Hot Links: | 
| |
RCI – A World Of Choice
October 27, 2008 by Fractional Property Ownership, Timeshare & Luxury Travel Magazine · Leave a Comment
With more than 4,000 affiliated resorts in over 100 countries, RCI offers its members a world of choice. And the horizons of RCI’s holiday world continue to broaden as it continually brings new and exciting destinations into its exchange network.
Here are two resorts which RCI has recently welcomed into its programme. These two new properties in Tenerife and Turkey will be opening their doors to RCI members in January next year providing a great opportunity for those looking to warm up the winter months.
The Luxury Touch In Tenerife
The new resort of Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora defines the picturesque shoreline of Guia de Isora on the southern side of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with the island’s majestic Mount Teide rising behind it, Sol Meliá Vacation Club’s newly-built resort features a stunning neo-classical design and a fabulous 270-metre-long infiniti seawater swimming pool that follows the shoreline.
Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz at sunset, one of many picturesque attractions on Tenerife.
On site, there are five restaurants to choose from and six bars, as well as romantic candlelit courtyards where guests can watch the sun go down as they dine. And there’s no shortage of things to do. Without even leaving the resort, guests can be pampered in a world-class spa and health club and, for the more active, there are two tennis courts, a golf simulator, and three more swimming pools.
The accommodation comprises 140 one and two-bedroom apartments providing all the comforts of home, including flat screen plasma TVs, high speed internet, living and dining areas with fully-equipped kitchenettes. Often called the paradise island, Tenerife is blessed with a tropical climate and the widest range of attractions. From its many beaches and shoreline promenades fringed with restaurants and bars to the breathtaking splendour of the Las Cañadas del Teide National Park, this destination offers a new adventure every day.
Explore the spiralling roads of Mount Teide, and discover some hidden gems such as the ‘lost’ village of Masca, located above a deep gorge and benefiting from some of the best views on the island. Enjoy shopping and dining in the island’s capital, Santa Cruz, while in the north of the island the elegant Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife’s second largest tourist city, has a great tradition as a place of relaxation, with lush gardens and a wealth of historic buildings providing the perfect backdrop for a quiet stroll.
One of the greatest attractions of the city is without doubt the Lago Martiánez. This series of seawater pools conceived by the Canarian artist, César Manrique, forms an extraordinary spot to soak up the sun while watching the world go by. Manrique harmonised the architecture of this feature with the exotic vegetation of the volcanic coast, creating one of the most unique bathing areas in the world.
On the outskirts of the city, the botanical gardens and the Loro Parque are a must for nature lovers. The botanical gardens, founded in 1788, are home to many species of exotic plant life, thanks to the island’s tropical climate, while Loro Parque is a plant haven with a difference – it houses the largest collection of parrots in the world and an excellent dolphinarium.
From mountain to desert landscapes, from baking beaches to verdant parks, Tenerife is a fascinating destination with something for everyone.
The picturesque hillsides of Edremit offer some stunning views.
Turkish Thermal Delights
Nestling in the silvery olive groves, close to Turkey’s Aegean coast at Edremit and the mountains and valleys of the Kaz Dagi National Park, is Astyra Spa and Thermal Resort.
This is a new resort which is easily accessible by road or via Izmir international airport. Designed as a place of rejuvenation, health and well-being, the main feature of the resort is its thermal therapy centre. At 11,000 square metres, it is one of Europe’s largest thermal centres and it facilities include four indoor thermal pools, a heated seawater pool, two whirlpools, saunas and Turkish baths, as well as a spa and fitness centre.
Children can play in a dedicated aqua-park play area. Also on site are tennis, basketball, squash and volleyball courts and an outdoor pool to provide a more energetic alternative to relaxation in the tranquil spa areas. Two onsite restaurants, a café-bar, a night club and a variety of shops and bars create a busy
social hub, while special features for children make this a very family-friendly resort. Even pets are welcomed in their own hotel!
Guests in the property’s 144 timeshare apartments can also use the facilities of the resort’s hotel. The Gulf of Edremit in Balikesir province is a place where clear waters meet sandy beaches creating some of Turkey’s most beautiful coastlines. Edremit is 10 kilometres from the coast and a short distance south is the village of Kalabak Köyü where visitors can explore ancient archaeological remains dating back to 1231. Of special interest is the 14th century Genoese fortress.
