Royal Westmoreland (www.royalwestmoreland.com), the leading golf, beach and spa resort in Barbados has appointed P1 Communications to manage their media relations and PR campaigns for the UK and Irish markets.

Located in the parish of St. James on the prestigious west coast, the stately five-star resort is a major player in the island’s luxury hospitality sector and currently holds the Bloomberg International Property Awards for ‘Best Golf Development in the Caribbean’ and ‘Best Golf Development in the Americas’.

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FractionalExchange.com has announced that Voyageurs Retreat at Giants Ridge has selected FractionalExchange.com for the vacation exchange requirements of its properties in Minnesota.

Giants Ridge is an award-winning resort located in Minnesota’s Iron Range, which provides access to world-class golf and ski properties. It is located three hours north of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and one hour north of Duluth. As a golf resort, Giants Ridge offers two courses, The Quarry and The Legend. Repeatedly ranked among the best courses in Minnesota, these public courses provide challenge and recreation in a beautiful northwoods setting.

The ski area at Giants Ridge has been recognized for years as one of the best in the Midwest, and has been used as a training ground for the U.S. Olympic Nordic Ski Team. The area features Alpine and Nordic runs, along with snowboarding terrain. Additional snow-related options are tubing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.

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De Vere Hotels and Resorts have appointed Kirstie Yates as the new head of marketing responsible for overseeing marketing communications at 13 luxury hotels within the collection.

Kirstie joins De Vere from pub company Mitchells & Butlers where she spent four years in brand development most of which was spent as senior marketing manager of O’Neill’s, the traditional Irish pub chain.

A graduate from Leicester University, where she gained a degree in politics and a masters in marketing, Kirstie started her career at international drinks group Diageo where she worked on the Guinness and Baileys brands before becoming brand manager for Smirnoff.

At De Vere Kirstie will be responsible for developing and overseeing local and national marketing activities for 13 hotels which includes a number of premier golf courses and luxury spa and conference facilities across the UK. Cameron House on the shores of Loch Lomond, Slaley Hall in Northumberland, The Grand Hotel at Brighton and Belton Woods in Lincolnshire are among the leading hotels within the collection.

In her new role she will report directly into chief executive Deborah Kemp who is spearheading the marketing drive which will focus on both promoting the meetings and incentive facilities to the corporate sector and attracting more leisure visitors.

Commenting on her appointment, Kirstie said: “I am joining De Vere at a very exciting time for the company and will be working closely with the hotel sales teams at a local and national level to maximise the marketing opportunities within their properties.

“With the rising cost of holidaying abroad, not to mention the recent disruption to air travel, we will be looking to attract more customers to our hotels which are very much part of the Great British holiday tradition. With outstanding spa, golf and leisure facilities, they are a great base for short breaks or longer holidays where couples or families can enjoy the surrounding countryside and numerous attractions.”

Luxury Fractional Property Joins The Quality Exchange Network

Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq:IILG), welcomes Firstlight The K Club in Ireland to its exchange network. On the grounds of The K Club Golf and Spa Resort in the beautiful County Kildare countryside 22 miles (35 km) from Dublin, Firstlight The K Club owners will benefit from full family membership of the K Club, including its two championship golf courses, venue of the 2006 Ryder Cup and host to the European Open from 1995 to 2007. The resort’s 550 acres (223 hectares) of parkland are laced with walking and cycling paths and also include a luxury AA Five Red Star hotel, country club amenities, and full service spa.

“Firstlight The K Club is a tremendous addition to Interval’s worldwide resort network,” said Darren Ettridge, vice president of resort sales and service for Europe, Middle East, and Africa for Interval International. “The K Club Golf and Spa Resort is world renowned for its spectacular setting and luxury amenities, including a pair of golf courses designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer that rank among Ireland’s finest. It sets a high standard as the first European fractional project launched under the Firstlight brand.”

The resort is set on a one mile (1.6 km) stretch of the River Liffey with an elegantly restored 19th century Georgian mansion, originally modelled after a French chateau, as its centrepiece. In 1991, the historic property was converted into a 36-room hotel and country club surrounded by the original Palmer golf course. Since then, a second course – the Palmer Smurfit course, was developed, along with an additional 33 rooms and suites, a second clubhouse, and full-service spa and leisure centre. Plans call for the acquisition of approximately 30 ready-to-occupy luxury apartments and detached homes in a residential development called Ladycastle.

