of Issue #98

Transcription

of Issue #98

TimeSharing
Today
$4.50
®
The Trusted Independent Voice of Vacation Ownership since 1991
Issue #98
Mar/Apr, 2008
Ongoing Complaints About Royal Holiday Club
Royal Holiday Club, a Mexico-based timeshare/travel club operation founded in 1985, has been the
subject of ongoing complaints of fraud and misrepresentation during the past several years. Despite
these complaints, the company claims continued growth since its founding 20 years ago, doubling its
membership since 2000 to almost 70,000. With more than half its members from the United States and
Canada, most of the activity by disgruntled members appears to originate from these two countries.
The complaints primarily arise from alleged misrepresentations made
by Royal Holiday Club sales people in selling club memberships. One
of the common complaints concerns arrangements for a partner company, International Leisure Group (ILG) of Tucson, AZ, to purchase a
prospect’s timeshare in order to provide funds for purchase of the Royal
Holiday Club membership. According to the complaints, ILG delivers
only excuses and promises, but never purchases the timeshares.
New members who believe they have been scammed find they have little success in having their concerns addressed by
Royal Holiday Club or in cancelling their contracts. A recent report by KING5, a Seattle, WA television station, “found
complaints against Royal Holiday Club all across the country, alleging bait-and-switch selling practices to outright fraud.
They have been lodged with the Better Business Bureau, logged on consumer Web sites and filed with Attorney General’s
offices.” According to the Better Business Bureau, Royal Holiday Club has an “F” rating, with more than 200 complaints
received in a recent three-year period. The Website thesqueakywheel.com shows more than 60 complaints posted during
2007. Another Website, royallyscammed.com, dedicated to helping people get their money back and exposing the company,
includes a link to the KING5 report.
made clear. The tax collector then sent a
In a belated response to KING5, Royal
notice to the Owners Association that the
Holiday
Club said it gets complaints on
A Florida Appellate Court has finally
property would be sold at a public tax sale.
only
one
percent of all its sales and is
brought an end to the Camelot CondoLuke Investments was the successful bidworking
to
address the concerns of each
minium lawsuit by upholding a lower court
der at $2 million, paid the amount of the
member.
It
admitted
that some sales people
decision that had voided a tax sale of the
bid to the tax collector and took possesbroke
company
policy
in offering to resell
property. For timeshare owners, the probsion of the resort.
other
timeshares,
but
those employees
lem began in late 2006, when they showed
The owners retained counsel to chalhave
been
fired.
The
company did not
up for their Winter vacations in Pass-alenge the validity of the tax sale. The ownrespond
to
inquiries
from
TSToday.
Grille, Florida. They were turned away from
ers contended that they were never given
Profeco,
a
Mexican
government
the resort by guards who were acting on
direct notice of the tax sale, although their
agency,
exists
to
aid
consumers
who bebehalf of Luke Investments, which had just
names and addresses were shown on the
lieve
they
were
scammed
in
Mexico.
purchased the resort property at a county
deeds recorded in the county registry of
Profeco can be reached at 01-800sale for unpaid real estate taxes.
deeds. Counsel argued that the plain lan468-8722,
or (011)(52)(55) 6090-6633 and
At the time of the tax sale, the resort
guage of the statutes requires that notice
5090-6700,
ext 1317 or via email at
had been self-managed and, in accordance
of a tax sale be given to each of the [email protected].
An excellent
with Florida statutes, tax bills were sent to
ers of record, even though tax bills could
explanation
about
filing
a
complaint
from
the Owners Association. Although there
be sent to the managing agent (here the
outside
Mexico
can
be
found
at
was reportedly enough money to pay the
Owners Association.)
loscabosguide.com/profeco.htm
taxes, they were not paid for reasons never
(Continued on page 12)
Tax Sale Saga Ends
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TimeSharing Today
Page 3
TIMESHARING
TODAY
(ISSN 0000-1069) is published bimonthly at $24 for 12 issues by
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DISCLAIMER
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that are submitted with the appropriate fee. Accordingly, we cannot accept
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Contributors of articles and letters published in TimeSharing Today will be
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HOW TO CONTACT US
TimeSharing Today can be
reached by mail at 140 County Rd.,
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871-4304, by fax at 201/871-4305 or
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Website: www.tstoday.com.
Access to Online Edition, Resort
Ratings, Resale Value Tracker, etc. is
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Current username: tstoday
Current password: shep
Mar/Apr, 2008
Recession Impact
We are becoming increasingly aware of the possibility of a recession, assuming we are not already experiencing it. So, what exactly is a recession? We
checked Wikipedia and found, in macroeconomics, a recession is a decline in a
country’s gross domestic product , or negative real economic growth, for two or
more successive quarters of a year. Another definition: a significant decline in
economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months.
If the business climate results in massive corporate layoffs and continued high
prices for basic commodities such as gasoline and food, the timeshare industry
is bound to be affected. It may get tougher, for developers, brokers and individuals, to sell timeshares as buyers hold off on luxury purchases. Resorts may face
significant challenges if owners are out-of-work and unable to pay their maintenance fee obligations. We are hopeful that any recession will be shallow and of
limited duration.
In April, ARDA, the timeshare industry trade association, will be holding its
annual convention in Las Vegas. TimeSharing Today will again be exhibiting
there, and we will try to get a sense of how the industry is viewing current
economic conditions.
Resalability of a timeshare
Thousands of timeshare resale transactions occur each month. While good
values at quality resorts are quickly gobbled up, some owners lament that no
matter what they do, they cannot unload a unit they no longer want. The sad
fact is that not all timeshares can be sold in the resale market; these owners
may eventually donate their timeshares, give them to friends or even pay a
company to take over the responsibility.
In the months ahead, TimeSharing Today will take a closer look at the current status of the resale market. We are asking for input from resale brokers,
online marketers, resort managers, developers and owners. We have made it
easy for subscribers to provide their input. A survey form is on page 9; we
urge you to complete it. A large response will enable us to provide meaningful
results
Best Exchange Contest
So far, we have published about 10 entries, although not all were identified
as being part of the Best Exchange contest. We stopped accepting entries at the
end of the year as originally announced, but all of the entries have not yet been
published. A winner will be announced when we complete the publication of all
entries, which will probably be with the next two issues. If you submitted an
entry, please be patient awaiting announcement of the winner.
New Variation on an Old Scam
We have just become aware of, and are alerting owners to, a new variation
on an old scam. A phone caller says he is a broker and that he has a buyer for
the owner’s timeshare at a very high price. The owner needs to wire $200 for
the title search so the deal can be completed. After the owner sends the money,
he receives another call about some glitch that requires wiring another few
hundred dollars, with a promise that the big check from the closing will be delivered in a few days. Another call from the broker gives yet another reason why
the check is delayed and why the owner needs to again wire additional money.
Needless to say, the “buyer” disappears along with the money that was sent.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 4
Mar/Apr, 2008
Letters to the Editor
“Cash search”
I just called RCI about some searches
I have on for next Summer and they asked
me if I wanted to do a “cash search” where
they would see if they had the units I
wanted were available for rent instead of
trade. Now tell me that doesn’t affect availability for trades. Who so they think
they’re kidding? Does RCI still claim they
aren’t taking our deposits and renting them
out for their profit?
Diane Drummond
All inclusive
I have been dismayed at how many
RCI resorts in Mexico are going all-inclusive. It was difficult for us to find an exchange in Cabo that was not. Mexico has
some of the finest, cheapest food available if you wander out of the tourist districts.
Charging nearly $100 per person per
day is a rip-off as far as we are concerned
even though they include alcohol. We
found dollar Coronas and dollar margaritas
at several fine restaurants during their
“Happy Hours.” One of the best things
about visiting new places is experiencing
the cuisine. Having to eat at the same
place for every meal, every day, is not attractive to us unless we are on a cruise!
Tom and Beverly Blake
****
For what it’s worth, the only situation in which we would ever consider staying someplace with All-Inclusive fees
would be if it was the only dining option
available (e.g., the only property on a remote island). Why in the world would anybody in their right mind want to limit themselves to one property’s dining places?
Do destinations really exist where the offproperty restaurants are so bad that nobody wants to go to them?
Making All-Inclusive an option may
make sense for some travelers who don’t
want to physically move at all, but it will
never make any sense at all for us. Not to
mention the rates; the All Inclusive rates
are so dang high, it makes exchanging more
expensive than arranging your own nontimeshare package.
Name omitted
©The New Yorker Collection 2000 Leo Cullum from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved.
Maintenance fees
The greatest concern of ours is exactly what is on the front page story of
Issue #97. Every year our maintenance fee
rises. Two weeks at the Pelican (1 Bedroom) is $1640. We always use our home
resort (the Pelican), but we have points as
well that we exchange every year for somewhere different. We use RCI and Interval.
Timesharing so far has been very good.
We have been to places that we would
have never found. We actually bought
land in New Mexico for our retirement while
on a trip to Santa Fe.
Jeff Burrell, Quincy, MA
****
I found the comparison of maintenance fees Jan/Feb 2008 extremely interesting. I was particularly interested in the
fact that the Manhattan Club is now $1919
per year. I just traded into the Manhattan
Club for six nights using 74,800 RCI points.
That’s the equivalent of just over two of
my $400 maintenance fees in my points
resorts. So, I just saved about $1100 by
not purchasing a high maintenance resort.
Jerry Nisker Orange, CA
****
Regarding the article on special assessments and Joseph Garcia comments
about Polo Towers. I wrote a piece in
TimeSharing Today some time ago about
the assessment issues. He is correct that
it failed to pass several times until a forced
vote under treat of increased maintenance
fees somehow got the assessment passed.
The owners and management of Polo
have a long history of game playing and
sticking it to the owners. They did little
maintenance on older units going back to
tower one where I own two-bedroom units.
They used the ruse of upgrading to charge
an assessment for what should have been
in reserve for replacement and refurbishing.
As with Mr. Garcia, I have talked with
owners when at the property and the feeling is always the same, that we have been
taken advantage of and not been given
what was promised by the company, while
the units have no ongoing maintenance
and services of the staff have diminished.
Associations are designed to serve
their members, but they don’t do well
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TimeSharing Today
Page 5
when controlled by developer/owners. Somehow, it would be helpful to form
owner associations which would advocate
for owners and be in a position to fight
the developers who are not interested in
their owners.
John A. Beyer
Free bonus week
On December 6th I received an e-mail
from TimeSharing Today with an offer for
a Free Bonus Week from Trading Places
International to all TimeSharing Today
subscribers.
Not having dealt with Trading Places
in the past and currently being a member
of RCI, I was curious and somewhat skeptical. I contacted Trading Places and Laura
Sebren, a vacation specialist, was very
cordial on the phone and answered all my
questions.
It was as simple as filling out a form
which was faxed to me, depositing my 2008
week with Trading Places. I faxed back the
form and the information was verified with
my home resort. Within a few days I was
sent a confirmation of the deposited week
and received the bonus week certificate. I
have up to 2 years to use the deposited
week and one year to use the bonus week.
The deposit exchange will cost $149 and
the bonus week $169 (cheaper than RCI).
It was a pleasure working with Laura
and so far so good. The real test will come
when I request an exchange. I will let you
know how I make out.
Terry Cray
Mar/Apr, 2008
Upfront fee? No.
The article “Profile: TRI West Real
Estate” in the Nov/Dec issue indicates that
there is no charge for listing a timeshare
for sale or rental with TRIWest. While investigating placing an ad with TRIWest,
however, I was told that there is a $195
Listing Fee for renting my timeshare week.
I think readers should be aware of this “upfront” listing fee.
R.W.Roth, Chapel Hill, NC
TRI West replies: There is no upfront
fee for rentals; at the completion of the
rental the owner pays a 30% commission
plus $195 to cover the exposure on our
mls service. This 30% commission and
$195 fee is deducted from the rental proceeds; the owner is only charged if the
week is rented.
For sellers, the $195 mls service is
strictly optional and available for any
seller wishing additional exposure
through our mls service.
Handicapped units
Even resorts that make rooms handicapped accessible will not be able to be
beneficial to people traveling with disabilities until and unless RCI discontinues the
practice of allowing anyone in the system
to exchange into a handicapped accessible
unit.
RCI’s current practice is to not “hold”
that inventory exclusively for those with
disabilities, even for a specified period of
time. Therefore, the RCI system works like
a parking lot without handicapped spaces;
it is first come, first served to anyone.
It makes no sense for RCI to ask the
resort which units are accessible and then
open them up to the general exchange process with no regard for saving the room
for any length of time for someone with
that need. This should be modified by RCI.
I have tried to no avail to get RCI to
modify this practice but I believe it will
take more than just one resort manager
asking for this. I would encourage you to
pose this question to the RCI spokesperson for their response.
Cindy Thomas, Resort Manager
Stoneridge Resort, Blanchard, ID
Editors note: We are hopeful about
receiving a response from RCI, which will
be published when received.
Double assessment?
It really broke my heart to read the
article “Deeding Back Timeshares- Part 2”
by Ray Walker in the Nov/Dec issue. We
exchanged into the Tahoe Seasons Resort
in January, 2006. During our stay, we were
invited to visit a remodeled unit. It was
very nice and updated. We were informed
that the cost per unit for the upgrade was
$92,000 and would have to be voted on
and approved by a majority of the HOA.
Doing a little arithmetic, that averages
out to $2,000 per week owner. According
to Ray Walker’s article, each owner is being assesses $4,000, double the amount.
Something sounds a little fishy here! I
wish Mr. Walker the best. I just want to
share with him the information I was aware
of concerning his resort.
Charlene Foley
You are our business.
We excel at timeshare management, sales and rental. But long
term relationships with our owners, based on communication
and trust, are the foundation of our success.
If accountability, quality and cost containment are important
to you – call us. With over 20 years experience, chances are
we can help.
20 Executive Park Road
Hilton Head Island,
South Carolina 29928
888-433-4762 x-11113
[email protected]
Resort Management
TimeSharing Today
Page 6
Mar/Apr, 2008
Two Weeks in New Mexico
By John Hawks, Lynchburg, V A
TRI WEST
Home of the
Timeshare
BLUEBOOK©
& Vacation Gallery
800-423-6377
triwest-timeshare.com
Because you need
protection,
contact.
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Quick and Professional
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We offer a diversity of
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needs of our clients.
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Toll free
1-877-889-2373
www. timeshareclosingservices.com
Unable to get two weeks in Santa Fe,
we settled for a Sunday-to-Sunday week
in the northern part of the state followed
by a Saturday-to-Saturday week in the
South.
After driving to Richmond, VA, we
flew into Albuquerque, midway between
the two resorts. On our 160-mile drive
north to Angel Fire, we bypassed Santa
Fe on Route 599 on our way to Taos for
groceries. We had learned from the
Internet about supermarkets there, but we
didn’t know how big the one grocery store
would be at Angel Fire. It was dark by the
time we drove the last 25 miles through
the Sangre Christo Mountains to Angel
Fire Resort. It was a long day.
The timesharing units are in one wing
of the Angel Fire Resort Hotel. We had
wondered what a studio with a Murphy
bed would be like. We were pleasantly
surprised to find a room large enough that
we just left the bed down, and the bed
was very comfortable. The unit had a full,
well-equipped kitchen and laundry. Everything was in good condition. Maids freshened things every day. There are two restaurants and a bar in the hotel. It also had
an indoor pool (too cool for us), hot tub
and sauna. The ski slopes are right outside the back door. There were no scheduled activities. The golf course closes after the second week in October.
