II exchange

I've been a Starwood owner for years and 3 star but haven't ever stepped into the II waters. Where do I even begin? Usually I stay within the SVN properties either at my home resorts or we have been able to get into the other resorts we have wanted. We have a bunch of options that we aren't using this year and instead of banking, I think I want to put them in II. Can I put in more than one property and use them for one big trip on II, for instance a cruise? Is II good for International travel? What is the cost of II?
Sorry I'm so green and this probably has been asked a million times over.

In simplest terms, the timeshares that you own are too expensive to use as II traders. It would be like depositing a Mercedes in a pool of Chevy's, because you are very unlikely to get back in exchange, resorts that are equal in quality and cost to the resorts you would be depositing.

Also - You can't deposit Staroptions - you have to deposit specific weeks that you own.

There is no provision to deposit expensive weeks in II and combine them for a "big" vacation. It's a week, by week deal.

The cruise deals are terrible. Basically, you deposit your week, and also pay a high fee to make a cruise exchange. The fee is close to the price of the discount rate on a regular cruise.

You would be much better off to rent your timeshare(s) and then use the funds to rent exactly what you want from another owner.

Thanks! I guess there's a reason that I haven't used II

I have rented out my weeks successfully. Now I guess I'll have to bank options, which is totally devaluing my timeshares anyhow. I thought II would be a better option than banking.

For this year, we were flying by the seat of our pants with our personal travel arrangements. Luckily it allowed me to use a bunch of banked options that were expiring, leaving me with excess this year. I just worry in the future with the demand of usage, it will be harder to use those bank options in the 8 month window.

Lesson learned! Rent more.

Your WLR may be II worthy.
Not sure why you say SO banking devalues your TS.
In my view - SO banking adds value. What am I missing?

canesfan said:

I just worry in the future with the demand of usage, it will be harder to use those bank options in the 8 month window.

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Actually, it's the opposite - it's far more difficult to get quality exchanges in II, than it is using Staroptions. You have to remember that 90% of the inventory in II is far below Starwood standards.

I didn't notice WLR - it's not a strong renter, so it may be a candidate for a II deposit, if you want to try it.

Because when I bank them, I no longer have home resort advantage. I have to use them at the 8 month window. It makes no difference that I own Maui or Orlando. Yes, I have lots of SO to use, but I don't have the advantage of making a reservation at Maui to get my usage out of that property. I'm in with everyone else at that point, trying to get Maui.

canesfan said:

Because when I bank them, I no longer have home resort advantage. I have to use them at the 8 month window. It makes no difference that I own Maui or Orlando. Yes, I have lots of SO to use, but I don't have the advantage of making a reservation at Maui to get my usage out of that property. I'm in with everyone else at that point, trying to get Maui.

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True - but with a II exchange, you have far less priority. It is far easier to get a Staroption exchange for Maui, than it is with II.

Also - Right now, Starwood is depositing very little to II. They seem to be waiting to see how some of the newer Staroption rules are going to impact demand.

And, as a 5 Star Elite you have strong priority to an upgraded view on a Staroption exchange - especially if you travel off-season.

I still don't understand - before SO banking this issue would be the same (HomeResort usage from 8-12 months only). I do not see where SO banking has changed this. The only change is more potential competition via SVN (making II less appealing for WKORV/N).

In II I was thinking of a non Starwood exchange. Let's face it, I would still have my current years SO to use to stay within whatever Starwood property I wanted. I was thinking more of the lines of a cruise (I have teenagers that prefer cruises right now) or even International if that was an option with II. I haven't explored II at all, so I have no idea what is out there and how it works. I definitely wasn't thinking of it as a way to get into Starwood properties though.

canesfan said:

In II I was thinking of a non Starwood exchange. Let's face it, I would still have my current years SO to use to stay within whatever Starwood property I wanted. I was thinking more of the lines of a cruise (I have teenagers that prefer cruises right now) or even International if that was an option with II. I haven't explored II at all, so I have no idea what is out there and how it works. I definitely wasn't thinking of it as a way to get into Starwood properties though.

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Unfortunately, the cruises are terrible deals - you deposit your timeshare, PLUS you pay a fee that's nearly the same as the cost of a discounted cruise.

There are a few resorts in II that are the equivalent of Starwood timeshares, like the Marriotts. But since Marriott owners have first priority for Marriott trades, your Starwood week doesn't have the trading power that a Marriott owner does.

