Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group, announced the affiliation of the fractional residences at Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa. The mixed-used resort is located in Carvoeiro, a whitewashed village in the western part of the sun-drenched Algarve. On the southern tip of Portugal, the Algarve is one of Europe’s favourite vacation destinations, renowned for its rocky coastline, beautiful beaches, golf, and nightlife.

“As its name suggests, Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa is set in a valley of olive trees,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval’s senior vice president of resort sales and business development for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. “Panoramic views of the surrounding hills and adjoining golf course make the resort seem a world away from holiday crowds, yet it’s only a short drive to Carvoeiro and the beach. The resort is beautifully appointed with a definite luxury feel.”

The property has 22 acres of landscaped gardens laced with walking paths within its gated grounds. On-site amenities include two outdoor swimming pools, a health club with a heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and gymnasium, and tennis courts. The resort’s world-class spa offers a wide range of massage and beauty treatments.

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Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), has affiliated Hotel Savoy on the Portuguese island of Madeira to its global exchange network. Upon completion in 2014, it will include 246 timeshare apartments, ushering in the second chapter of the vacation ownership product for Siet Savoi SA, the developer of the successful Royal Savoy affiliated in 2002.

“We’re very happy to be able to offer more exchange options to Interval members who want to visit this magnificent island, known for its stunning scenery and spring-like temperatures,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval’s senior vice president of resort sales and business development for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia.”There are nearly 5,000 vacation owners at Royal Savoy who enjoy consistently high standards at this award-winning property. We’re sure that Siet Savoi will build on its outstanding success to deliver another truly wonderful holiday experience.”

All of the Hotel Savoy timeshare apartments will be air-conditioned, offer Internet access, and have ocean-facing balconies or terraces. One-bedroom apartments will have separate lounge and dining areas, a full kitchen and master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. The two- and three-bedroom lock-off apartments will be ideally suited to holidays with friends or family sleeping up to six and eight guests respectively. Studio units will have a kitchenette and a spacious lounge area.

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Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), announced the affiliation of Naima Village. Tucked into the countryside with views of the Mediterranean, the resort is located in the town of Castellaneta on the Salento Peninsula, in the south east of Italy.

“Naima Village will enjoy a picture-perfect setting — surrounded by vineyards and olive trees, with majestic sea views from the Ionian coast,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval’s vice president of resort sales and service for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “I know Interval members will love the rich history and scenic beauty of this area, a part of Italy that remains off-the-beaten-path for most holidaymakers outside of Italy.”

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Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), has announced the affiliation of Villas d’Agua. Located in the charming fishing village at Olhos in the heart of Portugal’s famed Algarve, this resort covers five acres on a pine-forest covered cliff, steps from Olhos d’Àgua Beach.

Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), is again proud to be a Platinum sponsor of the Resort Development Organisation (RDO) Conference. The event will be held from the 26th to 28th September at the Don Carlos Resort and Spa in Marbella, Spain.

“Last year’s RDO Conference was a tremendous success and it is our pleasure to support this year’s event,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval’s vice president of resort sales and service for Europe, Middle East, and Africa and its representative on the RDO Board. “We look forward to playing our usual full part in the organisation of the conference and also in taking an active role during the event.”

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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.

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

Perspective Magazine Editor Matt McDaniel recently chatted with Darren Ettridge, Interval International’s vice president, resort sales and service for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The one-time co-workers talked about how Ettridge got into the timeshare industry, what’s happening at his company, the Timeshare Directive and his favourite football club (and you’ll likely not guess which it is).

Perspective Magazine: How did you get started in the industry?
Darren Ettridge: In 1997, I started working for First National Bank in unsecured consumer lending as manager of what was at the time the holiday ownership department. Our role was to persuade existing timeshare developers and marketers to use our consumer financing for their timeshare purchasers. And so through my involvement at the bank, I started to understand more about the world of timeshare.

And you joined Interval International in 2000. How did the transition go?
It was a natural progression – you’re working with many of the same developer clients and marketing companies. It’s obviously a different part of the business, but the mechanics from a sales standpoint are very similar. And because I had existing relationships, it was an easier switch in that sense.

Tell me a bit about your position at Interval.
As you know, at Interval we serve two constituencies: our developer clients and our consumer members. The majority of our members have come through the means of either purchasing timeshare, fractional or private residence-type ownerships at one of our member resorts. A fundamental aspect of my role in Resort Sales and Service is to work with existing clients and their marketers to assist them in growing their businesses and ensure they’re very satisfied with the services we provide to them on a business-to-business level – products, training and technical support – which enable them to have all the facilities they need to enrol members with Interval. Another big part of what my team does with existing clients is listening to them as to how they perceive the market and provide them with our advice and assistance on key aspects of their vacation ownership offering.

Secondly, and as importantly, we are always looking out for new affiliates entering the industry and helping them to understand the many complex facets of our business. Prospective clients may be good marketers, for example, but not necessarily be familiar with the legal or finance aspects of vacation ownership. Or they may need help with product design or structuring their operations. It could even be someone with a green-field site who’s thinking of doing timeshare. We work with them all the way through to when they start sales and marketing, giving them comprehensive assistance. We often give them guidance and sometimes we connect them with experts with whom we have relationships. Either way, it’s exciting to be a part of the process that leads to their eventual success.

So are you enjoying your career?
Absolutely. I work with great people and Interval’s a very loyal company to be associated with. You worked for Interval; you know there’s a real family yet highly professional environment. You always want our CEO Craig Nash in the room with any client because he is so passionate about the industry – and that rubs off on you.

There have been some big changes at Interval. I believe the company is now traded on the U.S. stock exchange?
Yes, Interval Leisure Group, the parent of Interval International, is a public company that is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol IILG. We became a stand-alone public company for the first time in our almost 35- year history in August 2008.

Tell me about some of Interval’s new clients, products and programs.
From my Resort Sales point of view, I’ve had great satisfaction in being a part of our growth in new markets for us, in particular Central Europe, southern Africa and the Middle East. In Hungary we have a really great relationship with Denes Pieke and his Holiday Club Hungary team, who kickstarted our whole move into that market with their support and advice. Southern Africa had historically presented us with a challenge until we teamed up with Southern Sun and they affiliated their network of resorts with us.

Since then we’ve gone from strength to strength and today we have a great springboard for continued expansion. In Dubai we’ve seen some highly successful affiliations and built some really worthwhile partnerships there. If you’d have asked me to look into the future a few years ago, I’d have been very brave to have predicted our success in these areas!

On the member side, in addition to offering new holiday experiences by continually growing our resort network, we’ve introduced a number of programs and products to enhance the membership proposition. For example, last May we launched ShortStay Exchange, a program that allows our Interval Gold members to holiday in shorter increments rather than the previously required seven-night exchange stay, regardless of whether they transact in weeks or points.

This provides a great deal of freedom and flexibility – and when members choose to take their holiday time in two- to six-night stays, it increases the perceived value of their vacation ownership purchase. It also means members may visit resorts that they haven’t previously, since they don’t have to commit to an entire week.

We’ve also enhanced our digital platform with the addition of resort ratings, a planning tool accessible at IntervalWorld.com. Members now have the opportunity to share their ratings and learn how other members have evaluated resorts. While it’s not new in the world of consumer websites, it is relatively new in the exchange environment, and enhances the member experience. I know that we will continue to look from the members’ standpoint, as we always have, at how we can best use new technology to assist them in better understanding how to maximize their vacation opportunities.

Switching gears a bit, what are your thoughts on the Timeshare Directive?
When I first joined the industry, the UK Timeshare Regulations had just been introduced, which implemented the 1994 European Timeshare Directive. A cooling off period and restrictions on deposits came into effect – and certain timeshare operators thought that it would be the end of the timeshare industry.

However, legislation has in many ways reinforced the positive side of the industry over the years, particularly in the area of selling practices. New provisions will be enacted in the near future with implementation of the Timeshare Directive of 14 January 2009.

These new provisions will require timeshare traders to provide enhanced disclosure information for consumers, which we believe will contribute toward increasing the confidence that consumers have in the product.

We support the changes that have gone through to date. They make for a better consumer-protective environment, which should be beneficial for everyone involved. At the end of the day, the vast majority of vacation ownership businesses that exist in the EMEA region today are legitimate companies that offer great products and customer service, and respect their members.

The Timeshare Directive will eradicate those individuals who can’t work within this legislative framework. For this reason, I’m very supportive of it. I am particularly pleased to see that holiday packs or longterm holiday products are now regulated.

What do you see for theindustry’s future?
I am genuinely optimistic about this industry. Recession or not, for the most part, people want quality, they want consistency, and they want to enjoy holiday time with their families and friends.

Many experts are saying that it’s going to take a bit of time until the financial world gets back on its feet, which may control the speed of the growth. But I am still a full believer in the many benefits of vacation ownership.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
I support West Ham United Football Club – always have done, always will do. Even though it might lose me great credibility wherever I go, I’m very proud to be a West Ham supporter.

Sports Village And Spa Resort Close To Costa Smeralda Joins Quality Exchange Network

Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), today announced the affiliation to its vacation exchange network of Geovillage Sport and Wellness Resort.

Designed around the principles of sport and wellness, the resort includes the Malo Clinic Spa and Fitness Centre, and counts champion tennis stars and top soccer teams from across Europe among its guests.

Geovillage, set on 14 hectares (35 acres) of lush Mediterranean gardens, is located near Olbia on the northeast coast of Sardinia, Italy, with the luxurious Costa Smeralda nearby. The resort includes timeshare units within the existing hotel that are spacious, filled with natural light, and designed in a modern style, featuring bleached wood furniture. Amenities include an outdoor Olympic-size swimming pool and two indoor pools, four synthetic and six clay tennis courts, wet and piano bars, and a restaurant, in addition to the world-class spa and fitness centre. It is only a few kilometres from the beach of Pittulongu.

“This innovative resort caters to our more discerning and active members with its great location and full range of amenities,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval International’s vice president of resort sales and service for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “Geovillage is Gavino Docche’s first venture into timesharing and we are very pleased to have had the opportunity to complement his creativity and entrepreneurship with our experience in shared ownership development.”

“We chose Interval International because the company greatly assisted us in understanding the many benefits of entering the vacation ownership industry and we were impressed with its expertise,” said Gavino Docche, the developer of Geovillage. “We also preferred the quality of its exchange network and marketing tools, which will greatly enhance our value proposition at the point of sale.”

The northeast coast of Sardinia attracts many tourists owing to its climate, natural beauty, and history. Activities near the resort range from boat rentals, diving, fishing, and surfing to golf, horseback riding, and shopping. Numerous prehistoric caves, castles, and temples dot the coast and countryside, including the Anghelu Ruju, an area of ancient man-made caves that were used from about 3000 to 1500 BC. Visitors also can view the remains of the Roman thermal baths at Oristano and other archaeological ruins, including tombs, inside the crypt of St. Lussorios church.

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacation owners and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 33 years. Today, Interval has a network of approximately 2,500 resorts in more than 75 countries and offers its resort clients and about 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through offices in 26 cities 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.