It may be the world’s first resort to incorporate a working taro loi, water slides erupting from a faux volcano, and Disney characters doing the backstroke in its pool. Not to mention steel roof designs that look like pili grass hale.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts offered a sneak peek of plans for its first-ever Hawaii resort today. Groundbreaking on the resort—for now, dubbed Disney Vacation Club Resort Hawaii—is slated for Nov. 13 in west Oahu’s Ko Olina Resort & Marina, with an opening slated for 2011.

The resort will include 350 hotel rooms and 480 vacation villas, the latter dedicated to Disney Vacation Club timeshare members. Plus an 18,000 square-foot spa, 8,000 square feet of convention and banquet space, two restaurants, a kids club and a wedding lawn. Water features include an inland saltwater lagoon, quiet pool and a water park with slides, rapids and waterfalls. The resort also claims one of the crescent lagoons along the Ko Olina shoreline.

Disney plans to market toward luxury family travel. The company declined to reveal the project’s cost and room pricing. Renderings of timeshare units and hotel rooms were not available.

“There are always economic ups and downs. We have confidence in Hawaii as a continued family tourist destination for the long-term,” said Walt Disney Parks & Resorts chairman Jay Rasulo.

Disney first announced the project in October 2007, after purchasing the 21-acre Ko Olina property the resort will occupy. The Hawaii resort will be the largest of three Disney Vacation Club properties, and the first to combine hotel and timeshare offerings. The family-travel-oriented Disney Vacation Club claims more than 350,000 members worldwide.

“We ask our Disney Vacation club family members all the time, ‘Where do you think you would like your next home?’ And every time, Hawaii always stacks up in the Top 5,” said Djuan Rivers, vice president of Disney Vacation Club Resort Hawaii.

For more information on Disney Vacation Club, visit http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/index

Article Source: HawaiiMagazine.com
Author: Derek Paiva
http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2008/10/16/
Disney_first_Hawaii_resort_opening

Pinestead Reef Resort, Michigan’s very first timeshare resort, recently installed TimeShareWare Professional 2008 to manage all of its timeshare units and handle all property management needs.

Gary Thaxton, General Manager of Pinestead Reef Resort, says the new software has helped in automating the resort’s entire system. “We chose TimeShareWare over the other software solutions because it had everything we were looking for in one software system. TimeShareWare has a proven track record and is a credible and competent company.”

Allen Rice, Chief Marketing Officer of TimeShareWare, commented, “TimeShareWare software solutions have been developed and improved to include over 15 years of industry best practices. With our TSW Platform technology, we can better service all market segments and handle resorts and developments of all different types and sizes.”

Pinestead Reef Resort is located near everything from downhill and Nordic skiing, casinos, golfing, hiking, nature trails, snowmobiling, shopping, charter boat fishing and sailing, and the famous Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

For more information on the Pinestead Reef Resort, please visit their website at http://www.pinestead.com

About Pinestead Reef Resort:
Located on East Grand Traverse Bay, Pinestead Reef Resort provides guests with instant access to Michigan’s beautiful gold coast region. With over 700 feet of sugar sand beachfront property, Pinestead Reef is unique and breathtaking.

About TimeShareWare & CondotelWare:
TimeShareWare is the industry standard software platform for shared-ownership, mixed use resorts. Since 1993, TimeShareWare serves all sizes and types of vacation ownership associations, fractional ownership properties, and timeshare resorts including multi-site, single-site, and points-based clubs. The TimeShareWare software platform includes solutions for lead management, contract processing, sales and marketing, owner accounting, loan servicing, property management, reservations, and web-based owner servicing.

CondotelWare is the first full-service software solution designed specifically for condominium hotels. The software helps owners and operators master all aspects of condo-hotel management and administration, including owner accounting, billing, rental rotation, inventory management, reservations, owner relations, reporting, and more.

Royal Palm Vacations Celebrates 11 Years as Travel Industry Leader.

Vacation membership organization Royal Palm Vacations is celebrating its 11th anniversary as a leader in the timeshare industry. Since 1997, Royal Palm has built strong family ties with its members. Currently with over 18,000 members, they have facilitated many exotic vacations around the globe for couples and families.

“We are delighted to see another year of great vacations and accommodations for our members,” commented Amanda Johnson, Assistant Manager of Royal Palm Vacations. “Timeshares are redefining leisure and business travel and we are pleased to be at the forefront of this new and exciting time in the travel industry.”

Timeshare, or vacation ownership, is a fast growing travel industry. In 2005, the total financial impact to the American economy was in excess of $90 billion. The industry provides both full and part time employment to over 500,000 people. As of January 2007, over 4.4 million households in the United States had interest in one or more timeshares, a 7% increase from the year before.

Even the profile of timeshare participants is becoming more diverse as these options become more available to ordinary people. Baby boomers and empty nesters lead in vacation ownership. In the last 12 months, 17% of buyers were single and nearly 25% of all participants have children under the age of 18.

In a timeshare, customers can tailor their vacation to whatever suits their lifestyle. A 2006 survey conducted by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) indicated that 61% of recent buyers said attractions and entertainment were the characteristics they were looking for in a particular location. Other characteristics important to travelers include proximity to beaches, mountains, lakes and the availability of golf, history, culture, gambling and gaming.

“Royal Palm Vacations gladly assists those looking for cost effective and varied vacation options,” Johnson stated. “We welcome people from all backgrounds looking to broaden their travel experiences.”

See the variety of vacation options out there by visiting Royal Palm Vacations on the World Wide Web at http://www.royalpalmvacations.com.

About Royal Palm Vacations:
A member only travel agency where members pay a yearly fee for furnished resort accommodations plus discounts on cruises, airfares and hotels. At any given time, Royal Palm Vacations has over 300,000 resort weeks available in its inventory, which are generally timeshare properties. The extensive, worldwide network of properties made accessible through Royal Palm Vacations provides a wide variety of vacation options for consumers. Discounts for cruises, airfares, and hotels are also offered to members with guarantee of at least a 10% savings from a traditional travel agent. Availability for a member’s top three date and location choices are guaranteed or the next week is free. Royal Palm Vacations is also a member of numerous travel related organizations including the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to name a few.

CNBC Award Presentation, London. (left to right) Peter Bolton King – Chief Executive, NAEA; Orsolina Meinster – Manager Publicity Services Division, Anfi Group; Thijs Stoffer – CEO, International Consortium of Real Estate Associations

After months of headlines announcing doom and gloom in the property market, here’s a long awaited positive story to restore our hopes, not just for now, but also the future.

To succeed in such a highly competitive industry, estate agents, developers and others involved in the property business constantly contend with one another for recognition. This desire to be the best is nowhere more evident than at the European Property Awards in Association with CNBC.

As with all competitions there are only a few winners and those were revealed at a gala presentation dinner at The Park Lane Hotel in London on Saturday the 27th of September. The turn out was tremendous with 300 guests and no less than 19 different countries represented across Europe.

The Anfi Group won a 5-star award for the Anfi del Mar development in the category of ‘Best Development, Canary Islands.

Anfi Group General Management with Award. (left to right) José Luis Trujillo – Finance Director; John MacDonald – Sales & Marketing Director; Luis Martínez – Resorts Director

John MacDonald, Anfi Group Sales & Marketing Director commented: “I am honoured that Anfi del Mar has attained this prestigious award, as it is a valued recognition for the Anfi Group. It reinforces our belief that Anfi is a leader not only within the vacation membership industry, but also in the wider real estate leisure market.

Moreover, to achieve the 5-star recognition at the Awards Ceremony itself, was really the icing on the cake for all involved at Anfi.”

The European Property Awards are part of the globally respected International Property Awards, which have been running for 14 years. Due to their continual growth in size and standing, a series of other schemes for specific countries have also been launched. The Daily Mail UK Awards were introduced four years ago and these were joined more recently by individual programmes for the Arabian, Asia Pacific, European, African and Americas Property Awards.

There are 21 different categories in total and four and five-star awards are given to the best entries. Every five-star entry is then re-examined to decide who is to go forwards for the ultimate World’s Best Award.  World’s Best winners, including those from the European Property Awards, will be announced at a grand presentation dinner in America this November.
Supported by a host of well-respected professional bodies such as FIABCI, NAEA and NHBC to name but a few, the awards are judged by an independent team of experts in the property, design and construction fields, together with property writers and sponsors.

Pacific Monarch Resorts, Inc Renews Long-Term Affiliation Agreement With Interval International

Pacific Monarch Resorts, Inc. and Interval International, a leading provider of vacation services, have renewed their long-term affiliation agreement, extending a relationship that dates back to 1988. The agreement includes the California-based developer’s ten existing resorts, as well as future properties that are part of Monarch Grand Vacations Club.

“Our longtime partnership with Pacific Monarch Resorts is extremely important to our company, given the quality of its resorts, the strength of its management team, and its impressive sales performance over the past two decades,” said Craig M. Nash, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Interval Leisure Group, parent company of Interval International. “We look forward to continuing to work with Mark Post and his team as they expand their very successful business.”

“We’ve come such a long way from the days back in the 1980s, when we developed our first project in Dana Point. Timesharing was just emerging in Southern California, but as we learned more about the industry, we could see what great potential it had,” said Mark Post, president and chief executive officer of Pacific Monarch Resorts, Inc. “Our company has grown along with the industry and today we’re proud to offer our owners an array of high-quality, service-oriented resorts in several highly demanded vacation destinations. We’re also proud to work with Interval, which has been a real partner in every way, helping us develop products and services tailored to meet our evolving needs.”

Pacific Monarch’s family of resorts includes: Riviera Beach and Spa Resort, Riviera Beach and Spa Resort II, Riviera Shores Resort, Riviera Oaks Resort, Palm Canyon Resort and Spa, and Desert Isle of Palm Springs in Southern California; Tahoe Seasons Resort in South Lake Tahoe, California; Cancứn Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada; Cedar Breaks Lodge and Spa in Brian Head, Utah; and its flagship property, Cabo Azul Resort and Spa, Los Cabos, Mexico.
Further reinforcing the value of vacation ownership, Pacific Monarch owners will be enrolled as individual members of Interval International, as well as Interval Gold®, its upgraded membership program. This gives them the opportunity to exchange their accommodations for those at other resorts in Interval’s worldwide network, as well as the ability to relinquish the use and occupancy of their resort weeks toward the purchase of cruise, golf, and spa vacations. They also will enjoy an extensive menu of additional benefits, including discounts on resort Getaways, access to a personal concierge service available 24 hours a day via phone and e-mail, complimentary Hertz #1 Gold® membership, and worldwide hotel and dining discounts.
 