Turkey’s first national park was established in 1958 and today thre are 39 of them – and particularly spectacular is that of Kaz Dagi which stretches from east to west along the north coast of the Gulf providing a scenic backdrop to the Astyra Spa and Thermal Resort.
The myth-makers called it Mount Ida – the mountain of the Mother Goddess, Cybele – where it is believed the Gods gathered to watch, and decide, the outcome of the battle of Troy. Today, it bears the more prosaic name of Kaz Dagi, meaning Goose Mountain. Its 1,774-metre summit – Karata, the highest of a series of peaks – rises above forests rich in flora and fauna.
An artist’s impression of the Astyra Spa and Thermal Resort in Turkey which has just joined RCI’s portfolio of exchange holiday properties.
The region has become a magnet for mountaineers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. Almost every path of Kaz Dagi National Park can be explored, all the way towards Assos, en route for Troy, in the West. Here, the wealth of nature can be enjoyed while tracing the origins of ancient civilisations and discovering traditional rural lifestyles.
However, some areas require special equipment or experience and eco-tourism guides are on hand to accompany the more adventurous. A kilometre to the Southeast is Arlak, with its commanding view of Çamlibel and the Gulf. Its picnic area and tea garden, containing a pool in the shape of the Sea of Marmara,
are ideal places to drink in the scenery while taking a rest.
Add to this the nearby sandy beaches and the thermal waters of Güre and the Balikesir’s springs, and you have all the ingredients for a truly rejuvenating holiday.
For more information on RCI and its affiliated resorts across the world, please visit www.rci.com
This article is from the July 2008 edition of Owners Perspective Magazine and reproduction is strictly prohibited.
What Now?
Not Registered Yet? Just Click Here
Check out our latest Reader Offers
Or visit our Fractional Property Guide
Why not Follow Us On Twitter
Or buy a print subscription and Save Over 30%
Related posts
|
Thailand’s Most Exciting Designer Development
Internationally acclaimed design, branding and marketing company yoo, together with one of Asia’s leading development groups Absolute are set to launch a new apartment complex that will provide buyers with both a beautiful home as well as a secured and guaranteed investment... |
|
Christel House – A Perfect 10
Jefferson Ochoa lives with his family in a 3-room shack made of unfinished cement blocks in La Vega, the most dangerous barrio in Caracas, Venezuela. His parents, both illiterate, were barely fifteen years old (the same age Jefferson is now) when he was born. Without education... |
|
Around the World…
Here’s just a sampling of some noteworthy – and sometimes offbeat – happenings across the globe over the next couple of months. NORTH AMERICA Toronto’s WinterCity Festival runs January 29 to February 11. The award-winning festival returns for its seventh year, offering... |
|
Experience The Unique Lifestyle Of Seasonal Ownership At Gleneagles
Seasonal Ownership at Gleneagles® is an inspired creation – a unique opportunity to own, in a season or seasons of your choice, one of the impressive homes at Glenmor, set on heather-clad moorland within The Gleneagles Hotel’s spectacular 850 acre estate. Glenmor® offers... |
|
Top 5 Travel Apps
By Matt McDaniel, Editor Unless you’re the type of person who believes a vacation is not truly a vacation unless the fetters of technology have been severed, the travel applications detailed in this article are a must-have for your next out-of-town excursion. So, get out your... |
 |
FEATURED COMPANIES |
|||||
 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
||||
PRINT SUBSCRIPTION
Click Here and you can currently SAVE 30% OFF an annual print subscription to Owners Perspective Magazine - get 12 editions including delivery to anywhere in the world.
FEATURED COMPANIES |
|||||
 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
||||
THIS WEEK'S MOST POPULAR |
|||||
|
The Key To Luxury | 52284 view(s) Borgo Di Vagli | 38545 view(s) The Reefs Club | 37834 view(s) Four Seasons Punta Mita | 37199 view(s) Disney Magic Comes To RCI | 34376 view(s) 5 Reasons Why A Sampler Program May Be Right For You | 31486 view(s) Resort Equities - Luxury Shared Ownership | 30984 view(s) Extraordinary Places Still Exist - Ghirardelli Square | 30893 view(s) Whatever You Desire - The Palheiro Estate | 29635 view(s) An Unexpected Luxury: The Spa at Keystone | 28473 view(s) | |||||
