Starwood no longer @ Sheraton Keaukou ? Hawaii Big Island?

[lprstn]

We went there to see if Starwood still owned while we were visiting and was told that the resort was taken over by Pleasant Holiday's and all the people that worked for Starwood got fired and had to re apply to Pleasant Holiday's. Anyone heard of this?

 

[DeniseM]

It was my understanding that Starwood usually manages hotels, but does not own them.

 

[lprstn]

Well I don't think they are managing it anymore. As the Starwood sign is down and some of the employees were calling the resort a different name...weird. They did say though that exchanges to Starwood owners where still being honored...whatever that meant.

 

[DeniseM]

Well I don't think they are managing it anymore. As the Starwood sign is down and some of the employees were calling the resort a different name...weird. They did say though that exchanges to Starwood owners where still being honored...whatever that meant.

My guess is that it means that Starpoint reservations are still being honored. Changes in hotel management are not all that uncommon - I can think of half a dozen changes overs in Hawaii involving Starwood in the last 5 years.

 

[formerhater]

Haven't heard this and a quick google search yields no articles indicating this is the case either, however the Outrigger Keauhou did lay off some staff.

Their websites are also still active.

http://www.sheratonkeauhou.com/

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1469

This is a Starwood hotel/resort, not a vacation ownership property so I'm not sure what you mean by "They did say though that exchanges to Starwood owners where still being honored."

So, either you have a scoop that no one else has picked up on or your source is mistaken. I'm going with the latter until I hear otherwise.

 

[Henry M.]

I heard from a Starwood person in Maui this summer that this was going to happen, but he didn't say when. Apparently the property has been a poor performer for a long time. I stayed there a couple of years ago and didn't like it. Service was poor and some of the rooms smelled bad. After complaining I ended up in a nice suite, but I still wouldn't have returned.

 

[Cathyb]

Remember when Starwood was involved in the beautiful hotel on Lanai and now doesn't have affiliation at all? I guess it is the name of the game

 

[BradC]

Starwood has two primary business functions: they own hotel properties and they operate hotel properties.

Most Starwood hotels are owned by someone else, and simply the brand name is franchised. Starwood may operate those hotels, or they may not.

Likewise, Starwood operates many hotels, but not all of them are Starwood branded. From my recollection, Starwood may even be contracted to manage hotels under other competing brands.

So if this change is true, it doesn't necessarily mean that the Sheraton Keauhou is going to be rebranded anytime soon.

 

[clsmit]

38 Sheratons losing their affiliation

This article in USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2008-08-25-sheraton_N.htm#chart says (emphasis mine):

Starwood Hotels, which owns the Sheraton brand, began the project in early 2007 and hopes to complete renovating 86 hotels — out of 204 in North America — in 2009. It's also removing 38 underperforming properties from the chain.