Santa Fe is a unique city with its uniform adobe architecture. It is easy to spend
a day visiting museums, endless galleries,
Oldest House in U.S., Palace of the Governors with all the Indian merchants, State
Capitol with halls on every floor lined with
art, Loretto Chapel with miraculous staircase, etc. On the way back, we stopped at
Chimayo to see the legendary healing
Sanctuario, but it closes at 4:00 after September.
We spent several days hiking in
Carson National Forest. We had stopped
at the ranger station in Taos but their trail
information was sketchy. Right at Angel
Fire was a nice library, bank and visitor
center where they provide good trail brochures. The grocery store was complete.
Taos is a real tourist town with loads
of shops and galleries. The Taos Pueblo
has been inhabited for over 1000 years and
is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sunday, we drove back to Albuquerque airport to exchange cars, since each
week’s rental was arranged by a different
company. In most cities, this would have
been a hassle, but not there. A shuttle runs
between the airport and a central rental
car facility just off the interstate. We parked
the car, walked into the car terminal,
checked out and walked back out to another company’s car.
Our second unit was at Innsbrook
Village Country Club in Ruidoso, 180
miles southeast from the airport. The resort manager gives you a warm welcome.
We went from a studio to a two-bedroom
unit, nicely furnished and well equipped.
Each unit had a gas grill just off the porch
and a laundry between every two units.
Only 12 units in a big complex are timesharing, so there were no scheduled activities. We could have used all the facilities of the country club (no indoor pool),
but we spent our time sightseeing.
This area is Billy the Kid territory with
memorabilia everywhere. The nearby town
of Lincoln, with 16 state monument buildings, remains as it was in the 1800’s. It was
the site of Billy’s escape after shooting
two guards and also the 1878 Lincoln
County War.
The town of Ruidoso does have a
large grocery store, tourist shops, and the
Dave McGary studio. His bronze sculpture has such fine detail and vivid color
that you can see every thread and bead in
the Indian costumes. You can feel the texture of horsehair on his life-size running
horses in front of the Museum of the
West.
The racetrack had just closed for the
season, but we did enjoy the good buffet
at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Casino
and Convention Center with its copper
lobby. We also hiked in White Mountain
Wilderness.
Ruidoso is also a good base for drives
to White Sands National Monument,
Three Rivers Petroglyphs, Home of
Smokey Bear, Valley of Fires Lava Fields,
and UFO territory in Roswell.
After visiting New Mexico for the second time, we can agree with the state motto
“Land of Enchantment.”
TimeSharing Today
Page 7
Mar/Apr, 2008
EXCHANGE PLACE
More on Getting Bumped
to Mayan Palace
By Don and Joan Zahler
The testimonies from several of
your readers in the Nov/Dec. 2007 issue brought back horror stories we
also experienced. I want to add some information we found through a visit with a
person in the sales department while staying at the Mayan Palace on the Riviera
south of Cancun last March.
We were to attend a wedding on
Cozumel in March and put in a search for
one additional week somewhere in the
area. We were very excited to receive a 2
bedroom week at the Grand Mayan Resort and felt fortunate that it was one of
the few resorts that are not all inclusive in
that area, plus the fact that it was a two-
bedroom sinceMayan
our sonPalace
and wife were
plan-
ning to spend a few days with us.
After a beautiful few days on
Cozumel, we transferred to the mainland
and were very happy to see the lovely
grounds at the Grand Mayan Resort. It
was all downhill from there. While checking in, we were asked how many in our
group. We told them there were two, but
that two more would be joining us later in
the week; BIG mistake! After a very long
wait, someone came over to talk with us
and told us that there had been a mistake
and that they were over booked at the
Grand Mayan but would transfer our
reservation to the Mayan Palace in a
one bedroom, and that when our son
and wife came they would be placed
in a one bedroom also at the Mayan
Palace rather than joining us in our
unit.
We did take the one bedroom unit and
two days later, we attended a sales presentation. Another bad move and a wasted
day, but the sales person did enlighten us
as to why we were cancelled out of the
Grand Mayan and moved to the Palace
when check in found there were only two
of us at the time. He claimed that the resort insists that every unit be entirely full
at all times, as that is the way they reap
the most benefits - from each and every
person at the resort purchasing meals,
golf, tours etc. He said that they also want
TimeSharing Today
Page 8
to have as many people as possible on
the grounds so they are able to contact
them for a sales presentation. This is a
very high pressure sales group I might add.
Needless to say, we were very unhappy with the treatment and certainly
would not go back to a Mayan Resort nor
would we ever consider a purchase of a
week at one.
At the time of the sales presentation,
we did buy a small package called Great
Vacations Club. This is a package of several certificates for vacationing in the future. So far, we have not had one place
with an opening that we would be able to
use and the cost of using them, if one
would become available, is far more than
the cost as stated on the Certificates.
Points Systems compared
By Mahlon V.R. Freeman, M.D.
Your publication has had a number of
articles about the timeshare point systems
during the past few years. More than two
years ago, we enrolled in the point systems programs with Diamond Resorts (formerly Sunterra) and Wyndham Resorts
(formerly Fairfield), unfortunately prior to
Maximum credits.
Minimum confusion.
Avoid the TravelShare credit confusion and get maximum
original (pre TravelShare) WorldMark Credits for your dollar.
Financing available on select memberships.
XII
III
IX
VI
888-517-9604 www.timeshareliquidationservice.com
Thousands of successful transactions since 1994
B E S T P R O D U C T. B E S T S E RV I C E . B E S T P R I C E S .
Mar/Apr, 2008
becoming subscribers to your magazine.
In addition to differences in the number of
points allocated and required for transactions, two marked contrasts exist between
these programs including:
Airline tickets purchase
• Diamond requires obtaining an airline certificate prior to March 1st to use
later that year
• Wyndham requires purchase of the
ticket with points at least 60 days in advance of travel
• Both charge a fee in addition to
points
Exchange programs deposits
• Diamond requires making the reservation for the unit and then make the exchange with II; the unit has to be used in
the “use” year
• Wyndham requires reserving one
of their units and then depositing it with
RCI; the space can be used for up to 2
years for units in the RCI program
Recently, we thought we could transfer Diamond Resort points from one year
to the next year. This would be helpful
when there are no plans on using the
points in the current year. In addition, we
had planned on using the double points
to cover the full cost of the maintenance
fee. When this was attempted, we were
shocked to learn:
• The dollar value of the points had
decreased from that published in the latest booklet
• Only the number of points available for the use year can be used for the
maintenance fee; (can’t use the forwarded
points).
• A processing fee of $35.00 had recently been added to the transaction.
In addition, during an attempt to use
points for the maintenance fee at Diamond
Resorts, it took multiple calls and two fax
transmissions of the same material to finally obtain the desired results. The service personnel at Diamond were friendly
and helpful, but they did not seem to have
all the necessary information readily available to complete the desired transaction.
I hope this information will be of value
to some of your readers as they progress
through planning stages. Other subscribers have been very helpful to us in the
past.
TimeSharing Today
Page 9
Resale Survey
Use extra sheets if needed for answers.
Since almost all subscribers will likely confront the resale issue at some
time, we believe the results of this survey should prove useful and interesting. Mail responses to Survey, TimeSharing Today, 140 County Road,
Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670 or respond online at www.tstoday.com/survey.
1. How many timeshare weeks (or weeks worth of points) do you
presently own?
2. How many weeks (or points) do you plan to sell in the next 12
months? ______ weeks
_________ points
3. Do you intend to sell through: (circle all that apply)
a. your own advertising b. a resale broker
c. your resort
d. word-of-mouth
4. If you attempted to sell any timeshare weeks (or points) during
the past 2 years, were you successful?
5 If #4 is yes, did you sell through: (circle all that apply)
a. your own advertising b. your resort
c. a resale broker
d. word-of-mouth
6. What percentage of your asking price did you get?
___ 100% ___ 90% ___ 80% ___ 70% ____ (
Mar/Apr, 2008
9. In your opinion, will it be easier or more difficult to sell a timeshare in the next 12 months?
10. Why have you sold, or plan to sell, your timeshare?
(circle all that apply)
a. High maintenance fees b. Divorce/loss of spouse
c. Health issues
d. Financial situation
e. Frustration with exchanges
f. Other. Specifiy_____________________
11. Do you plan to buy on the resale market in the next 12 months?
12. Within the past 2 years, were you solicited to pay any advance fee for selling your timeshare?
13. If yes, how much did you pay?_____________ Was the
solicitor successful in selling on your behalf?
)
14. Comments: (Attach an additional sheet if needed.)
7. Have you deeded back a timeshare week (or points) to your
resort within the past 2 years?
8. Have you attempted to donate your timeshare week (or points)
in the past 2 years?
Were you successful?
TimeSharing Today
Page 10
Travel Tips
More on Frequent
Flyer Miles
Mini-Vacations from $65/nt
Try Before You Buy
By Jerry Nisker Orange, CA
The article by Arthur A. Ellis in the
Jan/Feb 2008 issue was excellent. However, I would like to add a few items regarding this subject. Unfortunately, the
airline industry loves to tout their frequent
flier programs, but they continue to make
it more and more difficult for us to use
these miles. About two years ago, I read
an article that said that 92% of all miles are
never used. That is an unbelievable number, but as I talk with people about this
subject, I find almost everyone complaining that they have thousands of miles that
are sitting in their accounts. Another problem is that most of the airlines (as well as
hotel chains) are now stealing your miles
if you have no activity during a period of
one year to eighteen months.
Unfortunately, managing your miles
is becoming a full time job. Here are a few
thing that I do in order to be able to use
my miles:
• Check to see if your airline or hotel
chain requires activity during a specific
time period. This activity can be either
adding miles through the use of a credit
card, flying on the airline or staying at the
hotel, purchasing miles or points, or the
actual use of points. If for example, your
airline requires activity during a 12 month
period, be certain to calendar this to be
sure that you have met their requirement.
I recently purchased 1000 Hilton points at
a cost of $12 in order to keep my wife’s
100,000 in her account.
• Although I have frequent flier points
with several airlines, I have found that
Alaska Airlines has the best partner airlines. Partner airlines are extremely important because that is how you can go virtually anyplace even if your airline does not.
For example, if you use an airlines such as
Aloha Airlines you have almost no other
choices.
• Mr. Ellis mentions making your air-
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line reservations 331 days out.
That may be true with
some airlines,
but be sure to
check a year in
advance. I am going to Hawaii on
frequent flier miles in
October. I called
Aloha over a year in
advance to check when I
could make my reservations and was told
to call back exactly 10 months from my
return date. I did that and now have my
tickets.
I am fairly certain that although these
programs will not go away, the value to us
(the customer) will decrease in future years.
I am using up as many of my points (airline and hotel) as possible.
In my personal experience, both
American Airlines and Alaska Airllines are
the easiest to use. It is also interesting to
note that both of these airlines are partners, so just one frequent flier account is
necessary. For example, if you use an
Alaska Airlines credit card with their frequent flier number and fly on American
Airlines, American will credit your points
to Alaska.
Money Matters
Matter!
By Arthur A. Ellis
Managing your money is an important component of international travel.
Although the following tips were developed from European travel, the same principles apply to all foreign travel.
Tip #1. Start-up money
You’re tired, even exhausted. After all,
you’ve had little or no sleep during your
transatlantic flight. One major barrier is
preventing you from leaving the airport to
get to your hotel: money.
Local money is absolutely essential
for doing what you need to do: riding the
tube, buying a map or a snack, for example.
Wisely, you didn’t exchange money in the
states, knowing that the exchange rate
would be more favorable in Europe. Exchanging traveler’s checks to get money
is the simplest ways to go. Resist the temptation! It’s also the most costly. To illus
TimeSharing Today
Page 11
trate, before the Euro, Thomas Cook
burned us by charging 12.9% to exchange
traveler’s checks for French francs
The best alternative? Use the ATM.
Look for it. Be persistent. Ask for it. ATMs
may be more difficult to find but they seem
to be at all airports. Nothing is cleaner
and less costly than withdrawing money
directly from your own checking account.
Our bank’s fee for the withdrawal: $5. During your trip, make as few withdrawals as
possible. But remember: all machines have
their limits, and they vary. True, the machines have been known to eat your card,
but this has never happened to us. (In case
this does happen, have an extra card with
you.) ATMs are always open day or night,
weekday or weekend. And they’re ubiquitous. Seldom will you have to walk more
than a few blocks to find one.
Tip #2. Making purchases
For major purchases that could easily deplete your supply of paper money,
use plastic. It’s economical in that your
credit card company will get the most favorable rate of exchange. But there are
fees. Visa and MasterCard have a standard 1 percent charge on foreign purchases
and the issuing bank adds another fee,
usually 2 percent, which adds up to a 3
percent total charge on foreign purchases.
If you have another credit card company,
call and ask about fees. So the best recommendation would be to use local currency for routine purchases, such as food
and souvenirs, and to charge major purchases, such as a week of hotel costs.
Tip #3. Re-converting money.
It’s time to visit another country or
get an airplane and fly home. What do you
do with your excess money? Go to a bank
and make the exchange. The fee would be
much less than making the exchange at
the airport. Spend down your foreign currency as much as possible, so you’ll have
little to re-convert. Or don’t re-convert. A
fun way to get rid of excess money is to
spend it at the airport while you wait for
your flight. Although airport prices are
high, quality tends to be high too. We have
bought some nice souvenirs and gifts with
our excess money at airports.
Financial planning is essential. The
more planning you do, the better control
you’ll have over your money.
Another Look at
the Pelican Resort
in St. Maarten
By Susan Powell, Riverview, FL
The resort is a 5 to 10 minute drive
from the airport. Although the Pelican has
activities which I will detail later, a car is
essential in order to enjoy the many
beaches, restaurants, casinos and shops
that the island has to offer. Rental cars
can be easily secured in the airport baggage claim area and would probably be
less expensive than a weeks worth of taxi
rides or public transportation.
The actual road to the resort may be
difficult to find. You will travel a roughly
paved road and pass other businesses and
residences before you come to the casino
with the office somewhat hidden behind
the casino.
There was no check-in parking, which
made the process difficult, but there were
no problems with the actual paper work.
All units incur a $50 fee in addition to any
other room charges that you might have.
The unit I will be describing is an
oceanfront unit with a spectacular view.
The main living area, kitchen, guest bedroom and bath are on one floor while the
master bedroom and bath are on an upper
floor. The kitchen was furnished with a
full sized stove, double door refrigerator
with ice and water in the door, microwave
and ultra small dishwasher. I found all the
necessary cookware, dishes, glasses and
small appliances. The room was very clean
and the furnishings were brightly tropical
and in good condition. The balcony was
spacious. There was a hot tub on the balcony off the master bedroom. The maid
provided us with plenty of towels and the
resort had a midweek cleaning. Beach towels were available from the resort.
The grounds were maintained. Due
to its size, there are several pools on the
property. The pools were sparkling and
the pool and bar areas were well cared for.
The beach provided excellent swimming
and sunning and was beautifully maintained with complementary chairs and
umbrellas.
