Ten Outstanding People and Projects Selected as Industry’s “Best in Class”

At the American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) 2010 Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas, 10 people and projects nominated under the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand achieved the highest honor in the timeshare industry: the ARDA Gold.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations’ ARDA Gold winners this year include the following people:

• Peter Menges, Marketing Management Executive

• Joanna Lambert, Sales Management Executive

• Marc Shaw, Sales Trainer

• Mike Blank, Salesperson – In-House

• Taciana Quiles, Administrative Staff Member

• Shawn Boschert, Resort Assistant Manager

• Clifford Black, Resort Staff Member

• Tim Williams of Gatorland®, Vendor / Supplier Staff Member

And the following projects in the Advertising and Promotions category:

• Lifetimes owner newsletter – Fall 2009, Newsletter Print Format

• Shop. Dine. Play. Golf Campaign, Integrated Marketing Campaign

Timeshare developer Orange Lake Resorts, with more than 25 years in the industry, has been a member of ARDA since 1982. Since Orange Lake’s strategic marketing alliance with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) in September of 2008, the company has submitted their nominations for the highly esteemed ARDA Awards under the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand. This year’s performance at the 2010 ARDA Convention was a company record.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations has already hired more than 500 employees year to date across their resorts and have more than 100 open positions at their Orlando, Fla. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. locations.

For more information on career opportunities with Holiday Inn Club Vacations, contact Carolyn Argo at 407.905.1456.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,478 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Through IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards, guests renting villas will earn Priority Club points during their stays at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, which they can redeem for free nights at IHG properties or exchange for merchandise and special experiences.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

Multi-platinum entertainers to create “A Night with the Masters” at House of Blues in Orlando

Holiday Inn Club Vacations, the timeshare brand created as a strategic alliance between IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group, and timeshare industry leader Orange Lake Resorts, is celebrating another record-breaking year by recognizing their top sales consultants at their annual, invitation-only Sales Awards Gala. The event takes place on Thursday, March 11th at House of Blues in Orlando’s Downtown Disney.

The theme for the awards celebration is aptly named “A Night with the Masters,” a dual tribute, first to the elite class of sales consultants who will be recognized for their success, and also to the collaboration of multi-platinum artists who will take the stage as the night’s entertainment. Performers from 70’s and 80’s rock and pop sensation bands including Deep Purple, Orleans, Loverboy, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band and Survivor will play the hits of the decades on the House of Blues stage.

This year’s sales awards gala is certainly cause to celebrate for the Holiday Inn Club Vacations team, who’ve continued to enjoy tremendous growth, despite the odds in a down economy.

John Sutherland, Senior Vice President of Sales for Holiday Inn Club Vacations and 20-year industry veteran, says “Right now, the theme for our sales team is ‘off the charts.’ Our annual net sales numbers have continued to increase year over year, and this year we’ll see 13,000 more tours as a result of our new marketing channels. And, we’re still hiring top industry sales consultants in what we expect to be our best year yet.”

Holiday Inn Club Vacations has already hired more than 350 employees year to date across their resorts and have 100 open positions at their Orlando, Fla. location and 30 open positions in Myrtle Beach, S.C. They’re currently seeking experienced sales consultants at both resorts.

For more information on career opportunities with Holiday Inn Club Vacations, contact Carolyn Argo at 407.905.1456.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,478 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn. 

Through IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards, guests renting villas will earn Priority Club points during their stays at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, which they can redeem for free nights at IHG properties or exchange for merchandise and special experiences.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

Leading timeshare companies and service providers have thrown their chips in to be Signature Sponsors of the 2010 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention and Exposition at Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. The annual convention, from March 14–18, will feature an impressive line-up of speakers and entertainers, including keynote speaker Andy Sernovitz. Sernovitz is considered the guru of the word-of-mouth marketing movement, helping countless companies understand the radical changes brought by blogs, MySpace, and consumer-generated media.

The 2010 Signature Sponsors include American Express, Equiant Financial Services, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Systems International (HSI), International Cruise and Excursions, Inc. (ICE), Interval International, iTravel Companion, RCI, Redweek.com, ResortCom International, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., and VacationGuard, Inc.

The convention offers companies prime exposure to top vacation ownership industry professionals who gather to network, learn the latest industry trends, and visit hundreds of industry suppliers on the exhibit floor. Thanks to the generosity of the Signature Sponsors, the ARDA Convention has become the number-one annual resource, providing networking for industry leaders, timely educational programming, and exposure for sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees.

