Switching my Vistana Ownershio to New Marriott Vacation Club

[samcar1]

A lot of this has been talked about in several posts over in the Vistana threads, and I have read most of them. I’ll focus here on the 32:1 conversion factor for Vistana to MVC points.

if I own 81,000 Westin Flex points, I can go to any of the Hawaii locations for 7 nights (one week) any time of the year in a 1-bedroom. Of course this is subject to availability even booking at 12 months, but what I get could be island (mountain) view or more likely ocean view, and I am not calendar restricted. When I look at the MVC chart to use my 2531 converted points to book MOC for a week, right off the bat I am limited to only a certain window of dates, and in that window of dates I am going to be able to choose Mountain View only. So I have yet to see how 32:1 is going to be a fair conversion for a Vistana owner like me.

In agreement. I think it will benefit elite owners even if they lose some options/points along the way. I would be in an 11k bucket which gives me a lot to play with. However, I have no idea how hard it is to book the properties. Ive been an elite owner for 3 years and go skiing in steamboat. I book one year to the day and I get what I need.
Not sure how they will have so much inventory to go around. Marriott is adding a bunch of properties.

I have tried to book with interval and can never, ever get anything. Hopefully, this will be less stressful. I am very careful of what I buy and always try booking within my rescind period. I've rescinded on westin flex when it was impossible to book ANYTHING. Got my money back. I also don't make decisions on the spot. I actually have called corporate after the fact and purchased directly. I have more trust in them.

 

[dioxide45]

A lot of this has been talked about in several posts over in the Vistana threads, and I have read most of them. I’ll focus here on the 32:1 conversion factor for Vistana to MVC points.

if I own 81,000 Westin Flex points, I can go to any of the Hawaii locations for 7 nights (one week) any time of the year in a 1-bedroom. Of course this is subject to availability even booking at 12 months, but what I get could be island (mountain) view or more likely ocean view, and I am not calendar restricted. When I look at the MVC chart to use my 2531 converted points to book MOC for a week, right off the bat I am limited to only a certain window of dates, and in that window of dates I am going to be able to choose Mountain View only. So I have yet to see how 32:1 is going to be a fair conversion for a Vistana owner like me.

I think the expectation would be that if you want to go to Hawaii you still use the 81,000 StarOptions you have to book at one of the existing Westin properties in Maui. If you want to go to MOC, then you need to determine if it is worth the price you have to pay in order to play. The StarOption option doesn't necessarily go away.

I also don't expect weeks to convert on a 32:1 ratio. I would expect Marriott to assign weeks ownerships a set of DC points just like they do for Marriott weeks. The only people that would have the 32:1 ratio would be Flex ownerships.

 

[samcar1]

mkyle-- can you clarify? Where were you... at a Vistana update/presentation or was this a Marriott update/presentation?
This may be the first glimpse behind the curtain toward integration. The Marriott trust will need some Vistana inventory for Marriott point usage.

I agree with you on that. A friend of mine has someone she knows in management.
again , I believe nothing till I see it.

 

[samcar1]

I think the expectation would be that if you want to go to Hawaii you still use the 81,000 StarOptions you have to book at one of the existing Westin properties in Maui. If you want to go to MOC, then you need to determine if it is worth the price you have to pay in order to play. The StarOption option doesn't necessarily go away.

I also don't expect weeks to convert on a 32:1 ratio. I would expect Marriott to assign weeks ownerships a set of DC points just like they do for Marriott weeks. The only people that would have the 32:1 ratio would be Flex ownerships.

Correct. I believe that it correct

 

[daviator]

From what I understand, (spoke with someone in the know), unless they lied, but I don't think so as they were not trying to sell me anything, the conversion will be 1:32. This is really great for premium elite members as you go right into Titanium in Bonvoy.

While I've also heard rumors of 1:32, that is NOT really great, that's a horrible transfer rate from the Vistana side. Look at what you can get for 148,100 Vistana StarOptions (basically a two bedroom lockoff for a week, high season, in the best Westin/Sheraton/Vistana properties) and then look at what 4628 DPs will get you on the Marriott side... it's not even close. I have a hard time understanding why any Vistana owner would want to buy into the MVC program under those terms.

Yes, the MVC elite levels are easier to get into and arguably more generous than the equivalent Vistana levels, but that ratio makes the whole thing a non-starter for me.

Of course, this is all just rumor, don't believe anything the sales people tell you because THEY DON'T KNOW.

 

[vacationtime1]

While I've also heard rumors of 1:32, that is NOT really great, that's a horrible transfer rate from the Vistana side. Look at what you can get for 148,100 Vistana StarOptions (basically a two bedroom lockoff for a week, high season, in the best Westin/Sheraton/Vistana properties) and then look at what 4628 DPs will get you on the Marriott side... it's not even close. I have a hard time understanding why any Vistana owner would want to buy into the MVC program under those terms.

Yes, the MVC elite levels are easier to get into and arguably more generous than the equivalent Vistana levels, but that ratio makes the whole thing a non-starter for me.

Of course, this is all just rumor, don't believe anything the sales people tell you because THEY DON'T KNOW.

+1

If the conversion ratio is a non-starter for owners of prime Vistana units, Marriott won't get those owners to convert their units (i.e. to elect points). If they don't elect points and relinquish their units for points owners, Marriott won't get the inventory it wants/needs and the program will fail. Which is why the conversion ration will not be 32:1 across the board.

I think @dioxide45 has it right in post #27 above.

But I'm guessing, too.

 

[dougp26364]

I wouldn’t jump off any bridges yet. I’m sure it will be as unattractive for destinations club owners to convert to an ILG week as it is for ILG owners to convert to MVC. The selling point will be convenience like it has been with the DC and deed week owners.

 

[aland0524]

I believe Westin/Vistana Starpoints are generally considered more "valuable" than MVC Destination Club points. We own a one bedroom at the Nanea and also are legacy week owners at MOC-Napili. I know that if I were to convert my MOC into points and use these to get a February Ocean Front that we own at MOC-Napili, I wouldn't have enough points to do so! I'm still a big MVC fan (we love it as legacy week owners but also enrolled our weeks so we have the option to convert to points - which we've hardly done - but the enrollment was free) but converting your Vistana points to MVC points is like paying for an oceanfront and getting island view!

 

[dougp26364]

I believe Westin/Vistana Starpoints are generally considered more "valuable" than MVC Destination Club points. We own a one bedroom at the Nanea and also are legacy week owners at MOC-Napili. I know that if I were to convert my MOC into points and use these to get a February Ocean Front that we own at MOC-Napili, I wouldn't have enough points to do so! I'm still a big MVC fan (we love it as legacy week owners but also enrolled our weeks so we have the option to convert to points - which we've hardly done - but the enrollment was free) but converting your Vistana points to MVC points is like paying for an oceanfront and getting island view!

That would be the MVC skim complained about when the program originally came out. BUT, sometimes it works in reverse. We own a silver season Ocean Pointe unit which, for most of the season, receives more points than it takes to reserve the same unit in the same season. So at times it’s like owning an ocean side and getting an ocean front…..just not for every week in silver season. The week we normally travel would be short on points.

Of course, this is the exception and not the rule. I’m not looking for anything spectacular when they finally get it all worked out. I expect there will be a cost associated with going from one system to the other, either in price, points or likely a little of both. I just want the option available and I’m tired of the waiting.