# [ 2011 ] Sheraton Desert Oasis Seasons



## larue (Nov 10, 2011)

Can someone tell me the Sheraton Desert Oasis seasons?  I see a 2 bedroom on Ebay that says it is a "red" week, floating weeks 1-52.  Does that make sense?  Any advice on what I need to do to confirm the season with Starwood before bidding?  Also wondering about typical price.

Thanks


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## DeniseM (Nov 10, 2011)

An SDO week that floats 1-52 is called "Gold Plus" in Starwood terminology.

"Red Week" really means nothing because Starwood does not use that term.

Platinum - 1-21 & 50-52
Gold Plus - 1-52 
Gold - 22-27 & 36-49
Silver - 28-35

To be a true Platinum week at Sheraton Desert Oasis the unit number must be in this range-

1064, 1072, 1081-1100, 2064, 2072, 2081- 2100, 3064-3072, and 3081-3100

AND the deeded week must be in this range: 1-21, 50-52

Platinum weeks are hard to find and expensive because people buy them to requalify for 148,100 Staroptions.

I would expect to pay $500 - $1,000 all in for a Gold Plus week, and around $4,000 or more for a Plat week.


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## scootr5 (Nov 10, 2011)

They are either 1-52 for the original pre-starwood, or 1-21 and 51-52 platinum, 22-27 and 36-49 gold plus, 28-35 gold after Starwood took over.


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## larue (Nov 10, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> An SDO week that floats 1-52 is called "Gold Plus" in Starwood terminology.
> 
> "Red Week" really means nothing because Starwood does not use that term.
> 
> ...



This posting on ebay says it is Deeded Perpetual Ownership (Unit 2067-8, Week 12).  So it does not seek like it would be covered under the range you have specified above, right?  I was not sure because of the -8 on the end, whether that would change anything.

Thanks


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## larue (Nov 10, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> An SDO week that floats 1-52 is called "Gold Plus" in Starwood terminology.
> 
> "Red Week" really means nothing because Starwood does not use that term.
> 
> ...



Can you clarify on "re-qualifying" for star options?  I thought Desert Oasis was not a mandatory resort, so would not qualify for star options.


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## scootr5 (Nov 10, 2011)

larue said:


> Can you clarify on "re-qualifying" for star options?  I thought Desert Oasis was not a mandatory resort, so would not qualify for star options.



That would be where you purchase a full price week from Starwood in order to bring a previously purchased resale back in to the SVN.


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## DeniseM (Nov 10, 2011)

larue said:


> This posting on ebay says it is Deeded Perpetual Ownership (Unit 2067-8, Week 12).  So it does not seek like it would be covered under the range you have specified above, right?  I was not sure because of the -8 on the end, whether that would change anything.
> 
> Thanks



The week on the deed is just for recording purposes.  That sounds like a 1-52 floating week, because it does not have a Platinum unit number

Requalifying mean you buy a resale, and then you buy a 2nd week from the developer at full price.  As part of the developer purchase Starwood agrees to grandfather the resale into the SVN, as if it were a developer purchase.


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## grgs (Nov 10, 2011)

larue said:


> This posting on ebay says it is Deeded Perpetual Ownership (Unit 2067-8, Week 12).  So it does not seek like it would be covered under the range you have specified above, right?  I was not sure because of the -8 on the end, whether that would change anything.



The -8 is because it is a 2 bedroom lockoff unit.  One unit is number 2067; the other unit is 2068.


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## larue (Nov 10, 2011)

Thanks to everyone for the help.  I appreciate it!


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## AbelowDS (Mar 31, 2013)

Which is better for exchanges - the platinum or the gold-plus?  Assuming that the 148,000 points are unimportant to me... (Should they be important to me?)


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## DeniseM (Mar 31, 2013)

AbelowDS said:


> Which is better for exchanges - the platinum or the gold-plus?  Assuming that the 148,000 points are unimportant to me... (Should they be important to me?)



