The Orlando Sentinel has recognized Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort timeshare as one of the, “Top 100 Companies for Working Families.” To make this list, a company must score well in areas that include employee benefits packages, work environment, communication, family-related benefits to employees, and employee training.

Dan Carricato, senior vice president of Human Resources for Orange Lake Resorts timeshare, explains, “Family is the key word at Orange Lake…it’s who we are – as a company and individually. Our employees come to work every day to create great vacations for families, and in turn, we create a family-friendly workplace that engages them daily. We’ve been creating this culture for more than 28 years, and we’re ecstatic to have been selected as one of the Sentinel’s Top 100.”

Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare, you may recall, was created in 2008, by an alliance between Orange Lake Resorts and IHG, the corporation that owns Holiday Inn Resorts. The Orange Lake Resorts timeshare is a popular Orlando timeshare located near the Walt Disney World Resort and other theme park attractions of Central Florida. The resort features a lazy river and outstanding golf courses onsite. With nearly 2500 timeshare villas, expansion plans call for an additional 2000 timeshare units to be added.

Orange Lake Resort timeshare, the flagship property for Holiday Inn Club Vacations, is a family-owned company with over 2799 timeshare employees.

It’s July, and you know what that means, soaring temperatures in many parts of the country. And while beachside timeshares are definitely among the most popular, you don’t always have to visit an ocean to turn your timeshare vacation into something “really cool”. Consider vacationing at a timeshare that includes an on-property water park, where you and your family can relax, splash, slide, and swim without ever leaving the resort.

A few of the timeshares that now offer on-property or adjacent water parks include:

• Massanutten Resort in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, featuring The Pipeline for surfing; the Frog Pond for tiny swimmers; The Blue Ridge Rapids; Massanutten Meltdown (complete with water cannons); Avalanche Falls; Tube Slides; a hot springs, and more.
• Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Florida, with the 12-acre River Island water park, designed to appeal to all ages. The massive water park is lush with tropical scenery and offers a 1,200-foot lazy river-style pool and a 168-foot-long waterslide, as only a few of the ways you can beat the heat during your Florida timeshare vacation.
• Split Rock Resort & Golf Club in the Poconos of Pennsylvania, which includes a $23 million, 54,000 indoor water park along with a bowling alley and a theater.
• Wisconsin Dells timeshare, where you can enjoy over twenty indoor and outdoor water parks. Known as the Water Park Capital of the World, the Wisconsin Dells offers more than seventy acres of cool, clean, vacation fun.

And no timeshare resort with water park list would be complete without mentioning Disney’s newest venture currently under construction in Ko Olina, Hawaii, The Aulani Resort, which promises a salt water lagoon for snorkeling, water slides, and a lazy river.

It may be a long hot summer. Why melt down when you can splash down?

Brooke Doucha, senior manager of corporate communications at Orange Lake Resorts offered some very sound insights in an article that appeared last week in RCI Ventures (Alert! Alert! Positive timeshare positioning is just 5 steps away.)

Like all search engine optimization-savvy businesses, Holiday Inn Vacations monitors Google Alerts, to stay current on what is being said and written about their resorts and other aspects of timeshares. Brooke wisely points out that many of the negative comments about timeshares that appear in the media are based on perceptions, while comments based on experience with timeshares are generally positive. In other words, some of the criticism you hear of timeshare has more to do with perception than with reality. Timeshares are not the right vacation choice for everyone, yet year after year, industry research validates that roughly 86 percent of timeshare owners are highly satisfied with vacation ownership.

In the end, no matter what the cause, everyone in the timeshare industry—whether they are timeshare sellers, developers, management companies, marketing companies, timeshare brokers, timeshare resales, or timeshare rental companies—shares the responsibility for changing any poor image that people may have about timeshares. And the only way to do this is to conduct business in ways that are transparent and above reproach and then to keep sharing that message in every possible way.

As Brooke points out, listing five ways that the timeshare industry can foster positive impressions, “we can make a difference and overcome these impressions.” Be sure you read her article at www.RCIVentures.com

For the eighth year, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake will be the Central Florida host for what is considered to be the largest single-day, charity golf tournament in the world. Annually, the RCI Christel House Open is played at 19 golf tournament sites across five continents with more than 1800 golfers participating. One hundred percent of the charity tournament proceeds go to services that benefit the children of Christel House mission, a non-profit charity founded by Christel DeHaan, the co-founder of Resort Condominiums International (RCI).