The resort had a full service spa but
no fitness center or work out area. There
are two or three restaurants on property
that I did not try. An on-site mini-mart
Mar/Apr, 2008
that can provide basic supplies, although
I would recommend a trip to the grocery.
A marina and tour office on site should be
able to meet anyone’s needs. The casino
on site is also nice.
The Pelican offered numerous activities: a welcome cocktail party, a $2 per person pancake breakfast, a $10 per person
sunset cruise on a catamaran, a $10 island
cruise on the same boat, a $15 beach hopping tour, a shopping tour, a $20 wine tasting and some other activities. The concierge was not at all helpful. She made it
difficult to schedule activities that required
her doing any work. This is a serious problem for first time visitors and the resort’s
image in general.
We were very fortunate to be assigned a beachfront unit. Some of the
other units were quite inferior to the good
experience that we had. Because some of
the units are such a distance from the
beach and have not yet been renovated, I
do not believe that I would put the Pelican
Resort on my request list. If Interval International called and offered a unit in the
F or M building, then I would readily accept; otherwise I would pass.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 12
A New Orleans Christmas
Tax Sale Saga Ends
(Continued from front page.)
Since there were no disputed facts,
the trial level court ruled that, as a matter
of law, the sale was void because the timeshare owners had not received notice of
the sale. Possession of the resort was
awarded to the owners, who then hired
Liberte Management Group to manage and
to get the resort back in shape.
The county tax collector had not disputed the owners’ claim that the tax sale
was void. Despite the tax collector’s position, Luke Investments was not content
to accept the trial judge’s decision and
filed the appeal that resulted in an affirmance of the decision that the owners
should have received notice of the tax sale.
In a footnote, the court noted that its
ruling could mean serious inconvenience
to tax collectors, who might have to send
out thousands of notices to have a public
tax sale of a resort in arrears on its real
estate taxes. However, there is no indication that the Florida legislature has taken
any steps to amend the statute, which now
provides that notice of a tax sale must be
given to each individual owner of record.
By J. Robert Wayland, Albuquerque, NM
We had found New Orleans to be a
wonderful place in the month of December. The last time we visited was
before Katrina; other obligations had
kept us from returning until now. To
try a new approach, we chose to stay
at the Wyndham Avenue Plaza on St.
Charles in the Garden District.
The St. Charles streetcar had just
returned to service, so it would be easy
to get to the Quarter. The cost is trivial,
$1.25 (exact fare) or $0.40 for seniors
with Medicare ID. There is also a three
day unlimited ride pass for $12. The fun
of riding the old streetcars is often enhanced if you sit up close to the driver
and listen to the lively exchanges of
regulars.
Our unit was a one bedroom on the
fourth floor. Timeshare units in New
Orleans tend to be converted hotels and
apartments. Of course, everything
seems old fashioned and ours was not
an exception. There was almost no
Did You
Know
Interval Gold, Interval International’s upgraded level of
membership, offers year-round discounts, valuable services
including Gold Concierge, cash back on cruises, and more?
that
Mar/Apr, 2008
®
Interval Gold members can even trade their vacation time
toward the purchase of a cruise, spa, or golf package.
If you own at an Interval member resort, go to IntervalWorld.com
to enroll or renew your membership, or call 800.977.7045
(305.666.1884, extension 7522, outside toll-free limits).
INTERVALWORLD.COM
closet space (none in the bedroom although there was plenty of room for a
chifferobe). It has an old bathtub that
was very slippery without any non-skid
mats or strips. There were no rails or
bars to help you out of a bath.
One of the main reasons we love
New Orleans, especially at Christmas,
is the food. The first night, we walked
three blocks East on St. Charles to the
Gulfstream restaurant (Zagat rated) for
a delicious meal. The décor was elegant
with a live jazz band. Another Zagat
rated restaurant is in the resort. The
décor is rather plain but the food very
good. A number of the Brennen restaurants in the Quarters give out special
treats at lunch (usually a nice ribbon with
restaurant’s name on it and a bell attached). A choir at Commanders Palace had us singing Jingle Bells and ringing the bells.
There are a number of cooking
demonstrations by the chefs of the
major restaurants. We were lucky
enough to attend one by the chef from
Commanders Palace. If you choose to
attend one be sure to get there early as
the limited number of seats are quickly
filled. Our favorite place is K-Paul’s; we
ate there on our last night to celebrate
my wife’s birthday.
Cultural activities extend beyond the
always-welcome jazz. The old Mint had
a special exhibit on gold. The displays
were beyond anything we expected.
Another worthwhile exhibit was at the
New Orleans Museum of Art in City
Park. A local artist had painted a series
that showed the aftermath of Katrina.
It really brought home the tragedy.
Christmas concerts are at the St. Louis
Cathedral on Jackson Square We attended a Folk concert there (free) by
John Fohl, Theresa Anderson and David
Doucet: their eighth return for these annual events. Information on Christmas
activities in New Orleans is at the web
site http://fgfi.org.
The most reassuring thing we found
was the sense of a city that is surviving, rebuilding with a community spirit
and working together to make visitors
feel welcome.
TimeSharing Today
Page 13
TSToday Dining Guide
Eating in Virginia
By Dave Meyers
Pisces, 115 Main St., Suffolk VA
Traveling to Williamsburg from the Outer Banks
where we had watched the
sunset on New Year’s Eve,
we found ourselves hungry
and in the mood for a little
celebration, but had no reservations anywhere. Entering Suffolk, VA, and parking
on the main street, we asked others revelers where to eat. They all said Pisces.
Even without reservations, we were
immediately seated in a pleasant, contemporary setting with a nautical tone. A martini menu was produced and looked good
but we passed, as we were still driving a
distance that night. The wait staff was
great and no less than three people other
than our server asked if we needed anything.
The menu was not extensive, but covered all the bases of American fare. Entrees ranged from $13.00 to about $23.00.
I decided on the pork chop, which was
excellent. I would give it a “10,” betting
that a better chop could not be found anywhere. It was accompanied by excellent
young asparagus with a hollandaise
sauce. Potato and salad rounded out the
meal. My wife decided on the grilled seafood combination, which included shrimp,
scallops, flounder, crab cake (with more
crab than cake), and oysters. The portion
was generous and all the items were choice
and juicy (we shared). I thought the chef
was a little heavy on the Old Bay and
would personally have liked more lemon
and herbs on my fish.
Overall, the evening was enjoyable.
We would certainly return to dine there
again, as I hope your readers will also.
Charles City Tavern
The Charles City Tavern is located on Hwy. 5
between Richmond and
Williamsburg (just a little
west of Charles City). The
establishment was previously known as the Indian Fields Tavern,
an award winning spot. The new owners
are carrying on the tradition of great food.
The building appears to be of 19th century
design – a youngster for the neighborhood. Perhaps it was a farmhouse or
maybe truly a tavern.
There are two small dining areas on
the first floor. One includes a bar. Our
dining area had six tables with simple rustic decor. We arrived for Sunday brunch.
The menu had about twelve items with an
average price of $15.00. All were a delight.
My wife decided on the ham, swiss cheese
and onion quiche that was accompanied
by a fantastic medley of berries and fruit.
I chose the crab cakes benedict. Crab
cakes, poached eggs, and hollandaise
sauce covered a sweet egg bread. A thin
slice of Smithfield ham was also tucked in.
The blending of sweet, salty, and savory
was masterful. The dish was accompanied by root vegetables, creamy potatoes,
and wilted spinach.
The hosts were pleasant and the dining experience was memorable.
Mar/Apr, 2008
Pierce’s Pitt Bar B Que
Pierce’s in Williamsburg, VA apparently has quite a reputation for their barb-que sauce, so we thought we would
have supper with them. The establishment is humble and, in the summer, it appears that people eat on picnic tables. After
ordering at the counter, the food is quickly
available. There is hardly time to view the
family photos and reviews on the wall.
Pierce’s has been serving since 1971 and
has had coverage in both Southern Living and Bon Apetit magazines.
There was a variety of sandwich combinations, but we tried the pulled pork and
the chicken dinners at about $8.00 each.
The bar-b-que pork was quite good but
the rest of the food was lackluster, if not
mediocre. Furthermore, this is not a
“green” restaurant. Everything comes on
plastic that is thrown away. There is no
service other than table wipers.
We probably would not return. It may
be a better idea to buy Pierce’s sauce in
the market and fix your own dinner.
Eating in Mexico
By Donald C. Orlich, Pullman, WA
My wife and I recently discovered two
interesting places to eat in Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico. MigueLocos is a great spot for
any meal. Dinners were excellent and the
selection of wines was right up there. It is
located at km “0”, on Miguel Hidalgo
across from the old town square. The ambience is suburb and prices very reasonable.
For great sandwiches and excellent
fruit smoothies, it is Senor Greenberg’s
at Plaza Gali near the cruise ship dock.
They also have free Internet access for
the price of a cup of coffee; that is, a minimum purchase.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 14
RESORT REPORT CARDS ®
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the
Mar/Apr, 2008
Report Card ratings for each resort are
averages based on a significant number
of reports received from readers.
KALA POINT
Port Townsend, WA
6.2
MARRIOTT’S SUMMIT WATCH
Park City, UT
8.6
Amenities and activities at resort: Indoor/outdoor pools,
club house, Jacuzzi, beach, exercise room, playground, tennis, volleyball, barbeque, fishing, pet friendly, spa, boating.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, biking, walking
tracks, spa, tours, daily activities, hot tubs, fitness center,
skiing, hiking, pool tables, basketball, kids daily activities,
game room, activities, ping pong, gym, concierge.
Amenities and activities nearby: National and state parks,
golf, antique shops, restaurants, ferrys to nearby islands,
sightseeing, zoo, skiing, hiking, rocky beach, shopping, boat
tours, sightseeing, museums, casinos.
Amenities and activities nearby: Skiing and winter sports,
restaurants, shopping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, golf,
free transportation, tennis, rafting, sightseeing, tours.
Unit: Furnishings: 5.9
Cleanliness: 7.1
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 7.1
Maintenance: 6.8
Construction quality: 6.9
Amenities and activities: At resort: 4.9
Nearby: 8.0
Suitable for: Young children: 4.8
Pre-teens: 4.9
Seniors: 5.8
Teenagers: 4.9
Handicapped: 2.9
Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA
Convenience store: NA
Grounds and maintenance: 7.1
Security: 6.0
Staff: 6.1
General hospitality: 5.9
Exchange affiliation: RCI, II
Cleanliness: 8.8
Maintenance: 8.7
Nearby: 9.5
Pre-teens: 7.4
Seniors: 7.9
Teenagers: 7.5
Handicapped: 7.1
Resort: Restaurant facilities: 7.7
Convenience store: 6.5
Security: 8.3
Staff: 8.5
Exchange affiliation: II
Comments: Each unit is three stories, many stairs. Car is
a must; 6 miles to town. Resort shows signs of aging, wear.
Comments: Excellent resort for Winter, Summer. Located
in the mountains right on Main Street. Hospitable staff.
MIZNER PLACE
Weston, FL
8.5
PALACE VIEW BY SPINNAKER
Branson, MO
8.9
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, exercise room,
Internet, ping pong, card games, activities, hot tub, Jacuzzi
in unit, tennis, reservations for area attractions, shuttle service to nearby restaurants, mall and area attractions.
sauna, hot tub, children’s activities, playground, game room,
tours, club house, planned activities, barbeque grills, concierge, shuffleboard, Internet.
Amenities and activities nearby: Everglades, Miami, Ft.
Lauderdale, cruises, golf, entertainment, beach, boating, fishing, water sports, flea markets, museums, movie theaters.
Amenities and activities nearby: Branson shows, Silver
Dollar City, outlet malls, golf, fishing, tennis, boating, lake
activities, skiing, antique stores, scenic drives, hiking.
Cleanliness: 9.3
Maintenance: 9.0
Nearby: 7.8
Pre-teens: 7.3
Seniors: 8.8
Teenagers: 7.3
Handicapped: 7.9
Security: 8.6
Staff: 8.5
Exchange affiliation:RCI
Cleanliness: 8.9
Maintenance: 8.8
Nearby: 9.8
Pre-teens: 7.8
Seniors: 8.4
Teenagers: 7.5
Handicapped: 7.6
Security: 7.7
Staff: 8.4
Comments: New resort; elevators in building. Car is a must
to visit beach, places of interest. Shopping plaza adjacent.
Comments: Resort is clean and well kept, with elevators in
some buildings. Car is necessary to see area attractions.
TimeSharing Today
Page 15
Mar/Apr, 2008
RESORT REPORT CARDS ®
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best.
Report Card ratings for each resort are
averages based on a significant number
of reports received from readers.
VILLAS AT POLO TOWERS
Las Vegas, NV
9.0
TREE TOPS RESORT
Gatlinburg, TN
8.8
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, hot tub, maid
service, playground, concierge, organized activities, kids’
water park, health club, welcome breakfast, tennis, bingo,
gift shop, barbeque grills, game room, valet parking.
racquet ball, exercise room, playground, trout stream, hiking, spa, activity room with director, potluck supper, entertainment, pancake breakfast, hot tub, cook out grills.
Amenities and activities nearby: Golf, shows, restaurants,
casinos, shopping, Hoover Dam, sightseeing, tennis, horseback riding, Lake Mead, water park, Red Rock Canyon.
Amenities and activities nearby: Dollywood, horseback
riding, Smoky Mountain National Park, shows, golf, hiking,
shopping, restaurants, sightseeing, skiing, boating.
Cleanliness: 8.5
Maintenance: 9.0
Nearby: 10.0
Pre-teens: 6.0
Seniors: 9.0
Teenagers: 5.5
Handicapped: 9.0
Security: 8.5
Staff: 8.0
Cleanliness: 9.2
Maintenance: 8.6
Nearby: 9.4
Pre-teens: 8.0
Seniors: 7.8
Teenagers: 8.0
Handicapped: 6.0
Security: 7.8
Staff: 9.2
Comments: Centrally located right on strip, near casinos.
Comments: Relaxing location. Elevator to upper floors. Feels
secluded although it is near downtown Gatlinburg.
SCOTTSDALE VILLA MIRAGE
Scottsdale, AZ
7.7
WORLDMARK WINDSOR
Windsor, CA
8.9
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, tennis, hot tubs,
Internet, spa, exercise equipment, ping pong, playground,
basketball, game room, walking, activity center, scheduled
activities, horse shoes, comp breakfast, tours.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, golf, playground,
basketball, exercise room, hot tubs, game room, shuttle to
town, tennis, health club, barbeque grills, spa, Internet.
Amenities and activities nearby: Golf, major league sports,
sightseeing, museums, restaurants, shopping, biking, desert
Jeep/balloon rides, theatres, hiking,Talisman West.
Cleanliness: 8.4
Maintenance: 8.5
Nearby: 8.2
Pre-teens: 7.4
Seniors: 7.3
Teenagers: 7.2
Handicapped: 5.8
Security: 7.1
Staff: 8.1
Comments: No elevators in the 3-story buildings. Some units
in need of updating. Great base for day trips and tours.
Amenities and activities nearby: Winery tours, hiking,
state parks, golf, farmers’ markets, river rafting, biking, shopping, boating, fishing, beach, lake, casino, geyser.
