Ilese Flamm

Ilese Flamm, an accomplished attorney with nearly two decades of experience in timesharing and resort development law, has been selected by independent developer Shell Vacations LLC (www.ShellVacationsClub.com)  to serve as its Senior VP, Legal Affairs.

During her 18 years as a legal professional for the timeshare industry, Flamm spent nine years at Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and nine years with Disney Vacation Club. She will work closely with Shell Vacations Chairman & CEO Sheldon H. Ginsburg, President & COO Tracy L. Sherles as well as Daniel B. Glickstein, VP and General Counsel in helping lead the legal functions of the company, and also serving in a business role utilizing Flamm’s experience as Shell Vacations moves forward into new levels of expansion.

“There are few professionals with Ilese Flamm’s impressive credentials and legal expertise in such a wide range of segments of the timeshare and hospitality industries,” said Ginsburg. We are confident she will make a positive impact on our company”.

Added Sherles, “We are delighted to welcome an attorney with her professional background to add to our company’s continued success. Her vast legal experience within all areas of our business will serve us well in the future. Her expertise and experience has been particularly helpful with some of our new initiatives, such as the services we are now offering to developers and associations through our extensive fee-for services programs”.

Prior to joining Shell Vacations, Flamm was Executive VP and General Counsel for Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, where she was responsible for managing all global legal matters.  Before working with Wyndham, Flamm was Senior Attorney for the Disney Vacation Club, where she was involved in many aspects of timesharing and resort development. Additionally, Flamm was an Associate in the real estate department of Rudnick & Wolfe, Chicago, IL (now DLA Piper), where she worked in the negotiation and documentation of real estate acquisitions and sales, and joint venture agreements. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan, and a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Headquartered in Northbrook, IL, Shell Vacations LLC is one of the most respected independent vacation ownership developers in the United States, operating or affiliated 23 resorts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The company specializes in the sales and hospitality management of vacation ownership resorts as well as servicing over 125,000 owner and member families of its vacation ownership products.
www.ShellVacationsHospitality.com, www.ShellVacationsClub.com

First Bangladesh Property Added to Global Exchange Network

Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IILG), announced that Bengal Vacation Club at Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa has selected its quality global exchange network. The resort is the first affiliated property in Bangladesh and will be situated in Cox’s Bazar, one of area’s most popular tourist destinations.

Due for completion in October 2011, Sea Pearl Beach will offer guests miles of golden sands on the world’s longest natural white sand beach, which slopes down to the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal. Plans include a mixture of studios, one- and two-bedroom units with sea views. The resort is being built to adhere to eco-friendly standards that embody the principles of “recycle, renew, reuse, reduce, and rethink.”

“Bangladesh has a population of some 160 million and is visited by a large number of tourists from all over the world,” said Joe Hickman, Interval International’s executive director for Asia Pacific. “Easily accessible by air and road, we believe Sea Pearl and its spectacular beachfront location will offer our members an appealing new holiday choice.”

The facilities are expected to include a clubhouse, cinema, restaurants featuring a variety of cuisines, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, and health club. Nearby amenities are boat rentals, horseback riding, and a selection of local restaurants. The beach is bordered by hills that run parallel to the sea for almost its entire length; towering cliffs; colourful, ancient pagodas; and Hindu temples that make it a natural attraction. Adding to the area’s charm are waterfalls, coral islands, and tribal villages.

“We are pioneering the timeshare concept in Bangladesh and want to provide high-quality exchanges,” observed Aminul Haque,chairman and chief executive officer of Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa Ltd, the developer of Bengal Vacation Club. “We decided to affiliate with Interval because we found its exchange and marketing programmes to be very effective and its quality network will complement our image. Their decision makers are very forthcoming and helpful, and we plan to affiliate our future resorts with Interval as well.”

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacationers and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 34 years. Today, Interval has an exchange network of more than 2,500 resorts in over 75 nations. Through offices in 15 countries, Interval offers high-quality products and benefits to resort clients and approximately 2 million families who are enrolled in various membership programs. Interval is an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IILG), a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to the vacation industry.

Karen Buttice

Shell Vacations (Shell) has recently selected Karen Buttice to lead all of the company’s programs that provide extensive fee-based services for resorts, hotels, condominiums and owner associations.

