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This FAQ has been built upon the previous Flex FAQ by okwiater from 2016 and makes updates to include the Westin Flex and Aventuras Flex systems, as well as some other recurring questions that arise on TUG. I did invite the original author to collaborate on this revision; however, the offer was not taken up and so all errors may be attributed to me. Please feel free to make suggestions or corrections. A big thank you to @controller1 and @dioxide45 for sharing a wealth of knowledge on Flex, much of which is reflected in this FAQ.
What is Flex?
Flex is a point type of ownership that was introduced in 2015 with Sheraton Flex. Westin Flex and Aventuras were added in 2018. Unlike other Vistana ownerships, which are based on a deeded week at a specific resort/unit type/season, Flex ownerships are associated with a certain number of HomeOptions (also referred to as "points"). HomeOptions permit the owner to reserve any available Flex resort within the specific Flex group (Sheraton, Westin, or Aventuras) for any unit type and the season for which they own enough HomeOptions.
What is Sheraton Flex?
Sheraton Flex is the first Flex system introduced by Vistana. Sheraton Flex gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following nine resorts:
What is Westin Flex?
Westin Flex is a type of ownership introduced in 2018 which gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following eight resorts:
Aventuras is a type of ownership introduced in 2018 which gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following two resorts:
Is Flex deeded?
The Flex trusts are backed by a pool of deeds associated with each of the resorts, unit types, and seasons that make up the respective trust. In the case of the Aventuras program, there are no deeds. Instead, the Aventuras trust is backed by RTU agreements at two Mexican resorts. Flex owners purchase packages of HomeOptions (also referred to as "points"), which bestow the right to utilize a certain portion of the available units held by the trust.
What are HomeOptions?
HomeOptions, also frequently referred to as "points," represent a Flex owner's right to make home resort reservations at any of the Flex resorts within the trust that they own (Sheraton, Westin, or Aventuras). Reservations can be made beginning at 12 months prior to arrival, just like any other home resort reservation. However, unlike most other home resort reservations in Vistana, Flex reservations are not limited to week-long reservations beginning on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Flex reservations can be made for any check-in day and for any number of nights (up to 14), based on availability. Note that owners of Sheraton Flex only have priority access to home resorts in the Sheraton Flex program. Likewise, Westin Flex Owners only have access to those in the Westin Flex in the 8-12 month period, and Aventuras owners only have priority access to their two resorts.
What are the differences between HomeOptions and StarOptions?
Frequently, people overcomplicate their understanding of HomeOptions by thinking of them as completely distinct from StarOptions. However, it is easiest to understand HomeOptions by thinking of them simply as a special type of StarOption, with the following single difference:
HomeOptions can be used to make home resort reservations at Flex resorts in their Flex group during the home resort preference period.
Note that for a developer or requalified resale package, the home resort preference period is 12 months to 8 months prior to arrival. For resale Flex ownerships, which have not been requalified, an owner can continue making home resort reservations eight months or less prior to arrival. For other Flex ownerships bought from the developer, reservations made eight months or less prior to arrival would be VSN reservations.
Can HomeOptions be used to reserve any available unit at one of the Flex resorts?
No. Only a portion of the deeds for each Flex resort is held in their respective trust. The other deeds are owned by other owners who have the right to use their deeded ownerships without competing with Flex owners. This cuts both ways: Flex owners cannot reserve inventory that is held by deeded owners, and deeded owners cannot reserve inventory that is held by the Flex trust.
As such, it is possible for a desired reservation to be available to deeded owners in the priority period but not to Flex owners, and vice versa. In addition, the Flex trusts do not contain deeds for every unit type at every resort. Here are some examples of inventory observations made by Flex owners:
HomeOption values are equivalent to StarOption values for the purpose of calculating the number required for a particular reservation. Simply tally up the weekly and/or daily StarOption values for the desired reservation, and that's how many HomeOptions are required.
