# Starwood vs. Hilton



## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

Hello everyone, 

I've been lurking around this forum for a while, and am itching to get into timeshare.   However, most people have been advising to wait at least 6 months and I am really trying to be patient. Thank everyone who's been giving valuable advices. 
Before I start, let me explain my situation.
I have 3 kids 7 and under. My first girl is in grade 2, second in grade 1 and the last one just started junior kindergarten. We've usually been traveling in January, trying to avoid the crowds. However, since all my kids are growing up and in school I have no choice but to consider off-school time vacation...yuk.
I live in Canada (Toronto) and I believe this restricts me from many choices since one of the recommendations from TS experts are to choose a place where you want to go every year. We do want to travel different locations from time to time so strong exchange is also important for me. I will probably need at least 2 bedroom since we are family of 5. 
I think I've narrowed down the choices to 2 resorts - Starwood and Hilton.
Hilton sounds much more flexible but has limited location and more expensive. I am thinking that I need at least 7000 pts. (ie. platinum). 
Sheraton has more locations but their management seems alot worse, and they really seems to punish resale buyers. 
So the question is....why should I buy Sheraton resort? Do you think the advantage outweighs the negatives? Or should I just concentrate on Hilton?
Let the discussion begin..... 

Peter


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## siesta (Sep 14, 2010)

I just bought into starwood voluntary resort via resale.  Sheraton Desert Oasis float 1-52 for $160 and free closing. Supposed to be a really solid trader, you also get starwood preference which allows 72 hours for starwood owners to exchange via II before anyone else can.  Also the MF aren't too bad. Check otu the starwood FAQ's for the MF list.  

Here is my opinion on HGVC, if you are gonna use the resorts within network (limited locations as you can see) all the time then more power to you, but if you are gonna use the points to exchange, I would go with a system with lower MF like worldmark, which will allow you to buy in for much cheaper than hgvc, not to mention they trade with BOTH II and RCI, are very solid traders, and also has a huge internal resort network you can book with, check out worldmarktheclub.com  Of course this is just my lowly opinion, I'm sure the HGVC owners will chime in soon to defend their product which currently sees high resale rates due hilton's ROFR.  Worldmark enjoys good resale rates because it is a truly a great and flexible system, not because corporate is manufacturing figures.


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## Bill4728 (Sep 14, 2010)

First welcome to TUG

I own neither one.  

BUT the key to buying a Westin TS is to pay a little more and buy one of the mandatory  Westin TSs ( resale of course) .  That way you get Star-options (SO). So you could buy the Westin in Phoenix AZ (cheapest & lowest MFs) and either go there or use the SOs to go to most any of the many starwood resorts. 

My general feeling from reading both the HGVC & Starwood boards is:

- that it is fairly easy to use HGVC pts to go to any of the HGVC resorts ( including the affiliated resorts of Club intrawest) as long as you plan exactly 9 months ahead. 
- That it is easy to use staroptions to make reservation at the lessor desired *wood resorts (also at 9 months ahead) but very hard to use your SOs at the highly desired *wood resorts like the one in the Bahamas or Maui. 

If I lived in Toronto, I'd lean toward HGVC because of the ability to use HGVC at the Club intrawest resorts in Canada


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## DeniseM (Sep 14, 2010)

It really depends on where you want to go:  Have you looked at the Starwood locations (note that Starwood includes BOTH Westin and Sheraton.)

1)  Where do you want to vacation MOST of the time?
2)  Where do you want to trade occasionally?

As you noted, trading during school holidays is a lot more difficult.


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

siesta said:


> I just bought into starwood voluntary resort via resale.  Sheraton Desert Oasis float 1-52 for $160 and free closing. Supposed to be a really solid trader, you also get starwood preference which allows 72 hours for starwood owners to exchange via II before anyone else can.  Also the MF aren't too bad. Check otu the starwood FAQ's for the MF list.
> 
> Here is my opinion on HGVC, if you are gonna use the resorts within network (limited locations as you can see) all the time then more power to you, but if you are gonna use the points to exchange, I would go with a system with lower MF like worldmark, which will allow you to buy in for much cheaper than hgvc, not to mention they trade with BOTH II and RCI, are very solid traders, and also has a huge internal resort network you can book with, check out worldmarktheclub.com  Of course this is just my lowly opinion, I'm sure the HGVC owners will chime in soon to defend their product which currently sees high resale rates due hilton's ROFR.  Worldmark enjoys good resale rates because it is a truly a great and flexible system, not because corporate is manufacturing figures.



Thanks for your inputs. 
As for worldmark, I heard it mentioned a few times, but I must confess that I am not at all familiar with them. I mainly focused on hotel-based timeshare because their names are more familiar, and somehow it felt like I can trust them more. Now I understand that I'm probably falling for brand-image thing, but doesn't Starwood or Hilton considered a top-tier vacation resort? With 3 young kids, last I want is to be disappointed when we get there, not to mention the fact that I'll likely never hear the end of it from my wife...:rofl: 
I will check worldmark for sure. Thanks again.

Peter


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## LisaRex (Sep 14, 2010)

Bill4728 said:


> That it is easy to use staroptions to make reservation at the lessor desired *wood resorts (also at 9 months ahead) but very hard to use your SOs at the highly desired *wood resorts like the one in the Bahamas or Maui.



It's very difficult to trade into Westin St. John or Harborside Resorts in Atlantis, but fairly easy to exchange into Maui using StarOptions.  Of course, summer is going to be the hardest to get in, so you have to be a planner and call at exactly 8 months out to maximize your chances of getting in.  And once the economy improves (crossing our fingers), it may be harder to get to Hawaii. 

My biggest beefs with Starwood are: 1) Their management is horrible.  They really do seem to be indifferent towards ALL owners, not just resale owners. If they can make a buck on our backs, they will. 2) Limited locations.  I've owned since '07 and I'm already bored with the Starwood locations. 

If I did buy a Starwood, it would either be a mandatory platinum 2 bdrm at Westin Kierland or a 2 bdrm platinum at Sheraton Desert Oasis.


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

Bill4728 said:


> First welcome to TUG
> 
> If I lived in Toronto, I'd lean toward HGVC because of the ability to use HGVC at the Club intrawest resorts in Canada



Hello, Thanks for your inputs.
In regards to Club Intrawest, there was a talk before of them going bankrupt. Has this issue been resolved yet?


