resort news

The Sunshine State offers exciting things to do that can’t be found elsewhere. Here I outline five of the must-see attractions of Florida.

Visit South Beach

This is the most obvious choice, and for good reason. South Beach attracts visitors from all over the world, the bold and the beautiful, and in a down economy can be cheaper than ever. Stay at a hostel two blocks from the beach for as low as $30/night during the offseason.

Attend a Florida State Vs. University of Miami football game

The official date for 2012 has yet to be set, but this year it will be in November in Miami Gardens at Sun Life Stadium. Florida is a state where college football rules, and despite national rankings the football rivalry never gets better or more passionate than this. For tickets call 305-623-6100 or visit sunlifestadium.com.

Relax at Wakulla Springs

Just south of Tallahassee are the famous Wakulla County Springs. The water stays at 70F year round, and has provided millions of visitors with relaxation and enjoyment since the Wakulla Springs Lodge was built in 1937.

Caladesi Island

For the opposite of the South Beach experience, visit Caladesi Island. Accessible only by boat, this jewel of the Gulf Coast has remained a local favorite for decades because of its white-sand beaches and unspoiled beauty. You can get there in under an hour from Tampa, and under four hours from Orlando.

Big game fishing in the Gulf

This one maybe my favorite. I remember sailing on a boat out of Marco Island on Florida’s west coast back in 2008, and our guide threw chum over the side to try to catch marlins and grouper. While we didn’t catch any marlins that day, we did catch barracuda and stingrays and all sorts of other large fish. The diving is great too, so make sure you get scuba certified before you go, as there are numerous reefs and shipwrecks to see all over both coasts of Florida.

Westin hotels will upgrade gyms located at all 186 of its North American locations, according to a press release put out today. This comes after months of research done by the chain through surveys of their guests. Some of the upgrades include a more natural look for their gyms, more floor space, and blue lighting. The move to a more natural look means many of their hotels will get rid of rubber flooring and install organic materials into “textural woven flooring.” Less equipment achieves two goals: it de-clutters the gym floor, a top complaint of most guests; and gives patrons room to stretch before their workout, a common practice of most active people.

The blue lighting is perhaps the most innovative and daring of the additions. Philips ActiViva Active lamps will be installed in most Westin gyms. Phillips claims that the lights “will positively influence physical performance and encourage well-being.” Each gym will also have a new water and towel station. Market research found that most travelers are happy “just to find a working treadmill,” but Westin hopes their gym upgrades go above and beyond their customers’ expectations.

Rwanda, set in middle of Africa’s sub-Saharan desert, is one of the last places you’d expect to find Western companies and investors. The site of massive genocide in 1994 and world-wide dis-renown will soon be home to a five-star Marriott and a four-star Radisson Hotel. These famous brand-names will bring jobs, money and prestige to the region. The country’s capital, Kigali, is building the Kigali International Convention Center. All three structures will open in 2012.

“There’s no denying that the past year in the Middle East and Africa has had its challenges,” said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International. “However, we are seeing pockets of resurgence throughout the region both in terms of new hotel development and in occupancies.”

Rwanda, with its central location on the African continent and a commitment to leaving its checkered past behind, could become a hub of tourism and industry in Africa, a much needed change for the country’s economy and image.

“This signing symbolizes the new optimism investors have in Rwanda, and further underlines our strong commitment to Africa – this emerging and promising continent is one of our key areas for future business development,” says Kurt Ritter, President and CEO or Rezidor Hotel Group, owners of the Radisson brand.

Own a timeshare in Rwanda? Mexico? Colorado? If you want to get out of your contract, contact Transfer Smart today.

Let’s say you live in perhaps the densest concrete jungle in the world, New York City. You have a small studio apartment located on the 100th floor of a high-rise building. There’s hardly enough space in there for your desk, but in your heart you wish you could throw a barbecue, complete with tiki torches and a slip-n’-slide, with all of your friends laughing and drinking around the grill.

Well now you can. At 145 Ludlow Street, New York, New York, you can throw the backyard grill party of your nature-loving dreams. Dubbed a Backyard Timeshare, a group called The Participation Agency will rent out an empty patch of land right in the heart of the city to you for the low price of $50/hour.

However, just like at a movie theatre, you can’t bring your own treats. The slip-n’-slide rental will cost you a flat $100, a grill built to serve 10 people is $150, a kiddie pool is $200, and having a live band play will cost a whopping five grand. You’re also capped to no more than thirty people total, and your party must stop at 8pm. Renters will also have to buy all food from the company.

A backyard timeshare sounds like fun, but it won’t carry a lifetime contract. Resort timeshares do, and if you want to get out of yours, Transfer Smart is here to help. Contact us today and inquire about our In-Writing Guarantee.

Starwood Hotels, the owner of Sheraton, Westin, and W Hotels, is having a “Dream Vacation” contest on Facebook.

They’re taking advantage of their world-wide reach and encouraging prospective vacationers to submit a story or a picture about what their dream vacation would be. The Grand Prize winner will receive roundtrip airfare for two to anywhere in America and a 5 night stay at a Starwood resort and $1,000 in cash. Two finalists will each win a two night stay at any Starwood hotel in North America.

The company will pick out ten finalists and put their stories or photos on Facebook. Site users will vote on which person’s dream vacation they like the best, and the story with the most votes will win the Grand Prize. According to Starwood’s Facebook site, the winner will be judged on “inventiveness and popularity.”

This weekend in Belgium enjoy the famous Ghent Light Festival. There will be an art trail, food, and of course, lights. Over forty artists from around the world will show off different creative works, such as films, music and paintings. People here speak Dutch, French, English and many dialects of those languages, which is unsurprising as Belgium is the world’s home of the United Nations.

Ghent has plenty more to offer than just art. Café’s, weekend markets, historic plazas and waterside walks are simultaneously quaint and enjoyable. Must-sees include the Patershol district, with its many restaurants; Temmerman Sweets; St. Bavo’s Cathedral; and a walk by the Grassley River. Watch the famous K.A.A. Gent football team play at the Jules Ottenstadion downtown. The club came in 2nd place in their division in 2010.

Visit Ghent’s official website for more information.

On January 23rd, China celebrated its New Year. The “Spring Festival” marks the end of the winter season, and starts new growth, relationships and beginnings.
To see it in person is to visit one of the crown jewels of the East. Catching a flight tomorrow and coming back four days later will set you back about $1100 if you travel from LAX and don’t mind a two hour layover in Japan.

Hong Kong Airport is in Chep Lap Kok, just 20 miles north of downtown. Catching a train downtown from is only $10, or you can splurge on a taxi for about $30.

The Hotel Intercontinental downtown is highly respected and for good reason. Stay on a top floor and get a great view of Hong Kong harbor. Or go even further and lavish yourself in the Ritz-Carlton, whose ground floor is the 102nd floor of the International Commerce Center tower, making it the world’s highest hotel.

A must is the Star Ferry. Fare can be had for less than a dollar, and its views of Victoria Harbor have been enjoyed since 1888. From there, visit Hollywood Road to see shops boasting arts and antiques. Be sure to go up the world’s longest escalator, which is found on Pass Shelly Street. Take a walk in Kowloon Park for free. There’s an aviary, a flamingo lake with turtles, a sculpture park and a large swimming pool that offers fun for the whole family.

To eat on the run, try Dim Sum. These bite-sized portions of spring rolls, spare ribs or dumplings can be found at many street-side restaurants and for an inexpensive price. For dinner, try the “Ma La” chili prawns. This dish isn’t too hot and sure to fill your stomach right.

Finally, cheap shopping abounds in Hong Kong. Buy an iPad for about $100 less than you would in the States, or get three designer suits at the Burlington Arcade for only $500. The tailors are all extremely helpful, and most know English as Hong Kong was a British colony.

Transfer Smart can get you out of your timeshare contract GUARANTEED, even if it was bought in Hong Kong! Contact us today.

A class-action suit was filed in San Francisco last Thursday claiming Shell Vacations charged thousands of dollars for “points” sold on Ebay for $1.
Shell Vacations Club, which has resorts all over the United States and Canada, was charged with false advertising and scamming consumers.They claimed timeshares were purchased at a “fixed cost,” there were “thousands of dollars in hidden fees” and “price increases.”

Plaintiffs purchased 2,500 points they thought they could use towards vacations all over the United States at the many SVC resorts, at a price of $14,224. They then found Ebay links to 9,700 points for $1.

Upon further internet research, a complaint from a consumer not familiar with the case read: “In the next 10 years we will be paying $50,000 to go on vacation 10 times, and that only covers the condo, not airfare, etc,” one man wrote on an online complaint forum, according to the complaint. “How is that a great investment?” Another complaint cited “”one unpleasant surprise after another” and “many lies and conveniently concealed information.”

The plaintiffs seek damages for breach of contract, breach of faith, fraud, false promises deceptive business practices and negligent misrepresentation.

Transfer Smart is the only company that can get you out of a timeshare contract with a legal, 100% In-Writing Guarantee. No one else can do that, no one. Contact Transfer Smart today.

In the first time since economic downturn of 2008-2009, the travel industry is growing. Travel and tourism is being called one of the healthiest job sectors in the United States, getting back to the peak seen in 2007.

Many things drive the industry, but at its base are international travelers visit the United States, which supports 1/8th of the travel jobs. Domestic travel supports the rest.

Hotel occupancy in 2009 was at 55%, almost the lowest since the Depression. Occupancy in 2012 is projected to climb to 61%, showing a 10% growth in two years.
The travel industry is not only important to the obvious benefactors like resorts and airlines, but to an entire supply chain. Aircraft have to be built by one company, fueled by another, maintained by another.

Most service industry workers make more than minimum wage. The national average wage for a housekeeper Is $10. During the first six months of last year, the travel industry increased its workforce by 16,000 per month. Total employment has gone up by 224,000 jobs since December 2009.

The European Union and the International Monetary Fund bailed out Portugal to the tune of 78 billion Euros. In doing so, they imposed sanctions on the working class that strike at the very fabric of Portugese dining culture. Gone are the days of hour-long lunches in expensive restaurants, hello sandwiches eaten at desks.
The sanctions are supposed to tighten the belt and revive Portugal’s economy. But the food service industry (all bakeries, coffee shops, bars and restaurants) represent the fourth-largest source of jobs in Portugal, so anything that would threaten their well-being affects a large portion of the countries’ workforce.

Also this month, the government raised the value-added tax (VAT, or purchase price) restaurant food from 13 to 23 percent. The Portuguese Restaurant Association AHRESP claims that 21,000 restaurants could fold under the tax increase, putting as many as 50,000 people out of work. The Portuguese jobless rate already stands at 12%.

Already, many restaurants have shut down in the wake of the sanctions. And others are sure to follow.

“To be honest, I think it will be hard. Just look around, this is half empty, it wasn’t like this before,” said Manuel ‘Manolo’ Calvino, owner of the ‘Buraco,’ or Hole, snack bar in Lisbon.