Management Services Company to Utilize CustomerCount© Online Feedback System For Strategy and Analysis

Trident Business Management (Scottsdale, AZ) which provides management services to the lodging and timeshare sectors of the leisure industry,  announced that it has named CustomerCount® its Survey Provider of Choice.

The CustomerCount® program, developed initially by Mobius Vendor Partners (MVP) for its client RCI, collects and measures customer feedback.   CustomerCount tracks three primary components:  the reservation experience, the sales experience and the vacation experience. CustomerCount® is fully transparent to members, owners and guests.  The process begins with Email invitations and reminders and continues through to on-line reporting and analysis 24/7. It may be customized for use by shared ownership resort developments, as well as other businesses.

According to James R. Danz, Managing Partner of Trident, “our clients come to us for a three-pronged approach of analysis, strategy and performance.  Our prior experience with the comprehensive capabilities of the CustomerCount survey tool has shown that it gives us the much needed information we need to make informed decisions to ensure peak performance for our clients.”

His partner, William Tsao concurs.  “By providing management services for companies in need of corporate, financial or operational improvement, whether for a short term crisis management situation or longer term stability, our company is all about execution and deviation from past practices.  CustomerCount® allows us to show our clients how they can differentiate themselves from what they were doing to move toward what they could do to improve performance in the future.”

Robert A. Kobek, President of  Mobius Vendor Partners, (MVP) an Indianapolis-based company that provides business process management and online customer feedback surveys for companies, associations and non-profit organizations, says the company’s  CustomerCount,© an On-Line Feedback System was more than four years in the making.  “Now that the technology is operationally robust, we are in the process of building the business.  Knowing that our long time colleagues at Trident have had previous experience with CustomerCount and consider it important enough to recommend to their clients is particularly exciting as we deepen our reach into the leisure industry.”

Mobius Vendor Partners is a ten year old business process design and management company specializing in servicing the needs of the timeshare industry.  Mobius principals are active in ARDA through sponsorships and committee memberships.  For more information visit www.mobiusvp.com or call 317-816-6000.
Trident Business Management is the leading, operationally-centric business management firm serving the lodging and timeshare sectors of the leisure industry.  For more information visit www.tridentbusinessmanagement.com or call 480-889-8968.

International experts will analyze new business opportunities in the South American market from May 31-June 1, 2010.

In view of the significant growth in the South American leisure-oriented real estate and vacation property industry in recent years, RCI, a leader in vacation exchange, and HVS Buenos Aires, a leading consulting firm in the hotel, tourism, and leisure industry, are organizing the first South American Shared Ownership Investment Conference – SASOIC 2010, a unique event where the growth potential of these industries across South America will be analyzed and discussed.

SASOIC 2010 will be held at the JW Marriot in Rio de Janeiro on May 31-June 1. The conference is aimed at businessmen, manufacturers, and hotel chain consulting firms, building companies and real estate agents, and investment and financial institutions, among others.

The purpose of SASOIC 2010 is to encourage the sharing of experiences among local and international developers of vacation clubs and fractional property to explore growth and expansion opportunities in South America.  Likewise, and with a special focus on the Brazilian market (which according to RCI data has accounted for the highest sales rate of vacation intervals throughout the region), conference attendees will learn more about the needs of Brazilian customers regarding this line of business and thus develop products that may meet their vacation and leisure expectations.  SASOIC 2010 stands out as a key regional event for strengthening the leisure-oriented real estate industry as a strategic activity for development in South America.

In order to achieve its goal, the structure of SASOIC 2010 has been built around discussion panels –consisting of international investors and businessmen- and keynote conferences by experts and analysts of the industry in the Americas and in Europe. Attendees will therefore gain in-depth knowledge of avant-garde design, the focus on developing value-added services, and the new amenities that contribute to meet the needs and demands of increasingly sophisticated and discerning customers.

Arturo García Rosa, President of HVS Argentina, HVS Peru and of SAHIC (South America Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference) pointed out: “The Shared Ownership industry and its different schemes and vacation property have a great future in Brazil and in other important South American destinations. SASOIC 2010 is a great opportunity to share experiences and participate in a business with a bright future”.