“As we believe we are destined to become one of the most exclusive and successful private residence clubs of its kind in Europe, it was important for Firstlight The K Club to be able to offer an unparalleled exchange programme for our owners,” said Matthew Spence, managing director of Firstlight International (Europe). “We chose Interval International, as its platform provides immediate access to a unique portfolio of quality resorts worldwide, within a completely managed and user-friendly programme. At Firstlight, we are committed to providing only the best for our owners and we have found that Interval very much reflects this standard.”

Members purchasing six-week shares of spacious and stylishly appointed two- and three-bedroom apartments (from 1,215 to 1,980 square feet or 113 to 184 square metres) and three- and four-bedroom houses (from 2,200 to 3,800 square feet or 204 to 353 square metres) will have full access to the amenities offered by The K Club Golf and Spa Resort. In addition to world-class golf, there is a spa with eight treatment rooms, a 54 foot (16.5 metre) pool, Pilates studio, gym with personal trainers, poolside Jacuzzi, and outdoor hot tub.

There are three restaurants on site in the hotel and the Palmer clubhouse. The clubhouse for the second (Smurfit) golf course is to form the central hub of Firstlight The K Club’s private residence club with food, beverage, and guest services. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, clay pigeon shooting, and horseback riding on resort grounds.

Interval International operates membership programmes 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 an exchange network of more than 2,500 resorts in over 75 countries and offers its resort clients and approximately 2 million member families high-quality products and programmes 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.

Best New Courses International  2009 by Links Magazine

Golfweek’s 2010 Best Courses of Great Britain and Ireland

Southworth Development, LLC recently announced that Machrihanish Dunes, the world’s most natural golf course, has received top honors from Links Magazine as one of the Top New International Golf Courses and has also landed the No. 21 spot in Golfweek’s Best New Modern Courses of Great Britain and Ireland.

This year’s launch of Golfweek’s Best New Modern Courses of Great Britain and Ireland awards were calculated by votes from raters through out the U.S. and Europe. Golfweek is one of the largest golf publications in the U.S. with over 1 million readers.  Golfweek defines new courses as those having opened in the past two calendar years (2008-2009). Links Magazine’s list of Best New Courses is compiled each year by its editors and writers.   Divided into three categories: public, private, and international, the best new designs include a wide spectrum of styles: true links, seaside stunners, strategic parkland gems, and scenic mountain layouts.  Links Magazine is a bi-monthly publication with over 50,000 readers that features news and information about golf courses, resorts and destinations around the world.

“Machrihanish Dunes is thrilled to be recognized by these two leading U.S. golf publications,” said Greg Sherwood, President of Southworth Golf. “The course, David McLay Kidd’s first design in his home country of Scotland, is challenging, beautiful and unique – and it’s wonderful to see it continue to receive these kinds of accolades.  They provide additional assurance to our guests that when they come to Machrihanish Dunes, they will be enjoying the finest golf experience possible.”

Machrihanish Dunes is located on 259 acres of pristine links land in Machrihanish, Scotland. It is the first championship links golf course built in Scotland on a Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSi) in over 100 years. Last July, Machrihanish Dunes celebrated its Grand Opening with extremely favorable reviews of the golf course and its breathtaking natural layout. To view recent articles and learn more about Machrihanish Dunes please visit http://www.thewaygolfbegan.com/.

For more information contact Nancy Powers at npowers@southworthdevelopment.com or call 508.548.4969.

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i conveys the connection of the new resort to the islands

The highly anticipated Disney destination resort currently under construction on the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu now has an official name and a dynamic new Web site offering an inside look at the project. The resort’s name – Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i – reflects the company’s deep commitment to celebrating the islands’ rich history and traditions. Plans call for the first phase of the resort to open in fall 2011.

Artist's Concept - Proposed

“We want this resort destination to reflect the vibrant culture that surrounds it. The name ‘Aulani’ expresses a connection to tradition and deep story-telling – and its roots are here in this land,” said Joe Rohde, Senior Vice President, Creative for Walt Disney Imagineering. “We’re so grateful to the local Hawaiians who led us to the discovery of this name, and our goal is to live up to its meaning.”

Rohde noted that Aulani translated from the Hawaiian language to English, means “the place that speaks for the great ones” or “the place that speaks with deep messages.”

The Resort
Nearby to historical sites on the western side of O‘ahu, Aulani will be located on 21 acres of oceanfront property in the Ko Olina Resort & Marina development.  The Resort is planned to have 360 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas.

