Aerial Christening For New Cruise Ship Celebrity Equinox – Acrobats Deliver Champagne Bottle To Mark Official Naming

Celebrity Equinox, the only cruise ship to launch in the UK this year, has been officially named and christened by Godmother and Walk the Walk breast cancer charity founder Nina Barough CBE in a ceremony onboard the new ship in Southampton today (29 July 2009).

The christening saw an acrobat somersaulting a pink ribbon to the stage for the Godmother to cut, which set in motion the iconic moment when a champagne bottle was smashed against the side of the ship. However, instead of the bottle breaking against the hull, Celebrity Equinox had her bottle smashed on the funnel above the onboard Lawn Club – a real grass lawn on the top deck of the ship.

Celebrity Equinox Godmother Nina Barough commented:

“Being a Godmother of a ship is something I thought was reserved for the Queen – this is such an honour I feel totally overwhelmed. The ship, Celebrity Equinox, is phenomenal and I never thought that I would ever be able to say I was Godmother to something so huge and impressive. I’m excited to see where this journey will take me and hope to continue the partnership with Celebrity Cruises – it is a very proud and wonderful moment for me and for Walk the Walk.”

Marking the official christening of the ship, the pink ribbon was cut by Godmother Nina Barough, releasing the champagne bottle. Barough, who was selected by the cruise line Celebrity Cruises for her devotion to raising awareness of breast cancer and tremendous success in raising funds for the cause – over £52-million to-date – was joined on stage to celebrate the naming of the new ship by Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, and Dan Hanrahan, president, Celebrity Cruises.

A custom-made champagne bottle, created especially for the occasion by the Corning Museum of Glass, broke on the ship in celebration. The Corning Museum of Glass has a dedicated glass blowing demonstration area onboard Celebrity Equinox as just one of the features on the new ship.

The 122,000 GRT new cruise ship has enjoyed almost two weeks of launch celebrations in the city, and will welcome its first paying guests on 31 July 2009.

Welcoming Celebrity Equinox officially to the fleet, Richard D. Fain, Chairman of Celebrity Cruises and Chairman and CEO of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., delivered the ceremony address. Fain praised the ship’s Godmother Nina Barough CBE (Commander of the British Empire), and founder of the breast cancer charity “Walk the Walk.”

“Her story, her outspoken devotion to breast cancer causes, and her day-to-day life is a compelling example of the need to take our health and well-being seriously,” said Fain. “And all this paints a lovely picture of why we are so honoured to have her as our Godmother.”

Also whilst on stage at the event, Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan continued to praise Nina Baraugh’s achievements, “As with our Godmother of Celebrity Solstice, we knew that for Celebrity Equinox, too, nothing less than someone genuinely devoted to the cause would do. And Nina exemplifies that exceptionally.  Her tireless efforts have benefited countless women battling breast cancer, and her personal triumph over it has inspired thousands of women, men and families in the UK and beyond.”

The new ship, aimed at experienced cruisers who want to try a new cruise experience, features a real grass lawn onboard larger than eight tennis courts for boules, bocca, putting and outdoor concerts. Plus, a glass blowing museum and demonstration area take the format of cruise lectures to a new level. Guests can enjoy a 24-carat gold facial in the onboard spa, ensure their cocktail stays cool with iced serving areas in the onboard Martini Bar and dine in one of ten different restaurants.

Onboard accommodation includes a unique class of staterooms, AquaClass, dedicated to spa fans that allow guests access to extras such as a dedicated healthy-eating restaurant, Blu and a spa concierge.  85 per cent of all accommodation on the ship features a private balcony. Staterooms were designed with input from a panel of women who requested larger rooms and clever storage solutions that maximise space.

Following a Norwegian Fjords cruise on 31 July Celebrity Equinox will depart Southampton on 8 August on a 10-night “Best of Europe” itinerary to Rome, calling on ports in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, as well Gibraltar. The ship then will sail a series of 13- and 14-night “Ancient Empires” cruises until October, featuring two new ports of call: Haifa and Ashdod, Israel. These cruises also include an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt.

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale vacation experiences with highly personalised service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2009 readers’ poll), Celebrity Cruise’s fleet – including the new Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, will be joined by Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Timeshare Education Commercial Aired on TV

WORLDWIDE TIMESHARE HYPERMARKET and FOUR CHAIRS ADVERTISING are BREAKING DOWN ALL THE BARRIERS of timeshare.

Starting from the 1st of August Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket Europe’s leading timeshare resale company are showing a 60 second commercial promoting the concept of timeshare. This will be shown on the new ‘Travel Deals Direct’ channel 647 on the Sky platform.

This is an industry first, as it’s not selling from the TV; it’s more about “finding out more” and trying to educate the public and increase their awareness of timeshare.

The ad explains that timeshare is the opportunity to own for life, with affordable luxury in five star accommodation around the globe. It also explains that you can exchange your week for similar resorts around the world if you so desire, giving you the chance to see the world, it also says “all you need to do is pay a realistic management fee, which covers the running of the resort, and pay for your flights”.

Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket and Four Chairs Advertising have also teamed up with TATOC (The Association for Timeshare Owners and Committees) and Owners Perspective Magazine which gives those that watch the commercial the opportunity to explore further and provides a level of reassurance and transparency. 

Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International said “It is important, especially in the current economic climate where cost and value for money are paramount in the mind of the consumer, that leading companies within the timeshare industry take the opportunity to stand proud and begin to educate the next generation of timeshare owners.”

Phil Watson Managing Director of Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket, with the technical direction of Terry Rose from Four Chairs Advertising, has negotiated sponsorship of the Travel Channel and already run a number of successful competitions. Terry said “the whole concept of timeshare being a main sponsor of a Travel Channel is truly amazing and a great achievement and with Phil Watson’s forward thinking, timeshare is moving forward with many other plans already in motion.”

DeVere Hotels & Resorts are be supplying a major prize for the competition in August, with Seasons PLC sponsoring the competition in September.

Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket together with Seasons PLC will also feature on the Travel programme ‘travel today’, which is shown across Europe, again a major first in the world of timeshare.

Phil Watson was quoted as saying “we have made major steps towards educating the public about timeshare and what it has to offer.  We have the ability to offer a family the chance to go on holiday to luxury resorts at sensible prices and buy into a lifestyle.”

Phil added “Both myself and Terry have many projects in hand and welcome other resorts to join in, not only are resorts such as DeVere Hotels & Resorts and Seasons PLC gaining TV exposure, but they also get the chance to contact the competition entries afterwards, adding even more awareness of their respective companies and the timeshare industry.  

For more information on joining this initiative contact: 
Phil Watson ~ Managing Director 
Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket
Tel: +44 (0)871 781 6 781
Mob: +44 (0)7770 498349
Email: philw@wwlg.co.uk

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Hapimag: Good Occupancy Rate And A New Resort

Hapimag, the leading provider of holiday rights of residence on the European market, continued its positive development of the previous year in the first half of this year. In comparison to the same period last year, total sales increased by 2.4 per cent to EUR 81.9 million (EUR 80 million in 2008). The operating result after the first six months was EUR 1.8 million (EUR 2 million in the first half of 2008) and the occupancy rate of the resorts at around 71% is the same as for the previous year. In February 2009, Hapimag opened its new
flagship resort in Hörnum (Sylt), and thanks to the cooperation venture with ‘Dial an Exchange’ the company now offers even better access to apartments worldwide.

In particular the 56 holiday resorts throughout Europe contributed to the positive development of total revenue. Despite the difficult economic situation, their sales increased by 3.9 per cent. The occupancy rate of the resorts, as in the previous year at approximately 71%, was still above average for the industry.
The continuous investments in the resorts contribute considerably to this satisfactory occupancy rate. In 2009 over EUR 50 million will be invested, of which around EUR 26 million have already been transacted in the first half of the year.

Despite the tense economic situation, the sales division has remained practically stable. The net sales revenue, at EUR 15.5 million, is close to the previous year’s figure (EUR 16.1 million). The operating result (EBIT) after the first six months was EUR 1.8 million (EUR 0.2 million less than the previous year). The consolidated result of the joint-stock company, which is organised as a cooperative, totalled an encouraging EUR 1.7 million (0.7 million in 2008).

Resort in Hörnum officially opened
In May Hapimag opened its new flagship resort in Hörnum on the North Sea island of Sylt. The 151 apartments, with their modern architecture and an extensive offer of services, typify the modern expansion of Hapimag’s attractive resort portfolio. Special attention has been given to the wellness area. It includes a top-quality Deep Nature Spa, several pools, spacious relaxation areas and diverse treatment and relaxation
offers. The ‘Biike’ restaurant caters for the guests with authentic regional cuisine. The resort’s occupancy rate till the end of the year is very good, with bookings totalling 94.5 per cent.

Worldwide bookings thanks to cooperation venture with ‘Dial an Exchange’ The new cooperation venture with ‘Dial an Exchange’ (DAE) means that the world has come even closer for Hapimag members. Hapimag exchanges residential properties for its members via DAE, Europe’s largest independent share exchange for holiday apartments. This means that around 1500 resorts worldwide are now available to Hapimag members.

Hapimag is number 1 in the European market for holiday rights of residence. The company was founded in 1963 as a Swiss public limited company based in the Canton of Zug in Baar and today has approximately 140,000 members. On purchasing shares, members can choose from among 56 holiday resorts with more than 5,300 apartments and hotel rooms rent-free based on a points system. The resorts are located in 16 countries in Europe, Africa and the USA. The company has around 1,700 employees worldwide.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Premier Developer Grupo Grand Coral Promises Secure Investments, Diverse Offerings & Ideal Location

Numerous Opportunities in Riviera Maya Attract Buyers and Developers from Across the Globe

Mexico is one of Latin America’s fastest growing vacation destinations with tourism being the third largest revenue source for the country. The Yucatan Peninsula accounts for more than half of those revenue numbers and it continues to grow each year. Initiating a series of properties in the ideal Riviera Maya region, Grupo Grand Coral presents an array of diverse product offerings, while promising complete investment security and support.

Located only 30 minutes from the Cancun Airport and five minutes from the popular coastal town Playa del Carmen, this $2.5 billion investment spans across 561 lush oceanfront acres (227 hectares), contributing to the great urban expansion of the region. Blending notable brands, hotels, expansive resorts, an 18-hole Nick Price golf course, entertainment and retail/restaurant outposts, Grand Coral Riviera Maya will be an unmatched grand oasis.

Grand Coral Riviera Maya neighbors downtown Playa del Carmen and its popular Fifth Avenue, a vibrant street lined with fantastic boutiques and restaurants, which actually continues into the grounds of the project. Construction phases are estimated to take place over the next ten years and $700 million has been invested to date.

Already underway is Mareazul which includes 300 luxury beachfront condominiums. The development will offer a fine selection of amenities including a spa, Botanical Zen garden with Mayan sculptures, beach club with private cabanas.

“Grand Coral Riviera Maya will truly be the first of its kind in the region,” states CEO Jordi Mercadé. “This master development presents a great opportunity to developers and investors to be in an impressive gated community with multiple real estate options.”

The selection includes a variety of land lots, “there is really an opportunity for developers and investors at every level and we will work with each one individually to meet their needs.”

The 18-hole golf course will be designed by Hall of Fame golfer Nick Price, who said, “I am very excited with the opportunity to design the golf course for Grand Coral Riviera Maya.” It was the uniqueness of the project that attracted Price to design the course located on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen. “The project will have the feel of an urban resort something that is very unique to the area. For several years I had vacationed here enjoying the fishing, good food and wonderful people and I am happy to be back here now to design a course in the vibrant city of Playa del Carmen,” said Price. The golf course will take approximately two years to complete. In what will be a first for Price, the project will feature the Nick Price Residences, consisting of 123 residences available for full or fractional ownership, located adjacent to the clubhouse with views of the course.

Investors and developers will also be pleased to know that Grand Coral Riviera Maya is incorporating numerous eco-friendly components to protect the surrounding environment as much as possible. More than 75% of the land will be kept in its natural state or turned into recreational parks and gardens in order to contribute to the preservation of the environment.

Furthermore, all greenery removed during construction will be housed in a greenhouse until ready for replanting. “It is very important for us to work in harmony with the land and we will encourage this lifestyle with all developers and future residents of Grand Coral,” adds Mercadé.

Riviera Maya is truly a paradise region in Mexico that welcomes thousands of visitors annually. Abundant in pristine nature both on land and beyond the shore, this area is home to the world’s second largest barrier reef which lies in the ocean waters bordering Grand Coral. On land, residents and visitors have never-ending recreational activities to choose from including ancient Mayan ruins at nearby Tulum and the famous Chichen Itza (located only two hours away), swimming a magical underground river at Xcaret, adventuring the exotic park at Xelha, or simply enjoying a peaceful afternoon soaking in the sun on the white sandy beach. Playa del Carmen’s renowned Fifth Avenue presents numerous stores, eateries as well as a thriving nightlife.

A Range of Product Offering:
The company’s portfolio features developments of several properties in the Riviera Maya region including Emerald Residential Tower & Spa (Cancun), Mareazul and Nick Price Residences (within Grand Coral in Playa del Carmen). With varied prices and an assortment of featured amenities such as hotels, golfing, entertainment and retail/restaurant shops, Grupo Grand Coral has created an enclave of opportunity for tourists and investors alike.

• Emerald Residential Tower & Spa is a 20-story tower containing 106 luxury condos. Its location is one of the last pieces of land in the Cancun hotel zone directly on the beach. An amenity-rich project, residents are provided with concierge services, a management office and a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa. With 157,240 square feet of land and 269 feet of sea front, it is the best option for investment. In just two years the development has already achieved 70% sales. The development is fully completed and ready to move in. Prices range from approximately $1.2 million to $2.9 million.

• Mareazul, part of the Grand Coral Rivera Maya complex, is already well underway and will feature 300 luxury beachfront condominiums, offering a choice of two, three and four spacious bedrooms. Each residence features balconies with private Jacuzzis and fully-equipped kitchens. The community will also include 24- hour security and 650 feet of white sandy beach. Prices start from the low $600,000 to $1.5 million. Completion is scheduled for 2010.

• Nick Prices Residences In what will be a first for Hall of Fame Golfer Nick Price, Grand Coral Riviera Maya will be home to Nick Price Residences, 123 stylish homes located adjacent to the spectacular 18-hole Grand Coral Golf Course. The Residences will be a hideaway that will provide comfort, privacy and luxury to those who dwell in them. It will include exclusive membership to the Grand Coral Beach Club. Extraordinary common areas include Paddle-tennis courts and pools. The resort boasts over 170,000 sq. ft. of sculptured gardens, lakesand pools and homes ranging from 862 square feet-1,410 square feet. These homes also come with a golf cart and represent a remarkable investment opportunity; 92 homes are available at full ownership. Homes will also be offered for fractional ownership. Prices for full ownership range from $279,000 to $490,000.

A Secure Investment:
One of the best assets of Grupo Grand Coral is the fact that the company is backed by prestigious financial houses Bancaja and Banco de Valeancia, both part of the five largest financial conglomerates in Spain. This alone displays the security of investment in their products, as well as guaranteed financing. Depending on a specific development, financing from 60-70% is available, despite the global economic climate. Furthermore, the success of the developer is also displayed in all of the “anti-crisis” commercial plans in order to maintain the rate of sales. And unlike many other master developments in the region, Grand Coral Riviera Maya is the only master development in the Mexican Caribbean that secured all of the necessary permits and licenses to move forward with construction, which again displays the developer’s commitment to the project and support to potential investors.

