and Management Company to collect the annual assessments from their owners. Since most Condominium Documents or Association By-Laws allow for the cost of collection to be passed along to the delinquent owner, there is generally no cost to your Association for this service. The annual assessment statements mailed to the owners should include a notice that advises the owners of the date the assessments are due, the date penalties and interest will be charged, and the date the delinquent accounts will be assigned to an outside third party collection agency. By providing this information to all of owners early in the game, it may increase the percentage of assessment payments received by the due date. Some Associations have an in-house collection program, while other Associations continue to send monthly statements to their delinquent owners. What is the cost to the Associations to mail monthly statements? How many owners are at home to be contacted via telephone between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. – the common hours worked in a resort’s front office?
With these questions in mind, by assigning your delinquent accounts to a professional third party collection agency, your resort will no longer incur the cost of preparing statements and the cost of postage. The collection agency will now be sending the notices to the delinquent owners. Your resort’s staff will no longer be making collection calls, which will give them the time to service the owners more efficiently and effectively. The third party collection agency employs professional and courteous collection specialists trained in resort collections that can call delinquent owners between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M., during the week and on weekends. So when is the “right time” for an Association to turn over delinquent accounts to the collection agency? We suggest turning the delinquent accounts over to a third party collection agency 90 – 120 days after the due date. There are many reasons for this. Third party collection agencies have the technology and knowledge to locate owners who have relocated without notifying their Association. We can also locate information on owners who have filed bankruptcy, passed away or are divorced. It is important to obtain this information early on, especially if the agency is filing a claim on behalf of the Association against a decedent’s estate, retrieving a deed in lieu of foreclosure in a bankruptcy case or working with a divorce attorney to establish which party will maintain ownership of the timeshare interest and ensuring the
Mar/Apr, 2009
applicable conveyance documents get recorded. Waiting months to turn delinquent accounts over for collection only decreases the Association’s recovery of the delinquent funds. As with any major business decision, it is also important that the Board of Directors or Management Company thoroughly investigates any third party collection agency they may consider partnering with. You will want your Association or Management Company to inquire as to the services offered and if they are an industry-friendly agency that is knowledgeable about all aspects of the timeshare industry and resort collections. Ask how long they have been in business, and request references. Does the agency continue collections throughout the full term of the collection contract, making regular contacts with the delinquent consumers? Does the agency’s computer system provide the information and reports required by your Association or Management Company? Does the agency provide any type of software so that your Association or Management Company can review the status of the accounts in real time? Will the delinguent owners be treated courteously by collectors that are familiar with the amenities, programs and incentives offered at your resort? What special services does the agency offer to assist in decreasing the receivables portfolio? Is there a deed in lieu of foreclosure program, etc.? The bottom line is this: Contracting with a third party agency allows more time for your resort’s employees to provide the best possible customer service to the owners and will increase collections to help contain assessment increases.
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Page 19
Travels During Our Fourth Year of Retirement
By Jim and Karolyn Johnston, Ruston, LA The travels of our first three years of retirement have been chronicled in three prior issues of TimeSharing Today. Our fourth year of timeshare usage in our retirement years began with our children and grandchildren taking advantage of our timeshare ownership. Our oldest daughter and family used one of our two bedroom units at the Landmark Holiday Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, FL. The grandchildren (ages 13 and 15) have been to this resort nearly every year since they have been born. My wife and I only wish we had a facility like this to take our own children to when they were young. After they spent the week on the Panhandle of Florida, they headed to West Palm Beach to have an enjoyable week at the Marriott Ocean Pointe resort (an II trade). Even though the Marriott is a real upscale resort, the kids still say they prefer the Landmark and the sugar white beach and emerald green waters of the Panhandle. Before we got to travel ourselves, our other daughter and family used a one bedroom week the Landmark in Panama City Beach. The upside is they decided to leave their two-yearold daughter with us for the week so we got an uninterrupted week of granddaughter time which we thoroughly enjoyed. Finally in August, we got to use some time ourselves. We took a four year old grandson and a seven year old grand daughter to Silverleaf’s Hill Country resort (an RCI Extra Vacation) at Canyon Lake, TX. There had been considerable flooding earlier in that area, so the lake and its normal activities were closed for any recreational use. We had been to that resort previously and enjoyed tubing the Guadalupe River, but the high water levels had also closed down the tubing. We still enjoyed the resort’s pool and other activities. In early September, we headed west for an extended trip. Our first stop was at Marriott Canyon Villas (an II exchange) in Phoenix, AZ. The weather was quite warm, but being from Louisiana, the humidity felt nonexistent. Guests at the Villas are permitted to use the facilities at the nearby J. W. Marriott resort, so we spent a lot of time in the JW’s lazy river. We next headed north to Park City, UT for a week at Raintree Miner’s Club (an RCI exchange). On our way there, we spent one night near Zion National Park and were awed once again by its beauty. While in Park City, we managed to eat lunch at the five star Stein Erickson Hotel in Deer Valley and went to Sundance where we took the lift up the mountain. We had great weather the entire week. Heading back east, we next spent a week at the Sheraton Mountain Vista resort (an II exchange) in Avon, CO. Since we had vacationed in this area before, we spent our time seeing the local sights again and just relaxing. The next week was spent at Pagosa Springs, CO staying at the Wyndham Pagosa resort (an RCI exchange). We enjoyed seeing the hot air balloons floating over the resort www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more
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on several days. We purchased a week pass to the Pagosa hot springs and went there nearly every day. At the end of the week we headed back to Arizona for a week stay at the Wyndham Flagstaff resort (an RCI exchange). We drove down the beautiful Oak Creek Canyon road and spent a day in Sedona. We had lunch at the beautiful and scenic Enchantment Resort which is just west of Sedona. We also managed to take trips to see the Montezuma Castle National Monument and the Walnut Creek National Monument. After leaving Flagstaff we headed west for a week at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas (an II exchange) at Newport Coast, CA. The southern California coast has a never ending array of activities. One off our highlights was a dolphin and whale watching trip with Captain Dave out of Dana Point. We spent most of the morning following a blue whale and watching it surface and then dive. Later, we had a pod of hundreds of dolphins follow our boat. After the long drive back to Loui-
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siana, we actually stayed home for a few months until early January when we headed for Florida. Our first stop was at the Atlantic Terrace resort (an II exchange) in Daytona Beach Shores, FL. This is a lovely small resort right on the beach and away for all the action and hubbub of Daytona Beach itself. The next week, we moved to Orlando for a week at Silver Lake Resorts (an RCI exchange). We have been to Orlando numerous times, but Jim had never been to Sea World before. We spent two days there watching all the animal performances. We moved on to the Resort on Cocoa Beach (an RCI exchange) at Cocoa Beach, FL. We have stayed there before and enjoy watching the cruise ships leaving from Port Canaveral throughout the week. We next headed a few hours north to Celebrity Resorts (an RCI exchange) at Palm Coast, FL. We visited the historic city of St. Augustine and enjoyed the nearby beaches. We next headed back south to Cocoa Beach again and spent a week at a hidden gem
Mar/Apr, 2009
which is Discovery Beach Resort (an RCI exchange). We had never stayed here before but were really quite favorably impressed. All units are beach front and have a good sized balcony. Our final week of this trip was spent at the Marriott Barony Beach Club (an II exchange) on Hilton Head Island. SC. We had exchanged through RCI for the month of June two weeks at the Mondi-Oberstaufen resort and a week each at the Mondi-Mitterfels resort and the Germuender Ferienwohnpark Salzberg resort, all in Germany. However, after arriving home in March from our Florida trip Jim was diagnosed with some severe health problems which led us to have to cancel our Germany trip. During the past year, our children used three weeks, we used thirteen weeks and we had to cancel four weeks. We continued to enjoy our timeshare weeks and urge all reader’s of TimeSharing Today to use and enjoy your weeks as you never know what tomorrow may bring.
