US: Property management company Vacasa has announced its plans to purchase Sea to Sky Rentals in Seattle.
In July, Vacasa will welcome all 85 Sea to Sky vacation homes located in Seattle and the North Cascades into its portfolio of professionally managed rentals, 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 organisation to become Seattle’s leading vacation rental company.
As a trailblazer in the industry, Acquavella has served as a short-term rental advocate for nearly two decades, co-founded NorthwestVacation Rental Professionals, served on the national board of directors for Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA) and founded Seattle’s Short-Term Rental Alliance.
Acquavella said: “In 17 years, Sea to Sky Rentals has become an incredibly successful business, with a dedicated and talented team. Growing the organisation 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,” she added.
In 2013, Acquavella hired Heidi Stuber as strategic director of Sea to Sky Rentals.
During Stuber’s tenure at the vacation rental company, she 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 now focus her attention on running for Seattle City Council.
Stuber said: “It has been a privilege to lead Sea to Sky Rentals with Michelle for nearly six years. 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,” she added.
Eric Nicholson, director of Vacasa’s Northwest U.S. region, said: “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. 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.”
For more about Vacasa and its full-service management business model, visit the website here.