Luis Mirabelli, Business Development Vice President of RCI South America, stated: “SASOIC 2010 will be a world class event that RCI and HVS are proud to organize with the aim of encouraging the development of the leisure-oriented real estate industry in major tourist destinations in Brazil and in other South American countries having a huge potential to attract investors and generate growth opportunities for the real estate, hotel and vacation and fractional property business”.

For more details on the event, please visit www.sasoic.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 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.

About HVS
HVS Global Hospitality Services is the leading global consulting firm in the hotel, tourism, and leisure industry. Founded in 1980 by Steve Rushmore, HVS has 30 offices strategically located around the world and a staff of more than 300 highly trained consultants.

HVS Argentina, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary of operations in the region, actively works in the Latin American market offering a wide range of services both for the hotel industry and for tourist destinations and projects. This consulting firm founded by Arturo García Rosa in 1995 was established as HVS Argentina in 2000. It is focused on providing services to the hotel and tourism industry in the region, including, in addition to Argentina, other countries such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Bolivia, and Paraguay, among others.

Since 2008, it has been organizing the South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (SAHIC), which has become a classical event in the investment world in the region. This year’s edition is scheduled to take place in Cartagena, Colombia, on September 27-28, 2010.

For more information please visit www.hvsargentina.com & www.sahic.com

Westin Hotels Introduces New Product Offerings on Amazon.com Storefront

Heavenly Bed? Check. Yoga ball? Got it. Jonathan Adler designs? Absolutely! One month after the successful launch of its wellness storefront on Amazon.com, Westin Hotels is expanding its product offerings to include merchandise from acclaimed designer Jonathan Adler, Brookstone and Kate’s Paperie.

Since the March 1st launch of the brand’s curated wellness store on Amazon.com, Westin Hotels beloved Heavenly products have been the most popular with consumers, accounting for more than 90% of the products sold on www.amazon.com/westin. The sites top sellers include Westin’s White Tea Candle ($36) and Westin’s White Tea Aloe Shampoo ($12), as well as the brand’s iconic Heavenly Bed.

Beginning on today, the online retail store will debut various Jonathan Adler products including his signature Platinum Belly Vase and Platinum Piggy Bank. For weary travelers in need of a quick pick-me-up, the site will retail Philips goLITE BLU energy light, designed to naturally increase energy and boost your mood. For fitness fanatics, Westin shoppers can purchase Brookstone’s SmartStep Pedometer, which tracks estimated steps, distance and calories burned, and other Brookstone products. For the first time on Amazon.com, Westin’s digital retail storefront will sell products from Kate’s Paperie, the iconic New York paper store. Items will include signature Kate’s Paperie Exclusives such as a recycled folio and a 100% post-consumer waste paper notebook.

To celebrate the launch of Westin’s wellness site, Westin guests who stay twice mid-week through May 13th, 2010 will receive a $100 Amazon.com gift card. To be eligible, guests must register at westin.com/balance by April 30th prior to booking. Since launching, nearly 30,000 consumers have registered for the Amazon.com gift card promotion.

The new digital storefront joins a host of wellness initiatives recently introduced by Westin Hotels & Resorts. In late 2009, the brand launched a sleep study and sleep hotline with National Sleep Foundation aimed at helping travelers troubleshoot common sleep problems. In the fall of 2007, Westin partnered with SuperFoods Partners LLC to become the first hotel brand to create a SuperFoods-focused menu. In 2006, the brand introduced Breathe Westin and became the first in the industry to go smoke-free and offer guests a healthy, 100% smoke-free hotel experience.

About Westin Hotels & Resorts
Westin Hotels & Resorts, with 169 hotels and resorts in more than 31 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1000 properties in nearly 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 Element SM. 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.

“Rediscover Sheraton” Campaign Invites Consumers to See What a Difference $6 Billion Makes

70,000 New Guestrooms, 300 New Lobbies and 100,000 Beds Part of Three-Year Makeover

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts announced today the launch of a new $20 million dollar, multi-media marketing campaign created to highlight the brand’s $6 billion revitalization effort. Launching today, the “Rediscover Sheraton” campaign encourages travelers to take a new look at Sheraton, which features an enhanced guest experience following a three-year, global brand overhaul. This is the first new marketing campaign to debut for Sheraton in two years.

