Timeshare Information

For the 12th consecutive year Marriott International, Inc., has been ranked as the Most Admired Company in the Lodging Industry worldwide by Fortune Magazine. Marriott International, Inc., is also among the top 50 companies of 350 companies globally, as cited by Fortune, at number 37, and was the most admired company in its headquarters region that includes the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

“We are tremendously appreciative of being recognized again by business leaders as the most admired company in our industry," said Marriott International’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, J.W. Marriott, Jr. "I am also proud of how we ranked among the top 25 companies worldwide across several of Fortune’s key categories, including deployment of corporate assets, managing our people, and social responsibility. These are significant achievements and a true testament to how hard we work to open doors to a world of opportunity for our associates, customers, owners, investors, communities and other stakeholders in our company."

The Most Admired list is made up of companies ranked by 4,100 executives, directors, and securities analysts, based on nine key attributes of reputation, including: innovation; people management; use of corporate assets; social responsibility; quality of management; financial soundness; long-term investment, and quality of products/services and global competiveness.

Marriott International, Inc., is a leading lodging company with more than 3,500 lodging properties in 70 countries and territories, and develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, and Grand Residences by Marriott brands.

Marriott Vacation Club, the premier timeshare brand of Marriott International, has appointed Mark Harney to general manager of Marriott's Harbour Point and Marriott's Sunset Pointe (see photo right) in Shelter Cove on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Harney began his career with Marriott International in 1996 at the Residence Inn Orlando Lake Buena Vista and served in a variety of supervisor roles over the next four years at various Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Courtyard by Marriott hotels. In 2000, Harney became assistant general manager at the Courtyard Alexandria in Virginia and was soon after appointed to general manager of the SpringHill Suites Centreville Chantilly in Centreville, VA.

In his most recent role, Harney served as assistant general manager at the SpringHill Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista in the Marriott Village and was responsible for the overall operations of the largest SpringHill Suites hotel within the brand.

"We are delighted to have Mark join our Marriott Vacation Club team," said Cliff Delorey, regional vice president of customer experience for Marriott Vacation Club's East region. "I am certain that his experience, along with his strong leadership skills, will be a tremendous asset to our associates and help create great vacation experiences for our Owners and guests at Marriott's Harbour Point and Marriott's Sunset Pointe."

Located in one of South Carolina's premier resort destinations, Marriott's Harbour Point (see photo at left) & Marriott's Sunset Pointe overlook the peaceful waterways of Broad Creek in Shelter Cove. Less than two miles from Hilton Head's beautiful beaches, the 111-villa resort welcomes Owners and nightly rental guests with one- and two-bedroom villas equipped with all the amenities of home.

A native of Hampton, Va. and a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA., Harney has recently relocated to South Carolina along with his wife Alison and two sons to assume his new role.

Marriott Vacation Club is a worldwide leader in vacation ownership. In 1984, Marriott became the first branded hospitality company to enter the timeshare industry, adding its signature quality, service and hospitality expertise.

The website Business News Express posted an article on March 3, 2011, written by Kris Hana, titled "Illegal Timeshare Sales on the Rise." In that article, Hana quotes Florida timeshare victim advocate attorney Susan Budowski, who warns consumers to be aware that with the resurgence of the timeshare industry, timeshare scams will rise with it.

Hana notes that Howard Nusbaum, President of the American Resort Development Association, stated “The travel and timeshare industry is seeing a resurgence of travel in 2011, terrific news for the timeshare industry.” And that has led Attorney Budowski to explain that this also brings more victims of deceptive sales practices by unscrupulous sales representatives.

Reports Hana, Budowski adds, “Unfortunately many timeshare owners are getting taken advantage of multiple times. I have seen those who have been misled or coerced into buying a timeshare and then later desperate to get out of their contract, attempt to sell their timeshare only to be taken advantage of by a resale company.”

This is evidenced, says Hana, by a recent SWAT team raid of a purported timeshare resale company by the Orlando Police Department. A spokesman for the Orlando Police Department said, “The company was taking two to four thousand dollars per customer without providing any services. The raid and arrests were a result of timeshare owners from Florida to Canada filing multiple complaints.”

