Banking StarOptions [Important update 2/13/12!]

[DavidnRobin]

I am an owner at wkorv and N with fixed weeks 51 and 52. A week 51 owner is guaranteed Xmas day as part of a week 51 stay. Depending on your fixed check in day this can result in you moving to week 52 to make this happen. How do I know? Because it happened to me when I booked flights for week 51 arrival and and a week 52 departure. When I called to add a one night room(Saturday check in/out on week 51, Sunday check in/out on week 52, the rep caught my mistake because of my reservation day to tie the two together. Since Xmas on the Saturday check in started in week 52 both weeks were moved one week forward.
In my thinking *wood gained a week before the fixed weeks and not week 53.

That is very interesting - the KOR Governing Docs appear to agree with this in discussing Event weeks. While they are generally termed Weeks 51 and 52 - in the years where there are 53 weeks - it turns out (as you stated) that week 51 becomes 52 (Xmas week) and week 52 becomes week 53 (NY week) and it is week 51 (in a 53 week year) that becomes 'open'.

So... who gets week 51 in a 53 week year? I assume from what I have read is that it can get reserved as normal, or goes into the SVN pool. Is this correct?

 

[mariawolf]

Interesting I e mailed the vp in sales I know at Starwood and he didn't know the answer about week 52--however I know once when I called I was told that if there was a week 53 I could get that in lieu of my week 52.
The vp asked me to send him the e mail I got and he would look in to it.

 

[LisaRex]

So... who gets week 51 in a 53 week year? I assume from what I have read is that it can get reserved as normal, or goes into the SVN pool. Is this correct?

I believe I remember reading that Starwood gets use of those weeks when they occur. I don't have time to wade through the OA today, though.

 

[DavidnRobin]

I believe I remember reading that Starwood gets use of those weeks when they occur. I don't have time to wade through the OA today, though.

Not sure how they are controlled, but at least for the HI properties - the Event weeks (purchased as such) occurs when the event occurs (Golden week, Obon, Xmas, NY - plus whatever is deemed to be an Event week). These are discussed specifically in the OM). You get the week that the Event happens regardless of week #.

This means that every 7 years (or so) - there is an additional week that was not deeded (deeds are controlled by villa # and week #). A salesperson once told me that SVO gets it, but he said it was week #53 (pretended he was impressed I knew to ask...) - of course he was wrong about it being week #53 - actually it never is - it would be week 52 in a 53 week years.

Now what happens when the Event occures on a check-in date? - figuring that out will cause a cranial vessel to burst.

 

[clsmit]

Banked 2011 options on Thursday, used them today for 2012. No issues in MSC that I can tell. Their recording of my remaining options tie to our spreadsheet.

 

[LisaRex]

Banked 2011 options on Thursday, used them today for 2012. No issues in MSC that I can tell. Their recording of my remaining options tie to our spreadsheet.

Very nice!

 

[PamMo]

Banked 2011 options on Thursday, used them today for 2012. No issues in MSC that I can tell. Their recording of my remaining options tie to our spreadsheet.

I'm curious where you booked and what inventory Starwood is using for your 2012 reservation? Aren't the new SVN banked weeks supposed to be in a completely separate pool? Since 2012 weeks haven't been banked yet - are these all developer-owned units in the new program?

 

[DeniseM]

I'm curious where you booked and what inventory Starwood is using for your 2012 reservation? Aren't the new SVN banked weeks supposed to be in a completely separate pool? Since 2012 weeks haven't been banked yet - are these all developer-owned units in the new program?

Owners have been told that there won't be separate reservation pools - see post #83 in this thread. That means that right now, the rolled-over Staroptions can be utilized just like any Star Option exchange at 8 mos. out from check-in.

 

[GregT]

Owners have been told that there won't be separate reservation pools - see post #83 in this thread. That means that right now, the rolled-over Staroptions can be utilized just like any Star Option exchange at 8 mos. out from check-in.

This is certainly our expectation based upon what we've heard, but I still think it will be an interesting exercise to see what the Poster reserved, and how it was reserved (which StarOptions were utilized).

In Marriott land, we are told lots of things that aren't exactly as advertised.