Premier fee-based services currently being offered by the nationally respected independent vacation ownership developer include:

• Direct Member Affiliate Program

• Hospitality and association management

• Rental distribution of unused inventory

• Employee certification programs

• A comprehensive travel program and

• Sales and Marketing services

Shell Vacations President and COO Tracy L. Sherles has appointed Karen Buttice EVP, Business Development to coordinate all corporate fee-based services. “Karen is uniquely qualified to champion this important initiative”, said Sherles, “because of her depth of knowledge of our industry and our company capabilities. For the past three years, she has implemented new corporate initiatives across all disciplines, from Club operations to hospitality services to sales and marketing products and programs. In addition to her 22 years in the timeshare industry, including 19 years with RCI, she is familiar with a wide range of programs offered by other developers.”

Adds Karen Buttice, “After decades of leadership in the vacation ownership industry and proven success with our points-based Shell Vacations Club (wwwShellVacationsClub.com), we have recognized a growing opportunity for others to benefit from our expertise and are actively pursuing growth by providing these fee-based services. This is an ideal way to expand our business by leveraging our services and management expertise. We believe the expansion of our fee-based services model validates our commitment to these strategic initiatives. We have received so many calls regarding our expertise in these areas, this is a natural extension of our business. It is exciting to formalize a program that will enable others to share in the facets of our business that have made us successful.”

For additional information on any of these programs, please contact Karen Buttice at 847-564-4600 or via email at KButtice@shellvacationsllc.com.

Headquartered in Northbrook, IL, Shell Vacations LLC is one of the most respected independent vacation ownership developers in the United States, operating or affiliated 23 resorts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The company specializes in the sales and hospitality management of vacation ownership resorts as well as servicing over 125,000 owner and member families of its vacation ownership products.
www.ShellVacationsHospitality.com, www.ShellVacationsClub.com

Europe’s leading international property investment fund The Hideaways Club has seen substantial growth in both its membership and property portfolio in the first three months of 2010 and this week formed two exciting new partnerships with Shangri-La Hotels and Etihad Airways.

Members of The Hideaways Club now have access to exclusive rates at Shangri-La’s luxury hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. These hotels have been specifically selected as the perfect stop-over or twin centre destinations to the properties offered by The Hideaways Club. Benefits enjoyed by the Club members include special discounted rates for the Shangri-La’s Horizon Club rooms, which offer an even higher level of accommodation, enhanced levels of service, Club Floor check-in and check-out, all day complimentary refreshments and a personal concierge.

As a result of a new partnership with Etihad Airways, members of The Hideaways Club can travel in style and comfort with the award winning national airline of the UAE. Hideaways members will benefit from exclusive Etihad fares and services including private limousine transfers to Heathrow and Manchester airports, bespoke business class fares, use of spa facilities and fine dining options at airport lounges and automatic entry to Etihad’s frequent flyer programme, Etihad Guest. Etihad is the worlds’ leading airline offering its guests the highest standards in service and product development.

Commenting on these new alliances Mike Balfour, Chairman and co-founder of The Hideaways Club said, “We are delighted to have formed these two partnerships as both companies represent the highest standards of quality, service and comfort enjoyed by members of The Hideaways Club. These agreements further underline what is a very exciting time for the Club and we are greatly encouraged by the rapid expansion of both the membership and property portfolio over the past year. We firmly believe that the strong growth we have been experiencing is a powerful endorsement of our business model.”

THE HIDEAWAYS CLUB
With over 160 members and 27 solely owned properties throughout Europe, Africa, Mauritius and South East Asia, The Hideaways Club is now the largest Club of its kind in Europe. This year the company has added three stunning new properties in the South of France, Portugal and Ibiza to its burgeoning property portfolio, and with its recent alliances with US based Equity Estates and the Banyan Tree Private Collection, Members of the Club have the choice of over 45 beautiful properties in which to holiday.

Membership of The Hideaways Club is rapidly becoming recognised as the most financially astute way of investing in overseas property that combines a unique investment with a luxurious lifestyle while at the same time benefitting from medium to long term growth on their investment. For further information please access the website at www.thehideawaysclub.com.

SHANGRI-LA HOTELS
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, currently owns and/or manages 66 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a room’s inventory of over 30,000. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Etihad Airways flies 21 services a week from London Heathrow and seven flights per week from Manchester to its home base in Abu Dhabi. Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates based in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Currently Etihad Airways offers flights to over 60 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Australia and Asia. For tickets and reservations, call 0800 731 9384. For further details, visit http://www.etihadairways.com or www.etihadmediacentre.com.

FractionalExchange.com® has announced that Appassionata, Ltd. has selected FractionalExchange.com for the vacation exchange requirements of its owners at Estate Giacomo Leopardi in the Le Marche region of Italy.

