Using tents and shade structures to enhance the outdoors isn’t a new idea. Basic camping gear, beach umbrellas and tents for special events have been around a long time. What’s new is that creativity and distinctive designs have been elevated to the max. From chic umbrellas anchored in ankle-deep surf to poolside pavilions with flowing drapes or opulent safari-style tents in the wilderness, canvas is in.

Fun & FunctionWard Stubbs of the Cedar Falls (Iowa) Parks and Recreation Department is a strong proponent of shade structures not only for shade but also for their aesthetic appeal. “Our new custom-designed shade structures at The Falls Aquatic Center add bright splashes of color to an otherwise bland expanse of cement,” he says. “The Waterloo Tent & Tarp Co. even came up with a design that reflects our theme of dolphins and fish and printed it on the canopies. The cost was small, but the visual impact has been tremendous.”

More high-end resorts are using portable, semi-permanent and permanent canvas structures to create functional outdoor spaces, says Dougan Clarke, founder and

CEO of TUUCI, a Miami-based shade-equipment company. “Pavilions are popular because they’re durable and versatile,” he says. “They can be set up on the beach or in a garden for an outdoor spa treatment, a romantic dinner for two or a wedding, or they can be permanently mounted around a pool to create a whimsical oasis of outdoor comfort.”

The Ritz-Carlton Naples (Fla.) has outfitted its upscale poolside pavilions with flat-screen TVs, a fan with lighting, and electrical outlets for refrigerators. Other possible options for pavilions include misting systems and connections for the Internet and telephones. With day rentals going for more than $1,000 in some areas, the cost is quickly recaptured. “They also have great marketing appeal because of the image they create for the hotel,” Clarke adds. “They exude leisure, luxury and lifestyle, and that’s what people want.”

Tent TownsLast July, when the Resort at Paws Up in Greenbush, Mont., launched Spa Town, an 11-tent spa facility set in an expansive meadow, the resort doubled expected revenue in its first

season. “Because it was brand new and different, we thought it would take time for people to get used to the idea of having an outdoor spa treatment, but they gravitated to it right away,” owner Larry Lipson says.

The success of Spa Town followed on the heels of Tent City, which appeals to travelers who hanker for wilderness adventures without the associated discomforts. After a day of fly fishing, mountain biking or horseback riding, guests are greeted by a camping butler and shown to 400-square-foot tents, outfitted with king-size feather beds, fine linens, high-end furniture, lamps, artwork, and wood floors and decks. It opened in June 2005 and was sold out for the entire season. Paws Up has already added three more tents, a bathhouse tent with six master baths and a covered dining pavilion.

Up with TentsExclusive Tents, an international tent design and manufacturing company headquartered in Vail, Ariz., is taking tents to new heights—literally. On the drawing board is a two-story structure. CEO Paul Zway envisions a reception area, dining room or gift shop on the lower level, with a bar and lounge

Raising the Stakes

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ATLANTIS PAVILION/ TUUCI

CRESCENT PARASOL/ TUUCI

2900 NW 35TH STREET, MIAMI, FL 33142T : 877 443 4449 E : info@tuuci.com www.tuuci.com HIGH PERFORMANCE SHADE DESIGN

10 May/June 2007 RESORT + RECREATION

upstairs providing a bird’s eye view of nature’s handiwork.

“There’s no limit to what you can do with tents,” he says. “They’re easy on the environment and let you use parts of your property that you couldn’t use otherwise. And bricks and cement can’t compete with the romance and adventure that’s attached to being in a luxuriously appointed tent while being immersed in nature.”

Considering the success of these trendsetters, there’s definitely a market for enhanced outdoor spaces. It’s about offering customers new and unique experiences while outdoors amid the sights and sounds of nature in the comfort of a posh cocoon.

—Delores WrightSpa town at the resort at Paws up in Greenbush, Mont., helped the resort double expected revenue.

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Book Promotes Medical TourismHealthy Travel Media has published Patients Beyond Borders: Everybody’s Guide to Affordable, World-Class Medical Tourism, the first consumer guidebook for Americans considering international medical travel. The 336-page trade paperback gives health travelers everything they need to know about getting the best medical treatment abroad.

