In order to end the conflict, Vaturi tried unsuccessfully to convince others, including Four Seasons, to buy out Colony. At one point in 1998, the investment bank Morgan Stanley looked into buying out both Colony and Vaturi but passed.

Colony, under the terms of the agreement with Vaturi, got three of the seven board seats that control Amanresorts and veto power over board decisions (it had a special class of stock, unlike the other shareholders). Colony...wanted the chain to take over the management of some Colony-owned hotels outside Asia that would be rebranded as Amans.

interference was enough for Zecha. In October 1998 he resigned the chairmanship of Amanresorts and his board seat; the chairmanship passed to Colony.

Burns bought Zecha's 30% stake in 1986 for $30 million. Zecha spent part of the cash on a stake in Arral & Partners, a private equity firm run by Anil Thadani

In 1999 the Amanresorts' estimated sales totaled $50 million. Operating profits totaled $15 million despite an occupancy rate of only 50% last year (the five Amanresorts in troubled Indonesia dragged the chain down from its usual 65% occupancy

Our gross operating profit -- revenue against direct expenses -- is significantly higher than those of any other hotel in the world. 1999, though, was disastrous, because Indonesia blew up in mid-1998.