Appassionata has acquired Estate Giacomo Leopardi, which is located near the hilltop village of Montefiore dell’Aso. The estate sits on five acres with stunning views of the Adriatic Sea and Sibillini mountains. The facilities have been created for all seasons and truly reflect the Italian lifestyle. The large swimming pool, all weather tennis court, private terraces, landscaped gardens, olive groves and newly planted vineyard offer something for everyone.

Casa Giacomo, the first residence on the estate ready for exchange, is a four bedroom, three bath residence consisting of 2,150 square feet over two floors. The villa sits on its own private grounds within the estate.

Paul Nabor, Director of Sales at FractionalExchange.com states, “Casa Giacomo is truly an Italian masterpiece. We are so happy to be adding this remarkable property to our ever-expanding network. We welcome its owners to our program, and are confident our existing members will relish having access to this unique exchange opportunity.”

Also on the estate is a farmhouse known as Casa Leopardi. This second residence is presently being restored and converted to two fractional ownership townhomes and will be available to FractionalExchange.com members at a future date.

“Appassionata is delighted to have joined forces with FractionalExchange.com. We have been researching the exchange options available for the last couple of years and have decided that FractionalExchange.com provides the best solution for our boutique fractional business. Appassionata owners now have the wonderful opportunity to exchange residency weeks with similar luxury properties around the world. This is a fantastic additional benefit and choice for Appassionata owners,” says Michael Hobbs, co-founder of Appassionata Ltd.

Says Evan Julber, FractionalExchange.com CEO, “Bringing this premier Italian property into the FractionalExchange.com family creates new and exciting opportunities for all of our members. We are thrilled to have them join our program and look forward to serving their owners’ needs.”

About FractionalExchange.com
FractionalExchange.com is a global online owner-to-owner exchange network for owners of upscale vacation residences and fractional properties. The company was established in 2008 by parent company Sierra Holdings, Incorporated, an Oregon Corporation with offices in Bend, Oregon, USA. Servers are located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. http://www.fractionalexchange.com

About Appassionata, Ltd.
Appassionata Ltd. is a UK based development business specializing in the restoration and creation of unique fractional ownership properties in the region of Le Marche Italy. The business is boutique in nature and style, family run and aimed at like- minded people who want to experience real Italy and a luxurious lifestyle. Founded in 2004 the business takes its time; in Italy great things take time to evolve. Website: http://www.appassionata.com.

Bernard Freibaum, an accomplished financial executive with extensive real estate experience, has joined timeshare developer Shell Vacations LLC (www.ShellVacationsClub.com) as Chief Financial Officer. Freibaum will work closely with Shell Vacations Chairman and CEO Sheldon H. Ginsburg and President and COO Tracy L. Sherles in evaluating new growth opportunities and enhancing business operations within the company’s many divisions.

Added Ginsburg, “We are delighted to welcome a financial executive with Bernie’s impressive credentials and record of accomplishments. We are confident he will become a significant member of our team as we move forward into a new economy.”

Sherles agreed. “We believe our entire company will benefit greatly from Bernie’s expertise and considerable experience.”

During his more than three decades as a financial professional, Freibaum has worked for large public accounting firms as a real estate and tax consultant and for a host of real estate-oriented companies spanning all property types and disciplines. He has skills in development, management, acquisition, disposition, finance, tax and accounting.  Most recently, he was the Chief Financial Officer of General Growth Properties, Inc., which focused on regional shopping malls, where he was awarded “Best CFO” in the public Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) sector by Institutional Investor Magazine for three consecutive years, from 2004 to 2006.

A Chicago native, Freibaum holds a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois, an MS in Taxation from DePaul University and a JD from DePaul College of Law. He has attained the designations of Certified Public Accountant and Attorney-at-Law.

Headquartered in Northbrook, IL, Shell Vacations LLC is one of the most respected independent vacation ownership developers in the United States, operating or affiliated 23 resorts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The company specializes in the sales and hospitality management of vacation ownership resorts as well as servicing over 125,000 owner and member families of its vacation ownership products.
www.ShellVacationsHospitality.com, www.ShellVacationsClub.com

Citadel is proud to announce that it will be attending the Fractional Summit in Abu Dhabi as a Ruby Sponsor. The decision by Citadel to support this event which is to be held at the spectacular Yas Hotel on the 23rd and 24th of November 2010, reflects the increasing importance of the Middle East region and the potential it offers the shared leisure market. The Abu Dhabi Fractional Summit is to focus on all the main aspects of the shared leisure industry from traditional timeshare through to all the different types of fractional products.

