Need advice on Westin Flex offer

[Sheila Barthel]

Newbie here looking for advice on Westin Flex developer offer at WRMV. We don't own any timeshares, but have loved Westin resorts where we've stayed multiple times (just rentals) - WRMV, WKV and WNOV. If we ever did buy, I expect it would be for Westin ownership.

Can you help us evaluate the current developer offer? 58,000 SOs biennial year, $11,200 purchase price + $740 yearly MF. While we're both still working, biennial, off season use is fine for us. Additional incentives: 58,000 SOs to use through 2022, and a ton of Marriott Bonvoy points, which are nice, but mostly want to evaluate the point offer at this price. And, if it's not a good value, what would be a reasonable price for a Westin Flex resale offering a comparable amount of points? Reading through the forums, resales certainly seem like the way to go, in terms of purchase, but are benefits that come with deeds purchased from the developer in terms of flexibility to use StarOptions or other restrictions on resale deeds?

Appreciate everyone's help, thank you!

 

[vacationtime1]

It's a TERRIBLE offer.

If you want to get into the Westin (Vistana) system cheaply, you can purchase a Sheraton Vistana Villages (Key West or Bella ONLY) on the resale market for about a thousand dollars and get 81000 transferable StarOptions you can use to reserve at Cancun (or anywhere else in the Vistana system). If reserving at Kierland during prime season is important, you can buy a platinum plus one bedroom there for about $8K on the resale market and get 81K SO's.

Those 58000 Adventuras Options (or whatever they call them) are valueless on the resale market; you would be losing about $11K as soon as the ink is dry. The ability to convert them into Bonvoy points is at a very disadvantageous exchange rate.

This is not a close call.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Suggest you do a lot of reading here on TUG and give serious consideration to a private resale before spending money with the developer. Many resales can be purchased for pennies on the dollar!

Study up and do your homework.



.

 

[jabberwocky]

I agree with the others. You are better off picking up a mandatory unit (the 1BR WKV is a good option) for less upfront cost and then using that. You'll have more options for about the same MF.

I do own Flex, it's a good (but expensive) system, but I don't think it should form the core of your Vistana portfolio.

If you're wanting to compare to resale Flex, the asking price for an annual 74k WFlex package is around $3600 on Redweek.

 

[Sheila Barthel]

Thanks everyone for the great advice, very much appreciated!