Cleanliness: 9.2
Maintenance: 8.9
Nearby: 8.4
Pre-teens: 8.1
Seniors: 8.8
Teenagers: 8.5
Handicapped: 8.5
Security: 8.9
Staff: 8.9
Comments: Located in the heart of wine country. Spacious units in well maintained resort. Fully stocked units.
TimeSharing Today
Page 16
Mar/Apr, 2008
Our Best Exchange: Marriott’s Imperial Palm Villas
By Donna Fountain, Sunnyvale, CA
We opened the door of our Orlando, Florida unit with
anticipation. “Ooooh, Wow, Yea!” It was a dream come true!
This exchange exceeded all of our hopes and all of the reviews that we had read about this fabulous place. “Mommy,
this is nicer than our condo!” declared my youngest, Mariah.
Everyone looked nervously at me for my reaction. “It’s nicer
than my house!” declared Grandpa. We all laughed.
There was a beautiful entry way leading into a spacious
kitchen with a breakfast bar featuring seating for four and a
full-seating dining room area. I was envious of all of the cabinet space. We had a full crew for this vacation... myself and
my daughter, my sister and her daughter Rachel, and my
Dad and his wife. Not to worry. It was a three bedroom,
two bath unit. Since I was the timeshare owner, I grabbed
the master bedroom which featured a luxurious private bathroom and a large round Jacuzzi tub right in the bedroom! All
of the furniture throughout the unit was of the highest quality, and we felt as though we had “stepped up” into another
level in life. Timesharing is dreams, and we were living our
dream at this place!
Our unit was located at the “V” of the river. We had a
screened porch with full seating. We enjoyed our morning
coffee and evening dinner/beverages from this vantage point,
as we observed nature and listened to the sounds of the local
wildlife. There were breathtaking sunsets in the evenings, as
well as beautiful morning sunrises. We felt as though we had
entered into “The Discovery Channel” as we watched the
large sea turtles swim down the river; they were so powerful
and graceful.
This truly was the perfect complement (and antidote for
the adults) to our five-day Disney passes. Marriott’s Imperial
Palm Villas was an awesome retreat to come home to and to
“recharge” for the next day of touring. We had our own private pool and were within walking distance
to the clubhouse which featured its own
pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, convenience store, hammocks and gazebo. I
promised myself that I would return one
day to play the gorgeous golf course located on property.
We caught the shuttle to the main
Marriott hotel which boasted a huge multilevel pool with waterfall. They provided
pool floats and toys to make it a really fun
experience for both the children and
adults. There was an ancillary pool that
featured a volleyball court in the pool!
Many whirlpool tubs, umbrellas and seating were throughout the pool area, as well
as a child care facility for the young ones.
There were several pool bars for the adults.
We opted for outdoor food/beverage service, although there were many restaurant
choices inside that would have been spectacular. We tremendously enjoyed the vantage point, as we watched the nightly firework displays from Disneyworld.
We traded our two bedroom week 51
Polo Towers unit to get our trade into this
resort. We have been timeshare owners
since 1994. We very much appreciate the
priceless family memories that we will have
to enjoy forever thanks to timesharing.
TimeSharing Today
Page 17
Mar/Apr, 2008
TSToday Anywhere
Subscriber Tom Shah
shows off TimeSharing
Today during a side trip to
a village during his stay at
Lotus Suites in Mumbai,
India.
Mrs. George Crummins relaxes with her
TimeSharing Today while on an exchange
to Polynesian Isles in Kissimmee, FL.
Tom Vanasse is pictured in
front of the Eastern Slope
Inn in North Conway, NH.
He was enjoying a week that
he had purchased through
an ad in TimeSharing Today.
The photo was taken by his
daughter Sherill Vanasse.
Kay and Ray Blaisdell are
shown during their exchange to Radium Valley
Vacation Resort in British
Columbia, Canada, with
the Canadian Rockies in
the background.
Gloria Woodrow of
Clearwater, FL shows
off her TimeSharing Today magazine while enjoying an exchange at
Crown Point Resort in
Arkansas.
Jan and Dan Maloof read their TimeSharing
Today during six weeks spent at their home
resort, Caribbean Palm Village in Aruba.
TimeSharing Today
Page 18
Mar/Apr, 2008
Russ on
the Road
By Russ Hiner, Hialeah, FL
The Shores at Lake Travis, Lago
Vista, TX
Directions on the exchange sheet were very good and the
roads were well marked. Check-in was fast and friendly. The
handout sheets were clear, easy to read and without “No’s” and
“Don’ts,” and even the expected weather for the week was listed.
There was a small unit book with well-written information about
services and attractions in the area. The TV list was in the book
and it was numerical while the Austin paper is alphabetical, but
the Resort also listed the 19 FM radio stations and their formats!
The buildings and grounds were clean and new looking.
We parked near the door of our unit and walked down a
curved, flagstone path. The door lock was card operated. We
entered on the end of the living room, which had a couch and a
sleeper/sofa along the walls to the right and ahead. The table in
the corner had the only lamp, which had a 40-watt bulb. The main
lighting was two overhead lights above each couch. The couches
shared the coffee table. The TV and disc player were against the
opposite wall set on top of a small, chest like table.
There were windows and French doors opposite the entry.
Blinds and drapes allowed control of the daylight. The ceiling
fan did not have a light and there was no way to change directions or speed, The wall switch was in the bank of switches near
the kitchen, which also controlled the two overhead lights above
the dining table and the kitchen light.
The dining table was parallel to the doors. There were six
chairs, but not all at the table. All of the furniture was mission
style, but of very thick wood and quite heavy. Each chair felt as if
it weighed more than 30 pounds. The surface of the table was
made of 8 to 12 inch wide planks that were not carefully edge
glued and the high spots were only planed about an inch from
the edge, so the top was quite uneven.
Two tall wire chairs were at the
counter that separated the kitchen and dining area. The galley type kitchen had
enough counter space on both sides of
the sink on the right. The stove on the left
also had counter space on both sides. The
refrigerator was on the left end of the stove
side. It had an icemaker, but it made small
cubes, slowly, so the two ice cube trays
were needed to supplement. The refrigerator door hinged on the right side, which
was “wrong.” The handle was only a few
inches from the wall on the left. You needed
to always pick up what you were going to
put away in your left hand, then open the
door with your right, across your body. It
is quite awkward and annoying since a
handyman with a screwdriver and a half
hour could change it. The kitchen light
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if there were only two fluorescent bulbs,
which were not enough. There was a
(noisy) dishwasher and a disposer.
One bedroom had a queen bed with
tables and lamps on each side. The far lamp
was controlled by a wall switch, which
doesn’t make since to me. If you turn it on
with the wall switch and then turn it out at
bedside, then next time the wall switch
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TimeSharing Today
Page 19
does nothing, and if you just switch
it once, the lamp switch doesn’t work either. One wall had a closet and some builtin drawers, with a mirrored space between.
That space held a TV. There were no ceiling fans in either bedroom. The bath had a
whirlpool type tub and a large counter
space. Both bathrooms were well lighted
and had heating fans as well as exhaust
fans.
The other bedroom had twin beds
with a table and a lamp between them. That
lamp was the only source of light. One
bed was only a few inches from the wall
and the other too close to the mirror doors
of the closet. There was a chest of drawers. This room needed at least another light,
a TV and even a clock. The bathroom had
a tub/shower and two sets of doors, so it
could be private for this bedroom or for
those who slept on the sofa.
French doors in the dining area
opened on to a large, well-landscaped flagstone patio with a grill and chairs. While
the view was either the row of similar patios of the adjacent units or the backs of
the nearby non-resort units, it was pleasant to sit there.
A Game Room in the check-in building had many coin operated games and a
pool table, as well as board games. We
looked at but did not use these facilities.
The activities on the handout sheets were
rather sparse. There was an on-site pancake breakfast on Saturday and a mention
of a Farmers Market in Austin, 40 miles
away. On Sunday there was a Yahtzee tournament in the afternoon. Monday had a
Disc/Golf tournament in the morning and
a Free-throw basketball contest in the afternoon. Tuesday featured a Cardio Kick
Class at 8 AM for $7. Wednesday offered
Fitness Classes for $5 at 6 PM and at 10
AM on Thursday. We did not participate
in any of these.
The RCI sheet lists water skiing, lake,
boating and fishing as “on-site.” The boat
ramp (fee) was on the adjacent resort property, which was closed and fenced off. One
of the access paths to the lake was also
on an adjacent property, where there was
a fence. The other path was from the pool
area. The pool was about 500 feet away
from our unit, father from the others. The
tennis courts were down the other path,
between the lakefront and the pool. The
Mar/Apr, 2008
lakefront had a concession stand offering
water ski rentals.
There is a grocery store and a well
stocked convenience store about 7 miles
away. The nearest H.E.B. store (Here Everything is Better) is 18 miles away. H.E.B.
stores are large, wide variety, well-stocked,
supermarkets with drug stores that are a
great shopping experience. Most everything else you need or want is further away.
Way too far for me. This part of Texas is
very hilly and the roads follow the contours of the land. Sometimes there are great
views of miles of scrubland, and open
spaces.
It was quite a surprise to get up each
morning, look out the windows, and see
several deer grazing on the lawn. The resort encourages feeding them by selling
“deer-corn” at the office. We saw 13 on
one tee of a nearby golf course! (We
played through.) Apparently these are not
the scourges that they are in many northern Atlantic states, and ticks are not a problem either. The resort did not recycle.
We enjoyed our stay.
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
TimeSharing Today
Page 20
Mar/Apr/2008
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Buy a house, get a
timeshare week
Facing a tough market for selling new
homes, Pacific Union Homes tried a new
tactic last month — buy one home, get 1/
52 of a second home for free.
After months of cutting prices and
offering increasingly generous incentives
at its four Central Valley communities in
California, with less-than-expected success, the Danville-based home builder
decided to up the ante by offering new
home buyers a week per year at a timeshare home in Hawaii, Florida, Mexico or
another vacation location.
“The chance to say, ‘that sounds fun,
that sounds interesting,’ it gets you a little
bit of extra attention,” said Robert
Stankus, a marketing consultant for the
builder.
Apparently the timeshare offer did the
trick. The company sold about 22 homes
at its “Claremont Collection” communities
in Tulare, Porterville, Atwater and Oakdale
over the two weekends it offered
timeshares to new buyers, Stankus said
— about the same number of homes sold
in the past two months at the same developments.
Pennsylvania enacts
sales disclosure law
Pennsylvania has enacted a law that
requires written or electronic disclosure
to people being sold timeshares before
they attend sales presentations. Not everyone who is told they are getting a free
gift for attending a timeshare pitch realizes that the gift is conditioned on their
hearing the sales presentation. The new
law requires that this fact be disclosed in
an understandable written or electronic
communication to the prospective buyer.
Wyndham expands
in Western locations
Wyndham Vacation Ownership has
acquired the Casa Pueblo Inn located in
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The resort will be known as
WorldMark Santa Fe. Renovations will
begin early next year and the resort is expected to welcome owners and their guests
in fall 2008.
Featuring a native Southwest puebloinspired design, the hotel will be transformed into a 32- room boutique-style resort with a combination of standard studio and one- bedroom units. The resort is
located within walking distance of Santa
Fe’s city center as well as a number of art
galleries and restaurants.
In other activity in the West,
Wyndham Vacation Ownership has
opened WorldMark Mission Valley, its
third resort in San Diego, Calif., joining
Wyndham Harbour Lights and WorldMark
San Diego. The 167-unit WorldMark Mission Valley resort is the company’s latest
urban destination property.
“San Diego is a destination rich with
entertainment opportunities and we are
pleased to create another resort for our
owners in an area with such a wide range
of nightlife, restaurants, shops, recreational activities and attractions,” said
Franz Hanning, president and CEO.
The resort has a mix of one- and twobedroom units, WorldMark Mission Valley has several amenities, including a pool,
hot tub, exercise facility and on-site parking. Each unit has a living room, dining
room, full kitchen and washer and dryer.
Wyndham has also purchased land
at the Grand Elk Ranch and Club community in Granby, Colorado. The company in
will begin construction of a 44-unit vacation ownership resort to be known as
WorldMark Grand Elk to be completed in
the Summer of 2009. The resort will be the
company’s fifth in the state.
Located just north of Winter Park,
WorldMark Grand Elk will feature a mix of
studio, one- and two-bedroom condominium-style units as well as three-bedroom Presidential suites. Each unit features
a full kitchen, living room, dining room,
flat panel televisions in the living room
and Master bedroom, entertainment systems, including a stereo and DVD/VCR and
a barbeque grill on the deck. In addition,
Presidential units will also include stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite
countertops, whirlpool tubs, upgraded fixtures, fireplaces and hardwood flooring in
each unit’s common areas.
Resort amenities will include an outdoor pool, children’s pool, spa/hot tub,
barbeque areas, business center, exercise
room and children’s play area. Additionally, owners will enjoy discounts at the
neighboring Grand Elk Golf Course, part
of the 440-acre Grand Elk Ranch and Club
master-planned community. The resort’s
location in the Rocky Mountains offers
activities such as skiing, hiking, golfing,
biking, fly-fishing and more.
Wyndham Vacation Ownership recently opened its first ski-in, ski-out resort, WorldMark Red River, in New
Mexico. The lodge-style resort contains
21 one- and two-bedroom, well-appointed
units at the base of the Red River Ski and
Snowboard area. Units feature gas fireplaces, full kitchens, washer and dryer, and
DVD player. Visitors to WorldMark Red
River can enjoy the view of the ski area
from the resort’s decks overlooking Red
Mountain or walk just 30 feet to the nearest ski lift.
TimeSharing Today
Page 21
With more than 340 days of sunshine
each year and an average annual snowfall
of 18 feet, Red River, nestled in the Carson
National Forest, offers activities for outdoor enthusiasts, with opportunities to ski,
snowboard, sled, snowmobile and snowshoe. During the warmer months, visitors
can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, golfing, fishing and horseback riding.
Moving even further west, Wyndham
has acquired the Royal Garden Hotel and
Spa in Waikiki, Hawaii. The 140-room hotel will remain operating until renovations
begin, which is anticipated to occur in
November 2008. Once renovations are
complete, the property will operate within
the company’s FairShare Plus by
Wyndham resort portfolio.
“Hawaii continues to be a highly desirable destination for our owners,” said
Franz Hanning, president & CEO of
Wyndham Vacation Ownership. “We are
pleased to acquire a property in an outstanding location as we continue to expand our presence in the Hawaiian Islands.”
Through a two-phase conversion
process, the hotel will be converted to a
mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom
units. The vacation ownership resort
amenities will include a swimming pool and
sauna, restaurants and fitness center. Located along the Ala Wai waterway, the
property is several blocks from Waikiki
Beach and is located near the area’s shopping, dining, golf courses and nightlife.
asking for more than $1.8 million from the
timeshare owners.
The defendants argued that
Midsouth had no right to force them to
pay the amenity fees, saying that the
agreement to pay amenity fees did not apply to anyone except the original owners.
The timeshare owners contended that the
agreement was a personal covenant which
did not run with the land, but bound only
the original owners.
The County Superior Court entered a
judgment for the defendants and
Midsouth appealed. In November a panel
of three judges on the Court of Appeals
upheld the lower court’s ruling that the
agreement was a personal covenant and
did not run with the land. Midsouth has
now filed a petition to the North Carolina
Supreme Court asking it to review the appellate court decision.
