WYNDHAM HOTELS AND RESORTS APPOINTS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
August 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts today announced the appointment of David Martin, a 22-year industry veteran who most recently headed hotel operations for Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, as senior vice president of operations.
Martin, who reports to Peter Strebel, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts president, will be responsible for developing programs aimed at enhancing market share, productivity and revenue growth for all managed and franchised Wyndham® hotels in the United States, Caribbean and Mexico.
He will work closely with owners, managers and franchisees of Wyndham hotels to ensure that they have the tools and services needed to maximize performance in the areas of operations, sales, finance and human resources.
“David’s vast industry experience and history of successful hotel operations make him a great asset to our brand,” said Strebel. “His winning attitude and eagerness to deliver results are sure to enhance the overall experience and operating effectiveness of Wyndham owners, managers and franchisees alike.”
Martin was vice president, hotel operations, for Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group LLC in San Francisco and Washington. From 1985 to 1998, he worked as general manager for several hotel companies, including the Red Lion in Bellevue, Wash.; Hotel Systems International in San Diego; Bayview Hotels in Monterey, Calif.; R&R Hospitality International in Long Beach, Calif.; and Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group.
Martin was the past president and a member of the San Francisco Hotel Council board of directors.
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), offers upscale hotel and resort accommodations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean. All hotels are either franchised or managed by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts or an affiliate. For more information, visit www.wyndham.com.
RIVIERA MAYA PROVIDES POST-HURRICANE DEAN UPDATE
August 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Governor of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo Sr. Felix Gonzalez Canto has declared Yellow Alert for the entire northern part of the state, including Cancun, Cozumel, Holbox, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Puerto Morelos. He has also requested that all commercial services and tourism sectors resume all services and reestablish normal business operations.
The Cancun International Airport reports that it has maintained normal operations throughout last night without interruptions. Beginning today, the airport has started receiving tourists with the arrivals of the first flights from Mexicana Air, Continental and USA 3000 arriving at 9:00am local time carrying 600 passengers, most of them tourists from the USA and Mexico City.
All Highways are open to the regular vehicular traffic, providing uninterrupted access to the Riviera Maya and main city Playa del Carmen.
Bus Stations are back to normal operations with service between Merida and Playa del Carmen as of this morning.
Xcaret announces that it has not incurred damage from the storm and will open to the public with all the services tomorrow morning, Wednesday August 22.
Xel-Ha announces that it will open and resume normal operation of its services, activities and attractions on Thursday August 23.
For the most current news and information regarding the status of Riviera Maya following the passage of Hurricane Dean early this morning, please visit www.rivieramaya.com/blog/.
Easily accessible from many cities throughout the U.S., the eighty-one mile stretch known as the Riviera Maya is situated in the Mexican Caribbean on the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Beginning eleven miles south of the Cancun International Airport in Puerto Morelos, the Riviera Maya extends to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a small town near the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The region features the tranquility of uncrowded beaches, a vast network of underground rivers, over 100 cenotes, the action of eco-adventure sports including kayaking, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkeling, trekking, bird watching and deep sea fishing, proximity to many of Mexico’s most significant Mayan archeological sites, the varied activities of the eco-archeological parks, plus golf courses, Spas, shopping, gourmet dining and a range of accommodations to suit every lifestyle and budget. The Riviera Maya has been named a Top Destination in Mexico for three consecutive years by Travel Weekly (2004, 2005 and 2006) and was also featured in the January 2006 issue of Travel + Leisure as “The Next Riviera.”
For more information on the Riviera Maya call 1-877-7GO MAYA, e-mail info@rivieramaya.com or visit www.rivieramaya.com.
Note to editors: For high resolution .JPG images of the Riviera Maya, please call 212-956-5900 or e-mail marie@adams-pr.com.
Westin Celebrates the Opening of its 150th Hotel: The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center
August 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The New Westin Offers Premier Conference Facilities, Superior dining, and Renewing Services, Just 20 Minutes from Downtown Chicago.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announces the grand opening of The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, an upscale hotel located just outside of the city of Chicago in the rapidly growing suburb of Lombard, Illinois. Operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center is the 150th Westin hotel to open worldwide, a milestone that the brand will celebrate with the release of 150 butterflies at today’s ribbon cutting. Read more
V12 Group Acquires Teramedia
August 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Teramedia announces that it has been acquired by V12 Group, headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey. This follows V12’s recent acquisition of Direct Marketing Associates (DMA) based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Teramedia manages and brokers direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing, and multichannel lists. Our product offerings also include email append, eCOA, database hygiene, and data licensing—all of which will enhance V12 Group’s suite of existing data driven marketing solutions.
Teramedia’s CEO Steve Hardigree and other executives will remain with V12 Group and will continue to be a driving force in the evolution of V12 Group. Mr. Hardigree states, “This agreement will mean a great deal to our clients and help ensure the continuation of our tradition of providing the highest value multi-channel direct marketing solutions.”
V12 Group is a complete provider of multi-channel direct marketing solutions for a variety of industries. Further strengthening V12 Group’s core data business is a key driver to the acquisition strategy which will fortify the company’s growth. “This 2nd acquisition reinforces V12 Group’s growth strategy and we will continue to pursue complimentary business models that build on our core competency of data driven marketing solutions,” said V12 Group CEO Paul Chachko.
A Message from Teramedia’s CEO
This agreement will mean a great deal, to both our clients and our associates. Most significantly, our ability to create innovative solutions will be greater than ever. This will help ensure that our tradition of providing the highest value multi-channel direct marketing solutions continues.
This agreement signifies a change in ownership, not in leadership. Everyone at Teramedia — from our executives to fulfillment staff — will continue to dedicate themselves completely to the success of your business today and in the future.
If you have any questions about this exciting news, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at steveh@teramedia.com, or the Teramedia representative that you depend on to help you achieve your direct marketing goals.
Sincerely,
Steve Hardigree
SOL MELIÁ VACATION CLUB REPORTS ALL MEMBER RESORTS IN YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO, FULLY OPEN FOLLOWING HURRICANE DEAN
August 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Orlando-based Sol Meliá Vacation Club (SMVC) reports that its three member resorts and four sales office locations in Cancun, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya suffered very minimal wind and water damage to buildings and landscaping from Hurricane Dean’s arrival to the Yucatan Peninsula. All sites are fully operational today and in clean-up mode. No interruption in service is expected throughout this week. A well-organized and proactive hurricane preparedness plan was enacted several days prior to accommodate and assure safety of employees, members and their families. SMVC member resorts in the area are located at the Gran Meliá Cancun, ME Cancun and Meliá Cozumel. Read more
Wyndham Vacation Ownership begins Construction of Long Beach, Washington Resort
August 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
 Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced it has begun construction of the new 98-unit WorldMark Long Beach resort in Washington. It is anticipated the scenic oceanfront resort will welcome its first guests in the fall of 2008. Read more
INVESTMENT FIRM COMMITS $50 MILLION TO EXPAND SUPER 8 HOTELS IN CHINAAugust 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Wyndham Hotel Group’s Super 8 brand, one of the largest economy hotel chains in the world, was introduced to China in 2004. Tian Rui Hotel Corporation has opened 49 Super 8 hotels in China, representing more than 4,700 rooms, and has signed agreements to develop an additional 67 hotels. The Super 8 brand already is among the largest economy chains in China. Read more Interval International Promotes Neil Kolton To Caribbean Region ManagerAugust 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Wyndham Vacation Ownership Begins Construction of Long Beach, Washington ResortAugust 28, 2007 | 1 Comment
“We are extremely pleased to solidify our commitment to the Long Beach community through the development of this resort and also further expand our portfolio in this highly sought after destination,” said Franz Hanning, president and chief executive officer, Wyndham Vacation Ownership. “The area continues to be popular with our more than 250,000 WorldMark owners and we are confident they will find this new oceanfront resort a wonderful addition to their world-class accommodation options in the Pacific Northwest.” Read more ELEMENT Hotels’ Housekeeping Honcho Reveals ”Eco-Etiquette” SecretsAugust 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment Offers Tips for Traveling Green without Making it a Chore Rock stars notoriously trash their hotel rooms, but you don’t have to be Sid Vicious to leave your room in disarray. In fact, it’s your everyday traveler’s etiquette that one would find most surprising — and more specifically, their lack of “eco-etiquette,” according to Randal Savage, responsible for housekeeping at ELEMENT Hotels as Corporate Director, Rooms at Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:HOT). The average hotel guest might not invite 30 of his closet friends over for a 4 AM fiesta, but from leaving lights on all day to air-conditioning the outdoors, hotel guests often leave their “eco-etiquette” at home. Read more The Aruban Resort & Casino At Eagle Beach Announced by KL Holding Company, N.V.August 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment New Brand for Former La Cabana Villas and Royal Cabana Casino in Aruba KL Holding Company, N.V., a closely held international resort and casino development company, today announced a new name for its recently acquired timeshare resort and casino — The Aruban Resort & Casino at Eagle Beach. Read more Wyndham Worldwide Announces New $200 Million Share Repurchase ProgramAugust 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Conrad Koh SamuiAugust 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment Scheduled to open in 2009, the Conrad Koh Samui will be the latest luxury villa development on the tranquil Thai island, setting new standards for prestige accommodation on Koh