The Lubner Group, internationally respected for its hospitality and commercial design work, has recently completed the total renovation and installation of new furnishings for five “Old Conch” styled buildings with a storied past at the Coconut Beach Resort in Key West, Florida, positioning the resort to enter a new phase in its legendary history.

Located at 1500 Alberta Street on the Atlantic side of Key West, the vacation ownership resort is set against lush gardens and quiet walkways with white verandahs and French doors opening to the sea. The Lubner Group’s design challenge was to blend existing Victorian gingerbread architecture – rich with living history – with a fresh lifestyle in an updated tropical design that invited guests to relax in serene tranquility. Amenities include a pool, Jacuzzi, and private beach. The resort has been named an Interval International Select Resort.

The Lubner Group (www.LubnerGroup.com) completed the six-month total interior renovation project in three phases. Work included the selection of all furniture, fixtures and equipment for the 32 one- and two-bedroom/two bath units plus the resort’s lobby. The Lubner Group also provided design direction for the kitchen and bath cabinetry and flooring.

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Interval International and the City of South Miami recently co-sponsored the 18th Annual Holiday Toy Fest benefiting more than 350 deserving children in the community. Each child had the chance to visit with Santa Claus and select a holiday gift. Other highlights included face painting, arts and crafts activities, as well as some tasty treats.

Interval employees Kathy Olivares and Monica Fonseca with “Santa” Rafael Monteiro and children during the 18th Annual Interval International/City of South Miami Holiday Toy Fest

Interval employees supported the event by donating gifts and volunteering their time during Toy Fest, one of the many community service initiatives that the company hosts throughout the year. Rafael and Virginia Monteiro played Santa and his elf to help make this holiday a special one for the children.

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Summer Bay Resorts and RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of brands, recently announced a multi-year renewal of their affiliation agreement. With the renewal of this agreement, Summer Bay Resorts’ high-quality group of properties continues to be a part of the RCI^® network of affiliated resorts.

“We have enjoyed a long-standing and successful relationship with Summer Bay Resorts, and are pleased to be continuing that relationship,” said Gordon Gurnik, president, RCI. “We are also glad to continue offering these quality properties to our 3.7 million subscribing members, many of whom have enjoyed memorable vacations in Florida, Tennessee and Missouri at these world-class resorts.”

The affiliated resorts that are a part of this agreement are: Summer Bay Resort, Villas at Summer Bay Resort and Houses at Summer Bay Resort of Orlando, Fla.; Gatlinburg Town Square and Gatlinburg Town Village of Gatlinburg, Tenn.; Mountain Meadows Resort of Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; Crown Pointe Links of Farmington, Mo.; and Vacation Villas at the Summit of Clarksville, Mo.

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One of Central Florida’s most respected general contractors, Winter Park Construction (WPC) and SPM Resorts, Inc. have once again joined forces to build a $6.2 million amenity area for timeshare and rental guests of Vacation Villas at Fantasy World in Kissimmee, Florida.

The new project includes a 14,000 square-foot activity building, which features an owners lounge, family activities center, business center, game room, workout facility with sauna and steam room and banquet facilities to enable the resort to host large gatherings. With architecture by L2 Studios, the outdoor area includes a zero-entry pool with two 35 foot waterslides, a 750 foot lazy river with a bridge and an interactive kiddy splash pad. The renovated and enlarged pool bar paired with two spas, an outdoor double-sided fireplace, ten cabanas and a spectacular fountain to create an environment ideal for total relaxation. The final touch to the facility is the indoor golf simulator, adding a unique variation to the modern amenities and resulting in WPC’s (www.WPC.com) largest project for the resort to date.

Adds Jeff Forrest, President of WPC, “With over three decades of construction and general contracting services, our experience has enabled us to build just about anything imaginable. Creating innovative amenities has provided added value to our clients and is a nice compliment to our extensive experience in the resort industry.”

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Holiday Inn Club Vacations has announced that it has added the seventh location to its portfolio of vacation resorts, a 36-unit resort located on the Rio waterway in the “City Center” activities district of Marco Island, Fla.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations Sunset Cove Resort joins the flagship location, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Fla., and five other Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts. Travelers can book vacation villas at all seven resorts at www.holidayinn.com, just as they would any Holiday Inn hotel room.

The addition of Sunset Cove Resort follows the recent announcement that the brand will add another resort in Las Vegas to its portfolio in 2012, which will be the first Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort in the western U.S.

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“As part of our alliance with IHG, we said we’d grow Holiday Inn Club Vacations in places where our Holiday Inn Club Members have said that they want to vacation,” said Don Harrill, president and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts, the timeshare developer that manages Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties. “Our Members have asked for another drive-to destination in Florida, and Sunset Cove Resort delivers just that, with a unique and upscale experience for all owners and guests who visit.”

Like all Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts, this location at Sunset Cove Resort offers more space, more amenities and more things to do, including three-bedroom residences ranging from 1,667 square feet to 1,900 square feet, with views of either the Gulf of Mexico or Smokehouse Bay. The resort offers a host of amenities for guests including a pool with sundeck, a bar and promenade area, boat dock and fitness center. The property is currently a part of Resort Condominium International’s (RCI) distinguished Registry Collection program.

