e - N E W S L E T T E RRaintRee Vacation club

spRing 2012

CLICK HERE!

FOR THE

PDF VERSION!

doug’S mESSagE A special message from Raintree’s CEO, Doug Bech.

fEaTuREd RESoRT Enjoy the mountains at the Miners Club in Park City!

fEaTuREd RESTauRaNT A look at The Hideaway Cafe, located at The Miners Club

EaRTh houR 2012 REcap A recap of all the events that took place at the resorts from Earth Hour 2012.

chiLdREN’S day! A look at Children’s Day and how Christel House helps our children

EaSTER TRadiTioNS Traditions from around the world!

2Nd m.d. A future with better healthcare and how you can experience it

iN ThE pipE Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos are fantastic surfing destinations

TESTimoNiaLS Want to hear what some of our Members are saying?

Scam WaRNiNg A false endorsement email that some of our Members have received

pRomoTioNS pagE See the promotions from RCI!

3 12

4 14

6 15

7 16

178

10

Dear Member,

Now that 2012 is well underway, I hope you’re starting to notice the continuing updates we’re making at Raintree Vacation Club so that you, our loyal Members, can experience better vacations than ever before. We’ve switched over to a more advanced format for e-Updates and e-Newsletter, giving you the ability to read Raintree news and offers in a more natural, magazine-like way while also offering the option of viewing the e-Update in an older format with one easy click.

In this issue, read about the powdery ski slopes and winding alpine trails that surround The Miners Club, our featured resort for the month of April. Check out 2nd.md, the innovative online service that brings second opinions from leading medical experts straight into the comfort of your living room, and get a recap of the events our resorts held in honor of Earth Day. Whet your appetite with our feature on the Hideaway Café at The Miners Club, and don’t be surprised if you get an urge to “hang ten” while reading a review of the surfing scene in Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos. Finally, don’t miss our articles about Children’s Day and Easter traditions from around the world and a testimonial from some of your fellow Members about a recent vacation they took with us.

The warmer months are just around the corner, so break out the sunscreen and make a reservation with us at your favorite Raintree summer destination! With Raintree Vacation Club, your vacations are truly limitless.

Sincerely,

Doug Bech

p erched on the western edge of the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, Park City, Utah is the ultimate alpine destination. When the snow starts falling, you can be sure that the renowned slopes of Park City’s multiple

world-class ski resorts will be open for business; many professional skiers and snowboarders report that they have never encountered powder so light and fresh anywhere else. Meanwhile, those who prefer activities that don’t involve ski lifts will delight in Park City’s historic districts, comprehensive shopping options, and excellent restaurants. This beautiful city’s appeal isn’t exclusive to the colder months, either; summer brings with it a host of different activities, including hiking and mountain biking. Locals and frequent visitors alike will tell you the same thing: Park City is perfect all year long.

The Miners Club is an authentic mountain retreat that combines rustic Rocky Mountain architecture with the upscale accommodations and amenities that the more discerning travelers of today have come to expect. This resort features gas-burning stone fireplaces in all guest rooms, deep jetted tubs, a game room equipped with a Nintendo Wii, and a theater room. For light après-ski fare or a hearty meal, the Hideaway Café offers a full menu of delicious appetizers, entrees, desserts, and even local Utah beers and spirits (check out the article about the Hideaway Café in this e-Update for more details). Last but not least, The Miners Club is located

right next to the Frostwood Gondola, which transports guests directly to the ski lifts.

If you want to make a reservation at The Miners Club, please call a Raintree Vacation Guide at 317.805.9167 or toll-free at 1.800.424.6532.

FEATURED RESORT

RAINTREE’S THE MINERS CLUB, PARK CITYCapacity 2 Nights 4 Nights

2 BEDROOM 6 $219 $425

TerMs and CondiTions:• Rates listed are in US dollars and are valid from April 14 to June 15, 2012. • Only valid for 2- or 4-night stays. For additional nights Raintree Rentals apply. • Offer is subject to availability at participating resorts. • Rates are non refundable and do not include local taxes, additional fees or gratuities. • Advance reservations are required and certain blackout dates apply. • Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. • Raintree Vacation

Club reserves the right to terminate this offer without prior notice. • Other unit types are available. Contact us for availability and pricing.

