Festiva Hospitality Group donated $50,000 to the Western North Carolina Nature Center (WNCNC), Asheville’s Wildlife Park. Festiva’s commitment will support the center’s 2020 Vision, a long-term improvement and expansion project already underway at the Nature Center that will help transform this diamond in the rough into one of Asheville’s favorite treasures for locals and visitors alike.

The donation is coordinated by Friends of the WNCNC, a nonprofit committed to supporting the WNC Nature Center’s mission of connecting people with animals & plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains by inspiring appreciation, nurturing understanding, & advancing conservation of the region’s rich biodiversity.

“We are very excited to be involved with the Nature Center’s improvements and future expansion,” said Butch Patrick, president and co-founder of Festiva Hospitality Group. “We feel that the center is a wonderful attraction for visitors as well as local families here in Asheville, and we are proud to support the expansion and improvement of the center’s education and conservation efforts.”

Festiva’s donation is specifically being used to transform the historic and iconic red barn on the property into the center’s new main entrance. This new entrance will provide a more interactive and integrative first …
 

We were introduced to Peppertree Atlantic Beach in the early 2000s through an exchange. The unit assigned to us was on the third floor. After several trips up and down the stairs we were finally able to relax in a very nice spacious three bedroom unit overlooking a large pool. Hmmm, that was a long haul for a couple old timers in their 70s.

That evening we sat on the deck outside our unit and commented on the peacefulness. Of course it was off-season. A time we find, as retirees, enjoyable. In our earlier days we camped with our four children, but they have grown and have their own families.

Now, we timeshare and love it. So here we were at Peppertree in Atlantic Beach, just a few short hours from our home in Holly Springs, N.C., anxious to look over the resort.

After a good night’s rest we were able to do that. We walked around the resort property really checking out the place. Very nice. So convenient. We investigated purchasing a week. We did, and before long we had bought three weeks of vacation, two in the spring and one in the fall. Later, when Festiva offered us …
 

Festiva Hospitality Group has recently launched a monthly Blog feature that allows members to share their Festiva vacation experiences. Each member experience Blog includes a firsthand account as well as photos of their family vacation memories at a Festiva resort.

“We want our members and guests to hear about vacationing at our resorts directly from the source: our members. While we have plenty of great information about the properties and their surrounding areas on our resort websites, there’s something a little more personal that can be offered from firsthand experiences,” said Sara Little, director of corporate communications for Festiva Hospitality Group.

The experiences shared on Festiva’s Blog come from members who have submitted photos and stories to Festiva’s annual contest, have sent in letters or e-mails after a particularly memorable stay or have become fans of Festiva on Facebook or Twitter and have expressed their joy for vacationing with Festiva online.

Since the first post in December, Festiva’s member experience Blogs have taken us from the beauty of summer in Western Maine at Rangeley Lake Resort to holidays in the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains in Banner Elk, N.C., to a Labor Day getaway in the Wisconsin Dells to the historic …
 

Festiva Management Group (FMG) is proud to announce that as of April 1, 2012, it will assume management of the Biltmore Village Villas located in the heart of Asheville’s picturesque Biltmore Village. As part of this new partnership, the property will be re-branded as Festiva Biltmore Village.

Festiva Biltmore Village is home to 11 luxurious and spacious two-bedroom condominiums in two buildings tucked away in a peaceful neighborhood near the All Souls Cathedral just a short walk to the shopping and dining of quaint Biltmore Village. The property’s deluxe condominiums are well appointed with modern amenities and tasteful décor, each with its own unique theme.

We are thrilled to expand our presence in our hometown. While we manage properties in many fabulous vacation destinations, Asheville is our home and we are excited to be able to share it with our members and guests.
- Don Clayton, CEO of Festiva.

The condominiums are available for both short-term and long-term rentals, ideal for a relaxing vacation to see the sights of Asheville and its surrounding areas or for a home away from home for an extended business stay. Festiva Adventure Club members will have limited access to Festiva Biltmore Village beginning early …
 

This ‘gem’ of a property is located perfectly in an area where early American history, exquisite dining, unique activities combine to provide virtually any experience a traveler could want.  There is the Fountain of Youth, a wonderful alligator farm, historical Spanish fort, chocolate factory, food walking tours, and a charming bay area to tour or just relax and enjoy the scenery.

The timeshare overlooks the ocean and has every amenity you could desire.  There is a great pool, easy access to a beautiful beach, on-site activities, and close by shopping and restaurants.  The layout of the rooms is spacious, the decor is modern and well maintained.  We stayed in a one bedroom lockout with a balcony.  The bedroom contained a Jacuzzi and the bedding itself was very comfortable.

We called this a ‘gem’ of a property because it is a great value for the points and is virtually undiscovered within the Festiva Properties.  We will be going back many times – there is much more to discover and see.

Richard and Brenda Lidbom