what's in a name

[lizap]

It would not surprise me at all for ILG to drop OR not promote the Vistana name. They can do what they want.. All this was done prior to the acquisition.

I think you do know that Starwood Vacation Network/Ownership doesn't exist as the name of the HOT timeshare segment/company anymore. The name change to Vistana Signature Experiences is a done deal, was announced by HOT and the spin-off process began in 2015. It was also a contingency of any acquisition offers that HOT entertained for its own sale before ultimately settling on the pending acquisition by MAR.

Prior to the timeshare company's completed acquisition by ILG, as the seller HOT doesn't have any pressing need to change the website domain/official docs/etc because all related activity remains with them until the acquisition is complete. But after, when ILG assumes full official ownership, I don't think there's any doubt that you'll begin to see significant changes. It may be that the new company will subcontract some of the IT functions from HOT for a limited time period, which is what happened following Marriott's timeshare spin-off, but that doesn't mean the name change isn't a foregone conclusion.

It costs real money for companies to re-brand. I would be very surprised if ILG decides to immediately re-brand VSE to another new name anytime soon, but if that's what you all think should happen then I hope they're listening to you.

 

[youppi]

People say that Vistana means nothing but Starwood means nothing too. I never saw a Starwood hotel. I saw Westin, Sheraton, St-Regis, Four Points hotels but no Starwood hotels. I had never heard of Starwood before I had learned on TUG and II community what was SVN/SVO. So, IMO Vistana or Starwood is the same "no meaning" for lot of people.

For people who have question about the resorts name, from https://www.starwoodvacationnetwork.com/news-faq

WILL MY RESORT CONTINUE TO BE OPERATED AS A WESTIN OR SHERATON BRAND?

Yes. A long-term license agreement will be in place to ensure Vistana continues to be the exclusive provider of vacation ownership for the renowned Westin® and Sheraton® brands as well as our SPG affiliation, ensuring no disruption for Owners.

 

[SMHarman]

Marriott, Int'l (MAR) says that in the immediate aftermath of the takeover there won't be any changes to those hotels, for whatever that's worth. They now license the "Marriott" name to the separate company for Marriott timeshare resorts so there's a blueprint for them to license the "Sheraton" and "Westin" names to VSE for those resorts.

That licence was already put in place by Starwood pre spin off. Marriott can't rescind that contract.

 

[SMHarman]

Here is another thing - what about the Westin and Sheraton Hotels, that will now be managed by Marriott?

They are acquiring HOT. Hot has entered into long term management contracts with these hotels under these brands. You cant just go tearing those up along with the hotel owners investment in the design and branding required for them to comply with that brand.

These brands are not going away for at least the duration of the current management contracts.

 

[SMHarman]

I think Denise proposed the change just now because the legalities with ILG were supposed to be completed the other day. I wouldn't expect any changes in the official websites or documents prior to the legalities being complete but, if you wait to change the TUG name until everything on the related websites is changed you could be waiting a loooooong time. Marriott's timeshare spin-off was five years ago but the new website is just a couple months old now.

Did the legal day one change for Marriott get pushed through so promptly. It appears not as the Marriott forum does not reflect the legal name of the Marriott TS entity.

 

[SMHarman]

Yesterday, they were suppose to re-brand the SVO website, and roll SVO control over to ILG, but due to a delay, it has been postponed for a few days.


ILG doesn't own the Starwood name, so they are going to have to change the branding on everything.

I read the news.

I also think there will be a transition period and this site can move at the pace of the transition. Not preempt it.

 

[SMHarman]

It would not surprise me at all for ILG to drop OR not promote the Vistana name. They can do what they want.. All this was done prior to the acquisition.

Exactly. Vse was needed to create a new traded legal entity. Now it's just an intermediate holding company.

 

[SueDonJ]

I read the news.

I also think there will be a transition period and this site can move at the pace of the transition. Not preempt it.

To be fair, Denise's proposal to Admin for the name change on TUG was very clear in that The Day was expected to be May 1. I don't think she or the Admin who made the change jumped the gun purposely in order to tick off people. The delay with ILG's takeover was very last minute and seeing as how they've announced that it will be a very short delay, what's the harm in keeping things as they are until ILG decides to change the current name (if that's what they decide to do?)

