The independent multi-media information leader for the timeshare and fractional industry is expanding its North America operation.

Timeshare and fractional ownership information provider Perspective Magazine announces that Steve Luba has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer for the company’s North America operation. He will continue to report to Paul Mattimoe, president and CEO of the Perspective group of companies.

“We are very excited to have Steve take the reins of our North America business,” said Mattimoe. “Our Perspective Magazine North America edition has grown rapidly this year, cementing its position as the largest independent publication in print and online for the region. Now, with the development of our GNEX Conferences and other projects we have in the pipeline, we plan to expand our U.S. based team which Steve will manage along with the implementation of our various multi-media initiatives into the Canadian, U.S., Mexican and Caribbean markets.”

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.

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

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

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

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

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

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 65,000 vacation properties in  approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange & Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry. Wyndham  Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange. For additional information visit our media center.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 65,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange & Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange. For additional information visit our media center.

Global hospitality and vacation ownership company recognizes timeshare resale opportunities

Diamond Resorts International® (DRI), a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industries, has today announced it is working closely with its European membership who have authorized a third party reseller, Travel & Leisure Group (TLG), to act as reseller for Diamond Resorts European Collection (DREC) points. This is the first time DREC members have had the opportunity to deal directly with an authorized reseller.

Travel & Leisure Group International Timeshare Resale Brokerage, is a family owned company working closely with developers and helping owners to sell their timeshare and buyers to make the right choice when it comes to vacation holiday ownership. A financially sound international timeshare company, TLG have steadily consolidated and expanded their business throughout the world, and says Maria Mills-Farinas, Managing Director of TLG, “we are delighted to be able to offer the consumer this new opportunity and to assist Diamond Resorts European Collection members with a never before offered opportunity as well as a reputable partner and process. Many of the members have been with Diamond for a very long time and it’s time for them to let someone else enjoy what they have for so many years. And we are glad to be a part of that process, to help them find an alternative.”

DRI is also exploring alternative pathways for its points members in North America. According to Stephen J. Cloobeck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Resorts International®, “The U.S. market is over-saturated with resale companies. Just turn on any cable television station and you can hear the enticing ads. We owe it to our members to provide them with the due diligence to explore the best possible resale opportunities available, if they exist, so we will take the time to monitor our European business model with a single authorized reseller and see if that transposes in the U.S. and adheres to state regulations, our club constitutions and our home owners associations.”

Diamond Resorts International® continues to expand and seek efficiencies in all facets of its operations. Now, more than ever before, DRI is helping families enjoy the benefits of vacation ownership and the importance of spending time with each other.

Annually, nearly 1.4 million owners, members and guests enjoy the simplicity, choice and comfort Diamond Resorts International® offers through our branded hospitality experience.

Diamond Resorts International®, with global headquarters in Las Vegas, Nev., is one of the largest vacation ownership companies in the world with more than 160 branded and affiliated resorts and over 24,000 guest beds in 26 countries with destinations throughout the continental United States and Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Offering simplicity, choice and comfort to more than 400,000 owners and members through the branded hospitality service of more than 5,500 team members worldwide, Diamond Resorts International® is dedicated to providing its guests with effortless and relaxing vacation experiences every time, for a lifetime. To learn more, visit DiamondResorts.com.

Timeshare and fractional ownership magazine publisher Perspective International increases its presence in North America with the appointment of Rosanne Luba as director of sales for the region.

Luba, who is based in Orlando, Florida, will directly contribute to the ongoing growth of the company throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Perspective International Ltd has seen rapid growth over the past few years, most notably through Perspective Magazine and Owners Perspective Magazine.

“I am very excited to be joining such a successful organization. Perspective Magazine has been an information leader in the timeshare industry for a number of years and the credibility, integrity and innovation of people such as Paul and Sharon Mattimoe are what attracted me to this position. The expansion plans for this year will position Perspective North America as the must-read source of information for vacation ownership and I can’t wait to get started .“ Said Rosanne Luba.

