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RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
JANUARY – MARCH 2016
So it certainly wasn’t out of character when, last year, the company
decided to enter an unexplored arena: offering a points club through
its Cialcotel-branded chain of boutique hotels. And it was this decision
that led the company to a new partnership.
In the fall of 2015, Cialco entered into a long-term agreement with
vacation exchange company Interval International and with EQRooms
C.A., which operates Cialco’s vacation points program, Rooms Ecuador.
The agreement comprises seven existing Cialcotel hotels in a variety
of locations throughout Ecuador, as well as future properties. “As we
expanded our product line, the expertise provided by the seasoned
Interval team — with their innovative point-of-sale technology — has
proven invaluable,” says José Luis Alvarez, president of Cialcotel. “Along
with global exchange options, our members will appreciate Interval’s
leisure programs, member benefits, and excellent customer service.”
The agreement with Interval International is only one more step in
the course of a company that is opening the doors to promoting the
properties to travelers from all over the world.
Diversity in Destinations
“What sets the Cialcotel tourist hotels apart,” according to Francisco
Alvarez, president of Rooms Ecuador and one of Cialco’s main share-
holders, “are their locations near some of Ecuador’s most notable
natural and cultural attractions.” These include beaches, ecological
reserves, lakes, volcanoes, and the colonial cities of Quito, the
country’s capital situated in the Andes mountains’ central
Altiplano
,
and Cuenca, with nearby Inca ruins in the southern mountainous region.
Each property offers several activities, and food and beverage
services. The prices range from between US$120 to US$380 per night,
says Francisco Alvarez.
An Industrious History
Cialco was founded in 1968, by Quito-born
engineer José Luis Alvarez Burbano de Lara, as
a family-owned construction and development
company. During its first 45 years, the company
forayed into a wide range of projects, including
real-estate development, construction of
country clubs and industrial factories, as well as
technological, training, and tourism enterprises,
among many other endeavors. A trailblazer
in Ecuador’s construction industry, Alvarez
Burbano launched the city’s first pre-mixed
concrete business. He also built Ecuador’s
first country club. Over time, the company gave rise to more than 30
different businesses.
In 1975, Cialco began construction of its first hotel, which opened
its doors in 1978, the same year the company opened a subsidiary dedi-
cated exclusively to tourism development. Ultimately, Cialco developed
what would become the first wholly Ecuadorean hotel chain, Apartec,
which remained under its ownership for more than 25 years.
In 2002, Cialco restructured and established a new concept in the
Ecuadorean hotel industry. It began to focus on developing, promoting,
administering, and building boutique and colonial hotels under the
Cialcotel brand.
Alvarez Burbano died in 2014, and his wife and children, including
Francisco and Jóse Luis, have taken the helm and continue to cement
his legacy and vision.
“His business leadership transcended the public arena as founder
of many of the city’s main industries: banking, training, and tourism,”
says Francisco Alvarez. “He is recognized — even today — as one of
the most important and influential businessmen in Ecuador.”
Reaching an Ecuadorean Market
The Rooms Ecuador product is a 10-year points club that allows
owners flexible access to a certain number of stays per year in Cialcotel
properties. New purchasers at Rooms Ecuador will be enrolled as
individual members of Interval International and will also become
Interval Gold
®
members, entitling them to a number of flexible exchange
opportunities and upgraded benefits and services.
The group uses social media, magazine ads, and direct contact
as principal marketing strategies to reach its audience, and develops
an annual marketing and advertising plan that includes these, together
with strategic alliances and others.
“We are pleased to see Cialco join the
industry and take advantage of the potential
growth opportunities that shared ownership
offers in the region,” says Marcos Agostini,
Interval’s senior vice president of resort sales
and business development for Latin America.
“Consumers interested in traveling throughout
Ecuador will be able to purchase vacation time
and enjoy a wide range of experiences.”
Marcos Ommati has more than 20 years of
international experience in journalism. He is
editor-in-chief of the U.S. Southern Command’s
Diálogo
magazine and website.
38
CIALCOTEL
By Marcos Ommati
ULY – SEPTEMBER
Exploring
New Territory
in Ecuador
The family-run
Cialco S.A.
has never been
shy about trying something different. Since
1968, the company has thoughtfully and
successfully entered new business realms,
from concrete-making to hotel development,
becoming somewhat of a multitalented
celebrity of Ecuador’s business community.
Developer:
Cialco, S.A. and EQRooms, C.A.
José Luis Alvarez, president, Cialcotel (Cialco,
C.A.); Francisco X. Alvarez, president, Rooms
Ecuador (EQRooms, C.A.)
Headquarters:
Quito, Ecuador
Product:
Points club
Units:
Studios, some one-bedrooms
Price:
From US$3,900 to US$9,000 for a
10-year points package
Website:
www.cialcotel.comSocial Media:
Cialcotel
fast
facts