Buying Sheraton Flex after market versus from developer

[shaaan]

Hi all,

Can you please point me to pros and cons of buying Sheraton Flex points aftermarket versus from developer? I understand the pricing piece but confused about different benefits/perks you get going directly with developer versus ones that are transferred or not transferred for resale? Very new to this so any pointers will be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[dioxide45]

Sheraton Flex is considered voluntary, meaning the StarOptions don't transfer upon resale to the new owner. This means you can use the HomeOptions to make a reservation at one of the Sheraton Flex properties from 12 months to 0 month from checkin. You can't reserve Westin resorts or Harborside at 8 months.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

Main con to buying from developer is cost...Sheraton Flex being given away on many platforms for free. Not sure there is ANY perk from the developer worth $10K or more vs acquiring for free.

 

[shaaan]

Is there a list of perks that are included versus excluded?

We liked the Interval International getaway that one gets to use owning timeshare under Marriott brand. Will we get access to it via buying from owner or is there a better way to get access without timeshare purchase?

 

[dioxide45]

With resale Sheraton Flex, you will need to sign up for your own Interval International membership and pay the annual fee for that. But with that you will have the same access to getaways. There are other, cheaper, ways to get II membership, but they all require owning timeshare.

 

[Hindsite]

If II getaways, not exchanges, into MVC, Sheraton and Westin properties are something that you are interested in, then the relatively expensive annual maint fees for a Sheraton flex contract might not be the best way to go. It is if you can use the flex ownership as well, and Sheraton flex does quite well as an exchange in II, including providing access to Disney Orlando resorts.
There are some small independent resorts that have every other or every 3 year ownerships with maint fees in the low hundreds per year. Where those are affiliated with II they can be worth it for what you are looking for. Even more so if they are in a location that you would visit.

 

[shaaan]

If II getaways, not exchanges, into MVC, Sheraton and Westin properties are something that you are interested in, then the relatively expensive annual maint fees for a Sheraton flex contract might not be the best way to go. It is if you can use the flex ownership as well, and Sheraton flex does quite well as an exchange in II, including providing access to Disney Orlando resorts.
There are some small independent resorts that have every other or every 3 year ownerships with maint fees in the low hundreds per year. Where those are affiliated with II they can be worth it for what you are looking for. Even more so if they are in a location that you would visit.

Are there any smaller ones that you can think of or recommend for get II membership?

 

[Hindsite]

Are there any smaller ones that you can think of or recommend for get II membership?

I've not studied the market for that, you'd need to do a load of research and match it to where you want to visit, sorry.

 

[shaaan]

If II getaways, not exchanges, into MVC, Sheraton and Westin properties are something that you are interested in, then the relatively expensive annual maint fees for a Sheraton flex contract might not be the best way to go. It is if you can use the flex ownership as well, and Sheraton flex does quite well as an exchange in II, including providing access to Disney Orlando resorts.
There are some small independent resorts that have every other or every 3 year ownerships with maint fees in the low hundreds per year. Where those are affiliated with II they can be worth it for what you are looking for. Even more so if they are in a location that you would visit.

Have you had success with exchanging Sheraton flex via II that is limited to home options?

 

[Hindsite]

Have you had success with exchanging Sheraton flex via II that is limited to home options?

I've got friends that have done it and got DVC, MVC, Sheraton and Westin exchanges. As it is a points system, the important thing is the table that Koz posted in the other thread you set up. If you have the required points, and the II inventory is there, you can get it using Sheraton Flex.
As Koz showed comparing the maint fee costs of MVC club points vs Flex in II gets you a more cost effective exchange using Sheraton flex, than club points. The next comparison would be the maint fees for a resale week vs resale flex. That's more difficult to do as the II trading power for weeks is less transparent than for flex points, but can be done if you do a bit of research into maint fees of lock-offs in various parts of the system and what people report they can see with those deposits.
There isn't a definitive answer to the "which is best" as that can change over time and it heavily dependent on what system you are comfortable with and what work you are prepared to do to get bookings/exchanges. The beauty with resale is that you can buy for next to nothing, give it a go and then give it away if you find it doesn't suit you and get something else. You'll learn a lot along the way.

 

[shaaan]

Appreciate it. Planning to start Flex with small points to keep low maintenance fees.

 

[Ken555]

Appreciate it. Planning to start Flex with small points to keep low maintenance fees.

What are your goals with this purchase? Though you could purchase a small amount of points, keep in mind that you won’t have many options where and when to use them and could easily become dissatisfied as a result.


