Looking for info on Sheraton Broadway Plantation

[Dewos]

My wife and I are brand new into timeshares, have looked into it over the years. We are ready to pull the trigger.
From other posts on here Myrtle beach area Sheraton Broadway Plantation was recommended a few times. We are leaning this way wondering what we should look at paying, what you would recommend with this property, etc.
any dos and don’t I should watch out for? Appreciate everyone’s time.

 

[carpie99]

I wouldn’t buy SBP (again) ... I would rather buy a timeshare on the beach.

When I bought mine originally 10 years ago they said they were building a beachfront resort. No surprise that the salesmen lied to us.

 

[jabberwocky]

It might be good if you could give people an idea of why you're thinking of this resort (trading, annual vacation at Myrtle Beach). Perhaps answering the questions (cut-and-paste your responses into this thread) will help us know whether it would be a good fit.

https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/what-to-buy-questions-for-new-timeshare-owners.208742/

 

[Dewos]

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
We like Myrtle beach but something close to home base CHARLOTTE.

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
Yes

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

Unknown

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?
Wife two kids will eventually be 3.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Would like to stay in school timeframe

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Yes
7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Yes
8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
3-4
9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
5k
10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
2/3k
11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Yes
12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
Yes, but we vacation every year atleast once. Thinking this is better than two hotel rooms, cramped living space for a week. We have small children and the small spaces are horrible.

 

[VacationForever]

SBP are given away for free regularly, so you should not need to pay anything for it.

 

[Dewos]

I wouldn’t buy SBP (again) ... I would rather buy a timeshare on the beach.

When I bought mine originally 10 years ago they said they were building a beachfront resort. No surprise that the salesmen lied to us.

Besides not being on the beach, any issues?

 

[quhines]

Sheraton Broadway Plantation (SBP) is a very nice property. The best season to own is the Gold Plus Which is Weeks 9-43, 47. The 1 Bedroom Premium is a very good size. I would avoid the 1-Bedroom non-premium. It would be small for a family of 4.

 

[Dewos]

Sheraton Broadway Plantation (SBP) is a very nice property. The best season to own is the Gold Plus Which is Weeks 9-43, 47. The 1 Bedroom Premium is a very good size. I would avoid the 1-Bedroom non-premium. It would be small for a family of 4.

Appreciate it, we were looking at the 2br and 2br lock off... any benefits in one or the other? Is there different 2 bedrooms besides those two?

 

[jabberwocky]

There are a few resale weeks currently on RedWeek that are under $500 for a 2BR. MF for these are pretty reasonable.

Make sure you purchase a unit that will allow you to book into the summer as you'll be locked into the school schedule.

 

[jabberwocky]

Appreciate it, we were looking at the 2br and 2br lock off... any benefits in one or the other? Is there different 2 bedrooms besides those two?

The 2BR lock-off can be separated into two separate units where as the 2BR is a dedicated 2BR space. A benefit to locking off is you could have two individual weeks which you could book consecutively or use to trade for other resorts. Downside is the lockoffs are usually slightly more expensive for MF. The other thing is that if you have small kids the 2BR dedicated are a bit better as the lock-off can sometimes make the kids seem "far away" (although some might see that as a benefit ).

 

[Dewos]

The 2BR lock-off can be separated into two separate units where as the 2BR is a dedicated 2BR space. A benefit to locking off is you could have two individual weeks which you could book consecutively or use to trade for other resorts. Downside is the lockoffs are usually slightly more expensive for MF. The other thing is that if you have small kids the 2BR dedicated are a bit better as the lock-off can sometimes make the kids seem "far away" (although some might see that as a benefit ).

Appreciate your insight, do you own there now? If so with it not being on the beach has it been a hassle going to the beach? It doesn’t seem like it would be but I am sure it would be nicer (also more expensive) if it was.
If we did look at trading from my research it seems like this one does trade well? Any recommendations on II or RCI and what the you use now if you are looking to trade a week?

 

[goaliedave]

I like this resort, even the sales staff are friendly and helpful. A block away is a restaurant bar area, and i loved the baseball stadium, single A ball (discount tix at concierge) perfect for small kids and craft beer specials for Dad.

Current VSN arrangement lets you trade easily for Orlando where you'll eventually take the kids.

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[Dewos]

I like this resort, even the sales staff are friendly and helpful. A block away is a restaurant bar area, and i loved the baseball stadium, single A ball (discount tix at concierge) perfect for small kids and craft beer specials for Dad.

Current VSN arrangement lets you trade easily for Orlando where you'll eventually take the kids.

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Thank you for the info!

 

[jabberwocky]

Appreciate your insight, do you own there now? If so with it not being on the beach has it been a hassle going to the beach? It doesn’t seem like it would be but I am sure it would be nicer (also more expensive) if it was.
If we did look at trading from my research it seems like this one does trade well? Any recommendations on II or RCI and what the you use now if you are looking to trade a week?

I don’t own there so I can’t comment on beach access. We own at the original Vistana resort in Orlando. We’ve since added weeks in Scottsdale and Maui. The lock-off design is fairly common across the resorts.

