Yikes! Did I make a mistake booking Vistana Resort over Vistana Villages?

[hajjah]

I just booked two units yesterday at Vistana Resort since it is now part of Marriott. I thought they shared the same property, but found out that the Resort is on 535 and the Villages are on International Drive. I'm reading reviews on Trip Advisor that have me worried. The trip is next weekend. Should I have chosen the Villages since their reviews are much better? We've vacation in Orlando yearly over the last 20 years, but have never stayed at the Vistana. I do remember there were some negative reviews years ago, but I thought with the resorts now being under Marriott, we should be ok. There weren't many updated reviews on TUG. Maybe I have time to make a change with II. I booked these units using two AC's.

 

[capjak]

My preference is the Villages (I own there but use it to got Maui via staroptions) over Resort but the Resort was updated a few years back and I have not stayed there since the most recent renovations so it might be different. I usually pick the Marriott Lakeshore or Grand Vista in Orlando, however.

 

[JIMinNC]

I just booked two units yesterday at Vistana Resort since it is now part of Marriott. I thought they shared the same property, but found out that the Resort is on 535 and the Villages are on International Drive. I'm reading reviews on Trip Advisor that have me worried. The trip is next weekend. Should I have chosen the Villages since their reviews are much better? We've vacation in Orlando yearly over the last 20 years, but have never stayed at the Vistana. I do remember there were some negative reviews years ago, but I thought with the resorts now being under Marriott, we should be ok. There weren't many updated reviews on TUG. Maybe I have time to make a change with II. I booked these units using two AC's.

The Vistana resorts are not "really" under Marriott yet. Yes, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Inc. did buy ILG/Vistana, but those resorts are still basically being managed totally separate from Marriott Vacation Club. The only real consolidation has been on the Marriott International hotel side, so the Vistana timeshares now show up in the Marriott.com/BonVoy reservation system for cash bookings, but that is the extent of any consolidation at this point.

 

[Dean]

I just booked two units yesterday at Vistana Resort since it is now part of Marriott. I thought they shared the same property, but found out that the Resort is on 535 and the Villages are on International Drive. I'm reading reviews on Trip Advisor that have me worried. The trip is next weekend. Should I have chosen the Villages since their reviews are much better? We've vacation in Orlando yearly over the last 20 years, but have never stayed at the Vistana. I do remember there were some negative reviews years ago, but I thought with the resorts now being under Marriott, we should be ok. There weren't many updated reviews on TUG. Maybe I have time to make a change with II. I booked these units using two AC's.

Ignoring the DVC resorts and situational preferences like adult vs family, here are my resort preferences for Orlando timeshares. I realize everyone preferences vary.

A grouping not necessarily in order.

1. Marriott's other than 3 Marriott World Village.
2. Hilton's
3. Bluegreen Fountains

B grouping

1. Vistana
2. V. Villages
3. Silver Lakes (maybe)
4. Villages Parkway
5. Summer Bay
6. Orange Lake
7. other Marriott's
8. Wyndham Bonnet Creek (could be A or B)
9. Liki Tiki
10. Wyndham Reunions

C Grouping - mostly anything else that seems reasonable including Westgate, other Wyndham's, etc.

I wouldn't make a big difference between the 2 Vistana locations though the V. Villages is a little more upscale depending on where each is for refurbishment. We've stayed at Vistana and enjoyed it, you should be fine, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[hajjah]

Thanks for your help. I cannot make a change now anyway. I thought I read that stays at Vistana now give us 7 nights. I certainly hope this is correct. I need to call Marriott. My only reason for booking Vistana was to get 7 nights added while using an AC. The AC's were not pulling Marriotts.

 

[hajjah]

Btw, which area/section of the Vistana Resort should I request? I don't have a clue. We'll probably just be seniors on a quick getaway and want a quiet location. If children were to join us though, what should I request?

 

[sb2313]

Thanks for your help. I cannot make a change now anyway. I thought I read that stays at Vistana now give us 7 nights. I certainly hope this is correct. I need to call Marriott. My only reason for booking Vistana was to get 7 nights added while using an AC. The AC's were not pulling Marriotts.

You will definitely get the 7 nights credit, we did in March.

 

[Pamplemousse]

Btw, which area/section of the Vistana Resort should I request? I don't have a clue. We'll probably just be seniors on a quick getaway and want a quiet location. If children were to join us though, what should I request?

The Vistana resort is much larger and busier than the Villages, but I don’t think you need to worry about the resort itself not being nice. I haven’t been there in 5 yrs +, but we have friends who go every year. They like to stay in the cascades area, fountains is 2nd choice. I’m not sure why.

You might want to go on the Vistana section of these boards ( as opposed to MVC) and search or ask for location advice.

 

[hajjah]

Thanks so much. Let me check out the Vistana board.

 

[mdurette]

We have friends that stay at the Resort and say it is perfectly fine. Heck, if you used ACs - then it will CERTAINLY me acceptable for the price!

I recall a trip many years ago with my inlaws. We planned the week and we both said we were booking Vistana - well, I booked Villages and she booked Resort. We didn't realize it until the time came for grocery delivery and I realized the different addresses.

