Archive for 2007

It’s that time of year again…for some of us, it’s a time for self analysis and reflection.  Many of us have resolutions and will work hard to fulfill them.  It’s also time for gathering together and spending time with family, friends and co-workers.  For those of us who are lucky enough to work here, our co-workers are our friends and Sundance itself is like our family.

This past weekend, Sundance Vacations held their annual Christmas parties;   marketing on Saturday evening, sales and administrative on Sunday evening.  Braving snow and ice, our intrepid employees put on their party clothes and boogied the night away. The sales party this year was very special.  In the past, our Wisconsin and Illinois offices have had their own Christmas parties because of their location; but this year, for the first time ever, all of the sales offices were together when our Midwest sales teams joined the East coast sales and administrative teams for an amazing gala at the Trump Marina in Atlantic City.  We ate and we danced.  Some of us even tried our luck in the casino before retiring to our rooms.

On Monday morning, the staff was invited to attend a presentation with the motivational speaker, Chuck Reaves.  It was a great presentation and Chuck had some really innovative ideas, ideas that could be used as part of a New Year resolution for your life and your work…What did you learn from Chuck Reaves?  Is there anything you heard that you plan to implement this year?  Please send in your comments.

To All, a Very Merry Christmas, a Peaceful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!!

Kathy O’Mara

Communications Director

komara@vacmail.com

As employees, we have the benefit of using the properties Sundance Vacations has available.  Are you taking advantage of this opportunity?  If so, do you find it helps when dealing with clients? 

When I worked in the New Client Services Department, the fact that I use the program (10 vacation weeks to date) was a tremendous help when I was speaking with new clients who didn’t know what to expect.   My favorite example when speaking with clients was to tell them about the very first vacation I used, at The Myrtle Beach Resort in South Carolina. 

I was able to book the accommodations from the excess inventory list, so I got a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit for only $198.00.  When I told clients about that, they started to get excited and see the value of excess inventory.  I was doubly lucky, because since I had the extra bedroom, I invited my mother to come with me and my children. She was so excited that she paid for all of the gas for the trip and then she even bought the groceries!  It was a good feeling to walk in to the unit and hear my mother go on and on about how nice it was.  She couldn’t believe it was so inexpensive.

The resort was beautiful and we liked it so much that we’ve been back two more times.  Also, my mother is always looking at the excess list to book a vacation for herself and her husband.  It’s nice, because she was skeptical at first and now she has every confidence that she’ll stay in a nice place.

I always find it easier to answer questions about Sundance Vacations because I have first hand experience.  What do you think?   

Rick Baron submitted a question regarding the new MPLS technology that will be launched shortly. He questioned if we will be monitoring sales manager phones. All employees should understand that every phone on the system has the potential to be monitored. The purpose of monitoring calls is solely to improve customer relations and quality of message. Therefore it is most important that we spend a great deal of time listening to employees that have interaction with clients via telephone. Sales managers generally interact with customers in person so there would not be many useful opportunities for monitoring via telephone. However, employees who are concerned about their privacy should use their cell phones for non company business.

Tina Dowd

Sundance Vacations travelers will soon have another beautiful resort to visit in the Poconos, Pennsylvania, when TAN adds The Woodfield Manor to the network!  The Woodfield Manor is located in Swiftwater, PA, right in the heart of the Pocono Mountains. Known for their popular ski areas and spectacular fall foliage, the Poconos are a great vacation destination whatever the season. Woodfield Manor is the name chosen by the Dowds for their newest property acquisition.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Keith and Joanne Wolfe, longtime friends of the Dowds, will manage the the twelve-acre resort.  Woodfield Manor has 22 guest units; six suites are located in the main manor and the remaining sixteen units are quaint cottages.  Currently there is a pool and kiddie pool on the property but there are plenty of acres available for additional activities.                                                   

The historic property was called the Brittania Inn before it was purchased and renovated by Jerzy and Anna Olbrys.  “Jerzy is a master craftsman,” explains Tina Dowd.  “He completely gutted every building.”  The main inn used to house twenty tiny guest rooms for weary travelers who simply needed a bed for the night.  Now, the main manor has just six cozy guest suites.  After a day of fun in the snow, guests in the main building can sip hot chocolate by one of the two stone fireplaces in the manor, while guests who stay in the cottages can enjoy their own private gas fireplace.  For the convenience of the guests, there is a seventy seat bar and restaurant on site.  The deep, dark and rich oak bar is one of the most beautiful features of Jerzy’s renovation.”                                                                                             

“In short, we’re bubbling with excitement about this property,” enthused Tina Dowd.   “We’ve already interviewed two potential hotel/restaurant managers.  My goal for the onsite manager is to deliver value to the guests not just hand out keys at the beginning of the week and collect them again at the end.  If there is a moment to spare, I’m excited about filling it with extra special personal touches.  I’m not crazy enough to think that all of my ideas will work, or be cost effective but, I am stubborn enough to try, try again.”                                                                         

