Holiday Inn Club Vacations has announced that it has added the seventh location to its portfolio of vacation resorts, a 36-unit resort located on the Rio waterway in the “City Center” activities district of Marco Island, Fla.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations Sunset Cove Resort joins the flagship location, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Fla., and five other Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts. Travelers can book vacation villas at all seven resorts at www.holidayinn.com, just as they would any Holiday Inn hotel room.

The addition of Sunset Cove Resort follows the recent announcement that the brand will add another resort in Las Vegas to its portfolio in 2012, which will be the first Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort in the western U.S.

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.

“As part of our alliance with IHG, we said we’d grow Holiday Inn Club Vacations in places where our Holiday Inn Club Members have said that they want to vacation,” said Don Harrill, president and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts, the timeshare developer that manages Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties. “Our Members have asked for another drive-to destination in Florida, and Sunset Cove Resort delivers just that, with a unique and upscale experience for all owners and guests who visit.”

Like all Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts, this location at Sunset Cove Resort offers more space, more amenities and more things to do, including three-bedroom residences ranging from 1,667 square feet to 1,900 square feet, with views of either the Gulf of Mexico or Smokehouse Bay. The resort offers a host of amenities for guests including a pool with sundeck, a bar and promenade area, boat dock and fitness center. The property is currently a part of Resort Condominium International’s (RCI) distinguished Registry Collection program.

“At Holiday Inn Club Vacations, we offer great resorts where families can create their own vacation experiences,” said Del Ross, vice president, U.S. Sales and Marketing, IHG. “We offer our guests the flexibility to vacation when, where and how they want to, all under the comfort and security of a well-known and trusted brand like Holiday Inn.”

Orange Lake Resorts plans to bring all Sunset Cove units into its upscale “Signature Collection” product line. All units will undergo a total of $1.7 million in upgrades, including renovations planned by the resort’s condo association, as well as enhancements to interiors like granite countertops in the kitchen and bath areas with glass tile backsplashes, ceramic tile in the living and dining areas, detailed wood ceiling moulding, stainless appliances and luxurious furniture appointments with rich textural fabrics. The pool deck area will also be enhanced with upgraded lounge chairs and poolside furnishings accompanying the Signature Collection color palette.

In-room amenity upgrades will include flat-screen televisions in bedrooms, as well as in the kitchen area, and bedding and bath appointments standard to the Signature Collection brand, featuring bath crystals and a Signature Collection-monogrammed bathrobe.

Through IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards, guests renting villas at Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts earn Priority Club points during their stays at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, which they can redeem for free nights at IHG properties or exchange for merchandise and special experiences. The resorts also welcome members of the Holiday Inn Club exchange program, which allows members to exchange their weeks at any Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort for hotel nights at IHG’s more than 4,400 hotels worldwide. Holiday Inn Club members also have access to RCI’s network of more than 4,500 resorts. [/members]

Winter Park Construction (WPC), one of Central Florida’s largest and most respected general contractors has recently been selected to direct a $16.6 million refurbishment at the 1,450-acre, Kissimmee-based Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort as well as two of their other Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The yearlong project will include the total interior renovation and upgrade of 224 two-bedroom golf villas and the soft-goods renovation of 408 one, two- and three-bedroom units at the popular vacation ownership properties.

The timeshare developer Orange Lake Resorts, with more than 25 years in the industry, recently became Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort as a result of their recent marketing alliance with IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group), creating the Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare brand. The two companies share a common heritage, customer profile and vision for growth, with Kemmons Wilson having founded IHG’s Holiday Inn hotel chain in 1952 and creating Orange Lake Resort in 1982.
In announcing the new contract, Jeff Forrest, President of Winter Park Construction,

(WPC) added that Charlie Cecil has been named to direct the Holliday Inn Club Vacations project. A 25-year veteran in the construction industry and 14 years with Winter Park Construction, Cecil is Manager of the company’s Renovation/ Special Projects Division.

The new assignment will be completed in three phases, beginning in January 2010 and finalized in December. During the renovation project, Winter Park Construction will remove all furnishings, complete interior paint and millwork detail, replace carpeting and ceramic flooring, add new granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms and install plumbing and lighting fixtures, all new soft-goods, case-goods, window treatments, artwork and accessories.