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

DeniseM said:


> It really depends on where you want to go:  Have you looked at the Starwood locations (note that Starwood includes BOTH Westin and Sheraton.)
> 
> 1)  Where do you want to vacation MOST of the time?
> 2)  Where do you want to trade occasionally?
> ...



Hello,

In regards to question one, we would prefer somewhere with beach and warmth. (Can you see that I'm from Canada? )
Also I would like to have an option of driving there if the airline ticket prices go through the roof. With 5 people, the cost of 'getting there' is also a factor as well.

Occasionally, it would be nice to goto Europe or Hawaii, or even Asia.
I know I'm asking alot, but one can dream, can't he? 
Seriously, I think anywhere with sand and beach will be nice, but I do definitely want to visit Europe someday, as I've never been there.

Peter


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## DeniseM (Sep 14, 2010)

I believe the most northern, Starwood beach location, is probably Myrtle Beach, which is a heck of a long drive from Canada.  If that's an acceptable drive to you, then a resale at Sheraton Broadway Plantation would be very inexpensive to buy resale, and would be a good II trader, and has relatively low maintenance fees (for Starwood.)

Sheraton Broadway Plantation (1 bdm. Dlx) - $391.15
Sheraton Broadway Plantation (1 bdm.) - $500.48
Sheraton Broadway Plantation (Premium 1 bdm.) - $712.03 
Sheraton Broadway Plantation (2 bdm.) - $881.62
Sheraton Broadway Plantation (2 bdm. L/O) - $1103.18
Sheraton Broadway Plantation, Palmetto (2 bdm. L/O) - $967.40
Sheraton Broadway Plantation, Palmetto (Dedicated 2 bdm. EOY) - $354.23 


Starwood has no locations in Europe or Asia, so you won't have the Starwood priority for those trades, but Hawaii is a relatively easy trade, if you put in your request early, and don't ask for holiday weeks.  If you put in a request for the whole summer, in advance, you should be able to get a II exchange.

*Map showing location of Starwood Resorts.*


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## LisaRex (Sep 14, 2010)

Gosh, somewhere warm with a beach and within driving distance from Toronto?  Have you considered Michigan?

Seriously, I'm not sure that any timeshare has a plethora of timeshares on the Northeastern shore.  Myrtle Beach is the closest Starwood.  Another 1.5 to 2 hours south, however, is Hilton Head.  Marriott has a LOT of TSs on Hilton Head.  It's a very popular destination for Ohioans in part because it's driveable (11-12 hours from Cincinnati).  And they have tons of places to trade to, including international locations.  I'd check them out.


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

Just a quick question regarding booking into popular resorts. Do you really have to call in early to get what you want? I have this picture of me counting down the seconds calling madly right at midnight (or whenever the required time), with my wife on the cell phone and one of my kids on another phone to book a room....:rofl:


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

DeniseM said:


> I believe the most northern, Starwood beach location, is probably Myrtle Beach, which is a heck of a long drive from Canada.  If that's an acceptable drive to you, then a resale at Sheraton Broadway Plantation would be very inexpensive to buy resale, and would be a good II trader, and has relatively low maintenance fees (for Starwood.)
> 
> Sheraton Broadway Plantation (1 bdm. Dlx) - $391.15
> Sheraton Broadway Plantation (1 bdm.) - $500.48
> ...



I know SBP is the most close to me in terms of distance. This is why it's on one of my list. I am willing to drive down there if I have to. I've driven down to Atlantic City once and I think I can make this into 2 days trip. Again, I don't want to do this every year, but it's nice knowing that I can if I have to... 
It's too bad that Starwoods have no presence in Europe. Don't they even have an affiliate? This actually do put a damper on my plan....


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

LisaRex said:


> Gosh, somewhere warm with a beach and within driving distance from Toronto?  Have you considered Michigan?
> 
> Seriously, I'm not sure that any timeshare has a plethora of timeshares on the Northeastern shore.  Myrtle Beach is the closest Starwood.  Another 1.5 to 2 hours south, however, is Hilton Head.  Marriott has a LOT of TSs on Hilton Head.  It's a very popular destination for Ohioans in part because it's driveable (11-12 hours from Cincinnati).  And they have tons of places to trade to, including international locations.  I'd check them out.



I must confess that I am not familiar with Hilton Head. Is it comparable to Myrtle Beach? I've looked into Mariott, but they seem to favour multiple unit owner (almost force you to buy more to get preference?) Also, didn't they just change their point system and made some owners unhappy?


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## siesta (Sep 14, 2010)

hilton head is more exclusive/luxurious than myrtle beach, but I'd say myrtle is more popular as a family destination.


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## DeniseM (Sep 14, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> It's too bad that Starwoods have no presence in Europe. Don't they even have an affiliate?



Unfortunately, no...


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## yumdrey (Sep 14, 2010)

*Own Both*

siesta and Bill gave you excellent advice already.
I own *wood, HGVC and also Worldmark, and I use staroptions (*wood) and HGVC points for major holidays & school vacations (spring, summer and winter breaks). I use Worldmark as a trader.
For example,
1) *HGVC* - mostly use for NYC location, but exchange through RCI from time to time. Never had any problem to reserve weeks (days) I want in HGVC systems and also could exchange into major holiday weeks through RCI, like DVC for x-mas or new year's day week. HGVC is a top tier trader in RCI.
I don't worry about next year's maintenance fee, because it has been always stable for many years now.
2) **wood *- reserve at Hawaii or Bahamas by using staroptions for summer weeks. Have to call EVERYDAY at 9am EST, exactly when 8 months window opens and if I cannot get a right date, call later again and again. Hawaii is much easier than Bahamas or St.John. I cannot wait to see next year's MF bills to know how much they are increased.
3) *Worldmark* - best MF rate for an exchange. 2BR prime season (10,000 WM credits) exchange will cost you about $500 in MF plus exchange fee. During flexchange period in II and RCI, you spend only 4000 credits regardless what size unit you get (2BR, 3BR, etc...). It is about $200 in MF plus exchange fee. All these numbers are based on what I own (20,000 credits, $1,000 MF per year). I could exchange to Harborside 1BR with 4000 WM credit last January during flexchange.
I exchanged into MANY Marriott resorts (2BRs) including summer beach locations with my Worldmark. Very strong trader. MF will not be increased more than 5% each year thanks to cap.
However, exchange is a gamble always, and you are located in eastern Canada, so I would consider buying either HGVC or Starwood mandatory resort.


