Global property company The Hideaways Club continues to go from strength to strength and has recently announced a record number of Members joining the Club during 2011. Coupled with a substantial increase in the number of properties in its two investment Funds, the company is experiencing its best year to date.

The company’s first Fund, the Classic Collection, currently operates 37 beautiful chalets and villas throughout Europe, Africa, Mauritius and South East Asia and has in excess of 248 Members to date. Ultimately there will be 100 properties in the portfolio and 600 Members.

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Diamond Resorts International® Chairman and CEO addresses more than 5,000 attendees at International Pow Wow 2011

Chairman of the Board of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP), Stephen J. Cloobeck, announced to more than 5,000 attendees at International Pow Wow 2011 in San Francisco that the U.S. marketing budget had reached a combined half billion dollars and that America was ready to compete for tourists with a global marketing strategy.

Stephen J. Cloobeck revealed that the CTP had a $200 million budget to promote the U.S., and when combined with the work of the individual convention and visitor bureaus, meant there was now a half billion dollars available to carry out strategic marketing initiatives for U.S. travel and tourism.

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Global hospitality and vacation ownership company commits to service excellence through branded hospitality experience

DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL® (Diamond), a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industry, strengthens its commitment to exceptional customer service by building upon the foundation of The Meaning of Yes® with the launch of a 30 minute brand video featuring an in depth conversation with Chairman and CEO, Stephen J. Cloobeck. The Meaning of Yes® is a service excellence platform that empowers Diamond team members to deliver a branded hospitality experience to every owner, member and guest worldwide, as the company continues to grow and expand globally.

Diamond Resorts International® thrives upon the service excellence platform set forth by Stephen J. Cloobeck. By responding to customer feedback and engaging in cost efficient and effective solutions, Mr. Cloobeck has successfully developed a hospitality product that is much more than vacation ownership, but guarantees a lifetime of memorable vacation experiences to all owners, members and guests. The Meaning of Yes® ensures that every guest receives the vacation they deserve. Diamond team members are currently being trained worldwide to work collectively to improve the guest experience and commit to providing relaxation… simplified.

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HOT) have officially opened the doors of their newest hotel, Le Méridien Philadelphia. A ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony included special guest speakers such as Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Pennsylvania Senator Larry Farnese, HEI Hotels & Resorts Chairman and CEO, Gary Mendell, Starwood Group SVP of North American Development, Paul Sacco.

Located in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, the hotel is housed in the former YMCA building designed by prominent American architect Horace Trumbauer, who also designed Philadelphia’s Union League and Museum of Art, among other well known projects of the Gilded Age. The historic adaptive reuse property was developed for HEI Hotels & Resorts, who will be the owner and operator of the hotel. Le Méridien, the Paris-born brand with an international presence of 105 hotels and resorts, will increase its North American footprint to nine properties with the opening of this newest hotel. Le Méridien Philadelphia will serve as a U.S. flagship for the hotel group, joining Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis, which recently joined the brand’s portfolio in February 2010.

“We are excited about our debut in Philadelphia, a city that shares Le Méridien’s passion for art, culture and creativity,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien and W Hotels Worldwide. “With its vibrant arts scene, rich history and modern sophistication, Philadelphia is an ideal fit for Le Méridien as we continue to strategically open new hotels in primary, urban markets, cultural capitals and resort destinations across North America and globally.”

Le Méridien Philadelphia provides an integrated contemporary lifestyle experience, including 202 guestrooms and suites; a signature restaurant, the French brasserie Amuse; stylish lobby bar, serving coffee by day; and 5,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 200-seat Ballroom and the Abele Library, a 1,300 square foot reception space overlooking City Hall. The hotel is adjacent to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and just one block from the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Love Park’s gardens and fountains, the Avenue of the Arts, and the boutiques and restaurants that line Benjamin Franklin Parkway – Philadelphia’s Champs Elysees – are all located within walking distance of the hotel.

Le Méridien has soared under Starwood since its acquisition in 2005, plugging into the company’s industry-leading centralized services as well as the group’s expertise of building world-class lifestyle brands. Le Méridien has been fully redefined and has earned global recognition for creating a curated, art driven guest experience from the moment of arrival. In November 2009, Le Méridien arrival experience was awarded “Most Innovative Concept in the Upscale Hotel Industry” at the 10th Annual Worldwide Hospitality Awards in Paris.

