Leisure … more than a word, it’s a lifestyle

The Winter White House this year is in Hawaii as President Obama takes his friends and family to a wonderful vacation home on the beach. The home costs $4,000 per night and has a wonderful beach and ocean views from almost all rooms.

The President has also rented two houses next door to house friends and other family members and it is believed the house he is actually staying in is on the market for $8.9 million.

The Obamas will spend 10 days on the island of Oahu, where the President grew up, and a favorite vacation spot of his over the years.

They will rent the same Kailua home they stayed in last year for the holidays during a brief vacation before moving to Washington and into the White House.

The Obamas’ rental property is 7,000 square feet of paradise on the southeastern coast of the island, complete with large open spaces built around a lagoon pool.

Looks like a wonderful home and the Obamas have made a great choice. It’s not just President’s that can rent vacation homes though and if you’re coming to Orlando you need to check out the vacation homes that are available close to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld from Florida Leisure Vacation Homes.

Just recently I had a comment on a blog post of mine that demanded I be a little more honest with my readers. Here was the comment :

Hotel Manager
askmeDave@gmail.com

Hello,

What is the current occupancy for vacation homes? The reason occ is up is because the aggregate occ numbers for homes are almost nil to begin with. Be a little more honest with your readers…

Well the only thing I can do to reply to that is quote some facts and figures to back up my case isn’t it?

So the aggregate occupancy numbers for homes is almost nil to begin with is it? That’s obviously a statement from someone who feels threatened by the vacation rental industry in the Orlando area and by someone who clearly doesn’t know the numbers involved.

Studies commissioned by Central Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association, Kissimmee CVB, Polk County CVB show that the economic impact of the vacation rental business in just two counties, Osceola and Polk county show that the combined economic impact is approximately $3.3 BILLION. That would be clue number one that occupancy in vacation rentals is and has never been “nil to begin with”.

If we then go a stage further and take a look at the actual sales tax collected by Joe Tedder, the Polk County Tax Collector in 2009, then we’ll see a number of 62.6% being collected due to the vacation rental business as opposed to 33.7% by the hotel/motel industry.  That’s clue number two.

Clue number three is to compare those percentages with last years numbers and we’ll actually see that hotels actually increased their number marginally from 33.4% to 33.7% whereas vacation rentals went from 61.4% to 62.6%.

I’d say that my original post from 27th October was pretty much on the money and in no way misled my readers. What do you think?

Visiting Orlando this week was the Peter and Tamara Lowe event “Get Motivated“. For those that don’t know anything about it’s origins you’ll need a little background. For more than 25 years, corporate leaders, Fortune 500 companies, educators, business owners, sales people, medical professionals and a whole host more have been attending Peter & Tamara Lowe’s events, making them the leading seminar business in America. Peter and Tamara co-founded the business all those years ago and since then over 3 million people have attended to listen to the truly great speakers that Peter and Tamara have put on stage.

The list of the rich and the famous is enormous. Five United States Presidents (Bush, Carter, Clinton, Ford, & Reagan) have spoken and numerous world leaders and news makers like Lt. Col. Oliver North, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev. Additionally, there have been entertainers and journalists like Bill Cosby, Goldie Hawn, Charleton Heston, Ed McMahon, Mary Tyler Moore, Christopher Reeve and people from the music world, Johnny Cash and Reba McEntire, to name but two, have given their words of wisdom from the Lowe stage. Astronauts Aldrin, Duke, Kranz, Lovell and Aldrin have spoken along with many stars of the sports arenas, people like Curt Schilling, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Don Shula, Larry Bird, Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Jackie Joyner Kersee and Jeff Gordon. From the business and literary world such names as Debbi Fields, Seth Godin, Billy Graham, Mark Victor Hansen, Tom Hopkins, John Maxwell, Suze Orman, Tom Peters, Jim Rohn, George Ross, Brian Tracy and I could go on and on. The list is practically endless.

So, having never been to one of these events before I decided that it was time to trot along. The line up was equally impressive, Rudy Giuliani, Gen. Colin Powell, Laura Bush, Lou Holtz, Zig Ziglar, Dr. Robert Schuller, Terry Bradshaw and Tamara Lowe herself.

I found myself arriving fairly early at the Orange County Convention and Visitors Center and it wasn’t long before I was seated in an excellent seat just four rows from the stage. A great view. Lou Holtz, the football head coach, was one of the first to enter the arena and he gave a rousing opening speech about life being the attitude you choose to take. After that Zig Ziglar came on stage. I wrote about Zig in an earlier blog so check that out here. We then listened to former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani as he recounted the events of 9/11 and the way the City came together under his leadership to overcome the events of those sad days.