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## LisaRex (Sep 14, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> I must confess that I am not familiar with Hilton Head. Is it comparable to Myrtle Beach? I've looked into Mariott, but they seem to favour multiple unit owner (almost force you to buy more to get preference?) Also, didn't they just change their point system and made some owners unhappy?



Hilton Head is great if you like the beach because it's completely flat and has miles and miles of uninterrupted beaches.  Marriott Monarch is older and the rooms aren't as nice, but boasts the best ocean front spot of them all, IMO.  Next is Marriott Grande Ocean, because it's close enough to SeaPines to enjoy all the amenties of SeaPines without being inside the plantation, followed by Barony Beach and one whose name I forget.  

If you're content to be at the beach all day, Hilton Head cannot be topped. But if you like a lot of touristy things -- boardwalks and outlet malls, etc. -- then I'd check out Marriott Ocean Watch.  It's about 2 hours closer to you, and you might love it.  

I can't answer whether a person who owns a summer week can/will get squeezed out of the prime weeks by multi-week owners.  But given your parameters, I really do think that Marriott sounds like a better fit for you.


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## siesta (Sep 14, 2010)

I have the feeling the OP is now more confused than before! :rofl:


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## yumdrey (Sep 14, 2010)

Ok Peter... sunny beach from Toronto & reasonable drive distance would be Cape Cod, Atlantic City, Ocean City and Virginia Beach? From washington D.C to Toronto, it takes about 9 hours driving with 2 short rest.
You can buy a resort on those locations for cheaper than HGVC 7000 points, Starwood mandatory (148100 SO) or Worldmark 10,000 credits. I believe summer weeks of above locations would trade very well.
However, it is hard to find luxury resorts like Westin or Hilton quality in there. The best (most luxurious) resort can be Marriott Fairway Villas in near Atlantic City, I have traded in there twice during summer season with my WM, it is a nice family resort.


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## Bill4728 (Sep 14, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> Hello, Thanks for your inputs.
> In regards to Club Intrawest, there was a talk before of them going bankrupt. Has this issue been resolved yet?


The parent company Intrawest went bankrupt but the Club is in great shape. 

Plus if you use your HGVC pts to get reservations into CI, then even if there is a problem, it's CI problem not HGVC's problem.


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

siesta said:


> I have the feeling the OP is now more confused than before! :rofl:



You are so right! 
I have never even considered Mariott or Worldmark...Now I have to more research... 
Good thing I like doing this...My wife just gets final reports and chooses one of the options that I've narrowed down... 
Again, thank you everyone for your inputs...I thought I was ready but I guess I still lot more to learn and consider. Back to drawing board for me...


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

yumdrey said:


> Ok Peter... sunny beach from Toronto & reasonable drive distance would be Cape Cod, Atlantic City, Ocean City and Virginia Beach? From washington D.C to Toronto, it takes about 9 hours driving with 2 short rest.
> You can buy a resort on those locations for cheaper than HGVC 7000 points, Starwood mandatory (148100 SO) or Worldmark 10,000 credits. I believe summer weeks of above locations would trade very well.
> However, it is hard to find luxury resorts like Westin or Hilton quality in there. The best (most luxurious) resort can be Marriott Fairway Villas in near Atlantic City, I have traded in there twice during summer season with my WM, it is a nice family resort.



You are so right about finding luxury resorts in AC or Ocean city area. We actually drove down there last year, and I remember searching over and over for nice resort with decent price. We ended up staying at one of the casino hotels in AC and driving down to beach everyday, as I and my wife weren't too happy with beach front places. This is why we are looking for hotel based resort as they look much nicer. (although I haven't been to any yet).
Cape cod is also nice but they seem to have shorter swimming season then somewhere more south. Also they don't have anything comparable to hotel based resort? (I'm just guessing here, because I haven't really looked into this area.)


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## DeniseM (Sep 14, 2010)

Take your time - we are entering "dump my timeshare season."  When people start getting their maintenance fee bills in Nov. and Dec. we usually see a lot of cheap resales dumped on the market.


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## bankr63 (Sep 14, 2010)

Peter,

A couple of thoughts from someone in a similar situation. We are also living in the Great White North, and have 2 kids of school age.  

Owning a timeshare near where we live is not really an option for us either.  If we skied more, perhaps a Quebec TS would have been in order, but at my age, my knees can only take a long weekend on the slopes, so we rent a chalet from friends @ Mt. Tremblant for that (much cheaper, no Intrawest issues).  

We decided to buy where we want to vacation - for us Orlando.  Not every year perhaps, but certainly every couple of years.  Yes it is a 24 hour drive; so far I haven't done it, but would be willing if money was tight.  We bought a fixed March break week, or historically it was; in 2012 Ontario March break will move to week 10 from its historical week 11. We will be trading that unit in 2012 for the first time.  Since DW is also a teacher, we have had a willing pool of renters if we decided not to use our week.  We are at SVR, and love the resort, or at least our Courts section.  The best part of a fixed week is that it is ALWAYS there for us, no calling at 8:59:00 AM to ensure we get our unit.  

Our original purchase (also Orlando) was a 3 BR LO at Silver Lake that we have never seen, but provides us with some pretty decent trades through RCI, most recent is a 2BR at Grand Mayan Cabo from the 1BR side of the SL.  My season includes March Break weeks, so I expect I could get a unit for our break if I wanted.  Both our resort were eBay resales.

I have been toying with the idea of HGVC for a while now, and if I had to do it all again, I think I would have gone that way to start.  The entry fee is pretty steep, but the trades available seem much better than SVR or SL, and the Hilton resorts in Orlando sound super (all this gleaned from reading the HGVC forum here).  I may still purchase an HGVC and dump my SL if I see a decent auction on eBay.  This would be aimed at exchanging; yes it breaks the own to use rule, but you can stretch those Hilton points pretty far.

If I did this, I would have a guaranteed Sheraton March break week (assuming it returns to wk 11) at a resort my family really likes.  MF's are a bit of a pain, but hey, we will soon have a shiny refurbed unit.  I would also have a strong trader with Hilton, which could get me ski weeks in Tremblant or other Club Intrawest if they survive and if I wanted (to end up in traction), or a nice change of scenery in Orlando too.


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## LisaRex (Sep 14, 2010)

I'd start by checking out the locations of the different systems and see what appeals to me.  I ventured into timesharing because I fell in love with Maui and didn't want the hassle of finding a rental all the time. Hilton doesn't have a presence on Maui.  That left Marriott and Starwood. I did some research and Starwood edged out Marriott.  In retrospect, I should have gone with Marriott for several reasons, one of which is that I didn't anticipate airfares to Maui skyrocketing, which made having a network that includes places close to home very desirable. Starwoods are very nice, but there's not much presence here in the eastern side of the continent.

So my first step would be to figure out where you want to go.  And then see who has a presence there. Then I'd broach the question, "How easy would it it be for me to own here and trade there given that I'm rather chained to school vacation times."  It may be that renting may be your best option.  Certainly, I'd check out at least a few places before I bought. Most offer reasonably priced preview packages, provided you can resist their sales pitch. 

Here are the locations:

http://www.marriottvacationclub.com/vacation-resorts/index.shtml
http://www.hiltongrandvacations.com/vacation-resort-collection.php
http://www.starwoodvacationownership.com/starwood_vacation_ownership_resorts.jsp


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## sjuhawk_jd (Sep 14, 2010)

Another thing to consider is that Hilton allows resale buyers to convert HGVC points to the HHonors (hotel points). Starwood and marriott does not allow this. All of these conversions are mostly poor value, but it does allow flexibility of travelling to big cities (New York, Rome, Paris, Barcelona) where there are no timeshares in prime locations and hotels are expensive.


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## K2Quick (Sep 14, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> Hello,
> 
> In regards to question one, we would prefer somewhere with beach and warmth. (Can you see that I'm from Canada? )
> Also I would like to have an option of driving there if the airline ticket prices go through the roof. With 5 people, the cost of 'getting there' is also a factor as well.
> ...



That sounds like Marriott to me.  I'd figure out the Marriott you could see yourself returning to frequently and buy there.


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## pianodinosaur (Sep 14, 2010)

I think it all depends upon where you want to go.  I have been with HGVC since 2001 and have only been to my home resort once.  We have not had any difficulty exchanging with RCI or within the HGVC system.  We recently purchased at Marriott Mountain Valley Lodge so we could have access to II.  We have already booked our 2010 year with MVCI for a week at the Royal Islander in 2012.  

Exchanging with RCI is not all that difficult and exchanging with II does not seem to be all that difficult if you have a good resort at a popular season.  We have had a good experience with Starwood hotels and hope to be able to now exchange into some Starwood resorts and Hyatt resorts.


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## DanCali (Sep 14, 2010)

Bill4728 said:


> So you could buy the Westin in Phoenix AZ (cheapest & lowest MFs) and either go there or use the SOs to go to most any of the many starwood resorts.



The Westin is Scottsdale (WKV) is not exactly "cheap". 

"Cheap" (resale price) and low MFs are negatively correlated. Because WKV has the highest SO/MF ratio, it is also quite expensive on the resale market. There is also probably a premium to be paid there for (relative) stability in MF increases...

If one is looking for "cheap" then SVV is a much better option - $2K-$3K for 81,000 or 95,700 SOs for MFs of $1300-$1600 a year. The issue with that resort is that MFs were up 30% last year and if the trend continues it could end badly. If the trend reverses, people who buy there now will be happy they bought there.


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## tinkerbell2 (Sep 14, 2010)

My experience might be of interest to you as we also come from Canada ( Moncton) and we have 3 young kids ( 9,8 and 3 ). We own at Sheraton Vistana Village ( SVV ) 81 SO , a 2 BR lockoff. Having the school calendar well in advance , I am able to plan our March break or other time at the 9 months mark and we always got what we wanted ( Westin Lagunamar, SVV, Westin Kierland ) so far. Next year I will attempt Harborside , we'll see. I like the upscale amenities of the Westins, they have waterslides for the kids, nice parks, etc. We got spoiled quickly. 
I also have a small contract with Disney, and we go every 3 years combining our useyears. ( banking and borrowing )The themes at the resorts are impressive. 
Finally , I got a cheap 2 BR at SBP which I traded with RCI for a 3 ( yes 3 ) BR at Hilton Seaworld for this coming March break. I will then get a taste of the Hilton resorts.
We also like to travel to Europe and go to NYC often. We max every opportunity to get starpoints ( expenses at the timeshares, update meetings, stays, and of course the new Starwood Amex for Canadians )
For the time being, we are very pleased as we get the beach, the theme parks and also ski locations with *wood and also the hotels , all that without paying retail. ( We all bought resales )
We went to Beaches Turks and Caicos twice with the kids and also Beaches Negril. It is nice.... but so is Westin Lagunamar. Is the difference worth 10000$ a week for Elmo and the gang ( and a much smaller suite ) ? Definitely not for us, and we are spoiled. We like the 5* hotels . It is a vacation for the kids , but also for the adults , n'est-ce pas ?


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

bankr63 said:


> Peter,
> 
> A couple of thoughts from someone in a similar situation. We are also living in the Great White North, and have 2 kids of school age.
> 
> ...



Hello,

Thanks for your advices.
you are pretty much bang on with my situation. We Canadians don't have too much choices in terms of picking timeshare resorts that is close to our home.:annoyed: 
This is why I've been toying with ideas of either SBP in Myrtle beach or Hilton (specifically in Orlando). As you mentioned, I feel like I COULD (although I will try my hardest to avoid doing so) drive down there if I have to.
I would love to choose something in Arizona, Cali, or Hawaii but deep down, I just know that it would not be practical. I think Starwood is better in terms of location but I really don't like how they treat resale owners. This is especially true with SBP since it's voluntary resort.
Just a quick question with your Orlando unit. You said that it's fixed. Does it mean that you get to book this place sooner or you are guaranteed in booking? I've never quite understood this concept of fixed week but is float-able, because you get to book your home resort earlier anyways?
For now, as DeniseM recommended, I will just wait till Nov-Dec to see what comes up. I hope to make my decision by then....