“Medical tourism is not about fun in the sun; it is part of a global shift in healthcare services, and smart American health consumers are taking advantage of the high quality care and lower costs waiting for them overseas,” says author Josef Woodman.

Atmosphere Important, Service CriticalThat’s the message from a new study published in the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly.

According to The Combined Effects of the Physical Environment and Employee Behavior on Customer Perception of Restaurant Service Quality by Eileen A. Wall and Leonard L. Berry, diners use a wide variety of clues to determine their final assessment of restaurants and the meals they serve. The clues can be grouped into three categories. The first group, functional clues, describes the efficiency of the service and the quality of the food itself. The second category, mechanic clues, embodies design and atmosphere, which create a set of expectations. Those expectations must be confirmed by the third category of clues, humanic clues, which comprise the demeanor and emotional aspect of the servers. Experience has shown that excellent functional clues alone will not ensure a restaurant’s success and that the other two other sets of

Partners in CommunicationPAR Springer-Miller Systems and Hotel Booking Solutions Inc. are partnering to offer hoteliers instant and efficient communication of room inventory and reservation data to and from distribution channels with the SMS|Host Hospitality Management System.

HBSi’s multi-channel connectivity and services strive to bring order and simplicity to travel distribution, enabling travel companies to unlock their full revenue potential.

“As everyone in the industry has seen, one of the largest challenges facing revenue management and distribution professionals is how to do business with multiple channels without hiring an army of people to manage it,” says Scott Fiegehen, corporate director of distribution and product management for Intrawest. “The interface between PAR Springer-Miller and HBSi has allowed us to automate updates of availability, rate and inventory information to these channels, as well as the reservation delivery back down into our property management system. This is going to allow us and our partners to generate more revenue and better serve our customers.”

“By partnering with HBSi, PAR Springer-Miller brings its hotel customers a way to eliminate the time-consuming, error-prone task of manually managing rate, availability and inventory data input into multiple distribution channel extranets,” says Stephen Burke, who leads HBSi’s Interface Group. “Instead, changes entered into the hotel’s SMS|Host Hospitality Management System are automatically transmitted via HBSi’s Demand GatewayTM to connected distribution channel systems.”

“Likewise, instead of hotel staffers having to collect and input faxes, reservations, modifications and cancellations, data received in the Demand Gateway from various distribution channel systems are instantly transmitted to the hotel’s SMS|Host system,” Burke says.

Technology Bits ’n Bytes

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clues play a large part in customers’ satisfaction with the restaurant. A study of customers’ assessments of a casual-dining restaurant found, for instance, that the lowest customer

satisfaction occurred when cold, unresponsive servers failed to support the warmth promised by a pleasant environment. Bottom line: spending dollars on a great atmosphere won’t

guarantee success if your servers don’t smile.

For more information, visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu.

DevelopmentsThe O’Connor Signature at

The Oaks will be modeled on successful golf industry branding and management concepts but it will serve the equestrian set. Equestrian Services LLC, a provider of turn-key equestrian amenities for communities and resorts throughout the United States, and equestrian Olympians Karen and David O’Connor have broken ground on what will be the first exclusively-branded O’Connor Signature equestrian facility. It’s located at The Oaks, a residential community in Lake City, Fla.

Chateau on Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo., is being planned for a 30-acre waterfront location near the Grand Glaize Bridge at the popular Lake of the Ozarks. The 15-story, European-style property will feature a spa and over 100,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel and exhibition center will be owned by John Q. Hammons and managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. It’s slated for spring 2010 opening with construction beginning in 2008.

The Summit at Grand Sierra Resort has debuted as Reno’s first luxury hotel-within-a-hotel. Located atop the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, The Summit’s 825 guest suites—located on the 17th to 24th floors of the Grand Sierra Resort—offer stunning views of the Reno skyline and Sierra Mountains, along with rich leather and suede furniture, flat-panel TVs, Italian Emperador floor-to-ceiling marble throughout the spa-inspired bath, plush carpeting, and high-tech electronics.. Comfort is ensured with extras such as monogrammed robes,

nightly turndown maid service, 24-hour concierge and room service.

The MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Conn.,will feature 824 high-tech hotel rooms and suites, entertainment venues, celebrity chef restaurants, upscale retail outlets and a new gaming venue. Additional amenities will include wireless internet services, HDTV/digital TV services, video-conference capabilities for meeting spaces, business and 3rd party advertising capability on an in-house digital signage system, IP phone applications, check-in kiosks and wireless IP phones for meeting planners. A spring 2008 opening is planned for the $700 million development.

Lime Tree Bay Resort, owned by Vic Bubnow for 16 years, is becoming a condo hotel with the help of Miami-based architects Jacqueline Gonzalez Touzet and Carlos Prio-Touzet . The resort will boast 45 elegantly-crafted residences, two large swimming pools, a peaceful hammock grove, a casual restaurant, a fishing pier, a clubhouse with library and private bar and even a waterfront massage area.

Chateau on the lake

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Package It WellResorts are always looking for new ways to market their offerings. Here are two of the more original ideas we’ve seen recently.

Divorce Vacations: The deluxe all-inclusive Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, is offering the Ultimate Divorcee Vacation. The package provides an ocean-view Master or Parlor Suite, along with a four-hour “Diamond Divorce” spa experience and a private consultation with a jeweler to explore the ultimate challenge: What to do with the ring? If the divorce settlement is high, guests can trade up to a three-bedroom suite with spa room for a girls’ getaway.

Privacy: Named one of Forbes.com’s Most Romantic Hotels in the World, the adults-only El Dorado Seaside Suites by Karisma on Mexico’s Riviera Maya now offers three new Premium Suites set away from other resort suites. Couples and newlyweds in seclusion have access to a private plunge pool, private beach beds and gourmet breakfast on their terrace if desired. A one-story unit in a separate area of the resort, each Premium Suite has more than 500 square-feet and offers the property’s best oceanfront views, in-suite aromatherapy and amenities above and beyond the resort’s junior suites. Prior to arrival, the Premium Suites are filled with fresh flowers, gourmet bites and a bottle of fine wine. Romantic meals are served at four gourmet restaurants and 24-hour room service is included. In-suite Jacuzzis for two will be filled with bubbles and rose petals at the guests’ request.

Changes at TextronTextron Financial Corp. has made changes in its Resort Finance Division. David Wisen, who had served as the division’s president since 2004, has been promoted to group president. The change added the Golf Finance and Structured Finance divisions, as well as the Textron Business Services subsidiary, to Wisen’s responsibilities. Peter James, a Textron Financial veteran, was appointed division president for Resort Finance.

Joint DevelopmentTwo hospitality consultants have joined forces to oversee development, opera-tions, financial and marketing efforts for a new Springbrook Property slated to open in 2009 in northeast Newberg, Ore. Mary Arnstad, president of Arn-stad & Associates Inc., and Bruce C. Hraba, president of Waterford Hotels & Inns Inc., will develop a new hotel, restaurant and spa in the state’s famed Yamhill Valley wine region.

Moving Up at IntervalInterval International has named Jose Tamargo as vice president of financial planning and analysis. oversee the company’s financial planning group staff in the United States and the United Kingdom. Tamargo reports to John A. Galea, chief financial officer. In addition, II promoted Lana Tanca to director of membership marketing, where she has worked since 1994.

Benchmark AppointmentsBenchmark Hospitality has named Warren Breaux as director of sales and marketing for Lansdowne Resort, located 30 miles west of Washington, D.C., near Leesburg, Va. The 305-room property will soon complete a $60 million renovation and expansion program. The company has also named Floyd R. Hunter, Jr. as general manager for Stonewall Resort, a 208-room property with a lakeside lodge and cottages on 2,000 acres in Roanoke, W.V.

Designing ManGentry Akens has joined CVC & Associates in Orlando, Fla., as senior vice president - design. The award-winning executive previously served as the senior creative director for Universal Orlando’s CityWalk, where he lent his vision to various venues on site.

New Sales DirectorsKalahari Resorts in the Wisconsin Dells, Wisc., has hired Kevin Shanley as director of sales. During his seven-years there, he has served as the director of sales, general manager and, most recently, the director of catering and conference services. The new InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Ariz., has named local resident Greg Hanss as director of sales & marketing. And Renaissance Worthington Hotel in Ft. Worth, Texas, has named Jim Gabler as its director of sales and marketing.

floyd r. hunter, Jr. Greg hanss

lana tanca

Kevin Shanley

Peter James Mary arnstad bruce C. hraba

Jim Gabler

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Multi-Billion Dollar BabyThe U.S timeshare industry contributed an estimated $62 billion in consumer and business spending to the national economy in 2005, according to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the American Resort Development Association International Foundation. Released during ARDA’s March convention, the study was undertaken to analyze the impact of timeshare developers and owners and their value to the U.S. economy.

Combined direct, indirect, and fiscal impacts in 2005 by the U.S. timeshare industry totaled an estimated $92 billion, including $62 billion in consumer and business spending, 565,300 full- and part-time jobs, $21.5 billion in salaries and wages, and $8.5 billion in tax revenue. There are more than 1,600 timeshare resorts in the U.S., attracting 4.1 million households to vacation ownership.

On average, timeshare achieved

significant growth of 24 percent in key economic categories over a three-year period. Since 2002, the industry’s output increased 23.7 percent with $11.8 billion in additional output; timeshare employment increased 11.5 percent with 58,200 new jobs; salaries, wages and related income increased 24.4 percent with $4.2 billion in additional income; and the fiscal impact increased 24.8 percent with an additional $1.7 billion in tax revenue.

“The economic benefits the timeshare industry conveys to communities surrounding resorts and the nation as a whole are documented and substantial. This study underscores, once again, the vibrancy of timeshare and our position as a serious, stable, and growing economic catalyst,” says Raymond L. “Rip” Gellein Jr., ARDA Chairman and president of the Global Development Group of Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Worldwide Inc. “Timeshare resorts are a boon to

surrounding communities. They attract annual, recurring vacationers who fill seasonal low periods and travel even during periods of economic flux,” says Howard C. Nusbaum, president and chief executive officer of ARDA. “Communities seek stability, and timeshare owners offer a committed perspective unique to travelers based on a shared desire for the long-term viability of the resort and protection of the resort area.”

The numbers show timeshare resorts fuel the economy of the cities where they’re located. In 2005, timeshare owners took approximately 5.7 million timeshare vacations, spending an average of $1,768 each trip. This amounted to a total spending of $10 billion, with 90 percent of a timeshare party’s spending occurring outside the resort among the local area businesses. Visitor spending,

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for more information or for resort rentals, contact the Hospitality Division at 847.564.4600

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Pointing the Way®to Excellence In Service,

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generated by owners and guests during timeshare vacations, supported approximately 99,700 jobs and $3 billion in salaries and wages at businesses such as retail outlets and visitor attractions.

Fractional ForecastThe fract ional industry continues to remain healthy. A study of North America conducted by Ragatz Associates shows those sales in fractional interests, private residence clubs and destination resorts surpassed $2.1 billion in 2006. This amount includes new closed sales at 85 percent, presales at 12 percent, and resales at 3 percent. Sales volumes for the three individual components were $476 million in fractional interest projects, $1.1 billion in private residence clubs, and $576 million in destination clubs. The most significant growth in 2006 among the three components was for new closed sales in private residence clubs at more than 92 percent.

The 2007 Annual Fractional Interest Report from Northcourse confirms that sales are up and attributes it to several factors. They include:• The growth and acceptance of

fractional ownership in many areas such as cars, aircrafts, boats, etc.

• The relative strength of the U.S. economy.

• The increased interest among North Americans in taking vacations closer to home and to familiar destinations.

• Cash left in money markets languishing with the lowest interest rates in decades.

• Consumer confidence in the stock market remaining low and consumers more frequently seeking alternative investment opportunities.

• U.S. and Canadian consumers seeing second home real estate

as a safe haven for investment appreciation with the opportunity to use this asset.

• Second homes providing investment diversification.According to the report, this trend

will continue to rise within the next 15 to 20 years.

To meet the growing need for fractional mortgage financing, Ward Financial Co. recently co-founded Fractional Mortgage Advisors LLC. The new entity was formulated specifically to provide financing directly to purchasers of interests in private residence clubs and fractional projects.

