Lucky Seven: TimeShareWare Makes Seventh Appearance on List of Utah’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies
October 27, 2006 | Comments Off
Salt Lake City, Utah - TimeShareWare was named the 83rd fasted growing company in Utah at a special luncheon held at the Grand America Hotel and attended by Utah’s Lieutenant Governor Gary R. Herbert and Utah Senator Bob Bennett. This was the 12th Annual Utah 100 Awards program and marked TimeShareWare’s seventh appearance on this impressive list of entrepreneurial Utah companies.
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MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES GLOBAL GROWTH PLAN THROUGH 2009; EXPECTS TO ADD OVER 30 PERCENT MORE HOTEL ROOMS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA
October 24, 2006 | Comments Off
• Marriott plans to add 85,000 to 100,000 hotel rooms worldwide between 2007 and 2009, representing 5 to 6 percent net annual compound growth. The company expects its worldwide system to encompass nearly 600,000 rooms by year-end 2009.
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Hilton Announces the Exchange of Contracts to Sell Two UK Hotels - Hilton London Metropole and Hilton Birmingham Metropole - for GBP 417 Million
October 24, 2006 | Comments Off
Hilton Hotels Corporation, (NYSE:HLT) today announced it has exchanged contracts to sell two major UK hotels - the 1054 room Hilton London Metropole and the 794 room Hilton Birmingham Metropole - to Dr. Edward Wojakovski’s family owned Tonstate for the cash sum of GBP 417 million. The transaction is expected to complete before year end 2006.
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Disney Vacation Club to Build a New Timeshare Resort
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL — Disney Vacation Club announced Oct. 11 that it is building a new timeshare resort on Walt Disney World property to meet ongoing strong demand for its unique vacation-ownership program.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas will be part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, which readers of Travel & Leisure Family magazine recently honored with the No. 4 spot on their list of the 50 greatest family resorts in the United States and Canada.
Pacific Monarch Resorts Names New Executives - Andy Gennuso Takes Sales and Marketing Helm Shawn Howie to be Chief Financial Officer
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
Laguna Hills, California (October 12, 2006) – Pacific Monarch Resorts, developer, sales, marketing and management company for its family of vacation ownership resorts has added two new executives to its senior management staff. Andrew Gennuso, RRP has been named COO-Marketing/Sales and Shawn Howie, has been named Chief Financial Officer.
aloft Hotels Boldly Goes Where No Other Hotel Company Has Gone Before…With an Exclusive Launch Party and Special Appearance by Epic Recording Artist, Ben Folds
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 12, 2006–aloha! aloft, A Vision Of W Hotels(SM), is proud to announce the grand opening of an aloft hotel in Second Life, making aloft the world’s first hotel brand to place a 3-D computer generated property inside a virtual world. Born out of W Hotels, the original “wired” brand, aloft follows W’s lead in hosting “insider” events for its customers… aloft is celebrating this groundbreaking event with an exclusive virtual launch party in Second Life on October 19th, from 7-9PM EDT, featuring special guest Ben Folds.
WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE TO REBRAND ITS TIMESHARE PROPERTIES
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
World’s Largest Vacation Ownership Business Will Carry the Wyndham Flag
PARSIPPANY, N.J. 10-12-2006 — Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN), one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, today announced that it will rebrand its industry-leading timeshare properties – Fairfield Resorts®, Trendwest® North America and Trendwest South Pacific – under the Wyndham® name.
“Adopting the Wyndham name within our timeshare business is a significant leap forward in our global brand strategy and sets the stage for further development of mixed-use hotel and timeshare properties throughout our system,” said Stephen P. Holmes, Wyndham Worldwide chairman, president and chief executive officer.
Simplicity International Names New Partner Jude Carrillo Becomes Vice Chairman and President
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
(KIMBERTON, PA) – October 10, 2006–John M. Schopfer Chairman and Chief Executive of Simplicity, LLC has announced that Jude Carrillo has become a principle partner in the company. He will lead the implementation and expansion of the company’s core resort real estate brands.
Simplicity is a real estate development company pursuing resort, vacation, second-home and leisure lifestyle products for high-end consumers. Other subsidiaries of Simplicity International, LLC include Simplicity Holdings, LLC and Simplicity International West Indies, LLC.
Vacation Home Options Redefine Leisure Travel
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
Second Home Sales Surge, Representing 40% of Home Sales
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 10, 2006 – With today’s evolving vacation home market, consumers are faced with an increasingly diverse marketplace and options in leisure travel, according to the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). To select the vacation home best suited to meet their lifestyle needs and vacation dreams, consumers must educate themselves of the market terminology, ownership options, and assess their vacation preferences, travel goals and budget.
Hotel Veteran Joe Gelchion Named Senior Vice President of Owner Relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 4, 2006–Steven J. Heyer, chief executive officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), announced today that longtime Sheraton Hotels & Resorts veteran Joseph Gelchion has been named senior vice president of owner relations, North America. In his new role, Mr. Gelchion will work closely with Starwood’s 35 largest North American partners who own multiple hotels across multiple brands. Based in New York, he will report to Lynne Dougherty, Starwood’s senior vice president owner relations and franchise.
SHELL VACATIONS PROMOTES EXECUTIVES AT CANADIAN RESORTS
October 16, 2006 | Comments Off
October 10, 2006 – Northbrook, IL – Shell Vacations LLC has recently promoted two top administrative executives at its Canadian vacation ownership resorts.
Simon Crawford-Welch, Ph.D., RRP, Executive Vice President of Shell Vacations LLC, has announced the following promotions
Lorrie J. Shewchuk, as Canadian Regional Director of Support Services, has assumed responsibility for overseeing support services for SVC - Mountainside ULC in Whistler, B.C. in addition to her current responsibilities for Carriage Hills Resort Corporation in Barrie, Ontario.
