La Tranquila® Breathtaking Resort – Spa & Beach Club
January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Exclusive Private Residence Club First Resort In Branded Program
Preferred Residences™, a hospitality branded membership and exchange program for luxury shared ownership resorts, announced that La Tranquila® Breathtaking Resort – Spa & Beach Club is the first resort to join the network. Interval International and Preferred Hotel Group formed a strategic alliance last year to develop the high-end, branded program for fractional resorts, private residence clubs, and condominium-style hotels. Read more
Wyndham Vacation Ownership Acquires Additional Units At Emerald Beach Resort In Panama City Beach, Fla
January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
100 Additional Units to be Available to Company’s FairShare Plus by Wyndham Owners
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 finalized an earlier contractual agreement to purchase 100 additional vacation ownership units at the Emerald Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Fla. from Emerald Beach Resort, LLC. These units supplement the 100 units the company purchased at the resort in 2007. Wyndham Vacation Ownership has also entered into a contractual agreement to purchase further units at the resort at a later date. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read more
Wyndham Vacation Ownership Launches Partnership with Don Prudhomme Snake Racing
January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Company Creates Marketing Alliance with NHRA Legend
Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), announced today it has revved up its presence in the motor sports industry by creating a partnership with Don Prudhomme Snake Racing, owned by legendary National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) driver Don Prudhomme. The company, through its Wyndham Vacation Resorts brand, will partner with Snake Racing on a series of marketing promotions leveraging Prudhomme’s popularity with NHRA fans across the country. Read more
Diamond Resorts International® Hires Tax Professional as Vice President and Tax Counsel
January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Diamond Resorts International® (DRI), a global leader in the vacation ownership industry, has appointed Keith Holmes as Vice President and Tax Counsel. Holmes joins a strong finance team reporting to David Palmer, Chief Financial Officer of DRI.
Prior to joining DRI, Holmes held the position of Vice President and Tax Counsel with Caesars Entertainment, Inc., providing tax and legal counsel on development, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, federal, state and international tax planning, structuring, audit defense & compliance. Holmes also served as a tax consultant to international clients in the gaming and lodging industries during his nearly 10 year tenure with Arthur Andersen LLP. Read more
Introducing One Of The World’s Most Extensive Pillow Menus
January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Conrad Perfects the Art of Sleep with Unique Destination-Based Pillows
To ensure every guest gets superb shut-eye, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the global contemporary luxury hotel brand, has turned sleep into an experience by pioneering one of the world’s most extensive pillow menus.
With more than 75 varieties of pillows to choose from across the globe, guests will find that Conrad caters for their most personal of pillow preferences. Luxury hotels and pillow menus may go hand-in-hand, but Conrad Hotels & Resorts has taken the concept a step further, introducing destination-based and mood-inspired pillows to make their guests more comfortable than ever. Read more
Texas Cowboy Visits Hawaii, Buys Timeshare; Moves to Hawaii, Now Sells For Shell Vacations
January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Jerry Brown grew up as a working ranch cowboy in Texas and spent 22 years gathering intelligence for the U.S. Army. He retired to climb onto a horse every morning as a range rider, gathering cattle on a massive military property, herding them back to their rightful owners. In what he thought was his final career, he hung up his spurs, put away his boots and became a partner in a company selling highway lighting to the state department of transportation.
About a year ago, Jerry, now 54, and Patricia, his wife of 20 years, were in Hawaii on vacation and listened to a timeshare sales presentation at Shell Vacations’ Kona Coast Resort in Hawaii.
Dial An Exchange Affiliates with CSA Travel Protection And Celebrates Ten Years of Steady Growth
January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Dial An Exchange International LLC (DAE) has signed an agreement with CSA Travel Protection to provide travel insurance for its expanding base of members of the vacation ownership exchange company, currently celebrating its tenth year of continuous growth.
