CRDA Has New Partner to Produce Vacation Ownership Conference

CRDA Has New Partner to Produce Vacation Ownership Conference

Canadian-Resort-Development-Association-Vacation-Ownership-conference
Canadian Resort Development Association Vacation Ownership conference to take on new dimensions with Big Picture Conferences

The Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA) is partnering with Big Picture Conferences to produce VO-CON. VO-CON will be the largest and leading vacation ownership conference in Canada and the only Canadian event truly focused on resort development and timeshares. Orie Berlasso, Conference Producer says, “Big Picture Conferences events have become the ‘must attend’ annual events in their respective categories. Adding VO-CON to the line-up is a natural evolution of our mandate.”

Scheduled for October 22-24 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Vancouver, VO-CON will commence with an opening reception, followed by educational and networking sessions on the second day. With a focus on all aspects of the timeshare industry, VO-CON will look at every sector of vacation ownership, fractional and shared ownership.

Focused on “the business of vacations” the CRDA Vacation Ownership conference will feature networking sessions and trending information, while attracting timeshare resort development, vacation exchange, shared-ownership sales and marketing, hospitality management, design, finance and legal professionals. Jon Zwickel, President and CEO of CRDA explains, “The industry spoke and we listened, keeping true to our mandate of producing an event that is relevant with topics that are timely.”

In conjunction with CRDA’s VO-CON starting on Western Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference starting on October 23. The Western Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference.is designed for hospitality executives and those involved in resort and hotel real estate.

Since 2007, Big Picture Conferences has produced over 28 events within the Canadian Hospitality Industry including the Hotel Association of Canada’s Annual ConferenceCanadian Tourism Marketing SummitCanadian Hotel Investment ConferenceCanadian Restaurant Investment SummitWestern Canadian Hotel and Resort Investment Conference and now CRDA’s VO-CON.

You Pick: a California Timeshare, Hawaii, or Canada Timeshare for Your Next Vacation

You Pick: a California Timeshare, Hawaii, or Canada Timeshare for Your Next Vacation

Explore Channel Island National Park during your California timeshare vacation.
Explore Channel Island National Park during your California timeshare vacation.

Earlier this week we blogged about how timeshare resort management group, Grand Pacific Resort Management, is expanding (see: Grand Pacific Resort Management Adds 3 Timeshare Properties). Now let’s take a closer look as the new properties added, which include another California timeshare for the GPRM managed family of  resort properties, along with a Hawaii timeshare resort, and a Canadian timeshare property.

More on the 3 New GPRM Managed Resorts:

  • Channel Island Shores in Oxnard is a California timeshare resort, located in Ventura County, and is widely recognized as a surfing hot-spot with its unique, south-facing waterfront and surf breaks. Only a short, one-block walk to the beach, this resort makes it easy to enjoy water sports but many Channel Island Shores owners and guests also love it because it is  so conveniently located for exploring nearby Santa Barbara, Magic Mountain, Los Angeles, and  Channel Island National Park.
  • Hawaii timeshare, Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville, Hawaii, provides an island paradise for timeshare owners and guests there. Whether you are enjoying the surf and sand of Hanalei Bay Beach, golfing at Prince Golf Course, or savoring the traditional foods and festivities of the islands, this resort is a true vacation getaway.
  • Canadian timeshare, Banff Gate Mountain Resort in Alberta, Canada is the second GPRM managed resort in Canada; the first Canadian timeshare managed by the company being  Panorama Vacation Retreat at Horsethief Lodge, near Calgary. Banff Gate Mountain Resort is a Canadian timeshare tucked away in the tall pines of Pigeon Mountain and located at the Lougheed and Windtower Mountains. Offering 46 chalets, Banff Gate Mountain Resort is a year-round vacation destination offering winter sports and the outdoor activities of Lake Louise and Banff National Park.

