Spectacular apartments in Dubai and Paris bring to 17 the number of properties to date in The Hideaways Club’s City Collection portfolio.

In July this year The Hideaways Club opened its first Dubai apartment. This luxury two bedroom, two bathroom property is located in downtown Dubai overlooking the world’s tallest building, the Burg Khalifa and the stunning Dubai Fountain. Situated within the 5 Star The Address Hotel, Members have the benefit of being able to use all the hotels facilities including a swimming pool, and enjoy proximity to a huge variety of shops and restaurants. Within minutes of the golden beaches of Dubai, this apartment makes the perfect base for those visiting the city and for those wanting to explore the surrounding desert.

Opening this month, the Paris apartment is located on the Rue de Cerisoles within the 8th Arrondissement in ‘The Golden Triangle’. This stunning two en-suite bedroom apartment is centrally situated between the Champs Elysees and Avenue George V and is ideal for excellent shopping, theatres, great restaurants and sites of historical interest.

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GPEA Ltd, the parent company of global estate agency Fine & Country and The Guild of Professional Estate Agents, has formed a joint venture company with property PR specialist P1 Communications Ltd. The new company will provide PR services and media representation to Fine & Country’s global network of 280 UK and international offices, and the Guild’s 600 independent estate agent members in the UK.  P1 Communications’ staff will be based in GPEA’s Park Lane head office in Mayfair, London.

Malcolm Lindley, Managing Director of GPEA says: “The company has expanded rapidly in recent years and we wanted a more dedicated, hands-on team to help us make more of our success, build the brand and develop our networks further. We are delighted to be working with P1 Communications whose international and extensive property experience will be instrumental in promoting our global brand in a professional manner.”

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Europe’s leading international property investment fund The Hideaways Club has seen substantial growth in both its membership and property portfolio in the first three months of 2010 and this week formed two exciting new partnerships with Shangri-La Hotels and Etihad Airways.

Members of The Hideaways Club now have access to exclusive rates at Shangri-La’s luxury hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. These hotels have been specifically selected as the perfect stop-over or twin centre destinations to the properties offered by The Hideaways Club. Benefits enjoyed by the Club members include special discounted rates for the Shangri-La’s Horizon Club rooms, which offer an even higher level of accommodation, enhanced levels of service, Club Floor check-in and check-out, all day complimentary refreshments and a personal concierge.

As a result of a new partnership with Etihad Airways, members of The Hideaways Club can travel in style and comfort with the award winning national airline of the UAE. Hideaways members will benefit from exclusive Etihad fares and services including private limousine transfers to Heathrow and Manchester airports, bespoke business class fares, use of spa facilities and fine dining options at airport lounges and automatic entry to Etihad’s frequent flyer programme, Etihad Guest. Etihad is the worlds’ leading airline offering its guests the highest standards in service and product development.

Commenting on these new alliances Mike Balfour, Chairman and co-founder of The Hideaways Club said, “We are delighted to have formed these two partnerships as both companies represent the highest standards of quality, service and comfort enjoyed by members of The Hideaways Club. These agreements further underline what is a very exciting time for the Club and we are greatly encouraged by the rapid expansion of both the membership and property portfolio over the past year. We firmly believe that the strong growth we have been experiencing is a powerful endorsement of our business model.”

THE HIDEAWAYS CLUB
With over 160 members and 27 solely owned properties throughout Europe, Africa, Mauritius and South East Asia, The Hideaways Club is now the largest Club of its kind in Europe. This year the company has added three stunning new properties in the South of France, Portugal and Ibiza to its burgeoning property portfolio, and with its recent alliances with US based Equity Estates and the Banyan Tree Private Collection, Members of the Club have the choice of over 45 beautiful properties in which to holiday.

Membership of The Hideaways Club is rapidly becoming recognised as the most financially astute way of investing in overseas property that combines a unique investment with a luxurious lifestyle while at the same time benefitting from medium to long term growth on their investment. For further information please access the website at www.thehideawaysclub.com.

