Well before joining Wyndham Vacation Ownership as director of product and marketing strategy, Tania Calderon was a creative writer who fancied herself quite talented—until a history professor told her she was a good researcher whose writing was shrouded in “purple prose,” meaning she was perhaps a little too creative. After an eye-opening internship at a nonprofit performing-arts organization, Calderon’s passion shifted and she developed a love of marketing, which allowed her to channel her creativity in a different way.
In her position at Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Calderon has found the perfect gig: a creative role that allows her to develop and market a product she can personally relate to. As a person who spent many a summer vacation driving to historical sites with her family, being able to work on successful initiatives and facilitate vacations for others makes her job all the sweeter.
Club Wyndham Presidential Reserve
After joining the Wyndham team and working on other owner initiatives, Calderon had the opportunity to develop an upper-tier ownership opportunity for Club Wyndham Plus members interested in staying in the most luxurious of rooms. Club Wyndham Presidential Reserve offers upscale and enhanced services, as well as exclusive access to luxurious suites at participating resorts. “By pinpointing the unique vacation attributes valued by upper-tier owners, we were able to tailor special touches and services that would specifically appeal to them,” Calderon says.
The Avenue Collection
When Calderon was challenged to help owners who wanted to explore the fast pace and excitement of vacationing in a more urban environment, she turned to the city for inspiration. Operating under the belief that those looking to vacation in the city were seeking out different things, Calderon assisted in the creation of The Avenue Collection. “On the avenue, and in the heart of it all” was the clever tagline that accompanied the initiative and for those wanting to explore major cities and all of the museums, restaurants, and nightlife options they have to offer, it proved to be the perfect and sexy anecdote to the more relaxed vacation options that had been traditionally offered. The successful initiative was a result of properties that had been acquired in larger cities, like San Francisco and New Orleans. “We really responded to owner requests to stay within walking distance of all the city had to offer, so The Avenue Collection resorts were a wonderful and in-demand vacation option,” Calderon says. “I feel like we recognized a need and we really delivered.”
Drawing From Past Experiences
Before joining Wyndham, Calderon had the opportunity to market companies in a variety of industries, from retail to nonprofit, and she brings that experience to each project, finding creative ways to get to the heart of each of Wyndham’s new initiatives. “At each place I’ve gone, I’ve taken what I’ve learned and I’ve brought their best practices with me,” Calderon says. “I’ve been with Wyndham six years, but I’m still amazed at their capacity to let me innovate. We’re constantly looking at our products and approaches and figuring out how to make them more relevant.”
