Timeshare Information

A hearing was held on April 13, 2011, in Lahaina, Hawaii, regarding a time share property tax proposed by Mayor Alan Arakawa.

Over 200 were in attendance at the Maui County Council’s Budget and Finance Committee’s hearing, as reported by the online news source LahainaNews. Many, including representatives of time share resorts, were there to show support for those who opposed the Timeshare Property Tax increase of $14 to $19.60 per $1,000 in value.

Daniel Dinnell spoke on behalf of ARDA-Hawaii, the local chapter of the American Resort Development Association, a national timeshare association comprised of 20 local members with 45 properties statewide and 22 in Maui.

“As ARDA-Hawaii has previously testified, following a 69 percent increase to the real property tax in 2005, the timeshare industry is again being singled out with the largest single increase of $5.60," Dinnell said.

Representing Marriott’s Maui Ocean Resort Club on Maui, Rob Welch said, “Our timeshare owners are already heavily burdened with the highest property tax rate at $14 per $1,000. An increase of 40 percent, to $19.60, will have an immediate negative impact to our owners and our associates."

“Our resort employs a staff of 480 local residents - in 2010, the total payroll, including benefits and taxes, were over $30 million; money spent in our local economy,” Welch also pointed out.

Gregg Lundberg, general manager of The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, noted, “It’s important for all of us to realize that these {timeshare}owners stand to be tremendously impacted by the outcome of your deliberations and can no longer sit idly by as they are seemingly taken advantage of, because they are not Hawaii residents.”

Michelle Rose Abad, a graduate of the School of Travel Industry Management at the University of Hawaii, spoke in support of those opposing the timeshare property tax proposal. “I feel that increasing the Timeshare Property Tax as part of the 2012 budget will hurt the growth of the positive benefits that ownership brings to all of us here on Maui," she said.

"It will force our current owners to sell or foreclose on their timeshares. The effects, in turn, will place our employment, our health benefits, our retirement benefits and everything else that allows us to maintain a comfortable lifestyle on Maui in jeopardy.”

"This battle will not be settled until the council adopts its final version of the budget, but the administration’s statement appears to signal that there may be room for compromise," concluded the LahainaNews report.

Read the article in its entirety.

At meetings in New York City and Bethesda, MD, this week Marriott International, Inc. announced that earnings by 2013 could reach new highs. Approximately $3 to $5 Billion could be returned to shareholders over three years.

At the meetings Marriott outlined its plans for ambitious growth as the company discussed its profit margin and earning trends, the number of lodging properties it expects to add in future years, its expected investment spending, and amounts it could return to shareholders.

J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of the company, said, "We are on the threshold of extraordinary growth for our company. As we look ahead over three years, Marriott is poised to deliver substantial gains in bottom line results, as well as meaningful returns to hotel owners and shareholders, as our industry-leading portfolio of brands both recovers from the recent recession and grows worldwide."

According to the company, having reduced net debt by almost $1.5 billion since the end of 2008, Marriott has already reached its targeted debt levels. The company plans to invest $2.3 to $2.7 billion over the next three years, and could return between $3.3 billion and $5.3 billion to shareholders from 2011 through 2013 through dividends and share repurchases, while still maintaining its investment grade bond rating. However, Marriott reminded investors, "these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties."

The company expects to add at least 80,000 to 90,000 hotel rooms to its portfolio from 2011 through 2013 with additional opportunities for 22,000 rooms to open in Europe and Asia during that same period. The company will also be expanding its new brands outside of the United States, including EDITION, which just opened its first hotel on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, and the Autograph Collection.

In 1995, Marriott Ownership Resorts, Inc. was renamed, becoming Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) reflecting the company’s evolution from real estate development and sales to timeshares. Currently there are 55 Marriott Vacation Club branded resorts around the world.

Soon you will have a greener option when renting a car for your timeshare vacation. Enterprise Rent-A-Car plans to introduce the electric car to its customers as early as January, 2011.

"There's quite a bit of buzz about electric cars, and customers already are asking us when we're going to get them," said Lee Broughton, Enterprise's Director of Sustainability.