Added Forrest, “We are proud of Winter Park Construction’s 29-year relationship with Orange Lake Resort, having built virtually built every structure on this property. In 2009, we launched our Renovations/Special Projects Division that specializes in multi-unit renovations and are currently completing a 108-unit soft-goods renovation at Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort.”

Commented Tammy Oliver, Sr. Director – Warehouse Services for Orange Lake, “I look forward to working with Winter Park Construction in the coming year. They are unsurpassed in their experience within our industry and truly understand what it takes to create a home-away-from-home for our owners and guests. Holiday Inn Club Vacations is growing at a rapid pace, and as we expand outside of Central Florida, it’s like having an extended family growing with us.”

Added Forrest, “While this will be a construction challenge, we will be working closely with the Project Management Team to ensure that there is no inconvenience to guests during peak occupancy times.”

Founded in 1974, Winter Park Construction specializes in the hospitality, commercial, multi-family, studenthousing, and senior living markets.  WPC has completed projects all over the Southeast United States, Las Vegas, and Cancun, Mexico.

The Orlando Business Journal has ranked Winter Park Construction one of Central Florida’s largest local construction/general contractor companies. Engineering News-Record Magazine also lists them as one of the nation’s Top 400 Contractors. With revenues exceeding $200 million, Winter Park Construction has completed over one billion square feet of construction work including over 10,000 timeshare units and 30,000 units in the multi-family sectors. Over 40% of the operations staff with management responsibilities are LEED accredited.

In announcing the new assignment, Forrest added, “More than 80% of our work is repeat business; we are honored to once again be assisting Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort and its member resorts with their construction needs. Our continuing goal is to provide a construction experience that exceeds our clients’ expectations.” For more information, visit www.wpc.com.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,478 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,200 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

Previously, when people in the shared-ownership industry talked about upscale timeshare developments, Orlando didn’t always come to mind. Sure, there were nice resorts with roomy, fully appointed villas – but not high-end resorts with impressively appointed units.

By Matt McDaniel

It’s tough to be – and stay – upscale in today’s market. Once a high total square footage, leather furniture and big screen television meant upscale, at least in Central Florida. Today, owners are looking for those big-screen TVs to be high definition and the furnishings to have certain panache – and the units still have to be huge.

There has been a trend toward quality over the years, a move to providing a richer experience, whether as an aspirational experience or to keep up with what people are used to in their own homes. Perhaps because of the demographics of visitors to Orlando, the area had been slow to embrace truly upmarket fixtures, furnishings and equipment (FF&E) and their resultant higher price tags.

But now with the Baby Boomers getting older (and increasing their disposable incomes), the theme park capital of the world is seeing a boom in luxury timeshare offerings.

Marriott Origins
Edward Kinney, the Orlando-based vice president of corporate affairs and brand awareness for Marriott Vacation Club International, credits MVCI’s parent company for opening the upscale door for his company. “In our case, Marriott was the pioneer in bringing luxury accommodations to the Orlando market with the entrance of the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes and The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. Following that success, Marriott’s Lakeshore Reserve was a perfect compliment to the campus and an ideal match to the lifestyle of this affluent consumer,” Kinney says.

Marriott’s Lakeshore Reserve will share the 500-acre Grande Lakes grounds with the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes and The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes offering a combination of impressive amenities, including The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Spa with 40,000 square feet of space dedicated to relaxation and rejuvenation.

Six spacious villa floor plans will range from 1,185 to 1,655 square feet of living space, and for the first time in North America, Marriott Vacation Club will introduce two-story townhomes and two-bedroom, two-bath lock-off villas offering two master suites. Designed to complement the luxurious design and decor enjoyed by guests of the neighboring JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton, the villa interiors will offer a blend of Mediterranean inspired and designed furnishings.

Each villa will feature a fully-equipped gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and GE stainless steel appliances; generous living and dining areas; multiple LG flat-panel LCD televisions with DVD players; oversized shower with multiple shower heads in master suite; washer and dryer; and wireless high-speed Internet accessibility. Three-bedroom, three-bath villas and townhomes can accommodate up to 12 guests.

