Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Ownership News, Resort Reviews & Guides

Interval International Names Nicole Kosmas Director Of Event Marketing

Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Reviews — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:32:54 +0000

Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services, announced the promotion of Nicole Kosmas to director of event marketing. In this role, she is responsible for Interval’s marketing relationships with various industry associations and partners. In addition, she manages the company’s participation in corporate and industry events.

“Nicole brings a tremendous amount of energy and creativity to everything she does,” said Stephanie Adames, assistant vice president of event marketing. “She has played a key role in many important projects and has made outstanding contributions to Interval’s successful events and programs.”

Kosmas joined Interval in 2005 as assistant manager of business development and, most recently, held the position of manager of business development marketing.

Interval International operates membership programs for vacation owners and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 33 years. Today, Interval has a network of over 2,400 resorts in more than 75 countries and offers its resort clients and approximately 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through 25 offices in 16 countries. Interval is an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IILG), a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to the vacation industry.

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 Resales And Rental Advertising Company Opens New Office In Orlando

Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Reviews — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:11:38 +0000

Sell My Timeshare NOW, the global leader in the advertising and marketing of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, is expanding with a new office at 400 South Park Center, 8415 South Park Circle, Suite 110, Orlando, Florida. Operations have begun with the hiring and training of six employees, ultimately looking to create 100 jobs at the Orlando location. Sell My Timeshare NOW CEO Jason Tremblay noted that while one administrative employee was transferred from the company’s Dover, New Hampshire headquarters, all other employees will be new hires from the pool of experienced timeshare talent already available in Central Florida.

“In opening an office in Orlando, it is important to Sell My Timeshare NOW to be recognized as a reliable resource for people who want to buy, rent, or sell timeshare, but equally as important to hire locally and be known as an employer that contributes stable jobs and a positive workplace to the local economy,” Tremblay says. Sell My Timeshare NOW, recognized in 2008 by Inc 5000 as the second fastest growing privately owned company in New Hampshire, was also ranked number 44 in the Inc 5000 Top 100 Advertising & Marketing Companies nationally.

Aramis Cherrington has been appointed as the Senior Director of Sales for Sell My Timeshare NOW, and will be based in the Orlando timeshare office. Cherrington is the former Call Center Sales and Operations Director for Westgate Resorts and prior to that was Marketing Director for Sunterra’s Western Region call centers. Cherrington says, “The Orlando Call Center offers highly experienced timeshare veterans to professionally service our customers, offering them the best options for renting or selling timeshare. Central Florida is an excellent source for attracting talented timeshare professionals with bilingual skills, to help us better serve our international market, especially Spanish speaking timeshare sellers and buyers.”

Sell My Timeshare NOW maintains a brokerage office in Orlando on International Drive under its brand, Timeshare Broker Services, a TBS office in Tampa, and corporate headquarters in New Hampshire.

In 2008, Sell My Timeshare NOW received over $460 million in offers to buy or rent timeshare resales, providing marketing solutions for timeshare owners seeking to sell timeshare or rent timeshare and opportunities in timeshare resales for buyers.

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Absolute Group Of Companies Appoints Phil Tufnell As Brand Ambassador

Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Reviews — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:13:10 +0000

Absolute Group of companies, Asia’s market leader in mixed-use resort development, today announced the appointment of Phil Tufnell, the popular UK celebrity and former England cricket captain, as Absolute brand ambassador.

“We are really pleased to have Phil Tufnell on board as one of our brand ambassadors. He will be promoting Absolute resorts and hotels not only in Phuket but throughout Thailand as a first class holiday destination. He will also be promoting our lifestyle and exciting investment opportunities, plus helping promote Absolute’s fractional ownership programme,” said Bryan Lunt, Chairman of Absolute Group of companies.

Absolute Group is the pioneer of fractional ownership and a leading mixed-used resort developer in Thailand and throughout Asia. The company currently offers fractional ownership schemes on four properties in Thailand and there will be two new major developments this year.
Absolute’s current property investment offerings in Thailand include Absolute Bangla Suites (Phuket), Absolute Nakalay Beach Resort (Phuket), Absolute Signature Villas at Palm Grove (Jomtien - Pattaya) and Absolute Platinum Suites (Jomtien - Pattaya).

“Fractional ownership is such a great concept for investment. It’s not just applicable during an economic downturn like now. It has been implemented at many high-end developments worldwide and allows buyers a simpler way to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle and sound investment” added Lunt.

All Absolute properties offer an optional rental programme with full resort-style five star management services which will ensure maximum returns for the individual property owners. Absolute are currently offering buyers choices in developments completed as well as off-plan developments. The off-plan buyers can expect to see at least a 30 to 40 % gain in the value of their property by the time the development is complete.*
*based on Absolute Group information.

“I have spent time exploring Phuket recently and have been impressed with the island, the Thai culture, and the Thai people are so friendly. I have visited several of Absolute’s projects and am really happy to say they are ‘Absolute-ly brilliant!’ They offer great quality building finishes, in great locations, and at fantastic prices. Ideal places for a holiday and ideal investment opportunities. I’m really looking forward to spending more time on Phuket in the future” added Phil Tufnell.

Absolute Group of companies organised ‘An evening with Phil Tufnell’ to announce the brand ambassador appointment and introduce its new projects among potential investors in Phuket and Hong Kong on June 24 and June 25 accordingly. At the event, Phil and Absolute helped raise a total of THB 235,000 which will be donated to the Child Watch Phuket Association (CW).

Absolute Group of companies
Founded in 1998, Absolute Group specialise in mixed-use resort development and are the pioneer of fractional ownership in Phuket. The group currently has 21 offices with 950 staff worldwide. Absolute’s current property investment offerings in Thailand are Absolute Bangla Suites (Phuket), Absolute Nakalay Beach Resort (Phuket), Signature Villas at Palm Grove (Jomtien - Pattaya) and Absolute Platinum Suites (Jomtien - Pattaya) plus two exciting developments launching soon - yooPhuket and yooSamui.
For more information visit AbsoluteWorld.net

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Clearing The Runway For The Safe Take Off Of The Spanish Property Market

Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Reviews — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:40:05 +0000

Despite the gloomy economic environment of the last year and the retrenchment of the overseas property market, Spain has managed to retain its allure for Britons seeking a home in the sun. However, for the property industry in Spain to take off once again there are a number of “boulders on the runway” that have to be removed, a challenge which is now being taken up by an alliance of Taylor Woodrow de España and international accreditation specialists, Safe Buying Experience.

The “boulders” which are holding back the Spanish property market include a lack of trust surrounding the legal title of any property following the well publicised land grab scares, the notional increase in prices resulting from changes in the exchange rate, the fear of substandard construction work, and the lack of available finance.

As the only major UK house builder operating in Spain, Taylor Woodrow de España, has a head start over other developers in being able to begin to address the challenges and show that Spain still offers fantastic opportunities for those seeking to buy property abroad. As a UK company committed to the highest quality of workmanship in the building of its homes Taylor Woodrow de España can offer its customers piece of mind that anything they buy will be built to an exacting standard.

In order to allay the fears generated through the extensive coverage of Britons who had lost their holiday homes through the so called “land grab” policies of some of Spain’s regional legislators, Taylor Woodrow de España have teamed up with Safe Buying Experience (SBE). SBE offers an independent accreditation service to developers in Spain and Portugal effectively guaranteeing that every Taylor Woodrow de España property has the correct legal title, conforms to planning and building regulations and that buyers are not burdened with a poor or unenforceable contract after handing over a reservation deposit.

The founders of SBE come from a long and distinguished background of law, management and financial services. They recognise that, in an increasingly sophisticated market, buyers seek upfront reassurance that their dream home is everything they believe it to be. Every Taylor Woodrow property in Spain now comes with full SBE accreditation.

Taylor Woodrow de España is also addressing the issue of pricing head on as explained by the Marketing Director, Victor Sague:

“We recognised that for people in the UK the changes in the sterling / euro exchange rate could have priced our properties out of their reach. We have therefore worked hard to reduce our prices by offering really solid discounts to maintain their attractiveness to the UK market, meaning proeprties are now cheaper in 2009 than they have been for many years.”