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## jerseygirl (Sep 14, 2010)

I own both Starwood and HGVC resorts and here's my take for what it's worth:

Starwood's ONLY redeeming factor is if you love a particular resort (or two).  For me, that's WSJ and HRA -- and they're the only "game in town" in their particular locations.  For others, it's WKORV/N or WPORV.  The rest of the collection -- sure, they're nice, but they're in locations with numerous other nice choices .... makes owning a "Starwood" not worth the hassle/expense in my opinion.  Many of us have been lucky enough to trade into the better Starwood resorts with inexpensive traders --- and that's a HUGE plus, but it's certainly not guaranteed ... and Starwood is known for doing everything possible to stop the practices that hurt developer sales.  As they say, if you willing to drive in the fast lane, you better be prepared to be pulled over once in a while!  I guess I'm just not sure that owning a "trader" is the best possible choice for families stuck with the school vacation calendar.  It can be GREAT, but you have to be prepared to end up disappointed.

Hilton's management is TERRIFIC!  Stable maintenance fees, great communication, treat ALL owners well (even the lowly resale buyers), wonderful cash "open season" program for those who can travel at the last minute (which makes it possible to buy a small number of points and "stretch" them).  But, their locations are limited.  I get some use out of RCI, but in general prefer II, and Hilton trades with RCI.  But (!), there is a way around the "RCI issue."  I own an affiliate that has TOP trading power in II ... so have many options (I can use Hilton points within Hilton, use Hilton points within RCI, use Hilton "week" within II, etc.).  I couldn't be happier with my Hilton ownership (and certainly can't say the same about Starwood).

I've never been a Marriott fan (and think their new program is the worst thing since "new Coke"), but you can't argue with the fact that they have a LOT of locations and fees that seem to be SIGNIFICANTLY more stable than Starwood's fees.  The quality is generally very good.  So, I wouldn't rule out LisaRex's recommendation that you consider Marriott as well.

I wouldn't put a ton of focus on the Europe aspect.  Hilton has a few ... Marriott has a few .... but, if you've never been to Europe then chances are that you're going to want to go to the "most famous" places first ... London, Paris, Rome, etc.  Sometimes these locations are available as Getaways ... and there are usually a lot of rentals available via VRBO and other websites.  Bottom line -- you don't need a timeshare to get to Europe and probably don't want to limit your destinations by the very limited timeshare availability.

Just another set of things to think about .... sorry!


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

tinkerbell2 said:


> My experience might be of interest to you as we also come from Canada ( Moncton) and we have 3 young kids ( 9,8 and 3 ). We own at Sheraton Vistana Village ( SVV ) 81 SO , a 2 BR lockoff. Having the school calendar well in advance , I am able to plan our March break or other time at the 9 months mark and we always got what we wanted ( Westin Lagunamar, SVV, Westin Kierland ) so far. Next year I will attempt Harborside , we'll see. I like the upscale amenities of the Westins, they have waterslides for the kids, nice parks, etc. We got spoiled quickly.
> I also have a small contract with Disney, and we go every 3 years combining our useyears. ( banking and borrowing )The themes at the resorts are impressive.
> Finally , I got a cheap 2 BR at SBP which I traded with RCI for a 3 ( yes 3 ) BR at Hilton Seaworld for this coming March break. I will then get a taste of the Hilton resorts.
> We also like to travel to Europe and go to NYC often. We max every opportunity to get starpoints ( expenses at the timeshares, update meetings, stays, and of course the new Starwood Amex for Canadians )
> ...



Wow, that sound fantastic. It's the story like yours that make me want to get into timeshare more.:whoopie: 
I'm just curious. Does your SVV have staroptions? Aren't they voluntary resort so therefore no SVN option?


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

Can someone explain what it means to be "trade strongly"?
I've seen this statements number of times before, but have no idea what it really means. Does it mean that you get more weeks, or bigger units, or can book other resorts in very demanding season?
Doesn't Hilton, Starwood, or other hotel based resorts all trade strongly? Does any one particular brand stronger then others? Since I definitely plan to trade, I've always wondered about which one is better in exchanging.


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## DeniseM (Sep 14, 2010)

Most exchange companies assign trading power to deposits.  A resort with high trading power can trade into the most desirable resorts, a resort with low trading power can only trade into the dogs.  So it impacts the quality of the resort you can trade into.

Some resorts have priority for trades within their own system.  Starwood resorts have priority for Starwood deposits in II.  That's why an inexpensive  resale can trade into the prime Starwood resorts.  That being said, because of supply and demand, some Starwood resorts are difficult trades no matter what:  #1 WSJ, #2 HRA.  Also - Starwood controls almost all deposits to II, and they choose not to deposit holiday weeks.

I don't think any of the top systems have more trading power than another, but the real strength is for trades back into your system.

Since Marriott is going through a major shake up, it's hard to say exactly going on with Marriott and II.  Or Marriott and anything else, for that matter.  I'm not disparaging Marriott - but there are just too many question marks right now.


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

jerseygirl said:


> I own an affiliate that has TOP trading power in II ... so have many options (I can use Hilton points within Hilton, use Hilton points within RCI, use Hilton "week" within II, etc.).  I couldn't be happier with my Hilton ownership (and certainly can't say the same about Starwood).



Hello, 
Thanks for your input!
Yeah, this was the feeling that I get from HGVC owners - that they are very happy with managements. 
I haven't really toyed with buying affiliate yet, mainly because I was afraid that someday, it may not be affiliated anymore... 
So if you buy one of those, then you have choice of joining Hilton network, or does it happen automatically? By affiliate, do you mean Club Intrawest resort?


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## sungandjudy (Sep 14, 2010)

DeniseM said:


> Most exchange companies assign trading power to deposits.  A resort with high trading power can trade into the most desirable resorts, a resort with low trading power can only trade into the dogs.  So it impacts the quality of the resort you can trade into.
> 
> Some resorts have priority for trades within their own system.  Starwood resorts have priority for Starwood deposits in II.  That's why an inexpensive  resale can trade into the prime Starwood resorts.  That being said, because of supply and demand, some Starwood resorts are difficult trades no matter what:  #1 WSJ, #2 HRA.  Also - Starwood controls almost all deposits to II, and they choose not to deposit holiday weeks.
> 
> ...



Thank you again. You always seem to have an answer...


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## bankr63 (Sep 14, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> Just a quick question with your Orlando unit. You said that it's fixed. Does it mean that you get to book this place sooner or you are guaranteed in booking? I've never quite understood this concept of fixed week but is float-able, because you get to book your home resort earlier anyways?
> For now, as DeniseM recommended, I will just wait till Nov-Dec to see what comes up. I hope to make my decision by then....



