The Most Expensive Restaurants in America

Bundle has compiled a list of the most expensive restaurants in America, and the catalogue contains some surprises. Most are predictably found in New York City or spread across California. But half of the top ten are in Chicago. Five of the top ten is French and the other five are American Noveau. And the most expensive plate comes from a city most people have never heard of: Yountville, CA.

Of course the food is highly rated as these restaurants are world-renowned for their cuisines. But part of the reason why their plates are so high are their prix fixe rates. The concept of Prix Fixe comes from dining as a guest in someone’s home. They decided what food you would eat before you got there, and you pay a fixed price for it. Wine, appetizer, meal and desert are all pre-chosen and cannot be changed. The opposite would be a la carte, where you pick and choose all of your items. This is the most common dining experience.

The French Laundry of Yountville and Per Se of New York City, the lists’ top two, are backed by the same chef, Thomas Keller. The average check at French Laundry was $957 and the average check at Per Se was $883. Le Bernadin of New York City had the highest prix fixe price of $330. Eleven Madison Park, also of NYC, rounded out the top 25 with a $409 check average.

Transfer Smart gets you out of your timeshare with a 100% In-Writing Guarantee. The scam artists can't offer you that. If you're stuck in a timeshare contract that's costing you a fortune, contact us and we will get you out of that title the Transfer Smart way.

Timeshares in Cuba

Cuba, the fickle southern neighbor of the United States has been as affected by the global downturn in the economy as the rest of the world. But Cuba has seen more than it’s fairshare of change recently. Fidel Castro stepped aside, and his more democratically-leaning brother Raul took over in 2006. Since 1998, the tiny island has been hit by 16 hurricanes. The United States trade embargo, in place since the 1960’s, has always choked the island’s economy. The price of food is on an irreversible upwards trend. And drought throughout the island has cost the island to lose half of its annual gross domestic product.

Faced with these dangers, Cuba is “updating” its Socialist model, and encouraging private business in ways that haven’t been seen on the island in decades. Foreign investors can now lease state land for 99 years, not limited to 50 as they were before. For the first time since 1959, foreign investment in agriculture has been allowed. And the government is now in discussions with foreign backers to construct 16 golf courses around the island and the sale of leases on houses and timeshares in these areas. With the right marketing, Cuba could become a world-wide tourist hub, worthy of the definition exotic: beautiful, mysterious and alluring.

The Cuban government will cede a quarter of its almost 5 million state workers to the cause of private entrepreneurship. They will encourage the move by not making it illegal to have a private business, and by removing the cap on how much a worker can make in one year. Despite the historically contentious feelings the Cuban state has towards the U.S., all economists agree that Cuba would welcome American tourists and their dollars with open arms. If President Obama wins a second term and laxes travel restrictions that have hindered U.S. visitation of Cuba in the past, it could eventually lead to an end of the U.S. embargo, and socialism as Cubans know it.

If you have found yourself in a Timeshare contract that you don’t use anymore, we can help. Transfer Smart offers 100% In-Writing Guaranteed exit solutions to your timeshare contract. Transfer Smart is not a resale or listing service, and will not ask for money up front. Transfer Smart simply offers information to travelers who wish to get out of their timeshare contracts.

Loving Christmas, Hating Timeshares!

I love Christmas! The holiday season is so wonderful! The snow falling on the ground, making everything bright, white and beautiful. The Christmas songs on the radio we all know the words to and sing out loud in the streets. And of course…

But one terrible thing about the holidays is financial ruin. So many people find themselves over-spending in order to make their families happy. They do it so their friends, family and associates can be happy, but then they spend months of the New Year trying to catch up. In some cases, the debt takes years to pay off.

That brings me to point. Few things are as wasteful of money as timeshares, interval-leisure resorts, and the like. Good, hard-working people like ourselves have a beautiful, relaxing vacation in an exotic resort and get caught up in the emotional whirlwind and make a timeshare purpose only to regret it later. There are rising maintenance fees. Uncontrollable, unlimited “Special Assessment” fees. And the promise of an “investment” that in reality will never show a positive financial return.

This is why I blog about TransferSmart. I want people to have real peace of mind, not spend hundreds of thousands over a lifetime because they made an emotional decision to buy a timeshare. TransferSmart offers and IN WRITING guarantee that they will get you out of your timeshare contract. Yes, in writing. Click here and fill out a short form and they will contact you within 24 hours. Let TransferSmart bring real peace to you and your family.

