Street Talk International Archives

Street Talk is a compendium of tips, facts, gossip, rumors, speculation and editorial comment provided by The Timeshare Beat as an outlet for the free expression of its readers and for their entertainment. The Timeshare Beat makes no assertion as to the veracity of the items contained herein. If erroneous information is inadvertently included and a correction to this information is subsequently sent to The Timeshare Beat, the correction will be prominently published. Opinions published within Street Talk are the opinions of the authors thereof and are not necessarily the opinions of The Timeshare Beat.

STREET TALK INTERNATIONAL: Week of Oct. 8 - Oct. 14, 2004 " The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann Street Talk is a compendium of tips, facts, gossip, rumors, speculation and editorial comment. PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY E-mail: news@thetimesharebeat.com | Email: street@thetimesharebeat.com

Lost & Found Women in the Biz Street Talk Back Issues Street Talk International Archives The Beat experienced a total system meltdown last week, so we couldn't update this page with your comments and we ran out of time to get new stuff. So we are leaving it up for another week... ASIA   THAILAND: PHUKET: Beijing Jin Lu Xiang, whose parent company is Royale Marketing Ltd., has added another resort to their Absolute Private Residence Club brand. Re-named the Absolute Sea Pearl Beach Resort, this property is only steps from Patong Beach. It has 55 studio, one- and two-bedroom suites and is internally managed by the company's own Absolute Resort Management team headed by Supachart Ruamsamu formerly at the prestigious Phuket Merlin resort. The Absolute Management team will be starting a full remodeling programme with the first units already completed and phase 2 due to start, with new restaurants, swimming pool and a new way to use f & b outlets planned. The property will compliment the Absolute Samui Peninsula in Koh Samui as well as Absolute Jin Qiao in Beijing, China. Royale Marketing chairman Bryan Lunt said at the official handover ceremony he was " absolutely pleased to have this as part of what Royale Marketing has now added to a fine portfolio within Asia and China to compliment our other accommodations in Marbella Spain and Tenerife Canary Islands." Absolute Residence Club is affiliated with Interval International. • AND: The Allamanda Vacation Club has adopted a new name to " accurately represent the Club’s integrated status at Laguna Phuket and reflect its on-going expansion." It is now known as the Laguna Holiday Club (LHC). In addition to the Allamanda Laguna Phuket suites, the villas at Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket and the suites at Resort and Spa on Bintan Island in Indonesia, LHC has expanded its inventory to include the three-bedroom Sheraton Golf Villas, which are so called for their Laguna Phuket golf course view. These two-story villas are fully furnished with garden terraces, a private pool and a Thai sala. LHC has introduced a new Platinum membership, available only in the newly acquired Golf Villas, which guarantees a specific peak week every year. These memberships are sold as fixed week packages, with only five Platinum memberships in each of these villas. Wait, there's more. Further expansion plans are underway to build a brand new hotel dedicated exclusively to its members. Rooms will overlook the Laguna Phuket golf course, and be similar in terms of size and space to those at the Allamanda Laguna Phuket, but more luxurious. This new development is planned to open around the first quarter of 2006. E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com AUSTRALIA More about Trendwest South Pacific (did you read about it in last week's Street Talk International, under the Australia heading?)... --" I have seen many failings in this awesome industry throughout my long career, but none quite as sad and unnecessary as the destruction happening inside Trendwest in the South Pacific. Interesting that Barry Robinson CEO was referred to as a “ Cyclone” when what cyclones, hurricanes, tornados and the like are renowned for are mass destruction, devastation, often destroying families and businesses alike, taking out everything in its path, and the clean up cost being in the millions of dollars!! Not to mention sometimes areas never really recover. Are any of the powers that be watching, watching the current sales figures, the failing marketing programs, or the lack of operational understanding and expertise, are questions being asked as to how a group of would be hoteliers could be placed in a position to drive a business they know NOTHING about, and then proceed to run it and its people into the ground. There lies the answer. Hoteliers that know nothing about the very foundation of the business that they are meant to be growing, and leading into the future. Not to mention they have little respect for the timeshare industry or its people. Myself and so many of the talented local industry personnel have just up and left. Many of whom have chosen to go to competitors where their experience, talent and passion really matter. Why does no one go out into the field and ask those that know what is really happening ? Trendwest in the South Pacific was the leader in the new frontier, now they are nothing more than the laughing stock of the industry. Both Cendant and RCI made visits recently, surely they could see the company is on the verge of imploding. If not why not ? Please publish this so maybe someone might commence looking beneath the surface. A big thanks to the beat and its band of talented believers for raising these matters, matters that affect the lives of employees and owners alike." YOUR COMMENTS: Oct. 4: --" Well I think it's about time another side of the " Trendwest" story was told. I am a current " long-term" employee of the company, and happy! Yes, there are actually people who still love working for Trendwest and who have been able to accept change and the opportunities it brings. I have been with the company through the management change and under the direction of the new CEO Barry Robinson. Yes, he has come from another side of the accommodation industry, but he is dynamic and has brought in fresh ideas which the industry has long been needing. It seems as if some of the " old guard" were not too happy to have their comfort zones tested or to be held accountable , maybe a bit of competition has made them nervous . People leave their employment for a thousand reasons, personal and professional. Some of the recent departures have really been welcomed by other staff members, opening up new opportunities, whilst others are missed and are wished all the best for their future endeavours. After reading some of the excerpts from this column, I would say it definitely sounds like these staff needed a change anyway." AND: --" WOW - looks like this X employee of Trendwest really knows how to hold a grudge. Seems a shame to waste time and energy on the past when they have " supposedly" moved on!!...to greener pastures??? As an X employee of Trendwest myself I personally wasn't open to change so I left and went to Accor only to find that it is run by a " Dictator" . Now I realize that Trendwest is a great company to work for - sometimes you have to leave a company to have your eyes opened and the blinkers removed! I wish I had remained at Trendwest and embraced the changes because from what I hear the new CEO is a very personable guy who has brought a fresh approach and management style to the timeshare industry that has quite frankly been stuck in a time warp. So many people that moved from Trendwest to Accor are of the same opinion and in fact some have moved back to Trendwest. Interesting scenario - just goes to show there are two sides to every story and the grass isn't always greener on the other side! It is a valuable lesson to remember change is great - it opens our mind to new ideas, challenges our thought process whilst stimulating our own learning and knowledge." Oct. 7: --" How sad. As a long time {former} Trendwest soldier and believer I fight the urge to weep at what used to be. Naive, maybe, but what we had was Camelot compared to Cendant's greedelot. The reality is, who needs to buy a timeshare, without owning a timeshare, RCI will rent you a week for $ 459/499. Hey Cendant, thats less than the annual maintenance fee in most timeshares, forget the purchase price. Bottom line, Cendant laughs all the way to the bank as they continue to plunder a once vibrant industry. Mark Twain once said " profit without humanity is like an artery without blood" or he should have." Oct. 9: --" Quit your belly aching!!!!! Cendant has made many changes and will make many more. The growth of this industry is dependent upon forward thinking companies like Cendant. Will we like all the changes? No!! But will they make the company and ultimately ourselves more money? YES!!! The complaint about selling weeks (on sky auction or some other media, cheaptickets, orbits, etc) hurting our industry is a misconception. Anything that gets the potential client traveling and staying in condos is a good thing. The client learns to prefer condos to hotels and sees the value in condos. Once they are in your resort you can sell them on the fact that they only get to rent left over weeks through these media. They do not get to go to the NE states in the fall, for HI during the prime whale calving season, or New Years in Vegas or... need I go on? Change your pitch and stop crying. Or get out of the business and purchase Cendant stock (CD) as they will make money regardless of how much you cry and regardless of which side of this argument you are on." Oct. 11: --" I am also a ex Trendwest South Pacific employee... I tend to agree with many of my ex colleagues who have seen the once wonderful and exciting company (Trendwest South Pacific) turn into " what can be seen" as a company now on it's way to being destructed by the person at the helm they call the Cyclone (Barry Robinson - BR). BR is not only the wrong person to be running what was a wonderful company, but he is a nasty piece of work that should be removed from being able to destroy what's left of Trendwest South Pacific. Probably time to ask the question: why are so many of the ex Trendwest middle management (and some of the senior management) now working for Accor... and why are so many more of Trendwest's employees waiting in the hallways waiting for the opportunity to move over to Accor or Classic and the like? I can tell you it's not just because of Cendant... it's mainly due to BR - the biggest mistake Trendwest and Cendant have made to date! Why, oh why have those who Barry Robinson reports to seen the destruction being done since he started back in late 2003 - surely someone must wonder why the administration and middle management staff are walking out the door (perhaps they are blind, or just stupid)." E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com CARIBBEAN THE BAHAMAS: PARADISE ISLAND: There is a rumor making the rounds that Ron and John Holt are trying to buy everything in sight and turn Club Land'or into a big player. Does anyone know anything about their expansion and restructuring? We also hear that they promoted a Virginia Beach, USA mainstay, heavy hitter Jay Joyner to Vice-President of sales after a few record setting months. Details, anyone? YOUR COMMENTS: Oct. 3: --" It is a joke to say that Club Land'or will ever be a big player in timeshare game. There are 4 or 5 timeshare resorts in Nassau and Land'or ranks 5!!!!! They will never be able to expand due to the fact that Atlantis owns everything around them. Club Land'or will only write about a million in volume in