With the older sections of SVR (Courts is the original, apparently it all started as a tennis club many years back), owners have fixed deeded weeks.  That means that we are always in "our" unit every year for the set week.  That is how most timeshares were sold before the big companies started coming up with ideas to make more money; like floating weeks or selling points.  Apparently we don't even have to call them to let them know we are coming, but we always do.  

Other sections of SVR have a sort-of deeded week.  You have to let them know you are coming 12-10 months out.  If you don't "claim" your week, then you start floating, and have to reserve a floating week.  Denise has a thread going on this topic here: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127150

Note that I can always deposit my fixed week and trade to another resort, or trade back into SVR for a different week.  This is better with II because Sheraton owners get priority access to other Sheraton resorts there, but I trade with RCI because my other resort is RCI only (of the two major exchange companies).

I do not get points for my unit, so I am always restricted to trading weeks.  

In answer to your question for TinkerBell2, SVV is "mostly" a mandatory resort.  As I recall, the one oldest section is voluntary, but the remainder is mandatory.  Those units usually sell for a premium because they include the SO.  It is a strong consideration if you want to trade points.  There is an FAQ sticky at the top of this forum that explains which sections of SVV are voluntary and which are not, although I think the new St Augustine section there is also mandatory and is not mentioned.

And waiting is ALWAYS an option in this market.  As one of the other pundits here has quipped, "timeshare sales are like buses; if you miss one, there will be another one along any minute..."


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## lily28 (Sep 14, 2010)

in SVV, the older section Bella and key west are mandatory. the newer parts of SVV Amelia and st. augustine are voluntary


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## jerseygirl (Sep 14, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> Hello,
> Thanks for your input!
> Yeah, this was the feeling that I get from HGVC owners - that they are very happy with managements.
> I haven't really toyed with buying affiliate yet, mainly because I was afraid that someday, it may not be affiliated anymore...
> So if you buy one of those, then you have choice of joining Hilton network, or does it happen automatically? By affiliate, do you mean Club Intrawest resort?




No, there are numerous HGVC affiliates that are not Intrawest, primarily in southwest Florida.  I'd try to find you a link but I'm typing on a brand new iPad and I'm severely challenged!   I own at a Florida beachfront resort - maintenance fees are higher than straight HGVC but I'm okay with that because (a) it trades with II and that's worth a premium, and (b) I would never mind having to use if trading fell apart (Orlando not great for me now that dd is in her 20s and as much as I love LV, it's too dangerous for me to spend too much time there).  Cost to join was $199 or $399 - can't remember exactly.  Worth every penny. Our BOD is very happy with Hilton so I'm not worried about them disaffiliating but I suppose it could happen. I'd put my money on Starwood blowing up first though!


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## DanCali (Sep 15, 2010)

bankr63 said:


> In answer to your question for TinkerBell2, SVV is "mostly" a mandatory resort.  As I recall, the one oldest section is voluntary, but the remainder is mandatory.  Those units usually sell for a premium because they include the SO.  It is a strong consideration if you want to trade points.  There is an FAQ sticky at the top of this forum that explains which sections of SVV are voluntary and which are not, although I think the new St Augustine section there is also mandatory and is not mentioned.



St. Augustine Phase (and Amelia) are voluntary.

Bella and Key West phase are mandatory.


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2010)

I don't think Starwood has built any mandatory resorts/phases since WKORVN.


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## tinkerbell2 (Sep 15, 2010)

To answer your question, I bought into the Bella section that is mandatory to make sure I would have SO. If we ever increase our portfolio, I will strongly consider HGVC as I like their flexibility. My concern is their location though... We have more than enough with Orlando (and can easily trade into an Orlando HGVC with SBP) Las Vegas and Hawai aren't really interesting to us as a family. The bonus with HGVC I think is 1 )ability to convert to hotelpoints for added city destinations and 2) Hilton NewYork. 
It is my impression that trading into the affiliates is somewhat tricky and difficult ( Club Intrawest for instance ) . Anyone out there with a different experience ? 
Good luck with your shopping and enjoy your vacations !

Rina


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## bankr63 (Sep 15, 2010)

*My bad...*



DanCali said:


> St. Augustine Phase (and Amelia) are voluntary.
> 
> Bella and Key West phase are mandatory.



Ooops, I had that bass ackwards!  That's what I love about TUG, I just keep learning. Old is Mandatory, new is voluntary.  Guess that makes sense, as usual, the newer idea makes more money for the TS companies, less value for the owners...

FWIW, our first timeshare stay was in a 2BR in Bella, and that's where we caught the bug!

Thanks!


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## RoshiGuy (Sep 15, 2010)

*Sold Starwood, Bought HGVC*

FYI, I have two kids in elementary school and live in the Northeast. We bought SDO (through eBay) in the Fall of 2008 and sold it earlier this year (through TUG). Here’s why it didn’t work out for us:

• We visited it once and enjoyed our stay; however, we’re unlikely to go back again to stay for a full week
• Since SDO is a voluntary resort, we were restricted to making exchanges through II. With kids in school, we need to travel at the busiest times – President’s Week and X’mas/New Year (during the summer we rent a house on the beach/lake in New England).  It soon became clear that it is impossible to trade into any desirable destination at the busiest times of the year
• Since we couldn’t convert our week into Starpoints (for hotel stays) it became use it at SDO or rent it and we didn’t want to take on the hassle of renting it
• While a mandatory timeshare would have been better, we need the flexibility of converting into Starpoints which a resale purchase does not allow     

Shortly before we sold the SDO timeshare, we bought 7000 HGVC points. Thanks to advice on TUG, we bought this through Hilton Scotland (resale of course). HGVC is an extremely flexible system:
• Unlike Starwood, resale buyers get pretty much all of the benefits of direct buyers
• At the 9-month mark you can book 3+ days, instead of a full week, which works out great for shorter stays. HGVC also has open season (last minute, 30-day inventory) which can be booked for a low cash cost
• HGVC allows banking/borrowing of points, which is great for planning vacations
• Points can be converted to HHonors and used for stays at hotels
• As an example, we have a trip planned over X’Mas and New Years. A total of 8 nights, 4 of these in a 1-bedroom at HGVC Miami and 4 nights at the Waldorf Astoria (hotel room) in Key West. We used all the points for 2010 plus about half those for 2011

A disadvantage of HGVC is limited locations within the core HGVC system (just Orlando, Vegas and Hawaii). However, access to Intrawest properties in Mexico/Canada is supposed to be good. While there are several Florida affiliates that we’d like to visit, it is unlikely that we’ll be able to get into them given the weeks we need to travel.

Overall, our current travel constraints are not suited to timesharing. However, we’ll get still get good value from HGVC because of its flexibility.  We’ll probably use it for timeshare stays about half the time and hotel stays the other half. Since we bought resale in Scotland, the upfront costs were minimal. And we can conservatively get about 1.5 times the value of MF through using points for hotel stays. So I’m quite happy we bought 7000 points but would not buy more at this stage.


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## PClapham (Sep 15, 2010)

My 2 cents-look at  Worldmarktheclub.com for holdings.  This is the most flexible in my opinion;  there are resorts in Canada and northwestern us as well as Florida, and trades well with both II and RCI.

Anita


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## sungandjudy (Sep 15, 2010)

RoshiGuy said:


> • Since SDO is a voluntary resort, we were restricted to making exchanges through II. With kids in school, we need to travel at the busiest times – President’s Week and X’mas/New Year (during the summer we rent a house on the beach/lake in New England).  It soon became clear that it is impossible to trade into any desirable destination at the busiest times of the year



Do you mind telling me which resorts that you've tried to book and couldn't?
Obviously with school aged kids, traveling during peak periods will happen for us as well. If you say that it's so difficult to book those dates, then I think it's pretty much no go for us...


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## sungandjudy (Sep 15, 2010)

PClapham said:


> My 2 cents-look at  Worldmarktheclub.com for holdings.  This is the most flexible in my opinion;  there are resorts in Canada and northwestern us as well as Florida, and trades well with both II and RCI.
> 
> Anita



I'm actually researching this place as it was recommended by number of people.  One question though. Does Worldmark comparable to hotel based resorts in terms of amenity/luxury? Do they make as stong a trade value when compared to Hilton or starwood?


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## vacationtime1 (Sep 15, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> Do you mind telling me which resorts that you've tried to book and couldn't?
> Obviously with school aged kids, traveling during peak periods will happen for us as well. If you say that it's so difficult to book those dates, then I think it's pretty much no go for us...



Our most recent "failure" to complete an Interval trade using an SDO unit involved Maui this past Presidents' Week.  We needed a second unit at WKORV or WKORVN for that week (we own a week there and reserved our ownership unit a year in advance).  We would have taken *any* unit -- studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom, at WKORV or WKORVN -- as that second unit.  We could not get *any* unit through an Interval exchange.  We ended up using StarOptions from yet another unit we own to reserve a second unit; units were available with StarOptions but not on Interval exchanges.


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## RoshiGuy (Sep 15, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> Do you mind telling me which resorts that you've tried to book and couldn't?
> Obviously with school aged kids, traveling during peak periods will happen for us as well. If you say that it's so difficult to book those dates, then I think it's pretty much no go for us...



I owned SDO for just about 18 months so don't have much first-hand experience to base this on. I tried II for a President's Week 2010 exchange into Mexico and the Caribbean but gave up when it wasn't filled in a couple of months. After much reading through of TUG threads I concluded that we were looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. It may have come through but chances were slim. And we wanted to lock in flights which (for 4 people) are usually more expensive than hotel/TS.

I have read that trading into Orlando would have probably worked but we didn't want to go there.


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2010)

vacationtime1 said:


> Our most recent "failure" to complete an Interval trade using an SDO unit involved Maui this past Presidents' Week.  We needed a second unit at WKORV or WKORVN for that week (we own a week there and reserved our ownership unit a year in advance).  We would have taken *any* unit -- studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom, at WKORV or WKORVN -- as that second unit.  We could not get *any* unit through an Interval exchange.  We ended up using StarOptions from yet another unit we own to reserve a second unit; units were available with StarOptions but not on Interval exchanges.



Starwood does not deposit holiday weeks, so they are very difficult to get.


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> I'm actually researching this place as it was recommended by number of people.  One question though. Does Worldmark comparable to hotel based resorts in terms of amenity/luxury? Do they make as stong a trade value when compared to Hilton or starwood?



No - most WM resorts are a step or 2 down, except for some of the brand new ones.


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## sungandjudy (Sep 15, 2010)

vacationtime1 said:


> Our most recent "failure" to complete an Interval trade using an SDO unit involved Maui this past Presidents' Week.  We needed a second unit at WKORV or WKORVN for that week (we own a week there and reserved our ownership unit a year in advance).  We would have taken *any* unit -- studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom, at WKORV or WKORVN -- as that second unit.  We could not get *any* unit through an Interval exchange.  We ended up using StarOptions from yet another unit we own to reserve a second unit; units were available with StarOptions but not on Interval exchanges.



Do you think this was due to new Starwood/II rule change that was talked about before? Many were complaining that people lost trade values with new system. Obviously, this does not look too good for Starwood if more and more people can't get what they need.


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## capjak (Sep 15, 2010)

One way to get around this is to buy:

1 every other year Starwood and 1 every other year Hilton (or a annual 5000 point hilton)

Than you have both systems and flexibility.

Having said that I own EOY Marriott, a DVC and Starwood.  

I really like Marriott for exchanges seems to be a lot available.  I like starwood to go to Maui or rent and I like DVC for Orlando or to rent out.


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## Ken555 (Sep 15, 2010)

vacationtime1 said:


> Our most recent "failure" to complete an Interval trade using an SDO unit involved Maui this past Presidents' Week.  We needed a second unit at WKORV or WKORVN for that week (we own a week there and reserved our ownership unit a year in advance).  We would have taken *any* unit -- studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom, at WKORV or WKORVN -- as that second unit.  We could not get *any* unit through an Interval exchange.  We ended up using StarOptions from yet another unit we own to reserve a second unit; units were available with StarOptions but not on Interval exchanges.



I'm surprised you thought it would be available, regardless of size of unit. Let's be fair... II, especially for Hawaii, is only appropriate for slow weeks. I wouldn't consider this a failure at all, and adjust your future expectations accordingly. At least the good news is that you got the unit you wanted at the time you wanted - yet another reason to keep those SOs!


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## sungandjudy (Sep 15, 2010)

capjak said:


> One way to get around this is to buy:
> 
> 1 every other year Starwood and 1 every other year Hilton (or a annual 5000 point hilton)
> 
> ...