“We are grateful for the support we receive from our Signature Sponsors,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “These companies enable us to offer the high-quality events our members need, while getting great visibility among the attendees.”

RCI is once again sponsoring the RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament at Bear’s Best Las Vegas golf club. Interval International is hosting its annual “Party with a Cause” with ticket proceeds benefiting industry research and education. Equiant Financial Services is providing the “smart car fortwo” for the AIF Auto Driveaway contest. The ARDA Awards Gala, sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), will include a cocktail reception, elegant dinner, presentation of the annual ARDA Awards and live entertainment by the Rhythmics.

Companies interested in participating as sponsors or exhibitors at the timeshare industry’s premier annual event may contact Bob Craycraft at 202-371-6700, or bcraycraft@arda.org. Visit www.ARDA.org for more information about the 2010 convention.

The American Resort Development Association is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA today has over 1,000 members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with expertise in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC).

Winter Park Construction (WPC), one of Central Florida’s largest and most respected general contractors has recently been selected to direct a $16.6 million refurbishment at the 1,450-acre, Kissimmee-based Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort as well as two of their other Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The yearlong project will include the total interior renovation and upgrade of 224 two-bedroom golf villas and the soft-goods renovation of 408 one, two- and three-bedroom units at the popular vacation ownership properties.

The timeshare developer Orange Lake Resorts, with more than 25 years in the industry, recently became Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort as a result of their recent marketing alliance with IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group), creating the Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare brand. The two companies share a common heritage, customer profile and vision for growth, with Kemmons Wilson having founded IHG’s Holiday Inn hotel chain in 1952 and creating Orange Lake Resort in 1982.
In announcing the new contract, Jeff Forrest, President of Winter Park Construction,

(WPC) added that Charlie Cecil has been named to direct the Holliday Inn Club Vacations project. A 25-year veteran in the construction industry and 14 years with Winter Park Construction, Cecil is Manager of the company’s Renovation/ Special Projects Division.

The new assignment will be completed in three phases, beginning in January 2010 and finalized in December. During the renovation project, Winter Park Construction will remove all furnishings, complete interior paint and millwork detail, replace carpeting and ceramic flooring, add new granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms and install plumbing and lighting fixtures, all new soft-goods, case-goods, window treatments, artwork and accessories.

Added Forrest, “We are proud of Winter Park Construction’s 29-year relationship with Orange Lake Resort, having built virtually built every structure on this property. In 2009, we launched our Renovations/Special Projects Division that specializes in multi-unit renovations and are currently completing a 108-unit soft-goods renovation at Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort.”

Commented Tammy Oliver, Sr. Director – Warehouse Services for Orange Lake, “I look forward to working with Winter Park Construction in the coming year. They are unsurpassed in their experience within our industry and truly understand what it takes to create a home-away-from-home for our owners and guests. Holiday Inn Club Vacations is growing at a rapid pace, and as we expand outside of Central Florida, it’s like having an extended family growing with us.”

Added Forrest, “While this will be a construction challenge, we will be working closely with the Project Management Team to ensure that there is no inconvenience to guests during peak occupancy times.”

Founded in 1974, Winter Park Construction specializes in the hospitality, commercial, multi-family, studenthousing, and senior living markets.  WPC has completed projects all over the Southeast United States, Las Vegas, and Cancun, Mexico.

The Orlando Business Journal has ranked Winter Park Construction one of Central Florida’s largest local construction/general contractor companies. Engineering News-Record Magazine also lists them as one of the nation’s Top 400 Contractors. With revenues exceeding $200 million, Winter Park Construction has completed over one billion square feet of construction work including over 10,000 timeshare units and 30,000 units in the multi-family sectors. Over 40% of the operations staff with management responsibilities are LEED accredited.

In announcing the new assignment, Forrest added, “More than 80% of our work is repeat business; we are honored to once again be assisting Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort and its member resorts with their construction needs. Our continuing goal is to provide a construction experience that exceeds our clients’ expectations.” For more information, visit www.wpc.com.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,478 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,200 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

Occupancy, Satisfaction Rates Remain Strong

Despite tighter credit markets and high unemployment rates, the U.S. timeshare industry continues to demonstrate its resilience.

Although overall sales continue to reflect the national trend of lower consumer spending, timeshare owners continue to enjoy their pre-paid timeshare vacations, with an 80 percent occupancy rate and an 86 percent product approval rate. This compares with a 60.4 percent hotel occupancy rate, according to Smith Travel Research.

