*** NEW *** : Starwood is starting a new points program

[JudyS]

Thanks for the information, JudyS. I'm so sorry about your cat.

Thank you very much, Lisa!

Judy. Perhaps this will also mean that SVO stop dropping so much SBP into RCI.

I wouldn't count on it, unfortunately.

I posted on another thread on this board that I was having trouble getting a summer reservation for my fixed/floating SBP "shotgun" (1 bdrm standalone) week, with Starwood claiming that all weeks in Gold Plus season (even fall and early spring) were fully booked even though the year hadn't started yet. Starwood eventually offered me a good reservation, but in the future I will make sure to always book my underlying week (week 27) more than 12 months out.

I suspect that a lot of SBP Gold Plus fixed/floating weeks are either being deposited into exchange companies, or are being made available to StarOptions owners. (I thought that SraOptions inventory was supposed to be separate from non-SVN inventory, but I don't know for sure.)

... I have a feeling that this "Staroptions as II currency" will have to roll out to ALL SVN Staroption owners, not just Flex....

That was the impression I got from the salesperson, yes. Of course, I can't be sure if that is really true. Timeshare salespeople often say, "Our whole system is going to points, better convert now or you'll be left out" as a way of persuading owners to pay thousands to convert to points.

Ditto. My SVR is a fixed week 27 - high season that usually falls over July 4th. There's no advantage to retroing into the FLEX program. ...

I also own at SVR, although it's fixed/floating and the underlying week is only so-so (week 15.) I have no interest in turning in my week for Flex StarOptions, given what I know so far. I probably wouldn't do it even if the conversion were free, rather than costing $20,000, because I suspect my new MFs would be higher.

 

[okwiater]

Just a data point for the Sheraton Flex program. There is absolutely no 3BR availability at SBP using HomeOptions for any date. The trust must not own any/enough of those deeds. Only 2BR units are available. When 3BR units show up in the search results, they are only reservable using StarOptions within the 8-month window. Fortunately I don't need the third bedroom but it may be disappointing for some.

 

[YYJMSP]

Are the HomeOptions quantities the same as the StarOptions quantities to book a unit?

Yet another inventory bucket -- at this rate, it's going to end up like airlines with 15 different non-interchangeable versions of "economy" tickets...

 

[okwiater]

Are the HomeOptions quantities the same as the StarOptions quantities to book a unit?

Yes, HomeOptions and StarOptions have the same value. The only functional difference is that HomeOptions are for booking within the 12-8 month window at the Sheraton Flex home resorts.

 

[alohakevin]

I don't think this is correct - SVN membership lasts as long as you own a mandatory deed. Or until Starwood eliminates the SVN.

Once they switch to "VSE" your mandatory week is no longer in the program that is the trust. Buy into or convert to new program (trust) or loose ability to resrerve any other resort and any other week other than deeded?

 

[taffy19]

They may copy what Marriott has done and it seems to work very well for the Legacy Week owners who enrolled (subscribed) in the new DC Club but you have the right to give it up in the beginning of each year but then you have lost this feature for good and may have to start all over again if you want it back, I believe.

Don't you hate these changes constantly in this industry?

 

[lizap]

Still speculation..

Once they switch to "VSE" your mandatory week is no longer in the program that is the trust. Buy into or convert to new program (trust) or loose ability to resrerve any other resort and any other week other than deeded?

 

[okwiater]

Once they switch to "VSE" your mandatory week is no longer in the program that is the trust. Buy into or convert to new program (trust) or loose ability to resrerve any other resort and any other week other than deeded?

It has nothing to do with the switch to VSE. But yes, the strategy is pretty clearly to marginalize/reduce inventory in the SVN and to focus on the trusts.

 

[SMHarman]

It has nothing to do with the switch to VSE. But yes, the strategy is pretty clearly to marginalize/reduce inventory in the SVN and to focus on the trusts.

No it's not. The strategy is to improve the initial offering of Non-Platinum weeks.

The New trusts add a twist between 12-9 months. SVN is still there at 8 months in.