SHANGRI-LA HOTELS
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, currently owns and/or manages 66 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a room’s inventory of over 30,000. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Etihad Airways flies 21 services a week from London Heathrow and seven flights per week from Manchester to its home base in Abu Dhabi. Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates based in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Currently Etihad Airways offers flights to over 60 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Australia and Asia. For tickets and reservations, call 0800 731 9384. For further details, visit http://www.etihadairways.com or www.etihadmediacentre.com.

Bench Events announces that the Shared Ownership Summit uncovered significant opportunities to unlock growth in the Middle East and North Africa.

Leading hospitality companies and real estate developers from across MENA and around the globe gathered in Dubai for the Shared Ownership Summit on Saturday to discuss the significant potential for leisure real estate development in the Middle East and North Africa. The Shared Ownership Summit was held in association with the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. The Summit was made possible through the collaboration of Bench Events, MEED and RCI who co-hosted the event.

Shared Ownership refers to a category of leisure real estate and hospitality products which includes vacation ownership, fractional, private residence clubs and a category of second homes which enables purchasers to earn rental income when not making personal use of their residence. Leaders from each of these sectors discussed strategic issues and considered alternative approaches through which new entrants can establish sales and marketing capabilities. Representatives from Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, LuxuryBranding and The Registry Collection® explored key success factors in the luxury segment.

The session began with an industry update, which was provided by Jeff Tisdall, managing director for RCI MENA. Claude Attala, managing director of Wyndham Exchange & Rental’s consulting arm NorthCourse, then presented his firm’s latest shared ownership consumer research findings for the Middle East and North Africa. Highlights of the research findings included:

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), today announced the addition of two affiliated resorts to its worldwide exchange network – The Viking Club Hotel in Egypt and The Jdoudna Hotel in Syria.

The Viking Club Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh is situated within walking distance of the famous Na’ama Bay district and offers a spectacular view of the bay. Na’ama Bay features world-class shopping, a wide array of restaurants and an energetic night scene. The resort has two swimming pools, a restaurant, dive centre and a private beach accessed by a regular shuttle bus service. The resort currently operates 180 units with a further 80 under construction as part of phase 2 of its development.

“RCI invented the exchange business over 35 years ago and has been the innovator and leader ever since. Their diverse selection of compelling resorts the world over deliver high quality vacations to their members. Being associated with RCI was important to The Viking Club Hotel, “said Eng. Ramadan Abdel Rehim Haggag, CEO of the Viking Group. “RCI offers an exciting mix of technological and market access, greatly enhancing the distribution of our resort by making it available to millions of RCI Members worldwide.”

The Jdoudna Hotel is located on the top of Syria’s Bloudan mountains, 1,800 metres above sea level, offering a magnificent view of the Bloudan Valley. The town, 65 km northwest of Damascus and 85 km from the Mediterranean, is surrounded by lush plantations of fruit trees during the summer and a covering of snow during the winter. All vacation homes feature beautiful views. The resort offers an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and the famous Jdoudna restaurant, offering delicious, traditional Syrian food.

“We are very excited to partner with RCI as doing so adds significant value to our offering,” said Mr. George Mansour, CEO of Jdoudna Company. “RCI offers our owners access to over 4,000 terrific resorts around the world, enabling them to travel extensively throughout MENA and around the globe. We’re glad we could provide this service to our community.”

The announcement was made during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai, UAE, attended by more than 600 senior executives from the hospitality, developer and real estate sectors from across the region and around the globe. A Shared Ownership Summit was held during the event and was co-hosted by RCI. The summit brought together leaders from the vacation ownership, fractional and private residence club industries. Discussions focused on the increasing relevance of shared ownership products to the continued growth and development of leisure products in the Middle East and North Africa. Industry leaders shared insights that will assist new entrants and discussed strategies that could lead to significant sales growth over the coming years.

