CLOSED: Thread Dedicated to the Upcoming/Anticipated Integration of Vistana & Marriott Ownerships (Marriott Link + Vistana Discussion)

[vacation dreaming]

True, but a WKV owner can still *theoretically* use StarOptions to book in Hawaii. The big wildcard is, if they value Hawaii very high (which they will), will those Hawaii owners all take DC points and end up staving VSN of Hawaii inventory. Only time will tell. I long predicted that weeks would be based on the value of similar units at Marriott resorts in the area.

Agree. As a Hawaii owner myself, I think VSN will likely be starved. I never got the value out of VSN especially with my OF unit.

 

[KACTravels]

Did she confirm these conversion rates?

For the previous conversion rates, in today's text she only confirmed today Westin Flex @ 28.84 and Kierland Platinum @ 36.57

 

[CPNY]

Agree. As a Hawaii owner myself, I think VSN will likely be starved. I never got the value out of VSN especially with my OF unit.

I doubt you’ll get the value of it in the DC exchange as well.

 

[KACTravels]

I’m curious, has anyone else heard from anyone within Vistana today about this soft launch? Or has anyone else heard any other details today?

 

[William Seward]

KCATravels,

Thank you for the information and I know don't shoot the messenger.

I was told it will be a combined reservation system from several source. Maybe that the difference from a soft to a hard start. If I read your post correctly it states "each year you choose if you elect or not, If you don't elect then it will work exactly as it does now" but you can't do the conversion on the fly you have to make your vacation plans 8 month ahead of you decide to go out side of you're program (MVC or Vistana). My hope were a combined reservation system were the conversion is done automatically in the background. That's based on which program you log into from, MVC or Vistana. But you make reservation across the board into both programs freely without a time limit. Still am.

As you stated, Kierland Plat 148,100 it's 36.57 so election value is 4050. Does that mean 4050 MVC points. Is their a chart illustration the point structure for MVC properties. Basically what does 4,040 MVC credit points get you?

Thanks again and I'm looking for to the official email.

Bill Seward

 

[dioxide45]

KCATravels,

Thank you for the information and I know don't shoot the messenger.

I was told it will be a combined reservation system from several source. Maybe that the difference from a soft to a hard start. If I read your post correctly it states "each year you choose if you elect or not, If you don't elect then it will work exactly as it does now" but you can't do the conversion on the fly you have to make your vacation plans 8 month ahead of you decide to go out side of you're program (MVC or Vistana). My hope were a combined reservation system were the conversion is done automatically in the background. That's based on which program you log into from, MVC or Vistana. But you make reservation across the board into both programs freely without a time limit. Still am.

As you stated, Kierland Plat 148,100 it's 36.57 so election value is 4050. Does that mean 4050 MVC points. Is their a chart illustration the point structure for MVC properties. Basically what does 4,040 MVC credit points get you?

Thanks again and I'm looking for to the official email.

Bill Seward

Here are the MVC points charts;

https://vacationpointexchange.com/pointschart/points_charts_2023.pdf

 

[travelhacker]

I’m curious, has anyone else heard from anyone within Vistana today about this soft launch? Or has anyone else heard any other details today?

I haven't heard anything, but I am 100% positive that something is up...not just from this thread.

I am an admin on a facebook group and I have gotten multiple requests from Marriott Sales agents to joins...it hasn't ever happened, and I've gotten multiple people wanting to join today.

Super anecdotal, but I think there's enough smoke that something is up.

 

[vacation dreaming]

I doubt you’ll get the value of it in the DC exchange as well.

I guess I will have a bigger variety of bad uses for it! The devil is in the details.

 

[alexadeparis]

Just got my welcome call for a check in at WKV tomorrow and they wanted to set up a sales meeting to "discuss the big changes that just occurred this week", so we will see.

 

[dioxide45]

If they somehow open up VSN to Marriott DC point bookings, then I don't see how they can exclude mandatory resale weeks from the new program. I suspect they will dump unreserved Flex inventory into the MVC Exchange Company and that will be what Marriott owners are restricted to booking. Unless of course a Vistana owner decides to reserve Marriott inventory, then their Vistana inventory should move to MVC Exchange. The mechanics of how cross booking works is perhaps the most important detail. Even more important than conversion rates.

 

[dioxide45]

If a soft launch is just slapping up some new signage, I am kind of underwhelmed.

 

[alexadeparis]

live anecdotal reporting of a presentation today on one of the Marriott Facebook groups is as follows:
"The take away was that Starwood Owners will have to buy into Marriott’s Trust Points to be able to use the System and there are now 70 Resorts. According to the [salesperson], Marriott has worked extremely hard to be fair to all existing Owners (Marriott and Starwood)."

 

[KACTravels]

The rep defined a “soft launch” as having firm information they can share and the hard start with being able to use the new system within 90 days.

 

[dioxide45]

The rep defined a “soft launch” as having firm information they can share and the hard start with being able to use the new system within 90 days.

They've been sharing "soft" information for many months... The problem with them sharing anything is that unless I can see it in writing, I can't use it for the basis of anything.