The resort started sales in July 2009, with unit prices ranging from $26,000 to $40,000 per week depending on the season and floor plan selected.

Orange Lake Ultimate
Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort offers the Signature Collection, a cluster of 56 high-end units among its more than 2,400 villas.

“We introduced the high-end Signature Collection product into our portfolio because our owners and club members expressed that they wanted more ways to experience their vacation,” says Don Harrill, president and CEO, Orange Lake Resorts. “Our owners who’ve been with us for 5, 10, 15+ years and in-between love their timeshare and use it often; we weren’t surprised that much of our Signature Collection sales thus far have been from these legacy owners.”

The Signature Collection was designed to offer the intimate, residential feeling of a home away from home, appointed with upscale resort amenities to complete guests’ vacation experience. Accommodations have been designed for comfort and relaxation with special attention to detail, including soothing color palettes, luxury linens and bath amenities, surround-sound stereo, LCD televisions, screened patios and balconies, spa tubs with hydro-jets, full-sized washers and dryers, and fully-equipped kitchens.

What’s more, Signature Collection members can also enjoy personal attention from exclusive concierge staff, plus additional perks including daily newspaper delivery, a special onsite activities package and exclusive access to a private pool deck with a dedicated pool attendant.

“The cost increase for our Signature Collection villas in Orlando over our standard units was 16.7%,” Harrill notes. “This includes upgrades to construction-related items as well as all the FF&E increases.”

The Disney Difference
Disney Vacation Club’s newest resort opened at Walt Disney World on August 4. The new Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers a variety of accommodations from studios, and one- and two-bedroom villas to the luxurious three-bedroom grand villas. The two-story, ultra-modern Grand Villas boast a full kitchen, living room, laundry facilities and a magnificent view of Magic Kingdom or Bay Lake. Guests staying at the crescent-shaped Bay Lake Tower can access existing amenities, restaurants and shopping at Disney’s Contemporary Resort via an artistically designed covered walkway.

But according to Diane Hancock, manager of DVC communications, what really makes the grand villas at Bay Lake Tower stand out is the location: “The location is amazing and the views from the rooms are  spectacular,” Hancock says. “We believe that all of our resorts offer experiences our Members and Guests don’t get anywhere else. For example, where else could you blow a goodnight kiss to Tinker Bell?”

Aspirational Trends?
But why are extremely upscale units now coming to Orlando? Are people looking for a higher-end aspirational product? Both Harrill and Kinney seem to think the local phenomenon is a natural outcome of trends in the industry overall. “In today’s market, the option of purchasing a higher-end Orlando vacation that has the flexibility of a pointsbased system is appealing, especially for buyers who don’t want to be tied to a fixed property,” says Harrill, referring to the Orange Lake set up. “So that may be part of the reason
that we’re seeing more upscale timeshare resorts right now.” He adds that many existing owner members decide that they want to experience the resort on a different level, “so in that sense, it is an aspirational product.”

Harrill posits another possible motivation as well: “Another reason why owners would aspire to this level is access to additional upscale inventory in other destinations,” he says. “Our Signature Collection villa owners who purchase at Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort and own more than 500,000 Holiday Inn Club Points enjoy the benefits of RCI’s Registry Collection program.” The Registry Collection provides members access to an elite global network of vacation properties at some of the world’s premier destinations, as well as personal concierge service available 24 hours a day.

Kinney makes an worthwhile observation about seasonality’s role in the purchase decision. “At Marriott Vacation Club,” Kinney explains, “we find that our resorts are both a continuation of the lifestyle of our owners and aspirational – depending upon the season purchased in. (Demographics tend to vary upon seasonality.) That said, the average head of household income for Marriott Vacation Club owners is the highest in the industry, so many times we see that our resort and villa amenities meet and appeal to the lifestyle patterns typical of our owners.”

So are there any drawbacks to the current trend? Perhaps the law of diminishing returns. “Delivering such a high-end product can be a double-edged sword,” Kinney says. He notes that while MVCI is “always striving to be an innovative force in the industry and are delivering a product that elevates the standard,” MVCI owners “have high expectations that we are held to, including experiential resort amenities such as golf and
spa offerings.”

Orlando-based Matt McDaniel has been writing about the shared ownership industry since 1997.