In addition, Pacific Monarch offers its prospective owners the opportunity to participate in Leisure Time Passport, Interval’s trial membership program that allows consumers to experience vacation ownership and Interval Gold benefits, excluding vacation exchange.

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacation owners 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 30 years. Today, Interval has a network of over 2,400 resorts in excess of 75 countries and offers its resort clients and nearly 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through 27 offices in 17 countries. Interval is an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IILG), a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to consumers and business-to-business customers in the vacation industry.

About Pacific Monarch
Since its founding 19 years ago, Pacific Monarch Resorts, Inc. has gained an exemplary reputation as a leader in resort development, offering exceptional value with the highest level of professional hospitality and resort management expertise. With more than 100,000 guest arrivals enjoying their vacations each year at ten locations offering more than 1,550 luxury villas, its legacy is prominent in the industry.

Cathy Leyden, CPA has joined InnSeason Resorts, one of New England’s premier hospitality and resort ownership brands, as a Budget and Business Analyst. Cathy has spent 18 years in hospitality industry, primarily in the area of restaurant management.

After earning a BA from San Diego State University and an MBA from Suffolk University, she became a CPA working in taxation and auditing before moving on to Corporate Accounting.
Working out of the Yarmouth corporate headquarters, Cathy will be responsible for developing company-wide budgets and forecasts as well as analyzing key business drivers for InnSeason Resorts’ seven New England properties and its extensive marketing division.

Originally from Los Angeles, Cathy, her musician husband, Jack and their daughter Maya (age 3) now call Cape Cod home.

Club’s First Destination In Bali Indonesia

Interval International, a leading provider of vacation services, has announced the affiliation of Tak-Su Resort located on Soku Beach which is situated on the south-west coast of Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia.

Tak-Su is the first destination for the Tak-Su Holiday Club, a new vacation club developed by, Paul Hanna and Peter Dickensen. “Paul and Peter are experienced property developers in Australia. This is their first venture into vacation ownership and we are delighted that they have decided to affiliate with Interval,” says Joe Hickman, executive director for Asia-Pacific.

The new property will consist of 36 units, which will include four one-, 26 two- and six three-bedroom units with completion scheduled for February 2009. Facilities include a yoga centre, meditation cone, spa, restaurant and an infinity pool.

The resort is located in the Balinese district of Tabanan that is home to the well known Tanah Lot Temple. The area has the last remaining tropical forest on the island and is also noted for its beautiful buildings and palaces which have been unaffected by modernization. Bali International Airport is handily located being only 38 kilometers (23 miles) away.

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacation owners 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 30 years. Today, Interval has a network of over 2,400 resorts in excess of 75 countries and offers its clients and nearly 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through 29 offices in 17 countries. Interval is an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:IILG), a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to consumers and business-to-business customers in the vacation industry.

Hospitality And Wilderness Come Together As RCI Welcomes Tradewinds Natura Resort In The Brazilian Rian Forest As Its Newest Affiliate

RCI, the world’s largest exchange company and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE:WYN), has announced a new affiliation with Tradewinds Natura Resort at Ilha Grande, located in Angra Dos Reis, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The agreement between Tradewinds and RCI adds Tradewinds Natura Resort to the RCI® Weeks program.

Tradewinds Natura Resort is surrounded by the abundant wilderness of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil’s second most important rain forest after the Amazon, offering its visitors an exotic and unique experience enriched by 20 hotel rooms strategically placed along a 400 meter coastline in which various water sports can be practiced.

“We are delighted that Tradewinds has decided to affiliate the Natura Resort with RCI.  This quality resort is a very welcome addition to the list of luxurious and comfortable accommodations we offer our RCI Weeks members”, says Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Group RCI.

Tradewinds Natura Resort facilities in Angra Dos Reis feature a tv-room, restaurant/bar, sauna, swimming pool, decks, piers and a scuba dive centre to complete the vacation experience for its customers.  The resort will affiliate 20 units to RCI Weeks system that are approx 250 sq ft to 400 sq ft in size.

“We are pleased to continue our long time business relationship with RCI with this new affiliation in Brazil.  We are confident that the exciting products offered by Tradewinds plus RCI’s expertise in handling global timeshare will very soon turn this resort into an absolute favorite among the global vacation community”, said Magnus Lewin, founder and CEO, Tradewinds.

For additional information on the services offered to developers by Group RCI and how they can add potential value to leisure real estate projects, visit www.grouprci.com.