 

[dioxide45]

To be fair, Denise's proposal to Admin for the name change on TUG was very clear in that The Day was expected to be May 1. I don't think she or the Admin who made the change jumped the gun purposely in order to tick off people. The delay with ILG's takeover was very last minute and seeing as how they've announced that it will be a very short delay, what's the harm in keeping things as they are until ILG decides to change the current name (if that's what they decide to do?)

Actually, the name change was done rather early. I think it was changed last Tuesday or Wednesday? I don't think it was done to piss people off. Though it is the lack of attention to detail that causes riff here. It didn't have to be that way.

Obviously the delay in the acquisition closing just magnifies the name of the forum, no need to change it back for a week or three. I can understand why the name of the forum was chosen, but it didn't have to be the legal name of the company. Just as the Marriott forum isn't the legal name of the company.

 

[SueDonJ]

Exactly. Vse was needed to create a new traded legal entity. Now it's just an intermediate holding company.

I disagree. VSE isn't a holding company, it's the current legal name of what was formerly Starwood's timeshare segment of HOT. Starwood could have spun off the segment without renaming it, thus allowing the takeover company to have first naming rights, but they didn't because they wanted an obvious separation between the timeshares and hotels (apparently in order to market HOT-minus-the-timeshares to new suitors.)

Contrast that with Marriott's timeshare spin-off, during which the renaming and legal separation were done concurrently because MAR was allowing the new company to keep the name Marriott in its new incantation.

 

[SueDonJ]

Did the legal day one change for Marriott get pushed through so promptly. It appears not as the Marriott forum does not reflect the legal name of the Marriott TS entity.

Marriott's TUG forum has never had the company's legal name - not when it was "Marriott Vacation Club Int'l" (under the Marriott, Int'l umbrella) and not since it's become "Marriott Vacations Worldwide" (as a separate stand-alone company.) I wasn't the moderator when Marriott timeshares were spun off and remembering back then, can see why DaveM didn't feel a need to change it because they never lost the name Marriott.

But if you're asking me if I'd prefer that the TUG forums all carry the legal names of the various timeshare companies, yes! My answer is yes! There's a symmetry and an order to that type of system, which would benefit TUG because new people tend to search the legal names of things. If I ruled the world the TUG Marriott forum would be called "Marriott Vacations Worldwide" and the tag line under it would read, "Marriott Vacation Club Weeks and Destination Club Points, Ritz-Carlton and Grand Residence Clubs, and Marriott Rewards Loyalty Program." But I don't rule the world, obviously.

 

[SMHarman]

Marriott's TUG forum has never had the company's legal name - not when it was "Marriott Vacation Club Int'l" (under the Marriott, Int'l umbrella) and not since it's become "Marriott Vacations Worldwide" (as a separate stand-alone company.) I wasn't the moderator when Marriott timeshares were spun off and remembering back then, can see why DaveM didn't feel a need to change it because they never lost the name Marriott.

But if you're asking me if I'd prefer that the TUG forums all carry the legal names of the various timeshare companies, yes! My answer is yes! There's a symmetry and an order to that type of system, which would benefit TUG because new people tend to search the legal names of things. If I ruled the world the TUG Marriott forum would be called "Marriott Vacations Worldwide" and the tag line under it would read, "Marriott Vacation Club Weeks and Destination Club Points, Ritz-Carlton and Grand Residence Clubs, and Marriott Rewards Loyalty Program." But I don't rule the world, obviously.

Then perhaps there needs to be a tidy up of all names. Maybe by then the name of this sub forum will be clearer!

 

[SueDonJ]

Then perhaps there needs to be a tidy up of all names. Maybe by then the name of this sub forum will be clearer!

Works for me!

 

[dioxide45]

I think the problem is that a newbie coming here may not know where to go to discuss Westin and Sheraton timeshares. Sure this is in the forum description, but that description only shows up if you are looking at the forum list. It isn't there in the forum drop down. Of course, not everyone will read the descriptions either.

I wonder how many Starwood owners even know the name is changing when just getting 10% of the owners to send in their proxy for HOA voting is a struggle?

 

[DeniseM]

It appears that Starwood owners are in the throes of the 5 stages of grief over the death of the Starwood name.

1. Denial - We were in this stage for awhile. Yeah, there was an announcement made about the name change, but we didn't see any changes, so we ignored it.

2. Anger - I think some of us are right here - we can't ignore the name change any more - it's real. The forum name changed and the website is changing. Change is hard - we don't like it.

3. Bargaining - Some of us have moved on to bargaining already. Maybe if TUG changes the name back, it won't be so real and painful - we can pretend it really isn't changing.

