http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php en Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:05:37 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.timesharejuice.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=137 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:06:42 GMT Hey everyone, I want to give you some great news for the TimeshareJuice community. "The Resort Trades" is THE industry magazine for timeshare. It's been around for a very long time. I have been reading it only for the last year. It is read by all the executives and marketing teams worldwide for timeshare resorts and developers. It has a very rich history in the industry. I find the content to be fresh and insightful. I am really excited to tell you that I had the opportunity to write an article for them and it got posted on their website today. It will be in the October issue which will be mailed out to thousands around the world AND handed out at the ARDA conference in October (it's in everyone's bag). I want to give a special shoutout to Freda Stemick who works very hard staying on top of the news and trends putting this paper together. It is obvious to me why they continue to lead the pack.

As you know, Social Media is a topic that I am very passionate about mostly because it gives a voice to everyone equally and it makes the conversation that much richer as a result. I am excited to share my thoughts with the industry on what Social Media means to the industry and how it will change it going forward. Since our official launch in May we have gotten the reputation for understanding Social Media and being the leader in the space for the Timeshare Industry. That's great and we've enjoyed the discussions with management of resorts and vacation clubs over the last month. It helped us understand the needs of resorts and vacation clubs and it helped them understand what the Social Media "rage" is all about and WHY it is important to this industry. But with that comes the responsibility of continuing to innovate and staying true to our principles. It's clear that we are doing something very unique and special here at TimeshareJuice. Great job everyone!


So here it is:The 5 Fundamentals of your Social Media Strategy for Timeshare and Travel Industry.


What a fantastic opportunity to be featured in The Resort Trades. Perhaps this will give the industry more perspective and insight on what TimeshareJuice is all about. ]]> timesharejuice http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=137 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=136 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:19:53 GMT Just recently, RCI launched their new Points Platinum membership! For an additional $55 per year, all current RCI points owners may upgrade to the... Just recently, RCI launched their new Points Platinum membership! For an additional $55 per year, all current RCI points owners may upgrade to the Platinum level.

Some of the benefits of the new RCI Points Platinum membership include:

- Opportunities for automatic room upgrades based on availability.
- Priority exchange access to specially acquired hotel inventory in high-demand destinations.
- Preferred member rates at premier ski, golf and spa resorts.
- Preferred pricing and "front-of-the-line" privileges for select destination attractions.
- "First Look" access to Broadway theater seating at advantageous member pricing.
- More cash-back rewards from the RCI Shopping Perks program.
- Up to $25 in rebates on each qualifying transaction, credited to Platinum account for use in future transactions.
- And up to 50 percent off at more than 50,000 dining locations nationwide and savings on thousands of everyday purchases like groceries, automobile services, home services... and much, much more.

Visit the Points Platinum Website: http://app.rci.com/landing/pointspla...nup/index.html

Read more about this by clicking here: http://www.timesharepages.com/timesh...um-membership/

If you have any questions at all about the RCI points program please feel free to send me a message here on Timeshare Juice and/or give me a call: 866-293-0859. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Grace Avilez
Your Timeshare Resales Specialist ]]> TimeShareReSeller http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=136 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=132 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:27:42 GMT Some of us that have been in the TS BIZ for many years see the TS JUICE site as a way of saying thanks to the founders. I, for one, am NOT... Some of us that have been in the TS BIZ for many years see the TS JUICE site as a way of saying
thanks to the founders.

I, for one, am NOT trying to monopolize but do have much to say.

My 28 years as an Owner and General Sales Manager of Timeshare Resorts leaves me with many
great memories that I am happy to share with others.

My age, which I will not mention, also gives me the opportunity to tell about our travels.
Believe me ... it's more than 28 years!

Hope to hear more opinions from you all.
Bernie
e-mail: berndev@aol.com
Website: www.mbatimeshare.com ]]> Bernie http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=132 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=130 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:43:16 GMT We've gotten some emails asking this question. Rather than reinvent the wheel, we did some research on the Internet to find a well-written content-rich article detailing the differences between a Vacation Club, a Resort Timeshare, or a Travel Club that we could share. We didn't find one. If fact, what we read confused things even more.

