Starwood aggressively marketing our resorts

[LisaRex]

I'm sure you all got this e-mail, but I'm re-posting for discussion purposes. Some of the deals are obviously only good for SVO owners, but the others seem to be open to all SPG members.

I'm not sure how I feel about these offers. Some seem really sweet, though I'm distressed for owners who are trying to rent out their units. Some of the cash + earn StarPoints deals are really going to put a strain on those owners. For instance, I can book a studio in Maui directly from Starwood for $1500 and earn 15k StarPoints. That price is less than most owners are getting on the rental market, PLUS they throw in StarPoints to sweeten the pot.

And I can rent a 2 bdrm villa in Orlando thru 5/31 for $999 and get 10k StarPoints. That's not a bad deal.

Of course, they don't guarantee a good view and it remains to be seen if they'll ever offer these kind of deals during high season, so we owners still have a few advantages over Starwood.

**********************

ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Enjoy Three Great Ways to Stay at Sheraton Vistana Villages and Sheraton Vistana Resort in Orlando, Florida
Whether you're looking forward to making a splash at Aquatica, SeaWorld® Orlando's newest water park, with family or wish to attend a spring training session for the Atlanta Braves baseball team with friends, the sun-kissed city of Orlando has a little something for everyone. For a limited time, you can enjoy three great ways to get away to Orlando with special offers from Sheraton Vistana Villages and Sheraton Vistana Resort.

For the first time ever, redeem Starpoints for stays at these welcoming resorts.

For a limited time, you can redeem 11,500 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® for a single-night stay in a one-bedroom villa. For just 20,000 Starpoints, you may spread out in a spacious two-bedroom villa. Best of all, when you stay four nights at one of these inviting resorts, your fifth consecutive night is complimentary. Please note that you may take advantage of this never-before-offered opportunity for travel 120 days or less in advance of your arrival date.

Book your visit today by calling Starwood Preferred Guest Member Services toll free at 877.619.0416*. Mention rate plan SPG4SS if you would like to reserve a one-bedroom villa or rate SPG4SU if you would prefer to reserve a spacious two-bedroom villa.

******
Use your StarOptions to experience the thrills of Orlando. If you have always wanted to visit Orlando or simply wish to return, now is the time to book your getaway to the Sunshine State. For a limited time, you can enjoy a seven-night stay in a one-bedroom villa for just 37,000 StarOptions®.

Reserve your Orlando vacation today by calling Owner Services toll free at 888.882.8365 or direct at 407.903.4785.

**************

Stay eight days, seven nights for just $999 and receive 10,000 bonus Starpoints**.

Enjoy endless thrills at Orlando's amusement parks or simply relax in the comfort of your spacious villa. No matter how serene or exciting you would like your getaway to be, you will be able to reserve a week-long stay in a two-bedroom villa now through May 31, 2008 for an exceptionally low rate of $999. Best of all, you will receive 10,000 bonus Starpoints when you check in on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Reserve a two-bedroom villa at this special rate by calling Starwood Preferred Guest Member Services toll free at 888.625.4949 and mentioning rate plan SVN10.

*******

KAUA‘I, HAWAII
Discover Three Easy Ways to Visit The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
Perched high atop the lush, emerald cliffs that line Kaua‘i's North Shore, The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas in Princeville, Hawai‘i is the perfect place to savor refreshing Pacific breezes while gazing at the sparkling ocean that lingers beyond the island's breathtaking bluffs. Be one of the first to visit this rejuvenating resort when you take advantage of three limited-time offers:

For the first time ever, use Starpoints to savor the stunning natural beauty of Kaua‘i. For the first time ever, you have the option of redeeming 12,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® per night for a studio villa or as little as 36,000 Starpoints per night for a one-bedroom villa based on seasonality. Best of all, when you stay four consecutive nights at this revitalizing retreat, your fifth consecutive night is complimentary. Please note that you may take advantage of this never-before-offered opportunity for travel 120 days or less in advance of your arrival date.

Book your visit today by calling Starwood Preferred Guest Member Services toll free at 877.619.0416* and mention rate code SPG5.

Use StarOptions to escape to a harmonious Hawaiian hideaway.
Whether you are looking forward to savoring gentle sea breezes from your villa's private lanai or engaging in an invigorating game of golf on championship greens with your travel companions, there are plenty of rewarding reasons to visit the lush island of Kaua‘i. Now, you can book a seven-night stay in a studio villa at The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas for just 67,100 StarOptions®.