Samui. Conrad Koh Samui will be located on a secluded hill, overlooking Aow Thai Beach at the southwest tip of the island. Spread over 25 acres, this distinct development will offer panoramic views of the Gulf of Thailand, the outlying islands and surrounding coconut plantations, not to mention a perfect vantage point for the stunning Koh Samui sunsets. Read more Shell Vacations’ Vegas Resort Completes RenovationAugust 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment Shell Vacations’ Las Vegas resort is nearing completion of a $17,000,000 renovation that saw its transformation from a budget suite motel into a high quality vacation ownership property, receiving an industry award for its design and high marks for customer service during the nearly four year construction process. Known as the Hawthorne Suites when Shell Vacations – in partnership with Pat Nesbitt - acquired the hotel in 2004, the three-story property contained 284 hotel rooms in four buildings. In January 2005, Shell Vacations Hospitality took over the management and renovations to the first building were finished in June. Each of the succeeding three phases with about 72 units required six to seven months to complete. By September of this year, the fourth and final building is expected to be done resulting in 284 one- and two-bedroom luxury suites with full kitchens, plus a total lobby renovation, the entire pool area with barbeque sections, and a new state-of-the-art fitness center. If Elvis were in the building, he’d surely be singing “Viva Desert Rose!” Read more INTERNATIONAL CRUISE & EXCURSIONS, INC. CHOOSES CONCORD SERVICING CORPORATIONAugust 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (I.C.E.), founders John Rowley and Marcia Rowley, have selected Concord Servicing Corporation to provide billing and collections for their “Registry Vacations” product. According to John, “Not only does Concord have the ability to manage loan-servicing products like this one, they also treat our customers with the respect and appreciation they deserve.” TAMARACK RESORT TRANSITIONS EXTERNAL AFFAIRS OVERSIGHTAugust 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment As Tamarack Resort strategically reassesses its organizational structure; the resort is transitioning all External Affairs responsibilities – externally. Vice President of External Affairs and Communications Scott Turlington is embracing the entrepreneurial spirit of Tamarack by starting his own strategic consulting and advisory agency – Turlington and Associates, LLC. “Tamarack was privileged to have Scott join our senior management team when he left Governor Kempthorne’s office in 2004. His ability to work with state and federal officials and agencies, has played a key role in the success of Tamarack and will continue to be integral in his new capacity moving forward,” said Jean-Pierre Boespflug, Tamarack CEO. “We applaud and support his decision to move to the next stage of his career with the successful formation of Turlington and Associates, LLC.” Read more SOL MELIÁ VACATION CLUB REPORTS TOTAL REVENUE INCREASE OF 63 PERCENT OVER SAME SIX-MONTH PERIOD LAST YEARAugust 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment Sol Meliá Vacation Club is an internationally-branded membership club that focuses on providing leisure lifestyle experiences that include exotic destinations, designer-appointed luxury accommodations, exclusive services and unforgettable amenities. The leisure lifestyle concept is designed to provide members with an entire lifetime of leisure experiences to meet their ever changing needs. Membership provides several options: the first - vacation club membership - provides a more traditional vacation time period (1 to 3 weeks) to accommodate a stage in life when there are larger families and children traveling together and require larger accommodations, more space, and fabulous facilities. This concept provides a guarantee of prices of today through membership which makes this type of vacationing affordable year after year. The second membership option offers longer-termed leisure time periods (4-8 weeks) that is focused more for those who have more leisure time available to them to travel, as well as more established finances, and who still desire a variety of destinations and luxury accommodations. The final phase progresses to full ownership opportunities for those who wish to live in paradise all year long. Read more Contact UsAugust 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment News / Press ReleasesIf you have a press release or piece of industry news you would like placed on this site, please send it to news@thetimeshareblog.com and if you have an accompanying photo and / or company logo please include these also and you may be listed in the Featured News section. |
Interval International, a leading provider of vacation services and an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq:IACI), announced the promotion of Neil Kolton to region manager for the Caribbean in the resort sales and service department. In his new position, Kolton will provide sales, marketing and operations support to Interval’s existing member resorts, as well as build Interval’s developer client base in the region. He will remain based in Miami, Florida. 
Today millions of Americans were driving or flying home from vacation having the following conversations: “Wouldn’t it be great to buy a cottage there?” “When we retire, wouldn’t it be great to spend more time there.” “The Johnson Family owns a second home there, how can they afford one too?”Vacation Finance’s team, and our guest blog writers have the answers to these questions and we are posting them daily on our blog, along with stories of American’s who have found a way to own a second home today. How they afford it, and how they have managed to spend more time on vacation.