TarheelTraveler

Just as an FYI, I thought that I would post this email regarding July 4th availability and a link to pictures of the fairly new Kiawah house.

Dear Club Members,

I am delighted to introduce myself as the new Senior Vice President of Hospitality & Member Services at the Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club. You will receive most club announcements and communications from me going forward, including this first e-mail about availability over the July 4th weekend.

I am looking forward to getting to know each of you personally and would also like to share a little background about myself. I have over 22 years of experience in the luxury travel industry. Most recently I served as Executive Director of Harper Alliance and Vice President of Andrew Harper, Inc. My travel career has spanned many areas of the luxury travel market including luxury tours (I was the Planning Manager at Abercrombie & Kent for several years) and hotel marketing.

On a more personal note, I love to seek out new experiences that change the way I see and think. One recent example - while traveling in New Zealand I went bungee jumping for the first time. I had never considered trying this activity as it seemed way too adventurous. With a deep breath and some of the most spectacular scenery in the world as a backdrop, I took the "plunge" and it is now one of my favorite memories.

As the team who services the members of the Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club, our purpose is to listen closely and facilitate what you envision your travel experience should be. Whether you are traveling to a Club residence, luxury European villa or on an Abercrombie & Kent tour, I want each member of the Residence Club to come back from every trip wowed by the experiences you’ve just had. Providing the types of experiences you never thought were possible is what Abercrombie & Kent does best – and this service is now part of your Club membership.

I look forward to hearing about all of your inspiring experiences.


Stephanie Papaioannou
Senior Vice President
Hospitality & Member Services

P.S. Our photographer recently returned from Kiawah Island. Take a photo tour of our Kiawah home by visiting the members-only website or clicking here. https://www.crescendoresidences.com/...0Slideshow.pdf


Independence Day Availability Update

Travel Ideas for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend
We are pleased to present several ideas for travel to available Club homes over the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend. If you are interested in taking advantage of any of these vacation opportunities, please contact your Experience Manager. July 4th is quickly approaching and therefore, any member may take advantage of these availabilities without counting towards your holiday privilege allotment (although they will count against your total available usage nights).


La Quinta, California Escape to the "Gem of the Desert" this July 4th holiday for a world-class golf weekend on some of the country's most renowned golf courses. Your home is located on the 1st hole of the Greg Norman course, which makes escaping for that early morning round effortless.

The home's private pool creates the perfect environment for a refreshing soak after a day of sun and exercise. And with its poolside cabana your La Quinta home is also ideal for entertaining family, friends or golfing buddies.


Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The warm summer days of July are when the heart and soul of Jackson, Wyoming shine brightest. A short drive from your Teton Village home, downtown Jackson provides a colorful backdrop for this summer holiday.

Start your 4th of July celebrations with the “Howdy Pardners” Parade in Downtown Jackson. Music lovers can join in the Grand Teton Music Festival Outdoor Concert taking place this July 4th; a freedom festival featuring patriotic music and fun in Alpine Field. In the evening Snow King resort puts on one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in Wyoming. Spread your blanket out in the park and watch as the sky comes to life.

Round out the holiday weekend with a genuine western tradition. Just down the street from your Granite Ridge home, Teton Village hosts the Silver Collector Car Show & Auction on July 5th. Wander through the colorful rows of vintage cars at the largest show of its kind in the region.


Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
Summer days are the perfect time for a visit to the Mexican Riviera Maya. This July 4th, travel to one of the most enchanting locales on the globe. Explore the ruins of Tulum with a private guide who will help you uncover the mysteries of the Ancient Mayan Culture.

From your home located right on the pristine white sand beaches you can also choose to spend this holiday weekend lounging on the beach building castles in the sand. Take an afternoon to indulge in a private massage in your Puerto Aventuras home.


Scottsdale, Arizona
Delight the senses with a trip to see working artists in studio and browse their wonderful completed works in the Loft Gallery at Artspace. Take a moment to visit the Robert Roman Gallery featuring fine contemporary painting and sculpture and the Textures Gallery fine craft collection of glass, ceramic, fiber art, wearable art, wood and more. Admission is free.

