With so much snow being in the news lately, now is the time to get your ski trip details ironed out. In the news, Club Intrawest announced a great package deal for their three Colorado timeshare ski resorts:  "Called the Pow Pow Platter, the promotion offers skiers and riders a $99 package that includes a day each in Steamboat Springs, Copper Mountain and Winter Park." Here's where you get it: www.powpowplatter.com . It sounds like a terrific deal for just about everything you need for your ski trip.

The most recent reports coming from Copper Mountain are "Three more inches of new snow in the last 24, a foot and a half in the last week. December has brought more than three feet of fresh powder to the world-class, naturally-divided slopes of Copper." With as much snow as we have seen from coast to coast, most ski resorts are ready to open all their trails and lifts.

As always, keep an eye on your gear for safety, know where you are going, and use the buddy system to stay safe on the ski slopes this season.

Be sure to check out the 3D interactive ski maps at www.ski.com

Timeshare rentals are available at the finest vacation resort condos worldwide. Rii® Stroman is a full service timeshare rental broker. They offer timeshares for rent on behalf of individual timeshare owners. Timeshare rentals at vacation resorts typically offer more amenities than a hotel room. Check out the differences between typical Hotel vs. Timeshare Resort.

Timeshare rentals generally have one, two, or three bedrooms, a kitchen, den, washer and dryer, making them far less expensive than hotels. Many resorts have access to golf, tennis, athletic facilities, marinas, scuba diving, ski lifts and many other recreational activities. Whether this is your first time renting a timeshare or you're a seasoned professional, Rii® Stroman can help you rent timeshare!

Why Stay in a Vacation Rental?

So why stay at a hotel when more cost effective options are available at most major vacation destinations? The majority of timeshare rentals have amenities not available in many hotels. Plus the complete kitchen facilities found in most vacation condos for rent can save on the expense of eating every meal in a restaurant.

Vacation rentals are realistically priced with some last minute deals! Click here to Search Last Minute Timeshare Resort Rental Deals!

Timeshare rentals are also a good idea for owners to consider when personal matters prevent them from using their allotted time interval. Timeshare rentals provide owners with a means to offset some of the costs associated with vacation property ownership and renting a timeshare is only one of the options available for owners who are unable to utilize their vacation interval.

Here are a few great timeshare deals currently available for rent: Consolidated Club de Soleil timeshare for rent in Las Vegas, Westgate Miami Beach & Newport Beachside Resort timeshare for rent, Royal Sands timeshare for rent in Cancun Mexico, Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge timeshare for rent in Breckenridge Colorado, Hanalei Bay Resort timeshare for rent in Kauai Hawaii, Westin St John Resort Villas timeshare for rent, Mystic Dunes Resort timeshare for rent in Kissimmee Florida, Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas timeshare for rent in Hawaii, The Manhattan Club timeshare for rent in New York NY, Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club timeshare for rent in Hawaii, Sheraton's Vistana Orlando timeshare for rent in Orlando Florida, Marriott's Grand Chateau timeshare for rent in Las Vegas, Playa Linda Beach Resort timeshare for rent in Aruba, Marriott's Grande Ocean Resort timeshare for rent in Hilton Head SC, and hundreds of others.

I often visit the www.cnn.com/travel website to see their ideas about travel, exciting vacations, and new deals being offered for the budget minded traveler. A very recent article there "Where the Travel Deals Are" highlighted places like Iceland, London, South Africa, and Hawaii. Their Hawaii section captured my attention the most when they described how generous and affordable they are making hotels and airfare.

Apparently the Hawaii tourism market has dropped 9% this year so they have taken drastic price reduction measures to attract more people. Now would be a great time to rent a timeshare, find a discount airfare and Go To Hawaii!

For example, you can find a five star resort with magnificent amenities, two bedrooms, totally furnished and with a brand name like Marriott or Westin for less than $1,000 a week.  That's less than $150 a day for a condo - lots of room and loaded with quality and luxury. Some of the top timeshare resorts we have rented out in Hawaii include Marriott's Maui Ocean Club, Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk, Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club, and more.