The Villa Finder will also specify how many HomeOptions are required in the search results.
Are there limits to how long or how many reservations I can make?
You cannot book a reservation using Flex for a period longer than fourteen (14) days. You can also only have up to three concurrent reservations within the current use year per VOI that you own.
Can I use HomeOptions like StarOptions to make VSN reservations?
Yes, as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.
One benefit of HomeOptions is that even if they are used like StarOptions to book a VSN reservation eight months or less prior to arrival, if the reservation is subsequently canceled (prior to the 60-day restriction), they can continue to be used as HomeOptions to make home resort reservations. This is unlike a typical deeded ownership, which loses its home resort preference as soon as it is used to book a StarOptions reservation.
Can HomeOptions be banked/borrowed?
No. Only StarOptions can be banked or borrowed for use in VSN; however, for qualified Flex contracts, it will appear as though you are banking your HomeOptions.
Once you have banked your StarOptions for a particular year, they can no longer be used to reserve for that year. You cannot bank HomeOptions with the intent of creating a separate "banked HomeOptions" pool that has priority access to the Flex resorts.
While you cannot borrow HomeOptions from a future year to make a reservation, you can borrow StarOptions from the associated VOI to make a reservation through VSN.
How many HomeOptions come with a Flex ownership?
Flex ownerships can be sold in any increment of 1,000 HomeOptions, as well as in increments which align with popular week-long reservations (e.g. 67,100, 81,000, 95,700, 148,100; etc.).
There is no reported discount for buying a contract with a larger number of HomeOptions. For example, purchasing two ownerships worth 67,100 HomeOptions and 81,000 HomeOptions will cost the same as a single 148,100 HomeOption ownership (however, there would typically be two closing fees instead of one). This can be useful for requalifying, as it makes it easy to spend just above the requalification threshold.
As of this writing, to requalify a resale week, the minimum purchase is $10,000. Additional weeks may be requalified for an additional $5000. There have been recent reports of requalifications occurring at lower purchase thresholds.
Can smaller Flex ownerships be combined to make a single reservation?
Yes, Flex ownerships of the same type can be combined to make a single (or multiple) reservations. For instance, separate 67,100 and 81,000 HomeOption packages could be used to book one week in a single two-bedroom unit on Maui.
Can Flex ownerships be deposited into Interval International?
Yes. You can deposit in several popular increments of HomeOptions, which have varying trading power depending on the number of HomeOptions deposited, as well as the size and TDI of the week you wish to book. The following chart provides the conversion values that are used for trading in Interval.
You can deposit just part of your Flex package. For example, an owner with a 148,100 HomeOption contract could make a trade for a two-bedroom with a TDI of 90-110 (67,100 HomeOptions) and another two-bedroom with a TDI of 115-130 (81,000 HomeOptions). Note that despite differences in cost, Flex options from the three systems appear to be treated the same in Interval.
A short video on how to exchange using Flex is here:
Booking an Interval Exchange using Flex
How do Flex maintenance fees work?
Maintenance fees are prorated based on the number of HomeOptions owned. Fees do not vary based on the number of ownerships or HomeOptions. For 2021, fees were calculated by multiplying the number of HomeOptions by the respective values for each trust that is owned:
Aventuras: $0.0147/HO
Sheraton Flex: $0.0173/HO
Westin Flex: $0.0206/HO
When are Flex maintenance fees due?
Unlike weekly ownerships in Vistana, which have an early January due date for maintenance fees, Flex maintenance fees are usually due in September/October of each year.
Are Flex ownerships mandatory or voluntary?
Flex ownerships are voluntary, meaning that membership in VSN (and thus the ability to book with StarOptions) does not transfer on resale. However, a Flex resale purchaser is still entitled to use HomeOptions to make reservations at any of the Flex resorts in the group they own, based on availability in their particular Flex trust.
For example, a Westin Flex ownership that was purchased from the developer can book at the eight resorts within the trust starting at 12 months. If made within eight months, the reservation would be a StarOptions reservation and could be made at any of the 24 Vistana resorts.