Just because the units are cheap doesn’t mean they are bad resorts - mainly too many timeshares have been built in several areas and many older owners are no longer able to use. The timeshare resale market is not that efficient - people are still paying premium dollars to buy access to the same resort at developer pricing (often $25-35k for a week).

From what I have read SBP does trade fairly well in II (you get preferred access to trading to other Vistana resorts). Again a current owner will be able to give you more details.

Current VSN arrangement lets you trade easily for Orlando where you'll eventually take the kids.

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Keep in mind that this is a “voluntary” resort (that is there are no StarOptions) so trading within VSN is not possible unless this is requalified. Any trades to other resorts would have to go through interval.

just for the sake of completeness (not a suggestion of a certain course of action) - there are currently two separate Sheraton Flex packages on eBay for cheap which if put together would allow you to book into a 2BR lockoff or a 2BR at SBP. The advantage to Flex is that you could book into any of the 8 resorts in the Sheraton Flex system - including the Florida resorts - without having to go through interval. The maintenance fee would be a bit higher than SBP but has more flexibility.

Happy new year and good luck as you embark on your timeshare journey.

 

[Dewos]

I don’t own there so I can’t comment on beach access. We own at the original Vistana resort in Orlando. We’ve since added weeks in Scottsdale and Maui. The lock-off design is fairly common across the resorts.

Just because the units are cheap doesn’t mean they are bad resorts - mainly too many timeshares have been built in several areas and many older owners are no longer able to use. The timeshare resale market is not that efficient - people are still paying premium dollars to buy access to the same resort at developer pricing (often $25-35k for a week).

From what I have read SBP does trade fairly well in II (you get preferred access to trading to other Vistana resorts). Again a current owner will be able to give you more details.



Keep in mind that this is a “voluntary” resort (that is there are no StarOptions) so trading within VSN is not possible unless this is requalified. Any trades to other resorts would have to go through interval.

just for the sake of completeness (not a suggestion of a certain course of action) - there are currently two separate Sheraton Flex packages on eBay for cheap which if put together would allow you to book into a 2BR lockoff or a 2BR at SBP. The advantage to Flex is that you could book into any of the 8 resorts in the Sheraton Flex system - including the Florida resorts - without having to go through interval. The maintenance fee would be a bit higher than SBP but has more flexibility.

Happy new year and good luck as you embark on your timeshare journey.

So very intriguing, but have no idea what point values mean. One is for 50k plus points what does that get you? Is that a whole week during the summer? It’s hard looking at this not knowing what you get for points.

 

[goaliedave]

Not sure what voluntary means and why no StarOptions with a trade. Could you do a sticky about it, and list which VSN are voluntary?

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[vacationtime1]

Not sure what voluntary means and why no StarOptions with a trade. Could you do a sticky about it, and list which VSN are voluntary?

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[pedro47]

The Sheraton (SBP) is a very nice resort, good location, good onsite amenities for young children & adults , and they were still building two years ago.

SBP have an excellent play area for children and a very nice pool for children.

The only negative point they are not on the beach.

A plus to me is this resort is maintain very well inside & out; plus it has onsite security 24/7.

We have visited this resort several times and each building have elevators. Positive point with children and luggage.

Suggestion only look at their website.

We do not own at this resort.

 

[jabberwocky]

So very intriguing, but have no idea what point values mean. One is for 50k plus points what does that get you? Is that a whole week during the summer? It’s hard looking at this not knowing what you get for points.

Vistana has an internal exchange platform (VSN) which use "StarOptions" which can be used to trade between resorts starting at 8 months from check-in (home week reservations can be made 8-12 months out or earlier in some cases. Unfortunately since SBP is a voluntary resort the SO won't transfer to you - the new buyer unless you were to requalify them with a retail purchase of $10k. With a resale you would be able to book the exact size and season of a unit you own for one week at your "home resort" (it sounds like this would work for you). There are some "mandatory resorts" where the StarOptions do transfer upon resale, but these will cost a bit more.

This link gives the number of SO required to book a full week.

https://vistana-web-static.s3.amazo...assets/pdf/charts/staroptions_value_chart.pdf

As you can see, for the Plantation Phase at SBP it would cost 81,000 points to book a full week in a 2BR lockoff during the highest season. A regular 2BR would be 67,100 points. You could also book into a lower season for fewer points and get extra days (or even take a couple of long weekend trips).

About four years ago Vistana introduced the Flex program. It consists of HomeOptions that give you the right to book at a collection of eight Sheraton resorts that are considered your "home resorts" starting at 12 months. If you buy from the developer you would also get the option to use the points as StarOptions starting at 8 months. The HomeOptions chart works exactly like the StarOptions chart (that is they have the same values). This means you could book into SBP, but you could also start your vacation on any day of the week and stay for any length of days up to 14 days provided you have enough points. If you wanted to go to Orlando or Jensen Beach, Florida in the future you could book there as well (there are also resorts in Colorado and Scottsdale). Flex options from multiple contracts can be combined to create a single booking.

