NEW YORK — Timbers Co. may be relatively modest in scale, but the real estate and hospitality group’s foothold in prime luxury locales — including Vail, Colo., and Kauai in Hawaii — and emphasis on residential-style rentals gives it solid positioning to attract affluent travelers.
Greg Spencer
That’s the message Timbers is taking to luxury advisors following the launch of its booking platform, Andiamo, and travel advisor program, Andiamo Elite, late last year.
“We view the travel agent industry as our customers,” said Timbers Co. CEO Greg Spencer during a presentation event with advisors held here in mid-April. “And our plan is to really be a trusted [partner] for the travel agency.”
Timbers Resorts was established in 1999, with the company evolving to become Timbers Co. in 2021. Timbers specializes in the development and operation of resorts and vacation homes, offering whole or fractional ownership of individual units. When not owner-occupied, many of these units — the bulk of which offer residential-style, multibedroom layouts — are managed by Timbers as fully serviced, short-term vacation rentals.
In addition to the Sebastian Vail, a Timbers Resort and the Timbers Kauai Ocean Club & Residences, the Andiamo platform comprises resort-style Timbers properties in Jupiter and Captiva Island, Fla., and a collection of 23 Tuscan villa and farmhouse rentals, which are part of Casali di Casole, a Timbers Resort estate. The company also has a presence in Manhattan via its 5th & 55th Residence Club, located within the St. Regis New York Hotel.
The dining and kitchen space at one of the villa properties at Casali di Casole, a Timbers Resort estate in Italy. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Timbers Co.
Spencer said that Timbers properties are designed to appeal to a high-net-worth demographic, with the average cost of one of its resort or vacation home accommodations hovering between $2,500 and $3,000 per square foot.
Rental rates similarly sit at the high end, with entry-level two-bedroom units at the Timbers Kauai starting at just under $2,000 per night for a late April stay, for example.
It’s that high-end cachet, said Spencer, that makes the Timbers portfolio a natural fit for luxury travel advisors and their clients.
“We’re not just dumping inventory on Expedia or other third parties,” he said. “We really want to make sure that the renters fit with the buyers of our real estate.”
In addition to rolling out a more intuitive booking engine, Spencer said he hopes that the Andiamo Elite program will help move the needle when it comes to forging stronger advisor relationships. The program, which any travel advisor can join, delivers an enhanced 2% commission on top of Timbers’ base commission rate of 10%. They are also guaranteed a response from Andiamo’s support team within six hours and given the ability to add perks like a customized welcome amenity, a welcome letter and early check-in or late checkout, based on availability.
“An additional 2% commission on top of the booking doesn’t sound like a lot, unless you’re talking about the price points that we offer,” said Stephen Arthur, director of leisure sales for Timbers. “And that adds up very, very quickly.”
Around a dozen or so luxury travel advisors attended the presentation earlier this month, with several appearing keen on incorporating Timbers properties into their clients’ travel repertoire.
The interior of the Gambit Bar, one of several food and beverage venues at the Sebastian Vail, a Timbers Resort. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Timbers Co.
Service and responsiveness
Jen Tenzer, an Embark Beyond-affiliated luxury travel advisor and founder of The Soloist, said that Timbers’ promise to marry professional, resort-style services with an ultraluxe vacation-rental product is highly appealing.
“I absolutely want to be selling their product going forward,” she said. “Working with a company like Timbers means that if something were to happen, there’s a larger company that I can reach out to and ultimately maintain a long-term relationship with. I’m not just dealing with some random rental owner.”
Renee Lladoc, a corporate and leisure travel specialist at Altour, echoed that sentiment, expressing appreciation for Timbers’ commitment to providing a fully serviced and vetted product.
“It’s definitely a comforting fact for me that in the case of an emergency, they always have some sort of support on the ground,” Lladoc said.
Tenzer said Andiamo Elite’s guaranteed six-hour response time is a key benefit.
“In today’s digital world, people can go and book a lot on their own, so part of my value as an advisor needs to be response time,” Tenzer said. “We don’t always get guaranteed a response time within a certain number of hours, so anytime a company can promise a response time, that’s amazing to hear.”
