Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is available for a Getaway week in Interval International from July 12-19.  Only studios are available at this writing and you can pick it up for only $886/week.  That’s only $126.57/night for a $500/night room.  Act quickly before it’s gone.

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is one of the most difficult timeshare resorts in Interval International to exchange in to.  One reason is because the people who buy there spend a substantial amount for their purchase and are therefore less likely to want to exchange it somewhere else.

Another reason it is such a difficult timeshare exchange is because of the sweetheart deal Marriott has with Interval International.  When any Marriott owner deposits a week with Interval International it goes into a separate exchange pool for 30 days that is made available exclusively to other Marriott owners.  This drastically reduces the amount of weeks made available to non-Marriott owners and is very unfair.

Of course another reason it’s such a difficult timeshare exchange is because of the demand for Hawaii in general, and Maui in particular.  The waiting list for Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is enormous and you must have both a very powerful exchanging timeshare and to have maximized your exchange power to be placed high enough up on the wait list to get confirmed.

To learn how to maximize your exchange power in both Interval International and RCI Click Here Now.

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is one of my favorite timeshare properties.  The views of the island of Lanai or the West Maui Mountains are incredible.  It’s location right on Kaanapali Beach is one of the best and besides the restaurants on site, you are a short walking distance to Whaler’s Village for access to many more shops and restaurants. Don’t miss the old whaling village of Lahaina Town nearby.

Don’t miss this rare chance to visit one of the most beautiful islands in the world and stay at one of Interval International’s best timeshare resorts.

Cell phone numbers going public tomorrow so you can expect a call from timeshare telemarketing companies soliciting for you to attend a presentation.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS!!!

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.  It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time.  It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.  You can also register for DNC by clicking here.

Hilton Grand Vacations plans on opening their West 57th Street club in New York City in the second quarter of 2009.  It consists of 161 luxurious studio, 1 bedroom and penthouse suites located one block from Central Park.

With floor to ceiling windows, elegant furnishings, flat screen televisions, marble and granite details and much more, combined with its location, it’s sure to sell out quickly.  Opening prices will range from $58,000-$100,000 per week.  To read more, click here.

So what about timeshare exchange possibilities?  Of course it will be one of the most difficult exchanges you’d ever do because the people who pay that kind of money for a timeshare aren’t going to be in a hurry to give it up to go somewhere else.

Typically, it takes 5 years before there’s any decent amount of exchange activity.  Since West 57th Street is part of the Hilton Club, Hilton members will be scooping up most of the availability in the beginning before RCI members.  This is typical for any new timeshare that opens in a marquis location, is a brand named and part of a club.

So here are a few timeshare exchange strategies to help you out for this, or any extremely difficult exchange.

First, call RCI and see if they are taking requests for West 57th Street now.  If they are, give as many dates as possible that you’ll accept between October 2009, a few months after grand opening, and May 2010. (you can’t request more than 2 years in advance)

Next, tell RCI you’ll accept any size suite, including a studio, even if you’re giving up a 2 bedroom.  This increases your chances exponentially.

Finally, before you do the first 2 things, you should get my guidebook on how to maximize your exchange power for even more valuable timeshare exchange tips.  Click Here Now to read more about it. You’ll need all the help you can get to be successful at getting into Hilton’s West 57th Street. 

Even doing everything right this will be a very difficult exchange but you may be pleasantly surprised.

When doing a timeshare exchange to Maui, the choices of the resorts that are on the beach are very limited, making an already difficult exchange even harder. The Sands of Kahana, while not the nicest timeshare resort, is one that has more exchange availability than the others. You’ll find it in Interval International and its code is SOK.  It used to be affiliated with RCI as well, but no longer.

Interval International has it listed as a 5 star. I’d rate it a 3 Star timeshare property.  I believe the 5 Star rating is due more to its location and demand than the luxe of the property.  The condos, and the resort itself, need updating and sprucing up. It’s going downhill from the nice resort it used to be. 

But, if you don’t expect a really nice 5 star resort like the Westin or Marriott, the Sands of Kahana can be an acceptable exchange just because there are so few timeshare resorts on the beach in Maui.

