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Marriott Vacation Club to sell timeshare interests at Surfers Paradise Resort in Australia starting Spring 2016



Marriott Vacation Club, a global leader in timeshare vacation ownership, announced today that it has finalized the purchase of the iconic Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa Gold Coast, Australia. The announcement further establishes its strategy of expanding in Asia Pacific and adding new destinations to its growing worldwide portfolio of over 55 Marriott Vacation Club resorts.

"Our Owners and guests have long shared with us how Australia is one of their top destinations that they want to experience on vacation, and we listened," said Stephen P. Weisz, president and chief executive officer of Marriott Vacations Worldwide. "For decades the legendary Surfers Paradise Marriott has provided unforgettable vacation memories for Australian families and families from around the world. We are truly excited to add this amazing destination to our portfolio and to welcome Owners and guests to this striking property where they will be surrounded by the beauty and hospitality of Australia."

Plans for this new Marriott Vacation Club resort location include converting eight dedicated floors into 88 timeshare vacation apartment villas in a combination of studio and one bedroom floorplans.


Guests will enjoy lush accommodations with outdoor balconies, scenic views of the Pacific Ocean and stunning hinterland views of the Nerang River and mountains. The resort offers a paradise within a paradise featuring sparkling lagoons, white sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, quiet pool zones and unique aquatic experiences.

The resort is ideally situated in Queensland on Australia'sGold Coast, which enjoys temperate year-round weather and 300 days of sunshine per year. The Gold Coast is home to Queensland's most popular tourist destination and offers a diverse selection of retail shops, restaurants, internationally renowned surf beaches, national parks and entertainment districts. Additionally, the resort is just a short drive away from several major theme parks and attractions. For guests seeking to further explore the east coast of Australia, the Gold Coast is a perfect base with Brisbane a short drive away and Sydney, Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef within a 1- to 2-hour flight.

Marriott Vacation Club plans to complete conversion of the initial phase of timeshare vacation apartment villas and to open a new sales gallery by March 2016. The remaining hotel portion of the resort will continue to be operated under the Marriott brand.

Lawsuit Claims Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices in Marriott timeshare exchange program

A new article (read the full story by clicking HERE) releases more details about a lawsuit filed against a timeshare developer and cruise line over alleged deceptive charges which are assessed to consumers as part of a timeshare exchange program. Daniel Finerman, a Flagler County, Fla., resident, filed a lawsuit against Marriot Vacations Worldwide Corporation, and International Cruise Excursion Gallery Inc. in September 2014. In the action, he claimed the companies overcharged members of it time-share program through bogus fees and that Carnival Cruise Lines deceptively created certain fees and inflated others charged to customers trading in timeshare "points" for discounts.

That case was filed in the Flagler County circuit court, but was later removed to the Jacksonville Federal Court. In November, Finerman voluntarily dismissed claims against the International Cruise Excursion Gallery. His claims against Marriot are pending.

In his latest complaint, Finerman says he and his wife booked a six-day Caribbean cruise with Carnival using accumulated points from his Marriot Vacation Club timeshare. The cruise was scheduled to depart from Ft. Lauderdale on November 9, 2014.

"In addition to his points, plaintiff paid to Carnival Corporation the sum of $566.17, which consisted of the following: $159 each for Port fees, $114.11 each for government fees, and a processing fee of $19.95," the complaint states. Finerman says he contacted Marriot Vacation Club to question the high charges, and was advised the extra fees were not covered by his timeshare points, and that they were assessed by Carnival Corporation. Still questioning the additional costs for government and port fees, Finerman says he then checked the Carnival website, and followed online the booking steps for the same cruise.

Finerman claims that "when booking through the Carnival Corporation website, rather than through Marriot Vacation Club, the total governmental and port fees quoted for plaintiff and his wife on the identical cruise amounted to $253.08." Therefore, he says, he was overcharged $311.14 when he booked the cruise using his timeshare points.

Finerman's suit claims Carnival deceptively charged he and other members of the purported class illusionary government and port fees to increase its profits, violating the Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

He is represented by John A. Yanchunis from Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group.

