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Looking to Bring in Voluntary Weeks

RCJH07

Guest
Joined
Jun 10, 2023
Messages
5
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Resorts Owned
Marriott Grand Chateau
Marriott Trust Points
Westin Lagunamar
Sheraton Desert Oasis Red Season
Hello,
I’m a second generation timeshare owner. I took over my dads Marriott and Starwood timeshares. His Marriott ones are a Vegas 2 bedroom high season and 2,000 trust points. They came with all the perks you get from buying from Marriott. We just use the point system every year. My Starwood ones are resale weeks he picked up years ago, they are the Westin Lagunamar and the Sheraton in Scottsdale. I normally either use them in Cancun, or put them in II.
I recently came back from the Westin Kierland and went on an update which I never do but was intrigued with the merger. I was offered a silver 2 bedroom in Kierland for like 16-17k to bring in my Starwood weeks, get them enrolled in the StarOptions system and get them “abound points”.
I was extremely intrigued but didn’t bite because I don’t want to own a summer week in the desert. The initial price tag did not bother me, I just don’t want a 1500+ MF for such little club points and StarOptions. Also my wife hated the saleswoman, and wanted to get to the pool.

Is there another way to buy in ? Can I buy trust points ? Also do I need to do it in person ?? I hate going to these things.

Thanks
Tim
 
I think the best way to qualify these is through a Westin Aventuras purchase. If you own two weeks, you will have to buy at least $15,000 worth of Westin Aventuras. There was some discussion on this recently here, I will see if I can find the thread. Aventuras is good because it has lowish maintenance fees and more HomeOptions for the same money as either Sheraton or Westin Flex.

Edit to add, here is the thread;
 
Congrats on not jumping into a developer purchase!

Some people feel that converting from Vistana (formerly Starwood) Staroptions to Abound points is generally not a good value, due to the exchange rate, which favors Marriott.

However, you can buy certain Vistana/Starwood timeshares on the resale market, for a fraction of the cost (often 75% less) and the timeshare will come with Staroptions that you can use to make Vistana/Starwood reservations, and of course, home resort reservations. Buying on the resale market means buying from an owner or a resale agent - it doesn't involve a sales presentation.

The following Vistana/Starwood resorts retain their Staroptions, even when you buy them on the resale market - they are the only ones that do. The two I highlighted are often considered the best value due to their lower maintenance fees:

* Harborside at Atlantis
* Vistana Villages (Bella and Key West phases only)
* Westin St. John (Virgin Grand - Hillside only)
* Westin Ka'anapali & Westin Ka'anapali-North
* Westin Kierland Villas

Whether this is a good option for you, I don't know, because it completely depends on how you want to used your ownership and where you want to go.
 
I suspect you will get more than 148,100 StarOptions when all is said and done. That is an important number because you can buy WKV Platinum Plus for about $15K and get those 148,100. If you will end up with more, then requalifying may be the better way to go. But resale WKV doesn't get you Abound Club Points.
 
Last edited:
Hello,
I’m a second generation timeshare owner. I took over my dads Marriott and Starwood timeshares. His Marriott ones are a Vegas 2 bedroom high season and 2,000 trust points. They came with all the perks you get from buying from Marriott. We just use the point system every year. My Starwood ones are resale weeks he picked up years ago, they are the Westin Lagunamar and the Sheraton in Scottsdale. I normally either use them in Cancun, or put them in II.
I recently came back from the Westin Kierland and went on an update which I never do but was intrigued with the merger. I was offered a silver 2 bedroom in Kierland for like 16-17k to bring in my Starwood weeks, get them enrolled in the StarOptions system and get them “abound points”.
I was extremely intrigued but didn’t bite because I don’t want to own a summer week in the desert. The initial price tag did not bother me, I just don’t want a 1500+ MF for such little club points and StarOptions. Also my wife hated the saleswoman, and wanted to get to the pool.

Is there another way to buy in ? Can I buy trust points ? Also do I need to do it in person ?? I hate going to these things.

