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OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2016
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
CLUB UNIQUE
Club Unique finds itself in an enviable position
.
On Thailand’s
popular provincial island of Phuket are the beaches, nightlife, and
cultural hotspots that draw upward of 5 million vacationers each year.
But most importantly, the club offers unique access to the famed
Patong Bay beaches with a handful of high-caliber resorts. And as
Club Unique makes its first foray into Asia’s timeshare market, the
company — which recently affiliated its Patong Bay Hill Resort with
Interval International — is well-poised to serve up some appealing new
options in the vibrant Phuket timeshare community.
The developer has been selling units at Patong Bay Hill Resort
on a whole-ownership basis. However, the success of other shared
ownership clubs in Phuket encouraged them to start sales of shared
ownership as well, says Kit Whalley, Interval International director of
business development for Asia/Pacific.
A Peaceful Enclave
Patong Bay Hill Resort, designed to deliver a luxurious Thai vacation
experience, is scheduled for completion in December 2016, when 366
studio and one-bedroom units should be finished. The total number of
units may increase, says Jimmy P. Semaan, managing director of Club
Unique. “We have an adjacent piece of land that we might develop into
more units in the near future.”
Club Unique is starting off with a few of the resort’s units dedicated
to vacation ownership, but there is potential to use more units in the
future, as sales justify it, Semaan adds.
Each unit, up to 646 square feet (60 square meters) in size, has
a small kitchenette, and 183 of the units offer direct patio access to a
swimming pool.
With easy access to nearby restaurants, shops, and nightlife
centered around the famous
Soi Bangla
(Bangla
Road), the resort will also provide regular shuttle
bus service to Patong Beach.
Over the past few years, the Thai government,
through a highly successful tourist campaign, has
restored the beaches to the state they were in
before the 2004 tsunami. And Club Unique is
ideally positioned to benefit from the new mandates
that prevent construction directly on the beaches.
Given the proximity to the shore, the developer has
built an adjoining private beach area, making the property one of the
most prized in the area.
Year-Round Sales Flow
The location is anticipated to be a bonus to an already attractive
floating right-to-use ownership. Club Unique’s marketing strategy will
target vacationers from Thailand’s traditional international feeder
markets, including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the U.S., and Canada.
Low season, from May through October, lures Australians, New
Zealanders, and others from the Southern Hemisphere seeking to
escape their winter weather. During high season, from November
through April, sales efforts will expand to include Europeans, especially
from France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
China, little more than three hours away by plane, could present
the greatest future opportunities. “We see that as being the key market
for the next three to five years,” says Philip Frank Mason, director of
operations for Club Unique.
At its sales office at Patong Bay Hill Resort, programs include con-
ventional OPC, as well as telemarketing outreach and cold-line efforts.
The company is also developing a fly-buy program, expanding beyond
Australia to the European and, specifically, Scandinavian markets.
One-of-a-Kind
Most compelling to the beach-loving guests of Club Unique’s Patong
Bay Hill Resort, however, is the VIP access to the amenities of the
upcoming Bay and Beach Club, including several bars, a swimming
pool, locker rooms and showers, a DJ booth, and a restaurant. “This
will be the jewel in the crown,” Mason says. “There is no other beach
club here. That will set it apart from everything else.”
Joe Hickman, Interval’s vice president and
executive director of Asia/Pacific, agrees and sees
the relationship between Club Unique and Interval
as mutually beneficial. “Club Unique’s affiliation
with Interval International will create an exciting
addition to our global portfolio of properties. We are
pleased to welcome Patong Bay Hill Resort.”
Jeff Zbar is a South Florida–based business and travel
journalist and corporate copywriter.
fast
facts
Club Unique
Headquarters:
Phuket, Thailand
Product:
Floating, right-to-use
vacation ownership
Website:
club-unique.com
Social Media:
Phuket
A New
Industry
Entrant
in
By Jeff Zbar