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Learn The Latest On:
Financing, Branding, Developing, Marketing, Selling, And Managing:

• Timeshares
• Fractionals
• Private Residence Clubs

At the 9th Annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference, October 1 – 4, 2007, Orlando, Florida.
The Vacation Ownership Investment Conference is the premier industry event focusing on the successful resort finance, development, branding, marketing, selling, and management of vacation ownership properties. Whether you are a new entrant into the industry or a seasoned veteran, take this opportunity to expand your knowledge, explore new ideas, and make value able contacts.
 
REGISTER TODAY!
$749 through August 1 - SAVE $150
For more information or to register, visit VacationOwnershipInvestment.com
Or call toll-free 877.700.1153; outside toll-free limits 305.668.3495

ARDA Workforce Solutions (www.arda.org/jobs), a Web-based, human resource hub that provides employers in the resort industry an innovative management solution for recruiting and retaining the right people, is expanding to include a human resource/employment law provider. The ideal candidate will be able to address casework in as many markets as possible but most importantly Florida, the Carolinas, California, the New England states, Missouri, Arizona, the Rocky Mountain states, California, and Hawaii.
 
Interested parties should contact ARDA’s Vice President of Industry Relations Bob Craycraft at bcraycraft@arda.org or 202-207-1079 prior to July 20.

ARDA-California Regional Meeting
(Please plan to register onsite July 16)
July 16-17, 2007
Grand Pacific Palisades Resort & Hotel
Carlsbad, CA

ARDA-Carolinas Regional Meeting
September 24-25, 2007
The Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grand Dunes
Myrtle Beach, SC

ARDA-Rockies Regional Meeting
October 10-11, 2007
Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort
Snowbird, UT

For more information about upcoming regional meetings, go to www.arda.org/regionalmeetings.

The 2007 ARDA Trustee Retreat will be held at the W Chicago City Center. The event begins on Monday, September 10th with a reception and dinner with speaker, continues with a morning of programming on Tuesday, September 11th, and concludes with a networking lunch. This meeting is for ARDA Trustee Members and their guests only. If you are unsure if you qualify to attend this meeting, please contact ARDA Membership at 202-371-6700.

Please encourage your owners to submit photos and stories of their best timeshare vacation memories to the ARDA’s “Own the Fun!” Photo and Story Contest. First prize winners will receive a $1,000 American Express Gift Card for best photo and for best story. Second prize winners will receive a $500 American Express Gift Card. We encourage all resort companies to promote the “Own the Fun!” contest to their timeshare homeowners through their newsletters, websites and other owner communications.  All entries are due by Friday, August 24th.
 
Contest details and a promotional poster can be found on the “My Timeshare Vacation Photo & Story” contest page on www.arda.org. For ads and other promotional materials for the contest, please contact Lou Ann Burney at lburney@arda.org.

Blackstone Group has inked a $26 billion cash deal to purchase Hilton Hotels Corp. The deal, which is expected to close in this year's fourth quarter pending shareholder approval, will add 2,800 lodgings and approximately 480,000 guest rooms to Blackstone's global portfolio. Ranging from LaQuinta Inns and Suites to LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, Blackstone already owns upwards of 100,000 hotel rooms throughout the United States and Europe. Hilton's portfolio is made up of not just the flagship Hilton brand but also Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn and Waldorf Astoria-branded lodgings. Blackstone senior managing director Jonathan Gray remarked, "It is hard to imagine a better strategic fit for us than Hilton with its world-class people, brands and network of hotels." (Web Link)

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"Hawaii Hotel Occupancy Down 6.5 Percent"
Honolulu Advertiser (HI) (07/06/07) Dingeman, Robbie

