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SDO as "Best" Trader?

S

scoutings

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2021
Messages
170
Reaction score
37
Location
Michigan
I'm looking to acquire a week for trading and hoped TUGers could help answer a couple of questions.

Does an SDO 1 bedroom trades the same as a Marriott Grand Chateau 1 bedroom?

Is there a difference in trading value between the smaller and the premium 1 bedroom at SDO?

What is the difference between the two 1 bedrooms at SDO?

If you're looking at an SDO, how do you know what week it is? (The reseller says no week is specified on their deed).
 
You are probably looking at a Gold Plus SDO which is weeks 1-52. The deeded week doesn't matter. I've heard that SDO 1BR units trade better than the lock off 1BR side of SDO. SDO is odd in that the maintenance fees of each side of the 1BR units separately are actually more than if you own a 2BR lock off.

I can't say if it trades better or worse than a 1BR Grand Chateau, but Grand Chateau gives you Marriott preference in II where SDO gives you Vistana preference. If you want to use it to trade into Marriott resorts, then Grande Chateau may be a better option. I don't know how the maintenance fees compare between the two.
 
SDO has been great for me. I've seen a minor trading ability between the large and small 1-beds, but things change so be prepared for it. I recently used it to trade for the Westin in Maui, so it can't be that big of a difference. That said, all the 1-bed units pull fewer 2-bed units these days though as I've posted elsewhere I've been able to trade for one by calling even though I don't see it available online.

IOW, it's a good trader for Vistana.
 
Regarding Marriott's Grand Chateau, it is in Vegas and news reports indicate that Vegas is on a decline. This does make some sense because, gambling-wise, things are now very different. There are casinos now in 44 states. Over 30 states have legalized online/mobile sports betting. Furthermore, I hear that the prices of food & drinks are now very high in Vegas (the mobsters are long-gone and have been replaced by corporations). Anyway, I have no first-hand experience of the decline of Vegas, but you may want to at least Google it before purchasing a timeshare there as trading power there could drop in the not-too-distant future.
 
Tuggernaut said:
Regarding Marriott's Grand Chateau, it is in Vegas and news reports indicate that Vegas is on a decline. This does make some sense because, gambling-wise, things are now very different. There are casinos now in 44 states. Over 30 states have legalized online/mobile sports betting. Furthermore, I hear that the prices of food & drinks are now very high in Vegas (the mobsters are long-gone and have been replaced by corporations). Anyway, I have no first-hand experience of the decline of Vegas, but you may want to at least Google it before purchasing a timeshare there as trading power there could drop in the not-too-distant future.
Click to expand...
Vegas used to be a cheap place to vacation. The lodging and food were all subsidized by the gaming profits as a loss leader to lure people there.

Somewhere along the way, they figured out that people would come without the subsidies, and prices started going up. These days, Las Vegas is among the most expensive destinations in the U.S. Nothing is cheap; quite the opposite. If you have the good fortune to win in the casino, they'll get it back from you at the coffee shop and the check-out desk. I don't go there very often any more, I hate feeling fleeced the whole time I am there.
 
SDO 2 bedroom lockoff fees are incredibly low. $1,534.22. It's the cheapest trader we own. Even if you need to deposit the full 2 bed lockoff to get a desirable 2 bedroom unit at Westin or Marriott, you are only going to pay the fees + $199 exchange fee.
 
dioxide45 said:
You are probably looking at a Gold Plus SDO which is weeks 1-52. The deeded week doesn't matter. I've heard that SDO 1BR units trade better than the lock off 1BR side of SDO. SDO is odd in that the maintenance fees of each side of the 1BR units separately are actually more than if you own a 2BR lock off.

I can't say if it trades better or worse than a 1BR Grand Chateau, but Grand Chateau gives you Marriott preference in II where SDO gives you Vistana preference. If you want to use it to trade into Marriott resorts, then Grande Chateau may be a better option. I don't know how the maintenance fees compare between the two.
Click to expand...
I want to use it to trade to Hyatt Hacienda del Mar. That's all I care about, but I'm not willing to fork over $3k for a week.