Yet another Earth Hour is behind us, and here at Raintree we’re pleased to have played a small part in the global effort to take better care of our planet. With the support of our caring and conscientious Members, our resorts held some exciting events to commemorate this historic day.

Every year since 2007, millions of people across the globe have extinguished their electrical lights for one scheduled hour in the month of March to raise the public’s awareness of climate change. This year, the turnout is expected to be greater than ever!

Club Regina Los Cabos featured an Earth Day-themed dinner on the beach; Members and guests read their special menus by the light of candles and the fire pit, and watched a group of fire dancers put on a mesmerizing show. Club Regina Cancun also held a special dinner. The staff at Villa Vera Oaxaca created an entire tree out of discarded empty plastic bottles from the resort.

The three resorts listed above, the Sandcastle, Cimarron Golf Resort, Villa Vera Puerto Isla Mujeres, Desert Arroyo, Villa Vera Puerto Vallarta, Club Regina Puerto Vallarta, The Miners Club, and Villa Vera Puerto Mio Zihuatanejo all joined tens of millions of people around the world in turning off all but the most necessary lights, and invited our Members to do the same!

If we all do our part to make the world a better place, it can happen. Raintree believes that social responsibility is immensely important, and we make an effort to live by that belief every day. Thank you for helping us to reach that goal. If you want to read more about Earth Hour, please visit www.earthhour.org.

Park City is a beautiful, energetic mountain town that offers a vast range of indoor and outdoor activities to keep even the most demanding traveler happy. Of course, after a long day of hiking in the mountains, carving down your favorite ski runs, or investigating Park City’s extensive shopping options, you may need some serious replenishment.

Raintree’s The Miners Club has you covered. This picturesque resort boasts its own on-site restaurant: The Hideaway Café. Open daily from 4:00pm – 9:00pm, the Hideaway offers great service in a casual and friendly environment that is specially designed to welcome you back from the slopes, trails, or Main Street. The menu includes a blueberry chipotle cream cheese dip, house special nachos, a pulled pork sandwich, a chicken wrap, French dip au jus, and even a brownie sundae and root beer float for dessert!

The Hideaway also carries an exclusive selection of delicious local Utah beers, wines, and spirits, including Epic Brewing, Utah’s own full-strength beer. It’s also adjacent to the resort’s Game Room, so the kids can go play while the adults enjoy an appetizer or cocktail, and there is outdoor seating on a deck during the late spring, summer, and early fall.

You may have trouble deciding which you enjoy more: the fir tree-lined mountain trails of Park City, or the hearty alpine cuisine and flavorful local beverages that await you at the Hideaway Café. If you want to make a reservation at The Miners Club, please contact a Raintree Vacation Guide at 317.805.9167 or toll-free at 1.800.424.6532.

hearty Eats in

Children’s dayin MexiCo!

on April 30, Mexico celebrates “El Día del Niño”, or Children’s Day. Though many other countries around the world have a similar holiday, Childrens’ Day is particularly important in Mexico. In keeping with tradition, Mexican

children dress up in the colors of various countries and walk around in parades to promote the celebration of children everywhere. Schools are closed (even though this day is not an official holiday), and shopping malls hold events that include magicians, clowns, and other entertainment. Most water parks and other amusement parks in Mexico offer extra discounts for children of a certain age. Many charities and large organizations collect toy donations and distribute them to needy children.

At Christel House Mexico, Children’s Day is one of the best days of the year! Christel House is an organization that builds and staffs learning academies in the United States, Mexico, India, South Africa, Serbia, and Venezuela. Christel House academies provide a valuable education to children in need. Its founder, businesswoman and philanthropist Christel DeHaan, created Christel House in 1996 after she sold Resort Condominiums International (RCI). Raintree Vacation Club, with the invaluable help of its loyal and thoughtful Members, makes essential contributions to Christel House as part of an effort to create more opportunities for Mexico’s children and a better world for us all.

To learn more about Christel House, please visit www.christelhouse.org. You can also call 317.464.2030 or Toll-Free at 1.866.424.5437.

