Lifestyle Asset Group, the next generation of luxury shared vacation home ownership, today announced a new membership option that offers equity in a collection of 12 stunning, debt-free residences for a one-time capital contribution of $150,000.

Each equity owner at this level will receive 2,500 credits per year in exchange for $16,500 in annual maintenance costs and usage, for an average of 15 to 20 days of vacation a year. Each night is assigned a credit value that varies by type of destination, property size, arrival day, and time of year.

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Dominican Republic and Canary Island resorts become part of elite group

Sol Meliá Vacation Club (SMVC), an international vacation membership club with locations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Europe, has joined The Registry Collection®, the world’s largest luxury exchange program including luxury fractional, whole ownership, private residence club, high-end timeshare, villas and manors, luxury cruises, yachts and private jets.   Sol Meliá Vacation Club at The Reserve at Palma Real and The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana, both in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Sol Meliá Vacation Club at Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, now have the prestigious “by invitation only” affiliation with The Registry Collection.
“It’s an honor for us to have these three distinguished resorts meet the high standards of affiliation with The Registry Collection,” said Denis Ebrill, Sol Meliá Vacation Club’s Executive Vice President. “We also are very excited that its gives our Members access to high-end exchange experiences within an elite portfolio.

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.

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.

Sol Meliá Vacation Club (SMVC), an international vacation membership club with locations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Europe, has received the 2010 Gold Crown Resort® awards by Group RCI, a worldwide leader in vacation exchanges with more than 3.5 million members globally, for all of its resorts in the Dominican Republic –  The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real, The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana, Paradisus Palma Real and Meliá Caribe Tropical.

The award is presented annually to RCI affiliated resorts in recognition of outstanding resort facilities and service, based on guest feedback in specific areas, including resort quality, service and overall vacation experience.

RCI Gold Crown Resort Award to Sol Meliá Vacation Club at Paradisus Palma Real: From left to right: Carolina Zapata, RCI Senior Account Executive for the Caribbean; Alexander Avramovic, Regional Managing Director Sol Meliá Vacation Club Dominican Republic; Eduardo Alcalde, Hotel Manager Paradisus Palma Real; Perla Rowland, Regional Resort Manager, Sol Meliá Vacation Club Dominican Republic; Denis Ebrill, Executive Vice President, Sol Meliá Vacation Club

“We feel honored that each one of our resorts in the destination continues to exceed RCI guest expectations, thereby validating the dedication and commitment of our operations teams at each of these resorts to the highest standards of quality,” said Denis Ebrill, Sol Meliá Vacation Club’s Executive Vice President.

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.

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.

2009 Growth and Development Sets Pace For Successful 2010

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club (LHVC), located in Puerto Plata on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, is ramping up for 2010 to be another successful year where affordable luxury is still in vogue. The company experienced steady growth in membership numbers, occupancies and kept on track with new construction, new services and amenities in 2009. LHVC will continue growth and development in 2010 with the opening of another gourmet restaurant, a unique new suite product and a growing partnership agreement with Spain-based Globalia Corporation, a leading travel and leisure conglomerate.

“We are excited about another year ahead with new services and amenities, and several new accommodations products for our members.”

“We had a very healthy and exciting 2009 and accomplished a lot on behalf of our members,” said Hans Larcher, Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club Managing Director. “We are excited about another year ahead with new services and amenities, and several new accommodations products for our members.”

In 2009, LHVC broke ground for Phase I of its Costa Esmeralda by Lifestyle product in the peninsula area of Confresi Beach to feature 130 penthouse suites; announced The Level by Lifestyle, a new one, two and three story stand alone villas development with 39 five, six and seven bedrooms on the East side of the resort; announced the new Contemporary Suites & Villas by Lifestyle to feature 55 two-bedroom suites and two and three-bedroom villas; and opened the new Presidential Suites by Lifestyle, which opened in December 2009, in partnership with Globalia Corporation, featuring 36 luxury one and two bedroom suites with their own restaurant, spa, swimming pool with waterfall, tennis courts and access to all resort amenities and services.

Also in 2009, LHVC launched its Real Estate Division for full ownership, and deeded homes and opened The Lifestyle Tower, four-story member services and sales building, encompassing offices for 185 employees, an exclusive V.I.P. services area, new gourmet restaurant and lounge, and a heliport used to shuttle high level members back and forth to the airport in comfort. In 2010, LHVC will be announcing a French Fusion concept restaurant for the Presidential Suites area of the resort, a new suites concept called Executive Spa Suites, another private V.I.P. beach area for members only and several new member resort sites in the Dominican Republic, in partnership with Globalia Corporation.

“These endeavors strengthen our mission to become the provider of the largest and most diverse array of products and experiences in the Dominican Republic. We truly have a member product to fit the needs of all travelers,” added Larcher.

“LHVC concentrates on creating a high-quality product with outstanding service, making it an affordable luxury for our members. Service is the cornerstone of the Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club, and it is infused in every aspect of the resort from dining, accommodations and service to transportation and amenities.”

The Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort encompasses five distinct products: The Tropical, The Crown Suites, The Crown Villas, The Residence Suites and the new Presidential Suites. From hotel accommodations to stand alone villas, all guests have access to five swimming pools, nightly entertainment, spa, beach, tennis and more. Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club V.I.P. Members have access to “members only” facilities such as restaurants, bars, swimming pools, exclusive beach areas, as well as golf carts, limousine transfers and helicopter tours.

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club members, guests and their families have a wide variety of activities available to them in the Dominican Republic’s North Coast. Next door is the Ocean World Adventure Park with its daily animal and aquatic shows plus its signature night-time Las Vegas style show, Bravissimo. Other area activities include a cable car ride to the peak of Mount Isabella de Torres, white water rafting, horseback riding, deep sea fishing, boating, snorkeling, monster truck safaris and city tours of Puerto Plata, named as one of the 53 best destinations in the world by The New York Times. For more Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club information, go to www.lifestyleholidaysvc.com or call (809) 970-7777.

Los Altos Situated Within Casa de Campo Resort in La Romana

Preferred Residences™, a hospitality branded membership and exchange program for luxury whole and shared ownership resorts offered by a subsidiary of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), today announced that Los Altos Club in La Romana, Dominican Republic, has joined its exchange network. Through this affiliation, owners participating in the rental program at Los Altos resort become members of Los Altos Club and have access to the membership and exchange privileges of Preferred Residences.

Designed by renowned architect Francisco Feaugas to reflect a gracious, tropical Caribbean style, Los Altos resort comprises 116 luxury villas and lofts. The residences are beautifully appointed with upscale finishes, elegant contemporary furniture, and set in lush gardens. They feature 10-foot vaulted ceilings, custom solid oak doors, travertine marble flooring, spacious living and dining areas, European-style kitchens with granite surfaces and stainless steel appliances, and oversized terraces.

“We’re very proud that Los Altos has chosen to join Preferred Residences,” noted David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing, Preferred Residences. “It is a distinctive property with best-in-class amenities and services, representative of the caliber of resort we envisioned when we launched the program.”

“With its award-winning design and high-quality construction, Los Altos offers all the comforts of an upscale residence and the extensive facilities of Casa de Campo, one of the finest and most complete resort communities in the Caribbean,” said Willy A. Bermello, AIA, AICP, developer of Los Altos and principal of BAP Development. “The prestige of the Preferred Residences brand is the perfect complement to our exceptional product.”

Among the wide array of amenities and activities that owners and guests can enjoy are a private beach, multiple international restaurants and bars–including Beach Club by Le Cirque, championship-level golf courses (Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore, and The Links), Cygalle Healing Spa, fitness center, numerous tennis courts, an equestrian center, a polo field, a dude ranch, a shooting center for skeet and trap, a full-service marina, a day camp for children, and babysitting services.

Los Altos is adjacent to Altos de Chavón, a replica of a 16th century Italian village, with shops, restaurants, and numerous cultural attractions, including a 5,000 seat open-air theater.

In addition to the sales and marketing opportunities for developers, Preferred Residences offers owners “high-touch” exchange services and year-round leisure and lifestyle benefits tailored especially for discerning, affluent travelers. These include preferential pricing at participating Preferred Hotel Group affiliated properties worldwide, complimentary Prestige membership in Priority Pass™ airport VIP lounge program, personal concierge services accessible 24/7 online and via phone, discounts on the Delta AirElite private jet program, and complimentary annual membership in Hertz #1 Club Gold®.

About BAP Development
BAP Development was founded in 1999 by Bermello and engineer Luis Ajamil to address the demand for quality residential and mixed-use high-rise developments in South Florida. The company has been able to leverage the reputation and experience of its principals and the resources of its affiliated company, Bermello, Ajamil, and Partners, one of Florida’s largest architectural and engineering companies, to become one of the leading development firms in South Florida. BAP is continuing its expansion by identifying new locations with strong market potential throughout Florida, selected areas of the United States, and the Caribbean Basin.

