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SHARETIME
Timeshare: liberating luxury travel for millions
Travel & Leisure celebrates 20 years
By Terry Lee, from TATOC affiliate LiveShareTravel
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wning timeshare is like having a passport to a more luxurious holiday lifestyle.
Years ago, when timeshare started, most people could barely afford to leave the country, least of all holiday in style. But timeshare resorts with their up-market facilities gave people options – allowing smart investors to enjoy a lifetime of great holidays. And 40 years on, it’s still achieving its goals: a lifetime of fantastic holidays around the world. Not every timeshare resort is luxurious, but the majority offer excellent quality and great value holidays. And this is something we should all promote. After all, the future of every timeshare resort is dependent on new people discovering the luxury of holiday ownership. Today there’s a huge focus on luxury travel. There is an increasing number of travel magazines, TV programmes and websites dedicated to elegant escapes. But, given the state of the economy, most people are looking for value for money from their luxury travels, too. We think everyone should be able to travel in luxury - whatever that means to them. We want to help people enjoy luxury travel and find deals for less and have written a book to help them do so. The Luxury Traveller’s Handbook offers up many ideas and tips for getting luxury for less and timeshare plays its part.
For example, on LiveShareTravel.com we highlight great timeshare deals at low prices, such as re-sales through companies like Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket. We show how holiday exchange with companies like Dial An Exchange and RCI can offer extra value and lifestyle benefits from a timeshare purchase. We also provide tips on how to access luxury holidays for less such as timeshare rental weeks and tours. There are few better ways to enjoy luxury than timeshare: • Spacious accommodation – not merely a hotel room; • Quality facilities and resort amenities; • A home away from home; • A real and friendly resort community, which a hotel could never match; and • Consistency – owners know exactly what to expect and the standard of service they’ll receive at their resort. The Luxury Traveller’s Handbook, by Sarah & Terry Lee (Full Flight Press), is available in paperback and on Kindle and Apple’s iBookstore. For more ways to liberate luxury on your travels visit: www.livesharetravel.com/luxury-travel.
Top tips for enjoying luxury through timeshare • Take a timeshare tour – try a new resort in a new destination at a bargain rate. • Access special offers at your resort to enjoy more holidays with a timeshare rental. • If you’re a member of RCI or Interval International - deposit your timeshare week early to maximise your resort choices, and allow plenty of time to book flights at affordable rates. • If you’re a Dial An Exchange member - sign up for their monthly email newsletter for great deals and non-timeshare breaks through DAE options. • Consider new products like eXpectations. Launched recently by Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket, it takes over maintenance fee payments and has added extras like RCI Platinum and TATOC individual membership. • Check for bonus weeks and late deals through your exchange provider.
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ravel & Leisure has celebrated its 20th birthday - making it the longest-running timeshare re-sales company in Europe. The Sudbury-based company has been trading since 1992, working through the turbulent economic conditions and contending with the negative press which is often associated with timeshare re-sales. During the 20 years since its birth, the company has expanded from its home in the east of England to encompass six different international offices in Portugal, Russia, Norway, Taiwan, Romania and the Baltic Regions. In addition to these international offices, Travel & Leisure also has French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking timeshare specialists to handle the growing number of enquiries from Europe and the rest of the world. Established in the early 90s by Maria Mills-Farinas and business partner John Hepplewhite, Travel & Leisure has become a thoroughly international organisation through a combination of Mrs Mills-Farinas’ language skills and legal knowledge and Mr Hepplewhite’s influence and global business network. “I’d always felt there was a need for a reliable, independent international resale brokerage offering buyers and sellers from all over the world secure transactions and peace of mind,” said Mrs Mills. “Clients want to know their money and ownership documents are safe in solicitors’ hands. We wanted to build a truly international company, with professional multi-lingual staff, that people could trust to take care of their resale needs. “The resale market isn’t an easy one, and with timeshare things can get stale. We have a no-pressure resale service and that’s important.” Travel & Leisure is recognised by TATOC, RDO (formerly the OTE), ARDA, ATHOC, the U.K. Timeshare Council and the British Chamber of Commerce. In 2011 the group announced sales of just under £1.5 million.