Excellence!  An easy and effective way of describing RCI’s commitment to an RCI Time share experience.  RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, received three best-in-class awards for excellence in the categories of innovation, technology and media at the inaugural Global Networking Expo Awards Gala Dinner, which was organized by Perspective magazine earlier in June 2011.
The GNEX 2011 Best Innovation Award, RCI’s most prestigious accolade of the evening, was given in recognition of the enhancements the Company made to its RCI Weeks exchange program.  Be a member of RCI, and be proud!  Held at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, GNEX 2011 was a gathering of timeshare and fractional ownership industry professionals. Of the 34 awards given at the event’s Awards Gala Dinner, 12 were accepted by RCI and its affiliates; three of the four awards in the worldwide category went to RCI.  As a result of the enhancements, members and users can now anticipate greater control, convenience and flexibility over their RCI time share vacation experiences. 

How does it work and what does it mean to me, an RCI time share owner?  Through the new RCI Weeks Enhancements program, members of the Weeks program are able to compare the trading power of their deposited week(s) to the value of the exchange vacations they are interested in.  In addition, members can combine their deposited weeks, gaining greater access to vacations that have a higher exchange value.  In order to assure RCI time share is a memorable experience, and RCI Weeks members entrust there will be value, RCI now provides its RCI Weeks members with a Deposit Credit if the trading value of the exchange vacation booked is less then that of the deposited week being used for the exchange.  Ultimately, RCI is offering up a win-win situation so that time share exchange is rewarding with a RCI time share membership.  RCI continues to innovate on behalf of its affiliates with the development of RCI Presenter, a tool that now comes free with participation in the RCI TV channel.
In the categories of technology and media, RCI was honored for the creation of two vacation-enhancing initiatives: RCI®SnapBook.com and RCI® TV.  The web-based television network, which had 1.2 million viewers in 2010, and targets the planning stages when RCI Time share members are researching affiliated resorts and destinations in RCI’s network.
RCI SnapBook is an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that makes it easy to capture treasured moments, memories you want to last a lifetime and action scenarios that made the RCI time share vacation!  The cloud technology offered by Apple allows members to cherish photos and videos during and after the time of travel, with the ability to capture and share real-time vacation photos, videos, audio clips, and notes with friends and family and share them in real-time, when ever wanted.  Be proud, use your exchange system, and be a member of RCI Weeks Program, and check out RCI time share for resale options to buy or sell.

If you time share, then you are most likely familiar with RCI Time share…they’re only the first or second largest time share exchange company in the world and make vacationing via time shares a wonderful experience.  Time share ownership can be geographically local, or it can be a two day flight by plane across the world; either way there is a world wide time share market, including resorts and vacation destinations, as well as owners and renters that must be accessed and communicated with via the internet.  RCI time share and its’ affiliates are winning new business online by targeting social activity to be at the top of the internet search listings, and by tailoring content and strategies to winning particular keywords.  Targeted social activity and key word optimization on the search engines are how we engage on many other fronts; take for example Facebook or the last search you did in Google…what were you searching for…in the case of RCI Time share allowing itself to be found is as easy as typing in “RCI Time share.”   

RCI Time share has been at the forefront of social media and mobile technology for some time now. In order for prospective time share renters, buyers and sellers to be found, the company has to have a very comprehensive presence in social and mobile media technology. It’s about finding new ways to engage members, owners and anyone interested in the RCI Time share brand. With regards to the differences of a targeting a buyer or seller, the balance between targeting existing time share owners and new ones, should be around 50/50.  By tailoring content and strategies to ranking in the top three search results, the overall level of exposure is drastically increased; thus increasing the chances a buyer or seller is going to be found.   

Phil Brojan, RCI’s Sr. VP of Global Marketing was quoted as saying; “the best channel for us has actually been Youtube. We’ve created so much video content, and the way Youtube interacts with Google and search makes it a very effective strategy. We dominate video content for a number of keywords, and that’s impressive to developers.”  There has been a tremendous amount of skepticism about online time share buying and selling, but fact of the matter is that it’s more of an opportunity than a risk.  Often people have the facts wrong, and once you discuss the limited options to selling or buying a time share hassle free, it begins to make sense that search engine optimization and organic searches is an inexpensive and focused channel for time share buying and selling; particularly exchanging through RCI Time share.

Intrawest, a private vacation club with eight locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico, and attached to RCI Timeshares, has introduced an exciting new exchange tool called, ExtraOrdinary Escapes.  Whether it’s celebrating a special event or taking that once in a lifetime vacation, ExtraOrdinary Escapes and RCI Time shares want members to be able to stay connected to the most unique vacation club in the world while making memories of a lifetime. This private exchange collection allows Members to use their Membership to explore resorts, hotels, and lodging around the world in popular destinations like New York City, Hawaii and Paris and many more.