Marriott International Releases 2nd Qtr Financial Results for 2014

Highlights: (The complete press release is below)

• Second quarter adjusted diluted EPS totaled $0.71, a 25 percent increase over prior year reported results. Reported diluted EPS totaled $0.64;

• North American comparable systemwide RevPAR rose 6.0 percent in the second quarter with average daily rates up 3.7 percent;

• On a constant dollar basis, worldwide comparable systemwide RevPAR rose 5.8 percent in the second quarter, including a 3.5 percent increase in average daily rate;

• Marriott repurchased 5.0 million shares of the company’s common stock for $300 million during the second quarter. Year-to-date, the company repurchased 12.8 million shares for $706 million;

• Comparable company-operated house profit margins increased 110 basis points in North America and 80 basis points worldwide in the second quarter;

• The company’s adjusted operating income margin increased to 47 percent compared to 43 percent in the year-ago quarter;

• At the end of the second quarter, the company’s worldwide development pipeline increased to nearly 215,000 rooms, including more than 30,000 rooms approved, but not yet subject to signed contracts;

• Over 18,700 rooms were added during the second quarter, including over 10,000 rooms associated with the Protea transaction and nearly 3,200 rooms in other international markets;

• Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) totaled $408 million in the quarter, a 10 percent increase over second quarter 2013 adjusted EBITDA.




BETHESDA, MD – July 29, 2014 - Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) today reported second quarter 2014 results.

Second quarter 2014 net income totaled $192 million, a 7 percent increase compared to second quarter 2013 net income. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) totaled $0.64, a 12 percent increase from diluted EPS in the year-ago quarter. Second quarter 2014 results reflect a $15 million pretax ($9 million after-tax and $0.03 per diluted share) impairment charge, an $11 million pretax ($7 million after-tax and $0.02 per diluted share) litigation reserve and a $7 million pretax ($5 million after-tax and $0.02 per diluted share) unfavorable foreign exchange impact related to Venezuelan currency devaluation. Excluding these items, second quarter adjusted net income totaled $213 million and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.71. On April 29, 2014, the company forecasted second quarter diluted EPS of $0.63 to $0.68, which did not include the three items discussed above. See page A-11 for the adjusted EPS calculation.

Arne M. Sorenson, president and chief executive officer of Marriott International, said, “Results in the quarter exceeded our expectations as worldwide RevPAR increased nearly 6 percent. In North America, strong transient demand drove RevPAR higher and room rates rose nearly 4 percent.

“With strong franchisee and owner demand for our brands, we are on pace to have another record development year in 2014 with contracts for roughly 295 hotels with nearly 46,000 rooms already signed, or nearly a dozen hotels per week, and well ahead of our 2013 first half signings pace. At the end of the second quarter, our development pipeline reached a record 215,000 rooms.

“We were pleased to announce a few weeks ago that the 3,400-room Atlantis, Paradise Island will be joining the Autograph Collection later this year, further accelerating our growth in the luxury and lifestyle space. The Autograph Collection is just one brand in our luxury and lifestyle portfolio (The Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, EDITION, JW Marriott Hotels, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Protea Fire & Ice Hotels and Moxy Hotels) catering to next generation travelers, a fast growing customer segment. Representing nearly 30 percent of our current development pipeline, we expect to increase our room distribution of these luxury and lifestyle brands by 50 percent over the next few years.

“We are bullish on the remainder of 2014. The strong RevPAR growth in the second quarter combined with very strong group bookings for the third quarter give us the confidence to increase our full year 2014 North American and worldwide RevPAR growth guidance to 5 to 7 percent. We are also increasing our expectations for gross room additions to 7 percent, 6 percent net, based on strong development interest in our brands. Through the first two quarters, we have returned $766 million to our shareholders through dividends and share repurchases and are on pace to return $1.35 billion to $1.6 billion to shareholders for the full year.”

For the 2014 second quarter, RevPAR for worldwide comparable systemwide properties increased 5.8 percent (a 5.9 percent increase using actual dollars).