The timeshare corporations involved
are Fairfield Harbourside Condominium
Association; Fairfield Harbourside II; The
Fairways Condominium Property Owners
Association; Sand Castle Cove Property
Owners Association; Sand Castle Village;
Sand Castle Village II, Waterwood
Mar/Apr, 2008
Townhouses Property Owners Association; Windjammer Villas and Windjammer
Villas II Condominium Property Owners
Association.
Interval split
hits snag
Litigation has stalled the plan by IAC/
Interactive, a conglomerate that includes
Interval International, to split into five
separate companies. Liberty Media, which
owns a large stake in IAC/Interactive, filed
a suit seeking to block the plan to split the
company. One of those five separate parts
would consist of Interval International and
several small businesses to be headed by
Craig Nash, the current president of Interval International.
In reporting on the suit, the New York
Times erroneously described Interval International as “an online business that
sells vacation time shares.”
The split-up plan is designed to increase the value of IAC/Interactive, based
on the assumption that the total value of
five separate operations will exceed the
present value of these businesses all together in one conglomerate corporation.
New Diamond brand
Diamond Resorts International, which
acquired Sunterra Corporation in April,
2007, has initiated a rebranding of the
Sunterra resorts. By the middle of this
year, all of the former Sunterra resorts will
be branded as Diamond Resorts. The
company’s new tagline - “Relaxation
...simplified” - is designed to reflect the
new brand tenets of simplicity, choice and
comfort to its more than 360,000 owners.
Amenity fees dispute
Midsouth Golf, which owns recreational amenities in Fairfield Harbour, North
Carolina, tried to increase amenity fees
charged to timeshare owners in nine separate projects. When the timeshare owners refused (via the various property owners associations), Midsouth sued them,
TimeSharing Today
Page 22
Whew! What a relief it was to finally get to see
the Mayan Sea Garden timeshare in Matazlan,
Mexico, in person.
Why? Because I had recently read several negative reports about this facility and
upon personal examination (with my family of 18), I found it to be a delightful experience.
The grounds were immaculate and
beautiful for our Christmas, 2007, visit. The
service by each of the staff members was
exceptional. The swimming pools were
beautifully designed and the beach broad
and inviting.
As we headed for our assigned
rooms, we still were a little apprehensive
because of the negative comments by
other reviewers. However, we found each
unit to be spacious and super clean. Each
had a large combination dining/living
room with a TV; a complete (although
small) kitchen and a table with four chairs.
In addition, there was one bath and
two bedrooms—one large (with TV and a
safe for valuables) and one small. A pullout couch in the living room completed
the sleeping arrangements. My wife, Liz,
and I had a marvelous view from the balcony on our ocean-side unit. We were on
the seventh floor and appreciated the advantage that height gives when looking
at the ocean, pool and grounds.
As others have reported, the Sea Garden is an older structure, but charming in
its own way. Maid service was provided
daily and the in-house restaurant served
excellent food at a reasonable price. Each
night, there was a happy hour at the hotel
bar. Moreover, we took advantage of the
good selection of products at the on-site
grocery store.
A short (12 miles or so) bus ride to
town costs eight pesos (less than a dollar). We took three trips to town but enjoyed our hotel location so much that we
weren’t interested in seeing all of the city
highlights the week that we were there.
Sea Garden offers — through sub-contractors — deep sea fishing, snorkeling and
Mar/Apr, 2008
just plain sightseeing, on or off the water.
On the negative side, we were told by
one of the locals that snorkeling was not
good in the Matazlan area, so we didn’t
try it. Also, we wished there had been
more than one restaurant on-site. We also
thought the Pacific Ocean water was
colder than that on the Caribbean side,
but some permanent residents in the area
thought this winter was unusually chilly
when compared to most years.
I’ve had more than my share of scheduling disagreements with RCI, but this exchange was one of the best in our 10 years
of timeshare ownership.
And to obtain four units during
Christmas was almost a miracle. By the
way, there was no pressure to attend a
timeshare sales meeting, for which we also
were thankful.
Bottom line? Make sure critics don’t
have some axe to grind when they write
negative reviews. As with us, it might pay
to see for yourself. We liked Sea Garden
very much and saved thousands of dollars in rental fees.
Max D. Isaacson,
West Des Moines, IA
TimeSharing Today
Page 23
Profile: SPM Resorts
Editors note: This article is another
in the series in which advertisers provide
information about their history and services available to timeshare owners and
their resorts.
Like many management companies,
SPM Resorts had its beginning developing timeshare resorts. Then the company
management and staff realized that they
really enjoyed working with the timeshare
owners. They recognized early on that the
needs and desires of the timeshare owners were constantly changing and they
wanted their company to be the vehicle to
expedite the owners desires for their vacation homes. Besides, working with owners and Boards of Directors to create an
environment for a great vacation experience was a lot of fun.
Originally named Southern Property
Management to embody management that
provided Southern Hospitality, the name
was shortened to SPM Resorts, when
some resort owners commented that they
thought the company only provided services in the south. SPM Resorts now
manages properties as far North as Maine
and as far South as the Virgin Islands and
West to Tennessee, anf is looking to expand as far West as California and Hawaii.
A prominent complaint from Boards
is that their management company is more
interested in the branding of the resort and
maintaining company-set standards than
meeting the particular needs and desires
of the owners at a resort. Michael
Schraibman, Chairman and CEO of SPM,
states that “We work for the owners and
report to the Board.” SPM follows the
philosophy that the resort belongs to the
owners, not the management company,
and that SPM’s function is to maintain and
operate the resort in the best interest of
the owners as determined through their
elected Board of Directors.
Bill Young, President and COO of
SPM, says that when they have taken over
management, they often find policies and
procedures more appropriate for hotels
than for timeshare resorts. Bill says it is
important to remember that the people
coming to check in are not guests; they
are the owners. Often, removing hotel
type policies and procedures streamline
operations and also cuts administrative ex-
penses while providing a better vacation
experience for the owners.
SPM advocates that no resort can
operate efficiently or effectively unless it
is financially sound, and the best way for
that to be achieved is by having the Board
and interested owners well informed.
Andy Thompson, CFO, believes that each
Association’s budget and monthly financial statement should be tailored to that
resort’s operation not a standardized template. Additionally, the financials should
be in enough detail that the Board has the
necessary information to monitor income
and expenses. Bill Young reports that
SPM’s cash flow reports provide Boards
with the necessary information in sufficient time to permit resorts to avoid year
end cash deficits or allow the Board to
make good use of surplus funds, depending on their situation.
Peter Gianini, Senior Vice President of
operations, promotes an open and free
flowing dialogue with the owners and
Board Members. Peter says “We will discuss with the Board what we believe and
we will present, strongly sometimes, our
recommendations on a subject, but we
never forget that it is not our property. It
is the property of the individual owners;
the ultimate decision as to what is best for
a resort is in the hands of the elected Board
of Directors.” Peter lets his managers
know that the Board members and owners
bring a wealth of information and ideas to
a resort that no one Manager could possibly be expected to know, and that welcoming ideas and suggestions is a valued quality and the mark of a good manager.
A significant philosophy that SPM
follows is that the company will only prosper if the employees prosper say Karen
Middleton, HR Director. Karen says that
SPM has put together a strong benefits
program for the staff because they need
to feel that they are cared for and that the
company wants them to prosper. To this
end, SPM has training programs for the
staff and encourages the staff to move into
new positions as the company grows with
new resorts.
In addition to its management program, SPM’s sister company, Palmetto
Marketing can provide a resale program
at the resorts managed by SPM. Paul
Mar/Apr, 2008
Goodrich, Palmetto Marketing President,
says that they have been very successful
at providing owners who no longer can
use their timeshare week with a venue in
which they can sell their interest for a fair
price without having to pay upfront fees
or lose use of the unit. Paul says one of
the most significant results for the Association is that maintenance fees delinquencies drop because units are transferred
from those who are not using them to those
who can use the unit and are willing to
pay their fees.
SPM points with pride to the various
resorts for which it has assumed management responsibility over the years now
showing increasing scores on owner comment cards and decreasing delinquency
rates. Michael Schraibman and Bill Young
sum up the company’s success saying
“What we do is not difficult; we just focus on doing what is best for the owners
and listen to what they say they want and
act on it.”
SPM’s corporate headquarters are in
Myrtle Beach with regional offices in Orlando, Hilton Head, and Cape Cod. They
can be reached at 843 238 5000 or at 407
253 1789. or on the web at spmresorts.com.
TimeSharing Today
Page 24
Mar/Apr, 2008
FOCUS ON: Fox Hills Resort, Michocot, MI
By Carol Shene, Clinton Township, MI
We went to the Fox Hills Resort during the last week of June, 2007. First of all,
I want to tell you a little about myself. We
have three weeks of timeshare and usually trade through RCI when not using our
weeks. My husband passed away two
years ago. At that time, I did not know if I
should keep the timeshares or not, but I
decided to try to use them. Living near me
is my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. A boy age 9 and girl age 4. Once
a year we go together for a timeshare week.
So we went to Fox Hills this year. Since
we live near Detroit, MI, we decided to
take the Lake Michigan Car Ferry from
Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. Saturday we drove to Ludington, stayed in a
motel, and got on the SS Badger Ferry on
Sunday morning. It was a four hour ride to
Wisconsin. The grandkids enjoyed the
ferry ride because they had a pirate theme
and crafts for them to do.
We drove to Fox Hills, checked in
about noon, but had to come back at
[email protected]
4:00p.m. to pick up the
keys, which was fine
since we wanted a
clean place. So we piled
back in the car and
went
back
to
Manitowoc, about 7
miles, to a festival we
had seen going on
when we got off the
ferry. The weather was beautiful, so we
walked around looking at the crafts and
ate hot dogs and brats.
At 4:00p.m. we went back for our keys.
It was not crowded and the staff was very
nice. They said we had a slow week, because next week was the July Fourth holiday and would be busier; we had picked
the right time to come. We drove over to
our condo building, which had our three
bedroom unit. We walked in the building
and up the stairs. I was a little nervous,
because I had never been there before. I
hoped we would like it. Usually we traded
into a Gold Crown Resort, and this was
not one.
We opened the door and walked in. It
was enormous. First we saw the dining
area which had two tables together to seat
10 or more! The living room area had a
queen size couch that could open to a bed
and also a love seat couch to match. In
front of these was a large glass top coffee
table - ideal for playing games with the
grandkids. Off that room we saw a deck
that went from the living area all the way
to the bedroom. And it overlooked a fairway and green of the golf course.
Then we went to the bedrooms. I had
planned to take the “lock-out” and let my
daughters family use the main unit. But
when we saw the lock-out, it had two full
beds which was perfect for the grandkids.
So they had their own beds, their own
bathroom, and a place to keep their toys.
We just left the door between us open
during the day. The master bedroom was
very large, with a bathroom containing a
jacuzzi tub, and a separate shower. There
was a door leading to the balcony from
that bedroom. The other bedroom had one
bed, also with its own bathroom. Altogether we had four bathrooms. Plenty for
all of us.
The kitchen was a regular full kitchen
with all the equipment needed for our week
of meals. There was a long counter with
three stools, great for breakfast, since we
all got up at different times. The only thing
we did not have was a washer and dryer.
But this was downstairs in the building,
so we only had to share it with the other
four units in the building, and it was free.
We spent the first part of the week at
the pool. There was an indoor pool, but
we used the outdoor one, since the weather
was so good. There was also a very nice
miniature golf course, and of course the
kids used the playground quite a bit. My
son-in-law got up early every morning and
went golfing. He was in “golfers heaven”.
He took his son a few times and even his
wife went once.
The last part of the week, it cooled
off, so we went into the town of Two Rivers on two separate days. Thursday there
was an Ice Cream Festival; Two Rivers
claims to have invented the Ice Cream
Sundae. They had 25 cent sundaes at the
Festival; I had three!!! Friday, we drove
to Manitowoc to see the West of the Lake
Gardens (beautiful flowers), and later
stopped at the Manitowoc Zoo. The zoo
was small but had a great playground area,
which the kids loved. Saturday afternoon
we went back to Two Rivers for a Car Show
held in the middle of town. As you can
see, we hit it just right for all the festivals
going on in the area. Then, after each of
our trips, we went back to the condo and
the pool!
Fox Hills Resort would make a good
place for a family reunion. The grounds
are expansive. There is a large circle for a
bonfire, volley ball and basketball courts,
and a gazebo with picnic tables and grill.
This was one of the nicest vacations
we had. It was relaxing and everyone had
something to enjoy. The condo was great
and we hope to go back again.
TimeSharing Today
Page 25
Sold-out Resorts Can
Mean Low Fees
By Scott Riddle, owner /reseller
I am writing you concerning the front page article “Maintenance Fees Range Widely.” Generally when timeshare owners
speak of maintenance fees, there is a negative cloud hanging
overhead. Having been in the timeshare business since 1981, I
would like to add my sunny point of view. I am the owner and
reseller of the timeshares at the Rayburn Country Club. Our maintenances fees range from $260.00 to $416.00 including all taxes.
My point is that a resort can still be successful and offer reasonable dues. The blog below was posted by one of my clients.
“It appears that Rayburn Country Club has discovered a
way to avoid the
doomsday scenario
painted so often here
regarding RCI tactics
and low season ownership. By setting up a
plan where low season
owners get into RCI
Points at a reasonable
fee (vs. the thousands
most resorts get even
though their cost from RCI is $224.00), they are able to get paying
owners for that time, thus helping the resort and the new owners
benefit by obtaining an inexpensive points account both at purchase and ongoing fees. It is a perfect answer and again shows
that the doomsday predictions are a bit premature.
“Resorts and owners will find a way to survive just as they
have under the old weeks system. Except in this case, the points
owners are getting a fair deal rather than depending on a third
party system to give their nearly worthless time value at the expense of other owners silly enough to deposit their time into a
system that rewards low value units and penalizes the better
ones. People adjust to the current reality and Rayburn has created a perfect vehicle for that transition.”
As the RCI Points reseller, I give every current owner a chance
not to pay $1495.00 and to pay $00.00 to convert to RCI Points if
they just buy another week at the resort. Even my bad weeks sell
for $295.00. If the resort does not keep 98% sold out every year,
then the burden of the non-payers with be passed to the payers.
This is why so many resorts are in trouble. (Rayburn has been
99% sold out since I instituted this system in 2004.) If the nonpayers burden compounds, then it will have a direct effect on the
resale value of all of the weeks at the resort.
In addition, there are many decent timeshare resellers that
would help out the resorts as long as they could receive all of the
returned weeks each year without every board member and their
brother scooping up the good ones. If the HOA would let the
resellers have the occasional summer sweetheart week that is a
money maker, then the resellers would not have to charge so
much to convert other owners.
If you sit everyone down in the same room and make them all
tell the truth, the maintenance fees can be stabilized. Remember
to invite the homeowner board of directors to the room.