Prior to joining Perspective International, Luba was sales training and T.O. director for Sell My Timeshare Now. She began her tenure as a sales representative in SMTN’s Florida office in October 2003 and was promoted to sales manager in 2004. She was then promoted to director of sales following her relocation to the New Hampshire office, a position she held from 2006 through 2009.

Prior to working with SMTN, Luba worked as an advertising sales consultant for a newspaper in her native Australia following a successful 17-year career as a sales and marketing tour manager for Holland America cruise line. She has had an extensive career in achieving and exceeding sales targets, public speaking, advertising and marketing, creating and developing marketing materials and developing motivational sales strategies.

“Since launching the dedicated North America version of Perspective Magazine and with a similar move planned for our consumer publication imminent we are seeing our goals for the region being achieved and so we are delighted to welcome Rosanne to the team, who will be establishing our Orlando based sales and marketing team.” Said Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International.

Perspective Magazine – which comprises of two editions: Perspective Magazine North America and Perspective Magazine International – has become the most read independent trade publication globally for the shared ownership industry and become media sponsor of 19 major industry events around the world.

Owners Perspective Magazine is the only independent consumer publication that specializes in promoting the benefits of buying shared ownership products to be made available to the general public via a variety of high-profile distribution channels through major brands, including, but not limited to, more than 150 first class airport lounges worldwide with over a dozen airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta and more, as well as in luxury hotels, resorts, spas and golf clubs. Through each of these outlets, Owners Perspective Magazine positively exposes consumers to timeshare and fractional vacation products, as well as destination and private residence clubs.

For more information on advertising and editorial opportunities call Rosanne Luba on 407-362-1540 or visit http://www.perspectiverates.com

Vacation Resorts International (VRI) has contracted with TimeShareWare to utilize the TimeShareWare Professional platform to manage all owner accounting and central reservations for the InnSeason Vacation Club. InnSeason Resorts manages over 200,000 room nights a year across seven hotel, timeshare, and condominium properties in the New England area.

The sophisticated TimeShareWare platform with its easy-to-use applications has been developed using the latest technology advances and is the preferred choice amongst leading resorts and management companies world-wide.

Loren Gallagher, Senior Vice President of Operations at Vacation Resorts International, says VRI will use this InnSeason Resorts project as an opportunity to evaluate TimeShareWare for possible future expansion to other resorts. “TimeShareWare is well respected in the industry and VI, one of our partners, has been using TimeShareWare for years and has experienced great results. We are delighted to have the opportunity to utilize TimeShareWare to manage InnSeason Resorts. We hope to expand this relationship in the future.”

Timo Jones, President and CEO of TimeShareWare, says, “We are excited about this new relationship with VRI. This gives us an opportunity to showcase how flexible and easy-to-use our software is in handling even their most complex business processes. We are pleased to establish our relationship with one of the United State’s leading independent timeshare resort management firms.”

About Vacation Resorts International (VRI)
Vacation Resorts International, one of the leading resort management firms in the USA, is affiliated with almost 140 resort associations in 26 states, encompassing over 300,000 intervals.

For more than two decades, VRI has provided professional management and marketing services to resorts, condominiums, and timeshares throughout North America.

For more information on Vacation Resorts International, please visit their website at www.vriresorts.com

About TimeShareWare & CondotelWare:
TimeShareWare provides the most advanced resort technology in the industry and has created a state-of-the-art software platform to provide best-of-breed, superior software solutions to shared-ownership, mixed use resorts around the world. Since 1993, TimeShareWare serves all sizes and types of vacation ownership associations, fractional ownership properties, and timeshare resorts including multi-site, single-site, and points-based clubs. The advanced technology provides critical functionality to the Vacation Ownership, Vacation Club, and Vacation Rentals industries. The TimeShareWare software platform includes solutions for lead and tour management, contract processing, sales and marketing, owner accounting, loan servicing, property management, reservations, and web-based owner servicing.

