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.