Giving thanks is one of the things I was taught to do since I was a child. Every year when Thanksgiving came around we would have to think about the things we were thankful for and each year we were given an opportunity to voice everything we were grateful for. Since Thanksgiving is next week I have started to think about the things that I am most thankful for. First of all, I am thankful for my new job. Since the economy is so bad these days finding a job is extremely hard and it takes a lot of patience. Second of all, I am thankful for my family and the support they have given me throughout the year. Lastly, the most recent thing I am thankful for is Transfer Smart. At the beginning of this year I was tied to a timeshare that my wife and I had purchased years ago. The timeshare was really expensive and keeping up with the maintenance fees every year started to pull me down financially. Finally a family friend of mine told me about looking into the services of Transfer Smart.

When I called Transfer Smart the representative was very friendly and set me up with a presentation right away. At the presentation I learned about my options and why I should get out of my timeshare . The representative explained further of what was expected of me and what to expect if I signed up for the service. I agreed right away and several months later I was timeshare free. I had finally gotten rid of my annoying timeshare and can now enjoy my vacations without feeling guilty. Now at my family dinner I will be able to tell everyone how grateful I am about everything that I have been through this year.

Having Trouble Trying To Sell Your Timeshare?

You may have read or heard about the timeshare industry being described as a "timeshare trap". In many cases this description is true, for many timeshare owners they were in many ways misled into purchasing their timeshare. Once they learn about all the associated responsibilities and obligations they feel as though they were tricked into purchasing this. And once more, when they try to get out and realize how difficult it is to get rid of a timeshare they feel as though they were not just tricked but trapped into their unwanted timeshare ownership.

Now while this is all too common for timeshare owners it is important to remember that timeshares do provide amazing vacations. For some people who have no problem with the financial obligations tied to timeshare ownership it can be the perfect vacation option. For these people a timeshare is exactly what they need to provide them with unforgettable vacations. So in reality the timeshare vacation option is quite viable and serves a purpose.

But still for the timeshare owners who are not prepared for the cost of ownership it simply does not have the same effect. These owners constantly have to worry about increased maintenance fees and unexpected special assessments. And what is worse is that they probably had no clue that buying a timeshare could cause so much stress.

If you are already stuck in a timeshare contract and you now know what a huge expense it is and has the potential to become you should start figuring out how you will get out. Unfortunately there are not too many ways to viably get out of your timeshare. You may be under the assumption that you easily sell your timeshare, sadly nothing could be further from the truth. Selling a timeshare can be extremely difficult.

The fact is that there is simply no resale market for timeshares. A lot of owners try to go this route of selling their timeshare on the resale market and this usually ends in a huge waste of time and money. And so after falling victim to purchasing a timeshare without knowing just how much it can end up costing they are now in the trap of trying to resell. There are many fraudulent and scam companies that are trying to take advantage of people who are trying to sell their timeshare unit.

What these owners need to focus on is getting out of the financial perpetuity that timeshare ownership entails. These vacationers need to realize that they will be paying their timeshare resort for the rest of their life. Instead of spending time and money trying to sell their timeshares they should look for exit solutions. Some timeshare relief companies offer guaranteed timeshare exit solutions that timeshare owners can use to get out of their timeshare once and for all.

Got Timeshares for Sale?

Many timeshare owners today are looking for a way out of timeshares. Please continue on reading this article if you either interested in getting out of a timeshare contract or if you are considering putting your timeshares for sale in the very near future. This article seeks to inform you about what to do when you have a timeshare with a for sale sign up in front of it.

As you are probably aware, timeshares for sale are rather common on the market right now due to rising timeshare maintenance fees and special assessment fees. When you buy a timeshare and sign that contract, you are also unfortunately tying yourself down to a lifetime of debt. This is because a timeshare contract is virtually unbreakable by nature and the only way to get rid of a timeshare deed is by transferring it over to someone else and putting your timeshares up for sale seems like the best way to go about it.

Unfortunately, timeshares for sale are simply not selling. This is because with the internet becoming more and more predominant, everyone has the resources to study up on their purchases by checking out any number of complaint boards. When you do so, you will find that timeshares for sale are one of the highest ranking complaints anywhere on the internet. In fact, the Better Business Bureau has gone on record to say that the timeshare resale industry is one of the largest scams across America today. With so few buyers, it is no wonder people are having such a hard time getting rid of their timeshares for sale.

