A number of U.S.-based companies are targeting fast-growing emerging economies, with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) eyeing the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions.

The stellar performance from the Asia-Pacific region is expected to continue in the near future. Hotels in the Asia-Pacific region have been registering significant upside across all three key performance metrics, according to Smith Travel Research.

The region’s Occupancy, ADR and RevPar increased a respective 2.1%, 6.9% and 21.3% to 71.9%, $143.08 and $102.89 in November 2011. Major growth markets within Asia-Pacific, China and India, remained more or less unaffected by the global economic turmoil and are enjoying rising economic growth rates. The availability of local capital is another positive factor.

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Club Mahindra now has the largest resort operations in South Goa taking its tally to 336 rooms with this acquisition. With the changes in the urban lifestyle reflecting in the increased holiday pattern of families, Club Mahindra also plans to keep up with this upward trend in India’s holidaying habits. This is the first of a series of launches that Club Mahindra will have in the next six months, whereby several new destinations will be added along with a significant increase in its room count.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Sawhney, Managing Director said, “While discovering new destinations and placing them on the holidayer’s map has been a strong tradition at Mahindra Holidays, we always aim to ensure that our members can holiday where they want. This launch will significantly augment our capacity in Goa which is one of our most preferred destinations.”  

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The day-long conference will be an essential forum for hoteliers, resort owners, real estate developers, investors and hospitality consultants to understand and explore the benefits of shared ownership and the ways in which it can be successfully integrated into leisure real-estate developments to maximize the revenue potential of available assets.

“RCI was early to advance the case for timeshare development in India,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “And the tremendous success that RCI’s affiliates have experienced across the country over the past 20 years confirms the opportunity for all developers of real estate to explore the many benefits that shared ownership has to offer. Our operations, marketing and business development teams in our offices across India remain more committed than ever to helping our developers capitalize on the significant demand for their vacation offerings and services that is growing in India today.”

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With more than a thousand cruise itineraries to choose from globally, the RCI Cruise Exchange Program gives RCI members many options. Members can exchange their timeshare week for a discount on the price of a cruise on up to four cabins per exchange booking. Alternately, if a member has already used their deposited week, they can still save on their cruise holiday with RCI’s special members-only rates.

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While the shared vacation industry in many countries around the world started 2011 slightly bruised and worse for wear due to the financial rollercoaster of 2010, the shared vacation industry in South Africa has emerged with some industry players announcing record breaking sales figures and increases in employment for 2010 and have kicked-off 2011 on a very enthusiastic high note.

The global financial crisis has had limited effected on the South African economy due to the foresight of our then Minister of Finance, Mr. Trevor Manuel who introduced the National Credit Act in July 2007, which strictly controls the ability of financial institutions and other credit providers to offer or increase credit to consumers.

Whilst this Act caused much upheaval during its first year, mostly to administration procedures, contract layouts and training of sales staff it has proved to be an asset in that most credit providers now hold a quality debtors book, of pre-assessed debtors who have a higher success rate of meeting their credit repayment obligations. What is interesting to note is that while many countries have had to deal with resort liquidations; over the past 18 years the South African shared vacation industry has not had a single resort liquidation and currently boasts one of the highest penetration rates.

South Africa also recently became the newest member to join BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The acronym highlights the role of developing economies in world finance, and explores their impact as emerging powerhouses. Since its inception, BRICS has become a symbol of the shift in global economic power towards the developing world. South Africa currently boasts a mature ZAR2bn shared vacation ownership industry, totalling more than 200 resorts and 260,000 shared vacation owners, with an 85% occupancy rate of 500,000 shared vacation ownership weeks. With this said, it is understandable that foreign developers from shared vacation industries are now sitting up and paying serious attention to the investment opportunities which South Africa has to offer.

The 1st of April saw the setting aside of the traditional practical joke as the New Consumer Protection Act &  Regulations came into effect. At a time when South Africans were just finding normality with the compliance  requirements of the National Credit Act, we are once again taking another deep breath before heading into the uncharted waters of this new piece of legislation.

As with most things that require change we are already hearing the rumblings of unhappy service providers as sections of the Act appear to be open to different interpretations, many an attorney has been burning the midnight oil as they hurriedly redraft existing company Terms & Conditions in a bid to ensure that their clients comply with the Acts many requirements. Even the media has begun their storm of articles advising consumers of their rights and how this new law will protect their interests.

The Shared Vacation Ownership Industry and its members have chosen a more focused and methodical path, with VOASA (Vacation Ownership Association of SA) it’s regulatory body having held workshops for the industry months prior to the promulgation of the Consumer Protection Act, so as to ensure that come 01st April the industry would be prepared for the changes which the Act will require in order to ensure compliance. It is still too early to comment on the effects this Act may or may not have on the industry, but one thing is very clear yesterday’s methods of doing business is a thing of the past and the new Consumer Protection Act is here to stay.