The entire resort will be furnished after the closing, so travelers, look for it in early 2008.                                                                                                                                          

Kathy O’Mara

Communications Director

komara@vacmail.com

Sundance Vacations travelers will soon have another beautiful Poconos resort to choose from when TAN adds The Woodfield Manor to the network!  The Woodfield Manor is located in Swiftwater, PA, right in the heart of the Pocono Mountains. Woodfield Manor is the name chosen by the Dowds for their newest property acquisition.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Keith and Joanne Wolfe, longtime friends of the Dowds, will manage the the twelve-acre resort (I’ll be blogging on them later this week).  Woodfield Manor has 22 guest units; six suites are located in the main manor and the remaining sixteen units are quaint cottages.  Currently there is a pool and kiddie pool on the property but there are plenty of acres available for additional activities.                                                   

The historic property was called the Brittania Inn before it was purchased and renovated by Jerzy and Anna Olbrys.  The main inn used to house twenty tiny guest rooms, now, the main manor has just six cozy guest suites.  Guests in the main building can sit by one of the two stone fireplaces in the manor, while guests who stay in the cottages can enjoy their own private gas fireplace.                                     

These units will not feature full size kitchens because the cottages are not as large as some of the condo units TAN clients may visit, but what these units lack in size, they make up for in charm.  "We’re adding small refrigerators, mocrowaves, coffee pots and toasters for the convenience of the guests.  Plus, there is a seventy seat bar and restaurant on site.  The deep, dark and rich oak bar is one of the most beautiful features of Jerzy’s renovation,” explained Tina.                                                                                                                                        

So, sales people and customer service:  How do you think travelers will feel about not having a full size kitchen?  Do you think clients really cook full meals in their units, or do they just use the fridge for milk, drinks and cold cuts?  We offer other Pocono inventory that does have full kitchens, so how do you, as the people who deal with our clients, feel about offering a really high-end boutique resort that doesn’t have full kitchens as opposed to offering standard type accommodations that do have full kitchens?                                                                                             

The entire resort will be furnished after the closing, so travelers can look for it in early 2008.                                                                                                                                          

Kathy O’Mara

Communications Director

komara@vacmail.com

The Rodey’s recently used Sundance Vacations to visit Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, here’s what they had to say about the vacation…

“We vacationed at the Landmark Resort in October, when the leaves were at their peak.  The view from our condo was the prettiest view we have ever had from any condo we have stayed at.   Each building has their own large jacuzzi and it was nice to relax in it each evening. We hiked in Whitefish Dunes State Park, and had a beautiful ride thru Peninsula State Park. It was interesting to stop at the roadside farmer’s markets and try their many samples.  The ferry ride to Washington Island and the Cherry Train on the island were a lot of fun.  It was very reasonably priced.  Door County has so much beauty that it makes a person feel like they are visiting Cape Cod.“                                                                         

Joan Rodey, WI                                                                                                                                                                                  

Congratulations Everyone, Sundance Vacations is the best company to work for in Northeastern Pennsylvania! We finished eighth in the statewide employee poll for large-sized companies (251 or more employees), but ranked highest among area companies.  The announcement was made during the Best Places to Work in PA dinner at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pa on November 27^th, 2007.                                                                                                                                       

The statewide survey and awards program serves to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Pennsylvania, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses.  To be in the top 10 is an amazing accomplishment.  The Best Places to Work in PA list is comprised of 100 companies split into two groups: 50 medium-sized companies (25-250 employees) and 50 large-sized companies (251 or more employees).                                   

Hundreds of companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the 100 Best Places to Work in PA.  I worked hard on the first part, which consists of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics.  This part of the process was worth approximately 24% of the total evaluation.  The second and most important part is where you came in.  It was an employee survey to measure the employee experience.  I know many of you remember my nagging you to complete the survey; but it was worth it, look at what we accomplished!  Nearly 20,000 Pennsylvania employees filled out the survey.  The combined scores determined the top companies final ranking.                                                                           

“It’s the employees who make this award so honorable,” explained Dave Schankweiler, publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal and Emcee of the awards presentation. The attendance at the dinner topped 1,000 people from 100 companies throughout Pennsylvania.                                                                                                                                                       

“This is a testament to our belief that if you take care of your employees, they’ll take care of your customers and the bottom line will take care if itself,” stated Sundance President John Dowd.   Sundance provides employment for 350 employees in NEPA. “It was a great night for Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania’s workers,” said John P. Blake Executive Secretary, PA Department of Community and Economic Development.                                                            

John, Tina, Morgan and Madison Dowd accepted the award for Sundance.  It was an exciting, yet nerve racking night, made more intense as one by one, each company’s standing was announced.  If all goes well, we may even be number one next year!                                                                                        

Thanks for your help and cooperation in making our first experience with this program such a success!                                                                                                                                                      

Kathy O’Mara

Communications Director

komara@vacmail.com

Clients of Sundance Vacations for a while, the Von Hofmann’s have taken several vacations.  We received the following letter regarding their recent stay at Tahoe Village in Lake Tahoe, Nevada:

"Our trip to Lake Tahoe in October was very pleasant.  When we first arrived in Tahoe Village, it was in the evening and we couldn’t see the numbers for the addresses.  We had to get out of the car and walk up quite a few flights of stairs before we found that this was not the right location.

