# Advice please from Starwood experts



## jancurious (Feb 2, 2006)

Hi Everyone,
I have been looking around for another purchase.  I really like the quality of the Starwood properties. My goal is to use the property as a trader.  From reading old threads it seems if you want to buy a Starwood resale, you cannot convert to starpoints & you should really buy a mandatory resort to trade internally with Starwood.  I'm fine with no points but I would like the internal trading.

What is everyone's opinions of the best property to be looking at for a mandatory resort that is reasonably priced & has lower maintenance fees?

Thanks for any advice!

Jan


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## steve1000 (Feb 2, 2006)

Vistana Villages in Orlando would probably be your best bet to purchase at a reasonable price and low MF - but their internal trade value in SVN is somewhat limited because they are afforded a lower number of StarOptions (the internal trading currency) than some of the other Starwood resorts. Nevertheless, this would probably be the best "trader". You might also look at the Westin Kierland which would be worth considerably more StarOptions but the prices and MFs are high - so its probably not a good "trader".


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## Iwant2gonow (Feb 2, 2006)

I own a floating week at a Starwood property but purchased it at least a few years before Starwood bought it. I am not as happy now with my  ability to get the exact week that I want to trade to another resort.  It was much better before. Although my resort is lovely I would not buy Starwood because the changes they have made  are not user friendly as a weeks owner. When you buy something as expensive as a timeshare at retail you don't want to see the rules change. For instance I paid extra for a red floating week. A few years later they changed the whole year to red time. Did they give anything extra to the people who paid extra like an earlier time frame for booking? no. I feel like Starwood is just a big company looking out for themselves and not their owners. Has anyone else felt Vistana has changed since Starwood purchased?


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## jancurious (Feb 2, 2006)

I was looking at a Sheraton Desert Oasis but after reading that it is not a mandatory resort & Starwood would pick which week to deposit into II for me, I thought that must be why the prices are so reasonable.

So for this resort, Starwood picks the week.  But Starwood is such a nice property, wouldn't it be a pretty good trader in II anyway?  How about the benefit of the starwood preference (3 days or so?).  Couldn't a poor week still pull lots of good Starwood properties with the preference?

Jan


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## steve1000 (Feb 2, 2006)

You are correct that Starwood selects the exchange week if you exchange through II - however, if you exchange through another exchange company (i.e. SFX) you can reserve a week and have that specific week exchanged. The advantage of buying a mandatory week resale is that if you are hoping to exchange primarily into other Starwood resorts it is much easier to do so internally through the SVN system (assuming you have sufficent StarOptions)rather than having to rely on what may be available through the particular exchange company. On the other hand, depending on the level of demand for the week you are exchanging, an outside exchange company such as II or SFX may give you an accomodation certificate or bonus week for exchanging through them.


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## ckuperman (Feb 3, 2006)

*I have ts at D.Oasis and Vistana Villages*

I am not sure if D.Oasis is a mandatory or not.
 I would agree to stick with the "mandatory" properties.  This way you can get the internal trades.  I  enjoy both places that we own.  The D.Oasis is small compared to V.V..  The D.Oasis feels like your own condo.  It is a comfortable place.
The Vistana Villages is in its 2nd phase called Key West. I think they are going to build several themed villages.  Each with its own personality.  I think if you can get something at VV that you will be able to easily move within the different villages.  More pools and ammenities get built with each new village. I am looking forward to the new additons and ammenities.
I would say you want at least 95,000 points.
My VV is a 2br , in the 2nd highest season and it came with 67,000.
If you want to go to Saint johns ts, it could be 144,000 points.
67,000 points does not get you too far.  I do seem to remember that if we bought in a "higher season" we would have gotten more points, for a higher price.
 Good Luck   Carol


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## Sir Newf (Feb 8, 2006)

*Can you combine SVN options?*

If you own 2 different weeks, ie Kierland: 1 platnium and 1 Silver, could you combine the options (67k and 25k), for a week/location that requires 97k options?


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## Ken555 (Feb 8, 2006)

Sir Newf said:
			
		

> If you own 2 different weeks, ie Kierland: 1 platnium and 1 Silver, could you combine the options (67k and 25k), for a week/location that requires 97k options?



Yes. (And, since that's 'too short' an answer for this BBS, I'm adding a few more chararacters...)


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## Pedro (Feb 8, 2006)

Sir Newf said:
			
		

> If you own 2 different weeks, ie Kierland: 1 platnium and 1 Silver, could you combine the options (67k and 25k), for a week/location that requires 97k options?


 
Yes, you can combine options in order to get a week that requires a larger number of options (although 67k and 25k gives you only 92k, not 97k).  However, you have to wait until the 8-month mark to place a reservation request.


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## DeniseM (Feb 9, 2006)

ckuperman said:
			
		

> I am not sure if D.Oasis is a mandatory or not.
> I would agree to stick with the "mandatory" properties.



Unfortunately, it isn't mandatory.


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## tomandrobin (Feb 9, 2006)

If Starwood picks your week for II, can it be any week of the year or is the week that Starwood picks within the season you own.

For example, I own a platinum week at Kierland. Will Starwood deposit a Platinum week or can it be a silver week?


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## DeniseM (Feb 9, 2006)

tomandrobin said:
			
		

> If Starwood picks your week for II, can it be any week of the year or is the week that Starwood picks within the season you own.
> 
> For example, I own a platinum week at Kierland. Will Starwood deposit a Platinum week or can it be a silver week?



They can pick any week, at any resort!


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## tomandrobin (Feb 9, 2006)

Wow, that really bites. First time I heard of that. That really makes the II membership insignificant. So they can take my 2 bedroom platinum and deposit a 2 bedroom silver from Vail for my exchange. I am assuming that it will be at least a 2 bedroom l/o is thats what I use.


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## skim118 (Feb 9, 2006)

DeniseM said:
			
		

> They can pick any week, at any resort!



Actually I like this approach of SVN, since it strengthens their internal network.  I like the fact that SVN members get to enjoy the popular SVN resorts at peak periods  instead of II members.

It's true the II week may not have great trading power, but I can live with that.  In fact I have no use at all for the Starwood-specific II membership I get for "free" !

Personally we use our Maui week or rent it(like in 2006); If we ever wanted to exchange, we can always reserve prime weeks and deposit with SFX.

Sara


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## tomandrobin (Feb 9, 2006)

What is SFX? And how does that work? I only know of RCI and II. Its amazing how much there is to learn. 

Originally looking at other properties too, like Marriott, but I don't think I am ready to learn another timeshare program/point system.


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## skim118 (Feb 9, 2006)

tomandrobin said:
			
		

> What is SFX? And how does that work? I only know of RCI and II. Its amazing how much there is to learn.



http://www.tug2.net/advice/sfx.htm


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## baz48 (Feb 10, 2006)

tomandrobin said:
			
		

> Wow, that really bites. First time I heard of that. That really makes the II membership insignificant. So they can take my 2 bedroom platinum and deposit a 2 bedroom silver from Vail for my exchange. I am assuming that it will be at least a 2 bedroom l/o is thats what I use.



I was able to get Starwood to deposit a Kierland 1 BR Platinum week into my account at II.  (We own a 2 BR L/O)  I specifically requested that she find a Platinum week there to deposit and she was able to.  The week she gave me was only about 3 months later, so maybe it was part of a bulk spacebank that Starwood did with II, but I'm just guessing on that.


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