Best Places to Work Resorts Featured in 2019

During 2019, Resort Trades introduced a series of articles entitled Best Places to Work that showcased six different timeshare resorts. During the process, we learned that there are many such companies within our industry.

The companies and months in 2019 they were featured include Holiday Inn – February; Diamond Resorts – March; Breckenridge Grand Vacations – May; VSA Resorts – July; Scottsdale Camelback Resort – August and A Place at the Beach – September. To review any of these articles online, go to www.resorttrades.com which has all previous issues in the archives.
We also learned that every company has its own unique culture. Many of them focus on people programs, providing employees with ongoing opportunities and professional development, helping them to learn and grow. Most of them regularly recognize their associates for their positive contributions. Our research also revealed that these companies often participate in philanthropic efforts. They invest in their people by addressing their core needs so they’re inspired to bring the best of themselves to work every day.

We circled back to the featured companies and asked how their story was received. We asked how the article was shared/circulated with staff? Was it posted on an employee bulletin board and copies sent to owners and prospects? After the story was published and read by staff, did it have a positive impact on employee morale? Did the story help in your recruiting process? Here are their responses.

Lori Entwistle, General Manager, Scottsdale Camelback Resort

We are so proud to have been included in the Resort Trades Best Places to Work issue, and capturing the front cover was certainly a highlight! We shared the article with our entire team at our monthly All-Staff Meeting. Additionally, we are using this article during our new employee orientation to introduce our new hires to our company culture. Again, we are very proud to be included in this article in one of our industry’s leading publications and look forward to sharing this success story with our owners.

Lori Overholt, President, CFO VSA Resorts

An email went out to all staff with a link to the article. We also posted it on social media and did a press release. Several employees commented on it being a great article. We received several congratulatory emails and letters from vendors and other companies

Michael Flasky, CEO, Diamond Resorts

We were excited to be profiled and honored to receive the title, as we have worked hard to build a strong and inspiring culture. We also shared the article on our @DiamondCareers social media channels and encouraged team members to share on their personal pages. It’s always great when we get to highlight the incredible work our team does day in and day out. We are leaders in the industry because our team pushes the envelope to deliver exceptional vacation experiences to our members, owners and guests. This story was great for showing our team some love and also awesome for our recruiting efforts, as we are always searching for the top talent. It was a great asset to have and share for recruiting, as we are always looking for the top talent. Having this story run right around the ARDA World convention was fantastic because it gave our team members who attended even more public recognition for their hard work.

Mike Dudick, CEO/Owner/Developer Breckenridge Grand Vacations

The article was shared on our employee website. However, we did not publish for our owners and guests. Breckenridge Grand Vacations holds employee morale to the highest level. Acquiring accolades, like Best Places to Work, boosts our employee’s morale in that they feel that they are a part of that recognition as well. Yes, awards such as this one play a big part in our recruitment efforts. Not only does it give hiring managers a tool to mention during their interview processes, but it gives the employees that already work for Breckenridge Grand Vacations as a sense of pride. They feel like they are part of a company that is functioning at the highest level, not only in their community but from an industry standard as well. We have huge respect for Resort Trades and we were honored to be featured.

Barbara Wilcox, Chief Talent Officer, Holiday Inn Club Vacations

It was an honor to be recognized among the “Best Places to Work” in our industry by Resort Trades. The feature did a wonderful job of highlighting our company’s legacy going back to Kemmons Wilson and our exciting plans for future growth, while at the same time emphasizing the caring family culture our team members embrace and enjoy behind the scenes. It’s a great way to share and reinforce what we’re building here and the proud story we’re continuing to write together.

Walter Hancock, General Manager, A Place at the Beach

“We loved being featured in the Best Place to Work series in Resort Trades. The article did a great job telling how we successfully manage both our timeshare and our whole owners. It also explained our employee development programs and why philanthropy is important to our staff, who loved reading the story.”

Marge Lennon loves to tell other people’s stories. She has had a front-row seat to the growth of the timeshare industry since 1978 and has written about its entrepreneurial developers and their amazing people from the Adirondacks to Australia. Contact her at Marge@LennonCommunications.com.