In North America, comparable systemwide RevPAR increased 6.0 percent in the second quarter of 2014, including a 3.7 percent increase in average daily rate. RevPAR for comparable systemwide North American full-service hotels (including Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance Hotels, Gaylord Hotels and Autograph Collection Hotels) increased 5.3 percent with a 3.5 percent increase in average daily rate. RevPAR for comparable systemwide North American limited-service hotels (including Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites) increased 6.8 percent in the second quarter with a 4.1 percent increase in average daily rate.

Excluding Venezuela, international comparable systemwide RevPAR rose 4.6 percent (a 5.1 percent increase using actual dollars) in the second quarter.

Marriott added 162 new properties (18,729 rooms) to its worldwide lodging portfolio in the 2014 second quarter, including 113 properties (10,016 rooms) related to the Protea transaction. Nine properties (1,134 rooms) exited the system during the quarter. At quarter-end, the company’s lodging group encompassed 4,087 properties and timeshare resorts for a total of nearly 697,000 rooms.

The company’s worldwide development pipeline increased to roughly 1,300 properties with nearly 215,000 rooms at quarter-end, including 213 properties with more than 30,000 rooms approved for development, but not yet subject to signed contracts.

MARRIOTT REVENUES totaled nearly $3.5 billion in the 2014 second quarter compared to revenues of approximately $3.3 billion for the second quarter of 2013. Base management and franchise fees totaled $370 million compared to $343 million in the year-ago quarter, an increase of 8 percent. The year-over-year increase largely reflects higher RevPAR and new unit growth.

Second quarter worldwide incentive management fees increased 28 percent to $82 million primarily due to strong RevPAR and unit growth, as well as favorable timing of fee recognition. The company anticipates that incentive management fee revenue will increase at a high teens rate for full year 2014. In the second quarter, 40 percent of worldwide company-managed hotels earned incentive management fees compared to 34 percent in the year-ago quarter.

Worldwide comparable company-operated house profit margins increased 80 basis points in the second quarter with improvement in both room rates and productivity. House profit margins for comparable company-operated properties outside North America increased 30 basis points and North American comparable company-operated house profit margins increased 110 basis points from the year-ago quarter.

Owned, leased and other revenue, net of direct expenses, totaled $70 million, compared to $65 million in the year-ago quarter. Improved results reflected strong performance at several leased hotels, the addition of a property the company acquired in the fourth quarter of 2013, the impact of the Protea portfolio acquired at the beginning of the quarter and higher residential and credit card branding fees, partially offset by $13 million of lower termination fees. Results for the second quarter of 2013 included $4 million of expenses related to international lease terminations.

DEPRECIATION, AMORTIZATION, and OTHER expense totaled $47 million in the 2014 second quarter compared to $33 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase in expense largely reflects a $15 million impairment charge resulting from the reallocation of costs between the Miami EDITION hotel and the Miami EDITION residences. The estimated cost of the total Miami EDITION project, which includes both the hotel and residences, remains unchanged from last quarter. Prior year results included a $5 million impairment of deferred contract acquisition cost.

GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE and OTHER expenses for the 2014 second quarter totaled $159 million, a 1 percent decline compared to the year-ago quarter. Expenses for the quarter included a $7 million foreign exchange loss associated with the Venezuelan Bolivar. Expenses in the second quarter of 2013 included a $5 million performance cure payment.

On April 29, the company estimated general and administrative expenses for the second quarter would total $165 million to $170 million. Actual expenses in the quarter were below the range largely due to lower than expected spending, some of which was favorable timing, and lower bad debt expenses, partially offset by the foreign exchange impact discussed above.

GAINS AND OTHER INCOME totaled $3 million in the quarter compared to $10 million in the year-ago quarter. In the 2013 second quarter, the company recorded an $8 million gain on the sale of an investment in equity securities.

EQUITY LOSSES increased $6 million in the second quarter to an $8 million dollar loss largely due to an $11 million litigation reserve.

