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.

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.”

Following on from the industry-first success of Owners Perspective Magazine’s independent positioning of shared ownership products amongst general consumers through first class airport lounge distribution with more than a dozen of the world’s leading airlines, and in top hotels, resorts, golf clubs and spas, the specifically tailored Resort Developer Editions are helping on-site sales credibility, reducing new member cancellations and increasing the opportunities for upgrades, rentals and referrals.

Since its official launch last month, the publisher has announced confirmation for distribution and use at resorts in Mexico, Thailand, India, Bali, United Kingdom and soon plans to announce a number of confirmed contracts in Florida, Canada and Australia. These developer orientated special editions are backed by the credibility of the world’s largest independent publication for shared ownership products that is available to the general public and is exciting and motivating sales teams as it continues to be implemented in more and more resorts around the globe.

“We are so pleased with being able to provide another unique product to help increase sales and customer retention, and the rapid success of our Resort Developer Package is testament again to the quality of our work” says Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International Ltd.

With an incredibly versatile suite of options, developers can choose some or all of the features provided within the package to create the perfect fit for their operation(s) and orders can be placed with no long term commitment enabling resorts to quickly integrate at low cost.

For more information on Owners Perspective Magazine’s Resort Developer Options please request an information pack by emailing advertising@perspectiveinternational.com

Owners Perspective Magazine can be freely read online at http://www.ownersperspective.com

De Vere has launched a new, more accessible fractional ownership scheme enabling individuals and companies to buy into the ultimate in luxury at The Carrick on the shores of Scotland’s Loch Lomond.

With the new offering private and corporate clients can now purchase four and eight week fractions at the Mansion House which comprises a number of luxurious two-bedroom apartments. Owners benefit from a dedicated 24 hour concierge service as well as privileged membership of the Carrick Golf Club and Spa which forms part of De Vere’s Cameron House resort.

Previously the company had only marketed quarter share fractions, entitling buyers to 12 floating weeks throughout the year, but under the new scheme four and eight week fractions can also be purchased with a discounted entry price of just £49,450.

The new fractional ownership offering is designed to make the Mansion House more accessible and affordable according to Deborah Kemp, managing director of De Vere Hotels and Resorts.  “Since we launched the product in 2006, the market has obviously changed due to the economic climate, but we are confident that the quality and pricing of the Mansion House offering, together with the numerous other benefits on offer at the Carrick, will be extremely attractive to the marketplace”

A 12 week share at Mansion House costs from £143,000, with eight weeks priced from £101,915.  Under the scheme, owner’s weeks are split over three periods of the year including peak holidays and off peak.

De Vere is marketing the scheme through a new website, brochure and national roadshows and as well as introductory discounts is offering a number of incentives including free first year management fees for all purchases made in 2010.

Owners are able to rent out some of their weeks either privately or through De Vere and can  exchange weeks with other De Vere properties at Slaley Hall in Northumberland, Cameron House and Belton Woods in Lincolnshire.  The company is also affiliated with Interval International providing access to a worldwide network of 2500 resorts for exchange purposes.

Since its inception in July 2008, Owners Perspective Magazine has established itself as the authority on buying timeshare, resort real estate and fractional ownership products, having been selected for distribution via the first class airport lounges of more than a dozen of the world’s leading airlines, luxury hotels, resorts, golf clubs and spas with a reach of over 50,000 highly targeted prospective buyers per edition.

Today, sees the launch of a new cutting edge website for the magazine, which offers access to all back issues in both digital page turn technology and downloadable PDF formats, web versions of all articles for easy search and reference, reader offers, competitions and the latest resort and luxury travel news updated daily.

The new site also has a social media element to it, combining the most popular features of Twitter and Facebook as well as offering Groups and Forums designed to glean positive feedback and consumer opinion on all aspects of shared ownership products.

To ensure the quality and integrity of its readership, all previous subscribers to the website are being asked to manually re-register, enabling Owners Perspective Magazine to have an accurate and active database of readers; with the new system also controlling any unsubscribing readers with ease.

Estimated figures predict that more than 10,000 will re-register over the next few weeks and the company expects rapid growth thereafter.

For more information visit www.ownersperspective.com

For information on advertising and editorial opportunities visit www.perspectiverates.com

International Shared Ownership Trade Publication to Become Survey Technology Media Partner

Robert A. Kobek, President of Mobius Vendor Partners, (MVP) an Indianapolis-based company that provides business process management and online customer feedback surveys for companies, associations and non-profit organizations, announced that it has joined forces with the UK-based Perspective Magazine as a primary vehicle for publishing important leisure industry research garnered by MVP’s CustomerCount online feedback system.

The CustomerCount® program collects and measures customer feedback.   CustomerCount tracks three primary components:  the reservation experience, the sales experience and the vacation experience. CustomerCount® is fully transparent to members, owners and guests.  The process begins with Email invitations and reminders and continues through to on-line reporting and analysis 24/7. It may be customized for use by shared ownership resort developments, as well as other businesses.