In addition to the lack of interest and scam warnings, many people are not interested in timeshares for sale because of those pesky maintenance fees and special assessments. Maintenance fees are the charges you accrue annually from the timeshare resort to cover your share of the cost of cleaning and replacing any of the appliances in use while special assessments are charged to you for any reason at all be it to cover for weather damage or to replace all the TVs on the resort. It is for all these reasons and more that people are so desperate to get out of their timeshare and put them up for sale.

So how do you get out of a timeshare if you have timeshares up for sale? First thing's first, do not go through a timeshare resale company. Just in the state of Florida alone right now there are 50 timeshare resale companies under investigation and 11 have already been convicted of false and deceptive practices. If you have a timeshare for sale sign up, do yourself a huge favor and take it back down because that will only lead you down a road to further debt. If you absolutely must get out of your timeshare due to the always increasing costs, consider going with a reputable company with a proven track record of successfully getting people out of their timeshare contracts like Timeshare Relief.

Transfer Smart News: Reynoldsburg Couple Can’t Get Rid of Campground Timeshare

Timeshares are known for their hefty fees. Such fees are the main reason why many owners today want to get out of their timeshares. In Reynoldsburg, Ohio, one family said that they've paid out $20,000 over the past 25 years for a campground timeshare membership. Suddenly, they stopped paying two years ago and creditors started to call.

Last 1985, Jack and Mildred Kidwell, in their late 40s, bought a timeshare for camp sites around the country. Since then, they are paying thousands of dollars in finance charges and dues.

According to Kidwell, they tried to sell or cancel it but the company refused. At 72 years old and with severe arthritis, Kidwell said they had to sell the camper. But Equity Lifestyle Properties which is the parent company of Thousand Trails Campgrounds is trying to keep him paying.

He said, he just wanted them off his back and to quit trying to bill him for more money. Meanwhile, Joan Coughlin, Spokesperson for the Central Ohio Better Business Bureau, in this particular contract there is no right of rescission, that's an important element to look for in any contract. Right of Rescission is a language that allows the buyer with notice to terminate a contract.

On the other hand, the said company has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau. In 2001, as Kidwell said, his annual dues rose from $272 to $500 and in the last two years. He and Mildred decided to stop paying for their vacation and the creditors are calling.

Transfer Smart News: Eurostar Acts as a Viable Alternative to Visit Europe’s Timeshare Resorts

With the many owners today who are trying to get out of their timeshares along with the negative perception of the consumers with such properties, timeshare operators are on their extensive advertising campaign to attract the consumers. Recently, Eurostar’s latest TV ad campaign created around the concept “exploring is beautiful,” captures the romance of train travel in an unexpected way.

The ad is like a short dreamy film which has an almost modern, magical Alice in Wonderland quality to it with a little girl strolls through her city park zoo, talking to the animals and trying to get them to talk back to her, until it fades to the tagline “Eurostar: Exploring Is Beautiful – Connecting You To Provence, Cologne and more...”

This is the Eurostar’s first TV commercial in three years. Despite the much publicized trouble with some trains last December, the company has seen a steady rise in passengers this year. Many consumers are opting for train travel to “short-haul” destinations as a safeguard against volcanic ash cancellations, airline or air traffic controller strikes, all of which have been wildcards that disrupted holidays this year.

With so many luxury brand hotels and self-catering city apartments today like Hilton, Wyndham and the Four Seasons now available as part of the timeshare holiday experience, getting away to explore one of Europe’s beautiful cities has never been easier. With a growing number of timeshare and vacation resorts in regions like French Alps and the south of France, Eurostar’s European network is becoming a viable alternative to air travel, assuming you have some time to spare.

Transfer Smart News: Kirkland Man Gets a Timeshare Refund

Timeshares are considered one of the vacation properties today which are closely associated with aggressive sales tactics and scams. Take the case of a Kirkland man who recently bought a timeshare and ended up regretting it.

Justin Bartlett of Kirkland won a free trip with a call from the people who run Wyndham Resorts. This led to a meeting and sales pitch. What attracted him was the chance to stay in Washington state properties at a moment's notice.