ExtraOrdinary Escapes and its RCI component have developed to incorporate relationships with Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Disney Vacation Club and ICE Gallery Cruises.  Exchange members and RCI Time share members can be assured that the selection process of exchange partners and time share properties include stringent standards, and are designed to focus on meeting the high-end expectations of exclusive vacation home owners who are members, or looking to become members. With Escape options that include storm watching at Vancouver Island’s Wickaninnish Inn, which is one of the highest rated hotels in Canada, to the lime-light of Las Vegas’ Hilton Grand Vacation Club at the Flamingo, ExtraOrdinary Escapes offers hundreds of vacation options to its’ 22,000  elite Club Members.

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands announced in March 2011 an affiliation with the Verdegreen Hotel, an eco-friendly resort in the popular Brazilian destination of Paraiba.  Verdegreen Hotel features 140 well-equipped rooms and is constructed of natural ceramic and wood, and has a water reuse system and boasts a natural ambience that grants the ultimate in guest comfort while maintaining and enhancing the environment.  Guests of the Hotel and Resort have panoramic views of Joao Pessoa, the capital of Paraiba, and is known by many locals as ‘the city where the sun rises first.’ 

Verdegreen Hotel offers several on-site amenities including a restaurant, pool, bar, gym, massage and steam rooms, and business center.  Please consider RCI Time share resale for valued time share resale listings and availability.

Silverleaf Resorts said Thursday, February 3rd that it has agreed to be acquired by SL Resort Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management L.P.

Upon completion of the transaction, Silverleaf will become a private company, wholly-owned by Cerberus.  Silverleaf Resorts engages in marketing and selling vacation intervals in the US. The company develops and acquires timeshare resorts; and markets and sells one-week annual and biennial vacation intervals to new owners.

For further information on how this will impact your Silverleaf time share ownership, please contact your home resort.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement with PT Bina Buana Sarana to develop The Westin Ubud Resort & Spa, located at the central foothills of island Bali. The 107 room hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2012.  “We are delighted to strengthen our presence in Indonesia with the signing of The Westin Ubud Resort & Spa, our 6th hotel in Bali. This will be an attractive and complementary alternative destination to our existing beach front properties,” said Chuck Abbott, Regional Vice President – South East Asia, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific.

The 107 room, wellness-inspired resort will boast an array of facilities and amenities including 4 restaurants and bars offering new concepts in dining. Time share owners and renters seeking a personal, enriching experience and healthy lifestyle will also be able to experience WestinWORKOUT, which features state-of-the-art equipment and a full service Spa offering a variety of personalized treatments for complete rejuvenating experience. The resort and hotel will also feature an outdoor swimming pool and Westin Kids Club. All guest-rooms will feature Westin’s signature Heavenly Bed and the refreshing Heavenly Bath experience.  Expect availability on the time share resale market by mid to late 2012.

RCI (Resort Condominiums International) Time Share Exchange was founded in 1974 and has quickly grown to be the worldwide leader in vacation exchange. With a worldwide community of over three million timeshare owners, RCI Time Share has facilitated easy exchange to over 5,000 affiliated resorts in over 100 countries. By using either a week-for-week exchange as well as a points-based system, these exchanges have made the possibilities for timeshare owners practically endless. RCI Time Share Exchange has expanded from simple exchanges to a full service travel marketplace, with RCI Travel agency, RCI Cruise, Last Call getaway vacations, Endless Vacation Rentals, and more.

RCI Time Share Exchange is divided into two programs—RCI Weeks, and RCI Points.

The RCI Weeks program is the original format for vacation exchanges and has proven to be one of the most popular. With this traditional vacation exchange system, timeshare owners are able to exchange their vacation week for a similar unit at another resort. With over 4,000 RCI affiliated resorts in over 100 countries, the possibilities are endless. When a member wishes to exchange, they simply deposit the week into the RCI SpaceBank system. Weeks can be deposited up to two weeks in advance, or as late as 14 days before the start date. This week is added to the pool or weeks deposited by members globally. Next, a request is put in for a comparable resort or location. Each week has a different “trading power” which is based on factors such as supply, demand, and usage of the week, resort, and area, unit size and maximum occupancy, how far in advance the week is deposited, and the rating provided by RCI and it’s members. If one of the desired resort choices is available, the exchange can be confirmed immediately. If there is no availability, members can keep an ongoing search for the specific request or similar options.

The RCI Points program is the largest points-based exchange system, allowing for the ultimate in flexibility. With over 4,000 RCI affiliated resorts in over 100 countries, the options are unlimited. When you purchase or convert a vacation week, it is assigned an RCI Points Value. This value is determined by a number of factors, including supply and demand, unit size, season, and resort location. These points can be used to make reservations at any resort in the network, and also can be used in exchange for cruises or spent like dollars for other products and services suited towards a traveler’s lifestyle with the Points Partner program. With the RCI Points program, members are permitted to book less or more than a week, subject to availability. RCI Points memberships will always be connected to the “home resort” that was originally purchased, and reservations can be made 12 months in advance at that home resort, while exchange requests can only be put in 10 months in advance at any other resort in the network.

Points can be saved for an additional use year to exchange later, Members can also borrow or rent points to exchange now if they have insufficient points for their desired vacation. Another benefit of the RCI points program is the “Last Call” vacation. Booked on short notice, these vacations only require a small amount of points for a full week in any unit size available worldwide.