Attorney Budowski advises timeshare owners that feel they have been a victim of a resale scam to contact their local authorities. She adds, “The majority of legitimate real estate transactions do not require an upfront fee to try to sell or rent a property; if a company does, that should raise a huge red flag.”

Budowski also warns of a surge in timeshare cancellation companies on the Internet and utilizing similar unscrupulous telemarketing firms to take advantage of timeshare owners’ misfortunes, reports Hana. “These companies make false claims of legal expertise and claim to guarantee refunds and/or cancellations of timeshares, and like the resale companies, require an upfront fee, many times exceeding what it would cost to hire an attorney.”

Disney Fans Insider, a page from the Disney.go.com web site, released this information on March 1, 2011: From March 18 to 21, 2011, Walt Disney World Resort will host the first-ever Magic of Healthy Living: The Weekend - an inaugural experience taking place at Epcot's World Showcase to celebrate the spirit of living well.

The Weekend Event is a natural extension of the Disney "Magic of Healthy Living" initiative, which was launched to help kids and families discover fun and easy ways to focus on fitness, health, and nutrition.

Even First Lady Michelle Obama is on board. Mrs. Obama agreed to appear in a year-long series of public service announcements with Disney Channel's hottest stars after learning that the program's fundamental themes were aligned with the goals of her "Let's Move!" campaign to provide healthy choices for future generations.

After the "Magic of Healthy Living" contest was announced last fall, thousands of eight to 14 year olds across the country entered with hopes of hanging at the Park with their favorite Disney Channel idols during the Weekend Event. Thanks to their eloquently expressed ideas about healthy lifestyles at home, school, and in their communities, 50 winners will do just that.

Kids were asked to "reach for the sky" and write about new ways to add nutritious foods into their diets (particularly fruits, veggies, whole grains, and low-fat dairy), make 60 minutes of daily exercise easy, share information on healthy choices, and schedule rewarding family activities – like planting fruit and veggie gardens. Submissions were judged by a distinguished panel of health and wellness luminaries on how much fun the concepts were, originality, and their ability to motivate others.

Introducing healthy cuisines from around the world is an important part of the two-day itinerary, with cooking demonstrations by Walt Disney World chefs. Food-related activities include "Pass-the-Plate," a mealtime event that teaches kids and parents how to prepare healthy lunches rather than rely on fast food when time is tight.

Participants will enjoy an immersive schedule of games and entertainment inspired by various cultures – from tai chi (Japan) and belly dancing (Morocco) to the culturally diverse "Play Your Way" challenge. "Play Your Way" teams will test their skills at [sepak] takraw, a popular Thai sport that's similar to volleyball but played with a rattan ball, as well as games from South America, the Dominican Republic, and other countries.

You can experience healthy eating in an around the world style yourself by renting an Orlando timeshare or Disney timeshare, and heading to the fun international pavilions in Epcot's World Showcase.

(Photo credit - disney.go.com)

Heading out for your Spring Break vacation? It's a cinch that you've been spending more time in classrooms at school than you have being a world traveler. Therefore, there might be some dangerous aspects of travel to which you're not accustomed. No need to stay home, says Kathleen Crislip, writer about student travel on about .com, in her "Student Safety Overview" post. Just learn the rules about common sense safety, then go out and have fun on your timeshare rental Spring Break trip.

Kathleen Crislip says:

• If you've grown up in a small town and this is your first big trip, you may not be prepared for the fact that not everyone you meet in a big city has your best interests at heart.


• Not being able to speak the local language while traveling, for example to Mexico, could hinder you from getting help.


• Street crime takes forms in other countries that you may not have seen at home, even if you live in a large city.


• Scam artists and conmen may target you because of your youth, which they might equate with naiveté.

So what to do? Crislip offers these suggestions:

1. Check U.S. government issued travel warnings and consider not choosing a destination that the State Department is advising Americans to avoid.


2. Invest in a phrasebook and memorize some possibly helpful phrases before you leave home. For example, if you're going to Mexico you might want to learn: "Socorro!" (Help), and "Llama a la policia!" (Call the police).