Design plans call for amenities to engage every member of the family, a hallmark of a Disney vacation.  Among the recreational highlights planned for the resort are pools and sunset facing hot tubs, a snorkeling lagoon, a variety of kids’ club and other play programs for children, and a river, suitable for tube floating, running through a specially created volcanic outcropping.

The resort will also include an 18,000-square-foot spa designed with families in mind.  The resort, built adjacent to a crystal blue lagoon and a white-sand beach, is planned to also have two restaurants, a 14,545-square-foot conference center and 48,685 square feet of outdoor venues. Located nearby are the existing Ko Olina Marina and a Ted Robinson-designed, 18-hole Championship Golf course.

The Web Site
Disney has launched a new preview Web site, www.DisneyAulani.com, to provide updates and background information on the resort now under construction.  The site also details some of the adventures and amenities under development, and includes conceptual art, descriptions of resort highlights, regularly updated resort information and photos of Aulani as it nears completion.

“We are looking forward to welcoming guests to Aulani to share the fun, immersive family vacation experiences Disney is known for combined with the beauty and culture of Hawai‘i,” said Djuan Rivers, Vice President, Disney Vacation Club and Resort, Hawai‘i.  “We are turning to the Hawaiian culture for inspiration in everything we are doing at Aulani, and we hope our guests will not only enjoy the Disney experience, but will also embrace the unique culture of Hawai‘i and its diverse people.”

ResorTime.com, a favorite source for on-line vacation and timeshare condominium rentals polled its users to discover their most favorite resort properties.   Nominees were in four areas:   spa, family, beach, golf and ski.  Nominations were made based on noteworthy resort reviews/comments, outstanding amenities and ResorTime.Com staff nominations.

Nominees in the Spa Category were:  Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa (La Jolla, CA), Los Abrigados Resort & Spa (Sedona, AZ), and Palm Canyon Resort (Palm Springs. CA), Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa (Carlsbad, CA), The Westin Mission Hills Villas (Rancho Mirage, CA), The Westin Kierland Villas (Scottsdale, AZ).

The winner is:  Sheraton Carlsbad Resort for its Ocean Pearl Spa.  Locating in the charming coastal community of Carlsbad, this is the second year the world class spa treatments were honored as number one in this category.  In 2008 the resort received recognition in the Best of San Diego Reader’s Choice Awards in the categories of Best Luxury Hotel, Best Spa and Best Tapas (Twenty/20 Grill and Wine Bar).

Nominees in the Beach Category were:  Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort (Carlsbad, CA), Coronado Beach Resort (Coronado, CA), Ka’anapali Beach Club (Maui, HI), Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay (Mazatlan, MX), San Clemente Cove Resort (San Clemente, CA), and Wyndham Ocean Boulevard (North Myrtle Beach, SC).

The winner is: Ka’anapali Beach Club. A short five minute drive from shopping and golf, the resort is situated along Maui’s less crowded Ka’anapali Beach.  The spacious accommodations (every suite offers 820 square feet of living space) showcase a fresh tropical decor matching the surrounding seven acres of tropical gardens.

Nominees in the Family Category were: Carlsbad Seapointe Resort (Carlsbad, CA), Cypress Pointe Grand Villas (Orlando, FL), Dolphin’s Cove Resort (Anaheim, CA), Grand Pacific Palisades (Carlsbad, CA), Sheraton Vistana Village (Orlando, FL) and Red Wolf Lakeside Lodge (Tahoe Vista, CA).

The winner is Carlsbad Seapointe Resort which offers amenities for everyone including swimming pools, a spa, children’s spray pool, a pirate ship playground, and Dolphin Golf (mini golf area). For the sports lovers, this resort is well quipped with basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts. Located in North San Diego County Carlsbad Seapointe Resort is within minutes of LEGOLAND® California, SeaWorld, and the San Diego Wild Animal Park and world famous San Diego Zoo are just a short drive away.

Nominees in the Golf Category were: Bent Creek Golf Village (Gatlinburg, TN), Grand Pacific MarBrisa Resort (Carlsbad, CA), Orange Tree Golf Resort (Scottsdale, AZ), The Ridge at Sedona Golf Resort (Sedona, AZ), Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort (Port St. Lucie, FL), and Vino Bello Resort (Napa, CA).

The winner is The Ridge on Sedona Golf Resort. The resort offers its own on-site championship golf course and a swimming pool while nearby recreational opportunities include tennis courts, jeep tours, hiking and fishing in the stunning natural rugged red rock wonders of Sedona.