Sunterra SaleAn affiliate of Diamond Resorts LLC of Las Vegas has begun purchasing the outstanding shares of Sunterra Corp., also based in Las Vegas, at a 33 percent premium.

Sunterra has 98 branded or affiliated vacation-ownership resorts in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico. With more than 300,000 owner families, it’s one of timeshare’s largest companies. The company’s stock plummeted in value after 1999 disclosures of problems with its receivables, and never recovered its earlier cachet.

Diamond, if it acquires 90 percent of Sunterra’s shares, will merge its resorts into Sunterra. Diamond operates the Jockey Club and Polo Towers on the Las Vegas strip, plus has involvement with Carriage House resort and a property in Hawaii. According to the company’s Web site, Diamond has approximately 29,000 owners.

Upscale ExchangeInterval International and Preferred Hotel Group Inc. are forming a branded exchange program for fractional, private residence club, and condo-hotel properties. Developers who affiliate with the program can use

the newly created Preferred Residences brand, have access to marketing resources avai lable through PHG, and have exclusive exchange and membership services for their vacation owners. The Preferred Residences network will begin affiliating charter members during the next several months, with program launch slated for 2008.

“This is exactly the right time to enter the market with a branded exchange network, says Craig M. Nash, chairman and CEO of Interval International. “The escalating prices of vacation homes in key destinations make this product a compelling alternative to second home ownership.”

Resort Veterans Begin BusinessA new company, RTK Resort Group of San Antonio, Texas, will help real estate developers br ing their community development visions to life. “RTK Resort Group is a team of resort industry professionals who, having worked together on past projects, found a common vision and share the desire to create exceptional landmark properties,” says John R. Kazanjian, managing director.

Joining Kazanjian as directors are: Tony R. Dawson, managing partner of Carefree Hospitality; David G. Hanna, president of Sun Resorts LLC; Laurence J. Raba, chairman of Raba Design Group Inc. and RTK Development Inc, and Wayne D. Marty, CEO of Modular Construction Systems International.

RTK will include an in-house multi-disciplinary team of master

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planners, architects, legal, real estate, construction management, marketing/sales, finance and property management professionals.

Cut Costs, Save TimeA new product by Kantana Software promises to help resorts find new ways of cutting costs, saving staff time, and improving service by integrating and mining existing

sources of key information outside their traditional property management services systems.

By using Katana Software’s Asgard system of customizable software integration and data base tools, resort managers and staff could draw on and coordinate detailed information from the entire life-cycle of financial, engineering, and maintenance events drawn from day-to-day resort

operations activities. “Until recently, major resort

operational areas such as work order management, preventive maintenance, FF&E inventory, asset replacement and remodeling as well as expense tracking for budget accounting have only existed in off-line, stand-alone systems,” says Rob Woodward, president of Katana Software.

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Developments Hilton Grand Vacations Club’s new resort in Orlando, when completed, will be the company’s largest timeshare resort in Florida. The resort is scheduled to open in January 2009 and ultimately include 1,200 units. It will be built on a 52-acre site within the master planned development of Midtown, a centrally located 214-acre project proposed to include a variety of upscale lakefront amenities.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, which will be located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, is the sixth Disney Vacation Club resort. Development of the new project is scheduled in phases, with units to begin opening this fall.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership finalized a deal with The Peterson Cos., to build an 250-unit resort on nearly two acres of land at the National Harbor complex. The 300-acre waterfront community in Prince George’s County, Md., on

the banks of the Potomac River will be home to Wyndham’s second vacation ownership resort in the Washington, D.C. area. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall with an anticipated opening in late 2009. Built in an 11-story tower, the resort will be comprised of one-, two- and

three-bedroom suites, including 42 penthouse-style suites. Planned resort amenities include a health and fitness club with indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools and an outdoor terrace with a spa, wading pool and pool cabana.

Shell Vacations’ Peacock Suites vacation ownership resort in Anaheim, Calif., after extensive renovations, is sporting a new look. The four-month project included the complete renovation of 139 one, two and three-bedroom suites. VCR’s were replaced with DVD and CD players, a flat-screen TV, as well as additional lighting and artwork. New window treatments were added and public corridors were completely refurbished with new lighting, wall vinyl, and artwork.

Peacock Suites in Anaheim, Calif.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas

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