Author Lisa Ann Schreier to Host Holiday Webinar July 25

Use Your Timeshare to the Max!

Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Time: 5:30 p.m to 6:00 p.m. PDT
Where: At your personal computer!

Want to get the most out of your timeshare? This FREE timeshare Webinar will show you how. And you’ll learn from the comfort of your home! Join Lisa Ann Schreier, author of “Timeshare Vacations for Dummies,” on Wednesday, July 25th from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST.

Topics will include:

• Extra Vacations Available To RCI and I.I. Members
• Last-Minute Vacations Can Mean BIG Savings
• Trading Timeshares For Cruises–Is This a Good Idea?
• How And When To Stay At Your Home Resort
• Referral Programs–Yes, They DO Work!

This free 30-minute Webinar also includes an extended Q & A session, so you’ll have an opportunity to ask Lisa all your timeshare questions.

Bonus: Webinar attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Lisa’s “Timeshare Vacations for Dummies” book! Must attend webinar to receive.

Space is limited, so sign up today!

Holiday Resales Timeshare Exchange Webinar Uncovers Secrets

Thursday July 12, 7:00 am ET
SEATTLE, July 12 /PRNewswire/ — Holiday Resales, a division of Holiday Group, just concluded its Secrets to Timeshare Exchange virtual seminar, the second one it has hosted live on the Web. Web seminars, popularly referred to as webinars, are a convenient alternative to traditional seminars, allowing people to participate via their personal computers.
The Secrets to Timeshare Exchange webinar was hosted from the company’s Seattle headquarters by Holiday’s reservation specialist, Maria Martinez. “She makes more timeshare exchanges in a week than most people do in a lifetime,” said Gail Bennett, Director of Sales for Holiday. “If anyone knows the tricks of timeshare exchange, it’s Maria.”

While resort exchanges are one of the most important tools owners can use to maximize their vacation enjoyment (80% of purchases are with this intention), exchanges are also among the least understood aspects of timesharing. “I wanted to lay out the steps for making successful exchanges,” said Martinez. “This is especially important for new owners to understand, since they’re the ones most likely to be confused by the process.”

Holiday’s free webinars are hosted by experts in the timesharing community, and are open to the public. They are designed to educate timeshare owners as well as those who are considering buying. “We feel that the more consumers understand about how timeshare works, the better it is for the whole industry,” noted Bennett. Visit http://www.holidaygroup.com/webinar/ for more information, or simply email webinars@holidaygroup.com.

The Secrets to Timeshare Exchange webinar concluded with an extended question and answer session. “Most people wanted to know how to make the best exchanges, of course,” Martinez said. “I would say the most important thing is to have realistic expectations. Don’t expect to exchange a blue week for a red week, or a less popular destination for one that’s really popular. It’s also important to be flexible about what you want. And be sure to be patient when you’re doing your searches.”

Holiday’s next webinar, Use Your Timeshare To the Max, occurs on Wednesday, July 25 from 5:30 p.m to 6:00 p.m. PDT, and will be hosted by Lisa Schreier, author of Timeshare Vacations For Dummies. People interested in participating can go to https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/952751513?jmid=995494607 for registration information.

About Holiday Group

Holiday’s online timeshare business connects thousands of vacation buyers with discount timeshares every year. Founded in 1992, Holiday was one of the first timeshare companies to host a comprehensive Web site. Holiday is headquartered in sunny Seattle. Please visit http://www.holidaygroup.com for more information.
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Marriott International Reports 2007 Second Quarter Results

July 12, 2007: 06:30 AM EST
WASHINGTON, July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Marriott International, Inc. today reported second quarter 2007 adjusted net income of $229 million, an increase of 26 percent, and adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.57, an increase of 36 percent.
. . . Timeshare sales and services revenue increased 22 percent in the 2007 second quarter, primarily driven by the company’s Maui, Las Vegas and Frenchman’s Reef resorts, which reached higher reportability thresholds in the quarter. The new resort in St. Kitts also reported strong sales. Timeshare revenues also include $45 million of mortgage note sale gains, $5 million higher than the year ago quarter.

Timeshare sales and services revenue, net of direct expenses, increased 49 percent, to $122 million, reflecting higher note sale gains and higher financial reportability of sales.

Contract sales for the company’s timeshare, fractional and whole ownership projects, including sales made by joint venture projects, decreased 24 percent, reflecting tough comparisons to a highly successful launch of the Ritz-Carlton’s whole ownership projects in Kapalua Bay and San Francisco in the 2006 second quarter. In addition, the newly introduced Marriott Vacation Club resort in Maui benefited from considerable trade-up from existing owners in the 2006 quarter. Excluding these three projects, contract sales increased nearly 5 percent in the 2007 second quarter.

The company began sales at a timeshare resort in Marco Island in the 2007 second quarter and expects to begin sales at the Ritz-Carlton whole ownership project in Kauai, Hawaii in the second half of 2007. [more]

New York City Gets First Newly Constructed Timeshare Property

Hilton Grand Vacations Company LLC, owned by Hilton Hotels Corporation, has begun construction on NYC’s first-ever newly constructed timeshare property. The groundbreaking event will take place on West 57 th Street near in Midtown Manhattan.
President & CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, Antoine Dagot said, “We’re very excited to bring the next generation of residential shared ownership to New York City. Ownership at West 57 th Street offers the most flexible way to own a pied-a-terre in the city without the concerns of second home ownership.”
Construction is expected to be completed sometime in 2009. . . . [read article]

More Visitors To Hawaii Find Alternatives To Hotels

Report: Timeshare Use On the Rise
The Associated Press
Published: July 8, 2007

HONOLULU: More and more tourists to Hawaii are bypassing hotels and finding alternate accommodations such as timeshare units, bed-and-breakfast inns or simply a couch at a friend’s house.

Despite record arrivals in May, hotel occupancy fell 6.5 percentage points to 69 percent because of increased use of non-hotel accommodations, according to the latest report by Hospitality Advisors LLC.

For the first five months of the year, hotel occupancy has dipped 6 percentage points to 74.4 percent.

Meanwhile, the numbers of visitors who stayed in vacation condominiums, timeshares, cruise ships or with friends and relatives have all increased, according to the state. [read article]