Justin then paid $1500 down and promised to pay $200 a month. But for months, he couldn't get any last minute reservations. As he said, he had tried multiple times in local areas Leavenworth, Lake Chelan and Seattle to get rooms but he can't get a room.

So, Justin find the salesman hoping that he was still working for the company and to ask him why this wasn't true. Justin found the salesman working out of Bend, Oregon because his Bothell office went out of business. The salesman is Joe Kennedy, in Bend. The salesman said, if Justin wants, he can sign a letter saying he lied to him. So Justin had his attorney draft up an affidavit and the salesman signed it.

The signed, notarized piece of paper has Joe saying "I was told to convey statements to Justin Bartlett that were untrue just to get him to purchase the travel share program." Justin mailed the affidavit to the company hoping for a refund. At first, the company will not hold any responsibility for what the sales rep had done. But a few days later, Wyndham gave him a call and said that they are going to give him all of his money back and they are letting him get out of the timeshare contract.

Smart Ways to Save Through Vacation Rentals

If you are one of those who love to travel, may be you are considering owning a timeshare. With the current economy, many owners are trying to get out of their timeshares and thus, the units on the resale market are also flooding. Such properties might be tempting. But today, there are also those properties in sought after locations that are available for reasonable rent. If you are on a tight budget or looking for ways to save in a vacation, vacation rentals might be a great option.

Vacation rentals offer you flexibility in both location and time compared to actually owning a timeshare unit. Purchasing a timeshare limits your annual vacation to one locale and your vacation to a certain time of year. A timeshare also entails an annual maintenance fee. In other words, vacationing with a timeshare will be the same every year despite being luxurious and packed with many amenities.

With vacation rentals, you can choose any location and the specific period for your vacation. One of the popular options these days is the condo rental membership. With this, you can vacation with a number of benefits like discounts. Some condo rentals are packaged with various benefits including dining and entertainment discounts. There are also packages that include tickets to the theater or maybe scuba diving lessons.

A condo rental is no doubt one of the best offers available for a great vacation. With this option, you can avail for a relaxing vacation with many benefits and enable to save more. This also allows you to vacation even when you are on a tight budget.

Transfer Smart News: Timeshare Investigation Results to a 55-Year-Old Man Arrest

Recently, a 55-year-old man from Banbury has been arrested as a result of an investigation of a timeshare scam originating in Spain. The investigation was launched by Thames Valley Police in July. The complainant testified that he had been targeted by a scam in which people wanting to get out of their timeshares are contacted by a marketing company and told that there are buyers lined up.

However, to go on with the sale, there’s a £1,000 administration fee to the company called Golden Sands Marketing, which gave its correspondence address as Horse Fair, Banbury. Meanwhile, the police visited the address and closed down a mailbox, where letters were being held before being sent onto Spain.

There are more than 100 letters which have been found out so far and officers are informing the senders about the ongoing inquiry. According to the Thames Valley Police, its officers have been liaising closely with Oxfordshire County Council’s tading sandards department, as well as the Spanish authorities, throughout the investigation.

As a result of the investigation, a 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud. The man will be released on bail until January 2011 for further enquiries to take place.

On the other hand, PC Suzanne Cubitt of Banbury police station said,they believe people across the country who want to get rid of their timeshares have fallen victim to this scam and are keen to get the message out that timeshare owners are being targeted in this way. She added that they are urging people to be vigilant and think carefully before making payments over the phone as a result of unsolicited calls.

Transfer Smart News: State Proposes to Impose Accommodation Taxes on Timeshares

While many owners today want to get out of their timeshares because of the increasing maintenance fees, there’s a proposal in South Carolina to tax timeshare maintenance fees. This creates uproar in the timeshare industry. Meanwhile, the hoteliers push to impose such taxes on timeshares.

The said proposal aims to collect accommodations taxes on maintenance fees which have previously gone untaxed. According to Paul Goodrich, president of sales and marketing for SPM Resorts, which manages 33 timeshare resorts on the East Coast and in the Caribbean, including three on Hilton Head Island, the annual fees cover such things as roof replacement, management fees and property taxes. He stressed out that timeshare owners already pay accommodations taxes when they rent their property. So, they shouldn't have to pay those taxes on their maintenance fees.