You don't get the Staroptions when you buy resale (not points) because this is a voluntary resort - you will only get a deeded week.

The Platinum may be a slightly better trader, but they are hard to find and much more expensive, because people buy them to requalify and reach Elite Status.  Unless that is your plan, the Platinum is overkill for a trader.

You should be able to find a Gold Plus 1-52 floating week for $500 or less, all in, but a Plat week could cost you $2,000+.


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## JudyS (Mar 31, 2013)

I just a SDO on eBay that says "Floats 1-52" in the title, but then in the description it says "Weeks 22-27 & 36-49."  I emailed the seller to ask which it really was, but haven't gotten a response yet. So, buyer beware! 

Does anyone know which weeks at SDO are likely to rent for more than the MFs? I know baseball spring training is a popular time. What about other spring weeks, and weeks 51-52? And if you own a float 1-52 week, how hard is it to reserve a peak time?

I'm thinking of getting either an SDO or an SBP as a trader, but I now have a new policy for my timeshares -- I don't want to own anything that I can't rent for at least the MFs (plus PayPal fees and $30 or so in advertising costs.) Even if something is a fabulous trader, weeks can easily go to waste if something stops you from traveling for a few years.


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## DeniseM (Mar 31, 2013)

I would not buy SDO for a rental - there are many timeshares in the area, so it's just not a strong rental.  March (MLB Spring Training) has more demand, by far, than any other time frame.


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## JudyS (Apr 3, 2013)

DeniseM said:


> I would not buy SDO for a rental - there are many timeshares in the area, so it's just not a strong rental. ...


That is good to know. Thank you, Denise.

So, how do SDO and SBP compare as traders? (I am assuming same unit size, and a 1-52 floating week at SDO versus a Gold Plus at the original phase of SBP or a Platinum week at the Palmetto phase of SBP.)


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## scootr5 (Apr 3, 2013)

JudyS said:


> That is good to know. Thank you, Denise.
> 
> So, how do SDO and SBP compare as traders? (I am assuming same unit size, and a 1-52 floating week at SDO versus a Gold Plus at the original phase of SBP or a Platinum week at the Palmetto phase of SBP.)



I've been able to see the same stuff during bulk deposits with a 2 bedroom SBP Gold Plus and a small 1 bedroom SDO 1-52. 

Given that you're in Ann Arbor, I would probably go with a summer week at SBP since it's driving distance.


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## SMHarman (Apr 3, 2013)

scootr5 said:


> I've been able to see the same stuff during bulk deposits with a 2 bedroom SBP Gold Plus and a small 1 bedroom SDO 1-52.
> 
> Given that you're in Ann Arbor, I would probably go with a summer week at SBP since it's driving distance.


Doesn't that make the SDO a better trader as that is a 1Br vs a 2Br.  You have two 1Br's in the SDO LO.

Ann Arbor MI > Myrtle Beach, SC is a total of 13 hours and 800 odd miles.  Closer than the 2,000 miles and 29 hours to Scottsdale but neither would be my idea of driving distance!  I see you're in IL also so maybe you have driven to MB?


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## scootr5 (Apr 3, 2013)

SMHarman said:


> Doesn't that make the SDO a better trader as that is a 1Br vs a 2Br.  You have two 1Br's in the SDO LO?



You could also get a LO at SBP. I don't know that a 1 bedroom would see the same Starwood stuff, but I would assume so. I was just giving an example of what I've actually seen. How do you intend to use it? Strictly trading, or will you stay there sometimes? 



SMHarman said:


> Ann Arbor MI > Myrtle Beach, SC is a total of 13 hours and 800 odd miles.  Closer than the 2,000 miles and 29 hours to Scottsdale but neither would be my idea of driving distance!  I see you're in IL also so maybe you have driven to MB?