Nick Price
Nick Price was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003, after competing at the highest level in golf for four decades. Since turning pro in 1977 and joining the PGA tour in 1983, Price’s professional achievements have included three Major championships and 18 PGA Tour wins. Price won 15 PGA Tour tournaments in the 90’s, a remarkable achievement matched only by Tiger Woods. He was ranked number one in the world in 1994, a position he held for 16 weeks. He was the recipient of the 2002 Payne Stewart Award given for upholding the traditions of the game and in the same year, Price was the first recipient of the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award, given to a professional player for his cooperation, quotability and accommodation to the media. In 2005, the USGA presented the 2005 Bob Jones Award to Price in recognition of his distinguished sportsmanship in golf. A global icon in golf, Price represents all that is good about the game. Price began designing golf courses in the early nineties and brings to all of his design projects a personal familiarity with the great golf courses of the world and a commitment to provide golfers with a challenge that is interesting and enjoyable for all golfers. He limits his work to two or three projects a year to be able to provide a personal, hands-on approach to designing golf courses with a focus on dedicating time, energy and knowledge to his projects to make each course unique. He has designed courses in the United States, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Europe, Ireland, Dominican Republic and Mexico.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Two Hilton Family Brands Achieve Highest Ranking by J.D. Power and Associates

Embassy Suites Receives Hotel Satisfaction Award for 8th Time and Hilton Garden Inn for 7th Time

Hilton Hotels Corporation announced today that two of its brands received the highest honors in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM. Embassy Suites ranked highest in the “Upscale” category for the sixth time (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009; including two highest rankings in the all-suite segment prior to 2001) and Hilton Garden Inn achieved the highest ranking in the “Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Full Service” category for the seventh time (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009) in eight years. The study is based on responses from more than 65,000 business and leisure hotel guests who evaluated 65 different hotel brands in the United States and Canada between May 2008 and June 2009.

“Hilton is devoted to leading the industry in guest satisfaction. Our brands continue to out perform the competition in guest satisfaction. This is a testament to our commitment to our guests across our family of hotel brands,” said Paul Brown, President of Global Brands and Commercial Services for Hilton Hotels Corporation.

Embassy Suites Hotels, the nation’s leading all-suite upscale hotel brand, was an impressive 26 points higher than the Upscale Hotel Chains segment average. Additionally, the brand was the leader in all seven of the guest satisfaction index measures. “It is gratifying to be honored by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader, but especially flattering to have led the upscale segment on all seven of the guest satisfaction index measures that were evaluated including reservations, check-in/check-out, food and beverage, and costs and fees,” said Jim Holthouser, Global Head of Full Service Brands and Embassy Suites Hotels.

Embassy Suites’ success is attributed to a number of enhancements encompassing more than $600 million in renovations, new products and services. The refreshment program – including upgraded Embassy BusinessLink™ Business Centers, new food and beverage offerings and enhanced fitness centers – have helped to augment the brand’s position in the upscale category. The brand has also focused on reinvigorating its service culture to create even greater brand differentiation.

For Hilton Garden Inn’s seventh award in the “Mid–Scale Hotel Chains with Full Service” category, the brand was 57 points higher than the segment average and led in five out of the seven guest satisfaction index measures that were evaluated. The brand saw particularly high scores for its guest room, which features the innovative pressure relieving Garden Sleep System® that allows guests to adjust the firmness or softness of the bed, as well as the ergonomic Mirra® chair by Herman Miller and complimentary WiFi. A wide array of food and beverage options including a freshly cooked-to-order breakfast featuring omelets and signature waffles and a wide variety of other breakfast offerings may have helped the brand fare highest among competitors in the food and beverage guest satisfaction index measure.

“As the brand that is focused on helping our guests be prepared for whatever they set out to accomplish -– no matter what the trip occasion may be – we are honored our guests have recognized us for the seventh time as a leader in hotel guest satisfaction,” said Adrian Kurre, Global Head, Hilton Garden Inn. “We know this award is a reflection of our guests’ loyalty to Hilton Garden Inn, as well as the dedication and attention to detail put forth every day by our team members around the world.”

The Hilton Garden Inn award comes as a result of the bundled amenities and offerings guests can expect at the more than 450 hotel locations around the world. By focusing on Every Stay Value and offering guests everything they need to make the most of their travels, Hilton Garden Inn ensures guests sleep deep, work smart, eat well stay fit and treat themselves with every stay.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on boat ratings, car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About Embassy Suites Hotels
Founded in 1984, Embassy Suites Hotels defines the upscale, all-suite segment and today has more than 200 hotels, with an additional 60 properties in the development pipeline. With spacious two-room suites, engaging team members and an inviting atrium environment, guests are allowed to put their feet up and feel right at home. To learn more, visit www.embassysuites.com.

About Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning, mid-priced brand that continually strives to ensure today’s busy travelers have everything they need to be most productive on the road — from complimentary wired and Wi-Fi internet access in all guestrooms and PrintSpots(tm) mobile printing to the hotel’s complimentary 24-hour business center to the innovative pressure-relieving Garden Sleep System™ to the ergonomic Mirra® chair by Herman Miller. So whether on the road for personal or business reasons, Hilton Garden Inn offers the amenities and services for travelers to sleep deep, stay fit, eat well and work smart while away from home. To find out more about Hilton Garden Inn locations across North America and Europe or to find your next getaway, visit www.HGI.com.

About Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,300 hotels and 550,000 rooms in 77 countries and more than 130,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton, the Waldorf Astoria and the Waldorf Astoria Collection, as well as the recently launched Home2 Suites by Hilton. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is an Official Sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, which will extend through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, the 2010/2012 U.S. Paralympic Team and the 2011 U.S. Pan American Team.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.
For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonfamily.com.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Generate More Direct Sales Enquiries From FREE Banner Advertising With Owners Perspective Magazine

Premium advertisers in the leading consumer publication for the shared ownership industry can now benefit from free online banner advertising for the duration of their advertising period, increasing their exposure to more than 20,000 registered users of www.ownersperspective.com

Owners Perspective Magazine specilises in the promotion of all aspects of the shared ownership industry; including resort real estate, fractional property ownership, private residence clubs and high end timeshares and is distributed in more than 120 airport lounges worldwide with carriers including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates Airlines and American Airlines, leading UK supermarkets, selected luxury hotels and resorts and by individual print and online subscriptions totally nearly 50,000 consumers per month.

For more information about advertising and editorial opportunities visit http://www.perspectiverates.com

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Fractional Property Developers Can Now Reach Affluent First Class & Business Class Passengers With Owners Perspective Magazine

Owners Perspective Magazine, a luxury property and lifestyle magazine that specialises in covering all aspects of the shared ownership industry from resort real estate through fractional ownership properties, private residence clubs and high end timeshares has recently secured a distribution deal for more than 120 airport lounges accross major airline brands including Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Emirates Airlines and all of British Airways lounges worldwide.

This opens up a targeted route to an affluent market of first class and business class passengers for fractional property developers to promote their developments via a combination of advertising, advertorial and editorial packages with Owners Perspective Magazine that now reaches nearly 50,000 prospective buyers per month.

Owners Perspective is also available via leading UK supermarkets in affluent areas, selected luxury hotels and resorts and by individual print and online subscriptions.

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

To view the magazine online visit www.ownersperspective.com

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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VOASA Conference, South Africa

The Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA) held its first conference in South Africa on 24th May and 26th May 2009. Once known as the Time Share Institute of South Africa (TISA), this convention saw the official launch of VOASA’s new name, logo and identity, signalling a re-invention and dramatic change for the industry body and enabling it to grow with changing marketplace to incorporate fractional ownership and other shared ownership product types.

The conference opened with a presentation by keynote speaker Mr. Howard Nusbaum, President of the American Resort Development Association, reviewing the shared vacation ownership industry in the USA and highlighting the effects of the global credit crisis.

Toni Anderson who is a Certified Assessor described the benefits of star grading. The Tourism Grading STAR System assesses, monitors and brands South African Tourism products. She explained the process involved for a resort to receive a star grading and went on to tell us that it will contribute toward the sustainable tourism growth in South Africa.

Brendan Hughes, who is a Senior Consultant at Michalsons Attorneys, spoke about the significant impact that the new Consumer Protection Act will have. “The Act will have a significant practical impact on the nature of contractual warranties provided to consumers, refund policies and the general formulation of contractual terms and conditions, particularly standard form contracts and the way in which those contracts must be interpreted by courts,” He carried on to say ‘Although the Act puts up several new legal hurdles for businesses to clear, it also offers businesses the opportunity to promote confidence and certainty in their offerings to consumers, and this will ultimately help drive consumer purchasing decisions,’ said Brendan.

