Interval International

Vacationing can be an important part of your healthier new routine says VacationBetter.org and the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), and the timeshare industry is working hard to make it easier to do.

A media release yesterday by VacationBetter.org points out that your resolve to live a healthier lifestyle doesn’t have to dwindle as the New Year transitions into a daily routine. A yearlong—or better still, lifelong—commitment to live a healthier life includes both downtime away from your daily grind and pressures and the opportunity to enjoy more healthful experiences during that vacation time.

David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing Americas for timeshare exchange company, Interval International, says, “Many of our clients’ properties in the Americas and the Caribbean have fitness centers and full-service spas, and those with restaurants are presenting healthier menu options.  This increased consciousness of wellness is reflected in Interval’s most recent U.S. member profile.  Reporting on their preferred vacation activities, nearly half of those surveyed include working out and exercising while close to 40 percent cite spa services.”

As Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA, explains, “Health and wellness amenities are growing in popularity among timeshare owners and resorts are now using these programs to attract new timeshare consumers unfamiliar that such vacation products exist.”

Read: TIMESHARE INDUSTRY SAYS WELLNESS TREND IS HERE TO STAY IN 2012

SellMyTimeshareNOW LLC and Timeshare Broker Services, part of Vacation Hotdeal Companies, Inc. have been named as a sponsor of GNEX 2012, Perspective Magazine’s second annual industry networking and awards event. GNEX 2012 – The Global Meeting of Minds, is scheduled for January 31- February 2 at the Ritz Carlton Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.

We are proud to be the Lunch Sponsor during Day Two of GNEX 2012 and to participate as shared ownership industry professionals come together to network and exchange ideas. With more than 35 industry representatives scheduled to speak, the event will generate new thoughts and lively debates of key industry issues.

A partial list of other sponsors of GNEX 2012 includes: Blue Strawberry Resorts,  Holiday Systems International, Sunset World Resorts, Resort Development Organisation (RDO), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Travel To Go, Interval International, Lloydshare, RCI, Customer Count, Emirates Vacation Club, First American Title Insurance Company, Merlin Software, The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), Women in the Industry (WIN), Christel House International as Charity of Choice, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.

For more information on GNEX 2012, visit: Perspective Magazine

Follow this link to read the complete Sell My Timeshare NOW media release.

Yesterday’s edition of The Timeshare Authority blog looked at Interval International, 35 Years of Serving Timeshare Owners Plus New Features All the Time, specifically at the program Club Interval Gold, launched last spring.

Today we explore Interval Platinum, the program Interval International considers is its most prestigious level of membership. If you missed yesterday’s post, you will probably want to read it too, to make it easier to compare these two elite levels of timeshare exchange that Interval International now offers.

Interval Platinum, More than Timeshare Exchange

Interval Platinum was developed for timeshare owners who want high-end travel experiences and very personalized attention. This membership level offers all of the benefits and services of Interval Gold membership plus many travel-related products, an expanded level of exchange and Getaway perks, and always, very personalized service.

While some Interval Platinum benefits may vary by geographic region, generally some of the most available and most popular include:

• Platinum Service, which affords members specially trained advisers to assist with their vacation planning.
• Complimentary Exchange and Getaway Guest Certificates making it easy to gift travel to friends or family.
• Getaway Discounts of an extra $50 off already reduced Getaway vacation rentals.
• Interval Options, making it easy to exchange timeshare intervals or points for golf, cruise and spa vacations.
• Special Rates on companion airline tickets when members book two round-trip tickets to participating cities.
• Membership in Hertz# 1 Club Gold.
• ShortStay Exchange for trading weeks or points for multiple stays of less than 7 nights.
• Priority Getaway Access, providing priority viewing and booking of Getaway vacation rentals.
• Platinum Escapes, which are deeply discounted vacation rentals offered via email invitations.
• Personal Concierge assistance for purchasing concert tickets, dinner reservations, tee times and more.
• Discounts on hotels, dining, and other leisure activities.
• Airport Lounge Membership in the Priority Pass program at more than 600 airports.

