Timeshares, that wonderful relic from the 1970s, are about as popular as disco and excessive chest hair this year. Thanks to the recession, timeshare sales are forecasted to suffer their worst fall since this vacation option came on the scene more than 30 years ago. The plunge could reach 30 percent, according to Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of the American Resort Development Association, a trade group, and the next year and a half could be tough, as well.

In the United States, timeshare sales fell 8.5% last year to $9.7 billion. They reached their peak the year before, when sales hit $10.6 billion, according to a study by Ernst & Young. The 2008 decline was the first sustained by the industry since it started keeping score in 1975.

In an economy like this, is anyone going to the game?

Yes -- but Pittsburgh people will stay in their cars (hotels are too expensive), and the Arizona people will stay in foreclosed houses (so they should feel right at home).

Speaking of hotels -- short 'em.

I received an e-mail from the Mirage in Las Vegas to come out to watch the Super Bowl for $69 a night.

Last time I was there for the Super Bowl, maybe 15 years ago, it was about $400 a night.

The Mirage is owned by MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM), which is hovering at a technical support price. Once it breaks through, look out.

I'm not traveling to Tampa or Las Vegas -- I'm staying at home for the big game. And I'm shorting MGM.

Michael Shulman is a contributor to OptionsZone.com.

"The Grand Old Opry's owner is sparkling after a billionaire buys a big stake," says Bill Martin in his top-notch advisory service, BullMarket.com.

He notes, "TRT Holdings, an investment vehicle for Robert Rowling. has quietly taken a 10%+ stake in Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), becoming its largest shareholder.

"The latest buys came as shares of the $1 billion market cap company hit a multi-year low. Rowling's firm bought more than 608,000 shares of Gaylord at $20.44, increasing its holdings to 4.693 million shares, or an 11.49% stake.

"Nashville-based Gaylord owns and operates hotel properties, including the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee and the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

"The company also owns and operates the Radisson Hotel at Opryland and the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Other business include a Nashville radio station, a paddle wheel showboat, performance venues, a golf course located near the Opryland complex, and a corporate events production company.

"With a projected net worth of $6.2 billion, Rowling was #158 on the latest Forbes list of the World's Billionaires. The press-shy Rowling rarely pops up as a major shareholder in a public company, and has only done so three times in recent years, including Gaylord.

"One long-term opportunity is in the hotel sector," says real estate industry expert Peter Slatin, editor of the Forbes/Slatin Real Estate Report. Here, he finds a trio of opportunities among hotel REITs.

"We think it's misleading to suggest that REITs and other real estate companies are due for a big bounceback this year. They have already picked up some, but the economy, including deepening inflation and weakening jobs markets certainly suggest that those gains are fragile and that further gains will not come easily, if at all.

"In other words, the best posture at this moment is to sit tight and watch. Nevertheless, there are a few opportunities out there for strong income and for growth potential.

"The hotel sector has been hit hard this year. Share prices for Diamondrock (NYSE: DRH) and Strategic Hotels and Resorts (NYSE: BEE) suggest that investors have been running away from a bogeyman that isn't really there.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Hilton Hotels Corp. (NYSE: HLT) is the favorite conservative play from Dylan Jovine, editor of The Tycoon Report. He explains, "During the past two years, while Paris Hilton has been getting all the press, it's been the Hilton Corporation that's truly been doing great things.

"If HLT reaches $35 per share, sit tight and wait for a pullback. Meanwhile, here are the top reasons Hilton is worth owning:

• Hilton wasn't doing anything for a long time but just managing its assets. Last year they decided to buy back their international arm. They got their house in order and are now expanding. From 2001 to present, profit margins have been steadily increasing.
• I've always loved the hotel business: You build something -- which means that your heavy costs are incurred up front -- and then, if you know how to market it, people come. Most risk is in development.
• During the past few years, Hilton increased capacity at their hotels by lowering costs and tightening operations. This is evidenced by the fact that sales have increased 8% from 2005 while operating income increased by 22% over 2004. Net income was up 93%!
• Transformative year in 2005: Acquired Hilton Lodgings PLC and became largest hotel company in the world with 2,800 properties and 475,000 rooms.
• Demand is very strong -- Hilton managed to raise prices above the inflation rate: That means pricing power.
• When Hilton bought the London Hotel, they decided to do an all-cash transaction, which meant they had to issue debt. The reason? They would rather take on debt then issue equity, realizing the upside.
• Increased operating margins: When you increase revenue but lower costs, you increase profitability. They've been doing that to perfection."

To see Dylan's favorite speculative stock pick for 2007, click here.