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“It is so exciting to celebrate our first graduates,” reflects Raju Shahani, Executive Director of Christel House Bangalore. “Seeing how our children have grown and changed over time is truly heartwarming. With Christel House, the doors of opportunity are open for those who would otherwise have been left behind. It is no surprise graduation day has been so emotional for all of us.”

Two-thirds of the graduates are poised to attend university or technical schools. The remaining graduates will join the active workforce with a high probability of continuing their studies through distance learning options. As part of its continuum of services, Christel House will assist students with university and technical school applications, securing available scholarships, arranging for employment interviews and supporting the graduates with healthcare and mentoring services.

The magnitude of the individual and collective achievements is great when considering that all of the nearly 950 students at the Bangalore learning center live in households that earn less than Rs. 3500 per year. “For the vast majority of our students, life away from Christel House is filled with immeasurable hardship,” says Principal Jaya George. “Many of our students’ parents are unemployed, and India does not have effective social safety nets for the severely impoverished. Therefore, most of our families lack food, clothing and other basic necessities. Our students  have few positive role models in their families or communities, but Christel House is an oasis where they thrive. They will eagerly tell you ‘Christel House is my home.’”

“Since coming to Christel House, I have received an excellent education and opportunities I could never have dreamed were possible,” says 18-year-old Saravana, a member of the graduating class who hopes to become a chartered accountant. “Thanks to Christel House,” he continues, “I have the self-confidence and courage to face life’s challenges and the determination to achieve my goals.”

Parents, too, understand the transformative impact of Christel House. “I am forever grateful to Christel DeHaan and Christel House for all they have done for my child,” says Gracy, mother of Mary Alisha, another graduate poised to pursue higher education. Since opening 10 years ago, Christel House Bangalore has continued to “raise the bar” academically. Students are motivated by committed teachers and administrators, who ask thought-provoking questions, set high goals and pursue excellence daily. In 2010, 88% of students in grades K-9 met or exceeded grade  levels standards in language arts; 79% of students in grades K-9 met or exceeded grade level standards in mathematics;  86.5% of students passed the national grade 10 examination; and 100% of students passed the 1st PUC (preuniversity course) examination (11th grade equivalent). While these results would be impressive for any  traditional Indian school, they are extraordinary in light of the extreme poverty of Christel House students.

With the guidance of art and media teacher, Dhanaraj Keezhara, Christel House students have also achieved notoriety in the visual arts. In August 2011, Keezhara and two students, Akshay (grade 11) and Hema (grade 9), will travel to Santa Clara University in California to participate in the Adobe Youth Voices Summit. Keezhara has the distinction of being the only educator worldwide who will attend the summit for the second consecutive year. The Summit’s  application and selection process is highly competitive and Christel House is one of only two schools representing the nation of India. Recent graduate, Arun, has impressed many with his artwork, including Indian Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh, who received one of his abstract paintings as a gift. Arun credits Christel House with helping him  realize his potential. “The support and education I have received at Christel House has been life changing for me,” he says. “I plan to work hard, take care of my family and give back to my community and country.”

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The Karma Royal Group, led by its entrepreneurial chairman, John Spence, has purchased the Alpen Club from its previous owner, Diamond Resorts, and has acquired Royal Himalayan Club at Shimla, India.

The Alpen Club is an 89 unit resort with full facilities such as an indoor heated pool, a bowling alley and bar and restaurants. The company plans to bring its unique concept of Asian wellness and spa facilities to the resort which has been developed through Karma Spa, offering authentic Asian spa therapies. In addition, the traditional Bavarian  restaurants will be replaced by more modern, Asian themed outlets and marketing will initially target the affluent and modern consumers of Munich looking for weekend retreats and unique holiday alternatives rather than the traditional options of the region.

“The Alpen Club is 45 minutes away from Munich and a natural weekend retreat for families from the city. The resort, which will in due course be rebranded, will be a cross between Karma and Royal – a four and a half star resort but with a total modern Asian feel,” said Spence. “Our guests from Asia will feel comfortable and our guests from Europe will enjoy something slightly different. It’s destined to succeed.”

The move sees Spence return to his European roots and is a source of enormous pride for him, as he founded Karma Royal Group in 1993 when he left Europe to discover the emerging markets of Asia. The Alpen Club will be the 18th resort in the portfolio. “The economic balance of the world has shifted and currently the purchasing power of the  middle class consumer in our area of Asia makes the Asian consumer of fractional ownership more adventurous than before. People from Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and India would a decade ago have regarded a holiday in Europe as an impossible dream,” added Spence. “Today that consumer is excited by his ability to take his family to destinations like Munich and Bavaria. The acquisition of European resorts is not primarily intended for the purpose of selling inventory to Europeans. On the contrary, it works the other way around with the creation of inventory in Europe for affluent Asians.”