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Mar/Apr, 2009
FOCUS ON: Adventura Spa Palace, Riviera Maya,Mex
By El Rajotte My husband and I went to Aventura Spa Palace in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, in June 2008, to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. We exchanged our resort in Williamsburg, with RCI, for an additional all-inclusive fee of $1,750.00. (Which is much cheaper than a lot of all-inclusive resorts.) I had done a lot of research prior to booking with this resort and I must say I was not disappointed. I’m the type who likes to relax, yet enjoy some type of entertainment a couple of hours a day. Aventura Spa Palace, offers both! It is an adult-only resort, which was a perk in our case. It is a huge, beautiful resort, with about 25 buildings named after musical instruments. They divide the resort by the North side and South side. (Lobby to lobby is about 5-10 min walk, but they do have shuttles) The north side of the resort is the quieter side and the south side is a bit livelier. We didn’t really venture too much to the south side, during the day, so I’m not sure what was going on there that made it livelier. The resort has 7 restaurants and a Sweet & Coffee shop. All very good in our opinion. They’ve got several bars and lounges throughout the resort, including swim up bars at two of the pools. There are several very large pools and there is also an indoor pool. They also have several Jacuzzis, but I don’t think any of them are heated. The resort does not have a beach, but it has lagoons which the water comes from the Caribbean Sea. There are a couple of inlets that allow the water to flow in and out, thereby not being stagnant
water. You can snorkel and kayak in these lagoons and they have several loungers to relax by them. You can see the ocean, perfectly; there is a wall of rocks preventing one to actually go out to sea. It is just like sitting on a beach. This resort has a spa service, which a lot of people raved about, but it was also very expensive and not included in our all-inclusive fees. We did not use this service, so we can’t really give an opinion on it. They also provide nightly entertainment, from a fire show to a silly comedy show. Each room has a balcony and a double Jacuzzi tub. Most rooms are not ocean front, but from ours we could see the ocean and gardens. They provide just about all the amenities needed, from shampoos to a sewing kit. They also have a liquor dispenser with four different bottles, like Tequila, rum, etc. They have a mini fridge, stocked daily, with water, beer and soda. All of these are free! Of course there are other amenities, like blow dryers, irons, etc. Palace Resorts own about 11 resorts, mostly in Mexico. They all offer free tours. (I believe you have to pay in advance to qualify for this option, called the Palace Passport). We did Tulum, Ziplining (which is new) and went to 5th Ave. All of these were free, although tips at the end of the tours are usually expected.
• • •
The staff is wonderful at the resort and even though tipping is included, at Palace resorts, it is allowed. We brought plenty of ones and fives, and did not mind tipping at all. They do not expect it and service is awesome with or without a tip. We enjoyed each and every day at this place and cannot wait to try another Palace Resort, possibly at Puerto Vallarta.
We are licensed to issue title insurance Unlike our competitors, we are attorney owned, ensuring your paperwork is in complete compliance with the law We have a network of attorneys licensed to prepare your documents in any state
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Towards a 21st Century Exchange By David Skinner, President, Holiday Group
Part 2: Set My Timeshare Free
In the second installment in our series we’ll look at the events that gave rise to our current exchange systems—what’s good about them, what’s not, and what could be done better. One thing everyone seems to agree on is that the flexibility to exchange is a major contributor to timeshare’s value and popularity. When surveyed, eighty-six percent of timeshare owners responded that exchange flexibility was the most important consideration when deciding whether to purchase a timeshare. Yet paradoxically, this most important consideration comes at a dear price—the freedom to choose which exchange network is right for you.
A Short History of Timeshare Exchange
Timeshare in the US got its start in the early 1970s with the formation of Vacation International. Developers Bob Burns and Robert Ringgenberg held nightly seminars at most every Holiday Inn along the West Coast’s I-5 corridor. The concept was both new and simple: one week of vacation each year, same time, same place. And people bought it—lots of people. But it wasn’t flexible and so they complained. Then one evening in 1974, Christel De Haan cleared the dishes from her dining room table, sat down with note cards in hand, and founded Resort Condominiums International. Suddenly timeshares became flexible, and soon after Christel became rich! This single event overcame the public’s major objection and fundamentally advanced the concept of timeshare, thereby assuring its longevity. But things were simpler then; with one exchange company, exclusivity was not an issue; with one network, choice was not an option.
Mar/Apr, 2009
It wasn’t long, however, before things got complicated. A new exchange company came to town and it meant business, big business—RCI’s business. Mario Rodriguez and Thomas Davis, founders of Interval International, saw Gold Crowns “in them thar hills,” and they wanted their share. And so the “turf wars” of 1976 began. The territorial walls went up and the exclusive affiliation agreements came out. With no alternative, developers signed off on the agreements and sold out your freedom of choice. Since then, the timeshare world has been divided into two parts: Resort Condominiums International, which boasts the larger number of resort affiliates, and Interval International, which claims the higher quality. While the two were systematically similar, they were technologically incompatible. Systems-wise, both networks can be categorized as “closed systems.” A closed system is one that restricts any activity beyond its borders, versus an open system that has no walls and allows interaction from the outside. But like the Hatfields and the McCoys, regardless of their commonality, they were
You Can’t Get There From Here
This basic right of choice was bargained away years ago by means of the exclusive affiliation agreement, a binding contract between a timeshare developer and an exchange company. For his part of the agreement, the developer may promote access to the timeshare exchange and offer an exchange membership as a purchase incentive. In return, the exchange company gains the sole and exclusive right to include the resort in their network, to charge annual subscription fees to the members, collect transaction costs, and to profit from the management and disposition of any inventory deposited to make an exchange. Therein lies the paradox. If your desired destination is not part of the exchange system, then “you can’t get there from here.” In other words, the value of exchange flexibility extends only as far as the particular network’s reach. And alternatives are few. So, how did we get here and what can be done about it? www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more
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TRI WEST Home of the
Timeshare BLUEBOOK© & Vacation Gallery
800-423-6377
triwest-timeshare.com
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simply not going to get along. From the beginning, each of these closed systems served as an impenetrable wall against the encroachment of the other company—and an effective barrier to further competition. Over time, other companies have entered the fray, such as Trading Places, Dial-an-Exchange, and San Francisco, but all have found it difficult to grow market share. And as the great Jack Welsh of GE fame noted, if you’re not number one or two on the field, you’re not in the game. Back to those exclusive affiliation agreements: they were also effective in protecting the huge infrastructure that these companies came to represent. As an example, old-timers fondly remember the hefty annual resort catalogs packed with pictures and descriptions of every resort in their systems, the collation, maintenance, and distribution of which was a demanding and expensive task that grew even more so as the industry expanded. These annual catalogs served as “vacation wish books” for their members; that is, until the Information Superhighway arrived and changed everything.