So we decided to write it ourselves. We began to write it and realized we have more expertise and collective knowledge on this site than any other timeshare site about this topic. So we decided to open it up to you. Whether you have a lot of knowledge or just want to share some insight, please put in your 2 cents...

Vacation Club - A vacation club is a collection of timeshare resorts owned and managed by a single developer. Some vacation clubs have you buy points in the club that can be used at any of the resort properties. A good example of that model is Disney Vacation Club or Diamond Resort Vacation Club. The model is when the owner buys a timeshare at one of the resorts (timeshare deed) and has some special privileges to other resorts but has a home resort they own at and must trade or exchange timeshares to visit other resorts even in their own resort vacation club. An example of that is Marriott Vacation Club, Hyatt Vacation Club, and Hilton Vacation Club. Some vacation clubs are now offering both models for the purposes of adding flexibility to the changing needs of travelers.

Resort Timeshare - A resort timeshare is when you purchase a deeded timeshare at a single timeshare resort operator. You own a specific timeshare week or floating week (which allows you to pick a timeshare week in a certain period). A deeded timeshare week means that you own that property (like your home) and it is transferable (note: some resorts have restrictions on that so please check with them first).

Travel Club: This is where it gets more confusing. I've heard and read articles where people use "Travel Club" interchangeably with "Vacation Club". So let's set the record straight. A Travel Club sells a currency (points) which can be used for what the Travel Club owns. So if the Travel Club owns 5 resorts, you can use this "currency" that you purchased towards time at one of the resorts. You don't actually own anything. You purchase the right to use those points each year to travel. Some Travel Clubs have access to other timeshare resort inventory outside of what they own for you to vacation at. Some even have access to cruise time (e.g., Caribbean Cruises). ]]> timesharejuice http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=130 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=129 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:51:09 GMT Great exposure for timeshare Juice. Love your writing style and your direct point of view. Again, this site and others is a breathe of fresh... Great exposure for timeshare Juice.

Love your writing style and your direct point of view.

Again, this site and others is a breathe of fresh air for Timeshare Owners.
Timing of this news in this economy is so valuable.

Keep it up Eric.
Good luck,

Bernie Devine
E-mail: berndev@aol.com
Website: www.mbatimeshare.com ]]> Bernie http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=129 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=128 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:25:33 GMT We recently had the opportunity to be apart of the JohhnyJet.com Travel Newsletter. The newsletter is read all across the world by avid travelers and... We recently had the opportunity to be apart of the JohhnyJet.com Travel Newsletter. The newsletter is read all across the world by avid travelers and travel writers. We discussed timeshare and resort vacation club ownership and the ability to exchange timeshares with other owners around the world. This is the story of how TimeshareJuice began.

READ THE STORY in the JohnnyJet.com newsletter about timeshare exchange.

Johnny Jet is a really warm and fun guy who travels the world (about a trip per week) and then writes/blogs about his travels. He's been doing this for over 10 years and has a huge following all over the world.

When I met Johnny we talked about timeshare ownership and I explained how it's enabled us to have some really great trips and if done right, the trips can be affordable. Johnny has a strong passion for travel and loved the idea. He loved the story of TimeshareJuice and thought it would make for a great story for the newsletter.

It was a lot of fun working with Johnny and his team as well as being a great opportunity to talk about timeshare and vacation club exchange and of course tell the story of TimeshareJuice and how it came about.

Make it a great day,
-The TimeshareJuice Team ]]> timesharejuice http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=128 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=127 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:18:59 GMT I saw this on MSNBC Travel section and wanted to share. I was glad to see our own local dare-devil-attraction "X2" from the Six Flags in Valencia made it to the list. Has anyone else ridden some of these?

The X2 is quite fierce of an experience. I don't know how to explain it. It's not like any other ride/coaster I've been on. It is insane for sure. This Six Flags has the best assortment of thrill rides I've ever seen in any one place.

The Skycoaster I did years ago with my girlfriend (now wife) and I'm glad I did it then. Not sure I would attempt that again. It is not for the faint of heart. I was so terrified I couldn't even scream.

The Tower of Terror is the 3rd and last one I've done from this list. I didn't think it was that big of a deal. It was good but not crazy like the others.

Read the article

Anyone have plans to visit any of these this summer?

