"We chose Interval for a number of reasons. Interval, the quality exchange network, are the experts in this field and have over the years built and advised on points clubs for many brand-names and major independent developers," says John MacDonald managing director of Macdonald Resorts, a division of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts. "These quality resorts are attractive in terms of the consumer; when they exchange they see other quality resorts and respected brand names. We also felt that Interval provided a complementary service, not a competitive one, which was an important factor when making our decision."

Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is already one of the pre-eminent timeshare operators in Europe with its network of resorts in the UK and Spain. The decision to introduce a points club comes from a demand among potential customers and its existing owner base of over 30,000 for a vacation ownership product with greater flexibility. The club, branded "Options by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts," was designed in conjunction with Interval International and is tailor-made specifically for the needs of their current and future members.

"Points are now familiar currency in all sorts of transactions from flights to supermarket shopping. People understand how to use them and the additional flexibility that they offer," says MacDonald, "With respect to Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, they offer our owners, present and future, the opportunity to take advantage of the options available from the company’ leisure and hotel portfolio. That’s why we see points as the way forward."

In designing Options by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, a hybrid points club was developed that allows existing fixed-week owners the flexibility of retaining priority booking of their week while accruing the annual increment of points. The club currently offers nine Macdonald resorts: four based in Scotland, three in Spain, and one each in England and Wales.

When owners deposit their weeks into the club, they receive their annual points allocation and priority on use of the week deposited. MacDonald says that at the end of the 30-year duration of the club, his company will return property rights to club members who own fixed weeks in perpetuity.

Points initially are available for use on exchanges with Interval’s network of over 2,000 quality resorts throughout the world, within the Macdonald network and for stays at Macdonald hotels throughout the United Kingdom. Another benefit of joining the points club is automatic enrollment in Interval Gold. This Interval upgraded membership program provides members with a range of discounts on travel and leisure products, and through Interval Options the ability to exchange towards cruises, golfing holidays, and spa breaks.

"We are absolutely delighted and extremely proud to be associated with the launch of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts' new points club," says David Clifton, Interval’s managing director for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. "It took an intense collaborative effort to design a points program that precisely fits the specific needs of Macdonald and its owners. We firmly believe that Options by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is a superb product to further develop Macdonald’s already highly successful timeshare division."

For more than 27 years, Interval International has led the vacation ownership industry with innovative products and the highest levels of quality, service and value complemented by a global network of 2,000 resorts in 75 countries. With its headquarters located in Miami, Florida, Interval serves its developer clients and more than 1.5 million members through 26 offices in 17 countries and employs nearly 1,700 people worldwide. Interval International is an operating business of IAC.

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