We are just west of Chicago. Yes, we've driven to MB twice and will be doing so again this August. We also routinely drive down to Pensacola too, so I guess I'm just used to making drives like that. The kids can easily stay entertained in the back, and we can make it in one (albeit long) day. It's certainly a lot cheaper than flying all of us and renting a car.


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## SDKath (Nov 26, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> An SDO week that floats 1-52 is called "Gold Plus" in Starwood terminology.
> 
> "Red Week" really means nothing because Starwood does not use that term.
> 
> ...



Just unearthing this old thread since a couple folks have been PM'ing me about retro's again using SDO.  Denise's info above in invaluable in determining if an SDO property is worth 148,100.  If it is, it's most definitely a great week to retro.  

HTH, Katherine


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## BJRSanDiego (Nov 26, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> An SDO week that floats 1-52 is called "Gold Plus" in Starwood terminology.
> 
> "Red Week" really means nothing because Starwood does not use that term.
> 
> ...



A friend of mine is buying a 2 BR unit at SDO and asked for my thoughts.  I am not familiar with Starwood/Sheraton.  So I thought that I would pose some questions here.

The ebay listing said "red week (floats 1-52)", which does not conform to the above season breakdown (platinum, gold, etc.).  My friend requested an estoppel and received a document called a Resale Information Sheet and it too said "Float 1-52" and "Season: Red".  So this agrees with the ebay listing but does not conform with the Platinum, gold, etc. nomenclature that Denise mentioned (above).  (1) Because the Resale info sheet refers to the red color, is this suspicious that someone incorrectly filled it out or it might not be real?

I'm confused on some other issues - - a Platinum unit has access to weeks 1-21 and 50-52 while the Gold plus (presumably a lesser value than Plat) has access to weeks 1-52 - - a wider range.  (2) Does this mean that the gold-plus unit would actually be more desirable than a Platinum because it has wider access?  

Or (3) is the situation that the platinum unit is more valuable because it includes Staroptions or some other membership benefit, while the gold-plus would not?  

(4) Would either Plat. or Gold-plus both have the same access to the Spring baseball training units for reservation purposes?  How easy is it to reserve those units?  If a person is on the phone 365 days in advance as soon as the reservations open, is it a reasonably easy thing to reserve?  

Thanks in advance for guidance...


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## DeniseM (Nov 26, 2014)

BJRSanDiego said:


> A friend of mine is buying a 2 BR unit at SDO and asked for my thoughts.  I am not familiar with Starwood/Sheraton.  So I thought that I would pose some questions here.
> 
> The ebay listing said "red week (floats 1-52)", which does not conform to the above season breakdown (platinum, gold, etc.).  My friend requested an estoppel and received a document called a Resale Information Sheet and it too said "Float 1-52" and "Season: Red".  So this agrees with the ebay listing but does not conform with the Platinum, gold, etc. nomenclature that Denise mentioned (above).  (1) Because the Resale info sheet refers to the red color, is this suspicious that someone incorrectly filled it out or it might not be real?



This sounds like a Gold Plus week.  It is sometimes called "red."



> I'm confused on some other issues - - a Platinum unit has access to weeks 1-21 and 50-52 while the Gold plus (presumably a lesser value than Plat) has access to weeks 1-52 - - a wider range.  (2) Does this mean that the gold-plus unit would actually be more desirable than a Platinum because it has wider access?



Plat weeks have more value:

1.  Platinum 2 bdm. weeks are highly prized for requalifying.  In a nutshell, this is a way of bringing them back into the SVN so they have Staroptions, so they sell for a lot more. 

2. Plat weeks have more trading power with II and RCI.



> (4) Would either Plat. or Gold-plus both have the same access to the Spring baseball training units for reservation purposes?  How easy is it to reserve those units?  If a person is on the phone 365 days in advance as soon as the reservations open, is it a reasonably easy thing to reserve?



Both Plat and Gold Plus weeks have the same opportunity to make a reservation.  Of course the Plat week are limited to their season, and the Gold Weeks can reserve weeks 1-52.

