DAKOTA HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)
Note 1 — Business, Background and Basis of Presentation
Business and Background
Dakota Holdings, Inc., (“Dakota” or the “Company”) is a Delaware corporation that was incorporated on June 27, 2016 by certain investment funds affiliated with or managed by Apollo Global Management, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Apollo”), including Apollo Investment Fund VIII, L.P., along with their parallel investment funds (the “Apollo Funds”) and certain co-investors (Reverence Capital Partners, L.P., or “Reverence”). Dakota and its subsidiaries were established to complete the acquisition of Diamond Resorts International, Inc. (“DRII”). DRII is a holding company, the principal asset of which is the direct and indirect ownership of equity interests in its subsidiaries, including Diamond Resorts Corporation, the wholly-owned operating subsidiary that has historically conducted the business described below.
Prior to the acquisition of DRII on September 2, 2016 (the “Apollo Merger”), Dakota had no operations or activity other than acquisition related costs. Subsequent to the Apollo Merger, Dakota became the holding company and derives all of its operating income and cash flows from DRII and its subsidiaries. Other than (i) the acquisition of the equity securities of DRII and the payment of transaction costs at the closing of the Apollo Merger and (ii) the issuance of Dakota Holdings common shares to certain employees and non-employee directors of the Company; there has been no significant activity related to DRII’s parent entities in the condensed consolidated financial statements. See “Schedule I — Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company” in the Company’s Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the “2020 Annual Report”) for financial information of DRII’s parent entities.
The Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in the hospitality and vacation ownership industry, with a worldwide resort network of global vacation destinations located around the world, including the continental United States (“U.S.”), Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. The Company’s portfolio consists of resort properties (the “Portfolio Properties”) that the Company manages, are included in one of the Diamond Collections or are Diamond branded resorts in which we own inventory, as well as affiliated resorts and hotels, which the Company does not manage and which do not carry the Company’s brand, but are a part of the Company’s network and, through THE Club® and other Club offerings (the “Clubs”), are available for its members to use as vacation destinations.
The Company’s operations consist of two interrelated businesses: (i) vacation interests (“VOIs” or “Vacation Interests”) sales and financing, which includes marketing and sales of VOIs and consumer financing for purchasers of the Company’s VOIs; and (ii) hospitality and management services, which includes operations related to the management of the homeowners associations (the “VOAs”) for resort properties and single- and multi-resort trusts (collectively, the “Diamond Collections”), operations of the Clubs, operation of certain resort amenities and the provision of other hospitality and management services.
Hilton Grand Vacation Merger Agreement
On March 10, 2021, Hilton Grand Vacations Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HGV”), Hilton Grand Vacations Borrower LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of HGV (“Merger Sub” or “HGV Borrower”), Dakota and the indirect parent company of DRII, that is controlled by investment funds and vehicles managed by Apollo, and certain stockholders of Dakota entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein and in accordance with applicable law, Dakota will merge with the Merger Sub (the “HGV Merger”) with Merger Sub continuing as the surviving entity after the HGV Merger.
The board of directors unanimously determined that the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement including the HGV Merger, are advisable, fair to and in the best interest of Dakota and its stockholders, and authorized, approved and declared advisable the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the HGV Merger.
Apollo and the other Dakota stockholders are expected to receive 34.7 million of HGV common shares, valued at approximately $1.6 billion, subject to customary adjustments. Upon closing of the HGV Merger (the “Closing”), existing HGV shareholders will own approximately 72% of the combined company and Apollo and the other Dakota stockholders will own approximately 28% of the combined company. In connection with the HGV Merger, HGV intends to repay Diamond’s Senior Facilities and First Lien Notes at the HGV Merger close.
8