General Colin Powell then made his way to the stage and told us about the afterlife of his days as Secretary of State and Commander in Chief and how he can now get a hot dog in New York without being troubled too much. Laura Bush was up next and she went into quite a bit of detail about the events of September 11th and how deeply they affected her husband President George Bush at that time. She spoke from the heart of the upset she felt when the media attacked her husband and also, about how her family is now doing now the spotlight has moved away from them.

Overall it was well worth a visit and a day away from the office to hear the stories told by these people and of the one common theme they shared… a real determination to succeed. To not let bad times affect them and to fight back in adversity. The seminar was also well timed as we start to pull out of the recession…if we choose to believe the media that is! Around 10,000 people attended the event and hopefully the message sank home to those that were there… “don’t rely on the Government to pull us out of this… it’s you, the people, who will do that”. And I guess, we always have and that we always will.

A new trend is emerging that is taking the meeting place of the small and big business world to new levels. CEO’s, Presidents and top level managers are now beginning to see the advantages of hiring a vacation rental property to host their meetings.

Of course, the biggest attraction in this day and age is the ability to save a lot of money over more traditional meetings at hotels where not only do you need to hire a meeting room but you also have to pay for several guest rooms to house staff on overnight stays. It can be quite an expensive proposition.

A vacation rental often has two, three, four or even more bedrooms and this means that the cost of housing those who attend a meeting is significantly lower and of course, hiring a meeting room is totally unnecessary as the vacation rental has ample room to spread out, formally or informally.

Business people are also seeing the huge benefits of keeping everyone in the same place and not spread out over the campus of a large hotel. A good team spirit is a critical factor in the business world today and creating that winning team is a difficult task that can take a long time if it’s not managed correctly. A vacation rental truly helps foster the right spirit as everyone gets to work and play together and that means it is much easier to keep everyone focused on the business goal.

Vacation rentals also score very highly when it comes to meals. Large bills are often run up everyday in the business world by entertaining clients and hosting staff meetings but a vacation rental offers both the chance to save money and a unique setting to do business. Most vacation rentals have a fully equipped kitchen so you can prepare snacks and meals as and when you want, just like you would in the office or at home. Some vacation rental companies even have professional chefs available to pamper your guests and your staff but more often than not, there is usually someone who likes to show off their culinary skills by cooking a delicious meal for everyone and this can be a surefire winner when it comes to creating partnerships and profitable relationships for the future.

Another great attraction about a vacation rental is that very often they will have two or more areas where you can meet. Focus groups are easy to set up as most rentals have a formal area and an informal area and nothing beats a poolside lunch or a dinner with a great view such as in the mountains to get that important business matter finalized.

Very often business people have reported their best results after their colleagues and business partners have relaxed a little at the vacation rental. Taking a swim, a walk on the beach or playing board games together very often gets people in a better frame of mind to make better business decisions and keeps them feeling fresh to make the next big decision.

Hiring a vacation rental for your next meeting just makes good business sense, so maybe it’s time for you to find out what a vacation rental can do for you and your business?

President Obama has been receiving a lot of publicity about his decision to vacation at Martha’s Vineyard, in a lovely vacation home, in the midst of an economic crisis, so I thought I’d write an article about the reasons why celebrities do this:

The Top 7 Reasons Celebrities Are Flocking To Private Vacation Homes

By Nigel G. Worrall

It used to be that when celebrities went on vacation, they’d check into the biggest, fanciest hotel in town.  But these days, the rich and famous are skipping the big, public hotels in favor of a more exclusive, more private vacation option.  From Brad and Angelina, to Madonna, President Barack Obama, movie, music and TV stars are spending their vacation time away from the crowds and the cameras, and hiding away in luxurious, private vacation homes.  Here’s the top 7 reasons why!

1.    Privacy

A vacation isn’t much of a vacation when you’re surrounded by adoring fans screaming for your autograph, or ducking paparazzi around every corner.  Which is why you don’t see major movie and TV stars spending their vacation time at hotels.  Instead, famous faces know that in order to really get away from it all, the key is to check in to a private vacation home.   Unlike hotels that cater to the public, a vacation home offers guests a real escape from the outside world, with a level of total privacy a hotel just can’t match.  So they can bare all by the pool without worrying about winding up on the cover of a tabloid next week.

2.     Space for their stuff

The rich and famous don’t typically travel light.  They may be heading out of town to get away from it all, but at the same time, they need to make sure they’re ready for anything – from lunch with the big-name director who happens to be in town to a formal dinner party on a yacht.   That’s why the stars tend to bring MORE than what they need, just in case.  Which is why they’re bypassing the big hotels and settling in to roomy vacation homes – where they have plenty of space for the tuxedo, the ball gown AND the scuba gear.

