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Starwood: Who gets week 53? [Must read for week 51/52 owners]

M

magicjourney

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I own a fixed week 52 with Friday check-in @ Harborside.

My unit is automatically booked for 12/23-30, 2016. I am wondering who gets week 53, 12/30-1/6? Is there a general rule for all SVN resorts? or individual resort handles week 53 differently?
 
My understanding is that the handling of Week 53 varies by resort. I purchased Week 52 and was told that I would get Week 53 for free. This was a lie, but I didn't buy it based on that small benefit...
 
Not sure how Harborside does week 53. I believe it is resort specific. Some resorts offer the week to week 52 or week 1 owners if they pay the additional fees. Some resorts keep the week so they can rent it. Some resort sell event weeks and let week 52 owners reserve week 53 because that week would have new years day (and let week 51 reserve week 52 because that week includes Chirstmas).
 
Christmas week owners always get rights to Christmas week; New Years Eve week owners always get rights to New Year's Eve weeks. And Starwood always get use of an extra week in any year where there's a 53rd week....since in theory there will be more weeks than there are owners in those years.

"Fifty Third Use Week. The Developer expressly reserves the right and exclusive easement to reserve and then use the Vacation Units for one Use Week in each Use Year that contains a 53rd Use Week....."

It goes on to say that the developer must promptly reimburse the Association for housekeeping and administrative expense associated with the use."

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137316&highlight=week+53
 
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Due to the way the calendar falls next year, week 51 does not include Christmas which is really a bummer for week 51 owners. (Sunday check-in has to check-out on Christmas.)

Week 51 12/16/2016 12/17/2016 12/18/2016

Week 52 12/23/2016 12/24/2016 12/25/2016

Week 53 12/30/2016 12/31/2016 01/01/2017
 
xmas and New Years weeks at WKORVand N were sold as event weeks. the owner of these weeks is guaranteed the right to stay the night of these events. In other words if a week 51 Saturday check-in is scheduled for Dec. 18-25, that owner will receive week 52 which would be Dec 25-Jan. 1. Week 51, Sunday check-in for 2016 falls on Dec. 18-25. That event week should be moved to Dec. 25-Jan 1. New Years week would then be Jan. 1-8. As it was explained to me, the owner does have the option of using the original week if he does not require the event night at Starwoods option. Starwood will receive a gift week one way or the other.
 
It depends on how the calendar falls - look at what I posted above. Owners are guaranteed the week, but not the holiday. *I have discussed this with several week 51 owners who don't get Christmas in 2016 - they do NOT get to move their date.
 
Sorry to disagree Denise, but the week on the deed at WKORV is listed as an event week and not a fixed week. By calling reservations they will tell you that your week is week 51 or 52, whichever you own. They did this to me and I went to resolution services and it was confirmed as an event week and that the reservation had to contain the night of xmas or New Years in the reservation. This is what I bought and that was confirmed.
 
DeniseM said:
It depends on how the calendar falls - look at what I posted above. Owners are guaranteed the week, but not the holiday. *I have discussed this with several week 51 owners who don't get Christmas in 2016 - they do NOT get to move their date.
Click to expand...

Are they Week 51 fixed week owners or Event week owners? If it's the former, then yes, they'd definitely be out of luck. If it's the latter, and they paid for an Event Week (Christmas) then it's my understanding that they will get Christmas day regardless of what week it falls under.

So if I was an EVENT WEEK owner who didn't get Christmas Day, then I'd escalate.
 
Vistana sold float weeks and fixed weeks.

Starwood sold event weeks. You could also pay extra to "fix" a float week. I doubt they would do that for week 51 at a resort that also sold the last two weeks as event weeks.
 
The 2016 week 51 thing is an interesting situation.

This is what a week 51 owner told me:

When he called reservations, they "firmly," told him that he was stuck with his week 51 dates with no Christmas holiday. So he asked for the issue to be referred to Owner Resolution Services, and they admitted that he was entitled to the week of Christmas, and changed the date to the next week.

This stinks! - Why isn't Starwood being proactive, and contacting owners about this issue, to be sure they get the week they paid big bucks for?

How many week 51 owners will not get Christmas week, because reservations gives them the wrong info?*

It's very suspicious, because Starwood has a vested interest in not providing this info., so they get the prime weeks for their own inventory.

Whether it's intentional or not, it is very poor customer service!

*The other week 51 owner I talked to got the SAME info. from Reservations, and didn't know he could escalate it up the food chain, so he accepted it as the truth, and thought he was stuck with the week before Christmas.
 
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I just heard from another week 51 owner who just called reservations. He got a big argument from them about what he was entitled to as a week 51 owner, then finally was transferred to Owner Resolution Services, where the first person denied his request and he asked to be transferred to her supervisor, and the supervisor admitted that he was entitled to Christmas week, and changed his reservation.

This is BS…. :doh:
 
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Sounds like a training opportunity!

P.S. At least they escalated in time so that they are not harmed.
 
It's more than just misinformation from reservations - the reservation system is giving week 51 owners the wrong reservation dates. So it's probably happening to week 52 owners, as well.

This will have a domino effect, and requires a plan to make it all work.

This is an entirely foreseeable problem that should have been addressed before it ever got to this point.
 