For hotel reservations and more information about Le Méridien Philadelphia, please visit www.lemeridien.com/philadelphia.

About Le Méridien
Le Méridien, the Paris-born hotel brand currently represented by 105 properties in more than 50 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005. Since then, Le Méridien has gone through a brand re-launch, which included a major portfolio consolidation through renovating, opening, and exiting off brand hotels. As part of the new brand direction, French arts provocateur Jérôme Sans was appointed cultural curator to support in transforming numerous guest touch points and bringing unique and interactive experiences to its guests. With close to 80 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Méridien provides a strong international complement to Starwood’s primarily North American holdings. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Méridien hotels and resorts within the next five years, globally. Le Méridien recently opened new hotels in Dallas; Panama City, Panama; and Qingdao, Xiamen and Chongqing, China and will open in Oran, Algeria; Xi’an, China; Taipei, Taiwan; and Philadelphia in the coming months. Le Méridien has recently signed new hotel deals in Bangkok, Doha, Saigon, Lagos, Cairo, and Mahabaleshwar and Lonavala, India. For more information, please visit www.lemeridien.com.

A special Shared Ownership Summit is being offered in association with this year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), co-hosted by RCI on 1st May 2010, 1:00 – 5:30 p.m., at Madinat Jumeirah, Conference Centre, Dubai. Perspective Magazine will be a sponsor of this essential forum for developers, investors and hospitality firms who are recognising the renewed importance of timeshare, fractional and private residence clubs as integral components of mixed-use developments.

“Perspective Magazine is playing a key role in the shared ownership industry by highlighting trends, opportunities and generally driving awareness of vacation ownership, fractional and private residence club models,” says Jeff Tisdall, Managing Director, RCI Middle East and North Africa. “We are extremely appreciative of their continued support of both RCI and the upcoming Shared Ownership Summit in Dubai.”

The Summit will offer real, executable solutions that fully leverage today’s market conditions and will feature an unprecedented gathering of global and regional industry leaders. Participants can either register for the Summit directly, or upgrade their AHIC conference package to include the optional session.

“We are delighted to be a part of the Shared Ownership Summit,” says Perspective CEO Paul Mattimoe. “Perspective Magazine is all about disseminating useful, important information to the shared-ownership industry, and that is exactly what this event will accomplish as well.”

The Shared Ownership Summit will offer participants:

•The Perspective of Global Industry Leaders – Hear their views on the future direction of timeshare, fractional, private residence and destination club businesses.

•    Market Opportunities – Today’s new market conditions have significantly enhanced the prospects for shared ownership in MENA; find out why.

•    Sales, Marketing and Operating Solutions – Hear everything from support in developing in-house capabilities to turnkey operating models designed for developers and asset managers.

•    The Luxury Segment – Brand experts and leaders in branded residential will discuss future opportunities.

•    The CEO Shared Ownership Handbook – An essential tool kit for senior business leaders.

•    2010 Shared Ownership Survey – NorthCourse, RCI’s shared ownership consulting arm, will present its latest market research.

Registration fees are $500 for those attending the Shared Ownership Summit only, with a preferred rate of $350 for AHIC attendees.

To register for the Summit or for more information, please call +971 (0)4 390 0049, e-mail ahic@meed-dubai.com or visit www.registrationline.org.uk/ahic/event303/reg.asp. Information on the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference is available at www.arabianconference.com.

Rare “Small Horses of the Giara” Add to the Mystique of Equestrian Hideaway

Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), announced the affiliation of Horse Country Resort on the island of Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Tucked into a pine forest on a six-mile long beach, the resort plays host to important horse shows and competitions year round in its Equestrian Centre.

“Horse Country Resort is a truly unique vacation spot in one of Italy’s most appealing destinations,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval International’s vice president of resort sales and service for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “The resort’s pristine setting and array of vacation amenities will appeal to a wide range of our members and is a strong addition to Interval’s vacation exchange network.”

