Great News for Hyatt Highlands Inn Owners

It's a new year, and higher point values have been established for Hyatt Highlands Inn timeshare resort. With the new point values, also come upgraded unit categories: The One Bedroom units are now categorized as One Bedroom 'Premiere', and the Two Bedroom units are now categorized as Two Bedroom 'Deluxe'.

The following is an at-a-glance look at the old 2009 point values vs. the new 2010 point values at Hyatt Highlands Inn:

2009 Point Values	One Bedroom	Two Bedroom
Gold	1240	1880
Platinum	1320	2000
Diamond	1450	2200

2010 Point Values	One Bedroom Premiere	Two Bedroom Deluxe
Gold	1880	2520
Platinum	2000	2680
Diamond	2200	2950

The new point values are a result of a recent demand analysis of Hyatt Highlands Inn. The analysis indicated the resort is a high demand property within the Hyatt Vacation Club network of fifteen high-end resorts, spanning across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, in premium resort locations. The new point values will afford Hyatt Highlands Inn owners more travel options at no additional cost.

Hyatt Vacation Club is a timeshare vacation ownership club. To inquire about purchasing or selling Hyatt timeshares, call Preferred Timeshare Resales at 800-299-5536 to speak to a licensed broker.

Marriott St. Kitts Unveils 22 More Luxury Vacation Villas

Marriott St. Kitts Beach Club and Casino at Frigate Bay, one of Marriott's many timeshare vacation ownership resorts has opened its third phase of development, unveiling 22 more luxury vacation villas to the resort property.

The intimate oceanfront tropical island resort has an existing 44 units, and with the completion of its third phase, there are now 66 two- and three-bedroom villas.

The third phase is not the final phase of development at Marriott St. Kitts; there are a a proposed total of 88 timeshare villas for the resort.

The villas range from 1,400 to 2,089 square feet. Appointments include fully-equipped kitchen with GE stainless steel appliances and rich, walnut-finished cabinetry, and granite counter tops. The Master Suites have an over-sized shower; The living and dining areas are large and roomy, and there are Sony flat-panel televisions and DVD players in the living room and bedrooms. There is also internet access and room service.

Resort amenities include whirlpool spas and three swimming pools, including the main oceanfront pool, with access to the the Frigate Bay Beach, located on-site. There is a Kid's Club, Teen Game Room, Fitness Center, and four tennis courts. Guests will find a variety of restaurants, both casual and upscale, along with retail shops, a sundries shop, Emerald Mist Spa, and concierge.

Marriott St. Kitts owners also enjoy discounted greens fees and preferred tee times at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club.

Marriott, among other big-name innkeepers, are now involved in the development of timeshare resorts worldwide.

Can’t Qualify for a Vacation Home Mortgage? Buy a Timeshare Instead

The ‘credit crunch’ is leaving many would-be home buyers high and dry. By the thousands, lenders have been turning away borrowers with great credit, rendering them unable to purchase a vacation home. For those borrowers who don’t like taking ‘no’ for an answer, many would-be home buyers are now taking a look at timeshares as an alternative to purchasing a full-ownership vacation home or condo. The reasoning behind it all lies not only in simple economics, but also in practicality and common sense: 1) Would-be vacation home buyers are purchasing timeshares at a fraction of what it would cost to own an entire vacation home. There is often no mortgage, and monies aren’t tied up in one huge investment. This frees up more capital to diversify investment portfolios. 2) Timeshares allow consumers to custom-fit their ownership. If a family vacations for one week, they purchase one week, yielding one week of residency per year. If a family vacations for two weeks, they buy 2 weeks, etc. 3) Those who own vacation homes often must defray their expenses by making their retreats available to others as a vacation rental. The long-distance worries include vacancies, repairs, damages, and the list goes on. Timeshare Ownership doesn’t involve daily management of the property – when owners are in residency, their only ‘job’ is to relax and enjoy. 4) Annual timeshare maintenance costs are diminutive in comparison to vacation home ownership. 5) Almost all timeshare residences offer more luxury and amenities than that of a vacation home. They are ‘turn-key’, and come completely furnished, right down to the silverware, sheets, linens, and towels. 6) Although almost all timeshares are often located in world-class vacation destinations, timeshare owners can experience other timeshare resorts around the world by way of exchanging their weeks to other destinations. There are all kinds of exchange companies, such as Interval International (I.I.), Resort Condominiums International (R.C.I.). Have you been turned down for a vacation home loan? Thank your lucky stars and buy a timeshare.

TimeshareGiant.com: A Safe Haven for Timeshare Owners

Any timeshare owner who has expressed interest in selling their timeshare at some point or another, has been exposed to unscrupulous telemarketing practices from companies all over the globe, promising a sale if the owner pays hundreds of dollars (or even thousands) in upfront fees. Many timeshare owners don’t realize how solicitors acquire their contact information in the first place. Their latest technique is quite ingenious: The solicitors design a website staged as a timeshare resale organization, often (but not always) with only 1 or 2 pages of content, and a convenient contact form for timeshare owners to complete and submit. The main function of these sites is to ‘harvest’ personal information. These information harvesters then sell the public’s personal information over and over again to timeshare solicitors all over the world, whose only purpose is to make contact with timeshare owners and charm them to extract several hundred or even thousands of dollars from them, right over the phone. Remember: If you’re a timeshare owner, your personal information is a hot commodity! Personal information harvesters make big money selling timeshare owner contact information to companies worldwide. Once the personal information is submitted to the wrong parties, much to timeshare owners dismay, they are barraged with unwelcome phone solicitations from an array companies on a regular basis. Because the lead harvesting industry has become so lucrative, harvesters have become quite brazen over the years. Many are now surfing the internet, randomly looking for personal information to collect and re-sell. Timeshare owners who advertise their timeshares for sale or rent on Timeshare Giant do not need to divulge their contact information in their ads. If an interested party wants to inquire on their ad, the inquirer uses the ‘Inquire About This Timeshare’ function, and the inquiry is sent directly to the advertiser via email, in a secure environment. If a timeshare owner wants to place their timeshare for sale or rent, they deserve to have a safe and legitimate place to do so. Timeshare Giant is that safe haven.

Maui will soon welcome Westin Nanea Ocean Villas Kaanapali

A 26-acre parcel in Kaanapali, Hawaii, will soon welcome 390 more luxury timeshare units, to be developed by Starwood Vacation Ownership. Historically, Starwood has experienced monumental success with their 2 existing developments on Maui; the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, and the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North. The new resort, Westin Nanea Ocean Villas Kaanapali, will integrate fully with Starwood’s 2 existing resorts, making it one contiguous complex. The thing I think I love the most in learning about this project is it will be a ‘Green’ building project. The existing 2 Starwood resorts total 270 units. The eco-friendly 390 units at Westin Nanea Ocean Villas Kaanapali will more than double Starwood’s timeshare presence on the island. Rumor has it that there will be very few 1 bedroom and 3 bedroom units; The project will be comprised primarily of 2 bedroom units, and no ‘lock-offs’. Although the Maui News states the resort will open in 2010, Starwood’s press release states it will open in 2011. In 2007, Hawaii statewide approximately 8,000 timeshare residences. These statistics are up 16 percent from 2006, according to a survey conducted by state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Furthermore, the survey revealed that the number of timeshare units in Hawaii has almost doubled since 2000. On Maui alone, there were 2,916 units in 2007, which represents a 32 percent increase from 2006. The statistics represent yet another indicator that the timeshare industry is alive and well! It’s wonderful to see in spite of a sagging economy and high fuel prices, the demand for timeshare vacationing is still strong. I believe this is due to the public’s desire to make the most of their yearly vacations, with a product that offers an attractive alternative to hotel room vacationing.

Westgate Resorts will stake their claim in timeshare history in Las Vegas

80 East Harmon Avenue in Las Vegas will never be the same again. It will soon reach new heights in the timeshare industry- and in timeshare history. It will be the world’s tallest timeshare development, boasting a whopping 52 stories of luxury timeshare vacationing. The Resort, Planet Hollywood Towers will be 3.2 million square feet, and will feature around 1,200 luxury timeshare residences, a 35,000 square-foot convention facility, a 16,000 square foot shopping mall, a restaurant, and will be fully integrated with Planet Hollywood Resort and casino. Designed by Morris Architects, the first phase of the $1.2 Billion project is scheduled to debut some time next Summer. This will certainly be a fun story to watch as development progresses, and as timeshare history is made.

World Peace Begins with Bringing Peace Into My Own World by Taking Time Off

…You may be thinking, why is a Karen posting a blog about World Peace on her timeshare blog? Read on! I remember back in the early 70’s as a young girl, seeing Volkswagen Buses, which often had a non-conforming ‘hippie’ at the wheel. A “Visualize World Peace” bumper sticker was a common sighting on a VW Bus, and seemed almost a ‘staple’ accessory for a free thinker who owned a car. Then the age of the “Yuppie” came along in the 80’s, and more luxury cars rolled off the production lines to meet the demands of this new breed of people. The purchases they made seemed to place a high priority in ‘making a statement’ in the world. Some owners of yuppie cars sometimes donned a different version of the 70’s bumper sticker that said “Visualize Whirled Peas”…! I remember laughing at that bumper sticker whenever I’d see it, admiring how clever it was… but perhaps the owners really believed the sentiment of World Peace was a joke. Now more than ever, people are overly-worked, overly-burdened, overly-stressed, and overly-ill, spinning wildly, due to simply not prioritizing the time and space to simply relax and take time to re-group, on the excuse that ‘time is money’, or the list of responsibilities is never-ending. Rest and Relaxation in our world is pushed in the back of the line, in the name of getting ahead, staying ahead, or simply catching up. Westerners are operating at such a high pace, often an entire year passes by without even the thought of taking time off to restore the body, mind, and spirit. Instead of spending money on vacationing, some people are instead spending money on medical bills and other therapies due stressful lifestyles. Even doctors are telling patients to take time to relax, encouraging vacation time. Rest and Relaxation is no longer a luxury. It is a matter of survival. I can personally testify that this has been a part of my life story. I, too, have been overly-stressed for years on end, foregoing valuable timeshare vacation time in the name of getting ahead or staying ahead in my career, only to find that earlier this year, I was sick for almost 2 months. My body crashed. My mind crashed. I just couldn’t keep up any more. I knew at that point that things needed to change, in order for me to re-claim my authentic enthusiasm for life. I find it ironic that I’m in the timeshare business, which is luxury vacations made affordable, and I wasn’t even giving myself the time to experience the wonderful product I’ve chosen to advocate as my career over the past 23 years! I’m a big advocate of the economic benefits of timeshare, but now more than ever, I also value the spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of timeshare vacationing. It is now a matter of survival for me to pamper myself with at least one week each year to a very special place to leave my cares behind. Regardless of the type of setting or amenities that suit your tastes, there are almost 6,000 timeshare resorts on our planet now. Millions of families just like you are already timeshare owners. Timeshare Owners who value the importance of taking time off with their loved ones are staying at rejuvenating, luxurious (and affordable) timeshare resorts right now, as you are reading this sentence. After working hard all year, leave behind the idea of stuffing the family into hotel rooms. Experience timeshare vacationing and you’ll not just see the economic value of timeshare vacationing; you’ll experience a rejuvenating peace in your life, year after year. It’s more important than ever. Imagine yourself enjoying time away on an island, such as the island of Kauai at the Kauai Beachboy. Or the sweet scent of pines in the crisp mountain air of Lake Tahoe at Marriott’s Timber Lodge. Perhaps a trip South of the Border to Mexico at the Dreams Los Cabos & Club Casa Dorada Beach and Golf Resort is in your list of desires. Take some time for yourself and your family. Do it in luxury. Make it count. Make it memorable. Make it peaceful. World Peace: Let it begin with me.