You can read about it in Trip Advisor.  As usual, the reviews are very mixed.

What the resort does have going for itself is its location on Kahana beach, the on-site restaurant, bar, bar-b-ques, tennis courts and activities desk.  Also, the condos are very spacious with very well equipped kitchens.  It is also near the Farmer’s Market, restaurants, Napili Bay for snorkeling and beautiful Kapalua.

The Sands of Kahana has much more exchange availability than the much more difficult to get Westin or Marriott in nearby Kaanapali Beach.  Those of you that own very high quality timeshare resorts and apply all of the suggestions, techniques and strategies I recommend in my exchange guide should request only the much nicer Westin and Marriott properties and leave out the Sands of Kahana.

The rest of you should request all 3 plus Diamond’s Kaanapali Beach Club, which I’ll review later.  You’ll still need to apply all of the strategies in my timeshare exchange guide book to get these very difficult resorts, but you should be successful if you do.

While staying at the Sands of Kahana have at least one breakfast at The Sea House on Napili Bay.  This is one of my favorite restaurants and is just 3 miles north of the resort right before you get into the beautiful Kapalua area.  This tranquil restaurant has great food that’s well priced, a friendly staff, a beautiful view of Napili Bay and great service all to the sounds of gentle Hawaiian music.  Don’t miss Mama’s Ribs and Chicken and Maui Tacos in the Napili Shopping Center for fast food and take out. 

I just read a post on a blog about donating your timeshare to a charity for a tax deduction.  I haven’t looked into the recommended charity Donate for a Cause, but on the surface, it looks like a good one.  Here’s my response:

“I’m all for helping charities like Donate for a Cause, but rather than walk away from your timeshare with only a small deduction, you’d be better off learning how to use your timeshare correctly.

The number one reason quoted for buying a timeshare is for exchanging it.  Ironically, the number one reason quoted for wanting to sell a timeshare is frustration with the exchange process. 

I’ve done nearly 50 timeshare exchanges with RCI and Interval International in 17 years, the last one to the Westin on Kaanapali Beach in Maui.  If I would have had to pay for the 1 bedroom out of my pocket, I would have been out $600/night.  Because I’ve discovered how to work the exchange system, I only paid $129 for the entire week.

Yes, I had to pay a maintenance fee of $600/year, but altogether this added up to about one night’s stay.

Timeshares, like most anything else, work well if you learn how to use them properly.  So don’t blame the timeshare for not working but the timeshare owner for not learning how to use it properly.”

Certainly, if you’re not going to use your timeshare anymore or leave it to your heirs, leaving it to charity would be a good thing.  If you do go down that road rather than reselling it, make sure you check with the BBB near the location of the charity to see if it is legitimate.  Call the charity to see how much of each dollar goes to overhead (read saleries and such) and how much actually goes to the charity itself.

In the meantime, learn how to become an exchange expert by getting my guidebook “The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare.”

You don’t have to be a skier to enjoy this Colorado Rocky Mountain resort.  There is plenty to see and do in the summertime as well.  The St. James Place, resort number 2266 in RCI, is in the beautiful Beaver Creek Village just a few miles from its famous sister, Vail.  Winter and summer are both the most highly demanded times for timeshare exchangers. 

A quick check with Travelocity pulled up a 2 bedroom in July for $329/night and no availability for December for skiing, so if you can exchange into the St. James Place, you’re getting a great value.

Located less than 200 yards to slopes at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain you’ll enjoy some of the finest skiing in North America. If you’re taking the kids, Beaver Creek’s children’s ski school is world-renowned.

You’ll find the ski terrain ranges from novice to expert.  Plus, once you are checked in you can forget your car as the Village has every amenity imaginable. Within a very short walk through the European style village you’ll find an outdoor ice rink, the magnificent Vilar Center for the performing arts, dining with cuisine for everyone, from pizza and burgers to fine dining and World-class spa treatment.

The St. James Place offers several hot tubs, both indoors and out and a fitness room. All condos, except the hotel units, have fully equipped kitchens, washers, dryers and a fireplace in each unit.

Beaver Creek has plenty of on-site and nearby activities to keep you busy summer.  Enjoy hiking, biking, rafting, horseback riding, tennis, chairlift rides and plenty of great golf courses.