The “Rediscover Sheraton” campaign showcases key elements of the $6 billion enhancement, including 300 new lobbies, 70,000 new guestrooms, 100,000 new beds and the brand’s unique wired lobby lounge called the “Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft®.”

A key insight that directed the creative vision for the campaign is the growing trend of travelers seamlessly blending business and leisure – also known as “bleisure”- and the demand for socially driven designed spaces and amenities. As part of the brand’s overhaul, every aspect of the new Sheraton guest experience was designed to promote social interaction and bring people together. The campaign depicts this through clever headlines and striking imagery that blur the lines of business and leisure and unite seemingly disparate concepts to capture attention, build intrigue and encourage consumers to reconsider the brand: “Who brings business suits and bathing suits together” is paired with an image of a conference room table that’s been seamlessly connected to the image of a business executive lounging poolside with a laptop. Other headlines include “Who brings power walks and power talks together” and “Who brings bottom lines and bottom ups together.”

The multi-million campaign marks the first Sheraton campaign to be designed in-house by the company’s global brand design team, led by Phil McAveety, Chief Brand Officer for Starwood. “Rediscover Sheraton” will launch across a multimedia platform that integrates consumer, trade and online and Sheraton will focus a significant portion of its buy on non-traditional media.

“The focus on non-traditional media marks an exciting new direction for Sheraton,” said Phil McAveety. “What sets this campaign apart is the fully integrated, multi-platform approach and how the work uses non-traditional media to convey the new Sheraton experience. Every brand touch-point of the campaign is strategically aligned, across all executions including print, online, mobile, promotional and experiential event activities.”

The campaign will run on key websites, including TripAdvisor.com, NYTimes.com, Kayak.com, BizJournals.com and CNN.com. Print ads will run in USA Today and other key business and travel titles.

Sheraton is completing a three-year, multi-billion global brand overhaul that encompasses more than $4 billion in new hotels, renovations and signature brand initiatives in North America and another $2 billion in new hotels overseas. Highlights include:

* 70,000 new or newly renovated guestrooms — 50,000 in North America alone
* More than 300 new lobbies featuring the brand’s innovative Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft®
* More than 100,000 brand new Sheraton Sweet Sleeper all-white, high thread count beds in 211 hotels and 83,000 guestrooms worldwide
* 98 renovated properties, nearly half of Sheraton’s North American portfolio, including high profile gateway properties like the Sheraton Denver, Sheraton Boston, Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers and Sheraton Montreal and Sheraton Waikiki.
* Sheraton has opened more than 60 new hotels worldwide since 2007 including new flagships such as the Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino and the Sheraton Phoenix Convention Center Hotel.

About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Sheraton helps guests make connections at more than 400 hotels in 75 countries around the world. It is owned by and is the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 966 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®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. 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.

Escape2Dream was established with the aim of providing its members with high quality travel services using cutting edge technology and then offering these services to members for low rates not available to the general public.

Based in the Dominican Republic, Escape2 Dream believes one of its major strengths is the use of latest technologies throughout its business operations. “The use of technology means we can reach out to our members in new and innovative ways – so we needed a software partner that could be incorporated easily into our business and who shared our vision” said Allan Muro, Director de Proyecto.

“We spent considerable time looking at all the options available to us, but Merlin was hands down our best possible option. Merlin offers great service, ease of use and endless expanding possibilities. Way to go Merlin” he added.

Of particular interest to the Escapes2Dream staff is that Merlin is very easy to use and 100% web-based. “It has the complete set of options for us to manage all aspects of our organisation” Allan Muro explained,  “we will use it for everything from booking a tour to paying sales commissions. And it’s all online and highly secure”.

From travel service businesses and tour generators to property management and re-sale organisations, Merlin’s software functionality provides a single software solution for today’s timeshare and leisure business. 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 you software direct 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”.

Merlin Software for Vacation Ownership has been developed by Mike Pnematicatos who has over 25 years’ experience in the timeshare industry in sales, marketing and resort management.

For more information on Escape2Dream contact Allan Muro on amuro@escape2dream.com or visit www.escape2dream.com

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.

