Leading Luxury Villa Vacation Rental Specialist Sees Explosive Growth in Market

Market leader WIMCO makes key hires, staffing up for growth

in private, luxury villa vacations

NEWPORT, RI, February 2006 - Leading Luxury Villa Vacation Specialist Wimco announced today the hire of two key sales and marketing veterans in response to explosive growth in the luxury villa vacation industry.

"I am pleased to announce the addition to the Wimco team of Stiles Bennet as Director of Marketing and Bob Brown as Director of Sales," stated Barclay H. Warburton IV, Wimco's CEO. "Wimco along with the broader market for luxury villa vacations has grown at a tremendous pace over the last several years and we are fortunate enough to be adding two seasoned veterans to help us continue on this exciting trend in the future," he added.

Increasingly vacationers are opting for the more personalized, private, high quality experience offered by luxury villa vacations as an alternative to hotels and resorts. With the reach and depth of information now available, travelers are increasingly utilizing the Internet to research destination and villa options, identify preferences, and complete bookings. This reflects the continued steady growth of the luxury travel market and the trend to book even luxury products and vacations online.

"With the increase in available information from the Internet comes increased offerings from smaller inexperienced marketers along with increased potential for confusion on the part of travelers." states Warburton. "Stiles Bennet and Bob Brown have joined Wimco to help ensure that our clients continue to recognize and understand Wimco's superior quality and to build upon the trusted leadership relationship we have built with our clients and partners over the past 23 years."

Stiles Bennet joins Wimco as Director of Marketing with over 10 years of consumer products brand management and online marketing experience, with such companies as Kraft Foods, the American Homeowners Assn. and YourWineService.com. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Bob Brown joins Wimco as Director of Sales with over 20 years experience in customer care, and developing customized solutions for customers, with Northwest Airlines and several custom manufacturing companies. Brown earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont.

About WIMCO

Wimco is the leading marketer of luxury villa vacations and boutique hotels. For over 23 years, the Company has been sending clients to its exclusive portfolio of select private luxury villas and hotels in the Caribbean and Europe. Fortune Magazine recently rated Wimco amongst the top 5 villa specialists in the world as the result of its strict selection standards for high quality properties, the largest exclusive portfolio of properties in the Caribbean and Europe and its award winning client service. Forbes Magazine recently named Wimco's online villa rental service "Best of the Web".

Each Wimco property is personally inspected by one of the company's experienced customer service representatives to ensure that it meets the company's strict standards for quality and upkeep. Additionally, Wimco employees make frequent visits to explore the company’s core destinations to ensure that the Company offers the most relevant and up to date advice to its clients on local dining, cultural attractions and local attractions. WIMCO is also the publisher for the Vendome Guide series, a collection of destination-specific guidebooks with detailed insider information, photos of private villas in the Wimco portfolio, and extensive recommendations on what to do and see in each destination.

Preview Wimco's exclusive villa portfolio at www.wimco.com or call toll-free 1-888-751-7366 (US) or 44-0870-850-1144 (UK).

PRESS CONTACTS:

US -- Sara@WidnessPR.com

UK -- Sarah.hurley@mangopr.co.uk