About Preferred Residences™
Preferred Residences™ is a hospitality branded membership and exchange program for luxury fractional resorts, private residence clubs, and condominium-style hotels.  The program gives developers the opportunity to promote their upscale vacation residences within a network of exclusive accommodations and to deliver high-quality vacation experiences to owners of exceptional real estate. Members have access to a rich menu of benefits and services designed to enhance a sophisticated lifestyle. Preferred Residences is an alliance between Interval International, a leader in vacation ownership for more than 33 years and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, and the Preferred Hotel Group, representing more than 700 of the world’s finest independently owned hotels in over 75 countries.

ResorTime.Com, rapidly becoming the go-to source for spacious vacation condominium rentals announced the launch of a new look for its quarterly newsletter.  The online publication will provide the latest news about ResorTime.com, membership information, promotions, contests, specials and deals.

“With over 300 resorts and thousands of visitors to our site monthly, we thought it was about time we started to provide travel tips and educate our users on numerous subjects including how to make the most of ResorTime.com, what to look for in particular destinations, family travel do’s and don’ts and so on,” said Sherri Weeks, General Manager of ResorTime.Com.

ResorTime fans are used to receiving weekly e-blasts which are predominantly price driven. The company will still keep these in the marketing mix, but is now expanding to be offer more topics of interest to the general consumer.

The inaugural edition of the newsletter features such subjects as Lake Tahoe as the Destination Spotlight, popular topics like the recent promotion winners for the Best Resorts of 2009, tidbit facts about traveling, polls, condo rental tips and more.  It also incorporates ResorTime.Com favorites such as Hot Deals and Cheap Deals.

To subscribe to the quarterly newsletter and receive amazing travel deals and promotions, sign up online at www.ResorTime.com.

ResorTime.com has hundreds of luxury resorts worldwide for nightly and weekly rentals that accommodate leisure, business and group travel. Reservations at ResorTime.Com are at www.ResorTime.com or by calling 877-477-7368.

The post-bubble housing market for second homes has yet to recover, but there is a new twist on a concept that could make second home purchases more appealing in the coming decade: access to prime “third homes” worldwide.

PrivateCommunities.com has partnered with The 3rd Home LLC, an international second home exchange firm, affording owners of second homes the opportunity to exchange their properties with other second home owners from Paris to Costa Rica to Palm Beach. The modest fee of $495 for a two year membership allows second home owners to place their second home in the program to give them access to vacation homes around the globe.

“Second homes have plenty of advantages, but this new service changes the game,” said Elisabeth Miller-Fox, co-founder of PrivateCommunities.com, an internet portal that has showcased privately developed communities throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean since 1996. “People who have second homes can leverage one of their least utilized assets to get a 3rd home. This makes buying a second home more appealing to Americans and Europeans who may not want to limit themselves to one location.”

Although large timeshare exchange companies have developed a conduit for owners to access other locations, luxury second homes have not been made available this way. The partnership lets new members begin vacationing immediately through http://www.privatecommunities.3rdhome.com.

3rd Home is the first international second home program of its kind. The company touts the highest standards in the industry, is fully automated, simple to use and a trusted source for second home owners. It offers inviting homes on magnificent beaches, in vibrant cities and mountain resorts in the portfolio of residences.

ePercipio, the next generation software as a service (“SaaS”) provider of media-rich, multi-dimensional e-learning solutions, announced today the consummation of a multi-year agreement to provide its highly sophisticated e-learning platform and selected intellectual property content to Hilton Grand Vacations Company, LLC.
According to Shari Levitin, Chief Executive Officer of ePercipio, “Hilton Grand Vacations is a market leader in the global vacation ownership industry and we are honored that they selected the ePercipio online learning platform. We are confident that we can assist the Hilton Grand Vacations team increase both the effectiveness and efficiency of their online education and training initiatives.”

ePercipio is an internet-based learning management system (“LMS”) that is scalable across multiple industries, multiple functional areas of an organization (human resources, sales & marketing, legal, operations & administration, finance), and across all organizational constituents (employees, customers, stakeholders). The ePercipio platform offers partner-clients a suite of key applications including a dynamic custom branded e-community interface, and a course builder application (patent pending with the FTC), among other innovative integrated functions.

Michael Brown, Executive Vice President, Mainland U.S. for Hilton Grand Vacations, stated “We are thrilled that we have this exceptional new resource for our teams. ePercipio’s innovative training platform spotlights the best things about our performance, our best practices, best stories and our best results.  This online resource holds tremendous potential.”

ePercipio helps organizations keep business skills up to date, improve employee performance and retention, cut training costs and increase flexibility.  The platform was created to allow companies to quickly and consistently deliver training, experiential learning and communication to an unlimited number of employees and/or consumers via an online community.  Levitin adds “ePercipio sets itself apart from current players in the space who generally fall short of delivering what is needed in today’s environment.  While many programs fail to hold the attention of the user, others lack the necessary tracking and reporting systems needed for managing compliance and analyzing the effectiveness of the experiential learning and training program.  ePercipio’s advantage lies in combining in-house content knowledge and curriculum design expertise with an engaging, blended learning environment followed through with tools for testing and analysis.”

