SDO or SBP?

[DannyTS]

Hi, still new to the system and trying to figure out what is best for our needs. We do not own any week for trading (outside the SO system). I read that SDO and SPB are good traders. Which one is considered the best bang for the buck? Not sure about season (platinum probably) or size (i think we would favor 1 bedroom since it is what we use the most).
I see that they can both be registered in II and RCI which I like, all other weeks we own are Vistana just II.

 

[vacationtime1]

Hi, still new to the system and trying to figure out what is best for our needs. We do not own any week for trading (outside the SO system). I read that SDO and SPB are good traders. Which one is considered the best bang for the buck? Not sure about season (platinum probably) or size (i think we would favor 1 bedroom since it is what we use the most).
I see that they can both be registered in II and RCI which I like, all other weeks we own are Vistana just II.

Consider a small side shoulder season one bedroom Kierland week (weeks 22-27 & 36-49; the 37000 StarOption side). The acquisition cost and annual MF's are comparable to SDO and SBP (I have owned all three). The benefit of this VOI is that it comes with StarOptions, making it far more flexible.

The caveat is that one must pay VSE Club dues for this mandatory property, but if OP is looking for something outside the SO system because he has something in it, he may already be paying those dues.

 

[Bucky]

Before making a decision you might want to research that trading with both ideas.

I’ve always traded with II but when Vistana took over Starwood I was sent an email telling me to make a decision, either/or. I choose to remain with II but if I had not responded I would have automatically been put in the RCI system!

We have owned our SBP unit for about 13 years now and have been totally impressed with its MF and trading power within the Vistana and also Marriott systems. The trick for us was to buy a small 1br. Any other system would call this a studio but since Vistana calls it a 1br, that’s the way it trades. MF this year were $425. Can always pay the $99 upgrade to 2br charge but the only problem with it is that we cannot do an OGS for a 2br with it. We have used it for Harborside, Westin Ka’anapali, Westin Mission Hills and many other great exchanges, all for a whole lot less than most traders.

 

[VacationForever]

@DannyTS there were a few recent sightings and TUGers reported that SDO could see them but not their SBP. So if you are looking at trade power, SDO would better. If you are looking at MF, SBP might slightly lower.

I’ve always traded with II but when Vistana took over Starwood I was sent an email telling me to make a decision, either/or. I choose to remain with II but if I had not responded I would have automatically been put in the RCI system!

I have not received such an email and I do not recall such a post on TUG either.. BTW, it was ILG which acquired Vistana. When the Starwood company decided to form 2 separate companies, one for hotel keeping the Starwood name and the other as Vistana for the timeshare, they positioned for both to potentially be sold as separate companies.

Since Vistana does not provide a free II or RCI account unless it is in the VSN, it baffles me as to why you would even get such a message. It might be Welk resort that you are thinking of, where they recently moved form II to RCI?

 

[DeniseM]

Personally, I would not buy a mandatory week for trading in II or RCI, and I wouldn't buy an off-season mandatory week, because you pay the same maintenance fee for an off-season week, as a high season week, but get far fewer Staroptions.

I own a SDO large 1-Bdm. and I can deposit it in II or RCI, and I have used both, depending on where I wanted to go.

SDO has Plat weeks which are hard to find in a 2 bdm, and there are also Gold weeks which float 1-52, which you can usually buy for little or nothing.

The Plat SDO weeks are harder to find and more expensive, because they are sought after by people who want to requalify them.

The SDO 2 bdm lock-offs consists of a large one bedroom and a small one bedroom - not a studio. So if you split it, you get 2, 1-bdm. deposits.

An SDO 1 or 2 bdm. Gold week (floats 1-52) is a good trader to get started with, because they are inexpensive to buy and use.

The SDO 2 bdm. is a good value, because the maintenance fee for the 2 bdm. is less than the 1 bdm + small 1 bdm. paid separately.

 

[Letnes]

Personally, I would not buy a mandatory week for trading in II or RCI, and I wouldn't buy an off-season mandatory week, because you pay the same maintenance fee for an off-season week, as a high season week, but get far fewer Staroptions.

I own a SDO large 1-Bdm. and I can deposit it in II or RCI, and I have used both, depending on where I wanted to go.

SDO has Plat weeks which are hard to find in a 2 bdm, and there are also Gold weeks which float 1-52, which you can usually buy for little or nothing.

The Plat SDO weeks are harder to find and more expensive, because they are sought after by people who want to requalify them.

The SDO 2 bdm lock-offs consists of a large one bedroom and a small one bedroom - not a studio. So if you split it, you get 2, 1-bdm. deposits.

An SDO 1 or 2 bdm. Gold week (floats 1-52) is a good trader to get started with, because they are inexpensive to buy and use.

The SDO 2 bdm. is a good value, because the maintenance fee for the 2 bdm. is less than the 1 bdm + small 1 bdm. paid separately.

What are the advantages of SDO Gold Plus over Gold?

 

[controller1]

I’ve always traded with II but when Vistana took over Starwood I was sent an email telling me to make a decision, either/or. I choose to remain with II but if I had not responded I would have automatically been put in the RCI system!

1) When I first purchased, Starwood's exchanges went through RCI. It was later changed to II.
2) I do not recall ever receiving an email or choice of going with II or RCI.

 

[DannyTS]

i already have 81 SO (SVV Bella) which i understand offers most flexibility and WLR that we intend to use. I was just thinking to add a cheap trader to test RCI/II. Because we went from 0 to 3 weeks in a couple of months we are not willing to commit much more at this moment until we try out what we have, that is why i thought a 1 bedroom SDO or SBP would do the job

 

[DeniseM]

What are the advantages of SDO Gold Plus over Gold?

It's a slightly better trader, but for the reasons I explained above, the 2 bdms. are hard to find and expensive.

 

[chemteach]

From what I have read, the SDO trades better than the SBP. I own SBP, and have it on the "giveaway" portion of TUG. Several people are trying to give away their 2 bedroom SBP units. If you are interested, let me know. But my advice would be to go with SDO based on other people's experiences with II. SBP has been great for me. We used it to go to Cancun Xmas season, Kauai in the summer two times in the II Premier level resorts. (Cliffs club, point at poipu), Westin Mission hills. It's been good, but I now own Worldmark, and don't need the SBP unit. For internal trading, if you can travel off season, SDO should work. Unfortunately, Vistana doesn't deposit many prime season weeks in interval.

 

[GregT]

Personally, I would not buy a mandatory week for trading in II or RCI, and I wouldn't buy an off-season mandatory week, because you pay the same maintenance fee for an off-season week, as a high season week, but get far fewer Staroptions.

I own a SDO large 1-Bdm. and I can deposit it in II or RCI, and I have used both, depending on where I wanted to go.

SDO has Plat weeks which are hard to find in a 2 bdm, and there are also Gold weeks which float 1-52, which you can usually buy for little or nothing.

The Plat SDO weeks are harder to find and more expensive, because they are sought after by people who want to requalify them.

The SDO 2 bdm lock-offs consists of a large one bedroom and a small one bedroom - not a studio. So if you split it, you get 2, 1-bdm. deposits.

An SDO 1 or 2 bdm. Gold week (floats 1-52) is a good trader to get started with, because they are inexpensive to buy and use.

The SDO 2 bdm. is a good value, because the maintenance fee for the 2 bdm. is less than the 1 bdm + small 1 bdm. paid separately.

Denise,

The 2Br referenced in the last paragraph is still a lockoff though correct? They don’t have non-lockoff 2BRs?

Thank you.

Best,

Greg

 

[VacationForever]

Denise,

The 2Br referenced in the last paragraph is still a lockoff though correct? They don’t have non-lockoff 2BRs?

Thank you.

Best,

Greg

Yes, SDO only has 2BR LO, 1BR Premium (large) and 1BR Deluxe (small). Each of the 1BR MF is unproportionally much higher than 2BR LO MF when combined. In other words, it is most cost effective to buy a SDO 2BR LO, and if you cannot use the full 2BR L/O (or deposit as 2 1BR) per year, you can buy 2BR LO Every Other Year. MF is only $30 more for an every other year 2BR unit over an annual 2BR, but it is still cheaper than the MF of the 1BR (Large) + 1BR (Small).

 

[DeniseM]

Yes:

The SDO 2 bdm lock-offs consists of a large one bedroom and a small one bedroom - not a studio. So if you split it, you get 2, 1-bdm. deposits.

 

[bankr63]

1) When I first purchased, Starwood's exchanges went through RCI. It was later changed to II.
2) I do not recall ever receiving an email or choice of going with II or RCI.

Interesting.

We only trade our SVR in RCI, and shortly after the ILG ownership we were sent a free 2 year II membership with 1 free exchange (since expired). Maybe this is to set us up to entice/force a switch, but frankly I have been completely underwhelmed by what I see in II vs. RCI for trades. The free ownership has given me the opportunity to search both, and I have yet to book anything in II; in fact I even let the freebie go (we have WAY too many TPU built up already in RCI).

I guess I am wondering if they will get more forceful in their enforcement of a single exchange company in the future.

 

[DeniseM]

I have been completely underwhelmed by what I see in II vs. RCI for trades

With II, the best practice is to put in an ongoing search - they best trades are all made behind the scenes and never appear online. If you only look at the online inventory - you only see the leftovers.