Nominees in the Ski Category were: Cedar Breaks Lodge (Brian Head, UT), Grand Timber Lodge (Breckenridge, CO), Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort (South Lake Tahoe, CA), Lagonita Lodge Resort (Big Bear Lake, CA) and Red Wolf Lodge at Squaw Valley (Olympic Valley, CA).

The winner is Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort adjacent to the south shore of Lake Tahoe.  The resort offers a collection of timeshare rentals and vacation condos for a mountain getaway that is far from ordinary. Close to cross-country and downhill skiing at Heavenly Ski Resort and horseback riding, fishing, boating, or mountain biking Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort is also nearby casinos, restaurants and live entertainment.

The nominated resorts and the results of the poll can be found at http://www.ResorTime.com/Bestof2009.   According to ResorTime.Com’s General Manager, Sherry Weeks, “the popularity of ResorTime.Com can be seen in the number of positive comments posted on its web site.  One ‘raving fan’ said, ‘I love ResorTime.com!  Whenever I want I can get a great place and a reasonable price; whether it’s locally overnight or some great vacation place; short notice or down the way! The rooms are always impressive; like you’re staying at a very special suite.  You can’t get this type of room at this price anywhere else! Talk about having an exclusive suite with all the special bells and whistles.  We’ve used ResorTime over and over again with our friends and family and will continue to do so. If you want to go somewhere great and impress others this is the place.’  These are the kind of people voting in our poll and enjoying the best ResorTime.Com has to offer.”

ResorTime.Com, rapidly becoming the go-to source for spacious condominium rentals, has hundreds of luxury resorts for nightly and weekly rentals that accommodate leisure, business and group travel.  All ResorTime Hot Deals and Value Packages change on an ongoing basis. For more information go to http://www.ResorTime.com/Bestof2009  or call 877-477-7368.

Spanish golf resort chooses leading shared ownership publication to promote its fractional ownership offerings.

“Arcos Gardens is an upmarket luxury golf resort based in the south of Spain which is now offering some of its luxury properties for sale on a fractional basis.  It is important that the media where we advertise directly targets the market we are aiming to attract.  We identified Owners Perspective as a publication that precisely suited our purpose in this respect.  It focuses on the shared ownership market and possesses strong distribution in key areas.  We look forward to building a long term partnership with them.” Said Regan Berger, Director of Sales, Arcos Gardens.

Owners Perspective Magazine (http://www.ownersperspective.com) specifically focuses on the shared ownership industry and includes resort and product reviews relating to resort real estate, fractional ownership and high end timeshare / vacation ownership products and has been selected for distribution in all first class British Airways airport lounges globally and on selected main routes for many other airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Emirates Airlines, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and more, in addition to its print and online circulation.

“We are delighted to have Arcos Gardens select our publication to promote their luxurious properties in Spain.” Said Paul Mattimoe, CEO, OP Media LLC. “The attraction to our consumer publication is that it offers complete print and online marketing campaigns rather than standard advertising, so premium packages not only include print advertising, but also complimentary online banner advertising, direct enquiry forms, email advertising, press release syndication and targeted social media marketing all designed to attract the right kind of prospective purchaser for each development.”

About Arcos Gardens

Located among the rolling hills of Andalusia and next to the famed white village of Arcos de la Frontera in the province of Cadiz, the Arcos Gardens Golf Club & Country Estate is an exclusive low density golf resort designed for upscale luxury living. The 440 acre property was a former olive grove that was transformed through the transplanting of over 2,000 olive trees into a leading golf destination featuring a championship 18-hole course that was recently named one of Europe’s Top 100. Among the project’s facilities are a brand new club house with day spa and a restored 17th century cortijo, reflecting the goal to combine top quality service and world-class amenities with the area’s natural beauty and traditional Spanish charm.

In order to provide its homeowners with a truly superior lifestyle experience, Arcos Gardens places an emphasis on providing the highest level of build quality and offering large, open spaces created through careful landscaping and integration into the surrounding environment. The architectural designs have been influenced by the region’s rustic style and feature spacious open plan living areas with high-spec state-of-the-art fittings. Also noteworthy are the development’s first-class ‘green’ credentials that incorporate several eco-friendly initiatives including solar panels for water heating and the use of recycled water from a plant built by the project.