More than nine out of ten active leisure travelers in the United States report they are familiar with the concept of timesharing, reinforcing the wide-spread belief that this form of vacationing has established itself as a recognized, understood, and increasingly popular alternative to more traditional lodging accommodations. And among those familiar with the concept, approximately 2.3 million households state they are interested in purchasing some form of vacation time during the next two years.

These findings are from Future Timeshare Buyers: 2009 Market Profile, which was developed from a nationally-representative sample of active leisure travelers who have expressed interest in acquiring some form of vacation time during the next two years, and supplemented through insights revealed in the Ypartnership/Yankelovich, Inc. 2009 National Leisure Travel MONITORsm.  The study was authored exclusively for Interval International, which is releasing the results during the American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) 2009 Fall Conference, held in Washington, D.C.

“Given the economic environment during the past year and the effect it had on both the demography of those interested in purchasing vacation time and respondents’ interest in travel overall, the level of purchase interest revealed in this study is quite remarkable and underscores the high degree of interest consumers have in this form of vacationing,” said Peter C. Yesawich, chairman and chief executive officer of Ypartnership. “Particularly noteworthy is the fact there are an estimated 2.3 million households interested in purchasing vacation time during the next two years.”

Active leisure travelers who are interested in purchasing vacation time have taken an average of seven qualifying leisure trips during the past year and nearly four in ten (38%) state they are likely to take more leisure trips during the next 12 months (than they did during the last). Eight out of ten prospective purchasers took at least one leisure trip of five nights or more in duration, and a similar proportion find a naturalistic component (such as a beach or a lake) to be an important aspect of their leisure pursuits.

The study also revealed that active leisure travelers interested in purchasing vacation time have a solid understanding of the concept of timesharing and are receptive toward the vacation ownership product.  An estimated 85 percent have a positive or neutral opinion of timesharing, and more than three-quarters (77%) state that they would be willing to take a two- to three-day mini vacation to attend a timeshare sales presentation.  Furthermore, approximately six in ten (62%) report that they are likely to stay at a vacation ownership resort during the next two years.

“These findings provide valuable insights for resort developers to better understand the travel habits and preferences sought by leisure travelers,” said David C. Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services.  “Possessing an appreciation for how these potential purchasers travel and view the vacation ownership product enables them to fine tune marketing and lead generation programs aimed at these consumers.”

The data for this analysis were collected from interviews conducted online with a panel of pre-qualified active leisure travelers.  Respondents had taken at least one leisure trip of 75 miles or more from home requiring overnight accommodations during the previous year, were familiar with the concept of timesharing or vacation ownership, and expressed interest in acquiring some form of vacation time during the next two years.

Other Notable Findings:
•    The majority of active leisure travelers interested in purchasing vacation time are married (61%) with an annual household income of $50,000 or more (88%).
•    Nearly two-thirds are between 30 and 62 years of age, and nearly eight in ten have completed at least four years of college education (78%).
•    Approximately four in ten (35%) reside in the Midwestern region of the United States, while an estimated three in ten live in the Northeast (29%) or West (27%).

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs 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 a network of approximately 2,500 resorts in more than 75 countries and offers its resort clients and about 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through offices in 26 cities across 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.

Lennon Communications Group, Inc. has been selected by Trident Business Management to handle public relations needs for the recently launched company.

Founded by Marge Lennon in 1985, Lennon Communications is a Fort Myers, Florida-based public relations, marketing and advertising firm with 24 years of service to the real estate, leisure, furnishings and timeshare industries. Lennon is also a frequent contributor to Perspective International magazine and other industry publications.

Trident Business Management is a business solutions group created to aide companies in need of highly specialized corporate, financial and operational improvement management services. Managing Partners of the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company are Jim Danz and Bill Tsao.

Commented Jim Danz, “We selected Marge’s firm because of her solid reputation as a publicist, backed by 31 years of timeshare and leisure industry experience.”
Added Bill Tsao, “We are proud to have her represent our firm.”

