Bought a timeshare at Westin Lagunamar

[grgs]

I thought you just said I can stay 1 week in a 1 bedroom and another week in a studio? is that not the case? how do the seasons work if you buy a flex with 1-52 and in Platinum? When shopping resale I want the most flexibility? what am I looking for?

You can do as Ken said in his initial past and reserve the studio and one bedroom separately. If you're buying a Lagunamar week, you can buy in the platinum or gold season. With a resale unit, you can only reserve in the season you own.

If you want the ability to book any week 1-52, then maybe look at Westin Aventuras or Westin Flex or a mandatory week. But if you want to go to Lagunamar regularly, the least expensive and least complicated option is likely a resale week at Lagunamar.

 

[andremike]

You can do as Ken said in his initial past and reserve the studio and one bedroom separately. If you're buying a Lagunamar week, you can buy in the platinum or gold season. With a resale unit, you can only reserve in the season you own.

If you want the ability to book any week 1-52, then maybe look at Westin Aventuras or Westin Flex or a mandatory week. But if you want to go to Lagunamar regularly, the least expensive and least complicated option is likely a resale week at Lagunamar.

so you can reserve them separately, but it has to be in the same week? Can you just reserve one of them and then loose the other if you don't book? I know peak time can be hard to book a 2 bedroom... and sometime a 1 bedroom is hard. how does a mandatory week give me flexibility? I will have to look into Westin flex or Westin Aventura.. i assume those are just Staroption only.. i still don't fully understand the "season thing" if its resale. don't some resales have flex week 1 though 52? so any week from 1-52..

 

[Ken555]

I thought you just said I can stay 1 week in a 1 bedroom and another week in a studio? is that not the case? how do the seasons work if you buy a flex with 1-52 and in Platinum? When shopping resale I want the most flexibility? what am I looking for?

If you own a 2-bed lock off, you can use the 1-bed unit one week and the studio a different week, as long as they are in the season you purchased. You may also use it as a 2-bed unit for one week.

 

[andremike]

If you own a 2-bed lock off, you can use the 1-bed unit one week and the studio a different week, as long as they are in the season you purchased. You may also use it as a 2-bed unit for one week.

when you say season.. if a listing advertises as 1-52.. does the season even apply? when does Platinum or gold come into play

 

[grgs]

so you can reserve them separately, but it has to be in the same week? Can you just reserve one of them and then loose the other if you don't book? I know peak time can be hard to book a 2 bedroom... and sometime a 1 bedroom is hard. how does a mandatory week give me flexibility? I will have to look into Westin flex or Westin Aventura.. i assume those are just Staroption only.. i still don't fully understand the "season thing" if its resale. don't some resales have flex week 1 though 52? so any week from 1-52..

You can reserve them at separate times.

A mandatory resort would give you flexibility, since you wouldn't be tied to a specific season. I misspoke in terms of Wesin Flex. If you want to be able to reserve at Westin Lagunamar in either season, then just look at Westin Aventuras or a mandatory week. Of course to reserve in platinum season you will need more points.

 

[Hindsite]

When shopping resale I want the most flexibility? what am I looking for?

Flexibility to do what? To go where, when and with how many people?

 

[Ken555]

so you can reserve them separately, but it has to be in the same week? Can you just reserve one of them and then loose the other if you don't book? I know peak time can be hard to book a 2 bedroom... and sometime a 1 bedroom is hard. how does a mandatory week give me flexibility? I will have to look into Westin flex or Westin Aventura.. i assume those are just Staroption only.. i still don't fully understand the "season thing" if its resale. don't some resales have flex week 1 though 52? so any week from 1-52..

If you purchase WLR resale, you can reserve in your season up to 12 months in advance. If you intend to travel during peak times, you will want to reserve the first day (and minute) possible.

Westin Flex and Aventura will have higher maintenance fees than WLR, but they also offer the ability to reserve at other resorts.

I recommend reading the FAQs in this forum thoroughly before proceeding. There's a lot of great info there, and it's the fastest way to become educated on this system.

