Posts filed under 'Orlando'
Celebrity Resorts LLC made headlines in March of last year when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but according to an Orlando Sentinel article financial problems may have started as early as 2008. While these types of bankruptcy filings rarely affect individual ownerships, they certainly undermine consumer confidence in a specific resort or developer, bringing down resale values. For owners of Celebrity Resorts timeshares, the company’s recent reorganization is welcome news: The new company is called Legacy Vacation Club.
Will the new name mean a new legacy for Celebrity Resorts and its owners? Quite possibly. The family-owned company has been selling timeshares for over 30 years, making it one of the most experienced resort developers in America. According to company lawyers, Celebrity Resorts exited bankruptcy intact, and with no job losses. In addition, Legacy Vacation Club has announced plans to implement its own internal “points” program, that will offer owners more flexibility. What may ultimately mean success for Celebrity Resorts, however, will be whether it can adapt its sales strategy to the tastes of a new generation of buyers. There are only so many upgrades that can be sold to aging timeshare owners; lasting success for any timeshare developer hinges on bringing new and younger buyers into the fold.
Just as generational differences have proven difficult for the timeshare industry, it’s generational differences within the Meyers family that have been blamed for the bankruptcy and subsequent reorganization of Celebrity Resorts. Brothers Neil and Hillel Meyers were the original developers of Resort World, predecessor to Celebrity Resorts, and remain legendary figures in Orlando’s insular timeshare community. Reportedly, disputes between Hillel Meyers and Neil Meyers’ son Jared led to partitioning the company in 2003. During last year’s bankruptcy proceedings, control of the company was hotly disputed between various family members, but the company’s reorganization plan approved this January leaves 34 year-old Jared Meyers in control as President and CEO. With a gen-xer at the helm, perhaps Legacy Vacation Club will succeed where Celebrity Resorts failed; retooling the timeshare sales process for internet-savvy younger buyers.
For now, all former Celebrity Resorts properties have been renamed to reflect the Legacy Vacation Club brand, and all resorts are now listed with both RCI and Interval International. Existing owners that want to sell their Celebrity timeshares will, no doubt, benefit from the re-branding; gradually escaping the stigma of bankruptcy. And while there are parts of the timeshare community that might still be skeptical of the new entity, I’m excited to see what the future holds. Best of luck to Jared Meyers and Legacy Vacation Club!
Popular Legacy Vacation Club Timeshares Include:
Legacy Vacation Club Orlando – Oaks
Legacy Vacation Club Orlando – Spas
Legacy Vacation Club Steamboat Springs – Hilltop
June 21st, 2011
During the last month alone, 3 high-profile timeshare scams have been raided by police in Orlando, Florida. In at least twenty news pieces on these developments, the public has been treated to images of SWAT teams busting down doors, police confiscating computers and printers, and the ubiquitous ‘deal board’ being dragged from a shady office by regulators. Taken at face value, these images may be reassuring; certainly, scandalous Florida-based timeshare resale companies give the industry a bad name. But, it takes a timeshare industry insider to recognize these stories are not good news – not at all. Behind the headlines are regulatory follies that threaten the very existence of a secondary timeshare market.
Exactly one year ago, this blog warned of a timeshare scam designed to convince owners that their properties were ‘already sold.’ Of course, to complete the deal required payment of an enormous up-front fee. Despite our best efforts (and those of numerous other legitimate timeshare companies) to warn timeshare owners, some continue to fall for this obvious fraud. The effects of the ‘It’s Already Sold’ scam have been devastating to real timeshare resale companies: forcing them to become apologists for their now-tarnished industry.
Making matters worse for the industry, reporting on timeshare scams rarely draws a distinction between real timeshare resale companies and criminal fronts. A notable exception is Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who warns of “scammers posing as timeshare resellers,” describing them as “fake.” All too often, descriptions of timeshare-related crimes are so vague and subjective they border on misleading: The Orlando Sentinel quoted police Sgt. Amy Ameye, stating victims “were told If you send money… we will get the paperwork going, we will get your timeshare sold for you” – a statement that could conceivably apply to any timeshare resale company, legitimate or otherwise.