“The partnership with CSA allows our owners to purchase travel protection at the time they exchange their vacation weeks,” explained Fermin Cruz, VP North American Operations Dial An Exchange. “When combined with our Cancellation Protection Option,we believe that CSA travel insurance is the perfect compliment to any exchange transaction, offering the DAE member an inexpensive, yet valuable protection to cover their entire vacation experience,” he added Les Maine, CEO, CSA Travel Protection agreed. “By purchasing travel insurance from CSA when exchanging their timeshare with Dial an Exchange, owners can protect themselves from losing any vacation time and also receive an impressive number of additional benefits.” Read more
Wyndham Vacation Ownership Acquires The Royal Garden Hotel & Spa In Waikiki, Hawaii
January 24, 2008 | 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 the acquisition of The Royal Garden Hotel and Spa in Waikiki, Hawaii from The Royal Hotel & Spa, LLC. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 140-room hotel will remain operating until renovations begin, which is anticipated to occur in November 2008. Once renovations are complete, the property will operate within the company’s FairShare Plus by Wyndham resort portfolio. Read more
Diamond Resorts International® Announces Appointment of Regional Director - Sales & Marketing for East Coast Operations
January 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Diamond Resorts International® (DRI), a global leader in the vacation ownership industry, has appointed Hector Maldonado as Regional Director - Sales & Marketing for East Coast Operations. Maldonado joins an innovative sales and marketing operation committed to the ethical sale of DRI’s industry-leading vacation ownership products and services.
Maldonado’s successful career in sales and marketing spans almost 15 years, during which time he has managed successful on-site and off-site sales operations, tele-sales operations, general marketing and event marketing initiatives. Prior positions include running the sales operations in Eastern Canada for a regional developer where he directed increases in sales efficiencies by over 40%. Maldonado has most recently been based in St. Maarten where he developed sales and marketing strategies that exceeded profit targets at Pelican Marina Residences, the first fractional project for Royal Resorts. Read more
Shell Vacations Promotes Key Executives
January 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Senior management team represents over 100 years of combined timeshare experience
The most valuable asset a vacation ownership developer can posses is not its physical properties or the product it sells, but its people … especially when genuine passion and an indomitable spirit to succeed fuel a company’s corporate culture.
In announcing promotions of five senior management members, Shell Vacations LLC Chairman and CEO Sheldon Ginsburg enthused, “2007 was one of the most profitable years in our company‘s 44-year history. Today, we are experiencing amazing momentum. All of our engines are on full-speed ahead and driven by a dynamic team with professional credentials that collectively total over 100 years in the timeshare industry. They are perfectly positioned to lead Shell Vacations into the future.” Read more
Wellness Rejuvenation Rooms Enquiry Form
January 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Westin Brings Personal Renewal to India with the Opening of the Westin Sohna Resort
January 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the opening of its first Westin property in India, The Westin Sohna Resort. Close to both Delhi and Gurgaon, the new resort offers a restful, rejuvenating guest experience enhanced by superior recreational facilities, naturally-lit meeting space, an array of world-class cuisine and the full range of Westin’s renowned signature amenities.
Just 90 minutes from the New Delhi International Airport, The Westin Sohna Resort is ideally located for a weekend getaway and serves as a refreshing, innovative venue for meetings and conferences. Set amidst lush landscaped gardens and farm land, the resort offers 97 deluxe rooms and stand-alone suites, as well as state-of-the-art meeting facilities - all in a scenic, rural setting. Read more
La Purificadora hotel in Puebla has been recognized with the 2008 Institute Honor Awards for Interior Architecture by American Institute of Architects
January 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
La Purificadora hotel in Puebla, a renovation project, which once housed a water purification factory from the 19th century and in May 2007 became a 32,290-square-foot lifestyle hotel was recognized with the 2008 Institute Honor Awards for Interior Architecture by American Institute of Architects. The original building at La Purificadora was included as part of the new design combining contemporary elements with the rest of the former water-bottling factory.
The 2008 Institute Honor Awards for Interior Architecture features a strong presence in the residential sector, with four of ten recipients going to private homes. The other recipients selected were for projects in various industries include Anthony Nak Flagship Store in Austin, Texas by M. J. Neal Architects, an Architects Office in Los Angeles designed by Lehrer Architects LA, and the Center for Theatre and Dance, Williamstown, Massachusetts by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc. among others. Read more
Minehead links for plane crash hero
January 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Minehead residents could bump into a national hero after it was revealed that the pilot of the stricken Boeing 777 at London’s Heathrow has a holiday home at Butlins.