 

[hajjah]

I had a problem navigating that Vistana board to get unit or building information. I just called Marriott trying to have the reservation added to my Marriott rewards account. That person told me that II exchanges never can be added via Marriott, which I know is not true. I've been adding II exchanges for years to my account in advance. Anyway, I also called the resort and asked which building was the most recently updated? They said it's Cascades. Now, I need to find out which buildings have elevators. I looked on TUG and someone said many of the buildings do not have an elevator. Ok, so it may be wise for me to call the resort again. We check in next Sunday.

 

[MommaBear]

I like the Cascades part of Vistana Resort because it is close to the big pool and the store. We've stayed in Courts, Fountain and Springs, all were fine. Be aware some don't have elevators if that is an issue for you. If you are in Courts, make sure you are away from the tennis courts.

 

[Pamplemousse]

I had a problem navigating that Vistana board to get unit or building information. I just called Marriott trying to have the reservation added to my Marriott rewards account. That person told me that II exchanges never can be added via Marriott, which I know is not true. I've been adding II exchanges for years to my account in advance. Anyway, I also called the resort and asked which building was the most recently updated? They said it's Cascades. Now, I need to find out which buildings have elevators. I looked on TUG and someone said many of the buildings do not have an elevator. Ok, so it may be wise for me to call the resort again. We check in next Sunday.

Try going on Marriott.com, go under your name, to my trips and then it says “don’t see your trip? Look by confirmation number” and put in the Reservation number ( not confirmation number) from your ii confirmation certificate ( in the orange box below the resort info). This has worked 100% of the time for me with Marriott exchanges- hopefully it will work with the Vistana.

Call the Vistana resort itself for elevator info.
I remember cascades having elevators, not sure where else.
When we stay at MVC resorts we always get a pre stay email and you could indicate your need for an elevator then.
If you get the reservation onto your account on marriott.com you can also indicate your need for an elevator or first floor unit under choose room features.

 

[chalee94]

Now, I need to find out which buildings have elevators.

https://disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread.3148502/page-87

"The two sections with elevators (Lakes and Cascades) are also the busiest sections, so you might want to consider how important that elevator is. A ground floor villa in another section like Springs, Spas, Fountains, or Palms might actually provide more peace and quiet with easy accessibility and parking generally right at/near your door."

Might be a little late but this thread over on the disboards is a good one for more information. Personally, I always pick SVR over SVV for Disney trips as it is a little closer to WDW - just a right turn out of the resort and another right turn at the traffic light and a short drive over I-4 (without having to get on I-4, which I strongly prefer) to the entrance gates to Disney property. I typically request the Lakes section and I have not had issues with SVR, the relatively recent renovations were beautiful - but it has been a few years and I'm sure some villas have had more responsible guests (and less wear and tear) than others...

(Also, many tripadvisor reviews do not reflect timeshare minded guests - so I would dismiss most of that immediately. Better to check out TUG reviews or the Disboards.)

https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread.3148502/

 

[dvc_john]

Try going on Marriott.com, go under your name, to my trips and then it says “don’t see your trip? Look by confirmation number” and put in the Reservation number ( not confirmation number) from your ii confirmation certificate ( in the orange box below the resort info). This has worked 100% of the time for me with Marriott exchanges- hopefully it will work with the Vistana.

This works great if you have a Marriott/Bonvoy reservation number. I booked an II getaway at Vistana, and the reservation number given by II is not a Marriott/Bonvoy number, but a Vistana number, and when I try to use the above procedure, it simply can't find the number. I suspect the OP will have the same problem if they are using an AC.

 

[Swice]

We were just there a month ago. It had been years since we stayed at a non-Marriott property. We chose it as an Interval Getaway (could get an Orlando unit with any of our THREE bonus week certificates- go figure!) thinking we'd at least get seven Marriott/Bonvoy night credits. The credits did not come. I filled out the missing stay form and got a reply that credit is not given for third party bookings, so I called and was told Interval is considered a third party booking. That had never been the case before. The seven nights did mysteriously show up in our account last week.

As far as the Vistana Resort is concerned: I'm guessing our unit had been refreshed somewhat recently. Decor is subjective. It was not as "trendy" as some of the recent Marriott remodels but I would say it was very nice. The furniture was heavy, sturdy and massive (think Caribbean rice plantation beds). There was a lot of floor tile instead of carpeting. The whole place looked more like an apartment complex in the suburbs... it was very spread out. We parked right in front of our unit and walked up one set of stairs. I would say the major difference was the pool areas. The pools were small and lacked the "luxury" surroundings at the newer Marriott's (missing were the puffy cushions, water falls and faux rocks and lush landscaping). Would I stay there again?-- sure. But it wouldn't be my first choice. Lakeshore remains in a class all by itself and is superior to everything else. Second choice would be a tie between Sabal Palms and Grand Vista).

 

[Pamplemousse]

Just wondering, is there not a reservation number (not confirmation number) on the getaway certificate in the orange box below the resort info?
Or is there a number, but it’s not a Marriott reservation number?