About RCI
RCI was founded in 1974 when it introduced the concept of timeshare exchange. Today, RCI is the global leader in vacation exchange with the largest timeshare exchange network in the world and is a leading provider of travel services to businesses and consumers. RCI offers over three million members flexible vacation options at more than 4,000 resorts in more than 100 countries through its RCI® Weeks, traditional week-for-week exchange program, and RCI Points®, the industry’s first global points-based exchange system. RCI delivers customized, integrated and results-driven solutions to help meet the needs of its affiliates and consumers worldwide. RCI is a division of Group RCI, a global leader in leisure real estate and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN). For additional information, visit www.rci.com or www.grouprci.com  

About TradeWinds
TradeWinds was founded in 1999 becoming the first company to successfully offer it’s Members crewed, shared yachtclub membership by the cabin. Today, TradeWinds is the largest and still the fastest growing membership based yachtclub in the industry and is unique in being a private company that owns all its yachts.  TradeWinds operates from seven permanent bases.  Antigua, St. Martin, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and Bequia in the Grenadines are the four Caribbean bases.  Belize in Central America, Lefkas in Greece and Hurghada in Egypt complete the seven bases.  Ilha Grande, Brazil is the first base for TradeWinds in South America and the first mixed land and sea base for TradeWinds as a company. There are now 20 luxury catamarans in TradeWinds fleet, not forgetting the Brazilian Schooner, and they range in size from 41′ feet to 70′ feet long.  Each yacht has either 3, 4, 5 or 6 guest cabins.  For itineraries and more information please go to www.tradewindscruiseclub.com

Wyndham Vacation Ownership has selected Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects, Inc. (HHCP) as Architect and Designers for the Wyndham Hotel and Spa at Bonnet Creek Resort.
 
Located adjacent to the Walt Disney World Resort, this new 366, 000 square foot, 400 room hotel will include approximately 27,000 square feet of conference/banquet space, a 7,000 square foot luxury  spa/fitness center with additional outdoor space, two full-service restaurants and extensive resort amenities.  Construction started in April 2008 with anticipated completion in January 2010.  The Wyndham hotel will be an integral part of the existing Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort designed by HHCP which opened in 2004.
 
HHCP is currently submitting this project for LEED Certification for the Wyndham organization.
 
About HHCP
An innovator in architecture and a major player in Central Florida’s growth and development for more than three decades, HHCP has evolved into an international design leader with diverse projects in 30 nations worldwide. Founded in 1975 by four partners, HHCP today has more than 85 talented, diverse team members located in Orlando, Florida, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Beijing, China. The architectural design firm offers clients a unique breadth and depth of expertise through wide-ranging practice areas, including planning/mixed use, themed entertainment and hospitality, health facilities, residential community and retirement resorts. For more information, visit www.HHCP.com.

Celebrity Resorts today announced the acquisition of David Walley’s Resort, Hot Springs & Spa from Quintus Resorts. After the recent purchase of the management responsibilities of Hanalei Bay Resort (Kauai, Hawaii) from Quintus, Celebrity Resorts now takes on this established resort located in the Carson Valley of Genoa, Nevada. The acquisition marks the 20th resort for the growing company.

“This is a great opportunity for us to expand our presence in the western United States. It also adds a unique vacation experience to our network with its natural hot springs and rich history. The property is located in a great destination known for skiing and many all-season activities,” said Jared Meyers, president and chief executive officer of Celebrity Resorts. “We are strategically adding resort destinations that appeal to our guests, and David Walley’s is the perfect fit.”

David Walley’s is set with a view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, less than 13 miles from South Lake Tahoe. The resort features six natural hot mineral springs, a full-service spa, and two on-site restaurants. Resort accommodations include studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and executive suites. The one and two-bedroom suites offer kitchens, private balconies, and fireplaces, while the executive suites feature private saunas.

About Celebrity Resorts
Founded in 1979, Celebrity Resorts has developed and managed numerous successful projects throughout the nation and in the Caribbean. The company is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and currently has 20 resorts in six states, conducts business in more than 30 states, provides vacation services for more than 80,000 families on an annual basis, and has an extensive growth plan that includes adding resorts and property management opportunities to its portfolio in the near future. For more information about Celebrity Resorts, please visit www.celebrityresorts.com.

Montana Firm Specializes in Western and Rustic Themes

Meriwether Ranch has selected Rocky Mountain Design-Interiors to create the look for its Private Residence Club homes.

Meriwether Ranch is comprised of 724 deeded acres and nearly 1,000,000 acres of permitted land. Fewer than ten percent of the 724 acres will be impacted by the development of new home sites and other buildings.  The remaining acres will be protected from further development by the establishment of a conservation easement. The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest boundary abuts the western edge of the ranch, offering 3.34 million acres of accessible national forest lands for recreation.

Rocky Mountain Design-Interior, with showrooms in Bozeman and Livingston Montana is a full service interior design firm specializing in unique western interiors that compliment a Montana residence as comfortably as settling into a well worn leather chair.  Carina Russell is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers, and is NCIDQ qualified.  She was recently elected the ASID president for a four state area that includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah.  Carina, along with her husband John, have guided and developed Rocky Mountain Design-Interiors from its inception 30 years ago to the present.

According to Dave Ellingson, outdoor enthusiast and conservationist who, with his wife Emilie, has made the dream project become reality “the ambiance of a Montana residence is simultaneously rustic and comfortable.  Carina Russell has a special flair for knowing just what we need to make our owners and guests at ease in their surroundings.”

Rocky Mountain Design is charged with designing and furnishing both Meriwether’s Riverfront and Sportsman’s Residences.  The luxurious Riverfront is a 4,000 sq. ft., four bedroom, two-story home with 4.5 baths and an 800 square foot wrap-around porch.