Thanks
Tim
Vistana would typically let you requalify one week with a $10K purchase from them and an additional week for each $5K more you purchase at the same time so $15K for two weeks retro-ed. That's why you could do two weeks for a $16K WKV purchase. I believe some locations are still selling Flex products, Sheraton Flex for sure. Take a look at the Westin Flex, Sheraton Flex and Westin Aventuras home resorts to figure out where you'd like to have home resort priority and if it fits your preferred travel. It doesn't make sense to buy a Flex product with cheaper MFs if you don't get home resort priority at the places you want to go.

P.S. - MFs are paid on the unit size in Vistana, not the season, so you would be paying the same MFs for your Silver as a Platinum owner who gets loads more StarOptions than you would!
 
Hello,
I’m a second generation timeshare owner. I took over my dads Marriott and Starwood timeshares. His Marriott ones are a Vegas 2 bedroom high season and 2,000 trust points. They came with all the perks you get from buying from Marriott. We just use the point system every year. My Starwood ones are resale weeks he picked up years ago, they are the Westin Lagunamar and the Sheraton in Scottsdale. I normally either use them in Cancun, or put them in II.
I recently came back from the Westin Kierland and went on an update which I never do but was intrigued with the merger. I was offered a silver 2 bedroom in Kierland for like 16-17k to bring in my Starwood weeks, get them enrolled in the StarOptions system and get them “abound points”.
I was extremely intrigued but didn’t bite because I don’t want to own a summer week in the desert. The initial price tag did not bother me, I just don’t want a 1500+ MF for such little club points and StarOptions. Also my wife hated the saleswoman, and wanted to get to the pool.

Is there another way to buy in ? Can I buy trust points ? Also do I need to do it in person ?? I hate going to these things.

Thanks
Tim

Since they offered to sell you a deeded week you should ask if they have a the smaller 1BR platinum week. It will also have 67,100 Staroptions (same as the 2BR silver) but the maintenance fees would be lower by about 60%. And, unlike the Silver 2BR week (generally no resale value), it also has a resale value of about $8000, so even if you paid more than $17K, the delta relative to the resale price may be lower and you save probably close to $1000 on MFs each year vs the Silver week.
 
I just want the ability to throw my lagunamar week into +4900 plus trust points. My MF on that week is just a few hundred dollars higher than my 2000 club trust points. I could care less about the status jump.
 
I think the best way to qualify these is through a Westin Aventuras purchase. If you own two weeks, you will have to buy at least $15,000 worth of Westin Aventuras. There was some discussion on this recently here, I will see if I can find the thread. Aventuras is good because it has lowish maintenance fees and more HomeOptions for the same money as either Sheraton or Westin Flex.

Edit to add, here is the thread;
Thanks !
 
Since they offered to sell you a deeded week you should ask if they have a the smaller 1BR platinum week. It will also have 67,100 Staroptions (same as the 2BR silver) but the maintenance fees would be lower by about 60%. And, unlike the Silver 2BR week (generally no resale value), it also has a resale value of about $8000, so even if you paid more than $17K, the delta relative to the resale price may be lower and you save probably close to $1000 on MFs each year vs the Silver week.
I tried that, not available. They had a 2bd platnium week for about 80k if anyone is interested!!! o_O
 
I tried that, not available. They had a 2bd platnium week for about 80k if anyone is interested!!! o_O


That sounds like you maybe got quoted a rack rate in order to push you in a different direction :)
 
I just want the ability to throw my lagunamar week into +4900 plus trust points. My MF on that week is just a few hundred dollars higher than my 2000 club trust points. I could care less about the status jump.
I went the route of purchasing Aventuras to enroll two resale Vistana VOIs. Took a little while to get everything finalized the way it was supposed to be, but in the end it worked out well, especially in terms of the upfront cost and MFs for the amount of Abound points.
 
Hi guys ,
Thanks for all the direction and posts to other threads. A little update, I purchased a small amount of Westin Aventuras (37,000 options $600 MF) and bringing in my two voluntary weeks. Whole process has been painless, just returned all of my docs back to them. Even became Presidential!
 
Congrats. Not a bad deal. How many SO do you now get for the Lagunamar and the SDO weeks that you requalified?
 
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