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[shaaan]

I want to get feet wet with points before purchasing and committing to bigger amount, so plan is to learn with small and then get bigger added on. I checked and confirmed that the FL places I want to go will be sufficient with small points. Also, I am interested in getting access to II so I can get the membership and use it for other local getaways and deals.

 

[Ken555]

I want to get feet wet with points before purchasing and committing to bigger amount, so plan is to learn with small and then get bigger added on. I checked and confirmed that the FL places I want to go will be sufficient with small points. Also, I am interested in getting access to II so I can get the membership and use it for other local getaways and deals.

Flex is comparatively expensive to other options. Why flex?


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[cubigbird]

Flex is comparatively expensive to other options. Why flex?


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I’d only own Sheraton Flex for 12 month booking at Sheraton Steamboat to ski.

 

[shaaan]

Flex is comparatively expensive to other options. Why flex?


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What are the other options? I am getting Flex for very little, close to 0 investment.

 

[dioxide45]

What are the other options? I am getting Flex for very little, close to 0 investment.

The better option would be Sheraton Vistana Villages 2BR Prime season; Bella or Key West phases. It gives you 12 months access just to SVV but at 8 months can be used anywhere in the Vistana system using StarOptions. They may cost a couple thousand dollars. Some people may pipe in and say they got one for free or a few hundred years or even a few months ago, but those aren't as easy to find as SVV mandatory weeks in general are not easy to find.

 

[kozykritter]

What are the other options? I am getting Flex for very little, close to 0 investment.

He was talking about the annual maintenance fees, not the actual cost of buying it. Flex products which contain multiple home resorts generally have higher maintenance fees than many deeded weeks at a single resort but then you only have the option to stay at one Vistana resort or trade the full week in II. Flex options give you nine Vistana resorts to stay in and you can use just part or all of your home options in II to trade to other resorts, meaning you could use some for a Vistana stay and some to trade in II unlike a deeded week where you can only do one or the other.

The option dioxide45 is talking about is a single resort week that would get you the ability to trade into other resorts in Vistana using StarOptions 8 month or less before check in. You'd have to put the entire week in II to trade it, however, and you'll pay Vistana an annual membership fee to have those StarOptions to use to book other Vistana resorts (though this fee includes a free II membership so you'd save that money).

 

[shaaan]

He was talking about the annual maintenance fees, not the actual cost of buying it. Flex products which contain multiple home resorts generally have higher maintenance fees than many deeded weeks at a single resort but then you only have the option to stay at one Vistana resort or trade the full week in II. Flex options give you nine Vistana resorts to stay in and you can use just part or all of your home options in II to trade to other resorts, meaning you could use some for a Vistana stay and some to trade in II unlike a deeded week where you can only do one or the other.

The option dioxide45 is talking about is a single resort week that would get you the ability to trade into other resorts in Vistana using StarOptions 8 month or less before check in. You'd have to put the entire week in II to trade it, however, and you'll pay Vistana an annual membership fee to have those StarOptions to use to book other Vistana resorts (though this fee includes a free II membership so you'd save that money).

Thanks for detailed explanation! I will check the deeded weeks single resort option before making final decision.

 

[shaaan]

The better option would be Sheraton Vistana Villages 2BR Prime season; Bella or Key West phases. It gives you 12 months access just to SVV but at 8 months can be used anywhere in the Vistana system using StarOptions. They may cost a couple thousand dollars. Some people may pipe in and say they got one for free or a few hundred years or even a few months ago, but those aren't as easy to find as SVV mandatory weeks in general are not easy to find.

thanks!

 

[JimS]

I bought Sheraton Flex Contracts resale and use them in Interval. Have traded into Disney and Hyatts on Key West (2x on Key West). I also love Vistana Beach Club and have used them effectively to get Prime weeks there. Been a great supplement to my resale weeks at Vistana Beach Club and Villages Key West (EOY). One of the VBC weeks and the resale Villages qualified me for Abound as well. Overall, very happy with my resales.

 

[Ken555]

What are the other options? I am getting Flex for very little, close to 0 investment.

As others have already posted, it’s not the initial investment that’s the issue but the long term annual maintenance fees.

I suggest you read the FAQ in this forum to learn more about the program.


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[dioxide45]

I suggest you read the FAQ in this forum to learn more about the program.

TBH the "FAQs" and stickies in this forum are kind of an outdated mess...

 

[Ken555]

TBH the "FAQs" and stickies in this forum are kind of an outdated mess...

Well, go fix them!


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[dioxide45]

Well, go fix them!


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not so easy since I can't edit them.