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sheraton flex purchase

kenzie

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I know you guys might think I'm crazy. But I traded our 2bdr mission hills. and cash for 148100 sp or so. But I've always believed buy where you want to stay so we purchased the flex to get steamboat. Looking for pointers. Thanks Frank
 

vacationtime1

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Rescind if you can.

If you want to buy Steamboat so you can stay at Steamboat, buy Steamboat.

Because when you buy Flex, you are not guaranteed Steamboat.
 

TDS

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I know you guys might think I'm crazy. But I traded our 2bdr mission hills. and cash for 148100 sp or so. But I've always believed buy where you want to stay so we purchased the flex to get steamboat. Looking for pointers. Thanks Frank

After years of not owning a ski week and not being able to get WRF or Steamboat when I wanted, we made a similar move last spring. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think the only way to buy Steamboat now is via Flex, unless you can find something from the original phase on resale. I haven't looked recently, but I think buying Steamboat resale is difficult since there was only a very small number of villas in that building (24, I think).

We got a reservation for a 3BR Mountainside unit for MLK week in the original tower after our purchase closed. It was fantastic. It was the nicest villa I've had across the whole network. Huge - 1900 sq feet. But there was likely luck involved because there is only 8 of these units I think (1 per floor of the Morningside tower). I don't expect to be able to get that unit often. My sister's family was with us and they had a 2 BR Lock Off (valleyside, new phase, booked at the 8 mo. mark) and it was nice - only complaint for that unit is the dining table is small and sort of randomly placed in the room. Our unit was the gathering spot for evening meals for the whole crew - the kitchen/living area was perfect for hosting two families. I made a reservation for MLK week 2019 at the 12 month mark - couldn't get the 3 BR Mountainside we had this year, but lots of other inventory was (and still is) available. We booked a 2 BR Premium Mountainside unit.

Are there other "pointers" you were looking for?
 

kenzie

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After years of not owning a ski week and not being able to get WRF or Steamboat when I wanted, we made a similar move last spring. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think the only way to buy Steamboat now is via Flex, unless you can find something from the original phase on resale. I haven't looked recently, but I think buying Steamboat resale is difficult since there was only a very small number of villas in that building (24, I think).

We got a reservation for a 3BR Mountainside unit for MLK week in the original tower after our purchase closed. It was fantastic. It was the nicest villa I've had across the whole network. Huge - 1900 sq feet. But there was likely luck involved because there is only 8 of these units I think (1 per floor of the Morningside tower). I don't expect to be able to get that unit often. My sister's family was with us and they had a 2 BR Lock Off (valleyside, new phase, booked at the 8 mo. mark) and it was nice - only complaint for that unit is the dining table is small and sort of randomly placed in the room. Our unit was the gathering spot for evening meals for the whole crew - the kitchen/living area was perfect for hosting two families. I made a reservation for MLK week 2019 at the 12 month mark - couldn't get the 3 BR Mountainside we had this year, but lots of other inventory was (and still is) available. We booked a 2 BR Premium Mountainside unit.

Are there other "pointers" you were looking for?[/QU

TDS; Thanks for your input we were thinking the same thing. We always believed you only purchase where you want to stay. Again thanks for sharing.
 
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cubigbird

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I would rescind. You can often buy Sheraton Flex points online for $1. If you are patient enough you can probably piece together the points you need for nothing.

Here is a recent Ebay listing for Sheraton Flex that sold:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHERATON-FLEX-VACATION-CLUB-81000-FLEX-OPTIONS-ANNUAL-TIMESHARE-FOR-SALE/152895982497?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

FWIW, if you really want a ski week, I'd look for a resale Westin Riverfront week. It's a better resort IMO and easier to get to as it's just right off I-70 in Avon, CO. Sheraton Steamboat is a nice resort, but it's harder to drive to in the winter. I think Riverfront is better.
 

DeniseM

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This is what the sales person didn't tell you: You will be competing with all other Sheraton Flex owners for a few highly sought after ski weeks. Most of the resorts in the Sheraton Flex system are low demand, easy to reserve resorts. Only the ski weeks are high demand weeks. So I suspect that Vistana is promoting Sheraton Flex as an easy way to get a ski week, without revealing that there will be far more Flex Owners trying to reserve ski weeks, than the number of ski weeks that will be available.

I recommend that you rescind and buy an actual deeded week at a ski resort, during ski season.
 

Smithsingeneva

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FWIW, if you really want a ski week, I'd look for a resale Westin Riverfront week. It's a better resort IMO and easier to get to as it's just right off I-70 in Avon, CO. Sheraton Steamboat is a nice resort, but it's harder to drive to in the winter. I think Riverfront is better.

Finding a Riverfront resale is not easy as there are so few units and the prices are typically high for ski season weeks.

After years of not owning a ski week and not being able to get WRF or Steamboat when I wanted, we made a similar move last spring.

We got a reservation for a 3BR Mountainside unit for MLK week in the original tower after our purchase closed. It was fantastic. It was the nicest villa I've had across the whole network...

...Made a reservation for MLK week 2019 at the 12 month mark - couldn't get the 3 BR Mountainside we had this year, but lots of other inventory was (and still is) available. We booked a 2 BR Premium Mountainside unit.

Good to hear from a Sheraton Flex owner that ski weeks at Steamboat are possible. This is a worry I and many others have. Maybe this gets tougher as new owners are added, but nice to know that it is working at least for now.

Of course, I agree with the purchase resale advice, even though Flex is voluntary.

Another ski option: we have used SOs to trade into SMV. It is not ski in/ski out but we enjoy it very much.
 

steve b

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I also am a sheraton flex owner and have booked Morningside 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom units in february since the program started with no problems so far.
I have bought resale and traded in a developer purchase also. I lost 4 transactions on ebay to right of first refusal to Vistana. So when investigating these ebay transactions you will rarely see a transaction actually go through. My resale was at 11k after all my 1500 auction wins never closed
 

Klebeling

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I also am a sheraton flex owner and have booked Morningside 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom units in february since the program started with no problems so far.
I have bought resale and traded in a developer purchase also. I lost 4 transactions on ebay to right of first refusal to Vistana. So when investigating these ebay transactions you will rarely see a transaction actually go through. My resale was at 11k after all my 1500 auction wins never closed

Hi. I’m considering a resale Sheraton Flex. I’m reading conflicting information about its StarOption transferability. If you are a resale Flex owner, will you please share your knowledge?

Do resale FlexPoints convert to StarOptions at 8 months? (I’m told, “yes” by the reseller, but it makes sense that they don’t.)

At 12 months, with FlexPoints can you book less than a week?

If your FlexPoints don’t convert to StarOptions, can you still bank them for future use?

Thank you all in advance for your help.
 

tschwa2

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For a resale owner flexpoints do not convert to StarOptions. The reseller was wrong. It does for him/her because he/she bought direct but that will not be the case for you. You can book less than a week at 12 months for inventory within the Flex trust. You can not bank them for future use through Vistana. You do have the option to use II with flexoptions to use at a future time but I am not sure if you can deposit the points or if you would have to do a request first or instant exchange only in order to use (that is the way some points type ownerships work in II).
 

DeniseM

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