Marriott Vacations Worldwide Stock

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation operates as a leading global vacation company. The company offers vacation ownership, exchange, rental and resort and property management, along with related businesses, products and services.

The company is a global leader in vacation ownership with some of the most iconic brands in the industry. The company is the exclusive worldwide developer, marketer, seller and manager of vacation ownership and related products under the Marriott Vacation Club, Grand Residences by Marriott, Sheraton Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club, and Hyatt Vacation Club brands, as well as under Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, an extension of the Marriott Vacation Club brand. The company is also the exclusive worldwide developer, marketer and seller of vacation ownership and related products under The Ritz-Carlton Club brand and it has the non-exclusive right to develop, market and sell whole ownership residential products under The Ritz-Carlton Residences brand. The company also has a license to use the St. Regis brand for specified fractional ownership products. In addition, during 2023, the company rebranded all Legacy-Welk resorts as Hyatt Vacation Club resorts. Interval International is its high-quality membership brand that serves as the gateway to vacation experiences around the world, including access to its affiliated resorts. The company’s Aqua-Aston business provides management services for resorts, hotels, and other third-party vacation property owners.

Segments

The company operates through two segments, Vacation Ownership; and Exchange & Third-Party Management.

Vacation Ownership segment

Vacation Ownership segment develops, markets, sells, finances, rents, and manages vacation ownership and related products under the company’s licensed brands. The company’s vacation ownership resorts typically combine many of the comforts of home, such as spacious accommodations with one, two and three bedroom options, living and dining areas, in-unit kitchens and laundry facilities, with resort amenities such as large feature swimming pools, restaurants and bars, convenience stores, fitness facilities and spas, as well as sports and recreation facilities appropriate for each resort’s unique location.

As of December 31, 2023, the company’s Vacation Ownership segment had approximately 120 resorts and approximately 700,000 owner families. The Vacation Ownership segment represented 94% of the company’s consolidated revenue for 2023.

Brands

The company’s portfolio includes a rich tapestry of some of the world’s most iconic, widely recognized and respected hospitality and travel brands. The company designs, builds, manages and maintains properties at upper upscale and luxury levels primarily under the following brands:

Marriott Vacation Club is a collection of upper upscale vacation ownership resorts featuring timeshare villas and other accommodations throughout the U.S., Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Australia. This brand is about vacations with a sense of place and belonging, providing owners and their families with the flexibility to enjoy a wide variety of vacation experiences characterized by the consistent high quality and warm hospitality for which the Marriott name is known. Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, a brand extension of Marriott Vacation Club, offers properties in the heart of vibrant cities, such as San Francisco and New York City. Because of their urban locations, Marriott Vacation Club Pulse properties typically offer limited on-site amenities and may include smaller guest rooms without separate living areas and kitchens.

Sheraton Vacation Club provides enriching and unexpected vacation experiences in fun family destinations like Florida, South Carolina, and Colorado, with activities that emphasize building and strengthening relationships. This collection of vacation ownership resorts builds on an iconic legacy of trusted hospitality, and brings to life a warm, energetic haven for families to gather and nurture their most precious relationships by allowing owners and guests to relax, play, and experience what the world has to offer. Sheraton Vacation Club upper upscale vacation ownership resorts are part of the Vistana Signature Network (VSN).

Westin Vacation Club is a collection of vacation ownership resorts located in some of the most sought-after destinations and designed with living well in mind. From the world-renowned Heavenly Bed to an energizing WestinWORKOUT and revitalizing experiences, every element of a vacation stay is created to leave owners and guests feeling better than when they arrived. Westin Vacation Club upper upscale vacation ownership resorts are part of VSN.

Grand Residences by Marriott provides vacation ownership through fractional real estate and whole ownership offerings. Grand Residences by Marriott is dedicated to providing carefree property ownership. The accommodations for this brand are similar to those offered under the Marriott Vacation Club brand, but the duration of the VOI is longer, ranging between three and thirteen weeks.