 

[grgs]

when you say season.. if a listing advertises as 1-52.. does the season even apply? when does Platinum or gold come into play

If the listing is for a Lagunamar week, the listing is in error. There are no weeks that float 1-52. Weeks are either assigned to platinum or gold season.

 

[Ken555]

when you say season.. if a listing advertises as 1-52.. does the season even apply? when does Platinum or gold come into play

Well, first of all, you can't always believe what resale advertisements list as entirely accurate. In this instance, WLR doesn't have 1-52 weeks; here's the chart for this resort. As a resale owner, you won't have any StarOptions, but the week numbers corresponding to each season still apply to your week.

 

[andremike]

If the listing is for a Lagunamar week, the listing is in error. There are no weeks that float 1-52. Weeks are either assigned to platinum or gold season.

so if I buy Platinum season WLR can i book during the Gold season as well? just not in advanced from 8-12 months. right? or no?
When i mentioned flexibility, I want to be able to book any time of the year and not be locked into certain weeks. or is that not a thing? does the platinum and gold just give me preferrence to book 12 months in advance?

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

so if I buy Platinum season WLR can i book during the Gold season as well? just not in advanced from 8-12 months. right? or no?
When i mentioned flexibility, I want to be able to book any time of the year and not be locked into certain weeks. or is that not a thing? does the platinum and gold just give me preferrence to book 12 months in advance?

No. You can reserve only in the season you own as a resale.

 

[andremike]

No. You can reserve only in the season you own as a resale.

ok thanks, so it might be better to own both Gold and Platinum seasons.. IDK.. or just buy at a mandatory resort and loose the preferred booking window at 8-12 months

 

[byeloe]

so if I buy Platinum season WLR can i book during the Gold season as well? just not in advanced from 8-12 months. right? or no?
When i mentioned flexibility, I want to be able to book any time of the year and not be locked into certain weeks. or is that not a thing? does the platinum and gold just give me preferrence to book 12 months in advance?

You can trade back in using Interval, The Lagunamar studios trade as 1BD units in interval. The only difficult time to book Lagunamar at 8 months are weeks 51/52(also difficult at 12 months) and weeks 1-4(since it's Gold Season and costs less options).

You could get 2 Two bedroom units one Gold and one Platinum then you would have 12 month priority booking, also you must check-in on Fr/Sa/Su when you buy resale. MF will be around $2100 per week.

You could buy a mandatory Platinum WKV which comes with 148100 options. Cost will be around $13000 upfront and MF$2300. When you book lagunamr with options at 8 months you can check-in any day for 1 to 21 nights

 

[WorldT]

ok thanks, so it might be better to own both Gold and Platinum seasons.. IDK.. or just buy at a mandatory resort and loose the preferred booking window at 8-12 months

To clarify, if you own a week (2 bedroom ) at Lagunamar you can either
1. Book any week in the season you own. You booking can be as a two bedroom or one bedroom and a studio during your owner booking window giving you two weeks.
2. Use either side or both sides (studio and 1 bedroom) and exchange in II back into Lagunamar into another season. You also have the option of upgrading if a bigger unit is available by paying the upgrade fee. The exchange is based on availability. This will also give you two weeks of your split.

 

[andremike]

To clarify, if you own a week (2 bedroom ) at Lagunamar you can either
1. Book any week in the season you own. You booking can be as a two bedroom or one bedroom and a studio during your owner booking window giving you two weeks.
2. Use either side or both sides (studio and 1 bedroom) and exchange in II back into Lagunamar into another season. You also have the option of upgrading if a bigger unit is available by paying the upgrade fee. The exchange is based on availability. This will also give you two weeks of your split.

how do you exchange it back and or pay for the upgrade? can you do all that on the Vistana website or do you have to do that third party?

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

how do you exchange it back and or pay for the upgrade? can you do all that on the Vistana website or do you have to do that third party?

You do it all in II where you make the deposit, then the reservation and if available are given an option to upgrade for a fee.