And of course with a II trade, you have no priority for a nice view, in locations where that matters. So even if you deposit an ocean front week, it doesn't help you get a good view with a trade - you could still get the parking lot view.

Your best bet is to rent your timeshare(s) and then apply the funds to the exact cruise that you want.

Thanks! I think you answered my questions! I'll keep doing what I'm doing with them. Thought maybe I was missing out on something by not trading into it, but it doesn't sound like it. You've been very helpful. I wouldn't have wanted to deposit into II and then found out they didn't translate into much.

canesfan said:

Thanks! I think you answered my questions! I'll keep doing what I'm doing with them. Thought maybe I was missing out on something by not trading into it, but it doesn't sound like it. You've been very helpful. I wouldn't have wanted to deposit into II and then found out they didn't translate into much.

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There are many Starwood owners who love II trading, but they are using very inexpensive Starwood timeshares with no Staroptions and trading up.

DeniseM said:

There are many Starwood owners who love II trading, but they are using very inexpensive Starwood timeshares with no Staroptions and trading up.

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That makes complete sense to me.

canesfan said:

That makes complete sense to me.

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If you'd like to try that, I'd be happy to trade you my SDO or SVR week for one of your Maui weeks.

DeniseM said:

If you'd like to try that, I'd be happy to trade you my SDO or SVR week for one of your Maui weeks.

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:hysterical: I said I was green when it came to II, but I do know what I own

Seriously, thanks for the help. I have been wondering about this for awhile.

canesfan said:

:hysterical: I said I was green when it came to II, but I do know what I own

Seriously, thanks for the help. I have been wondering about this for awhile.

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Darn! I was sure you'd fall for it!

There are some nice resorts in II that do not have special priorities, like Hyatt. II gives you variety that SVN does not. I like II because I get bored going to the same places all the time and SVN does not have many locations. With II, you can trade into places like Grand Solmar at Cabo, various Hyatt locations, Four Season Aviara, Marriott etc.

The only time I used II was to trade a week in a WKORV studio for a week at a 2BR unit in the German Alps. The other resort (Sunterra, if I remember correctly) was not nearly as nice, but the location was great, and I got a 2BR for the studio.

You can log in to II and see what they have internationally. There are not a lot of options in many places, but it is a viable option if you want to get out of the ordinary rut.

Lately, I've been finding some really nice places to stay in VRBO.com. I stayed at a place in Rome last October and will stay at another place in Madrid this coming October. Both were very well situated. In Rome, the apartment was block away from the Spanish Steps. No Starwood properties were nearly as well located for exploring the center of Rome.

In Madrid, I actually cancelled a Starpoint reservation at the Westin to stay at the apartment, which is only a couple of blocks away, in the same general area, close to Plaza del Sol, the very center of Madrid. The apartment will cost me about 70 Euros a day (about 1/3 the cost of Rome!), but will be much more comfortable for my wife and I. My Starpoints for the hotel are worth more than that when I need a shorter stay. I much prefer an apartment with a small kitchen than a hotel room, regardless of how nice the hotel is, especially if I'm staying a week or more. In this case, the Madrid stop is the last week of a three week trip, so the washer and drier will be really convenient.

I think for the future, my best alternative, if I will not use all my Maui time or exchange to Princeville or WSJ, is to rent it out, and find something through VRBO. There is a lot of selection there, and no need to wait around for a nice place to show up on II. There are few places in the US worth the exchange through II, and the international destinations are few and far between. With VRBO you can pick something out almost immediately and be ready for your trip in no time. Other people have used AirBnB.com to find a place to stay. I haven't tried that one yet. The few properties I've looked at didn't seem as nice as what you find on VRBO, but that might have been a fluke the one time I looked.

DeniseM said:

<snip>
Also - Right now, Starwood is depositing very little to II. They seem to be waiting to see how some of the newer Staroption rules are going to impact demand.
<snip>

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?? What "newer Staroption rules?" And might they affect demand?"

bobpark56 said:

?? What "newer Staroption rules?" And might they affect demand?"

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Over the last 2 years, Starwood has implemented a string of changes in the reservation rules, which impacts demand, and since then, we have seen a decrease in II deposits. For all the details, see the stickies at the top of the forum.