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As part of its global development strategy aiming at opening 200,000 new hotel rooms by 2010, of which 60% in emerging markets, Accor has signed today significant partnerships that trigger a major expansion in India. This expansion plan covers the full spectrum of the hotel market in India, including budget Formule 1 hotels, economy Ibis hotels, mid-market Novotel hotels and upper-upscale Sofitel properties. 

Budget and Economy Hotels: Formule 1 and Ibis Gilles Pélisson, Chief Executive Officer, Accor, and HE Mohammed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, EMAAR Properties, signed today an agreement to develop 100 Formule 1 hotels in India. This agreement will involve a joint investment of US$300 million in phases. These hotels will be located in city locations and will feature upwards of 80 rooms with en suite bathrooms, restaurant and a 24-hour reception service (*). Sites for the hotels are currently being finalized and 10 hotels are scheduled to open in the next two years. Read the rest of this entry →

A bankruptcy filing by a leading luxury destination club recently and an expanding menu of differentiated benefits for its members has inspired The LUSSO Collection (www.lussocollection.com) to launch a financial initiative for its rapidly growing membership base called DepositTrust™. As part of the initiative, all of the Club’s interests in its properties will be held by subsidiary LLCs owned 100 percent by the club, with enhanced business practices to assure members of The LUSSO Collection’s long-term success. 

With emphasis on greater corporate governance and financial transparency, DepositTrust™ makes The LUSSO Collection the best financial assurance package in the luxury destination club category by offering LUSSO members:
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Holiday Resales, a division of Holiday Group, just concluded its first-ever virtual timeshare seminar, or “webinar.” Participants on the Web as well as at Holiday’s headquarters in Seattle attended the seminar. It was followed by an extended question and answer session. 

“We had Web participants from California to New Jersey,” said Alan Renberger, Holiday’s Chief of Operations. “It’s an exciting way to educate prospective timeshare owners without them having to leave the comfort of their homes.”
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We are proud to announce that ACI has been named as one of the 100 fastest growing privately held companies in San Diego by The San Diego Business Journal. This comes right along the path of being included in the Top 50 Women-Owned Businesses in San Diego. These awards are based on our success as one of the Southwest’s top hospitality-oriented architectural and interior design firms.

We are growing
 

ACI has a new Junior Interior Designer. Fernanda Schumacher is a welcome addition to our firm. Her background in high-end residential and retail design brings us new experience in this area. As our firm continues to take on theme-based projects which incorporate both architecture and design, we are expanding our group with talented professionals who understand this collaborative design process. Prior to joining us, she worked at Cocoon Studio, a design firm located in La Jolla, California. She also had a number of independent commissions in retail design. Some of her past projects include The Wine Loft, Caffe Italia, the carpet design at the U.S. Grant and many upscale private homes in La Jolla and Del Mar. She is a graduate of the Design Institute of San Diego with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. She will report directly to Kristine Steffen, Director of Interior Design. Read the rest of this entry →

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN) today announced that it is planning to offer $500 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes due 2016 (“Senior Unsecured Notes”). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay $350 million principal amount outstanding under its existing interim loan facility and a portion of the outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility. The notes are expected to be senior, unsecured obligations of Wyndham Worldwide and to bear interest at a fixed rate. 

