Nov. 15–The landmark Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel will end its affiliation with its owner, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, on Dec. 2, according to an announcement on the Starwood website.

A statement linked to the local hotel’s page on the Starwood site reads, “The Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel will be leaving the Starwood system on December 2, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. Reservations for dates on or after December 3, 2014, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.”

Contacted on Friday, representatives for Starwood and the hotel declined to comment on the statement or whether it signals that the hotel is changing hands.

“Right now we have no comments on any transaction that may be happening,” said Amaury Piedra, general manager for Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, when reached by phone.

In an email, Starwood spokeswoman Nadeen Ayala said, “Unfortunately, we cannot comment at this time.”

The 486-room hotel, at 1140 Seabreeze Blvd., once was known at the Sheraton Yankee Clipper.

It was designed to look like a cruise ship and opened in 1956 by George “Bob” Gill Jr., who became known as Broward’s father of hospitality. When it opened, it was a pioneer in an emerging resort area for domestic tourists and sported the latest technology: air-conditioning.

The Sheraton hotel’s Wreck Bar resembles an underwater shipwreck, and was featured in the 1960s film “Where the Boys Are” and in the 1999 movie “Analyze This,” starring Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal. A live mermaid show plays weekly.

“There’s such an incredible, rich history with this property,” said Scott Thompson, a Portland, Maine, resident who has a reservation at the hotel over the holidays. “It’s a magical place.”

In 2005, the Gill family sold the Yankee Clipper and the nearby Yankee Trader to Starwood Capital Group. That led to multi-million dollar renovations of both properties.

After renovations, the Yankee Trader reopened as a Westin in 2009. The Yankee Clipper reopened in 2010 as the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel.

Arlene Satchell contributed to this report.