Have a great day!
My best,
Erick ]]> Erick http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=127 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=126 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:33:56 GMT Marriott recently made some exciting changes! Now, for a small fee, most Marriott owners are eligible to enroll in Marriott’s NEW Destinations Club... Marriott recently made some exciting changes! Now, for a small fee, most Marriott owners are eligible to enroll in Marriott’s NEW Destinations Club (points). This gives them the option, each year, to convert their week to Destination points, which may be used throughout the Marriott Resort system, for nightly stays, versus weekly stays!

This change has brought about many questions for current owners and prospective owners alike, as well as for us licensed resale brokers and sales agents! Therefore, a list of questions was compiled, and submitted to Marriott, by a licensed resale broker, and Marriott replied with answers.

I’d like to make sure that everyone whom this information applies to understands what this change means for them. If you would like to see the list of questions and answers please send me a message here on Timeshare Juice with your email address and I will attach it to an email and send it your way. I look forward to hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Marriott reserves the right to change anything in their Destinations Club rules at any time. Since the Destinations Club is so new, the information offered here is not guaranteed to be accurate, and it is suggested that the general public take it upon themselves to question Marriott on their own, in order to be absolutely certain of the rules. Timeshare Resales Worldwide will not be held accountable for any misinformation.


Sincerely,

Grace Avilez
Your Timeshare Resales Specialist


Follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/TimeshareAgent ]]> TimeShareReSeller http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=126 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=125 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:06:45 GMT Disney gives sneak peek of new Hawaii resort

This is going to be sooo awesome. I love Disney. I want to trade for this one. Tell me when it's available.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – More than 80 years after Mickey Mouse piloted "Steamboat Willie" and whistled his way into the hearts of children across the world, he has finally reached the shores of Hawaii.
The Walt Disney Co. on Friday gave a peek of its sprawling, beachside Hawaiian resort that is under construction and scheduled to open next year.


Here's the article I found: ]]> LA1969 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=125 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=124 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:25:12 GMT Of all the resorts you've ever stayed at, what would you consider the BEST? This is can be based on service of the staff, the type of room you had, or the quality of the resort or any reason whatsoever. ]]> timesharejuice http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=124 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=123 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:24:26 GMT Hello, Let me first take a moment to thank you for being a member and taking a part in this journey with me and the TimeshareJuice Team to improve... Hello,

Let me first take a moment to thank you for being a member and taking a part in this journey with me and the TimeshareJuice Team to improve timeshare and vacation ownership for everyone. I know we can make a difference, we already have. This is going to be a tremendous ride. Thank you for being part of it and supporting it. It has been so much fun.

I have to name June “Global Month” for TimeshareJuice. Not only did our membership grow from countries all over the world (Malta, Korea, Israel, Thailand to name a few ) but our presence in the continent of Asia continues to grow. We are going to be featured in a prominent magazine from Korea with readership in China and Japan (anyone interested in being our correspondent in Beijing?). I won’t take the time to name all the press that is happening but we are pleased. Keep a lookout for us!

Let me review a few important items for the month:
1. Member Spotlight: I’d like to highlight a member that quickly rose up the charts: “Permajo”. Permajo reached 420 points at the time of this writing within a couple days of being a member. Way to go Permajo!

2. Some redesign: We are completely focused on creating the best user experience in the industry so we will continue to tweak things to make the site easier, simpler, and better.

* The home page now sports an improved look.
* The feature “Travel Agent” is now called “Alerts” which I think better defines what that is (it’s an alert to notify you of new availability at a resort). Try this feature out. You'll find it on every resort property. It's fun.
*Resort reviews can now be “liked” by you, the members, which will highlight the best reviews for us to read and showcase the highest quality reviews on the site.
*And you can now embed YouTube videos inside blog posts. That is an exciting feature as we have been asked by members if they can post their videos of vacations. This is going to be fun.

3. The numbers: Everything is up no matter how you slice and dice: Traffic, new members, new properties, reviews, offers and trades, and inviting are all up significantly. The only area that was down was new blog posts. But TimeshareJuice continues to grow very nicely. We are very pleased.

4. Update on resorts: We have been reaching out to resorts to let them know about us and what our mission is. Just this week we were contacted by a resort developer that we did not know. They want to join the TimeshareJuice community rather than be part of RCI or Interval. That is a big sign and incredibly exciting...and this is just beginning.

