Ease of Exchanging a Voluntary Week

[Adventureisoutthere]

I'm considering purchasing my first timeshare purchase via resale and its a voluntary week. I know I'm not able to exchange via staroptions, but I'm wondering what the ease is with exchanging via II (now Marriott, I think). Thanks for any insight.

 

[VacationForever]

In II, a Vistana week has priority in trading into other Vistana resorts over non-Vistana weeks when the Vistana weeks are first deposited into II for 3 weeks or so. You also get discounted trade fees when trading into another Vistana resort, something like $139 vs. $189. Marriott weeks have their own priority period block that allows Marriott to exchange into other Marriott weeks.

The acquisition has not gone through yet, with MCVI targeting for Sep 2018 date. After that they will take a few years to publish new rules.

Ease is a question mark. What are you looking to buy and where do you want to trade into?

 

[Adventureisoutthere]

[QUOTE="Ease is a question mark. What are you looking to buy and where do you want to trade into?[/QUOTE]

Looking to purchase a Westin Princeville EOY 2/2. We love Kauai so do not have an issue with mainly visiting that location, but would like the option of other locations. The idea of Orlando and/or Kierland would likely be our most visited locations due to family nearby. We would be open to other Vistana locations as available.

When exchanging, I understand I would need to exchange my 2/2 to receive a 2/2 week, but is my week exchanged no matter the value of the other location? I understand the Westin Princeville has a higher staroptions value than Kierland so is my week exchanged equally? Or would I still have "points" available after a similar exchange?

 

[DeniseM]

When exchanging, I understand I would need to exchange my 2/2 to receive a 2/2 week, but is my week exchanged no matter the value of the other location? I understand the Westin Princeville has a higher staroptions value than Kierland so is my week exchanged equally? Or would I still have "points" available after a similar exchange?

You are mixing up trading with Vistana and Trading with Interval International.

With Vistana, you use your Staroptions to trade, and you may have Staroptions leftover, depending on what exchange you make. A high season 2 bdm. at Kierland is worth 148,100 Staroptions, and year-round, a 2 bdm. at Princeville is 148,100 Staroptions. You will see a lot more inventory with Vistana than you will with Interval.

With Interval, you can deposit a 2 bdm, and request a 2 bdm. No points/Staroptions are involved. Vistana controls what is deposited in Interval, so most Princeville exchanges are available in the off-season - fall and late spring.

 

[Adventureisoutthere]

You are mixing up trading with Vistana and Trading with Interval International.

With Vistana, you use your Staroptions to trade, and you may have Staroptions leftover, depending on what exchange you make. A high season 2 bdm. at Kierland is worth 148,100 Staroptions, and year-round, a 2 bdm. at Princeville is 148,100 Staroptions. You will see a lot more inventory with Vistana than you will with Interval.

With Interval, you can deposit a 2 bdm, and request a 2 bdm. No points/Staroptions are involved. Vistana controls what is deposited in Interval, so most Princeville exchanges are available in the off-season - fall and late spring.

So 1 week is equal to 1 week with Interval. There is no "higher" value location, correct?

 

[DeniseM]

There is trading power in Interval (higher or lower trading value), but they don't designate it with points, so there are no leftover points.

Let's say I own a timeshare at the Alligator Swamp Villas, and I want to trade it for Westin Princeville. Well, common sense tells me that I won't get it, because I am trying to trade-up (wayyyyy up.)

But if I own a Vistana timeshare I have an advantage, because Vistana resorts have priority for other Vistana resorts, so I can trade up. By priority, I mean that Vistana owners have the first choice of other Vistana exchanges, before they are available to non-Vistana owners. For instance, I have traded Sheraton Desert Oasis for Princeville - twice.

Common wisdom is to use a mandatory resort for Staroption trades and a voluntary resort for Interval trades.

There is a lot more inventory in Vistana for trades than is available in Interval - so it's much easier to get a trade in Vistana. But if you are flexible about when you travel, you can get the top resorts with Interval. The 2 times I traded for Princeville, I put in a very open-ended request for the whole year, and took the week that I was offered.

 

[bizaro86]

There have been very few reports of 2 bedroom units at Westin resorts in the last while. Essentially, anything they can lock off they do in II. If your happiness with your purchase will depend on trading into 2 bedrooms in II to Vistana resorts, I wouldn't buy.

 

[buzglyd]

Denise I was wondering if you could rent your Alligator Swamp Villas to me. I’ve always wanted to go and have trouble trading in.

 

[Adventureisoutthere]

Denise I was wondering if you could rent your Alligator Swamp Villas to me. I’ve always wanted to go and have trouble trading in.

Bahahaha!!


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[DeniseM]

I'm sorry, the Alligator Swamp Villas is our favorite timeshare and we always use it ourselves:

 

[jhac007]

I'm sorry, the Alligator Swamp Villas is our favorite timeshare and we always use it ourselves:

View attachment 6567

Does this unit provide you daily maid service and is there a hot tub out back?

 

[Adventureisoutthere]

I'm sorry, the Alligator Swamp Villas is our favorite timeshare and we always use it ourselves:

View attachment 6567

Maintenance fees are probably astronomical, but worth every penny for that hot spot, I’m sure.


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[VaMtnMan]

Please correct me if I am misunderstanding this. So if I buy a 2Br premium week at Westin Kierland Villas, that has 148,100 points, I can use that to stay 3 weeks a year at Westin Lagunamar in a 1 bedroom lockout(44,000) in Gold Season?

 

[vacationtime1]

Please correct me if I am misunderstanding this. So if I buy a 2Br premium week at Westin Kierland Villas, that has 148,100 points, I can use that to stay 3 weeks a year at Westin Lagunamar in a 1 bedroom lockout(44,000) in Gold Season?

Yes. The only downside is that you cannot make your reservation until the eight month mark (although that wasn't a problem for weeks 48-50 the couple of times I ran that test).

 

[VaMtnMan]

Thank you, eight months out wouldn't bother us. We like going there in October, which seems to be their off season.