The 2008 sq. ft. Sportsman’s Residence has twin master bedroom suites, 150 sq. ft. kitchen and a spacious (20’x 36’) living and dining area.  There are two single residences in each building.  Both homes have circular-sawn plank floors, stone fireplaces, bronze hardwood, handcrafted alder cabinetry and professional grade stainless kitchens appliances.

“Our business has grown because of our great selection of furniture and accessories.  We have many clients  who reside out of our local area who have found our showrooms while traveling through Bozeman and Livingston,” said Carina Russell. “We are very excited to be able to create a special atmosphere at Meriwether Ranch that mirrors the Southwest Montana quality and feeling.”

Meriwether Ranch offers home sites, custom built homes and membership in the Meriwether Ranch Private Residence Club which allows members to enjoy the benefits of second home ownership without the expense and time commitment of owning a full-time second home. 

For more information – www.meriwetherranch.com   
For more information on Rocky Mountain Design-Interiors – www.rockymountaindesign.com

IndieVest Inc. is bringing the concept of fractional ownership to people who want to invest in movies, hoping that its financial model will prove profitable in a trying era for independent movies in Hollywood.

Co-founded in 2006 by Wade Bradley, a former tech venture capitalist, and producer Mark Burton, Los Angeles-based IndieVest is intended to be a one-stop-shop not only for individual film investors, but also a full-blown movie studio that develops, acquires, produces and distributes small budget films theatrically.

Hollywood is notoriously risky even for people who are supposed to know what they’re doing. For John Czingula, who founded a solar energy company in Denver, investing in movies is a gamble he’s been itching to take.

Mr. Czingula, hasn’t had much to do with Hollywood since a brief acting career that included a bit roles on television shows nearly 50 years ago. But now, at age 71, Mr. Czingula, as an IndieVest member, is an executive producer of “Saint John of Las Vegas,” a $3.8 million buddy comedy/road trip movie starring Steve Buscemi that finished shooting recently in Las Vegas and New Mexico. “Saint John of Las Vegas” is IndieVest’s first film.

Mr. Bradley says the company is planning a screening at January’s Sundance Film Festival and, if it’s polished enough, hopes to enter the movie in the festival’s official competition. Either way, the movie’s executive producers — all 85 of them — will be invited to the screening.

Full Story – Visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122324814060306049.html

As U.S. markets spiral downward, America’s wealthiest are redeeming reward points, choosing million-dollar timeshares over luxury third homes and picking Mexico over Hawaii in a hunt for value vacations.

Members of Hilton Hotels Corp.’s loyalty program who live in the 10 wealthiest U.S. zip codes redeemed 42 percent more reward points in the first nine months of 2008 than in the same period a year earlier, Adam Burke, Hilton’s head of customer loyalty, said in an Oct. 1 interview.

“It’s not like I’m going to Paris this year,” said Cal Burton, a partner at a Chicago law firm who took his wife to Rome for their 25th wedding anniversary using points last November. The couple is more likely to cash in Hilton HHonors points to travel to Charleston, South Carolina or another U.S. destination, the 52-year-old lawyer said.

The spending shift by America’s richest may indicate cutbacks across a broader segment of the population. The pace of booking for fall and winter vacations has plunged 50 percent this year for Carlson Hotels Worldwide’s Regent and Radisson hotels in Florida and the Caribbean, Americas president Paul Kirwin said in an Oct. 1 interview.

For the full story visit http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601093&sid=aFGW3R6SDMa4&refer=home

Group RCI – one of the biggest rental and exchange specialists in the world – has agreed a pioneering deal with Blue C Developments over the property in their Whiterocks resort in Bafra, North Cyprus.

Group RCI founded its reputation as an industry leading timeshare company, but it is not timeshare that their latest, unprecedented partnership with Blue C developments is concentrated on.

Instead, Blue C have enlisted RCI’s network of three million members, along with their established system of partnerships and affiliations, in order for owners of property in their Whiterocks resort to effectively market their apartments, penthouses and villas to holiday makers all over the world.

This is the first time that Group RCI have worked with a developer in this way, and the company believes that it can assist its Whiterocks clients achieve at least 70% annual occupancy rates on these cutting-edge, luxury properties.

Unlike timeshare schemes, the client owns their property outright, and is free to sell at anytime. What the partnership offers to the client is the exposure and business intelligence of a market-leading company who make over one million bookings each year. With North Cyprus currently experiencing a property boom, and tourism already expanding, Group RCI’s aim of 70% yearly occupancy rates would deliver to the client 17% annual yields on each of their Whiterocks properties.

RCI believes that Whiterocks, the first luxury resort in North Cyprus, offers a fantastic opportunity for property investors. Through their partnership with Blue C the company is determined to place these investors in the unique position of gaining from both the high forecast yields that have been calculated for Whiterocks, and also the security and effectiveness that a world- leading property investment services corporation can offer.

Group RCI have found a perfect counterpart in Blue C, a company as committed to providing their clients with unmatchable, superbly designed properties as Group RCI themselves are with unlocking the highest possible occupancy rates, and therefore future returns, on those properties.

Group RCI can also offer investors in the Whiterocks resort access to their industry first points-based exchange systems. This scheme allows for property owners to exchange weeks rented in their own property with stays for themselves in alternative properties of equal value in other countries. With over 4,000 RCI properties and resorts now a part of the programme the investor is guaranteed massive flexibility if they choose to take advantage of this scheme, which is, like the rental scheme, purely optional. In the case of Whiterocks, the investor can redeem their points instantly, before the property is even completed, meaning that an astute investment in North Cyprus can be partnered with a vacation almost anywhere in the world.

