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Updated Flex FAQ

jabberwocky

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This FAQ has been built upon the previous Flex FAQ by okwiater from 2016 and makes updates to include the Westin Flex and Aventuras Flex systems, as well as some other recurring questions that arise on TUG. I did invite the original author to collaborate on this revision; however, the offer was not taken up and so all errors may be attributed to me. Please feel free to make suggestions or corrections. A big thank you to @controller1 and @dioxide45 for sharing a wealth of knowledge on Flex, much of which is reflected in this FAQ.

What is Flex?

Flex is a point type of ownership that was introduced in 2015 with Sheraton Flex. Westin Flex and Aventuras were added in 2018. Unlike other Vistana ownerships, which are based on a deeded week at a specific resort/unit type/season, Flex ownerships are associated with a certain number of HomeOptions (also referred to as "points"). HomeOptions permit the owner to reserve any available Flex resort within the specific Flex group (Sheraton, Westin, or Aventuras) for any unit type and the season for which they own enough HomeOptions.

What is Sheraton Flex?

Sheraton Flex is the first Flex system introduced by Vistana. Sheraton Flex gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following nine resorts:
  1. Sheraton Vistana Resort (FL)
  2. Sheraton Vistana Villages (FL)
  3. Vistana's Beach Club (FL)
  4. Sheraton Desert Oasis (AZ)
  5. Sheraton Broadway Plantation (SC)
  6. Sheraton Steamboat Springs (CO)
  7. Sheraton Mountain Vista (CO)
  8. Sheraton Lakeside Terrace (CO)
  9. Sheraton Kauai Resort Villas (HI)

What is Westin Flex?

Westin Flex is a type of ownership introduced in 2018 which gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following eight resorts:
  1. Westin Mission Hills (CA)
  2. Westin Desert Willow (CA)
  3. Westin Kierland Villas (AZ)
  4. Westin Princeville (HI)
  5. Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas (HI)
  6. Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas - North (HI)
  7. Westin Nanea (HI)
  8. Westin Riverfront (CO)
What is Aventuras?
Aventuras is a type of ownership introduced in 2018 which gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following two resorts:
  • Westin Lagunamar
  • Westin Los Cabos
At present, the Westin Resort and Spa Cancun is not part of Aventuras. There has been speculation that this resort will eventually be included.

Is Flex deeded?

The Flex trusts are backed by a pool of deeds associated with each of the resorts, unit types, and seasons that make up the respective trust. In the case of the Aventuras program, there are no deeds. Instead, the Aventuras trust is backed by RTU agreements at two Mexican resorts. Flex owners purchase packages of HomeOptions (also referred to as "points"), which bestow the right to utilize a certain portion of the available units held by the trust.

What are HomeOptions?

HomeOptions, also frequently referred to as "points," represent a Flex owner's right to make home resort reservations at any of the Flex resorts within the trust that they own (Sheraton, Westin, or Aventuras). Reservations can be made beginning at 12 months prior to arrival, just like any other home resort reservation. However, unlike most other home resort reservations in Vistana, Flex reservations are not limited to week-long reservations beginning on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Flex reservations can be made for any check-in day and for any number of nights (up to 14), based on availability. Note that owners of Sheraton Flex only have priority access to home resorts in the Sheraton Flex program. Likewise, Westin Flex Owners only have access to those in the Westin Flex in the 8-12 month period, and Aventuras owners only have priority access to their two resorts.

What are the differences between HomeOptions and StarOptions?

Frequently, people overcomplicate their understanding of HomeOptions by thinking of them as completely distinct from StarOptions. However, it is easiest to understand HomeOptions by thinking of them simply as a special type of StarOption, with the following single difference:

HomeOptions can be used to make home resort reservations at Flex resorts in their Flex group during the home resort preference period.

Note that for a developer or requalified resale package, the home resort preference period is 12 months to 8 months prior to arrival. For resale Flex ownerships, which have not been requalified, an owner can continue making home resort reservations eight months or less prior to arrival. For other Flex ownerships bought from the developer, reservations made eight months or less prior to arrival would be VSN reservations.

Can HomeOptions be used to reserve any available unit at one of the Flex resorts?

