Creating Luxury and Beauty 

Three Resorts Score Top Awards 

By: Kathryn Mullan 

At this year’s ARDA Awards Gala, three different resorts won the ACE Project of Excellence Award, which recognize some of the front-runners in today’s vacation ownership resorts. Broken into three distinct categories—Domestic, International Large Developer and International Small Developer—each winning resort is truly one of a kind.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these three winners:

Domestic Project Winner: RiverWalk Resort on Loon Mountain (InnSeason Resorts) 

RiverWalk Resort on Loon Mountain sits at the edge of a mountain river, settled around an old New Hampshire paper mill. The land it was developed on encompasses a rich part of the Loon Mountain community history. What has emerged on this land is a luxuriant resort with fractional suites, a penthouse level, a full-service spa, state-of-the-art game room, luxury owners’ club, a shuttle to Loon Mountain, and a short drive to many of White Mountain’s natural wonders and attractions. Every unit features spectacular mountain views. The resort also features several amenities that are firsts in the area: a commercial winery called “7 Birches” on premises, and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool that is engineered to convert to an ice skating rink during the winter. RiverWalk Resort on Loon Mountain is an award-winning lodge that blends history, natural beauty and a vacation experience into one.

International Large Developer Winner: Marriott Vacation Club at Surfer’s Paradise—Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp. 

Located in Queensland, on the Gold Coast of Australia, Marriott Vacation Club at Surfer’s Paradise has quite the story to tell. To start, the developer acquired a hotel that was not having much success and turned the top eight floors into exquisite timeshare villas—all in only nine months (from conception to opening day). The game plan was simple: to retain eight floors of this beautiful, yet somewhat tired property and convert to 88 Vacation Ownership Villas with top-notch amenities. They re-landscaped the exterior and installed a saltwater lagoon pool that has friendly fish that hang around with the swimmers. They put in floor-to-ceiling glass so the guests may fully view the mountains, the Nerang River, and the Pacific Ocean. The décor throughout reflects the history of the region, while still being simple, crisp, light and playful. They even redesigned the lounge and made it open air. Overall, this Surfer’s Paradise is a true project home-run and has been successful among owners, guests, and shareholders alike.

International Small Developer Winner: Palafitos Overwater Bungalows at El Dorado Maroma, A Beachfront Resort by Karisma 

Located on one of the world’s top 10 beaches, Riviera Maya’s Maroma Beach, Palafitos Overwater Bungalows at El Dorado Maroma offers both beautiful accommodations and innovative touches. These bungalows are Mexico’s first over-the-ocean suites, featuring glass floors over the bright turquoise water. With these 30 bungalows, guests create memories that feel more like dreams. Inside each of these huts is their own private infinity pool, indoor Jacuzzi, glass bottom floors, and a personal ladder right into the Pacific Ocean for when they want to go for a dip. Each guest is also pampered with an on-site spa, world class restaurant, and customized beach picnics creating what feels like a utopia. Personalized services run the gamut from 24-hour room service, exclusive beach beds, customized beach picnics, and full butler service on-demand. The core beauty of this resort is also in its sustainability and eco-friendliness. During development, they used all native materials to construct the units, and the base of each bungalow serves also as an artificial reef to encourage activity and growth of marine life. Overall, it is truly a remarkably beautiful and eco-friendly resort that is well deserving of this ACE Award. Each of these winners have truly remarkable resorts that are bringing new innovations and ideas into the timeshare industry. May they inspire many more great works that we will celebrate at next year’s awards night!