Book your Hawaiian getaway today by calling Owner Services toll free at 888.882.8365 or direct at 407.903.4785

****

Spend five nights in Kaua‘i for just $1,400 and receive 12,000 bonus Starpoints.

Reap the rewards of vacationing at The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas when you book a five-night stay in a studio villa for just $1,400 and earn 12,000 bonus Starpoints** when you arrive on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Reserve your villa today by calling 888.625.4949 and provide your Starwood Preferred Guest number. Be sure to mention rate code SVN14 when you call.

***

LAHAINA, MAUI, HAWAI'I
Take Advantage of Three Unique Opportunities to Visit the Magnificent Island of Maui

Whether you wish to discover the magnificent island of Maui for the first time or simply rest and renew in your favorite Hawaiian retreat, now is the time to schedule your exhilarating escape to The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas.

Use Starpoints to plan a magnificent escape to Maui.
For a limited time only, you may use Starpoints to visit The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas when you reserve a villa within 120 days of your desired arrival date. Book an island-view studio villa for as little as 12,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® per night, or book a one-bedroom oceanview villa for as little as 36,000 Starpoints per night based on seasonality. Best of all, when you stay four consecutive nights, your fifth night is complimentary.

For more information, or to book your getaway, please call Starwood Preferred Guest Member Services toll free at 877.619.0416* and mention rate plan SPG5.

*****

Use as little as 67,100 StarOptions to bask in the splendor of Maui for seven nights. Visit The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas now through December 18, 2008 to enjoy a week-long stay in a studio villa for just 67,100 StarOptions®.

To book your relaxing Hawaiian getaway today, please call Owner Services toll free at 888.882.8365 or directly at 407.903.4785.

Receive 15,000 Starpoints when you say aloha to a rejuvenating island retreat.

Stay seven nights at The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas now through April 30, 2008 for just $1,500 and you'll receive 15,000 Starpoints** when you arrive on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. For reservations, please call 888.625.4949 and provide your Starwood Preferred Guest number with the following rate code: SVN15.

 

[rocky]

I don't think offering starpoints impairs the rental market, because I have yet to meet a rental guest that even knows what starpoints are.

However the marketing is interesting because it gives a baseline of what SVO thinks the Starpoints values are for a villa, at 266,000 starpoints a week for a 2 bedroom lockoff. The fact that they are giving owners 80,000 starpoints for the same villa is appalling. They take 186,000 starpoints more than they give...... a shocking difference.

And again I say -- SVO it's time to fix the starpoint conversions! Continuing down this unfair and unreasonable path with fixed starpoints grants breeds nothing but ill will from your clients that purchased directly from the developer.

 

[Transit]

I suppose filling rooms this way is better that dumping them into II as getaways for way less than MF's

 

[LisaRex]

There are a few Flyertalk folks who were very pleased to be able to book at WKORV with StarPoints. I'm not sure if these folks would have ever looked at the rental market at all, but hopefully once they've been there, they'll buy or rent again. Which, I guess, would be good for us.

What also concerns me about marketing our resorts through the hotel system is that, according to my owner's manual, the only thing Starwood pays for booking these rooms to hotel guests is any housekeeping fees that exceed what the resort would have normally hired. So while the wear and tear on our units is potentially huge, I'm still at a loss to figure out what benefit having tons of non-revenue guests would be to our resort.

By allowing folks to book the villas for a really nice StarPoint rate, I also worry that the end result will mean that WKOVR will see more crowds. I love low season on Maui.

***
As far as Orlando goes, if we ever go back, I wouldn't hesitate renting directly from an owner. However, for $999 + SPs, I'd rent from Starwood. I'm assuming that these folks don't have to take a tour...

 

[cindi]

I got the same email this morning. Problem is, I bought VV resale so I don't even have star points.

 

[dss]

We don't know the specifics of this particular financial relationship between SPG and SVN but with a standard hotel room, SPG pays a nightly room rate to the hotel to compensate for the loss of the room. If SPG is paying a fair room rate for the points that are being used, I see this as a healthy use of what is essentially remnant inventory.

 

[LisaRex]

We don't know the specifics of this particular financial relationship between SPG and SVN but with a standard hotel room, SPG pays a nightly room rate to the hotel to compensate for the loss of the room. If SPG is paying a fair room rate for the points that are being used, I see this as a healthy use of what is essentially remnant inventory.

Here's what it says in my owner's manual (bolding mine).

"The Developer has the right to reserve any Use Periods that, for any reason, are not reserved as of sixty (60) days before the Check-In Day. The Developer may keep the rent but must reimburse the Association for any resulting increase in expenses for housekeeping expenses for housekeeping services in excess of the amount allocated for those services in the assessment for maintenance for the use or rental."