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It is Spence’s ambition to rapidly turn Karma Royal Group into a global company and not just an Asian based company. In that respect, the Alpen Club is a first step into continental Europe. In addition to this product, Karma also has an interest in the Americas through its Karma Bahamas resort at Little Harbour Island, Bahamas as well as resorts in Thailand and Indonesia and projects in development in the Seychelles, Dubai and Fiji.

Spence is so enthusiastic about this foray into Europe that other deals are being considered. He even intends to return to Europe and live in the UK, opening an office in London and in St Petersburg, Russia. Europe is his new territorial ambition.

Meanwhile, the initial foundation of the company was laid in India and so the recent acquisition of the Resort in the Himalayas expands its India portfolio to seven resorts on the sub-continent. The addition of Royal Himalayan Club at Shimla is expected to be enormously popular with Karma Club members and exchangers alike. The word “Himalayas” has a certain exotic appeal to Indians as well as foreigners and Shimla is the foremost destination in the Himalayas offering magnificent scenery, snow and skiing in the winter months and a beautiful outside mountain holiday experience the rest of the year.

All of this activity takes place against the backdrop of Spence’s nomination as a finalist for the Ernst and Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award. On 4 June 2011, more than 50 Entrepreneur Of The Year country winners will gather in Monte Carlo, Monaco at the Salle des Etoiles for the 11th annual award, with all country winners to be inducted into the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Academy prior to the selection of the World Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2011.

Spence qualified as a finalist after winning the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Australia in 2010 for his achievement of developing his company from an investment of $200,000 of his life savings into land in Goa, India into a multi-million dollar turnover group owning 18 resorts and having no debt.

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Francis Taylor, CEO of Dial An Exchange, will examine the current state of the exchange business during Perspective Magazine’s timeshare and fractional ownership industry networking event.

Timeshare and fractional industry multi-media information leader Perspective Magazine announces that Francis Taylor, CEO of Dial An Exchange (DAE), will provide expert analysis of the timeshare exchange marketplace during the Global Networking Expo, GNEX 2011.

DAE is now the largest independent timeshare exchange provider in the world, servicing a global market from offices in the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, China, Thailand and India. Mr. Taylor has steadfastly modeled the DAE business simply based on keeping its members happy while delivering on its promises. Members can access live availability online 24/7 and can search, hold, book and confirm in real time, making the exchange process simple.

Mr. Taylor’s position atop DAE allows him to see the industry from a unique, global perspective and bring an independent viewpoint to the discussion regarding timeshare exchange and how best to meet the needs of changing consumer behavior.

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“We are very pleased to welcome The Krishna Mount View-Mountain Resort and the Kadkani River Resort into RCI’s network of affiliated resorts,” said Radhika Shastry, Managing Director, RCI India. “These beautiful resorts are a remarkable addition to the collection of hill vacation destinations we offer to our members worldwide.”

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Located just 6 kilometers from Hampi, the Vijayshree Heritage Village is a classified five-star property spread across 17 acres of gorgeous hill-fenced expanse, offering ethnic luxuries with 43 cottages nestled amid 60,000 planted trees. Hampi remains a tourist’s delight with every monument, be it the temples or palaces, symbolizing the glory and beauty of this 14th century city, rich in history, architecture and religion.
 
“RCI is delighted to welcome Vijayshree Heritage Village into the RCI network. This is our very first affiliation in the uniquely historic city of Hampi,” said Radhika Shastry, managing director, RCI India. “Vijayshree Heritage Village resonates well with the serene and incredible world heritage site and we look forward to RCI members enjoying their stay here.

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This Sunday, 23^rd January 2011, will see Michael taking part in a vast motorcycle ride on the seat of a 1950’s, classic single cylinder 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet bike, which spans over 2000km of countryside and cityscape in Southern India, all in the name of charity!

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All proceeds from the tournament will be used to directly benefit the children of Christel House, a not-for-profit organization that helps children around the world break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. Christel House has a Learning Centre in Bangalore that provides education, nutrition, health care and character and life-skills development for children.

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The new resorts include Club Mahindra Nature Trails in Corbett, Ullarakhand, Club Mahindra Royal Demazong in Gangtok, Sikkim, and Club Mahindra Whispering Pines in Mashobra, Shimla. Located in the north and north-eastern regions of India, these new resorts add to RCI’s portfolio of highly sought-after destinations for nature and wildlife enthusiasts.

“RCI is very proud to continue to grow our long-standing relationship with Club Mahindra as we welcome these extraordinary new resorts into our global exchange program,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, RCI. “Each of these resorts exemplifies the wide range of vacation experiences that our 3.8 million members can enjoy in approximately 100 countries across the globe.”

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Christopher Allen, Client Services And Business Development Director, Citadel Trustees Limited

An Exclusive Interview With Christopher Allen, Client Services And Business Development Director, Citadel Trustees Limited

Founded in 2007 to provide specific, bespoke trustee services to the fractional and shared ownership industries, Citadel Trustees Limited (Citadel) now has a team working worldwide, as far afield as Spain, India, Thailand and China.

