Luxury Hospitality Management Company Serves Four-, Five-Star Properties Worldwide

Veteran hotelier Tom LaTour has announced the newly rebranded LaTour Hotels & Resorts, previously known as ResortCom Elite, which offers personalized, luxury hospitality management services for four- and five-star properties. A joint venture between LaTour and ResortCom International, LaTour Hotels & Resorts specializes in managing new and existing luxury fractional, private residence club, hotel, mixed-use and condo resort developments, including golf, ski, urban and oceanfront locations worldwide. LaTour will also continue overseeing LaTour Signature Group, providing exclusive ser vices to select five-star properties, as an elite brand of LaTour Hotels & Resorts.

Currently, LaTour Hotels & Resorts operates seven developments, representing nearly 500 units, with nearly 400 more units at multiple properties planned in the near future. For every client, the company’s goal is transform the ownership experience through superior service, distinctive amenities, imaginative activities and an obsessive attention-to-detail.

LaTour Hotels & Resorts works in partnership with Tapestry Resorts, the recently consolidated, full-service hospitality division of ResortCom International, to provide its clients with established infrastructure for service delivery. The company then focuses on customizing extraordinary guest experiences with its specialized LaTour Brand Pillars, featuring at least three pillars at LaTour Hotels and Resorts properties and all five at LaTour Signature Group properties: culinary, wine, wellness/health, entertaining and concierge.

LaTour Hotels & Resorts is led by LaTour, chairman and CEO, and John Small, vice chairman. LaTour brings more than 40 years of experience in the hospitality and travel industries, including 23 years at Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, where he pioneered the concept of the boutique hotel. Small is one of the world’s most well known hospitality executives. He has worked on six continents and has held key management positions at some of the world’s leading properties. Joining the team in 2009, Business Development Director Sarah Rezak brings another 13 years of experience in the fractional interest and private residence club industries.

In addition, the company’s executive management team has proven resort industry experience in conceptual planning; expert property and HOA management; financial management support; creation of fully integrated information technology system for reservations and collections; skilled sales and marketing assistance – from developer inventory through resales; exchange and rental opportunities; property branding; staffing and more.

LaTour Hotels & Resorts clients include Tonopalo Private Residence Club in Lake Tahoe, Calif.; El Secreto and El Caracol in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; IndoChine Resort and Villas and Grove Gardens Resort in Phuket, Thailand; and Lodge at Stillwater in Deer Valley, Utah; as well as an in-construction project, Delcanto Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico scheduled to open summer 2010. LaTour Signature Group actively operates Dewa Resort in Phuket, Thailand and has two projects in various stages of construction: The Wyoming Club in Black Hills, Wyo.; and Olamar Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

About LaTour Hotels & Resorts
With headquarters in San Diego and San Francisco, LaTour Hotels & Resorts, previously known as ResortCom Elite, offers customized, luxury hospitality management services for four- and five-star properties. A joint venture between veteran hotelier Tom LaTour and ResortCom International, the company’s goal is to make the ownership experience as unique, tailored and memorable as possible through superior service, distinctive amenities, imaginative activities and an obsessive attention-to-detail.

Offering services ranging from conceptual planning through marketing, sales, staffing and operations, LaTour Hotels & Resorts specializes in managing new and existing luxury fractional, private residence club, hotel, mixed-use and condo resort developments. The global company currently operates properties in the United States, Mexico and Thailand with upcoming expansion plans throughout South America, Europe and Asia.

For more information, visit http://www.latourhotelsandresorts.com, or contact Sarah Rezak at 619-683-2470 x.1659 or e-mail srezak@latourhotelsandresorts.com.

About LaTour Signature Group
LaTour Signature Group, the elite brand of LaTour Hotels & Resorts, delivers an exceptional five-star vacation resort “lifestyle” experience to select developers and owners of new and existing luxury golf, ski, ur ban and oceanfront properties. By delivering management services that are unprecedented in the industry, LaTour Signature Group is committed to becoming the ultimate brand for extraordinary, highly personalized vacation experiences.

For each client, LaTour Signature Group manages all resort operations – including the training and supervising of staff, reservation coordination and concierge services, as well as the sales and marketing of fractional rentals. Before a property even opens, LaTour Signature Group can effectively lend its expertise and direction to the resort’s conceptual design and operational functionality and provide referrals and recommendations for other key partner alliances, such as real estate sales and marketing.