And of course, some of the best skiing in all of North America.  Here are some quick facts.

So get your timeshare exchange request for the St. James Place in now with RCI.  If you increase your chances of exchanging into this world class resort you need a lot of exchange help.  You’ll find it at TheTimeshareExpert.Com.

Have fun.

Where can you stay in a villa, in one of the best beach front resorts in the world that has its own Penguin colony?

The Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Kalia Tower

The resort in on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. And it sits right on one of the most famous beaches in the world, Waikiki.

The Kalia Tower has been extensively renovated and the studio and one bedroom suites are absolutely beautiful.  The rooms have ocean or mountain views and are part of a 22 acre complex complete with shops, restaurants and Penguin colony.

There are also 60 variety of tropical birds, swimming pools and waterfalls.  All within steps of the beach.

Don’t miss visiting Pearl Harbor Memorial, The Polynesian Cultural Center and a trip to the north shore to see some fabulous surfing.  Also, don’t miss nearby Hanauma Bay to snorkel with thousands of tropical fish.

If you’d like to exchange to this hard to get resort, make sure you pick up my timeshare exchange guide to learn the insider’s secrets few if any timeshare owners know.  It’s called…

“The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare -
The Da Vinci Code of Timeshare Exchanging”

You’ll find more about it at

www.TheTimeshareExpert.com/rcisecrets.html.

 In next resort I review you will be skiing on some of the finest slopes in North America.  And once your checked in you can forget your car.

Congratulations to Eli Manning and the New York Giants for their stunning upset in winning Super Bowl XLII.  You’ve got to hand it to them for a game well played and for running through the playoffs as a wildcard. 

So much for all of the talk of Tom Brady  and the New England Patriots  and their perfect season. Although, I think it will be a long time before we see another 18/0 season.

Have you ever dreamed of going to the Super Bowl?  If you have, now’s the time to put in your exchange request to RCI and Interval International  for both the 2009 and 2010 Super Bowls. Super Bowl 2009 will be played on February 1, 2009 in Tampa, FL and in Miami on February 7, 2010. 

Even though it’s a little late, in my opinion, to exchange for the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, it’s offset by the fact that the nearest timeshares to Tampa are in Orlando.

Normally there are so many timeshare weeks available in Orlando it wouldn’t be a problem.  Still, if you get with it now, and you own a timeshare with decent exchange power, you may have a good chance of being confirmed.

Miami in 2010 is a different story.  While you’ll have the advantage of putting in your request 2 years in advance, the scarcity of weeks available in Miami will make it difficult for all but a few lucky timeshare owners with extraordinary exchange power to get confirmed. 

If you follow the many recommendations in The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare you’ll increase your chance exponentially. 

Here are a few tips from the guide.

Search for both the 2009 and 2010 Super Bowl off of your 2008 deposit.  Many people don’t think, or even know, you can have a simultaneous search spanning 2 years from only one deposited/banked week. 

If you want to increase your chances even more, pay your 2009 HOA now, bank a week and search off of that week as well. 

You might be thinking “Why would I search for the exact same thing off of 2 of my weeks?  What if both my 2008 and 2009 week are confirmed for the same Super Bowl week?”

The odds on this happening are negligible while the benefits are enormous.  The first thing to recognize is that if you didn’t deposit your 2008 week in 2007 then it will have less exchange power than 2009 week that you deposited in 2008.

The second thing to recognize is that by starting your search on your 2009 week in 2008 you have significantly increased, or supercharged, your exchange power for that 2009 week.

For more great strategies check out “The Da Vinci Code” of exchanging a timeshare at The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare.

With the popularity of timesharing growing at record rates, and with better and better incentives to entice you, many of you reading this blog may end up at a timeshare presentation this year. 

There are many questions to ask the salesperson or sales manager if you do get interested in purchasing at a timeshare resort, but this one question will get, and keep, the salesperson real very quickly when used early on and often.

 Is that in writing or can you give me that in writing?

First and foremost you must understand that just because the salesperson says something does not mean the company will back it up.  I know that seem obvious but you’re under so much pressure and so much information is thrown at you during the presentation it’s easy to become overwhelmed. 

