Trading Power Of The Different SVO Resorts

First, I apologize if this is posted elsewhere. I searched, but I also look for my car keys everyday and need my wife's help in tracking them down - and usually they're right in front of me...

What's your best guess on the trading value of the SVO resorts? If you had to rank them 1 - 19 for most trading power to least, what would your list look like? And I know there's no real formula, just wondering what your best guesses would be.

Sheraton Desert Oasis
The Westin Kierland Villas
The Westin Desert Willow Villas
The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas
Lakeside Terrace
Sheraton Mountain Vista
Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas
The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas
Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort
Sheraton Vistana Resort
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Vistana's Beach Club
The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas
The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas North
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
Sheraton Broadway Plantation
Harborside Resort at Atlantis
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort
The Westin St. John Resort & Villas

We don't usually compare the II trading power of the mandatory resorts that have Staroptions, because it's not cost effective to use them for II traders. Using a mandatory resort for a II trader is kind of like depositing a Mercedes in a pool of Chevys.

When you consider upfront and ongoing cost and trading power, SDO usually comes out #1, and SBP is a close 2nd.

Would you rank the Vistana properties among the lowest?

AbelowDS said:

Would you rank the Vistana properties among the lowest?

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In general, Florida has more supply than demand, and that hurts trading power. However, true fixed weeks during prime holiday weeks can have excellent trading power. If I was going to buy a II trader at SVR, I'd buy a true fixed New Years week. I own a true fixed week 16 at SVR, which is the week before or after Easter most years, and it trades about the same as SDO.

I would think that a winter ski week at Sheraton Moutain Vista or Lakeside Terrace would have good trading power but don't think it's worth depositing such a week in Interval since you can rent it for more than equivalent value that you could usually get out of Interval. I have a SVR 1BR 1-52 float in Cascades seciton and it seems to pull just as much as my 1BR SDO 1-52 floater when I've compared both of them. I've never deposited either into Interval and rent them each year.

It's way more complicated that just looking at the individual resorts. Value can fluxuate greatly depending on the season.

Here is my best guess as to trading power - A being the best; F being the worst. Even though I rank some as "F," note that overall, Starwoods enjoy a reputation for being nice resorts so their worst is better than other systems' best. Also note that this does not take into consideration the Starwood to Starwood preference, which overrides the ratings.

If I had to rank them, based on my gut:

I'd expect As to be able to exchange to high end resorts (e.g. Four Seasons and Westins) in high season.

I'd expect B's to be able to exchange to high end resorts in shoulder season, and mid-tier resorts in high season

I'd expect C's to exchange to high end resorts in low season, and mid-tier resorts in high season

I'd expect D's to exchange to high end resorts in low season, and mid-tier resorts in shoulder season

I'd expect F's to exchange to high and mid-tier resorts in low season


Sheraton Desert Oasis true platinum plus A
Sheraton Desert Oasis gold plus B
Sheraton Desert Oasis gold F
The Westin Kierland Villas platinum plus A
The Westin Kierland Villas gold plus B
The Westin Kierland Villas gold F
The Westin Desert Willow Villas platinum A
The Westin Desert Willow Villas gold plus B
The Westin Desert Willow Villas gold F
The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas platinum plus A
The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas gold plus B
The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas gold F
Lakeside Terrace platinum plus A
Lakeside Terrace gold plus C
Lakeside Terrace silver F
Sheraton Mountain Vista platinum plus A
Sheraton Mountain Vista gold plus C
Sheraton Mountain Vista silver F
Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas platinum plus A
Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas platinum C
Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas silver F
The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas platinum plus A
The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas platinum C
The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas silver F
Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort gold plus C
Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort gold D
Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort silver F
Sheraton Vistana Resort platinum B
Sheraton Vistana Resort gold plus C
Sheraton Vistana Villages platinum B
Sheraton Vistana Villages gold plus C
Vistana's Beach Club platinum C
Vistana's Beach Club gold plus F
The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas platinum plus A
The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas North platinum plus A
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas platinum plus A
Sheraton Broadway Plantation platinum B
Sheraton Broadway Plantation gold plus C
Sheraton Broadway Plantation gold D
Sheraton Broadway Plantation silver F
Harborside Resort at Atlantis platinum plus A
Harborside Resort at Atlantis platinum A
Harborside Resort at Atlantis gold plus C
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort platinum plus B
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort gold plus C
The Westin St. John Resort & Villas platinum plus A
The Westin St. John Resort & Villas platinum A
The Westin St. John Resort & Villas gold plus C

***Disclaimer: this is my best GUESS ONLY.***

DeniseM said:

We don't usually compare the II trading power of the mandatory resorts that have Staroptions, because it's not cost effective to use them for II traders. Using a mandatory resort for a II trader is kind of like depositing a Mercedes in a pool of Chevys.

