Unless something has changed, and I haven't heard that anything has - Lifestyles doesn't actually own any real estate in the long term. Generally, someone else owns the properties and lifestyles leases and runs them.
Eg, in POP, The villas, and the Suites are owned freehold by private individuals. The Tropical Hotel and Corfresi Palms are owned by other companies. Construction of new villas and suites is dependent on the Real Estate Dept selling them before they are constructed.
In Cap El Limon in Samana, there are only two villas that are completed. There is very limited infrastructure otherwise. Guests who go there have a private chef and butler and the use of a magnificent beach pretty much all to themselves. About 6 years ago, Lifestyles took about 300 Shareholders to Cap El Limon for what was essentially a sales call and that effort resulted in the sale of the two existing villas at 1.2-1.7 million apiece. Until more accommodations are sold and built, no further development will occur in this location.
As for Luperon, I have not been told of any future plans. If the same philosophy is applied here, a corporate investor will be sought to refurbish the existing hotel buildings and individuals will be pitched to construct additional suites and or villas or whatever new accommodations are desired. This approach to development as you can appreciate takes a lot of time. Unlike Samana where there was nothing onsite in the beginning, the hotel in Luperon either needs to reopen or be demolished first and that won't happen until investors are in place. Lifestyles won't be the entity that resurrects this hotel. It could be years before Luperon is operational as a full scale resort again. A lot depends on money, and the number of members who would be interested in travelling to Luperon after arriving in POP.
It is beyond the scope of this post to explain how the business of this leasing arrangement between Lifestyles and corporate/private interests works, but in the case of Cabarete, a private consortium does own the hotel under construction and it will be managed and operated on their behalf by Lifestyles. From the lessons learned in Samana, it is difficult to lure private villa & suite investors until there is infrastructure in place. Luperon will sit idle until some deep pockets are lined up. Lifestyles trades on its reputation and existing membership base and offers investors the opportunity to make all of their investment money back, but offers nothing in the way of a long term guarantee and holds no real assets of its own.