Some salespeople excel in pitching “fading or fadeable heat”.  Fadeable heat is industry jargon for lies (heat) that you won’t remember (fadeable). So many facts, figures and emotions are thrown at you in a typical timeshare presentation that by the time you decide to purchase you’re too tired and worn out to remember all of the “facts” you were told. 

Plus the person that goes over your contracts, in many instances, will gloss over important points you may have been told that aren’t necessarily true because they are on commission as well and don’t want to blow the sale.

If you get used to asking the salesperson “Is that in writing” from the beginning, it will force the salesperson to be more honest in his presentation.  You want to do this on the important claims by the salesperson and not on every little detail. 

For example, if the salesperson says that the resort is a RCI Gold Crown resort, there’s no need to ask for that in writing since you can look in the current RCI directory or for a plaque on the wall for verification.

If, however, he says that you can buy one week and “it trades two for one” in RCI or Interval International, I’d want to see that in writing were I to buy. 

If true, what you will most likely find in the documents is that for each week you give up to exchange, RCI or Interval International will match with a bonus week.  This is very different than “it trades two for one” and is commonly misused in the timeshare industry.

The difference is that the week you own has a certain trading power that can be enhanced enormously if you know how.  My guide “The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare” explains this in detail and is something you must have if you own a timeshare. 

The bonus week comes from the exchange company and has no exchange power.  Big difference!  Bonus weeks are usually at lesser-demanded resorts and during non-peak travel times.  A bonus week at a fantastic beachfront resort in Hawaii or the Caribbean is rare indeed. 

Plus, you pay more than the exchange fee to use a bonus week and there are conditions tied to using it. 

 Many salespeople don’t know this, or prefer not to know it, and simply say your week exchanges two for one.  If you learn how to use a bonus week properly they can be a good value, but to simply imply that they are just like your exchange week is very misleading.

Become a smarter consumer by asking if a promise or claim given by the salesperson is in writing and then take it a step or two further by digging down to what the promise really means.  If you’re considering a purchase, make a list what you were promised in writing and make sure each one is verified in the contract.

Mistake 9: Selling out of desperation

Unethical timeshare resale companies know that there are a lot of desperate people wanting to unload their timeshare and they are very aggressive about contacting them.  If you have a deed to your timeshare then it’s public knowledge and on record at the county courthouse.  Scammers access the courthouse records to make lists of timeshare owners and sell the lists to timeshare resale companies. 

If you’ve owned your timeshare for any length of time you’ve probably already received an unsolicited letter or phone call from a timeshare resale company.  This is usually the sure sign that someone’s out to scam you out of a listing fee.  The phone solicitors can be particularly persuavsive in convincing you that they will sell your timeshare quickly and for a tidy profit.  Coincidently, they have a hot buyer who just so happens to want what you have and you’d better move fast before he buys from someone else.  They’ll then suggest you list it over the phone and pay the listing fee so they can call the prospect with the good news.

The rest of the story goes like this.  You never hear back from the agent nor can you reach him at the office.  You’ve left many messages for him but he won’t return your calls.  If you complain to someone they may tell you he no longer works there but not to worry because your timeshare is listed and will continue to be listed until sold. 

Never go for the quick sale no matter how persuasive the agent is.  If it sounds too good to be true, it is.  Make sure you check out the company and remember that it’s going to take a while to sell your timeshare.

Mistake 10: Misinterpreting the companies website or claims
 
Don’t interpret a resale company’s claim, either verbal or on their website, that they have year to date, $20,467,000 of resale and rental offers to mean SALES.  This is common practice today and very deceptive.  What you want to know is how much of that $20,467,000 has been sold? Prying that information out of the timeshare resale company is difficult and take with a grain of salt what you’re quoted.  Write it down and call back the next day and see if the quote is similar before listing your timeshare.  If the actual amount sold is only a small portion of the total look elsewhere.  Whatever you’re told, ask for it in writing or email.  Their willingness or unwillingness to do that speaks volumes of their credibility.

Monday’s post will be a list of questions to ask timeshare resale companies to determine if they are legitimate.