We then discovered where the check-in office was and my husband obtained keys and packet information.  Our next adventure was to try and locate our unit in all of the slopes and downhill roads.  We didn’t have very clear instructions on where to go and nothing was lit up brightly so we had a difficult time at night trying to find it.  Once we did finally reach our destination, we set out to climb the many (60) steps up to our unit.  After this feat was accomplished, we had to catch our breath at the top before entering the doorway.

All in all, it was a comfortable living room.   The spiral staircase going up to the main bedroom was very narrow and took some balance to negotiate it especially with a suitcase in tow.  The bedroom was comfortable with the adjoining bath being fine.  The lower bedrooms were very small and confined. Everything was warm and cozy, but we didn’t like that the fireplace was hooked up to the thermostat. 

We got used to all of this, but I do have to say how spectacular the scenery was.  It was breathtaking being up in the mountains. It is one of the most beautiful areas in the world.  We truly had a great and adventerous vacation!

You definitely need to inform your clientele who book with you of anyone with health restrictions using these units at the time of booking."

Judi Von Hofmann                                                                                                                      Milwaukee, WI

Sundance Vacations is proud to introduce King of Prussia’s (KOP) newest sales director, Shane Lewis. “I started out as a Sales Representative in Pittsburgh and worked the line for a year and a half before my promotion to Assistant Director in KOP with Jerry and Irene Sisk.  Most recently, I had the privilege of learning with Steve Decker, when I worked as the Assistant Director for the Downers Grove office.  I’ve been working hard to fulfill my dream of becoming a Sales Director for four years,” explained Shane.  “I think this is the best company in the world, definitely the best I’ve worked for.  Some people come to work for the money, but I come to work for Sundance. "                                                                      

Shane is pleased to be taking over the position that opened in KOP. “I will miss the Sundance family in Downers Grove, but at the same time, I’m so happy to get back to my family in King of Prussia,” he said.  Shane started working for Sundance five years ago, and has really grown into his own with the company. He will be replacing Jerry and Irene Sisk.  The Sisk’s will be directing the new Wilkes-Barre sales office. “It has been mine and Irene’s good fortune to have met Shane 5 years ago. He has really prospered and grown with the company. We know he will be able to hold his own at KOP, and really make us proud,” commented Jerry Sisk.  “I know it will be a challenge to fill Jerry and Irene’s shoes, but I am very enthusiastic. I am full of ambition, and I hope to break all of their records,” stated Shane.                                                                                                                                             

Shane grew up in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. “I love the beach, and also enjoy surfing. I grew up in a resort area, where people were always vacationing, so I know how important it is for families to have a great vacation,” explained Shane.  “I practice what I preach,” he said, “If you can’t find me at work, chances are I’m at the beach surfing."  "I am so grateful to the people who have guided and supported me over the years,” said Shane, “but special thanks to Mike and Barb Kasper, Jerry and Irene Sisk, Steve Decker for all my mentoring, Mike Milillo and of course, John and Tina Dowd for trusting me with this great position.”                                                                                                                  

Shane is pleased the he will still maintain the position of National Charity Director.  “The position enables me to maintain relationships with all the great people I’ve come to know throughout the company,” he said.  If you have charity ideas of your own, you can get in touch with Shane at shanerlewis@yahoo.com.                                                                                                                     

Kathy O’Mara

Communications Director

komara@vacmail.com

Sundance Vacations is proud to announce that Surrey Beach House was voted "Best Shore Motel" by Philadelphia Daily News readers in the newspaper’s 2007-2008 People Paper Awards.  Located just minutes from Atlantic City, Surrey Beach House offers European-style boutique accommodations and unparalleled hospitality on the Jersey shore.  Each year, Philadelphia Daily News readers vote for their tried and true local favorites in a number of categories, including restaurants, stores, lodging, entertainment and more.

Nestled in the historic seaside town of Ventnor, New Jersey, Surrey Beach House offer luxurious guestrooms and suites featuring flatscreen TV’s, kitchens, air conditioning, deluxe bed linens. rainfall showerheads and complimentary WiFi access.  Beautiful oceanviews, the beach and public boardwalk are just steps from Surrey’s front door, as well as tennis courts, restaurants and public transportation to Atlantic City.  The relaxed atmosphere and small town appeal make Surrey Beach House the perfect place for a romantic getaway, business travel, family reunion or corporate retreat.    

Operated by TAN Resort Group (TRG), Surrey Beach House is already a favorite destination for many Sundance Vacations client’s.  For information about the property, contact your Total Vacation Services Department at 1.800.223.0088 ext. 3.

Kathy O’Mara, Communications Director