CondotelWare is the first full-service software solution designed specifically for condominium residences and hotels. The software helps owners and operators master all aspects of condo-hotel/residence management and administration, including owner accounting, billing, rental rotation, inventory management, reservations, owner relations, reporting, and more.

For more about TimeShareWare, please visit the website at: www.timeshareware.com

Star Resort Group (Scottsdale, AZ), a leading developer, marketer and seller of resort real estate in North America, has reacted to the business climate with a “cautious optimism” when it comes to fractional ownership.

Carl Berry, CEO of Star Resort Group and pioneer in the shared ownership resort industry, notes that there are key hard steps and soft steps to success in making the product work in 2010-2011.

Steps to Success

1. Know the market. Are people ready to buy? Star Resort Group’s SMART assessment program surveyed customers to determine this factor. Surprisingly, in late 2009 and early 2010 the results have been surprisingly positive.

2. Know new media and new media lead generation. There’s lots of talk about web sites on steroids, social media, blogging, search engine marketing, EDM marketing, pairing with industry websites, with real estate broker websites and the like. There’s lots of talk out there. But, how does one make it work?

3. Get a CRM program (such as SalesForce.com) to capture all these new media leads in a format that works for 24/7 and gives permitted users access 24/7 to track prospects and sales.

4. Get the right project. Sounds simple doesn’t it? But, the core adage of location still holds true, quality building is still important, stylish furnishings are still necessary, and the correct size for the bulk of the market is paramount.

5. Determine the right share size to sell. Offer multiple share sizes. Be innovative in the use plan. Have a common sense reservation plan. All this sounds simple, but this is the area where success or failure will largely be defined.

6. Build the HOA budget with a combination of ‘built-in’ services and other a la carte services. The balance in this task is to meet the expectations of the owner for carefree vacations with an annual fee that makes sense as it’s applied to their use. At Star we’ve done a full 180 going from all-inclusive to a combination of included services and extras. Naturally, there’s no fooling with the maintenance and reserves for replacement part of the budget.

7. Deliver a level of hospitality management that will fulfill the owner’s expectations.

8. Educate and train the selling staff in the science of how to sell fractions. There’s no ‘art’ here; just the science of knowing the product and documents; to be unconsciously conscious in the presentation; and to fully understand the decision making process of the buyer who are concerned first with personal use and second with ongoing costs. Lastly the staff should understand that maybe one of the buying ‘unit’ will want the fraction more than the other, so if there is an ‘art’ it’s bringing along the trailing buyer.

9. Sales of documentation and registration in selling jurisdictions are necessary and must be accomplished before hard sales begin.

10. Marketing from Branding to EDMs, from Old to New Media must be skillfully planned and executed to first fill the customer pipeline with qualified leads; and secondly, to keep the pipeline full for the selling staff.

11. Administration and escrow management is vital for this process and translates the product into cash in the final analysis. Does the title and escrow company accept credit card down payments? Can a documented sale be closed within 30-days?

12. Purchase financing is mandatory. At this time there is no third-party financing available due the financial collapse of September 2008. Therefore, developers have to make the loans and warehouse the loans until they can be sold. Star estimates that will be mid-2011.

The twelve steps above are all ‘soft’ steps.

The ‘hard’ steps involve product:

Product to Sell

1. The ideal situation is to have completed product, completely furnished, with all amenities in and ready to use. However, presales are sometimes necessary and provide an advantage in that, last minute configurations to the product can be made based on customer response. If presales have commenced, a firm construction loan needs to be in place, subject to the presale requirement, so the buyer can expect a semi-firm date for construction to begin and occupancy to occur. At Star we’ve sold in all situations. In a recovering market like there is today, the more certainty the better.