With that in mind, I'll be curious to learn:

1) Did the 2012 reservation exceed the Poster's 2012 StarOptions (or could the 2012 reservation have simply been made with the 2012 options, and not the 2011). In Marriott, we've seen reservations made where the wrong year's points were used (and without the owners knowledge)

2) Can we confirm that the reservation used the earlier expiring StarOptions, ie the 2011 StarOptions, before using any 2012 StarOptions. (see #1 above)

3) Did the reservation combine 2011 and 2012 StarOptions (proving that they are combined easily)

I'm expecting a seamless combination of points, which would be very valuable, and that our Poster utilized their 2011 StarOptions first, leaving a balance of 2012 StarOptions for future use/banking. Hopefully that's what we will get!

Best,

Greg

 

[PamMo]

Thanks, Denise. I read the Starwood FAQs on MyStarCentral and have been following this thread to try to understand banking, but missed that.

It sure does make advance planning more essential than ever! It will be interesting to see how it works. I wonder if owners will get shut out of their home resorts if they don't reserve by the 8-month mark? It will be great for every other year owners and those who would like to combine their SO's for more choice, though.

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks, Denise. I read the Starwood FAQs on MyStarCentral and have been following this thread to try to understand banking, but missed that.

It sure does make advance planning more essential than ever! It will be interesting to see how it works. I wonder if owners will get shut out of their home resorts if they don't reserve by the 8-month mark? It will be great for every other year owners and those who would like to combine their SO's for more choice, though.

Even before this was implemented, as an owner, if you didn't make a Resv. by 8 mos. out you already lost all priority for a reservation at you home resort. Within 8 mos., when you make a Resv. at your home resort, you are a Star Option Exchanger. So while this may impact availability at 8 mos. out, it doesn't impact owner's priority, which already ends at 8 mos.

 

[clsmit]

I am 5* so I was able to bank my leftover 2011 options now (sorry, Make a Wish! I'll make it up to you another way!). A few days later I booked a 2012 week within the 8 month period using those options. They work like any other option you'd use within the 8-month window and you have to ask to use them. I was able to combine 2011 options and 2012 options to make my reservation.

To make the example more clear: I had about 9000 options left over. Since the closest SVN property is over 12 hours away from my house, using them for a short stay somewhere is basically impossible. So I banked them. When I made my reservation a few days later I asked to use my banked options to combine with (in my case, a specified unit's) 2012 options. I made a 2BRLO reservation that required 148,100 options. The reservations person used the my 2011 options, the large one bedroom options from the specified unit, and part of the studio options from the specified unit.

 

[GregT]

I am 5* so I was able to bank my leftover 2011 options now (sorry, Make a Wish! I'll make it up to you another way!). A few days later I booked a 2012 week within the 8 month period using those options. They work like any other option you'd use within the 8-month window and you have to ask to use them. I was able to combine 2011 options and 2012 options to make my reservation.

To make the example more clear: I had about 9000 options left over. Since the closest SVN property is over 12 hours away from my house, using them for a short stay somewhere is basically impossible. So I banked them. When I made my reservation a few days later I asked to use my banked options to combine with (in my case, a specified unit's) 2012 options. I made a 2BRLO reservation that required 148,100 options. The reservations person used the my 2011 options, the large one bedroom options from the specified unit, and part of the studio options from the specified unit.

That's terrific, thanks very much for the information, I'm glad its been applied as we had hoped.

All the best,

Greg

 

[gregb]

One other thing you might do with a few banked options is use them to tack on a few extra days at the front or end of your owned week. One thing that may be overlooked is that as long as you start OR end on a normal check-in day, you can add extra days to the other end of your week.

Unfortunately, you have to wait until the 8 month period to do that, and you lose your resort priority and view level (if any) in the process.

Greg

 

[LisaRex]

I think using the SOs to tack on days is a great idea, but I'd have to wait until 90 days out because I wouldn't want to lose my view.

 

[DeniseM]

I think using the SOs to tack on days is a great idea, but I'd have to wait until 90 days out because I wouldn't want to lose my view.

So are you saying you would make a separate reservation for the extra days?

 

[gregb]

So are you saying you would make a separate reservation for the extra days?

It seems that to tack on extra days with banked options you have two choices.

1. Make your week reservation during your resort preference window, and try to add extra days 90 days before you go using the banked options (as a second reservation); or

2. Wait for the start of the 8 month window, and book for the extra days at the same time as you reserve your week, but in this case you lose your resort view preference.

Anyone think of any other options?

Greg

 

[DeniseM]

That's my point, because at 90 days out, you still lose your preference on the extra days - but not your original Resv., but you are very likely to have to move from one unit to another.

 

[jarta]

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. I still think that having the ability to bank StarOptions is better than not having the ability to bank StarOptions.