For more information, visit www.arcosgardens.com or call +34 956 701 694

About Owners Perspective Magazine

Published by OP Media LLC, Owners Perspective Magazine is the most read consumer publication for the shared ownership industry globally and is available to the general public by paid for print subscription or free of charge online subscription. Additionally it is distributed via first class and business class airport lounges worldwide, selected hotel and resort accommodation, supermarkets and other outlets.

For more information on advertising and editorial opportunities visit www.perspectiverates.com

Leading property developer – The Vigia Group is hosting a super sale at its flagship resort Parque da Floresta. The sale which will start at 9am on Boxing Day, is the first ever of its kind for the Group and will offer generous reductions on goods and services in every department including holiday, golf, spa, food and drinks!

Only on Boxing Day will savvy shoppers be able to purchase half price holidays!  As those who are thinking to visit the region will be given the opportunity to book their luxury 2010 break for half the usual price.  But miss this offer on the 26th and miss out, as normal prices will resume the following day.

Vigia Resort Director Leonor Ramalho said: “You may think that we’ve had a few too many sherries in the run up to Christmas, but that’s not the case!  We simply want to open up our resort to everyone and extend the Christmas cheer an extra day!  If you’ve always heard of Parque da Floresta, but never visited, then today’s the day to change that. The Vigia Boxing Day Sale provides people with the chance to purchase our products and services at a fraction of the cost!”

For those who need to spruce up on their golf skills at the Academy and their partners who can’t keep away from Vigia’s famous beauty sanctuary – Spa Floresta, the Vigia Boxing Day Sale is their chance to buy and receive up to 50% off what they would usually pay!

About the Vigia Group
Vigia, was established in 1991 by its four UK shareholders.  The Group now owns several exclusive holiday resorts in this region. Owing to each of the resort’s unique beach or golf location, along with the quality of villas with private pools and linked villas, the resorts were soon discovered by a number of celebrity guests who were so taken with the full Vigia package that they actually purchased holiday homes with the developer and visit regularly. These include sportsmen David Seaman and Ian Rush.

Vigia’s resorts include the infamous Parque da Floresta Golf & Leisure Resort, The View Salema Beach, contemporary golf village development – Quinta da Encosta Velha and the self catering beach properties of Quinta da Sao Roque in Lagos and Quinta da Fortaleza. As well as the Alentejo based resort of Parque do Redondo.

Parque da Floresta Golf & Leisure Resort is located just off the EN 125, heading towards Sagres and opposite the junction that heads to the fishing village of Salema. The centre piece of this magnificent 400 hectare resort is its 71 par, 18 hole golf course – a favourite with locals and visitors alike and home to the prestigious David Seaman Safe Hands Golf Tournament. The resort which boasts numerous restaurants and bars, tennis courts, spa, gym, bowling and kids’ activities is overlooked by magnificent villas and village houses.

To make use of the offers in Vigia’s Boxing Day Sale, visit Parque da Floresta on Boxing Day or call Vigia’s holiday reservations team on (00 351) 282 690 013 or property sales team on (00 351) 282 690 073.  Offers available for one day only and are subject to terms and conditions.

SPI Software , the vacation ownership industry’s technology leader, is pleased to announce that Meadow Lake Resort, a premiere golf and ski resort in Montana’s Flathead Valley, has selected SPI Orange System Enterprise software to manage their vacation ownership operations.

According to Kevin Holliday, vice president of Meadow Lake Development, “We chose SPI Orange for a number of reasons. The software provides an integrated solution for all aspects of our company. It was clearly designed by a team that understands the needs of a timeshare company. The ability to track a client from a lead, to a tour and all the way through to owner reservations and payments was a particularly attractive feature.  The system is straight forward and intuitive, which will make training easier and will reduce errors.  Our decision was solidified when we obtained strong references from other major timeshare developers.”

Matt Brosious, vice president of sales and marketing at SPI, added “We are honored to have been selected by Meadow Lake, a resort that has earned a well-deserved reputation of excellence. Forward-thinking resorts like this continue to make SPI Orange the industry’s software system of choice.”

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 Meadow Lake
Montana’s premiere Golf and Ski Resort, located just minutes from Big Mountain at Whitefish, Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake. Meadow Lake Resort is recognized internationally for quality, service and luxurious accommodations. Meadow Lake has been a recipient of RCI’s Gold Crown Resort Award since 1993 and AAA’s three diamond rating since 1994.

About SPI
SPI provides developers and operators 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.