For more information, visit http://www.latourhotelsandresorts.com, or contact Sarah Rezak at 619-683-2470 x.1659 or e-mail srezak@latourhotelsandresorts.com
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Fractions at Tonopalo Already Sold Out

ResortCom Elite, a joint-venture with LaTour Signature Group that provides management services for fractional market properties that meet 3.5 to four Diamond or Star status, was selected to manage Tonopalo, a l9-unit luxury private residence club in North Lake Tahoe. The club opened in 2003 and quickly sold out with 1/7th chapter fractional ownerships purchased from $350,000 to $850,000. (Some resales are now available.)

Set amidst the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tonopalo is a beautifully appointed property located on a private 270-foot stretch of white sand beach. Each of the three- and four-bedroom, 1,700 to 3,000 square foot homes are fully furnished and accessorized. All of the residences provide extensive living and dining areas, roaring fireplaces, double master bedrooms, gourmet kitchens and lake views from outdoor patios and/or decks.

“It does not surprise me how quickly Tonopalo sold out – it’s a great opportunity for anyone who wants to own a piece of the ‘playground of the Pacific West’,” said Tom LaTour, founder of LaTour Signature Group. “The club fits perfectly with our ResortCom Elite group of resorts, as it offers exceptional amenities and services to its owners in picture-perfect Lake Tahoe.”

Owners at Tonopalo are able to enjoy the Tahoe’s numerous outdoor activities, including world-class skiing, championship golf, mountain biking, water sports and year-round fishing. The club features a wide sandy beach, a 300-foot pier and a luxury lakeside mountain lounge. In addition, Tonopalo’s unique amenities include kayaks, sailboats, pool, hot tub, fitness center, game room, on-site concierge and housekeeping services and a 26-foot Formula speedboat.

Tonopalo’s 1/7th chapter ownership guarantees each owner six weeks of usage per year. Owners also have access to Space Available, a program that allows unlimited use of the property in addition to the six guaranteed weeks anytime there is vacancy.

Tonopalo has been part of the ResortCom Elite family since 2008. In addition to Tonopalo, ResortCom Elite manages an array of similar properties in different locations around the world. Through ResortCom’s Exchange programs, Tonopalo owners are able to exchange weeks with owners at other ResortCom Elite properties.

“We were looking for a management company with both breadth and depth of experience in managing high-end vacation properties, and have found that in ResortCom,” said Lauri Steel, president of the Tonopalo Homeowners Association Board of Directors. “ResortCom really understands how fractional ownership is different from other kinds of resorts.”
For more information, visit http://www.tonopalo.net.

About ResortCom Elite
Based in San Diego, ResortCom Elite is the luxury division of its parent company, ResortCom International, and provides financial services, concierge and owner services and resort operations to private residence clubs, luxury fractional ownership properties and condo hotels. Under the direction of Chairman John Small and President Jeff Healy, ResortCom International’s 200 employees in offices in California and Florida and 800 employees worldwide at its resorts, provide exceptional services to over 50 clients worldwide and more than 200,000 satisfied owners at resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico and the U.S. (including Hawaii). For more information, visit http://www.resortcom.com, or contact Sarah Rezak at 619-683-2470 x.1659; e-mail srezak@ResortCom.com.

About LaTour Signature Group
Launched by Tom LaTour in 2007, LaTour Signature Group delivers an exceptional five-star vacation resort “lifestyle” experience to select developers and owners of new and existing properties by managing all of the operational aspects of fractional interest resorts, boutique hotels and condominium resorts.

By delivering management services that are unprecedented in the industry, LaTour Signature Group is committed to becoming the ultimate brand for private residence clubs and luxury fractional properties through superior service, distinctive amenities, chef-driven restaurants and culinary activities and superior attention to detail.

LaTour Signature Group will manage all resort operations – including the training and supervising of staff, reservation coordination and concierge services as well as sales and marketing of fractional rentals.  When brought in on the ground floor, LaTour Signature Group can effectively lend its expertise and direction to the resort’s conceptual design and operational functionality and provide referrals and recommendations for other key partner alliances, such as real estate sales and marketing.

The LaTour Signature Group offers two product lines to the rapidly growing fractional market. The first is the private label brand of LaTour Signature for private residence club properties with a five Diamond or Star rating. The other is the ResortCom Elite line, which operates under the luxury division of San Diego-based ResortCom International, for properties that meet four Diamond or Star status.