Professor Piet Delport of the University of Pretoria gave a very informative presentation concerning the interaction between the Share Blocks Control Act 1980 and the new Companies Act. Highlighting the duties and liability of directors, corporate governance and the enforcement of duties and rights of shareholders, Professor Delport also covered transitional arrangements with regards to the implementation of the Act.

The shared vacation ownership industry has taken on its responsibility of implementing ways to help decrease global warming, and as such the VOASA conference attracted delegates like Greg McManus of the Heritage Environmental Management Company and Barney Beukes of SIRAC to address the audience of resort developers. Greg discussed environmental rating and management systems for responsible tourism whilst Barney presented to delegates SIRAC’s energy-saving heat pumps. ‘Hot water is the major consumer of power in a home,’ said Barney. ‘By utilising a SIRAC heating pump you can save 65 per cent of your water-heating costs by employing the free solar energy that is available. The SIRAC heating pump is ozone-and globalwarming- neutral and it has been accepted by the Montreal Protocol.’

Henry Greyling from Seef Fractional talked about the growth of Fractional ownership in South Africa and gave us an insight into the regions where fractional sales are predominant which include Exclusive Golf Estates, especially those with spas for the ladies. Other leisure developments including bush lodges are particularly popular as well. The most popular regions in South Africa are currently Kwasi Zulu Natal and Cape Town.

Deon Robbertza from Zoom Advertising which is the first advertising company in South Africa to be 100 per cent carbon neutral discussed the subject of ‘Adapt or Die – The Conscious Brand’. ‘It’s about single-planet living and offering consumers an ethically correct choice, ’Deon said. ‘It’s about leaving our environment in a better state than we found it for our children but also sustaining realistic business growth. “There is no point waiting for consumers to demand this choice – we should be offering it as a matter of principle”.

Dirk Wilson from Fractional Advertising simplified the often confusing subject of internet advertising. He ran through 11 fundamentals of internet marketing success. Some advice he gave was – optimise each page, add Google Analytics to your website and always use quality images & banner adverts which will motivate viewers to click. Dirk explained the growth in internet use in South Africa to highlight to importance of the internet to your business. “With a rapidly growing internet user base – combined with faster & larger bandwidth allocation, South Africans are only on the tip of the iceberg in terms of market penetration. By 2010 an estimated 30+ million South Africans have fast internet access on their mobile phones alone.”

VOASA went on to recognise pioneers in the industry with an awards ceremony. Award categories, and winners, included: Industry Team of the Year (Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge); Industry Performer of the Year (Judy Pousson of The Holiday Club). A Lifetime Achievement Award went to Brian Stocks of Sun International Vacation Club, and Service Excellence to Dirk Wilson of FractionalOwnership.co.za. Dirk commented
“We are delighted to be acknowledged and rewarded by the industry for our hard work and efforts, particularly over the past year or so, it’s a team effort so thanks to our team for going the extra mile on many occasions as well as our clients for all their support”.

All the delegates at the conference also signed a FIFA soccer ball to demonstrate their dedication to, and support of, the 2010 World Cup festivities which will play a major part in boosting South Africa’s tourism next year. More on this subject will follow in a later issue.

In between sessions delegates were treated to refreshments and lunch, plus wine and chocolate tasting, South African dancers and a luxurious gala dinner, with free flowing drinks, several course meal and
entertainment making for a very successful and well organised business and social gathering of key industry players.

VOASA stands for ‘Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa’. It was previously known as TISA (Timeshare Institute of Southern Africa).

The name change was necessary in order for TISA (now VOASA) to evolve with the everchanging industry, an industry that is constantly introducing innovative new products and propositions – products such as Points Clubs, Fractional Ownership and Destination or Private Residence Clubs, which fall within the shared
vacation ownership category set out in the Property Timesharing Control Act No. 75 of 1983 and / or Share Blocks Control Act No. 59 of 1980. Though these new products are considered to be different from standard shared vacation ownership, they still require representation by an industry body.

Each prospective member’s application and documentation will be vetted, not only for legal compliance, but also for consumer protection. All members of VOASA are required to adhere to the industry Code of Conduct. VOASA is committed to strong ethical standards. This is essential to promote the long-term interest of the shared vacation ownership industry in Southern Africa.

For more information visit www.voasa.co.za or call +27 (0)21 914 9693

VOASA Golf Tournament
The VOASA event kicked off with a golf event which was held at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club and sponsored by RCI.

Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club is one of the most prestigious golf clubs in South Africa. In its almost 130 years of existence, it has hosted 7 South African Opens and numerous other major tournaments. Royal is home to the biggest annual professional golf event in Africa, the Joburg Open, inaugurated in 2007, and has hosted the International Final Qualifier (Africa) for the Open Championship for three years in succession.

It was a fine day with 5 teams battling it out for first place, but in the end the winners were Connie Harding, Allan Roberts, Albie Roux and Phil Engelbrecht who each won a golf cart.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club, Dominican Republic, Welcomes Group RCI Top Executives For Top Producer Award Presentation

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club (LHVC), located in Puerto Plata on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, welcomed in July a delegation of top executives from Group RCI who presented LHVC with the company’s Top Producer Award for outstanding sales performance.  The award is given to resorts reporting a higher number of new enrollments per region, with LHVC being among the Top 5 in the region.

RCI, a worldwide leader in timeshare and vacation exchanges with more than 3.5 million members globally, presented this prestigious award during its recent visit that included Greg Anderson, Vice President of Global Product Management for The Registry Collection; Eugenio Macouzet, Senior Vice President for RCI Caribbean; German Rojas, Regional Manager for RCI Caribbean; and Gordon Gurnik, President of Group RCI North America.

“We are honored that Group RCI selected us to receive this special designation and that their executive team visited us to personally present us with this award of distinction,: said Hans Larcher, Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club Managing Director.

The Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club Resort encompasses four distinct products:  The Tropical, The Crown Suites, The Crown Villas and The Residence Suites.  From hotel accommodations to stand alone villas, all guests have access to six distinct restaurants, five swimming pools, nightly entertainment, spa, beach, tennis and more.  Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club VIP Members have access to a “members only” restaurant, bar, swimming pool, exclusive beach areas, as well as golf carts, limousine transfers and helicopter tours.

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club members, guests and their families have a wide variety of activities available to them in the Dominican Republic’s North Coast.  Next door is the Ocean World Adventure Park with its daily animal and aquatic shows plus Las Vegas style show, Bravissimo.  Other activities in the area include a cable car ride to the peak of Mount Isabella de Torres, white water rafting, horseback riding, deep sea fishing, boating, snorkeling, monster truck safaris and city tours of Puerto Plata, named in 2008 as one of the 53 best destinations in the world by The New York Times.  For more Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club information, go to www.lifestyleholidaysvc.com or call (809) 970-7777.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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RCI Welcomes Two New Turkish Resorts To Its Worldwide Network Of Affiliated Resorts

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), announced two new resort affiliations in the popular destination of Turkey.

The new resort affiliates, Salutaris Thermal Resort and Kartas Thermal & Spa Resort, will offer RCI members relaxing spa-based vacation opportinities.

“We are very pleased to welcome Salutaris Thermal Resort and Kartas Thermal & Spa Resort into the RCI network,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Group RCI. “These resorts offer our more than 3.8 million members the chance to enjoy relaxing thermal and spa facilities in scenic areas of Turkey, a country with a variety of contemporary and historic tourist attractions. They are fantastic additions to RCI’s collection of more than 4,000 top quality vacation destinations.”

Salutaris Thermal Resort in Omerli sits in the mountainous province of Afyon, inland from the Aegean coast and 250 kilometres south-west of Ankara. Afyon itself is known for its many historic sites, including the ruins of a fortress, the Great Mosque, the 13th century Alti Göz Bridge and the statue of Hamm’s symbolic white elephant.