2. Before there can be new product to sell there’s the total lack of development and construction financing, and also buyer financing. These markets are still frozen save for a very few isolated cases of local banks continuing to work with their developers. The vise banks find themselves in is that on one hand the Federal government says to, ‘Get the money out’, and on the other hand the FDIC auditors say, ‘Don’t you dare make any loans’. This is a nationwide situation.

3. The current end loan options out there are:

A. The developer makes and holds the balloon loans for the 3, 5 or 7 year period.
B. Some brokers are working with developers to ‘package’ their developer-made loans in the right form to be sold, if and when the market opens up.
C. Lastly, some developers are just stuck as they don’t have the capacity to get releases from their lender, save for all cash sales or huge down payments, and to then carry the paper themselves.

4. There’s been talk of private money coming in for the loans, but there’s also the consensus that private money will flow first to timeshare loans as they yield is much higher than for fractions.

The real question is how will fractional developers move beyond potential stumbling blocks to successfully bring in those who want quality, vacation home living at an affordable price?

Star Resorts is a leading developer, marketer and seller of luxury fractional ownership real estate, private residence clubs, timeshares, and whole ownership resort real estate products in The Americas and soon in Europe.  Star Resorts provides sales and marketing, development and management expertise to developers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. The Company also develops resort projects for its own account, and is unique in that aspect.

Find out how Star Resorts can assist in the development of your project. www.starresortgroup.com

In 2001, Intrawest introduced the Resort to Resort program, an exclusive exchange network for whole ownership and the emerging fractional and condo-hotel markets.

The program was well received by participating homeowners from the Intrawest resorts, which include some of the most well-known resort destinations in North America, and in 2003, recognizing the scalability of the model Intrawest took the opportunity to expand Resort to Resort to include a portfolio of carefully selected partner resorts. What was once a small project for Intrawest has seen continued growth in membership and partnerships with further opportunities on R2R’s horizon.

Dean Kneider, director of Resort to Resort, has overseen the company’s expansion in both the number of R2R properties from 47 resorts to over 200, as well as more than 14,000 extended memberships. The program’s growth isn’t slowing down as over the past few months Kneider and his business development
team have solidified partnerships with an additional eight properties including:

• Taheima Wellness Resort & Spa, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
• DayStar Properties, Jaco Beach, Costa Rica
• VIVO Resorts, Puerto Escondido, Mexico
• Palmetto Bay, Maya Beach, Belize
• Cape Codder Residences, Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA
• 901 Fernie, Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
• Mayne Island Resort, Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
• Rundle Cliffs at Spring Creek Mountain Village, Canmore, Alberta, Canada

“We are thrilled to have so many diverse and exclusive properties join our network,” says Kneider. “As resort real estate continues to grow and value-added partnerships like these are offered, resort home owners get an opportunity to expand their vacation possibilities.”

Having an established a portfolio of attractive properties throughout North America means R2R can focus more on the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Expansion isn’t restricted to this hemisphere alone as the company looks at expansion opportunities in Europe as well. As the growth of fractional, whole ownership and condo-hotel resort offerings expand, they dovetail with R2R’s business model perfectly.
When outside developers are calling to be affiliated with R2R, it’s clear that they have a successful business
that is continuing to grow.

North America has been a pioneer in the field of fractional, whole ownership, condo-hotels, destination clubs and private residence clubs, and over the past few years there has been real growth in this sector. According to an article in the February 23, 2004 issue of Insurance Journal, “The economic boom of the 1990s created an unprecedented amount of personal wealth in America – currently estimated at more than $33 trillion … an estimated $40.6 trillion will change hands as Baby Boomers and their parents pass on their accumulated assets to their heirs.”

The aging of the North American baby boomer population will create an increase in demand for leisure travel, real estate ownership and unique lifestyle experiences.