I own week 51 and 52 at WLR (sold as event weeks). I just checked on the SVO website and my 2016 are correct for Sat - Sat. 12/24 to 12/31 and 12/31 to - 1/7
 
A.Win said:
My understanding is that the handling of Week 53 varies by resort. I purchased Week 52 and was told that I would get Week 53 for free. This was a lie, but I didn't buy it based on that small benefit...
Click to expand...

I used to own Week 52 at the Berkshire Beach Club in Deerfield Beach, FL. The controlling documents at this Resort made clear that the owner of Week 52 was entitled to Week 53. It only happened once during the time I owned the Week but my (fuzzy) recollection is that I didn't have to pay a MF for Week 53 the year I used it. I would encourage anyone owning a Week 52 to read the Resort's bylaws and other controlling docs.

George
 
My guess is that most school systems will have break for Weeks 51 and 52. So I think Week 53 is the least desirable of the 3 even though it probably includes New Year's Eve. I would not want to replace Week 52 with Week 53.


Week 51 12/16/2016 12/17/2016 12/18/2016

Week 52 12/23/2016 12/24/2016 12/25/2016

Week 53 12/30/2016 12/31/2016 01/01/2017
__________________
 
For Starwood, the only property that I believe provides Week 53 to Week 52 owners are certain phases of SVR sold as fixed.

I own a fixed week Falls 52 that I know is one of those phases. My understanding is it is free and I need to call to get it added to my account when it rolls around in 2017 (Sunday checkin only). I verified this in the CC&Rs when I purchased the week, but this will be my first experience with it coming up.

-ryan
 
A.Win said:
My guess is that most school systems will have break for Weeks 51 and 52. So I think Week 53 is the least desirable of the 3 even though it probably includes New Year's Eve. I would not want to replace Week 52 with Week 53.


Week 51 12/16/2016 12/17/2016 12/18/2016

Week 52 12/23/2016 12/24/2016 12/25/2016

Week 53 12/30/2016 12/31/2016 01/01/2017
__________________
Click to expand...

I think it's really week 51 that is the big issue, because that week is very off-season.
 
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Event Week vs Fixed Week

So, how do we tell if a week 51 unit is an event week (ie always includes Christmas) or is a fixed week (may or may not include Christmas)?

We have a SVR unit that is week 51, and after reading this thread, I just noticed the 2016 automatic advance booking that shows on MSC doesn't include Christmas...
 
YYJMSP said:
So, how do we tell if a week 51 unit is an event week (ie always includes Christmas) or is a fixed week (may or may not include Christmas)?

We have a SVR unit that is week 51, and after reading this thread, I just noticed the 2016 automatic advance booking that shows on MSC doesn't include Christmas...
Click to expand...

The best way is to review the CC&Rs and amended declarations filed with the county recorder. It is the most time consuming, but it really is the authoritative source of the rules for reserving.

You can also request a copy of the rules from your HOA.

For SVR, I know there is no event week designation for the Falls phase. For other phases, you would need to consult the club rules. Given the way most units were sold for SVR, I don't think there was a designation for "event weeks", but I certainly don't know the rules for every single phase. I had thought for the phases that were primarily sold as floating, you could fix the week and/or unit for a higher price, but it was not a fixed event week that would change with when the holiday fell.

Good luck.

Regards,
Ryan
 
sjsharkie said:
The best way is to review the CC&Rs and amended declarations filed with the county recorder. It is the most time consuming, but it really is the authoritative source of the rules for reserving.

You can also request a copy of the rules from your HOA.

For SVR, I know there is no event week designation for the Falls phase. For other phases, you would need to consult the club rules. Given the way most units were sold for SVR, I don't think there was a designation for "event weeks", but I certainly don't know the rules for every single phase. I had thought for the phases that were primarily sold as floating, you could fix the week and/or unit for a higher price, but it was not a fixed event week that would change with when the holiday fell.

Good luck.

Regards,
Ryan
Click to expand...

I scanned through the 300+ pages of SVR Spas docs and all the recorded papers and only found references to the fixed week number 51, and nothing about event weeks.

That sounds consistent with the 2016 automatic booking...

Looking through docs for other properties, I found specific references to event weeks, ultra weeks, etc.
 
YYJMSP said:
So, how do we tell if a week 51 unit is an event week (ie always includes Christmas) or is a fixed week (may or may not include Christmas)?

We have a SVR unit that is week 51, and after reading this thread, I just noticed the 2016 automatic advance booking that shows on MSC doesn't include Christmas...
Click to expand...

On my KORN deed, the vacation period type is described as "Event (CHRISTMAS)". On other weeks that I own, it says either "Fixed" or "Float". According to the CCR's, the Christmas Event week is defined as the "next to last use week of the year" without references to any particular week number (51 or 52).
 
pathways25 said:
On my KORN deed, the vacation period type is described as "Event (CHRISTMAS)". On other weeks that I own, it says either "Fixed" or "Float". According to the CCR's, the Christmas Event week is defined as the "next to last use week of the year" without references to any particular week number (51 or 52).
Click to expand...

Thanks! That's what I was hoping was the case, that it was marked on the deed paperwork in a different way so it was perfectly clear whether it was a fixed week or an event week.

Something to look for if we buy any more units...

Now next question would be is "next to last use week of the year" always going to include Christmas Day?
 
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