Although we are not a cashless society, we are certainly moving in that direction. And in many respects, the resort timeshare industry is largely cashless. Annual dues and assessments are paid with credit cards, and both credit and debit cards are utilized when timeshare owners and their guests, as well as rental guests, are in residence at resorts.

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During the past two decades, we’ve gone from a check writing and cash society to one that increasingly pays for goods and services with the swipe of a card.  The average person gives little thought to what happens after their card is swiped, but their action initiates a most complex process involving several parties.

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In the daily operation of a resort it’s easy to overlook challenges and obstacles that suppliers and vendors may have overcome on their way to deliver better technology and to provide innovative service. Once they’re in use, even the most ingenious of services may look super-simple.

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While attending the ARDA World convention in April, a conversation with long-time acquaintance and friend, Larry Gildersleeve, RRP, was an eye-opener. We discussed the increase in reluctance of merchant card providers to handle timeshare resort accounts and the facts were alarming.

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HomeAway is a fast-growing publicly traded company doing innovative things in the rental lodging space. As one of the world’s leading on-line marketplaces, with more than one million listings in 190 countries, their goal is to offer a complete marketplace for a traveler to choose from – including the demand for vacation ownership and resort-style accommodations.

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In the span of the last two years, Larry Gildersleeve has introduced several new players to the vacation ownership industry – HomeAway.com, CardConnect, and NRC among them. What these companies have in common is an  ability to make a difference in the vacation ownership business. HomeAway.com is the world’s leading marketplace for vacation rentals, CardConnect provides secure technology solutions and facilitates over $16 billion in payment processing annually for more than 50,000 merchant clients nationwide, and NRC Realty & Capital Advisors is a Chicago-based structured real estate specialist with an extensive track record and national scope.

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Company offers developers projects suitable for re-purposing and troubled timeshare resorts and their HOAs an exit strategy. NRC Realty & Capital Advisors, a Chicago-based structured real estate specialist with an extensive track record and national scope, is entering the vacation ownership industry with two purposes. Together with jv partner Gildersleeve Partners, NRC will identify select residential and commercial real estate properties such as condominiums, apartments, and hotels that may be suitable to time-sharing. (more…)

One of the nation’s largest payment processing companies has made a decision to bring its technology and data security products and services to the timeshare industry. CardConnect provides secure technology solutions and facilitates over $16 billion in payment processing annually for more than 50,000 merchant clients nationwide. (more…)

Inventory Smart Management (ISM) is a web-based item inventory system,” explained Ski & Sea International vp/business development Lindsey Alexander. “It helps resorts manage items in their stockrooms and guest rooms, so they know what they have, where they have it, and when they need to get more. The end goal is to help resorts ensure a room is completely and accurately stocked for the next guest.”

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Rentals have always been significant, but have recently been playing an increasing role in the timesharing business, both as a way to fill unoccupied inventory and as a generator of timeshare sales. It is therefore important news that the world’s leading marketplace for vocational rentals, HomeAway.com and its global brands — that include VRBO.com, HomeAway.com itself, and Vacation-Rentals.com in the US; HolidayRentals and Owners Direct in the UK; Abritel and Homelidays in France; FEWO Direkt in Germany, Alugue Temporada in Brazil, and many others — is now focusing increasing energy and resources upon the timesharing industry.

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