Many Interval International timeshare exchange members see Interval Platinum is pretty special. As David Mier, Interval’s vice president, products and services explained to Perspective Magazine: “Within the first three months, (since launching Interval Platinum) we exceeded our annual forecast … it’s been very strong in Latin America and extremely strong in particular markets in Europe; Italy for instance, upgrades at twice the forecasted rate.”

Interval International Timeshare Exchange, 35 Years Young

Recognizing that no one way to vacation and no single membership option is ever right for all its members, Interval International continues to refine its products and services to its members. Today, with some 2600 timeshare resort destinations in more than 75 countries, Interval International is a powerful and most importantly—flexible—timeshare and vacation services option, providing value-added benefits for it members.

Related timeshare news:

Interval International Timeshare Exchange Platinum

35 is a good age to be … wise from seeing the world and gaining experience yet enthusiastic with the vibrancy of youth.

Interval International turned 35 this year and there’s no doubt about this timeshare industry leader’s seasoned expertise or its vitality. Today Interval International has a timeshare exchange network that includes some 2600 timeshares resorts in more than 75 countries worldwide. Approximately 2 million families are part of Interval International through its membership programs.

As a leader in timeshare exchange, Interval International keeps changing and expanding, taking timeshare exchange to the next level with the Interval Platinum program and the Club Interval Gold program. In today’s post and again in tomorrow’s, The Timeshare Authority blog will look at each of these two timeshare exchange membership levels and what they can mean to your timeshare ownership.

Club Interval Gold Timeshare Points Program

Club Interval Gold was designed for timeshare owners who desire timeshare exchange and who own either fixed or floating week timeshare. This flexible program, launched this past spring,  gives Interval International members the choice to opt-in or opt-out on a year by year basis and combines the benefits of Interval International and Interval Gold while affording those who choose it, much flexibility in vacation ownership exchange.

But as much as Club Interval Gold benefits the owner/members themselves, it was actually designed with developers in mind. Currently, 16 resort developers, who represent 25 different timeshare resorts, are selling Club Interval Gold.

David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval explains, “In an evolving marketplace, clients are looking for cost-effective new products they can utilize to leverage their existing owner base and Club Interval Gold meets both of those criteria. It allows them to sell a flexible-use program without relinquishing control of their most valuable assets, their owner bases and inventory. … We designed and implemented Club Interval Gold so that our resort clients could offer their owners the best of both worlds. Members can still exchange in the traditional way for vacations of similar value, or convert to points and redeem them for a variety of alternatives.”

Benefits for Club Interval Gold Timeshare Members

Club Interval Gold members have the option to:

• Use their Interval member program points to exchange within Interval’s network of some 2600 resorts (not just resorts participating in Club Interval Gold)
• Combine deposits to increase the points balance and trade up to larger units or more in-demand seasons
• Search for and confirm as many stays and as many short stays as their points permit through ShortStay Exchange
• Select Interval Options to apply toward the purchase of a cruise, spa or golf holiday
• Take advantage of Getaway discounts; $25 off the price of all Getaway vacation rentals
• Enjoy VIP Concierge 24/7 personal assistance for purchasing concert tickets, making dinner reservations, tee times, etc
• Benefit from hotel, dining, and leisure discounts along with access to more than 90,000 premium discounts from Entertainment^® at IntervalWorld.com
• Enjoy complimentary membership in the Hertz #1 Club Gold, receiving expedited car rentals at more than 1000 locations in 23 countries
• Take advantage of Interval Travel^® for airline tickets and rates often unavailable to the public
• Receive member publications including the Interval International Resort Directory , Interval World^®magazine, and Go IntervalWorld.com newsletter

Be sure to check-in here on The Timeshare Authority blog tomorrow when we look at Interval Platinum from Interval International. You can also learn more by visiting http://www.intervalworld.com/web/my/home