a year. And that is out of 2 sales centers. Not to impressive. Now to the question about restructuring. They have had about 4 or 5 VP's in the past 3 years. Stability is not in the owners vocabulary. Now lets get on this Jay Joyner person. Don't know him, never heard of him. From what I hear, a record setting month at Land'or is equal to a liners worst month at any other timeshare co. No full down ever. If you let me get $50 for a downpayment, I will write 1,000,000 a month. What good is a 12 month pender anyway." USVI: ST. THOMAS: The battle between Fairfield Resorts and the Boards of Directors of 3 of the 4 Bluebeard's Castle associations is getting down and dirty. The BODs allege that Fairfield has stalled talks and has threatened to abandon the property. Fairfield has claimed that the current Boards (Hilltop 1 and 2, Hilltop 3, and Villas 1) have been causing issues and are not allowing progress to be made at the Castle. A little history: In Oct. 2002, a Fairfield-sympathetic Board was voted out in favor of an owner Board after a bitter struggle. Since that time, the current Board has been trying to get financials and reach a settlement with Fairfield-- which inherited the mess when they bought Equivest. The law firm of Hamm & Barry from St. Croix was hired to represent the BODs in connection with legal claims presented against Fairfield. After almost 1.5 years, they were finally able to make a settlement proposal based on forensic CPA methods since many valuable pieces of financial data was missing. Both sides agree that Bluebeard's state is critical and both sides seem to want things properly fixed. The sticking point, naturally, is the " price tag" of the financial settlement, and that's where negotiations broke down. Enter election time for the BODs. Following the breakdown in negotiations, Tom Anderson (Sr. VP Equivest St. Thomas) sent out a letter to Bluebeard owners stating Fairfield's position a proxy was sent in another envelope and the slate of owners they support in a third. Since all three envelopes display the same font and the same return address, the BODs assume they all came from Fairfield. They further assume that Fairfield is trying to pack the BODs with more sympathetic bodies. (The BODs want independent management for the resort, Fairfield naturally wants to manage it themselves. Of course, one would also naturally expect Fairfield to vote their units in favor of a change, so as to regain control and thwart litigation.) The Anderson letter discussed a settlement offer that was made during negotiations. Since all participants in the settlement discussions had signed a confidentiality agreement, this angered and " disappointed" the BOD's attorneys. So Hamm & Barry sent out a letter to owners stating the BODs' position, which you can find here (in PDF format): An Open Letter to Bluebeard's Castle Owners . The letter from Tom Anderson can be found here (in PDF format): Dear Bluebeard's Castle Owner. So now you can get both sides of the story. For more information and updates about the state of things at Bluebeard's go to http://www.bluebeards-castle.com/news.shtm Stay tuned. E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com MEXICO CANCUN: Having recently purchased the Hotel Sierra Cancun from bankrupt Grupo Situr, Palace Resorts promptly closed it down for refurbishing on August 29. Not only that, they have renamed it Le Blanc Spa Resort and are making it the first of a new upscale all-inclusive adults-only line that will debut in Cancun in the winter 2005. The resort's renovations include the transformation of all guest rooms into suites with Jacuzzis, a state-of-the-art spa, meeting facilities, and three specialty restaurants. The renovations will be directed by Elias & Elias Arquitectos, one of the most celebrated architect and interior design firms in Mexico, known for the design of Hotel Grand Velas Puerto Vallarta, Casa Club de Golf Cabo del Sol, and Hotel Sheraton Los Cabos, among others. Special features of Le Blanc Spa Resort include a private laguna, which is connected to Cancun's ancient Mayan Nichupté Lagoon. Guests of the resort will enjoy private candle lit dinners under the stars on boat rides in the laguna. Guests will also be pampered with spa services in private suites with views of the laguna. Sounds nice. Sounds expensive. E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com Quotable quotes: " It is an immutable law of business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises- but only performance is reality." -Harold S. Geneen GO TO Street Talk USA

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Street Talk Back Issues Street Talk International Archives

Street Talk is a compendium of tips, facts, gossip, rumors, speculation and editorial comment provided by The Timeshare Beat as an outlet for the free expression of its readers and for their entertainment. The Timeshare Beat makes no assertion as to the veracity of the items contained herein. If erroneous information is inadvertently included and a correction to this information is subsequently sent to The Timeshare Beat, the correction will be prominently published. Opinions published within Street Talk are the opinions of the authors thereof and are not necessarily the opinions of The Timeshare Beat. THIS COLUMN CONTAINS OPINIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THIRD PARTIES. THE TIMESHARE BEAT DOES NOT REPRESENT, ENDORSE OR GUARANTEE THE TRUTHFULNESS, ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY OF SUCH CONTENT POSTED BY SUCH THIRD PARTIES, OR ENDORSE ANY OPINIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS EXPRESSED BY SUCH THIRD PARTIES. ANY RELIANCE ON CONTENT POSTED BY THIRD PARTIES WILL BE AT YOUR OWN RISK. CHANGES ARE PERIODICALLY MADE TO THIS COLUMN AND MAY BE MADE AT ANY TIME. See our Terms and Conditions

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