Northstar Lodge Exterior — Photo by Welk Resorts

SAN MARCOS, CALIF -- Northstar Lodge in Lake Tahoe, owned and operated by Welk Resorts, announced today the opening its second of three buildings, the Fremont. The building features 28 luxury vacation villa units and a 14,500-square-foot preview center, complete with a Kids' Club and a deluxe theater for timeshare tour presentations, allowing Welk Resorts to continue to excel. Preview tours will begin as early as October 23, 2015 and rooms will be available for reservation by October 31.

"Welk Resorts continues to grow by leveraging the assets we have at our California properties to create new demand in seasonal drive-to and fly-to markets," said President and Chief Executive Officer Jon Fredricks. "The resounding success of our investments to enhance the brand over the past several years has allowed us to expand our presence in this important growth market."

Fremont floor plans range from 2,000-square-foot two- and three-bedroom villas to 500-square-foot studios, and ADA-accessible configurations, for both timeshare ownership and guest rentals. Each villa of the new Fremont building—named after the first European-American settler to "discover" Tahoe—comes with a master bedroom with a king-size bed and fireplace, spacious living room with fireplace, 50" TV and Bose® sound system and a fully stocked kitchen with state-of-the-art GE® appliances. Villa guests will enjoy their own private balcony with an outdoor fireplace as well. Each villa also comes equipped with a full-size GE® washer and dryer. Larger units come with additional sleeper sofas, and guest bedroom(s) with king- and queen-size bed options as well as another fireplace.

Northstar Lodge by Welk Resorts is located at the base of Mount Juno in Truckee, California. Situated just steps away from The Village at Northstar, the property boasts a ski-in/gondola-out private club with its own gondola. Resort amenities include a owner's lounge, media theater, ski and boot valet (winter) and bike valet (summer), a large outdoor spa and fireplace area, and access to the adjacent Village Swim and Fitness Center. Just across the street in the Village, find specialty boutiques, bars, restaurants, cafés, open-air ice rink (roller skating in summer), cabanas, outdoor fire pits and a bungee trampoline.

Currently under construction is Northstar Lodge's Snowshoe building—named after the legendary "Snowshoe" Thompson, the region's most celebrated mail carrier who traveled through blizzards to deliver mail and much-needed supplies. This third and final building is already underway and is expected to be a 12- to 14-month project. This expansion is part of Welk Resorts' long-range plan to accommodate the growing number of outdoor enthusiasts retreating to the Lake Tahoe region for an exhilarating five-star vacation experience.

Northstar California is one of the premiere ski resorts in North America, with 3,170 skiable acres, 97 trails, 7 terrain parks, 20 lifts, 2,280 feet of vertical drop and a newly constructed 22-foot half pipe designed by Winter Olympics gold medalist Shaun White. During the summer, the mountain serves up over 100 miles of trails in what is the most extensive lift-served mountain bike terrain in the Western U.S.

Welk Resorts Gains Momentum in Diverse American Markets

Welk Resorts expects to grow with two new properties planned in key markets across the United States over the next five years as well as expanding current portfolio holdings in high-demand locations. Planned expansion includes Welk Resorts Breckenridge and Welk Resorts Kauai.

In Colorado, construction is expected to begin on Welk Resorts Breckenridge in 2016, with the property debut 12 to 14 months after. Set on 6.5 acres of wilderness on Colorado's Blue River,
the property will include 123 villas in addition to custom amenities including an owner's lounge, state-of-the-art fitness center, game room, indoor and outdoor pool, spa, fire pits and barbecue areas designed to seamlessly blend with the area's alpine ski atmosphere.

In Hawaii, construction on Welk Resorts Kauai is expected to commence once the Breckenridge property is opened. Hawaii is one of the most sought-after timeshare destinations in the country, according to the American Resort Development Association, and this development will feature six plantation-style buildings with a total of 164 villas across more than 21 acres of tropical land. Property features at Welk Resorts Kauai include open-air lobbies, a private movie theater, game rooms, spas and a white sand beach pool with waterslides, tropical landscaping and lava rock formations.

"Welk Resorts timeshares has a long history of being movers and shakers in the industry," said Fredricks. "Our development strategy is focused on working on the right deals in the right locations and these planned developments underscore a growing number of opportunities for the brand in more mature markets like Breckenridge and Kauai."

About Welk Resorts
Founded in 1955 by the late entertainment icon, Lawrence Welk, Welk

Resorts is one of the most respected independent brands in the vacation-ownership industry today. Welk remains a privately held, family-owned company led by President and CEO Jon Fredricks, the grandson of Lawrence Welk. Fredricks has established the Welk Resort Group of properties as top vacation destinations. He has helped the company realize unprecedented growth by implementing profitable, high quality, expansion projects that provide superior vacation opportunities for Welk owners and guests.
Welk Resorts is comprised of five gorgeous destination resorts for vacations, retreats and family gatherings in Cabo San Lucas, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, Palm Springs and Branson with developments in Breckenridge (opening in 2017) and Kauai (opening in 2019). Part of the Interval International (II) family of timeshare properties, Welk Resorts delivers impeccable quality and variety whether travelers are booking a timeshare or hotel rental. For more information call 760-749-3000 or visit: www.welkresorts.com