Timeshare Trends Blog

Hyatt announces its first property in Austria. Hyatt Hotels has recently announced plans to sign an agreement to manage the Park Hyatt Vienna. Set to be located in the heart of the city’s famous First District, the Park Hyatt Vienna will be built within a historic building, opening its doors in 2013 to bring the trademark Park Hyatt luxury touch to the city. It hopes to become a central part of one of Europe’s key business and cultural destinations. The Park Hyatt Vienna joins a total of 13 other hotels in development worldwide and, upon opening, will become the seventh Hyatt hotel in Europe and its first property in Austria. .

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Interval International welcomes Hotel Savoy on Madeira. The timeshare exchange company has affiliated Hotel Savoy on the Portuguese island of Madeira and it will include 246 timeshare apartments upon completion in 2014. All of the Hotel Savoy timeshare apartments will be air-conditioned, offer Internet access, and have ocean-facing balconies or terraces. One-bedroom apartments will have separate lounge and dining areas, a full kitchen and master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. The two and three-bedroom lock-off apartments will be ideally suited to holidays with friends or family sleeping up to six and eight guests respectively. Studio units will have a kitchenette and a spacious lounge area.

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Interval International has added the Peninsula Bay Resort in Bali as one of its members. The resort is under construction and is located on the waterfront of Nusa Dua and bordered by Benoa Bay. After the project is completed, there will be 65 one and two-bedroom units with sea-facing views ready for occupancy. The resort is blending contemporary Balinese architecture topped with verdant tropical gardens, to demonstrate an eco-friendly ambience. The new property is only five minutes away from the old Peninsula Beach Resort and a shuttle service will be made available so owners may visit both properties without difficulty. New amenities will include two restaurants, a swimming pool, an on-site spa, and three bars. Peninsula Bay Resort purchasers will be automatically enrolled as Interval International individual members, and be part of its upgraded membership program called Interval Gold.

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The Huangshan Grandview Resorts Hotel is now affiliated with RCI. Located in the highly sought-after destination of Huangshan, China, the property is part of the Yuan Yi Group, a global lifestyle and mixed-used development strategically located and surrounded by renowned tourism sites such as the charming Old Antique Street, the awe-inspiring Huangshan (also known as Yellow Mountain), diversified cultural wetlands and historical Anhui villages. The resort is part of a community that is comprised of the Grand Villa, Grand Mansion, Parrion Huashan Hotel, Hilton Hotel, an Opera and Concert House, multiplex Cinemas, theme hotels, restaurants, museum and a Spa Club.

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Disney has announced the opening of Aulani, a new resort and spa located in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii. August 29, 2011 is the scheduled opening date with major construction having been completed in April. According to Disney reps, the attractions and amenities reflect the importance of Hawaii’s vibrant culture and traditions and they has worked with local historians, artisans and architects in merging Hawaii’s rich history into the resort’s buildings, interior design, art and gardens. The new Disney resort rests on 21 acres of land fronting the ocean, mountain views and magnificent lush grounds. Two 15-story buildings accommodate 359 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom villas similar to the Disney Vacation Club. There are two restaurants, a huge 18,000 square foot spa, an expansive lawn for weddings and a conference center. Water activities will also be available through a central swimming pool, 900-foot tube floating watercourse, wading pool, body slides, hot tubs, adult pool, snorkel lagoon and conservation pool.

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Hilton Grand Vacations has purchased the Ohana Islander Waikiki Hotel property. It was regarded as an unusual move, primarily because the property itself has not been used as a hotel since 2008. The Ohana Islander Waikiki is a 285-key hotel, which Hilton plans to renovate and convert into an upscale urban timeshare resort, to be named the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Waikiki Beach Walk. As of now, designers and architects are being sought out for the project, which will see the newly acquired property transformed into 143 one-bedroom vacation ownership suites. The property was once one of the most celebrated hotels in the area, with a location that gives access to the vibrant and diverse showcase of dining, shopping and entertainment options that Waikiki has to offer.

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Royal Aloha slashes fees for its new members. Headquartered in Honolulu, the non-profit timeshare company Royal Aloha Vacation Club has announced the reduction of its perpetual membership initiation fees by 60% as part of its 34th anniversary celebration. The promo, which lasts only until September 20, 2011, covers all nine destinations including Waikiki, Kona and Maui, Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, Chandler, Branson, Oregon, Marbella in Spain, and Acapulco in Mexico. Under the promo, every new member will receive a free iPad for a one-time initiation fee of $1,295 for a one-bedroom/one-week membership, or $2,495 for two-bedroom/one-week application. Both packages include a lifetime membership, tax and escrow closing fees, and use of any Royal Aloha location for a week each year. One of the first vacation clubs ever established in North America, Royal Aloha is owned and managed by 8.500 members and has 227 condominium units.

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The Palace Resort and Spa received the “Best Refurbishment Award” in recent ceremonies by the Vacation Ownership Association of South Africa. Situated in a prime location along Durban’s beachfront, the resort is midway through its 5-year, $20 million refurbishment program. Managed by First Resorts, the Palace’s remodeling includes extensive renovations to the facade, luxury apartments, restaurants, entertainment areas and a wellness center. The latest trends have been utilized in the new design and as the project rolls out, all 76 apartments will have a new look, exclusively designed by a world-renowned interior designer.

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The Share Luxe Club is now affiliated with Interval International with two properties in Japan and Indonesia respectively. The Japanese property is located in Kyoto in centuries-old traditional Japanese townhouses and known as ShareLuxe Kyoto Kizashi-Kamishichiken. It’s fully renovated and tucked into a street lined with machiyas (townhouses) and Japanese teahouses. The resort combines traditional Japanese style with contemporary luxury in two-bedroom units outfitted with western-style twin beds that can accommodate four people. Three more people can sleep in a large room on tatami mats. The units have also been retrofitted with a modern full-sized kitchen and LCD TVs. On Bali, the ShareLuxe Bali Tuka Terrace is just five miles from the tourist area of Kuta and two miles from Canggu Beach. The traditional Balinese villa has an open-plan design and includes three bedrooms, full kitchen, modern bathrooms, an infinity swimming pool, landscaped private garden, 24-hour butler and maid, security services, cooking service, and private transportation.

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Universal Studios Singapore recently staged a formal grand opening. The park, which expects to draw 4 million visitors this year is the fourth resort operated by Universal Parks and Resorts, joining Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Japan. Universal Orlando was also recently named the fastest growing theme park in attendance in 2011 compared against 2010 attendance figures.

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