... and any property in NYC.
 
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rickandcindy23 said:
SDO 2 bedroom lockoff fees are incredibly low. $1,534.22. It's the cheapest trader we own. Even if you need to deposit the full 2 bed lockoff to get a desirable 2 bedroom unit at Westin or Marriott, you are only going to pay the fees + $199 exchange fee.
Click to expand...
... to confirm, better than depositing any 1 bed at SDO and hoping II will upgrade me to a 2b?

Because my 1 bed Broadway Plantation has been pulling the 2 bed at Hacienda del Mar...

I'm not thinking about Hawaii, but I always keep my eye on NYC.
 
scoutings said:
I want to use it to trade to Hyatt Hacienda del Mar. That's all I care about, but I'm not willing to fork over $3k for a week.

... and any property in NYC.
Click to expand...
NYC doesn't come up much in II and as you're not interested in a Vistana or MVC property. If you haven't already done so, you could look at something else that is a general trader in II.
 
daviator said:
Vegas used to be a cheap place to vacation. The lodging and food were all subsidized by the gaming profits as a loss leader to lure people there.

Somewhere along the way, they figured out that people would come without the subsidies, and prices started going up. These days, Las Vegas is among the most expensive destinations in the U.S. Nothing is cheap; quite the opposite. If you have the good fortune to win in the casino, they'll get it back from you at the coffee shop and the check-out desk. I don't go there very often any more, I hate feeling fleeced the whole time I am there.
Click to expand...
Been using MVC CPs via Abound (WKV P+) and been staying weekdays in a studio at Vegas Grand Chateau (<60 days reservation @ 30% discount as Chairman) for a total cost of $65/night.
Flying direct for $180pp RT (STS-LAS 1.5hr) vs. $100pp RT just to take shuttle to SFO (2 hrs)
Caught the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere in Feb, and going to see Phish (Sphere) in April.
Saw Bruno Mars (Park MGM), Lady Gaga (Park MGM), Santana (Hard Rock), and Dead&Co (Sphere) over last couple of years.
Plus WSOP coming up.
Eat cheap (relatively) and buy drinks at ABC, CVS or Walgreens.
Don't gamble - or play cheaply.
 
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scoutings said:
... to confirm, better than depositing any 1 bed at SDO and hoping II will upgrade me to a 2b?

Because my 1 bed Broadway Plantation has been pulling the 2 bed at Hacienda del Mar...

I'm not thinking about Hawaii, but I always keep my eye on NYC.
Click to expand...
How recent has your Broadway been pulling. Starting with 2026 deposits here seems to be a drop of trading power.
 
I have been happy with my 1 bdrm SDO. I use it for Vistana ski weeks, Mexico, desert, and MVC international. Almost all have been 2 bdrms. You need to be patient and flexible.

For Vistana Hawaii and difficult to get Vistana, I use SOs with WKV.
 
I can't speak to MGC, but the SDO 1 bedroom trades as well as my MGV 1 bedroom. I have not noticed any material difference between the two sides of my SDO 2 bedroom lock-off, but i also own a platinum SDO small 1 bedroom and it is my best trader.

I only acquired my 2 bedroom MGV to get Marriott preference when I want it.
 
The difference between any Marriott trader vs. Sheraton trader is preference. Marriott has 30 days to trade into Marriott. Sheraton cannot get a Marriott in that time period. Sheraton prefernce is 7 days, so Marriott cannot get Sheraton those 7 days.

Most prime inventory dries up pretty quickly before preference ends.

Ongoing searches are the miraculous tool we can all use to pull inventory that is not going to show up while just doing daily searches of all areas or resort codes.
 
rickandcindy23 said:
The difference between any Marriott trader vs. Sheraton trader is preference. Marriott has 30 days to trade into Marriott. Sheraton cannot get a Marriott in that time period. Sheraton prefernce is 7 days, so Marriott cannot get Sheraton those 7 days.

Most prime inventory dries up pretty quickly before preference ends.

