RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of brands, recently announced updates to its RCI Travel program, a well-established service that aims to assist members with non-timeshare related vacations. RCI Travel is a full-service travel provider through which members can book airfare, rental cars, hotels, cruises and more, often at discounted rates.

“As the innovation leader in the industry, we wanted to make RCI Travel even faster, easier and more valuable for members than ever before,” said Gordon Gurnik, president, RCI. “We believe they will be very happy with these enhancements that will deliver a comprehensive and accessible vacation planning experience.”

In addition to a new website look and feel that is more convenient and user-friendly for members, the enhanced RCI Travel now offers a Best Rate Guarantee that allows members to receive the best rates possible on flights, car rentals, hotels and other travel purchases available through RCI Travel. Now members can use RCI Travel as a one-stop shop for their travel needs with the assurance that they are getting favorable prices and making the most of their RCI memberships.

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New resort information and vacation recommendations make the vacation planning experience almost as much fun as the vacation itself

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of brands, recently made new enhancements to the online searching and booking process to improve the member experience and make planning a vacation faster and easier.

“We know that our subscribing members are savvy consumers who like to do their research before choosing a vacation option,” said Gordon Gurnik, president, RCI. “To make this process easier, more immersive and fun, we have updated and expanded the information and tools available on our website in order to better showcase the high-quality resorts in RCI’s unparalleled network.”

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Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, recently won an award for its superior revenue management and pricing practices by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The accolade recognizes the company’s industry-first “Optimizing Vacation Exchange” model, which gives RCI subscribing members a more transparent and convenient exchange process for RCI Weeks.

“The team from Wyndham Exchange & Rentals has created an innovative solution to a difficult problem: how to provide a more flexible and transparent exchange process for its 3.8 million exchange members,” said Robert Shumsky, chair of the judging committee for the award. “Their solution was simple and transparent to their members, and was backed up by a sophisticated optimization model to dynamically calculate the value within RCI of each property in the exchange transaction. The new system improved customer satisfaction, increased transactions and revenue for Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, and led to a sea change in the industry.”

Wyndham Exchange & Rentals was among one of three finalists, including Disney and Google, during the presentation phase of the competition held at Columbia University from June 22-24. The judges selected Wyndham Exchange & Rentals based on the impact, originality and technical merit of the redesigned exchange model, which works by dynamically setting Exchange Trading Power values to help maximize the number of exchanges in RCI’s network. The new model now gives RCI subscribing members insight into the value of their weeks deposited with RCI for exchange purposes, as well as the value of other deposited weeks, adding clarity and simplicity to the timeshare exchange process.

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RCI and Branson’s Nantucket, LLC today announced that Branson’s Nantucket Resort in Branson, Mo., has affiliated
with RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange. As part of this affiliation, Branson’s Nantucket plans to offer its owners RCI Points PlatinumSM membership, a new premium membership and enhancement to the RCI Points® program, currently under development, that will offer exclusive exchange and lifestyle benefits to subscribing members.

“We are very pleased to welcome Branson’s Nantucket into the RCI network,” said Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI North America. “As Branson is a national destination that offers fantastic vacation experiences, this beautiful resort is a tremendous addition to the collection of top vacation options we offer to our RCI subscribing members.”

Branson’s Nantucket is a lakefront resort that offers outstanding views of Table Rock Lake. All homes are Nantucket-themed with two-, three- and five-bedroom options that sleep up to 14 people. Located only minutes from the  “Branson Strip,” each fully-equipped home offers gourmet kitchens, washers and dryers and living rooms that include fireplaces and plasma TVs. Each home also offers a viewing area of the Widows Walk that can be accessed by a private elevator.

“RCI invented the timeshare exchange business over 35 years ago and has been the innovator and leader ever since,” said Richard C. Huebner, vice president of sales and marketing, Branson’s Nantucket. “Their diverse selection of resorts the world over deliver high quality vacations to their members. Being associated with RCI was important to Branson’s Nantucket. Furthermore, RCI offers exciting technological resources and marketing advantages for us as well as a large selection of vacation resorts for our timeshare owners. We are very pleased to be working with them.”

RCI recently announced its plan to launch the RCI Points Platinum membership that will offer its members’ exclusive “first look” exchange access to specially acquired inventory around the world, opportunities for free unit upgrades and cash back rewards for certain RCI transactions. In addition, RCI plans to extend unique lifestyle benefits to RCI Points Platinum members that will include advance access to popular Broadway style theater experiences, preferred pricing or discounts of up to 50 percent at hundreds of golf courses and dozens of the most popular ski mountains in North  America and savings benefits of up to 50 percent on spa experiences, and more.

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & 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 & 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.