“We are really looking forward to the next year. Approaching the height of the summer we are confident that Spain will once again show millions of visitors from the UK just how special a place it is. The latent demand for homes in Spain remains strong and now we have set about removing the boulders from the runway we really believe the market is ready to take off once again. We are already seeing smart investors taking advantage of the deals we have on offer - a sure sign that the market is changing.”

Taylor Woodrow de España provides a specialised service and dedicated team within the UK and Spain who can help and advise homebuyers through the entire process of choosing, buying and settling into a new Spanish home.

The developer currently has a range of Safe Buying Experience endorsed quality homes available in Mallorca, the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, starting from 173,531€. For further information on Taylor Woodrow de España and the developments available please call 08000 121 020 or visit http://www.taylorwoodrow.es/

If you would like to find out further information regarding the Safe Buying Experience accreditation Scheme please visit http://www.safebuyingexperience.com/

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Owners Perspective Magazine Offers Timeshare & Fractional Property Developers New Marketing Package

Perspective Magazine: Timeshare & Fractional News & Reviews — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:38:54 +0000

The new marketing package for timeshare resort and fractional property developers covers many facets of the sales and marketing process but specifically includes elements for consolidation, tailor-made communication for referrals and upgrades and the generation of direct sales enquiries.

Developers wishing to receive an information pack detailing the full benefits of the Owners Perspective Developer Package should visit http://www.perspectiverates.com/developer

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New Study Logs An 87 Per Cent Satisfaction Rate By Owners Of Timeshare

Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Reviews — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:13:24 +0000

A European survey that reveals 87 per cent of owners are satisfied with their timeshare is a powerful, credible and ringing endorsement of the growing popularity of holiday ownership.

According to The Timeshare Association, TATOC, the study also heralds a sea change in public perceptions of timeshare while recognising it as an integral part of the global travel and tourism industry.

An independent consumer body, TATOC – the Timeshare Association (Timeshare Owners and Committees) -is run by timeshare owners for timeshare owners.
Based on a detailed questionnaire completed by 33,000 respondents in 12 different countries, the survey also showed the majority of owners rated their timeshare experience over other self-catering holidays.
In 2007 more than 1.5million European households owned timeshare. The UK & Ireland has the largest market share with close to 600,000 owners, followed by Germany and Italy.

The findings are a key element of a comprehensive study by The Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute, based at the Business School in the University of Nottingham.
Harry Taylor, TATOC chief executive, says the survey is the most comprehensive and detailed in a decade, reflecting the widespread recognition of timeshare as a viable and valued holiday product.

In rating timeshare, owners cited quality of accommodation, exchange opportunities and the credibility of the resort vendor as the most important factors in their decisions to buy.
Based on 2007 data, there are 1,312 timeshare resorts in Europe – most are in Spain where there are more than 350. The UK, Portugal and Italy each has more than 100.

In 2008, TATOC bolstered its resort membership by 20 per cent, accounting for some 300,000 timeshare owners.
Mr Taylor said: “Timeshare is an affordable way of having a shared ownership in a holiday home. I am confident the UK will continue to lead the way in boosting its expansion and popularity in Europe.”
In recent years the shared ownership principle has been applied to new and innovative products and services. They range from traditional weekly intervals to floating time, points’ programmes, fractional ownership, destination and private residence clubs as well as condo-hotels.

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Aloft Hotels Launches Ground-Breaking Online Experience For The High-Tech, Gen Y Traveler

Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Reviews — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:00:14 +0000

Aloft becomes the first hospitality brand to incorporate original gaming into its Web experience

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® (NYSE:HOT) and its high-tech, style at a steal AloftSM Hotels brand, today announced the launch of the newly expanded Aloft Web site, www.alofthotels.com/explore , featuring a range of interactive features never before developed by a hospitality brand. The site includes a guided insider’s tour of the hotel, maps and city guides for each location and engages visitors through a series of original, branded games that bring the Aloft experience to life.

The Aloft brand’s new online experience includes:

An Insider’s Virtual Tour: Explore the look and feel of each area of the hotel and its unique design features with the click of a mouse.

Destination Map and City Guides: Browse a map of Aloft’s global a-list locations and check out local hot spots, restaurants, cultural and off-the-beaten-path destinations, as well as staff picks and special city guide content provided by Travel + Leisure magazine.