As David Brown, Co-President of Grand Pacific Resorts, says, “The location and the quality of these resort destinations are all quite special in their own right. These vacation spots are now available to our owners and provides them the opportunity to visit other terrific locations that make up our growing timeshare family,”

Nigel Lobo, COO of GPRM, adds, “We are proud to be managing an eclectic and accessible group of timeshares, from oceanfront resorts to the mountains, with many options in between. Working with Homeowner Associations (HOAs) who need our expertise, we are able to provide strong owner engagement, excellent rental results and many opportunities to use their timeshare including helping them maximize exchange options to our 60,000 owner families throughout our family of managed resorts. With our award-winning service levels and passion for innovation, GPRM brings scores of new benefits to the owners of these properties. We are looking forward to making a difference in their vacations as well as bringing outstanding value to their ownership.”

Hawaii Timeshare Among 3 Resorts Added by Grand Pacific Resort Management

Hawaii Timeshare Among 3 Resorts Added by Grand Pacific Resort Management

Hanalei Bay Resort Hawaii timeshare
Hanalei Bay Resort Hawaii timeshare

Declaring that as a timeshare and vacation ownership resort management company it is no longer the “best kept secret” in timeshare management, Grand Pacific Resort Management announces  the addition of 3 new resort properties. The new resorts include Canada, California and Hawaii timeshare.

The company, based in Carlsbad, California, is now responsible for the management of:

Grand Pacific Resort Management is one of the oldest and largest vacation ownership companies based in California. The addition of Canada, California, and Hawaii timeshare resorts were a direct response to the timeshare owners and exchangers who have recommended Grand Pacific Resort Management to their HOA Boards.

Nigel Lobo, Chief Operating Officer of GPRM, explains, “Our new management contracts have come to us primarily from referrals. Since we consistently provide memorable vacations to all of our Owners, Exchangers and Guests, we are getting to be highly regarded as an excellent provider of resort management services. Those who experience our unique Service Culture, what we call our ‘secret sauce,’ find themselves suggesting our services to timeshare HOAs at resorts where they also own.”

Lobo adds, “We are honored by their confidence in us, and we will continue to perform with the highest standards in all areas of resort operations.”

Grand Pacific Resort Management  services more than 60,000 timeshare owner-families each year and manages 18 resorts and over 1,300 units in the United States (including Hawaii timeshare) and Canada.

Whistler Vacation Club Upgrades with SPI Software

Whistler Vacation Club Upgrades with SPI Software

Whistler Vacation Club at Twin Peaks
Whistler Vacation Club at Twin Peaks

The beautiful Whistler Vacation Club timeshares, located in British Columbia, Canada, have upgraded its systems with SPI Software.

Marlene Scott, Whistler Vacation Club’s Executive Director/General Manager, says, “SPI is our daily ‘go-to’ for all member information, reservations, reservation history, financial transactions, inventory management, inventory ceding, industry partner inventory allocation and all in real time. Reservation confirmation letters are generated from SPI, pre-arrival letters and check-in information are ready at the front desk at check-in time.

Clearly Whistler Vacation Club timeshare owners and guests benefit from the resort’s use of the efficient, responsive software systems, which is bound to make vacationing at either the Whistler Vacation Club Twin Peaks Resort or its Lake Placid Resort easier to book and enjoy than ever. But the benefits of using SPI’s proprietary Owner Connect application, go beyond the user experience that timeshare owners perceive firsthand. As Marlene Scott explains, “On the management side, we rely on SPI’s system to generate Revenue Reports to set our annual budgets and to handle the billing of annual maintenance dues for each member to be emailed (we’re a paperless club). SPI allows us to generate Quarterly Occupancy Reports, which are a valuable tool in determining our occupancy rate and measuring our rental performance. Our accounting department utilizes the Transaction Reports to ensure our member financial information is accurate. SPI allows ‘real time’ access to owner information and an online presence allowing owners to conduct business when it suits them, not just when our office doors are open.”

Marlene adds, “By moving in this direction, we will have improved our efficiency from a five-step, manual process to our members facilitating the entire transaction themselves. Our team can now focus on ways to improve the member’s experience, resulting in higher retention and lower bad debt. The net result equals happy members/owners!”

In addition to the easy, seamless online interface that makes happy owners at Whistler Vacation Club, (Twin Peaks and Lake Placid)  each of the two year-round resorts offer spacious two-bedroom, two-bathroom (approx. 1000 sq. ft.) condos with fully-equipped kitchens, full-sized washer/dryers, secure heated underground parking, complimentary HD cable and Wi-Fi Internet.