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Today, most of this information is available online for free, with reviews and social communities to boot. The original rationale behind these vast exchange company infrastructures, their centralized business models, the closed network systems, and the resulting duopoly market control are all gone. As did the arrival of the railroads and the building of the interstate highway system, the arrival of the Internet has changed all the rules. Is it time to “set my timeshare free”? Or, as Ronald Reagan put it, “to tear down these walls.” In this new age, the restriction on your freedom to choose is no longer acceptable. Is there a better way, a 21st Century approach? I believe the answer is, yes!
Imagine
Despite the various criticisms you can throw at them, exchange companies have through the years done an excellent job. Without them the timeshare industry would probably not exist. But times have changed; technology has overrun their proprietary programs and made their closed exchange systems a costly problem rather than an adaptive solution. One can only imagine that they would resist any change that threatened the status quo—at least and until they felt there was no alternative, or their shareholders and clients demanded it. They could, however, as did the music industry discussed in Part 1 of this series, accept the inevitable, embrace change, reinvent themselves, and emerge as an important part of a super exchange network. A 21st Century exchange that is self-governed, transparent, fair, and built on open source collaborative principles— a peer-to-peer owners’ network of sharing and exchanging, a community of timeshare enthusiasts and enterprises working towards a common goal and individual owner value. As the late John Lennon so wistfully penned: You may say I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will be as one. In Part 3 of this series, we’ll look at just how a global open source system might work, the important role the exchange companies could play, and how all timeshare owners and the industry as a whole could benefit.
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Mar/Apr, 2009
TimeSharing Today Directory of Management Companies Liberte Management 10681 Gulf Blvd, Suite 207, Treasure Island, FL 33706 Group 727/360-2006 -
[email protected] www.libertemanagement.com Founded 1987 Manages 10 resorts with 330 units in Florida.
Turnkey management, accounting, marketing, housekeeping, concierge, consulting, resales, marketing, timeshare conversions, rentals.
Defender Resorts, Inc. 6301 N. Kings Hwy, Box 1429 N. Myrtle Beach, SC, 29598. 843/497-6431 -
[email protected] www.defenderresorts.com Founded 1979 Manages 17 resorts with 750+ units; East Coast, Cayman Is.
Full service management, resales. HOA administration, operations, sampler/exit programs, accounting, billing/collections, rentals, exchanges.
SPM Resorts, Inc. Founded 1978
1051 Shine Ave., Myrtle Beach, SC 92577 Full service management, including 407/253-1789 -
[email protected] resale program for owners. www.spmresorts.com Manages 25 resorts with 1,582 units in the U.S. and Virgin Islands.
Trading Places International Founded 1973
23807 Aliso Creek Rd., #100, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 800/365-1048 -
[email protected] www.tradingplaces.com Manages 22 resorts, 40,000 units-US, Mex, Aruba, So.Amer.
Full service management, resales, HOA administration, operations, exchanges, accounting, billing and collections, rentals.
RMC Resort Management Founded 1992
20 Executive Park Rd., Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 888/433-4762, ext 11113 -
[email protected] www.hiltonheadusa.com Manages 6 resorts with 205 units in Eastern United States
Comprehensive management, front desk, billing/collections, rentals, resales, HOA administration, housekeeping, hospitality, maintenance.
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Ron’s Select Holidays
By Ronald G. Helms Centerville, OH We try to visit Breckenridge, Colorado every year. Gold Pointe Resort is very special resort. The newer penthouse suites are extremely nice. A lack of onsite swimming pool is a big plus (no kid noise). The views are fantastic. We visit during the ski season, summer, and fall. The penthouse condo is pure luxury. Gold Point provides a much needed vacation experience. A gourmet kitchen or fine dining is available. Hiking and ski trails abound. During ski season, we park underground free at our sister resort, Grand Timber Lodge. We sometime stay at Grand Timber Resort, but find this resort to be inundated with feral children, and parents who are desperately seeking solitude from their own children. The redeeming feature of Grand Timber Resort is that free underground parking is provided within a short walk of the ski lift for owners of Gold Pointe Resort. Of course Breckenridge offers several different corporate timeshares, and we do not prefer the timeshares within the town’s limits. As Marriott owners, we were greatly disappointed with the Breckenridge Marriott as well as with the nearby Vail Marriott. Most Colorado ski resorts offered enclosed parking, and Gold Pointe Resort offers real garages. It may be a good idea to rent a 4x4 SUV during the ski season. I have traveled through 90% of large U.S. airports, and I loathe the Denver airport with a passion. Who can predict I-70 weather during ski season? We really prefer to fly into Colorado Springs and drive to Breckenridge. Skiing at Breckenridge is fantastic And skiing Colorado is huge: Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Howelsen, Loveland, Monarch Mountain, Powderhorn, Purgatory (Durango), Silverton, Mountain Ski Cooper, Snowmass, Sol Vista Basin, Steamboat, Sunlight, Telluride, Vail, Winter Park, Wolf Creek Ski Area. Colorado is a large
state, and one cannot ski all of these mountains from a base in Breckenridge. Breckenridge, Colorado is a vibrant four-season recreation community. Its website proclaims, “The stunning landscape, cultural heritage, authentic mining vernacular, and Victorian atmosphere have created a thriving community and premier year-round family resort, which attracts both national and international visitors. With world-class skiing, a continuous series of summer-time events, and over 600 restaurants, galleries, and services, Breckenridge looks forward to continued economic viability while preserving its unique history and character.” In order to really enjoy Breckenridge, please download the Breckenridge dining guide at www.breckenridgediningguide. com. We avoid the salon style restaurants that feature 25 televisions, and we are careful to elude the family eateries. A little exploration of the Breckenridge dining guide will provide great cuisine and romantic dining experience.
Mar/Apr, 2009
We find summer vacations at Gold Pointe to be an absolute delight. While a little snow is present, there is an abundance of hiking trails, mountain biking, cultural activities, natural beauty, art galleries, etc. My very favorite day’s end activity is going to the private front deck of the condo, cracking open a nice Cabernet sauvignon and simply enjoying the pure insouciance of the enrapturement of the ardent mountain beauty. Use caution in exchange or purchase at Gold Pointe; several of the older units are definitely not five star, but the newer penthouse units afford terrific views of the mountains, have at least 4 bedrooms, a huge well equipped kitchen, and a large dining room and deserve a five star rating. Because I travel often to U.S. cities, I exchange into city condos. While the hotel savings are great, I really prefer the natural environment and the luxury of scale of the condo and the scale of Breckenridge, Colorado.
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TSToday Anywhere
Bill Nagel is shown with his TimeSharing Today in Oxnard, CA at Channel Island Shores where he spent a week on this exchange with his wife Carol.
Arnie Lynn of Boca Raton, FL relaxes with his magazine during an exchange to the Costa Linda Resort in Aruba.
Clarice French, an owner at Heavenly Valley Townhouses in Lake Tahoe, CA spent a week at the Worldmark Victoria in Victoria, BC. She is shown with her magazine at Craigdarroch Castle.
Mar/Apr, 2009
Bill and Carolyn Hoffee of Onsted, MI are enjoying their TimeSharing Today magazine at the Fairfield Old Town resort in Alexandria, VA over Thanksgiving weekend.
Dorothea Perry of Danville, IL is reading her TimeSharing Today while on vacation at Windward Passage Resort in Ft. Myers Beach, FL.
Dan Nurnberger from Pittsburgh, PA enjoys his magazine while relaxing at the Inn Seasons Resort Surfside in Falmouth, MA while on an exchange with his wife Kathy.
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Page 27
Mark Twain’s Cat…and “upfront fee” Brokers
By Dan Murphy President, Timeshare Liquidation Service and Quality Timeshare Resales Editor’s note: In the Nov/Dec, 2008 issue, the “Ask Dave M” column cautioned, “No matter what else you do, DO NOT pay an up-front advertising, marketing, appraisal or (fill in the blank) fee in hopes of selling your week.” I’m writing to rebut some comments made by David McClintock in his recent article. But first, a little background. My name is Dan Murphy. I am a 30 year veteran of the vacation timeshare industry as well as the principal owner and Broker of Timeshare Liquidation Service, LLC. We have a staff of 7 and have been operating as a timeshare resale brokerage since 1994 in Redmond, WA. We were the original resellers of WorldMark credits. We operate as licensed Real Estate professionals in Washington State and have a pristine record with the Washington Department of Licensing. I have personally counseled many thousands of WorldMark owners who were considering selling their WorldMark credits…for any reason…but who were virtually clueless as to how they might do that. Our brokerage model for WorldMark credits has always been to appraise the membership, educate the prospective seller about the sales process, list those memberships for sale when it made sense for the seller, find a buyer, close the sale, and keep some percentage of the sale for our commission. We never have, and most likely never will, charge an “upfront” fee for this service. That’s because we know this market like the back of our hands. We don’t need to expend hours of our time, researching the club/market to determine what the market value is for credits, because we already have all the data we need, in house. We simply draw on that data to make our quote. We are, simply put, experts when it comes to the sale of WorldMark credits. In my work counseling sellers I repeatedly run into folks who have been victimized by “the upfront boys.” The common complaints reported to me by these (would be) sellers about their “agents” include inflating the sale price to
secure the listing, outright lies about market conditions for timeshares; little or no communication once the fee has been paid up-front, and, most importantly, no sale. I personally hope there is a special place in hell for those who use these practices to abuse the public trust. But I digress… In response to demand from our many satisfied clients, we expanded in 2007, adding another division, Quality Timeshare Resales which focuses on all other variations of timeshares. Yes, we charge an “upfront fee” of $99.95, but unlike so many of the scam operators, that fee is applied to real, contemporary research of both the market and the club to ensure that we provide the quality of advice our clients both need and deserve to make an intelligent decision. We take a very proactive approach to marketing and selling and think of ourselves as problem solvers who embrace the win-win philosophy. Our clients repeatedly tell us how appreciative they are for our straight talk, integrity, and honest business practices. We understand our model is misunderstood by some and mistrusted by others. However, businessminded people who want results, not rhetoric, find our service to be unmatched in the industry. We understand the public’s frustration with the “resale problem.” While the timeshare industry provides some of the finest resort experiences in the world, unfortunately it’s an evolving model and many of the earlier versions have become dated. While they may still serve as excellent vacation products in their own right, they don’t necessarily mesh well with the newer, more flexible iterations of vacation products that the developers keep rolling out. Oh, yeah…and good luck finding a buyer if you seek to recover some of your initial investment. Back to Mark Twain’s cat: He wrote: “a cat that sits on a hot stove will never sit on another hot stove…but it won’t sit on a cold stove either.” Business models evolve along with products and services. I urge you to keep an open mind about firms charging fees in advance of service, but also to remember the old adage of caveat emptor (buyer beware!)
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RE/MAX PROPERTIES S.W. Timeshare Resale Division
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Banff Rocky Mountain Resort
The Smartest and Easiest way to Buy or Sell your Timeshare. Our team has over 30 years of combined Real Estate experience.
(800)541-5666 ext 325 (407)352-5800 x 325 Fax (407)393-5788
www.TimeshareResalePros.com
Mar/Apr, 2009
By Dorria Vesely, Kamloops, BC, Canada We very much enjoyed our stay at the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The onebedroom unit was small, but had everything one needs (in Banff National Park, building and unit sizes are restricted). Check in was efficient and friendly; maid services were once midweek, and the grounds are full of wildlife – ground squirrels. The unit could use a renovation, in our opinion. The resort offered a variety of activities for young and not so young: tennis courts, squash courts, bocce, horseshoe, indoor pool, spa indoor and outdoor, fitness centre, deli and bar, dining room, free shuttle to downtown (about 10 minutes) every hour till 11 pm. There are daily complementary guided tours, with easy to moderate difficulties, to the Hoodoos view point, Johnson Lake, Lake Minnewanka, Bow Falls, Marsh Loop (where one sees tropical fish in the wild imported from Florida) and others. All of the tours were very interesting. We took part in some and enjoyed all of them, while we learned quite a bit about the surroundings of Banff. One can also book tours to Lake Louise, Yoho Park, Columbia Icefields and other places. There are hiking trails in the area, as well as horseback riding tours and mountain biking. There is also white water rafting and canoeing and fishing in lakes and the Bow River. One can challenge the 27-hole golf course or enjoy soaking in the Hot Springs summer and
winter with spectacular views. There is also a tour of “Ice Walking” through a narrow Grotto Canyon where one finds rock paintings which are over 1,000 years old and link the early inhabitants of the Bow Valley to ancient cultures from the American South West. In the winter one can follow the Olympic ski runs, alpine cross country in the surrounding area. Lake Louise, about 35 miles away, is Canada’s largest ski area. The town of Banff was founded in 1883 and came about when three Canadian Pacific Railway workers had been looking for gold but instead found sulphur hot springs. Many tourists and explorers came to see Banff’s beauty, and in 1885 the Canadian Government created the country’s first National Park to protect the unique wilderness. Banff has a well known Arts Centre and stores with a good quality selection of Ammolite jewelery. Ammolite is a rare iridescent gemstone that is found on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. It is formed from the ancient fossilized shells of ammonites. The vice president of the railroad directed the construction of the famous Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise (now Fairmont Hotels). They hired Swiss Mountain guides and Banff Park became known the world over as a destination for adventurers. There is astonishing scenery everywhere around Banff’s townsite: the Cascade Mountain (2988 m), Mount Rundle (2948 m) dominate the landscape. Rundle, the southern peak, is Banff’s most distinctive mountain with its most unique shape. In the early evening it displays a deep orange color from the setting sun. There are many quality restaurants of many varieties in Banff. There are also good food stores like Safeway in town. This was our second year that we exchanged to Banff with DAElive, but there is still much more for us to see.