When you consider upfront and ongoing cost and trading power, SDO usually comes out #1, and SBP is a close 2nd.

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This is a surprising statement. So what if you want a 2BR July week at WKORV and do not own there? From what I have read in the past, it is virtually impossible to get with Staroptions at 8 months out. Wouldn't an II trade be your best option?

Sheraton Broadway Plantation platinum B
Sheraton Broadway Plantation gold plus C
Sheraton Broadway Plantation gold D
Sheraton Broadway Plantation silver F

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I might modify this a bit
Sheraton Broadway Plantation platinum: B+ (Palmetto phase only)
Sheraton Broadway Plantation gold plus: B (Palmetto or 9-43 Plantation)
Sheraton Broadway Plantation gold: C
Sheraton Broadway Plantation silver: C-
Everything is bumped up two grades or when trading Starwood to Starwood

thinze3 said:

This is a surprising statement. So what if you want a 2BR July week at WKORV and do not own there? From what I have read in the past, it is virtually impossible to get with Staroptions at 8 months out. Wouldn't an II trade be your best option?

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I'm not sure what you are asking?

You can reserve July with Staroptions - Call right now and you can get a 2 bdm. check-in for July 5 with Staroptions.

It may be possible with II as well, but more difficult because Starwood controls what weeks are deposited in II and they tend to deposit off-season weeks.

My point is that resorts like WKORV, HRA, and WKV are too expensive to use for II trades.

thinze3 said:

This is a surprising statement. So what if you want a 2BR July week at WKORV and do not own there? From what I have read in the past, it is virtually impossible to get with Staroptions at 8 months out. Wouldn't an II trade be your best option?

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When would an II trade ever be better than using StarOptions?

Sea Six said:

When would an II trade ever be better than using StarOptions?

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When you cannot get the Staroptions trade.

I guess I though that all the 2BR premium weeks, like July at WKORV, were reserved by owners of those resorts at 12 months, making 8 month reservations for premium weeks virtually impossible.

If, as Denise states above, there is availability for 2BR units at WKORV right now for July check-in, I stand corrected.

Sea Six said:

When would an II trade ever be better than using StarOptions?

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In simplest terms: It's better - because it's cheaper - a lot cheaper.

A mandatory resort with Staroptions will usually cost you thousands up front, and have a high maintenance fee.

A voluntary resort like SDO can be purchases for literally nothing, and the MF is much lower.

II exchanges work best if you can travel off-season, and you don't have to have a view unit.

Sea Six said:

When would an II trade ever be better than using StarOptions?

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I think there might be times where you could trade a small 1BR unit into a 2BR on Interval and it would be a better deal than using star options. Especially with the Starwood preference, you can find real bargains on Interval but the star options you pay are set based on the size and season you're trading into.

I didn't buy WKV with the primary intent to do II trades but I've gotten some very good trades with the small 1BR side of my WKV lockoff. Marriott Newport Coast 2BR and Marriott Grande Ocean 2BR. I felt like I came out ahead in the trade, certainly not a Mercedes to Chevy trade.

Sea Six said:

When would an II trade ever be better than using StarOptions?

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Take my own personal example. I own two 2-Bedroom (non-lockoff) Vistana Units that are in SVN. I want to go to Hawaii in 2014 for my tenth wedding anniversary to renew our vows and we are bringing the original best man and maid of honor with also (along with their significant others).

Because the units are in SVN, I have staroptions, but each unit generates only 76,000 staroptions since they are 2 bedroom vistana units and not a 2 bedroom in a pricier resort. Total of 152,000 staroptions to use. If I use staroptions, I will only be able to book one 2 bedroom unit in WKORV/N for 148,100. If I use II and use the starwood preference, I will have to pay approximately $400 in exchange fees, but I will be able to get the two 2 bedrooms that I need for my trip. So that is exactly what I plan on doing, since I am not going in summer and there is some bulk banking that takes place for those two maui resorts.

But this year, when we went to WSJ, I was more than happy to use all of my staroptions through SVN on the 2 bedroom loft unit I got for Spring Break week. Knowing there are few II deposits for that resort, I went with the easier staroptions method of booking. So it just depends on your needs and goals.

Sea Six said:

When would an II trade ever be better than using StarOptions?

