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So let's say Starwood plans on consolidating...

SDKath

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:D Purely an (educated) guess. But if Starwood were to join forces with another TS company given all the loses everyone is taking and the terrible economy with no end in sight, who would you want them to partner up with and why??

Let's assume Marriott is out of the picture. I am pretty sure that would not be an option. But how about Hyatt, Disney, Hilton, etc?

Anyone care to comment on what would be the best match for them and why?

Katherine
 

Joshadelic

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I don't know much about the Hilton or Hyatt systems, but I would think Disney would be out due to Starwood's huge presence in Orlando.
 

VacationPro

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:D Purely an (educated) guess. But if Starwood were to join forces with another TS company given all the loses everyone is taking and the terrible economy with no end in sight, who would you want them to partner up with and why??

Let's assume Marriott is out of the picture. I am pretty sure that would not be an option. But how about Hyatt, Disney, Hilton, etc?

Anyone care to comment on what would be the best match for them and why?

Katherine

From a location perspective, it would seem the Hyatt would make the most sense, as it would add Key West, Aspen, Carmel and Tahoe (among other locales) to Starwood. That said, as an owner of both Hyatt and Starwood, I hope a combination with Hyatt does not take place. I would hate to have to compete with Starwood owners for the Hyatt locations I enjoy.
 

bizaro86

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Hmmm.... I'd have to imagine it would be unlikely for Starwood to partner up with another hotel based TS company, since it would dilute their brand value. And I wouldn't think any of the remaining independents would meet their quality standards.

From a location perspective, outside Marriot, I also agree Hyatt would be the best choice, since there would be very little overlap. Hilton would be good for NYC and Vegas, but there would be huge overlap in Orlando and Hawaii (granted Oahu/Big Island vs Maui/Kaui but still).

If you're asking about what I think would be the most likely, I'd have to say an opportunistic aquisition of a single resort or two. For example, the guy who built the Manhattan club just lost a huge amount of money in the foreclosure of the Cosmo in Vegas, so might be looking to raise funds. I would say NYC would be my #1 choice for a new Starwood location though, so I'm definitely biased. The MC may need a reno to get to starwood standards, but its nothing a huge special assessment wouldn't fix.

Are there any other high quality independent resorts on the east coast? I think a Westin resort on the East Coast would sell quickly and provide leverage for selling properties in the west. Maybe something in the Florida Keys?

Michael
 

Denise L

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Hypothetical questions are so funny :wave: .

I think Starwood would do well to "clean house" and focus on customer relations and communication. I can't see them partnering with anyone on your list. Hyatt, Hilton and DVC owners seem quite happy to me, and I think that most owners can get the weeks that they want reserved. I never read/hear continuous complaints about views, reservation systems and poorly trained staff.

I don't think that they would match with Hyatt because they are so vastly different in these areas, and I seriously doubt that Hyatt would want to partner with them. Starwood also has the giant mega resorts, while Hyatt has the quaint boutique-y resorts. The two companies have totally different approaches to the business.

Don't mess with our Hyatt! We love it :cheer: !
Don't mess with our DVC! We love it! :cheer: !
 

James1975NY

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My opinion would be that they would look into a company or developer that has European influence or more presence south of the borders.
 

GrayFal

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:D Purely an (educated) guess. But if Starwood were to join forces with another TS company given all the loses everyone is taking and the terrible economy with no end in sight, who would you want them to partner up with and why??

Let's assume Marriott is out of the picture. I am pretty sure that would not be an option. But how about Hyatt, Disney, Hilton, etc?

Anyone care to comment on what would be the best match for them and why?

Katherine

Geeze, are u a big troublemaker!

I know you said Marriott is out - but they have great customer service - that would be my wish.
 

LisaRex

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I'm going with DVC just because I don't believe their Hilton Head branch is doing well and they wanted to expand to Hawaii.
 

nodge

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But if Starwood were to join forces with another TS company given all the loses everyone is taking and the terrible economy with no end in sight, who would you want them to partner up with and why??
Katherine

As with most things with SVO, what we owners would like from SVO will probably differ substantially from what we would actually get.

SVO upper management still acts and thinks of itself as no name/no frills “Vistana, Inc.” that died and went to timeshare developer heaven when Starwood started allowing Vistana to market timeshares by hiding under Starwood's good name and reputation.

If push came to shove and SVO upper management was forced to consolidate with another timeshare company, I’m guessing that SVO top management would try to return to its roots by:

1) Seeking to join forces with an organization managed by folks with similar backgrounds and goals as their own. Namely, I’m guessing that they would prefer to hang out at lunch and on the golf course with a bunch of sleazy, polyester leisure suit with white-shoe wearing (but only under their Starwood clothes), real estate developer-types like themselves that can throw up buildings faster than they can remove elite benefits, but have absolutely no desire or even basic people skills or knowledge to establish, operate or maintain a service-based business that calls for any sort of owner satisfaction, hospitality or loyalty; (It's like asking a bunch of truckers to effectively operate a day spa); and,

2) Of course, seeking an alliance that would ensure their own continued employment at their current top salaries and lack of supervision or accountability levels.

To accomplish both of these goals, SVO management would likely have to “marry beneath it.”

Hmmm. What troubled timeshare organizations would fit this bill?

Just follow the bouncing orange. . . ..

If something like this were to happen, the first step would be for the merged organizations to share a common reservation system.

The plot thickens.

-nodge
 
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Cathyb

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Kath: Why do you say not Marriott -- your logic please?
 

SDKath

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Kath: Why do you say not Marriott -- your logic please?

I think they are just too big. Neither of them would gain much by joining forces and inheriting eachother's debt. I like Marriott so it's not a matter of there being problems with one company versus another. I just think they would not benefit much from becoming one.

I also agree that Disney is not a likely candidate (unless Disney buys out Starwood since they are looking to expand into non-Mickey areas of TSing anyway). I don't think Starwood would get much out of a Disney relationship otherwise. Although I would KILL to have the great point system with SVO that I do with my DVC.

But Starwood could pick up a "smaller" company and instantly have more TSs in their portofolio while consolidating costs (and laying off people). They wouldn't need to keep building (costly) but could just rework existing TSs.

It seems like that is what is happening in many businesses right now. Companies are joining forces (and therefore reducing competition) while making operational cuts to improve efficiency. I think they are hoping to weather the storm that way.

I just think it's fun to think about the what ifs.

Katherine
 

clsmit

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It would not be anyone who has a competing hotel chain. They are all so competitive on that front that merging/codesharing timeshares doesn't make sense. It would need to be another acquistion that is complementary. I'm voting for Diamond Resorts. https://www.diamondresorts.com/ (Formerly Sunterra) I've never been to any of their properties, but they get good reviews. Plus they seem to have an online reservations system.
 

djp

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I would not be surprised to see one of the hotel timeshares create a real partnership (direct exchange etc) with DVC, it seems like it could be a win win. On the issue of the Diamond Resorts, the ones I have seen are a step below Starwood Quality, and can be purchased resale for a fraction of the cost. I think SDO and SBP (and maybe Lakeside Terrrace) were formally Sunterra, and Starwood bought and finished them/ redid them.
 
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