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Mar/Apr, 2009
AROUND THE INDUSTRY Florida Owners Group Meets Again
Speakers from the Florida Timeshare Owners Group’s recent meeting (pictured above) included Fermin Cruz (Dial an Exchange), Frank Debar (group coordinator), Gary Prado (Redweek) and Lisa Ann Schreier (Timeshare Insights). The Group meets three times per year, in March, July, and November. The Florida Timeshare Owners Group has scheduled its next meeting for Sunday afternoon, March 29th. 2009, at the Venetian Room of the Pelican Pointe Golf & Country Club, in Venice, FL. Timeshare owners interested in attending this meeting will need to make advance reservations, by contacting Frank Debar, Group Coordinator, at (941) 351-1384, or
[email protected] There are three invited Guest Speakers: Brian Rogers, from Timeshare Users Group, (TUG), will present an update on his popular website, tug2.net. Tom Tubbs, Island Consulting, will discuss the current issues dealing with the timeshare resales industry, and options that all owners may consider utilizing. Ed Hastry, President of the National Timeshare Owners Association, will explain his organization’s benefits and objectives. There will be a General Discussion session as well, led by members of the Group, covering various topics of interest to all Timesharers. Information on membership in the Group can be obtained by calling Frank Debar or online at www.tsownersgroup.com, the group’s website.
$275
Trading Places expands in SC
Trading Places International was recently awarded management contracts for two resort properties in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Sand Castle South Timeshare Owners Association and the Seaside Resort Timeshare Owners Association. Trading Places will service all reservations, rentals, exchanges, and association financial services of select units of the Sand Castle South building, and select units of the Seaside Resort building. These management services contracts will add new high-end condominium options for the vacation owner and timeshare traveler, while cultivating a business relationship between Trading Places and the Oceania Family of Resorts. “We’re very excited about the addition of resorts in this popular East Coast destination,” said Douglas L. Wilcox, Vice President of Resort Management. “These two great vacation properties will round out Trading Places’ extensive U.S. presence.” Sand Castle South Resort is a popular oceanfront location built in the late 1990s and has recently joined the ranks of properties that are changing the face of Myrtle Beach, thanks to its recent conversion to efficiencies and 1-bedroom condominium units to its floor plan, each with oceanfront views and private balconies. Seaside Resort offers a boutique environment, dramatic architecture and a diverse selection of floor plans with incredible views of the Atlantic. Trading Places International currently oversees more than 55,000 timeshare owners at over 30 resort locations in Hawaii, Mexico, South America, the Caribbean and mainland United States.
Raintree opens new resorts
As real estate and timeshare companies across the globe continue to lay off thousands of employees and shutter sales offices, the Houston, Texas-based Raintree Vacation Club is acquiring additional properties and opening new resorts for its Members. In December, Raintree opened its 20th resort, Villa Vera Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The resort had recently enjoyed a $4.5 million renovation after its purchase in May. The company also opened a new Inizio restaurant at Raintree’s Club Regina Puerto Vallarta. Additionally, the Inizio restaurant at Raintree’s Club
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Regina Cabo will open in February. According to CEO Doug Bech, president of Raintree Resorts International, the company has now added its 21st resort with the acquisition of a Phoenix property, currently known as Canyon View. A contest has been held for Raintree Members to submit names for their new resort. Explains Bech, “We will be rebranding this property quickly and begin operating it as a Raintree Resort.” Raintree is the largest independent, U.S.-based vacation ownership company operating in Mexico, with sales offices in Los Cabos, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta. Ten of its twenty-one vacation ownership resorts are located in Mexico.
Montana town considers tax
The West Yellowstone, Montana, Town Council is considering a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) that would collect one dollar per room per overnight stay from all of the hotels in the town limits with over ten rooms. The money would then be managed by a non-profit organization that would use the funds to market and promote tourism in West Yellowstone. In order for the TBID to be implemented, organizers need to collect signatures representing ownership of 60 percent or more of the total square-footage of all of the business that would be included in the TBID. The question that is currently holding up progress is whether or not the Worldmark by Wyndham timeshare should be considered a hotel for the purposes of the TBID. The Wyndham was built in an area of town set aside for short-
Mar/Apr, 2009
term transient lodging, which leads some to believe that it should be treated as a hotel. Others think that it should be excluded from the TBID because they feel that the membership structure the timeshare uses sets it apart from traditional hotels. “If the Wyndham doesn’t sign, this [TBID] may not happen” said local business owner Clyde Seely. If the Wyndham is indeed a hotel, and is included in the TBID, it might add enough square-footage to the proposed area that the TBID couldn’t pass without the Wyndham’s signature. According to council members, representatives from the Wyndham have expressed their unwillingness to participate in the TBID when their rooms are occupied by their members. The town did pass a resolution expressing its intent to form a TBID, which would speed up the process once the required signatures were collected and delivered to the council. In order for that to happen, the council and the hoteliers will first need to come to a consensus regarding the status of the Wyndham.
Six arrested in timeshare scam
National Police in Spain, have arrested six British people for defrauding other Britons in the fraudulent resale of timeshare property in the province of Málaga. The manager and five telesales operators offered timeshares on the Costa del Sol for one or several weeks for large amounts of money. However, the same timeshare rights were resold to different buyers several times, according to a statement from the main police station in Málaga.
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The case started after a complaint from a British person about a company based in Alhaurín el Grande. The company used several different names and closed down, only to reopen in Fuengirola. The six arrested will appear in court shortly.
