Re: Borrowing StarOptions from future years + Strategy

[celica7101]

Hi all,

I would like some clarification on some strategy on how to best use my existing HomeOption && weeks ownership for next summer.

As my signature indicates, I have 3 products:
1) 30k HomeOption Westin Flex Annual
2) 148,100 HomeOption Nanea EOY Even (1-week, resort view)
3) 176,700 StarOption WKORV/N Annual Oceanfront

I'm planning ahead a bit to figure out how to acquire 60,000 more StarOptions to use in order to book 2x two-BR at Nanea for next summer (June or July 2025).

Right now, I have 238K SOs available to use for 2025.

As I understand things, I can easily borrow the StarOption usage from the Flex since it is annual (pulling the 2026 usage into 2025), this gets me to about 29,000 remaining.

However, I cannot borrow any of the 2026 Nanea usage into 2025, because it can only move from even year to even year? Note that the 2025 WKORVN usage is already fully committed. So in order to get the extra 30k SOs I need, I would need to crack the 2026 WKORVN 1 week into StarOptions and then borrow the 30K I need? The remainder for 2026 would let me book a 2BR as SOs for WKORV/N or somewhere else (e.g. Princeville, Kierland), but not use my normal 1 week in the home resort priority window at 12 mos. Is that all correct? I suppose I could borrow from the studio portion only to retain the 1BR side of the unit in WKORV/N also, right?

Thanks.

 

[kozykritter]

I suggest you borrow the entire 60,000 you need from 2026 WKORN so that you only have to prepay maintenance on one contract instead of also having to prepay it on your 2026 Flex. It won't affect your plans to use SO's for your other 2BR bookings. You are correct that once you use SO's from your WKORN you give up home resort priority for that use year.

Yes, your EOYE 2026 Nanea is out of reach for a 2025 reservation for the reason you stated.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

Hi all,

I would like some clarification on some strategy on how to best use my existing HomeOption && weeks ownership for next summer.

As my signature indicates, I have 3 products:
1) 30k HomeOption Westin Flex Annual
2) 148,100 HomeOption Nanea EOY Even (1-week, resort view)
3) 176,700 StarOption WKORV/N Annual Oceanfront

I'm planning ahead a bit to figure out how to acquire 60,000 more StarOptions to use in order to book 2x two-BR at Nanea for next summer (June or July 2025).

Right now, I have 238K SOs available to use for 2025.

As I understand things, I can easily borrow the StarOption usage from the Flex since it is annual (pulling the 2026 usage into 2025), this gets me to about 29,000 remaining.

However, I cannot borrow any of the 2026 Nanea usage into 2025, because it can only move from even year to even year? Note that the 2025 WKORVN usage is already fully committed. So in order to get the extra 30k SOs I need, I would need to crack the 2026 WKORVN 1 week into StarOptions and then borrow the 30K I need? The remainder for 2026 would let me book a 2BR as SOs for WKORV/N or somewhere else (e.g. Princeville, Kierland), but not use my normal 1 week in the home resort priority window at 12 mos. Is that all correct? I suppose I could borrow from the studio portion only to retain the 1BR side of the unit in WKORV/N also, right?

Thanks.

With regards you last point, I believe you can't borrow against a specified piece of a LO. Once you borrow what you need, the remainder becomes SO and is no longer a VO.

 

[kozykritter]

Also I'm not certain you can borrow two years out to book a future use year reservation...I know you can borrow from a future year's usage to make a current year reservation (borrowing from next year's 2025 usage or two years out for a 2026 EOYE to book in 2024) but my brain is telling me perhaps not two years out to make a reservation for a future use year (2025). If they did allow it, they would likely first make you pay both the 2025 and 2026 maintenance fees for any contract borrowed from. That's probably because their IT system can't accommodate skipping payment for a year when you want to borrow usage beyond that.

 

[YYJMSP]

You can only borrow 8mos out I think, since you're borrowing SOs and making a SO reservation?

 

[dioxide45]

You can only borrow 8mos out I think, since you're borrowing SOs and making a SO reservation?

But if I were making a 2025 StarOption reservation in 2024 at eight months from checkin, can I borrow 2026 use year StarOptions to complete that reservation? It would require prepaying the 2026 maintenance fees but as @kozykritter mentioned, does it also require prepaying 2025 fees too? Is that even possible.

As noted, you can only borrow into use years. So for an EOY VOI, you can only borrow in to years where one has usage. 2026 borrowed into 2024. It would require prepaying the 2025 and 2026 fees. Borrowing is ideal way to play the game, but I don't like the whole prepaying of fees and wish Marriott would get rid of that like they do with Marriott points and even weeks for II deposit.

 

[YYJMSP]

But if I were making a 2025 StarOption reservation in 2024 at eight months from checkin, can I borrow 2026 use year StarOptions to complete that reservation? It would require prepaying the 2026 maintenance fees but as @kozykritter mentioned, does it also require prepaying 2025 fees too? Is that even possible.

I'm sure I've done this once like 10yrs ago, will go dig out credit card statements

You can definitely pay at least 2 years into the future, thats how you would borrow forward from a EOY -- just pay this year's fee amount for each future year

 

[celica7101]

You can only borrow 8mos out I think, since you're borrowing SOs and making a SO reservation?

Right the idea would be to borrow at 8mos out (end of 2024).

 

[celica7101]

I'm sure I've done this once like 10yrs ago, will go dig out credit card statements

You can definitely pay at least 2 years into the future, thats how you would borrow forward from a EOY -- just pay this year's fee amount for each future year

That's what I would have expected as well -- since you can borrow from 2year out to do an EOY borrow?

 

[celica7101]

I suggest you borrow the entire 60,000 you need from 2026 WKORN so that you only have to prepay maintenance on one contract instead of also having to prepay it on your 2026 Flex. It won't affect your plans to use SO's for your other 2BR bookings. You are correct that once you use SO's from your WKORN you give up home resort priority for that use year.

Yes, your EOYE 2026 Nanea is out of reach for a 2025 reservation for the reason you stated.

I guess this makes sense. The 30K Flex isn't a big deal either way to lose the home priority -- this was a developer purchase to retro the other two.

Going this route would still leave me the ability to book 12mos out for Nanea in 2026 also using the home options.

 

[kozykritter]

You never lose home resort priority period with Westin Flex. It was designed to be different from a deeded week where you can take part of your home options and use them in several different ways without losing the HRPP for your Flex home resorts.