Enterprise Holdings, which also includes the brands Alamo and National, announced in July, 2010, that it would purchase up to 500 Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, and an announcement in October, 2010, said the rental car company will also purchase 100 CODA electric sedans.

CODA Automotive is a California-based electric car and battery company. The CODA Sedan will be the first mainstream all-electric sedan from an all-electric car company. “The CODA’s dependable, all-season range is a perfect match for the driving conditions found throughout Enterprise’s neighborhood network of car rental locations,” said Kevin Czinger, president and chief executive of CODA Automotive.

The Enterprise electric cars use no gasoline at all, but rather can be charged a 220-volt or 480-volt commercial charging station. The newest generation of electric vehicles is designed to go between 90 and 120 miles between charges, in all kinds of weather. In addition to battery storage, the cars have room for 5 passengers, and a full-sized trunk.

Enterprise will initially offer electric vehicles in 8 U.S. cities: Seattle, Portland, OR, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Nashville, and Knoxville, TN. The company said it wants to make sure employees are properly trained in showing customers how to use and charge the cars, before expanding the program. Enterprise will begin installing vehicle charging stations in 30 U.S. cities in November, 2010.

Enterprise Holdings has long been in the forefront of the "green driving" movement, officials said. It already operates the world's largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles, including nearly 7,000 gas/electric hybrids.

(Photo credit - news.travel.aol.com)

Many adjectives are used to describe New Orleans, from magical to mysterious. There's no doubt that this grand lady of dark bayous, filigreed garden courtyards, and voodoo is one city where a walking tour is a must if you want to really know her. Rent a timeshare and choose from the New Orleans walking tours listed in Part 5 of our 6-Part series on walking tours and timeshare vacations.

1. Le Monde Creole Tours. There are many different tours of the French Quarter (see photo), but this one has a twist. It's based on the diaries kept by Laura Locoul a Creole woman and plantation mistress who wrote a journal of her family's life in the old French Quarter. Amid the tangled beauty of inner courtyards you'll learn about the remarkable lives of five generations of this Louisiana dynasty, including its European and African branches.
   
   On this French Quarter tour, which National Geographic Traveler called the best tour in New Orleans, you'll see where Locoul family members lived, from grand townhouses to slave quarters, learn about medicinal courtyard gardens, and even visit Laura Locoul's tomb.


2. New Orleans Music Tour. On this walking tour you'll get to explore "the world’s richest musical city," starting with the Legends Park statues of Louis Armstrong, Pete Fountain, and Fats Domino. Along the way you'll visit Congo Square, considered the "well spring" of New Orleans music. This historic site of African slave gatherings is the only place in North America where pure West African religious ritual and musical traditions were performed that wove themselves into iconic New Orleans jazz. Your tour guide is happy to give you advice on where to catch the greatest musical talent in New Orleans.


3. New Orleans Oyster Crawl. Among the many culinary tours available in New Orleans, this walking tour is one of the most popular, offered through New Orleans Culinary History Tours.You'll visit historic restaurants including Antoine's, where the world-famous dish, Oysters Rockefeller, was created. Samplings at other restaurants include Oysters Bienville, Oysters Thermidor, oysters on the half shell, and of course oyster po'boy and barbecued oysters.


4. Ghosts, Haunts, Voodoo Tour. No list of walking tours of New Orleans would be complete without a ghost tour. One of the best is offered by Magic Tours, who put it this way, "Since its founding, New Orleans has suffered more disease, disasters, destruction, and death than any other American city. Spirits are taken for granted here!" Priding itself on presenting accurate historical information, Magic Tours gives an in-depth look at some of the most well-known hauntings in New Orleans, including St. Louis Cemetery, "home" of New Orleans' most famous Voodoo Queen.

Walking Tours – Part 1: New York City
Walking Tours – Part 2: San Francisco
Walking Tours – Part 3: San Diego
Walking Tours – Part 4: Miami
Walking Tours - Part 6: Hawaii

(hoto credit: roomstoraveabout.wordpress.com)