If you buy the SBP resale week you would be limited to a weekend check-in day and can only reserve for the full week. Again - not a recommendation for Flex - just something that you might want to consider. It's best to buy right in the beginning and have something you'll be happy using for a long time as that is where the value lies.

I strongly recommend looking at the introductory sticky (note the Flex FAQ is quite out of date but it will give you a rough idea).

https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/v...inding-4-flex-options-5-villa-descrip.205516/

 

[goaliedave]

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Thx! But what does 'voluntary' mean? Appears you can't voluntarily join StarOptions, so shouldnt it be 'excluded'?



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[SteelerGal]

We own several weeks at Sheraton in Scottsdale since we are West Coast. Sheraton is a great entry into the MVC family. We have 2bdrm LO because we are a family of 7. We can use the studio to trade into other locations. This is how we are going to Sedona for the Spring Break.
We also have a mandatory, Westin Kierland, that has 81k SO to trade w/in the Vistana family. It won’t get us to Hawaii during prime season but we are fine w/ that since we own a TS on Big Island.
If you are local, I wouldn’t hesitate as an entry into TS. As you become more comfortable, you can decide if you want to add or upgrade to a WEstin or Marriott in the same area

 

[quhines]

The Voluntary status means that the Staroptions can not be transferred upon resale to the next owner. In the case of SBP, if bought resale, then the staroptions listed in the Chart are not applicable to the unit. You would only have access to the underlying week. You would have to deposit the week into (Interval or RCI) to be able to access to any different property or week other that what is owned (listed on the Deed of the Property).

The Mandatory status that is mentioned in previous posts, it means that the staroptions can be transferred upon resale of the unit. These units can use the staroptions attached to the week to trade via an internal program with Vistana Signature Network (VSN) with an additional membership fee.

The Sheraton Flex options that are listed on Ebay, are able to be used at any of the 8 Properties held within the Sheraton Flex (Listed here: https://www.vistana.com/sheraton-flex). These could still be deposited with Interval for exchange into other possible units.

 

[goaliedave]

The Voluntary status means that the Staroptions can not be transferred upon resale to the next owner. In the case of SBP, if bought resale, then the staroptions listed in the Chart are not applicable to the unit. You would only have access to the underlying week. You would have to deposit the week into (Interval or RCI) to be able to access to any different property or week other that what is owned (listed on the Deed of the Property).

The Mandatory status that is mentioned in previous posts, it means that the staroptions can be transferred upon resale of the unit. These units can use the staroptions attached to the week to trade via an internal program with Vistana Signature Network (VSN) with an additional membership fee.

The Sheraton Flex options that are listed on Ebay, are able to be used at any of the 8 Properties held within the Sheraton Flex (Listed here: https://www.vistana.com/sheraton-flex). These could still be deposited with Interval for exchange into other possible units.

Any idea why the label 'voluntary' instead of 'excluded'? Apears they can't volunteer for anything so its misleading to me.

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[dioxide45]

Mandatory - Means that the rules of the VSN program are written in to the underlying resort CC&R documents. If you buy a week at a mandatory resort, you are required to join VSN and pay the VSN fee. You can't opt out of it. Because of this, resale weeks also get the benefit of having StarOptions and can use those options to book at other resorts in VSN.

Voluntary - Means that the VSN program rules are not written in to the underlying resort documents. Membership in VSN is voluntary. The problem with this is that Vistana is not allowing resale owners at voluntary resorts to join VSN and thus can't use StarOptions to book at other resorts in the network. Developer buyers at voluntary resorts are automatically granted membership in VSN but they can voluntarily opt out of it if they want to. If they sell their week, the resale buyer loses access to the VSN.

 

[needvaca]

My young family loves Sheraton Broadway Plantation. We picked up a 2BR for free on TUG a few years ago. Maintenance fees are reasonable (about $1000).
I like that it's not on the beach- we spend more time at the pools anyway. We love the Pirate pool, spray ground, lazy river, waterslide, indoor pool. There are 4 separate pools there. We also love the sprawling grounds, free mini golf, shuffleboard, sports courts, kids activities.
We go to the beach 2-3 times during our visit, but I prefer the safety of not being on the beach 24/7 with my young kids.

When my kids outgrow the place, we'll just give it away for free on TUG.

A 2BR is the perfect size for my family of 6. However, if you ever have 7 or 8, a 2BR lockoff would be better. We took our babysitter along a few years ago, and the 2BR lockoff was perfect. I used my Staroptions from a different Vistana ownership for this reservation.

So, my advice is: get a 2BR for free and use it until your kids outgrow it. Maintenance fees are about $1000.
Or better, if you ever anticipate travelling with Grandparents or a babysitter or friends, then you'll want the 2BR lockoff, but don't buy it at "voluntary" SBP. Instead, buy a "mandatory" 2BR Sheraton Vistana Villages Bella or Key West section. You can pick one up for close to free. Maintenance fees are about $1250 (same as the maintenance fee for a SBP 2BR Lockoff). And it gives you 81,000 staroptions that you can use to book the SBP 2BR lockoff. Staroptions also are able to be banked for a year, and you can use them at any of the 20+ Vistana properties if you want to try another location.