Need help - extremely confused new owners

[LeslieDet]

Way more likely to be Westin Desert Willow based on the reported StarOptions and conversion rate to Abound. If it were Westin Flex, 148,100 SOs at 28.86 SOs/CP would get 5,130 CPs. If it were Sheraton Flex it would be 4,325 CPs (34.24 SOs/CP). OP identified it as Westin Desert Villas, likely a typo, and the conversion matches Westin Desert Willow.

The other point I mentioned to OP earlier in the thread would be that there really is no actual need to convert to CPs because they can be rented from other owners.


While true, I wouldn't put too much weight on it unless they were trying to get the very peak weeks at a prime location. As a matter of fact, I think that with the valuation Marriott places on those weeks it would be more likely that OP wouldn't have enough points for them anyway. I don't have a problem with pointing out that the booking eligibility does improve with higher benefit levels but would emphasize that OP should get some experience using what they own now before considering whether it's desirable or necessary to buy more and move up the benefit chain.

I thought the OP said that she could book at one of 10 locations; perhaps I was mixing up posts? IDK.[it was the Mom-in-law's post that said she could choose from 10 resorts]. I am not familiar with the various ratios applicable to the different Westin VC or Sheraton VC resorts, other than the one I own. I simply assumed that if she can book at one of 10 properties, it must be a Flex.

I will note that I have been unable to confirm that those who do not actually own any MVC Trust Points (or an enrolled MVC week) and only own a Westin VC or Sheraton VC VOI are actually able to rent Club Points from others. The Westin and Sheraton VOIs have always prohibited rentals of StarOptions, and I just don't know if that is available to someone who doesn't otherwise own an actual MVC product.

Regarding MVC "prime" locations, folks who don't have enough points may try for booking fewer than 7 nights, which just isn't going to work for someone in the lowest owner level in most cases since they have to wait. At 13 months, the premium takes it out of the point "price" range also. I agree that they should not worry about buying any MVC Trust Points until they actually understand what they own and how the program works. That is why I said don't fall for the pitch.

 

[Hindsite]

I will note that I have been unable to confirm that those who do not actually own any MVC Trust Points (or an enrolled MVC week) and only own a Westin VC or Sheraton VC VOI are actually able to rent Club Points from others. The Westin and Sheraton VOIs have always prohibited rentals of StarOptions, and I just don't know if that is available to someone who doesn't otherwise own an actual MVC product.

Reports on TUG indicate that Vistana only owners have had success renting in Club points.
The nature of your ownership may preclude you verifying it for yourself, but there are those who have reported success.

Can Vistana owners who are in Abound transfer Club Points?

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere; I've seen it discussed without any clear answers. Can Vistana owners with VOIs enrolled in Abound (and no ownership in MVC) transfer Club Points? More precisely, can Vistana owners with ownerships enrolled in Abound receive transferred club points from...

tugbbs.com

 

[nlstravels]

Listen to people on here is probably the best advice you can be given.

The Westin (Star Options) system is great if you are centered around US/Mexico/Caribbean travel. If you want to step outside those locales the Marriott (Abound) system has some great choices.

For example in 2025 we have 2 weeks in Maui in January using the SO system and 2x2 bedroom (a big family trip) for a week in France in September using the Abound system with points we banked from 2024.

Can you elaborate on this process of how you booked your France trip? My husband and I are ultimately interested in Europe travel. That would be what we would be most curious how to best utilize our ownership

 

[nlstravels]

You do not need to elect Club Points each year, and there is no requirement that you achieve "select" level in order to be able to use Club Points or to elect them. That is simply a lie. But note, if you do elect Club Points, your booking rights are the lowest level. That means you're probably going to have a difficult time booking any "prime" location because the owner level can only book 7 nights at 12 months, and if you want fewer than 7 nights, you can only book 10 months out. If you want to try for a prime location at 13 months, then you pay a 20% point premium.

It sounds like you have received a Flex ownership, IDK if it is Westin or Sheraton Flex. Book your usage within your existing program. You'll be fine. You'll have StarOptions to book somewhere else within the VSN at 8 months if you want to go outside the "home" resorts. Don't fall for the sales pitch.

BTW - you do not need to purchase any MVC Trust Points whatsoever to use your ownership, or to elect Club Points. If you did buy Trust Points, you'd end up needing to elect Club Points each year with the Flex product, because 500 or 1000 points won't get you much of anything. It is a waste of money to buy such a small quantity because you'll only be disappointed.

I believe last night we were told at our current level we can only reserve 8 months out and most likely will not get anything we want. A few posts including yours is saying 12 months. So if we elect club points we can book a year/12 months out even tho we are not select?

 

[nlstravels]

I thought the OP said that she could book at one of 10 locations; perhaps I was mixing up posts? IDK.[it was the Mom-in-law's post that said she could choose from 10 resorts]. I am not familiar with the various ratios applicable to the different Westin VC or Sheraton VC resorts, other than the one I own. I simply assumed that if she can book at one of 10 properties, it must be a Flex.

I will note that I have been unable to confirm that those who do not actually own any MVC Trust Points (or an enrolled MVC week) and only own a Westin VC or Sheraton VC VOI are actually able to rent Club Points from others. The Westin and Sheraton VOIs have always prohibited rentals of StarOptions, and I just don't know if that is available to someone who doesn't otherwise own an actual MVC product.

