According to the Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown/Yankelovich Partners 2000 National Leisure Travel Monitor(SM), the majority of U.S. leisure travelers -- 56 percent�express an interest in staying in a condominium resort during the next two years.

�Vacation condominium rental is a market with enormous upside potential,� said Peter Yesawich, CEO, Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown, the Orlando-based marketing firm that co-authored the study. �We view this segment as one of the last unbranded frontiers in the hospitality industry.�

Yesawich noted that a convergence of trends is leading to the rising interest in more spacious, home-like accommodations. The growing family travel market and desire of working parents to spend �quality time� with their children; the increased incidence of multi-generational travel and the rising popularity of mountain resorts and ski-related vacations, all point to boom times for resort condominium owners and marketers.

Consumers are also finding that condominium vacation rentals for golf, beaches or skiing in places like Hilton Head, S.C., Palm Springs, Calif., or mountain resorts such as Park City, Utah or Breckenridge, Colo. are easily navigated on the Internet with information and reservations readily available with a few clicks.
 

What they�re also discovering is that for about the same amount they�d spend on a 300- or 400-sq. ft.  hotel room, they may enjoy their vacation with far more space and privacy in a three- or four-bedroom residence that offers the creature comforts of home.

Chateaux Roaring Fork Aspen, Colorado

�When you compare the cost per day of the two or three hotel rooms that are often used by large families or groups of friends traveling together to the cost of a one-week or two-week condominium rental, it�s a no-brainer,� said David Levine, CEO, Memphis-based ResortQuest International (NYSE:RZT), the leading condominium resort rental company in the U.S., with 17,000 condominium resorts under contract at vacation destinations throughout North America.

While quality assurance has been an elusive component for some marketers, ResortQuest has systematically evaluated each of the properties it represents and categorized them by quality/price points: bronze, silver, gold, platinum. Consumers who visit ResortQuest.com can easily see what properties fall under these classifications and the rental cost for each, market-by-market. They may also view the homes inside and out, before they make a reservation.

�We�re bringing peace of mind to the equation by providing the quality and comfort travelers want in a home away from home,� said Levine. �By grouping all of these properties under the ResortQuest brand, we�re telling consumers that we share their interest in quality and value. Our variety of accommodations presents a superb vacation experience and an excellent value.

�There are one million available rental units in the U.S.; but to my knowledge we�re the only ones offering the selection and diversity of beaches, mountains, skiing and golf resorts to suit any lifestyle and budget.�

Memphis-based ResortQuest International provides a one-stop resource for vacation home and condominium rentals in 41 premier resort destinations in North America. ResortQuest�s total portfolio now comprises more than 17,000 vacation rental properties. ResortQuest also is the first branded vacation rental, property management and real estate sales company to offer online booking through ResortQuest.com.

ResortQuest�s locations include Gulf Shores, Ala.; Scottsdale and Tucson, Ariz.; Palm Desert and Palm Springs, Calif.; Aspen, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Dillon, Snowmass Village and Telluride, Colo.; Bethany Beach, Del.; Beaches of South Walton, Bonita Springs, Captiva Island, Destin, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Marco Island, Naples, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Orlando, Perdido Key, Sanibel Island and Vanderbilt Beach, Fla.; St. Simons Island, Ga.; Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai, Hawaii;
Nantucket, Mass.; Big Sky, Mont.; the Outer Banks of North Carolina; Lake Erie Island, Ohio; Sunriver, Ore.; Hilton Head Island, S.C.; Deer Valley, Park City and The Canyons, Utah; and Whistler, British Columbia.