How can you help?
Call your resort and tell them about TimeshareJuice. Tell them you are using the site and ask them to come to the site. The more resorts and timeshare owners that use the site, the better it will be for all of us.

Once again, thank you for being a valued member. May there be a fantastic timeshare vacation in your near future!

Warmest Regards,
The TimeshareJuice Team ]]> timesharejuice http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=123 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=122 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:48:17 GMT It was official just a few weeks ago. Marriott Vacation Club International (http://www.marriottvacationclub.com) (MVCI), the most prominent name in... It was official just a few weeks ago. Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI), the most prominent name in timeshare and vacation ownership, announced that they will no longer be selling “weeks” at their resorts. From now on, they are only selling points. This is somewhat big news as the battle of “weeks” vs. “points” has been going on for years. The topic of Marriott having their own exchange service has been rumored for years. Many think this came about because of so many MVCI owner complaints about Interval International and the poor service level. And what choice did MVCI have? Switch to RCI? I don’t think so. Create their own exchange club? Well, in essence, they just did. It is a closed club but it is a club.

Here are a few points to consider:
1. Marriott (MVCI) has over 400,000 customers in their timeshare business owning from over 50 resorts worldwide. They all own “weeks”. So what happens to them? They will be asked to either convert to the points-based system or have to do their exchanges with Interval (of course the members that have already jumped ship to TimeshareJuice will always be welcomed here). We’ve had more than one industry person tell me this is a big opportunity for TimeshareJuice to grow our member base of MVCI owners as these owners are going to feel left behind and will now seriously begin look for alternatives to Interval.

2. Points vs. Weeks: So what is the difference? A timeshare “week” is a deeded property much like the home you own right now. You can sell it, gift it, or keep it in the family. You also have tax advantages like you do in real estate.

“Points” are not deeded. Points expire after so many years. You redeem the points for vacation time (a week, a weekend, 2 days, 1 overnite etc). There are many people that don’t like the points-based system for the reason that they are just too confusing. If you own 1000 points (for example) at a club they can be redeemed for a weekend, 2 weekends, a week, or other combinations depending on what you bought and the time of the year/season you want to travel in. And how can you possibly rent it to someone and explain it to them when you don’t even understand it completely.

On the other side, points-based systems are very flexible. For many travelers they might not take a full week or 2 full weeks for vacation, but you will take a few 3-day vacations (long weekends) during the year. You can’t do that with the week-based system but you can with points. The way it works is like this: You buy 100 points from the Vacation Club. Each year you pay the maintenance fees on the 100 points. You redeem 10 points to have 2 days during the week at one of the resorts. Then later on you can redeem 30 to have a weekend at another resort (a resort with more demand) and then you can use the remaining 60 points to have a full week at yet another resort. Each resort has a different scale of points based on demand.

3. Exchanging with RCI and Interval: The critics of the points-based system get the loudest when you bring up exchanging the points with RCI. RCI has their own system on how to convert your points to their points and what exactly that equates to for your next vacation.

I can see the merits in both “weeks” and “points-based” systems but I do like the “ownership” aspect of weeks. I’m glad we have owners of both types on TimeshareJuice that are free to exchange with whomever and however they want.

As far as MVCI personally I feel as if they had no choice. They had to do something and severing their long-time (and financial) relationship with Interval would have been difficult. Sources from inside MVCI said they have been getting complaints for a long time about the service level at Interval (of course that’s not exactly breaking news, just ask any MVCI owner). And now, not being as intermingled with Interval also frees them up to partner with another exchange service (perhaps one online that’s free and fun) that their owners can use instead of Interval. So the move to points system on a strategic basis was a good one for MVCI. Let’s see if it’s a good one financially.

For more information on MVCI moving to points system, please see www.TimeshareWizard.com He is a valued member of TimeshareJuice and a fantastic source of information about timeshares.

Any Marriott timeshare owners that want to voice their opinion on this topic? ]]> timesharejuice http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=122 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=121 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:03:22 GMT Well since my last post on the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) seemed to go over pretty good here, I thought I would add some more information to the... Well since my last post on the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) seemed to go over pretty good here, I thought I would add some more information to the community knowledge on Disney Vacation Club. In this post I will be talking about the booking windows members have and how this can effect you when looking to rent/borrow/exchange into a DVC resort.

