BG signs deal with Choice Hotels

[VA_Traveller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VA_Traveller]

http://www.dailymarkets.com/stock/20...een-vacations/

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Another enhancement to my ownership. I like it.

[Keep Traveling Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keep Traveling]

Doesn't sound like we can use points, just a discount

[gandalf252002 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gandalf252002]

I have mixed feelings about this one at this point. It seems good on the surface, but I see some potential drawbacks;

1. From the press release on bluegreencorp.com press releases "TravelerPlus™ participants will be eligible to enroll as members of Choice Privileges® and will be upgraded to Elite Gold status and receive special benefits." This tells me this isn’t free and there will be an additional cost which of course has yet to be determined.

2. The effects of this from an owner's perspective could be negative. In order to facilitate this, it means that BG has to make more rentals available to non-owners which mean less availability for us.

3. As pointed out, we may not even be able to use points for these accommodations only cash transactions. Where is the guarantee that we are going to get lower rates then the general public can find? If the enrollment fee is more than the savings off hotel stays it is a losing proposition. TravelerPlus is already supposed to provide lower hotel rates, but I still find that I get better on sites like Expedia, Hotwire, and Priceline.

All in all, this sounds more like a winning proposition for choice hotels then it does for BG clientele.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

I doubt this has any positive impact for Bluegreen owners. It is a tour generation tactic by the developer. They'll market to hotel guests to get them on property and subject them to a sales presentation. Orange Lake does this same thing with the Holiday Inn Priority Club Rewards- selling cheap rentals to create new tours. Hopefully, Bluegreen will do a better job with this than Orange Lake (who appears to routinely rent for less than m. fees). In the case of Orange Lake- it's helped to kill rental prices for owners.

This is likely to be a bad deal for owners..

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I have mixed feelings about this one at this point. It seems good on the surface, but I see some potential drawbacks;

1. From the press release on bluegreencorp.com press releases "TravelerPlus™ participants will be eligible to enroll as members of Choice Privileges® and will be upgraded to Elite Gold status and receive special benefits." This tells me this isn’t free and there will be an additional cost which of course has yet to be determined.

2. The effects of this from an owner's perspective could be negative. In order to facilitate this, it means that BG has to make more rentals available to non-owners which mean less availability for us.

3. As pointed out, we may not even be able to use points for these accommodations only cash transactions. Where is the guarantee that we are going to get lower rates then the general public can find? If the enrollment fee is more than the savings off hotel stays it is a losing proposition. TravelerPlus is already supposed to provide lower hotel rates, but I still find that I get better on sites like Expedia, Hotwire, and Priceline.

All in all, this sounds more like a winning proposition for choice hotels then it does for BG clientele.

Free to join - kind of like being a Marriott Silver Level without having to stay 15 mights - Gold level is 10 nights......

In-Hotel Benefits
Online Profile Benefits
Elite Benefits
Express reservations and check-in
Extended check-out (as late as 2:00 p.m.)
High-speed Internet (excluding Rodeway Inn) and long distance access are free
Complimentary newspaper (excl. Suburban)


View point balance and expiration dates
Make/view reservations
View statements
View/update profile
Redeem your points for rewards



Elite bonus points
Exclusive reservations and customer service phone numbers
Exclusive Elite member offers
Click here for additional Elite Platinum and Diamond benefits

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I am not an owner but Choice Hotels would certainly not be an incentive for me.

[wigginswade Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wigginswade]

I am not an owner but Choice Hotels would certainly not be an incentive for me.

I've read that it will include a trade of inventory, and we will gain access to their premiere level "Ascend" hotels. Additions to travelers plus. There is more info to be released early feb. This is just what I'm reading around the web. We will have to wait and see.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I've read that it will include a trade of inventory, and we will gain access to their premiere level "Ascend" hotels. Additions to travelers plus. There is more info to be released early feb. This is just what I'm reading around the web. We will have to wait and see.

