Based on what I've read here, kds4 and other MVC owners will be happy to have the access to VSN Westin/Sheraton pool. VSN owners here don't care about MVC access, they just want to stay at their Westin/Sheraton resorts, not Marriott. Westin/Sheraton is really better and that's why kds4 wants to have VSN access for free.
I must stay I'm a little surprised at the posts by Westin/VSN owners on this thread. The recurring theme seems to be they prefer MVC owners stay out of their resorts. I guess we all have a little snobbery when it comes to our home system. Personally, I don't feel Westin/Sheraton has better quality resorts/units based on my limited personal experience with both, BUT, that's my personal experience. Just because the few Westin/SVN owners who have posted on this thread don't want expanded access offered by MVC locations doesn't mean the majority of Westin/SVN owners won't find value in the expanded options that will become available.
Honestly, while I like and enjoy the Westin resorts, the only thing they have over the MVC resorts as far as I'm concerned are that their beds are more comfortable, and that's strictly a matter of opinion/preference. Past that this MVC owner is perfectly happy staying within the MVC system with the exception of new locations that may be more readily available due to the merger vs having to exchange into them thru I.I.
My problem is Westin/VSN doesn't have any locations that I have a great deal of interest in other than expanded options in Hawaii. More units should mean more opportunity to get the week and unit size I want if I'm not to picky about which resort we book. Other than that Hyatt has ONE location, that being Sedona, that really interests me. We love Sedona and have missed having easy access into Sedona since getting rid of or DRI ownership. Key West may be of interest but, maybe only once or twice, not as a regular trip.
I doubt VSN owners will really have to worry all that much the MVC owners will swamp their resorts. There's a lot of overlap and I'd imagine there's going to be a great deal of system preferences built into any internal exchange program to keep each systems owners happy and booking where they own. Purely speculation of course but I could see limitations such as booking 12 months out for your home system and maybe 9 or 10 months out for any other system in which you didn't buy direct. Maybe those windows close a bit at the higher Elite levels to where Chairman level (or higher if they add another level) can book any system week at 13 months regardless of which system they purchased.
I do know one thing, nearly every single thought I had before the DC was introduced was DEAD WRONG. This time around I'm strictly counting on what I already own and continued usage as I've had within the MVC system. I'm guessing I'll have more options in the future, but it will take time to figure out which, if any, of those options have value. If having to wait until 9 or 10 months to book a Westin/SVN/Hyatt resort in Hawaii is the restriction, I think I'll stick with my MVC ownership and it's 13 month booking window to reserve the week and unit size I want, thank you very much.
It's all about options for me. I think for most owners in systems it's all about options and that's what keeps us in one system and not another. We enjoy the options and quality of the systems we're in. For instance, we own and enjoy HGVC as well as MVC. The problem is, HGVC doesn't offer the locations MVC offers and, they keep introducing new products that require different ownerships within their own system. Not nearly as many options as MVC offers, thus we own 4 deeded week contracts and now trust points with MVC while owning only one week with HGVC. If not for Elara in Vegas, which we love because of it's location attached to Planet Hollywood and the magnificent floor to ceiling windows that make up the exterior walls, I'd consider bailing out of HGVC all together and consolidating even further into MVC.