EASTER a r o u n d t h e

w o R l dFor billions of people around the world, Easter is one of the most important holidays of the year. Many countries share the same core Easter practices, but a few traditions out there really break the mold.

Here are just a few:

Tradition: The germans burn their christmas trees during Easter. This symbolizes the death of winter and the arrival of spring. germany is also responsible for the legend of the Easter Bunny or osterhase; this came from the ancient anglo-Saxon festival honoring the spring goddess Eastre, whose symbol was a rabbit.

Tradition: for Bermudans, good friday is par ticularly special. The inhabitants of this atlantic island nation create homemade kites and eat codfish cakes. The kites come from an old tale in which a British soldier used a kite to explain the christian concept of the ascension; they are traditionally made with color ful tissue paper, wood, metal, and string.

Tradition: children create paintings and drawings. They then dress up as “Easter witches” (a more color ful version of the typical american witch costume) and walk around their neighborhoods, exchanging the ar twork for candy and other treats. This event comes from the old Swedish legend in which witches would fly to a mountain in germany to meet with Satan on the Thursday before Easter. When the witches returned, the Swedes would light fires to keep them at bay as they flew past; this practice is still obser ved across the countr y with fireworks and bonfires.

SwEdENTradition: during the Easter season, Nor wegians read myster y novels and watch crime/detective-themed T V shows in the spirit of the passkekrim, or “Easter-crime”, season. They of ten do this from the cozy comfor t of ski cabins, some while playing the favorite national board game of yahtzee.

Tradition: in past eras, people in these countries created and burned ef figies of Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus in the Bible. more recently, this tradition has expanded to include more contemporar y characters, including unpopular politicians and industr y leaders. in 2008, the Venezuelans burned an ef figy of an Exxon executive.

NoRwAY

GREECE

GERMANY BERMUdA

and LaTin aMeriCa

W hen Clint Philip’s daughter Gabi lost the ability to move her right arm and leg at the age of four months, Clint and his wife Jade wanted answers so they could get Gabi all the medical help she needed as soon as possible. They

quickly discovered the difficulty of this task; the local pediatrician did not consider himself qualified to properly diagnose Gabi’s condition, and recommended that the Philips locate a specialist who could help them. It took Clint weeks of relentless research just to locate the nearest pediatric neurologist—who was four hours away—and another three weeks just to secure an appointment. When they finally met with the specialist, he too wasn’t able to give Clint and Jade the answers they needed.

After that experience, Clint found himself driven by a passion to help other families avoid the ordeal that his family endured. 2nd.MD is his vision for a better future in

healthcare, both in the United States and other countries. This extraordinarily innovative service gives you direct access to leading specialists who can answer all of your questions from the comfort of your own home. Gone are the days of traveling to and waiting for appointments with the best and brightest; now, you can get a consultation via the internet and walk into your next doctor’s appointment with a second opinion that you can really trust. 95% of the doctors on 2nd.MD studied, trained or currently work at one of U.S. News & World Report’s top hospitals or specialty programs, and 20% are chiefs or directors of their departments or hospital programs.

All you have to do is sign up on 2nd.Md’s website and use its intuitive search engine to find a specialist by disease. When you select a doctor, you will instantly see a list of available appointments that you can choose from. Choose an appointment time that works for you, and it will be added to your online shopping cart. After you go through the payment process, your appointment will be scheduled, and your specialist will contact you either by phone or by online video chat (depending on your preference) at the designated appointment time. If you have difficulties with the online process at any time, you can contact the 2nd. MD customer help hotline at 1.866.841.2575 and a service representative will help you choose the right specialist for you.

Clint Philips and the highly-dedicated 2nd.MD team have assembled a panel of medical experts and given you an easy and personalized conduit to speak with them; in doing so, 2nd.MD both hearkens back to the house calls of earlier medicine and propels modern healthcare forward into a more compassionate and inclusive future. If you want to learn more about the company, the team and the experts, please visit www.2nd.md or call 1.866.841.2575. Please note that the use of any content of the 2nd.MD website or services from any individual made available by such website is at your own risk and Raintree Vacation Club or any of its affiliated entities assumes no liability for such content or services provided.

