Resort Improvements
Major renovations provide resorts with new opportunities to appeal to owners.
Renovations are about more than restoration: They’re an opportunity to upgrade amenities and respond to owners’ requests. RCI Ventures® magazine got the specifics from three resorts undergoing major renovations to learn more about the benefits that construction can unlock for you and your owners. To learn more, look for the industry roundtable to be published in the Q3 2016 issue of RCI Ventures magazine.
Exploria Resorts’ Summer Bay Orlando
Owner demand for on-site entertainment prompted Exploria Resort’s Summer Bay Orlando to expand their activities area from an 850-square-foot center to the 10,000-square-foot Recreation Pavilion. When it opens this summer, the pavilion will house an activities center, an arcade, a movie theater, fitness facilities and an owners-only lounge.
“Families used to spend most of their vacation jumping from one major attraction to the next,” says Juan Barillas, executive vice president of Exploria Resorts. “Now they visit the theme parks for about two days and spend the rest of their stay enjoying the amenities and activities offered at our resort.”
Owners have been appreciative of the project’s scope and the resort’s responsiveness to their requests. “The main concern was to do it right,” Barillas says. “Guests are already ecstatic about the major expansion.”
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Scottsdale Resort
In Arizona, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Scottsdale Resort recently converted 431 one-bedroom units into 213 two-, three- and four-bedroom units, some of which are the brand’s top-tier Signature Collection product. Reducing the number of units provides spacious accommodations and a diverse range of stay options that offers increased flexibility for customers.
“Signature Collection villas offer a very high-end fit and finish throughout,” says Tammy Oliver, vice president of design and development at Orange Lake Holdings. Signature Collection guests also enjoy perks such as a concierge service and VIP check-in, as well as in-room features that include a home-theater system and gaming system, a full cleaning midweek, full size stainless steel appliances, private patio and more.
FantaSea Atlantic Palace
FantaSea Resorts is in the midst of renovating its Atlantic Palace property, in Atlantic City, with the aim of increasing the resort’s year-round appeal. The construction ranges from updating existing amenities, such as enclosing the pool area so guests can swim in colder months, to new construction, such as an on-site spa.
“We asked, ‘What would we want if we were to come here 12 months a year?’ ” says Bruce Kaye, founder and CEO of FantaSea Resorts. “We also thought about what would make people stay here for four days and what amenities would allow them to find an interest in things other than just the casinos, boardwalk, restaurants and entertainment. We wanted to make this a more self-contained environment so that after people check in, they don’t have to leave should they choose not to.”
Photo: Summer Bay Orlando resort. Courtesy of Exploria Resorts.