Industry retrenches
The combined effects of reluctance (or inability) by prospective buyers to purchase developers’ timeshare weeks and the lack of financing available to developers for constructing new projects have created an unprecedented impact on the industry. Developers are seeking to meet the challenge by refocusing marketing efforts on existing timeshare owners, or dramatically curtailing sales efforts completely in selected areas. The state of the developer segment of the timeshare industry was recently summarized by Scott Burlingame, editor of the trade magazine Vacation Ownership World as follows: “Sales have been suspended or reduced at multiple resorts, marketing has been streamlined to the bare essentials, construction has been halted or delayed, and large layoffs have been announced. This is indeed a crisis atmosphere.” Wyndham’s fourth quarter timeshare sales dropped 11 percent and it announced a planned 40 percent reduction for this year.
Resale companies get venture capital
Even in the midst of the current economic recession and the toll it has taken on the timeshare industry, Edison Venture Fund decided to invest $8.5 million in the growth and expansion of Sell My Timeshare NOW, and its brokerage arm, Timeshare Broker Services. The company reports that its website attracted more than 25 million visitors last year and an average of over $1 million per day in offers to buy or rent timeshares. These websites provide the customer with the option of either using the services of a broker to sell their timeshare, or selling their timeshare themselves. Timeshare Brokerage Services charges no upfront fee to sell timeshare; the timeshare owner pays only when the timeshare sells. Sell My Timeshare NOW charges timeshare owners a onetime advertising fee to advertise their timeshare, and then exposes the timeshare via the company’s family of websites. Don Nadeau, licensed real estate broker and Managing Director of Timeshare Broker Services says, “To my knowledge, there has never been a timeshare brokerage or resales company to receive this type of growth capital. This attests to the strength, integrity, and customer-centric services of our company, and bears out the fact that we provide a much-needed service in the timeshare industry today.” As Nadeau explains, the success-based services of Timeshare Broker Services are built on a single, highly important point, “We actually sell timeshares! In 2008, TBS sold over 1,000 timeshares, which is why the brokerage division of the company has grown to include 3 offices, 16 agents, and representatives in Tampa, Orlando, and New Hampshire.” The company’s timeshare advertising and marketing division, Sell My Timeshare NOW, has grown from 3 employees to more than 150 in the past 5 years. www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more
Mar/Apr, 2009
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Owners Fight Back Against Developer/Manager Wyndham
By William Spearman, Greenville, SC Mr. Spearman, a FairShare Plus owner for over 15 years, is an assistant moderator of the Wyndham owners’ online forum. There has been a strong and unified opposition by timeshare owners to recent changes by Wyndham in the popular FairShare Plus Program, including massive fee increases, drastic changes in benefits, and loss of inventory to the developer. Thousands of owners are using terms such as “corporate greed”, “misrepresentation”, “self-dealing”, “anti-trust”, and some that can not be printed, to describe the actions by Wyndham. Owners are writing congressmen, attorney generals, the Federal Trade Commission, Securities Exchange Commission, consumer complaint advocates, and all forms of media. They are publishing blogs, building awareness websites, picketing, petitioning, and even making videos and flyers. One owner felt so strongly about his losses
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that he even reported Wyndham to the FBI. All of these efforts have been to put pressure on Wyndham executives. This situation did not evolve overnight. In fact, the problems have been building since Fairfield (the developer) split from Cendant in 2006 and rebranded as Wyndham Vacation Resorts. The FairShare Plus Program was developed by Fairfield Communities in 1991. FairShare Plus quickly became one of the most popular timeshare programs, due mostly to the innovation and flexibility provided by the use of their pointsbased exchange system. In 2001, Fairfield Communities was bought by Cendant (the hospitality and travel giant that owned RCI) and renamed Fairfield Resorts. After Cendant’s split into separate corporations in 2006, their hotel and timeshare brands were merged into Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE:WYN). Wyndham Vacation Resorts is a subsidiary of Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the timeshare division of Wyndham Worldwide. (For simplicity, the term Wyndham will be used for the rest of this article to refer to Wyndham Worldwide and any of its subsidiaries.) Wyndham continues the role of program manager and developer for the FairShare Plus Program. Under Wyndham’s management, the changes started almost immediately; promised benefits were taken away or reinterpreted, available inventory began disappearing, customer-oriented staff from the Fairfield-regime were terminated, resale values plummeted, and FairShare Plus owners grew increasingly skeptical of Wyndham’s management abilities. For these owners, the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was the fee increases of up to 500% and the complete elimination of one of the programs most important benefits, universally reserved by salesmen as their “closing deal” – point transfers. In order to comprehend why owners are now helpless to stop destructive changes to their ownership, you must understand the background and design of the FairShare Plus Vacation Owners Association (VOA), a non-profit corporation, based out of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Mar/Apr, 2009
To be part of FairShare Plus, each owner assigns their ownership interest to the VOA in exchange for an annual allotment of points. In turn, these points are used to book reservations within the FairShare Plus system. The VOA was organized for the purpose of protecting owners interests and allowing for the exchange of vacation intervals between all members of the VOA. The mechanisms for this exchange process are stated in a Trust Agreement, between the timeshare owner, the VOA, and the FairShare Plus Manager. With only minor changes (almost always for the better) between 1991 and 2005, this process became the industry role-model for the quid-pro-quo relationship needed between the developer and the owners in order to gain important word-of-mouth advertising. In fact, the 350,000+ owners of the FairShare Plus Program were so happy, over 40% of the developer’s sales were to existing owners! After Wyndham assumed management, this model for the industry has turned from a highly productive symbiotic relationship into a destructive parasitic relationship. One might wonder how a publicly traded, “for profit” corporation, like Wyndham could have so much influence on the FairShare Plus owners. After all, the owners are protected by their membership in the VOA, which is a non-profit organization. Wyndham is simply the manager. If they take advantage of owners through their position as manager, then the owners should be able to easily replace them. The difficulties in doing this were discussed in the January issue of Timesharing Today. These difficulties are further compounded by the governing documents of the FairShare Plus Program. Written in 1991, the VOA’s Bylaws “temporarily” assigned three of the Fairfield developers to the Board of Directors. Provisions were included for expansion of the Board to include four FairShare owners at a later date. The Trust Agreement (written at the same time) assigned the developer (now Wyndham) as the Trustee AND the FairShare Plus Manager. The Bylaws and Trust Agreement give the Board of Directors the right to change any program or feature at will, if in the best interest of the timeshare owners. Two interesting provisions in the Trust Agreement are that Wyndham never has to pay
