harborside

[jlf58]

how easy would it be to book Fall in HRA thru staroption points exactly at the 8 mth window. I would think pretty easy, anyone disagree ?

 

[siesta]

that's low season, so obviously your best chance. weeks 35-46.

 

[Ken555]

HBR and WSJ are busy year-round. I've been able to make reservations late in the fall (will be there soon again, as well) but it's not always the case. "Pretty easy" for reservations at HBR really doesn't apply.

 

[jlf58]

I am thinking buying Vistana Villages for staroption points. I know the dues are high for the points but my logic is buying costs are almost zero so that fee is much less than HRA. So basically for 44k in HRA I pay $1500 dues. For 81K in Vistana I pay $1100. Seems like a good deal to me.


Would anyone just buy Sheraton Desert Oasis and take my chances with II or is VV a safer bet. I don't mind paying a bit more for higher odds as I want HRA every Fall.

keep the opinions coming

that's low season, so obviously your best chance. weeks 35-46.

 

[grgs]

Would anyone just buy Sheraton Desert Oasis and take my chances with II or is VV a safer bet. I don't mind paying a bit more for higher odds as I want HRA every Fall.

If you're planning to try and trade into HRA most of the time, I would go with a mandatory SVV for internal SVN trades. I don't think you'll see many HRA units in II (although Fall would be the most like units to see there).

Glorian

 

[DeniseM]

Fletch - just so you know, it's just "Staroptions" (no points.)

"Starpoints" are Starwood's hotel points. Since developer weeks have Starpoints and resales don't, we try to differentiate between the two to avoid confusion.

 

[jlf58]

Denise,

Sorry, I only know Marriott and Disney lingo


hey, is II membership free with Starwood ?

Fletch - just so you know, it's just "Staroptions" (no points.)

"Starpoints" are Starwood's hotel points. Since developer weeks have Starpoints and resales don't, we try to differentiate between the two to avoid confusion.

 

[siesta]

to consistently go to harborside or westin st john, you should buy at hbr or wsj. That being said, you most likely have a better chance getting into either wsj or hbr via staroptions at 8 months out than II. SDO is a great value trader, but I wouldn't count on getting hbr or wsj when you needed it, it would be more like a pleasant surprise.

When you buy a voluntary resort, the II bill is on you, when you own a mandatory resort (one that comes with staroptions) you get a corporate II account, but I don't know if thats free or you pay for it.

 

[DeniseM]

If you buy a mandatory resort (a resort with Staroptions) the II Acct. is included in your mandatory yearly SVN fee - so you pay for it. The SVN fee is about $110 per year.

However, this type of II Acct. can only be used exclusively for other mandatory Starwood weeks, so you can't co-mingle voluntary weeks, or weeks from other resorts in the same II Acct. Therefore, most of us have to pay for a 2nd II Acct. anyway, so no big savings with this deal.

 

[Ken555]

I am thinking buying Vistana Villages for staroption points. I know the dues are high for the points but my logic is buying costs are almost zero so that fee is much less than HRA. So basically for 44k in HRA I pay $1500 dues. For 81K in Vistana I pay $1100. Seems like a good deal to me.

Assuming your schedule is quite flexible, then this appears to be a good plan to me, based on recent availability (ie. over the last few years).

Would anyone just buy Sheraton Desert Oasis and take my chances with II or is VV a safer bet. I don't mind paying a bit more for higher odds as I want HRA every Fall.

No way. I was extremely lucky last year (well, the year before) to reserve two 2-bed units for Fall 2009 via II, but I definitely don't count on it. Other than that exception, every other visit I've made to HBR has been via SO's. It's much easier to get WPORV or WKORV via II than HBR.

 

[esk444]

I've thought about buying VV too to possibly trade into Harborside via SO's, but I'm concerned the low point thresholds will make silver season (and gold) very attractive to regular Vistana owners who only get 76,000 SO's.

Starwood had previously only allowed original purchasers of Cascades and Lakes join SVN, but recently started invited owners in other sections, including resale owners who bought prior to the renovations, into SVN. So now there are potentially thousands of additional members of SVN with relatively low amount of SO's that are used to vacationing in Florida, which isn't that far away from the Bahamas.

I have concerns those relatively easy SVN trades into silver season at Harborside are going to be much more difficult as those new Vistana (and Cave Creek and Vistana Beach Club) owners start playing with SO's and realizing the value of those Harborside weeks.

If that happened, I didn't want to be stuck with an Orlando timeshare that I probably would never go to.

 

[pointsjunkie]

I've thought about buying VV too to possibly trade into Harborside via SO's, but I'm concerned the low point thresholds will make silver season (and gold) very attractive to regular Vistana owners who only get 76,000 SO's.

Starwood had previously only allowed original purchasers of Cascades and Lakes join SVN, but recently started invited owners in other sections, including resale owners who bought prior to the renovations, into SVN. So now there are potentially thousands of additional members of SVN with relatively low amount of SO's that are used to vacationing in Florida, which isn't that far away from the Bahamas.

I have concerns those relatively easy SVN trades into silver season at Harborside are going to be much more difficult as those new Vistana (and Cave Creek and Vistana Beach Club) owners start playing with SO's and realizing the value of those Harborside weeks.

If that happened, I didn't want to be stuck with an Orlando timeshare that I probably would never go to.

if you call at 9am 8 months out you should not have any trouble getting HRA in the fall. i book it all the time without trouble.

 

[readyalready]

I would buy the VV 81k, but my fees are $1300 so I would up the estimate a little.

My kids have a week off in October and I have been watching/reserving Harborside for the last few years. This year there seemed to be no fall bulk bank for HRA, two other years I was able to trade for 2 bedrooms. I think Grayfal was also watching, so I might get corrected.

Depending on your flexibility you should get in on Staroptions in the fall without much trouble. I will say that I have called the first day, not always the first minute, but this year close, and was unable to get 2bd lockoffs, only dedicated 2bds. If you don't need 2bd LO or 3bd you should be fine.

I do consider the mf at VV to be crazy high, and wonder how much they will keep escalating (tho have held at 1300 for two years?)

 

[DanCali]

if you call at 9am 8 months out you should not have any trouble getting HRA in the fall. i book it all the time without trouble.

It's not even that extreme if you are willing to take a smaller unit... I booked a late August 2010 week in a small 1BR at 7 months out and they still had multiple units available.