Adjusted Earnings before Interest Expense, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA)
Adjusted EBITDA totaled $408 million in the 2014 second quarter, a 10 percent increase over 2013 second quarter adjusted EBITDA of $372 million. See page A-8 for the EBITDA calculation.

BALANCE SHEET
At the end of the second quarter, total debt was $3,404 million and cash balances totaled $192 million, compared to $3,199 million in debt and $126 million of cash at year-end 2013.

COMMON STOCK
Weighted average fully diluted shares outstanding used to calculate diluted EPS totaled 298.7 million in the 2014 second quarter, compared to 314.0 million in the year-ago quarter.

The company repurchased 5.0 million shares of common stock in the second quarter at a cost of $300 million. Year-to-date, Marriott repurchased 12.8 million shares of its stock for $706 million. The remaining share authorization as of July 29, 2014, totaled 26.5 million shares.

OUTLOOK
For the 2014 third quarter, the company expects comparable systemwide RevPAR on a constant dollar basis will increase 6 to 8 percent in North America, 4 to 6 percent outside North America and 5.5 to 7.5 percent worldwide.

The company expects full year 2014 comparable systemwide RevPAR on a constant dollar basis will increase 5 to 7 percent in North America, 4 to 6 percent outside North America and 5 to 7 percent worldwide. On April 29, 2014, the company forecasted worldwide and North American RevPAR growth of 4.5 to 6.5 percent for full year 2014.

The company anticipates gross room additions of 7 percent worldwide for the full year 2014 including the 10,016 rooms associated with the Protea acquisition. Net of deletions, the company expects its portfolio of rooms will increase by approximately 6 percent by year-end 2014.

The company assumes full year fee revenue could total $1,685 million to $1,725 million, growth of 9 to 12 percent over 2013 fee revenue of $1,543 million.

For 2014, the company anticipates general, administrative and other expenses will total $640 million to $650 million, flat to down 1 percent compared to 2013 expenses of $649 million.

Given these assumptions, 2014 diluted EPS could total $2.40 to $2.51, a 20 to 25 percent increase year-over-year. This full year EPS outlook reflects reported second quarter results, including the $0.07 of unfavorable adjustments in the quarter.


Third Quarter 2014 Full Year 2014
Total fee revenue $425 million to $435 million $1,685 million to $1,725 million
Owned, leased and other revenue, net of direct expenses Approx. $50 million Approx. $235 million
Depreciation and amortization Approx. $30 million Approx. $145 million
General, administrative and other expenses $160 million to $165 million $640 million to $650 million
Operating income $280 million to $295 million $1,125 million to $1,175 million
Gains and other income Approx. $0 million Approx. $5 million
Net interest expense1 Approx. $25 million Approx. $95 million
Equity in earnings (losses) Approx. $0 million Approx. $(10) million
Earnings per share $0.59 to $0.63 $2.40 to $2.51
Tax rate 32.0 percent


1Net of interest income

The company expects investment spending in 2014 will total approximately $800 million to $1.0 billion, including approximately $150 million for maintenance capital spending and $193 million associated with the Protea transaction. Investment spending also includes other capital expenditures (including property acquisitions), new mezzanine financing and mortgage notes, contract acquisition costs, and equity and other investments. Assuming this level of investment spending, approximately $1.35 billion to $1.6 billion could be returned to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends.

Based upon the assumptions above, the company expects full year 2014 adjusted EBITDA will total $1,465 million to $1,515 million, an 11 to 14 percent increase over the 2013 full year adjusted EBITDA of $1,325 million. See page A-9 for the adjusted EBITDA calculation.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) will conduct its quarterly earnings review for the investment community and news media on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). The conference call will be webcast simultaneously via Marriott’s investor relations website at http://www.marriott.com/investor, click the “Recent and Upcoming Events” tab and click on the quarterly conference call link. A replay will be available at that same website until July 30, 2015.