For more information about LaTour Signature Group, visit http://www.latoursignaturegroup.com,  or Sarah Rezak at 619-683-2470 x.1659; e-mail srezak@latoursignaturegroup.com.

Recognized as a leading expert in the fractional real estate industry, Sarah Rezak has been retained as director of business development for ResortCom Elite and LaTour Signature Group. Rezak will help promote and expand ResortCom Elite, a joint-venture with LaTour Signature Group that provides management services for fractional market properties that meet 3.5 to four Diamond or Star status, as well as the private label brand of LaTour Signature for private residence club properties with a five Diamond or Star rating.

Rezak’s impressive record includes conducting over 400 consulting assignments for resort developments in nearly every U.S. state and over 12 countries.

“I’ve known Sarah for over a decade and have had the pleasure of watching her grow professionally since she first began in the fractional market,” said John Small, chairman of ResortCom. “I always knew she was going to achieve remarkable accomplishments in the industry, and I look forward to working with her to grow the ResortCom Elite and LaTour Signature Group brands.”

The founder of Rezak Resort Consulting, an international resort consulting and market research firm, Rezak previously served as the managing director of Storied Places, Intrawest’s fractional interest development and operations subsidiary. At Intrawest, she was responsible for the expansion of the brand, as well as operations for four private residence clubs. As the company’s focus changed, Rezak successfully negotiated the sale of the private residence club business unit to Fairmont Heritage Place, a subsidiary of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, and managed all aspects of the transition.

Rezak began her career at Ragatz Associates, where she initiated the firm’s annual intensive study of the fractional interest and destination club industries, created its annual Fractional Interest Conference and conducted numerous feasibility analyses.

“Professional and efficient, Sarah is able to take any client from A to Z,” said Tom LaTour, founder of LaTour Signature Group. “She is a key industry player in the fractional real estate market. We’re all delighted to have her as part of our team.”

Rezak earned her MBA from the University of Southern California and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband.

About ResortCom Elite
Based in San Diego, ResortCom Elite is the luxury division of its parent company, ResortCom International, and provides financial services, concierge and owner services and resort operations to private residence clubs, luxury fractional ownership properties and condo hotels. For more information, visit http://www.resortcom.com, or contact Debbie Jaloma at 619-683-2470 x.1609; e-mail djaloma@ResortCom.com.

About LaTour Signature Group
Launched by Tom LaTour in 2007, LaTour Signature Group delivers an exceptional five-star vacation resort “lifestyle” experience to select developers and owners of new and existing properties by managing all of the operational aspects of fractional interest resorts, boutique hotels and condominium resorts. For more information about LaTour Signature Group, visithttp://www.latoursignaturegroup.com, or call 415-568-2210.

Industry Veterans Collaborate on First Project in Thailand

Bustling with affluent leisure and business travelers, Asia has become an exemplary model for the hospitality industry, with many successful luxury hotels and lifestyle brands. Realizing the potential of this market and other areas around the globe, LaTour Signature Group, a joint-venture enterprise with ResortCom Elite that provides management services to small, luxury fractional ownership properties, and IndoChine Group, an international lifestyle brand, have teamed up to create the LaTour IndoChine Hotel Group. The newly formed hotel management company is also announcing its first project, the IndoChine Resort and Villas, in Phuket, Thailand.

Based in Singapore, the LaTour IndoChine Hotel Group will provide comprehensive specialized services to developers entering the realm of boutique hotels and six-star hotels, as well as whole and fractional ownership villas. The group plans to expand further into Asia, in addition to the Middle East, New Zealand and Australia.

“By combining the strengths of the LaTour Signature Group and the IndoChine Group, we are able to further assist developers and manage properties with global influence,” said Tom LaTour, founder of LaTour Signature Group. “For example, the IndoChine Resort and Villas represent an ideal opportunity to create a premier hybrid luxury resort for the region and Middle East overall.”

The first property in the LaTour IndoChine Hotel Group’s portfolio, the IndoChine Resort and Villas in Phuket, Thailand promises to be a haven of contemporary Asian living for refreshing and rejuvenating the body and mind. Overlooking Kalim Beach and the Andaman Sea, the resort consists of one- to six-bedroom villas, ocean view studios and a large entertainment complex featuring restaurants, deli, bakery, rooftop beach bar and nightclub.  The property will include elevated terraces, a stunning waterfall, two natural pools and five spacious spa treatment rooms, along with full-time butler service and high speed wireless Internet throughout all accommodations.

