Starwood Preferred Guest - How Starwood got the Swan and Dolphin

Subject say it all. Does anybody know how Disney allowed some other company to manage hotels on their property?

The seven WDW Village hotels are also located on disney property, but managed by outside concerns.

That is true, and while those are on Disney property, there is a very different relationship that the Swan/Dolphin have compared to those.

Thanks, but that doesn't answer my question.

Disney wanted to expand hotel capacity and add a truly large convention facility that would get back some business lost by the Orlando Convention Center on International Drive, and also expand the new regional "Epcot Resort Area," but they did not want to commit capital at the time. They had good experiences with other "lessees" such as the take-over of the old "Disney Inn" by the U.S. military R&R group...now renamed "Shades Of Green" as well as the "Hotel Plaza" lessees that were tagged as "Official Hotels of Walt Disney World" since 1971.

They looked at this as a way to develop unused property and gain income from it with just a minimal infrastructure capital outlay.

A deal was put together with Tishman Construction and some deep pocket Japanese investors, and noted architect Michael Graves was tagged for the design (at Disney's insistence). Disney had right of approval for any management affiliation, but it was the Japanese investors that brought the Westin/Sheraton/Starwood brands and management to the table and they were approved by Disney after show-standards agreements were reached and understood.

FYI, a previous attempt at this with Marriott and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort failed in 1987.

The main difference in how these are considered by Disney is geography. Those leased hotels on the outskirts of Disney property are "Official" hotels of Walt Disney World. But the Swan and Dolphin are actually right in the Epcot Resort Area, so they are considered a step above those perimeter properties (enjoying Disney transportation, for example), but are not quite true "Disney" resorts as they are not owned and operated by Disney.

The Swan and Dolphin just added a new "level" to the types of hotels available to guests "on-property."

Another "level" was recently added into the mix with the completion of Disney's Coronado Beach Resort. Now this property carries the actual Disney name and they own it, but many of the employees and services are actually provided by outside contractors. The restaurant, food court and much of the janitorial services are operated by Aramark (http://www.aramark.com), for example. Many of the Cast Members you see walking around there with Disney name tags aren't really employed by Disney. It's just another experiment in resort operations that is being closely evaluated.

That's the 10 cent story.

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 04-08-2003).]

PremEx - Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me! Thanks for the .10 story.

Great info. Exactly what I was looking for. Do the Japenese still own the hotels?

Yep. Along with Tishman.

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 04-09-2003).]

Great information. Thanks.

I recently stayed at the Dolphin and I gotta say it, the designs are cute but anyway you cut it -- that is not a dolphin, it's a cute, little fish!!

It's not dolphin the mammal like Flipper, it's dolphin the fish like mahimahi in a restaurant!

http://indian-river.fl.us/fishing/fish/dolphin.html

Well actually Tax Dude that is not quite true, though it is a popular misconception due to the fact that the Dolphins portrayed in the artwork, sculptures and logo of the Dolphin Hotel do not look like "Flipper" mammal dolphins. They have scales and do look a bit like fish.

You are not totally wrong though, which I will explain...

But they are indeed mammal dolphins, and rather famous ones at that.

In ancient times, mariners would come back with tales of the dolphin, and how they guided their ships throughout their journeys. Illustrators of the time, never having themselves actually seen a dolphin, depicted these as best as they could imagine in their art, often having scales and gills and resembling a fish rather than the Flipper dolphin we all relate to today.

But these dolphin depicted as fish, have nothing to do with the "Dolphinfish" such as mahimahi, and which you mention above.

This ancient and antique dolphin artwork (often dating back to Roman times) is much sought after and replicated in the artworld to this day. Here are a couple of examples:

http://www.mallcarts.com/vdir/vitem/AM-AC033

http://home.btconnect.com/wfturk/dolphin.htm

Why did Michael Graves select this old and mythical vision of the dolphin for his design on the Dolphin Hotel? The whole hotel and much of the post-modern design schooling of architecture (sometimes referred to as "Entertainment Architecture"), revolves around imaginative interpretations and designs that evoke or suggest images or themes from the past.

Those old artists and illustrators imagined what a dolphin must look like, and to them it was from the sea, so it must look like a fish, right? They made a personal interpretation. And that's what Michael Graves' design is also meant to do with each guest that visits.

For example, when you enter the hotel and first walk into the Grand Rotunda (http://www.starwood.com/Media/Graphics/Brands/Sheraton/Properties/468/images/na468lo1_md.jpg), you see it decorated as what appears to be a massive tent of some sort. Now you ask guests what they think this represents and you'll get different answers:

- A large beach tent cabana

- A tent from the Arabian Nights

- A large circus tent

Etc, etc.

All answers are correct! The design was set in such a way for guests to interpret and imagine what they wanted to see in it.

Same as the ancient illustrators did with their interpretation of the dolphin.

That's what I love most about many forms of post-modern architecture. There's often storytelling going on almost subliminally, with visitors customizing the story from their own imaginations! Often without them even consciously realizing it!

And it works! You saw the Dolphin from the hotel as being mahimahi dolphinfish! That was your interpetation! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 04-11-2003).]

hehehe... I think it looks like a carp.

Robin

carpe diem! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Any way you look at it, these are the best deals on property! I've given up the "Disney" Deluxe resorts at their ridiculous prices - unless you want to fret and fight for a discount - for my Heavenly Bed and Bath at the Swan with my platinum upgrade. They offer some wonderful "true" discounts there and the staff is wonderful! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif How can you beat Rolsalinda as a front desk manager and Mama T in the Club???

Yep. Currently there are some $147.50 rates at the Dolphin (a AAA rate) for example, which are lower than most prices at Disney's "Moderate" level of properties!

Deals at these could always be found for limited days "between conventions" but post 9/11 I've even seen spg.com pre-paid internet rates here and at the Swan even as low as $89!

Once the economy improves and travel and convention business picks up again, you'll likely find super deals here a bit hard to find again. Enjoy 'em while you can!

If the ancient illustrators had been employed as sketch artists for the Athens Police, they would have learned how to depict dolphins accurately. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif