March/April 2010 Developments - 44

Anniversary Festiva Hospitality Group Celebrates 10th Anniversary From a Vision to Reality Just over 10 years ago, Don Clayton and Butch Patrick had little more than a vision for a vacation ownership company that would provide a lifetime of quality vacations to its owners and members, as well as opportunities for growth and rewards for employees. This year, Clayton and Patrick are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the realization of that vision. Festiva Hospitality Group currently offers a network of 27 resorts and ﬁve sailing destinations, with 1,000 employees and more than 60,000 owners and members. were some of the greatest days of my life. I remember the day we received our ﬁrst funding from Tom Hamel for our ﬁrst building. Butch and I took off for lunch and ate and drank an entire bottle of wine It was exciting, it was electric; it was a really big deal for us.” One key element in Clayton and Patrick’s philosophy that has been passed down to all employees is that of constant and consistent improvement. Rather than building properties from the ground up, Festiva’s trend is to purchase resorts that may have fallen on hard times and then to improve them through renovations, new amenities, and above all, service. Festiva’s resort managers and owner services team use feedback from members and guests to improve available products and services, as well as the overall vacation experience. In 2007, Festiva announced the acquisition of most of the Peppertree/ Equivest assets—including unsold inventory, development rights, and management contracts at certain resorts— along with the Peppertree Vacation & Travel Club (formerly Equivest Vacation & Travel Club). This acquisition increased Festiva’s afﬁliated properties to 24 and more than doubled its number of owners and members to more than 55,000 by the end of the year. Unique Properties, Fabulous Destinations Through Festiva Management Group LLC, Festiva currently manages and operates properties throughout the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Caribbean regions, and no two are alike. All of Festiva’s resorts are well-appointed, but each is unique and meets a variety of travelers’ tastes. With boutique properties in historic cities, family-friendly seaside resorts, escapes for outdoor lovers, and romantic retreats for two, Festiva Adventure Club members can choose a different vacation adventure each year or return to their favorite destination again. Festiva Hospitality Group also operates Festiva Sailing Vacations, which offers seven-night, all-inclusive sailing charters on 44-ft. luxury catamaran yachts. There are currently ﬁve sailing itineraries in the British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, the Abacos of the Bahamas, Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula, and St. John and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Festiva Cruise Club is a division of Festiva Sailing Vacations that allows members to use a yacht vacation, trade to a Festiva property, or swap through Interval International. Tracking Growth In 2000, Ellington at Wachesaw Plantation East in Murrells Inlet, S.C., became Festiva Hospitality Group’s ﬂagship resort, with 500 owners. Today, Ellington’s newest accommodations are complete with the highest quality amenities and views of the award-winning golf course from each unit. A second outdoor pool and an indoor pool have been added. Phase 1 accommodations have been renovated within the last three years. The number of resorts and members climbed steadily after the ﬁrst year, with the number of members doubling between 2004 and 2005. In 2006, the company launched the Festiva Adventure Club, a points-based vacation ownership club, at a preview center in Nassau, Bahamas. The sale of deeded weeks was gradually phased out to make the Festiva Adventure Club the main product of Festiva Hospitality Group. At the end of 2006, there were nine resorts and three sailing destinations in the Festiva family. Herbert H. “Butch” Patrick, Jr., President, and Donald K. Clayton, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, Festiva Resorts “In those early days it was difﬁcult and risky, and there were many times when Butch and I didn’t know whether we would be able to survive as a company,” said Clayton. “In retrospect, those truly 44 Developments • March/April 2010

March/April 2010 Developments

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