3.     Room for an Entourage

Just as they don’t travel light, celebs also don’t travel alone.  There’s the personal assistant, the personal trainer, the hair and makeup guy (or gal), plus family, friends, acquaintances and hangers on…in other words, more people than you can possibly fit in even the largest hotel suite.  And that’s why the stars are bringing the whole entourage to roomy vacation homes – where everyone can spread out and enjoy their time together.

4.     Exclusivity

Celebrities like to stay on the cutting edge of trends – they don’t follow the herd and do what everybody else is doing.  Why should they, when they can afford to set the trends and set themselves apart from the crowd?  So instead of following the masses to whatever resort is popular each season, the stars prefer to create a vacation that is uniquely, exclusively theirs by escaping to a luxury vacation home.   After all, what could be more exclusive than your own, private paradise, reserved only for you and the people you want around you?

5.     Peace and Quiet

Let’s face it – people are noisy.   And people who have a lot of money to spend on fancy hotel rooms are no exception.  Their kids fight and splash in the pool.  They have parties at all hours of the night.   They argue, they laugh, they basically live their lives.  Which is fine for them.  But if you’re on vacation trying to get away from it all, it’s not necessarily fine for you.  No wonder so many celebrities are skipping noisy hotels altogether and opting to stay in peaceful, private vacation homes.  That way, if a wild party keeps them up all night, at least it will be their wild party!

6.      Freedom

A vacation is the time to do what you want to do when you want to do it – and no one knows that better than celebrities, who are used to getting their own way.  But even the most luxurious hotel has limits.  Hankering for a late-night swim after the pool has closed?  No can do.  Feel like spending the day in your bathrobe without getting dressed?  You’ll not want to leave the privacy of your room if you stay in a hotel but a vacation home gives you the freedom to spend your vacation the way you like.  And if that means eating a grilled cheese sandwich in the pool at 2:30am, go for it!

7.       Luxury

In travel, as in their day-to-day lives, celebrities demand the best.  And they’re finding the best in luxurious, comfortable vacation homes.  Dining rooms where they can entertain friends.  Spacious living rooms where they can spread out and enjoy all the comforts of home.  Their own, private swimming pools and Jacuzzis.   With so many options, there’s no longer any reason to settle for less than the best.  Which probably explains why, when it comes to travel, vacation homes are topping the list of celebrity trends.

So now you see why the rich and famous are making vacation home rentals such a fast-growing travel trend.  And the best part is, these advantages aren’t just for celebrities.

To learn more about how YOU can vacation like a star in your own private, luxurious vacation home, go to www.FloridaLeisure.com.  And get ready for what promises to be the vacation of a lifetime.

©2009

Alexis Glick

I was watching the beautiful Alexis Glick on Fox Business News interviewing expert after expert about the economy and the early signs that the recession is coming to an end and this set me wondering… “what do our guests think? Is this right or wrong?”

Obviously this would be good news for the whole nation if true and that would mean that normal folks like us can get back to doing what we should be doing in life…enjoying the world. Human beings operate best when they can look forward with hope and discover new things..so that leads me to today’s blog and some of the hidden gems we have in Florida that you can explore when you are next here.

Culture isn’t something that Florida is widely renowned for having but we do have some interesting places to visit;

In the 40’s and 50’s Frank Lloyd Wright brought his “organic architecture” to Lakeland’s Southern College where he designed 12 buildings known as the “Child of the Sun” collection. This is the largest single site grouping of his work in the world.

In Sarasota you can visit the John and Mable Ringling Museaum of Art which includes masterpieces by Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian, El Greco and Gainsborough as well as a collection of Cypriot antiquities from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

There are also many festivals around the State and many of the stand out celebrations are St. Petersburg’s annual Mainsail Arts Festival, the annual Winter Park Bach Festival, Brooksville’s Art in the Park and Daytona Beach’s International Festival.

Other events show the region’s cultural and ethnic diversity and chief amongst these is the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of Arts and Humanities.

There’s a lot going on in Florida, you may not know about…so I’ll try and let you know more in the next few blogs…and do let me know what you think about the recession by submitting your comments to me by hitting the “comments” tag below. Look forward to hearing from you.

Seems we’re in a phase where the legends that most of us have grown up with are now leaving us. I suppose you could call it aging…or plain and simple “I’m getting old” syndrome.

The latest to leave us…former US TV newscaster Walter Cronkite, known to millions as “the most trusted man in America”, has died at the age of 92.

Mr. Cronkite presented the evening news program for CBS from 1962 to 1981, helping the program to become the most watched bulletin in the US.