According to Mr. Brown, “At Hilton Grand Vacations, we prioritize the ongoing development of innovative training programs for our Team Members. With ePercipio, we are developing an online training resource tailored to enhance our learning environment. We are populating the site with proprietary training modules, videos and podcasts that showcase our best practices. It is our goal to create an interactive educational experience that drives consistency, fosters engagement and motivates excellence.”

About ePercipio
ePercipio is headquartered in Park City, Utah and is a software-as-a-service provider specializing in the e-learning space by providing a next generation, internet-based, education and training platform.

About Hilton Grand Vacations
Hilton Grand Vacations Company, LLC is a division of Hilton Worldwide, the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels.  Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Hilton Grand Vacations develops, markets and operates a system of high-quality vacation ownership resorts in select premier destinations.  The company also operates two innovative club membership programs, Hilton Grand Vacations Club® and The Hilton Club® providing exclusive exchange, leisure travel, and reservation services for more than 150,000 Club Members.

Global Connections, Inc. (GCI) has recently launched its new Global Discovery Vacations (GDV) members-only website to serve the needs of more than 150,000 members. The newly enhanced website allows members to make online reservations and to escape, explore and discover all the possibilities and benefits available with their Global Discovery Vacations membership.

Created by Global Connections, the GDV club product offers a membership based on Star Credits, similar to timeshare’s points-based programs, designed to allow GDV members to select a program to fit their lifestyle and budget. Global Connections provides total fulfillment of each member’s request from lodging to airline to cruises and ensures that members’ vacations are a rewarding experience.

Explains Global VP of Operations Catherine Wunder, “The functionality of the GDV website has been greatly enhanced by adding features such as information on cruise exchanges, Express Cruises (last minute cruise vacation deals) and Global VIP themed group cruises. Members can now use the website to reserve resort condominiums, request forms for Discount Weeks, learn more about their travel history and renew their membership online.”

A vacation calculator helps members determine the cost of Value Week and Expressway Weeks and an account overview advises members the balance of Star Credit available for future bookings. A new section provides online answers to members’ most frequently-asked questions while another section dubbed “the traveler” provides industry news and travel alerts.

During 2008, GDV members used over 28,000 condominium weeks in almost 700 resorts located from Hawaii to the Caribbean. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, GDV was formed in the early 90s. Global Connections’ 28 sales centers located in 20 states and are distributors of its GDV travel club product.

Global Connections has developed and owns many of its properties with resorts currently located throughout the State of Florida and in California, Tennessee, and Colorado. The company also owns multiple resort condominium units in Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Partner alliances with exchange and cruise organizations, along with owned and leased properties provide on-demand locations in popular vacation destinations around the world for the company’s expanding member base.

For additional information, contact Melanie Gring at 561-417-7559 or mgring@gcitravel.net

With increased consumer interest and more and more exciting products coming on line, 2009 has been the year of the fractional. However, writes Sarah Lee, in developing the perfect product there’s much fractional developers can learn from timeshare.

Many fractional developers would concur that when marketing their product they try to cut any associations with timeshare, believing there to be vast differences between the products in terms of structure, quality, buyer profile, legal requirements and their inherent nature. But for those prepared to accept such linkages there is much fractional developers could learn from up to 40 years of timeshare history.

It’s said that hindsight is a wonderful thing and many timeshare professionals with decades of experience would agree that they would have done things differently – despite the fact that the industry that has matured to offer a popular global product.

From length of ownership to size of fraction, structure and target market, industry professionals offer their suggestions for a bright fractional future.

A Small Matter of Size
A major area highlighted as proving challenging for timeshare is the length of ownership, with developers finding that the in-perpetuity model has not been without its difficulties.

Lisa Migani, director of business development at First National Trustee Company (FNTC), says: “Early on in timeshare’s history developers were persuaded to produce a product that would be there forever – in perpetuity, something that consumers could pass on to their children.

“But time has taught us that this doesn’t work. Today, our consumer-driven society doesn’t want something that lasts forever, nor do they want to leave something to their children as children really don’t want to do the same thing as their parents.”

Nick Turner, vice president and head of new business, The Registry Collection, Europe, agrees: “Although a Spanish villa next to a championship golf course may appeal to many people, it’s unlikely that their 20-something children will want to visit it as well. Today young travelers are more likely to want to go backpacking around the world on a gap year.”

