Kirkland Advises Royal Caribbean Group on Partnership with Sandals Resorts at $6 Billion Enterprise Value
Kirkland & Ellis advised Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) on an agreement to form a partnership with Sandals Resorts. Under the terms of the agreement, Royal Caribbean Group will acquire a 50% equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for a total enterprise value of approximately $6 billion. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions, and is expected to be accretive to earnings next year. The partnership brings together two of the travel industry’s most celebrated vacation and hospitality companies, pairing Sandals and Beaches’ all-inclusive resort expertise with Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform, including industry-leading brands – Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea – a portfolio of private destinations, new river cruising offering, and an industry-first loyalty program.
Read the transaction press release
The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Kim Hicks, Steven Choi, Ed Lee, Chrissy Pak, Cici Zhao, Sahara Baker, John McDonald and Colter Miller; real estate lawyers Michelle Kelban, Meghan Cocci, Jennifer Sheehan, Alex Sibirzeff and Catherine Garner; tax lawyers Steven Ort, Sara Zablotney and Margot Solmssen; litigation lawyers Mark Premo-Hopkins, Labdhi Sheth Desai, Kate Moyer, Stefan Atkinson and Lindsey Harris; technology & IP transactions lawyers Rami Sherman, Seth Traxler and Frank Gallina; debt finance lawyers Andrew Hurley and Sydnee Hertle; environmental transaction lawyers Michael Saretsky, Mary Beth Houlihan, Caitlin Meagher-Kreisel and Brynn Furey; international trade & national security lawyers Nick Niles and Jason Klein; executive compensation lawyers Lilibeth Clelo-Garcha, Rob Fowler, Nick Carter and John Hagan; employee benefits lawyers Maureen O’Brien, Mackenzie Packard and Alivia Benedict; employment & labor lawyers Mari Stonebraker and Erin Davey; transactional liability lawyer Anna Geml; antitrust & competition lawyers Maria Raptis, Liz Kraus and Kevin Auman; and capital markets lawyer Asher Qazi.
