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This year, four Hilton Head Island timeshare resorts will be added to the prestigious list of RCI Gold Crown resorts. The resorts, known as The Coral Resorts group, include the Coral Reef Resort, Island Links Resort, Coral Sands Resort, and Port O’ Call Shipyard Plantation.

As the highest honor from the world’s largest exchange company, this award is not given casually. Gold Crown Awards are given through a 12 month observation period based upon a series of ratings. The rating categories include resort quality, guest evaluations, customer services, amenities, and overall experience.

President of RCI Gordon Gurnik shared, “RCI presents this award in recognition of your superior resort facilities and services. RCI commends you and your staff for your extraordinary commitment to quality and service in exceeding the vacation expectations of owners and members.”.

The Coral Resorts group is honored and excited to receive the Gold Crown Award, one of the highest honors in the timeshare industry.

A representative of The Coral Resorts, Dean Pierce responded, “This award is a testament to the exceptional vacation experiences our guests consistently experience at each one of these properties, […] By extension, it reflects the whole Hilton Head service-ethic, which extends to our vendor partners who rent bikes and paddle boats, our wonderful island’s restaurateurs and so many other people who work hard every day to ensure the quality of our guests’ experience. We are grateful for the recognition.”.

About RCI Gold Crown Resort Award

The Gold Crown Award is the highest honor available from RCI, the world’s largest timeshare exchange company. RCI Gold Crown timeshares have exceeded expectations in many categories, and are viewed to be the highest quality in the company’s resort network.

When trading vacation time through RCI, a Gold Crown Resort will typically hold the highest trading power. RCI also provides a Silver Crown Resort Award and the RCI Hospitality Award. Currently RCI offers over 4,000 timeshare resorts within their exchange network.

Yesterday, Marriott Vacation Club held the “We Care for Our Coastline” philanthropy event at the Marriott Barony Beach Club in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Through Marriott’s partnership with South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Adopt A Beach program, the event was dedicated to coastline conservation and cause awareness.

Coastline preservation is an active concern to many members of the community, as more than 40 groups were in attendance. These groups included community and business leaders, local officials, school groups, and more. Speeches given at the event focused on the importance of involving the community and local businesses to help service groups preserve the coastline of Hilton Head Island.

Guest speakers included Steve Riley, the Town Manager for the Town of Hilton Head and Bill Miles, president and CEO of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

Marriott Vacation Club also spoke at the event and announced that they have adopted 3 miles of Hilton Head coastline. This is in addition to their previous adoption of 3 miles, with their total contribution now just over 6 miles of beaches and inlets covering almost 50% of Hilton Head’s 15 miles of coastline.

Marriott’s leaders urged community members to participate in their effort by adopting sections of the remaining 9 miles of coastline.

Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Ed Kinney states, “As Marriott Vacation Club approaches its 30th anniversary, Hilton Head Island was our first destination and from the very beginning we have been committed to a culture of caring for our communities through involvement in many impactful programs. […] Hilton Head Island is well-known for its pristine beaches and as one of the largest employers on the island, Marriott Vacation Club provides opportunities to continue making a lasting impact in many areas and caring for our coastline through the South Carolina Adopt A Beach program is a great fit and something we’ve been doing informally for many years,”.

The South Carolina Adopt A Beach organization also encourages the community and its businesses to follow Marriott’s lead. Hilton Head Island’s coastline and beaches are currently available for adoption in one-mile increments. In order to adopt a mile of beach, the organization must commit to cleaning the beach at least 2 times a year for 3 years and keep a log of the cleanings though an online reporting system. Beach clean-ups help remove garbage and debris that would have otherwise traveled into the ocean, potentially harming ocean wildlife and plants.

Marriott Vacation Club’s timeshare resorts have lead up to 4 beach clean-ups per year since 2010. These beach “sweeps” are thanks to the efforts of 251 Marriott employees’ 295+ hours of clean-up.

Both Marriott and the Adopt A Beach program feel that educational events such as “We Care for our Coastline” will help create awareness for this program and the cause.

Director of Coastal Services at DHEC’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, Dan Burger commented, “Like all coastal states, South Carolina needs to balance the promotion, access and use of its beaches with environmental stewardship, outreach and education, […] Hilton Head Island has a long history and strong reputation for environmental stewardship, and the beaches here are some of the finest in the state and country. However, even the best beaches need a little extra care and that is where our Adopt A Beach partners play an important role.”.