No. Only a portion of the deeds for each Flex resort is held in their respective trust. The other deeds are owned by other owners who have the right to use their deeded ownerships without competing with Flex owners. This cuts both ways: Flex owners cannot reserve inventory that is held by deeded owners, and deeded owners cannot reserve inventory that is held by the Flex trust.

As such, it is possible for a desired reservation to be available to deeded owners in the priority period but not to Flex owners, and vice versa. In addition, the Flex trusts do not contain deeds for every unit type at every resort. Here are some examples of inventory observations made by Flex owners:
  • Sheraton Broadway Plantation
    • 3-bedroom Palmetto units do not appear to be part of the Sheraton Flex trust, as they are not reservable using HomeOptions at any time of the year.
  • Sheraton Steamboat Springs
    • The East Tower, formerly operated exclusively as a hotel, appears to have been made a part of the Sheraton Flex trust and only reservable by Sheraton Flex owners
    • 3-bedroom units do not currently appear to be part of the Sheraton Flex trust
  • Westin Hawaii Resorts
    • There are no oceanfront deeds in the Westin Flex trust
    • There are no event week deeds (weeks 51-52) in the Westin Flex trust
How many HomeOptions are required to reserve resort/unit type/season?

HomeOption values are equivalent to StarOption values for the purpose of calculating the number required for a particular reservation. Simply tally up the weekly and/or daily StarOption values for the desired reservation, and that's how many HomeOptions are required.

The Villa Finder will also specify how many HomeOptions are required in the search results.

Are there limits to how long or how many reservations I can make?

You cannot book a reservation using Flex for a period longer than fourteen (14) days. You can also only have up to three concurrent reservations within the current use year per VOI that you own.

Can I use HomeOptions like StarOptions to make VSN reservations?

Yes, as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.

One benefit of HomeOptions is that even if they are used like StarOptions to book a VSN reservation eight months or less prior to arrival, if the reservation is subsequently canceled (prior to the 60-day restriction), they can continue to be used as HomeOptions to make home resort reservations. This is unlike a typical deeded ownership, which loses its home resort preference as soon as it is used to book a StarOptions reservation.

Can HomeOptions be banked/borrowed?

No. Only StarOptions can be banked or borrowed for use in VSN; however, for qualified Flex contracts, it will appear as though you are banking your HomeOptions.

Once you have banked your StarOptions for a particular year, they can no longer be used to reserve for that year. You cannot bank HomeOptions with the intent of creating a separate "banked HomeOptions" pool that has priority access to the Flex resorts.

While you cannot borrow HomeOptions from a future year to make a reservation, you can borrow StarOptions from the associated VOI to make a reservation through VSN.

How many HomeOptions come with a Flex ownership?

Flex ownerships can be sold in any increment of 1,000 HomeOptions, as well as in increments which align with popular week-long reservations (e.g. 67,100, 81,000, 95,700, 148,100; etc.).

There is no reported discount for buying a contract with a larger number of HomeOptions. For example, purchasing two ownerships worth 67,100 HomeOptions and 81,000 HomeOptions will cost the same as a single 148,100 HomeOption ownership (however, there would typically be two closing fees instead of one). This can be useful for requalifying, as it makes it easy to spend just above the requalification threshold.

As of this writing, to requalify a resale week, the minimum purchase is $10,000. Additional weeks may be requalified for an additional $5000. There have been recent reports of requalifications occurring at lower purchase thresholds.

Can smaller Flex ownerships be combined to make a single reservation?

Yes, Flex ownerships of the same type can be combined to make a single (or multiple) reservations. For instance, separate 67,100 and 81,000 HomeOption packages could be used to book one week in a single two-bedroom unit on Maui.

Can Flex ownerships be deposited into Interval International?

Yes. You can deposit in several popular increments of HomeOptions, which have varying trading power depending on the number of HomeOptions deposited, as well as the size and TDI of the week you wish to book. The following chart provides the conversion values that are used for trading in Interval.

1599938890508.png


You can deposit just part of your Flex package. For example, an owner with a 148,100 HomeOption contract could make a trade for a two-bedroom with a TDI of 90-110 (67,100 HomeOptions) and another two-bedroom with a TDI of 115-130 (81,000 HomeOptions). Note that despite differences in cost, Flex options from the three systems appear to be treated the same in Interval.

A short video on how to exchange using Flex is here:

Booking an Interval Exchange using Flex

How do Flex maintenance fees work?