“We are very pleased to expand our portfolio in the Middle East by welcoming The Viking Club Hotel and Jdoudna Hotel into the RCI network,” said Jonathan Back, managing director, RCI Europe, Middle East, Africa & India. “These beautiful resorts are tremendous additions to the collection of vacations resorts we offer our RCI ® Weeks members.”

“We are continually seeking new vacation destinations and experiences to offer RCI members in the Middle East and around the globe. The addition of The Viking Cub Hotel is very timely as we see tremendous demand from our 3.8 million members for Sharm el Sheikh”, added Jeff Tisdall, managing director, RCI Middle East. “The Jdoudna Hotel will enable our members to explore the natural beauty and rich history of Syria firsthand.”

A recent 2010 report published by RCI’s consulting arm NorthCourse found that Sharm el Sheikh was second only to Dubai as the preferred destination in which to own a vacation ownership interest.

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® program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; 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 our media center at www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

Viking Club Hotel
The Viking Club Hotel is part of the Viking Group, a leading hospitality specialist in Egypt for 15 years. The Viking Group comprises of Viking Travel which offers a wide range of travel and hospitality services, Viking Air offering hot air balloon tours over the Pyramids, Viking Transport for coach and land cruiser tours and Viking Fleet offering a range of Nile cruises.
For more information, visit www.viking-egypt.net.

Jdoudna Hotel
Jdoudna Hotel is part of Jdoudna Company, which was formed to develop touristic projects in Syria. The CEO, George Mansour, comes from a background of more than
20 years in food and beverage outlet management and real estate development. The Jdoudna Hotel is the company’s first touristic project and is a new property, which opened in late 2009.

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.

RCI to co-host Shared Ownership Summit at the Middle East’s leading hotel investment event

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), will partner with Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) and Bench Events, organizers of AHIC, to host industry leaders at the 2010 Middle East Shared Ownership Summit.

The Shared Ownership Summit is part of the three-day AHIC programme which will take place 1 -3 May at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE, with the half-day Summit taking place on Saturday, 1 May. For a complete list of regional and international leaders who will be speaking at the Summit, please visit www.arabianconference.com.

Shared ownership refers to a set of leisure oriented real estate and hospitality products that include timeshare, fractional, private residence club and destination clubs. Timeshare, or vacation ownership as it is often called, is very well established in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets like Egypt with industry observers more recently noting the tremendous potential for both vacation ownership and fractional development in Dubai and other key Arabian Gulf leisure destinations.

Attendees will hear firsthand from the leaders of some of the most successful regional and global vacation ownership companies, whose experience will help highlight opportunities for growth in MENA. Similarly, leaders from companies who helped pioneer the luxury branded residential and private residence club concepts will serve as trend spotters as they consider how luxury brands will unlock value from real estate products in the future.

The Summit will offer significant value to timeshare and fractional developers as they share best practices, receive industry updates and explore new opportunities.

“The Shared Ownership Summit offers hospitality companies and mixed-use developers an efficient forum in which to better understand the immediate benefits and long-term value that vacation ownership can infuse in their overall business strategy,” said Jeff Tisdall, managing director, RCI MENA. “We are encouraged by the continued strong interest international vacation ownership companies are expressing in the Dubai market.

The Summit offers international companies a venue to explore opportunities to enter the regional market via partnership or through outright asset acquisition.”

“We are honoured to have such an experienced set of business leaders confirmed as Shared Ownership Summit speakers,” said Jonathan Worsley of Bench Events. “This really is an unprecedented gathering of vacation ownership, fractional and luxury residential development leaders.”

Summit attendees will not only receive a copy of the 2010 Shared Ownership Study including important global and regional industry updates, but also experience three essential panel discussions. The first panel will aim to provide attendees with the tools and insights they need to determine if now is the right time to add Shared Ownership to their business strategy. A second panel discussion focuses on the latest sales and marketing insights, solutions and alternative approaches to developing sales capabilities. The luxury segment discussion considers recent innovations in the category and takes a look forward to consider how luxury brands will unlock value from real estate products in the future.

“This is a very timely discussion as the Middle East and North Africa region has seen significant innovations in the luxury segment,” said Gregg Anderson, vice president, The Registry Collection program. “This is a great opportunity for firms to consider how they will position themselves to capture new opportunities in the future.”

In addition, Jeff Tisdall, managing director, RCI MENA, will offer a sneak preview of the Summit when he hosts a free webinar on 7 April. The webinar will share an advance look at trends and opportunities in hotel shared ownership and reveal the potential of timeshare, fractional and private residence club concepts to the real estate development and hospitality industry. Those interested in attending the free webinar can register at www.arabianconference.com/webinar.

About The Shared Ownership Summit
The Shared Ownership Summit is offered as an optional upgrade to attendees of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. It will also be possible to register directly in the Shared Ownership Summit. The Summit begins at 1:00pm on Saturday, May 1, 2010 and is immediately followed by a reception and networking event. For registration details please call 00971 (0)4 390 0049, email ahic@meed-dubai.com or visit www.arabianconference.com.

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® program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; 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.

Bench Events
Bench Events has a long track record of hosting the premier hotel investment events in the world. Bench Events’ Chairman, Jonathan Worsley, is one of the organisers and founders of the highly successful International Hotel Investment Forum now in its thirteenth year (www.berlinconference.com). In 2005, he was responsible for launching the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai and in 2008 launched the Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference which was a sell out success (www.russia-cisconference.com). Bench Event’s sister company, JW Bench, is a benchmarking company that has successfully launched the Conference Bench and the Productivity Bench. An industry first, the Conference Bench, measures performance data for conference and banqueting space in hotels in Stockholm, Oslo, London, Brussels with other capital cities contributing shortly. www.benchevents.com

MEED
For 50 years business leaders have been relying on MEED (Middle East Economic Digest) to give them a wealth of factual, unbiased business information that they need to be successful. The MEED brand represents an unrivalled portfolio of high calibre business information products, online services and premier networking events. MEED Conferences is part of the leading information brand in the Middle East working to provide delegates with the very latest business sensitive information. Over the past 12 years, MEED Conferences has organised events attended by senior government officials and thousands of international business people. The conference series is aimed at companies actively seeking business in the markets of the Middle East. MEED is well established as the source of strategic and accurate regional information placing it in a unique position to bring together high-calibre speakers. www.meed.com

Grosvenor House Dubai Offers Panoramic Sea Views, 12 World Class Restaurants and Lounges and Two Michelin Starred Chefs in one of the World’s Most Unique and Exceptional Destinations

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. today announced the debut of its renowned Luxury Collection brand in the United Arab Emirates with the addition of Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai. Located on the exclusive Dubai Marina, the prestigious 45-story Grosvenor House hotel first opened its doors in 2005 and quickly became one of the world’s most acclaimed hotels.

Custom-designed to celebrate the essence of Dubai, the hotel seamlessly blends exquisite Arabian décor with contemporary sophistication. Offering the latest innovations in technology and design, Grosvenor House features 422 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, suites and apartment suites, world class cuisine, a state-of-the-art fitness facility and spa, business areas equipped with cutting-edge technology and unparalleled premium service with butlers on call 24 hours a day.

“The Luxury Collection is a portal to the world’s most enriching and desirable destinations, where nothing less than an exceptional level of service, perfect location and indigenous personal offerings will do,” said Paul James, Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. “Celebrated for its exceptional location, luxury amenities and breathtaking views of the Arabian Gulf, Grosvenor House adds another jewel to The Luxury Collection portfolio.”

Originated in 1906 under the CIGA brand as a collection of Europe’s most iconic hotels, today The Luxury Collection is a glittering ensemble of more than 75 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries across the globe including Hotel Danieli, Venice; Hotel Imperial, Vienna; Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens; Patios de Cafayate, Argentina; SLS at Beverly Hills and The Phoenician, Scottsdale.