Built by Sayez Turizm, the resort is due to open in 2010. When completed, Salutaris Thermal Resort is set to become one of Europe’s largest thermal holiday villages, where guests can enjoy on-site facilities and amenities including a Turkish hamam, sauna, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, thermal pools, a fitness centre and spa. The property comprises 204 two-bedroom units with fully-fitted kitchens, air-conditioning and whirlpool baths.

Prices haven’t been fully finalised but for a period of 29 years vacation ownership should range from €6,000 to €10,000 per week.

Kartas Thermal & Spa Resort was developed by Kartas Turizm and is due to open in October 2009 in the Cavlak area of Bogazliyan, Yozgat, only 50 kilometres away from the city of Kayseri which is renowned for its historical monuments and culinary specialties. Cappadocia is another nearby destination offering unique geological, historic and cultural features. Recreation options in the area include trekking, rafting and skiing, in addition to visiting Goreme National Park, which is famed for its fairy chimney rock formations.

The resort offers relaxation after a busy day of activity. Guests can unwind in one of the indoor or outdoor pools, sauna or fitness centre. Accommodation ranges from hotel rooms to one- and two-bedroom units sleeping up to six people. All have air conditioning and whirlpool baths, and with the exception of the hotel rooms, all have partial kitchens with freezer, microwave and electric hobs.

Prices haven’t been fully finalised but for a period of 5, 10 and 20 years vacation ownership should range from as low as €2,000 to €8,000 per week.

For additional information on the value-added services offered to leisure real estate developers by Group RCI visit www.grouprci.com.

About Group RCI
Group RCI, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, (NYSE: WYN) is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 73,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. The company 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, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation RentalsSM , 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, an international leader in providing a full spectrum of advisory, research, and asset management services. 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 www.grouprci.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

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 Sayez Turizm Insaat Muh Mus SaglikVe Egitim Hiz Paz Taah San Tic
Sayez Turizm was founded by a group of businessmen who came together to form a developer company to build the Salutaris Thermal Resort to utilize the thermal water resources in the Afyon area. The project has the support of the Afyon local authorities as the resort is expected to boost the regional economies.

About Kartas Turizm
The parent company, Kartas Turizm Otelcilik Ticaret Vesan, was founded in 1990 as a flour producer and a retail outlet in the local region. In 1993 it expanded into the fuel supply business by opening a gas station, and four years later it added a fodder plant to its assets. In 2003 it launched a construction business and today is a well-respected multi-sector company in Turkey.

Kartas Thermal & Spa Resort comprises of a hotel which will be managed by the renowned Dedeman Hotels Group, a wellness centre managed by the Universal Hospitals Group of Turkey and, finally, the timeshare properties will be managed by group company, Kartas Turizm.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Real Estate Roundtable Elects New Board, Seeks Action On Key FY2010 Policy Goals

Refinancing Crisis, Erosion of Property Values, Pending Tax and Climate Change Bills Lead The Real Estate Roundtable’s Policy Concerns

Kicking off its 2010 fiscal year, The Real Estate Roundtable in July welcomed a new board of directors and committee leaders, while vowing continued efforts to address a variety of national policy issues such as the credit crisis, environmental “sustainability,” tax, and other policy issues affecting the health of the real estate sector and overall U.S. economy.

Leading the 21-member board in FY10 will be Daniel M. Neidich, co-CEO of New York-based Dune Capital Management LP. Mr. Neidich succeeds Hilton Hotels President and CEO Christopher J. Nassetta as chairman of The Real Estate Roundtable, a 10-year-old policy organization. The board includes top executives from national real estate firms representing various property types (e.g., office, industrial, multifamily, hospitality and retail) and entity classifications (e.g., privately-held and publicly traded). Six national real estate trade associations (out of a total of 16 that hold membership in The Roundtable) are also represented on the board in any given year.

“I am proud to take the helm at The Real Estate Roundtable, which faces a number of important policy challenges in the year ahead — the most significant of which is the ongoing liquidity and refinancing crisis that is forcing real estate owners into bankruptcy and pushing up delinquency rates on commercial mortgages,” said Neidich.

Immediate Past Chairman Nassetta noted that “The real estate industry’s continued, unified efforts on the policy front, involving The Roundtable’s new leadership, CEO-level membership and national partner organizations, will ensure that policymakers fully understand how their decisions affect real estate markets, which are so closely interconnected to the health of the national economy.”

Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey D. DeBoer added, “With so many significant policy issues now under consideration by the Administration and congressional policymakers, The Roundtable will continue to present practical solutions to complex issues based on fact-based analysis, supported by industry leaders and experts.”

In addition to Neidich, Nassetta and DeBoer, the FY10 Roundtable board includes: Roundtable Secretary Robert S. Taubman, who is chairman, president and CEO of Taubman Centers, Inc.; Roundtable Treasurer Jeffrey Schwartz, chairman of Global Logistic Properties; John C. Cushman, III ,chairman of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.; Michael Fascitelli, CEO, Vornado Realty Trust; Thomas M. Flexner, Global Head of Real Estate, Citigroup; James L. Helsel, Jr., partner, RSR Realtors LLC and treasurer of the National Association of Realtors (NAR); C. MacLaine Kenan, executive director, Arcapita, and chairman, National Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE); James L. Lewis, president, Disney Vacation Club and chairman, American Resort Development Association (ARDA); Roy Hilton March, CEO, Eastdil Secured; Constance B. Moore, president and CEO, BRE Properties, Inc., and chair, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT); James A. Peck, senior director, CB Richard Ellis, chairman, BOMA International; Ronald R. Pressman, president and CEO, GE Capital Real Estate; Scott Rechler, chairman and CEO, RXR; William C. Rudin, president, Rudin Management Company, Inc.; Richard Saltzman, president, Colony Capital; L. Peter Sharpe, president and CEO, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation LTD, and chairman, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC); Douglas W. Shorenstein, chairman and CEO, Shorenstein Company LLC; Martin Stein, Jr., chairman and CEO, Regency Centers Corporation.

The Roundtable’s current policy agenda includes a “Five Point Plan” for restoring liquidity to the credit market. In recent months, several of the recommended steps in the plan have been enacted or implemented. However, in The Roundtable’s view, additional policy action is needed to facilitate loan workouts and restructurings (e.g., through temporary changes in the tax rules governing real estate mortgage investment conduits [REMICs]); and an overhaul of policies governing foreign investment in U.S. real estate (FIRPTA). “The debt markets, including the CMBS market, are still generally dysfunctional, transaction volume remains at virtually zero, and commercial property values remain under downward pressure,” said Neidich who spent 25 years at Goldman Sachs before becoming chairman and co-CEO of Dune Capital in 2003.

In recent testimony, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner both acknowledged the lack of credit capacity and deterioration in commercial real estate markets. Additionally, Joint Economic Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) held a July 9 hearing on commercial real estate liquidity and market conditions at which The Roundtable’s DeBoer testified.

The Real Estate Roundtable is unique in its focus on “big picture” policy issues affecting the national economy and overall real estate industry. It also is the only advocacy group in Washington that brings together chief executives of top U.S. real estate entities (representing all market segments, asset classes, ownership vehicles and capital structures) with the leaders of 16 national real estate trade associations to develop broad-based industry perspectives on key public policy issues. For more information: www.rer.org.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Margit Whitlock, AIA LEED AP Receives LEED® Accreditation

Principal at Architectural Concepts, Inc. and President of Resort ProSource Fully Accredited in Green Building Design

Architectural Concepts, Inc. (ACI) has announced that Margit Whitlock, AIA has been officially designated as a LEED® Accredited Professional.  The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.  Its system offers project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.

Margit is now fully accredited in what is commonly called “green” building design. LEED® emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Margit Whitlock, AIA who also chairs the ARDA Design and Construction Committee, said “Sustainability is not a way of designing, it is a way of life.  As a design professional I look at all aspects of a project from site configuration to operations and that is why LEED is so important, as the program is comprehensive.  Soon USGBC will distribute new Hospitality LEED Guidelines and certifications and I look forward to implementing this into all of our future projects.”