Leading industry software provider Merlin has announced today the appointment of Mike Ashton as Director of Business Development. With a strong background in direct sales, Mike’s first task will be to focus on the successful promotion of Merlin TRUST throughout Europe.
              
Mike Ashton has been involved in the industry for over ten years working with major developers including LSI/Sunterra and Airtours. For the past eight years he has headed up the sales division of TSS Marketing, an independent sales and marketing services business. “TSS was one of the first to sign up for Merlin and much of our success comes from its use. I know how Merlin can benefit today’s businesses and am looking forward to sharing this with others in the industry” Mike Ashton said, adding “TRUST is very exciting technology especially for pro-active resorts and I’m delighted to be involved”.

TRUST (Trading Resorts Using Sharing Technology) is a new Merlin initiative that allows developers and resort managers (of all types of shared ownership products) to build their resorts in a virtual environment on line. Then, using the latest internet technology resorts can share information with others to expand their business opportunities.

Such “information sharing” could be simply telling each other what their resorts consist of. However, the technology comes to the fore with resorts wishing to swap inventory amongst each other or working with independent third parties to rent out inventory, generate sales leads and undertake re-sales.

“It is a great opportunity for resorts to provide increased benefits for their owners at a lower cost and increase their profits” Mike Pnematicatos, Managing Director of Merlin said, “And joining Merlin TRUST has no cost implications and is very simple to set up”.

He added “We live in the information age, where everyone is online and connected. Merlin TRUST enables resorts to tap into this technology with no financial investment and reap the benefits”.

About Merlin
Merlin Software has been developed by Mike Pnematicatos who has over 25 years experience in the timeshare industry including property development, sales, marketing and resort management.

Using the latest web technology, Merlin provides a range of services and software solutions for the Vacation Ownership Industry. These include Merlin Software for Vacation Ownership for the complete management of Timeshare, Fractionals and Vacation Clubs; Merlin World for providing Timeshare Exchanges for Owners by the resorts themselves; and Merlin One2One for managing Cross Utilisation Agreements with other resorts.

Company preserves historic building in order to create new urban timeshare resort

Wyndham Vacation Ownership strengthens its presence in New Orleans with the opening of Wyndham La Belle Maison, the company’s newest urban resort. Operating under the company’s FairShare Plus by Wyndham resort portfolio, this 134-unit property is located in the heart of the Big Easy, adjacent to the French Quarter. It is the company’s second property in the city, complementing Wyndham Avenue Plaza on St. Charles Avenue.

“New Orleans is a vibrant city with a distinctive charm, history and culture that our owners have enjoyed for many years,” said Gary Byrd, executive vice president, Hospitality Services, Wyndham Vacation Ownership. “With the opening of Wyndham La Belle Maison, we are providing our owners with an urban vacation experience that matches the history and excitement of this great city and adding yet another world-class property to their list of vacation options.”

The company conducted an extensive, three-year renovation to transform the 100-year-old Franklin Press Building into a modern resort. The Wyndham Vacation Ownership development team partnered with the Historic District Landmark Commission during the project to preserve the façade of the original structure and maintain this important cornerstone of New Orleans’ history.”

Wyndham La Belle Maison features a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom standard units as well as studio-, one-, and two-bedroom upscale Presidential units. As the latest addition to The Avenue Collection by Wyndham, a portfolio of resorts in some of the most sought-after urban locations, each of the property’s well appointed units offers space-saving amenities such as kitchenettes; intimate seating and lounge areas with an entertainment center; and dining areas. Presidential units feature additional luxury elements including stone floors, intricate moldings and elaborate furnishings.

Located in the Big Easy’s Picayune Place district, Wyndham La Belle Maison reflects the design, color and character of the famed French Quarter. The property’s rich décor, warm colors and delicate mix of wood, cast iron and stone accents mirror the charm of old New Orleans. Owners can enjoy the centerpiece of the property, its expansive courtyard reminiscent of the city’s historic mansions, or relax in the property’s whirlpool spa and sauna. The property also offers a computer lounge and fitness room. Its convenient location makes it a perfect homebase for experiencing the unique sights of New Orleans, including Bourbon Street, the Shoppes at Canal Place and Riverwalk Marketplace.

Wyndham La Belle Maison marks not only the newest New Orleans property for the company, but also becomes the latest addition to the company’s extensive portfolio of urban properties.  In addition to New Orleans, the company has urban properties in such popular cities as San Francisco, San Diego, Atlantic City, Honolulu and San Antonio.

About Wyndham Vacation Ownership
Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of Wyndham Worldwide’s (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world’s largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests.  Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its three primary consumer brands, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.  As of December 31, 2007, Wyndham Vacation Ownership had developed or acquired approximately 145 vacation ownership resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the South Pacific that represent more than 17,500 individual vacation ownership units and more than 800,000 owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and is supported by more than 17,700 employees globally.

Owners Perspective Magazine, the independent publication for the shared ownership industry, covering fractional ownership, timeshares, private residence clubs, destination clubs and vacation real estate scoped out this year’s A Place In The Sun event in Birmingham ahead of it’s own debut attendence at the 2009 events.

