EXPANDING GLOBAL EXPOSURE International Conferences Resort Destinations Member Benefits Industry Research
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JANUARY – MARCH 2012 A PUBLICATION OF INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL EXPANDING GLOBAL EXPOSURE International Conferences Resort Destinations Member Benefits Industry Research BLUE RESIDENCE CLUB ■ CLUB KAROS SPA ■ CLUB TESORO PROFILES ESSQUE ZALU PRIVATE RESIDENCE CLUB ■ JINFENG YINHUA HOLIDAY HOTEL LA CABANA BEACH AND RACQUET CLUB ■ RESIDENCE RIO FALZÉ WE SPENT THE FIRST YEARS 35 SETTING THE STANDARD. WE’LL SPEND THE NEXT YEARS 35 RAISING THE BAR. ® Celebrating 35 years of innovation in vacation ownership. ResortDeveloper.com 1 3 11:14 AM JANUARY – MARCH 2012 vacation industry review RESORTDEVELOPER.COM CONTENTS page 32 PROFILES Blue Residence Club Beachfront With Benefits 30 Essque Zalu Private Residence Club Personal Navigator Enhances African Experience 32 La Cabana Beach and Racquet Club IN EVERY ISSUE Aruba Resort Celebrates With Makeover VIEWPOINT 34 How Do You Club Tesoro Spell Relief? 4 IN REVIEW Tapping Into Timesharing in Mexico 36 IN BRIEF Resort News 6 TRAVEL TRENDS Interest in Travel Inching Higher 14 Residence Rio Falzé Alpine Retreat Welcomes INSIDE INTERVAL New Generation 38 Shopping Benefits, GIVING BACK Social Mobility, Recipients of Support: and More 8 Research, Children, Soldiers 20 Club Karos Spa Thermal Waters Boost Wellness Appeal INSIDE INTERVAL INDUSTRY MEETINGS 40 2011 Member Timeshare Conferences Profile Results 10 Around the World 24 Jinfeng Yinhua Holiday Hotel PULSE PREFERRED RESIDENCES China Vacation Club New Property in St. Kitts Offers Serenity Now 42 People and 28 Industry News 44 executive editors creative director photo editor advertising Edrea Kaiser Ailis M. 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It is de signed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. It is published with the understanding that the publisher is not en gaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional ser vice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. ©Interval International Inc., 2012. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication without written consent is prohibited. ENHANCE SALES AND MARKETING PROGRAMS WITH DISCOUNT SHOPPING DOLLARS Interval International® has expanded its long-standing relationship with Entertainment® and is now offering — at preferred rates — Discount Shopping Dollars as a marketing tool. This new Interval Affiliate Advantage provides a high-value sales proposition at attractive prices. This premium can be used as a purchase incentive, customer reward, or for any other sales or marketing purpose. 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Resale companies have As we move in new directions, it only advertising a costly form of “relief” to not been covered under existing makes sense to find a way to provide vacation owners: These transfer companies legislation. But that’s likely to change in accessible channels for consumers offer to assume ownership of consumer 2012, when the Florida Timeshare who, for various reasons — lifestyle timeshare interests for an upfront fee — Resale Accountability Act is introduced changes, aging owners, new vacation sometimes as much as US$8,000 — and in the next legislative session. interests — find the need to part with their promise to facilitate their sales. If passed, the law will require all timeshare. By Craig M.Nash Sounds like a straightforward timeshare resale companies — prescription, but instead, many of these including those identified as transfer Facing a Chairman, President, and CEO so-called relief companies entice agencies — to disclose the terms and Changing Profile Interval Leisure Group customers with reports of eager buyers conditions of services offered, allow for a Our economic environment is changing at and then pocket the hefty fee. After that, reasonable rescission period, provide a rate that seems less evolution and more their work is done. The title disappears for the regulation of transfer and rescue revolution. The freeze-over of the financial into a black hole, the would-be seller is companies, and establish penalties for market and fallout from purchase-phobia out several thousand dollars, and the companies that engage in misleading has certainly challenged us. But with high The timeshare industry has resort developer or homeowners’ and fraudulent activity. occupancy rates, flexible products, and a never been one to neglect its health. Since association has just lost an annual slow thaw of the lending market, we’re the 1970s, we’ve always responded maintenance fee and perhaps has had to Search for the Cure holding our own. promptly and proactively to any signs of foreclose on that specific timeshare. The American Resort Development Nonetheless, I think we all agree infirmity. When outbreaks of unscrupulous Individuals and HOAs alike are Association (ARDA) and its Resort that we have a responsibility to find a sales tactics threatened our business, discovering that such transactions bring Owners’ Coalition (ARDA-ROC) have solution to the resale conundrum. In we pushed for regulations to protect anything but relief. long served as watchdogs for fraud and addition to educating the vacation owner consumers and subsequently powered unethical practices, and they’ve helped and working with HOAs, ARDA supports our vitality for the decades to come. We’ve What Happens bring attention to this new outbreak, as the implementation of best practices for staved off potential ailments, from in Florida … well. In 2010, the association developed internal resale functions and working fraudulent practices to punitive tax laws, Because of this newest sales scam, the Model Timeshare Resale Act, a with reputable licensed brokers. The and continue our preventive course even timeshare resale fraud is currently the thorough and meticulous template for organization’s vision is to create a now, during a financial firestorm in which number-one complaint received by the state and national legislation. This robust secondary market, in which we’re effectively adapting to a new Florida state attorney general. As of document was shared with Florida consumer expectations are met, and business as usual. November 1, 2011, the office had received Attorney General Pam Bondi to assist fraud is an exception. Stricter financing requirements, new more than 8,000 complaints for the year with drafting the state’s Timeshare This is well within our capabilities. products with lower entry costs, and more than 12,000 in 2010. That Resale Accountability Act, and its Having always been part of the vigorous increased consolidation of leading resort number exceeds the next four-highest impact was significant. ARDA and efforts to establish laws for consumer development enterprises, and a stronger categories of complaints combined. ARDA-ROC also launched the protection, I’ve seen the impact we have emphasis on points programs: These are The most common charges are: Timeshare Resale Resource Center to when we work together to support a just some of the trends that follow us into false claims that a specific buyer is ready offer information about the resale common goal. 2012. With timeshare occupancy rates at to purchase as soon as the owner signs a process, resale companies, and state Indeed, timeshare “relief” scams 80 percent, we continue to be optimistic contract; promises that the timeshare regulatory resources. are no small threat. As has happened about the future. will be sold within a certain period; failure But as Howard Nusbaum, ARDA so often throughout our history, all of to honor cancellation policies and refund president and CEO, will tell you — and I us — developers, managers, HOAs, and Snake Oil and fees; and misrepresentations of agreed- agree — further steps must be taken to resellers — find ourselves called upon Sleight of Hand to services. stop these harmful activities. First of all, not only to support legislation to protect Along with the positive news, however, The home of nearly 25 percent of we need to acknowledge that a viable vacation owners from these practices, we’re faced with the latest peril to our U.S. timeshare resorts, Florida has resale infrastructure is not in place. but to work toward creating a healthy well-being: This time, it’s the medicine always been a bellwether for industry While there are legitimate resale secondary market.