About Trident Business Management
Trident Business Management is a leading business solutions firm focused on serving the lodging and timeshare sectors of the leisure industry. The firm’s expertise is in its industry-specific and operationally-centric knowledge and experience.  The Scottsdale, Arizona-based company is led by Managing Partners Jim Danz and Bill Tsao, who bring more than 40 combined years of senior management experience to the aid of their clients.  The firm specializes in delivering results in these critical disciplines:  restructuring and turnarounds, asset management, merger & acquisition advisory, financial advisory, and performance improvement.   Trident is highly differentiated from consultant and advisory companies by its implementation and performance-based orientation.  For more information, visit www.TridentBusinessManagement.com

Affluent Leisure Travelers Remain Committed To Vacations

Affluent leisure travelers interested in resort real estate strongly believe in the value of their vacations, as nearly nine in ten report that vacationing is important to their well-being and to the health of their personal relationships. They appreciate leisure travel experiences and activities such as spending time with family and friends, exploring unique and interesting destinations, taking part in new experiences, and setting aside time for rest and relaxation – all components that support their commitment to the concept of vacationing.
These are some of the findings from The Affluent Shared Ownership Buyer: A Market Profile, a study produced exclusively for Interval International, to provide insights about the travel habits and resort real estate preferences of the most affluent U.S. households interested in acquiring some form of resort real estate. Developed from the Ypartnership 2008 Portrait of Affluent TravelersSM, a comprehensive analysis of high-end lifestyles, social values, and travel trends of the top eight percent of American households defined by current income, the results are being introduced at the 11th Annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference in Orlando, Florida.

“The fieldwork for this survey was conducted in August 2008, a time of considerable anxiety for many affluent households, particularly those with significant investments in equities,” said Peter C. Yesawich, chairman and chief executive officer of Ypartnership, author of the study. “The financial turmoil that prevailed during the remainder of the year amplified this anxiety, hence the implications for how affluent Americans feel about their leisure time, vacations, and resort real estate are very provocative.”

The study also reveals that nearly three quarters of affluent leisure travelers interested in purchasing some form of resort real estate confirm their interest in vacationing in condominium-style accommodations during the next two years. They are nearly twice as likely as their uninterested counterparts to be familiar with the concepts of vacation ownership, fractional ownership, and private residence clubs. Additionally, they see themselves as value-driven consumers who place a premium on quality and reliability.

“This personal viewpoint combined with their desire to own vacation real estate illustrates how aligning resort development plans with a branded exchange and benefit program can enhance the value proposition for affluent consumers,” said David C. Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services.

Affluent travelers assign high levels of perceived value to the availability of various attributes and activities when making their resort vacation purchase decisions.  These attributes generally take the form of physical features, as well as service offerings to complement their stay.  “Having access to features and amenities that extend their luxurious residential lifestyles is a key element in exceeding the expectations of this discriminating traveler. Today’s fractional interest product and private residence clubs are well positioned to appeal to the tastes and desires of this influential group of consumers,” said Yesawich.

“These findings will assist resort developers in offering affluent travelers the vacation experiences they seek,” Gilbert added.  “Understanding the specific luxury privileges and services, along with the physical and architectural resort features sought by this consumer group, gives them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

What does this all mean to the shared ownership industry? “It’s important to note there are approximately 1.3 million affluent leisure travelers in the U.S. who are interested in acquiring resort real estate during the next two years,” noted Yesawich. “They’re looking for vacation experiences that fit their changing needs and that also fulfill their penchant for status and the personal satisfaction of real estate ownership. Since shared ownership offers consumers the ability to purchase only the amount of time they intend to use, this augers well for the future of this business.”

The data for this analysis were collected randomly during August 2008 using a nationally representative sample of U.S. consumers, prequalified and screened for specific demographic and behavioral characteristics.  Respondents were adults who took at least one trip for leisure purposes of at least 75 miles away from home that required overnight accommodations during the previous year, stayed in a “luxury hotel or resort” (by self report) at least once during the previous year, and reported a minimum annual household income of $150,000.  Results are representative of the population of all affluent travelers in the United States.

Other Notable Findings
•    Affluent leisure travelers interested in resort real estate overwhelmingly tend to be married (93%) and White (80%) with an annual household income of $250,000 or more (52%) and a reported net worth of $1 million or more (72%).