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program fees and they are also able to take 90% of all unreserved inventory for free 60 days from check-in and 100% at 30 days from check-in. They rent this inventory out through Wyndham’s corporate rental division, Extra Holidays, without any compensation back to the VOA. Still today, after 18 years, there are still only the three unelected Directors, all of whom are executives from Wyndham, who have carte blanche authority to modify, interpret, change, and/or amend the Bylaws, Trust Agreement, Management Agreement, fees, benefits, and virtually anything at all having to do with the FairShare Plus Program. Granted, they are legally charged to do so ONLY in the owner’s best interests. They have a fiduciary responsibility to disregard the desires and impact of any decisions they make in regard to Wyndham, their employer. They are never to allow the fact that they also hold Board positions and executive decision-making positions within Wyndham to interfere with their judgment regarding their decisions as corporate officers and Directors for the owners’ non-profit VOA. Sounds easy, right? Let’s take a look at the decisions this Board of Directors made on behalf of the owners, whom they are duly obligated to serve, and consider for whose interests these decisions were made: June 2006. Reservations booked with VIP discounts and/or upgrades may not be used by guests (this has been allowed since the inception of the program, but Wyndham stated it has been being misinterpreted, charged owners full price if guest used unit). May 2007. After major owner discontent, Wyndham claimed that they misinterpreted the verbiage about discounts and upgrades and reversed this decision (after thousands of owners lost points and a lot of money because of it). May 2007. All reservations must be cancelled 15 days from check-in or be completely forfeited. (When Wyndham pulls all inventory out for free to rent via Extra Holidays, they allow non-owners up until 48 hours before check-in to cancel without penalty.) Jan 2008. No more unlimited guest confirmations. (VIPs have always had unlimited FREE guest certificates, now they get a few token guest certificates for free,
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then have to pay the normal price of $25 for each additional guest certificate.) Oct 2008. The $25 guest certificate price has been raised to $129 if done on the phone (516% increase) or $99 if done online. (Again, for VIPs, this was free a year ago, then made to be $25 when they limited guests, and a month later raised to $49, but raised again to $129 even before the $49 was implemented; also, units taken by Extra Holidays pay no guest fees at all.) Dec 2008. Effective March 1, 2009, no more transferring of points between owners (one of the major selling points to encourage owners to buy to a higher level is that you can “always” rent off or transfer any extra points you don’t use.) This is still being pitched in February 2009, but they are eliminating it. Wyndham cites security concerns and owner feedback as their rationale for the change). [A poll of over 500 owners was conducted in January on Wyndham Owners’ Forums and 96% stated they disagreed with this policy] Owners are outraged. Resale values have dropped down to an all-time low. $20,000 developer cost ownerships can now be purchased on eBay for a single penny. Wyndham executives continue to take benefits away from owners and try to funnel their options for usage back to Wyndham’s for-profit enterprises, Extra Holidays, Plus Partners, etc. When one owner brought up their dissatisfaction with the elimination of point transfers, Wyndham’s Plan Manager responded that owners can sell their points to Wyndham for $2.10 per thousand, and if they need extra points, they can rent them from Wyndham for $10.00 per thousand. Now that is certainly a nice profit margin! In December 2008, Stephen Holmes, the CEO of Wyndham Worldwide, reassured stockholders that Wyndham is going to rely on their vacation ownership brands to get them through this economic crisis. Now we see how Wyndham has decided to accomplish that. There is one fallacy about what Stephen Holmes said though. He mentioned that they are going to rely heavily on brand-loyalty and get current owners to purchase more. With the latest round of changes and fee increases there have been thousands of owners not only refusing to purchase more, but now wanting to sell their ownership entirely (for as little as a penny) and also telling everyone
Mar/Apr, 2009
they know to stay away from Wyndham. This is a very sad turn-of-events for FairShare Plus owners (and even shareholders). Wyndham acquired some of the most loyal timeshare owners in the industry, took drastic measures to increase their own profits and rentals through Extra Holidays, then alienated the ownership base, possibly beyond repair. Wyndham needs to take immediate measures to regain the confidence of owners and save the FairShare Plus name. Benefits should be completely restored and the self-dealing allowed by the existence of Extra Holidays must be stopped entirely. There should be no possibility of selfdealing or conflict-of-interest. This would mean finally allowing the expansion of the Board of Directors (after 18 years) to allow owners to be elected, as well as full oversight and accounting for all Board decisions. Wyndham, your loyalty might be to the shareholders, but if you do not take care of the owners, the shareholders won’t have a company left to invest in. For further information about these changes, visit http://wyndhamowners.org and http://wyndsham.com
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Mar/Apr, 2009
Club Regency of Marco Island By Bill Dagenhart
Overview: Quaint resort. Arrival:
We started from our previous stay in Sunny Isles. A fairly quick one hour and fifty minute ride across alligator alley, also known as Interstate 75, had us in downtown Marco Island. This resort location is very nice, as the last little bridge leaves a lot of the traffic behind with the business district. Club Regency shares its entrance with Marco Beach Ocean Resort and it would be easy to drive right past it.
The Resort:
The resort is very quaint, with one pool and a hot tub. Just a short walk to the beach. They have two decks for
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laying out, one near the pool with three gas BBQ grilles, which we used a few times. The other deck is nearer the Gulf of Mexico with a view. The grounds are done up real nice with a little stream, fountains and small bridges built to walk across. Being able to park your car right under your unit was nice also. The unit is a two- bedroom, twobath that I walked off to be approximately 1050 square feet. Lots of touches made this an exceptional stay. The decor was attractive. A lighted wet bar and knickknacks around added character. The kitchen was complete and the furniture throughout was comfortable. The bedrooms/baths were elevated from the living/kitchen area; going up 3 steps to access the bedrooms/baths area added to the look of the unit. Our second floor unit had a high tapered ceiling that made it very open. The ceiling was planked which added to the appearance, and several windows at the top that also added to the openness. The screened-in balcony was roomy, with lots of furniture. Six people would have plenty of room in this unit. The “E” units are the only waterfront units. Everything from the towels to soaps indicated that this was managed by a hotel chain. Internet access was sporadic at times. This was my first time to Marco Island. It was a very nice location and a wonderful resort. I would definitely return here, or try two of the other HGVC resorts on either side of Club Regency
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Two Reports on Fox Run Resort in Lake Lure, NC
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Mar/Apr, 2009