Captain Peter Burkill, 44, averted catastrophe on Thursday by gliding the jet into the airport after its engines failed.
The British Airways pilot’s holidaying habits were revealed in a testimonial for a Butlins timeshare promotion, which said he enjoys up to four holidays a year with his family including an annual skiing trip and summer sun in the Caribbean. Read more
Senator John Sununu Honored By Sell My Timeshare NOW
January 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Sell My Timeshare NOW, a leader in the advertising and marketing of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, recognizes Senator John Sununu for his dedication in working to pass the Internet Tax Freedom Act of 2007.
U.S. Senator John Sununu (R-NH) received recognition today from the timeshare advertising and marketing company, Sell My Timeshare NOW for spearheading passage of the 2007 Internet Tax Freedom Act. Thanks to Senator Sununu and other dedicated lawmakers, the act extended until November 2014, the ban on Internet access taxation. The Internet Tax Freedom Act passed the House by a vote of 402 to 0, and passed the Senate in a unanimous voice vote, before President Bush then signed it into law. Read more
Levitin Group Provides Weekly Podcasts or Salespeople, Marketers and Industry Leaders
January 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Levitin Group, the largest sales training company in the timeshare and fractional industry, is now providing free podcasts for the benefit of the leisure real estate community.
For the uninitiated, podcasts are the new way to listen, on-demand to news, views and programs on your own schedule through your mp3 player; think “TiVo” for the ears. Levitin Group has committed to providing two new podcasts every Friday, which can be downloaded to your iPod through iTunes (watch for the new “TimeshareTunes” to be launched early 2008) or heard directly from their website, www.getlevitin.com. Read more
Conrad Expands Luxury Portfolio In China
January 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Conrad Beijing to Open in Prestigious Business District
Hilton Hotels Corporation has announced that it has signed a management agreement with China Merchants Property Development Company Limited for the Conrad Beijing; one of Beijing’s newest and most spectacular luxury hotel developments.
Scheduled to be open at the end of 2010, the Conrad Beijing will join Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the global contemporary luxury hotel brand of the Hilton Family of Hotels, as it expands its luxury portfolio in China. Read more
Bluegreen Implements SPI Sales Automation Software
January 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Systems Products International (SPI), a leading provider of software to the vacation ownership industry, recently announced that Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE:BXG) has deployed SPI’s Sales Automation and Contract Processing System at 29 of its Bluegreen Resorts sales locations. “After surveying available software, we selected SPI for its architecture, functionality and the company’s partnering approach,” says Sheila B. Donahoe, Bluegreen Sr. VP and CIO. Read more
Interval International Sponsors Caribbean Marketplace Conference In The Bahamas
January 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Interval International, a leading provider of vacation services and an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI), was a sponsor of the Caribbean Marketplace conference that took place January 13-15 in the Bahamas. The 2008 edition of Caribbean Marketplace was organized by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) with the support of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation and the Bahamas Hotel Association.
“Interval supports Caribbean Marketplace because it is the key sales and marketing networking event in the region. It brings together Caribbean tourism officials and hoteliers with tour operators, meeting planners, and wholesalers interested in Caribbean vacations,” said David Callaghan, vice president of resort sales and service for Interval International. Read more
Levitin Group Provides Weekly Podcasts for Salespeople, Marketers and Industry Leaders
January 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Levitin Group, the largest sales training company in the timeshare and fractional industry, is now providing free podcasts for the benefit of the leisure real estate community.
