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The View from the Bottom is Mike Millisor’s monthly letter to all of the stakeholders of the Breckenridge Grand Vacations family of resorts.

As we wrap up 2014 and look down the road towards 2015, all of us at BGV have much to be grateful for. 2014 saw a number of milestones: 30 years of developing resorts in Breckenridge, expansion of our family to 20,000 timeshare owners, and the launch of sales for our newest property, Grand Colorado on Peak 8.

On December 5, our first day of sales for Grand Colorado on Peak 8 broke industry records. I am very proud of the hard work by all of our employees to make this possible, but I am most pleased because I have to believe that we have accomplished all we have because of the high standards we have set and maintain for service to our owners and guests. From the very first guest we welcomed to Gold Point back in 1984, my brother Rob, our partner Mike Dudick and I have made service the highest priority.

While our sales efforts now focus on the new resort, I want to assure you that each and every one of our resorts, and those of you who own there, are just as important as the newest one. Our high standards for service, accommodations, and amenities are the same for Gold Point, Grand Timber Lodge, Grand Lodge on Peak 7 and now for Grand Colorado on Peak 8.

There is no doubt that our properties get hard usage, and every week they are filled with families having fun. We work hard to maintain them at the level they were when they were first built and without having to raise HOA dues significantly year after year. Upkeep can certainly be a challenge, but we strive to retain our resorts’ level of value. I never want to hear anyone refer to any of our earlier constructed resorts as a “red-headed step child.” Each of our resorts bear special memories for me: imagining them, building them, and inviting people to help create grand vacations.

As our family grows, we welcome more families to build their own memories around our resorts. I look forward to hearing about them for years to come.

Mike Millisor
GreatVacations@breckenridgegrandvacations.com

We asked our Interval International Support Department what their favorite vacation was, and one of our staff members chose her recent vacation in Mexico at an Interval International Resort. Read about her vacation below:

Where it was: Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Where you stayed and the type of accommodation: Villa del Palmar-Flamingos (VDF), Studio with Limited Kitchen

Why you loved this vacation: Everyone—the resort staff, airport employees, shuttle drivers, taxi drivers, restaurant owners and employees, lifeguards—was extremely friendly and accommodating. Most people spoke English fluently, or would genuinely try to have a conversation with you in English. The people of Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta were exceedingly helpful and made sure that the group of girl friends that I was traveling with and I were being safe. For example, on the day we ventured to the grocery store, the taxi driver offered to help us shop. He came inside, helped us pick out the best food options, helped us pay at the cash register and made sure we felt welcome going to and from the store. He even offered to help us carry our groceries back to our room. The resort staff was also very instrumental in assisting us select and plan out the activities during our weeklong vacation. When we expressed that we wanted to experience local nightlife, one of the staff members we became close with took us to Bucerias, his hometown located about 15 minutes from Nuevo Vallarta. In Bucerias, we got to experience the local culture and nightlife, and left with a unique memory we’ll always have.

What are your recommendations for activities, food or experiences that cannot be missed?

If you are going to Mexico and do not have an all-inclusive package, you should take the time to get a taxi to a nearby grocery store or Wal-Mart to stock up on basic foods (eating out every day for every meal can definitely add up). Another way to save a few bucks is by stocking up on your favorite alcoholic beverages for the time you spend in your room. Also, invest in bottled water! You cannot drink from the tap in Mexico and you’ll definitely be drinking more water than you anticipated.
Wear a lot of sunscreen, and make sure to reapply often. If you happen to get sunburned, make sure to have aloe on hand.
Drink lots of water – most of your time will be spent outside in the sun.
Pack lightly – the weather is very warm, and you will most likely be doing lots of beach activities that don’t require you to pack a lot.
Plan on going into downtown Puerto Vallarta at least once. It is very fun and there are plenty of great restaurants, bars and clubs.
Do an all-inclusive day cruise to the Marieta Islands (about 30 – 45 minute boat ride from Puerto Vallarta).

You will receive free breakfast before you leave, beer and liquor drinks on board the catamaran, as well as onboard music and entertainment.
Enjoy breathtaking dolphin and whale sightings.
Try snorkeling, stand up paddleboarding, kayaking and explore the beautiful beaches.
The entire trip will be photographed and you have the option to purchase the photos at the end.

Tip of the Month: Are you a member of the Club Interval Gold (CIG) program with Interval International? If so, are you familiar with how to view the CIG point charts for each property? Start by visiting Interval International at www.intervalworld.com . Next, log in to your account, click on the resort directory, and use the map feature to get to the area you are interested in. For example: click on USA, Rocky Mountains and then Breckenridge. You have to click into each property separately. Once you’ve selected a property, such as Grand Lodge on Peak 7, you will select the Club Interval Gold Points Chart to the right of the photos. This will enable you to see the properties point chart and the values for different weeks of the year. See example below: