Question: Are there any Starwood sales centers closing?

[annamaria]

Has anyone heard about Starwood closing a few sales centers and possibly laying off people? We don't know if it's true or not yet but would like to find out.

 

[Joshadelic]

Has anyone heard about Starwood closing some sales centers and may be laying off people? Is it true?

No. Sure haven't.

 

[DeniseM]

Interesting - where did you hear that?

And....Welcome to TUG!!!

 

[annamaria]

I heard it froma friend of a friend of a friend ....... I don't know how reliable it is, so please don'tr take it seriously until someone says otherwise

 

[lprstn]

Definately ... in Kona, HI

I did a post about this when I returned from Kona. I went to the Sheraton, expecting to be able to sign up for a tour and Starwood fired all the sales people there and another Vacation club was selling out to the Sheraton.

 

[DeniseM]

Oddly, the Sheraton Keauhou Bay hotel is still on the Starwood website - http://www.sheratonkeauhou.com/

I'm surprised it's still on SPG since you reported more than a month ago that the sign was down and they were under new management - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80270

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?

Pleasant Holidays appears to be a travel consolidator - www.pleasantholidays.com - maybe they took over the office space formerly used as the Starwood Sales office?

 

[jarta]

Sales Offices

Starwood Vacation Ownership sales are reported to be down 23% this year. Starwood does have a problem. Too many sales associates are chasing around trying to sell too few new developer units. With the lousy economy, too few people seem to be in the market to buy the new units. The timeshare development business is similar to a Ponzi scheme. The sales of the newest units finance, in great part, the next development. Sales down means the next development(s) may not get built.

Also, if the credit crunch is for real, it has to be affecting the ability to get a loan on a timeshare. Making timeshare loans can't be a profitable business - especially when the developer holds the paper. Also, if it's a choice for you to default on your home or a timeshare, which would you choose?

The sales force is bloated. Almost all Starwood salespeople work mostly on commission. The salad days of the last few years are over, Therefore, I would not be surprised if your rumor that some sales office are closing is true.

But, remember, Starwood (like Lehman Bros., lol) is a large company with lots of ways to make money. And, those locked-in timeshare resort management contracts are terrific money makers! Finally, remember that when the economy turns around, so will Starwood. In the meantime, enjoy the SVO units you own.

 

[LisaRex]

Interesting article that I found here:

http://streettalkblog.com/?p=2891

"The situation doesn’t seem any better with Marriott Telesales, where I’m told staff has plunged from over 50 reps to 8! Word is that management has driven the place into the ground, cutting sales people but leaving the multiple layers of management intact. The grapevine says they have not hit a budget all year."

 

[lprstn]

Oddly, the Sheraton Keauhou Bay hotel is still on the Starwood website - http://www.sheratonkeauhou.com/

I'm surprised it's still on SPG since you reported more than a month ago that the sign was down and they were under new management - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80270



Pleasant Holidays appears to be a travel consolidator - www.pleasantholidays.com - maybe they took over the office space formerly used as the Starwood Sales office?

They are still taking Sheraton Reservations at this resort I was told. They just aren't selling any new ones. Also, while there I spoke to a couple eating next to us and they said that they were rather unhappy with the accomodations there.

 

[DeniseM]

They are still taking Sheraton Reservations at this resort I was told. They just aren't selling any new ones. Also, while there I spoke to a couple eating next to us and they said that they were rather unhappy with the accomodations there.

The Sheraton Keauhou Bay is a hotel - they may have had a sales office there where they sold timeshares at the other Hawaii resorts at some time, but it's not a timeshare. Any reservations they are taking are hotel reservations.

 

[lprstn]

Oooohhhhhhhh. Thanks for clearing that up. Than that explains what the new company's salesperson said to me, about the hotel being sold and Sheraton sales staff moving out.