Hotel & Motel Management - January 7, 2008 - (Page 34) 34 Timeshare TECHNOLOGY H&MM January 7, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Technology boosts members’ satisfaction IN THE details Timeshare goes tech New and advanced tools are helping vacation-ownership companies make the vacation experience easier for guests. The technology also helps companies gather relevant data about guests. Self service is a goal Routine functions are easier Communication is improved By Christine Blank CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ON time Wyndham Vacation Ownership announced the opening of Wyndham La Cascada in San Antonio. The vacation-ownership resort, operating within the FairShare Plus by Wyndham exchange portfolio, has 100 condominium-style units. The company also opened Wyndham Vacation Resorts at Glacier Canyon in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. The new, 102-unit resort is the only vacation-ownership property located within the complex. It will operate in the company’s Wyndham Vacation Resorts portfolio. A 99-unit expansion of the resort already is under way. Interval International, a provider of vacation services, added the Monarch Grand Vacations’ Cabo Azul Resort & Spa to its global vacation exchange network. The 332-villa luxury resort, developed by Pacific Monarch Resorts, is in Los Cabos, Mexico. It will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom villas. Phase one recently opened and phase two, with an adjacent boutique hotel, is scheduled to open in late 2008. Starwood Vacation Ownership launched sales at The Westin Desert Willow Villas, Palm Desert, Calif. This will be SVO’s second Westin-branded vacation-ownership resort in the region. Occupancy is scheduled for late 2009. elf-service tools and advanced guest database systems are the hot technology trend among vacationownership companies. Many resorts have implemented new technologies on their Web sites and in their call centers to allow members to facilitate services such as making reservations and paying fees themselves. “We’re really focusing on the members’ self service as we become more global,” said Brian S Garavuso, chief information officer, Hilton Grand Vacations Club. “They can take care of their needs when it is convenient for them, not based on our office hours.” HGVC is preparing to launch its new combined corporate and member Web site in 2008, which will use technology meant to speed the booking of reservations. Because reserving timeshare stays is much more complicated than hotel stays, HGVC is launching an interactive system that allows members to try several different combinations of dates and other factors to maximize vacations. Other functions are getting easier for owners as well. Online bill paying is saving Marriott Vacation Club International staff time and mailing costs, said Ed Kinney, v.p. of corporate affairs and brand awareness for MVCI. But updating Marriott International’s guest loyalty data has probably made the most difference in boosting MVCI member satisfaction, according to Kinney. “We are focusing on more cus- A new Web site is expected to speed reservations at Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Hilton Hawaiian Village and other Hilton Grand Vacations Club properties. tomer intimacy and getting more data, so we can provide a more relevant product,” Kinney said. For example, if a member requests a hypoallergenic pillow during one stay, the reservation agent will ask if he or she would like a hypoallergenic pillow during the next stay. At Marriott’s Ritz-Carlton Club properties, when customers order a fruit bas- Companies look to the future By Christine Blank CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Vacation-ownership executives constantly are keeping their eye on technology developments that would improve guest services. Hilton Grand Vacations Club is looking at technology options so it can add curbside check-in for its owners. The check-in likely will be accomplished using a wireless tablet PC. The company also is looking at improving database systems so it can better recognize owners, particularly those with an “elite status” who own several properties, said Brian Garavuso, chief information officer, HGVC. Aviawest Resorts plans to advance its database and phone systems so when guests or owners provide their name and phone number, the system pulls up their guest preferences. “When we are face to face with a customer, we still have some work to do on our systems. We are consolidating legacy databases and custom-programming the ‘front-end graphical user interface’ so we can do this,” said Jim Pearson, c.e.o., Aviawest. hmm@questex.com ket from the property’s store, they receive the type of fruit they usually eat during the next stay. HGVC now allows members to order groceries in advance through e-mail. Aviawest Resorts, Victoria, British Columbia, recently installed updated phone and e-mail systems that are improving communication between its resorts and guests. For example, its employees can view e-mails sent to and from guests using free Internet middleware called ZOPE and Microsoft’s SQL Server. And, because Aviawest hosts its own Web site and e-mail accounts, it can capture outbound e-mails to specific owners and log it under that owner’s account. “This helps multiple employees see what correspondence has been done with a given owner or guest,” said Jim Pearson, c.e.o., Aviawest Resorts. hmm@questex.com Consumers’ knowledge of timesharing grows H&MM Staff Miami–Interval International released its “Future Timeshare Buyers: Market Profile 2007,” which revealed significant growth in familiarity with the concept of timesharing among U.S. leisure travelers since the study was first conducted in 1999. In fact, 91 percent of these travelers indicated awareness of timesharing today, in comparison with 68 per- HILTON GRAND VACATIONS CLUB cent seven years ago. The annual study is prepared from data collected for the Ypartnership/Yankelovich 2007 National Leisure Travel Monitor. According to the study, leisure travelers interested in purchasing vacation time have a strong commitment to their values, personal needs and lifestyles. This commitment is evident in their demand for personalization and custom- ization. They also are known for seeking originality and trying new products ahead of other people. Nearly six in 10 U.S. pleasure travelers consider themselves to be knowledgeable about the main features of timesharing. These travelers are very interested in attending a timeshare presentation or taking a two- to three-day mini-vacation that includes a sales presentation (76 percent) and are more likely to stay at a vacationownership resort (62 percent). The typical U.S. leisure traveler interested in purchasing vacation time is white (79 percent), married (63 percent) and has an annual household income of $50,000 or more (66 percent). Nearly four in 10 have completed four years of college education (39 percent). hmm@questex.com During the third quarter of 2007, Bluegreen Resorts sales increased 14.4 percent to a third-quarter record $149.1 million from $130.3 million in the third quarter of 2006. Higher resorts sales were primarily attributable to a significant increase in sales to existing Bluegreen Vacation Club owners from the third quarter of 2006. Compiled by Elaine Simon, esimon@questex.com http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition
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