Apple Leisure Group

Apple Leisure Group
Privately held company
Industry Hospitality, Travel, Tourism
Founded 1969 (1969)[1]
Headquarters Newtown Square, PA, United States
Area served
  • United States
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • Europe
  • Latin America
Key people
 Alejandro Zozaya (CEO)
Javier Coll (Executive VP)
Jeff Mullen (COO)
John Hutchinson (CFO)[2]
Services
Revenue $3 billion[3]
Number of employees
 25,000+[4]
Parent KKR, KSL
Subsidiaries
  • AMResorts
  • Apple Vacations
  • Travel Impressions
  • CheapCaribbean.com
  • AMStar DMC
  • Unlimited Vacation Club
Website appleleisuregroup.com

Apple Leisure Group (ALG) is a vertically-integrated travel and hospitality conglomerate focused on packaged travel and resort/brand management in Mexico and the Caribbean. It is the parent company of resort and brand management company AMResorts and its loyalty program, Unlimited Vacation Club. ALG also oversees tour operators Apple Vacations and Travel Impressions, online travel agency CheapCaribbean.com, as well as destination management company AMStar DMC.[5]

History

In 2001, current ALG CEO Alejandro Zozaya, founded resort sales, marketing, and brand management company, AMResorts. Over a decade later, he led the effort to form Apple Leisure Group by making tour operator, Apple Vacations, a sister company of AMResorts. ALG received an influx of equity in late 2012 when it sold an undisclosed stake in its business to Boston-based global private equity firm, Bain Capital. In 2013, Apple Leisure Group quickly added to its family of companies with the acquisition of online leisure wholesaler, CheapCaribbean.com, and B2B tour operator Travel Impressions from American Express. Rounded out by destination management company, Amstar DMC, and AMResorts’ guest loyalty program, Unlimited Vacation Club.[6]

Apple Leisure Group, AMResorts, and Apple Vacations headquarters in Newtown Square, PA

Subsidiaries

AMResorts

View of Puerto Vallarta from suite in Now Amber

Founded in 2001 by Alejandro Zozaya, AMResorts operates all-inclusive beachfront resorts under 6 different brands in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Curacao and Panama.[7] The brands managed are:

AMResorts have said that, by the end of 2018, they expect to operate at least 67 resorts in 27 destinations and 12 countries.[8]

Apple Vacations

In 1969, John Mullen and his brother-in-law, Al Atkinson, founded a small travel company called Atkinson & Mullen. Years later, Mullen renamed the company Apple Vacations as he became the sole proprietor and entered into one of the larger travel package operators in the U.S.[9]

Travel Impressions

In 1967, Arnold Tolkin purchased a travel agency called ATS. Seven years later, Tolkin formed a group incentive and convention travel company out of ATS and named it Travel Impressions. In 1998, the Tolkin family, along with partner, Ira Theodore, sold the tour operator to American Express.

In 2013, American Express and ALG announced an agreement under which ALG would acquire Travel Impressions and American Express’ international tour operator American Express Vacations International (AEVI). In the agreement, Travel Impressions would become the exclusive marketer and operator of AmericanExpressVacations.com[9]

CheapCaribbean.com

Founded by Jim Hobbs and established in 2000, CheapCaribbean.com is an e-commerce vacation company providing last-minute deals on beach travel to the Caribbean and Mexico. In August 2013, CheapCaribbean.com was acquired by Apple Leisure Group. The company continues to operate as a separate, wholly owned entity, with offices in Dallas, Phoenix and Philadelphia.[10] The online travel agency was named one of Inc. Magazine's "Top 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America" in 2013.[11]

Amstar DMC

Amstar DMC has provided destination solutions and excursions in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic since 1989. Amstar’s corporate headquarters are located in Cancun and Punta Cana.

In 2008, Amstar became the first Mexican destination management company to open a representation office in Shanghai, China. Five years later, an office was officially opened in Hawaii through Amstar's sister company, Worldstar. In 2014, it commenced operation in Costa Rica.[12]

Unlimited Vacation Club

The Unlimited Vacation Club is a guest loyalty program founded in 2010 operated by AMResorts. Members are granted access to benefits including preferred rates at AMResorts-managed properties in Mexico and the Caribbean.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Apple Vacations". Apple Leisure Group. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-16. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  3. ↑ "Hispanic Executive". Hispanic Executive. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  5. ↑ "Apple Leisure Group". Investments. Bain Capital Private Equity. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/apple-leisure-group-sells-undisclosed-stake-to-bain-capital.html
  7. ↑ "AMResorts Development Chart". AMResorts Media Site. July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  8. ↑ http://23.21.66.147/mediasite/documents/2013/12/new-developments-chart.pdf
  9. 1 2 http://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/apple-leisure-group-acquires-competitor-travel-impressions.html
  10. ↑ http://www.cheapcaribbean.com/about-us.html
  11. ↑ http://www.travelpulse.com/news/vacation-packages/apple-leisure-group-buys-cheapcaribbeancom-vacation-booking-website.html
  12. ↑ https://www.amstardmc.com/pages/about_us.html
  13. ↑ https://www.unlimitedvacationclub.com/ClubOverview
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