Regarding MVC "prime" locations, folks who don't have enough points may try for booking fewer than 7 nights, which just isn't going to work for someone in the lowest owner level in most cases since they have to wait. At 13 months, the premium takes it out of the point "price" range also. I agree that they should not worry about buying any MVC Trust Points until they actually understand what they own and how the program works. That is why I said don't fall for the pitch.

Hi! It looks like you did find my MIL post. We do have the desert willow villa (typo in my original post) vistana ownership. I’m not sure as far as the flex or not and not really sure what that means. Based on the info I got last night it’s 148100 SO, 216k bonvoy or 3725 Club points each year

 

[LeslieDet]

I believe last night we were told at our current level we can only reserve 8 months out and most likely will not get anything we want. A few posts including yours is saying 12 months. So if we elect club points we can book a year/12 months out even tho we are not select?

At the "owner" level in the Abound program, if you were to elect those 3725 Club Points in lieu of booking the actual Desert Willow Villa occupancy, then your booking is as I described above. 12 months advance booking for 7+ nights; 10 months advance booking if you are trying to reserve fewer than 7 nights.

The 8-month booking reference is to the VSN, which means if you don't use your 148,100 options to book a unit at the specific Westin location where you now own at 12-8 months out, then at 8 months those 148,100 options morph into what is called "StarOptions" and those 148,100 StarOptions book any available inventory in the VSN (which is only Westin VC and Sheraton VC properties). You do not need to use all of your 148,100 options as far as I'm aware with your Desert Willow location (note, I do not own at Desert Willow, I own at a different Westin where I can use my HomeOptions to book 1 night or more, up to my quantity owned), and you could use some of them, and then at 8 months out, you can use them to book at any available VSN inventory. The VSN is not the same as the Abound program, and the VSN doesn't include any MVC properties.

The Dashboard you should have access to as a Westin owner has educational tools and resources; I suggest you watch the videos and read the info on booking your owned options vs booking them when they morph into StarOptions as well as vs if you were to elect Club Points. Just FYI - electing Club Points to use in Abound is done prospectively. You'd have a deadline for 9/30/25 to elect Club Points to use in 2026. Once you elect, you can't change your mind for that use year.

But for 2025, as an example, you should be able to book 12 months out and use those 148100 Westin options right now to book up through 12/10/25 (ie 12 months out) at your owned location. If you want to turn them into StarOptions, you could only book VSN inventory at most 8 months out, so 8/10/25, but it is only available VSN inventory. Your use year options and StarOptions happen automatically without you making any selection prior to the use year. Hope that makes sense.

Also, no matter what you decide to do with using your options at where you own, using StarOptions, or electing Club Points, make sure to understand your deadline for banking to a following year. Being at the "owner" level, your deadline each and every year will by 6/30 of that year. So, if in June 2025 you haven't used your options to book where you own, you need to understand what banking means and then how those banked options turn into StarOptions and then how to use them in 2026. Play around with the booking calendar and resources to understand how it works. Have fun. Happy travels.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

Can you elaborate on this process of how you booked your France trip? My husband and I are ultimately interested in Europe travel. That would be what we would be most curious how to best utilize our ownership

I think someone has already covered it but starting 1/1/2025 (or any year moving forward) and before the election deadline (I think it varies dependent upon status level but lets say 8/31) you would elect to convert your 2026 Westin Ownership into the number of Abound points you mention in your opening post. Then, 12 months before you want to go (France does book up quite quickly) you would make a reservation.

In France 3725 Abound points would get you 8 nights in a 3BR, 10 nights in a 2BR and 18 nights in a Studio (mid-season which is any time except Jul-Aug (high season) or Nov-Feb (low season)). In low season you could get about twice as many nights, in high season about 3/4 as many as quoted above.

The same principle (different point levels) applies to the other European resorts in Spain, Costa Rica, Far East resorts and Australia.

 

[Hindsite]

My husband and I are ultimately interested in Europe travel. That would be what we would be most curious how to best utilize our ownership

Availability for the MVC resorts in France and Spain can be much better value via II.
Typically I deposit a week low season 2-bed into II that would yield 1825 club points and get a 2-bed mid to high season week that would have cost me almost 4000 club points if I had booked via Abound.
You have a range of ways to use your ownership, each has different sweet spots, the key is to work out which ones match how you want to travel.

 

[tlsbooks]

I'm the mom-in-law who posted the original quick "help" when kids called me in the middle of their supposed "owner education" call with Marriott sales (boo). Everyone, thank you SO much for all helpful information, offered so quickly, about what they actually have and how they will be able to use it for some great vacations.

I love TUG and echoed your advice to support this wonderful community of owners by becoming members themselves.

 

[daviator]

You’ve gotten lots of good info here. I’ll add one more thing, about the resort itself: Westin Desert Willow is a fantastic property. We go twice a year because we live in (northern) California and can just load up the car and drive there, even bringing the perishable contents of the refrigerator in a cooler to finish while we are there. We treat it like a working holiday, doing some remote work but also enjoying the area and the resort amenities.

We own the same as you there, I think, and I am usually able to use that ownership to get two to three weeks each year (in total nights) in a one bedroom premium unit. All that will depend on what time(s) of the year you want to travel, etc., but my point is that you own at a great property and you don’t need to spend another dime, other than maintenance fees, to get a lot of value out of it, either at WDW or elsewhere.

See you at the pool!