Timeshare Trends Blog

Wyndham Exchange and Rentals, a business unit of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies has acquired James Villa Holidays from the private equity fund Vespa Capital, in a deal reportedly worth $77 million. With a portfolio of approximately 2,300 villas, James Villa Holidays is a popular vacation provider in the Mediterranean holiday market offering superior accommodation across more than 50 destinations at affordable prices. With the new acquisition, the scale and scope of Wyndham’s Vacation Rentals further expand to France, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy, Malta and Cyprus. The inclusion of James Villa Holidays is also expected to create a strong presence in Mediterranean countries by providing an array of travel alternatives and price ranges through its premier portfolio of acclaimed brands. James Villa Holidays includes more than 50 destinations and approximately 2,300 villas and unique properties across the Mediterranean and Balearic vacation hot spots.

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The annual award recognizes resorts that provide outstanding vacation experiences with state-of-the-art conveniences, and modern features and appointments. Wholly owned by Bay Gardens Resorts Group, the property is a luxury oceanfront retreat on the northern coast of St. Lucia, an island paradise well known for its spectacular beaches, lush rainforests, and volcanic peaks. It is situated in the heart of Rodney Bay Village, which offers visitors easy access to a wide selection of restaurants, retail outlets, and live entertainment.

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With the purchase of The Edinburgh Residence, Hapimag, a Swiss timeshare resort owner, has acquired another resort in a region in Great Britain for its members, in addition to current properties in London and the Lake District. The new city residence is located near the center of the Scottish capital and is only a few minutes walk from the main shopping street, Princes Street. In Edinburgh, Hapimag is taking over a property with 29 suites, which are all classically furnished and decorated. In 1996 the residence was converted for use as a holiday residence and since then has been managed in a timeshare system. With the purchase, Hapimag is assuming the operating activities of the city residence and existing contracts with approximately 900 individual timeshare members.

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The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and the Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club have unveiled its first of its kind partnership. The two luxury destination clubs have forged a new exchange opportunity for the benefit of their members. This strategic alliance presents members of both clubs an expanding universe of extraordinary destinations that only they can provide. The collaboration allows Ritz-Carlton Destination Club members access to 17 Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club residences in North America. They include Scottsdale, Lake Tahoe, Aspen, South Carolina, Punta Cana, Sun Valley, Jackson Hole, Hawaii’s Big Island, the Turks & Caicos, and Mexico’s Los Cabos, Punta Mita and Puerto Aventuras. In return, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Members are able to convert their nights for use at 10 Ritz-Carlton Destination Club locations in Colorado’s Aspen Highlands, Bachelor Gulch and Vail, St. Thomas, Jupiter in Florida, San Francisco and North Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, and Abaco in the Bahamas.

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The Villa Bossi Pucci Residence Club in Italy is now an Interval International affiliated resort. Surrounded by cypress trees, olive orchards, and vineyards in Italy’s rolling Tuscan hills, the 21 fractional residences are housed in buildings that once comprised a farming village. Each building has been refurbished to evoke its original use, has generous interior space, and offers sweeping views of the Montespertoli valley, the Castello di Poppiano, olive and fruit gardens, and a centuries-old park. A full-time concierge can arrange a variety of services, including pre-stocking refrigerators and pantries on request, booking area excursions (with an English-speaking driver), confirming restaurant reservations and scheduling massages, spa services, and wine tasting.  Located near Montespertoli (known as “the city of the wine”), Villa Bossi Pucci is in the heart of the Chianti region of Tuscany, just 25 minutes by car from the Florence International Airport.

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Pafiana Heights is the newest Interval International property on Cyprus. Located in the outskirts of Paphos on the southwest coast of Cyprus, the resort comprises 57 units that are furnished to high standards. At 700 feet above sea level, there are breathtaking panoramic views from all the rooms overlooking the Paphos coastline and mountains. Amenities at the property include a spa with sauna and whirlpool, a gym and fitness center, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gourmet restaurant, a roof garden with bar. Guests also have access to on-call chef/butler and concierge services. Paphos is a very popular tourist destination, particularly for the British, German, and Scandinavian markets.

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Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club and Diamond Resorts International have signed an agreement. Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club, located in Puerto Plata on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, has announced an agreement with Las Vegas-based Diamond Resorts International in which both vacation clubs will provide mutual benefits to their members and owners. Diamond Resorts International is one of the largest vacation ownership companies in the world with more than 177 branded and affiliated resorts and over 24,000 guest beds in 26 countries with destinations throughout the continental United States and Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.

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The Bay Gardens Beach Resort And Spa is the newest member of the Interval International exchange network of resorts on St. Lucia. The island paradise is well known for its spectacular beaches, unspoiled tropical rainforests, and majestic mountains. The Bay Gardens Beach Resort features one and two-bedroom suites complete with a full kitchen and living and dining areas. Its design juxtaposes the charm of neoclassical Caribbean architecture with timbered balconies and verandas. The amenities are state-of-the-art with DVD and CD players, high-speed Internet access, and Wi-Fi in all public areas, including the beach.

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Welk Resorts has received increased financing commitment from Liberty Bank. The increase in lending commitment is now $35 million, up from $10 million. Liberty Bank representatives have stated that they are very pleased with the performance of the Welk Resorts portfolio and how it has remained strong despite the recent challenges in the U.S. economy. Welk’s president, Johnathan Fredricks has stated that “we are meticulous about touring and selling to buyers with solid credit scores.” Welk Resorts include the Villas on the Green and Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido, and the Lawrence Welk Desert Oasis in Cathedral City– all in California.

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Interval International has revealed that its U.S. resident members reported annual household income greater than $125,000 per year, 88% are satisfied with their membership, 33% would like to purchase additional holiday time, and Interval International’s U.S. members spend about 23 nights away from home, taken as leisure time. Also determined in the profile, Florida, California and Hawaii are the most popular destinations members said they wanted to visit within the next two years, with New York City the most popular urban destination. The Caribbean is the number one “international” favorite destination for US residents. An official at Interval International said, “The observations and insights drawn from this research reinforce the value our members place on vacationing. This study also represents the latest in Interval’s continuing commitment to bring timely and consumer-centric research to the market.”

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