Mar/Apr, 2008
TimeSharing Today
Page 26
FOCUS ON: Westgate at South
Beach, Miami Beach, FL
By Winifred B. Bell
For starters: “Westgate at South Beach” is not at Miami
Beach’s South Beach. Obviously the developers can give anything any name, but this really is a little misleading. The resort is
located on Collins Avenue at the north east corner of 36th Street,
about 20 blocks north of the famed Art Deco district. This is not
casual walking distance (especially for seniors). Their literature
also mentions proximity to the famous Fountainebleau Hotel, but
that is six blocks north and closed for renovations.
The initial impression from our car as we drove up was quite
good. The moderately sized three story building looked charming in its coat of fresh yellow paint with white trim. The lobby was
another story: small, slightly cluttered and definitely not classy.
Unexpectedly, the pleasant man at the front desk gave us a choice
of accommodations. Floors one and three are non-smoking (which
was our preference). He offered us either floor -- three has the
advantage of no one overhead -- or an ocean front unit on the
first floor. It was no contest; we opted for the ocean front.
Unlike most timeshare properties, help with our luggage was
routine and friendly. We were instructed to leave our car in the
public parking lot adjacent to the hotel for a nominal charge of
$6.41 per day. However it was necessary to change the placard
daily, even if the car was not moved.
When we entered the unit, I immediately spotted a table and
lounge chairs outside of our living room window and thought we
had a private terrace. However there was no access to outside
from the unit. There are no private balconies or terraces at all in
the entire resort. What I was looking at were public facilities right
outside of our apartment.
Our one bedroom unit was spotlessly clean and moderately
sized with high quality granite counter tops and excellent bathroom fixtures. Snowy white towels were generously supplied and
changed daily. A mid-week light cleaning was included. The bathroom sink and a huge Jacuzzi were in the bedroom itself, but the
toilet and shower were behind closed doors. The furniture was
large and dark, dwarfing the space -- a clumsy attempt to appear
Art Deco; but no matter, it was comfortable. Beautiful ceiling fans
in the living room and bedroom were a nice touch.
The layout was not appropriate for two couples, as the only
$250
Mar/Apr, 2008
bathroom access was through the bedroom. It could work for
parents with two children.
Coin operated laundry facilities were located in a rather shabby
basement. The dishwasher had seen better days, as most of the
prongs were broken and rust appeared at the inside drain. Lighting was totally inadequate (adding to the generally dark feeling)
and it was difficult to read in the evening.
Ahh – the beach! Westgate is located on a prime stretch of
gorgeous beach. It has nicely manicured grounds with a pool of
its own, a volley ball court and a pleasant lounge area. A path
from the resort ends directly on the boardwalk. It was fun to see
the constant stream of humanity strolling, walking and running
along, the turquoise Atlantic sparkling in the background.
The neighborhood is mainly under construction. Wait two
years and it could be wonderful, but for now there are limitations.
The only restaurant that is walking distance is Carraba’s Italian
Grill at the Marriott Court Yard four blocks to the north. Westgate
attempted to make up for this lack by having a complimentary
buffet available all day, five days a week. In addition to the continental breakfast items, hot dogs and rolls were included, so kids
(of any age) could make it a free lunch.
Purchasing groceries was another challenge. The only nearby
convenience store was two blocks to the south. It had adequate
supplies but the atmosphere one would expect in a third world
country. A Publix Super Market was located 40 blocks north.
It is not necessary for me to extol the virtues of Miami Beach.
It has everything: World class shops, restaurants, performing
arts, water sports, museums, art galleries, you name it. However,
the main problem with Westgate is that everything except the
beach is not there. Interval International rates this resort “5 Star.”
Even considering how few timeshares there are in this desirable
area, I don’t think so.
TSToday
Anywhere
Marge Butler of Bellvue,
NE, found time to show her
copy of TimeSharing Today
that she and her husband Jon
brought to Fairfield Ocrean
Ridge Resort on Edisto Island, SC.
Timeshare Closings
Experience.
Quality.
Service.
Providing Professional Timeshare Closing Services Since 1996
JRA Services, Inc.
www.TimeshareResaleClosings.com
(954) 718-7076
TimeSharing Today
Page 29
Bighorn Meadows Resort, Radium, B.C
By Elaine Markham
Our week at the resort was Friday to
Friday at the end of March. We chose to
arrive on Saturday so as not to drive at
night. The trip from Calgary was approximately a 3-hour drive. We arrived at
around 2:00 p.m. and check in went
smoothly.
We were suitably impressed with our
two bedroom unit. There were two full
baths, a large kitchen area, granite island
with seating and a huge dining table. Every imaginable utensil, including barbecue
grill, was available. I did have to hunt for
space to put our provisions for the week.
There was a comfortable sofa and two
chairs. The patio looked out onto a water
hazard of the golf course, which was at
the moment was dinner to some fifty Bighorn sheep. One bedroom consisted of
two single beds and the other had a large
king, with en suite. I noticed a large water
stain running from the ceiling of the shower
toward the Jacuzzi. It was so obvious that
I assumed it must be on the list to repair. It
being Saturday I was sure it would be dealt
with the following week. I didn’t pick up
on a clue when I asked for a bulb replacement and was told not to expect anything
too soon.
When we returned from our walk, a
shiny new bulb was outside the door. We
proceeded to settle in, had supper and
more of a walk around the little town of
Radium.
Around 8:30 p.m., a couple checked
in to what I now know is a lock-off across
from my son’s bedroom. The door was not
soundproof so there was a lot of noise. I
thought, all right, it is Saturday night and
the resort has a request for quiet after 11:00
p.m. It was not to be. There was excessive
noise till at least 1:30 a.m.
Next morning, I went to the office to
register my dissatisfaction and was told if
it occurs the next night, there is an emergency number as the office closes at 5:00
p.m. The offending tenants either left or
were relocated.
On Monday, the tenants above us
checked in. The floors are ceramic - beautiful to look at, but murder to listen to at all
hours of the day and night. I was glad we
had a lower level unit, so we were not contributing to someone else’s distress.
I do not know how big the party above
was, but it appeared the showers were in
constant use. Returning to our unit on
Tuesday evening, I heard water coming
from above in the main shower. I called an
emergency number and am told the maintenance people are on vacation for a week.
We were offered a new location at this time.
I did not accept, as my son is blind and
had just begun to find his way around. I
asked them to relocate the people above
until it is repaired. I was then told they
know about the leak but haven’t had time
to repair it.
I asked why we were placed in the
unit if they knew all the circumstances.
The reply was that Interval International
wouldn’t allow them to change the unit
number. I did not believe this, so on my
return to Calgary I called customer service at Interval International. Mario did
some checking and there was no request
for a unit change. It was also a slow period for the resort judging by the cars
present, so I would chalk it up to some
gross inefficiency by the management.
When we were checking out, I was
told there were two phone call charges. It
took a while to recall that they were the
two calls I made to emergency. As people
were starting to check in and come for information, they rightly decided to not
press the issue. They have, however,
shown up on the Visa.
I hope Big Horn Meadows has addressed the issues with sound proofing
in the new units. They are truly lovely, as
is the destination in the Kootenays.
We still had a pretty good time, enjoying the scenery, the Hot Springs and
the Bighorn mountain sheep.
I do not wish to run across these issues in the future, which is why I am addressing them now. We have for the most
part enjoyed our timeshare exchanges for
Mar/Apr, 2008
TimeSharing Today
Page 30
ANNUAL MEETING
MARCH 30
Ground breaking information
that every timeshare owner
VKRXOGKDYHDWWKHLU¿QJHUWLSV
11th Annual Timeshare Owners
Association Dinner Meeting
3UNDAY-ARCHTH^PMTOPM
#OMFORT)NN2OSE2ESTAURANT
.EAR"7)!IRPORTBaltimore, MD
This meeting is for timeshare owners only.
TOPICS INCLUDE
s(OW4O3ELL!4IMESHARE7ITH.O5PFRONT&EE
s(OWTO"UYA4IMESHARE!TTO
/FFTHE/RIGINAL0RICE
s(OWTO(ANDLE3PECIAL!SSESSMENTS
s2ENTERS)NSURANCEn!RE9OU0ROTECTED
GUEST SPEAKERS
3HEP!LTSHULER2AY*ACOBS
TimeSharing Today
Maryland Timeshare
Owners Association
410-719-0064
Membership
has privileges!
[email protected]
Mar/Apr, 2008
Groups Schedule March Meetings
The Maryland Timeshare Association will hold its 11th Annual Timeshare
Owners dinner meeting on Sunday, March
30th. The event will begin with registration at 1:00 pm at the Comfort Inn, near
BWI Airport, Baltimore Maryland.
Seminar topics will include: Timeshare
Market Watch...2008, How to Sell A Timeshare With No Upfront Fee, How to Buy a
Timeshare At 60% to 80% Off the Original
Price, How to Handle Special Assessments
and Renters Insurance, Are You Protected.
Also, Shep Altshuler and Ray Jacobs,
the Publisher and Editor of TimeSharing
Today, will be featured as special guest
speakers.
The S.W. Florida Timeshare Owners Group will be holding its next meeting
on Sunday, March 9th, in Venice, FL at the
Pelican Pointe clubhouse.
The guest speakers include Mr. Tom
Tubbs, one of the timeshare industry’s primary innovators in resales. Tom will discuss how owners can adapt to today’s
resale market.
Also speaking will be Ms. Jan
Samson, Senior Vice President of Vacation
Resorts International, one of the largest
timeshare management company in the industry. Ms. Samson will comment on current and future trends in the Resort management industry.
Following Ms. Samson, the group will
hear from Mr. Lee Rushin, RCI’s Florida
Regional Account Executive. Lee will announce recent changes in the RCI exchange program, as well as an update of
their Points program.
A Q&A session will follow each
speaker.
A discussion regarding the Group’s
new Member-to-Member Assistance program will also be conducted.
This meeting is limited to members of
the Fla. Timeshare Owners Group, as well
as non-members who make reservations
in advance.
Further information about membership and meeting reservations, can be obtained by contacting Frank Debar, Group
Coordinator, at (941) 351-1384, or at:
[email protected]
TimeSharing Today Owners Groups
Baltimore, MD area - Contact Ed and Mary Lou Hastry, 2003 Fernglen Way, Baltimore, MD 21228 Phone 410/719-0064 [email protected].
Northern California - Contact Jess Centeno, 2257 Southwood Dr., Pittsburg, CA 94565. Telephone 925/709-1739. Email [email protected]
Southern California - Contact Glenn Bailey, 5926 Hesperia Avenue, Encino, CA 91316. Telephone - 818/585-2212. Email
[email protected].
Cape Cod - Contact W. R. Chandler, 790 Old Fall River Rd., North Dartmouth, MA 02747. Telephone - 508/676-0693.
Cayman Islands - Contact Carol Blair - 6879 Mossvine Circle, Dallas, Texas 75254 972-661-9119 or 214-533-9945 email [email protected].
Chicago, IL - Contact Joe Tragesser, 1057 Partridge lane, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Phone 847/438-6795. Email [email protected].
Columbia, MO - Wayne Behymer, 3201 Rolling Hills Rd, Columbia, MO 65201. 573/442-6783.
Denver, CO - Contact Melvin & Betty Adams, 71 S. Grandbay St., Aurora, CO 80018. Telephone 303/341-7147.
Email [email protected].
Georgia, North and South Carolina - Contact Jack English, P.O. Box 2121, Acworth, GA 30102-2121. Telephone - 678/445-6761. Email
[email protected].
Midwest - Contact Nancy and Jake Seth, 28306 290th St, Henderson, MN 56044. Phone 507/665-6358. Email [email protected].
New York Metro Area - Contact Amy Sien, 71-17 Manse St., Forest Hills, NY 11375, 718/261-7677, email [email protected] or
Caroline Lindholm, Scarsdale, NY 10533, 914/723-5657, email [email protected] or Ben and Dorothy Catanese, Hicksville, NY,
516/822-5912, Email: Bencat@ optonline.net or Betsy Hurley, Hoboken, NJ email [email protected]
Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties - Contact Robert Fishback, 2031A Jason Dr., Huntington Valley, PA 19006. Telephone
215/364-8978. Email [email protected]
Portland, ME - Contact David and Alison Bjork, PO Box 499, Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064. Email [email protected].
San Diego - Contact Bill Cranna, 10411 Oroxco Rd., San Diego CA 92124, Telephone 858/565-0500
Tampa Bay/Sarasota/Ft. Meyers, FL Area - Contact Frank Debar, 7339 Kensington Ct., University Park, FL 34201 941/351-1384. Email
[email protected]. Online at tsownersgroup.com
Toronto, Ontario area - Contact Roy Martin, 651 Cognac Crescent, Pickering, Ontario L1X 1M1. Email [email protected]
TimeSharing Today
Page 31
Mar/Apr, 2008
Our Best Exchange: Maine
By Lois Jackson, Lake Mary, FL
Choosing my favorite exchange wasn’t easy! They were all
great: Williamsburg, VA, Salt Lake City, Hilton Head, Key Largo,
FL, Myrtle Beach. But my favorite was Harbor Ridge at Southwest Harbor, Maine.
We drove from Florida to Northern Pennsylvania for my husband Don’s 50th High School Reunion in mid September. A few
days later with his sister and brother (both seniors, too) we took
off for Maine. The drive through New York State was breathtaking with the hills ablaze with autumn colors (such a treat for my
Florida eyes used to seeing only green). The colors became even
spectacular as we drove through Vermont and New Hampshire
into Maine.
One of the highlights of the trip for husband Don was an
overnight stop at Wallingford, Vermont, where as a Rotarian, he
and brother Rich were welcomed at the Rotary Club meeting that
evening. It was held in an old brick schoolhouse that Paul Harris
(founder of Rotary) attended as a child. It was a very special
evening that he later shared with fellow Rotarians after we returned home to Lake Mary, FL.
The next morning, we continued our journey to Southwest
Harbor, Maine. Harbor Ridge was located easily by following
excellent directions on our II reservation. The resort of 40
townhouses had a large clubhouse with lounge, indoor pool,
spa, fitness room, etc.
We had a three-level spacious condo with private decks at
each level and a beautiful view of Somes Sound and the mountains. It was very comfortable and well furnished with everything
we needed. Although there were many amenities at the resort,
our days were spent sight-seeing the beautiful scenic drives along
the rugged coasts of Maine (so different from our sand beaches
of Florida), visits to Acadia National Park (a must see), Bar Harbor (all within an hour drive), and everywhere those fabulous
colors.
We enjoyed exploring the fishing town of Southwest Harbor, with a population less than 2000 and few tourists this time of
year. Boat building, in addition to fishing, is the main industry
with some of the fmest sailboats, power boats and fishing boats
made here.
The men enjoyed hanging around the small shops watching
A
GIANT
“Sea Princess” to
The cruise was
Naturalist who
abundant wildSomes Sound
Range, but
along.
We
lobster
berry
the crafting of boats. One
day, we took a chilly (end of
September) boat ride on the
several off shore Islands.
narrated by a retired Park
not only told us about the
life and unique geology of
and the Mount Desert
showed us as we boated
stopped at a 200-year old
fishing village on Little CranIsland where we saw many,
many lobster traps. We also
had time to walk around,
visit the small multipurpose
grocery store with a one window post office, deli, and
gathering spot for all. The community, with its old homes, school,
church and small historic museum, was indeed reminiscent of the
past. It was a memorable cruise with a very kind captain who
handed out blankets to his shivering passengers. We had great
memories of delicious lobster dinners - some at small rustic spots
near the docks, others at fancier restaurants in Bar Harbor- a real
treat!
