PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vacasa,
North America’s largest vacation rental company, today announced its
intent to purchase Sea
to Sky Rentals. In July, Vacasa will welcome all Sea to Sky vacation
homes located in Seattle and the North Cascades into its portfolio of
professionally managed rentals, estimated to be 85 homes at the time of
closing, bringing the company’s total inventory in Washington state up
to more than 650.
Michelle Acquavella founded Sea to Sky Rentals in 2003, and quickly grew
the organization to become Seattle’s leading vacation rental company. A
trailblazer in the industry, Acquavella has served as a short-term
rental advocate for nearly two decades, co-founded Northwest Vacation
Rental Professionals, served on the national board of directors for
Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA), and founded Seattle’s
Short-Term Rental Alliance.
“In 17 years, Sea to Sky Rentals has become an incredibly successful
business, with a dedicated and talented team,” said Acquavella. “Growing
the organization has been one of my greatest achievements to date. We’re
now at an inflection point with abundant market opportunity and
potential for further growth ahead of us. The time was right to pass the
torch to a global company that places high importance on local
operations. I’m confident that Vacasa is the company with the expertise
and resources to provide the very best care to our homeowners and
guests.”
In 2013, Acquavella hired Heidi Stuber as strategic director of Sea to
Sky Rentals. During her tenure at the vacation rental company, Stuber
focused on strategic planning, finance and growth. Under her leadership,
Sea to Sky tripled in size, expanded across Washington state and
developed a team of internal leaders. With the sale of the business,
Stuber will be able to focus her attention on running for Seattle City
Council, District 4.
“It has been a privilege to lead Sea to Sky Rentals with Michelle for
nearly six years,” said Stuber. “Between Michelle’s industry expertise
and entrepreneurship and my focus on growth, we have built a successful
business we are deeply proud of, and we are ready to transition to new
leadership. We chose Vacasa because their track record with local
operations, combined with global scale, makes them uniquely positioned
to meet our homeowners’ expectations and take the business to the next
level.”
Homeowners whose vacation rentals were previously managed by Sea to Sky
Rentals will now benefit from Vacasa’s industry-leading dynamic pricing,
marketing and booking expertise, and partnerships with top listing sites
such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo that drive year-round bookings and
increased revenue.
“We are excited to begin caring for Sea to Sky Rentals’ vacation homes,
bringing more options to our guests who crave adventure near Seattle,
Stevens Pass, Leavenworth and beyond,” said Eric Nicholson, director of
Vacasa’s Northwest U.S. region. “We’re also looking forward to building
strong relationships with Sea to Sky’s homeowners by increasing their
bookings, taking good care of their homes and exceeding their
expectations.”
Learn more about Vacasa and its full-service management business model
by visiting www.vacasa.com/.
About Vacasa
Vacasa is North America’s largest vacation rental company and offers
property management and other real estate services directly and through
licensed subsidiaries. Leveraging industry-leading technology, Vacasa
maximizes revenue for homeowners and its partners, and provides
unforgettable experiences for guests. Vacasa and its subsidiaries manage
a growing portfolio of more than 13,000 vacation homes in the U.S.,
Europe, Central and South America, and Africa. Since its founding in
2009, Vacasa has grown to more than 3,300 employees, has been honored as
the Oregon Better Business Bureau Large Business of the Year and was
ranked ninth on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies list. For more
information, visit www.vacasa.com.
Contacts
Anni Murphy
PR Manager, Vacasa
[email protected]
(831)
588-4121
