SDO as a trader for Hawaii

[nadz786]

Hello,

I am interested in purchasing a 2 bedroom unit at SDO primarily to use myself due to the low MF but occasionally to trade via Interval.

Has anyone had any luck using this to trade into Marriott Maui Ocean Club or Westin Kaanapali?

If I put the request in a year+ in advance and am not fussy about view etc... would this be feasible? If so, what months are realistic? Any chance at January/February?

With regards to the SDO purchase what is a fair price for a 2 bedroom platinum unit (able to book weeks 1-52)?

Lastly, from a trading standpoint any other recommendations for a resort with low MF that trades well?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Ken555]

Yes, it’s quite possible. I exchanged a 1-bed SDO for a 2-bed Westin Nanea twice, and into WKORN a bunch of times. It’s not quite as easy as it was years ago, but it’s still possible.


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[CaliSunshine]

Price wise I've read that people have been able to get the weeks for essentially free and closing costs covered. YMMV.

 

[SteelerGal]

A Platinum can cost over 2k. When Vistana was allowing retros, it would translate to 148k SO.

 

[vacationtime1]

Yes, it’s quite possible. I exchanged a 1-bed SDO for a 2-bed Westin Nanea twice, and into WKORN a bunch of times. It’s not quite as easy as it was years ago, but it’s still possible.

Our experience is similar. We used to routinely exchange SDO units for WKORV/N; we recently exchanged a Kierland shoulder season one bedroom into a 2bd Nanea.

However, it is getting tougher to do and I wouldn't count on whale season, summers, or two bedroom units (any of these are possible, just not likely).

Maui Ocean Club is unlikely. Marriott units have a preference in Interval and few MOC deposits make it past that preference to where a Vistana unit has access to it.

 

[alwysonvac]

Marriott and Vistana owners have first priority for exchanges into their sister resorts. So all Marriott owners will have access to availability several weeks before any non-Marriott owner. So it’s less likely you’ll see availability at Marriott Maui resorts during that timeframe.

With exchanging you need to be willing to except whatever is available through out the year. You can pretty much get the Westin in Kauai in January/February but if you want Maui on an annual basis during that time period, I suggest buying a resale week that gives you StarOptions to book directly online. January/February is whale season and snowbird season. You’ll have to take whatever is leftover after the home resort owner priority window and reserve as soon as the booking window opens.

 

[DannyTS]

What time of the year can you travel to Hawaii if you do not get January/February? What unit size? The higher the season and the unit size, the better the resort, the lower chance to get it in Interval. There are hundreds of thousands of Vistana/Marriott owners, not to mention millions of Interval members so the demand is very high. If you pay the 15$ TUGBBS membership (I highly recommend it) you will notice that there is sometimes availability for what you want but you also have to be lucky to be searching at that exact time, those deals disappear within minute sometimes. On the other hand if you are flexible and you do not want just high season/ large unit and only in Hawaii, there always seems to be a nice deal that shows up sooner or later. A lot of people recommend ongoing searches but that did not work that well for us, we have gotten better exchanges by searching ourselves. It is good you do not want to buy SDO just to travel to Hawaii and you want to use it for yourself as well so that may actually work.

I diverge a little bit with others concerning buying now a mandatory Vistana resort that gives you access to the internal trading even when you buy resale. Marriott is going to announce changes to the internal trading Marriott/Vistana and we just do not know how mandatory Vistana will be affected.

 

[alwysonvac]

..If I put the request in a year+ in advance and am not fussy about view etc... would this be feasible? If so, what months are realistic? Any chance at January/February?...

Forgot to answer which months are realistic...

Vistana controls the deposits into Interval International (II). In the past, we’ve typically seen Maui deposits in II for lower demand weeks (mid April through early June and late August through early December excluding all major holidays).
NOTE: Vistana’s bulk Maui deposits into II haven’t been sighted every year.

Here’s a link Interval International’s travel demand index for Hawaii - https://www.intervalworld.com/iimedia/images/tdi/2019/TDI-13.jpg

 

[CaliSunshine]

A Platinum can cost over 2k. When Vistana was allowing retros, it would translate to 148k SO.

Sorry I should clarify. I think what he’s looking at is not a true plat but a “gold plus.” Gold plus can go for essentially free. In fact there’s one for auction right now.

 

[nadz786]

Sorry I should clarify. I think what he’s looking at is not a true plat but a “gold plus.” Gold plus can go for essentially free. In fact there’s one for auction right now.

Thanks for the info. Where can I find the auction for the essentially free one? I checked ebay and can't find anything.

Do you know where I can find a true platinum? I've messaged some of the sellers on Redweek but no one seems to know for certain what class theres is.

 

[nadz786]

Yes, it’s quite possible. I exchanged a 1-bed SDO for a 2-bed Westin Nanea twice, and into WKORN a bunch of times. It’s not quite as easy as it was years ago, but it’s still possible.


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Would it make it any easier if I was exchanging the 2 bedroom lock off for a 2 bedroom at any of the westins? Or is availability the biggest issue and not necessarily what unit you are depositing in for trade?

 

[nadz786]

Thanks for the info. Where can I find the auction for the essentially free one? I checked ebay and can't find anything.

Do you know where I can find a true platinum? I've messaged some of the sellers on Redweek but no one seems to know for certain what class theres is.

Sorry I was looking on ebay Canada. I found the listing on ebay.com.

 

[CaliSunshine]

Thanks for the info. Where can I find the auction for the essentially free one? I checked ebay and can't find anything.

Do you know where I can find a true platinum? I've messaged some of the sellers on Redweek but no one seems to know for certain what class theres is.

There are threads if you search about how to find a true platinum week at SDO. It's basically a combination of the deeded week AND the room number. They might have some kind of priority in booking platinum weeks at SDO? I'm not 100% sure. The main benefit was that people were enrolling the weeks in SVN and getting the 148K points, but apparently they're not allowing resale weeks to be enrolled any more.

 

[SteelerGal]

The Platniums do pop up every once and awhile. The season is 1-21/51-52, while regular is 1-52.

 

[nadz786]

The Platniums do pop up every once and awhile. The season is 1-21/51-52, while regular is 1-52.

Other then redweek any other good resale sites/brokers you can recommend?
I don't mind paying extra for the platinum week...

 

[SteelerGal]

Sorry, I just comb the ads via RedWeek and/or TUG.

I would ask in a separate thread who are the relators who focus on Westin/Sheraton.

 

[CaliSunshine]

The Platniums do pop up every once and awhile. The season is 1-21/51-52, while regular is 1-52.

Do you know if they get any kind of priority booking/their own inventory?

 

[SteelerGal]

Yes, it does have the ability to get hard to get home weeks. Recently I tried to get 1/31 after the 9pm release. A TUG member w/ Platinum was able to pull it for 2 reservations. I eventually was able to get the week, 2wks later but only a studio.