The Ritz-Carlton Club is a collection of vacation ownership resorts that provide luxurious vacation experiences for members and their families commensurate with the legacy of The Ritz-Carlton brand. The Ritz-Carlton Club resorts include luxury villas and resort amenities that offer inspirational vacation lifestyles tailored to every member’s needs and expectations. The Ritz-Carlton Club resorts typically feature two-, three-, and four-bedroom units that usually include marble foyers, walk-in closets, custom kitchen cabinetry, and luxury resort amenities, such as large feature swimming pools and access to full-service restaurants and bars. On-site management and services, which usually include daily housekeeping service, valet, in-residence dining, and access to fitness facilities, as well as spa and sports facilities as appropriate for each destination, are provided by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences is a luxury tier whole ownership residence brand. The Ritz-Carlton Residences includes whole ownership luxury residential condominiums co-located with The Ritz-Carlton Club resorts. Owners can typically purchase condominiums that vary in size from one-bedroom apartments to spacious penthouses. Owners of The Ritz-Carlton Residences can avail themselves of the services and facilities that are associated with the co-located The Ritz-Carlton Club resort on an à la carte basis. On-site management and services are provided by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

St. Regis Residence Club and The Luxury Collection offer fractional interests in luxury real estate and distinctive privileges to members who embrace the art of living in unforgettable destinations.

Hyatt Vacation Club is a diverse collection of distinctive family-friendly vacation ownership resorts with residential-style accommodations. Hyatt Vacation Club includes properties in highly desirable destinations like Maui, the San Diego area, Cabo San Lucas, Lake Tahoe, Breckenridge, and Key West. Offering multiple vacation ownership products, an emphasis on purposeful vacation experiences, and exciting options for global travel, Hyatt Vacation Club provides people with vital opportunities to step back from their hectic lives to reconnect and make lifelong memories.

Products and Services

Points-Based Vacation Ownership Products

The company sells the majority of its products through points-based ownership programs, including Marriott Vacation Club Destinations, Sheraton Flex, Westin Flex, Westin Aventuras, the Hyatt Vacation Club Portfolio Program, and the Hyatt Vacation Club Platinum Program. The company’s points-based systems and exchange networks enable owners and members to access a large variety of different vacation experiences. While the structural characteristics of each of its points-based programs differ, in each program, owners receive an annual allotment of points representing owners’ usage rights, and owners can use these points to access vacation ownership units across multiple destinations within their program’s portfolio of resort locations. Each program permits shorter or longer stays than a traditional weeks-based vacation ownership product and provides for flexibility with respect to check-in days and size of accommodations. In addition to traditional resort stays, the programs enable its owners to exchange their points for a wide variety of innovative vacation experiences, which may include cruises, airline travel, guided tours, safaris and other unique vacation alternatives. Owners who are members of the company’s points-based programs typically pay annual fees in exchange for the ability to participate in the program. In addition to points-based ownership programs that allow owners to access multiple destinations within a single program, the company offers points programs at certain resorts, such as in St. John and Hawaii, that allow owners to access only that particular site using points in a similar fashion to the other points-based products.

The company’s points programs allow owners to bank and borrow their annual point allotments, access other locations through the applicable internal exchange programs that it operates, and accesses Interval International’s network of more than 3,200 affiliated resorts. Owners can trade their vacation ownership usage rights for Marriott Bonvoy points or World of Hyatt points, as applicable, which can be used to access participating hotels or redeemed for airline miles or other merchandise offered through such customer loyalty program. Through its exchange networks and points systems, owners can also use points toward vacation experiences, such as a bicycle tour, a culinary journey, an adventure cruise or a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a major sporting event. The company’s points-based products offer usage in perpetuity or for a term of years and may consist of real estate interests or a contractual right-to-use.

Weeks-Based Vacation Ownership Products

The company continues to sell Marriott-, Westin-, Sheraton- and Hyatt-branded weeks-based vacation ownership products in select markets, including in countries where legal and tax constraints limit its ability to include those locations in one of its existing points-based programs. The company’s products include multi-week VOIs in specific Grand Residences by Marriott, St. Regis Residence Club, The Luxury Collection Residence Club, and The Ritz-Carlton Club resorts. The company’s weeks-based vacation ownership products in the United States and select Caribbean locations are typically sold as fee simple deeded real estate interests at a specific resort representing an ownership interest in perpetuity, except where restricted by leasehold or other structural limitations. The company sells VOIs as a contractual right-to-use product subject to a finite term in Asia Pacific and Europe.

