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“There were other companies that looked at it and shied away
because of the property’s condition,” recalls Patrick Connolly, senior vice
president and chief customer officer for Orange Lake Resorts. “But we
loved the location and believed we had the people and the resources to
go in and fix that situation.”
Now an Interval International Premier Resort
®
, the Williamsburg prop-
erty has indeed been “fixed.” As Connolly explains, the developer took
a multipronged approach that succeeded where others had failed. Key
ingredients included the power of the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand,
Orange Lake Resorts’ management expertise, and a substantial invest-
ment in the resort’s units and amenities. Adding a huge scoop of flexibility
completed the formula.
Preservation Plan
For Holiday Inn Club Vacations, the resort had several features that made
it attractive. “It’s a great location for our owners, near Washington, D.C.,
and all the history,” Connolly says. “From a sales and marketing stand-
point, it was also very attractive because there is such a large drive-to
market all along the East Coast. Once the acquisition was final in 2013,
the plan was to open the property under the HICV flag in 2014.”
Yet when the company took ownership, Holiday Inn Club Vacations
found that theexistingownersweren’t greeting themwithopenarms. “They
had a lot of trepidation about timeshare developers because of their past
experiences,” says Connolly, so the company ensured that all plans were
solid before sharing themwith the owners.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations quickly delivered on its promises. Room
and resort renovations amounted to more than US$12 million; a previously
unused building was turned into units, its top two floors featuring upscale
Signature Collection villas. This top-of-the-line product tier features granite
countertops, deluxe kitchen appliances, and luxurious interior decor, along
with other extras such as premium bath amenities, plush bathrobes, and
VIPmember check-in.
The 120 one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas range from 682 to 1,884
square feet (63 to 175 square meters), and the three-bedroom villas have
a lock-off option.
AnewTownCenter, completed in 2015, includes an arcade, a four-lane
bowling alley, an 18-hole minigolf course, a sports court, a playground, a
fitness center, an indoor pool, and a snack bar andmarketplace. Alongwith
the facilities improvements came a daily activities program for families.
Just as important as physical enhancements were upgrades to resort
service. “We also brought in our brand standards as far as how we take
care of our guests and the rooms,” Connolly says. “We let existing own-
ers see the way that we take care of them as owners, and provide due
diligence with their maintenance fees to show we are great stewards of
their resort.”
That didn’t mean completely replacing the existing staff, however. “We
did bring in some of our own staff who had grown up in the Holiday Inn
Club Vacations way to help the resort implement our standards,” he says.
“We helped them grow the existing people who were there, offered them
new opportunities, and got them excited about being part of a group that
was going to do what they said— and do things professionally. That really
motivated the existing staff.”
Sales Success
With the resort’s service and facilities up to brand standards, Holiday Inn
ClubVacations couldalsounleash itsmarketingand salesmachine tobring
32
HOLIDAY INN CLUB VACATIONS
WILLIAMSBURG RESORT
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2016
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
By Judy Kenninger
From Good to Great
With its location near some of the nation’s premier
tourist attractions, including ColonialWilliamsburg,
Busch GardensWilliamsburg, Jamestown, and
Yorktown,
Holiday InnClubVacations
®
Williamsburg
Resort
has a lot going for it. But when Orange
Lake Resorts, home to Holiday Inn ClubVacations
®
,
purchased the property known as Colonial Crossings
in 2013, the resort was struggling. Competition for
prospects was fierce,with six other timeshare resorts
within 15miles; sales had been discontinued.
in Williamsburg, Virginia