Gaming and Trivia: Immerse yourself in the Aloft experience by spinning tunes as the Aloft DJ, trying your hand at bartending, enjoying a game of online billiards or challenging yourself by playing travel trivia games on the site.
Aloft Radio: Preview a sampling of the hotel’s carefully curated and eclectic music with the special Aloft playlist.

“Since Aloft’s groundbreaking virtual launch in cyberspace in partnership with Second Life, the brand has been leading the way in providing the most dynamic, high-tech experience for our guests,” said Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s Senior Vice President, Specialty Select Brands. “With the new site we wanted to extend the same energy and vibrancy one finds at each Aloft property to our virtual home and provide a truly unique and memorable experience that resonates with the savvy, Gen Y traveler.”

To celebrate the launch of the new www.alofthotels.com, starting May 5 visitors can enter “Aloft Explore, Amuse + Win” for the chance to win a grand prize of one million Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints®, enough for over 25 roundtrip airline tickets, more than 140 free nights at Aloft hotels or other surprise rewards. Playing “Click-to-Win” offers a chance at winning cool daily prizes, including the very latest tech and travel gadgets such as laptops, digital cameras, GPS systems, MP3 players, Aloft hotel getaways and more.

Technology has been a vital component of the Aloft brand since its debut in summer 2008. Every Aloft hotel features the brand’s signature self-serve aloha kiosk, a touch-screen power house located in the lobby that makes check-in and check-out intuitive and effortless, and complimentary, hotel-wide, high-speed wired and wireless Internet access. Once inside their room, guests enter a calm oasis that is combination high-tech office and entertainment center, thanks to the plug & play system, a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry such as PDAs, cell phones, MP3 players and laptops – all linked to a large, 42” flat-panel HDTV-ready television for optimal sound and viewing.

About Aloft Hotels
Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, Aloft delivers urban-influenced, open and vibrant design and a social guest experience at an affordable price point. In the same way that W Hotels broke through the clutter of conformity in the upscale hotel arena a decade ago, Aloft is shaking up the industry for the next generation of traveler. Starwood recognized opportunity in the select serve market for reinvention and innovation and selected world renowned design and architecture firm Rockwell Group to collaborate on the new hotel concept. Aloft hotels are geared toward savvy, design-conscious consumers who grew up with the democratization of design Aloft hotels are wired for the future and an aggressive growth plan is in place with close to 50 properties set to open by the end of this year from Abu Dhabi and Baltimore to Dallas and Beijing and everywhere in between.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 960 properties in 97 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and ElementSM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

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RCI Ventures Magazine Now Available Online

Perspective Magazine: Timeshare & Fractional News & Reviews — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:56:29 +0000

Group RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced that Group RCI Ventures magazine, its business publication serving the EMEAI region, will now be accessible online at www.rciventures.com

The new website is designed to support the printed magazine and provide RCI-affiliated resort developers and industry associates with even greater access to the latest news within Group RCI and across the shared-holiday ownership industry as a whole. As the printed edition is published three times a year, and the world of shared-holiday ownership is fast-changing, Group RCI launched the complementary Ventures website to ensure timely and consistent communication to its affiliated partners and industry associates.

The majority of the material on the website will be internet exclusive, including breaking industry and Group RCI news, great tips and ideas from hospitality and travel experts, as well as the core magazine features and articles. The site also features an archive of the printed editions of Group RCI Ventures magazine and provides those who have not yet registered, the opportunity to subscribe to the print edition as well.

Additionally, www.rciventures.com will provide individuals looking to enter the industry access to core information and help populate the internet with industry positives which serve to boost both investor and consumer confidence in the market and product.

Not only does www.rciventures.com provide the latest news, it also features an alerts service so subscribers can receive an update e-message each time new content is uploaded. If you want to subscribe to this service or to the magazine, please visit www.rciventures.com

Group RCI-affiliated developers can access operational information and updates by visiting www.rciaffiliates.com/europe

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Owners Perspective Magazine Unveils An Inspired Marketing Package For Developers

Perspective Magazine: Timeshare & Fractional News & Reviews — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:49:54 +0000

Today sees the announcement of a very special opportunity for qualifying resort developers within the shared ownership industry to benefit from the highly targeted and affluent reach of Owners Perspective Magazine. (http://www.ownersperspective.com)

The new marketing package for resort developers covers many facets of the sales and marketing process but specifically includes elements for consolidation, tailor-made communication for referrals and upgrades and the generation of direct sales enquiries.