The official release follows:

September 2008′s exhibition at the NEC Birmingham, the UK’s biggest and best-attended this autumn, was a resounding success for exhibitors, visitors and organisers alike. Despite the tough market conditions, A Place in the Sun Live drew a crowd of more than 7,500* serious investors, holiday-home buyers and those looking to emigrate. Exhibitors reported “a real buzz” around the show, with queues of visitors every morning, packed seminars and buyers eager to find their place in the sun.

The quality of visitors was universally reported as high, with research showing that more than ever UK buyers are making use of savings in order to get a foot on the overseas property ladder.

Said Ken Pritchard, Group Event Director: “Although our shows are not as big as they were, reflecting the economic climate, when it comes to providing the biggest and best-quality audience, we deliver time and again. We successfully attracted an extremely valuable core audience of serious buyers with lots of money to spend and exceeded market condiitions. What’s more, a smaller show means less competition among our exhibitors.

“Overall attendance was down only slightly (6%) compared with the February show in Manchester earlier this year, which was of a similar size. Following weeks of extensive media coverage reporting on the declining UK housing market, job losses in the financial sector and a deepening global recession, plus an apparent lack of consumer confidence in the lead-up to the Birmingham show, this is a great result – for us and for an industry in need of some good news.”

Adds Pritchard: “When our exhibitors are happy, we’re happy! What they think really speaks volumes. Many were surprised at the strong turnout but we were confident our market-leading brand would deliver.”

Of the 179 exhibitors that took part over the weekend, 89% expressed satisfaction that they had met their show objectives. Don’t just take our word for it – here are some of their comments:

“The show was a great success in terms of visitors, many more than would have been anticipated in the current economic climate. Clearly there are a lot of people thinking about purchasing property overseas and sales were achieved over the course of the three-day event.”
Robert Nixon, Nirvana International UK

“As usual A Place in the Sun Live lived up to our expectations and provided a platform for continued business.”
Mike Shore, Scott Pinkham International

“The quality of visitors to the show was exceptionally high.”
Pat Tan, Prudential Palms Realty

“We have found this exhibition to be all that we had hoped and more! We hope to see you again next year.”
Tracey Swift, Real Homes in Real Spain

“Having visited other property shows this year, this one is still the market leader, it has the feel-good factor.”
Maggie Waldon, Domisi Development

“A Place in the Sun is the only serious overseas property show.”
Charlie May, Lifestyle Homes

“We always find your shows the best source of quality leads.”
Steve Bailey, Dream Coast Homes

*A Place in the Sun Live is the only UK overseas property exhibition to submit its attendance figures for the international-standard, independent ABC audit. The confirmed ABC-approved figure will follow shortly.

For more information visit http://www.aplaceinthesunlive.com/

Every week the adage “you can take it to the bank” seems more outdated as the banking industry dumps more bad news on consumers. The news of banks failing has consumers in a panic. Big-name lenders are reducing or freezing existing home-equity lines of credit. Others have put the brakes on auto leases and are making it harder to get loans for education, home improvement, vacation ownership and more. Moreover, traditional lenders continue to treat all borrowers the same–with undifferentiated products and indifferent service.

Despite traditional bank woes, FirstAgain LLC, an online consumer lender focusing on individuals with excellent credit, continues to gain momentum with an easier and faster way to fund anything, including home improvement projects. The company’s AnythingLoan, a revolutionary, unsecured loan product that combines low rates with an unparalleled customer experience, is a convenient alternative to ever-shrinking financing options.

News Facts:
• San Diego-based FirstAgain® LLC focuses exclusively on providing low-rate, online unsecured personal loans to individuals with excellent credit.

• FirstAgain’s AnythingLoan is a completely paperless, online unsecured personal loan that can be applied for, approved and signed online.

• AnythingLoans can be used for any purpose, including adoptions, aircrafts, autos, boats, classic cars, club memberships, education, fertility expenses, fractionals, home improvements, horses, marine products, medical expenses, motorcycles, pools, RVs, solar, timeshares, weddings or anything else.

• AnythingLoans are a welcome alternative for home improvement financing without the hassles or concerns people have when borrowing against home equity or retirement savings.

• Home improvement loans are one of FirstAgain’s fastest growing loan categories as the company has achieved five-fold growth year-over-year.

• FirstAgain has surpassed $100 million in online unsecured loans and is gaining market momentum with thousands of highly satisfied customers nationwide.

• Online unsecured personal loans, with same-day funding, are available in amounts ranging between $10,000 and $100,000.

Supporting Resources:
• FirstAgain’s executive and customer videos.
* Customer: “The easiest loan experience I’ve ever had,” Cyndi Kroop
* Executive: “Getting a loan shouldn’t be a painful process,” Gary Miller, FirstAgain co-founder and CEO.
* Executive: “Individuals with excellent credit deserve a better experience,” Dave Zeller, FirstAgain co-founder, president and COO.

• FirstAgain’s current unsecured loan interest rates.

