Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor Expands Company’s Metropolitan Portfolio

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced it has welcomed its first CLUB WYNDHAM® Plus owners to its highly anticipated urban property – Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor.  In development for more than three years, this 250-unit resort is the company’s second resort in the popular Washington D.C. market, joining Wyndham Old Town Alexandria.

“Our nation’s capital has always been a popular vacation destination.  Wyndham Old Town Alexandria was wildly successful when it opened in 1999 and it remains one of our most popular resorts so it was a natural decision to double our presence in this market,” said Franz Hanning, president and chief executive officer, Wyndham Vacation Ownership. ”The fact that our National Harbor property is more than 75% sold out is a testament to the popularity of our urban properties and the Washington D.C. area.”

Situated within National Harbor – a 300-acre waterfront community in Prince George’s County, Md. on the banks of the Potomac River – this purpose-built resort property features 250 condominium-style, fully furnished units, including 42 opulent, presidential suites.  Built in an 11-story tower, the resort also boasts an expansive health and fitness club, indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, an outdoor terrace with a spa and wading pool as well as a recreation room.  Owners and guests will also enjoy the ever-growing popular urban vacation experience by having immediate access to the wide variety of shopping and dining options within the National Harbor complex, such as McCormick & Schmick’s, Dolce Enoteca, Ketchup, Grace’s Mandarin and Rosa Mexicano.

Located just minutes from the countless landmarks and attractions of Washington D.C., Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor, which will operate within the company’s CLUB WYNDHAM Plus exchange program, caters to a growing travel trend among timeshare owners to take vacations to major metropolitan centers.  In an owner survey, Wyndham owners indicated that nine of the top ten destinations they’d like to visit next are urban.

National Harbor was still being built when we bought,” said Eva and Al James of Oxford, NC, CLUB WYNDHAM Plus owners. “The location of the capital was a draw and the resort is right in the heart of the action.”

This resort property is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of urban resorts, which are designed to offer owners convenient access to the exciting shopping, dining and nightlife located in or near the epicenters of major metropolitan destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.  The company also boasts properties in other popular urban markets, including San Francisco, Calif., Seattle, Wash., Las Vegas, Nev., San Antonio, Texas, Vancouver, BC and Sydney, Australia.

About Wyndham Vacation Ownership
Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world’s largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests.  Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its three primary consumer brands, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.   As of January 1, 2009, Wyndham Vacation Ownership had developed or acquired approximately 150 vacation ownership resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the South Pacific that represent approximately 20,000 individual vacation ownership units and more than 830,000 owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and is supported by approximately 13,800 employees globally.

About National Harbor
National Harbor is a community unlike any other in the D.C. region, designed to take full advantage of the most historic river in the nation.  Rising from the banks of the Potomac River just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George’s County, Md., National Harbor is a 300-acre, mixed-used development designed to include five hotels (including the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center), thousands of residential and office units, tree-lined promenades with scores of shops and restaurants, a marina and much more.

A senior marketing professional with experience at the world’s largest timeshare development company will now direct sales efforts for Spirit Incentives, one of the nation’s most respected incentive organizations.
Jim Walsh, a veteran of over two decades in the timeshare industry, has been named Vice President of Sales by Spirit Incentives president Gary Barron. Walsh joined Spirit after nine years with Wyndham Vacation Resorts, where he most recently served as Senior VP of Marketing, helping to lead that company to its status as the nation’s largest vacation ownership company. His formerly held positions at Wyndham include: Vice President of Marketing and Director of Marketing.

In his new position, Walsh will develop, manage and guide all sales activities, including its primary (Direct and Value Added Retailers) and its secondary (Brokers and Resellers) distribution channels. In coordination with product development, production, finance, marketing, and servicing, Walsh will also interface with internal support areas to maintain high service standards and client relationships.  As the new VP of Sales, he will also review and implement marketing initiatives, in coordination with all aspects of the sales organization, providing recommendations to support improvement and growth.

Added Walsh, “Having used Spirit Incentives as a valuable vendor for the last 18 years, I am confident that our past relationship will serve as a springboard to help provide further growth successes for the company.”
Prior to his affiliation with Wyndham Resorts, Walsh was president of a marketing company that  provided marketing support functions for Marriott Vacation Club and Fairfield Resorts, now Wyndham Vacation Ownership.   He also served as Project Director for three Caribbean resort properties in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

Spirit Incentives is a full service, privately owned incentive marketing firm specializing in marketing programs delivered as customer acquisition, retention and reward incentives. Founded in 1990 and located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spirit has become respected as the premier incentive solution provider for small to medium sized businesses as well as private and Fortune 500 companies. Spirit’s client list and travel vendor partners are among the most successful and prestigious in the country.
Visit: www.Spirit-Incentives.com

This month we review the successful Fractional Summit in London that attracted delegates from USA and Australia all the way to the UK capital to discuss the emerging European Fractional Market. We also look at a new super-luxurious fractional ownership development in Miami and discuss how to find the right buyers for fractional ownership. We also have our own account of our experience onboard a TradeWinds catamaran, cruising around The Grenadines, giving a totally different view to a week of timeshare, and our Front Cover Sponsors, Premier Cancun Vacations / Blue Strawverry Resorts tell us of their trend setting marketing products aimed at improving the sales process.

EDITION HIGHLIGHTS Front Cover Sponsorship: Premier Cancun Vacations Convention Review: Fractional Summit, London Exchange: Dial An Exchange Fractional Ownership: The Residences at Island Gardens Miami Feature: Timeshare: Same Concept, Totally Different Experience Feature: Finding The Right Affulent Buyers For Fractional Ownership Feature: Standing On The Shoulders Of Dragons Feature: Is There Anything New Under The Sun? Feature: The Comrades Marathon Conquered View Edition Online | Download To Hard Drive