Developers wishing to receive an information pack detailing the full benefits of the Owners Perspective Developer Package should visit http://www.perspectiverates.com/developer

Owners Perspective Magazine will celebrate its first birthday next month and over the past year has impressed both consumers and industry professionals with the speed in which it has captured the imagination of both existing owners and prospective buyers of timeshare and fractional ownership products around the world.

Even before launch, Perspective International Ltd, the publisher, secured marketing deals with several leading industry players and since the introduction of the print version in January 2009 has soared by arranging distribution agreements through leading Tesco & Sainsbury Supermarkets (UK), Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Holiday & Travel Shows, Property Shows and imminently leading airlines in the “By Invitation Only” lounges at airports across Europe, Quintessentially Estates and a number of other luxury lifestyle brands resulting in a rapidly increasing circulation, currently reaching more than 42,000 targeted consumers each month.

Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International comments, “The idea behind our consumer magazine has always been to provide our readers with an informative resource to research the prospect of buying a shared ownership product at their leisure. As such we have created a community of open-minded, pre-educated consumers who are eager to interact with those companies who offer products in their areas of interest”.

Owners Perspective is also available online, and adds news and articles not featured in the magazine on a daily basis to encourage readers to visit regularly in between editions and currently caters for more than 17,600 registered users.

“After several successful trials resulting in direct sales enquires for a number of diverse product types and our entry into the mainstream public domain which enables us to significantly increase our circulation over a very short period of time our ability to produce organic sales enquiries, rather than harvested “leads” has surpassed our original expectations. This combined with the other features of our developer package creates a unique winning formula for combined print and online marketing”. Concludes Mr. Mattimoe.

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New Booking Service In Timeshare Rentals Means Huge Vacation Savings With The Ease Of Online Reservations

Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Reviews — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:39:18 +0000

Sell My Timeshare NOW is making it easier than ever to book affordable timeshare rental vacations. Already the global leader in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, Sell My Timeshare NOW has added a user-friendly, real time feature to its website, enabling consumers to select timeshare rentals from available dates and locations and then “Book It NOW” for their next vacation.

Company CEO Jason Tremblay explains, “Timeshare rentals have always offered the best opportunities in vacation accommodations. With our exclusive ‘Book It NOW’ feature, a timeshare rental can be booked online with the same ease people are accustomed to when making airline reservations.” Tremblay adds that Sell My Timeshare NOW is the only timeshare resale and timeshare rental advertising company to offer this service. “Real time reservations, the luxury and spaciousness of a timeshare unit, and the amazing savings found in timeshare rentals make ‘Book It NOW’ the breakthrough vacation solution that hardworking people need and deserve.”

Sell My Timeshare NOW, recently mentioned in TIME Magazine, has seen timeshare rental offers increase dramatically in 2009. During the first quarter of this year, the number of offers received through the company for timeshare rentals increased by 146 percent over those made in the first quarter of 2008. Quarter-over-quarter, the dollar amount of rental offers through Sell My Timeshare NOW increased by 125 percent, reaching nearly $35 million.

The company’s website, www.sellmytimesharenow.com, has three different ways for vacationers to enjoy the affordable luxury of a timeshare rental. They can search the “Book It NOW” properties and book and confirm a timeshare rental reservation online or search the company’s full inventory of timeshares rentals and then contact the timeshare owner directly to negotiate a best-price rental rate. The third approach is to take advantage of Rental Assist by Sell My Timeshare NOW and let a vacation specialist find the rental property to fit the renter’s vacation needs and preferences.

SellMyTimeshareNOW.com is the flagship website for Sell My Timeshare NOW and offers internet advertising and marketing solutions and success-based timeshare brokerage services for timeshare owners, timeshare buyers, or renters. In 2008, Sell My Timeshare NOW was recognized by Inc.com as one of the fastest growing, privately held companies in America.

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Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional Ownership News, Resort Reviews & Guides

Interval International Names Nicole Kosmas Director Of Event Marketing

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