Here is the announcement - the Ascend Collection looks good to me.

http://ownerupdate.bluegreenvacation...-are-expanding


As you know, each year brings more Bluegreen resorts, destinations and benefits for you and your family to enjoy. In January of this year, Bluegreen was proud to announce a new relationship with one of the world’s largest lodging companies, Choice Hotels International®, to become its “Official Vacation Ownership Provider.”

Chief Customer Officer Wendy Poe explains, “As we considered the opportunity to forge a strategic alliance with Choice Hotels®, we were incredibly excited about the many new benefits the relationship would provide our owners.”
She continues, “We are now happy to announce a framework for a relationship that brings you more travel options, more benefits and more ways to use your Bluegreen Vacation Points.”

Choice Hotels represents approximately 6,200 hotels in over 30 countries. The company offers 10 popular lodging brands, such as Comfort Inn®, Comfort Suites® and Cambria Suites®, as well as a unique collection of one-of-a-kind boutique, upscale accommodations through its Ascend Hotel Collection™ membership program. Ascend™ properties provide guests a meaningful feel for the unique fabric of the local culture and community. Through the alliance, some of Bluegreen’s resorts will be featured within Ascend Hotel Collection. Bluegreen will continue to manage and operate the resorts, while broadening the destinations available in the Ascend portfolio to include Aruba, Las Vegas, NV, Miami and Orlando, FL, Cape Cod, MA, Phoenix, AZ, Savannah, GA, Myrtle Beach, SC and more.

“Bluegreen resorts that are now a part of Ascend Hotel Collection are still managed by the Bluegreen Resorts Management team and owners will continue to enjoy the same level of service and access to the resorts as they always have. Choice Hotels provides our owners with more flexible ways to use their Bluegreen Vacation Points and expanded destination options that owners will appreciate when they choose to vacation outside of the Bluegreen network,” according to Poe.
While the final details are in the works, we are excited to give you a sneak peek into what you will get through our new relationship with Choice Hotels. The Bluegreen and Choice Hotels teams are working diligently to have all benefits delivered in summer 2013.

As soon as this summer, all Bluegreen Vacation Club owners will have the ability to enroll in Choice Privileges® and convert their unused annual Bluegreen Vacation Points into Choice Privileges points1. Choice Privileges is the Choice Hotels rewards program that offers its members a wide array of valuable redemption options like free nights at Choice Hotels, gas cards, airline miles, car rentals, dining, sports and entertainment gift cards, music downloads and so much more! Choice Privileges points are valid until December 31st two years following the date of conversion. This is a wonderful alternative to saving your Bluegreen Vacation Points and a great way to extend their life while broadening your vacation options.

Additionally, all Bluegreen owners will be entitled to a discount of up to 10%2 on reservations at all participating Choice Hotels properties!

With Choice Hotels, there’s never been a better time to be a Traveler Plus member! Traveler Plus members will benefit from a bounty of new benefits, including:

***Enrollment into the Choice Privileges program with Elite Gold status3
As a Choice Privileges Elite Gold member, you’ll earn 10% more Choice Privileges points per stay, enjoy an extended booking window for reward nights and receive exclusive Elite member offers.

***Direct Exchange for Points-based stays with Ascend Hotel Collection
Use your annual Bluegreen Vacation Points for stays at over 80 hotels in the Ascend Collection portfolio, a unique network of upscale hotels that reflects the distinct character of its host cities and located in exciting destinations around the world.4

These valuable benefits are currently anticipated to become available this summer.5 Be on the lookout for your monthly Owner Update email for more information about the Choice Hotels benefits and stay up-to-date at Bluegreenonline.com.

“Bluegreen’s relationship with Choice Hotels is an effort to deliver the best vacation options to you, the Bluegreen owner,” says John M. Maloney, Jr. President and CEO of Bluegreen Corporation, “We expect that this arrangement will add value for our current owners and will be very attractive to prospective owners based on the creditability of the Choice Hotels brands and the appeal of our expanded product offerings.”
Visit Bluegreen Online to learn more about these exciting new benefits!

Ascend Hotels http://www.ascendcollection.com/?sid=xTMNm.c7u9HgoBh.33