Perspective Forums: Timeshare and Fractional Ownership Social Networking

In 1984, Marriott became the first branded hospitality company by nearly a decade to enter the timeshare industry with the acquisition of American Resorts and its premier Marriott’s Monarch at Sea Pines resort on Hilton Head Island. And on June 21, 2010, Marriott Vacation Club made perhaps the company’s biggest announcement ever

For luxury property providers and developers, targeting investors from overseas is vital. In the past twelve months, 45% of £2 million and above property purchases in the UK have been going to non-UK buyers and 60% in London.

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.

When traveling to popular beach destinations in Mexico, such as the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos, return visitors often switch their commonplace style hotel stay to a more permanent investment, such as that offered by long term vacation ownership plans

Although Costa Rica has been the real estate darling of Central America for the few years, Roatán, a bay island off the
coast of Honduras, could be shaping up to usurp its place. “Honduras, and Roatán in particular, should become, if not the next big thing, at a minimum one of the big things in Central America,” says Gustavo de la Serna, Resort Condominium International’s business development director for Central America.

RCI Asia Leisure Real Estate Symposium was a resounding success with a great turnout/attendance from leisure real
estate owners and developers, senior executives and decision makers in the hospitality and leisure real estate industries in Asia. “The BIG Reveal” Symposium was held over two days, April 22-23, at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore.

With competition for customer loyalty at an all-time high, it takes more than a chocolate on the pillow to woo a hotel guest these days, as Fiona Klonarides reports

The 10th Annual Ragatz Associates Fractional Interest Conference was held at the Fairmont San Francisco, March
29th through March 31st, 2010. The event was co-hosted by the Registry Collection. The conference covered just about every area pertinent to fractionals, including feasibility, design, financing, legal issues, marketing, sales, management, exchange and implementation.

Newly formed company under the helm of John MacDonald and Darren Davies has plenty of real-world experience, and new endeavors with both Dreamplace and Puerto Calma benefit from it.

Francis Taylor, CEO of Dial An Exchange International, has a diverse background in customer relations and service, corporate administration, and has also been a small business operator under an international franchise name. After gaining several years’ experience in the timeshare industry, Francis joined with Marc Chouinard to establish Dial An Exchange in Australia, and then expanded the business and opened offices in New Zealand, Europe and North America.

At the South American Shared Ownership Investment Conference (SASOIC) 2010 held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 31 through June 1, Luxury Leisure Properties International (LLPI) presented a market analysis, sponsored by RCI
Latin America, on the shared-ownership industry in Brazil.

High owner satisfaction rates, longevity and product innovation are three keys to timeshare success. Despite a challenging year for the travel and holiday industries overall, the shared ownership sector has held up comparatively well. Fiona Klonarides reports on green shoots and good news…