To learn how you can get involved or donate to the South Carolina Adopt A Beach organization, visit https://www.scdhec.gov/environment/ocrm/adopt-a-beach.htm or contact the Adopt A Beach coordinator Sarah Latshaw at [email protected] .

Wyndham Worldwide has won The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Award for 2013. The TOBY Awards are provided to companies that show outstanding success in a variety of categories including office management, efficiency in operations, emergency preparation, resident relations, and community involvement.

The global hospitality and vacation ownership company was honored in the Corporate Facility segment and also received the honor of Grand Building of the Year Award, a top prize across all categories.

Wyndham Worldwide attributes their first ever TOBY award to teamwork and dedication.

Frank Campana, Senior VP Corporate Real Estate and Facilities at Wyndham Worldwide, commented, “A tremendous amount of thoughtful planning goes into the operation of our headquarters building. We consider everything when it comes to associate productivity, […] this latest achievement and success of our management operation is rooted in the team approach, and is accomplished through hard work, collaboration and passion.”

The corporate building, located in Parsippany, New Jersey, is the only building in the state to ever earn double LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) designations. Wyndham received LEED honors for Operations and Maintenance in both the Existing Building and Corporate Interiors categories. Wyndham planned to be energy efficient from the start, incorporating energy saving materials and practices throughout construction. These steps have effectively decreased their greenhouse gas emissions by 1,667 tons.

The building’s Energy Star rating is currently monitored by EPA’s Energy Star tool, and sits at an incredible 90/100. This makes Wyndham Worldwide’s headquarters one of the top 10 most efficient buildings in the country.

“At Wyndham Worldwide, we’re committed to exploring and implementing innovative environmental practices, not only for our hospitality portfolio, but also for our corporate offices. It’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons, and when we break it down, it ultimately always makes financial sense,” says Carolyn Mesce, VP Facilities and Office Services of Wyndham Worldwide.

To encourage its employees to reduce their impact on the environment, Wyndham offers VIP parking to those who carpool. Those who commute through mass transportation can even use Wyndham’s free shuttle to and from the local train station every day. To thank employees for going above and beyond, Wyndham provides its staff with fantastic amenities such as: an on-site Starbucks, cafeteria, a grocery delivery program, prescription delivery, and more.

For more information about the TOBY awards, click here.

The luxury resort company, Blue Residences has announced plans to open a new vacation ownership resort in Aruba. The resort will open on March 1st, 2014 and will be located on the coastline of Aruba’s famous Eagle Beach.

Blue Residences will offer 3 luxury towers scheduled to open in sequence. The first tower, opening March 1st, features 42 units for sale: two 5-bedroom penthouses, four 3-bedroom penthouses, twelve 3-bedroom units, and twenty four 2-bedrooms. Representatives expect that the second tower will open in May 2014 and the third in January 2015.

The units will be outfitted in ultra – modern furnishings and luxury décor. All condos will feature multiple bedrooms, a dining room, living room, full kitchen and private terrace. Units on the ground floor will even feature private outdoor Jacuzzis. Most units will feature vaulted ceilings, unobstructed ocean views, and the latest technology.

President of Icon Hotel Marketing Herber Valkenberg says, “This is the first luxury resort to open on Eagle Beach in the past 20 years and we are excited about the prospect of promoting this to both loyal Aruba vacationers as well as those considering a second home or shared ownership on the popular island, […] Blue represents a unique whole ownership opportunity for the condo-oriented family, as it is one of the few beachfront properties left in Aruba and the only new property targeting the affluent traveler.”

Owners will also enjoy the use of a private beach, poolside butler and concierge services while staying at the resort. The resort amenities also include two infinity pools, a luxury spa, gym, lavish restaurant, bar, convenience store, and delicatessen. While staying at the resort, guests can also play at two nearby golf courses including one designed by Robert Trent Jones.

The resort is located less than five miles away from the capital of Aruba, Oranjestad. This unique village provides sophisticated shops & restaurants, while still embracing local culture. Throughout the year, parades, festivals, and music events allow visitors to experience a true taste of Aruba.

All towers are currently offering units for sale, as well as vacation rentals. For more information, please visit Blue Aruba’s Website.