“We are excited to bring the promise of The Luxury Collection brand to the United Arab Emirates with the debut of Grosvenor House, Dubai. This hotel is a true expression of its destination, making it the perfect addition to The Luxury Collection,” says Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “The property’s sought-after location, impeccable service and sumptuous interior will ensure a unique and enriching experience for all our guests.”

Grosvenor House, Dubai also provides guests with an exceptional choice of dining experiences with 12 different world-class restaurants and bars to choose from. These include Rhodes Mezzanine, which offers signature modern British cuisine with French flair from Michelin starred celebrity chef Gary Rhodes. The menu includes dishes such as White Tomato Soup and the British favourite Bread and Butter Pudding. The hotel also offers the equally esteemed modern Indian restaurant Indego by Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia, who is renowned for his Home-smoked Tandoori Salmon. In addition, Grosvenor House is home to Dubai’s only Buddha Bar, the world famous bar and restaurant with outlets in Paris, London and New York, which is known for its unique food and eclectic atmosphere.

The number of rooms at Grosvenor House, Dubai will almost double next year when a second, identical tower opens. The second tower will add a total of 323 rooms, suites and apartment suites to the hotel’s inventory providing even more style and unparalleled service for global explorers to discover.

About The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts
The Luxury Collection(R) is an ensemble of hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world’s most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort is a unique and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination’s indigenous charms and treasures. Magnificent décor, spectacular settings, impeccable service and the latest modern conveniences combine to provide a uniquely enriching experience. Originated in 1906 under the CIGA brand as a collection of Europe’s most celebrated and iconic properties, today The Luxury Collection brand is a glittering ensemble of more than 75 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries in bustling cities and spectacular destinations around the world. The Luxury Collection includes award-winning properties that continuously exceed guest expectations by offering unparalleled service, style and class while celebrating each hotel’s distinctive heritage and unique character. All of these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized as being among the world’s finest. For more information, please visit www.luxurycollection.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 982 properties in more than 100 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(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Méridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(R), 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.

IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR) today announced the company’s 1st half year results with a loss of KD 4,968,422 million (US$ 17,372,712 million). Shareholders’ equity of KD 66,129,532 million (US$ 231,230,225 million) compared to KD 66,893,521 million (US$ 244,851,834 million) for the same period last year. The company’s total assets have increased 18% to KD 393,147,155 million (US$ 1,374,688,468).

Ibrahim S. Al-Therban, Chairman of IFA HR, stated: “The new recommendations of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) that are adopted by the company have had an impact on the revenue in comparison to the previously applied methods, where the methodology of Company income is based on the percentage of project completed.”

The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) applications, might have a negative effect on the company results in the short term, however it will enhance the company’s transparency policy and enables shareholders and investors to understand and compare financial information for companies around the globe.

“The first half of this year has witnessed the launch of a selection of IFA HR luxury properties which include three Private Residence Clubs in Thailand covering Bangkok, Pattaya & Phuket as part of our expansions in the Asian market as well as the launch of the second hotel condominium ownership product in the Middle East, the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Further projects such a Fairmont Residence-Palm Jumeirah(Dubai) and Al-Abadiyah Hills in Lebanon  are in their final stages of development which will be completed in the second half of this year.” added Talal Jassim Al-Bahar, Vice Chairman and CEO of IFA HR. .

The launch of three new Thai-based Private Residence Clubs comes as part of IFA HR’s expansion plans in the Asian market due to its high potential for unique real estate products.  The Heights Private Residence Club in Phuket, Northpoint Private Residence Club in Pattaya and The River Private Residence Club in Bangkok are developed by luxury condominium developer Raimon Land in which IFA HR has a 41.07% stake.

IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR) launched its second hotel condominium ownership product in the Middle East. Situated within the five-star Fairmont Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai, the new offering is of particular interest to investors wishing to diversify their property portfolio with a unique real estate option that combines both the business of guaranteed rental returns and strong capital growth potential with the pleasure of a hassle-free vacation property
Al-Bahar concluded: “The focus in the remaining part of the year will be on completing and delivering our existing projects according to our strategic plan. We will also continue the search for unique investment opportunities that will maximize our shareholders returns. We are looking forward for a better result in the second half of the year.”

IFA Hotels and Resorts, an international leader in the development of premier mixed-use hotel and tourism projects, announces the appointment of Merlin as software provider for its fractional residence clubs. IFA Hotels and Resorts, with its main operating office in Dubai, is listed on the Kuwait and Johannesburg stock exchanges and provides world-class facilities through a network of hotels, vacation and private residence club destinations.

Merlin Software will be used to run IFA’s new high-end fractional residence clubs based in various locations around the world and its internal inter-residence exchange programme.

Announcing the appointment of Merlin Software Mr Piaras Moriarty, VP Vacation Ownership IFA Hotels & Resorts, said “when we looked for a software provider we needed a company with wide industry knowledge and expertise in managing products like ours.  With Merlin’s pedigree, which dates back to the start of clubs 25 years ago, making the appointment based on their stellar track record and experience was a logical choice”.

The IFA team was keen to partner with a software business that offered “simple to implement” software that could manage and adapt to their evolving product needs.  Mr Moriarty explained “it was important for us that our partner could advise us on how to formulate and manage these products now and in the future”. The team was particularly impressed that Merlin Software is easy to set up with no lengthy installations and training is straightforward and logical. Resorts can be in business immediately.

Chief software developer Mike Pnematicatos explains “On a daily basis IFA will use all of Merlin’s resort management, marketing and accounting functionality for activities such as maintenance fee collections and owner reservations. What really sets Merlin apart though is its dynamic sales and ownership tracking. IFA has complex occupation rosters and rules which Merlin handles with ease” he continued.

Merlin will also handle IFA’s internal exchange facility which takes place between the managed residence clubs. Mr Moriarty explained “inter-residence exchange can now be provided internally using Merlin Software without relying on a third party”.

From single site fractional resorts to multi-destination residence clubs, Merlin’s software functionality provides a single software solution. Developed as state of the art Business Application Software, Merlin is served across the internet. Users simply access it securely via a web browser from anywhere at any time without the need of expensive link lines and hardware installations.

Developed by Mike Pnematicatos with over 25 years’ experience in the timeshare and property development industry, Merlin is the most complete business software around. It is highly interactive meaning that businesses can integrate the software with their current websites to offer a range of services such as online bookings and payments. With such industry experience, that no other software company can offer, businesses need look no further for a safe pair of hands to provide the latest technological solutions.

Merlin is the leading industry software provider using the new technology of Cloud Computing to deliver software directly to your internet browser. According to chief software developer Mike Pnematicatos “Merlin is resource light, incredibly intuitive and allows unlimited users and multiple locations to access the software securely in real time from anywhere in the world. It enables resorts and hotels to benefit from time and cost savings – yet still be at the cutting edge of internet technology”.

For more information on Merlin Software for Vacation Ownership contact Mike Ashton on, email at mikea@quickmerlin.com  or visit www.quickmerlin.com to arrange a full demo.

For more information on IFA contact Mr Piaras Moriarty on Tel: + 971 4 404 3424 or Email: info@ifahotelsresorts.com

Using the latest web technology, Merlin is the complete software package for today’s hospitality industry and can handle all types of timeshare and holiday product.

Merlin Software incorporates modules for sales, marketing and front and back office. Its inherent flexibility means it can operate all types of sales activity and holiday product.  As Merlin is served over the Internet there is no requirement for any expensive communication links or set up fees and can be accessed from wherever there is an Internet connection.