In keeping with the resort’s equestrian focus, bungalows are decorated in English or Country & Western themes. The studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom timeshare units share full resort amenities—including two swimming pools and five restaurants—with three 100-room hotels onsite, as well as access to a 7,500 square foot wellness spa adjacent to the resort. The Equestrian Centre includes traditional English-style courtyard stables, a sandy practice area, indoor and outdoor riding arenas, and a paddock.

Surrounded by the mountainous highlands of Arcidano and the Giara di Gesturi nature reserve—where Europe’s only herd of the rare “small horses of the Giara” still run wild—Horse Country Resort is well off the tourist path. The beaches are not crowded and the surrounding ecosystem, populated by pink flamingos and a host of other birds and animals, is made for exploring on horseback. The resort welcomes both beginner and experienced horse riders, offering lessons in English and Western riding styles and guided tours and excursions through the pine forest and along the beach. An authentic Western Village with a saloon, Tex-Mex restaurant, shops and a stage for live entertainment gives cowboy colour to resort facilities.

“Our goal is to offer something for every member of the family, every month of the year,” said Dr. Ettore Giachino, managingdirector of Horse Country Resort. “This is a place where inexperienced horse lovers can become expert riders over the years. But, it’s also where guests can simply enjoy watching skilled equestrians, relax in a natural setting, play sports, or indulge in spa treatments.”

Dr. Giachino added: “We chose to affiliate our resort with Interval International because of its high standards of quality and services and the professionalism of its sales team. We think that the unique nature of our resort, the setting, and the level of service we offer to our guests, will be improved with our affiliation to Interval. After several years experience in the tourism industry, the Horse Country timesharing project is the next step for us and we are convinced that Interval is the right partner to help us succeed in our goals.”

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacationers 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 34 years. Today, Interval has an exchange network of more than 2,500 resorts in over 75 nations. Through offices in 15 countries, Interval offers high-quality products and benefits to resort clients and approximately 2 million families who are enrolled in various membership programs. 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.

Dirk Wilson of fractionalownership.co.za has just produced a series of educational Q&A videos featuring a panel of key leaders from all sectors of the fractional and vacation ownership industry, and posted them on the fractionalownership.co.za website. He says: “There are over 24 billion websites floating out there in cyberspace, with a staggering 4 million websites being added to this number each month. You Tube alone has 24 hours of video being uploaded to it every 60 Seconds. As time-starved consumers, we are increasingly seeking ways to avoid the clutter and cut to the chase, and to find niche content platforms which assist us with our decision-making.

“As a dynamic online marketing company that specialises in fractional ownership, we are assisting buyers, owners, property professionals and researchers by continually providing a variety of free and interactive content. This assists our visitors to fully understand the concept of fractional property ownership in Southern Africa, and the ownership and usage differences between timeshare, fractional ownership and private residence clubs. We believe that online video is the most convenient way to deliver this educational content.”

The first series of informative Q&A videos features a panel which includes Alex Bosch, Executive Director of the Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA); Deon Viljoen, Director of Operations of Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts; David Clifton and Darren Ettridge from Interval International (which is based in the UK but moving into Africa with their global exchange programme); and Henry Greyling, CEO of Seeff Fractional Ownership. The sessions are debate-style, and the viewer is a fly on the wall. Each clip is under 11 minutes long.

This series addresses the broad question of ‘What is shared vacation ownership?’, and includes topics such as ‘How has the shared vacation ownership market evolved over the past 5 years? Do we have a new generation of consumers that are dictating future products based on their usage requirements?’, ‘What makes conventional fractional ownership and private residence clubs different from conventional timeshare products?’ and ‘What is happening in the South African fractional ownership resales market, and what channels and methods can fractional owners use to resell their fractions privately?’

Wilson says anybody who wants to know why fractional ownership is revolutionising the way people own leisure use property should watch the videos – “Here they will hear all about it from our experienced panel of experts. Using the internet as a dynamic resource, we will help people to become better informed in order to make the right purchase decisions which fit in with their lifestyle, family and financial objectives.

“We encourage property marketers and sales professionals to embrace the fact that the power has shifted – consumers now have countless channels to research, compare, and find the facts before making a purchase decision. Companies that embrace this change, use technology and communicate are the ones that will increase market share.”

View the videos at http://www.fractionalownership.co.za/videos/listings

Contact Dirk Wilson on +27 (0) 72 591 8582; +27 (0) 21 556 5064; email dirk@fractionaladvertising.com.