I consider banked StarOptions to be similar to any other "leftover" StarOptions in my account. However, rather than use 'em or lose 'em, I can use 'em next year. ... eom

 

[GregT]

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. I still think that having the ability to bank StarOptions is better than not having the ability to bank StarOptions.

I consider banked StarOptions to be similar to any other "leftover" StarOptions in my account. However, rather than use 'em or lose 'em, I can use 'em next year. ... eom

I agree -- this is a win/win -- currently, StarOptions simply expire. This new feature allows us to push them into a future period, for a price.

We don't have to do it, and we've lost nothing. But we have the ability to do it, for a price.

It will be interesting if experienced StarOptions users note a decrease level of inventory, but I don't believe that TUGgers will note that. I believe what was hard to get before will still be hard to get. Other inventory should be as before (in my opinion).

Best,

Greg

 

[vacationtime1]

I agree -- this is a win/win -- currently, StarOptions simply expire. This new feature allows us to push them into a future period, for a price.

We don't have to do it, and we've lost nothing. But we have the ability to do it, for a price.

The price is a fair one. Currently, if I cannot use a week (or a portion of a week, such as a lockoff), I must deposit it into Interval where it will cost me $104 (or whatever) for an uncertain exchange. Now, for $99, I have the ability to push the StarOptions out a couple of years and can use them in a fairly targeted way, such as extending another trip as others have pointed out.

I think Starwood got it right this time. They will make a few bucks on the banking fees, we can get better exchanges, and the exchange pool should be unaffected, because (1) by making the banked StarOptions useable only at the eight month mark, home resort priority is preserved, and (2) after a year or two, banked options will more or less offset the use of previously banked options during any given year.

Another positive aspect of this is that Starwood, unlike Marriott, did not create the nonsense of separate pools of points that cannot be commingled.

 

[jarta]

GregT, ... Some of us can even bank StarOptions without a price and until December 31. ... eom

 

[LisaRex]

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. I still think that having the ability to bank StarOptions is better than not having the ability to bank StarOptions.

Who's looking a gift horse in the mouth? We're discussing the technicalities of using leftover SOs to extend a 7 day stay a few days on either end. It appears you'd have to make your home resort reservation during the 8-12 month period and then wait til 90 days out to book the add-on days if you wanted to preserve your view. DeniseM pointed out that you'd probably also have to change villas.

FTR, that's a neutral exchange of ideas, not an argument or criticism.

 

[jarta]

The technicalities of using banked StarOptions are exactly the same as the technicalities of using leftover, unbanked StarOptions. The only difference is the year you can use them in SVN trading.

Sorry, but I thought that using StarOptions in a future year was a definite advantage. The tenor of your and DeniseM's posts are that the advantage is not there because the same Starwood SVN restrictions on use are present (i.e. adding days to an existing home resort reservation only at 8 months and perhaps being forced to change units). But, there will always be TUG naysayers where Starwood is involved.

Banking StarOptions is not a panacea for all the perceived shortcomings of the Starwood system. But, it is an increase of flexibility and utility for those whose weeks are in the SVN.

(Let's be candid about what's going on here. The TUG Gospel has been not to own weeks that are in the SVN because II trading provides the greater advantages. IMO, there are still valid reasons to buy resale voluntary resorts and keep them out of SVN. However, banking of StarOptions could affect bulk banking in II by Starwood and decrease the II advantages.) ... eom

 

[LisaRex]

Sorry, but I thought that using StarOptions in a future year was a definite advantage. The tenor of your and DeniseM's posts are that the advantage is not there because the same Starwood SVN restrictions on use are present (i.e. adding days to an existing home resort reservation only at 8 months and perhaps being forced to change units). But, there will always be TUG naysayers where Starwood is involved.

You are filtering our comments through a jaundiced eye. NO ONE has even remotely insinuated that being able to bank SOs is anything but a great new benefit. We were discussing the technicalities of the system if owners wanted to tack on extra days to their reservation at their home resort. IV owners could conceivably book the entire trip at 8 months out. OV/OF owners who want to preserve their view should book the main block at 8-12 months out, then wait til 90 days out to tack on the extra days. Realisticaly, that would probably involve a room change because SO exchanges don't protect view designation.

Whether you'd care to concede it or not,that is a completely objective, neutral opinion based on SVN rules. It is NOT a criticism of the program.

FTR, the only naysayer in the room is you. You argue vehemently against stances that no one has taken, imagine sentiments that were not expressed or intended, and expose hidden agendas that exist only in your head.