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Buying a mandatory resort?

hypnotiq

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If you were going to buy a mandatory resort to supplement a voluntary resort and get you into SVN, which one do you guys feel is the best one to pick up of the 5?
 

squeeze

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If you were going to buy a mandatory resort to supplement a voluntary resort and get you into SVN, which one do you guys feel is the best one to pick up of the 5?

none.:eek: IMHO
I've thought about the same thing and keep getting the same responses here. Of course, it depends on your reasoning, but be cautious about paying two MF fee's. They could continue to rise.:annoyed:

You may not want to listen to me; I'm still in a state of confusion after 7 years of owning and now found all these great TUGGERS to teach me how to use it without losing my tail.:clap:

But, the thought of 2 MF's on the rise every year can be a very expensive venture. (that is 1 thing I am definitely not confused about).

Some may need more info. on your vacation pattern to give you the best answer. What's best for 1 may not be best for all; especially in the TS business.
 
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C30NY

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I think it depends on your travel habits. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck (StarOptions to MF ratio) its SVV or WKV. I think WKV generally runs a bit more expensive but MFs are lower.

The prior poster mentions the rising costs of MFs, or specifically on two weeks. For my two weeks I pay roughly $2500, which can net me anywhere from 1 week with high StarOptions (Like a 2br for one week in Hawaii) or it can get me 4 weeks in a 1br lower seasons. So regardless the way I break it down, $2500 is not a bad deal in my situation. I generally do 2-3 vacations a year so this fills my needs and is much cheaper than I would pay for lesser accommodations (hotel room).

Also, I find that a mandatory is much easier to find a new home for should you want out.

To dip your feet in slower, consider an every other year (EOY)

Good luck!
 

VacationForever

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none.:eek: IMHO
I've thought about the same thing and keep getting the same responses here. Of course, it depends on your reasoning, but be cautious about paying two MF fee's. They could continue to rise.:annoyed:

You may not want to listen to me; I'm still in a state of confusion after 7 years of owning and now found all these great TUGGERS to teach me how to use it without losing my tail.:clap:

But, the thought of 2 MF's on the rise every year can be a very expensive venture. (that is 1 thing I am definitely not confused about).

Some may need more info. on your vacation pattern to give you the best answer. What's best for 1 may not be best for all; especially in the TS business.

Alot of TUGGers here are multi-week owners... I own 4 separate L/O annual weeks. I finally realized that I may have owned one too many. I have sworn off all timeshare presentations and stopped looking at eBay. :)
 

squeeze

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Alot of TUGGers here are multi-week owners... I own 4 separate L/O annual weeks. I finally realized that I may have owned one too many. I have sworn off all timeshare presentations and stopped looking at eBay. :)

sptung, you are hilarious.:rofl: no presentations, huh?:hysterical:

I know lots of the professional TUGGERS are multiple TS owners or multi week owners at same TS.

That's why I said you guys would probably need more of the OP's travel/vacation pattern. Def. multiple TS are not for everyone.

The one I have is still making me cry.:bawl: Ha! But, attending presentations sounds fun.:hysterical:

It seems like anyone who hangs out at TUG for too long is at their own risk for become multi week owners.:eek: :ignore: ;) :whoopie:
 

VacationForever

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It seems like anyone who hangs out at TUG for too long is at their own risk for become multi week owners.:eek: :ignore: ;) :whoopie:

I found TUG and thought it would get me smarter in the world of TS, it did... but it has also made me a timeshareholic. I only owned 1 week up to about a year ago and that was after 14 years of TS ownership... and I found TUG and it has since ruined me. :whoopie:
 

hypnotiq

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I would want something thats going to trade strong so that I can visit HI, WSJ, or HRA in any given year (likely rotate through the 3).

It seems to me that using SVN is much better for getting what you want than II.
 

DeniseM

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I would want something thats going to trade strong so that I can visit HI, WSJ, or HRA in any given year (likely rotate through the 3).

It seems to me that using SVN is much better for getting what you want than II.

There is no such thing as "trading power" in the SVN - it's points based (Staroptions.) If you have the required number of Staroptions, and if it's available (and that's the bigger if) you can reserve it - it doesn't matter where the Staroptions come from. Staroptions have the same value, no matter where they come from.

There is no way to guarantee that you can visit WSJ or HRA any given year - there is more demand than supply. Hawaii is fairly easy, since there are 3 resorts, as long as you don't want holiday weeks.

If you are buying with the plan of trading into WSJ and Harborside 2 out of 3 years, I'm afraid you will be disappointed.
 

PamMo

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Well, there is one way ... Buy there! :)

Well, that's an idea! :doh: ;) When you're talking about combining SVN weeks to get enough StarOptions to trade for one week in Hawaii - wouldn't it be better to own there? My 2012 WKORV MF's were $2,050.53, I can plan a year out for the exact week I want to vacation, and I always get a nice view of the ocean. I can easily rent my unit to cover MF's if our family is unable to use it one year. If you really want WSJ, Maui, or Harborside, I think you should at least consider buying where you want to vacation. With the ability to start banking StarOptions this year, I truly believe it's going to get harder and harder to book prime weeks at 8 months.

Also, with II trading, it seems the Starwood preference is tightening up a bit. The last HRA deposit had September (hurricane/low season) 1BR and 2BR units that many Starwood Tuggers reported they could not see with their *wood deposits. The 2BR week was almost invisible to anyone wanting to trade up in size. I think Starwood and II are tweaking the system.
 

LisaRex

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Also, with II trading, it seems the Starwood preference is tightening up a bit. The last HRA deposit had September (hurricane/low season) 1BR and 2BR units that many Starwood Tuggers reported they could not see with their *wood deposits. The 2BR week was almost invisible to anyone wanting to trade up in size. I think Starwood and II are tweaking the system.

Long overdue, IMO.
 

capjak

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I believe for trips to Maui you will have no problem through SVN, that has been my experience as I have booked with staroptions every year eventhough I own at WKROV-North due to planning to late.

For Harborside I got August on short notice as well.

Never tried WSJ or Kauai.

For the lowest MF to staroption cost it would be Westin in Phoenix 2 bedroom (148,000 staroptions), but the upfront costs will be around $15,000.

For lower upfront cost 1st choice would be SVV 81,000 staroptions for $2000 all in.
 

Westin5Star

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If you buy SVV or WKV, make sure that you are buying a unit / season with enough Star Options to trade within SVN where you would want to go. BTW, I have had no problem trading into WSJ, HRA, WPORV, or WKORV using Star Options at 8 months out. In general, I do not travel or try to book these places when school is out. Even with WSJ, I am 4 for 4 so far on the first try calling at 8 months out using SOs. Be flexible and internal SVN will allow you to go to some great places with low MFs.
 

spencersmama

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BTW, I have had no problem trading into WSJ, HRA, WPORV, or WKORV using Star Options at 8 months out.

Does Starwood give priority booking to 5* elite members?

Is the general consensus that WSJ or HRA is the more difficult 8 month booking with the StarOptions network? I got 9 nights in a 2 bedroom at HRA for the week of July 4th a few years ago. I got it the first time I called. It was pre-TUG, so I didn't realize how lucky I was back then.
 

YYJMSP

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Does Starwood give priority booking to 5* elite members?

No. We have to get up and call at 9AM at 8 months out like everyone else.

The only benefit in the reservation process that 4- and 5-Star have is that we can wait-list, so if we don't get the reservation immediately, we get notified when an opening comes up (instead of having to call in repeatedly). This wait-listing doesn't tie up any StarOptions, unless we accept the reservation if it comes up.

There are benefits when rooms are assigned in "priority" order.
 
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