“The downturn in our economy has hit the tourism industry particularly hard; the timeshare segment, however, due in part to its pre-paid nature, is better equipped than most to weather a downturn,” said Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). “The good news is that timeshare owners are still vacationing, and occupancy remains strong. Coupled with our industry’s emphasis on new efficiencies and improvements to our business model, we will come through the current downturn and be ready to meet the expectations of customers.”

Preliminary 2009 second quarter research indicates that nine out of 10 owners were current on monthly payments, a .2 percent increase over the preceding quarter. Sales efficiencies have improved, as measured by Volume Per Guest (VPG) of $2,043 that was up by two percent from the previous quarter level.
In addition, use of exchange options that offer timeshare owners the ability to trade resort destinations other than those of their “home resort” location are also strong, demonstrating that owners continue to enjoy their timeshares.

Several leading timeshare developers agree with Nusbaum’s outlook.
“We’ve had the best summer on record, and sales continue to be robust. Just because the economy has slowed doesn’t mean we have stopped doing what we do—we’ve taken a closer look at how we can refine our processes and products to deliver memorable vacations that families want to come back to year after year,” said Don Harrill, president and CEO of Holiday Inn Club Vacations.

“At Disney, we have confidence in vacation ownership. In fact, we’re enlarging our footprint outside of the Orlando area by the opening of our newest resort in California and developing one in Hawaii,” added James M. Lewis, president of Disney Vacation Club.

Sergio Rivera, CEO for Starwood Vacation Ownership said, “Closing rates have held up better than expected given the discretionary nature of the product. This supports our belief that consumer dynamics will be strong over the long run.”

This comes as no surprise to David Palmer, CFO of Diamond Resorts International. “Our closing rates this year are identical to those last year, and our collections remain strong. Additionally, our diversified cash flow business model has allowed us to substantially decrease our reliance on the capital markets.”
Most developers report that decreased sales, in part, are a result of purposely slowed sales to maintain a healthy cash flow during the tightened credit market environment. In addition, the industry expects to limit new construction until inventory levels are reduced.

“An increase in volume aided by improving consumer sentiment and recovering capital markets will accelerate absorption,” said Nusbaum. “Most of all, demographics are on our side, with baby boomers and succeeding generations eager to purchase a piece of flexible vacation real estate, allowing them the better vacationing and the undeniable value proposition that timeshare offers. Our industry is primed to fulfill the increased consumer demand for quality vacation experiences.”

The American Resort Development Association is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA today has over 1,000 members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with expertise in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC). For more information, visit www.arda.org or ARDA’s consumer website at www.VacationBetter.org.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations today announced that the upscale Signature Collection at the club’s flagship Orlando resort has joined with RCI’s The Registry Collection® Exchange Program, the world’s largest luxury timeshare exchange program.

Holiday Inn Club members who purchase vacation weeks in the Signature Collection villas at Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort and own more than 500,000 Holiday Inn Club Points will enjoy the benefits of The Registry Collection program, which provides members access to an elite global network of the very finest vacation properties at some of the world’s premier destinations, as well as personal concierge service available 24 hours a day. The Signature Collection villas are currently available for purchase and will be open for occupancy starting Jan. 1, 2010.

“We’re proud that our Signature Collection presents an upscale product offering to our club members, giving them an extraordinary way to experience the benefits of the Holiday Inn Club,” said Patrick Connolly, Senior Vice President of Owner Support for Holiday Inn Club Vacations. “We’re very pleased to now provide our Signature Collection members access to The Registry Collection program, expanding their membership benefits and travel options to great resorts all over the world.”

Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort features more than 2,400 villas located near the area’s theme parks. The 56 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom luxury villas and 4-bedroom penthouse suite villas in the Signature Collection reside at the resort’s River Island village, featuring either a sunset view or a view of the tropical 12-acre recreation complex.

The Signature Collection was designed to offer the intimate, residential feeling of a home away from home, appointed with upscale resort amenities to complete guests’ vacation experience. Accommodations have been designed for comfort and relaxation with special attention to detail, including soothing color palettes, luxury linens and bath amenities, surround-sound stereo, LCD televisions, screened patios and balconies, spa tubs with hydro-jets, full-sized washers and dryers, and fully-equipped kitchens. Signature Collection members can also enjoy personal attention from exclusive concierge staff, plus additional perks including daily newspaper delivery, a special on-site activities package and exclusive access to a private pool deck with a dedicated pool attendant.