3. Use the same safety precautions you would at home: avoid walking alone on deserted streets after dark, keep your travel cash stashed, and stay alert.


4. Pay attention in taxis and on trains - you're unlikely to get too far from your bags during air travel, but losing them during other transportation is easier than you might think.


5. Watch the crowd - Many thieves prefer crowded areas. Stay alert in places like bus stations and during street celebrations, where you're likely to be jostled - thieves use these circumstances to grab for your purse or to pick your pocket.

When planning your Spring Break trip, consider a timeshare rental at a luxury resort - you'll find many that are budget friendly. And many of the resorts have their own on-site nightclubs and entertainment, as well as enough on-site amenities to keep you happily busy through your entire Spring Break vacation.

(Photo credit - Photobucket.com)

In January we reported that Festiva Hospitality Group and Festiva Adventure Club had launched a new web site, Festiva Complaints Resolution Center, aimed at resolving online Festiva Resorts complaints and providing information to owners and guests trying to resolve their various Festiva complaints. Festiva has experienced an immediate positive reaction from its resort guests who have used the new service.

“Since the launch of the Festiva Resorts Complaints Resolution site we have seen an overall decrease of complaints submitted to third-party websites as our customers are finding that when they contact us directly, their issues are resolved much faster and more effectively than when they submit their complaints to a third-party site that offers no resolution,” says Sara Little, Festiva’s Director of Corporate Communications.

One of the most significant accomplishments of the new site is the facilitated direction of complaints to the proper departments within the company for quicker resolution and away from false “Festiva scam” websites which were set up in the past to masquerade as the company’s complaints department.

Little explains, “We realized several years ago that in order to keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing world of the internet, and specifically social media, we need to actively participate in the online conversations that are already taking place within our industry. We have since taken several steps to utilize various forms of technology to improve customer service and communication with our owners and guests, and festivacomplaints.com is the latest tool we are using to reach out to our web- savvy customers.”

Festiva Hospitality Group and Festiva Adventure Club’s family of resorts include a wide range of properties across the U.S. and Caribbean. Popular Festiva resorts with timeshare rentals include: Paradise Harbour Club and Marina on Paradise Island, Bahamas; Stormy Point Village in Branson, MO; and Church Street Inn in Charleston, SC, as well as many other Caribbean and U.S. destinations.

You can visit the Festiva Complaints Resolution Center at http://www.festivacomplaints.com

Bluegreen Corporation, a leading provider of "Colorful Places to Live and Play," has announced the 64th Annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens to be held near its Charleston, South Carolina resort, The Lodge Alley Inn, from March 17 through April 16, 2011.

The Charleston Festival of Houses and Gardens provides festival attendees with opportunities to tour the private homes and gardens that contribute to Charleston’s historic elegance. Tours vary each day, and feature 7 to 10 properties in one of eleven historic neighborhoods. Periods seen within the neighborhoods, homes and gardens include the antebellum and Victorian eras up to the early 20th century.

Often labeled “a city set in a garden,” Charleston hosts the festival during the city’s peak blooming season. Other than festival tours, the city hosts an antique show, oyster roast, period concerts, boat cruises and wine tastings.

Bluegreen’s Charleston resort, The Lodge Alley Inn, is located in the heart of the city on East Bay Street, and is a charming a collection of 18th century warehouses that have been restored to modern, comfortable vacation villas. Its downtown Charleston location makes it an ideal place to stay when vacationing in the city and attending the 64th Annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens.

"We here at Bluegreen welcome visitors who attend the festival each year. The Lodge Alley Inn boasts a prime location that makes walking to the festival convenient and enjoyable,” said Gregory L. Overmier, CMCA, General Manager of The Lodge Alley Inn.

Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, Bluegreen Corporation is the leader in providing "Colorful Places to Live and Play" through its vacation ownership resort and residential real estate business segments. The company's 3,500 employees are passionate about delivering extraordinary experiences its owners and guests. Since 1996,

Rent a Charleston timeshare and experience the beauty and bounty of a South Carolina spring at the 64th Annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens.

(Photo credit - charlestoncvb.com)