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That’s not exactly the case for Yin Wenhuan, chairman of China’s new
High-End Vacation Club. Sure, Yin is a businessman with wide-ranging
interests — from the Beijing Beizhuang Tourism Development Company
and Wujiang Zhenze Tourism Culture Development Company to the
Beijing Hurun Agricultural Science and Technology Development
Company — but his path to timeshare was a bit more abstract.
“I’ve been very involved in the food industry for many years,” he says.
“In 2003, while traveling in Canada, I saw tour companies taking visitors
through Canada’s wine and chocolate factories as part of an excursion.
The visitors got to see the entire process, which inspired them to make
purchases and spend more time in the area. That inspired me to create
a business model centered around the lifestyle of the leisure vacation.”
And what better outlet for that than vacation ownership?
Mountain Living
Still, Yin’s nontraditional route continued. In fact, he didn’t even neces-
sarily plan to commercialize his initial project, which was 2011’s Shanli
Lohas Village Tourism Hotel. “At first, it just seemed like a casual meeting
place for family and friends to gather,” he says. “But then, Beijing became
very popular with foreign travelers, business executives, and anyone
wanting to experience that type of city life.”
That’s when Yin got serious about resort development, and while
Beijing may have helped influence his eventual decision, the objective
at Shanli Lohas Village actually is to get
away
from the massive city.
To that end, the property is situated in the heart of the Huangyankou
Valley, surrounded by lush mountains, some 56 miles (90 kilometers)
northeast of Beijing.
In appearance, the resort is delightfully pastoral. “That was the
design concept,” Yin explains. “We wanted to put the feel of one of the
neighboring rural villages into our boutique hotel.” The exterior walls
of the majority of buildings are constructed from stone; the doors and
windowsills are fashioned from distressed wood. Those details make
it seem as though the estate could have been constructed during the
same era as the Great Wall. That’s not the case, of course, but a couple
original sections of that iconic landmark are easily accessible nearby.
There’s a swimming pool and a small children’s play area — as well
as a restaurant — on-site, but the real draw is the tranquility, and Yin
has a hard time deciding which part of that feature is his favorite. Each
of the 29 apartments (seven one-bedroom units, 21 two-bedrooms,
and one three-bedroom) has its own independent courtyard, “so each
of those accommodations is like a separate home,” he says. “A home
set in this beautiful secluded valley, away from the city, with a courtyard
that is so quiet you can hear the grass growing.”
The grass isn’t the only thing growing. Yin also is excited about
the garden in which guests can try their hand at farming. “At the base
of these mountains, they can experience the depth of rural life,” he
says. “During their stay, they can ‘adopt’ the garden, planting or picking
vegetables, and so on.”
Waterside Lodging
High-End Vacation Club’s two other properties, Lili Waterside Houses
and Zhenze Waterside Houses, aren’t quite as removed from urban
civilization as Shanli Lohas Village, but the easygoing, take-a-deep-
breath vibe remains consistent. Both are located just south of Suzhou
(west of Shanghai), and, as their names suggest, adjacent to one of
the area’s countless canals.
The communities of Lili and Zhenze are part of a collection of famous
ancient towns in this region, often referred to as the Venice of the East
because of the myriad waterways, picturesque bridges, and pleasant
gardens. Historical timelines vary, but these particular hamlets reportedly
date back some 1,000 years.
Fittingly, the resort accommodations are in vintage buildings.
“The reconstruction of our ancient towns is bustling, and we’re in
accordance with the guidelines for maintaining the waterfront design,
while also upgrading the interior with modern facilities,” Yin says.
The 12 units available for timesharing at Lili Waterside Houses —
including four one-bedrooms, three two-bedrooms, and five three-
bedrooms — are outfitted with historic and elegant furniture. “Each suite
has a different design,” adds Yin. “Some are done in Zen style, some
are Old Shanghai, some are neoclassical, but one thing is the same: The
common area is very big, which makes them perfect for a family holiday.”
RESORT PROFILE
HIGH-END VACATION CLUB
37
Most timeshare developers arrive to the industry
through fairly obvious channels. Perhaps they were
traditional hotel owners who simply wanted to
test the fractional market — or maybe commercial
real estate moguls who recognized a need for
resort-style accommodations near a collection of
already-popular attractions. Whatever the case, the
answer to the question of “How did you get involved
in vacation ownership?” is usually some form of “It
was the next logical step.”
BY J.B. BISSELL
A Trio of Old World–Style
RESORTS IN CHINA
ZHENZE WATERSIDE HOUSES, SUZHOU
ZHENZE WATERSIDE HOUSES
ZHENZE WATERSIDE HOUSES
SHANLI LOHAS VILLAGE TOURISM HOTEL
SHANLI LOHAS VILLAGE TOURISM HOTEL