Said Crawford-Welch, “Lorrie has been with Shell Vacations for over ten years, since Carriage Hills Resort opened in 1996 in Ontario, Canada. She began her association with us as executive assistant to the project director and advanced to the position of Director of Support Services in July 1998. Her supreme organizational skills and penchant for details will enable her to substantially increase her workload as she takes on new responsibilities for our second Canadian resort, Mountainside Lodge, located at the opposite side of the country.”
RESORTCOM INTERNATIONAL NAMES SUITE GETAWAYS MARKETING MANAGER
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (October 4, 2006) – ResortCom International LLC has named Jada Jackson to the position of Marketing Manager, Suite Getawayssm. Suite Getaways is a division that specializes in timeshare and vacation condominium rentals. The rental service is one of the many services provided by ResortCom International to vacation ownership and resort clients. Other services include a full complement of financial and resort operations services. The company also has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
WYNDHAM VACATION OWNERSHIP CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF WORLDMARK INDIO
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
Premier Resort Property will be Largest Resort in WorldMark Portfolio Once Complete
INDIO, Calif. – Oct. 2, 2006 – Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company, today celebrates the grand opening of WorldMark’s 15th California resort, WorldMark Indio, located in the heart of the state’s renowned golf destination. Opening with 150-unit vacation ownership units and operated by Wyndham Vacation Ownership subsidiary Trendwest Resorts, WorldMark Indio provides WorldMark owners and guests’ convenient access to numerous championship golf courses as well as world-class shopping, dining, entertainment and more.
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AIF Study by PricewaterhouseCoopers Reports Robust Financial Indicators In Multibillion Dollar Timeshare Industry
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 2 , 2006 – The AIF annual benchmark study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) of the financial performance of the timeshare industry released today by the ARDA International Foundation (AIF) underscores the ongoing, robust financial performance of the multibillion dollar vacation ownership industry. The study, which focused on an industry subset of 46 companies encompassing 293 timeshare resorts in active sales1, showed key financial ratios such as sales and marketing costs remained in-line as companies posted robust 9.1 percent growth in 2005. Each year, PwC surveys a group of timeshare resort developers to take the industry’s financial pulse—analyzing industry trends and setting benchmarks on product pricing, sales, marketing costs, and financing, and other financial indicators. This year’s findings reveal a 9.1 percent year-over-year increase in net sales of timeshare resorts in active sales, as the industry subset reported $6.1 billion in net new sales, following sales of $5.6 billion in 2004. Approximately 91 percent of 2005 sales occurred in the U.S. Average net sales per active resort were $21.3 million last year.
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First New York Luxury Fractional Opens In the Legendary St. Regis Hotel
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
(New York, October 3, 2006)—The St. Regis® Hotel, one of New York City’s most legendary and luxurious hotels, has opened its St. Regis Residence Club, New York, giving members the unique opportunity to call the famed property their New York home. With the commencement of sales this summer, St. Regis Residence Club made hospitality history by introducing the first luxury fractional ownership property in Manhattan.
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Le Royal Meridien Shanghai Makes its Debut
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 3, 2006–Le Royal Meridien Shanghai opened its doors this week in the pulse point of Shanghai, the world’s most electric and vibrant city. The opening of Le Royal Meridien Shanghai further signals the brand’s aggressive growth plan since it was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005.
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Internationally Acclaimed Chef Alain Ducasse to Open New Restaurant at St. Regis Hotel, New York
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 27, 2006–St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, the world-renowned purveyor of luxury hotels and resorts, is pleased to announce a partnership with internationally acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse who will open a new signature restaurant at the brand’s legendary flagship, The St. Regis Hotel, New York. Opening in March 2007, the soon-to-be named restaurant will also feature an exciting wine bar designed to educate and delight both new and experienced oenophiles alike.
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The Historic City of St. Petersburg Selected for Starwood’s First New Le Meridien Hotel in Russia since Acquiring the Brand
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 29, 2006–Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announced today it has executed a long term agreement to manage the newly named Le Meridien St. Petersburg in the historic city of St. Petersburg, Russia. This is the latest addition to the Le Meridien portfolio since Starwood acquired the brand in November 2005 and represents the third Le Meridien property in Russia. Formerly the North Crown Hotel, the project is financed by Evrofinance Mosnarbank through one of its subsidiary, and managed by Le Meridien.
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Wyndham Worldwide to Sponsor PGA TOUR Event in Greensboro Wyndham Championship Will Be Final Stop Before PGA TOUR Playoffs
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 29, 2006) – The PGA TOUR’s new FedExCup format, a highly anticipated, season-long points competition leading to the four-event PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup beginning next year, will culminate in the newly christened Wyndham Championship, it was announced here today. The inaugural Wyndham Championship will be played Aug. 16-19, 2007, in Greensboro, N.C.
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W Hotels Open Its First Retreat & Spa: W Maldives Turns Private Island Indulgence into a Jet Setter’s Luxury Playground
October 4, 2006 | Comments Off
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 25, 2006–W Hotels Worldwide, the world’s fastest growing luxury hotel brand, will open its first Retreat & Spa, W Maldives today. A sophisticated luxury playground set on the private, exotic island of Fesdu, in the North Ari Atoll, W Retreat & Spa-Maldives offers exclusivity, escape, and indulgence in a pristine seaside sanctuary. W Maldives features 78 private villas-each with its own plunge pool and sundeck; six gourmet eateries and cocktail bars, including 15 BELOW, the region’s only subterranean grotto bar, literally located 15-feet below Island surface; a wonderland of ocean exploration and adventures; and an over-water AWAY(R) spa for ultimate rejuvenation.
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