On our trip to Bar Harbor, we booked a sail on the 151-foot
Windjammer Schooner “Margaret Todd.” A chilly sail among the
islands of Frenchman’s Bay, but such a thrill for Don, an old
Navy man who helped hoist the sails. After docking, we strolled
around the park and shopping area in the late afternoon sun then enjoyed another lobster dmner.
So many adventures - each day was different. At Acadia
National Park, located on Mount Desert Island, we drove the 27mile Park Loop Road for views of Sand Beach, Otter Cliffs, clambered over the bold granite dome of Cadillac Mountain, and raved
about the panoramic view. We visited Abbe museum with its
great exhibits of Native American Heritage, stopped for picnic
lunches, visited majestic lighthouses, quaint antique shops in
small villages, and shops with lobster buoys and traps - so much
to see and do!
I dream of retuming, but until that day, we relive the memories as we look thought the scrapbook I make of each trip and the
wonderful exchanges.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 32
Mar/Apr, 2008
Northwest Vacation
By Ann Viarengo,
Clarkdale, AZ
Ann
Swayne
Viarengo and Nancy
Woods Rosman call
ourselves childhood
friends before birth. Our
mothers were best
friends and went to the
same high school, same
grade and had daughters at the age of three;
Nancy and I are two months apart in age.
Leaving Sunday, May 7th for Washington, I from Arizona and Nancy from
Pennsylvania (bringing two Philadelphia
Cheesesteaks-Yum!), we arrived at the
Seattle airport in the early afternoon about
two hours apart. With the rental car we set
out for Ocean Shores at the Windjammer condominiums. Our unit was a twobedroom lock off and quite spacious.
Our first day was eating the
cheesesteaks for dinner and catching up
on tons of things.
Monday, was a nice day, sunny and
cool, and we explored the area: took a short
walk on the beach, enjoyed the museum,
checked out a condo that was new and for
sale and enjoyed seeing a couple deer.
Tuesday, we headed out early for Port
Angeles to take the ferry to Victoria. We
passed Crescent Lake on the way and had
been told it was breathtaking—they were
right. Seeing the mountain tops covered
with snow was a site to behold. After arriving in Victoria, we went right out to
Butchart Gardens. The flowers and colors
were beautiful - so much time put in to
make such picture perfect gardens. After
about two hours there, we went to our
motel and had a bite to eat.
Wednesday was the busy day. We
started by going to Hatley Castle. Again,
so beautiful with the setting right on the
water and the snow covered mountains in
the background. I loved the gardens there
and so enjoyed walking around in them. It
was my favorite. Yes I would go back.
Off to Craigdarroch Castle and such
a different type then the Hatley one. Here
you gave yourself a self-guided tour of
the 4 stories. Many years ago, it was sold
off and it has been restored not too long
ago.
Off to the Empress Hotel, as everyone said we had to go and see this hotel.
We then went to the Blethering Place tearoom for “high tea” and to celebrate my
60th birthday. We were not disappointed
with the setting, the service, the people
we met, or the food. What a perfect place
for “high tea.”
We then drove around the coast back
to town and on to the Parliament Building.
With a full day, we were glad to get on the
ferry back to the States and enjoyed the
ride and beauty, since the drive back to
our condo was three hours. (Nancy is a
TimeSharing Today
Page 33
very good driver.)
Thursday, was a nice quiet day for us
to relax and enjoy after a very busy two
days. We did drive around another part of
the area and had an ice-cream cone.
Friday, we drove up to the Olympic
Rain Forest and saw some big, big tall
straight pines. We explored the south and
north side of this area then drove back to
the shore for lunch. Our table was overlooking the Pacific Ocean through pine
trees with hummingbirds coming to drink
the nectar. The meal was 5 stars.
Saturday, we took the ferry back and
forth to Westport and had a delightful time.
Again, we stopped for an ice-cream cone.
We then had to come back and pack for
our trip home on Sunday.
Now for the condo. Nancy took the
large master bedroom with a king size bed
two nightstands, large dresser, a chair, TV,
and big closet. The master bath was very
large, with two sinks, toilet, a big Jacuzzi
tub and large shower with two seats in it.
I took the lock-off and my bedroom had a
queen bed with two night stands, small
dresser, chair, TV and good size closet.
My bath had a single sink, with showertub and toilet. On that side there was a
living-room/kitchen/ dining area combo
which we didn’t need to use.
The main part of the unit had a big
kitchen with ample cabinets stocked with
lots of cooking utensils, pots and pans,
bowls, baking dishes, plates, cups,
glasses, and silverware. It had a full size
range, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave. The table was large and could seat
8 nicely. The living room had a sofa,
Murphy bed, (which we did not use), two
chairs, and a TV stereo system. The one
chair was the most comfortable overstuffed rocker that I have ever seen in a
condo.
The resort did have a pool but it was
too cold for us to even consider trying.
They do give you a weekly pass to the
clubhouse which has an exercise room and
pool. Again we did not use this. The staff
was very nice and helpful and we were
always greeted with a big hello and smile.
The other section of the Windjammer
is three stories and no elevator. So I suggest if you go to the Windjammer and have
problems with steps, make sure your unit
is on the first floor.
Mar/Apr, 2008
A Good Time in
Crummy Weather
By Carol Shene, MI
My friend and I flew to Orlando
and rented a car to drive to Daytona the
end of September. We arrived at Tropic
Shores in Daytona Beach Shores, FL
about 4:30 p.m. with no problem finding it. Check-in was very efficient; and
no sales pitch! Although I did get a few
phone calls about an Orlando timeshare,
but when I said “No, Thank You,” the
lady was very nice about it.
We used a luggage rack to take our
luggage up in the elevator. Upon entering our two-bedroom unit, we checked
it out. The master had its own bathroom. The other bedroom had a bathroom across the hall. A TV was in each
bedroom and plenty of closet and
drawer space. Down the hall was the
combination living room and kitchen.
All the floors were ceramic tile, except
the bedrooms.
The living room included a pull out
couch, which we did not need, and a
matching chair with a footstool built in
underneath that we could pull out. A
wood coffee table with a glass top was
in front of the couch. Across from that
was a large cabinet with TV and DVD
inside. Along that wall was a large doorway leading to the balcony, which faced
the ocean. We were on the eleventh floor
and when sitting on the couch it looked
like we were in the middle of the ocean
watching the waves. The room was not
large but very cozy.
Another thing that was nice: the
lamps in all the rooms had 3-way bulbs,
which was good for reading or watching TV. But at dusk we were told to
close the drapes and blinds because of
the sea turtles. At night, the sea turtles
hatch and head toward the ocean by
light of the moon, but if the resorts have
too much light, the turtles might head
www.tradingplaces.com
TimeSharing Today
Page 34
Mar/Apr, 2008
TSToday
Anywhere
Subscribers all, Mr. and Mrs.
Malcom Evans of Bethany, CT (on
the left) and Mr. and Mrs. John
Daddio of North Branford, CT vacationed together at Marriott’s
Aruba Ocean Club and posed with
a TimeSharing Today magazine.
the wrong way. Interesting, huh?
To the right, was a kitchen table with
a glass top. Then there was the kitchen
with all you could ask for. I especially liked
the Corelle dishes. If any unusual cooking items were needed, we could ask the
front desk for them. We had our dinner
there every night except the last night. We
went to a Hawaiian dinner show down the
street which we really enjoyed!
When we read the resort information
book, we learned that there was a minicleaning each day before 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. There was a “do not
disturb” sign which we used almost ev-
eryday, since we are both pretty neat
people! One day, they left clean towels
and emptied the wastebaskets. Another
day, we dropped off our garbage after 1:00
p.m. at the trash bin.
We were very happy with the resort
and everyone was very nice there. We did
not participate in any activities other than
the pool and beach, because we wanted
to see the Daytona area. This was the first
time in over 20 years since we had been
there. We checked out the pier, the boardwalk and downtown Daytona. The weather
was not the best; it was quite windy and
rainy off and on. So we were not too impressed with Daytona itself. The beach
was nicer by our resort.
But we did go to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and enjoyed that. It was worth seeing. And also the weather was nicer that
day. We also went to the Daytona Flea
Market after Church on Sunday. We drove
and had no trouble getting around using
a map we had found on the internet before
we left home. We also went by the
Daytona Speedway. It is enormous, at
least from the outside. We did not go in,
since we are not into racing and nothing
was going on then.
We spent one day driving up to Jacksonville to see a friend. We had rain all the
way up there and part of the way back.
But even with the rain, it was not a bad
drive, since the roads are so good in the
area. Not at all like the roads up north
where we live. If we go again, maybe we
can go to St. Augustine which is not too
far away. Altogether, we had a fun week.
The weather could have been better. But
that is the chance you take going in September. At least we did not have a hurricane!
relax . . .
. . .unwind
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Carefree Journeys is a unique and exciting vacation concierge, delivering premium accommodations
to consumers of travel. We strive to provide you with a hassle free experience for all your travel
needs. Membership allows you to experience the benefits of luxury resort accommodations and
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TimeSharing Today
Page 35
Mar/Apr, 2008
FOCUS ON: Villa Vera Puerto Mio, Zihuatanejo, Mexico
By Karen Ford, Grand Junction, CO
My partner and I landed a one-bedroom exchange through RCI to Villa Vera
Puerto Mio Hotel, Marina & Spa in
Zihuatanejo, Mexico for the second week
of January. The resort is small with 22 airconditioned units and is a member of the
Raintree Vacation Club. Although the hotel offers few activities (restaurant room
service, massages by the pool, deep-sea
fishing and other local tours), there is
plenty to see and do in the Ixtapa/
Zihuatanejo area.
Villa Vera sits high upon a cliff overlooking Zituantanejo Bay. We stayed in a
villa suite on the 4th floor with its own spacious private balcony; it had two padded
lounge chairs for taking in the breathtaking views of the bay and Pacific Ocean, in
addition to Playa La Ropa and Playa Las
Gatas on the opposite side of the bay. (See
photo.) This is one trip for which I wish I
had packed binoculars, as several mornings we saw small pods of dolphins jumping out of the water in the bay.
During our stay, the temperatures
ranged from 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
It was sunny every day with no hint of
rain. Apparently, this was typical for January weather in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo.
Our week at Villa Vera began on Sunday, but Frontier Airlines cancelled our
Sunday to Sunday flights out of Denver
in December and changed them to Saturday to Saturday flights. So we spent our
first night at a moderately priced Best
Western hotel at the north end of the hotel zone in Ixtapa.
Since we had to check out at noon
and our unit at Villa Vera would not be
ready until 4 pm, we opted to take a tour of
the area with a taxi driver who is a native
of Zihuatanejo. (Ramon Carmona, cell 755115-2515, [email protected]) Ramon
speaks English very well and gave us an
excellent 4-hour tour for $120 USD from
Playa Linda of Ixtapa to Playa Larga south
of Zihuatanejo. The tour gave us a good
idea of the layout of the area we were visiting. The first place I asked Ramon to
take us was to an ATM so I could withdraw cash in pesos from my bank account
in the USA. At the end of our afternoon
tour, we had Ramon take us to the Commercial Mexicana in Zihuatanejo so we
could buy bottled water and beer and a
few snacks. I suggest that if you don’t
want to pay the high minibar prices at Villa
Vera, you do the same when you get to
town. You can store your items in the
minibar free of charge as long as you do
not remove the hotel’s items. If you remove their items from the minibar, it will
cost you $15 USD.
We loved our accommodations. Our
unit was more of a large studio, a large
room with a king size bed and built-in bedside tables on each side of the bed. The
room was Mexican style with white walls,
tiled floor and bamboo matte ceiling. Hanging on two of the walls were a couple of
framed charcoal drawings that I thought
were pretty strange. When sitting in the
bed, I could see the bay through the large
sliding glass doors. On one side of the
bed in the opposite corner of the room
were a built-in desk and shelves. A small
television sat on top of the desk. On the
other side of the bed, in the opposite corner of the room, was a two-person sofa
with a coffee table in front and built-in
smaller tables along each side. The small
refrigerated minibar sat next to one of these
tables.
Off of the main room was a small hallway that led to the bath area. The hallway
had shelves and closet space (with an iron,
ironing board, safe-deposit box, and two
terry-cloth robes for our use) on one side.
The bath area had a turquoise-tiled
counter with a sink and a large mirror and
a separate toilet room with a door that had
full-length mirrors on both sides. Past the
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TimeSharing Today
Page 36
sink area was a turquoise-tiled shower
and a two-person jacuzzi tub with a large
window overlooking the bay.
We were invited to a free breakfast
followed by a 90-minute timeshare presentation, but we declined. (We already have
two timeshares and are not interested in
purchasing any more.) If we had attended
the presentation, we would have received
a 20% discount at the on-site restaurant
and bar and 10-20% discount on local
tours offered by the hotel.
We ate at the on-site open-air Alturo
Restaurant a couple of times during our
stay at the hotel. Cesar, Alturo’s waiter
and bartender from 3 to 11 pm, provided
us with excellent, friendly service. For dinner, he recommended the grilled shrimp
with mango and pumpkin seed sauce which
was excellent. Lunch at the restaurant was
also tasty, with a cool breeze and excellent
views of the bay.
Antonio, the concierge, and Lupita,
the timeshare sales person, were very kind
and helpful. They gave us walking directions to town, bus stops, banks, restaurants, and shopping. We enjoyed a sunset cruise that we booked through Anto-
Mar/Apr, 2008
nio on the Picante catamaran that sailed
from the Puerto Mio pier out the bay and
north up the coast along the Ixtapa hotel
zone. In keeping with a party atmosphere,
the booze flowed freely throughout, and
the waiters offered up some fairly humorous entertainment towards the end of the
tour.
The town of Zihuatanejo is only a 1015 minute downhill walk from the hotel.
(Of course, the return trip is mostly uphill.) Since there is not a fitness room at
the hotel, we walked to town and back
several days during our stay to ensure we
stayed fit in spite of all we ate and drank.
We ate at several of the restaurants in
downtown Zihuatanejo along the pedestrian walkway that followed the beach and
bought a few trinkets from the vendors.
One night Antonio made reservations for
us at the romantic La Cala Restaurant
which was an easy walk for us from the
hotel. La Cala is open air and situated in a
cove surrounded by rocky cliffs. The
sound and sight of the waves breaking on
the rocks were mesmerizing, and the food
and drinks were superb.
One day, we walked down to the municipal pier and took a water taxi (35 pesos
round trip) to Playa Las Gatas. We patronized Otilia’s Restaurant with Franco,
the waiter for the day. Otilia’s is about 2/3
of the way down the beach and has the
red umbrellas. Lunch was tenderized, fried
Mahi Mahi with homemade papas fritas. I
took my snorkel mask and beach shoes
and waded out to the rocky break in front
of the beach. Although I have snorkeled
before, I am not a good swimmer so this
was a good snorkeling experience for me.
I learned after the fact that I should have
taken some pieces of tortilla with me to
attract more of the colorful fish.
I can easily recommend Villa Vera for
a relaxing, private, adult vacation. Although, there is an outdoor swimming
pool with a nice view of the bay and the
bar is close by, the lounge chairs with the
umbrellas were taken by 9 am. So we
chose to spend most of our time on our
private balcony. This was one of our most
enjoyable, relaxing vacations yet, since we
spent much of our time on the balcony
reading, sunbathing, drinking Coronas,
and watching the boats come and go in
the bay.
