Vistana Questions [Value of Sheraton Vistana Resort]

[midsummernightsdream]

Hello,

I'm new to all of this but my wife's family is willing to give us the following timeshare:

Sheraton Vistana Resort
Fountains
Prime week, high
week 20

What can you guys tell us about it?

 

[DeniseM]

It has no resale or rental value, because Orlando is way over-built with timeshares.
It cannot be traded for other Vistana resorts (no Staroptions.)
It will be a mediocre trader with exchange companies like RCI and Interval.
Unless you want to use this week every year yourself during week 20, I would not take it.

 

[midsummernightsdream]

Thanks. What happens if I want to go another time besides week 20? I think the current owners have gone different weeks.

 

[DeniseM]

If this is a fixed week, you cannot change the date - you will have to ask the current owner.

 

[midsummernightsdream]

What if it is a floating week. Is that more desirable?

 

[DeniseM]

No - Orlando is the most overbuilt timeshare location on the planet - it has no value.

*I recently gave away a week at this resort - I had to give it away, and pay the transfer fees, to unload it.

 

[SandyPGravel]

IMNSHO: I have checked Expedia and you can book a week at Vistana for less than the MF would cost you depending on the time of year you want to go. It does not pay to own in Orlando unless you want to be there for Christmas/New Years week every year. (Holiday airfare is outrageous so that isn't really worth it either.)

 

[The Haileys]

What if it is a floating week. Is that more desirable?

It really depends on what you want and need. If you like to vacation in Orlando, it's a pretty good deal. You will have to pay annual maintenance fees of around $825 for a two bedroom villa week. Compared to hotel rates in the area, that's not bad. However, if you want to rent it, trade it in II or RCI, or sell it, that's a whole 'nother can of worms. And once you own one of these, it's hard to get rid of them - so you will be on the hook for those maintenance fees.

 

[VacationForever]

I am reading a ton of naysayers here. Yes, the timeshare has no resale value. However, it is a good trader in Interval International, where you get preference in trading into another Vistana resort. You also have access to thousands of resorts within II. You will need to pay II membership fee plus exchange fee each time you trade.

You need to check if it is a floating week, if so you can book any week during the season that it floats in at that resort.

You need to ask yourself where and when you will like to vacation, and that will drive whether this timeshare is a right resort for you to own.

I own at SVR and love all the trades that I had gotten through the years, first 10 years through RCI and the past 10 years through II.

 

[DeniseM]

It's an OK trader, but you can definitely get stronger traders, with lower maintenance fees, so I don't know that I would accept a free one to trade. Also - there will be a learning curve with Interval or RCI and the additional fees.

 

[dsmrp]

Hello,

I'm new to all of this but my wife's family is willing to give us the following timeshare:

Sheraton Vistana Resort
Fountains
Prime week, high
week 20

What can you guys tell us about it?

We are like you, had a family member (parents) who had a Sheraton Vistana timeshare. We did assume ownership from them.
Our deed has the week # listed on it, and that's maybe one way you can check if the unit is fixed week.
Week 20 is mid May, and that's not really prime summertime. We have week 19.

I'm pretty sure Fountains is newer than Spas, where we own, so they might not have offered it mainstream as fixed weeks.
I have another week in Lakes section which is floating, gold+ season, but Vistana recently told me I could book any week 1-52 with it. I did verify that I could book a higher season week
I suggest you have the current owner contact Vistana and have them verify which weeks of the year they can reserve.

Our fixed week was originally in RCI and we didn't get good trades from it.
We should have gone to II, and in the past a good number of people have posted good trades with their 'Starwood' preference in II.
But in the last year or so, others have remarked here on Tug that the bulk deposit drops are smaller and unit sizes smaller (studios) too. So exchanging is not as beneficial to traders as it once was.

What size unit is your wife's family offering?
What part of the country are you located in? My husband's family lived on east coast, and had lots of younger grandchildren at the time, so they traded to different weeks at same resort every year. Eventually the family grows out of it tho'.
Do you have the option to not take the TS the family is offering??

We're on the West coast, and in hindsight, it would have been better for us to get a TS in Scottsdale, e.g. Westin Kierland or Sheraton Desert Oasis just for the distance to get there. But we're not 'desert people', so Scottsdale didn't appeal as much.
It just comes down to what you value.

How long do you think you can pay the maintenance fees? Are you willing to keep it for 10-20+ years?
Getting someone else to take it from you within 5 years will be difficult.
Who knows what will happen later

 

[YYJMSP]

Our deed has the week # listed on it, and that's maybe one way you can check if the unit is fixed week.