“Members of The Registry Collection consistently rank Central Florida as one of the most requested inbound exchange destinations, so we are especially happy to welcome the Signature Collection to our portfolio,” said Gregg Anderson, Global Managing Director for The Registry Collection program. “The resort amenities are outstanding, and the proximity to the area’s themed attractions is sure to be a big hit with our members.”

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations’ flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,200 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

About The Registry Collection
The Registry Collection program is a global network comprising over 30,000 members and more than 130 affiliates on five continents. The more than 160 properties available through the program are either accessible for exchange or under development. As the world’s largest luxury exchange program, The Registry Collection program provides members with access to an elite global network of the very finest vacation properties at some of the world’s premier destinations, as well as personal concierge services that are available 24 hours a day.  From condo hotels and high-end fractional resorts to private residence clubs and fractional yachts, The Registry Collection program facilitates exchanges around the world and redefines the vacation experience for owners and developers. The Registry Collection program is offered by Group RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN). For additional information, visit the media center at www.grouprci.com.

Tournament to be Held at Orange Lake Resort for 7th Consecutive Year

Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort is celebrating its seventh year as the Central Florida host of the Group RCI Christel House Open on Monday, June 8. This is the first year that the tournament will be hosted under Orange Lake Resort’s new timeshare brand, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and will take place at the resort’s 18-hole, Arnold Palmer-designed Legends golf course. Sponsorship and player opportunities are still available for participating in this event for a great cause.  

Considered the largest single-day, charity golf tournament in the world, the Group RCI Christel House Open is spread out across 19 tournament sites spanning five continents. Approximately 2,000 golfers will tee off on this day for the charity—and 100% of the worldwide proceeds will go to programs and services that directly benefit the more than 3,000 children of Christel House.

Don Harrill, President and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts, said, “We’re very pleased that so many of our timeshare industry friends are joining us once again in this year’s tournament to benefit Christel House—as well as several of our local attraction partners and vendors. Last year was a great success and we hope to continue this important tradition year after year here at Orange Lake Resort.”

Orange Lake Resorts has partnered with the non-profit organization for the Group RCI Christel House Open since its inception in 2002 as the charity’s major site host. Last year, the company’s dedicated efforts helped to raise over $125,000 for the Christel House mission. This year’s tournament will be graced with the presence of two very special guests: Christel DeHaan, founder of the Christel House International foundation, and Gordon Gurnik, President of Group RCI North America.

For sponsorship opportunities and more information on how you can play in this tournament, contact Cathy Duncan, Manager of Corporate Events for Orange Lake Resorts, at 407-239-0000, ext. 1979.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,200 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

Industry Perspective, Education, and Networking Highlight ARDA Convention

Almost three thousand timeshare industry professionals gathered together at the 2009 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention and Exposition, March 29–April 2, 2009. The annual convention and tradeshow, hosted at the Orlando World Center Marriott, showcased 164 exhibitors, including 36 new exhibiting companies.

This year’s convention kicked off with the Group RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament at Hawk’s Landing Golf Club. One hundred and forty-four golfers played in support of the ARDA International Foundation. All net proceeds from the tournament and Auto Driveaway support industry research and education programs. Interval International’s “Party with a Cause,” which showcased the Spinners, also raised funds for the Foundation.

The convention’s opening general session, sponsored by Group RCI, featured keynote speaker Dr. Jeffrey Rosenweig, who is a global economics forecaster and expert on global investing and business strategy. This session also feted the industry association’s 40th Anniversary, which will be celebrated in various ways throughout the year.

The week’s events featured a notable line-up of forum and educational sessions with outstanding speakers and entertainers. Highlights of the convention included Tuesday morning’s opening session, “State of the Industry in Three Parts”. Three back-to-back panels discussed the rapidly changing state of timeshare industry from different viewpoints: The Advocates, The Communicators, and the CEOs.

Other events included the Industry Think Tank, sponsored by North Highland. Three hundred industry leaders came together to share and design new business strategies and models needed in order to succeed during the current economic environment. The Resale Forum, “Shaping Resale for the Future,” was presented to discuss the need for better consumer information about the secondary market and future plans.

ARDA members were joined this year by members of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE), who held an annual two-day leadership conference in conjunction with the ARDA Convention and attended educational sessions.