“We’re looking forward to working more closely with Perspective as it opens up a truly global market for CustomerCount.  In the few years the publishing company has been in the shared ownership market, their impact has been considerable.  As they expand into North America, we plan to be of assistance in growing both their advertiser and subscriber base,” said Kobek.

Paul Mattimoe, President and CEO of Perspective International Ltd.  Said “Before establishing our first company in 2003, we had more than 20 collective years of experience in timeshare sales, marketing and management and so we clearly recognize how the data collected by CustomerCount can impact sales, marketing and operations of resorts.  We are proud to be able to offer that information to our international clients and readers. We additionally look forward to working closely with Mobius Vendor Partners in other areas as we continue to rapidly expand our US Company’s presence, based out of Orlando, FL.”

Mobius Vendor Partners is a ten year old business process design and management company specializing in servicing the needs of the timeshare industry.  Mobius principals are active in ARDA through sponsorships and committee memberships.  For more information visit www.mobiusvp.com or call 317-816-6000.
Perspective Magazine, now available in North America, International and South Africa editions; boasts the widest reach of any independent trade publication for the shared ownership industry, and is officially distributed to all delegates at 20 major industry conventions and events worldwide. For more information visit www.perspectiverates.com  or call +1 407-362-1540 (USA) or +44 191 250 3501 (UK)

Citadel Trustees Ltd (Citadel) is pleased to announce that it has recently been appointed by Novaterra Gestión S.L. to provide bespoke Escrow and Stakeholder services to the Group for their exclusive shared-ownership program of their Resort, Arcos Gardens Golf Club & Country Estate.

This multi-award winning development is located just 20 minutes from the city of Jerez de la Frontera, home of the world’s most important sherry bodegas and is surrounded by the beautiful Andalucian countryside. Novaterra has created a unique and exclusive development, which comprises of luxury residences overlooking one of Europe’s finest
golf courses. Their shared-ownership program consist of 10 4-bedroom villas that will be offered in one eighth shares, allowing for 6 weeks usage per year in addition to the upscale furnishings and amenities which include a Golf Membership.

Christopher Allen, Director, commented “We are very proud to have been appointed by Novaterra for the Arcos Gardens Golf Club & Country Estate and to be associated with such a prestigious product. Citadel will be providing bespoke Escrow and Stakeholder services, which will enhance the process through which Novaterra is able to offer their shared-ownership product to the market, bringing security and flexibility to both the Developer and the Share Owners”.

In addition to providing Trustee services for the shared-ownership industry, Citadel also specializes in emerging products, such as green energy 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 recent years 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 at chrisallen@citadeltrustees.com or call the company’s UK Head Office on +44 (0) 1276 482015/16.

New internet-based holiday rental site, Holiday Letting Shop, chooses Merlin Software as its technology provider to support its rental business including inventory management and online booking and payments.

Holiday Letting Shop is a new internet-based holiday rental site featuring some of the world’s finest self catering apartment properties and villas.  Set to launch in May 2010, the team works with specialists in all areas of the travel and hospitality sector such as tour operators, resort developers, management companies and owner committees. Inventory is marketed on both a business-customer basis through the Holiday Letting Shop website and, using Merlin’s technology, directly through to other third party inventory distributors.

HLS Director Sharon Jackson explained “We needed software that understood the nature of our business, would work with us as we develop, and support our technological requirements. It made perfect sense to use Merlin. They are leaders in internet based technology solutions and the experienced team understands the needs of the rental side of the holiday business”.

“Merlin will allow HLS to run its entire business from one online application. We can easily integrate Merlin functionality into our website to allow online bookings and payments – exactly what customers expect from a holiday letting service. We can work with resorts with multiple weeks to rent or single owners with just one week they want to rent out”.

From rental sites such as Holiday Letting Shop to fixed week timeshare resorts and from points clubs and fractionals to private residence clubs, Merlin’s software functionality provides a single software solution for today’s resort business. Developed as state-of-the-art Business Application Software, Merlin is web based and served across the internet. Users can access their accounts securely via a web browser from anywhere, at any time without the need of expensive or complicated hardware installations.

“With Merlin we can work with our inventory from wherever we are in the world as long as we have an internet connection. This suits the way that we work” Ms Jackson explained.

Merlin’s interactive functionality allows companies to integrate the software with their current websites for online bookings, rentals and payments. Members can transact in real time with their management company, accessing the same data and with all activities written back directly into Merlin.

Merlin, the leading industry online software provider, delivers software directly to users through the internet using the new technology of Cloud Computing. According to chief software developer Mike Pnematicatos “Merlin is resource light, incredibly intuitive and allows unlimited users and multiple locations to access the software securely in real time from anywhere in the world. It enables resorts and hotels to benefit from time and cost savings – yet still be at the cutting edge of internet technology.”

Developed by Mike Pnematicatos with 25 years’ experience in vacation ownership, Merlin is the complete software solution for resorts. It is web-based, highly interactive and includes property management, sales, marketing and accounting functionality.