 

[dioxide45]

live anecdotal reporting of a presentation today on one of the Marriott Facebook groups is as follows:
"The take away was that Starwood Owners will have to buy into Marriott’s Trust Points to be able to use the System and there are now 70 Resorts. According to the [salesperson], Marriott has worked extremely hard to be fair to all existing Owners (Marriott and Starwood)."

I hope that isn't the case. Thousands of buyers were told in the past year that just buying Sheraton or Westin Flex would be enough to get them in. Now if they are told they have to buy into the DC trust, there are going to be some heated arguments come the next owner update...

 

[CPNY]

I hope that isn't the case. Thousands of buyers were told in the past year that just buying Sheraton or Westin Flex would be enough to get them in. Now if they are told they have to buy into the DC trust, there are going to be some heated arguments come the next owner update...

I hope that is the case, no one on the vistana side will pony up more money and things will essentially stay as is

 

[daviator]

I hope that is the case, no one on the vistana side will pony up more money and things will essentially stay as is

OK, at the risk of putting my foot in my mouth... I also hope that these changes are more theoretical than actual in terms of people taking advantage of them.

Years ago... decades, actually, when I purchased my first SVO (now Vistana) timeshare, one of the reasons I decided to buy it, instead of buying in the Marriott program or any other program, was that I felt that both the Westin resorts themselves and the guests who used them were of a somewhat different sort than those at Marriott properties. The Westin weeks were pricier than the Marriott weeks, and it just seemed like the guests were of a higher caliber, with fewer kids running around screaming, etc. That sounds a bit elitist and maybe it is, but I have found the environment at the Westin properties to be less chaotic than at the Marriott properties, and that's something I value.

Nearly twenty years later, I still believe this to be true, on the whole. I have family members who own in the MVC system and I've spent lots of time at those resorts too, and I just feel like they attract a different crowd. Not saying one is better or worse, just that I usually prefer the Westin guests and vibe to the Marriott guests and vibe, to the extent there is a difference.

So I'm not looking forward to any great invasion of folks from the Marriott side and hope it doesn't really happen.

This isn't intended as a slam on anyone, and of course it's a generalization that doesn't apply universally. But I worry about the homogenization of the network, which I think will be to the detriment of those of us on the Vistana side. (I am certain there are Marriott owners who think THEIR resorts are better... different strokes for different folks!)

 

[dsmrp]

So what is Vistana sales going to peddle between now and June (hard start)? Additional DC trust points? Or continuing with the Westin and Sheraton flexes?

I'm thinking any email we get now will be short on details. And the inducements to attend an owner update will be less. We generally avoided owner updates, so not a big loss.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Happening today - Balloon’s and all!

Should I take one for the team?
Robin refuses - so no benefit.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dioxide45]

So what is Vistana sales going to peddle between now and June (hard start)? Additional DC trust points? Or continuing with the Westin and Sheraton flexes?

I suspect they continue to sell their Flex trust points. Nothing has changed except a few signs.

 

[dioxide45]

Happening today - Ballon’s and all!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Photos?

 

[tamu_bu]

If the speculated 36.5 is correct for WKV plat, our 67,000 (1 BR, small) which gets spring training at Kierland, won't even trade into a studio at Canyon Villas. That's is if I understand the conversation math properly.

 

[CPNY]

Happening today - Balloon’s and all!

Should I take one for the team?
Robin refuses - so no benefit.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DO IT PLEASE

 

[CPNY]

OK, at the risk of putting my foot in my mouth... I also hope that these changes are more theoretical than actual in terms of people taking advantage of them.

Years ago... decades, actually, when I purchased my first SVO (now Vistana) timeshare, one of the reasons I decided to buy it, instead of buying in the Marriott program or any other program, was that I felt that both the Westin resorts themselves and the guests who used them were of a somewhat different sort than those at Marriott properties. The Westin weeks were pricier than the Marriott weeks, and it just seemed like the guests were of a higher caliber, with fewer kids running around screaming, etc. That sounds a bit elitist and maybe it is, but I have found the environment at the Westin properties to be less chaotic than at the Marriott properties, and that's something I value.

Nearly twenty years later, I still believe this to be true, on the whole. I have family members who own in the MVC system and I've spent lots of time at those resorts too, and I just feel like they attract a different crowd. Not saying one is better or worse, just that I usually prefer the Westin guests and vibe to the Marriott guests and vibe, to the extent there is a difference.

So I'm not looking forward to any great invasion of folks from the Marriott side and hope it doesn't really happen.

This isn't intended as a slam on anyone, and of course it's a generalization that doesn't apply universally. But I worry about the homogenization of the network, which I think will be to the detriment of those of us on the Vistana side. (I am certain there are Marriott owners who think THEIR resorts are better... different strokes for different folks!)

This is spot on! And you have every right to be elitist. Marriott owners consider themselves to be “Marriott snobs” as the multiple Marriott employees told me in the past.

I agree, Westin was a higher end product and Marriott resorts are overrun with exactly what you described.

 

[KACTravels]

If the speculated 36.5 is correct for WKV plat, our 67,000 (1 BR, small) which gets spring training at Kierland, won't even trade into a studio at Canyon Villas. That's is if I understand the conversation math properly.

Or even get a 2BD during Spring Training: 148,100 = 4,050