As I get into the booking windows, I need to cover a related item and that is what DVC calls a "Home Resort". Since DVC members have the flexibility to use thier DVC points at any of the DVC resorts with no exchange fees or matching reservations, they implemented a "home resort Advantage" to ensure you have chance to stay at the resort you own at.

So the basics are a "home resort" is a resort that you own points at. You can have more than one "home resort". My wife and I used to have three "home resorts" (Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, and Beach Club Villas - which we no longer have).

When you have multiple "home resorts" you do not get to combine your points from the different resorts to get the booking advantage at any of the three resorts which are a "home resort" to you. In my example, we have 150 points at Villas at Wilderness Lodge and 70 points at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, but we can book a stay at either of them using the "home resort advantage" BUT only with the points from that resort.

The current booking windows are 11 months from checkout date at a "home resort", and 7 months at other "non home resorts". Since you can only use points from the "home resort" during that advantage window, it can lead to some interesting bookings and changes, if a member is looking to go in a busy time of the year.



Some examples are given here:

• -If you have two "home resorts" then you could book nights at each home resort you have points at. Then at the 7 month window, you can see if your desired resort has the rooms available you want and then switch your bookings around.
• -If you want to stay at a resort thats not your "home resort" you can book at your "home resort" to make sure you have a placce at the time you want, and then try switching at 7 months, or just wait until 7 month window and try getting what you want.

There are even more complex moves that you can (and I have for big trips when bringing family) do when you have big group or long stay and want certain resort, that includes borrowing and banking points, but as I mentioned in my first post here that banking and borrowing can be a whole post on its own.


Well I hope this post is as well read as my first one, and I hope I get a few more comments and/or questions to figure out what others are interesting in learning about Disney Vacation Club.

But as a reminder I am not a DVC sales person just a happy member, and things can and have changed regarding the rules and specifics of DVC so nothing here is official. ]]> MikeScott8 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=121 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=117 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:30:39 GMT There seems to be some confusion about the point systems of Worldmark and Wyndham. Here are some things I know. Feel free to add. Perhaps we can all... There seems to be some confusion about the point systems of Worldmark and Wyndham. Here are some things I know. Feel free to add. Perhaps we can all figure this out together.

Worldmark & Wyndham are different timeshare systems but do share a small amount of inventory between them. If you live or want to vacation on the West Coast than WM is the better choice.

Right now, many people get about 7000 to 10,000 points then if they need more rent points from other members. This is generally cheaper than the maintenance fees associated with having more points. So buy a membership with 10,000 credits, then rent from an owner the extra 5K-10K pts you need.

Also, there are several ways to stretch your points. Let's say you want to go to the Palm Springs area. You can make a reservation in Palm Springs at the WM, then 59 days before your trip, try and find an exchange (on TimeshareJuice or II) into the same area. Since it is a last minute exchange it will cost you only 4000 pts, cancel your WM reservation and you get a great vacation and a much lower point useage. If you can't find a last minute exchange, you'll still have your WM reservation so you wouldn't have problem with the airfare.

I hope that makes sense. Let me know if it doesn't. Adios. Oh wait, one more thing...Go Lakers! ]]> lakerzgrl http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=117 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=116 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:05:44 GMT We are owners of the Marriott Vacation Club International. Last year we learned something about exchanging with Interval that we wanted to share with... We are owners of the Marriott Vacation Club International. Last year we learned something about exchanging with Interval that we wanted to share with the group.

We exchanged into the Ko Olina Beach Club and learned that this Marriott has two reservation codes 1 or 2. Apparently any exchanges that come from Interval is ranked a two and gets the parking lot, oil refinery, desert landscape view.

I don't know if this is true for all resorts. Can someone verify this? We thought we had all this "pull" because we own a premier property with MVCI so we thought we had like a VIP connection. Not true. No matter what your salesperson told you.

I called for months to request an ocean view and found out I was labeled a 2 and had no other option but a mountain view/desert view).

Either way I am done with Interval International. ]]> LongHorns05 http://www.timesharejuice.com/blog.php?b=116