Award-Winning Design
How Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club brought Deja View Beach to life.
Earlier this year, Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club’s newest development, Deja View Beach, won a prestigious ARDY Award in the amenities category of the resort-design division at the ARDA World 2016 Annual Convention & Expo. Deja View is the second private beach attraction in the LHVC portfolio, neighboring the members-only V.I.P. Beach in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. This oceanfront enclave features an expansive sundeck, private cabanas and beach beds overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It’s also home to the Diamond Grille Restaurant and the Crystal Bar, which serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails all day during high season—making Deja View Beach an especially attractive on-site hot spot for owners and guests.
Markus Wischenbart, president and CEO of LHVC, spoke with RCI Ventures® magazine about the behind-the-scenes development of Deja View Beach.
V: What were the costs and challenges involved in creating Deja View Beach?
MW: Deja View Beach construction began in 2012 and was completed in 2013. Modernization and a continuous addition of facilities followed for the next two years, and it opened with a construction cost of more than $400,000. The geography in the immediate area was not ideal for swimming due to the rocky nature of the beach. Instead of altering its natural beauty to make it suitable for swimming, we built the sundeck and beach bed area to accentuate the gorgeous ocean views. The lack of a swimming area quickly became a nonissue.
V: How has Deja View Beach enhanced LHVC’s overall offerings?
MW: It has created a completely new showcase destination within the resort. It spills over the edge of a rocky shore, creates a flowing feeling over the crashing ocean waves and provides a sense of harmony with the environment. We consider Deja View Beach to be another example of how we raise the bar in benefits and privileges that are truly unique to the vacation experiences and lifestyles we offer.
V: What has the response been from owners and guests?
MW: Our top-tier members absolutely love Deja View Beach. They tell us they literally feel whisked away to a private destination all their own for relaxation, pampering and the ultimate in luxury.
Photo credit: Courtesy LHVC