2nd.md: Second opinionS made eaSy

Just about everyone who calls himself (or herself ) a surfer agrees: Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos in Mexico are fantastic surfing destinations. Whether it’s your first time on a board or you’ve traveled the world to hit all the best spots, these two Mexican balnearios will not disappoint.

The area around Puerto Vallarta boasts four big surfing locations. Sayulita, located about forty-five minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, is considered the “surf capital” of the region. it offers two manageable but exciting waves (one suited for beginners, one better for veterans), surf shops with reasonable rental prices, and great food options. Burros Point has what the locals and regulars call the best wave around Puerto Vallarta, and while it is almost always a great ride for veterans and experts, beginners should only try to surf this spot when the wave is small.

Los Cabos has a slightly wider range of surfing options. Zippers, a break located just nearby san Jose del Cabo, offers a great wave suited to all skill levels and hosts several well-known surf competitions; however, it also draws substantial crowds. nearby Cerritos Beach is rated as one of the best Pacific breaks in the western hemisphere, but also attracts a lot of people. Just south of rancho rocas del Mar, Shipwreck is a better option for surfers who want to ride at a more isolated beach, and has some fantastic coastal scenery to boot. surf spot El Tule and the break called Monument feature truly “epic” waves that should be attempted only by seasoned surfers.

ready to hang ten? Make your reservation at Club regina Puerto Vallarta, Club regina Los Cabos, or Villa Vera Puerto Vallarta now by calling a raintree Vacation Guide at 317.805.9167 or toll-free at 1.800.424.6532.

T E S T I M O N I A L Sh o w w a s y o u r v a c a t i o n ?

Member feedback is immensely important to us. Here’s what some of our Members have to say about a recent vacation they took with

Raintree to Club Regina Puerto Vallarta. If you would like to share a video testimonial with us, please let us know

when and where you will be traveling with us next and we will make every effort to meet with you during

your stay. For more information about this, please contact us at

newsletter@raintreeclub.com.

RAINTREE’S CLUB REGINA LOS CABOSCapacity 2 Nights 4 Nights

STUDIO 2 $145 $275

RAINTREE’S CLUB REGINA PUERTO VALLARTACapacity 2 Nights 4 Nights

STUDIO 2 $149 $285

cLicK ThE imagE T o ViEW ThiS TES TimoNiaL!

WARNING:F A l S E E n D O R S E m E n T E m A i l

Some of our Members have alerted us that they have been receiving emails from a third party that claims to represent Raintree Vacation Club and endorses a company called “Americas Property Solutions”. Please be advised that Raintree

Vacation Club is not affiliated with Americas Property Solutions and does not explicitly endorse any business exchanges with this company.

Raintree Vacation Club Members have been contacted by individuals claiming to be Raintree employees. These individuals, self-identified by the names Omar Tena O Pena and Mauriciosan, tell our Members that Raintree has entered into a relationship with a company called Americas Property Solution that will help the Member sell his/ her Raintree Vacation Club interest. In some cases, these individuals use a domain name of raintreeclubvacation.com as their e-mail address. Please note that the official Raintree Vacation Club e-mail address is raintreevacationclub.com. These individuals are not employees of Raintree Vacation Club and Raintree Vacation Club has not entered into any relationship with either these individuals or Americas Property Solution.

Anyone claiming to represent an endorsement of Americas Property Solutions by Raintree Vacation Club is doing so without the authorization of Raintree Vacation Club. We strongly urge our Members to exercise extreme caution when dealing with any companies that promise to sell your timeshare for an up-front fee or contact you claiming to have a buyer for your timeshare. Despite having professional-looking salesmen and websites, many of these companies are not legitimate.

Please remember that Raintree Vacation Club is not affiliated with any third-party timeshare reseller.

If you are contacted by any timeshare sales or rental company claiming to be affiliated with Raintree Vacation Club, please contact Member Services at 1.800.424.6532 or 317.805.9167 to report such incidents.

Mission sTaTeMenT

Raintree Vacation Club is the premier provider of innovative and flexible multi-resort Timeshare and Private

Residence Club accommodations in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

As a team, we consistently enhance our Members’ lives by providing extraordinary vacation experiences.