In a press release from July 2010, the Florida Attorney General describes “actively pursuing timeshare resellers as part of a statewide initiative” – a blanket statement that presumably includes all timeshare resale companies. Given Florida’s prejudices, should it really surprise anyone that timeshare scams there have exploded? The State’s witch-hunt regulatory environment leaves no room for legitimate timeshare resale companies.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
The ‘It’s Already Sold’ timeshare scam is clearly a crime that should be prosecuted. Possible Federal and State charges include Grand Theft, Organized Fraud, Intentional False Advertising, Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and that’s just for starters. So what crimes were the Orlando timeshare scammers charged with? Unlicensed Telemarketing, a third degree felony in Florida.
In Florida, timeshare resellers fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DOACS), where they are regulated as telemarketing companies. According to DOACS investigator Sasha Velez the problem of timeshare resale scams in Orlando is “huge… We have over 40 to 50 cases unlicensed right now that we are looking into.” Of course, no one asked Ms. Velez the obvious questions:
What if these Orlando timeshare scams had telemarketing licenses? Would you have allowed them to continue defrauding consumers across the country? What if they scammed people in person, or via email?
This is the down-side of excessive regulation; the need for regulators. Folks that may be well-meaning, but just don’t get it. Solutions put forth by the DOACS, and others in Florida, have sought to criminalize the entire timeshare resale industry. The problem in Florida is not timeshare resale companies, it is criminals. If your State has criminals committing wide-scale fraud, the solution is not issuing telemarketing licenses, it is criminal prosecution.
February 16th, 2011
In a competitive resort market like Orlando, it seems there’s always a new timeshare resort advertising its ‘Grand Opening.’ While some of these properties become landmarks, many simply fade from view; eclipsed by the next newer, larger, or more luxurious developments. At present, there are over eighty Orlando timeshare resorts, and counting… There are, however, a very select few resorts that transcend Orlando’s timeshare cacophony; your stable neighbor in a sea of constant change. Resorts like Marriott’s Grande Vista, just off I-4 near SeaWorld.
Located on 164 acres of prime Central Florida real estate, Marriott’s Grande Vista opened in 1997. Development continued through the 2000′s, and is now completed. The resort became the first Marriott Vacation Club property to offer the Faldo Golf Institute, which features personalized golf instruction inspired by 6-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo. The on-site Grande Vista Golf Club is a 9-hole, par 32 course, set amongst preserved Florida wetlands. Other Grande Vista resort amenities include a full-service spa, a fitness center, and numerous pools and spas located throughout.
Owners and guests at Marriott’s Grande Vista have a choice of luxurious studio, one, two, and three-bedroom villas, all with private balconies and free WIFI. Larger units come totally loaded, with full-kitchen, washer/dryer, flat screen TV, and whirlpool tub. Marriott is known for its superior maintenance and upkeep, and accommodations at Grande Vista are no exception: TripAdvisor reports 80% of its users describe the resort as either ‘excellent’ or ‘very good.’
Marriott’s Grande Vista is currently the largest Marriott Vacation Club resort, with a total of 1,616 units in a total of 24 buildings. Given the sheer size of the property, and thus the number of timeshares that have been sold there, the resort has managed to keep a fairly low profile. In the course of writing this article, I spoke to a few frequent Orlando visitors (self-described ‘timeshare junkies’), most of whom had no idea Grande Vista was one of the city’s largest resorts. Part of this is marketing strategy: Rather than using street-level OPCs, operating out of Orlando’s ubiquitous ticket booths, Marriott schedules timeshare tours through its existing hotel clientele and owner referrals. The sales strategy at Grande Vista is also an innovative one: Little to no pressure. Simply put, this is a resort people want to own. Marriott salespeople are there to explain the product, not to create desire for it.
While you probably won’t find brightly colored hot air balloons marking the entrance, Marriott Grande Vista timeshare offers unrivaled amenities, quality accommodations, beautiful grounds, and a solid, stable ownership experience!
Browse available Marriott timeshare resales at low for sale by owner prices, or view all Orlando timeshares.
February 15th, 2011
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