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Press Release: Escapes!
June 27, 2006
ORANGE BEACH, AL -- Escapes!, Inc., historically one of the leading and oldest independent timeshare development
companies, will break ground this month on Escapes! to The Shores in Orange Beach, Alabama, a newly constructed
resort scheduled to open in late summer 2008. The new resort is designed to dramatically enhance the existing
resort property, The Shores, which was originally built in the early 1980s. This latest addition to the Escapes!
network of resorts will also significantly expand the vacation and travel opportunities available to The Shores’
existing 700-family owner-base.
“Escapes! is thrilled to expand in the Alabama market with our ninth resort to open and our fourth beach-front
property. The Shores is a special place where owners care deeply about each other and their resort, and we are
excited to welcome them into our growing family of owners. Escapes! is confident that The Shores owners will develop
and enjoy strong bonds with friends and family over the years in this new, luxurious setting,” said John A. Cooper
III, president of Cooper Communities, Inc., the parent company of Escapes!
The new 20-floor Escapes! resort will feature many fine upgrades to the existing property, including additional
units, two levels of amenities, and an adjoining four-level parking facility. The resort will include 88 spacious
units, including 16 one-bedroom suites, 50 two-bedroom suites and 18 three-bedroom suites in addition to 4 two-story
luxury penthouse condominiums. The two- and three-bedroom suites will boast an oceanfront view, and their interiors
will be appointed with luxurious details and a variety of amenities, including tile floors, a washer/dryer, a Jacuzzi,
and a walk-in shower.
The resort amenities will include both indoor and outdoor pools, a hot tub, fitness center, sauna and steam room,
an indoor activity center, a playground and barbeque grills, and The Shores’ treasured Landmark Gazebo. The solid
concrete construction is designed to sustain minimal damage in the event of a hurricane. Also, in keeping with
the company’s long tradition of environmental preservation, the new Escapes! resort project is designed to enhance
the surrounding environment and will feature natural Gulf landscaping.
The general contractor for the $40 million project is Birmingham-based Hoar Construction, LLC, which also constructed
Escapes!’ Galveston resort. The architectural design is being completed by Beatty-Hill Group, LLC of Memphis,
Tennessee. Trend Investment Services of Houston, Texas was instrumental in securing development entitlements for
the project. The construction progress will be viewable via webcam in the near future.
The existing members of The Shores Condominium Ownership Association will enjoy a fee simple ownership interest
in the new resort. The Shores owners will also enjoy the opportunity to access other Escapes! resorts, cruises,
and other travel benefits currently available to the 18,000 owners in the existing Escapes! family of resorts,
by electing to convert their ownership to Escapes!’ points based ownership system, Escapes Travel Choices (ETC).
“The impressive quality of construction, design, locations, amenities and operations of the Escapes! resorts,
along with the benefits we realized in funding, substantial upgrades, new amenities, and enhanced travel opportunities,
led to the overwhelming approval of Escapes! as the developer by our Resort Association,” said Andy Denton, president
of The Shores Owners Association. “We are excited about our future with Escapes! and know that ours will be one
of the premier Gulf-front resorts.”
The resort is located in the heart of Alabama's Gulf Coast recreational paradise, with 32 miles of sugar-white
sand, green golf courses and rich history. Owners and guests can enjoy spectacular outlet shopping in nearby Foley,
delicious seafood dining, water parks, and para-sailing over the shores of Orange Beach.
The new mixed-use resort will offer a variety of ownership options to new owners, including both timeshare and
whole ownership, with anticipated sales commencement by year-end. Consumers will be invited to consider the benefits
of membership in Escapes Travel Choices (ETC) vacation club, through which members tailor vacation choices to meet
their lifestyles and needs, with choices of resort location, time of year, accommodation size, and length of stay.
The resort will be managed by Escapes Property Management, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Escapes!
Escapes! has developed resorts in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Alabama and Florida and plans to open several additional
resorts in the coming years. Its timeshare resorts include: Escapes! to Bella Vista Village, Escapes! to Hot
Springs Village, and Escapes! to Cherokee Village, all in Arkansas; Escapes! to StoneBridge Village and Escapes!
to Branson Yacht Club, both in Branson, Missouri; Escapes! to the Gulf at Orange Beach in Alabama; Escapes! to
the Gulf at Galveston in Texas; and Escapes! to Tropical Breeze in Panama City Beach, Florida. Escapes! is also
affiliated with the Tanglewood Resort, an Interval International five-star resort and conference center located
about 90 miles north of Dallas on Lake Texoma.
Headquartered in Rogers, Arkansas, Escapes! currently employs a staff of 305. Its parent company, Cooper Communities,
founded in 1954, pioneered the recreational community concept through the development of eight such communities
across five states.
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Ellen Yui, Yui+Co. 301-270-8571, ellenyui@yuico.com or Elizabeth Kelley Grace, Yui+Co. 561-989-9855, lizkgrace@aol.com
Source: Escapes!