Christopher Allen, Director, commented “This is an exciting decision for Citadel and we firmly believe that the event will provide us with the ideal platform from which we can launch our bespoke services in the region. Citadel already has many years of experience in Europe, Asia and the Far East, so we see it as a natural progression for us to now look towards the Middle East and the business opportunities it can offer”.

Piers Brown, founder of event organizer Fractional Life, said: “We´re delighted to have Citadel on board for our first event in the Middle East. This sponsorship demonstrates Citadel’s true foresight and commitment to growing the shared ownership marketplace and we look forward to welcoming delegates and sponsors from around the world to network and discover the opportunities in this exciting region”.

Further to the success of the UK Fractional Summit held earlier this year at the Marriott Grovesnor, London, Citadel is also proud to confirm that it will be attending the 2011 event and, for the fourth year running, it will be supporting the Summit as a Gold Sponsor.

Citadel, which also specializes in emerging products, such as green energy and biomass products, requiring stakeholder, trustee and escrow services, as well as Hotel buy-to-let schemes and other leisure related investment products. Citadel has grown rapidly over since its inception and is authorized by the UK Financial Services Authority to set-up, operate and wind-up Unregulated Collective Investments Schemes, an area of business which has seen very strong growth in recent years and one which will be of particular focus for the company in the future. The Group now boasts offices in the UK, Spain, India, Thailand and China and is involved with projects valued at over $2.5 billion.

For further information about Citadel, please contact Christopher Allen, Director, Client Services and Business Development, by email chrisallen@citadeltrustees.com or, call the company’s UK Head Office +44 (0) 1276 482015/16

Global Connections, Inc. (www.exploregci.com) has selected Lou Anne Karlin to become General Manager of its Beso Del Sol Resort condotel in Dunedin, Florida. Karlin has more than six years experience in the hospitality arena focusing on property management and event planning.

“By utilizing Lou Anne’s expertise to promote onsite rentals, we are transforming the Beso Del Sol Resort into a highly popular destination for special gatherings,” commented Catherine Wunder, VP of Operations for Global Connections.

In addition to providing traditional property management services, Karlin has implemented a new marketing focus for resort rentals by soliciting guests for weddings, family and special events, corporate retreats and charitable causes.

Adds Karlin, “We are encouraging small and regional corporations along with non-profit groups to hold their events at the Beso Del Sol Resort. By offering such a beautiful venue, we have helped highlight many good causes and brought business to the City of Dunedin. In just a short time, we have welcomed corporate team-building gatherings and a televised cooking show. In June, Beso Del Sol will host the ‘Blooming Luau’ benefiting Blooming Place for Kids, a camp for children living in foster care.”

Global Connections was selected last year to handle property management services for the resort. Karlin and her staff provide all condominium maintenance and housekeeping services on behalf of the condo owners and manage the on-site rental and guest services office for owners desiring to participate in Global’s rental program.

Located on the West Coast of Florida, Beso Del Sol Resort is one of four company-owned resorts. After its purchase in July 2008, the waterfront property underwent a multi-million dollar renovation project of the nearly 80 units and common areas. The whole ownership condominiums include a mix of garden and Gulf-view studio units, as well as one- and two-bedroom condominiums, plus direct Gulf-front studio units. Amenities include two swimming pools, hot tub, waterfront sundeck, fitness center and private pier with boat slips, plus a tiki bar and grill. A waterfront venue for special events and corporate meetings is scheduled for a fall opening. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, the 14-year old Global Connections’ (www.exploregci.com) travel club enjoys a membership base of over 150,000.

The company has developed and owns many of its properties like the Beso Del Sol Resort, with resorts currently located in Florida, California and Tennessee. Global Connections also owns multiple resort condominium units in Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Vacation Planning and Demystifying Timeshares from the Comfort of the Couch

Planning a vacation has never been easier – just ask the viewers that have already tuned in to RCI® TV more than 1 million times for advice on where to eat, stay and play in the most popular destinations around the globe. The web-based television network, once exclusive to RCI subscribing members, began granting public access in November 2009 to its entertaining and educational high-definition videos narrated by the enigmatic “RCI Guy” on www.RCI.com. This 1 million-view milestone demonstrates that travelers are interested in not only learning more about the timeshare industry, but also visiting the hundreds of RCI’s more than 4,000 resorts who are showcasing their vacation destinations in high-definition video on-line. To celebrate this landmark number, RCI is giving away a choice of either an all-inclusive vacation at an RCI affiliated resort for up to four people valued at up to $5,000 USD for one week at any one of the stunning all-inclusive properties featured on RCI TV, or a one week stay for up to four people at any of the beautiful non all-inclusive “Resort Showcase” properties featured on RCI TV.