Global Exchange Opportunities

Most of the company’s vacation ownership products, including its Marriott Vacation Club-, Sheraton Vacation Club-, Westin Vacation Club-, and Hyatt Vacation Club-branded products, are affiliated with the Interval Network, the high-quality membership brand that serves as the gateway to premium vacation experiences.

In 2022, the company launched Abound by Marriott Vacations, an owner benefit and exchange program which affiliates the Marriott Vacation Club-, Sheraton Vacation Club- and Westin Vacation Club- brands to offer similar benefits to owners of its products under these brands. Under this program, owners of Marriott Vacation Club, Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club branded VOIs can access over 90 resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club brands using a common currency. The program also harmonizes fee structures and owner benefit levels and has allowed the company to transition most of its sales galleries that formerly sold Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club VOIs to sell its Marriott Vacation Club Destinations product, which includes certain Sheraton Vacation Club- and Westin Vacation Club- branded VOIs.

The company offers its existing Marriott Vacation Club owners who hold weeks-based products the opportunity to participate, on a voluntary basis, in an exchange program through which many vacation experiences are offered. All existing owners, whether or not they elect to participate in the Abound by Marriott Vacations exchange program, retain their existing rights and privileges of vacation ownership. Owners who elect to participate in the exchange program receive the ability to trade their weeks-based interval usage for vacation club points usage each year, typically subject to payment of an initial enrollment fee and annual club dues.

VSN provides Westin Vacation Club and Sheraton Vacation Club owners access to its affiliated resorts, as well as the opportunity to exchange their points through the Marriott Bonvoy program to Marriott resorts, through the Interval International network, or for a cruise. Based on the point value of the home resort interest owned, customers can choose other VSN affiliated resorts, the type of villa, the date of travel and the length of stay. VSN members have a priority period in which they have exclusive reservation rights for the related resort or points program without competition from other network members. During this home resort period, they can reserve occupancy based on the season and unit type purchased.

Hyatt Vacation Club provides its owners exchange rights through Interval International. Eligible members may redeem their club points for World of Hyatt points, which may be redeemed at participating Hyatt-branded properties. In late 2023, the company launched the BEYOND program for Hyatt Vacation Club. This program is designed to give owners of Hyatt Vacation Club Platinum or Hyatt Vacation Club Portfolio the opportunity for flexible access to exciting global travel experiences such as cruises, guided tours, and more, while enjoying their ownership benefits and Hyatt Vacation Club resorts.

Sources of Revenue

The company generates most of its revenues from four primary sources: selling vacation ownership products; managing vacation ownership resorts, clubs, and owners’ associations; financing consumer purchases of vacation ownership products; and renting vacation ownership inventory.

Sale of Vacation Ownership Products

The company’s principal source of revenue is the sale of VOIs.

Resort Management and Other Services

The company generates revenue from fees it earns for managing each of its resorts. In addition, the company earns revenue for providing ancillary offerings, including food and beverage, retail, and golf and spa offerings at its resorts. The company also receives annual fees, club dues, and certain transaction-based fees from owners and other third parties, including exchange service providers with which it is associated.

Financing

The company earns interest income on loans that it provides to purchasers of its VOIs, as well as loan servicing and other fees. The company offers financing to qualified customers for the purchase of most types of its vacation ownership products.

Rental

The company generates revenue from rentals of inventory that it holds for sale as interests in its vacation ownership programs or as residences, or inventory that it controls because its owners have elected alternative usage options permitted under its vacation ownership programs. By using Marriott.com and other direct booking channels to rent available inventory, the company is able to reach potential new members who may already have an affinity for and loyalty to the Marriott, Sheraton, Westin and Ritz-Carlton brands and introduce them to its products. Similarly, by using Hyatt.com and other direct booking channels to rent available inventory, the company is able to reach potential new members who may already have an affinity for and loyalty to the Hyatt brand and introduce them to its products.

Marketing and Sales Activities

The company sells its upper upscale tier vacation ownership products under its brands primarily through its worldwide network of resort-based sales centers and certain off-site sales locations. The company’s VOIs are marketed for sale throughout the United States and in nearly 30 countries and territories around the world, targeting customers who vacation regularly with a focus on family, relaxation and recreational activities. In 2023, over 90% of the company’s vacation ownership contract sales originated at sales centers that are co-located with one of its resorts. The company maintains a range of different off-site sales centers, including its central telesales organization based in Orlando and its network of third-party brokers in Latin America and Europe. The company has 90 global sales locations focused on the sale of VOIs. The company utilizes a number of marketing channels to attract qualified customers to its sales locations, including digital and social media marketing.

The company solicits its existing owners primarily while they are staying in its resorts, but also offers its owners the opportunity to make additional purchases through direct phone sales, owner events and inquiries from its central customer service centers located in Salt Lake City, Utah, Orlando, Florida, and Palm Springs, California. In 2023, approximately 70% of the company’s vacation ownership contract sales were to its existing owners. In addition, the company is concentrating on growing its tour flow as it seeks to generate more first-time buyer tours through its strategy that emphasizes adding new sales locations and new marketing channels, including digital and social media marketing.

The company also markets to existing Marriott and Hyatt customer loyalty program members and travelers who are staying in locations where it has resorts affiliated with those brands. The company markets extensively to guests in Marriott International or Hyatt hotels that are located near one of its sales locations. The company also markets through call transfer arrangements with Marriott International pursuant to which callers to certain reservation centers are asked if they would like to be transferred to one of its representatives who can tell them about its products. In addition, the company operates other local marketing venues in various high-traffic areas. A significant part of its direct marketing activities focuses on prospects in the Marriott and Hyatt customer loyalty program databases and its in-house databases of qualified prospects. The company offers guests who do not buy a VOI during their initial tour the opportunity to purchase a return package for a future stay at its resorts. These return guests are nearly twice as likely to purchase as a first-time visitor.

One of the company’s key areas of focus is expanding its use of social media and digital marketing channels. The company focuses on building stronger brand reputation associations via social media audience growth and data driven content marketing.

The company’s sales tours are designed to provide its guests with an overview of it and its products, as well as a customized presentation to explain how its products and services can meet their vacationing needs. From a single week at a fixed location to abundance of getaway options, the range of vacation experiences the company offers has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis. The company manages its sales executives’ consistency of presentation and professionalism using a variety of sales tools and technology and through a post-presentation survey of its guests that measures many aspects of each guest’s interactions during the sales process.

The company maintains a prominent presence on the www.marriott.com, www.ritzcarlton.com and www.hyatt.com websites. The company’s proprietary websites include www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com, www.marriottvacationclubs.com, www.ritzcarltonclub.com, www.theresidenceclub.com, www.grandresidenceclub.com and www.hyattvacationclub.com.

Inventory and Development Activities

The company secures inventory by developing or acquiring inventory at resorts in strategic markets, reacquiring previously sold inventory in the secondary market, reacquiring inventory as a result of owner loan or maintenance fee defaults, or building additional phases at its existing resorts. The company proactively buys back previously sold VOIs under its repurchase programs.

The company intends to continue to selectively pursue growth opportunities in North America and the Asia Pacific by targeting high-quality inventory that allows it to add desirable new destinations to its system with new on-site sales locations in ways that optimize the timing of its capital investments.

Approximately 25% of the company’s Vacation Ownership segment resorts are co-located with same-branded or affiliated hotel properties. Co-location of the company’s resorts with same-branded or affiliated hotels can provide several advantages from development, operations, customer experience and marketing perspectives, including sharing amenities, infrastructure and staff, integration of services, and other cost efficiencies. The company’s on-site access to hotel customers, including customer loyalty program members, who are visiting co-located hotels also provides it with a cost-effective marketing channel for its vacation ownership products.

The company’s license agreements with Marriott International and Hyatt allow for the development of co-located properties in the future, and it intends to opportunistically pursue co-located projects with them.

Consumer Financing

The company offers purchase money financing for purchasers of its vacation ownership products who meet its underwriting guidelines. By offering or eliminating financing incentives, the company has been able to increase or decrease the volume of its financing activities depending on market conditions.

In its vacation ownership business, in many of its markets, the company performs a credit investigation or other review or inquiry to determine the purchaser’s credit history before originating a loan. The company uses other information to determine minimum down payments and interest rates applicable to loans made to purchasers who do not have a credit score or who do not reside within the United States, such as regional historical default rates and currency fluctuation risk.

In the event of a default, the company generally has the right to foreclose on or revoke the defaulting owner’s VOI. The company typically resells interests that it reacquires through foreclosure or revocation or place such interests into one of its points-based programs.