On the other hand, Frans Mustert, a supporter of the proposal and also a Myrtle Beach hotelier who was also instrumental in crafting it, said that timeshare owners who only come to the state a few weeks a year are the same as tourists who rent hotel rooms and they should pay their fair share for the services and marketing.

The accommodations tax funds is drafted to go toward municipal services for tourists and out-of-state marketing for a destination. The legislature-appointed Taxation Realignment Commission estimates that the tax could generate about $10 million in the state. Most of the money would likely come from those vacation hot spots which have most of South Carolina's timeshare units like the Grand Strand or Hilton Head Island areas.

Transfer Smart News: Timeshare Company Files for Bankruptcy Due to Falling Sales

For those individuals or businesses who want to start fresh by forgiving debts, filing for bankruptcy might be the solution. These debts can't be paid while offering creditors a chance to obtain some measure of repayment based on what assets are available. In the US, many companies file for bankruptcy because of the struggling economy. One of these is the Island One Inc. and five of its affiliates citing falling sales and declining property values. One of the issues face by such companies is the increasing number of owners trying to get out of their timeshares because of the difficulty paying the fees.

Island One and its affiliates have developed and managed timeshare resorts in Florida and the US Virgin Islands since 1981. Through Navigo Vacation Club, these companies have developed a timeshare network that extends throughout the US, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.

Meanwhile, the said company listed both its assets and debt in the range of $100 million to $500 million in Chapter 11 documents which was filed last Sept. 10 in US Bankruptcy Court in Orlando. According to the lawyers of Island One, the fall of the real estate markets in Florida and throughout the US and the general downturn in the economy have significantly impacted the resort development and hospitality industries.

The vacation industry is greatly affected by the economic decline since it broke up in the late of 1997. On the other hand, the ability to file for bankruptcy can benefit an overall economy by giving persons and businesses another chance and providing creditors with a measure of debt repayment. This is what some of the timeshare companies are doing right now.

Transfer Smart News: Survey Indicates a Flourishing Hawaii Timeshare Industry

Hawaii is known for its great beaches and as a vacation destination. It is also one of the havens of several timeshare resorts in the US. Recently, there’s a survey that shows that the flourishing Hawaii timeshare industry has high occupancy rates. Meanwhile, it helps support the state’s vacation industry throughout the recession.

In 2009, timeshares throughout this state were an average 90.8%. According to a new survey conducted by the Hawaii chapter of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) which is a trade association representing vacation ownership and resort development industries, Hawaii hotels and condominiums were an average 66.5% full in 2009. Hotels and condominiums can be considered as counterparts of timeshares.

The said survey is called the “State of Hawaii Timeshare Industry Survey.” It included responses from 84.3% of all timeshares in Hawaii and was last published in August 2008. In recent years, there are several new hotel and resort development and construction in Hawaii. These include timeshares.

On the other hand, the survey indicates that Hawaii’s timeshare inventory has increased by 12% in two years to 8,608 units spread among 87 timeshare properties. Although we usually hear many owners trying to get out of their timeshares, according to the survey this industry is flourishing despite such challenges. It even outflanks hotels and condominiums which can be considered as competitors of timeshare properties.

Transfer Smart News: Hawaii’s Timeshare Industry Shows Resiliency

Although the recent years depict a number of challenges for the timeshare industry, it still showed resiliency. Some of the common challenges include the increasing number of owners trying to get out of their timeshares and the negative perception of many consumers about it. Despite these, Hawaii’s timeshare inventory will continue to grow with another 4,881 units in the pipeline. It shows that the concept of vacation ownership has remained resilient throughout the economic downturn. This is according to an industry survey conducted by the Hawaii chapter of the American Resort Development Association.

In 2009, capital expenditures in Hawaii for the timeshare industry totaled $138.7. According to the survey, it will close out at $64.3 million this year. Among the newest timeshare properties opening later this year is the Wyndham Royal Garden at Waikiki which is the latest addition to Wyndham Vacation Ownership’s Hawaii portfolio.

According to Eric Penningroth, Wyndham’s regional vice president for the Hawaii, the first phase of the Wyndham Royal Garden which will include approximately 140 time-share units and 68 condominiums, will open in mid-November with a grand opening scheduled for February.

On the other hand, the American Resort Development Association which represents vacation ownership and resort development interests stated that Hawaii’s timeshare industry posted $400 million in sales last year and grew to 8,601 timeshare units in 87 properties.