In contrast, the Westin Flex owner who purchased resale could only book at the eight resorts within the Westin Flex trust and would not be able to book at the 16 resorts outside of Westin Flex with StarOptions.
Can I convert my Flex ownership to Bonvoy Points?
Flex ownerships can be converted to Bonvoy points as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.
Also, unlike deeded ownerships, which must be converted to Bonvoy in their entirety (except in the case of lock-offs, which can be split), Flex ownerships can be converted to Bonvoy in any increment. For example, with Westin Flex and Aventuras, the calculation is currently performed by multiplying the number of HomeOptions by 1.56. In other words, 100,000 HomeOptions would convert to 156,000 Bonvoy points.
All other applicable Bonvoy conversion policies apply, including fees, bonuses, and every-other-year conversion restrictions. Elite owners continue to receive all published benefits (e.g., fee reductions/waivers, conversion bonuses, etc.) as applicable.
Do HomeOptions count towards Elite status?
Yes. HomeOptions count as StarOptions for the purpose of calculating Elite status as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.
Will additional resorts be added to Flex?
Sheraton Flex launched with five resorts in 2015, and additional systems and resorts have been added since that time. Most of the twenty-four Vistana resorts are now available within one of the Flex trusts; however, there are some resorts that are not included at this time:
What is Flex?
Flex is a point type of ownership that was introduced in 2015 with Sheraton Flex. Westin Flex and Aventuras were added in 2018. Unlike other Vistana ownerships, which are based on a deeded week at a specific resort/unit type/season, Flex ownerships are associated with a certain number of HomeOptions (also referred to as "points"). HomeOptions permit the owner to reserve any available Flex resort within the specific Flex group (Sheraton, Westin, or Aventuras) for any unit type and the season for which they own enough HomeOptions.
What is Sheraton Flex?
Sheraton Flex is the first Flex system introduced by Vistana. Sheraton Flex gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following nine resorts:
- Sheraton Vistana Resort (FL)
- Sheraton Vistana Villages (FL)
- Vistana's Beach Club (FL)
- Sheraton Desert Oasis (AZ)
- Sheraton Broadway Plantation (SC)
- Sheraton Steamboat Springs (CO)
- Sheraton Mountain Vista (CO)
- Sheraton Lakeside Terrace (CO)
- Sheraton Kauai Resort Villas (HI)
What is Westin Flex?
Westin Flex is a type of ownership introduced in 2018 which gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following eight resorts:
- Westin Mission Hills (CA)
- Westin Desert Willow (CA)
- Westin Kierland Villas (AZ)
- Westin Princeville (HI)
- Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas (HI)
- Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas - North (HI)
- Westin Nanea (HI)
- Westin Riverfront (CO)
Aventuras is a type of ownership introduced in 2018 which gives the owner 12-month priority access to the following two resorts:
- Westin Lagunamar
- Westin Los Cabos
Is Flex deeded?
The Flex trusts are backed by a pool of deeds associated with each of the resorts, unit types, and seasons that make up the respective trust. In the case of the Aventuras program, there are no deeds. Instead, the Aventuras trust is backed by RTU agreements at two Mexican resorts. Flex owners purchase packages of HomeOptions (also referred to as "points"), which bestow the right to utilize a certain portion of the available units held by the trust.
What are HomeOptions?
HomeOptions, also frequently referred to as "points," represent a Flex owner's right to make home resort reservations at any of the Flex resorts within the trust that they own (Sheraton, Westin, or Aventuras). Reservations can be made beginning at 12 months prior to arrival, just like any other home resort reservation. However, unlike most other home resort reservations in Vistana, Flex reservations are not limited to week-long reservations beginning on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Flex reservations can be made for any check-in day and for any number of nights (up to 14), based on availability. Note that owners of Sheraton Flex only have priority access to home resorts in the Sheraton Flex program. Likewise, Westin Flex Owners only have access to those in the Westin Flex in the 8-12 month period, and Aventuras owners only have priority access to their two resorts.
