Diamond Resorts International® Chairman and CEO addresses more than 5,000 attendees at International Pow Wow 2011

Chairman of the Board of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP), Stephen J. Cloobeck, announced to more than 5,000 attendees at International Pow Wow 2011 in San Francisco that the U.S. marketing budget had reached a combined half billion dollars and that America was ready to compete for tourists with a global marketing strategy.

Stephen J. Cloobeck revealed that the CTP had a $200 million budget to promote the U.S., and when combined with the work of the individual convention and visitor bureaus, meant there was now a half billion dollars available to carry out strategic marketing initiatives for U.S. travel and tourism.

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Global hospitality and vacation ownership company commits to service excellence through branded hospitality experience

DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL® (Diamond), a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industry, strengthens its commitment to exceptional customer service by building upon the foundation of The Meaning of Yes® with the launch of a 30 minute brand video featuring an in depth conversation with Chairman and CEO, Stephen J. Cloobeck. The Meaning of Yes® is a service excellence platform that empowers Diamond team members to deliver a branded hospitality experience to every owner, member and guest worldwide, as the company continues to grow and expand globally.

Diamond Resorts International® thrives upon the service excellence platform set forth by Stephen J. Cloobeck. By responding to customer feedback and engaging in cost efficient and effective solutions, Mr. Cloobeck has successfully developed a hospitality product that is much more than vacation ownership, but guarantees a lifetime of memorable vacation experiences to all owners, members and guests. The Meaning of Yes® ensures that every guest receives the vacation they deserve. Diamond team members are currently being trained worldwide to work collectively to improve the guest experience and commit to providing relaxation… simplified.

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Private Vacation Club’s Award Winning “Storybook” Tells the Story

Club Intrawest, the private vacation club which recently received five finalist placements in the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Annual Award Program has developed its own lexicon when it comes to talking about its community of Members and their shared ownership of beautifully crafted Vacation Homes across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The organization’s Storybook received ARDA honors in the Brochure (8+ pages) Category.  The Storybook was created to put forth the message that although the organization has top flight resorts (two of which also received architecture and design finalist placement), there is more to Club Intrawest than bricks and mortar.  As the Storybook says “There’s a feeling too.  A sense of belonging, a genuine community of like-minded individuals connected by the Club experiences they will treasure forever.”

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Club Intrawest, a private vacation club with locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico has received five finalist placements in the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Annual Award Program.   The ARDA Awards is a program that provides the “fair and equal evaluation of achievement levels within (the shared ownership) industry and to provide recognition to those who have achieved excellence.”

Club Intrawest’s achievements were selected as the “best of the best” from hundreds of entries.  Their accomplishments in the program were honored in the categories of Green Sustainable Programs Within a Company, Business to Business Brochure, Special Event, Resort Design and Landmark Resort. 

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“Poised for Growth” says Club President

René Cardinal, President of Intrawest Resort Club Group (IRCG), a division of Intrawest, has addressed the current “State of the Club” in a recent announcement. Club Intrawest, a private vacation club with locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico and exclusively managed by IRCG, was established in 1994; since opening its first location in Whistler, B.C., people from 48 countries have joined.

René Cardinal

“We are pleased to kick off 2011 from a foundation of strength having successfully navigated through the unprecedented challenges facing our industry since 2008,” said Cardinal. “Judging from recent reports documented in the January 2011 issue of the American Resort Development Association’s publication Developments, our single digit cumulative default rate on our loans portfolio outperformed the shared ownership industry in general.”

Further evidence of Club Intrawest’s success is demonstrated by Member satisfaction ratings consistently reporting in the mid 90s, including the quality of Vacation Homes (93.2%) and the professionalism of Member Services 93.8%).

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Dial An Exchange (DAE), one of the world’s largest independent timeshare exchange organizations has recently launched a new expansion of benefits for DAE’s Gold Advantage members. Gold Advantage is the premium membership offered by Dial An Exchange, (www.daelive.com) a free membership is also available.

Gold Advantage memberships can be purchased for $89 for a full year, with a renewal price of $59. Current Gold Advantage benefits include advance booking capability of newly available inventory, priority requests, discounts on the purchase of all DAE exchanges and bonus weeks, and a slew of lifestyle benefits that encompass travel, hotel, golf, recreation and even grocery discounts.

The additional features added to the Gold Advantage membership include a 365/24/7 concierge program that members can access both on vacation and at home. Concierge benefits include roadside assistance, currency exchange, medical assistance, and more. Another additional benefit is discounts on vacation, tour, and cruise packages, and an elite member buying service that gives Gold Advantage members discounts on thousands of brand name products from hundreds of manufacturers and distributors.

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Expedia® travelers have ranked The Cove On Ormond Beach among the world’s best hotels on this year’s Expedia Insiders’ Select™ list. The list formally recognizes individual hotels worldwide that consistently deliver excellent service, a great overall experience and a notable value.  The full list represents only a small percentage of the world’s top hotels from the more than 110,000 hotel properties offered on Expedia.

“Delivering superior service to our guests is a top priority at The Cove On Ormond Beach,” said Sulyn Stumbras, Island One Resorts Hospitality Group president. “We are pleased that our efforts have been acknowledged by Expedia travelers and look forward to extending our high level of service to even more guests. General Manager Regina Barbour and her team truly exemplify our commitment to hospitality.”

The 2010 Expedia Insiders’ Select™ list is compiled based on the more than one million Traveler Opinions hotel reviews collected by Expedia, combined with a value rating and the local market expertise of more than 400 Expedia employees in local markets worldwide, resulting in an easy-to-browse list that provides travelers with a powerful way to find the perfect hotel using the trusted insight of other travelers like them. The list showcases the diverse selection of travel destinations and hotel properties.