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It makes sense when Starwood does a bulk deposit. I've used both my HRA and WKORV units to trade back into the resorts through II to get 2BR's for a 1BR deposit. They were online trades without first depositing those weeks, though. I book online, then call Starwood to deposit one side of my lockoffs. My WKORV and WKORVN studios ONLY pull studios, though, and I've often wondered if I deposited them - would I be able to see the 1 or 2BR's?

Also, you can get prime weeks with StarOptions at 8 months, because owners cancel/change reservations all the time. You just need to be persistent - and have a bit of luck. I wouldn't count on it, but it sure is nice when it all works out.

PamMo said:

It makes sense when Starwood does a bulk deposit. I've used both my HRA and WKORV units to trade back into the resorts through II to get 2BR's for a 1BR deposit. They were online trades without first depositing those weeks, though. I book online, then call Starwood to deposit one side of my lockoffs. My WKORV and WKORVN studios ONLY pull studios, though, and I've often wondered if I deposited them - would I be able to see the 1 or 2BR's?

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When I deposited my WKORV-N studio into II, I was able to see 1 and 2 bdrms, though I didn't look at Hawaii specifically. I saw lots of 1 bdrms at Four Seasons Aviara, and 2 bdrms at other places.

Lisa, thanks for sharing your experience. Like you, we own WKORVN oceanfront, and I didn't see any sense in depositing a studio with II if I could only get another studio at WKORV or WKORVN in a bulk deposit - which would certainly not be OF. DeniseM has reported that deposited weeks see more units in Starwood bulk deposits, but I haven't been willing to give up one of my studios unless I was pretty sure I could leverage it into something better (I think most II studios would be a downgrade from an OF studio at the Maui resorts).

So now I'm curious if anyone has been able to trade a II deposited WKORV/WKORVN studio for a 2BR at WKROV/WKORVN in one of the Starwood bulk deposits?

PamMo said:

Lisa, thanks for sharing your experience. Like you, we own WKORVN oceanfront, and I didn't see any sense in depositing a studio with II if I could only get another studio at WKORV or WKORVN in a bulk deposit - which would certainly not be OF.

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I'd bet that it would. Besides, remember that if you don't book within the 8-12 month home priority period, you lose that great view anyway. I deposited my OF studio into II because our intended guests couldn't find cheap enough flights to fly the 4 of them to Hawaii. So it was kind of a last minute kind of thing and I thought it would be better to get something rather than nothing from it since we didn't need the 2 bdrm for just the four of us. Besides, I was genuinely curious as to what I'd see. I ultimately ended up using it to book a 2 bdrm at SVR for my SIL. She has young kids and was super excited to have it gifted to her because it was the first vacation they'd had in years. (In hindsight it was a fantastic trade because it was the last vacation they had before she was diagnosed with brain cancer. )

So my advice is to deposit it and see what sweet deal you can get.

LisaRex - I think you may be underestimating SBP, SVR (prime fixed weeks) and PGA. I don't own PGA anymore, but did at one time and it was a great trader. (One way to determine TP is to watch availability at the resort itself - PGA almost never has prime weeks sitting in II.). SBP gold plus and SVR prime fixed definitely see Four Seasons, Hyatt, etc.

jerseygirl said:

LisaRex - I think you may be underestimating SBP, SVR (prime fixed weeks) and PGA. I don't own PGA anymore, but did at one time and it was a great trader. (One way to determine TP is to watch availability at the resort itself - PGA almost never has prime weeks sitting in II.). SBP gold plus and SVR prime fixed definitely see Four Seasons, Hyatt, etc.

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So what grades would you give these resorts based on your experience in II?

LisaRex said:

So what grades would you give these resorts based on your experience in II?

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I think there are several components to trading power:

Quality - some Starwood's are in the top tier, some are in tier two. WKORV is a tier one, with the Hyatts and Four Seasons. SDO and SBP are tier two. Interval lets you trade up and down at least one tier ... but not down more than one tier. WKORV won't see a low quality resort ... even if it's in Paris over a holiday! But, SBP, SDO and SVR might see that Paris week. And, SBP, SDO and SVR can also see the top ones. Conclusion: There's no downsize to owning a tier two ... except if trying for the double whammy of top tier and top demand (see below).

Size - a good week can trade up in size. There are not a lot of tough trades in II right now for comparison purposes, but a one-BR gold plus (undeposited) SBP can see 2 and 3 bedroom units in May, June and July at Marriott Ocean Pointe, an April 2-BR at Point at Poipu, an April 2-BR at Hyatt Mountain Lodge. Having said that, a one-BR might only see a one-BR at Harborside. Conclusion: for the vast majority of trades, a one-BR SBP has enough trading power to trade UP a size.

