A number of positive trends that reinforce the appeal of the Caribbean market to both existing and potential vacation owners are being shared with delegates at the annual Caribbean Marketplace conference by Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services.

First and foremost, members are visiting the region in increasing numbers and U.S. resident leisure travelers who have indicated an interest in purchasing some form of shared ownership in the next two years also chose this market as a top destination of interest.

“Member demand for vacation exchange and resort rentals in the Caribbean is strong and we continue to affiliate new projects throughout the region,” said David C. Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International. “In today’s environment, shared ownership offers resort developers a compelling business model with multiple profit centers and higher occupancy levels than hotels. In the case of mixed-use projects, it also provides the potential for cost-saving operating synergies and reduced marketing costs.”

Interval reported that bookings into the Caribbean increased approximately nine percent from January through November 2009, as compared to the same period in 2008. This is particularly encouraging in light of the global economic downturn that adversely affected overall arrivals to the Caribbean over the past year.
Additionally, interest in the region among U.S. resident leisure travelers considering a shared ownership purchase is significant. According to the Future Timeshare Buyers: 2009 Market Profile, the Caribbean is one of the preferred international destinations of choice among U.S. resident leisure travelers interested in purchasing vacation time in the next two years, as approximately eight in 10 (78 percent) indicate they want to vacation in the region.

In 2009, Interval expanded its resort network in the region through numerous affiliations, including Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort & Spa in St. Lucia, Gold Coast Aruba, Dawn Beach Club in St. Maarten, and Grand Laguna Beach and Los Altos in the Dominican Republic.

Los Altos, a residential resort located within Casa de Campo —a 7,000 acre mixed-use development considered one of the finest resort communities in the Caribbean — has affiliated with Preferred Residences™, Interval’s hospitality branded membership and exchange program for luxury shared ownership resorts.

Dawn Beach Club marked the entrance of Columbia Sussex Corporation, one of North America’s leading independent owners and operators of resorts and hotels, into the shared ownership industry.
Interval International is a longstanding supporter of the region through its strategic alliances with the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association and the Caribbean Tourism Organization, as well as through its conference sponsorships, including the Caribbean Marketplace in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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.

Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), today announced that Dawn Beach Club in St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, has joined its vacation exchange network. The project was developed by Babitbay Beach Development Corporation B.V., a related company of Columbia Sussex Corporation, one of North America’s leading independent owners and operators of resorts and hotels.

“We are very pleased that a hotelier of Columbia Sussex’s stature recognizes the opportunities that shared ownership offers, and has entered the industry with such a luxurious product in St. Maarten,” said David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International.

Ideally situated on the island’s southeastern shore, the property includes three-bedroom, two-bath oceanfront condominiums with spacious floor plans. The 1,800-square foot units feature elegant contemporary furnishings and warm teak finishes. Each has a fully appointed kitchen with stainless steel appliances, satellite television and Wi-Fi, and an oversized patio or balcony.

“We are thrilled to be offering consumers an opportunity to purchase a vacation interest at our beautiful resort in one of the Caribbean’s most popular vacation destinations,” stated Joe Yung, director of development of Columbia Sussex. “When you combine ownership at Dawn Beach with Interval International’s high-quality programs and products, you have a very attractive value proposition.”

St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be shared by two nations, the Netherlands and France, creating a European vibe with a Caribbean flair. With more than 300 restaurants, the island offers a diverse cuisine that appeals to everyone. For water enthusiasts, scuba diving and snorkeling facilities are located throughout the island, which boasts an extensive marine biodiversity and unique underwater dive sites such as the H.M.S. Proselyte, a notable British frigate which sank in St. Maarten’s waters in 1801.

Further reinforcing the value of ownership, new purchasers will be enrolled as individual members of Interval International, as well as Interval Gold®, its upgraded membership program. This gives them the opportunity to exchange their accommodations for those at other resorts in Interval’s worldwide network, as well as the ability to relinquish their resort weeks toward the purchase of cruise, golf, and spa vacations. They also will enjoy an extensive menu of benefits, including discounts on resort Getaways, ShortStay ExchangeSM, access to a personal concierge service available 24 hours a day via phone and e-mail, complimentary Hertz #1 Gold® membership, and worldwide hotel and dining discounts.

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.

SPI Software recently struck an agreement to provide timeshare software to Dawn Beach Club in St. Maarten, West Indies. SPI Software’s Orange Systems Marketing, Sales and Finance modules were chosen to operate the project, which is being developed by Babitbay Beach Development.  Boutique Club, LLC. is providing marketing and sales execution for the project (Boutique Club, LLC is an exclusive consulting group that works with owners and developers of distinctive, luxury assets to create full service lifestyle real estate products.)

“We recommended SPI Software because of the strength of their software technology and their 30-year track record and demonstrated experience in vacation ownership resorts said Boutique Club President Jay DiGiulio. (DiGiulio comes from a 25-year career spent in the interval, fractional ownership and real estate development industries, having worked in senior level executive positions with blue chip hospitality companies such as Hilton, Starwood and Marriott.) “SPI Orange software is an excellent product that interfaces easily to other systems. In-house marketing campaigns will be created from the property’s reservation system, facilitating organized marketing to guests.”

“Babitbay’s developer operates several resort area hotels that are excellent candidates for addition of a vacation ownership component,” said SPI Director of Sales Matt Brosious. “Dawn Beach Club will be their first project, and we are honored to have been chosen to assist them on this and future developments.”

Resort or vacation club operators wishing to see a demonstration may contact SPI Sales at 305-858-9505 or by email to sales@spiiinc.com.

About Boutique Club
Boutique Club, LLC is an exclusive consulting group that works with owners and developers of distinctive, luxury assets to create full service lifestyle real estate products that preserve the authenticity of each property while maximizing its value. The team can design and implement all aspects of sophisticated marketing and sales programs and ensure execution by hiring, training and staffing each project with high performance teams and provide assistance in design, development, public relations, financing, legal registration, and related development services. Their lifestyle-focused private club environments and exquisite developments make their properties the finest in the marketplace.

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