The offering of the Senior Unsecured Notes is subject to market and other customary conditions. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the sale of the Senior Unsecured Notes will be ultimately consummated or, if consummated, as to the terms thereof.
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The St. Regis Hotel, New York Awarded for the 12th Consecutive Year; St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco Honored For the First Time; St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach Only Resort in Orange County, CA to Earn Honor
 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) has announced that three St. Regis properties – The St. Regis Hotel, New York, St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach and St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco – have been bestowed the honor of the Mobil Five-Star Award by Mobil Travel Guide, originators of the Five-Star rating system and providers of one of the most comprehensive evaluation systems of hotels, restaurants and spas. The St. Regis Hotel, New York is receiving the Five-Star rating for the 12th consecutive year. St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach is the only resort to be honored in Orange County, CA and St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco, which opened one year ago, is receiving the Five-Star rating for the first time. Only five new properties were named to the coveted list, two of which are St. Regis properties. The accolades earn all three hotels a place on Mobil Travel Guide’s list of the top hotels in the United States and Canada for 2007. A comprehensive review by Mobil Travel Guide’s incognito experts of all three spectacular properties can be found online at www.mobiltravelguide.com.
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Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE: BXG), a leading provider of Colorful Places to Live and Play®, yesterday announced it has finalized the second phase of its resort property acquisition in Williamsburg, Va. less than one block from the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg. The new Bluegreen® resort will be called Patrick Henry Square(TM). 

As announced on June 28, 2006, Bluegreen commenced the first phase of this project with the purchase of the Patrick Henry Inn, and the Liberty Inn and Conference Center, located on approximately 4.6 acres of land in Williamsburg, Va. The second and final phase of the project consisted of the purchase of the Colonial Capital Inn and a commercial building, which are located on approximately 18 acres of adjacent land.
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Commitment to education includes scholarship sponsorships in the Caribbean 

Interval International, a leading global vacation exchange company and operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI), reinforced its ongoing commitment to education by hosting hospitality and tourism management students from Florida universities at the Eighth Annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference held at The Peabody Orlando.
 

During the conference, fifteen undergraduates had the opportunity to attend interactive roundtables, mobile workshops, and panel discussions led by experts from the best-known companies in hospitality, vacation ownership, and resort development.
 

In addition, Interval sponsored its inaugural Hospitality Student Forum, during which Jay Wilson, Interval’s assistant vice president of resort sales and service, gave a presentation about the vacation ownership industry, Interval’s history, and how exchange companies work. He spoke with the students about the exciting future that lies ahead for the industry, as well as about employment opportunities in the areas of both operations and sales and service. Wilson is also a guest lecturer at University of Central Florida’s hospitality school on the topic of vacation ownership.
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New Option is One of the First Benefits to be Offered within the Wyndham Portfolio
 

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company, today announced that owners of FairShare Plus, its points-based timeshare exchange program, may now use their points to stay at five select Wyndham hotels and resorts. Designed to further enhance the overall flexibility and vacation options for FairShare Plus owners, this new option is among the first vacation benefits that are being offered to leverage Wyndham’s family of industry-leading products and services. 

FairShare Plus owners may use their points at five select Wyndham hotels, which include the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Spa in St. Thomas, Wyndham Orange County in Costa Mesa, California, Wyndham Midtown and Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Atlanta and Bourbon Orleans in New Orleans.
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W to Launch its First Retreat & Residences Product in Thailand
 

W Hotels, the world’s fastest growing style hotel brand, today announced plans to open its first hotel in Thailand. W Retreat & Residences-Koh Samui will be the brand’s third retreat in the world, following W Maldives which opened in September 2006 and W Vieques, scheduled to open in late 2007. The newly built 70-villa W Retreat & Residences-Koh Samui will cater to upscale leisure travelers when it opens in late 2008. There will also be approximately 20 luxury residential villas on the grounds of the retreat that will be available for purchase. 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), the parent company of W Hotels, has entered into a management agreement with Amburaya Resorts to manage the hotel.

“The signing of W Retreat & Residences-Koh Samui marks the entry of the W brand into Thailand, undeniably one of the top-rated destinations for its value and unforgettable beauty, luxury, culture and adventure,” said Ross Klein, President of W Hotels Worldwide. “Koh Samui will be the first destination in Thailand to have W Residences, which have become the ultimate expression that our guests want to live with us 24/7, checking-in and never needing to check-out.”
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Four Points’ Newest Executive to Help Cultivate, Curate and Promote New Best Brews(SM) Program
 

Who says drinking beer won’t get you anywhere? For those passionate for pilsners or crazy for crafts, your favorite pastime could earn you a fancy new title and a seat at the Board Room Table. In celebration of the simple pleasure of a perfectly poured glass of beer and the launch of its Best Brews program, Four Points by Sheraton hotels today officially kicked-off its Chief Beer Officer (CBO) executive search and began making room in the executive suite for its newest chief. 