Kick off your Independence Day celebrations on July 3rd at the Light Up the Sky Festival in Phoenix’s Maryvale Baseball Park. There will be musical entertainment, kids rides, craft activities and fireworks. Bring the family to the festivities on July 4th at the Grand Ol’ Family Picnic taking place at Scottsdale Stadium. Sign up for a watermelon or pie eating contest, play the old fashioned games and discover local arts and crafts; free admission.


The Villages at Mauna Lani – Big Island, HI
The Big Island of Hawaii celebrates July 4th in a big way. Join the locals for the Volcano Village July 4th Parade & Celebration. This unique festivity only comes once a year and will delight with its eclectic mix of activities including a lively parade, food, antique cars and the HI Country Band. The kids will enjoy special games set up just for them; the celebrations also include a dunking pond, food booths, a craft fair and a silent auction.

While in your Mauna Lani home be sure to check out the 46th annual Parker Ranch July 4th Rodeo. This family tradition combines the heart of the old west with the lively traditions of the Hawaiian culture. Traditional rodeo events, children’s activities, delicious food and more will create a memorable holiday for the entire family. Events begin at 9:00am and last until noon at Parker Ranch Arena.

DC4MS

very nice photography

Kagehitokiri

so 5 properties avail for 4th of july at one month out

pwrshift

Nice pics, although by the perspective angles of the straight lines I detect wide angle lenses were used which distorts room size.

TarheelTraveler

That is correct. But just to put that in context, that is out of the 15 or 16 current properties (the rollout of additional properties has not started quite yet).

Kagehitokiri

seems like a very reasonable ratio considering those numbers and ~150+ members.

LTTravel

Once again this shows how good photography can truly sell a property.

To be fair about availability, everyone criticizes ER for poor availability which I think is unfair. Checking availability for fourth of July weekend, there is availability at at the following destinations:

Cabo, Miami, Real del Mar, Costa Rica, St. Barts, Florence, Vegas, London, Bovey Castle, Scottsdale, The World, Deer Valley or a total of 12 destinations. There are additional destinations with availability for the 5th and 6th but I included only those with availability for at least the 4th, 5th and 6th. I have not found too much of a problem with ER booking a destination. It is just that if there is a specific destination you want, you will need to book those early.

It always seems that there are much less desireable destinations for the summer holiday periods. The most popular are Tuscany, Newport, Kiawah and Laguna. I think families like these types of destinations for the summer months, but they are less desirable in the winter months making overall utilization a problem in offering more of these homes in the portfolio.

Kagehitokiri

A&K 5/15 & 150 : ER ~100/~300 & ~3000

there arent ~100 available are there? of those destinations, st barts is once in a lifetime, vegas is terrible value, and several others have tons of properties.

i personally dont criticize ER for availability, i would just be concerned with competing with ~3000 members in general, even if every destination had 30 properties.

LTTravel

Some of the destinations have several homes available (Scottsdale has 20) and some have only one. But as a member, it is 30 days out and you need only book one home, so it doesn't really matter how many homes in a destination are available as long as there is at least one. At this point, several of the destinations are not a "good value". Both have Scottsdale available, not a number one choice on the 4th of July at 105 degrees. La Quinta at 100 degrees, etc. The bottom line is that if you are a member of ER, you have 12 choices available to you as of today for 4th of July.

TarheelTraveler

It is a very reasonable availability ratio for a holiday. I have seen but don't remember how many of the 150 are full members and how many are "half" members with respect to # of days so that plays a role. I also don't find ER bad at all on that front. Several are very good options.

I personally agree about Scottsdale and La Quinta. It's too hot for my taste. I think the other three though are very good options, particularly Hawaii, which is always one of the most popular locations. As a side note, the number of destinations will increase substantially with the roll out.

Kagehitokiri

point taken LTTravel, when talking about properties in the same development.

3DH

Very nice... the home appears to be on the golf course, from one of the views... correct? I actually love the photography -- the wide angle lens makes for great views!

__________________
"Boutique" is better! Another extremely satisfied LUSSO member!

LTTravel

That's got to be a 15-20mm or less wide angle lens. I have a 28mm and it doesn't get anywhere near that wide

TarheelTraveler

It's on the Osprey Point Golf Course. The view should be quite good once some of the shrubbery gets pruned.