Help--Newbie Questions about SDO

[lilpooh108]

Help! I'm about to make a comittment to buy a 1bdrm Premium resale unit at SDO. The seller says that it floats for weeks 1-52. I have been reading all of the resources (and especially Denise M.'s helpful info) on SDO. To be honest, we are only interested in acquiring SDO to trade via II into other Starwood properties.

I own DVC so I have basic knowledge of timeshares, but I know nothing of trading w/II.

Please tell me how unrealistic or realistic my expectations should be as to the following:

1. Using SDO to trade into Westin Kanaapali, at any time between mid June through August, or week after Thanksgiving.

2. Using SDO to trade into Westin Lagunamar, at any time between mid June through August, or week after Thanksgiving.

3. Using SDO to trade into Marriott Village Ile de France, at any time.

4. Using SDO to trade into Sheraton Vistana Villages, at any time.

5. Expecting to trade SDO for any of the above every single time, if we are flexible.

6. Do you think Starwood would ever prevent/prohibit priority for Sheraton to Westin trades?

7. How far ahead would I need to plan my vacations/deposit the week?

8. If the SDO unit is EOY, can I deposit the week during the usage year and ask for a trade during the "off" year?

Thanks so much!

 

[oneohana]

You might want to look at a eoy 2 bed l/o. The mf's are not that much more and you have the flexibility of a 2 bed l/o instead of just a 1 bedroom.

 

[VacationForever]

Help! I'm about to make a comittment to buy a 1bdrm Premium resale unit at SDO. The seller says that it floats for weeks 1-52. I have been reading all of the resources (and especially Denise M.'s helpful info) on SDO. To be honest, we are only interested in acquiring SDO to trade via II into other Starwood properties.

I own DVC so I have basic knowledge of timeshares, but I know nothing of trading w/II.

Please tell me how unrealistic or realistic my expectations should be as to the following:

1. Using SDO to trade into Westin Kanaapali, at any time between mid June through August, or week after Thanksgiving.
Very Difficult

2. Using SDO to trade into Westin Lagunamar, at any time between mid June through August, or week after Thanksgiving.
Easier than Westin Kanaapali trade.

3. Using SDO to trade into Marriott Village Ile de France, at any time.
Easy only during off-season.

4. Using SDO to trade into Sheraton Vistana Villages, at any time.
Very easy.

5. Expecting to trade SDO for any of the above every single time, if we are flexible.
Only if you are flexible on dates.

6. Do you think Starwood would ever prevent/prohibit priority for Sheraton to Westin trades?
It's all about trading power. If Starwood decides to sell off/spin off SDO, then there will no longer be Starwood-Starwood preference and it will surely make alot of Elite owners unhappy.

7. How far ahead would I need to plan my vacations/deposit the week?
12 months is best.

8. If the SDO unit is EOY, can I deposit the week during the usage year and ask for a trade during the "off" year?
Deposited week is good for 2.5 years (June of...), so as long as it is after the usage year...

Thanks so much!

See response above.

 

[DeniseM]

Help! I'm about to make a comittment to buy a 1bdrm Premium resale unit at SDO. The seller says that it floats for weeks 1-52. I have been reading all of the resources (and especially Denise M.'s helpful info) on SDO. To be honest, we are only interested in acquiring SDO to trade via II into other Starwood properties.

A platinum week - and a week that floats 1-52 (Gold Plus) are NOT the same. My guess is that you are buying a 1-52 floater. How much is it?

I own DVC so I have basic knowledge of timeshares, but I know nothing of trading w/II.

Please tell me how unrealistic or realistic my expectations should be as to the following:

1. Using SDO to trade into Westin Kanaapali, at any time between mid June through August, or week after Thanksgiving.

Doable with an ongoing request put in place 12 mos. or more out.

2. Using SDO to trade into Westin Lagunamar, at any time between mid June through August, or week after Thanksgiving.

VERY easy

3. Using SDO to trade into Marriott Village Ile de France, at any time.

Starwood owners have no priority for Marriott trades.

4. Using SDO to trade into Sheraton Vistana Villages, at any time.

VERY easy

5. Expecting to trade SDO for any of the above every single time, if we are flexible.

Starwood - yes, Marriott - no.

6. Do you think Starwood would ever prevent/prohibit priority for Sheraton to Westin trades?

Who knows - Starwood can, and has made dramatic changes in the past.

7. How far ahead would I need to plan my vacations/deposit the week?

You can deposit your week 12 mos out, and put your request in, 12 mos. or more mos. out.

8. If the SDO unit is EOY, can I deposit the week during the usage year and ask for a trade during the "off" year?

Yes - see the Starwood and II FAQ at the top of the forum for more details.

 

[gnorth16]

If it helps, I just sold my Large 1BR Platinum SDO for $500 plus closing. I got overly excited about TS's and felt that I had one to many. I recovered my costs, so I was happy to get it off my plate. Sold it via TUG to a really nice couple that owns at SDO already.

There was a EOY 2BR L/O that sold for $318, with free closing. That was a good deal!!!

As for the trading, I have only done instant exchanges with my SDO and am very happy with my results.

Clarify if it is a Gold Plus Float (1-52) or a Platinum (1-17). For request trading, it will make a difference.

 

[lilpooh108]

Thanks for everyone's replies! The reference to earlier prices do help in making my decision. I don't think I'd offer more than $500 anyway.

Here is another question: If our main goal is to trade/stay primarily w/in the Starwood resorts (Maui, Lagunamar, Kauai) and we wouldn't mind defaulting to Orlando during the years in which we can't get a good reservation, would it be better to buy a SVV unit resale?

Compared to trading w/in II (and putting in requests 1 year early), is it easier or harder to book travel dates w/StarOptions? It almost seems counterintuitive to me (not knowing the 2 systems) that w/SDO you can make a request 1 year prior but using StarOptions you can only start booking 8 months prior. Wouldn't a person be more likely to get what they want by putting a request in 1 year prior to the desired date