The company securitizes the majority of the consumer loans it originates in support of its vacation ownership business. Historically, the company has sold these loans to institutional investors in the asset-backed securities (ABS) market on a non-recourse basis. These vacation ownership notes receivable securitizations provide funding for the company at interest rates similar to those available to companies with investment grade credit ratings, and transfer the economic risks and a significant portion of the benefits of the consumer loans it originates to third parties. In a vacation ownership notes receivable securitization, several classes of debt securities issued by a special purpose entity are generally collateralized by a single pool of transferred assets, which consist of vacation ownership notes receivable. During 2023, the company completed two securitization transactions, which are discussed in detail in Footnote 15 Securitized Debt to its Financial Statements. On an ongoing basis, the company has the ability to use its warehouse credit facility (Warehouse Credit Facility) to securitize eligible consumer loans derived from certain branded vacation ownership sales. Those loans may later be transferred to term securitization transactions in the ABS market, which the company intends to continue to complete twice a year. The company retains the servicing and collection responsibilities for the loans it securitizes, for which it receives a servicing fee.

Exchange & Third-Party Management segment

Exchange & Third-Party Management segment consists of the Interval International and Aqua-Aston businesses. The Interval International business offers a variety of membership programs and travel related products to approximately 1.6 million members globally and the Aqua-Aston business provides property management and rental services to property owners at 25 resorts and lodging properties. The segment revenue generally is fee-based and derived from membership, exchange and rental transactions, property and owners’ association management, and other related products and services.

Membership Programs, Products and Services

Exchange Products - Interval Network

Interval International’s principal membership program is the Interval Network, which consists of more than 3,200 affiliated resorts in over 90 countries and territories. The Interval Network allows its members to exchange their VOI for a stay at another resort destination or during a different time period, or another travel product. A membership in the Interval Network also provides a comprehensive package of value-added products and services to members. Generally, individuals are enrolled by resort developers in connection with their purchase of VOIs from such resort developers, with initial membership fees being paid on behalf of members by the resort developers. Members may also enroll directly, for instance, when they purchase a VOI through resale or an owners’ association at a resort that participates in the Interval Network.

The company’s traditional Interval Network members have the option, after their initial membership period ends, to renew their memberships for terms ranging from one to five years by paying membership fees directly to it. Alternatively, some resort developers incorporate the Interval Network membership fee into certain annual fees they charge to owners of VOIs at their resorts or vacation ownership clubs. As a result, membership in the Interval Network and, where applicable, the Interval Gold, Club Interval, or Interval Platinum programs, for those owners is automatically renewed through the term of the resort’s or club’s participation in the Interval Network, so long as the owners are in good standing with the applicable resort or vacation ownership club. The company sometimes refers to these members as corporate members and other members as traditional members. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 42% of total Interval Network members were traditional members and approximately 58% were corporate members.

Interval Gold and Interval Platinum

Interval Network members may take advantage of one of the company’s two enhanced membership tiers, Interval Gold or Interval Platinum, each of which provides value-added benefits and services for an additional fee. These benefits and services vary by country of residence, but generally consist of discounts on Getaways (described below), a concierge service, a hotel discount program and Interval Options, a service that allows members to relinquish annual occupancy rights in their VOIs towards the purchase of various travel products, including hotel, golf and spa vacations, as well as cruises, which are made available to all Interval Network members. Members are enrolled in these programs either by resort developers in connection with the initial purchase of their VOIs or by upgrading their membership directly.

Club Interval

Club Interval gives owners of fixed or floating week VOIs the opportunity to use their resort week as points within the Interval Network. Club Interval members also receive all of the benefits of Interval Gold and can upgrade to Interval Platinum.

Getaways

The company also offers additional vacation rental opportunities at attractive rates to members of the Interval Network, as well as to members of certain other membership programs provided by Interval International or through third-party membership programs. The company sometimes refer to these opportunities as Getaways. Getaways allow members to rent resort accommodations for a fee, plus applicable taxes. Resort accommodations available as Getaways consist of seasonal oversupply of vacation ownership accommodations within the Interval Network, as well as resort accommodations that are specifically sourced for use as Getaways.

