Separate Interval accounts/membership (and fees) required for Marriott/Starwood weeks

[mindface]

Hi there,

I own Marriott weeks and have an II account, and am considering to buy a Starwood (Westin) week. Just being told that I'd have to open a separate II account (and then pay membership fee) for Starwood weeks. Is that true?

I have always assumed an Interval account is supposed to be independent of resort chains but my assumption is incorrect?

Thanks for your attention to confirm it one way or another

 

[DeniseM]

Some II Accts. are part of your resort membership.

Do you pay II directly for your Marriott Acct., or is it included in your Marriott membership?

Which Starwood resort?

 

[mindface]

Some II Accts. are part of your resort membership.

Do you pay II directly for your Marriott Acct., or is it included in your Marriott membership?

Which Starwood resort?

I pay II directly for my II account. I only pay Marriott for my my Marriott resort's annual MFs.

and this is Westin Lagunamar that I am considering to buy.

Thanks a lot, Denise.

 

[tschwa2]

If you are enrolled in the DC and your II account is paid for through your annual fee, you would need to have a separate paid II account that you pay for if you want to exchange your Lagunamar week.

If you are not enrolled in the DC, II gave you incorrect info. The agent might have thought you Starwood week was in SVN or that your Marriott account is part of the DC.

 

[DeniseM]

I don't know what Marriott's rules are, but you should be able to put Lagunamar into a private II Acct.

However, there are SOME Starwood resorts that have a II Acct. included, and it is highly likely that the person you spoke too just made a mistake.

*Hopefully a Marriott owner will chime in about this issue.

 

[mindface]

If you are enrolled in the DC and your II account is paid for through your annual fee, you would need to have a separate paid II account that you pay for if you want to exchange your Lagunamar week.

If you are not enrolled in the DC, II gave you incorrect info. The agent might have thought you Starwood week was in SVN or that your Marriott account is part of the DC.

My Marriott timeshare is still traditional week-based ownership and I pay II directly for my II membership. Guess I can use it to link/deposit any new Starwood weeks, then?

Thanks for your info and help, as this would affect my bidding price for the new week.

 

[DeniseM]

No - As I stated above, some Starwood weeks include the II Acct. with the SVN membership, and cannot be combined with another Acct:

* Harborside at Atlantis
* Vistana Villages (Bella and Key West phases only)
* Westin St. John (Virgin Grand - Hillside only)
* Westin Ka'anapali & Westin Ka'anapali-North
* Westin Kierland Villas

 

[mindface]

No - As I stated above, some Starwood weeks include the II Acct. with the SVN membership, and cannot be combined with another Acct:

* Harborside at Atlantis
* Vistana Villages (Bella and Key West phases only)
* Westin St. John (Virgin Grand - Hillside only)
* Westin Ka'anapali & Westin Ka'anapali-North
* Westin Kierland Villas

I decided to call Interval and they say that I shall be able to add Starweek week to my Interval account as I pay membership directly to Interval, as implied in your 1st response.

But, you think this also depends on Westin week's possible inclusion with an II account. Guess I'd be on the cautious side in bidding for this week, then, knowing that I may have to open a separate II account and pay the 2nd fee.

Finally, I read your FAQ for Starwood forum: is the resale week allowed to have SVN exchange and membership? Seems not, right? So, maybe resale is just separated from SVN account, as well as II account?

 

[DeniseM]

Finally, I read your FAQ for Starwood forum: is the resale week allowed to have SVN exchange and membership? Seems not, right? So, maybe resale is just separated from SVN account, as well as II account?

It's more than just whether you purchase resale or not.

The list of resorts I posted above are mandatory resorts. That means:

a) Resales at these resort are in the SVN

b) Resales at these resort have a Starwood II Acct. included in the membership fee.

c) Resales at these resort have Staroptions and can be traded in the SVN.

Other Starwood resorts that are not on this list are not mandatory resorts - thus, Lagunamar is not.

If you buy a week at Lagunamar, you own a week that you can use at the resort. No Staroptions - no Starpoints. To trade it you have to use an outside exchange company.

If I were you, I would not bid on any Starwood resorts until you have time to research the system - it's complicated.

*At the very bottom of the FAQ, there is a comparison of resale vs developer and Mandatory vs Voluntary - that will be helpful to you.

 

[PamMo]

If you decide to buy the Lagunamar unit, you'll be able to add it to your current Interval account with your "old" Marriott deeded week. I have Marriott (non DC enrolled weeks) and Starwood (voluntary) weeks in one Interval account.

 

[dioxide45]

No - As I stated above, some Starwood weeks include the II Acct. with the SVN membership, and cannot be combined with another Acct:

* Harborside at Atlantis
* Vistana Villages (Bella and Key West phases only)
* Westin St. John (Virgin Grand - Hillside only)
* Westin Ka'anapali & Westin Ka'anapali-North
* Westin Kierland Villas

The OP indicated in post #3 that they were looking to buy at Lagunamar. Not a mandatory resort, so there is no reason it can't be added to the same II account as their Marriott weeks.

 

[DeniseM]

The OP indicated in post #3 that they were looking to buy at Lagunamar. Not a mandatory resort, so there is no reason it can't be added to the same II account as their Marriott weeks.

I was responding to this:

My Marriott timeshare is still traditional week-based ownership and I pay II directly for my II membership. Guess I can use it to link/deposit any new Starwood weeks, then?

"Any new Starwood weeks" is different than "one Lagunamar week."

Maybe they just misspoke, but it was worth clarifying.

 

[bobpark56]

Lagunamar from developer ==> II membership bundled

No - As I stated above, some Starwood weeks include the II Acct. with the SVN membership, and cannot be combined with another Acct:

* Harborside at Atlantis
* Vistana Villages (Bella and Key West phases only)
* Westin St. John (Virgin Grand - Hillside only)
* Westin Ka'anapali & Westin Ka'anapali-North
* Westin Kierland Villas

We own at Lagunamar, purchased from the developer, and they required us to have a 2nd I.I. membership. It's not free. The cost is included with our annual maintenance fees.

 

[DeniseM]

We own at Lagunamar, purchased from the developer, and they required us to have a 2nd I.I. membership. It's not free. The cost is included with our annual maintenance fees.

That is the norm with Starwood, but the OP is not going to purchase from the developer - they are going to buy on the resale market, so it's a different scenario.

ALL developer purchases have Starwood II Accts.

Voluntary resale purchases (Lagunamar) do not have Starwood II Accts.

Mandatory resale purchases DO have Starwood II Accts.