So not only are they screwing owners with the StarOptions -> StarPoint conversion, but the HOA doesn't make one dime off these rentals. Seems kind of one-sided to me because we are burdened with MFs to upkeep the property while not seeing any of the revenue created by these third party guests.

 

[tonyh]

For the first time ever, you have the option of redeeming 12,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® per night for a studio villa or as little as 36,000 Starpoints per night for a one-bedroom villa based on seasonality.

One-bedroom worth 3 times that of a studio? Imbalance between supply and demand must be significantly worse for studios comparied to one-bedrooms. If that's the case, starwood should stop building exclusively 2-bedroom lockoffs and start building more 1-bedroom premium and non-lockoff 2-bedroom units. They're flooding the market with too many studios that owners don't use.

 

[Ken555]

There's also this offer which has now arrived twice in my email in the last week or so:

You recently received the opportunity to renew your spirit by taking advantage of the lowest Owner rate ever offered at The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas and The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas North in Maui, Hawai'i.

There's still time to reserve your stay and nourish ties with the ones you love the most.

Between April 1 and June 15, 2008, stay a minimum of three nights in any available villa using StarOptions® and add an extra night for just $199. That's nearly 70 percent off the standard rack rate of $650.

Loved ones traveling with you can stay in an island-view studio villa for an unprecedented $215 a night.

Reservations must be made by April 15, 2008.

Remember, Starwood Vacation Network(SM) members may exchange their ownership week or borrow StarOptions® from the 2009 Use Year, if needed.


To add extra nights for $199, please call Owner Services toll free at 888.882.8365 and mention rate code OWNEXDSP.

To take advantage of the companion rate of $215, please call 888.625.4949 and mention rate code OWNCFF. Click here for complete terms and conditions.

 

[LisaRex]

Between April 1 and June 15, 2008, stay a minimum of three nights in any available villa using StarOptions® and add an extra night for just $199. That's nearly 70 percent off the standard rack rate of $650.

Loved ones traveling with you can stay in an island-view studio villa for an unprecedented $215 a night.

This is significantly cheaper than booking a room at the Westin Maui or Sheraton. I'd considered doing that (or using StarPoints) for our July stay because our flight doesn't leave until 10pm and I'd prefer not to have to check out at 10am. I hope they extend this offer through July...

$200/night is a great deal and I'm glad that owners are given a better rate to make up for the premium we paid to become owners. The downside is that they can't really offer the rooms outside of the 90 day window (because they're technically not supposed to have control of the rooms until the 90 day window opens up) and that is after most people have made their airline reservations.

However, if I were traveling off season (Oct/Nov or April/May/early June), I might gamble and stay an extra few nights with the hopes that this offer will become routine.

 

[Ken555]

From RedWeek:

Rent by the Night at The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas

Starwood Vacation Ownership has rental units available to RedWeek.com users at The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas on a per-night basis. Enjoy the flexibility and availability of staying in a hotel, with the luxury, amenities and value of a timeshare resort.
The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas provides you with incomparable villa amenities such as a separate living room, dining and bedroom areas, a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette, and a washer and dryer. These are just a few of the conveniences that make this an extraordinary destination.

• Rent these units directly from the resort
• Unit guaranteed when booked

Availability Island View Studio Island View 1-Bedroom Ocean View Studio Ocean View 1-Bedroom 4/11 - 4/17 $700 $850 $900 $1,050 4/18 - 5/29 $400 $550 $600 $750 5/30 - 6/5 $300 $450 $500 $650 6/6 - 6/12 $400 $550 $600 $750 6/13 - 6/19 $600 $750 $800 $950 6/20 - 7/10 $355 $505 $555 $705 7/11 - 7/24 $400 $550 $600 $750 7/25 - 7/31 $700 $850 $900 $1,050 8/1 - 8/14 $355 $505 $555 $705 8/15 - 8/21 $400 $550 $600 $750 8/22 - 8/28 $600 $750 $800 $950 8/29 - 12/18 $400 $550 $600 $750 12/19 - 12/25 $700 $850 $900 $1,050 12/26 - 1/2 $1,200 $1,350 $1,400 $1,550 Note: rates shown are for daily rentals.

 

[ciscogizmo1]

I got the same email this morning. Problem is, I bought VV resale so I don't even have star points.

Did you know you can earn Starpoints via your American Express card? Starpoints are different that Staroptions.