You can be part of this golfing event at Orange Lake Resort, (scheduled for Monday, Jmailto:kchase@orangelake.com
une 7), playing the resort’s 18-hole, Arnold Palmer-designed course, a favorite with area golfers, vacationers, and a host of mini-tour events that compete there throughout the year. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. To learn more, contact Cathy Duncan, Manager of Corporate Events for Orange Lake Resorts timeshare, at cduncan@orangelake.com or call 407-905-1979. You can also select this outstanding course and timeshare resort as the site for your next golf outing or company tournament by contacting, Kimberly Chase, Assistant Director, Golf Sales & Marketing, at kchase@orangelake.com or by calling 407-905-1378.

Golf and Timeshares

In so many different ways, golf and timeshares always go together. In general, the quality of daily fee golf courses improves all the time as advances in agronomy and turf management make it easier to maintain high playability standards, even at public courses. This means you can stay in your timeshare, timeshare resale or timeshare rental and take advantage of playing many courses located near your vacation destination.

Other timeshares offer resort courses of exceptional quality. Often getting a tee time on these courses is challenging, requiring you to book months in advance—unless you are staying on property at that resort. Timeshare owners sometimes find they can get on the courses that other golfers only dream about playing.

I am not sure any of us are truly ready for human bed warmers, but apparently, Holiday Inn, UK, thinks maybe we are.

Introduced at Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum, Holiday Inn Manchester Central Park, and Holiday Inn Kingston South, hotel guests can, (during a trial period) reserve a human bed warmer to raise the temperature of their bed sheets. This service provides for a member of the human bed warmer team, dressed in an all-in-one-sleeper suit, to climb under your covers and pre-warm your bed using body heat.

Jane Bednall, spokesperson for Holiday Inn explains: “People want to leave the cold outside and climb into a warm bed. The new Holiday Inn bed warmers service is a bit like having a giant hot water bottle in your bed, warming it up before guests climb in to give them a great night’s sleep away from the cold. And of course they jump out before you jump in!”

I don’t know how I feel about this idea, but I do know there are some excellent cobranded Holiday Inn Orange Lake timeshare resorts in sunny Florida, where you could skip the need for this service all together.

Opportunities in Orange Lake Timeshare Resales and Rentals:

• Orange Lake’s West Village timeshare resales
• Orange Lake’s East Village timeshare resales
• Orange Lake’s North Village timeshare resales
• Orange Lake’s River Island timeshare resales

It has been just one year since Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare launched its cobranded resorts though an alliance between IHG and Orange Lake Resorts. And despite coming into the timeshare market at one of the most challenging times in the history of the industry, Holiday Inn timeshares/Orange Lake Resorts are a remarkable success.

The unique branding alliance between the two hospitality companies is structured so that Orange Lake Resorts, as a privately held company, continues to own and operate the timeshare resort properties. IHG comes into the timeshare sales industry to help market the properties, yet without the financial burden of a capital investment.

As Christian Hempell, vice president New Business Delivery, the Americas, IHG explained in an interview with Financial, “This is the tale of two systems coming together to create a better timeshare business model. The unique nature of the two-system alliance means that we at IHG can concentrate on promoting the timeshare resorts through the power of Priority Club Rewards and our world-class distribution channels.”

Here’s how Hempell explains the result of combining the two brands, “Orange Lake can capitalize on their 30 years of proven timeshare success in the top leisure market in the US, one of the strongest management teams in the timeshare industry, and their strong balance sheet with existing capital to invest in growth. By focusing on the strengths of publicly-traded IHG and privately-held Orange Lake Resorts, we’ve made Holiday Inn Club Vacations an industry success story.”

What’s Holiday Inn Timeshare Doing to Attract New Timeshare Owners?

A new call transfer system introduced by IHG has delivered approximately 1000 phone calls per day to Orange Lake timeshare resorts from Holiday Inn hotel guests who are interested in learning more about becoming timeshare owners. And in 2010, Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts expects an additional 5000 guests to tour Holiday Inn Club Vacation timeshares, all interested in buying timeshare and becoming new timeshare owners. Since the co-branding of Orange Lake Resorts timeshares and Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshares, Orange Lake Resorts has seen a fourteen percent increase in the number of timeshare tours.

And as Holiday Inn Timeshare Resorts and Orange Lake Resorts continue to thrive and grow, creating many satisfied new timeshare owners, they are also helping to anchor the timeshare industry, and are making powerful and positive contributions to the US economy. Orange Lake Resorts has hired 700 employees so far this year. Starting with one resort—Orange Lake timeshare—Holiday Inn timeshare resort properties have already expanded to include six timeshare properties across the US.