The Cove On Ormond Beach, in Ormond Beach, Florida, is a 112-villa resort situated on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean. The resort’s villas are comprised of studios, one- and two-bedroom accommodations. All villas feature an ocean view, full kitchen and private balcony. The resort was originally comprised of a 54-villa tower. An adjacent 58-villa addition to the existing resort structure opened in 2006. Resort amenities include: oceanfront activity deck featuring a two-story tube slide; indoor heated swimming pool; owners lounge; oceanfront hot tub; game room; organized activities; barbecue and picnic area; fitness center; private beach access; 1,500 gallon salt water aquarium; private oceanview balconies; concierge services; and wi-fi access.

Island One Resorts has provided extraordinary timeshare vacation experiences through resort development and hospitality management since 1981. The company’s 750 team members are focused upon providing innovative and value-driven benefits to its over 65,000 owners. Its points-based vacation club, Club Navigo, offers 30 resort destinations throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. Through Club Navigo, developers have access to award-winning sales, marketing and communications programs; operational support; state-of-the-art reservation and computer systems; and one of the most seasoned management teams ever assembled in the industry. To learn more about Island One Resorts, visit islandone.com or clubnavigo.com.

CONTACT: Sheila Morris: 407.215.4255  sheila.morris@islandone.com.

Brand Will Remove Eight Additional Hotels that Don’t Meet New Brand Standards

Sheraton Guest Satisfaction Scores Hit New Historic Highs as Starwood Hotels’ Largest Brand Completes $6 Billion Revitalization Effort

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today that its global powerhouse, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, will continue to enhance its portfolio by removing eight additional hotels later this year that do not meet the brand’s new upgraded standards. This will be the final group of “brand detractors” Sheraton will remove as it completes its $6 billion revitalization effort. These hotels are in addition to the 36 “off brand” properties Sheraton has already removed to improve its quality and consistency of the brand, and reflect a significantly enhanced guest experience. As Sheraton removes “off brand” hotels it is increasing its worldwide footprint through a strategic, $5 billion expansion that will add approximately 50 new hotels and more than 20,000 rooms to its global portfolio over the next three years.

Guests Rediscover a New Sheraton – Satisfaction Scores Reach Historic Highs as Brand Gains Market Share
The brand’s multi-billion dollar investment is already paying off with measurable success – for the past four quarters guest satisfaction scores have consistently continued to rise and last month reached new, all-time historic highs. Likelihood to return to the brand, likelihood to recommend and meeting planner scores are also up across the board as the brand begins to see solid growth in market share, signaling that guests are taking notice and rediscovering the new Sheraton.

“The brand’s all-time high guest satisfaction scores is a direct result of the extraordinary work we’ve invested in rebuilding Starwood’s most global and storied brand,” said Hoyt Harper, global brand leader for Sheraton Hotels. “A significant focus of this effort has been improving the quality and consistency of the brand portfolio by removing properties that do not meet the brand’s new standards and the needle is moving in the right direction. And, as the economy rebounds and travelers return to the road en masse, Sheraton will be ready with new flagship hotels, renovated properties and signature brand offerings.”

Making up nearly 50% of Starwood’s total rooms, Sheraton is a key focus for Starwood, especially as the company aggressively positions itself to own the upswing as the economy recovers. As yesterday’s staycations, cancelled meetings and postponed business trips become tomorrow’s pent up demand, travelers will find the newest portfolio in the Sheraton brand’s history.

Hotel Giant Continues Momentum with $5 Billion in New Developments Through 2012
Following on the heels of the revitalization effort Starwood and its partners are investing $5 billion in new hotel openings across four continents. As Starwood’s largest brand, Sheraton currently boasts more than 400 hotels in 75 countries with 92% global awareness among business travelers – the highest of any hotel brand in the world.

Beginning in 2010, the brand will open roughly 50 new hotels over three years in 15 countries and territories, including the United States, Colombia, Greece, India, Russia, Slovakia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Sheraton – the largest international upper-upscale hotel brand in China – will nearly double its footprint in the country with the addition of 24 stunning new properties, including the Sheraton Shanghai Hong Kou Hotel, Sheraton Qingdao and Sheraton Huadu Resort , bringing its total number of hotels there to 50. The brand will also add 10 new resorts to its renowned portfolio, expand its footprint in New York City with new properties in Brooklyn and Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood and open several new convention hotels.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, like all brands within Starwood’s robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest(R) program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG(R) offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.

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 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 territories with 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.

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

Trading Places International (TPI) holds an A+ national accreditation rating – the highest honor achieved from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Ratings are determined by a formula in accordance with the BBB’s guidelines, which encompass the importance and the appropriate “score” for each category, including experience, operation time, advertising, complaint history, and accreditation.

In order to achieve such a prestigious rating, Trading Places has shown its worth as an honest and reliable company, acknowledging consumer complaints and promptly resolving problems for over 36 years.

“We’re pleased to join such an elite group of hospitality service businesses in the BBB accreditation system,” said RJ Jackson, TPI President. “We will strive to meet the BBB’s high expectations, and continue to exceed those of our customers.”

Trading Places International is a 36-year veteran of the travel and vacation ownership industries. It is the only vertically-integrated, independent timeshare company providing full service resort/association management, timeshare rentals and exchanges, and travel agency services. It currently oversees more than 71,000 timeshare owners at over 30 resort locations in Hawaii, Mexico, South America, and mainland United States. www.tradingplaces.com