I don't think they will have any problem making a March (Spring Training) reservation, as long as they do so as early as possible.

The best practice is to go online, and make a reservation at 12 midnight, Eastern, the night before you can call.  For instance, tonight at midnight, you can make a home resort reservation for Nov. 27, 2015.  You can also call at 9:00 am tomorrow, but obviously, the early bird gets the worm.

Question:  Does your friend want to reserve Spring Training for their own use, or something else?


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## Sugarcubesea (Nov 26, 2014)

JudyS said:


> That is good to know. Thank you, Denise.
> 
> So, how do SDO and SBP compare as traders? (I am assuming same unit size, and a 1-52 floating week at SDO versus a Gold Plus at the original phase of SBP or a Platinum week at the Palmetto phase of SBP.)



Hi Judy, I bought an SDO - BiAnnual, 2 bedroom this year after researching for quite some time.  I've stayed at SDO many times and love it, but I figured it would be easy to trade into other places thru II or DAE.  

I'm in MI as well and I own at Pinestead Reef as well. Good luck with whatever decision you make


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## BJRSanDiego (Nov 27, 2014)

Thanks Denise for the rapid reply.

To answer your question, my friend wants to reserve the spring training camp week for their own use.

Thanks for your explanation of red vs. Gold plus.  

I'm a bit puzzled why, say, a week 12 Platinum week would have more trading power than a week 12 Gold-plus week.  But perhaps I misunderstood your post.  Or perhaps, it is because a Platinum season "unit" has a higher pre-agreed upon trading value in ii versus the Gold plus unit.  

Thanks also on your comment about calling at midnight Eastern time.  That is a great suggestion.


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## YYJMSP (Nov 27, 2014)

BJRSanDiego said:


> I'm a bit puzzled why, say, a week 12 Platinum week would have more trading power than a week 12 Gold-plus week.  But perhaps I misunderstood your post.  Or perhaps, it is because a Platinum season "unit" has a higher pre-agreed upon trading value in ii versus the Gold plus unit.



If I understand correctly, the trading power of a floating unit is an average of all weeks in that season.

A Platinum week 12 would have the trading power of an average Platinum week, which only includes units from weeks 1-21,51-52, which are all of the "highly desirable" weeks, thereby keeping the trading power high.

A Gold Plus week 12 would have the trading power of an average Gold Plus week, which is all the weeks from 1-52, which includes the 29 other "less desirable" weeks (as compared to the Platinum season), thereby lowering the trading power.

If it was a true fixed week 12, it would have it's own fixed trading power, as it wouldn't really have a season.


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## liongate88 (Aug 18, 2020)

DeniseM said:


> This sounds like a Gold Plus week.  It is sometimes called "red."
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi I have the same issue with SDO which I want to purchase for its low MF as a trader in IL . The listing is 1 bedroom with week # 42 unit 1025 red season float 1-52. It seems like a gold plus unit. Do you think it is worth using this as a trader for Marriott or Vistana 1 bedroom unit? I believe this is a smaller 1 bedroom too, would this be traded as a studio in IL? If i have this retro how many staroptions would this be worth?
Thanks!


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## jabberwocky (Aug 18, 2020)

All SDO lockoffs trade as 1BR - not studios.   People report that SDO gold plus weeks trade well in II. I wouldn’t bother doing a retro with a 1BR - too expensive for what you get in terms of SO. A 2BR plat can be worth it for retro purposes. 

I would really look for a 2BR at SDO. The MF fees for the 2BR are less than 2X the MF of even the small 1BR - so it is a better value.  If 2BR is too much for a single year you could get an EOY unit and split it into two 1BR deposits in interval and use one on an annual basis.


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## maizeandblue (Aug 18, 2020)

Does anyone know what the TPU for a platinum week is with RCI?  Does it matter if its the small vs large 1 bed?