Don Harrill, president and CEO, Orange Lake Resorts, says, “It’s been an exciting year for us, and we’ve not even seen the full impact that we expect as a result of our alliance. Next year, we’ll welcome thousands more guests to our resort destinations who are being introduced to Holiday Inn Club Vacations—and for some, timeshare—for the very first time. We are proud to present a product that can enhance vacation lifestyles for more families, with a brand that’s known and trusted worldwide.”

Hat tip to IHG, Orange Lake Resorts, and all the visionaries that got this obviously successful venture going. What you’re doing is good for the timeshare industry, good for timeshare owners, and very good for the economy.

The Timeshare Authority posts on IHG and Holiday Inn timeshares:

• Holiday Inn Timeshares Not Slowing Down in this Economy
• Another Major Hotelier Entering the Timeshare Resort Industry
• Orange Lake Timeshare Resorts Expanding in Vermont
• New Look at Orange Lake Country Club Timeshare

Orange Lake Resort, a Four Corners, Florida timeshare resort (just outside of Orlando), is hiring for positions in marketing, operations, sales, and the corporate office. The jobs to be filled include administration, contracts, IT, telesales and telemarketing/call center representatives, timeshare sales consultants, OPC managers and consultants, collections, golf attendants, golf sales managers, maintenance managers, guest series representatives, groundskeepers and housekeeping.

With more than 60 timeshare positions open, the news is welcomed in the area where some Orlando timeshare resorts and timeshare sales offices were forced to cut back staff earlier this year. But it is also good news for the timeshare industry and is a tribute to Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshares, clearly a successful result of the branding agreement between IHG hoteliers and Orange Lake Resort that was initiated last September.

In a media release this past week, the company said, “Holiday Inn Club Vacations is more than a place to work. It’s an exciting community that fosters creativity and career growth. Valuing diversity and empowerment, their more than 2,700 team members represent more than 60 countries from around the world and are committed to delivering consistent, exceptional service.”

Additional job opportunities with Holiday Inn Club Vacations are expected at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Contact Carolyn Argo, 407-905-1456, to learn more.

Previous The Timeshare Authority blog posts about Orange Lake Resort and the Holiday Inn Club Vacations:

• Orange Lake Timeshare Calls it Operating in the Sweet Spot
• More Orange Lake Timeshare Resorts Join the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Brand
• Holiday Inn Timeshares Not Slowing Down in this Economy
• Another Major Hotelier Entering the Timeshare Resort Industry.

Source: The Orlando Business Journal

The Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List, published earlier this spring, revealed an interesting trend in Florida timeshares. Even though timeshare buyers and timeshare owners frequently identify a beachside location or beach access as a favorite feature, the top five Florida timeshares on the HOT 100 List, are all Orlando timeshare destinations—not Florida timeshare resorts at the beach. In fact, HOT timeshare property number 22, Marriott’s Ocean Pointe in Palm Beach Shores, Florida, is the highest-ranking beachside Florida timeshare on the list of timeshare properties receiving the greatest number of offers to buy or rent.

Florida Timeshare are Popular, but Orlando Timeshare Tops the List

The popularity of Orlando timeshare is easy to understand. Orlando timeshare resorts have so much to offer while still being only a short drive to both the Atlantic coast beaches at Cocoa Beach and Daytona, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches in the Tampa – St Petersburg area. When you vacation in Orlando timeshares, you enjoy a Florida timeshare resort at its best. The theme park fun starts with Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, along with many other parks and themed attractions. There are lakes for water sports of every type and swimming pools, water slides, and water parks all inviting you to splash, swim, or float way a sunny afternoon in the sparkling cool blue water. And if golf is your game, play a different championship course every day of the week when you vacation in an Orlando, Florida timeshare.

Top Five Orlando, Florida Timeshares on the HOT 100 Timeshare List

1. Orange Lake’s West Village timeshares.
2. Marriott’s Grande Vista timeshares.
3. Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Center timeshares.
4. Sheraton Vistana Resort timeshares.
5. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort timeshares.

Whether the economy is up or down, the best value in vacation accommodations is always timeshare resales and timeshare rentals. And year in, year out, Orlando, Florida timeshares are always on the list of favorite resort destinations.

Related information from The Timeshare Authority:

• Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals that Make the 2009 HOT 100 List
• A Closer Look at the HOT 100 List for Sell My Timeshare NOW, Timeshare Resales

The May issue of Perspective Magazine, carries an excellent article about Orange Lake Timeshares, pointing out that it is a steadily growing resort company despite the economy. This Orlando timeshare is located near Walt Disney World on roughly 2000 scenic acres that include four golf courses (good golf courses!), restaurants, pools, and retail shops.