Hospitality Advisors LLC reports that hotel occupancy throughout Hawaii declined to 69 percent for the month of May, a 6.5 percentage point decrease from a year earlier. The firm's researchers note that occupancy has dipped every month on a year-over-year basis since April 2006. Hospitality Advisors President Joseph Toy adds that the continued decreases are partly because of more visitors staying in timeshare units and on cruise ships rather than in traditional hotel rooms. A continued decline in Japanese visitors also has contributed to the downward spiral in occupancies. The May poll covered 147 Hawaiian hotel properties representing nearly 46,900 rooms, or 81.5 percent of all lodgings statewide. (Web Link)

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"Welcome, Guests. HELLO, OWNERS!"
Wall Street Journal (07/06/07) Landro, Laura

A growing number of Four Seasons, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton and Starwood lodgings are offering not just hotel rooms, but also fractional-ownership apartments for those interested. Fractional ownership offers consumers all the perks of a second home in a luxury setting at a fraction of the cost of actually owning a home. Such arrangements also free the owners from worrying about maintenance and the various things that can go wrong with a second home that sits empty most of the year. The article specifically profiles the St. Regis Aspen in Colorado. After a $40 million overhaul earlier in the decade, the property has since offered 25 fractional-ownership apartments in addition to its 179 traditional guest rooms and two dozen suites. It was the first of the several similar residence clubs St. Regis owner Starwood has been opening in new and existing hotels nationwide ever since. The article's author detailed the good (complimentary snacks, teas and Champagne) and the bad (an air-conditioning problem that took longer than it should have to be fixed) of her stay at the St. Regis Aspen. (Web Link)

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"Condo Bills Signed"
Pacific Business News (07/03/07)

In Hawaii, House Bill 1719 was recently signed into law, creating a general excise tax exemption for wages and other money paid to the managers and submanagers of timeshare properties, hotels and condominium buildings. Also known as Act 239, this was one of four condo-related bills singed into law on July 2 by Gov. Linda Lingle. (Web Link)

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"If One Vacation Home Won't Do, How About a Bunch?"
New York Times (07/01/07) Zimmerman, Eilene

Destination clubs are a recent, but increasingly popular, innovation in the shared-ownership industry. With such clubs, members do not purchase property but rather buy access to it. Today's options have moved beyond timeshares to now include fractional real estate and private residence clubs. A timeshare purchase is usually for a week, while a fractional purchase is typically three to four weeks. The typical fractional owner wants a vacation home with all the amenities, but does not want to pay $1 million or more for it if he/she is only going to live in it for a few weeks a year. Price and budgeting usually play the deciding role in whether to go with a timeshare unit or a fractional ownership situation. Timeshares generally cost between $10,000 and $50,000, while fractionals can go for substantially more. American Resort Development Association President Howard Nusbaum states, "These buyers are boomers with families. They want to travel, but also want time together in a dining room or in front of a flat-screen TV." (Web Link)

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"Hilton Grand Vacations Launches New Residential Shared-Ownership Property in New York City"
Hospitality Design (06/29/2007)

Hilton Grand Vacations Company LLC last month launched the sales and construction of its newest timeshare project in Manhattan. Dubbed West 57th Street by Hilton Club, the 28-story tower will hold the distinction of being the first ground-up residential shared ownership project ever built in the Big Apple. Set for completion in 2009, it will offer 161 studio, one-bedroom and penthouse suites featuring quality linens, upscale furnishings and top-of-the-line entertainment systems. Other amenities will range from valet laundry service to concierge service to a 24-hour doorman. (Web Link)

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"Marriott Brings New Executive to Honolulu"
Pacific Business News (06/28/07)

Craig Powers has been appointed vice president of revenue and inventory management for Marriott Vacation Club International's Hawaii timeshare operations. Powers most recently served in a similar capacity for The Ritz-Carlton Club in Orlando. Marriott currently operates four timeshare resorts in Hawaii, including the Ko Olina Beach Club, Marriott's Kauai Beach Club, Marriott's Maui Ocean Club and Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club. (Web Link)

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"Tahiti Village Timeshare Complex Grows"
Las Vegas Business Press (06/27/07) Illia, Tony