UK-based, Citadel offers a unique advantage to new and existing developers , by way of its specialist consulting services throughout every step of the set-up phase, and through to completion. Demand for the company’s services, as trustees, stakeholders and specialist advisors to the industry has been growing exponentially as the shared ownership market takes off on a global scale.

Citadel is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hutchinson & Co Trust Company Limited and with a quarter of a century’s experience behind it, it’s a company highly regarded within the industry for its transparency and flexible structuring expertise. Citadel was recently granted Part IV permission by the UK Financial Services Authority, meaning that it can now be involved in the establishment and management of unregulated collective investment schemes. For clients, this is significant – Citadel can facilitate bringing their products to the market in a much shorter time than it would usually take.

Citadel’s global reach makes it strategically poised to advise on projects in Europe, Asia or the Far East, including fractional developments, buy-to-let hotel room schemes, and all ownership models within the worldwide hotel and shared ownership market.

In this exclusive interview, Perspective magazine speaks to Christopher Allen, Client Services and Business Development Director at Citadel, about what he sees as the new directions and unique challenges that are now emerging in fractional markets around the world.

Q: What do you see as the most significant overall differences between the fractional property market in Europe and the States currently?
The fractional property market in the US is much more established than the European one and its growth has been particularly focused on the higher end of the market. Here in Europe, the fractional industry is still very much at its fledgling stage and needs to adapt itself to the demands of the European market, which perhaps lies more in the middle market type product rather than the very top end.

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Four Points by Sheraton is proving that timeless, stylish comfort and great value translate around the world.

The sizzling brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) will open ten new hotels across the globe before the end of the year, with new properties slated for cities in six countries on three continents. With the openings, Four Points will command a presence in 28 countries, up from 24 just this year.

The news comes on the heels of Four Points’ announcement of its milestone 150th hotel. Four Points’ momentum will continue into 2011 as the fast-growing brand continues to debut in business and travel hubs around the world.

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Responding to our members’ needs with new products and services – such as ShortStay Exchange and Interval Community – helps keep them engaged and enhances their experience.  So while our focus has not changed, we’ve embraced the “new normal” and are working collaboratively with our clients to support their sales initiatives. For example, utilizing our existing value-added programs to aid their sales of shorter-term products and leveraging our global infrastructure to provide ongoing operations support, including back-office management and turnkey reservation services, which have been designed to help clients reduce their expenses.

Another critical focus is sourcing capital. We saw many developers cutting back their sales and marketing expenditures and laying off significant numbers of staff as a consequence of the pullback in receivables financing. We’ve been working with ARDA on lender education and engaging in one-on-one outreach to help bring capital back to the industry. We’re encouraged to see activity in the securitization market for some of the larger developers, and regional banks and boutique lenders addressing the financing needs of mid-sized developers. As the founder and patron sponsor of the upcoming Vacation Ownership Investment Conference, we’re very pleased to provide a forum to educate lenders at this critical juncture for our industry.

PM: Against this challenging backdrop, Interval’s performance continues to be impressive.
CMN: In my more than 30 years in this business, the industry has gone through good times and bad times, but the constant has been our ability to adapt to change. One of the key features of the vacation-ownership product is that because owners have prepaid for their vacations, they’re more likely to use them. We’re fortunate to be in the vacation business, because people have historically placed a high value on spending time with family and friends. We’ve seen that behavior at Interval as our members continue to use our services and enjoy their vacations even in these tough times.

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Francis Taylor

The shared ownership exchange company will be participating in the magazine for the 5th consecutive year.

Perspective Magazine, the leading provider of independent information to the timeshare and fractional ownership industry, announces a new advertising agreement with timeshare exchange company Dial An Exchange (DAE) for 2011. The new accord will extend DAE’s corporate brand in each of the magazine’s four regional editions throughout the world and increase exposure to the thousands of readers engaging with Perspective Magazine through its print, website and social media distribution outlets.

It is just this type of global presence that continues to draw Dial An Exchange to Perspective Magazine according to DAE Chief Executive Officer Francis Taylor.

“It’s great to see Perspective Magazine has recognized the importance of segmenting the geographical regions of coverage of their magazine, enhancing the content, and enabling a more efficient and effective delivery method of information and news specific and relevant to the ever increasing number of subscribers in the various markets”, said Mr. Taylor.  “Perspective Magazine presents a great opportunity for anyone in the industry to voice their opinions on any number of issues effecting shared ownership, and also showcase new projects and services that add value and interest to our industry as a whole. 

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Mr. Spence was awarded the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award for Western Australia in the Services category.

This award is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs and encourages entrepreneurial activity, while recognizing  the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.  It is the first truly global award of its kind and celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 50 countries.

“I am very happy to be recognized with some of the best business leaders in Australia,” said Spence. “This is just the latest example of how far timeshare and the shared ownership product has come, and it really is all about the product. I believe a timeshare business needs roots and continuity. By developing resorts you have that. Your product is your rock.”