About Branson’s Nantucket
Branson’s Nantucket is the newest luxury resort offering stunning views of Table Rock Lake. Branson’s Nantucket is perfectly suited for vacationers of all ages and offers a wide variety of fractional ownership packages to suit everyone’s traveling needs. Located just minutes from Highway 76, know as “the Strip” in Branson, Branson’s Nantucket is perfectly situated for outings to Branson’s multiple theaters, restaurants, shopping malls and family activities. Everyone is always welcome at Branson’s Nantucket, Branson’s finest luxury vacation homes.

RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), today announced it was named one of the 2010 ‘Best Places to Work’ in Indiana during a ceremony held last Thursday evening at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

“We are thrilled to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana for the second year in a row,” said Gordon Gurnik, president, RCI North America. “In addition to this honor, RCI was also named as one of the Top Work Places by the Indianapolis Star. These accolades are a testament to the passion and enthusiasm of our associates both here in Indianapolis and at our offices around the world.”

A project of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, BizVoice, Inside INdiana Business, the Indiana Youth Institute, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Best Companies Group, the awards program was created in 2006 to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Indiana that benefit the state’s economy, workforce and businesses.

To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:
•    Have at least 25 employees in Indiana;
•    Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business or government entity;
•    Be a publicly or privately held business;
•    Have a facility in the state of Indiana; and
•    Must be in business a minimum of one year.

Companies from across the state entered a two-part process that determined the top companies and final rankings. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices and demographics, and the second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience.

“We are also honored that our New Jersey location was named among the top companies to work for in New Jersey in 2010,” added Gurnik. “It is because of our engaged associates and our companywide ‘Count on Me!’ service platform that we are truly able to differentiate ourselves from other companies. This platform places an emphasis on being responsive, respectful and delivering a great experience to all those we work with and serve.”

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & 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 & 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.

RCI affiliate recognized as top-performing partner

A select number of RCI affiliates meet RCI’s requirements for this annual honor and have earned the RCI® Pinnacle Award. As a top-performing RCI affiliate, Sol Meliá Vacation Club has received the award for its volume of business.

‘It is a pleasure and privilege for Sol Meliá Vacation Club to be recognized by RCI to receive this prestigious award.  We consider this to be an important indicator of our overall success in providing unique and high quality vacation experiences in all our destinations,” said Denis Ebrill, Executive Vice President, Sol Meliá Vacation Club.

“For over 35 years, RCI has been working with its affiliates to transform the vacation experience for owners and resort developers alike,” said Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI North America. “We pride ourselves on helping our affiliates grow their business while also making dream vacations a reality for their owners and our members. The RCI Pinnacle Award allows us to honor and recognize our top performing affiliated resorts who continue working to offer vacation experiences to our 3.8 million members worldwide.”

Sol Meliá Vacation Club is an internationally-branded membership club focusing on leisure lifestyle experiences that include exotic destinations, designer-appointed luxury suites, exclusive services and unforgettable amenities.  Each Sol Meliá Vacation Club vacation experience is different from the other, aligned with local culture and customized to fit members’ leisure lifestyle needs.

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.

Orlando, Florida based Sol Meliá Vacation Club is part of Spain-based Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts, a 50-year-old international hospitality company with over 350 hotels in 30 countries on five continents.  Sol Meliá Vacation Club members have more vacation lifestyle options through global luxury accommodations in a variety of unique resort and urban destinations around the world, as well as flexibility to choose length of stay, season and size of unit.  Featured Sol Meliá Vacation Club locations include Cancun, Cozumel, and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico; Puerto Rico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in the Caribbean; Panama in Central America; and the Canary Islands, Spain in Europe.  For more information call 866-379-5950 or visit www.smvc.com.

World’s largest vacation exchange company celebrates employee wellness initiative with NBC’s ‘The Biggest Loser’ season four winner, Bill Germanakos

Employees of RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), did more than send families on dream vacations in recent weeks. Many of them lost a combined total of more than 1,800 pounds in the Carmel office’s 12-week wellness contest, an initiative designed to encourage RCI employees to live a healthier lifestyle by incorporating fitness and a proper diet into their daily routines. Impressed with their efforts, Bill Germanakos, season four winner of NBC’s hit series “The Biggest Loser,” visited the site to celebrate participants’ success.

As an added motivation to participate in the program, every pound shed by an associate will equate to a pound of food donated by RCI to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that strives to secure, store and redistribute donated food to more than 400 charities. All food will be donated in time for the Christmas holiday.

“This contest has created a tremendously positive buzz among our associates,” said Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI North America. “What started out as a fun idea among a few associates quickly grew to a contest involving more than 270 associates looking to incorporate healthier activities into their day-to-day lives. Because of the fantastic response, we’re planning to roll it out at other RCI offices in 2010.”

Each week, teams consisting of RCI associates with similar fitness levels and health histories participate in a weigh-in. At the end of the contest on December 11, the person on each team that lost the greatest percentage of body weight will receive $500 and the person who lost the greatest percentage of body weight overall will receive $1,000. Throughout the 12-week contest, participants have been awarded fitness-functional gifts courtesy of ProMotion Fitness, the professional health-fitness management team coordinating the weigh-ins and providing coaching sessions, fitness classes, nutritional guidance, personal training and psychological assistance to participants.