Throughout, industry executives shared industry practices, gained knowledge of the most recent marketing trends and tools, heard state-of-the-industry updates, and witnessed firsthand the impact of timeshare in Orlando, one of the top resort regions in the United States. Panel discussions and educational sessions addressed a wide variety of topics, such as hospitality issues, fractional and private residence clubs, fundamentals of finance, cross-industry developments, green management, and e-media trends–all with the goal of drawing a new road map for the future.

“Although the industry has been hit hard by the current credit crisis, the fundamentals remain sound, especially in fulfilling the need for better vacationing at a great value,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “Our industry was developed during the recession of the 1970s, and the entrepreneurial nature and creative spirit of our members will continue to meet the needs of a new generation of Americans eager to answer their wanderlust with vacation ownership.”

Highlights of the program also included Breakfast of Champions, sponsored by Hilton Grand Vacations, featured legendary Olympic swimmer Janet Evans. The ARDA Awards Gala, sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), which featured the presentation of the annual ARDA Awards and a performance by famed composer Marvin Hamlisch.

The 2009 Signature Sponsors include American Express, Group RCI, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Systems International (HSI), International Cruise and Excursions, Inc. (ICE), Interval International, Redweek.com, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., Textron Financial Corporation, VacationGuard, Inc., and Whirlpool Corporation.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations announced that the South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., officially joined the timeshare brand’s portfolio today, with the Smoky Mountain resort in Gatlinburg, Tenn., scheduled to go live tomorrow. These newest additions join the brand’s flagship location, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Fla., and three other Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts in Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla., and Brownsville, Vt. Travelers can now rent vacation villas at all six resorts at www.hiclubvacations.com.

In February of this year, the 256-unit South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach and the 109-unit Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg were purchased by the developer Orange Lake Resorts under an exclusive agreement with IHG to license the Holiday Inn Club Vacations name.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations will add a 6,500 square-foot sales center at the Myrtle Beach resort, and starting April 2, 2009, timeshare intervals at all Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties will be sold out of both Orlando and Myrtle Beach.  Orange Lake Resorts has also budgeted nearly $3 million for improvements to the resort, including the renovation of the private beachfront owner clubhouse.  As part of the improvements, Orange Lake has committed to the ongoing Holiday Inn brand relaunch, which will bring a new service platform and a more up-to-date look to the property.  Additional plans include the extension of the recently-introduced Signature Collection, a premium product offering with enhanced amenity features, to the Myrtle Beach resort.

First announced in 2007, the Holiday Inn brand relaunch program was established to create a more contemporary brand image and increase quality and drive consistency. Holiday Inn Club Vacations is the result of the relaunch strategy to create the right brand extensions in the right markets.  The global estate of more than 3,200 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010. 

“We know that what matters most to our guests is creating memorable vacation experiences with their families and friends,” said Christian Hempell, vice president, Holiday Inn Club Vacations.  “As our guests look for better vacation value in these tough economic times, we’re pleased that in just three months we’ve offered them six new resorts all conveniently located in high demand drive-to destinations.”

Orange Lake President and CEO, Don Harrill, said, “It’s an exciting time for our company, as we grow our timeshare brand to the destinations our Club members have asked for. The only way for us to continue to be among the best in the timeshare industry is to deliver on our promise to enhance the way our members vacation—and we’re pleased to say we’re still doing just that.”

With these two resort locations, Holiday Inn Club Vacations will welcome nearly 200 more employees to deliver the brand promise to guests and owners in Myrtle Beach and Gatlinburg.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations was announced in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  This alliance is unique in that it allows IHG to enter the timeshare industry, purely through an exclusive licensing and marketing agreement with no capital investment.  Orange Lake will continue to own and operate these resorts as a privately held company.

Through IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards, guests renting villas will earn Priority Club points during their stays at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, which they can redeem for free nights at IHG properties or exchange for merchandise and special experiences.  This resort will also welcome members of the newly formed Holiday Inn Club™ exchange program, which allows members to exchange their weeks at any Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort for hotel nights at IHG’s more than 4,150 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club members will also have access to Resort Condominium International’s (RCI) network of more than 4,100 resorts.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to seek opportunities to expand in top North American destination locations, adding more vacation experiences, features and benefits. Orange Lake also plans to build a flagship Holiday Inn Resort hotel adjacent to the Orlando resort and has the potential to develop up to 2,500 more timeshare villas at this location. For more information, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
                                                    
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,150 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations. 

For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.