Dear Owner,
Earlier this year, Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Starwood) announced its
intention to spin off its vacation ownership business into a stand-alone,
public company. Today, we are excited to share that immediately following the
spin, Starwood Vacation Ownership will be acquired by Interval Leisure Group
(ILG), to become one of the industry’s largest providers of world-class
vacation experiences. We anticipate this transaction to be completed in the
second quarter of 2016, when we officially become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
ILG.
ILG is a global provider of non-traditional lodging with a portfolio of leisure
businesses, including branded vacation ownership, vacation rentals and resort
management, that currently operates more than 200 resort properties around the
world. As an Owner, you may be familiar with Interval International® – their exchange subsidiary – and a valued partner with us over the
past 15 years. With the combination of our two companies, we will create a
stronger, more integrated timeshare and exchange business resulting in a more robust
portfolio of vacation offerings for Owners and Guests.
We will continue to be the exclusive provider of vacation ownership for the
renowned Westin® and Sheraton® brands, while providing
all of the features and benefits of ownership you have come to expect. As an
Owner, you will continue enjoying your timeshare resorts as you always have as
well as continued access to the industry-leading Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG) program. Current reservation guidelines and fees, exchange rules,
reservation rights, and exchange privileges through Starwood Vacation Network℠, Interval International and other current
exchange options will all remain the same.
This announcement reinforces our plans for accelerated growth as ILG is
committed to invest in new Westin and Sheraton properties. Most notably, The
Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, currently under construction, will be the newest
resort on beautiful Kā‘anapali Beach in Maui, opening in 2017. In early 2016,
we are also scheduled to begin converting the remaining 96 poolside hotel rooms
into vacation ownership villas at The Westin St. John Resort & Villas.
In addition, the five transferring Starwood properties announced earlier this
year remain part of the transaction and are anticipated to provide additional
inventory for Owners over time, including The Westin Resort & Spa, Los
Cabos; The Westin Cancún Resort & Spa; The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto
Vallarta; Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort; and Sheraton Steamboat Resort. You can
continue to access these hotel properties through the SPG program.
We believe becoming part of ILG is transformational for our company and holds
great value for our Owners. This transaction puts us at the forefront of our
industry, offering you and your family even more choices for unique and
memorable vacation experiences.
Thank you for your continued loyalty. We are excited about our bright future
together and will update you as more details become available. To view today’s
press release and for a list of questions and answers, click here.
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