What are the differences between HomeOptions and StarOptions?
Frequently, people overcomplicate their understanding of HomeOptions by thinking of them as completely distinct from StarOptions. However, it is easiest to understand HomeOptions by thinking of them simply as a special type of StarOption, with the following single difference:
HomeOptions can be used to make home resort reservations at Flex resorts in their Flex group during the home resort preference period.
Note that for a developer or requalified resale package, the home resort preference period is 12 months to 8 months prior to arrival. For resale Flex ownerships, which have not been requalified, an owner can continue making home resort reservations eight months or less prior to arrival. For other Flex ownerships bought from the developer, reservations made eight months or less prior to arrival would be VSN reservations.
Can HomeOptions be used to reserve any available unit at one of the Flex resorts?
No. Only a portion of the deeds for each Flex resort is held in their respective trust. The other deeds are owned by other owners who have the right to use their deeded ownerships without competing with Flex owners. This cuts both ways: Flex owners cannot reserve inventory that is held by deeded owners, and deeded owners cannot reserve inventory that is held by the Flex trust.
As such, it is possible for a desired reservation to be available to deeded owners in the priority period but not to Flex owners, and vice versa. In addition, the Flex trusts do not contain deeds for every unit type at every resort. Here are some examples of inventory observations made by Flex owners:
- Sheraton Broadway Plantation
- 3-bedroom Palmetto units do not appear to be part of the Sheraton Flex trust, as they are not reservable using HomeOptions at any time of the year.
- Sheraton Steamboat Springs
- The East Tower, formerly operated exclusively as a hotel, appears to have been made a part of the Sheraton Flex trust and only reservable by Sheraton Flex owners
- 3-bedroom units do not currently appear to be part of the Sheraton Flex trust
- Westin Hawaii Resorts
- There are no oceanfront deeds in the Westin Flex trust
- There are no event week deeds (weeks 51-52) in the Westin Flex trust
HomeOption values are equivalent to StarOption values for the purpose of calculating the number required for a particular reservation. Simply tally up the weekly and/or daily StarOption values for the desired reservation, and that's how many HomeOptions are required.
The Villa Finder will also specify how many HomeOptions are required in the search results.
Are there limits to how long or how many reservations I can make?
You cannot book a reservation using Flex for a period longer than fourteen (14) days. You can also only have up to three concurrent reservations within the current use year per VOI that you own.
Can I use HomeOptions like StarOptions to make VSN reservations?
Yes, as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.
One benefit of HomeOptions is that even if they are used like StarOptions to book a VSN reservation eight months or less prior to arrival, if the reservation is subsequently canceled (prior to the 60-day restriction), they can continue to be used as HomeOptions to make home resort reservations. This is unlike a typical deeded ownership, which loses its home resort preference as soon as it is used to book a StarOptions reservation.
Can HomeOptions be banked/borrowed?
No. Only StarOptions can be banked or borrowed for use in VSN; however, for qualified Flex contracts, it will appear as though you are banking your HomeOptions.
Once you have banked your StarOptions for a particular year, they can no longer be used to reserve for that year. You cannot bank HomeOptions with the intent of creating a separate "banked HomeOptions" pool that has priority access to the Flex resorts.
While you cannot borrow HomeOptions from a future year to make a reservation, you can borrow StarOptions from the associated VOI to make a reservation through VSN.
How many HomeOptions come with a Flex ownership?
Flex ownerships can be sold in any increment of 1,000 HomeOptions, as well as in increments which align with popular week-long reservations (e.g. 67,100, 81,000, 95,700, 148,100; etc.).
There is no reported discount for buying a contract with a larger number of HomeOptions. For example, purchasing two ownerships worth 67,100 HomeOptions and 81,000 HomeOptions will cost the same as a single 148,100 HomeOption ownership (however, there would typically be two closing fees instead of one). This can be useful for requalifying, as it makes it easy to spend just above the requalification threshold.
