ASTON BRAND IS BACK IN HAWAII

The Aston flag is flying once again in Hawaii. ResortQuest Hawaii is returning the Aston Hotels & Resorts name to 26 properties in the state. The change is part of a rebranding campaign that includes a new logo featuring a nod to Aston's heritage with a contemporary update. The chain is also beefing up its marketing efforts, particularly in Asia, with the opening of new sales offices in China and Korea.

Aston was founded in 1948, and in 1969 opened the state's first condominium hotel, the 100-unit Kuhiolani Hotel. In 1998, it joined ResortQuest International, the largest vacation rental company in North America. Six years ago, Gaylord Entertainment bought ResortQuest, and two years ago Interval Leisure Group took control of RQ Hawaii.

STARWOOD RE-SIGNS WITH INTERVAL

Starwood Vacation Ownership has renewed its master affiliation agreement with Interval International. The multi-year pact extends a relationship the two firms first established in 2000. The agreement covers Starwood's 20 existing and any new resorts under the Westin and Sheraton brands.

“Most of the world's major lodging brands are included in Interval's quality system,” says Sergio Rivera, CEO of Starwood Vacation Ownership. “It's important to be affiliated with a great exchange company that has an entire roster of what we believe are comparable developers.”