•    More than four in ten are Boomers (44 – 62 years of age) (42%) and approximately four in ten are Generation Xers (30 – 43 years of age) (37%).

•    Affluent leisure travelers interested in acquiring resort real estate have taken an average of more than seven (7.4) leisure trips during the past 12 months.  Of those who took at least one trip in this category, approximately five (5.3) were to domestic destinations, whereas two in seven (3.5) were to international locales.

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs 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 a network of approximately 2,500 resorts in more than 75 countries and offers its resort clients and about 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through offices in 26 cities across 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.

World’s largest vacation exchange company grows its Club Mahindra affiliated resorts to a total of 15 across India’s most sought after destinations

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced four new affiliations with resorts belonging to leisure hospitality major Club Mahindra.

The new resorts include Club Mahindra Lake Forest in Yercaud, Club Mahindra Tusker Trails in Thekkady, Club Mahindra Backwater Retreat in Ashtamudi Lake and Club Mahindra Dancing Waters in Naukuchiatal.

“RCI is very proud to continue to grow our long-standing relationship and partnership with Club Mahindra as we welcome these extraordinary new resorts into our global exchange program,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Group RCI. “Each of these resorts exemplifies the wide range of vacation experiences our more than 3.8 million subscribing members can enjoy in over 4,000 locations across the globe.”

“We are thrilled to announce these four new affiliations into the RCI network and are glad that our members will enjoy the RCI advantage that allows for greater vacation flexibility and an opportunity to explore new destinations with every holiday,” said Ramesh Ramanathan, managing director, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd.

Club Mahindra Lake Forest is located in Yercaud in the hills above Salem at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The resort, which is a short walk from Lake Forest at the town’s center, was originally a British bungalow dating back to the 1800s. The architectural style of the resort integrates a classic vintage ambience with modern luxuries. Situated in the midst of a coffee estate, Yercaud is just 200 kilometers from Bangalore and 340 kilometers from Chennai, with a network of highways connecting these cities to Salem.

Club Mahindra Lake Forest

Club Mahindra Tusker Trails is located in Thekkady, in Kerala, and offers the ultimate getaway for travelers looking for a tranquil holiday. Situated amidst spice plantations and lush woods, the resort offers guests opportunities for scenic hikes and mountain walks. Built in traditional Indian ‘machan’ style, the resort boasts 32 rooms that exude a warm and rustic charm. All rooms have private balconies overlooking hills, foliage or landscaped gardens. The resort’s many offerings include, a multi-cuisine restaurant that serves local delicacies, an ayurveda center, and an array of indoor and outdoor activities such as bamboo rafting, plantation tours, jungle treks and elephant rides.

Club Mahindra Tusker Trails

Club Mahindra Backwater Retreat is located on the quiet and peaceful banks of  Ashtamudi Lake in Kerala. Historic Kollam is the gateway to Ashtamudi, and is just 15 kilometers from the resort by road or 10 minutes by speedboat. The resort has 25 rooms spread across five chalets, with each room overlooking a view of the garden and lake.  Guests can opt for a massage at Svaastha spa, a boat trip, bird watching, kayaking or fishing. Located less than two hours by road to Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Alappuzha, guests looking for adventure can travel to Alappuzha on the backwaters by boat.

Club Mahindra Backwater Retreat

Club Mahindra Dancing Waters is located in Naukuchiatal, just 25 kilometers from the town of Nainital, in the Himalayan mountains. Naukuchiatal, known as the “lake of nine corners,” is situated in a valley surrounded by tranquil orchards and dense jungles. Club Mahindra Dancing Waters offers 31 rooms that blend into the surroundings, each offering scenic views of either the lake or the hills.

For additional information on the value-added services offered to leisure real estate developers by Group RCI visit www.grouprci.com.

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 RentalsSM , 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.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today that it has completed the sale of the W San Francisco to Keck Seng Investments (Hong Kong) Limited for $90 million. The sales price represents a multiple of over 14X anticipated 2009 EBITDA. Starwood also entered a long-term management agreement to continue operating the hotel as a W.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 966 properties in 100 countries and approximately 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien®, and the recently announced Aloft® 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.