TimeSharing Today
Page 37
By Ted and Diana Jambon, Baton Rouge, LA
I am a member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Association
and it was our luck that the 2007 reunion was held in Phoenix, AZ,
just a few miles from our son and his family home. We arranged
for an exchange through Interval International at the Canyon
Villas. Unfortunately we were unable to line up all of the reunion
days with our week, but a couple of nights in the Marriott Desert
Ridge Resort (at reunion rates) fixed things up nicely.
Following a flight from Baton Rouge via Memphis, TN and
with a reasonably priced rental car,
we headed for the Villas. Check
in was as simple as giving our
names, receiving key cards and
being directed to our third floor
room overlooking the pool complex.
There was a shuttle every 30 minutes from the Villas to the
resort (a distance of only a few blocks) and the nearby mall,
fitness rooms and a convenience market in the office complex.
Reaching the third floor was easy, as each villa has an elevator,
from the covered parking area – a nice feature during the summer.
While we were only able to get a lockout room, it was quite
pleasant, very clean and new. Ample towels and toiletries were
available and while maid service was every third day, towel exchanges could be made every day; the maids were always nearby.
Each of the units features balconies, and ours was overlooking
the pool complex which was surrounded by giant palm trees.
The Villas features several pools, waterfalls, and hot tubs with a
snack bar at the pools. The pools stay open until 10:00 p.m. and
open at 7:00 a.m. July can be hot but there was sufficient shade
and the mist sprayers kept it all very comfortable.
Granted a lockout is usually small, but the balcony space
with its room-wide glass doors helped to make the room very
comfortable. The usual amenities of TV, DVD player and internet
access were available. The “kitchen” was small but we seldom
used it and took our morning coffee on the balcony. The room
included a queen sleeper sofa which we had no occasion to need.
Both the villas and resort hotel (they generally work together)
provided contacts for such activities as trips to Sedona, the Grand
Canyon, ballooning, desert exploration and several excursions.
It was possible to make charges at the resort hotel to your Villas
room, a nice convenience when going to the pool at the hotel and
not needing to carry money or credit cards.
Mar/Apr, 2008
The Villas has numerous activities for kids, including events
around the two fire pits near the pools where marshmallow roasting, story telling and star gazing took place. However, the biggest attractions for kids were the pools with a water volley ball
setup and various other pool activities. I particular enjoyed the
salt water lap pool.
The resort hotel has a number of top notch restaurants – the
Tuscany with its own outdoor patio, Roy’s with seating on the
main hotel patio, the Blue Sage for lighter fare and quick snacks,
also with seating on the patio on
the opposite side from Roy’s. On
the far end past the convention
facilities is a restaurant catering
to the golfing crowd, and to my
taste one of the best of the restaurants in the hotel.
We did not partake of any of the side trips (we visit the kids
once a year and so have done all of the desert stuff and visited
Sedona, the Grand Canyon and ancient Indian sites) as I was
participating in convention meetings and gatherings and Diana
spent the time in the pools with our granddaughter. The banquet
food was very good (I’ve had my share of “so-so” banquet food
at other reunions) although the service was a bit disorganized,
but they managed to get everyone served within a reasonable
time. Since few if any of the wait staff at the banquet spoke
English, my limited command of Spanish helped out – I think!
We decided to take advantage of the “freebies” being offered, and listened to one of the Marriott’s timesharing presentations. On learning that we were long time owners of a timeshare
in New Orleans, the sales person (a very nice lady) gave us the
abbreviated sales pitch and let us go our way. We were rewarded
with $100 of Marriott “money” (we could have chosen a free
room, “real” money, or several other options) which we used to
pay towards the two nights we stayed in the resort hotel.
The hotel room was larger than the Villas lockout and very
well furnished. Diana fell in love with the bathroom – it really was
a “room” with an all glass shower, huge tub and large double
basin facilities. The hotel design ensures that every room has a
garden view; ours overlooked the spa gardens.
Both the Villas and resort hotel grounds are beautiful. Marriott
had truly made the desert bloom. We definitely recommend this
resort, although we would not recommend visiting in July or August. September and October in Arizona are much nicer.
Marriott’s Canyon
Villas at Desert Ridge
For more information about VRI’s
management services, please contact:
Jan Samson - Sr. Vice President
When VRI manages your timeshare property, you can rest easy. Vacation Resorts International
is now the largest independent timeshare management company in the industry with more
than 140 resort associations in 26 states plus Canada and Mexico.
Corporate and Business Development
321-453-3300 ext. 11
[email protected]
www.vriresorts.com
www.8664myvacation.com
TimeSharing Today
Page 38
Mazatlan, Mexico: Extraordinary
Resort and Vacation Paradise
By Sam Jacobs, Prescott, AZ
Due to the climate of security, peace,
and the vision of the owner at Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan and his newer Emerald Bay
timeshare, we stayed for two weeks. This
is a resort! Check in was instant with discount offers provided by the concierge
without pressure. Our suite overlooked the
ocean and below our fifth floor room was
one of two very large pools.
Room amenities include fully
equipped kitchenette with refrigerator, silverware, dishware, coffee maker, toaster,
microwave oven, electric range, purified
water, individually controlled air conditioning, free satellite TV, direct dial telephones,
in-room safes, hair dryers, radio alarm
clocks, vanity mirror, irons and ironing
boards, and 24-hour suite service
Mazatlan is growing in an explosive
mode, so choosing your vacation time is
important. The most beautiful time is, of
course, at Christmas time. Don’t choose
August or September as the humidity is at
its worst.
So why Mazatlan? The beaches are
fantastic with a shallow water entrance for
quite a distance. The best are Playa
Sa’balos in the “golden zone” and Playa
Gaviotas at the noted Hotel Playa
Mazatlan. However, all of the beaches
have cotton sand and views of the nearby
islands. The sights include downtown (el
centro) with the old Mexican flavor everywhere. Colonial architecture abounds with
emphasis on the Cathedral, Central Market, Plaza Revolucion, and the Angela
Peralta Theater. No need to take a Pulmania
(golf cart type taxi), rental car or cab. The
buses take you anywhere for about 80
cents American.
Some of the most beautiful monuments can be seen on the way downtown.
The Fisherman is at Avenida del Mar and
Gutierrez. It represents why Mazatlan is
known as the city of “naked people.” Near
Valentino’s, a dramatic disco, is the newest “Sinaloa Family” statue.
Shopping is the number one activity
in Mazatlan. You can choose from handicrafts, silver and gold jewelry, leather
goods and clothes, sandals, zarapes (rugs
or woven drapes), handpainted pottery
and furniture, hand made picture frames,
blankets and much more. Much of these
are available from beach vendors. Pueblo
Bonito limits vendors’ access to their clientele by having security personnel along
its beaches. You can have these vendors
see you at the edge of the timeshare by
telling the security personnel.
There are a multitude of great restaurants. Nightclubs are also available for
Mar/Apr, 2008
Emerald Bay
dancing and partying. The food ranges
from fresh seafood and fish to Mexican
dishes, There are the usual Italian, Chinese and other foreign as well. On site at
the resort are these convenient eateries:
Angelo’s Gourmet Restaurant serves fine
Northern Italian and international cuisine
in a graceful setting that features romantic piano music and one of Mazatlan’s
most popular singers. Angelo’s also offers an extensive list of select imported
and domestic wines. Las Palomas offers
the best in Mexican cuisine in a relaxing
outdoor terrace setting or an indoor, climate-controlled dining room. The extensive menu features delicious traditional
Mexican dishes as well as fine international
cuisine. Cilantro’s features fresh seafood
and international cuisine in a popular
oceanfront setting overlooking the beach.
Beach sports include parasailing,
kayaking, canoeing, boogie boards, catamarans, jet skis, swimming, body surfing,
beach volleyball, or just resting in the sun
on lounge chairs. Drinks and appetizers
are available almost everywhere. Sports
fishing includes swordfish, marlin, sailfish,
tuna and our favorite dorado.
Walking and climbing along the
shores and on neighboring islands provide excellent exercise.
Our favorite restaurants are Tony’s
(with lobster and large shrimp placed on
your table in a hibachi with a full meal of
TimeSharing Today
Page 39
the adjacent islands. We love the peppers stuffed with marlin as an appetizer.
El Capitano is a restaurant that was
recommended to us. We tried it and didn’t
find it up to the standards of other of our
favorites. The Guadalahara Grill had the
most unusual and delicious fondue that
we have ever eaten. For an inexpensive
faster food specializing in a plate of lobster or steak, near the Pueblo Bonito
Mazatlan is El Paraje (the place). El Nuevo
soup and salad), Los Arcos, Sr Peppers
Patio and Mariscos are also delicious.
and Playa Mazatlan in the golden zone;
It sounds like all we do in Mexico is
La Casa Country (featuring cabrito - baby
eat and drink! By the way there is excelgoat, steak, chicken, seafood and Mexilent golf in Mazatlan.
can plates) near Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan.
You can’t come to Mexico without
They have a cowboy motif with excellent
enjoying a Fiesta. The Playa Mazatlan
Bar-B-Que. For the adventurer, try
hotel hosts the best, once or twice a week.
Molcajete – meat and vegetables cooked
Remember that the concierges at Pueblo
in red hot lava pots with a delicious auBonito can get great discounts (and/or free
thentic sauce from Argentina.
drinks) with various restaurants so always
Los Arcos, near the El Cid Hotel is a
check with them. They also can arrange
large fresh seafood chain with an extenfor special fares for local tours.
sive menu of charbroiled sliced fish, shrimp
What about prescriptions and mediand beef. It is famous for lobster, shrimp,
cal services? They are available and x-rays
crab, octopus, squid and has the catch of
are very fast and inexpensive. We found
the day from that very morning. The Casa
their equipment to be the latest. We have
Loma is an upscale restaurant using a Eua dentist in Mazatlan’ that we go to every
ropean dining room and setting. They are
year. Last year I required a root canal and
known for their shrimp wrapped in cheese,
permanent bridge saving well over $1000
poached fish, or blanc rose flamand of bay
dollars from what it would have been in
shrimp, asparagus, and mushrooms. Most
the US. It was practically painless. My
restaurants offer a delicious ending of
periodonist was trained in Texas.
banana flambe or Mexican caramel crepes
If you are new to Mazatlan, don’t miss
a la mode.
the tours. There is a city tour that takes
Our favorite is “Pancho” a short disyou from the beaches to Old Town, the
tance from the Playa Mazatlan’ Hotel in
galleries, the mountains, the wharf, and
the golden zone. Pancho is known for his
many “city” locations. Most of the tours
Bar-B-Que, ribs, seafood steaks, and the
can include meals. The tequila tour takes
best flan in Mexico. It has ocean views of
you to the local brewery of “Pacifico” for free
sampling. ( I prefer
Modelo, a dark beer.)
Marge Pacheco, a subscriber from Las Vegas, NV, The colonial tour takes
shows off her timeSharing Today magazine while enjoying you to the mountains
a swim at San Clemente Cove in San Clemente, CA.
by way of the hand
made brick makers, a
Mexican furniture and
silver factory and the
mountain city of ancient “Copala.” This includes a tour of a very
old church made from
the rocks of the area. It
has an excellent stop
for lunch. There are also
many private tours including my daughter’s
Pueblo Bonito
Mar/Apr, 2008
choice of boating to the adjacent island
with views of the sea world animals and a
beautiful swimming beach. A great way to
spend the day. Hiking is also available!
Access to the web is available everywhere and a much cheaper way to call
home then using phones. Persons wishing to attend local church services can
inquire at Pueblo Bonito for transportation and times.
When we visit Pueblo Bonito
Mazatlan or Emerald Bay, what is our day
like? We get up and put on our bathing
attire, go down to the restaurant for breakfast, then on to the pool or the beach for
sun and swimming. Lunch is at the Palapa
(an open restaurant serving great salads,
and sandwiches.) Then, an afternoon
shower, and tour, shopping or sightseeing.
Back to the large comfortable room to
watch the sunset, and on to dinner and
cocktails or beer. We are treated like royalty with great service all the time.
This is a vacation paradise that will
make you want to return many times. If
you have any questions feel free to contact me at [email protected].
TSToday Anywhere
TimeSharing Today
Page 40
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Mar/Apr, 2008
Some Exchanges Just
Don’t Stand Out
By Jason Farlam, Clawson, MI
When you’ve been to lots of
timeshares, some stand out in your mind
for really good things, some stand out for
really bad things and a few just don’t stand
out at all. Our RCI exchange to Massanutten’s Shenandoah Villas fell into the last
category.
We were looking to travel the last
week of August so the kids could enjoy a
week’s vacation prior to school. The
Massanutten area markets itself as an all
season resort with an absolutely overwhelming selection of activities.
The Massanutten mountain peak
reaches 2,922 feet and overlooks the town
of MaGaheysville. Massanuttan is one
massive resort with a huge mix of private
homes, condos and timeshares. I never
saw a statistic, but I would estimate it is
thousands of acres of beautiful mountain
terrain. It’s a couple of hours or so from
Washington or Richmond and maybe an
hour north of Charlottesville, the kind of
place for which the term “middle of nowhere” was invented.
Check-in was smooth and easy at a
central location and 24 hour check-in is
available.
We thought we would be fine with so
much to do at the resort. Somehow once
on site, there wasn’t as much there as was
billed. Perhaps the marketing was too effective or perhaps our expectations were
misplaced. Many of the activities had fees
that, while not unreasonable, soon added
up for a family. The pool was really nice
and the adjacent exercise area was well
maintained and well equipped.
The units are beautiful. They are large
and bright and located in clusters part way
up the mountain. The ones we saw were
average to a little better in terms of maintenance, and this is hard to achieve at a
ski resort. Our two-bedroom unit had air
conditioning, a TV with cable and a
smaller, but nicely equipped, kitchen. We
had a two bathrooms, a nice queen bed in
the master suite and twin beds in the kids’
room. We had a fireplace, but with summer highs in the 80’s, we didn’t need it.
A car is absolutely necessary. Each
parking lot serves two or more clusters of
the villas. Some of the guests found the
constant climbing and steps to be more
than they expected, but it is, after all, a
mountain resort.
There is a little store at the main entrance to the resort where you can get
good souvenirs, and a perfectly adequate
grocery store about 10 minutes away.
Golfers told us the facilities and courses
were good.
In the winter, the area is famous for
skiing, with vertical drops of 800 and even
over 1100 feet on the more advanced
slopes. They have developed a system
that allows both skiers and snowboarders
to coexist. Locals told us the skiing is really good, with the area known for good
snow due to the mountain. Locals also like
to joke that Massanutten used to be considered “mass-o-nothin” prior to the development of the resort. Like a lot of jokes,
there is some truth to the joke, especially
outside of ski season.
I would recommend the area to active
couples without small children and I would
suggest you take a book or two with you.
TSToday
Anywhere
Subscriber Lisa Hilton of
Sanford, NC displays her
TimeSharing Today magazine
at the pool of the Sheraton
Vistana Resort in Orlando, FL.
Rewarding you for excellent credit.

of Issue #98

Transcription

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