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## liongate88 (Aug 18, 2020)

jabberwocky said:


> All SDO lockoffs trade as 1BR - not studios.   People report that SDO gold plus weeks trade well in II. I wouldn’t bother doing a retro with a 1BR - too expensive for what you get in terms of SO. A 2BR plat can be worth it for retro purposes.
> 
> I would really look for a 2BR at SDO. The MF fees for the 2BR are less than 2X the MF of even the small 1BR - so it is a better value.  If 2BR is too much for a single year you could get an EOY unit and split it into two 1BR deposits in interval and use one on an annual basis.


Thanks,


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## schenriq (Aug 19, 2020)

maizeandblue said:


> Does anyone know what the TPU for a platinum week is with RCI?



I have not deposited my 1BR Platinum SDO yet in the RCI pool but I thought I saw low 30s sometime last year. I did deposit my 1BR Gold+ SBP and got TPUs in the mid 20s.



maizeandblue said:


> Does it matter if its the small vs large 1 bed?



It makes a small diff, yes.


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## snerkles1 (Nov 20, 2021)

Does SDO rent well in February and March?


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## cubigbird (Nov 20, 2021)

February is TPC Waste Management Open within walking distance and MLB Spring Training, and March is MLB Spring Training.  It rents very well.


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## vacationtime1 (Nov 20, 2021)

snerkles1 said:


> Does SDO rent well in February and March?


March will rent better than February.  It's warmer and that's when spring training is in full bloom.  I would reserve a mid-March week.

(At least that's what I do when I want to rent one of my nearby Kierland weeks.)


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## marmite (Nov 20, 2021)

I will be the first to say I think the SDO Gold+ (weeks 1-52) is an awesome trader. I have been using mine for 10+ years and have had amazing trades.

Although (when locking off the 2 bedroom) they do both trade as 1 bedrooms in II, there is a slight difference in their trade power when searching for online inventory.  The large 1 bed, will consistently pull great trades like a 2 bed Hawaii, whereas the small 1 bed will only get me a 1 bed in prime seasons (2 bed in shoulder or off season). Just because II has the ability for you to uptrade a unit size for $100, does not mean you will get to see that inventory if the trade-power of the unit you are searching with is not there.

If I was personally staying for the Spring training, I would choose to do that in my small 1 bed side and then leave the large for a great II trade.  I have never actually stayed at SDO, I have only traded it. I quite like Westin Kierland but can trade into it easily with the Vistana preference, though I imagine that wouldn't be possible for that particular week.


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## snerkles1 (Nov 20, 2021)

If I buy an SDO on the secondary market does it matter if I buy a gold + or a platinum week (assuming I would not retro it)?

I am single and only thinking I like going to AZ. I might rent it for a few years and have better use of it long term. Put an offer on a Westin Kierland but did not get it. Wondering if SDO better option?

Is it easy to book a March week? Better to buy a 2 bedroom and split? Or a 1 bedroom?

Last question is it easy to rent a March week and make a little $? Not much just a Iittle.
Thanks


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## snerkles1 (Nov 20, 2021)

cubigbird said:


> February is TPC Waste Management Open within walking distance and MLB Spring Training, and March is MLB Spring Training.  It rents very well.


Do you own a SDO unit?


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## dioxide45 (Nov 21, 2021)

snerkles1 said:


> If I buy an SDO on the secondary market does it matter if I buy a gold + or a platinum week (assuming I would not retro it)?
> 
> I am single and only thinking I like going to AZ. I might rent it for a few years and have better use of it long term. Put an offer on a Westin Kierland but did not get it. Wondering if SDO better option?
> 
> ...


If you plan to retro, a true Plat week at SDO is the better option. The problem is that these are fairly rare and don't come to the secondary market all that often. When they do, they do tend to sell for a premium. As for retroing a gold week, it doesn't make as much sense because you don't get nearly as many StarOptions as you do with the true Platinum.


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## rickklogan (Nov 26, 2021)

_*Moderator Note*: [Deleted. Ads are not permitted in the public forums.] <-- SueDonJ_


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