• Mercator Analyst Report

Relevant coverage:
• Barron’s: http://online.barrons.com/article/SB122065357289805353.html

• TheStreet.com: http://www.thestreet.com/story/10431355/1/how-to-use-online-loan-sites.html

• NetBanker: http://www.netbanker.com/2008/07/firstagain_targets_online_users_with_excellent_credit.html

Supporting Quotes:
• Gary Miller, FirstAgain co-founder and CEO: “People with excellent credit are underserved by traditional lenders and we are changing that with our AnythingLoan–an incredibly positive loan experience for consumers who have worked hard to develop excellent credit profiles. FirstAgain rewards them with specially tailored loans and a great customer experience regardless of market conditions.”

• Theresa Emfinger, FirstAgain customer/Education Loan: “The regular financial aid programs just weren’t going to be enough. I was looking for things like credit card advances, but then I came across FirstAgain. I kept thinking there has to be a trick here. It was just such a simple experience. I really appreciate having a service like this out there. With all the bad news surrounding the credit industry right now, it’s nice to know it doesn’t have to be that hard. FirstAgain gives borrowers peace of mind.”

• George Zandiotis, FirstAgain customer/Home Improvement Loan: “I considered borrowing against my 401(k) for a home improvement loan, but it just didn’t make sense. FirstAgain was a breath of fresh air. I was absolutely shocked when I saw how quickly the whole thing happened. I had my loan approved and funds deposited into my account within a day.”

• Elizabeth Rowe, Group Director of Banking Services for Mercator Advisory Group: “Financial institutions don’t always treat their customers the way they should, which is why I love the touch of human consideration that FirstAgain brings to consumer lending. The AnythingLoan is the first truly win-win loan product. The vastly improved lending experience gives consumers a much better way to secure financing, which will propel FirstAgain’s continued market momentum.”

About FirstAgain:
FirstAgain LLC is redefining consumer lending for individuals with excellent credit. The San Diego-based company has developed a completely paperless, online experience for applying, approving, signing, funding and servicing unsecured personal loans. FirstAgain’s AnythingLoan can be used for any purpose, including home improvements, vehicle purchases, educational and medical expenses, timeshares, vacation ownerships, marine products, loan refinancing and anything else. Most AnythingLoan finance amounts range from $10,000 to $100,000 with low rates, same-day funding and an unparalleled customer experience. Timeshare and fractional financing loan amounts start as low as $7,500. FirstAgain was founded by the pioneering veterans of PeopleFirst, a company which grew into the nation’s largest online auto lender prior to its sale to Capital One in 2001. The company operates nationwide and has financial investments from Merrill Lynch and Arsenal Capital Partners.

Seasons Holidays Plc Purchases County Hotel, Bath

Seasons Holidays intends to increase the variety of short breaks available to members, in addition to annual holiday entitlement, by purchasing a number of city centre hotels. Accommodation will be available throughout the year in these prime city centre locations at special owner rates. The first such acquisition is the Seasons County Hotel in Bath.

Built at the turn of the century, The County was originally two separate houses. After being turned into a luxury Guest House in the 1940’s it became home away from home for his imperial highness Halie Salassie in his exile from Abysinnia. The County overlooks the county cricket ground which also doubles as Bath’s rugby ground in season. These both lie on the recreation ground which was a gift to the people of Bath from a wealthy land owner, it remains a green belt in the heart of the City.

The County has received 5 star guest accommodation ratings from the English Tourist Board, the RAC, and the AA and has won the AA’s guest accommodation of the year award for the whole of England. The County is situated in the stunning Georgian city surrounded by beautiful countryside, museums and attractions including the famous Roman Baths, the new Bath Spa, and its vibrant retail and restaurant scene.

Bath is so famous for its amazing choice of bistros and restaurants that we will only be offering full English breakfast as an option; however, the bar will be open nightly to Seasons members and residents only.

The rooms will be sold as fractional investments to our owners and we will open a new seasons preview centre shortly in a former night club in the hotel basement.

Seasons Holidays plc, 18/19 Pulteney Street Bath Avon BA2 4EZ telephone 01225 425003

Sales start October 20th 2008 on site.

Hilton Grand Vacations has announced its new management structure for the Hilton Vilamoura Vacation Club, Portugal, in the lead up to a new sales gallery opening later this year.

Richard McIntosh Managing Director for HGVC, confirmed the appointment of Tony Pue in July 2008, as Project Director for the resort, where HGVC is responsible for the sales and marketing for the Vacation Club, under a licensing contract with the Portuguese developer, IMOCOM Group.

Tony has extensive experience in the Algarve and Madeira markets having held management positions with Pestana for nine years. Tony commented “ Joining the Hilton team is both an exciting and challenging opportunity, and combined with the superb resort we have here in Vilamoura, I am much looking forward to being part of the businesses growth. “

Following Tony’s arrival at the resort, a restructuring of the support team has taken place, that sees Tania Alcaravela and Vania Damasio promoted to Promotions Manager and Marketing Manager respectively. Tania will be concentrating on member communications, collateral creative, and lead generation from outside Portugal, whilst Vania will concentrate on lead generation within Portugal, and manage all local and onsite marketing. They join an existing strong team consisting of Sally Pyne, Administration Manager, Ana Dinis, Finance Manager, and the resorts two Sales Managers, Joanna Durber and William Dubreuil.

As the year draws to a close, November this year will see the opening of a new sales gallery in the heart of the resort. The existing Vacation Club office in the resorts main lobby is being extended to provide the Vacation Club with a feature sales office location, in the heart of the resorts main guest circulation area.