Starboard Resort, Starboard Group’s new land-based vacation retail division, officially debuted its first boutiques recently, with Westgate Resorts in Las Vegas as its initial partner. The three new shops—Luxe by Starboard, The Edit by Starboard and Baubles by Starboard—are designed to transform the Westgate Las Vegas experience for guests and local visitors alike, creating an experiential retail destination featuring expertly curated assortments, personalized services, and highly engaging activations and events.
By partnering with luxury, family, spa, ski, beach and other resorts and vacation properties to elevate their retail offerings, Starboard Resort is building on its parent company’s 65-year history of creating unforgettable retail experiences for the world’s leading cruise operators. The company is now strategically expanding its reach from sea to land and leveraging its industry expertise, technology and supply chain infrastructure, and global partnerships with leading luxury, fashion, jewelry and other brands to drive engagement, revenue and loyalty for its resort partners.
“We know from our many decades of curating elevated retail environments for the world’s best cruise lines that vacationers love unique, memorable shopping experiences—but we recognized that guests at vacation resorts were often underserved when it came to retail options,” said Lisa Bauer, President and CEO, Starboard Group. “By launching our first land-based boutiques in partnership with Westgate Las Vegas, we’re taking the first significant steps to close this gap. Our strategic expansion enables us to fully leverage our vacation retail expertise and ensure that every resort brand can offer retail experiences that delight on-site guests and appeal to local consumers looking for fresh, elevated shopping options.”
The official launch of Starboard Resort’s retail operations coincides with the continued growth of the leisure tourism market, with Statista estimating vacationers will spend more than $7 trillion globally this year. As the market has grown in recent years, travelers have increasingly sought unique, personalized and experiential retail offerings, often planning their trips around life events or milestones they wish to commemorate with a special purchase.
“Expanding into land-based retail is a natural evolution for Starboard, and we are thrilled to introduce our first boutique experiences in partnership with Westgate Resorts,” said Stacy Shaw, Senior Vice President, Luxury & Resorts, Starboard Group. “With Luxe by Starboard, The Edit by Starboard and Baubles by Starboard, we are bringing our deep expertise in vacation retail to create shopping destinations that captivate both resort guests and local visitors. This launch marks the beginning of an exciting journey as we continue to redefine experiential retail in premier vacation destinations worldwide.”
“At Westgate Las Vegas, we are always looking for innovative ways to enhance our guests’ experience, and our partnership with Starboard Resort marks an exciting new chapter in luxury and experiential retail,” said Cami Christensen, President & General Manager at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. “These new boutiques bring an elevated shopping experience to our resort, offering curated selections and immersive activations that perfectly complement the energy and sophistication of Las Vegas. We are proud to be the first resort to debut Starboard Resort’s visionary retail concept and look forward to delighting our guests with unique and legendary shopping moments.”