4. Depression - I predict this will hit when the website is rolled out under the name VSE, and all the "Star" monikers are changed to something else.

5. Acceptance - 3 mos. or less. By then we will be complaining about the way ILG is running VSE, and the name change will be minor.

OR, the VSE name will have been replaced by something better - or worse.

 

[SMHarman]

It appears that Starwood owners are in the throes of the 5 stages of grief over the death of the Starwood name.

1. Denial - We were in this stage for awhile. Yeah, there was an announcement made about the name change, but we didn't see any changes, so we ignored it.

2. Anger - I think some of us are right here - we can't ignore the name change any more - it's real. The forum name changed and the website is changing. Change is hard - we don't like it.

3. Bargaining - Some of us have moved on to bargaining already. Maybe if TUG changes the name back, it won't be so real and painful - we can pretend it really isn't changing.

4. Depression - I predict this will hit when the website is rolled out under the name VSE, and all the "Star" monikers are changed to something else.

5. Acceptance - 3 mos. or less. By then we will be complaining about the way ILG is running VSE, and the name change will be minor.

OR, the VSE name will have been replaced by something better - or worse.

I think this is not about stages of grief but confusing changes we have not yet seen on the HOT / VSE / ILG side.

Considering the Marriott forum had not had its name changes 5 years later, I'm more curious, what's the rush here.

ILG has paid to continue to use the westin and Sheraton brands the resorts are not rebranding.

Watchful waiting would have been a better approach.

 

[canesfan]

I agree, this was rushed. This was done based on an announcement done months ago. You have no idea what has gone on behind the scenes for the deal between ILG & Starwood for the sale. Who knows what was written into the negotiations and the sale contract regarding the actual timeshares new name. Changing it before the rollover was hasty, unless you have some insider information.

 

[DeniseM]

canesfan - Despite the hopeful posts to the contrary, there is no doubt that SVO's name has been changed to Vistana Signature Experiences. This is a matter of public record and it has been well documented.

As stated previously, the roll-over to VSE was supposed to take place on May 1, and at the very last minute, it was postponed until later this month.

At this point, it doesn't make much sense to change the forum name back for a few days, and then change it again in a few days, so we will hold tight for the official roll-over.

We can only hope that ILG changes the name to something more palatable.

 

[SueDonJ]

I think this is not about stages of grief but confusing changes we have not yet seen on the HOT / VSE / ILG side.

Considering the Marriott forum had not had its name changes 5 years later, I'm more curious, what's the rush here.

ILG has paid to continue to use the westin and Sheraton brands the resorts are not rebranding.

Watchful waiting would have been a better approach.

The TUG Marriott forum didn't require a name change because "Marriott" was never scheduled to be dropped from the new company name when the timeshares were spun off.

I agree with Denise that this forum's name should be changed because the new, existing, current name of the formerly-Starwood timeshare segment no longer contains the word "Starwood" in it.

When the companies announced that the legalities of ILG's acquisition would be completed on May 1 (at which time presumably/logically HOT will no longer allow "Starwood" to be used with the timeshares) Denise proposed to Admin that the forum name be changed in conjunction. Her suggested new name and tag line for the forum is a good one - it references the new company name which new owners/members will find when doing a search, it references the former "Starwood" name which will aid existing owners/members, and it references the most common resort names which will still be in use after ILG's takeover.

Admin may have jumped the gun which is unfortunate in light of the delay that was announced after the TUG forum name change, but it doesn't make much sense to change it back when from all accounts the delay is expected to be very short.

I think Denise and TUG Admin are getting a bad rap here. They're not any more responsible for the changes that you're facing than The Man In The Moon would be, and they're only trying to help people - existing as well as new owners/members - navigate their way to TUG's always-helpful forums. Cut them some slack why don't you?

 

[DavidnRobin]

Dave - you lost me - what would hanging on to the "Starwood" name for a few more days accomplish?

Please be aware that the name change also involved changes in other areas of TUG, and programming changes - not just the forum name.

It's not logical to change it back for a few days, and then change it again, when the roll-over goes through.

Sorry for the delay in response...

You mentioned it was changed as not to confuse newbies - my point is that MSC hasn't changed to VSE, Sales has not been using VSE, the Call Center is not using VSE, the Resorts are not using VSE - only the business/financial side is using VSE.

yet - TUG changes it as not to be confusing.
jumping the gun - IMO

The Powers can do what they want, but do not use the 'less confusing' argument - seems more like underlying disdain to me... IMO

 

[DeniseM]

AGAIN - we did inadvertently jump the gun.

1) Admin changed the name to VSE as soon as I brought it up - instead of waiting until the actual roll-over. I had no idea that was going to happen.

2) Then, the May 1, roll-over was postponed by Starwood and ILG.

Both of these things were/are out of my control.

However, it is a waste of time to ask Admin. to change everything back for a few days, since we are expecting the roll-over to take place this month.

If the ILG roll-over does NOT change SVO to VSE, I will be the first one to ask Admin to change the forum title to whatever they do change to - I will be thrilled if they don't use VSE!

But, there is no indication that that is going to happen.

 

[bizaro86]

I agree, this was rushed. This was done based on an announcement done months ago. You have no idea what has gone on behind the scenes for the deal between ILG & Starwood for the sale. Who knows what was written into the negotiations and the sale contract regarding the actual timeshares new name. Changing it before the rollover was hasty, unless you have some insider information.

Actually, the contracts are a public document, it has been filed with the SEC.

 

[SueDonJ]

Actually, the contracts are a public document, it has been filed with the SEC.

Yep, the HOT timeshare segment name/admin changes were official with the Form 10 filed 6/16/15. Denise waited almost a year to propose the TUG forum name change only a few days before the ILG takeover expected on 5/1/16. etcetcetc ...

 

[SMHarman]

I agree with Denise that this forum's name should be changed because the new, existing, current name of the formerly-Starwood timeshare segment no longer contains the word "Starwood" in it.

When the companies announced that the legalities of ILG's acquisition would be completed on May 1 (at which time presumably/logically HOT will no longer allow "Starwood" to be used with the timeshares) Denise proposed to Admin that the forum name be changed in conjunction. Her suggested new name and tag line for the forum is a good one - it references the new company name which new owners/members will find when doing a search, it references the former "Starwood" name which will aid existing owners/members, and it references the most common resort names which will still be in use after ILG's takeover.

Presumably.

Legal entity no longer contains the word.

But unless you have found a domain name registration or screen shots of the New branding that is all it is. Best guesses and asumptions.

 

[seagila]

But unless you have found a domain name registration or screen shots of the New branding that is all it is. Best guesses and asumptions.

This?

And this?

Domain Name: vistanasignatureexperiences.com
Registry Domain ID: 1938797175_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.ascio.com
Registrar URL: http://www.ascio.com
Updated Date: 2015-06-15T11:51:17Z
Creation Date: 2015-06-15T07:51:14Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-06-15T11:51:14Z
Registrar: Ascio Technologies, Inc
Registrar IANA ID: 106
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: abuse@ascio.com
Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +44.2070159370
Domain Status: OK
Registry Registrant ID:
Registrant Name: Domain Administrator
Registrant Organization: SVO Trademark, Inc.
Registrant Street: San Marco Court
Registrant City: Orlando
Registrant State/Province: FL
Registrant Postal Code: 32819
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: +1.2039646000
Registrant Phone Ext:
Registrant Fax:
Registrant Fax Ext:
Registrant Email: domain.administrator@starwoodhotels.com
Registry Admin ID:
Admin Name: Domain Administrator
Admin Organization: SVO Trademark, Inc.
Admin Street: San Marco Court
Admin City: Orlando
Admin State/Province: FL
Admin Postal Code: 32819
Admin Country: US
Admin Phone: +1.2039646000
Admin Phone Ext:
Admin Fax:
Admin Fax Ext:
Admin Email: domain.administrator@starwoodhotels.com
Registry Tech ID:
Tech Name: NetNames Hostmaster
Tech Organization: Netnames Ltd
Tech Street: 37th Floor
Tech Street: 25 Canada Square
Tech City: London
Tech State/Province: London
Tech Postal Code: E14 5LQ
Tech Country: GB
Tech Phone: +44.2070159370
Tech Phone Ext:
Tech Fax: +44.2070159375
Tech Fax Ext:
Tech Email: hostmaster@netnames.net
Name Server: ns1.netnames.net
Name Server: ns2.netnames.net
Name Server: ns5.netnames.net
Name Server: ns6.netnames.net
DNSSEC: unsigned
URL of the ICANN WHOIS Data Problem Reporting System: http://wdprs.internic.net/
>>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2016-05-03T18:19:04 UTC <<<