Non-Exchange Products

Additionally, the company offers two programs for non-exchange products, Leisure Time Passport and Dream Vacation Week. Leisure Time Passport is a travel membership program that provides members with a variety of travel and leisure benefits, including savings on resort accommodations, hotel stays, cruise vacations and the ability to earn loyalty points on eligible completed travel. The Leisure Time Passport program is used by resort developers as a trial membership program for potential VOI purchasers, as well as by non-developer clients as an addition to their own products to provide ongoing value and customer engagement. Dream Vacation Week is a certificate program that provides the recipient with access to book discounted resort accommodations and is used as a marketing premium, sales incentive, or enhancement to an existing program.

Sales and Operational Support for Interval Network Resorts

Interval International has established multi-year relationships with resort developers, including leading independent developers, as well as owners’ associations and its related branded vacation ownership programs, under affiliation agreements, which typically provide for continued resort participation in the Interval Network following the end of the agreement’s term. Resort developers promote membership in the company’s exchange programs and related value-added services as an important benefit of owning a VOI. The company offers developers and owners’ associations a selection of sales and marketing materials. These materials, many of which are available in multiple languages, include brochures, publications, sales-office displays, resort directories and Interval HD, an online video channel featuring resort and destination overviews.

The company’s business development personnel proactively seek to establish strong relationships with developers and owners’ associations, providing input on consumer preferences and industry trends based upon years of experience. The company has established a strong reputation within the vacation ownership industry as being highly responsive to the needs of resort developers, owners’ associations, management companies and owners of VOIs. In addition, the company sponsors, participates in and attends numerous industry conferences around the world to provide potential and existing industry participants with opportunities to network and learn more about vacation ownership.

Interval International also makes available a comprehensive array of back-office servicing solutions to resort developers and owners’ associations. For example, for an additional fee, the company provides reservation services and billing and collection of maintenance fees and other amounts due to developers or owners’ associations.

Business Development and Global Marketing

The company maintains a global business development department that is responsible for affiliating new resorts and resort developers, securing vacation rental inventory for Getaways and establishing relationships with providers of new distribution channels for the Leisure Time Passport and Dream Vacation Week products. The department is also responsible for overall client retention and growth of its business.

The company’s global marketing department is responsible for business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing across all brands and products. The team is responsible for membership retention, activation and product growth and utilization, and leverages a cross-channel approach to its campaigns, including digital, print, telemarketing, and social media. This integrated approach is designed to drive member engagement with, and loyalty to, Interval’s exchange offerings and its other leisure travel products and services. Business-to-business marketing responsibilities include developing high impact business development materials, public relations plans, and events designed to enhance Interval International’s reputation within the travel industry, including in new industry segments.

Third-Party Management

The company provides management services for hotels, condominium resorts, and other third-party vacation property owners through its Aqua-Aston business. The company’s services may include day-to-day operations of the properties, maintenance of the properties, preparation of reports and budgets, owners’ association administration, quality assurance and employee training. As of December 31, 2023, the company provided third-party management services to 25 properties.

The company’s Aqua-Aston business provides management and rental services for condominium owners, hotel owners, and owners’ associations. The condominium rental properties are generally investment properties, and, to a lesser extent, second homes, owned by individuals who contract with Aqua-Aston directly to manage, market and rent their properties to transient guests. The company also offers such owners a comprehensive package of marketing, management and rental services designed to enhance rental income and profitability. Generally, owners’ association management services, including administrative, fiscal and quality assurance services, are provided pursuant to exclusive agreements with terms typically ranging from one to ten years or more, many of which are automatically renewable. Revenue is derived principally from fees for management of the hotel, condominium resort, or owners’ association as well as related rental services. Management fees consist of a base management fee and, in some instances for hotels or condominium resorts, an incentive management fee which is generally a percentage of operating profits or improvement in operating profits. Service fee revenue is based on the services provided internally or through third-party providers to owners, including reservation, sales and marketing, property accounting and information technology services.

The company’s in-market sales and marketing team utilizes a variety of sales, marketing, revenue management and digital marketing initiatives to attract consumers and additional properties to Aqua-Aston. The company utilizes many channels of distribution, including traditional wholesale distribution through tour operators and travel partners, online travel agencies and global distribution systems. In addition, Aqua-Aston focuses on driving direct business through brand websites and its central reservations office. The sales team covers several market segments from corporate and government/military to travel agents and groups. The company offers a variety of leisure accommodations to visitors from around the world through various consumer websites, including www.aquaaston.com, www.aquaresorts.com, www.mauicondo.com, and others.