“The IndoChine Resort and Villas is the first of many LaTour IndoChine properties to come,” said Michael Ma, chief executive of the IndoChine Group. “And by providing all the necessary services and expert advice luxury resorts and hotels need, the LaTour IndoChine Hotel Group will help them successfully launch into the Asian market.”

About LaTour Signature Group
Launched by Tom LaTour in 2007, LaTour Signature Group delivers an exceptional five-star vacation resort “lifestyle” experience to select developers and owners of new and existing properties by managing all of the operational aspects of fractional interest resorts, boutique hotels and condominium resorts.

By delivering management services that are unprecedented in the industry, LaTour Signature Group is committed to becoming the ultimate brand for private residence clubs and luxury fractional properties through superior service, distinctive amenities, chef-driven restaurants and culinary activities and superior attention to detail.

LaTour Signature Group will manage all resort operations – including the training and supervising of staff, reservation coordination and concierge services as well as sales and marketing of fractional rentals.  When brought in on the ground floor, LaTour Signature Group can effectively lend its expertise and direction to the resort’s conceptual design and operational functionality and provide referrals and recommendations for other key partner alliances, such as real estate sales and marketing.

The LaTour Signature Group offers two product lines to the rapidly growing fractional market. The first is the private label brand of LaTour Signature for private residence club properties with a five Diamond or Star rating. The other is the ResortCom Elite line, which operates under the luxury division of San Diego-based ResortCom International, for properties that meet four Diamond or Star status.

For more information about LaTour Signature Group, visit http://www.latoursignaturegroup.com, or call 415-568-2210.

About ResortCom Elite
Based in San Diego, ResortCom Elite is the luxury division of its parent company, ResortCom International, and provides financial services, concierge and owner services and resort operations to private residence clubs, luxury fractional ownership properties and condo hotels. Under the direction of Chairman John Small and President Jeff Healy, ResortCom International’s 200 employees in offices in California and Florida and 800 employees worldwide at its resorts, provide exceptional services to over 50 clients worldwide and more than 200,000 satisfied owners at resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico and the U.S. (including Hawaii).

About the IndoChine Group Pte Ltd
The IndoChine Group of bars, restaurants, clubs, villas and resorts is a unique reflection of contemporary Asian lifestyle and is synonymous for its authentic ‘nutriceutical’ cuisine, award-winning designs, prominent events and internationally famed parties. Apart from the 15 venues in Singapore, the IndoChine Group also has venues in Kalim Beach, Phuket; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hamburg, Germany; New Delhi, India, and most recently, at the fX X’nter in Jakarta, Indonesia, bringing it to a total of 26 internationally.

Extremely popular with the jet-set crowd, local and international guests are offered more than just a bevy of restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels and resorts; they are presented with an adventurous yet sophisticated and holistic entertainment experience not found anywhere else. The group is also fast growing into an international lifestyle group, with an expansion into the Asia-Pacific region as well as into the Middle East and Europe.

For more information, please visit http://www.IndoChine-Group.com.

Already covering more conventions around the world than any other industry publication, Perspective Magazine has now become a Media Sponsor for the Vacation Ownership Investment Conferences (VOIC) held this month in Dubai and Macau and later in the year in Orlando, so this edition focuses on the emerging timeshare and fractional market in the Middle East. We also are featured at the Timeshare Association – Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC) convention in the UK where Perspective International CEO, Paul Mattimoe will be addressing the possibilities of a consumer version of Perspective Magazine aimed at timeshare owners. We follow up on last month’s Virgin Gallactic article with a proposed Space Hotel development and look at another Business Airline, SilverJet.

EDITION HIGHLIGHTS Front Cover Sponsorship: IFA Hotels & Resorts Interview: Tom LaTour, LaTour Signature Group VOIC Dubai Convention: Arabian Falcon Holidays VOIC Dubai Convention: Emerald Vacation Group Feature: Around The World In 80 Day – Space Hotel Business Airline: Silverjet Supplier Review: Wellness Rejuvenation Rooms Resort Review: Club La Costa at Lagunamar Suites Feature: TATOC Convention View Edition Online | Download To Hard Drive