Maintenance fees are prorated based on the number of HomeOptions owned. Fees do not vary based on the number of ownerships or HomeOptions. For 2021, fees were calculated by multiplying the number of HomeOptions by the respective values for each trust that is owned:

Aventuras: $0.0147/HO

Sheraton Flex: $0.0173/HO

Westin Flex: $0.0206/HO


When are Flex maintenance fees due?

Unlike weekly ownerships in Vistana, which have an early January due date for maintenance fees, Flex maintenance fees are usually due in September/October of each year.

Are Flex ownerships mandatory or voluntary?

Flex ownerships are voluntary, meaning that membership in VSN (and thus the ability to book with StarOptions) does not transfer on resale. However, a Flex resale purchaser is still entitled to use HomeOptions to make reservations at any of the Flex resorts in the group they own, based on availability in their particular Flex trust.

For example, a Westin Flex ownership that was purchased from the developer can book at the eight resorts within the trust starting at 12 months. If made within eight months, the reservation would be a StarOptions reservation and could be made at any of the 24 Vistana resorts.

In contrast, the Westin Flex owner who purchased resale could only book at the eight resorts within the Westin Flex trust and would not be able to book at the 16 resorts outside of Westin Flex with StarOptions.

Can I convert my Flex ownership to Bonvoy Points?

Flex ownerships can be converted to Bonvoy points as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.

Also, unlike deeded ownerships, which must be converted to Bonvoy in their entirety (except in the case of lock-offs, which can be split), Flex ownerships can be converted to Bonvoy in any increment. For example, with Westin Flex and Aventuras, the calculation is currently performed by multiplying the number of HomeOptions by 1.56. In other words, 100,000 HomeOptions would convert to 156,000 Bonvoy points.

All other applicable Bonvoy conversion policies apply, including fees, bonuses, and every-other-year conversion restrictions. Elite owners continue to receive all published benefits (e.g., fee reductions/waivers, conversion bonuses, etc.) as applicable.

Do HomeOptions count towards Elite status?

Yes. HomeOptions count as StarOptions for the purpose of calculating Elite status as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.

Will additional resorts be added to Flex?

Sheraton Flex launched with five resorts in 2015, and additional systems and resorts have been added since that time. Most of the twenty-four Vistana resorts are now available within one of the Flex trusts; however, there are some resorts that are not included at this time:

  • Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort
  • Harborside at Atlantis
  • Westin St. John Resort Villas
  • Westin Resort & Spa Cancun
  • Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta
 
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DannyTS

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Great job @jabberwocky !

I am a bit confused about Westin Cancun, wasn't the resort part of Westin Aventuras at one point? At least when they launched the program it was.

1599946828187.png


1599946788032.png
 

jabberwocky

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Maybe someone who owns Aventuras can clear this up?

The website for Aventuras currently only lists the two resorts (Lagunamar and Los Cabos).


I'm wondering if the earlier announcement wasn't just a general statement of the resorts that are available in Cancun and Los Cabos, rather than those available in Aventuras. It wouldn't be the first time a timeshare company has tried to make your opportunity set appear larger than it is.
 

DeniseM

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Thank you, jabberwocky! Well done! Let's leave it hear for a few days for discussion/input, and then I will move it to the sticky.
 
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DannyTS

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Maybe someone who owns Aventuras can clear this up?

The website for Aventuras currently only lists the two resorts (Lagunamar and Los Cabos).


I'm wondering if the earlier announcement wasn't just a general statement of the resorts that are available in Cancun and Los Cabos, rather than those available in Aventuras. It wouldn't be the first time a timeshare company has tried to make your opportunity set appear larger than it is.
It is very possible. It is also possible that Marriott decided they have enough inventory in Cancun. If they do not include it in any points program and they do not sell weeks there, does it mean they may intend to sell it?
 

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It is very possible. It is also possible that Marriott decided they have enough inventory in Cancun. If they do not include it in any points program and they do not sell weeks there, does it mean they may intend to sell it?
Maybe it’s going into a common currency program?
 

jabberwocky

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It is very possible. It is also possible that Marriott decided they have enough inventory in Cancun. If they do not include it in any points program and they do not sell weeks there, does it mean they may intend to sell it?

Maybe it’s going into a common currency program?