The Tahiti Village timeshare resort in Las Vegas continues to move forward with its growth plans. In mid-June, Martin-Harris Construction topped off the property's third timeshare tower and is already hard at work on a $93 million second phase. The 308-unit development is owned and operated by Consolidated Resorts Inc., which is planning two additional towers on the property in the months ahead. COO Carl Hardin remarks, "Las Vegas is an ideal location for Consolidated Resorts to locate, and we have been overwhelmed by the responses. Phase I sold out and a number of units of Phase II have been sold." According to the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), timeshare projects contribute $2.8 billion to Nevada's coffers each year. In addition, the industry employs over 15,900 people statewide and pays approximately $363 million in annual taxes. ARDA President and CEO Howard Nusbaum states, "The economic impact of the timeshare industry does not end with the initial purchase. Timeshare purchases, combined with other expenditures and owner and guest spending during vacation, generate tremendous income as well as a ripple effect through other parts of Nevada's economy." (Web Link)

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"Hotel Demand Jumped 12.4 Percent During May, Research Firm Says"
Hampton Roads Daily Press (VA) (06/23/07) Reklaitis, Victor

Smith Travel Research reports that demand for hotel rooms in Virginia's Historic Triangle region increased 12.4 percent during May. The surge coincided with historic Jamestown's 400th anniversary that same month. According to Smith Travel researchers, visitors booked a total of 173,089 rooms during the month--which was more than 19,100 more rooms than the previous May. The Historic Triangle's three local governments will not release their own hotel statistics until later in July. Some local tourism officials contend that the government data will be more accurate, because they will also include hard data on area timeshare resorts and Colonial Williamsburg lodgings. (Web Link)

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"Sea Castle to Be Replaced by Hyatt Resort"
Bradenton Herald (FL) (06/21/07)

In Florida, The Sea Castle on Crescent Beach has been targeted for demolition and will be replaced with the new Hyatt Residence Beach Club at Siesta Key. Triton Companies closed on the property on June 1 and has agreed to be a partner in the project with Hyatt. Demolition and construction is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2008, with the new units to be sold as a "fractional ownership" resort. Owners will be deeded partial ownership of each unit, usually one-quarter to one-twelfth the actual real estate with shared-use privileges. (Web Link)

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"Timeshare Vs. Hotel: It's No Simple Choice"
Long Beach Press Telegram (06/17/07) Correa, Barbara

Despite the fact that the average price paid for a timeshare in 2006 was $18,000 a week, the timeshare industry continues to thrive among a broad cross-section of consumers. The article's author notes that staying at a timeshare property has several advantages over staying at a hotel. Perhaps most importantly, timeshare accommodations generally offer more space than your average hotel room. This is particularly nice for those traveling with multiple children. Additionally, going to the same timeshare resort each year builds a sense of community, with timeshare vacationers often forming lasting friendships with each other. Mario Collura, who is both a timeshare owner and president of a California-based timeshare resale firm, states, "I can defend it on economics, but the beauty of the timeshare is you're at home." The majority of today's timeshares are also affiliated with global exchange systems, meaning that ownership doesn't necessarily mean staying at the same exact place year after year. Although there is a relatively high barrier to entry as far as cost is concerned, timeshares do begin to pay for themselves in the long run especially when factoring in projected hotel-rate hikes. (Web Link)

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"Demolition by the Bay"
Marco News (06/15/2007)

Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) continues to make progress on the development of its Crystal Shores timeshare property on Marco Island, Fla. The above-grade demolition was completed in June and was followed by construction beginning on a sales gallery. Construction of the development's first two buildings is on track for an October start date. MVCI currently is marketing the property's timeshare units in Florida and the other exempt states where the firm is permitted to market. Ed Kinney, MVCI's vice president of corporate affairs and brand awareness, notes, "We have an Owners Clubhouse Web site, and [customers] can go in and see what other properties are being added to our portfolio." (Web Link)

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