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From Midtown To Downtown – Wyndham Vacation Ownership Leading The Way In Urban Resort Development

June 15, 2009 by susan · Leave a Comment 

What comes to mind when you think of a vacation? Heading to the beach for some sand and sun? Or perhaps driving into the mountains in search of hidden hiking trails? While the cornerstones of the classic vacation are still alive and well, a new vacation trend has begun to emerge in recent years. And it’s headed in a new direction – towards the bright lights and bustling activity of major metropolises.

In early July, Wyndham Vacation Ownership (WVO) celebrated the newest addition to the company’s expansive urban resort portfolio with the grand opening of Wyndham Canterbury at San Francisco. Boasting more than 20 resort properties in 14 popular urban vacation destinations, WVO offers owners unparalleled access to some of the most highly sought after metropolitan areas in the United States, Canada and Australia.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on offering our owners a wide variety of vacation options, and we continue to capitalize on new vacation trends in an effort to bring even more to the table,” said Franz Hanning, president and chief executive officer, Wyndham Vacation Ownership. “This commitment to our owners has not only made us the world’s largest vacation ownership business, but it has also positioned us as a leading developer of urban vacation ownership resorts.”

During a recent WVO owner survey, nine of the top 25 destinations owners indicated that they would like
to visit in the future were urban locations, including Las Vegas, New York City, Boston, Honolulu, San
Francisco, DC, San Antonio and Seattle.*

Whether the destination is The Alamo, the bright lights of Las Vegas, or the Sydney Opera House, Wyndham
Vacation Ownership’s urban resort portfolio, which spans across its three brands Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, brims with opportunities
to enjoy the sights and sounds of bustling cities.

Urban Vacations – A Choice of Two
As part of its urban resort portfolio, Wyndham Vacation Ownership offers two types of urban vacation experiences. The first style of urban resort features an array of traditional resort amenities including ample parking, swimming pools as well as full kitchens in the units. The second option offers resorts situated on the doorstep of downtown and feature space-saving amenities such as kitchenettes, intimate seating and lounge areas as well as limited amenities. Both types of urban properties provide owners with convenient access to the exciting shopping, dining and entertainment located in or near the epicenters of major metropolitan destinations.

“Having a highly established and diverse selection of urban resorts provides our owners with more options when choosing to travel to a metropolitan city,” said Gary Byrd, executive vice president and chief customer officer, Wyndham Vacation Ownership. “Whether our owners are looking for an urban resort with traditional amenities or a more intimate property truly in the heart of it all, they enjoy a choice.”

WVO urban resort properties include:

Wyndham Vacation Resorts
Wyndham Skyline Tower – Atlantic City, N.J.
Wyndham at Waikiki Beach WalkTM – Honolulu, Hawaii
Wyndham Grand Desert – Las Vegas, Nev.
Wyndham Nashville – Nashville, Tenn.
Wyndham Avenue Plaza – New Orleans, La.
Wyndham La Belle Maison – New Orleans, La.
Wyndham La Cascada – San Antonio, Texas
Wyndham Riverside Suites – San Antonio, Texas
Wyndham Harbour Lights – San Diego, Calif.
Wyndham Canterbury at San Francisco – San Francisco, Calif.

WorldMark by Wyndham
WorldMark Dolphin’s Cove – Anaheim, Calif.
WorldMark Anaheim – Anaheim, Calif.
WorldMark San Diego – San Diego, Calif.
WorldMark San Diego Mission Valley – San Diego, Calif.
WorldMark San Francisco – San Francisco, Calif.
WorldMark Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nev.
WorldMark Las Vegas Spencer Street – Las Vegas, Nev.
WorldMark Las Vegas Tropicana – Las Vegas, Nev.
WorldMark Seattle at The Camlin – Seattle, Wash.
WorldMark The Canadian – Vancouver, BC

Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific
Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Sydney – Sydney, New South Wales
Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Perth – Perth, Western Australia

From the famous River Walk to the infamous Bourbon Street, WVO offers a selection of urban resorts that feature a varied and rich history. In fact, when WVO began an extensive, three-year renovation to transform the 100-year-old Franklin Press Building in the famous Warehouse District in New Orleans, La., into Wyndham La Belle Maison, they had no idea that their efforts would be abruptly interrupted by Hurricane Katrina, which devastated much of the Gulf Coast region in 2005. Not to be deterred, the renovations resumed soon thereafter and the property welcomed its first CLUB WYNDHAM Plus owners in late
2008. And in April 2009, WVO accepted the esteemed ARDY (American Resort Development Association) Award for Best Resort Design – Conversion during the 2009 ARDA Convention.