It may be plausible that they may want to convert the Resort and Spa Cancun to a MVC resort rather than have it go into Westin Flex. IIRC, MVC doesn't have much (if any) Mexico exposure. Whether this is through a common currency or placing the resort directly into the DP program, I'm not sure.

Edited to add: The thing to remember about the Flex resorts is that the trustees can add and remove inventory from the trust at will.
 

CPNY

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It may be plausible that they may want to convert the Resort and Spa Cancun to a MVC resort rather than have it go into Westin Flex. IIRC, MVC doesn't have much (if any) Mexico exposure. Whether this is through a common currency or placing the resort directly into the DP program, I'm not sure.
Hmm I’m assuming they can do that because this was a hotel conversion? I’m sure there are contractual obligations to stop them from doing that with other resorts?
 

jabberwocky

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Hmm I’m assuming they can do that because this was a hotel conversion? I’m sure there are contractual obligations to stop them from doing that with other resorts?
I think it is because they don't have many legacy owners at the resort (if any). If they haven't sold any RTU for individual weeks it would be easy to take anything that was in the Aventuras Trust and transfer it to the MVC DC Trust. It's messier if they have to start buying weeks from individual owners and transfer them.
 

jabberwocky

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Thank you, jabberwocky! Well done! Let's leave it hear for a few days for discussion/input, and then I will move it to the sticky.
Thanks Denise. In fairness, I had a great template and base to start from.
 

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@jabberwocky thanks so much for updating this. I've read through it and I would recommend only one change for clarity. My suggested edit is shown in red only for your convenience as I don't believe it needs to be such in the document!

Are there limits to how long or how many reservations I can make?

You cannot book a stay reservation using Flex for a period longer than fourteen (14) days. You can also only have up to three concurrent reservations within the current use year per VOI that you own.
 

jabberwocky

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@jabberwocky thanks so much for updating this. I've read through it and I would recommend only one change for clarity. My suggested edit is shown in red only for your convenience as I don't believe it needs to be such in the document!

Are there limits to how long or how many reservations I can make?

You cannot book a stay reservation using Flex for a period longer than fourteen (14) days. You can also only have up to three concurrent reservations within the current use year per VOI that you own.
Thanks for the feedback. I did edit the FAQ to make the suggested changes.
 

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I think it is because they don't have many legacy owners at the resort (if any). If they haven't sold any RTU for individual weeks it would be easy to take anything that was in the Aventuras Trust and transfer it to the MVC DC Trust. It's messier if they have to start buying weeks from individual owners and transfer them.

From what we were told at our update at WLR in February is that they were in the process of adding the Westin Cancun in the Aventuras Trust. This was a few weeks before the world went crazy. Since I told them that I preferred Lagunamar WAY over the hotel seconds prior, I don’t see a reason why they would lie about that.
 

jabberwocky

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From what we were told at our update at WLR in February is that they were in the process of adding the Westin Cancun in the Aventuras Trust. This was a few weeks before the world went crazy. Since I told them that I preferred Lagunamar WAY over the hotel seconds prior, I don’t see a reason why they would lie about that.
Thanks for letting me know. So if I understand correctly, it is planned and in progress, but not yet part of Aventuras.
 

dioxide45

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I also find it odd that there is no Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort inventory in the Sheraton Flex trust?
 

dioxide45

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From what I understand about The Westin Cancun, it was never sold as timeshare. It was strictly a hotel conversation with anticipation to sell as timeshare after conversion. It seems they have never added it to the Westin Aventuras collection. Perhaps they will at some point, but they probably don't need the inventory since I suspect there is still a lot of Home Options available for sale from when they added Cabo.

It would be good to convert it over to a Marriott then Marriott will have access to Cancun and they won't be itching to stay at Lagunamar...
 

jabberwocky

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I also find it odd that there is no Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort inventory in the Sheraton Flex trust?
I find it odd too - especially since Vistana Beach Club (which isn't branded Sheraton) is in Sheraton Flex.

 

jabberwocky

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I also find it odd that there is no Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort inventory in the Sheraton Flex trust?
I wonder if the association with the PGA on this resort somehow limits including it within the trust? Wasn't this resort initially developed as a joint venture with the PGA?
 