Candidates should possess a bubbly personality, brew eloquence, and a rich knowledge of beer. The world’s first ever CBO will be responsible to share his or her in-depth knowledge of the wide world of beer and help cultivate, curate and promote its new Best Brews offerings at brewery tours, beer festivals, and on bar stools across the country. Four Points hotels encourages all who fulfill the above requirements to apply online and see if their favorite pastime earns them a seat at the Board Room table. To be eligible, all one needs is a love for beer, a thirst-hand knowledge of this glorious libation, an interest in perks that are as tasty as beer itself and be 21 years of age or older. No Lager Louts need apply. Applications are available at www.fourpoints.com/cbo.
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Interval International hosted its Tenth Annual Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive and Decorating Contest benefiting residents of the City of South Miami. The company’s creative services department won first place for its rendition of this year’s theme – The Superhero Turkey – with its “Superhero Turkey Sub” entry. The guest judges included Vincent Landis, South Miami chief of police; Ajibola Balogun, assistant city manager; and Stephen David, interim CRA director. Fifty baskets supplying a complete holiday meal were distributed to families in the community immediately following yesterday’s event. 

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company, today announced that owners of FairShare Plus, WorldMark, The Club, and WorldMark South Pacific Club timeshare ownership programs will be eligible to receive 20 percent discounts at participating Wyndham® hotels and resorts and a 15 percent discount at participating Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Wingate Inn®, Travelodge®, Howard Johnson®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Knights Inn® and AmeriHost Inn® hotels. 

The Preferred Hotel Pricing option, which will be made available by the end of 2006, will be applied to the best available rate through online reservations.

“We’re proud to offer our owners this value-added benefit, which also establishes a precedent for the future timeshare and hotel growth opportunities associated with the Wyndham brand,” said Franz S. Hanning, Wyndham Vacation Ownership president and chief executive officer. “We are vigorously committed to expanding the benefits of vacation ownership by providing our owners access to the full spectrum of Wyndham products.”
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Paradise Awaits in the Heart of the Caribbean 

M Private Residences (MPR), a firm that provides shared ownership and usage of luxury vacation homes around the world, today announced its property at the Crane Resort in Barbados. The Crane Resort spans half a mile along the world-famous Crane Beach and is protected by a natural coral reef. 

M Private Residences chose this property as The Crane Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island of Barbados and was named “one of the Ten Best Beaches in the World” by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous because of its natural, striking beauty. The Crane Hotel was built in 1887 and fully restored and expanded in the 20th century. It is a truly unique property combining elegance, old-world charm and incredible beauty.
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The Trump Organization CEO Donald J. Trump and Irongate have announced plans for Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico, a luxury condominium-hotel resort located in North Baja, Mexico, just 30 minutes from downtown San Diego.
 

Developed as a partnership between the Trump Organization and Los Angeles-based real estate development and investment company Irongate, Trump Ocean Resort Baja will bring a new level of excellence in design and service to the North Baja peninsula. Trump Ocean Resort Baja will be the first resort along the peninsula to combine luxury resort amenities and services with real estate ownership.
 

“Trump Ocean Resort Baja will redefine the standard of premier property ownership and service excellence for all of Northern Mexico,” said Trump. “I’ve always said, ‘location is everything,’ and being just 30 minutes from downtown San Diego makes this an ideal locale for a premier resort property.”
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Tempus Resorts International, Ltd., a leader in the vacation ownership industry, has announced the rebranding of its flagship Orlando resort formerly known as the Wyndham Palms Resort & Country Club, to Mystic Dunes™ Resort & Golf Club.
 

