If possible, please post (or retype verbatim) your letter so we can all look for clues. -nodge
Dear Sheraton Vistana Fountains II Owner,
We have great news to share. As your Association Board of Directors, we want to ensure that you are provided with maximum flexibility and vacation options in utilizing your ownership benefits.
Over the past several weeks, the Board has been discussing the possibility of affiliating Vistana Fountains II Condominium with Starwood Vacation NetworkSM. We are pleased to inform you that we have completed this new affiliation, which gives you the opportunity to enjoy added benefits and flexibility beginning with the 2009 Use Year. Additionally, Starwood Vacation Network will allow you to take advantage of certain rewards and privileges that can be utilized year-round outside of your vacation.
Along with this new affiliation, your Board has also agreed to revise the Reciprocal Reservation System Agreement that gives you the ability to "float" your vacation time between the Fountains and Fountains II phases at Sheraton Vistana Resort and Vistana's Beach Club. The Floating Use Rules have also been modified in order to better serve Owner usage patterns and to bring consistency to the reservation windows for all Starwood Vacation Ownership resorts.
The revisions made to the Reciprocal Reservation System Agreement and the Floating Use Rules that are effective January 1, 2009 include the following:
• Adding Starwood Vacation Network as a non-exclusive affiliated exchange program.
• Changing the reservation window from 13 months to 12 months to bring consistency to the reservation windows system-wide. (Currently, less than one-half of one percent of Owners make a reservation transaction during this time.)
• The new 12-month window will include a one-month Home Resort priority period that grants Vistana Fountains II Unit Week Owners the exclusive right to make Home Resort reservations at their Home Resort 12 to 11 months in advance of their desired arrival date. A reservation request for a resort other than the Home Resort may be made beginning 11 months in advance of the desired arrival date.
For a brief overview of these changes, please refer to the chart included with this letter.
Although as members of your Association Board of Directors, we cannot endorse one company over another as the exchange company of choice, we are pleased to have negotiated this non-exclusive affiliation agreement in the interest of maximizing your ownership benefits.
The Starwood Vacation Exchange Company has advised us that an invitation to join Starwood Vacation Network will be mailed to all Vistana Fountains II Unit Week Owners within the next few weeks.
Should you decide not to join Starwood Vacation Network, the Reciprocal Reservation System will continue with the modifications described above.
Additionally, the Starwood Vacation Exchange Company will be contacting Owners who are members of the Vistana Plus program regarding the merger and upgrade of that program into Starwood Vacation Network. That information will also be sent within the next few weeks.
As your Board of Directors, we are very interested in your level of satisfaction. As always, we encourage you to contact us with any comments or questions.
Sincerely,
Vistana Fountains II Condominium Association, Inc.
Stephen Terrano, President
Michele Ford, Vice President
Larry Sommerfeld, Vice President
William Van Evera, Treasurer
Robert Cherwony, Secretary