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als and video tutorials inside the product. The team also has a separate training database where staff can test processes and learn the interface without affecting live production data.
A Partnership Model— Customer Service and User-Driven Development
Customer service is an area where Gust draws a sharp contrast between Merlin and other software providers.
“ Another part of Merlin is their customer service is phenomenal,” Gust said.“ I’ ve dealt with a lot of software companies and, to be honest with you, the service aspect of things is least on their barometer.”
With Merlin, email responses arrive in hours, not days; direct conversations are possible; and in-product chat support is available while users work in the system. For a service provider whose value rests on responsiveness, that matters.
Equally important and unique is how Merlin handles product development. When a user-submitted idea is judged to improve the product, the enhancement is built into the software and made available to every client at no additional charge— building a community in which improvements compound across the entire customer base.
“ I’ m not getting nickeled and dimed by some of these other property management systems,” Gust said.“ They do it for free as long as it makes good business sense to them.”
Cloud-Based Flexibility, Pricing, and Compliance
Because Merlin is genuinely cloudbased, transitions between management arrangements are far less painful than with
“ For legacy resorts, technology is no longer just an operational tool. It is part of the survival strategy.”
a server-resident system. If a client relationship runs its course, Sapphire’ s users can be removed and new ones assigned to whichever provider the HOA selects next, with no data migration headaches and more importantly no additional cost.
“ In Sapphire’ s world, if it’ s working, great. If it’ s not working, let’ s split and still be friends,” Gust said.“ It’ s all inherent in Merlin. There’ s no downtime, which I think is huge.”
Pricing has also been notably reasonable compared with other platforms. Merlin tends to absorb integrations instead of charging for them— building merchant processor APIs directly into the product, so clients need not manage separate software for payment processing.
Cloud architecture also shifts much of the cybersecurity and compliance burden from the resort to the provider, which Gust views as a meaningful advantage. Merlin handles API compliance, data security, and backups as part of the service agreement, freeing Sapphire to focus on owners and guests.
AI, Automation, and the Direction Merlin Is Heading
Merlin is actively investing in AI features designed to automate routine tasks, improve how the software learns over
Jul / Aug, 2026 | TimeSharing Today
time, and make business processes more responsive as they are used. Other vendors are exploring AI as well, but Gust’ s sense is that Merlin’ s objective is to apply it as broadly as possible— a direction he views as a strong fit with Sapphire’ s own focus on efficiency.
Closed-Loop Communications and Owner Outreach
Outreach to owners, exchangers, and renters is fully embedded in Merlin’ s communications framework. Every outbound message is logged, every delivery tracked, every open recorded. If a confirmation notice fails to reach a recipient or goes unopened, the team can pull up the original and resend it from the same screen. Ticklers can be triggered from the communication itself, ensuring follow-up is visible to whoever owns the next step.
A Decision That Positions Sapphire for What Comes Next
“ I think the future of the legacy resorts will be a mixed future,” Gust said.
Properties with strong governance, loyal owners, healthy reserves, and disciplined operations may continue to thrive, while others face difficult choices around annexation, special assessments, redevelopment, or hybrid ownership conversions. Whatever path a board chooses, Gust believes the underlying question is the same— whether a resort has the right service providers and the right technology to execute. For Sapphire, the answer to the technology half of that question is Merlin, whose integrated design, partnership-driven service model, and continued investment in automation give the company confidence it can support its clients through whatever comes next.
To learn more about the Merlin Software Exclusive Program for Legacy Timeshare Resorts, contact: Mike Ashton SVP Resort Partnerships Merlin Software( 246) 230-4982 mikea @ quickmerlin. com
To learn more about Sapphire Vacation Services, contact: Peter Gust Chief Financial Officer Sapphire Vacation Services P:( 858) 784-3500 x 1101 D:( 858) 866-8451 peter @ sapphirevacation. com
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