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Amongst a very hectic schedule, a rare opportunity arose recently for me to attend the Karma Royal Group (KRG) Annual Gala Awards and Party held in Goa, India, celebrating the success of its Indian timeshare operation. Despite spending more time travelling to and from, than I spent in the actual country, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to return for the first time in seven years to visit the last company I worked for before starting my own group of companies, and the resort where I first met my wife.

Seven years is a long time, but I didn’t expect much change from a place like Goa, which is quite a quiet part of India, set on the coast with both British and Portuguese influences, and visually there hadn’t been much change, but there were certainly signs of growth in modern residential homes.

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RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), today announced its affiliation with The Waterfront Shaw, Lavasa, another addition to RCI’s portfolio of exceptional destinations for its members.

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W New York – Downtown and Aloft Harlem Open Next Month

One in Four New NYC Hotel Rooms in 2010 will Fly Starwood Flag

Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announced that it will grow its New York City portfolio by 50% this year and open more hotels in New York in 2010 than any other city in the world.  Today, Starwood operates 12 hotels in the Big Apple across six of its nine distinct and compelling brands. The company’s NYC boom will result in 18 high-caliber Starwood hotels including the debut of Starwood’s two newest brands in Manhattan – Aloft and Element. The company’s bullish focus on NYC is illustrative of its meaningful global growth strategy – Starwood is on track to open more than 80 hotels in key markets around the world this year.

Starwood’s Growth in NYC to Bring 500 New Jobs
During the remainder of 2010, Starwood will open six new hotels in neighborhoods across Manhattan, as well as in Long Island City and Brooklyn, representing 25% of the new hotel rooms in New York City – one out of four new hotel rooms slated to debut in the city this year will be branded Starwood.  In May, the highly anticipated Sheraton Brooklyn opened its doors – bringing the total number of new Starwood hotels to open in the Big Apple in 2010 to seven.  The company’s aggressive growth will bring 1,712 new hotel rooms and more than 500 new jobs to New York City.

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Le Méridien today announced Chinese artists Yan Lei and Chen Wenbo as the latest LM100(TM) members, selected by Jérôme Sans, Le Méridien’s Global Cultural Curator. As part of LM100, Yan Lei will provide artwork for a new key card series for Le Méridien’s UNLOCK ART programme, which will become part of a limited edition artwork collection. Chen Wenbo in his role on the LM100 will create a series of artworks for high impact areas, such as hotel entrances, worldwide as part of Le Méridien’s award-winning Arrival experience.

“LM100 is not a club, it’s a family of international artists, designers and architects, that are reinventing Le Méridien with the vocabulary of their individual pioneering work and experience,” said Jérôme Sans. “The arrival of Yan and Chen is a fantastic addition to the LM100 family.”

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RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), has introduced the RCI Points program through Cambay Family Holidays Club, part of Neesa Leisure Ltd. With the launch of RCI Points in India, timeshare owners will be offered an enhanced trading system that gives RCI Points members greater flexibility in resort and travel exchange.

The RCI Points membership provides ultimate vacation flexibility, variety and complete utilization of the timeshare ownership. It allows an owner to purchase a week at a resort and then deposit it into the program for points. The traditional “week” is converted into points, which can be accumulated and redeemed for an exchange vacation. Unused points can be carried forward to the next year and additional points can be borrowed from next year’s allocation. These points can even be used to buy air tickets, car hire, theme park tickets and more through various Points Partners associated with RCI.

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RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), has introduced the RCI Points program through Cambay Family Holidays Club, part of Neesa Leisure Ltd. With the launch of RCI Points in India, timeshare owners will be offered an enhanced trading system that gives RCI Points members greater flexibility in resort and travel exchange.

The RCI Points membership provides ultimate vacation flexibility, variety and complete utilization of the timeshare ownership. It allows an owner to purchase a week at a resort and then deposit it into the program for points. The traditional “week” is converted into points, which can be accumulated and redeemed for an exchange vacation. Unused points can be carried forward to the next year and additional points can be borrowed from next year’s allocation. These points can even be used to buy air tickets, car hire, theme park tickets and more through various Points Partners associated with RCI.

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“More than a great new look, the site offers a stream of fresh content and fantastic functionality,” said Jonathan Back, Managing Director, RCI EMEAI. “Easy site navigation and exciting interactive features, such as regular podcasts from the ‘Ventures Visionaries’ industry leaders, make the site both educational and entertaining.”

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Christopher Allen, Director, commented “This is an exciting decision for Citadel and we firmly believe that the event will provide us with the ideal platform from which we can launch our bespoke services in the region. Citadel already has many years of experience in Europe, Asia and the Far East, so we see it as a natural progression for us to now look towards the Middle East and the business opportunities it can offer”.

Piers Brown, founder of event organizer Fractional Life, said: “We´re delighted to have Citadel on board for our first event in the Middle East. This sponsorship demonstrates Citadel’s true foresight and commitment to growing the shared ownership marketplace and we look forward to welcoming delegates and sponsors from around the world to network and discover the opportunities in this exciting region”.

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Since its official launch last month, the publisher has announced confirmation for distribution and use at resorts in Mexico, Thailand, India, Bali, United Kingdom and soon plans to announce a number of confirmed contracts in Florida, Canada and Australia. These developer orientated special editions are backed by the credibility of the world’s largest independent publication for shared ownership products that is available to the general public and is exciting and motivating sales teams as it continues to be implemented in more and more resorts around the globe.

“We are so pleased with being able to provide another unique product to help increase sales and customer retention, and the rapid success of our Resort Developer Package is testament again to the quality of our work” says Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International Ltd.

With an incredibly versatile suite of options, developers can choose some or all of the features provided within the package to create the perfect fit for their operation(s) and orders can be placed with no long term commitment enabling resorts to quickly integrate at low cost.

For more information on Owners Perspective Magazine’s Resort Developer Options please request an information pack by emailing advertising@perspectiveinternational.com

Owners Perspective Magazine can be freely read online at http://www.ownersperspective.com

Sheraton Guest Satisfaction Scores Hit New Historic Highs as Starwood Hotels’ Largest Brand Completes $6 Billion Revitalization Effort

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today that its global powerhouse, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, will continue to enhance its portfolio by removing eight additional hotels later this year that do not meet the brand’s new upgraded standards. This will be the final group of “brand detractors” Sheraton will remove as it completes its $6 billion revitalization effort. These hotels are in addition to the 36 “off brand” properties Sheraton has already removed to improve its quality and consistency of the brand, and reflect a significantly enhanced guest experience. As Sheraton removes “off brand” hotels it is increasing its worldwide footprint through a strategic, $5 billion expansion that will add approximately 50 new hotels and more than 20,000 rooms to its global portfolio over the next three years.

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Hutchinson & Co Trust Company has unparalleled experience in operating not only in the EEC member states, but also Eastern Europe, Asia and the Far East, where the company was the pioneer of adapting the conventional trust system to operate within the constraints of these once-closed economies. Still a leading trust company in these regions – with offices in India, Thailand and China – Hutchinson’s continues its commitment to service and security worldwide.

Hutchinson has long been an active advocate of good practice in the industry. He was one of the founding board members of the Organization for Timeshare in Europe (OTE) and held a key position on OTE’s ethics council. Perspective Magazine Editor Matt McDaniel recently had a chat with Hutchinson, who also is an avid marathoner and was gearing up to run both the Boston and London marathons in the following two weeks.

Peter, tell me how your company started.
It’s an interesting story, actually. I had just been made redundant, and I’d rung my wife and she’d already started planning all the decorating that I would be doing. As I was clearing my desk I got a call from an ex-colleague who I hadn’t spoken to for over a year; he said he was thinking of starting up a timeshare operation and asked if I would help out.

I replied that I had all the spare time that he could possibly need. So we started going into things a bit further and he said he wanted me to start the following week. I asked how much they were going to contribute to the office costs and he said, “Nothing!” So I asked how much they were going to pay me, and he said that while there wouldn’t be any retainer, they would pay me £50 for each deal. So I said, “OK, but how many deals are you going to complete?” He said that it could be a couple a month– or it could be up to 20 a week. So I said, “Well that’s not a great deal of help, but if you like, I’m quite prepared to give it a go because I’ve got absolutely nothing else to do – except decorating.” So I started an office in my study in my home (I wasn’t prepared to risk opening an office anywhere else, and certainly we didn’t have time to do that anyways). I sat on a swivel chair, the desk in front of me, a bookcase behind me, a secondhand photocopier on my right and an old clattery telex machine on my left – and I could touch them all without standing up.

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If you’re running a marathon, you probably wouldn’t buy your running shoes at Wal-Mart – you’d buy them at a running-shoe store, states Eric Martin.

“A large hotel-supply company offers housewares, but may not really know or understand the housewares category,” says Martin, vice president and sales for Lodging Kit Company, a leading housewares supplier to the lodging industry since 1989. “A company may know china and silverware, for example, but not know can openers and four-slice toasters. When timeshare companies are looking at housewares, I always encourage them to work with housewares companies – we know the products best.”

But what really could go wrong? What’s the big deal?

Pattern guarantees, for one. “A lot of the large suppliers will buy products that don’t necessarily have a pattern guarantee. If a company opens up a new resort and they choose a particular pattern of china, if that pattern’s no longer available in eight months then they’re in a lot of trouble because they can’t match it,” Martin explains. So resorts are forced either to have mismatched housewares or – and this is where it gets expensive – to have to swap out entire sets at a time. “We can guarantee that won’t happen,” says Martin. “The smaller companies know the industry and what’s coming and going and what’s staying.” He says smaller companies like his specialize in knowing and understanding housewares products and how specific products perform within the shared-ownership industry.

