ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 21, 2023-- Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: VAC), a leader in leisure travel with a portfolio of trusted, globally-recognized travel brands, is proud to announce it has been honored with 11 awards by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), a nonprofit trade association that advocates for the timeshare industry.

Each year, ARDA recognizes groups and individuals who exhibit professional excellence and/or have achieved significant accomplishments in the areas of marketing and sales; management and administration; advertising, promotion, and communications; and resort design. The organization also offers the ARDA Circle of Excellence (ACE) award, which honors those who have attained the highest level of excellence in the resort industry. This year, Marriott Vacations Worldwide is delighted to congratulate the 2023 ARDA award winners:

• ACE Employee of the Year Award: David Calvert, AVP, Global Brand Strategy & Management, for his work developing and launching the Abound by Marriott Vacations Owner program. He led the customer-positioning development and messaging for owners and served as the central point of contact for all functional areas with customer-facing communication needs.
• Technology Project Team: Interval International IT Team, for onboarding more than 300,000 new members in 2022 and integrating them into the system. This significant, cross-functional effort required teamwork across several groups, including software developers, project managers, business development executives, digital marketing specialists, business analysts, and quality assurance specialists.
• Activities Program Professional: Matthew Mateo Martinez, Supervisor, Operations Activities, for championing the “clubTHRIVE” fitness programs at Marriott’s Crystal Shores in Marco Island, Florida; teaching classes and adding new ones; completing training to develop his fitness skills, including a certification for a popular Beach Yoga class; helping Owners and guests create unforgettable memories; and leading his team with enthusiasm.
• Resort General Manager: John Louie, for leading his team at Marriott’s Crystal Shores in Marco Island, Florida, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a full property renovation, staffing shortages, and Hurricane Ian. After the storm, he organized meals and secured bedding and furniture for affected associates.
• Resort Assistant Manager: Jaret Della Porta, for coaching and developing his associates and leaders; increasing both Owner satisfaction, especially during the pandemic, and associate engagement; and improving the resort onboarding experience for new employees at the Sheraton Vistana Resort in Orlando, Florida.
• Housekeeping Manager: Rocelia Jimenez, for creating a comprehensive strategy to prepare villas during record occupancy at Marriott’s Newport Coast® Villas in California. Her changes included an internal shuttle program to help housekeepers get to work and a revamped schedule with staggered start times.
• Special Event – Employee: Charlotte de La Plaine, Director of Rooms Operations & Guest Experience, for creating and executing the inaugural Resort Operations Achievement Recognition Awards where eight winners were flown to Orlando for several days of celebratory events. She and her team of Daniel Fernandez, Friezi Dorvilus, Inelda Hernandez, and Jordyn Young handled all details right down to the awards night menu.
• Interior Design: Marriott’s Bali Nusa Dua Terrace Villas in Indonesia, which embraces modern features with artfully blended and rich hues, intricate wood carvings, and décor and fabrics displaying colorful patterns, gold accents, and diverse textures to reflect the joy and spirit of the local Balinese culture.
• Communications Team: the Global Communications Team for their communications and placement of media coverage around Investor Day at the New York Stock Exchange and the launch of Abound by Marriott Vacations™.
• Communications Professional: Terry Godbey, for her storytelling around the inaugural Resort Operations Achievement Recognition Awards. Her efforts included a photo-rich, in-depth feature sharing the eight winners’ stories and secrets to success as well as Yammer posts that spotlighted them and reported “live” from the events.
• Digital Sales Film: the Brand & Creative team for their work creating the Marriott Vacation Club Brand Manifesto “Well Deserved.”

This year, Marriott Vacations Worldwide submitted a company record of 57 total nominations, which ARDA narrowed down to 36 finalists, setting another company record.

“Last year was an incredible year for our company, and it wouldn’t have been a great year without the passion of our associates,” said Marriott Vacations Worldwide president and CEO John Geller. “We are honored to recognize and celebrate this year’s finalists and winners because their hard work and dedication are what sets us apart as an industry leader and solidifies our reputation as a company where people want to work and grow.”

In 2022, ARDA honored Marriott Vacations Worldwide with seven awards out of 17 finalists.

About Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation is a leading global vacation company that offers vacation ownership, exchange, rental and resort and property management, along with related businesses, products, and services. The Company has over 120 vacation ownership resorts and approximately 700,000 owner families in a diverse portfolio that includes some of the most iconic vacation ownership brands. The Company also operates exchange networks and membership programs comprised of more than 3,200 affiliated resorts in over 90 countries and territories, and provides management services to other resorts and lodging properties. As a leader and innovator in the vacation industry, the Company upholds the highest standards of excellence in serving its customers, investors and associates while maintaining exclusive, long-term relationships with Marriott International, Inc. and an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation for the development, sales and marketing of vacation ownership products and services. For more information, please visit www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com.

About ARDA

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, Washington, DC-based trade association for the timeshare industry, representing more than 350 privately held and publicly traded companies. ARDA’s work —including proactive advocacy —touches every role within the timeshare industry. Developers, exchange companies, vacation clubs, timeshare resellers, timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, industry vendors, consultants, and legal and regulatory experts are all part of the ARDA network, including popular companies such as Disney Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Westgate Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and Wyndham Destinations. As the U.S. is the global headquarters for the timeshare and shared ownership industries, ARDA is seen as a leader amongst its peers worldwide and regularly works with established and emerging associations and markets across the globe to help advocate for the interests of ARDA members and beyond.

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Cameron Klaus
Global Communications
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation
407.513.6606
Cameron.Klaus@mvwc.com

Source: Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation