# Starwood VO Preferred Invitation



## gretel (Mar 8, 2007)

My brother received a "preferred invitation" to visit Atlantis Harborside from Starwood.  His friend is an owner and it said he was referred by him.  The deal is for five nights at Atlantis plus $100 guest reward certificate for $849.00 for two to be used within the next 18 months.  It says the accommodations are in the Beach Tower Terrace Resort room.  

Is this a legitimate practice often carried out by Starwood?  Would should he expect is he participates?  There are so many scams.  Is this one of them?

The person signing the letter is Kevin MacCartie "Referral Director" and he has a Starwoodvo email address.  It also lists Harborside's phone number.


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## Cathyb (Mar 8, 2007)

Rather than ask on TUG you would be better off calling Starwood's office. With all the false ads floating around these day, it is so hard to really be sure unless you go to the 'horse's mouth'.  Atlantis is wonderful!!


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## gretel (Mar 8, 2007)

*Similiar Experience*

Just wondering if anyone else has heard of or experienced this promotion.


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## DeniseM (Mar 8, 2007)

Yes - Starwood always offered preview packages when they are selling a particular property.  Recently, there have been offers for Maui, Kauai, Cancun, and Harborside.  They are a great bargain - usually about 25% of the full retail value.  He may be required to go to a timeshare presentation - or he might not.  If it's required, it will be in the fine print on the invitation.  If it's not required, they will probably offer him another incentive if he will attend a presentation - often a $100 hotel GC.


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## gwenco (Mar 8, 2007)

*Westin - Kierland - (Scottsdale)*

We're actually hopping on a plane Saturday to spend 4 days and 3 nights at the above location thanks to a Starwood invitation we received about a year ago.  It promotion cost us around $149 and we receive a $100 gift certificate after we complete the "drill".  They are putting us up in a studio at the actual Westin which goes for around $500 a night on the internet. 

I'll suffer thru the 90 minute torture for a savings like that !:


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## pointsjunkie (Mar 9, 2007)

*starwood promotions*

just sent my friend to westin kierland for 4 nights 6 days for 495 plus$175 in credits for food and then they hgave them $100 amex card to spend at the hotel. they had a ball. went through the TS presentation. will buy in 4 years when the 5 kids are out of the house. 

we just went on one to aruba with marriott. did the TS presentation did not like the marriott program compared to starwood so we did not buy. it was a great trip.


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## Westin5Star (Mar 10, 2007)

We were offered 6 days and 5 nights in Kaanpali years ago for about $500 to stay at the Westin hotel.  We went through the timeshare presentation and we got hooked.  Although I didn't buy on that trip, we have bought 2 resale and 2 direct since.  That trip ended up costing us alot more than $500 and was a great thing for Westin.  We have not looked back and are glad we did it.


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## Bxian (Mar 10, 2007)

Last week, I got no less than 4 voicemails from Starwood about a promotional deal at Vistana Village.  The sales rep said that she was "calling about our Starwood Preferre Guest account"  and left 2 voicemail 2 nights in a row. I am SPG Gold but do not own any Starwod timsehares.   Each night, she would call, leave a voicemail, and then immediately call back and leve ANOTHER voiceamail-very annoying!  We just bought our first TS (an HGVC affiliate).  I was thinking of tacking on a promo visit to Vistana if we trade our HGVC or use Open Seaso to get to Orlando, but their calling tactics were annoying enough that I will pass!


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## iluvwdw (Mar 14, 2007)

I got two of my friends and one of my cousins this same deal at Harborside.  $849 for Beach Tower Accomodations (ALL THREE got upgraded to Coral Towers!)  $100 Resort Cash.  $75-$100 additional if they would take a tour of Harborside!  

You can get this deal for any of your family or friends...but you can only get them one deal per year (that's what I was told).


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## pointsjunkie (Mar 14, 2007)

*svo invite*

i just got one of those infamous phone calls. they had know idea that i owned at VV or any of the other places. the left hand at starwood does not know what the right one is doing. i told her I will be using my ts THIS SUMMER AND THEN SHE HAD NOTHING ELSE TO SAY TO ME AND WE HAD AWKWARD SILENCE.


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## gr8white6 (Mar 14, 2007)

Gretel,

I just got back from the similar Starwood offer in Maui.  It was fantastic.  I think it was $599 (I bought it a couple of yearws ago, but just used it), but beside the $100 resort certificate, it included a free rental car (AVIS) for the duration of the trip (5 nights).  It gets better.  When we checked in we learned we had no obligation to attend the presentation!  If we wanted to attend, they offered yet another $100 resort certificate.  When I asked what the certificates were good for I was told it was good for anything you could charge to your room.  Food, drinks, even whale watching tours.  But that is not all...the person helping us told me that if I used the certificates to pay the bill, then the value of the certificates was doubled!  In other words, I went to the 90 minute presentation (well, OK it took over 2 hours), got breakfast, and $400 off my hotel bill...not bad.

It was well worth it, and the Westin in Maui was fantastic....  The result is that I most probably will be buying a Starwood property....


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## gores95 (Jan 1, 2008)

Hey all...dredging up an old post to see if anyone has any info on a Harborside Preview Package.  I saw one online for $1495 for five nights in a Deluxe Villa ($1690 in a Premium) with $100 resort credit.  I saw a couple of posts that there is a $849 offer for the Beach/Coral towers....has anyone seen that offer or have the link?

Happy New Year everyone!!!!

Thanks.


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## DeniseM (Jan 1, 2008)

gores95 said:


> I saw a couple of posts that there is a $849 offer for the Beach/Coral towers....has anyone seen that offer or have the link?



You usually have to be referred by a Starwood owner for those packages, although Starwood does randomly send them out to SPG members.  That's actually how we got a Preview Pkg. for the WKORV and bought from the developer Pre-TUG!


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## Gypsie (Jan 18, 2008)

*Kaanapali Referral*

_Sorry - TUG does not allow these kinds of offers. - Thanks DeniseM_


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## Gypsie (Jan 18, 2008)

*Thanks*

Sorry about that--didn't know.  But I do now.


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## DeniseM (Jan 18, 2008)

No worries!  I did the same thing myself before becoming a Mod!


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