Architectural Concepts, Inc. (ACI) a San Diego firm regarded as one of the top hospitality-oriented architectural and interior design firms has been honored with numerous awards including the American Resort Development Association’s ARDY for Resort Design for Cibola Vista Resort and Spa (Peoria, Arizona) and Club Regina Resorts (Cancun and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) for Interior Design. Last year the firm received a Silver Award for New Resort Unit Design for The Island Empress on Santa Rosa Island, Pensacola, Florida. In 2008, the firm received the prestigious ARDA ACE Community Service Award for its benefit for San Diego’s Habitat for Humanity.

In addition to being at the helm of both ACI and Resort ProSource (RPS), Margit designs an exclusive line of linen and terry (www.LaNotteLinenCollection.com) for the hospitality industry.

Architectural Concepts, Inc. is a full service planning, architectural and interior design firm located in San Diego, CA.  Some of the firm’s architectural and interior designs include Raintree Vacation Club’s Club Regina renovations in Mexico, Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans), The Golden Door, (Escondido) Cibola Vista Resort, (Peoria, Arizona) and The Bond, a vacation ownership project, (Las Vegas).  ACI primarily focuses on the hospitality and commercial markets in the US and Mexico.    ACI’s Principal, Margit Whitlock AIA, is a licensed architect in California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The design firm is located at 3015 St. Charles Street, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92110.  For more information about Architectural Concepts call 619-531-0110.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Wyndham Worldwide Corporation Declares Cash Dividend

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN) today announced its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.04 per share on its common stock, payable September 11, 2009 to shareholders of record as of August 27, 2009.

About Wyndham Worldwide Corporation
As one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide offers individual consumers and business–to–business customers a broad suite of hospitality products and services across various accommodation alternatives and price ranges through its premier portfolio of world–renowned brands. Wyndham Hotel Group encompasses almost 7,000 franchised hotels and approximately 588,500 hotel rooms worldwide. Group RCI offers its 3.8 million members access to more than 73,000 vacation properties located in approximately 100 countries.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of over 150 vacation ownership resorts serving over 830,000 owners throughout North America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Wyndham Worldwide, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., employs approximately 25,500 employees globally.  For more information about Wyndham Worldwide, please visit the Company’s web site at www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Grand Pacific Resorts Director of Facilities Honored

Jon Fazzio Receives Prestigious National Award

Grand Pacific Resort Services,  a privately owned vacation ownership company located in Carlsbad, CA announces that Jon Fazzio was recognized by the American Resort Developers Association (ARDA) with the prestigious Silver Award for 2009. Jon Fazzio is currently the Director of Facilities with Grand Pacific Resorts for both Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Carlsbad Seapointe Resort located in Carlsbad, CA.  He is responsible for overseeing the housekeeping function, maintenance efforts and security at both properties.

Coming from a 26 year long career in City Government, Jon developed expertise in turf maintenance, contract administration, facility and stadium maintenance and special event coordination.

According to Patrick Fernane, Director /Inventory Management and Owner Services and Regional Director of Pacific Palisades Resort, “Jon has made a dramatic and positive impact on the facilities in his short time with Grand Pacific Resorts. We are fortunate to work with him.  His work model exemplifies high integrity, superb service focus and extremely high standards of facilities excellence. He oversaw several large scale/big budget reserve projects, but perhaps his most significant impact was his key role in Grand Pacific Resorts companywide “green” initiative – which we rolled out this year as a comprehensive Go-Green Program.  He implemented and managed a turnkey Resort Recycling Program, which, we are proud to say, has made both resorts extremely environmentally friendly.”

Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Carlsbad Seapointe Resort are two of four Grand Pacific Resort Services operated resorts in Carlsbad, California.  Also in Carlsbad, California are the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort and the company’s newest resort, Grand Pacific MarBrisa.

Grand Pacific Resorts, Inc. is one of the oldest and largest vacation ownership companies based in California. With 800 professionals servicing 40,000 owner-families every year, Grand Pacific Resorts manages 14 properties throughout the state of California.  For more information visit www.grandpacificresortservices.com  or call 760-431-8500.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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A-List: Jonathan Back, Managing Director of Group RCI UK & RCI Europe

An Interview With Jonathan Back, Managing Director of Group RCI UK & RCI Europe, on his new position and future plans for further development of the company’s products and services and his views on the future of the industry including a resurgence in all shared ownership markets

1. What does your position as Managing Director entail and what regions are you in charge of?

As managing director of Group RCI UK and RCI Europe, I am responsible for Group RCI’s European exchange business and its European cottage and villa rental portfolio for the UK consumer.

2. Coming from a financial background, what attracted you to the position of Managing Director at Group RCI?

The two factors that attracted me to Group RCI were its market presence and its people. Group RCI is the European market leader in both exchange and rental business lines, with the best pedigree and the greatest brand equity. It is a diverse and complex organisation with a variety of affiliates across the regions and I am looking forward to meeting with as many of them as possible to investigate ways of maximising our joint resources to offer the best possible holiday options and customer service to our owner/members. Working with the people at Group RCI is also a bonus for me. They have great integrity and consistently put the customer first. They are innovative, hard working and are resourceful and enthusiastic in delivering great and memorable holiday experiences.

3. What skills learnt from your previous careers are proving the most useful in your new role?

The keys to Group RCI’s success will always be in its ability to develop relationships, serve its customers and produce great business results for itself and its partners. I have always worked for sales and marketing lead organisations with both B2B and B2C channels. Those organisations have always been partnership businesses where consistently adding value and service quality were essentials.

4. In your first few months, what have been your greatest challenges so far?

My greatest challenges so far have been spreading my time between the numerous constituencies of the business and meeting as many of our partners as possible. So far, I have met many of our affiliates, visited most of Group RCI’s European offices and met many of its people. There are many more yet to meet and I thoroughly relish doing that.

5. Moving forward what are your short-term and long-term goals for Group RCI in the coming months and years?

My short-term goals for Group RCI are to enhance its customer and partner focus, further develop its product set and to set a course for accelerated growth. Longer term, my objectives are to open and establish new destination markets for our customers and members, to work with our affiliates to develop new products and business opportunities, to introduce our products to new customer groups and to constantly improve the overall level of customer and member satisfaction.

6. What do you think will be the main differences in the timeshare / shared ownership industry ten years from now?

The shared ownership industry is undergoing a great deal of change right now. All constituencies must work together to improve its reputation and quality. Personally, I’m very excited by Group RCI’s focus on innovation and hybrid products which are designed to deliver more flexibility to both members and developers, creating new lead generation and revenue generation opportunities. The next ten years will see a slower growth rate in leisure whole ownership and a resurgence in shared – both timeshare and fractional. It will see a clouding of the line between rental and traditional exchange products, with the success stories coming from consistent quality and value. Globally, improving living standards and an increasing premium for quality leisure time will afford our industry an enormous growth opportunity over that period.

7. Are there any new developments within Group RCI which we should be aware of?

We at Group RCI are working extremely hard to create a better future for our affiliates and customers. Our biggest innovation so far this year has been the launch of The Group RCI Rental and Exchange (R&E) programme, which has fantastic benefits for both developer and consumer. It provides developers with the opportunity to sell whollyowned, deeded properties with the add-on of a rental and holiday exchange component, using the scale of our operation to generate a reliable rental income for purchasers, as well as offering the bonus of a holiday through our exchange network. It is unique to the leisure property market.

Our new Owners’ Club is an extension of the R&E programme, whereby our holiday cottage owners deposit at least four weeks’ time into our exchange and rental network in return for an exchange holiday.

Our focus is on creating products, services and programmes designed to increase the choice of properties for our members and leads for our developers, as well as strengthening the offer at the sales deck. Ultimately, our strategy is to be pro-active in helping to grow this business for everyone involved.