I'd say, go ahead and take the plunge: Go to Hawaii, rent a timeshare, save a lot of money, and have the vacation of your life.

Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui Hawaii Timeshare

Today's CNN.com's travel tips article gives some pretty good advice for saving money while enjoying nice accommodations. They explore the ins and outs of finding homes for rent, condo rentals, but not much information about one of the fastest growing segments of the hotel and lodging industry: timeshare rentals. Renting a timeshare can be an affordable way to enjoy a terrific resort destination without paying a "5 Star" price. Lots of online services claim to save you a bundle if you get their package deals. But in the long run, only come close to the normal rack rates for finer rentals.

I mentioned some off season travel deals in this blog recently. To go a little deeper, you can find magnificent 2, 3, and even 4 bedroom luxury resorts at a fraction of the daily rate. For example, at www.rentvacations.com you'd find Montecristo Estates in Cabo San Lucas Mexico. This 3 bedroom luxury condo is available Thanksgiving week, with a check in date of November 23rd. It features marble floors & baths with walk-in closets, granite kitchen counter tops, stainless steel appliances and fine wood throughout the home. And all for $2,200 for the week. Here's some photos from the resort:

Or how about Manhattan Club NY NY? A 1 bedroom apartment located in the best part of New York City, at 56th Street and Seventh Avenue, offering access to some of the city''s most famous attractions. Carnegie Hall is diagonally across the street, and Broadway''s famous theatre district begins just around the corner. And for $2,450 for a week checking in on November 24th? Thanksgiving week in New York City for a serious discount!

So, yes you can find some terrific deals if you'd like to save money and get a great place to stay at the same time. Check it out! www.rentvacations.com

Recently (May 25) www.Bloomberg.com ran a story entitled "U.S. Gas Prices Keep Some Holiday Travelers at Home". The bad news was the effect of high gasoline prices on the hotel industry.  The good news, at least from Wyndham Worldwide Corp, was that timeshare occupancy was holding up at near 100% thus bolstering the lagging travel industry.  On the east coast there are huge population centers that push the demand for affordable hotel and resort accommodations nearby.  So despite the ever climbing price of gas, people are still choosing to rent timeshare to make the most of their vacation budget.  That makes sense.  A timeshare rental will almost always be cheaper than hotels and offer far superior advantages: full kitchens, laundry facilities, exotic pools, large bedrooms. In addition, there is a good chance you can locate a timeshare condo rental that is within a reasonable driving distance.  The money you save by using a timeshare rental will make the vacation more affordable.

I have rented timeshare resorts in Las Vegas, Orlando, and other locations and always saved 75% off other less quality hotels.  What has been your experience?  Tell us about your best timeshare rental deals!

Here's to the Japanese engineer who designed this magnetic hybrid motorbike - goes up to 93 mph, charges at home in 6 hours, and will travel up to 112 miles on one charge:

The Las Vegas Convention Center will be hosting the National Association of Broadcasters convention, set for April 14-17.  They are planning on entertaining 140,000 guests that week.  That is a huge number of visitors for any city to accommodate.  But for Las Vegas, that is not a problem.  They are prepared for this event - one of the biggest of the year.

The best value would be to stay in a timeshare resort.  There are many to choose from, and their quality is superb.  You get so much more: bedrooms, full kitchen, laundry, plus the in-house amenities.  Check out this comparison of hotels vs timeshare.

Buying a timeshare in Las Vegas would be a sensible idea if you routinely travel there for business or pleasure. Buying a timeshare on the resale market would be the way to do it.  Use a reliable broker - preferably a Realtor - so you will have the peace of mind that comes with professional service.

The Hilton, Polo Towers, Jockey Club, Tahiti Village, Grandview, HGV Club at Flamingo, Marriott, Summer Bay, Wyndham, and others resorts offer terrific opportunities to own a piece of fantastic luxury.

Check out these Las Vegas timeshares for sale.