InterContinental Hotels Group and Florida-based Orange Lake Resorts have partnered to create a new timeshare brand, Holiday Inn Club Vacations. The move marks IHG’s entry into the timeshare business.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations will launch in December 2008 with Orange Lake’s flagship 2,412-villa property in Orlando. The conversion of the other Orange Lake resorts in Ascutney, Vermont (60 villas), Lake Geneva, Wis. (68 villas), and Panama City, Fla. (18 villas) are scheduled to follow shortly after, said IHG.
Orange Lake is owned by the family of the late Kemmons Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inn. Orange Lake will continue to own, operate and develop timeshare resorts under the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand.
"This is a great opportunity for our two companies because we share the same heritage and founder, Kemmons Wilson," said Don Harrill, Orange Lake’s CEO.
IHG and Orange Lake’s agreement calls for the construction of a Holiday Inn resort on the Orange Lake site in Orlando; the marketing and rental of timeshare villas through IHG's reservations system and distribution channels; and the formation of the Holiday Inn Club exchange program, which will allow members of Holiday Inn Club Vacations to exchange timeshare weeks for hotel nights at hotels in the IHG portfolio.
IHG has appointed Christian Hempell vice president of Holiday Inn Club Vacations. He most recently served as IHG’s vice president of strategy for the Americas. Hempell will be succeeded by Heather Balsley, who joined IHG in 2007 as director of strategy for the Americas.