Recognizing that timeshare is still unfamiliar territory for many, RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), launched RCI TV in an effort to more heavily promote the benefits of owning or vacationing in a timeshare resort through a network of channels including: An Inside Look, What You Need to Know, Ask the RCI Guy, Resort Showcase, All Inclusive Resorts and Destination Reviews. Through tailored on-line and on-air programming, RCI provides travelers with answers to the age-old questions – How do timeshares work? What is the quality of the resorts, houses, condos and villas? Why are timeshare resorts the preferred vacation option for over 6 million owners and millions more non-owners who like the space, comfort, amenities and value that they offer?

“Since inventing the concept of timeshare exchange more than 35 years ago, RCI has been devoted to providing innovative technology and marketing solutions that add value for both our members and our affiliates,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “The overwhelming usage and success of RCI TV is beyond anything we originally envisioned when we launched it nearly a year ago. Moms and dads who are planning vacations want to see more than just pretty pictures as they plan their vacations. They want to be able to show their kids and email their friends links to beautiful videos that show where they’re headed or where they’ve just returned from as a family. With RCI TV surpassing 1 million views in such a short period of time, we’re happy that we’re giving our members what they’re looking for in this regard. Our commitment to adding more high-def video programming is stronger than ever and film crews are spanning the globe to bring these vacation resorts and destinations to life on peoples’ home computers, laptops, tablets and iPhones®. And most importantly, once a vacationer has experienced what we offer on RCI TV, our commitment is to then link them back to our affiliates’ websites, so that they can tell them more about their resorts.”

RCI also has notably made its debut into the mobile marketing world with the launch of an RCI application for the iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPadTM available through the Apple Store® retail store services. The RCI TV feature grants users immediate access to a list of featured Destination Channel videos currently available on RCI.com that they can then share or save. Additionally, RCI has launched a YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/rcitimeshare) that contains dozens of quality resort videos from RCI TV that showcase affiliated properties around the world. These new resources enhance the trip planning process for savvy travelers who tweet, text and blog and allows users to share vacation experiences with their social networks.

Consumers can visit http://rcisurvey.bgtpartners.com/rci-promotion.aspx to enter to win and can use their Resort & Residence TV promo code, ‘ThinkBig,’ for an extra 10 chances to win.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The RCI® TV Prize Draw is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including D.C.) and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are at least twenty-one (21) years old at the time of entry.  See the link above for Official Rules, prize description and odds disclosure. Void where prohibited.

iPhone®, iPod touch® , and Apple Store® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., and iPadTM  is a trademark of Apple, Inc. This press release is an independent announcement and has not been authorized, sponsored or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 65,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange & Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange. For additional information visit our media center.

De Vere Hotels and Resorts have appointed Kirstie Yates as the new head of marketing responsible for overseeing marketing communications at 13 luxury hotels within the collection.

Kirstie joins De Vere from pub company Mitchells & Butlers where she spent four years in brand development most of which was spent as senior marketing manager of O’Neill’s, the traditional Irish pub chain.

A graduate from Leicester University, where she gained a degree in politics and a masters in marketing, Kirstie started her career at international drinks group Diageo where she worked on the Guinness and Baileys brands before becoming brand manager for Smirnoff.

At De Vere Kirstie will be responsible for developing and overseeing local and national marketing activities for 13 hotels which includes a number of premier golf courses and luxury spa and conference facilities across the UK. Cameron House on the shores of Loch Lomond, Slaley Hall in Northumberland, The Grand Hotel at Brighton and Belton Woods in Lincolnshire are among the leading hotels within the collection.

In her new role she will report directly into chief executive Deborah Kemp who is spearheading the marketing drive which will focus on both promoting the meetings and incentive facilities to the corporate sector and attracting more leisure visitors.

Commenting on her appointment, Kirstie said: “I am joining De Vere at a very exciting time for the company and will be working closely with the hotel sales teams at a local and national level to maximise the marketing opportunities within their properties.

“With the rising cost of holidaying abroad, not to mention the recent disruption to air travel, we will be looking to attract more customers to our hotels which are very much part of the Great British holiday tradition. With outstanding spa, golf and leisure facilities, they are a great base for short breaks or longer holidays where couples or families can enjoy the surrounding countryside and numerous attractions.”