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Learning the Shared
Ownership Ropes
According to Bouthaaleb, it’s
impossible to talk about Palmeraie
Resort’s timeshare component —
offered at two of the on-site
Palmeraie properties, Secret
Garden and Pavillon du Golf —
without bringing Palm World Vacation’s relationship with Interval
International into the discussion. Palm World Vacation affiliated with
the exchange company prior to the sales launch, and Bouthaaleb
credits Interval’s efforts for the smooth ramp-up.
“Interval provided a lot of help in terms of consulting about which of
the resort projects would be most appreciated by Interval members,” he
says. “We’re very thankful for the personalized, one-on-one contact
we’ve received, as well as the intensive training for our sales and market-
ing teams. And we’re grateful for all the technology and sales tools we’re
getting, which includes the Interval Sales Tool Kit.”
Through Interval, owners at Pavillon du Golf and Secret Garden will
be provided a Club Interval Gold overlay to the floating-week, floating-
unit product, “to optimize the flexibility our owners will enjoy,” notes
Bouthaaleb. The 10-year right-to-use, single-week product is registered
with Morocco’s Office Des Changes, an important distinction in a coun-
try that closely regulates and authorizes the transfer and receipt of
money from abroad.
Internationally Oriented
Bouthaaleb, with more than 20 years of experience in selling and mar-
keting high-end shared ownership, heads up a sales team of 11. Target
markets include Moroccans, Middle-Easterners, Americans, and
Europeans. “We have the advantage of being three hours away from
Europe,” he notes. “They come to see Morocco, but also enjoy having
a modern accommodation providing them with the comforts they’re
used to in their country.”
Because of Morocco’s close historic ties to France and the fact
that — as Bouthaaleb notes — “French is almost the
first
language in
Morocco,” efforts are heavily concentrated on the French market. Plans
are to open an office in Paris by the end of 2015.
“But English is almost equally understood in Morocco, so we can
appeal to English-speakers, as well,” he adds. “We are very internation-
ally oriented — this is one of the keys to our success as a travel destina-
tion. And Marrakech in particular has been really,
really popular. When you talk about Marrakech,
it’s like talking about Saint-Tropez, France.”
But Bouthaaleb also finds a prime market in
Morocco and North Africa — and notes that the
exchange benefit is particularly appealing.
“Someone from Morocco may look to use our
product to allow them to discover all of the other
destinations available through our affiliation with
Interval,” he says. “We’re opening the world to
our clients.” Which is no small attraction, he
says, explaining that Moroccan law makes it dif-
ficult for Moroccans to take a lot of money out of
the country. “The exchange allows them to
travel outside the country without having to pay
for their accommodations, except for the
exchange fee. This is a key advantage of shared
ownership for Moroccans.”
Over-the-Top Amenities
But owners, Moroccan and otherwise, will find a
lot to entice them to explore their
own property. Secret Garden, des-
ignated an Interval International
Premier Resort, comprises three-
bedroom detached villas. In addi-
tion to its sweeping square footage
(6,458; or 600 square meters),
over-the-top villa amenities include
a private pool and a
hammam
, not to mention a personal butler, a cook,
and a gardener.
Pavillon du Golf is also an Interval International Premier Resort.
Decorated in Moorish style, with rugs and upholstery in rich reds, the
comfortable one- and two-bedroom suites overlook the golf course.
The units include all the modern amenities, from flat-screen TVs and
Wi-Fi to fireplace and
tagines
(traditional Moroccan serving ware).
Within the Palmeraie Resort grounds, owners may take advan-
tage of golf, the spa and traditional hammam, a fitness center, a kids’
club, jogging and walking trails, tennis, and even paintball. In addi-
tion, excursions into Marrakech and other tours can be arranged:
Spend the night in the desert, visit the seaside village of Essaouira,
or schedule a camel ride.
More changes are on the horizon for the destination within a desti-
nation. Within the complex, the group is developing a new property, Les
Jardins de l’Atlas, that will also offer what Bouthaaleb describes as a
cable-skiing system. “Instead of being pulled by a boat around the lake,
this is a cable that pulls you across the water on skis.” He reports that
this will be the first in Morocco. “We’re always trying to bring new prod-
ucts that attract people and help develop tourism in the region.”
Long-Term Vision
When considering the future, Bouthaaleb says that the company sees a
bigger picture than just Palmeraie Resort and Marrakech. As part of
Morocco’s Vision 2020 — a tourism initiative to double the size of the
tourism sector by the year 2020 — the group aims to consolidate its
activities, develop new activities, and strengthen its leadership in
Morocco and Africa.
“It is with deep-seated conviction, and thanks to our group’s
acknowledged expertise, that we work on a daily basis to help build
the Morocco of today and tomorrow’s world,” says founder Abdelali
Berrada Sounni. “Whatever the scope of the projects we develop,
our values remain unchanged: quality, innovation, and commitment
to creating harmony and a better life.”
Palmeraie Developpement intends to
launch other new concepts in luxury, mid-range,
and social housing, with major developments
planned in Morocco and beyond. On the draw-
ing board are projects in Casablanca, Tangier,
and Agadir, Morocco.
Meanwhile, Bouthaaleb is excited about the
introduction of timesharing to the mix at
Palmeraie Resort, and is confident that shared
ownership will be a key part of the company’s
ongoing success. “We stepped in with two feet,
and look forward to working with Interval. We
intend to extend the Palm World Vacation prod-
uct to other resorts in Morocco, so we have a
long-term vision and we are committed to pro-
viding our guest with the best experience and
ensuring that Palm World Vacation becomes a
respected name in timesharing.”
See page 2 for currency conversions.
45
Developer:
Palmeraie Developpement
Headquarters:
Casablanca, Morocco
Product:
10-year, right-to-use, floating week
and floating unit, with a points overlay with
Club Interval Gold
Resorts:
Secret Garden and Pavillon du Golf
in Marrakech, Morocco
Price:
Secret Garden:
€
19,000 to
€
30,000
(US$20,000 to US$31,800) Pavillon du Golf:
€
5,000 to
€
12,000 (US$5,300 to US$12,700)
Website:
palmeraiemarrakech.com
Social Media:
facebook.com/palmeraieinfo.developpement
Twitter.com/palmeraieresort
Youtube.com/palmeraihotels
Palm World Vacation
fast
facts