Vacation Homes

January 3, 2006 · 1 comments

photo_blog_pelican-bay-main.jpg

Condo Hotel Center: Many people dream of owning a vacation home. But often concerns about maintaining it, renting it out in the off-season, or even justifying the expense when it’s only to be used for a couple weeks of the year keep people from making the dream a reality.

Now comes along condo hotels, a new type of vacation home ownership that provides solutions to all these problems. Condo hotels enable you to own a luxury vacation home at a world-class resort and receive rent revenue whenever you're not using it.

So how do condo hotels differ from owning a traditional vacation apartment or condominium? First of all, these are not your typical second homes. They are beautifully furnished condominium suites in some of the most prestigious hotels and resorts around the country. The properties often feature four- or five-star amenities ranging from full-service spas and fitness centers to concierge services, business centers and fine-dining restaurants.

Condo hotels are operated by big-brand management companies such as Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Sonesta, Starwood, Hilton, Trump and Rosewood. Typically they are high-rise luxury hotels located on prime land overlooking the ocean or a golf course, near popular theme parks or attractions, or in the heart of a booming downtown. Prices for condo hotel units range from $250,000 to over $1 million for top properties.

Here’s what makes the condo hotel concept so appealing. When you’re not using your condo hotel unit, you have the option of placing it into the hotel's rental program. You receive 40%-60% of the revenue your unit generates (it varies by property), with the balance going to the hotel operator. While the hotel operator doesn't guarantee the rental of the unit, by capitalizing on the hotel's brand name, big league advertising, national affiliations, centralized reservation system and management expertise, unit owners typically receive a higher level of rental income than they would from a traditional vacation home. More importantly, ownership is 100 percent hassle-free, as the hotel operator takes care of renting and maintaining the unit as well as managing the property’s many amenities.

How are the ownership expenses split? As part of the rental agreement, the hotel pays for most operating expenses such as housekeeping, administrative and marketing. The condo hotel owner typically pays for real estate taxes, insurance and capital improvements. The rental revenue that owners receive helps defray these expenses and, in some cases, provides additional income.

While developers primarily sell their condo hotel units as a lifestyle and vacation home alternative, many buyers see merit in the condo hotel concept as an investment tool. They say it gives them the best of both worlds. They can enjoy all of the amenities of vacationing in a first-class resort while having ownership of a real estate investment that has potential to appreciate.

Condo Hotel Center - http://www.CondoHotelCenter.com

Marcel Sim @ 6:03 AM  |  Luxury  |  Comments (1)  |  Article Link
Share this Article Share this Article  |  Subscribe to RSS Subscribe to RSS



Advertisement

Check out TV Brackets

The BBC is planning to invest £25m in children's TV programmes over the next three years, meaning TV Brackets and TV Mounts could be reaffirmed as positive assets to any modern environment.

LCD TV's, programmes and TV Brackets and TV Mounts have taken a battering in recent years with many suggesting that watching TV may encourage laziness. LCD TV's and therefore accessories like TV Brackets and TV Mounts have become staple additions to most homes, but our love affair with the LCD TV has been changeable. Click here for more info!



Join The Conversation!

There are 1 responses to "Vacation Homes".

A survey by the National Association of Realtors estimates there are as many as 7 million vacation homes in the United States alone with an occupancy rate averaging 8 weeks per year. NAR’s chief economist, David Lereah states the primary motivation for second-home buying is recreation and location with ocean, river, lake, mountain, and other natural attractions topping the list.

With such a large number of vacation homes vacant close to 44 weeks per year, it’s no surprise that these savvy homeowners are looking toward vacation home exchange to leverage their desirable asset to travel more than ever before. Secondary/vacation home listings have increased every year and are now 20% of the digsville.com home listing database. A vacation homeowner has a lot more flexibility in arranging travel dates since the exchange can be non-simultaneous. Additionally, since these homes tend to be located in recreational areas, they are highly desired by other exchangers providing them many options when planning their next vacation exchange.

 Posted by: Helen Bergstein at January 12, 2006 7:29 PM


 Add your own comments






Remember Me?

(you may use HTML tags for style)








Related Business Ideas

 Treadmill Therapy
TrendCentral: An LA psychiatrist and a DC therapist are trying to ease the formal doctor-patient relationship with... treadmills? With the knowledge that people...   Read more

 Trendy Life
TrendBlog: Realizing that Generation X has been busy (re)producing Generation Y and Z and beyond; the inventive European entrepreneurs behind d-i-r-t-y.com have come...   Read more

 Male Business
Springwise.com: More beauty-based ideas, of the Metrosexual kind no less (ah -- how 2004), as male beautification continues its waxed & plucked victory...   Read more

 Get Me A Cave
Iconoculture: Consumers find a release for their primal passions, as well as their sense of unusual style, in retreats that are affordable, energy-efficient...   Read more

 Workouts in the City
Iconoculture: Gyms can be intimidating, not to mention crowded and confining – especially for people who spend enough of their waking hours indoors...   Read more

 Knitting - A New Generation
EastBayRI.com: Knitting has become the new trend, and all of a sudden, the crazy stares are gone. The popularity of the age-old pastime...   Read more

 Well Wishes
DailyCandy: Let's face it. E-cards meet a need. When, say, you forget your brother's birthday. And when you throw a Bachelor finale party...   Read more

This article was filed under the category: Luxury. Click here to read more articles in this category.



Recently Featured Business Ideas

 BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 97
Square Payment Square is a mobile app that lets you start accepting payment cards immediately with no contracts, monthly fees, or hidden...
Read more | Filed under Newsletter

 Other Lab
Inc.: Other Lab founder Saul Griffiths has made a fortune applying way-out mathematics to inventions large and small, including robotic kites, insulation...
Read more | Filed under Science

 Smartclean Detergent from Method
CoolHunting: Eliminating waste in more ways than one, Method's powerful new laundry detergent makes washing "smarter, easier and greener" with its "smartclean...
Read more | Filed under Consumer Goods

 Get a To-Do Tattoo
Short term memory? Trying getting this temp tattoo. The To-Do Tattoo kit includes 12 graphic “To Do” forms that you can apply...
Read more | Filed under Consumer Goods

 SmartyRents Straight to Your Door
SmartyRents offer a variety of educational video games for children from the ages of 9 months to 10 years. The "Netflix" of...
Read more | Filed under Education

View all monthly and category archives »



Free Business Ideas Newsletter

Free CoolBusinessIdeas NewsletterEver wanted to be the CEO of your very own Starbucks or Amazon.com? Fire your boss and be your own boss? Now you can, with BIZNESS! - the free biweekly business newsletter about new business ideas, opportunities and innovations from around the world. More than just new business trends, BIZNESS! helps the aspiring entrepreneur (you!) with small business advice, business tips, and entrepreneur resources and opportunities.

Subscribe for free now!    Subscribe now



headlines-from-ge.jpg

 Best of the Janes: Marketing Methods for Success » Some business owners love to spend time strategizing and marketing, leaving the details to employees. Others simply don’t have the time to...

 Money and Marketing: How To Get Your Next 3 Clients » Whether you’re a burgeoning empire builder or simply want to have a successful home-based business, having a steady stream of ideal clients...

 What is True Entrepreneurship? » The dictionary defines entrepreneurship as the process of managing an enterprise that involves considerable initiative and risk, and anyone who is familiar...

 Who Really Achieves Success in Sales? » Success in sales does not go to the one who has the lowest price. Nor does success in sales go to the...

Aspire to be an entrepreneur? Need more small business tips, resources and ideas? Visit GetEntrepreneurial.com now!