Located just two miles from the Walt Disney World® Resort and just minutes away from all of Central Florida’s major attractions, Mystic Dunes™ Resort & Golf Club is a distinctive destination resort where guests enjoy close proximity to the fun and excitement of the world’s #1 family vacation destination while escaping to a relaxing, tranquil environment of spacious, well-appointed villas and a wide variety of resort amenities and activities delivered with personalized, friendly service.
 

Built on one of the highest elevations in the area, Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club is nestled on over 600 acres of lush Florida nature preserves and rolling hills. The resort offers 652 fully-furnished villa accommodations in one, two and three bedroom configurations, with all the comforts of home including fully equipped kitchens, dining areas, whirlpool tubs in the master bath, washers and dryers, and 52” large screen TVs and screened patios in two and three bedroom villas.
 

The resort is home to the renowned Mystic Dunes Golf Club, an 18-hole, 7,012 yard par 71 championship golf course designed by Champions Tour player and NBC golf analyst Gary Koch and rated a four-star course by Golf Digest magazine.
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Brian J. Clement has joined International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE) as Vice President of Strategic Account Management and Operations. In this capacity, he works with ICE’s larger strategic partners and is responsible for special operational projects and developing new business for ICE. 

A graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, Clement has more than 20 years’ experience in the travel industry. Prior to joining ICE, he was Senior Director of Operations and Air/Sea for Holland America Line in Seattle for nine years and before that was with American Airlines. 

Clement will work in close association with Lisa M. Jackson, Vice President of Strategic Business Development, who spent the last six years at ICE managing cruise line partnerships and has now moved into the negotiation of sales and marketing contracts with a variety of partners.
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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. 

Timo B. Jones, President and CEO of TimeShareWare says the company is growing at an unprecedented rate. “We are very pleased to be recognized as one of Utah’s fastest growing companies. It is a testament to our staff and the excellent work they do each day. We have developed relationships with many new clients this year in both the timeshare and condo-hotel industries. Every aspect of our company is experiencing this growth. Our clientele is growing, our staff is growing, and our software’s functionality and efficiency is growing. Our goal is to continue to manage our growth and remain the world’s leader in providing a software platform from which companies can operate.”
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.(R) (NYSE:HOT) announced today that the new Westin(R) St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa will open on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten on December 13, 2006. The property will fly the Westin flag under a license agreement and is developed, owned and managed by Columbia Sussex, developer, owner and operator of more than 85 hotels and seven casinos around the world.

The resort will offer 317 guest rooms and suites (most with ocean views), multiple oceanfront dining options, two lounges, a full-service spa, a casino, retail shops, the island’s largest freshwater infinity pool with 17 pool side and beach cabanas, a hot tub, swim-up bar and expansive meeting and event facilities. Ninety-nine for-sale condominiums are located on the resort grounds and comprise The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Residences. The condominiums are currently under development and range in price from $895,000 to $2 million. Owners will enjoy full access to all of the resort’s services and amenities.
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Australia and New Zealand’s leading timeshare company, Accor Première Vacation Club (APVC) announced today they have unconditionally contracted to purchase apartments within the Grand Mercure Oakridge Resort complex at Lake Wanaka on New Zealand’s South Island.

Once completed, APVC Members will have access to 15 fully self-contained 1 and 2 bedroom apartments at the property. The agreement valued in excess of $5 million with Northern Link Developments will see the club release existing apartments to its members immediately, and further construction of apartments carried out in the Grand Mercure Oakridge Resort’s next phase of development upon approval of architectural plans.
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TravelShare Offers Access to Select Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for Participating WorldMark Owners

Wyndham Vacation Ownership’s subsidiary, Trendwest Resorts, today unveiled TravelShare, an exclusive membership program now available to all current and new North American WorldMark, The Club owners.  Designed to enhance flexibility and expand vacation options, TravelShare offers owners who elect to join the program access to select Wyndham hotels and resorts as well as a myriad of other vacation benefits made available through the program.
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Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE: BXG), a leading provider of Colorful Places to Live and Play®, today announced the purchase of an additional 240 acres of land adjacent to its Chapel Ridge community located near Chapel Hill, N.C. Sales of homesites in this community are expected to begin in March 2007 and generate estimated life-of-project sales of approximately $24.2 million over an anticipated two-year sell-out period, based on the Company’s assessment of current estimated retail prices and the expected number of homesites to be offered.