The need for an exclusive exchange program outside the timeshare world emerged from resort owners’ desire for reciprocal trade and the guarantee that the other destination would be of like quality and finish.
Intrawest created Resort to Resort to accommodate this exclusive group of whole, fractional and condo hotel owners that have invested anywhere from $100,000 for a fractional home to well over $2 million
for a home in whole ownership.

In yesterday’s comparatively low interest rate and real estate frenzied market, projects would often be sold quickly prior to starting construction. Projects were being pitched as investment tools to real estate speculators that had little interest in ever visiting the resort.

Those times have changed and we are seeing more user buyers purchasing resort homes as a lifestyle choice. This buyer that plans on frequently visiting their resort home finds tremendous value in added services and amenities. Resort to Resort offers these owners greater flexibility and choice of vacation possibilities beyond their own home.

Resort homeowners are looking for ways to maximize their return on investment. As an owner there are only
a few things to do with your resort home: use it and get 100% of its value; let it sit empty and receive no value; let friends or family use it and recoup some value; rent it and split the proceeds with a property manager, or exchange it and get full value for the time deposited. The greatest return on investment is found in using the home or exchanging it for a home of like quality in another much sought-after destination.

The greater the amount of flexibility and choice that a developer can offer, the more the resort will appeal to a larger target market of buyers in the sales and marketing phase. The happier those owners are will greatly impact their desire to include their like-minded friends in the project.

Property management companies need not fear that their rental program will be replaced by an exchange
company. The average resort home owner takes three, four or even five weeks of vacation annually and looks to only deposit one to two weeks annually or bi-annually. Those deposited weeks represent the time that the owners would have spent in their own unit had they not chosen to travel elsewhere – and therefore doesn’t diminish rental inventory levels.

How R2R Works – Delivering Opportunities to Members
The most compelling thing about Resort to Resort is how it works and the opportunities it delivers. With the
purchase a resort home in a R2R-affiliated property, you purchase more than just a home. As a Resort to Resort member, you gain access to an expanding network of vacation opportunities in sought-after ski, golf and beach resorts, as well as cruise vacations.

The Resort to Resort system is beautiful in its simplicity and ease of use – it is designed around credits. When you’re not using your resort home you simply deposit the use of the resort home with R2R. This deposit means you are putting your resort home into the R2R pool and you will receive resort credits. These credits are based on the size and location of your property, along with time of year and length of stay, and have a lifespan of 2 years. To take advantage of the accumulated credits, R2R members choose a vacation destination or cruise itinerary they wish to enjoy from the extensive R2R portfolio of vacation options and make a reservation request. Once R2R has received the reservation request, their dedicated team of exchange consultants will work to search for and confirm your vacation.

A point of pride for Resort to Resort is putting their members’ needs first. As a member of Resort to Resort,
their priority is to ensure you receive first class service and they do all they can to fulfill your vacation requests.

A Strong Network
Resort to Resort is powered by Intrawest, a world leader in the development and operation of experiential
destination resorts. The Intrawest resort network ranges from the tops of towering mountains to  championship golf courses and pristine beaches around the world.

Founded in 1976, Intrawest began as a residential and urban real estate firm. In the mid-1980s, Intrawest
developed a unique marriage of mountain resorts and real estate expertise. Today, Intrawest has interests in
11 resorts at North America’s most popular mountain destinations, including Whistler/Blackcomb, a host venue for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Intrawest network also includes Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heli skiing operation in the world, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida and Club Intrawest – a private resort club with locations
throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Have a look at the growing world of R2R: www.resort2resort.com.

Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE:WYN) has again been listed as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired Companies for 2010.

For the third consecutive year, Wyndham Worldwide is a leader in their industry, scoring consistently on the Most Admired list in the hotels, casinos and resorts category. The Company, which is a little more than three years old, joins several other global organizations who were also named Most Admired in other categories, including Google, Johnson & Johnson, IBM and Honeywell International.