As of this writing, to requalify a resale week, the minimum purchase is $10,000. Additional weeks may be requalified for an additional $5000. There have been recent reports of requalifications occurring at lower purchase thresholds.
Can smaller Flex ownerships be combined to make a single reservation?
Yes, Flex ownerships of the same type can be combined to make a single (or multiple) reservations. For instance, separate 67,100 and 81,000 HomeOption packages could be used to book one week in a single two-bedroom unit on Maui.
Can Flex ownerships be deposited into Interval International?
Yes. You can deposit in several popular increments of HomeOptions, which have varying trading power depending on the number of HomeOptions deposited, as well as the size and TDI of the week you wish to book. The following chart provides the conversion values that are used for trading in Interval.
You can deposit just part of your Flex package. For example, an owner with a 148,100 HomeOption contract could make a trade for a two-bedroom with a TDI of 90-110 (67,100 HomeOptions) and another two-bedroom with a TDI of 115-130 (81,000 HomeOptions). Note that despite differences in cost, Flex options from the three systems appear to be treated the same in Interval.
A short video on how to exchange using Flex is here:
Booking an Interval Exchange using Flex
How do Flex maintenance fees work?
Maintenance fees are prorated based on the number of HomeOptions owned. Fees do not vary based on the number of ownerships or HomeOptions. For 2021, fees were calculated by multiplying the number of HomeOptions by the respective values for each trust that is owned:
Aventuras: $0.0147/HO
Sheraton Flex: $0.0173/HO
Westin Flex: $0.0206/HO
When are Flex maintenance fees due?
Unlike weekly ownerships in Vistana, which have an early January due date for maintenance fees, Flex maintenance fees are usually due in September/October of each year.
Are Flex ownerships mandatory or voluntary?
Flex ownerships are voluntary, meaning that membership in VSN (and thus the ability to book with StarOptions) does not transfer on resale. However, a Flex resale purchaser is still entitled to use HomeOptions to make reservations at any of the Flex resorts in the group they own, based on availability in their particular Flex trust.
For example, a Westin Flex ownership that was purchased from the developer can book at the eight resorts within the trust starting at 12 months. If made within eight months, the reservation would be a StarOptions reservation and could be made at any of the 24 Vistana resorts.
In contrast, the Westin Flex owner who purchased resale could only book at the eight resorts within the Westin Flex trust and would not be able to book at the 16 resorts outside of Westin Flex with StarOptions.
Can I convert my Flex ownership to Bonvoy Points?
Flex ownerships can be converted to Bonvoy points as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.
Also, unlike deeded ownerships, which must be converted to Bonvoy in their entirety (except in the case of lock-offs, which can be split), Flex ownerships can be converted to Bonvoy in any increment. For example, with Westin Flex and Aventuras, the calculation is currently performed by multiplying the number of HomeOptions by 1.56. In other words, 100,000 HomeOptions would convert to 156,000 Bonvoy points.
All other applicable Bonvoy conversion policies apply, including fees, bonuses, and every-other-year conversion restrictions. Elite owners continue to receive all published benefits (e.g., fee reductions/waivers, conversion bonuses, etc.) as applicable.
Do HomeOptions count towards Elite status?
Yes. HomeOptions count as StarOptions for the purpose of calculating Elite status as long as the ownership is "qualified," meaning that it was either purchased from the developer or contractually requalified as part of a subsequent developer purchase.
Will additional resorts be added to Flex?
Sheraton Flex launched with five resorts in 2015, and additional systems and resorts have been added since that time. Most of the twenty-four Vistana resorts are now available within one of the Flex trusts; however, there are some resorts that are not included at this time:
- Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort
- Harborside at Atlantis
- Westin St. John Resort Villas
- Westin Resort & Spa Cancun
- Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta
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