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From what we were told at our update at WLR in February is that they were in the process of adding the Westin Cancun in the Aventuras Trust. This was a few weeks before the world went crazy. Since I told them that I preferred Lagunamar WAY over the hotel seconds prior, I don’t see a reason why they would lie about that.
We were told the same in Dec-2019.
 

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From what I understand about The Westin Cancun, it was never sold as timeshare. It was strictly a hotel conversation with anticipation to sell as timeshare after conversion. It seems they have never added it to the Westin Aventuras collection. Perhaps they will at some point, but they probably don't need the inventory since I suspect there is still a lot of Home Options available for sale from when they added Cabo.

It would be good to convert it over to a Marriott then Marriott will have access to Cancun and they won't be itching to stay at Lagunamar...

I think it is still mostly a hotel, only one maybe two of the six buildings have been converted into villas. They have also remodeled some of the hotel rooms. It’s a very small resort compared to Lagunamar.

If we ever do bring in our lagunamar weeks with a Aventuras purchase, I will post all the details of what I find in the governing docs.
 

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It would be good to convert it over to a Marriott then Marriott will have access to Cancun and they won't be itching to stay at Lagunamar...

Would they be itching ? As the MVC sales person told me, “Marriott vacation club owners pride themselves on being Marriott snobs” would little ole Westin be good enough? They have the jam packed Surf and/or Ocean Club to itch to get to. If i go back to Aruba during non COVID times, I’ll opt for an airbnb or a really slow time of the year if there is ever one.
 

jabberwocky

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Would they be itching ? As the MVC sales person told me, “Marriott vacation club owners pride themselves on being Marriott snobs” would little ole Westin be good enough? They have the jam packed Surf and/or Ocean Club to itch to get to. If i go back to Aruba during non COVID times, I’ll opt for an airbnb or a really slow time of the year if there is ever one.
Hey, just change the name on the outside of the building, change some of the decor and a bit of furniture, jack up the price by 30% and everyone is happy.
 

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Would they be itching ? As the MVC sales person told me, “Marriott vacation club owners pride themselves on being Marriott snobs” would little ole Westin be good enough? They have the jam packed Surf and/or Ocean Club to itch to get to. If i go back to Aruba during non COVID times, I’ll opt for an airbnb or a really slow time of the year if there is ever one.

This may be true in some cases. I am pretty sure Lagunamar would be one of the favorite MVC resorts for those that live on the East Coast once it becomes part of the combined system. The pools, the locations, the views, the color of the ocean are all very hard to beat. It also offers more bang for the buck because there are many high end restaurants in proximity that are significantly cheaper than in the US. The day trips to Chichen Itza, Tulum etc are also very interesting and I think other Caribbean destinations do not necessarily offer such an interesting mix of culture, food and beach vacations. Given all that, I am not too interested in going to the other MVC Carribean resorts. We would like to visit Aruba but every time I read about how busy the two resorts are, my enthusiasm pales especially knowing the great experiences I have had at Lagunamar.

Since I am concerned about the availability once the integration is complete (especially on SO), I am happy if MVC would see more Westin Cancun inventory rather than Lagunamar. I am not sure that would satisfy the Marriott owners, Westin Cancun has small pools, a so so location, smaller units, less ocean view condos and they still costs as many StarOptions as Lagunamar. This is the reason why I thought Marriott may want to sell Westin Cancun, I would be counter productive IMO to brag about their newly acquired Mexican resorts and not offer their owners the best possible experience in Mexico.
 

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Ok, unless I hear otherwise, I will leave the Cancun location out of Flex. I want the FAQ to be as factual as possible, and as of today WRSC (not sure what acronym we should use) is not listed by Vistana as being a Aventuras resort.

Are there any questions that I have missed? I did go through some of the old threads to try and find some new topics that weren’t in the previous FAQ. I did manage to find a few. But I am open to suggestions for additional ones.
 
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blondietink

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For example, a Westin Flex ownership that was purchased from the developer can book at the eight resorts within the trust starting at 12 months. If made within eight months, the reservation would be a StarOptions reservation and could be made at any of the 24 Vistana resorts.

In contrast, the Westin Flex owner who purchased resale could only book at the eight resorts within the Westin Flex trust and would not be able to book at the 16 resorts outside of Westin Flex with StarOptions.

Shouldn't the first paragraph read Sheraton Flex??
 
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