We have also been working to strengthen member benefits with enhancements to Group RCI Points and by improving our member search process on www.rci.com. Members can now search for their perfect holiday using a filter system, starting with a map, to locate the resorts having all the amenities they might wish for on their holiday and the results will appear either on a Google map or as a resort listing. The system will be rolling out across Europe in multiple languages, ensuring a more transparent delivery of the Group RCI products, as well as being a faster and fun way to search.

8. In listening to the developers you’ve met, what has impressed you as the key messages?

The overriding messages, from Group RCI’s developers I have met so far, are the need to continue to add value to the developers’ business models and to provide superior member service and satisfaction.

9. What areas, from a product perspective, do you see as presenting the best development opportunities for the industry?

As developers invest in more mixed-use resorts to optimise sales potential, the products that will present the best opportunities will be those that offer the developer and owner the most flexibility and value add. The industry winners will be those with sales and marketing expertise, product range and depth and service quality.

10. In what ways do you believe Group RCI can help existing developers overcome obstacles to growth and expand their business?

Group RCI will help existing and new developers grow their businesses in a large number of ways. Needless to say we are the leader in scale, quality and experience in the exchange industry. We have unmatched access to resources, expertise and industry knowledge. We believe we have the widest range of products which will assist developers to grow their businesses during the decade ahead, irrespective of economic uncertainty and the ever-changing business landscape.

In change we see opportunity. And with the right partners, the right product at the right price, we see endless opportunities for our valued affiliates.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Spinnaker Resorts, Southwind Management, Implement SPI Timeshare Software

Positive experience with SPI Orange Systems Finance module persuades timeshare resort company to purchase additional modules.

Systems Products International (SPI), a leading provider of software to the timeshare industry, recently announced that Southwind Management Corporation, an affiliate of Spinnaker Resorts,has elected to purchase its Orange Systems central reservations and property management software.

Southwind CFO Mike Vaniska says, “We have been using the owner billing module of SPI for approximately a year now and couldn’t be happier.  It was everything that we thought it would be and more.  When we began to explore replacing our Property Management, Front Desk and Reservations software, we immediately turned to SPI.”

“Throughout the long, arduous due diligence process on our part, which involved many department heads, SPI worked closely with us and provided a seamless solution that pleased everyone.  Our excitement is high in anticipation of working with the complete package and utilizing all the advanced features that the SPI Orange Systems’ software provides.  We expect our efficiency and owner service to increase tremendously as a result.”

“SPI was pleased to have Southwind/Spinnaker Resorts select our modules for its property management and reservations functions,” says SPI Director of Sales Matt Brosious. “Once their team saw how our owner accounting product helped streamline their activities, they could see that using these additional modules would be an excellent investment.”

About SPI
SPI provides major developers of vacation ownership (timeshare, fractional, private residence club and others) with its .NET-based software as either an enterprise suite of software called Orange Systems, or in specific modules to handle marketing, sales, property management, finance, maintenance fee and receivables servicing, centralized reservations or Website access operations. Founded in 1978 and based in Miami, FL, SPI can be reached at 305-858-9505, sales@spiinc.com or www.spiinc.com.

About Spinnaker Resorts & Southwind Management
Spinnaker Resorts develops, markets, sells and provides property management to resorts in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; Branson, Missouri; and Ormond Beach, Florida. In 1993, Spinnaker formed a property management company, Southwind Management Corporation, to manage its developments. Southwind manages over 750 timeshare units, as well as The Players Club Hotel on Hilton Head Island. For more information, visit www.spinnakerresorts.com.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Fractional Summit 2009 Convention Review

Fractional real estate professionals were brought together on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th April in London to attend the second annual Fractional Summit.

The Summit was held at the prestigious Hilton Metropole and organised by Fractional Life with headline sponsorship from Registry Collection and sponsors: FOC – Fractional Ownership Consultancy, Citadel Trustees Ltd, DCP International, Castello di Casole – Timbers Resorts, Preferred Residences, First American Title and yooPhuket. The event attracted over 210 fractional property developers, brands and service operators together with leading property journalists.

The theme of this year’s conference ‘Fractional ownership: the rewards and opportunities’ ensured a good turnout with delegates from all around the world including Denmark, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, USA, Cyprus, Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, South Africa, Dubai, Russia, Australia, Cape Verde, Lebanon, India, Croatia and the United Kingdom.

The event gave fractional professionals from around the world an overview of the current state of the industry in Europe with a two-day programme of presentations and panel discussions.

One of the recent causes for concern, which is linked to making consumers more aware of fractional ownership is the lack of a clear definition of the product, with different developers using different terminology in their marketing materials. On this subject, Preben Vestdam, Principal and CEO of Valhalla Associates discussed industry definitions of luxury fractional ownership, Destination and Private Residence Clubs and the requirements of each. He spoke about and highlighted the main differences between Destination Club, PRC, fractional ownership and timeshare and ran through everything the potential fractional developer who may be considering adding one of these to his mix of products needs to know, from business models in usage plans, preferred locations, pricing methodology, and success and failure factors.

Despite managing to achieve increased positive press coverage over recent months, there’s no denying that the fractional property market in Europe is very much in its infancy, so it was very inspiring to hear from Sarah Rezak who is a senior consultant from Ragatz Associates. Sarah presented figures to show the size of the US fractional industry and how the marketplace has grown to be worth $1.6 billion dollars in 2008 (down from $2.3 billion dollars in 2007). What is interesting is that many UK and European consumers buying trends tend to follow shortly behind the US. Currently in the US there are 138 Private Residence Clubs and 12 Destination Clubs. Sarah shared with us some interesting statistics about the satisfaction levels of fractional owners – 87% of Fractional Owners and 95% of Private Residence Owners said that knowing what they know now about their purchase, they would do it again.

Following on from an interactive panel session talking about the fractional hotspots around the world we were introduced to Marc Koerts, Managing Director, Avenio Prieuré and Marina Palmerio of Timbers Resorts. At a time when many real estate developers are considering whether to change the mix of their property and may be considering a shared ownership offering we heard from two very different fractional developers, Marc Koerts shared with us his journey from being a self-confessed ‘fractional novice’ last year to, 12 months on successfully launching his mixed use “Avenio Prieuré” fractional ownership development in Provence, France – his resorts were featured in Perspective Magazine in June 2009 (available online at www.theperspectivemagazine.com). Marina Palmerio presented Timbers Resorts’ and Castello di Casole’s vision. She explained that for many, their dream is to own their own home in Tuscany, Italy and that Castello di Casole offers one of Tuscany’s most remarkable villas and surrounding estates, but also the option of whole or fractional ownership.

Nick Turner, Vice President & Head of New Developments – Europe for Registry Collection discussed the growing trend of converting traditional real estate into Fractional Ownership and gave an overview of where the fractional industry is today. His session highlighted that there are 4 main typical destinations ski, golf, beach and urban. The cost of a fractional ranges from $99,200 to $247,000 and the units are fairly large – 1670 sq ft – 2500 sq ft. The largest potential growth areas would likely be Spain, Italy, Portugal, UK, France, Cyprus and Croatia. He went on to explain how the exchange programme with Registry Collection which is the largest in the world can add huge benefits to the Fractional offering by giving the fractional owner access to 160 of some of the world’s most exclusive resorts.

As a break from concentrating on the property arena, Richard Thomas, Director of Marketing for Jet Republic gave us an amazing insight into the world of Fractional Jet Ownership. He told us about the Jet Republic mission: to revolutionise private jet travel with dramatically improved service in the air and on the ground.

Despite the current economic climate he said that they have put their money where their mouths are and have just placed the largest order in European history – 110 Learjet 60 XRs valued at $1.5 billion. The Learjet60XR is the best in its class flying higher, faster and further.

Chris Allen of Citadel Trustees spoke about the importance of getting the right structure to support the right product, right from the start. He explained the importance of getting it right from the start with a structure which supports the product from a legal, operational, sales and marketing perspective. A structure that combines flexibility for future product development with complete security for added product credibility. Doing this is both cost effective and financially logical for buyer and seller and offers each an exit route. Linked to this was a presentation from Andrew Warren, Partner, Anne Taylor, Partner from Irwin Mitchell law firm which is based in London. They spoke about the important and controversial issue that the fractional industry is currently governed by the Timeshare Directive which is part of the Consumer legislation under review at the moment in the ECC. The timeshare (Fractional) contract is a contract of accommodation use for the duration of more than one year by which a consumer acquires the right to use one or more overnight accommodation for more than one period of occupation.

