A Heyer bid made
Ex-Starwood CEO said after spa co.
The former chief executive of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, who was forced out after an anonymous letter to the board accused him of personal misconduct with women, is bidding for a leading cruise ship and resort spa operator, The Post has learned.
Steven Heyer, now CEO of shell company Haymaker Acquisition Corp., is in the running to buy One Spa World from private equity firm L Catterton, a source said.
L Catterton is a combination formed in 2016 between luxury goods maker LVMH’s private equity arm and private equity firm Catterton.
Heyer, who at the time of his 2007 ouster denied acting improperly, last October raised $300 million in an initial public offering to buy a business in the “con- sumer and consumer-related products and services” industries. Haymaker is based in Midtown.
Haymaker has 24 months from its October IPO to buy a company — or it will be wound down, according to a regulatory filing.
L Catterton was seeking $1 billion for One Spa World. Heyer could use the $300 million and go into the market for additional debt financing to get near that number.
At the time of his April 2007 exit from Starwood, Heyer, whose nickname was “The Tank,” allegedly had sent a large number of e-mails and texts to female employees on a wide range of topics after office hours, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time.
Heyer denied any impropriety at the time. However, he forfeited an estimated $35 million in severance compensation.
Since leaving Starwood in 2007, Heyer became chairman and CEO of the fruit basket company Harry & David Holdings, from 2010 to 2011, and was on the board of Lazard.
Haymaker closed trading on Monday at $10, which was its IPO price.
L Catterton declined comment, and Hayer could not be reached.