Staroptions use at home resort

[sharktzu]

I orignally bought at WKORV which is all one season, so I've never thought about this until now...if you own a platinum week at an SVO resort but you book a use week in low season, do you have left over staroptions? I'm guessing not....svo see's a use week as a use week but i'd like to know for sure. Many people have mentioned being able to pool your staroptions but I'm guessing that would be for using a different property from your home resort so then you wouldn't have your 12 month homeresort period right? I'm trying to squeeze a bit more out of my harborside platinum week. Any advice? Suggestions?

 

[DavidnRobin]

If you change seasons within a resort - that can only be done at the 8-month point as a SVN exchange - and you will have leftover SOs.

 

[DeniseM]

I'm trying to squeeze a bit more out of my harborside platinum week. Any advice? Suggestions?

Not sure how you want to use the extra StarOptions, but you could use them to add extra days to a week in a lower season. Of course, you would be in competition with all other SVO members for a Staroptions exchange, and I'm not sure if you want to give up your owner's priority for that.

You could always reserve at 12 mos. and then see what was available at 8 mos., but then I think you would still have to wait until 90 days out for the extra days. Hopefully, someone with more experience with partial weeks will chime in.

 

[SDKath]

The leftover SOs can only be used to book partial weeks at 90 days or less before checkin? Is that right. If it's more than 90 days, you can never do more or less than a week's stay? Just trying to clear that up in my mind.

Boy I wish we could do partial weeks! Katherine

 

[DeniseM]

The leftover SOs can only be used to book partial weeks at 90 days or less before checkin? Is that right. If it's more than 90 days, you can never do more or less than a week's stay? Just trying to clear that up in my mind.

Boy I wish we could do partial weeks! Katherine

Kath, That is the basic rule. Although, I thought someone posted that he was allowed to book extra days at his home resort at 12 mos. when he made his first week's reservation. I was thinking he split a lock-off and spent one week + some days in a 1 bdm.

I think it was either TheUnitRep or Stevens397...

 

[sharktzu]

I'm working on planning a 2009 trip to Harborside. We have a 3 bedroom platinum EOY, but will be staying there in August bring 14 guests. The difference in Staroptions between seasons is pretty huge. I was trying to find a way to squeeze another one bedroom out of the staroptions in order to accomodate everyone. If I use SO from my WKORV, I'll probably have trouble getting a unit at the 8 month window. Does this make more sense now? I'm sorry I didn't give you the whole story.

 

[LisaRex]

I would never count on trading into any of the resorts during June, July, or August because you're competing with all the families who have to take vacations during the summer months because of school commitments.

 

[pointsjunkie]

you can use leftover staroptions at the 8 month mark if you have enough for an entire week. i have that right now. i have 26800 leftover and i am trying to see where i can get an entire week so i can rent it out to someone.

 

[pointsjunkie]

i was able to use staroptions from my SVV units and got 2 extra units at the harborside for the week we are going. call exactly at 9am on the 8 month day and try.

we have a 3br and we had 2 small 1 br's. which we rented cause my family couldn't go.

you never know. you could luck out.

 

[TheUnitrep]

...If it's more than 90 days, you can never do more or less than a week's stay?

Katherine

If an owner wants to stay in a unit different from what they own, and they want to reserve more than one week (8 or more days), the earliest thay can make reservations is eight months prior to travel.

In my case, as an owner of a two-bedroom lockoff, I have one of two options to stay more than one week at my home resort:

1. Twelve months prior to travel, I can book one week in a studio and one week in a one bedroom. (This is possible since I own both of these units as part of a two bedroom lockoff).

2. Eight months prior to travel, I can try to reserve up to 13 nights in a smaller unit (either a one bedroom premium or studio). The number of nights will depend on the number of StarOptions you have and the StarOption redemption value for the particular day of the week you want to stay.

An owner can only reserve the second option eight months prior to travel since they only own one week in a one bedroom premium and one week in a studio (when they own a lockoff). Anytime an owner wants to stay longer than one week in the type of unit they own (or any portion of the unit), they have to wait until the Starwood Vacation Network Float period (eight months prior to travel).

An easy way to remember this is that anytime you have to compute the number of StarOptions required to stay at any resort, the earliest you can reserve is eight months prior to travel.

And yes, for stays of less than 7 days, the earliest you can reserve is 90 days prior to travel.

Jerry

 

[BLUE AYES]

In April 07, I swapped a 7 day VV platinum 2 bd l/o for an 8 day Kierland 1 Bd premium. This was done at exactly eight months out and I was told that full weeks plus can be done no problem. It is the less than 7 days that must go at 90 days out.

 

[LisaRex]

In April 07, I swapped a 7 day VV platinum 2 bd l/o for an 8 day Kierland 1 Bd premium. This was done at exactly eight months out and I was told that full weeks plus can be done no problem. It is the less than 7 days that must go at 90 days out.

We really should include this sort of information in one of the stickies. It's very helpful.

 

[myip]

In April 07, I swapped a 7 day VV platinum 2 bd l/o for an 8 day Kierland 1 Bd premium. This was done at exactly eight months out and I was told that full weeks plus can be done no problem. It is the less than 7 days that must go at 90 days out.

Is this mean, if I want to book 10 days at a resort, I can book it 8 months out instead of booking only 7 days and 3 days at 90 days out.

 

[smsavage]

Is this mean, if I want to book 10 days at a resort, I can book it 8 months out instead of booking only 7 days and 3 days at 90 days out.

Exactly. We booked 10 consecutive days in June in a 1 br premium at Broadway Plantation at 8 months out.

 

[sharktzu]

What if I booked my 3 bedroom at 12 months and then tried to change my reservations at the 8 month point to use staroptions from my WKORV? Do you think that would work?

 

[SDKath]

If an owner wants to stay in a unit different from what they own, and they want to reserve more than one week (8 or more days), the earliest thay can make reservations is eight months prior to travel.

In my case, as an owner of a two-bedroom lockoff, I have one of two options to stay more than one week at my home resort:

1. Twelve months prior to travel, I can book one week in a studio and one week in a one bedroom. (This is possible since I own both of these units as part of a two bedroom lockoff).

2. Eight months prior to travel, I can try to reserve up to 13 nights in a smaller unit (either a one bedroom premium or studio). The number of nights will depend on the number of StarOptions you have and the StarOption redemption value for the particular day of the week you want to stay.

An owner can only reserve the second option eight months prior to travel since they only own one week in a one bedroom premium and one week in a studio (when they own a lockoff). Anytime an owner wants to stay longer than one week in the type of unit they own (or any portion of the unit), they have to wait until the Starwood Vacation Network Float period (eight months prior to travel).

An easy way to remember this is that anytime you have to compute the number of StarOptions required to stay at any resort, the earliest you can reserve is eight months prior to travel.

And yes, for stays of less than 7 days, the earliest you can reserve is 90 days prior to travel.

Jerry

I agree, this should be in the stickies. This is really very important I think as one of the biggest gripes I have with the whole TS concept is the limited 7 day stays. My question is can you do this at any resort or just at home.

So lets say I own and a week at Kierland but want to book 11 days at SBP, for example. I can convert my week to SOs and call at 8 months and book SBP based on availability for 11 days (or whatever SOs I have)?

I am not clear on the less than 7 day concept -- no booking anywhere unless it's 90 days or less out.

Thank you, Katherine

 

[ciscogizmo1]

you can use leftover staroptions at the 8 month mark if you have enough for an entire week. i have that right now. i have 26800 leftover and i am trying to see where i can get an entire week so i can rent it out to someone.

Totally OT but do you own this unit or can you do this with any unit in the system?

 

[pharmgirl]

Do "left over" star options expire at the end of the year? Or can these be kept for use later?

 

[pharmgirl]

do "left over" star options expire at end of the year? or can these be used at another time?

 

[ciscogizmo1]

Do "left over" star options expire at the end of the year? Or can these be kept for use later?

They expire... another pitfall of the system. DVC lets you bank them.

 

[grgs]

I agree, this should be in the stickies. This is really very important I think as one of the biggest gripes I have with the whole TS concept is the limited 7 day stays. My question is can you do this at any resort or just at home.

So lets say I own and a week at Kierland but want to book 11 days at SBP, for example. I can convert my week to SOs and call at 8 months and book SBP based on availability for 11 days (or whatever SOs I have)?

Yes, you would be able to do this. In 2006 we used SOs (from our Kierland unit) to book a 12 day stay at WKORV in a 1 bd prem. This flexibility is one of the main reasons we chose Starwood over Marriott. If a long, expensive flight is involved, I like to go for more than just 1 week.

I I am not clear on the less than 7 day concept -- no booking anywhere unless it's 90 days or less out.

Thank you, Katherine

Correct. Stays of less than 7 days can only be booked at 90 days out.

Glorian

 

[TheUnitrep]

This is really very important I think as one of the biggest gripes I have with the whole TS concept is the limited 7 day stays. My question is can you do this at any resort or just at home.

So lets say I own and a week at Kierland but want to book 11 days at SBP, for example. I can convert my week to SOs and call at 8 months and book SBP based on availability for 11 days (or whatever SOs I have)?

I am not clear on the less than 7 day concept -- no booking anywhere unless it's 90 days or less out.

Thank you, Katherine

Katherine --

Everything I posted with regard to the Starwood Vacation Network Float Period (beginning eight months prior to arrival) applies to all resorts (not just the one you own).

Your scenario of WKV for 11 days (Starwood actually books per night not day) at SBP is permitted by SVN eight months prior to arrival.

If you book for six nights or less you have to wait until 90 days prior to arrival to check availablility.

Typically, reservations made at home resorts are not done using StarOptions. If you are booking what you own, you are merely checking availability for a specific week.

StarOptions are only used when you try to book something you don't own. This could be more or less than a given week at your home resort. It could also be any vacation at a different SVN resort.

However, whether it be a home resort reservation or one for another resort within SVN the following applies when using StarOptions:

Reservations of 8 nights or more can only be made eight months prior to arrival.

Reservations of less than seven nights can only be made 90 days prior to arrival.

Jerry

 

[pointsjunkie]

but if you purchased resale and are not mandatory you don't have staroptions so you cannot do that. you must requalify to get that benefit.

 

[charford]

Can you "borrow" staroptions from the following year? For example, get 2 consecutive weeks one year by using 2 years worth of staroptions?

 

[pointsjunkie]

you have to pay your maintenance before you can use it. and you can only do this at the 90 day period. you cannot borrow from the next year before that. and you can only borrow what you need, if only 3 days are available than that amount of staroptions would be subtracted from the next year.

one other thing if you own eoy odd and eoy even you can only borrow for a 2008 vacation with your 2010 unit. same with the odd.