Timeshare News

To help introduce this resort to more people, owners from Lifestyle Holidays have created a video where past guests talk about their stay at this resort and the kind of vacation experiences future guests can expect there. Their video is the sixth in a monthly series that showcases the passion of timeshare owners, and Lifestyle is the first international property to be profiled by ARDA.

As part of the video, several long-time members of association talk about their visit to Lifestyle, and tout the charm and relaxation of this Dominican Republic resort. That includes families from the United States and Canada who vacationed there.

“We have been members since 2006 and just love staying in all the different villas Lifestyle has to offer here in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic,” said Norm Scott of Spokane, Washington, who visited the resort with her wife, Cheryl. “This is the best vacation experience we have ever had, relaxing, walking, looking out on the ocean.”

As the couple noted, Lifestyle has a unique way of transporting guests who have just arrived at the local airport.

“We take the Lifestyle helicopter from the airport to the resort whenever we can,” Norm Scott said. “It's just delightful with great views of the island. And we love all the new things they keep adding and improving, with the many restaurants like AZUL and VIP Gourmet.”

ARDA noted in a news release that Lifestyle’s success shows the growing strength of the timeshare industry today.

“With more than 8 million owners, a satisfaction rate of 85 percent, and an occupancy rate that outpaced hotel occupancy by more than 20 percent, it is clear that this segment of the travel industry is faring well,” ARDA noted. “Take the time to find out why.”

Those statistics, the association noted, came from a report titled “State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry Study 2011,” conducted by Ernst & Young LLP.

Next month, ARDA will devote May to creating a video featuring vacation memories spent at Disney Vacation Club, with testimonials from owners who are passionate about their Disney timeshare in Orlando. All timeshare fans are invited to tell their story by contacting ARDA.

ARDA is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA now has nearly 1,000 members, ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with expertise in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate.

The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC).