Questions before canceling Sheraton flex points plan

[LutherL]

stupidly bought a small, 20700 point plan yesterday and will be rescinding. I actually bought it for the “cheap weeks “ purportedly offered through II. Of course, I do not have access to that system yet. Before I rescind, could someone please tell me

EDIT: with regard to the week “getaways” through II, (1) what the typical cost is for one and 2BR properties in Orlando for the month of August (and how it compares to other months) and (2) is there any way for a non-timeshare owner to become a member of II?

Thank you for any information that you can share.

 

[SandyPGravel]

duplicate post

 

[SandyPGravel]

20,700 Star Options will get you 2 nights in a 2 BR in August in Orlando.

 

[LutherL]

My mistake for not being clear, I was curious about the one week getaways through II

 

[KACTravels]

Just did a quick search 2BD August 2019 Orlando -
Cheapest = Grande Villas Resort $377
Most Expensive = Sheraton Vistana Resort $1,097 (And I am a Vistana Owner with preference!)
It is difficult to answer your question without specifics, but regardless...

You should rescind!
How much did you pay for the 20,700 and what did they say the maintenance fees would be?

 

[DavidnRobin]

stupidly bought a small, 20700 point plan yesterday and will be rescinding. I actually bought it for the “cheap weeks “ purportedly offered through II. Of course, I do not have access to that system yet. Before I rescind, could someone please tell me

EDIT: with regard to the week “getaways” through II, (1) what the typical cost is for one and 2BR properties in Orlando for the month of August (and how it compares to other months) and (2) is there any way for a non-timeshare owner to become a member of II?

Thank you for any information that you can share.

Not stupid - many here have fallen into the TS trap - just impetuous. Regardless of the Getaways...
Rescind.


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[LutherL]

Just did a quick search 2BD August 2019 Orlando -
Cheapest = Grande Villas Resort $377
Most Expensive = Sheraton Vistana Resort $1,097 (And I am a Vistana Owner with preference!)
It is difficult to answer your question without specifics, but regardless...

You should rescind!
How much did you pay for the 20,700 and what did they say the maintenance fees would be?

Thank you for the info. We like to spend a week or two every August in Orlando and were told the Vistana Villages were $479 a week (because he allegedly just booked it for someone). I asked if I could browse the rates but his internet was not working on his phone, allegedly. The cost for 20,700 points was roughly $9000 with all closing costs. Annual maintenance was around $480.

I only agreed because of the fantastic of weekly getaway rates (reportedly $350-450 per week with top rates of $699). But, I can’t really browse without an II account.

Can anyone comment on how the weekly getaway rates compare to available online rates?

 

[controller1]

Thank you for the info. We like to spend a week or two every August in Orlando and were told the Vistana Villages were $479 a week (because he allegedly just booked it for someone). I asked if I could browse the rates but his internet was not working on his phone, allegedly. The cost for 20,700 points was roughly $9000 with all closing costs. Annual maintenance was around $480.

I only agreed because of the fantastic of weekly getaway rates (reportedly $350-450 per week with top rates of $699). But, I can’t really browse without an II account.

Can anyone comment on how the weekly getaway rates compare to available online rates?

What did the salesperson say you could do with only 20,700 points?

 

[LutherL]

What did the salesperson say you could do with only 20,700 points?

Get me access to the great, cheap, getaway weekly deals.... that’s all I’m really interested in.

 

[amycurl]

You can usually rent from an owner. I would rescind, pay the $15 for TUG membership, and keep an eye on the "Last Minute Rentals" forum here (where the max rate is $800/week.) I would also check out the Marketplace ads, if you need to plan further out than 45 days. You can also rent timeshare weeks from Wyndham's "Extra Holidays" site. (Their resorts are probably a step down from Vistana, but only just a step or two...not an entire floor.)

There are waaaaaay cheaper and easier ways to get (relatively) inexpensive timeshare stays in Orlando in August.

You could also just sit in a sauna at a local hotel near you, which would be the same experience, IMHO.

 

[KACTravels]

Buy a cheap mandatory resale, save money on purchase, have access and SOs for other VSN properties at 8 months, exchange in II and the getaways. Save yourself the $9K PLUS $489 Maintenace PLUS whatever Getaway deal you get. THIS IS NOT A GOOD DEAL. Serious you should rescind, research and buy resale.

 

[LutherL]

You can usually rent from an owner. I would rescind, pay the $15 for TUG membership, and keep an eye on the "Last Minute Rentals" forum here (where the max rate is $800/week.) I would also check out the Marketplace ads, if you need to plan further out than 45 days. You can also rent timeshare weeks from Wyndham's "Extra Holidays" site. (Their resorts are probably a step down from Vistana, but only just a step or two...not an entire floor.)

There are waaaaaay cheaper and easier ways to get (relatively) inexpensive timeshare stays in Orlando in August.

You could also just sit in a sauna at a local hotel near you, which would be the same experience, IMHO.

Thank you for the advice. I’ve not considered renting from an owner, but will definitely look into it.