The telephone dial-in number for the conference call is 706-679-3455 and the conference ID is 59383825. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available from 1 p.m. ET, Wednesday, July 30, 2014 until 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, August 6, 2014. To access the replay, call 404-537-3406. The conference ID for the recording is 59383825.

Note on forward-looking statements: This press release and accompanying schedules contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws, including RevPAR, profit margin and earnings trends, estimates and assumptions; the number of lodging properties we expect to add to or remove from our system in the future; our expectations about investment spending; and similar statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those we identify below and other risk factors that we identify in our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Risks that could affect forward-looking statements in this press release include changes in market conditions; the continuation and pace of the economic recovery; supply and demand changes for hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; and the availability of capital to finance hotel growth and refurbishment. Any of these factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations we express or imply in this press release. We make these forward-looking statements as of July 29, 2014. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 4,000 properties in 79 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $13 billion in fiscal year 2013. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 18 brands, including: Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Bulgari, EDITION, Renaissance, Gaylord Hotels, Autograph Collection, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels (expected opening in 2014), Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Protea Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments and Marriott Vacation Club timeshare brand. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 45 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website atwww.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visitwww.marriottnewscenter.com.

IRPR#1

For a complete set of financial tables, click here Download MAR Q2 2014 Press Release Schedules - FINAL

Contacts:
thomas.marder@marriott.com or betsy.dahm@marriott.com

Skunk captured in Fords Colony tests positive for rabies

The Peninsula Health District issued a notice Friday that a skunk found in the Eaglescliffe Drive area of Ford's Colony has tested positive for the rabies virus. Eaglescliffe runs alongside the country club parking lot and the timeshare property. Anyone with information regarding any exposure to this animal is asked to contact the Peninsula Health District's Williamsburg Environmental Health Office.

Exposure can also include direct contact between your pet and the rabid animal.
Rabies is a fatal, but preventable, disease carried by mammals and has been in the wild animal population on the Peninsula since the mid 1980s. The local office of Environmental Health Services will contact immediate neighbors as well as any civic or homeowner association that serves the community.

Marriott Vacation Club Announces Structural Completion of Third Tower at Grand Chateau in Vegas


MVW - Grand Chateau LogoORLANDO, Fla. – Marriott Vacation Club announced today the “topping-out” of the third, 37-story tower at Marriott’s Grand Chateau. Located at 75 East Harmon Avenue just off the world famous Las Vegas Strip, the “topping-out” development milestone signifies the structural completion of the third tower since breaking ground just over 13 months ago. With an anticipated first occupancy of mid-2014, the third tower will add 223 one-, two- and three-bedroom villas for a total of 643 villas at the property.

“We’re extremely pleased with the progress that has been made on our third tower at this great destination and look forward to having our Owners and guests enjoy the new villas and amenities,” said Lee Cunningham, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation. “The design of these new villas is exceptional and the resort’s location provides easy access and countless choices for entertainment on the famed Las Vegas Strip,” said Cunningham.

The topping-out of the 37-story tower took just over 56 weeks with nearly 250 workers on-site each day led by General Contractor, Tutor Perini Building Corporation. In total, approximately 2,300 truckloads of concrete, 210 miles of electrical wiring and 3.5 million pounds of reinforcing steel were used to construct the 37-story structure. After completing the foundation and 3-level parking deck, the villa floors were poured at a rate of one floor per week leading up to the final pour of the rooftop and the topping-out milestone.

MVW - Grand Chateau Tower 3 Topping OutThe third tower villas designed in a contemporary style, will range in size from approximately 810 to 2,070 square feet and offer fully equipped kitchens, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and custom cabinets. Each villa has generous living and dining areas; luxurious bedding; multiple flat-panel LED televisions with Blu-ray DVD players; washer/dryer and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access. Three-bedroom villas can accommodate 10 guests.

The third tower will add additional amenities for Owners and guests such as a lobby lounge, a billiards area with electronic game tables and a Marketplace featuring specialty coffees and gourmet sandwiches and salads. The fifth floor will provide access to a larger second pool with two whirlpool spas and a pool bar and grill.