But it takes more than just knowledge to be able to guarantee a china pattern. Short of profoundly overstocking every possible item in scores of huge warehouses, you have to be a manufacturer. In essence Lodging Kit Company is a manufacturer. His company isn’t simply ordering from someone else’s warehouse inventory. “We place our orders directly with the factories in Asia,” Martin says. “They produce it as we order it. We’re a direct importer of several product lines from China, Vietnam and India. That’s how we can offer pattern guarantees.”

But while Lodging Kit Company purposely selects to have a narrow product focus, when it comes to distribution, they cut a wide swath. The company has three distribution centers, two of which are located in timeshare hotspots of Central Florida and Las Vegas. While Lodging Kit Company has clients around the world, the three distribution centers allow speedy and cost-effective shipping to locations across North America –as far out as Hawaii and beyond – as well as into the Caribbean.

About half of the company’s business is with hotels and half is with shared-ownership resorts, including fractional resorts and private residence clubs.

The Kit Concept
“The word kit is in our company name and we are a packaging company as much as we are a distributor of housewares,” says Martin, explaining that the company specializes in pre-packaged, “condo inside a box” concepts.

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John Spence:
I feel a sense of achievement. However, I also believe in the philosophy of “keeping it simple.” For me the simple fact is that we are a sales driven company. It is our ability to sell day in and day out which has enabled us to be where we are today.

Is this a mission statement?
Most definitely. Our mission statement is “We Create”:
• We create products which people enjoy.
• We create sales and profit.
• We create customer satisfaction.

Where is Karma Royal Group today?
We are expanding. My favorite quote is the Warren Buffet saying “when people are greedy be fearful and when people are fearful be greedy.”

I see the current climate being good for the group. We can acquire assets at realistic prices. We are presently reviewing land and resort and sales and marketing opportunities in Bahamas, Canada, Philippines, Croatia and Sri Lanka.

I am in a mood for expansion. Greedy.

Where did all start?
As a sales rep in Tenerife for Global Group. I started in 1985 at Sunset Bay in Tenerife. I worked my way up within Global.

What did you learn in those early years?
Probably the need for ethics above all else. Ethics and integrity have been the cornerstone of my timeshare career. I was very disappointed at the direction the industry took in those days. Particularly the “big sale” scam. While I was in charge of Global I never allowed the sales department to take us down that route.

You became something of a leading figure in European timeshare. You were vice president of Global – the largest and most successful timeshare company in Europe. And yet in 1993 you gave it all up. Why?
Two reasons really. First – although I was instrumental in building Global and its value I had no equity, no shares, options, etc. and I was discouraged by that. A lesson I have learned in business is that the strongest motivating factor of all is personal enrichment. Hence in KRG I have not made the same mistake.

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Initially, Hutchinson’s acted as Collection Agent for resorts in Portugal and Malta. However, the company soon realized the huge potential that the industry offered to professionals prepared to marry their expertise and integrity to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the emerging sales and marketing entrepreneurs. In 1990, Peter Hutchinson, Group Chairman, took the key decision to take the company to the next level and as a result, Hutchinson & Co Trust Company Limited was formed.

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A five-hour drive from Delhi on the foothills of the Himalayas, The Solluna Resort is spread over 25 acres of lush green along the banks of the Ramganga River. Nestled within the National Park, the resort offers visitors tranquility and an opportunity to enjoy the natural surroundings. The resort also offers opportunities for adventure including river rafting, fishing, open-top jeep rides, elephant safaris, horseback riding, wildlife tours and cultural activities such as folk dances and evening bonfires.

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announces the opening of The Westin Pune Koregaon Park – the first of six new Westin Hotels to open in India over the next three years and the brand’s 25th Hotel in Asia Pacific. The hotel is illustrative of Starwood’s overall growth in India with 24 existing hotels and plans to grow its footprint by 60 percent by 2012.

“As home to the world’s fastest growing population, India represents a significant opportunity for Starwood and our development partners,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

India makes up 21 percent of the world’s incremental growth, and by 2016, its population is expected to be larger than that of Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the United States combined.

“Coinciding with its population boom is the rise of India’s middle class, which is driving domestic tourism growth. In this decade, disposable income in India has grown about 10 percent annually, and much of that is being spent on travel,” added van Paasschen. “By working to further establish relationships with travelers in this critical, high-growth market today, we are ensuring the success of Starwood tomorrow.”

In 2009, Starwood made meaningful gains in India with the debut of the Four Points by Sheraton brand in Mumbai and Jaipur.  And looking ahead to 2010, Starwood will launch its Aloft brand in India, opening the first three of its six hotels in the pipeline.