 

[LutherL]

Buy a cheap mandatory resale, save money on purchase, have access and SOs for other VSN properties at 8 months, exchange in II and the getaways. Save yourself the $9K PLUS $489 Maintenace PLUS whatever Getaway deal you get. THIS IS NOT A GOOD DEAL. Serious you should rescind, research and buy resale.

Thank you so much. I believe this might be the best thing to do. I have to do a lot more research about what would be a good purchase, and not get “stuck” with something I can’t get rid of.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Or buy an more expensive VSE Mandatory Resort (resale) like WKV.

For ~$9K, you can get a RESALE 1Bd WKV Plat villa worth 81K SOs with MFs <$1000.

I own two - and well ahead of the ‘game’ as they are hard not to rent out (to help pay for our exorbitant MFs at our other resale VSE resorts). Of the ones I own - I would say these have been the best ‘value ‘.

YMMV

They can get you a week in a 1Bd in HI... (and elsewhere...)


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[LisaRex]

That is crazy expensive for 20,700 points. Rescind immediately.

You can buy a 2 bdrm/2bath unit worth 81,000 options at Sheraton Vistana Villages on the resale market for ~$2000. MFs are around $1500. Not only will you get annual usage in Orlando each year, but if you buy a mandatory unit (Key West or Bella phases ONLY), you'll get complimentary membership in Interval International, where you can get access to GetAways.

Mandatory resorts are worth more because resale owners get the ability to also use Vistana's internal exchange program. That means that you'll have the ability to exchange to other Vistana resorts (including Hawaii and Harborside) when the 8 month exchange window opens.

If you don't really want to own an annual timeshare, and just want access to GetAways, your cheapest ongoing option will be to buy an Every Other Year studio or 1 bdrm unit at any resort that exchanges in II. But you'll want to pick a timeshare that retains its value so that you can sell it when you want to. So, for my money, I'd buy an EOY unit at Sheraton Vistana Villages (Key West or Bella phase).

Another simpler option is to ask friends or relatives who have an II membership to book GetAways for you. I've done this for family members in the past. Guest Certificates are an additional ~$60, IIRC.

 

[LisaRex]

P.S. I don't think that you can join II without owning a timeshare.

 

[LutherL]

I appreciate the continuing advice. I will be sending the rescind letter tomorrow.

I’ve contacted a TUG member on the marketplace with regard to a 1BR, EOY at Vistana Villages- Cascades? (floating). This seems to be a good economical option and will let me join II (and RCI).

 

[SandyPGravel]

I appreciate the continuing advice. I will be sending the rescind letter tomorrow.

I’ve contacted a TUG member on the marketplace with regard to a 1BR, EOY at Vistana Villages- Cascades? (floating). This seems to be a good economical option and will let me join II (and RCI).

Cascades is a section at the Vistana resort, not Vistana Villages resort. Cascades is voluntary.

 

[capjak]

Also only Vistana Villiages Key West and Bella sections are mandatory, and I would purchase Platinum season with 81,000 star options minimum, if you can find this EOY than that might be better for what you want, also gives you the option to go to some great resorts in Vistana system currently.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Your salesperson pretty much lied to you on the rentals in Getaways. Some of those rentals are cheap, but most are not all that cheap, especially if you have to plan ahead.

If you want to stay at Vistana Villages every year, two weeks a year in prime seasons, buy a 2 bedroom lockoff unit at either Sheraton Desert Oasis (Scottsdale, AZ) or Sheraton's Broadway Plantation (Myrtle Beach) and use both sides for both trades, and you will be at about $700/wk. You will have to forget the SO's this way. You would have to pay for your own II account as well. You would have to pay exchange fees + upgrade fees to do this. I have a platinum account myself, so upgrades from 1 bed to 2 bed are cheaper as a platinum member. I don't remember the price.

This is my very best advice to good friends who ask me what to buy. I have happy friends.

You can get either of these two resorts FREE on eBay or right here on TUG. Buy a summer float week at SBP, and if you can buy a Platinum week, absolutely do that, because it floats only in summer and not through the spring and fall. BUT I have the full float weeks, 9-43 and 47, and I get every trade I want with those.

The Staroptions are great, mandatory, but you do pay extra in those fees for the II account. If you buy mandatory, you have to pay your own II fee.

I have a Blue Ridge Village week that is a powerful trader. I just traded into Marriott's Ko Olina on Oahu with that week, but it's not in one of the systems, so I get leftovers. When I trade my Sheraton weeks, I can pick from dates and times at the Maui and Kauai Westins, but it's VERY limited when I can stay in those. Orlando is very easy. VERY easy.

 

[LutherL]

I sent the letter out and it was received by Sheraton today. I will wait patiently for the contact to be canceled and deposit refunded.

I am working through everyone’s advice- trying to learn the terminology and determine my best course of action.

With so many options, it takes a lot of time and research. Still trying to figure out the benefits/importance of the voluntary/mandatory units.

 

[KACTravels]

Great decision to reside and research. There is no emergency to buy any timeshare quickly. Congratulations