LODGING Today.

This section presents news concerning the lodging and hospitality industry in the U.S., as of July 2004. Starwood opened its fourth Westin-branded vacation ownership resort, the Westin Kierland Villas, in suburban Scottsdale, Arizona. The resort is part of the 730-acre Kierland master-planned community that is also home of the 735-room Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, which opened in late 2002. The first phase of the 10-acre timeshare resort has 51 two-bedroom villas, each with living rooms, dining rooms and fully equipped kitchens. On the other hand, Marriott Vacation Club International broke ground on the second phase of its Ko Olina Beach Club timeshare resort on Oahu in June 2004. The project includes 91 two- and three-bedroom villas. The resort's two-bedroom, two-bath villas have 1,240 square feet of space. A limited number of three-bedroom and penthouse units will be included in the design. Meanwhile, according to data released by the ARDA International Foundation, the U.S. timeshare industry made a $66.7-billion impact on the U.S. economy in 2002. The total breaks down to $44 billion of direct expenditures, $16 billion in payroll and related income and $6 billion in tax revenues. The industry segment accounts for 476,000 full- and part-time jobs, according to the research.