The current directive states that Fractional Ownership cannot be sold as an investment. Further stipulations are that pre-contractual information should be provided in good time before the consumer is bound by any contract or offer and specific information to be contained in timeshare, long term holiday product, resale & exchange contracts. The contract should be in writing in the language of the Member State in which the client is a national. Cooling off period is extended to 14 days from the day of conclusion of the contract. If the withdrawal form is not provided, the period of withdrawal expires after one year and fourteen days. There is a total ban on advance payments, provision of guarantee, reservation of money on account and acknowledgment of debt during withdrawal period for all contracts.

Greig Holbrook from Oban Multilingual gave us a fascinating insight into the multilingual Search engine optimisation. He explained how SEO works and gave us examples of what we needed to do to increase our rankings on Google but given that not everyone searches in English or even uses Google there were other things you could do to increase your rankings. Things such as Keyphrases: Cultural variants, Search Engines, content, Domain names/localisation, Global Social Media, Growth in penetration per country.

Claude Attala – Global Managing Director of Northcourse released the findings of the first ever research paper dedicated to the fractional property market in Europe. The study, titled “Europe: Trends In Fractional Real Estate 2009” identified the following: there are 90 fractional products in Europe in the form of private residence clubs and fractional properties. Over 70% of fractional properties are located within a mixed use environment. More than 60% of these are located near the beach or a golf course, although there has been a recent growth in urban properties. Italy was chosen by those interviewed as the most desirable location followed closely by France. Portugal is also popular, followed closely by the UK, Turkey and Spain.

Of those interviewed, 33% said they were likely and 13% very likely to purchase a fractional property in the future. The remaining 54% said they were not likely to purchase a fractional at present, which highlights the need for increasing awareness of the fractional product.

We then heard some very interactive panel discussions, ‘Live’ Fractional Practical Exercises, Capturing the high net worth fractional Consumer and connecting with different cultures.

Speakers and panellists were upbeat about the future of the fractional industry despite the economic downturn, pointing at a sustained growth curve in the European fractional property market over the next few years.

The newly-launched Fractional Life Summit Awards were also presented, amongst them was Avenio Prieuré, a luxury resort development company in Provence and member of The Registry Collection, scooping the Fractional Life Award for Innovation and Excellence, the top accolade in the fractional industry.

Delegate Quotes:

“In sharp contrast to the general economic news, there was an excited buzz as new projects and current fractional successes were discussed and planned” – Eric Gummers, Howard Kennedy

“You’ll have over 300 delegates at the next one – I hope you have the space” – Peter Matthews, Cave Creative

“I really enjoyed the fractional ownership conference, expected less, very impressed, will do a lot of business from it” – Vincent Barbera, Destination Sicily.

“Great fractional property conference – it served its purpose and I enjoyed all the speakers. I’ll definitely attend next year” – Chris Bannister, GRM Solicitors.

“I think it’s been one of the best conferences and feel very positive. I would have liked to have more representatives there, will bring more next year” – Richard Thomas, Jet Republic.

“I enjoyed the conference very much, very positive feedback, panel discussions were great. I got to meet everyone I wanted to” – Maurizio Bisicky, Marriott Vacation Club International.

“It’s the first event I’ve been to in a while that has exceeded my expectations. I noticed many new faces, both developers and suppliers coming into the industry. In a time when most markets are looking inwards, it was great to see people actually making plans to enter or expand their operations in the fractional market” -
Ioannis Verdelis, Select Ownership.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Fractional Ownership Developers Can Now Reach Affluent First Class & Business Class Passengers With Owners Perspective Magazine

Owners Perspective Magazine, a luxury property and lifestyle magazine that specialises in covering all aspects of the shared ownership industry from resort real estate through fractional ownership properties, private residence clubs and high end timeshares has recently secured a distribution deal for more than 120 airport lounges accross major airline brands including Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Emirates Airlines and all of British Airways lounges worldwide.

This opens up a targeted route to an affluent market of first class and business class passengers for fractional property developers to promote their developments via a combination of advertising, advertorial and editorial packages with Owners Perspective Magazine that now reaches nearly 50,000 prospective buyers per month.

Owners Perspective is also available via leading UK supermarkets in affluent areas, selected luxury hotels and resorts and by individual print and online subscriptions.

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

To view the magazine online visit www.ownersperspective.com

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Madeira Property Dom Pedro Garajau Joins The RCI Network Of Affiliated Resorts

The Dom Pedro Hotel Group announced that the Dom Pedro Garajau Hotel has affiliated with RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange.

The Dom Pedro Garajau Hotel is a great base for a holiday in Madeira, midway between Caniço and the capital Funchal, just 10 minutes from Madeira International Airport on the island’s south coast. Located in a quiet area near the lively village of Garajau, the 282-room hotel has excellent leisure, entertainment and relaxation facilities, including indoor, outdoor and children’s pools, and a mini club.

“We are very excited to bring our owners the opportunities that RCI offers,” said Stefano Saviotti, president of Dom Pedro Hotel Group. “RCI offers our owners access to over 4,000 terrific vacation ownership resorts around the world, including everything from camping parks to castles. We’re glad we could provide this service to our community.”

“We are very pleased to welcome the Dom Pedro Garajau Hotel into the RCI network,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Group RCI. “This beautiful resort is a tremendous addition to the collection of top vacation destinations we offer to our more than 3.8 million RCI members around the world.”

The hotel is one of seven operated by Dom Pedro Hotel Group; the other six are on the Portuguese mainland with one in Lisbon and five in the Algarve.

About Dom Pedro Hotel Group
Dom Pedro Hotel Group was founded 40 years ago by Italian businessman, Pietro Saviotti, when it opened its first property on the island of Madeira. Since then, his son Stefano Saviotti has turned the Dom Pedro Hotel Group into one of Portugal’s most successful hotel chains, making a large contribution to the development of the country’s tourism industry. Dom Pedro Hotels has grown into a well-respected hotel chain with seven landmark four- and five-star properties offering more than 3,000 beds in Lisbon and Portugal’s coastal resorts and islands. The group has plans to expand, with Brazil flagged up as a possible market. Currently the properties that form the Dom Pedro Group are all located within Portugal.

About Group RCI
Group RCI, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, (NYSE: WYN) is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 73,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. The company 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 RentalsSM , 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, an international leader in providing a full spectrum of advisory, research, and asset management services. 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 www.grouprci.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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Owners Perspective Magazine Confirms Media Partnership For Fractional Life Expo 2009

The fractional ownership brand, Fractional Life (Fractionallife.com), today announced Owners Perspective Magazine is media partner for the forthcoming Fractional Life Expo (Fractionallifeexpo.com) which takes place Mon 14 – Wed 16 September 2009 in the heart of the City of London at the prestigious Broadgate Event venues. 

Launched in print in January 2009, Owners Perspective Magazine (www.ownersperspective.com) is an independent publication available by subscription as well as in leading UK supermarkets, selected hotels and resorts and airport lounges around the world, specialising in the shared ownership industry, including vacation and real estate products such as Fractional Ownership, Private Residence Clubs and high end timeshares.

Paul Mattimoe, CEO Perspectives International, said: “We’ve been reporting on the growing fractional property market for over four years, and right now I’d say the growth of the fractional industry is at its most accelerated of recent years with the added interest from the second-home market. We are delighted to be part of the Fractional Life Expo 2009 and will be encouraging our UK readers to attend.”

Piers Brown, Fractional Life said “we are very pleased to have Owners Perspective Magazine partner with an exhibition which is truly innovative and unique. Living for the ‘here and now’, having fun, enjoying new experiences, entertainment and discovery is what the Fractional Life Expo epitomises”

Promotional activity between the two brands will include both on and offline media activity pre and post event and distribution of Owners Perspective Magazine at the show.

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For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com

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