"Demand" - the specific week - Some resorts have so much demand (HRA) that II will, in general, enforce "like-for-like" on size. If your resort is in the tippy top quality tier and also has premium demand, an upgrade is probably permitted. Good examples would be WKORV and HRA ... There's demand year round, so a one-BR at either resort can probably trade for a two-BR at either resort. But, a gold plus one-BR at SDO or SBP might only qualify for a one-BR. When we could deposit specific weeks, a summer SBP could trade for any 2-BR (WKORV, HRA, Four Seasons, etc). But now, it might be restricted to another one-BR. Conclusion: a one-BR HRA or one-BR WKORV will consistently score a 2-BR upgrade, while a one-BR SBP/SDO/SVR might only get a one-BR. It's important to note here that the maint fee of WKORV/HRA is more than double the maint fee at SDO/SBP/SVR. The truly prime 2-BRs at tippy top/high demand resorts are rarely deposited, so which is the better value?

Final conclusion:

Some Starwood resorts are "A" resorts - there are no upgrades in quality, youre already at the top. Size upgrade is always permitted .... But, if the "best" is rarely/never deposited, does it really matter?

The rest of the Starwoods are "B" resorts. Quality upgrades and downgrades are permitted. Size upgrades are ALMOST always permitted.

All this is, of course, just my opinion. I think it's pretty simple. If you own an "A" resort in prime time, you can see everything (but almost everything is a downgrade). If you own a "B" resort in a good season (gold plus and above), you can upgrade 95% of the time, and for the price you pay, it's probably not worth getting upset over the very few 2-BR units you might get shut out of.

Caveat - the above assumes the season is gold plus or better. If less then gold plus, the quality comments are the same. But, one should only expect a size upgrade in flex, and should be prepared for size downgrades if the season is better.

WOW!!! This was exactly the dialogue I was hoping for when I created this post. I realize that there's a lot of educated guesses above. But that's more than ok. Where else would people know more than all of you? I sincerely appreciate everyone sharing their thoughts and experiences.

I believe Westin St John (BV Villas) Gold Plus has the same trade value in II as Platinum Plus and Platinum (not C rating) due to the high demand of the WSJ property. I deposited my 2 bedroom Gold Plus and got a 2 bedroom @ the Westin Princeville for the last week in February in II.

Based on my above, I'd change Lisa's chart as follows:

I'd expect As to be able to exchange into high end resorts (other "A's" such as Four Seasons, Hyatts, Harborside, most Westins and Marriotts) and the next tier down ("B" resorts such as second tier Marriotts, Sheratons, and many good but not necessarily great no-name resorts):

• Any week, including prime weeks if/when deposited and not in another resort group's preference period
• Size upgrade available with the caveat that a studio can usually only upgrade one size

I'd expect B's to be able to exchange into high end resorts ("A's), same tier resorts (other "B" resorts), and resorts of lower quality:

• Any week, including prime weeks if/when deposited and not in another resort groups preference period ... but A resorts will be ahead of you in an ongoing search
• Size upgrades permitted if true platinum (we can call this B+)
• Size upgrades usually permitted for gold plus but can be restricted for hardest to get resorts (e.g., a one-BR SDO/SBP may only see one-BRs at HRA in a small bulk deposit, but can often see 2-BR units in a large WKORV bulk deposit)
• Size downgrade should be expected if less than gold plus (we can call this B-) This may not always be the case for Starwood-to-Starwood, but definitely is the case for Starwood-to-Marriott or Starwood-to-Hyatt (in my experience)

Here are my guesses:

Sheraton Desert Oasis - B
The Westin Kierland Villas - A
The Westin Desert Willow Villas - A
The Westin Mission Hills Resort - A
Lakeside Terrace and Sheraton Mountain Vista - B (but true platinums B+)
Sheraton Steamnoat Springs -?
Westin Riverfront - A
Sheraton Vistana Resort - B
Sheraton Vistana Villages - B
Vistana's Beach Club - B
The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas - A
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas - A
Sheraton Broadway Plantation - B
Harborside Resort at Atlantis - A
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort - B (I think this one is an exception to the rule ... It's quality deserves an A, but the demand is just not there)
The Westin St. John Resort & Villas - A


One other note: you can't always go by Starwood seasons. Summer is in high demand almost everywhere. So, a Palm Desert summer week, for example, probably trades equivalent to gold plus.