Ongoing searches are the miraculous tool we can all use to pull inventory that is not going to show up while just doing daily searches of all areas or resort codes.
Click to expand...
Just to be clear, the Marriott preference isn't 30 days. It was long understood to be 24 days but we've seen it much shorter. The preference period for both Vistana and Marriott seems to be a moving target based on inventory and demand.
 
dioxide45 said:
Just to be clear, the Marriott preference isn't 30 days. It was long understood to be 24 days but we've seen it much shorter. The preference period for both Vistana and Marriott seems to be a moving target based on inventory and demand.
Click to expand...
I shouldn't have put the number of days because I know you are correct. It's definitely up to II and Marriott.
 
Ski-Dad said:
I can't speak to MGC, but the SDO 1 bedroom trades as well as my MGV 1 bedroom. I have not noticed any material difference between the two sides of my SDO 2 bedroom lock-off, but i also own a platinum SDO small 1 bedroom and it is my best trader.

I only acquired my 2 bedroom MGV to get Marriott preference when I want it.
Click to expand...
@Ski-Dad @rickandcindy23

Super helpful information. It's a lot of threads, many older, so having it all together on what does what for what is really helpful.

Thanks!

... but what am I looking for on the deed to tell me the week?

Sellers tell me the deed doesn't specify week (for platinum) except one who says this means week 1: Does that make sense?
1774383479482.png
 
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Danlop88 said:
How recent has your Broadway been pulling. Starting with 2026 deposits here seems to be a drop of trading power.
Click to expand...
I have Fairways of the Mountain that pulls nothing, then SBP that pulled HDM for my 2024 and 2025 weeks.
 
scoutings said:
@Ski-Dad @rickandcindy23

Super helpful information. It's a lot of threads, many older, so having it all together on what does what for what is really helpful.

Thanks!

... but what am I looking for on the deed to tell me the week?

Sellers tell me the deed doesn't specify week (for platinum) except one who says this means week 1: Does that make sense?
View attachment 123461
Click to expand...
I don't own there, but I'd guess that's week 1 in unit 3095. Is there such a unit? If so, then the mystery is probably solved.

But the actual week and unit number don't really matter on floating week systems. Only if the entire timeshare scheme collapsed and MVC left the picture might you ever care what week and unit you owned.
 
rickandcindy23 said:
Ongoing searches are the miraculous tool we can all use to pull inventory that is not going to show up while just doing daily searches of all areas or resort codes.
Click to expand...
Does this mean that OGS does not have a Marriott or Vistana preference period?
 
CalGalTraveler said:
Does this mean that OGS does not have a Marriott or Vistana preference period?
Click to expand...
Yes, it still does have a Vistana preference period, and that is why I have been able to get 2 bedrooms occasionally with a 1 bedroom deposit. I enter ongoing searches and get some amazing matches that I cannot see online with that one bedroom.
 
CalGalTraveler said:
Does this mean that OGS does not have a Marriott or Vistana preference period?
Click to expand...
The preference period still exists for OGS. What will happen is, during the preference period OGS will only match to requests that are using Marriott/Vistana deposits. If no Marriott/Vistana deposits picked it up during the preference period, once it ends it will start matching to other OGS requests that are using non-Marriott/Vistana deposits.
 
SDO works great for us - I always put in a request as early as possible AND keep an eye on the TUG Sightings Forum as well.
 
daviator said:
I don't own there, but I'd guess that's week 1 in unit 3095. Is there such a unit? If so, then the mystery is probably solved.

But the actual week and unit number don't really matter on floating week systems. Only if the entire timeshare scheme collapsed and MVC left the picture might you ever care what week and unit you owned@.@
Click to expand...
@daviator ... but then what is/how do you get "platinum SDO" (See @Ski-Dad)
 
To be a true Platinum week at Sheraton Desert Oasis the unit number must be in this range-

1064, 1072, 1081-1100, 2064, 2072, 2081- 2100, 3064-3072, and 3081-3100

AND the deeded week must be in this range: 1-21, 50-52
 
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