Given Starpoint Devaluation, what should new starpoint values be?

[rocky]

So we all know that our starpoints are worth less than ever these days. Boy, the hotels they told me I could stay at with my points for days and days when I bought has sure changed...... for the worse!

My unit is worth 80K starpoints. If I look at what 80K points will get me, and what the current hotel rates, and WKORV rental rates are..... what would be a fair starpoint increase to give SVO owners, to make trading our villas for starpoints a better than awful idea?

I think 94,000 would at least put WKORV 2brm lock off owners back to where we used to be.... pre-devaluation.


*****TAKE THE HINT SVO, and FIX IT. Your owners are a step up from credit card users and even frequent visitors..... we give you something of VALUE that you sell for quite a bit. An upward starpoint adjustment is a reasonable and fair request.*****

 

[pointsjunkie]

totally agree with you, i have written starwood corporate on that subject and i am awaiting a reply,not holding my breathe, will let you all know when i get a response.

 

[Transit]

I think an increase should be prorated to how many staroptions you own .148000 S/O-11200 SP(enough for 7 nites cat 5) 81000 S/O-70000 SP(enough for 7nights cat 4) 44000 S/O-49000 SP(enough for 7 nights cat 3)

 

[saluki]

Thanks for working it, you guys. It seems only fair that the StarPoint relative value should stay in line with your original point allowance.

 

[DavidnRobin]

An even more extreme example is that the 2Bd/3Bd townhouse at WSJ (Virgin Grand) is only worth 22K SPs upon SO conversion for the low season (and only 67.1K SOs)

 

[pointsjunkie]

I think an increase should be prorated to how many staroptions you own .148000 S/O-11200 SP(enough for 7 nites cat 5) 81000 S/O-70000 SP(enough for 7nights cat 4) 44000 S/O-49000 SP(enough for & nights cat 3)

that won't work because if you see the s/o sheet the starpoints for equal s/o is not always the same. it varies according to the popularity and size of resorts.
ex. hs 1small br in gold=36,000sp] vv 2br gold =22,000sp. it is measuring apples and oranges in starwood world.

 

[Transit]

An even more extreme example is that the 2Bd/3Bd townhouse at WSJ (Virgin Grand) is only worth 22K SPs upon SO conversion for the low season (and only 67.1K SOs)

WSJ units are totaly off with the SOs.I did notice an adjustment for the newer b'way plantation units.

 

[Transit]

that won't work because if you see the s/o sheet the starpoints for equal s/o is not always the same. it varies according to the popularity and size of resorts.
ex. hs 1small br in gold=36,000sp] vv 2br gold =22,000sp. it is measuring apples and oranges in starwood world.

That could be a baseline. Seasons could be adjusted ,anyway you figure it unit starpoint values should be increased.

 

[pointsjunkie]

i wish they would read ths thread. it seems so logical and fair .

 

[rocky]

They read the threads on TUG. While I was buying my WKORV units I shared the items we were negotiating on TUG and my Starwood salesperson called me at home and asked me to remove my comments from TUG.....

 

[KOR5Star]

They read the threads on TUG. While I was buying my WKORV units I shared the items we were negotiating on TUG and my Starwood salesperson called me at home and asked me to remove my comments from TUG.....

What!?!? My sales person, as well as one of the senior administrators knows I'm on this site, reads what I wrote and has even commented on it privately.

Tell your sales person to go stick it in their ear! Nobody can tell you what to do or what to say.

As for the StarPoints thing, if you see my other posts, you'll see this is already a hot button for me. I've been repeatedly complaining about this.

What might be some good news is I recieved a phone call from Customer Relations recently. I was told they have finally realized, after repeated points increases from the hotels, that the current system is unfair. They are supposedly working on a plan as I write this.

I suggested they allow the resorts to float in the same manner as the hotels. If a resort is commanding higher rents, then we should get more Starpoints. If a resort is not commanding higher rents or rents are decreasing, then Starpoints should remain the same or decrease. IMHO, that would the most fair.

 

[pointsjunkie]

that would great if they are really working on a plan to adjust our starpoint values. if you think about it , they use this as a great marketing tool in sales and if the values are so much lower the sale must be getting harder. a person who is a multi svo needs incentive to buy from the developer.

 

[rocky]

What!?!? My sales person, as well as one of the senior administrators knows I'm on this site, reads what I wrote and has even commented on it privately.

Tell your sales person to go stick it in their ear! Nobody can tell you what to do or what to say.

I bought back in 2002..... that's when they asked me to remove my post. I'm sure the sales person is long gone! Your comments about SVO looking at Starpoint values is heartening!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mesamirage]

I have to agree that the system is unfair... no way to say otherwise.. BUT I really hope they proceed with caution on changes... I personally don't want to own a product that I never know what the value will be the next year. Not only that but I am sure that MANY people have made buying decisions based on what the point values was at the resort they purchased vs resorts they want to trade into (or at least try).

I personally think that reservation system is the most broke part of the system and that Starwood needs to focus on updating the reservations system to the year 2007! Then they should look at the points structure.. but again move slowly, I don't want a moving target with my ownership.

As for the StarPoints thing, if you see my other posts, you'll see this is already a hot button for me. I've been repeatedly complaining about this.