What is particularly interesting about Orange Lake Country Club timeshare is their financial solidity. Don’t try to tell the management of this successful Orlando timeshare that there’s a recession going on. Not only are they not laying off timeshare employees, but Orange Lake timeshares has been hiring. Since 2004, Orange Lake timeshare’s staff has doubled to 2400 employees. In 2007, Orange Lake experienced a 20 percent increase in sales; in 2008, an additional 20 percent increase. Impressively, sales in the first two months of 2009 have outperformed sales during the same two months of 2008.

This Orlando Timeshare Has the Right Idea

But where does this kind of rock-solid business positioning come from? Here’s how President and CEO Don Harrill explains it, “To date, we’ve not been impacted by the credit freeze. Four years ago, (with) none of us knowing the credit squeeze was going to be at our door; part of the plan at the time was to engage our bankers.”

In a long-term plan that involved extensive due diligence; developing a technology platform; creating the legal structure; recruiting professionals with club experience; and expanding the resort network; Orange Lake Country Club timeshare resort mapped out their plan for growth and acquisition. It was a carefully laid plan with apparently the right balance of conservatism and aggressiveness.

“We laid out the performance metrics in excruciating detail and developed very strong local relationships with SunTrust and Wachovia. Our bankers have been on this journey with us for these four years, and they have seen played out everything we said we were going to do in managing and growing our business,” says Harrill. He adds that their bankers have celebrated with them in their successes and year-over-year increases.

But perhaps one of the most striking statements by Orange Lake Country Club timeshare’s head man is this, “We’re not a huge, billion-dollar company, but we operate in a sweet spot that is financeable by regional bankers.”

In a time when a great deal of public sentiment regarding businesses and corporations in America has shifted from support to suspicion, from respect to resentment, Orange Lake timeshares are sending a timeless business message. They aren’t in trouble now and they haven’t felt the bite of the tight economy simply because they didn’t try to overgrow their business or their market. They did the research and then carefully moved forward—basic business fundamentals that too many companies seem to have forgotten.

Congratulations Orange Lake timeshares on your growth and success! You represent the timeshare industry proudly and serve as a great example of what good business is really supposed to mean in this country.

We’ve looked at only a tiny part of Orange Lake timeshare’s impressive story, including their new branding alliance with Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, which we have discussed several times this past year, here on The Timeshare Authority.

Recent The Timeshare Authority blog posts about Orange Lake Country Club.

• Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals that Make the 2009 HOT 100 List
• Orange Lake Timeshare’s Alliance with Holiday Inn Timeshares is Good for the Economy in Many Ways
• Holiday Inn Timeshares Not Slowing Down in this Economy
• More Timeshare Resort Destinations for Holiday Inn Vacation Club Timeshares
• More Orange Lake Timeshare Resorts Join the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Brand

Last week, Sell My Timeshare NOW released the HOT 100 List for timeshare resales and timeshare rentals. Let’s take a closer look at some of the trends the report reveals, especially about the HOTTEST 10 timeshare resorts – those popular ten at the very top of the list.

For the second consecutive year, WorldMark by Wyndham timeshares rank number 1 in the number of offers received to buy or rent. These timeshares are multi-destination ownership, meaning that your WorldMark by Wyndham timeshare gives you a choice of nearly 60 luxurious timeshare resorts in the US (including Hawaii), Mexico, Canada, and Fiji.

Marriott timeshare (Marriott Vacation Club International) claimed four spots on the HOTTEST 10 list. Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club in Palm Beach, Aruba was number 2; Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas, Newport Coast, California was number 3; Marriott’s Grande Vista, Orlando, Florida was number 8; and Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Maui, Hawaii was number 9.

One of the few changes in the HOT 100 List, this year over last year, is that Marriott’s Grande Vista in Orlando is new to the HOTTEST 10, while Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club in Oahu, Hawaii, was number 10 on last year’s list but slipped to number 11 on this year’s list.

By geographic destination, Orlando timeshare dominated, including the Marriott property already mentioned, and two other popular Orlando timeshare resorts: Orange Lake’s West Village, which ranked number 6, and Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Centerdo, new to the list at number 10.

Rounding out the HOTTEST 10 timeshare resales are: the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, Hawaii, number 4 on the list, the Harborside Resort at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, number 5 on the list, and the always popular Manhattan Club, in New York City, moving up from last year’s number 9, to be number 7 on this year’s list.

For the ten resorts making the HOTTEST 10 List, Sell My Timeshare NOW received 23,317 offers to buy or rent in 2008.

Click here to view the entire HOT 100 List for Sell My Timeshare NOW timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

And if you are interested in comparisons, this link will take you to information about last year’s HOT 100 List: Sell My Timeshare NOW Releases HOT 100 List for 2008.