RCI EMEAI will celebrate some of the longest-standing business relationships within the vacation exchange industry at the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) 2010 Convention and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 2009, RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange, celebrated its 35th year in the industry, a milestone achieved by building some of the strongest relationships in the business. As many as 513 RCI affiliates across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India have been affiliated with RCI for more than 15 years and have helped to build the company’s exchange network of over 4,000 affiliated resorts, making RCI the world’s largest vacation exchange company.

The ARDA 2010 event will give RCI representatives the opportunity to meet with some of the company’s oldest and most valued affiliates to acknowledge and celebrate some special anniversaries.

“All our developers have succeeded in this business by putting customer service first. RCI shares those values and our ‘Count on Me!’ service philosophy means our shared owners and members can rely on RCI to deliver the very best in vacation exchange experiences,” said Jonathan Back, managing director, RCI EMEAI. “The key to RCI’s success is its relationships with our resort developer partners, the people responsible for our unrivalled portfolio of vacation resorts. We have fantastically strong relationships based on a commitment to excellence and a shared focus on customer service. In business there is nothing as rare or as valuable as a trusted relationship which endures over time and I’m delighted that we will be seeing so many of our valued business partners at ARDA and rightly celebrating the longevity and strength of our relationships.”

Among the 70 developers who have been working with RCI over the years, Resort Properties, the Pestana Group, Club Praia Da Oura (CPO, now part of the Petchey Leisure Group), and Club La Costa (CLC) each celebrate a 25-year relationship with RCI EMEAI this year.

Pestana Hotels and Resorts pioneered mixed-use (hotel and timeshare operation working together in one property) in Europe when it launched timeshare with 150 rooms at its Carlton Madeira Hotel in Portugal in 1985. Today Pestana welcomes an average of 1,500 new owner families each year. RCI will be celebrating the exact date of their 25th anniversary with Pestana at ARDA and will be marking the occasion with a special presentation at the event.

Pestana’s Peter Booth receives an RCI Silver Jubliee tribute from Isabel Santos of RCI during the ARDA Conference in Las Vegas. Celebrating the award with them are, from left, Pestana's Sergio Carmi, with RCI's Jonathan Back, Geoff Ballotti and Dimitris Manikis

Resort Properties’ Palm Beach Club in Tenerife was opened 25 years ago when the resort earned the distinction of becoming the fastest-selling timeshare resort in the world. CLC was founded with the purchase of 10 apartments at Las Farolas on the Costa del Sol and it now has sales operations in the UK, Spain, Tenerife, Turkey and Portugal conducting close to 100,000 sales presentations annually.

CLC is an innovator, launching a yacht club in 2006, and its first foray into the Turkish market, Apollonium Club La Costa Spa & Beach Resort, will be the company’s 18th affiliation with RCI. Jack Petchey OBE (Order of the British Empire) is one of the founding fathers of the timeshare industry and from its CPO beginnings, Petchey Leisure now has 10 owned and managed resorts as well as inventory in 24 other properties, making it one of the first timeshare businesses to expand outside its home territory by quickly extending its owned property portfolio to Spain, Portugal, Tenerife and the UK.

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange and Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 65,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange and Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection programme, the world’s largest luxury exchange programme; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange. For additional information visit www.wyndhamer.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

For additional information on the services offered by RCI and the latest news from the shared vacation ownership markets across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, visit www.rciventures.com

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), announced its most diverse region – Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India – continues to enrich its resort portfolio with 40 new resort affiliations in 2009 and to date in 2010. The new resort affiliations added more than 32,000 members and offer a high quality and diverse range of new vacation destinations to RCI’s global network of over 4,000 affiliated resorts.

The signings include 22 new resorts in Europe, 11 in India and seven in Africa; including seven resorts for The Registry Collection® exchange programme, the world’s largest luxury exchange programme.

“The new affiliations signed by RCI EMEAI over the last year reflect our passion and commitment to offering our members stunning new resorts,” said Jonathan Back, managing director, RCI EMEAI. “Our aim is to offer the very best choices in vacation experiences to our members and I am delighted that we are succeeding in this mission.