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The developers of Merlin Software for Timeshare have announced a new business model for timeshare exchanges.  This new model gives developers and resorts the chance to provide exchanges for their owners themselves by using Merlin World’s new internet based software and centralised database.

Merlin World will allow developers to “build” their resorts in a virtual environment, deposit their owners’ weeks to a centralised database and find alternative accommodation in other participating resorts for their owners, themselves.  As an alternative, a web site for timeshare owners will allow these owners to perform deposit and exchange transactions themselves.  Only owners of participating resorts will be permitted to use the Merlin World exchange program
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Growth Strong Across Businesses
 

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN), one of the world’s premier hospitality companies, today announced results for the three- and nine- months ended September 30, 2006.
 

THIRD QUARTER 2006 HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Revenue increase of 10% compared to the third quarter of 2005, with strong top-line growth across the Company’s three businesses: Lodging, Vacation Exchange and Rental, and Vacation Ownership

• Strong performance across the lodging brands helped to push RevPAR up 11% and drove franchise fee revenue growth 14% when compared to the third quarter of 2005

• Growth in the number of exchange members, vacation rental transactions and average price per rental, helped to fuel a 10% increase in Vacation Exchange and Rental revenue compared to the third quarter of 2005

• Continued growth of the Vacation Ownership business, with gross vacation ownership interest (“VOI”) sales increases of more than 20% compared to the third quarter of 2005 driven by increases in tour flow and volume per guest
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Interval International, a leading global vacation exchange company and operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI), sponsored the “2nd Annual Baja California Meeting Point 2006” held recently at the Grand Hotel Tijuana in Baja California. More than 800 delegates attended the two-day event that was organized by the state of Baja California and supported by the National Trust for Tourism Development (FONATUR) and the states of Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Nayarit.
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Miami, Florida—Systems Products International (SPI) recently announced they have been selected to supply their Prime™ software suite for developer Breakaway Resorts. The resort selected the system with the confidence that SPI’s enterprise software architecture would serve as the foundation for the multi-site developer’s future growth. Breakaway’s first project — Villas at Flying L Guest Ranch, located deep in the heart of historic Texas hill country in Bandera, “the cowboy capital of the world” — opened for sales earlier this year. The developer plans to open a number of resorts across the country over the next few years.
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Ten + Points for Successful “Vertical” Fractional Real Estate Development

SCOTTSDALE, AZ  (October 26, 2006) —   Star Resort Group CEO Carl Berry says Star Resort Group has established some strong parameters for “vertical” fractional market success.   Star Resort Group acquires, develops, and markets projects for its own account as well as providing sales and marketing, development and management expertise to other hospitality operators, landowners and builders. 
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World Wide Leisure Group (WWLG), managers of the Moness Timeshare Resort in Scotland has announced their move to Merlin Software for Timeshare.

Announcing this, Mr Terry Vose, MD of WWLG, said that despite their having developed their own in-house software for various critical elements of their business, they found the Merlin Software for Timeshare a quick, easy and cost effective answer for managing their owners and annual maintenance fee billing, thereby relieving them of the need to develop their own software. 
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Major Tenerife resort, Pearly Grey, chooses Merlin Software for Timeshare as its new software provider.

Merlin Software for Timeshare continues to make its mark with timeshare resorts in Europe.  The Pearly Grey resort in Tenerife will go live on Merlin Software for Timeshare immediately after OTE 9. 
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