ISSUE 3 Mar 2024 [email protected] /// Toll Free: 888-707-8463 TimesharesByOwner.com Transmitted Offers Feb 2024= $9,146,200.00 ^ ^ ^ ^ New Resorts — Resort Changes! Page 2 Brightline expansion New Westgate CEO Page 3 Travel + Leisure New Headquarters Page 3 Exit Co. Lawsuit Hilton Wins! Page 4 SELL OR RENT YOUR TIMESHARE SHOW ME HOW> ddd LIFE + DISABILITY INSURANCE What happens if you can’t use it?> dd No Upfront Fee Exit, Inc Timeshare is not selling, try a fail-safe way to exit>ddd Universal Destinations and Experiences is trying to stay ahead of the game when it comes to technology especially in making their theme park experiences more exciting. They’ve developed a new wearable device for which a patent has been applied. It’s entitled “Interactive Way-Finder" and could solve the problem of losing someone and bring other benefits, too. The inventors wanted a wearable device that serves as an interactive digital map and has a screen that displays hands pointing in the direction of your destination, whether it’s an attraction, restaurant or restrooms. You can choose where you want to go, or the system can make suggestions based on where you are. One mode described in the patent could provide information and directions tailored to attractions within the amusement park, such as shows, rides or exhibits. The device worn on your wrist also might guide you toward the roller coaster with the shortest wait time or give you safety instructions as you boarded a roller coaster. To function, the wearable relies on emitters placed throughout the park. Emitters are devices that emit light or sound, giving the wearable something to react to. The application gets into detail about the complex nature of the emitters and how the wearable devices would respond. Patents provide a peek into what Universal may be working on for its new theme park, Epic Universe. The Brevard Zoo seeks to capitalize on area tourism with a new $100 million aquarium. Actually known as the East Coast Zoological Society, the zoo was built 30 years ago where folks could connect with nature, and now an aquarium seems the next logical step. The zoo is pursuing it, having launched a $100 million capital campaign in which about $75 million has been raised with a brand new groundbreaking soon and an opening in 2027. Technology is all part of the Universal Theme Parks’ growth!... A $100 million aquarium is coming to the Brevard Zoo! “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” -Henry David Thoreau
ISSUE 3 Mar 2024 [email protected] /// Toll Free: 888-707-8463 TimesharesByOwner.com Evermore is ready for more expansion… Hotel Landy adds more units for Epic Universe visitors…. Accor Vacation Club is acquired… Club Lodges at Trillium opens… RCI adds a resort in India The Evermore Beach Resort is ready for more development. Recently opened, officials have said there's still another 200 acres that can be developed, though no specific plans were revealed. So far, 500 acres of the property that was once Grand Cypress Resort, is developed. There are new condo-style flats, a huge lagoon and the Conrad Orlando with its spa and fine dining restaurant Ceiba. Revealed most recently were extra-large rental homes, some of which are still being built, in sizes from 5 bedrooms to 11 bedrooms, many of the 69 vacation rental homes are now available for booking, and the rest will be ready soon, according to a news release. Guests who rent Evermore’s houses for $1,379 to $3,880 per night get a bathroom for every bedroom, a heated saltwater pool, an outdoor dining area, a gourmet kitchen, a living room with as many seats as the house sleeps and access to all of the resort’s amenities. The major draw is the 16-million-gallon lagoon that’s surrounded by 20 acres of beaches. Marriott is adding 400 units to Epic Universe area inventory under Hotel Landy.. The property is actually a Tribute Portfolio Hotel under the Marriot Bonvoy umbrella, so it’s a soft brand that allows a guest to stay in the Marriott system, but in the development, they can modify design. The new interiors are the brainchild of Boston-based Parker Torres Design Inc., the same firm that redesigned the Waldorf Astoria Orlando last year. Orange and teal geometric patterns throughout the hotel make an impression similar to Cabana Bay Beach Resort. With Epic Universe set to open in 2025, Hotel Landy will respond to skyrocketing demand along Universal Boulevard. Travel + Leisure has acquired the Accor Vacation Club. Known as the leading vacation membership and travel company, Travel + Leisure Co. announced its latest acquisition of the New Zealand, Asian Pacific, and Australia’s largest vacation clubs, Accor Vacation Club. Based in Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia, there are 30,000 club members and 24 club resorts. As a part of the agreement, Travel + Leisure Co. can expand all of its offerings, using the Accor Vacation Club brand in places like the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. As it stands now, Travel + Leisure now has 77 resorts across its portfolio of brands. Bluegreen Vacations has celebrated the grand opening of the Club Lodges at Trillium. Located in Cashiers, NC, the resort just welcomed its first guests. The resort is set in a private residential, lake, and golf community, providing guests with the amenities and activities of living in a private community, which includes golfing, swimming pools, tennis courts, two restaurants, spa services, and more. The mountain resort is in the Blue Ridge Mountains and on the shores of Lake Glenville. The property opened with 26 two-bedroom and three-bedroom suites. There will be a total of 78 units once all three phases are complete. RCI exchange has announced affiliation with Evaan Resorts The Forest Vines Corbett. This means another luxurious brand is added to their extensive network. The Forest Vines Corbett is located in the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhan, India. This resort has a rich legacy of providing high-end experiences in the vacation ownership industry.
ISSUE 3 Mar 2024 [email protected] /// Toll Free: 888-707-8463 TimesharesByOwner.com Brightline High Speed Rail is successful— more passenger train cars are being added!… Westgate Resorts, David Siegel, has stepped down! Brightline High Speed Rail— Miami to Orlando— a success and expansions coming! Brightline soon will add additional passenger train cars for its trips between Orlando and Miami. In its February ridership report released late in March, the Miami-based intercity rail company said it will expand to meet demand. It has had to limit capacity for its short-distance trips in some cases to make room for the more profitable long-distance train. It carried 114,264 passengers between its South Florida stations in February, compared to 151,654 in February 2023. February's long-distance ridership between Orlando International Airport and South Florida was at 113,874 for the month, for a total ridership of 228,138. Brightline spokesman, Ben Porritt, said there are 20 train coaches on order, which will arrive by early 2025. Brightline in February had an average fare of $28.93 per short-distance passenger, compared to $80.54 for those riding the long-distance train. It had total revenue of $15.5 million for the month, up from $4.7 million for the same month in 2023 Since launching Orlando service in September 2023, Brightline has expanded from six round trips per day to 16 as of December. Brightline is working on an expansion to Tampa as a part of a shared Sunshine Corridor with Orlando commuter rail SunRail. The local commuter rail would share stations at the Orlando airport, Orange County Convention Center and South International Drive near Walt Disney World resort, with Brightline continuing on to Tampa along the I-4 corridor. Westgate Resorts David Siegel has stepped down from the CEO role. Westgate Resorts founder David Siegel on March 5 handed off his title to longtime company executive Jim Gissy. Siegel will remain with the billion-dollar timeshare company as executive board chairman and president, and "will continue to lead all major decision-making" and maintain the company's vision, said a recent news release. Westgate Resorts employs more than 4,700 workers. As Westgate’s CEO, Gissy is overseeing all aspects of company operations, sales and marketing. He has been with Westgate since 1984 and most recently has served as executive vice president. Siegel said that “Jim is an exceptional leader and I could not be happier to have him assume this role at my company.” Travel + Leisure is looking at a new headquarters location in downtown Orlando and the city of Orlando is offering incentives to enhance that move. According to LoopNet data, 501 W. Church St. is one of the only downtown buildings with the amount of space that would be available for lease that Travel + Leisure wants, with more than 182,000 square feet listed. The Magic's Sports and Entertainment District would be the only other large office space location of that size with available space, but it will not open until late 2026. Orlando's Community Redevelopment Agency advisory board on April 24 will consider approving up to $4.04 million in incentives through the High Wage/High Value Job Creation Program and Parramore Headquarters Incentive for the company to move 908 jobs and create another 102 positions. In exchange for $4,000 per job, the company would relocate in an unspecified part of Parramore from its current location in the Williamsburg area of Orlando near SeaWorld as early as fiscal year 2025/2026. Travel + Leisure in an unsigned statement confirmed it is considering downtown Orlando among its options for a new home, as its lease at its current home on Sea Harbor Drive expires in 2025 and the building owner is not in a position to negotiate. The company did not reveal where else it is looking. Travel + Leisure, with more than 2,200 workers and $3.75 billion in annual revenue, is among Central Florida's largest employers and includes three trusted business lines that includes Wyndham Destinations, Panorama, and Travel + Leisure Group that includes the famous magazine. Some Timeshare Glossary · Annual Timeshare ownership deeded one week per year. · Banked Time A timeshare week and/or points that has been deposited with either the resort, or an exchange company, to be used at a later date (usually 1 to 3 years from date deposited.) · Biennial Timeshare ownership that is deeded every-other-year.
ISSUE 3 Mar 2024 [email protected] /// Toll Free: 888-707-8463 TimesharesByOwner.com Another lawsuit has been filed against a timeshare exit company Vacation ownership developer Capital Vacations has sued Wesley Financial Group, LLC and its founder and CEO, Charles "Chuck" McDowell, alleging deceptive business practices. According to the federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for South Carolina, the Wesley Financial Group operates a so-called timeshare "exit" or "cancellation" company and charges unsuspecting timeshare owners thousands of dollars in upfront fees for no legitimate service. According to the lawsuit, Wesley Financial Group does not help its customers. Instead it subjects their customers to the risk of foreclosure and damaged credit, all while they are extracting exorbitant fees from unsuspecting timeshare owners. The lawsuit also states that Wesley Financial Group's supposedly guaranteed process is not what Wesley Financial Group describes in its advertisements. It merely induces owners to stop payment on their timeshare loans. According to the lawsuit, Wesley Financial Group's 100% money-back guarantee is nearly impossible for Wesley Financial Group customers to obtain based on the fine print in its service agreement. According to the state action, to be filed in the South Carolina Supreme Court, Capital will also be asking the state court to find that Wesley Financial Group's business practices constitute the unauthorized practice of law, as Wesley Financial Group is not a law firm and not licensed to render legal advice to its customers. The Wesley Financial Group and its owner, Chuck McDowell, are now confronted with three federal lawsuits for the same or similar activity. In one of the suits, a federal judge has already ruled that Wesley Financial Group's business practices violate Tennessee's consumer protection statute, the very state in which Wesley Financial Group conducts its business. The Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee has issued an alert on its website, citing the federal court's findings that support the conclusion that Wesley Financial Group has indeed violated the Tennessee consumer protection statute. Some More Timeshare Glossary Meanings: · Fixed Week Type of timeshare ownership limited to pre-specified dates every, or every-other, year. · Maintenance Fee Annual fee paid by timeshare owners to maintain their home resort cover resort operating costs. Port Canaveral is building two new cruise terminals. The Port Canaveral Authority CEO Captain John Murray announced a new cruise terminal that will be operational by summer 2026, in addition to one previously announced earlier this year. “We have cruise partners with immediate needs to locate assets in Florida, and Port Canaveral is where they want to be,” Murray said in a press conference. “Our ability to efficiently bring a new cruise terminal online was key to retaining and growing this important business segment that supports many jobs and delivers high value to our regional and state economy.” The port initially announced plans on Feb. 28 to build a cruise terminal on the south side first, taking the space on Scallop Drive currently occupied by Bluepoints Marina, but since has pivoted to one on the north side. The north side can be completed earlier because there are no lease agreements impeding them from much earlier construction, unlike the south side. As soon as the lease agreements are past, construction on the south side will commence with completion by 2030. Hilton Grand Vacations wins the acclaimed “Stevie Award!” Hilton Grand Vacations has won the “Silver” Stevie Award for “Communications Team of the Year.” The award was won at the 22nd Annual American Business Awards because of Hilton’s substantial role in informing and influencing stakeholders throughout the company. Hallmark achievement of 2023 and early 2024 was its acquisition of Bluegreen, its second acquisition in less than three years, which broadens HGV’s reach and sales locations, while expanding and diversifying the company’s lead flow. As part of this major companywide project, the communications team played a critical role in ensuring the needs of all stakeholders, both internal and external. The Stevie Awards, honor and recognize the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and workers in the U.S. More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.