Believe it or not, we've thought of this possibility alot. Or at least, I did, as my other half (the one who makes final decision...:rofl: ) does not like to dive into too many TS resort too soon. She is very conservative and I see at least 2-3 years of very positive experiences before she will look at another place. So this is probably my one and only chance to hit a homerun, hence all the research...


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> Do you think this was due to new Starwood/II rule change that was talked about before? Many were complaining that people lost trade values with new system. Obviously, this does not look too good for Starwood if more and more people can't get what they need.



Starwood's policy is not to deposit holiday weeks.  We can see that when they do bulk space banking and there will be sequential weeks available with the holiday weeks missing.  They don't really care if II works for people - they want everyone to buy from the developer and use Staroptions.


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## sungandjudy (Sep 15, 2010)

I just went back and re-read "how to exchange into RCI and II. Not only it's confusing and time consuming (due to their 'let's make it as difficult to make a trade for the owners' policy), it borders on unethical. Basically they are lying in order to deposit the week that they want to in II, rather then deposit the weeks that owners spent time to book and deposit.  
No wonder that their management have such a negative rating....


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> I just went back and re-read "how to exchange into RCI and II. Not only it's confusing and time consuming (due to their 'let's make it as difficult to make a trade for the owners' policy), it borders on unethical. Basically they are lying in order to deposit the week that they want to in II, rather then deposit the weeks that owners spent time to book and deposit.
> No wonder that their management have such a negative rating....



Exactly.....  :annoyed:


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## jerseygirl (Sep 15, 2010)

Starwood didn't deposit holiday weeks before the II changes either and always controlled deposits for mandatory resorts.  A very small number of holiday weeks at voluntary resorts may have slipped into II before the rule changes but there were certainly no major changes in this regard.  It's always a huge gamble to rely on a trade for any holiday week - this isn't just a starwood issue.


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2010)

jerseygirl - Before the new rules were implemented, owners of resale voluntary weeks could deposit holiday weeks themselves, but you are right - Starwood has never deposited holiday weeks for SVN members.


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## jerseygirl (Sep 15, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> I just went back and re-read "how to exchange into RCI and II. Not only it's confusing and time consuming (due to their 'let's make it as difficult to make a trade for the owners' policy), it borders on unethical. Basically they are lying in order to deposit the week that they want to in II, rather then deposit the weeks that owners spent time to book and deposit.
> No wonder that their management have such a negative rating....



I like you already - you catch on quick!   Starwood is 100 percent in it for Starwood.  That's not unusual in the corporate world but most companies understand that happy clients = more profits.  The vacation ownership team at Starwood, unfortunately, doesn't seem to get this!  I could point to many examples but one of the most recent is removing the ability for Hawaii owners to make room requests.  Geez - you'd think they own the place instead of being merely paid employees.


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## jerseygirl (Sep 15, 2010)

DeniseM said:


> jerseygirl - Before the new rules were implemented, owners of resale voluntary weeks could deposit holiday weeks themselves, but you are right - Starwood has never deposited holiday weeks for SVN members.



 I know Denise that's why I said a few holiday weeks at voluntary resorts slipped through.  We're on the same page!


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## DeniseM (Sep 15, 2010)

jerseygirl said:


> I know Denise that's why I said a few holiday weeks at voluntary resorts slipped through.  We're on the same page!



GMTA!


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## jerseygirl (Sep 15, 2010)

DeniseM said:


> GMTA!



  had to google that!


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## bankr63 (Sep 15, 2010)

jerseygirl said:


> had to google that!



Google:

Green Mountain Transit Authority?!?  
Georgia Motor Trucking Association  
Gloucester Music Teachers Association  (hey! that's in my home town!)

Oh!

Great Minds Think Alike 

Never mind...


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## sungandjudy (Sep 16, 2010)

I thank everyone for their advices in choosing the right resort for our family.
I sat down last night with my other half, going through the posts line-by-line.
In the end, she decided that she prefers Hilton better then any other places.
Sheraton was out because of management. She feels that if you are going away on a vacation, last thing you need is headaches and stresses. The more and more she read the comments, the more turned off she got with Sheraton managements. In the end, she asked me "do you want to go through with this everytime we want to exchange? Cause you will be doing this...." That pretty much clinched for me too... 
We've also looked at Worldmark and Marriott. She didn't like the idea that Worldmark may be one or two notch down from either Hilton or Sheraton, and Marriott still going through some changes with their booking system so she wanted to skip that as well.
We will probably start with EOY 7000 points resort and go from there. And we will wait till Nov-Dec. period before making purchases.
Thanks again everyone.


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## siesta (Sep 16, 2010)

read up on ROFR, and the resorts that don't have this so you can get the points as cheap as possible.  From what I've read 7k is a good number, good luck.


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## LisaRex (Sep 16, 2010)

Congratulations on making a choice.  Many happy vacations to you both!


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## DanCali (Sep 16, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> "do you want to go through with this everytime we want to exchange? Cause you will be doing this...."



Yeah, that's how it is for me too... my wife just wants to know when and where we are going. I tried to raise the issue that she should also do some of the 6am calls to Owner Services and she would have none of it 

Congrats on your decision!


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## RoshiGuy (Sep 16, 2010)

sungandjudy said:


> We will probably start with EOY 7000 points resort and go from there. And we will wait till Nov-Dec. period before making purchases.
> Thanks again everyone.



I bought 7000 EY in Scotland for about half the U.S. cost. Not everyone is comfortable with this however and there are good threads on TUG discussing the pros/cons.


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## UWSurfer (Sep 16, 2010)

We own HGVC (Hilton) and are very happy with our ownership and how the system works.

We also own three other weeks not in Hilton & use them for different purposes.  All in all we are very happy with these too.   The next thing you should do is comb through the HGVC board here on Tug and learn the system, it's strengths and weaknesses. 

TUG is excellent in helping you make the most out of whatever you own, but you also must do the homework to figure out how to make it work for you.

Right now I'm writing this from the porch of a studio unit at The Ridge in Sedona Resort after exchanging in for a week using 1/8th of the RCI points our two bedroom unit generates from Summer Bay Las Vegas.   We were in Kaui earlier this year at the Shearwater using nearly a year and a half worth of RCI points also from Summer Bay.   Both trips were made possible in learning how to work the systems here on TUG.

Congratulations...stick around and be prepared to dig into some inner workings of systems.


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