RCI’s newest affiliate resorts include the following:

Venice on Water offers a unique holiday experience, allowing guests to visit the waterways of the iconic Italian city staying in luxury two-bedroom houseboats only five kilometers from the centre of Venice. The water-borne resort is affiliated to RCI and is the first development by MAP Destinations, the largest timeshare marketer in Malta, and is part of a planned fleet of 10 vessels.

SkiStar Vacation Club, the latest signing to RCI, affiliated two resorts in the popular Swedish Ski area of Salen, which offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the country.

Castleburn, part of Legacy Private Residencies and affiliated with The Registry Collection programme, sits in the foothills of the southern Drakensberg in the KwaZulu Natal region of South Africa. The four-bedroom architect-designed cottages are built of local stone and are positioned on the edge of Lake Madingofani.

Arcos Gardens Golf Club & Country Estate is one of the most recent signings to The Registry Collection programme from Novaterra Resorts. The luxury residential golf resort is built in Spain’s traditional heartland close to Cadiz and will be a development of 470 properties of different types and ownership offers discounted golf memberships, complimentary golf clubs and golf buggies during the stay.

Club Mahindra Backwater Retreat is one of four new affiliations from major hospitality brand, Club Mahindra. The property is located on the peaceful banks of Ashtamudi Lake. Historic Kollam is the gateway to Ashtamudi and is just 15 kilometers from the resort by road or 10 minutes by speedboat. The resort has 25 rooms spread across five chalets, with each room overlooking a view of the garden and lake.

“These examples are just a few of the exciting additions to the RCI portfolio and the potential development pipeline for the remainder of 2010 looks equally as exciting,” Back said. “Despite a difficult global economy, the longer-term view of resort developers remains encouraging, and RCI members can look forward to more, high-end resorts joining RCI’s global network this year.”

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange and Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 65,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries.

Wyndham Exchange and Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection programme, the world’s largest luxury exchange programme; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal  GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and  consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry.

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange. For additional information visit www.wyndhamer.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), announced the addition of Mjejane Game Reserve to its global exchange network. The property is a breathtaking 10,000 acre (4,000 hectare) reserve within the world famous Kruger National Park.

Mjejane Game Reserve enjoys a privileged location overlooking the Crocodile River, and on completion later this year, will offer unparalleled “big five” game and bird viewing. It will feature a combination of two-, three- and four-bed apartments and is adjacent to the exclusive Mjejane Safari Lodge. Among the planned amenities at the Lodge are an elegant restaurant, pub, spa, gym, and elevated viewing hide, which owners and guests at the Mjejane Game Reserve also can enjoy.

Central to all activities is the proximity of all types of living creatures – from hippopotamuses and giraffes to tortoises to more than 500 species of birds. Guests can see herds of buffalo, elephants, lions, leopards, and numerous other game virtually on their doorstep.

“Mjejane is another significant southern African addition to our network of worldwide resorts,” said Darren Ettridge, vice president resort sales and service for Europe, Middle East, and Africa for Interval International. “This unique property respects the beauty of the existing natural habitat and allows visitors to experience the unspoiled surroundings and reconnect with nature.”

“It is our intention to make this development an international benchmark for the best practice in effective partnerships in the tourism sector,” said Michael Whiting, director of Winchester Marketing, the company handling the sales and promotion of Mjejane. “Timesharing is going to continue to be a holidaying method of choice in South Africa. We knew of the reputation of Interval International and we wanted Mjejane affiliated with them.”

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacationers 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 an exchange network of more than 2,500 resorts in over 75 nations. Through offices in 16 countries, Interval offers high-quality products and benefits to resort clients and approximately 2 million families who are enrolled in various membership programs. 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.

About Winchester Marketing
Winchester Marketing has a sound track record spanning nearly two decades and enjoys an impeccable reputation reflecting a commitment to integrity and service delivery. Winchester’s wealth of experience in all forms of leisure property ownership enables it to offer the full spectrum of investment options from conventional timeshare to fractional interests and outright ownerships. In order to ensure the highest level of investor confidence and satisfaction Winchester places a strong emphasis on legal compliance, financial security, geographical appeal, uniqueness of setting and the delivery of an exceptional holiday experience. Timeshare and fractional product options offer both regional and global use benefits through affiliations to exchange international organisations such as Interval International