What might be some good news is I recieved a phone call from Customer Relations recently. I was told they have finally realized, after repeated points increases from the hotels, that the current system is unfair. They are supposedly working on a plan as I write this.

I suggested they allow the resorts to float in the same manner as the hotels. If a resort is commanding higher rents, then we should get more Starpoints. If a resort is not commanding higher rents or rents are decreasing, then Starpoints should remain the same or decrease. IMHO, that would the most fair.

 

[duke]

What might be some good news is I recieved a phone call from Customer Relations recently. I was told they have finally realized, after repeated points increases from the hotels, that the current system is unfair. They are supposedly working on a plan as I write this.

Hope you don't mind if I ask....but, why would Customer Relations call you about this?

 

[ketamine]

It's a built in part of the plan

What might be some good news is I recieved a phone call from Customer Relations recently. I was told they have finally realized, after repeated points increases from the hotels, that the current system is unfair. They are supposedly working on a plan as I write this.

What makes developer prices so inherently unfair is they KNOW the value of the points will be diluted over time. If they fix this i for one will be amazed!

 

[saluki]

I plan to send an e-mail to SVO. I think the more noise we make, the better our chances of them making a change. I don't see using the StarPoint conversion option often, but at least it should be a little more fair when owners do choose that route.

Fire up the e-mails & phone calls!

 

[myip]

Look at the new resort that STarwood is selling, the starpoints conversion is the same. It didn't adjust to the changes to SPG.

 

[skim118]

As a SVN owner I agree with everyone about the "unfairness" of the Starpoint conversion.

To the address the question posed by OP, I would need at least 128,000 Starpoints for my WKORV unit(10 days at Westin Maui Hotel in prime season).

But as a Starwood stockholder(HOT) since 2002, I hope they maintain their current policy and continue to be very profitable in their timeshares.

As long as 25% of WKORV owners turn in their units annually towards Starpoint conversion(2005), I see no incentive for Starwood to increase the number of Starpoints.

I know most Tuggers will not exchange for Starpoints, but Starwood is counting that enough SVN owners will continue to do so.

I know it might get harder to sell developer units(not happening yet); if it does they can always increase the purchase Starpoint incentives before they adjust the annual Starpoint conversion values.

 

[formerhater]

As long as 25% of WKORV owners turn in their units annually towards Starpoint conversion(2005), I see no incentive for Starwood to increase the number of Starpoints.

I know it was only 2 years ago, but a Starpoint was worth a lot more in 2005 than it is in 2007. I'm sure Starwood is counting on the average owner failing to notice this so they can maintain that 25% conversion. But at some point, the Jones Family from Iowa is going to realize that their 80,000 starpoints that got them 10 nights at the W Times Square in 2005 (cat. 4) will now only land them there for half as many nights (cat. 6). Yes, only five nights now and that's only if it's not during designated peak season. Try going during peak and they get 3 nights and 5,000 points in change. If only their maintenance fees had decreased by the same amount...

While I'm not convinced that Starwood is planning to do anything about this issue (I'll believe it when I see it), I have to believe that the number of people converting to points will decrease along with the value of the Starpoint. Of course, I'm sure the sales monkeys will continue to tout it as a wonderful benefit of ownership!

In the meantime, I'll earn my Starpoints from my hotel stays and credit card purchases and use my ownership weeks within SVN.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Perhaps the Starwood Lurker on FlyerTalk should lurk over here...

 

[saluki]

It seems to me that from a purely business standpoint, you could make an argument that it would actually benefit Starwood to increase StarPoint values. Raising the point total would increase (or at least keep steady) the number of people who turn in their unit for SPG points. This gives Starwood the ability to rent those units out for a very large profit &,in turn, profit from the difference of the value of the awarded StarPoints.

 

[duke]

It seems to me that from a purely business standpoint, you could make an argument that it would actually benefit Starwood to increase StarPoint values. Raising the point total would increase (or at least keep steady) the number of people who turn in their unit for SPG points. This gives Starwood the ability to rent those units out for a very large profit &,in turn, profit from the difference of the value of the awarded StarPoints.

I think this is the ONLY reason SVO offers a StarPoint conversion. If you look at the starpoint chart you can see that the resorts that have a higher rental value and higher rental demand are the ones with the higher starpoint conversion amount.

If SVO wants my unit to rent then they will have to increase the StarPoint values.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Even more reason to buy resale - and Mandatory. This is probably one of the driving forces for SVO to only build Voluntary resorts from this point forward. Wrong thinking IMO - but as I discover more about the internal decision making and workings of SVO/SVN - it doesn't surprise me.

 

[luv_maui]

I plan to send an e-mail to SVO. I think the more noise we make, the better our chances of them making a change. I don't see using the StarPoint conversion option often, but at least it should be a little more fair when owners do choose that route.

Fire up the e-mails & phone calls!

While at WKORV, I heard that comments at check-out are reviewed by corporate. In addition feedback is reviewed. Supposedly the reason for adding the WKORV shuttle service to Lahaina came out of comments; Corporate was at WKORV and told WKORV to make it happen. Thus, the shuttle now also goes to Lahaina (Kobe's steakhouse and Hilo hatties) and Cannery mall. At least that's what I heard on the shuttle on my way to Lahaina.