“At Holiday Inn Club Vacations, we offer great resorts where families can create their own vacation experiences,” said Del Ross, vice president, U.S. Sales and Marketing, IHG. “We offer our guests the flexibility to vacation when, where and how they want to, all under the comfort and security of a well-known and trusted brand like Holiday Inn.”

Orange Lake Resorts plans to bring all Sunset Cove units into its upscale “Signature Collection” product line. All units will undergo a total of $1.7 million in upgrades, including renovations planned by the resort’s condo association, as well as enhancements to interiors like granite countertops in the kitchen and bath areas with glass tile backsplashes, ceramic tile in the living and dining areas, detailed wood ceiling moulding, stainless appliances and luxurious furniture appointments with rich textural fabrics. The pool deck area will also be enhanced with upgraded lounge chairs and poolside furnishings accompanying the Signature Collection color palette.

In-room amenity upgrades will include flat-screen televisions in bedrooms, as well as in the kitchen area, and bedding and bath appointments standard to the Signature Collection brand, featuring bath crystals and a Signature Collection-monogrammed bathrobe.

Through IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards, guests renting villas at Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts earn Priority Club points during their stays at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, which they can redeem for free nights at IHG properties or exchange for merchandise and special experiences. The resorts also welcome members of the Holiday Inn Club exchange program, which allows members to exchange their weeks at any Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort for hotel nights at IHG’s more than 4,400 hotels worldwide. Holiday Inn Club members also have access to RCI’s network of more than 4,500 resorts. [/members]

Tarzen International, a specialist at providing creative hospitality solutions to the timeshare and hospitality industries, has recently completed the renovation of kitchens, master and guest bathrooms for the Cypress Pointe vacation ownership resort in Orlando, Florida.

During the past year and a half, Tarzen International refurbished more than 120 units at the popular property, with most work done while the resort was operating at 98% occupancy. An additional 36 units will be completed at the first of next year.

Added Miki Todd, President of Tarzen International (www.TarzenInternational.com), “During the last phase of this work, which was finished within 50 days, all materials had to be stored offsite and brought into the property on a daily basis. This was a challenge, but we are all about working within each client’s specific guidelines.”

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Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), will host the 13th annual Shared Ownership Investment Conference from October 17 through19 at The Peabody Orlando. This forum will offer a thorough overview of shared ownership to real estate and hospitality professionals that are considering entering the business or converting an existing asset.

On the conference agenda are sessions led by top industry experts that will explore the business models of traditional timesharing, fractional development, and private residence clubs. Featured speaker Jeffrey Ma, who co-founded Citizen Sports, a visionary sports media company, will explain how Web 2.0 is changing business and revolutionizing branding. Attendees will also hear from Peter C. Yesawich, Ph.D., the widely quoted marketing strategist and trend-spotter, who will present findings from his agency’s 2011 Portrait of American Travelers^tm.

Among the hundreds registered for next week’s investment gathering are representatives of several large national financial institutions that are involved in shared ownership or have recently entered the business, as well as financiers evaluating the industry.

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Law firm Baker Hostetler was, for the 4th year in a row, recognized as having one of the country’s strongest hospitality law practices by legal industry resource Chambers USA. The firm is one of only three firms recognized for excellent client service and keen commercial awareness by the organization.

Chambers noted that the firm is “known for its resorts work in Florida and the Caribbean. The backbone of its practice comes from mixed-use projects, involving management agreements, development and financing matters. In the past year the group represented Hard Rock Hotels in the drafting and negotiation of management agreements for hotels in Qatar and Miami, among other places. It also advised Hyatt on the documentation process for several mixed-use projects in several locations, including New York and Miami.”

Chambers made special mention of Rob Webb and John Melicharek, as Webb was highly recommended by peers as an acknowledged expert in timeshare-related matters. Melicharek was described as efficient, knowledgeable and good at solving problems, with his main specialties including mixed-use matters.

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Western Reserve Partners LLC (“Western Reserve”) announced that it represented Island One, Inc. (“Island One” or the “Company”) in its reorganization by Timeshare Acquisitions LLC. Island One, based in Orlando, Florida, is one of the largest privately-held timeshare developers in the United States. Founded in 1981, the Company has grown from a single site to an organization that has successfully acquired, developed and re-developed nine properties in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Island One’s affiliate, Club Navigo, allows customers to gain access to a larger network of 29 affiliate resorts. Timeshare Acquisitions LLC is a holding company owned and formed by a hedge fund to acquire the reorganized equity interest in Island One.

Island One filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in September 2010, and its plan of reorganization was confirmed and became effective in May 2011. The reorganized company will retain operation of its eight resorts in Florida and divest of certain other inventory and assets. The Company’s executive team remains intact, with Deborah Linden, Board Co-Chair, focusing on business development and strategic planning, Sterling Stoudenmire IV assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer of Island One and Sulyn Stumbras assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer of Island One’s management company.

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Island One Resorts has successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved a reorganization plan that also included its Island One Resorts Management Corp. affiliate.

According to a report in the Orlando Business Journal, the restructured company will retain operation of its eight resorts in Florida and the company’s executive team remains intact. Board co-chair Deborah Linden will focus on business development and strategic planning while chief operating officer Sterling Stoudenmire will take over as CEO of Island One Resorts.

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