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 73,000 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, an international leader in providing a full spectrum of advisory, research, and asset management services. 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.grouprci.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

For additional information on the services offered to developers by RCI and how they can add potential value to leisure real estate projects, visit www.grouprci.com.

The world’s largest vacation exchange company continues legacy of innovation and leadership; shares key findings with its affiliates and business partners

Global vacation ownership leader Group RCI, which is celebrating 35 years in the industry, has commissioned an in-depth study of the timeshare industry to pinpoint untapped demand (i.e. consumers) and supply locations (i.e. resort timeshare projects) throughout the U.S.

The new study by Ragatz was completed this summer and focuses on the top 100 tourist destinations in the US. The report suggests where new resorts would be best located (i.e. either purpose-built resorts, or existing developments ripe for conversion into vacation ownership model resorts) and the findings apply to one-offs as well as “add-ons” to multiclub resorts.

The study taps into new markets with potential and promising prospects both on the supply and demand side, but also spotlights locations to avoid because of market saturation. The detailed findings include valuable nationwide information on potential obstacles to growth, expansion and overall opportunities in the industry, making it a must-read especially for those involved in the areas of sales and resort and business development.

Not surprisingly, the individual States with the highest concentration of timeshare resorts are Florida, top of the list at 22.6%, California (8.8%), South Carolina (7%), Hawaii (6.1%) and Colorado (5.2%).

One of the most significant and surprising findings was that out of the 100 top tourist destinations (not timeshare destinations), 27 of them have no timeshare facilities at all.

Thanks to the findings, developers and affiliates will be able to positively impact the vacation exchange industry as a whole and the study will also benefit lenders looking to research and validate projects or marketing ventures throughout the US.

This new data will not only enable affiliated developers to determine where to costeffectively solicit and market to potential buyers, but also where to build or acquire new resort properties and which are the best locations for off-site sales operations to help maximize return on investment.

“The vacation exchange industry continues to be a major part of the overall real estate and hospitality industries,” said Gordon Gurnik, President, North America, Group RCI. “With Group RCI’s 35-year legacy of leadership and innovation, this research should play a vital role in continuing to help our affiliates successfully maintain and grow their businesses. The ground-breaking data we’ve acquired offers previously unmeasured information to help expand their presence in new markets and increase their member base.

“By commissioning this comprehensive study we’ve tapped into the overall scope of the industry and can offer timely and valuable insight to help our affiliates to help determine new markets for growth, expansion and opportunities in the industry, even in these uncertain times, “added Gurnik.

In addition, the new Ragatz data reveals the degree to which market depth remains for resort timeshare ownership among incomeeligible households in 291 sectional centers across the U.S.

Dick Ragatz, President of Ragatz Associates Inc., explained: “Despite the impressive growth of the resort timeshare industry over the past 30 years, it has traditionally not focused on research as a means to decide where to build new projects and where to market new inventory. The typical approach in selecting project locations has been an opportunistic model, such as inexpensive land, capricious deal making, and friend or family referrals. The same can be said for selecting off-site markets, which is usually simply based on total population or proximity to the resort.”

“We found that in the top 100 tourist destinations in the U.S., 27 do not currently contain any resort timeshare projects,” added Gurnik. “This and other statistics from the study present some great opportunities for expansion in the industry. We hope our affiliates will be able to use this study to strengthen their business and continue to grow with Group RCI as their exchange provider of choice.”

The study reveals:
• Some 4.4 million households already own timeshare, both in the States and overseas, and of those, 3.2 million make over $50,000 a year. (The remaining owners are either older and retired, and purchased years ago, or are recent buyers of low-priced resales.

• There is still a huge potential market for timeshare sales: there are 109.2 million households that do not own timeshare, and of these, 56.6 million earn over $50,000 pa.

• There are still a surprising number of as yet undeveloped regions in the US which the timeshare industry has not yet penetrated. Currently, there are 1,640 timeshare projects in the US, comprising about 179,220 units for an average size of 109 units.

• The best locations to direct off-site marketing programs for new resort timeshare projects

• The top five cities from which leisure-oriented visitors originate to the USA’s top 100 tourist destinations.

About Group RCI
Group RCI, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, (NYSE: WYN) is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods
to more than 73,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. The company 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, an international leader in providing a full spectrum of advisory, research, and asset management services.

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.grouprci.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

About Ragatz Associates
Ragatz Associates is a highly respected international consulting and market research firm in the resort real estate industry. It was founded in 1974 by Dr. Richard Ragatz and has serviced clients from both the private sector (from small, individually owned companies to international corporations) and the public sector (from small municipalities to national governments). The firm has worked on over 2,500 assignments in the resort real estate industry in 48 states and over 70 countries. For more information visit www.ragatzassociates.com