Every deed always has a week and unit number associated with it, so to make sure that the developer doesn't sell more weeks per unit than actually exist, for bookkeeping purposes. The week and unit number on the deed may represent a fixed week in a floating unit, a fixed week in a fixed unit, or a floating unit in a floating week within the season that week belongs to.

All three of our SVR week deeds say "Unit Week xx in Unit xxxx" (or some variation of). The only thing that says they are fixed weeks are the Estoppel letters ("Resale Information Sheets") -- those list more details such as "Fixed or Float Unit?" (it says FIXED) and "If Float, Week(s)" (it says FIXED) and "Year of Use Rights" (it says Annual).

 

[dsmrp]

Every deed always has a week and unit number associated with it, so to make sure that the developer doesn't sell more weeks per unit than actually exist, for bookkeeping purposes. The week and unit number on the deed may represent a fixed week in a floating unit, a fixed week in a fixed unit, or a floating unit in a floating week within the season that week belongs to.

All three of our SVR week deeds say "Unit Week xx in Unit xxxx" (or some variation of). The only thing that says they are fixed weeks are the Estoppel letters ("Resale Information Sheets") -- those list more details such as "Fixed or Float Unit?" (it says FIXED) and "If Float, Week(s)" (it says FIXED) and "Year of Use Rights" (it says Annual).

Ah yes, I had forgotten my Lakes deed does have week and unit # on it.
Another place to see use rights is on Vistana website under 'What I Own', VOI details. Mine says "Annual Fixed" for Use Rights field, and the week #, 19, in the Week field. The OP's family member could potentially take a screenshot of their details for OP.

 

[midsummernightsdream]

Thanks. We found out it is a floating week. Where is this website where I can login for more details?

 

[VacationForever]

You have to be an owner to be able to logon. Sit with your wife's family and have them logon.

 

[midsummernightsdream]

Alright, here are the full details:

Fountains, 2 bedroom villa
Week: Floating
Villa: Floating
Use Rights: annual float
Home Season: prime
vsn member: no

 

[VacationForever]

That information is not from the owner system, as deeded week and unit would have been displayed. Have them send you a screen snapshot.

 

[midsummernightsdream]

I see the deeded week and unit number too, i just didn't include that here. Is that needed to determine desirability?

 

[DavidnRobin]

As mentioned - you are potentially taking ownership of a TS that has low/zero/negative value regardless of fixed/float week status. Everyone's situation is different of course, but you need to try and make an unbiased decision on reasons you would take this on (vs. other options).
I suggest you look at the Bargains sections on TUG - also search eBay (including completed 'sales') - to help determine value of SVR-Fountains.
Personally, I would not take it even if someone offered compensation. IMO YMMV

 

[bankr63]

Seeing VSN:no kills another advantage. Normally the Vistana Signature Network exchange privileges don't transfer on resale at SVR except on inter-family transfers handled through the resort. Not sure of exact conditions required for family transfer; other conditions may apply. Regardless, they don't appear to belong to VSN anyway, so you would not be able to take advantage of internal Vistana network trades.

So you would have to do all trades through II or RCI only or stay in a Fountains villa according to the exchange privileges (unit type and season) at the resort.

Note that we very much enjoy our VOI at SVR and it is a deeded week 11 (March break). We get pretty good (not great) TPU in RCI for our MF's and have been satisfied with out ownership as we use it as often as not. We own it because we love the resort and love going there when we can. Our other ownership at a different resort I use only for trading because I get (IMO) excellent TPU for my MF's.

 

[DavidnRobin]

"vsn member: no"

 

[jl2010]

This resort is also all over sites like skyauction.com for 7 night stays less than the annual maint fee or similar to the maint depending on time of year. Go check for yourself ..sometimes even less than $500 per week. For that reason alone, I would be out. Why take on the liability, when you can rent a comparable week at the same resort for similar money or less.

 

[SmithOp]

This resort is also all over sites like skyauction.com for 7 night stays less than the annual maint fee or similar to the maint depending on time of year. Go check for yourself ..sometimes even less than $500 per week. For that reason alone, I would be out. Why take on the liability, when you can rent a comparable week at the same resort for similar money or less.

No way, you mean SFX is overstating the retail value in this deposit offer I got today. ;-)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[midsummernightsdream]

The maintenance fees are $922. Is that average?

 

[DeniseM]

The maintenance fees are $922. Is that average?

There is no average for maintenance fees, but a good way to evaluate the MF is to compare it to the cost to rent the same unit. As posted above, you can rent the same unit for less.

It sounds like you are trying to find a reason to take this unit - please be aware that free timeshares are a dime a dozen - we have an entire forum dedicated to free timeshares: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?forums/bargain-deals.55/

Just because it's free, doesn't mean you should take it.