 

[Dean]

Just wondering, is there not a reservation number (not confirmation number) on the getaway certificate in the orange box below the resort info?
Or is there a number, but it’s not a Marriott reservation number?

I don't think you can add the rewards number on the website for Westin or Vistana, just Marriott.

 

[Pamplemousse]

I don't think you can add the rewards number on the website for Westin or Vistana, just Marriott.

I wasn’t thinking rewards number.
I was saying with an MVC booking (ii or points) you can add the reservation number on Marriott and have the reservation show up there. Then you can add bonvoy and preferences/ requests to your reservation.

I didn’t know if you got a Marriott reservation number from ii for Vistana.

 

[rickandcindy23]

So the only issue I have with Vistana off of 535 is the vast number of different unit types you can get with a confirmation. There are so many areas, including Fountains, Falls, Cascades, Lakes, and some others. They are just all different, and many don't have elevators. We walked two flights of stairs to get to our units each night. I was already tired from walking the parks. That was Fountains. But the unit was very nice, recently updated, and was what I expected, except for the washer/dryer unit, which was very old and very tiny.

When I grabbed an exchange at Vistana from HTSE for a relative, I called Starwood (now Vistana) and gave them the reservation #, and they were able to tell me what phase of Vistana my guest would be in. It was for Christmas, so a great exchange. You can probably find out what area you will be in.

 

[Dean]

I wasn’t thinking rewards number.
I was saying with an MVC booking (ii or points) you can add the reservation number on Marriott and have the reservation show up there. Then you can add bonvoy and preferences/ requests to your reservation.

I didn’t know if you got a Marriott reservation number from ii for Vistana.

I think they are one and the same. If you can get the reservation to show up on the website ongoing, you should be able to add your rewards number. Not even all Marriott reservations will show up, the ones where you are not supposed to get credit often won't. I had one recently where I could search for it but it wouldn't be there the next time so I'd have to search again. When I tried to put in the rewards number if wouldn't. Once I interaction with the resort and they added the rewards number, the reservation showed up in my account on it's own (Westin hotel). I was told that often you can't get Westin or Vistana timeshares in your account because the numbers are different but I don't know any more than that.

 

[hajjah]

Ok, so I found an email for the Vistana on Trip Advisor last night;

Dassie.Shuta@sheratonvistanaresortvillas.com

I received a very kind reply this morning noting my requests. The reservation has also been added to my Marriott rewards account with a different reservation number. This thing about II bookings not being added to our rewards account certainly is not correct. I've been exchanging my units via II since 2012 years before I became a Marriott owner and always getting 7 nights for each weekly stay. I won’t receive an email from Marriott asking for my request since I only booked it a few days ago and checking in this Sunday. I'll figure out what’s more important in terms of location.

Btw, we returned from Newport Coast 2 weeks ago. It was our 4th stay, but the first time down the hill. We had an issue with ants since we were on the first floor and extremely loud neighbors above us. On our last night, I guess that the parent allowed the children to stay up until 1 AM. They were jumping off the furniture and running and ripping the entire night. We got no sleep.

 

[BocaBoy]

Ignoring the DVC resorts and situational preferences like adult vs family, here are my resort preferences for Orlando timeshares. I realize everyone preferences vary.

A grouping not necessarily in order.

1. Marriott's other than 3 Marriott World Village.
2. Hilton's
3. Bluegreen Fountains

Interesting to see your preferences for Orlando. My top Orlando choice hands down is Sabal Palms, which we prefer over Lakeshore Reserve.

 

[dvc_john]

Just wondering, is there not a reservation number (not confirmation number) on the getaway certificate in the orange box below the resort info?
Or is there a number, but it’s not a Marriott reservation number?

There is a reservation number on the getaway certificate, but it is not a Marriott/Bonvoy number. Marriott/Bonvoy numbers are 8 digits long. The Vistana reservation number was only 6 digits long.

Ok, so I found an email for the Vistana on Trip Advisor last night;

Dassie.Shuta@sheratonvistanaresortvillas.com

I received a very kind reply this morning noting my requests. The reservation has also been added to my Marriott rewards account with a different reservation number.

Thanks for this. I'll give it a try to see if I can get the Vistana reservation to show up on my Marriott Rewards/BonVoy account.

 

[CPNY]

I just booked two units yesterday at Vistana Resort since it is now part of Marriott. I thought they shared the same property, but found out that the Resort is on 535 and the Villages are on International Drive. I'm reading reviews on Trip Advisor that have me worried. The trip is next weekend. Should I have chosen the Villages since their reviews are much better? We've vacation in Orlando yearly over the last 20 years, but have never stayed at the Vistana. I do remember there were some negative reviews years ago, but I thought with the resorts now being under Marriott, we should be ok. There weren't many updated reviews on TUG. Maybe I have time to make a change with II. I booked these units using two AC's.

I own at villages, been once. It was nice typical timeshare. I also have been to resorts once, the room they gave me was nice. The only problem was when I walked in, the room was occupied. By occupied I mean peoples stuff was everywhere. It looked like mid vacation. Luckily I’m an honest person and walked out but still kind of creepy knowing someone could be assigned your room when you’re at the parks all day. That really annoyed me.