ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 29, 2026--
The Marriott Vacation Clubs™, a portfolio of premium vacation ownership brands operated by Marriott Vacations Worldwide, today launched Inner Circle presented by Aflac, a new owner-exclusive experiences platform offering access to private concerts, culinary programming, sporting events and curated travel moments across sought-after destinations.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260629364556/en/
As travelers increasingly prioritize experiences and meaningful access, Inner Circle reflects growing demand for entertainment, culinary and cultural offerings that extend beyond the traditional vacation stay. The platform will provide owners across Marriott Vacation Club, Westin Vacation Club and Sheraton Vacation Club with entry to private concerts, chef-led dining offerings, major sporting events and destination-based cultural programming.
“The best vacations are about more than where you stay. They’re about the moments, memories and shared experiences that stay with you long after the trip ends,” said Mike Flaskey, president and chief operating officer of Marriott Vacations Worldwide. “Thank you to Aflac for supporting Inner Circle and allowing us to create new ways for owners to connect with the experiences they care most about.”
The platform debuted with an intimate private performance from award-winning country music singer and songwriter Lee Brice in Orlando, giving owners exclusive admission to a live concert event designed to showcase the elevated programming offered through Inner Circle. As a brand ambassador for The Marriott Vacation Clubs, Brice will host additional private concerts this year in Orlando, Las Vegas and West Palm Beach, exclusively available to owners.
“Music has a way of bringing people together, and it was incredible to share this experience with The Marriott Vacation Clubs,” Brice said. “I’m honored to be part of something designed to create lasting memories for folks who love to travel and make special moments together.”
Inner Circle is one of several initiatives rolling out for The Marriott Vacation Clubs owners.
Recently, the brand announced refreshed Owner Benefit Levels that make ownership even more rewarding, including the roll out of two new tiers – Reserve and Pinnacle – providing exclusive access, deeper discounts, and additional onsite benefits when visiting Marriott Vacation Club, Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club resorts within the system.
These enhancements reflect The Marriott Vacation Clubs’ continued focus on creating more personalized, engaging and experience-driven vacations for its more than 600,000 owner families.
Visit Inner Circle to learn more.
About The Marriott Vacation Clubs ®
The Marriott Vacation Clubs ® is a part of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, and is a portfolio of industry leading vacation ownership brands with over 90 properties collectively throughout the U.S., Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, including the Marriott Vacation Club®, Sheraton® Vacation Club, and Westin® Vacation Club brands. Owners, Members and guests can enjoy year-round access to some of the best vacation destinations with villa-style accommodations. The Marriott Vacation Clubs’ point-based vacation ownership programs provide Owners, Members, and their families with the flexibility to enjoy high-quality vacation experiences. Follow The Marriott Vacation Clubs on FB/IG: @MarriottVacationClub, @SheratonVacationClub, @WestinVacationClub or TikTok @themarriottvacationclubs.
About Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation is a leading global vacation Company that offers vacation ownership, exchange, rental and resort and property management, along with related businesses, products, and services. The Company has approximately 120 vacation ownership resorts and approximately 700,000 owner families in a diverse portfolio that includes some of the most iconic vacation ownership brands. The Company also operates exchange networks and membership programs comprised of more than 3,200 affiliated resorts in over 90 countries and territories and provides management services to other resorts and lodging properties. As a leader and innovator in the vacation industry, the Company upholds the highest standards of excellence in serving its customers, investors and associates while maintaining exclusive, long-term relationships with Marriott International, Inc. and an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation for the development, sales and marketing of vacation ownership products and services. For more information, visit www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com.
Inaugural Inner Circle Event Headlined by Lee Brice
Inaugural Inner Circle Event Headlined by Lee Brice
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising Monday and recovering some of their losses from a rare losing week.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% after erasing a midmorning stumble and was on track to break a five-day losing streak. It’s coming off just its second losing week in the last 13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 243 points, or 0.5%, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.4% higher.
Comcast helped lead the way and jumped 6.6% after saying it will split off its NBCUniversal media business and Sky from its broadband and wireless business. Its stock came into the day with a loss of 17.3% for the year so far.
Several stocks boosted by the artificial-intelligence boom also rose after Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix said they will invest roughly $518 billion in a new chipmaking hub in South Korea, as its president hopes to capitalize on surging AI demand.
Applied Materials, whose equipment helps make semiconductors, rallied 10.9% to bring its gain for the year so far to roughly 170%.
AI stocks have been on a roller-coaster ride recently after soaring to tremendous heights. They’re under pressure because of worries that their profits can’t possibly keep pace with the huge gains for their stock prices. And the drops have an outsized effect on investors because AI stocks have become some of Wall Street’s largest and most influential, giving them more weight on indexes than others.
SpaceX, which owns the xAI business along with rockets, has already become worth more than $2 trillion after its stock made its debut on the Nasdaq earlier this month, with sharp rises and falls along the way. It’s become big enough that Nasdaq said Elon Musk’s company will join the Nasdaq 100 index before trading begins on July 7, which will force funds tracking the index to buy the stock.
SpaceX rose 1.9%.
That helped offset a 7% drop for Verizon Communications, which said it's paying $625 million as part of a deal to combine its international wireline connectivity and managed network services business with some of London-based BT Group's subsidiaries in a joint venture.
The gains for the stock market came even though oil prices rose. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.6% to $73.77, pulling slightly above where it was before the war with Iran began. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 1.9% to $70.57.
Following attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend, President Donald Trump said Monday on social media that Iran had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts, though one of Iran’s top negotiators said no further talks had been scheduled.
The hope is that an end to the war with Iran will give oil tankers full access again to the Strait of Hormuz, allowing them to exit the Persian Gulf and deliver crude to customers worldwide. That would help lower the price of oil, whose jumps because of the war have sent a punishing wave of inflation around the world.
If oil prices do recede and stay low enough, it could keep enough pressure off inflation to allow the Federal Reserve and other central banks to keep interest rates steady or even cut them instead of hiking them. Higher interest rates can keep a lid on inflation, but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for all kinds of investments. High yields worldwide have been rattling investors since oil prices burst above $100 per barrel.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.37% from 4.38% late Friday and from 4.56% early this month.
In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.
Stocks jumped 1.6% in Hong Kong and 1.2% in Shanghai for two of the world’s biggest gains, while South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.2%.
AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.
Specialist Philip Finale works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Ravi Bhandari, left, works with fellow options traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Media cover near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won and the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A dealer stands near the screen showing the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A member of media looks at the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A huge screen shows the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