Seasonality

The company’s revenue is influenced by the seasonal nature of travel. Within its Vacation Ownership segment, the company’s sale of vacation ownership business experiences a modest impact from seasonality, with higher sales volumes during the traditional vacation periods.

Within its Exchange & Third-Party Management segment, the company recognizes exchange and Getaways revenue based on confirmation of the vacation; revenue is generally higher in the first quarter and lower in the fourth quarter. Remaining rental revenue is recognized based on occupancy.

Competition

In North America, the company typically competes with companies that sell upper upscale tier vacation ownership products under a lodging or entertainment brand umbrella, such as Hilton Grand Vacations Club and Disney Vacation Club, as well as numerous regional vacation ownership operators. The company’s luxury vacation ownership products compete with vacation ownership products offered by Four Seasons, Exclusive Resorts, Timbers Resorts and several other smaller independent companies. In addition, the vacation ownership industry competes generally with other vacation rental options (such as hotels, resorts and condominium rentals) offered by the lodging industry as well as alternative lodging marketplaces such as Airbnb and VRBO, which offer rentals of homes and condominiums.

The company’s Interval International exchange business principally competes for developer and consumer market share with Travel + Leisure Co.’s subsidiary, RCI.

License Agreements and Intellectual Property

The company has a long-term license agreement with Marriott International under which it is granted the exclusive right, for the term of the license agreement, to use certain Marriott, Sheraton, and Westin marks and intellectual property in its vacation ownership business and to use the Grand Residences by Marriott marks and intellectual property in its residential real estate business. Under the license agreement, the company also has the right to use the St. Regis brand for specified fractional ownership products. The company has a long-term license agreement with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, a subsidiary of Marriott International, under which it granted the exclusive right, for the term of the license agreement, to use certain Ritz-Carlton marks and intellectual property in its vacation ownership business and the nonexclusive right to use certain Ritz-Carlton marks and intellectual property in its residential real estate business.

The company has a long-term license agreement with Hyatt under which it granted the exclusive right, for the term of the license agreement, to use certain Hyatt marks and intellectual property in connection with its Hyatt Vacation Ownership business.

Licensor Customer Loyalty Programs

Under its affiliation agreements with Marriott International and its affiliates, the company’s owners who are Marriott Bonvoy members generally have the ability to redeem their vacation ownership usage rights to access participating Marriott-, Sheraton-, and Westin-branded properties or other products and services offered through the Marriott Bonvoy program.

Through its relationship with Hyatt, the company’s owners who are members of the World of Hyatt customer loyalty program generally have the ability to redeem their vacation ownership usage rights to access participating Hyatt-branded properties or other products and services offered through the World of Hyatt program.

Business Strategy

The key elements of the company’s strategy are to enhance digital capabilities and data analytics; focus on the satisfaction of its owners, members, and guests as well as the engagement of its associates; and selectively pursue compelling new business opportunities.

Regulation

The company is subject to laws and regulations typically applicable to real estate development, subdivision, and construction activities, such as laws relating to zoning, land use restrictions, environmental regulation, accessibility, title transfers, title insurance, and taxation. In the United States, these include, with respect to some of the company’s products, the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The company’s marketing and sales activities are closely regulated pursuant to laws and regulations enacted specifically for the vacation ownership and land sales industries, as well as a wide variety of laws and regulations that govern its marketing and sales activities in the jurisdictions in which it carries out such activities. These laws and regulations include the USA PATRIOT Act, Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, the Federal Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act and fair housing statutes, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (the FTC) and state Little FTC Acts.

The company’s Marriott Vacation Club Destinations, Australia points-based program is subject to regulation as a ‘managed investment scheme’ by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

The company’s lending activities are subject to a number of laws and regulations, including those of applicable supervisory, regulatory and enforcement agencies, such as, in the United States, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the FTC, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

The company has collaborated with Audubon International to further the ‘greening’ of its Marriott Vacation Club resorts in the U.S. through the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program for Hotels.

History

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation was founded in 1984. The company was incorporated in Delaware in 2011.