During the project, the team partnered with the Historic District Landmark Commission to preserve the
façade of the original structure and to maintain this important cornerstone of New Orleans’ history.

Its convenient location makes it a perfect home base for experiencing the unique sights of the Big Easy,
including Bourbon Street, the Shoppes at Canal Place and Riverwalk Marketplace.

From the Big Easy to the West Coast, the company’s resort conversion expertise truly spans the country.

Let’s Take a Streetcar
When WVO unveiled its newest urban resort in the heart of one of the most colorful and dynamic cities on the West Coast, the resort was an instant success, boasting full occupancy on opening weekend. The property, which blends a storied past with an updated, stylish present, has actually been a famed fixture in San Francisco for more than 70 years as the Canterbury Hotel and Whitehall Inn. The company transformed the historic property to offer owners and guests all of the modern comforts while preserving the classic elegance reminiscent of the 1920’s.

The original design of the property was subtly themed around The Canterbury Tales, a famous collection of short stories authored by Geoffrey Chaucer. While the property has undergone a comprehensive renovation, it still features the original 18 ft. wall mural depicting the story’s famous characters as well as a “Canterbury Knight” statue. The original, newly restored crystal chandelier still hangs in the lobby, which also displays an antique mailbox and authentic building nameplates for both the Canterbury Hotel and the Whitehall Inn. Owners may also ride on the original elevators in the Whitehall Inn, which have been updated and modernized, but still feature classic cast iron appointments.

Wyndham Canterbury at San Francisco is located within walking distance of the delightful shops and
restaurants of Union Square, and just two blocks from the city’s world-famous cable car system. Other great
city sites not far from the resort include the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Chinatown and
the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Owners and guests may even take in a professional sports game.
For those who can’t get enough of the outdoors will want to check out the hiking and biking trails on Angel
Island. And for those serious night owls, San Francisco has a multitude of nightlife and entertainment options.

“In 2004, we began offering the Bay Area as a vacation option to our owners through our WorldMark San
Francisco property. Their response to this amazing city and its impressive vacation offerings has led us to
more than double our San Francisco inventory with the addition of this second Wyndham Vacation Ownership property,” said Hanning.

Around the Next Corner
Located just minutes from Washington, D.C., along the banks of the Potomac River, Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor will offer yet another urban vacation experience when it begins welcoming guests in 2010.

This luxurious vacation ownership resort will expand the company’s presence in the Washington D.C. market
complementing its existing resort in Alexandria, Va. Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor will
feature street-level retail and 250 condominium-style, fully furnished suites including 42 opulent, two-, three-, and four-bedroom Presidential suites and offer multiple amenities for owners and their guests including indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools; an outdoor terrace; and a health and fitness club.

Located in the heart of National Harbor, owners and guests to the resort will be able to enjoy the many
retail, dining and entertainment attractions in the area including South Moon Under, Jos. A. Bank, Swarovski, McCormick & Schmick’s, Ketchup and Rosa Mexicano, along with more than a mile of walking paths and waterfront activities.

“National Harbor is certain to become the premier entertainment destination in the region with unmatched
amenities and leisure activities,” said Hanning. “As the preeminent developer of urban timeshare, we are
committed to expanding our presence in metropolitan markets, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National
Harbor is destined to become a showcase location within our urban portfolio.”

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of Wyndham Worldwide’s (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world’s largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its three primary consumer brands, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific. As of January 1, 2009, Wyndham Vacation Ownership had developed or acquired approximately 150 vacation ownership resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the South Pacific that represent approximately 20,000 individual vacation ownership units and more than 830,000 owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and is supported by approximately 13,800 employees globally.

*Source: Based on a 2007 survey of 8,726 WVO owners that included 220 locations, primarily in North America.





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