“India’s dynamic and resilient economy makes it a highly attractive choice for further hotel development,” said Miguel Ko, Chairman and President of Starwood Asia Pacific.  “India has a strong GDP growth rate, an established role as global hub for the outsourcing industry and the infrastructure to support travel to and within the country.  And with our plans to grow our footprint by 60 percent in the next three years, Starwood is well positioned to meet the pent-up demand for our lifestyle brands throughout India.”

While India is a growth powerhouse in and of itself, when combined with China, the implications for Starwood are even farther reaching.

“The potential numbers of new international travelers from India and China are staggering,” said Simon Turner, President of Global Development for Starwood.  “When you take a look at India and China, you have 40 percent of the world’s population, and between them, they are averaging 8 percent growth in GDP. Furthermore, by 2015, 400 million Chinese and Indians will have sufficient incomes to travel abroad – as a point of perspective that is seven times the number of international travelers who visited the United States last year.”

Westin Brand Fueling Growth in India
The opening of The Westin Pune Koregaon Park is the second Westin in India and follows The Westin Sohna Gurgaon Resort and Spa that opened in December 2007.

“These six new brand enhancing hotels will provide guests with the signature Westin experience they have come to expect at our 163 existing Hotels around the world,” said Don Elliot, Regional Vice President for Starwood’s India, Bangladesh and the Maldives region. “We look forward to continuing to grow throughout India and beyond to help ensure that Westin hotels are everywhere our guests want to be.”

The Westin Pune Koregaon Park
The Westin Pune Koregaon Park will offer 277 guest rooms and suites as well as the Westin Executive Club where guests have access to an open-air terrace. There are seven meeting rooms and one ballroom with 11,302 square feet of meeting and function space with state-of-the-art facilities. The hotel features three restaurants including Seasonal Tastes, the all-day dining restaurant, and two specialty restaurant offering Italian and Indian cuisine. The hotel also features a WestinWORKOUT® fitness centre, an outdoor pool and the Heavenly Spa by Westin™.

The Westin Mumbai Garden City
The 269 room Westin Mumbai Garden City is located on the Western Express Highway, minutes from the Mumbai International Airport and the Film City. Overlooking the Goregaon Reserve, it provides a renewed perspective for business as well as leisure. The hotel features Westin’s signature Heavenly Spa®, WestinWORKOUT® fitness centre and an outdoor pool. It has many distinctive culinary experiences, including an all-day- dining, Seasonal Tastes, a lounge bar, a poolside bar and restaurant, an Indian specialty restaurant and an Italian restaurant. With more than 9,688 square feet of refined meeting and function space and nine meeting rooms, the hotel provides for flexibility and choice with state-of-the-art facilities.

The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace
The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace is located in Raheja Mindspace IT Park, which is the new central business district also known as “Cyberabad” or “Silicon Valley” of India. The hotel features 428 guest rooms and suites, with three restaurants – “Taste” offering all-day-dining and the other two specialty restaurants offering Indian and Italian cuisines. There is also a deli featuring Daily Treats and an on-site lounge and bar. Along with WestinWORKOUT® fitness centre, outdoor pool and Heavenly Spa by Westin™, there is also a 14,000 square feet of refined space for energized meetings, conferences, weddings or gala social events.

The Westin New Delhi, Gurgaon
The Westin New Delhi, Gurgaon Hotel will feature 311 rooms, five restaurants, 17,500 square feet of meeting space, a 16,000 square foot health and spa centre, as well as upscale retail outlets. Located strategically in Gurgaon, the emerging central business district of New Delhi, the hotel will provide travellers easy access to key convention and commercial offices.

The Westin Jaipur Infotech City
The Westin Jaipur Infotech City is located in the capital of Rajasthan – one of India’s most beautiful and popular destinations.  The hotel is part of the 320 hectare Vatika Infotech City development, featuring a retail mall, residential area, I.T. park and recreation centre. The hotel features 292 inviting guest rooms or villa suites, a full service business centre, wireless internet in all meeting rooms and public areas, nine flexible function rooms and more than 19,000 square feet of meetings space.

The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat
The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat is located in the capital of West Bengal, less than a kilometer from the proposed International Convention Centre. The 314-room hotel will feature three signature restaurants, an all-day-dining venue, and lounge bar and sports bar. The hotel will also feature over 6,500 square feet of meeting space and WestinWORKOUT® fitness centre.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 982 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM.  Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® (NYSE:HOT) and its new destination sensation brand, Aloft® Hotels, today announce the opening of Aloft Abu Dhabi, the first Aloft to open in the Middle East and the second Aloft to open outside of North America.

Ten years after Starwood Hotels & Resorts shook up the hotel industry with the launch of W Hotels, the innovative hotel giant has again reinvented hotel design with the debut of its newest brand, Aloft Hotels. Featuring loft-like guest rooms, a buzzing bar scene in the open lobby, an urban-inspired grab-and go café and industrial design elements throughout, Aloft delivers urban-influenced, modern and vibrant design and an energetic guest experience at an affordable price point.

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RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced five new resort affiliations in highly sought-after destinations across India.

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