For the uninitiated, podcasts are the new way to listen, on-demand to news, views and programs on your own schedule through your mp3 player; think “TiVo” for the ears. Levitin Group has committed to providing two new podcasts every Friday, which can be downloaded to your iPod through iTunes (watch for the new “TimeshareTunes” to be launched early 2008) or heard directly from their website, www.getlevitin.com. Read more
Tamarack Resort’s Olympic-Sized SuperPipe is Ready for Riders
January 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Pipe is just one of six in North America to feature the new Olympic standard
Tamarack Resort’s monstrous Hells Canyon SuperPipe is now open for all freeriders. At 450-feet long with towering 22-foot walls, the pipe is one of just six in North America to feature the new
Olympic standard – walls four feet higher than typical pipes. Read more
Ocean Reef Resort recognized for ’standards of excellence’
January 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
With an increased emphasis being placed on quality customer service delivery in Grand Bahama, one local resort property is today the proud recipient of an international hospitality award.
The Ocean Reef Yacht Club and Resort was recognized by Resort Condominiums Inter-national (RCI), the world’s largest vacation exchange company, for achieving standards of excellence in resort accommodations and hospitality. Read more
Bluegreen Wins Stevie® Award In 2007 Selling Power Sales Excellence Awards
January 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE:BXG), a leading provider of Colorful Places to Live and Play®, announced today that it was presented with a Stevie Award in the Best Timeshare Sales Organization of the Year category in the second annual Selling Power Sales Excellence Awards held in Las Vegas in December.
The awards were jointly presented by Selling Power magazine, the leading sales management publication with 145,000 subscribers in 67 countries, and The Stevie® Awards, which have been hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars” (the New York Post , April 27, 2005).
Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word “crowned,” winners were announced during a gala banquet at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Read more
Groundbreaking Study to Examine Chinese Leisure Travel Preferences, Attitudes, and Activities
January 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Study Comes on Heels of New Government Policy Opening U.S. to Millions of Potential Chinese Visitors
On the heels of the recent agreement between the United States and Chinese governments to facilitate Chinese travel to the U.S, the Travel Industry Association (TIA) has teamed with The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Travel and Tourism Center at the University of South Carolina and the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries/U.S. Department of Commerce to conduct one of the largest studies examining Chinese travel preferences. The purpose of the study is to gain a better understanding of the Chinese long-haul travel market, its potential for U.S. destinations and businesses, and Chinese views of the United States in general and as a travel destination in particular. Read more
Diamond Resorts International® Appoints Recognized Industry Expert As Chief Marketing Officer
January 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Diamond Resorts International® (DRI), a global leader in the vacation ownership industry, has appointed James R. Danz (”Jim”) to the position of Chief Marketing Officer. Danz joins a strong executive team committed to delivering the highest standards of guest satisfaction and hospitality.
Danz has been involved in marketing and sales within the resort development and vacation ownership industry since 1985 during which time he held the positions of Vice President of Marketing for Starwood Vacation Ownership USA; Executive Vice President, Marketing, for the Princeton Resorts Group; and Accor Premiere Vacation Club, based in Australia. During his tenure at these and other companies, Danz has marketed more than $650 million in net sales volume. Read more
Architectural Concepts Inc. (ACI) Develops Custom Art Program Will Be Focal Point of Raintree Vacation Club’s Club Regina, Mexico Interior Renovation
January 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Margit E. Whitlock, AIA, Principal of San Diego-based Architectural Concepts, Inc. (ACI) has initiated a program for Raintree Vacation Club’s Club Regina, Mexico that utilizes the vast talent of Mexican national artisans to bring life to the properties’ identity.
Club Regina, a collection of exclusive properties located at some of the best beaches in Mexico, including Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Acapulco is undergoing a full renovation of 232 units that is anticipated to be complete by summer 2008.
The property re-design was born out of a two day workshop on “Concentric Design” lead by Margit Whitlock, AIA. In this workshop of more than 15 participants from every management division within Raintree Vacation Club (RVC), the needs and goals of the renovation revealed the need to strengthen the Club Regina brand throughout RVC’s membership. Because the properties are so unique a proprietary Art Program was developed to bring the grandeur back to Club. Read more
Signature Sponsors Lead The Way At 2008 ARDA Convention
January 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Leading vacation ownership companies and service providers have signed on as Signature Sponsors of the 2008 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention and Exposition in Las Vegas. The annual convention, taking place April 6-10 Venetian Resort & Casino, will feature an impressive line-up of speakers and entertainers, including nationally acclaimed speaker, Rick Barrera, author of the inspiring true story Invincible, Vince Papale; and the winner of “America’s Got Talent,” ventriloquist and impressionist, Terry Fator The 2008 Signature Sponsors include American Express, The Family of Orange Lake Resorts, Group RCI , Hcareers, Holiday Systems International (HSI), iBAHN, Interval International, , Redweek.com, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Textron Financial and VacationGuard, Inc. Read more
Timeshare Staff Ltd Unveil Their New, Faster & More Interactive Online Recruitment Website
January 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The industry’s largest online recruitment resource, now boasting 187 regional websites globally has grown at an accelerated pace in its four and a half years, but now say they are going flat out to expand further.
The New Year brings new ideas and in this case a new more powerful website dedicated to providing a better, faster and more interactive experience for the 50,000+ job seekers who use the site(s) every month. Read more
TimeShareWare’s New TSW Enterprise Platform Product Goes Beyond Simple Resort Operations
January 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
TimeShareWare, the leading software provider for shared-ownership resort operations, recently introduced the release of TSW Enterprise, a revolutionary technology designed to take resort operations to a new level of excellence. More than just software, TSW Enterprise has been redesigned from the ground up to take advantage of the latest three-tier platform technology and web integration. This powerful new tool will enable resorts to cater the software to their unique processes and business scenarios.
“TSW Enterprise is one of the most exciting launches in TimeShareWare’s 15-year history and is sure to be a technology milestone in the Vacation Ownership industry,” explained Timo Jones, Chief Executive Officer at TimeShareWare. “This release takes full advantage of true three-tier platform technology and can be a powerful tool for resorts and sales centers throughout the world.” Read more
DLF, Hilton plan first branded residential hotel in Goa
January 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Residential hotels are all set to debut in India. Such hotels combine the flexibility of a vacation home with the service of a hotel.
Real estate developer, DLF will soon come up with India’s first branded residential hotel with the Hilton Group in Goa. The 200-room hotel with 80 villas that will be sold out as vacation homes on lease-back basis, will be operational in three years. DLF plans to have six hotels on similar format in five years.
“India has upgraded from medium-rung houses to premium apartments. But in the hotel industry that kind of shift is yet to happen,” says Siddharth Thaker, associate director, HVS International, a hotel consultancy.
With residential hotels that shift in the hotel industry will finally happen. Such hotels provide buyers an opportunity to invest in a property on sale-and-lease-back basis.
DLF is in talks with various other international brands such as Four Seasons and The Aman Group for these hotels targeting leisure destinations such as Kerala, Andaman, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh. “We are well on track with the Hilton Group on our proposed projects.
Goa residential hotel is the first to come up. We are likely to spend around $2 billion on our hotel projects based on residential hotel format,” Rajeev Talwar, DLF group executive director, told ET. According to a hotelier who runs a property in Goa, cost of constructing a hotel room in Goa is around Rs 20 lakh while that of a villa Rs 50-60 lakh.
Globally, residential hotel is a popular format. “We are studying the Indian market to evolve the best pricing methodology for such hotels,” said an official associated with the project.
The Indian hospitality industry is registering a 20% YoY growth. “With more funds being pumped in the hotel industry, premium hotel formats that are globally popular such as Residential Hotels, Condo Hotels, Vacation Ownership and Private Residents Club will mark their entry in the country,” adds Mr Thaker. In Thailand, Indonesia Malaysia and some other markets all three formats have strong presence.
For the residential hotels, the group is targeting aspirational class and also NRIs who can’t invest in a holiday home due to skyrocketing real estate prices in prime locations.
“The market for lifestyle products in India is growing. Though we will have to educate people telling them the difference between time share holidays, the format which already exists in the country, and residential hotels,” added the official associated with the project.
Besides the residential hotels project, DLF also has a joint venture with the Hilton Group to develop around 75 hotels over the next seven years. DLF holds 74% in the JV while Hilton holds the balance.
- Economic Times