His career covered such major global events as the assassination of former US President John F Kennedy, the moon landing, Watergate, former President Richard Nixon’s resignation and the fall of Saigon.

In 1972, he was deemed by a poll of the US public to be, “the most trusted man in America”, beating presidents, members of congress and other journalists.

He ended his broadcasts with his signature sign-off: “That’s the way it is.”

Mr Cronkite’s opinion was so trusted by the US public that when he criticised the war in Vietnam, President Lyndon B Johnson is reported to have said: “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America.”

Goodbye Walt.

Here it is…last night I talked about paying it forward and having heard Ben Bernanke – Chairman of the Federal Reserve on 60 minutes saying the banks are not going to be allowed to fail and effectively argue that “we cannot allow money to contract so we’ll continue to print more”, I’m even more convinced that all the small business people, the entrepreneurs and the creators on the planet need to “Pay It Forward” as it’s quite clear that those in certain jobs have very little idea of what goes on in the real world.

I mean, does anyone seriously believe that the Government and the people in the banking world can get us out of this mess? You know the one that they created.

So who’s left? Who else is going to get us out of this?

My answer: The people who got the country out of the mess it was in after the Great Depression. Us.

President Roosevelt poured billions into the economy during the Great Depression…all we got was 25% unemployment and more misery until people started to slowly learn about giving other people value. They started asking the question: How can I serve other people? A completely new attitude formed and slowly but surely things started to turn around.

John D. Rockefeller said that “There are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has always returned and will again.” It did.

If we are to learn from the past we have to understand that the people who got us in to trouble cannot get us out of trouble. We have to take action ourselves.

So here’s what I’m going to do to help our economy… I’m going to offer a few lucky folks a FREE 4 day / 3 night vacation in one of our vacation homes.

Am I crazy? You may be asking yourself “How can giving people a free vacation help the economy?”

It’s a good question but here’s how I look at it;  By doing this, this will then allow the lucky winners to spend the money they would have spent on their vacation in other places… thus helping others in business and those who work for businesses. Further, vacations also help people recharge and come back refreshed so this will allow them to clear their minds and to feel that they can also contribute. They will be able to ask themselves “Now, how can I pay it forward…how can I serve others?”

So yes, that’s why I’m doing this and a FREE 4 day / 3 night vacation in Orlando is my way of contributing. All you have to do to stand a chance of winning is to go to http://twitter.com/FloridaLeisure and press “Follow” and you’ll immediately be entered in a draw that could win you a luxurious vacation in one of our fantastic homes.

For every 5,000 followers we get, we will draw one lucky winner and they’ll get to stay in one of our 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom homes with a private swimming pool where they’ll feel like a King or Queen on vacation.

But better still…a three bedroom home will sleep six people so they can bring who they like with them. This will mean that more people will have money to spend in other areas!

For those that have never stayed in a vacation home before, it’s really just like having your own “home away from home” when on vacation. Our homes each have a fully equipped kitchen and a comfortable lounge or sitting area with some homes even having two or three such areas so everyone has their own space if they want it. The homes all have completely separate bedrooms and each has a television so adults and kids can watch their own programs without fighting over the TV set. Some of our homes even have a games room which can have a pool table, table tennis (ping pong), air hockey, fuss ball, etc.

Best of all, our guests really love the private swimming pool that each home has. It’s just so much better than having to share a pool with other people and having to trek down long hotel corridors to reach it…because it’s right outside the living area…no more than a few paces away! Also, in some homes we have Jacuzzi’s or hot tub’s and there’s really nothing better at the end of a long day trekking around a theme park than coming home and climbing into the warm hot tub to relax with a nice beverage.

So here’s your chance to win… just visit us at http://twitter.com/FloridaLeisure and press “Follow” and you could be a lucky winner. We hope you are so that between us we can help jump start the economy again.

Here’s a quick reminder of the rules:

1. To register go to http://twitter.com/FloridaLeisure and press the “Follow” button.
2. You will then be entered in our prize draw.
3. For every 5,000 “followers” we get, we will draw one winner who will win a 4 day / 3 night vacation in a Florida Leisure Vacation Home.
4. The prize draw will last for 3 months initially so it will close on 30^th September.

Go there right now and “follow” us … it won’t take you more than a few seconds and before you know it, you could be on the way to sunny Orlando. Hope to see you soon.

Have a great day!

Nigel

After a hard day’s work I get home to find out that General Motors has filed for bankruptcy protection and that Obama’s Government is going to put another $30 billion into saving the flagging company that I’m now expected to help save.

This is positive proof that this country is governed by utter friggin’ morons…. has no-one….no-one thought to ask one simple question:

“How many f’in vehicles do you need to sell to recover this amount of money?”

MORONS.