1-52 or "real platinum" Shearton Desert Oasis?

Hi,

I understood that at Sheraton Desert Oasis there are "old" weeks that float weeks 1-52 and "real Platinum" weeks that float from week 50 - 21.

I am not looking for any SVN membership/staroptions.

I only want to use the week to deposit into my existing (no Starwood) II account and use it as a trader or visit it some years in the spring.

If you had the choice between the 1-52 and the real platinum, which one would you prefer?

If you own the "real platinum" can you be sure that you get a prime week (=good trader) deposited into II or can Starwood chose any week at any resort for you (=probably bad trader)?

Does the "newer" real platinum have any drawbacks (meaning Starwood having any control that devalues the week)?

Thanks for your help!

This recent thread has a long discussion regarding SDO and II.

For your purposes, the floating 1-52 week should work just as well, and be cheaper than the true Plat week, because there is some demand for the Plat week from people who want to requalify it.

This TUG Advice Article on trading with II is also helpful.

As far as whether Starwood will let you choose the week you deposit or not, the definitive answer is "Maybe."

From the Starwood FAQ (top of the board):

18.d. You should have an edge when you exchange a resale with II, because it is believed that you have the legal right to reserve and deposit a week of your choice. (Since you are not an SVN member, SVN rules regarding deposits should not apply to you.) However, Starwood may attempt to choose the week for you. (People have reported different results when challenging this policy, i.e., some are successful in depositing the week of their choice and some are not.) You would have a separate II Acct. for resale weeks - and resale weeks still have the II priority.

Buy a true platinum if you plan to retro it (short platinum season) because it'll be worth 148,100SOs. These are really hard to find and often sold for a premium.

However, buy the older SDO (1-52) if you want to trade it with II. With the older type of SDO, you can ask Starwood to deposit your deeded week into II and will therefore have a much stronger trader. Careful what week it is deeded. You want Spring or Week 51,52 for the strongest trader. Summer in the desert is .

Katherine

Wow, what a whole lot of information!

Thank you!

I read everything but am still not full sure if I got it:

1) Independent from if I own 1-52 or short platinum: If I fight hard enough I should get the week I reserved deposited into II, correct?

2) If I am too lazy to fight Starwood puts whatever week (green) at whatever resort (e.g. ski mud season) in my II account although I own short Platinum?

Or is it an advantage owning short platinum over 1-52 when I am too lazy to fight and just let Starwood chose which week they want to deposit (As they then deposit at least a platinum week)?

Thanks!

abdibile said:

Wow, what a whole lot of information!

Thank you!

I read everything but am still not full sure if I got it:

1) Independent from if I own 1-52 or short platinum: If I fight hard enough I should get the week I reserved deposited into II, correct?

Click to expand...

I don't believe you can reserve and deposit a week, but you may get to choose a prime week from the weeks that Starwood has already deposited into II.

2) If I am too lazy to fight Starwood puts whatever week (green) at whatever resort (e.g. ski mud season) in my II account although I own short Platinum?

Click to expand...

No, since you are not a member of the SVN, they would have to deposit a week from SDO. But yes, could be any season.

Or is it an advantage owning short platinum over 1-52 when I am too lazy to fight and just let Starwood chose which week they want to deposit (As they then deposit at least a platinum week)?

Click to expand...

Hard to say - Some weeks within the Plat season have far more demand than others. For instance, all of March because of baseball Spring Training and a big golf tournament, and Easter week, are the highest demand Plat weeks. Jan. weeks are Plat too, but except for New Years week, I don't think they will have the demand that March and Easter do.

Thanks!

How does it work to use "request first" in II?

If reserve a week and offer it to II in a request first, can you be sure that Starwood will allow you (no membership in SVN) to deliver exactly this reserved week to II?

If that would be possible, why would it then not be possible to reserve a week and then put it into II as deposit first?

Thanks!

Starwood still has to designate the week for request first...

If you haven't had a chance, be sure you read the II article posted in the owner's sticky.

This "request first" thing still does not become clear to me from the sticky, advise section and the threads.

I first call Starwood, to get a week (of their choice) for II assigned without depositing it (because I want to do request first)?

Then I use this exact week for request first?

I never heard about getting a week into II without depositing it.

THis is said in the Swtarwood FAQ:


d. You should have an edge when you exchange a resale with II, because it is believed that you have the legal right to reserve and deposit a week of your choice. (Since you are not an SVN member, SVN rules regarding deposits should not apply to you.) However, Starwood may attempt to choose the week for you. (People have reported different results when challenging this policy, i.e., some are successful in depositing the week of their choice and some are not.) You would have a separate II Acct. for resale weeks - and resale weeks still have the II priority.


Still confused.....

Even with a request first, you have to have a week to search with, and Starwood has to designate that week for you.

I found that confusing as well. I am very interested in Desert Oasis myself, but I have no idea how I would get a specific week to exchange. Will Starwood/ Sheraton allow me to reserve a specific week as a resale buyer, or will I be stuck with whatever they choose to deposit for me?

Is it the same process at Broadway Plantation? Do I call and reserve a specific week, or will the resort just deposit an earlier or later week in that float period?

So Starwood gives a reservation number (as if we will use the week ourselves), like some of the other weeks we own, then we can search through II, using that reservation number? But when we want to actually deposit the week or put in a search, is that the week we use, or does that change in some way?

Do you get AC's for the weeks, too?

rickandcindy23 said:

I found that confusing as well. I am very interested in Desert Oasis myself, but I have no idea how I would get a specific week to exchange. Will Starwood/ Sheraton allow me to reserve a specific week as a resale buyer, or will I be stuck with whatever they choose to deposit for me?

Click to expand...

In the owner's resources sticky at the top of the page there is an article about II and Starwood that you will find helpful. The short answer is that you have to go through Starwood to deposit or search first whether you buy resale or from the developer. Read this thread for tips on how to get Starwood to deposit a good week for you.

Is it the same process at Broadway Plantation? Do I call and reserve a specific week, or will the resort just deposit an earlier or later week in that float period?

Click to expand...

Yes - to deposit a Starwood week into II, you must go through Starwood.

So Starwood gives a reservation number (as if we will use the week ourselves), like some of the other weeks we own, then we can search through II, using that reservation number? But when we want to actually deposit the week or put in a search, is that the week we use, or does that change in some way?

Click to expand...

The week you search with will be the same week that will be deposited.

Do you get AC's for the weeks, too?

Click to expand...

No - Starwood does bulk space banking.

Starwood Non Mandatory Resort

Hi:

I have to say that I have a non mandatory resort SBP. I called Interval before I purchased the resale. Interval Intl mentioned they do give ACs for specific weeks. After the purchase, I made a reservation with the resort for the week that they offered an AC. Made the deposit online with Interval. Then I called Interval Intl, a few days later and they issued an AC. But the AC is very limited. Is there a way to get an AC with no limited resort grid? I heard somewhere they have a few different kinds of ACs. So far I haven't used the AC yet and I don't know how to use Flexchange online.

Best Regards,
Mitzi