“You often find that timeshare properties that have been there for 30 years or more are really starting to show their age and require an unfeasibly large investment to update them,” adds Migani, who also spent ten years as Interval International’s account manager for Italy. “The in-perpetuity model works for sales and marketing people as they believe it adds value on the sales decks and can help them shift large volumes, but it can cause problems for the end user in the long run.”

According to information presented by Ragatz Associates at this year’s Fractional Summit, the most popular size of a fractional share is 1/6 to 1/4, and the average price per is US$162,000 or US$18,600 a week – suggesting that the highend, longer-term products have been the industry’s leading light.

But many professionals are now pointing to the fact that there is a burgeoning middle market that fractional developers would benefit from aiming their product toward.

“Today’s consumer wants high perceived value and low perceived entry-level costs, so it’s important that developers don’t only focus on high-income groups,” says Turner. “They need to strike a balance between the facilities and additional services they offer, such as a golf club, spa and global exchange partnership by backing this up with value. It is a fact that in today’s world debt is high and fractionals allow people to buy a second home without re-mortgaging. Fractionals that will appeal to consumers will offer a low entry level, low risk and low on-going costs.”

David Gilbert, Interval International’s executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for the Americas, explains that affordability is becoming key to fraction size: “A lot of developers are going for smaller increment sales – marketing eighth, 10th and 12th fractions to make their product more affordable.”

Migani however, believes fraction size could yet be transformed further: “Timeshare was built on the principle of a week’s ownership and fractional developers would do well to offer a shorter, twoweek, low entry level, mid-market product. They could really see some success in offering a midpriced property to families looking for somewhere to take their children each year.

“Though there are some people who can travel for up to three months of the year, this is quite a niche group – the mainstream will only have two weeks a year for their main holiday so fraction sizes need to be better tailored to reflect this.”

For Sale
Something that timeshare professionals put high on the list of priorities for fractional developers is offering owners an exit route – ensuring the property really does have a resale value.

While Gilbert suggests a fractional should be purchased as a holiday product and not with investment in mind; both Turner and Migani recommend developing products that will last for 15-20 years before being sold, with each owner gaining a share of the proceeds from the sale.

“From a north European perspective, it’s important for consumers to see a fractional as an alternative to a second home so they need to feel like they own it but that they can also exit the investment,” says Turner. “One of the strongest consumer pulls is the ability for the asset to be disposed of for them to receive a return on their investment and a share of the capital growth.

“With the second-home market floundering in many countries, consumer trends point to them wanting the
alternative to ownership that fractionals give them, but people can’t think beyond 25 years these days – so unlike timeshare, there must be an exit route.”

Migani, whose company offers developers a free consultation service, adds that “this is something sorely lacking in timeshare – there has not really been a successful resales program. Successfully selling a fractional will be largely dependent on where it is, how much it costs and how the local property market is likely to grow,” she says.

“Another view strongly held by fractional developers and some consultants is that their product, unlike timeshare, is based on a deeded interest while timeshare is not a real right,” Migani continues. “But timeshare has often been sold with a title deed in the U.S. and several European countries, for example Italy and Scandinavia, and many ran into difficulties due to unpaid maintenance fees.

“Critical to the success of a deeded development is having an efficient means of collecting annual maintenance fees. Consumers who own a title and don’t pay their dues could jeopardize the whole project, and taking them to court to retrieve the unpaid fees is a process that may take years. To avoid this situation a more flexible club structure could see owners’ struck off the membership if fees went unpaid.”

Adjusting the Focus
Gilbert, who has 22 years industry experience, highlights the fact that some timeshare developers have created unstable customer bases by stretching to make sales. “Many of them have sold biennial and triennial memberships or have taken smaller payments to stretch things for cash-strapped consumers,” he says. “For the long term stability of a project it is far better to have the right customer for the product than to stretch to make a sale.”

Gilbert also highlighted a problem that has been prevalent in the U.S. timeshare market and recommends fractional developers focus on the sale of their main product.

“Over the years, developers kept building better and better products without worrying about selling them,
as they were making more money on the consumer credit agreements entered into by buyers than the product itself,” Gilbert says. “As the economic crisis has deepened, consumer credit has become difficult to obtain, and we’re now seeing timeshare developers with a renewed focus to ensure their products are profitable on sale.”

Timeshare developers are now less reliant onincome from ancillary products, instead viewing  them as a bonus – a characteristic Gilbert advises fractional developers heed.

The overriding sense from professionals is that the fractional market is likely to go from strength to strength – and if developers take note of timeshare’s at-times rocky path, they will be well armed to make the fractional industry well respected and profitable.