“For Wyndham Worldwide to once again be recognized by its peers and ranked so highly in our category is an honor,” said chairman and chief executive officer Stephen P. Holmes. “Given the challenges that 2009 presented, this news is especially gratifying. We are a company driven by our mission to be the leader in travel accommodations by welcoming our guests through our signature “Count on Me!” service. This valuable acknowledgement confirms that we are indeed headed in a great direction.”

To produce the listings, 15,000 top executives, directors and analysts were asked to rate all FORTUNE 1,000 companies in their own industry on eight criteria. A company’s score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to appear in the listing and only the best are listed as a Most Admired Company. The full list of companies will appear in next week’s edition of FORTUNE.

About Wyndham Worldwide Corporation
As one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide offers individual consumers and business-to-business customers a broad suite of hospitality products and services across various accommodation alternatives and price ranges through its premier portfolio of world-renowned brands. Wyndham Hotel Group encompasses approximately 7,110 franchised hotels and approximately 597,700 hotel rooms worldwide. Wyndham Exchange and Rentals offers leisure travelers, including its 3.8 million members, access to over 65,000 vacation properties located in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of over 155 vacation ownership resorts serving over 820,000 owners throughout North America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Wyndham Worldwide, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., employs approximately 25,000 employees globally.

For more information about Wyndham Worldwide, please visit the Company’s web site at www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

From priority access on specialty inventory to upgraded accommodations – the world’s largest points exchange program takes it to the next level

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange today announced its plan to launch RCI Points PlatinumSM membership, a new premium membership and the latest enhancement to its successful RCI Points® program, that will offer exclusive exchange and lifestyle benefits to subscribing members.

“RCI launched its groundbreaking global Points exchange product in 2000 and it’s been the fastest growing Points exchange program in the world ever since,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “Our members seek unique access and expanded benefits and the RCI Points Platinum membership provides just that – offering exclusive member deals and access to a phenomenal selection of member benefits and services. For our valued affiliates, this new membership provides a meaningful differentiator at the point of sale, reinforcing RCI Points as the most proven, comprehensive and flexible exchange membership available in the industry today while becoming more relevant in their owners’ daily life.”

RCI Points Platinum will offer its members exclusive “first look” exchange access to specially acquired inventory around the world at upscale properties in highly sought after vacation destinations. “Members that have looked for an exchange in New York or London may have found few options because the demand may have been higher than supply. To help, RCI acquires millions of dollars of upscale hotel and condominium inventory in dozens of highly demanded vacation and city destinations every year. We will expand this program and provide our RCI Points Platinum members with a first look at this inventory for exchange,” Ballotti added. 

RCI Points Platinum will also provide members with free unit upgrades based on availability providing even more room to relax and Cash Back rewards for various RCI transactions. In addition to these extremely exciting advancements in exchange, RCI plans to extend unique lifestyle benefits to RCI Points Platinum members that will include advance access to popular Broadway style theater experiences including select opportunities to attend pre-launch and producer shows. For the golf and ski connoisseur, RCI Points Platinum members will receive preferred pricing or discounts of up to 50 percent at thousands of golf courses and dozens of the most popular ski mountains in North America. Taking the member experience further than ever before, RCI Points Platinum plans to extend other significant savings benefits of up to 50 percent on spa experiences and much, much more allowing RCI Points Platinum members to get more out of their vacation experience.

“As the inventor of the vacation exchange business, we’re always looking to develop fresh new ideas that will improve our members’ experiences and exceed the expectations of our affiliates,” said Ballotti. “The RCI Points Platinum membership brings terrific new benefits to the RCI Points program. We’re excited to be able to give our members what they’ve asked for from a status and access standpoint, with dozens of lifestyle benefits included that we’ll continue to add to going forward. We’re really just getting started.”

RCI plans to launch the RCI Points Platinum membership in the United States and Canada with other regions to follow. Member benefits may vary in other regions.

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 65,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange and Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange.

For additional information visit www.wyndhamer.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.