By David Germain, Burke, VA We visited the Fox Run Resort on an early spring break in March 2008. We found it to be a relaxing stay, with a well maintained property and a friendly helpful staff. Details such as salt and pepper, a good supply of coffee filters, paper towels, laundry detergent and tissues made the stay one of the easier ones for those who forget to bring these essentials, which are not always provided. The resort welcome packet included instructions to get to area grocery stores. The Ingles store was by far the best stocked, and provided a wide selection of deli and prepared foods the off peak season. riding, for which a coupon was included The unit we had is a split level with The Biltmore Estate tour is well in the registration packet. There is also a the master bedroom downstairs, a second worth the less-than-one-hour drive. This dinner and sightseeing cruise of Lake Lure bedroom and bath on the entrance level estate and its grounds are spectacular, and available a short drive away. and the living/dining/kitchen on an upinclude a winery, shops and several outThe area has a large number of good per level with the deck. It would not be standing restaurants. The city of Asheville restaurants nearby and in Ashville. We a good unit for anyone with a problem is small, but has a number of fine restauheartily recommend the Lakeview Reswith stairs, but was very functional for rants and other attractions. The downtown taurant on Lake Lure at Highway 9 and us. The property is not new, but has been area is great for walking. There are also Buffalo Creek Road. You can drive in or more than reasonably well maintained and several small wineries a short drive from tie up at the dock. It was busy even during was very clean. The management was in the process of replacing appliances. The only complaint was that the living room Get more out of your timeshare ownership furniture was also due for replacement, with Interval International membership but not until after we departed. Fox Run Resort is on Lake Lure, North Carolina, and also next to Bald There is a Mountain Lake. It is located about 45 miles from Ashville, NC. A word of caution: although Highway 9A appears the in vacation exchange companies shortest way into Ashville, it is very hilly As a timeshare owner, you’ve got a great vacation waiting for you year after year. with many sharp turns. Use either I-40 Now, couple your timeshare ownership with Interval membership and see what the right through Sugar Hill or the shorter route vacation exchange company can do for you! on I-26 by way of Highway 9 (south). • Worldwide exchange privileges at quality resorts • Specially-priced Getaway Another travel recommendation is to use vacations • More options with two exchange methods • Valuable member benefits Buffalo Shoals Road to go to the main • An expansive Golf Resort program • All at an affordable price! Lake Lure town only for its scenic views Enroll or renew today! and stick to Buffalo Creek Road to get to or go to IntervalWorld.com. Call 800-977-7045 Highway 9. The resort is managed with the Foxden Resort and is on the property of the Rumbling Bald Resort and Spa. On the property are a golf course, driving range, pro shop with bar and grill, deli, restaurant, marina, spa, miniature golf, tennis court, basketball court and wellness center. The wellness center includes an indoor swimming pool. There are several other golf courses in close proximity. Among the many activities was horseback
DIFFERENCE
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the resort. North Caroline has a small but growing wine industry with some unique family operations. This is not a vacation for night life but is a great location for outdoor activities and relaxation. Even though our visit was early in the spring, it was evident that the area is nestled in beautiful mountains that are an attraction all to themselves. **** By Charles Hartbauer, Canonsburg, PA After driving several hours, we entered the resort welcome center about two hours before check-in time. Wondering what we would do with the time until we could check in, we went to the office, which we found open and staffed with two helpful employees. Figuring we would have to wait to gain access to our unit, we asked what we could do. The staff said we could go to the “Activities Center” to get some information about the resort and what was available for its guests. However, before we left, the gal at the desk checked to see if our unit was ready. Regretfully, it was not, but she asked if we had a cell phone that she
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Mar/Apr, 2009
TSToday Anywhere Lyle Fink took a picture of his wife Karen reading her TimeSharing Today magazine while they vacationed in Steamboat Springs, CO. They always bring several issues of the magazine to show others during their exchanges.
could call us when it was ready. We gave her the number and went off to the “Activities Center.” After about 15 minutes of acquiring information at the center, we got a phone call saying our unit was ready, and we could begin using it. What a pleasant surprise and great guest service. Arriving at the unit, we entered the foyer and walked up a few steps to the large open living, dinning, and fully
equipped kitchen area. An attractive stone fireplace graced the living area, and the kitchen had ample supplies and room for cooking. Outside, a large deck with table and chairs overlooked the 7th green below a wooded hillside. From the foyer, going downstairs, we discovered a large master bedroom with Jacuzzi tub and separate shower, as well as an area housing a washer and dryer. On the foyer level, there was also a full bath, which accompanied the twin bed, second guest room. The entire unit was clean and nicely decorated; however, the kitchen and bath areas were showing some signs of wear and were somewhat dated. They are, however, scheduled for improvements in the near future. For activities, one could play golf on site at the resort, or take a short drive to another course. Also available are mini-golf, tennis, croquet, boat rentals, a wellness center, and a very informative pontoon boat tour of the lake. There is also a man-made sand beach with a roped off swimming area, and lounge chairs for sun bathing. Restaurants are available on site, as well as a sandwich and pizza shop deli. Other restaurants are available near by and around the lake. If you want to see some other attractions, there is the Biltmore Estate, (America’s largest home, 50 minutes away), Chimney Rock, (a scenic mountain top overlook, about 25 minutes away), the home of Carl Sandburg, and a national park with wilderness trails and waterfalls, about an hour away. Overall it is a very nice resort where you can relax or be as active as you desire.
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Mar/Apr, 2009
FOCUS ON: Harbor Ridge, Southwest Harbor, ME
By Sheila Wilshire Our week at Harbor Ridge was very pleasant, in spite of rainy, cold weather most of the week. The resort sits high on a hill overlooking the water in the distance. The trees blocked the view a bit, but it was still nice to look out over the greenery and flowers. We saw many birds and even one deer hanging out there. Because of the weather, we didn’t explore the woods too much, but my husband took a walk there and found it very pleasant. We found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. We arrived quite late for check in, but when we called, the desk clerk assured us she would leave the lights on and the unit unlocked if we didn’t get there before she left at 9 PM. We just made it and check in only took a couple of minutes. Checkout was also quick and simple. There were several activities planned during the week. We attended the introductory meeting where they offered brochures on many area attractions and answered any and all questions from the guests. We also attended the wine and cheese evening, where they provided nice snacks. The units were quite lovely, but a little open for my taste. Luckily there were only four of us, so we were a little insulated from noise. The middle floor has the entry, along with a half bath/ laundry room, kitchen and living room. The upper floor was the master bedroom suite and was open to the stairs. A loud
television on either floor could be easily heard on the other. We also heard noise a few times from the unit next door. The bottom floor had two twin beds, a full size bath and a nice walk in closet. Each floor had a patio or balcony. There were charcoal grills on the lawn and a dumpster for garbage. The kitchen was adequately equipped for our group and the towels were good quality. Toll free and local calls were free. My dial-up internet connection was always painfully slow, but did work. An electrical problem affecting part of our lights could not be resolved by the time we returned to the unit and discovered it about 8:30 one night, but the staff was very apologetic and provided us with night lights and a flashlight to get around. It was repaired quickly the next morning. We had never been to this part of Maine and found it quite interesting. The nasty weather just made the waves more interesting. We saw a baby seal being protected by a ranger at the one sandy beach. We did a fair amount of exploring the area and found several smaller towns with lots of character. We also enjoyed a visit to the LL Bean
Outlet Store and adjacent Clearance Center, where flannel sheets were a great bargain, but finding the right size for our beds a challenge. We never got used to the early dawns in this area and the skylight didn’t help any. Dawn was at 4:49 AM, far earlier than at our home near the western edge of the Eastern time zone.
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