Using StarOptions for Resort Credit - New Feature

[DeniseM]

Yes, you have to call owner services, tell them how many credits you want to "buy", and tell them which Staroptions to use. Then the credit will be attached to your reservation, and Vistana will email you a receipt.

*This would be an important thing to verify with the resort front desk by either calling before check-in or at check-in. You don't want to be checking out and then find out that Owner Services never sent the credit to the resort.

 

[controller1]

Yes, you have to call owner services, tell them how many credits you want to "buy", and tell them which Staroptions to use. Then the credit will be attached to your reservation, and Vistana will email you a receipt.

*This would be an important thing to verify with the resort front desk by either calling before check-in or at check-in. You don't want to be checking out and then find out that Owner Services never sent the credit to the resort.

Thanks for walking through this. Your explanation is much clearer than what I've previously read about this.

 

[bizaro86]

Are moderators allowed to go vacation?!

I have always assumed being on vacation at least 25% of the time was a requirement to become a Tug moderator.

 

[DannyTS]

Not all Vistana resorts are included, but all of the Maui resorts are included in this program.

All Hawaii and Orlando resorts. Does anyone know based on what these locations were chosen?

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Hopefully, this isn't old news: A Vistana phone Rep. told me about a new program for Resort Credits that I was not aware of.

When you have leftover Staroptions (even if they are restricted) you can use them for a resort credit at the resort where you have a reservation in your name:

Minumum number of Staroptions required = 9,000

9,000 Staroptions = $110 in resort credits.

You can "buy" additional credits in increments of 9,000 Staroptions.

Not all Vistana resorts are included, but all of the Maui resorts are included in this program.

The credits have to be assigned to a specific reservation that you have in your name.

You cannot assign the credits to a reservation in someone elses name.

Once you have assigned the credits to a reservation, the only way to reverse it is to cancel the reservation.

The resort credit can be used for most things at participating Vistana resorts that you can charge to your room, including alcoholic beverages.

Example: Let's say you have 5,000 restricted Staroptions leftover in 2019, and 4,000 banked Staroptions in 2020 - you can combine them and apply the 9,000 Staroptions to a $110 resort credit to a reservation in your name in 2019 or 2020.

Denise: thanks, I purchased a WKV-Scottsdale for star options back in July. Good to know I can use them for this purpose.

 

[needvaca]

I just called Vistana today to purchase some resort credits for my upcoming reservations and the rep told me I could not, because:
RESALE PURCHASES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RESORT CREDITS, ONLY DEVELOPER PURCHASES.

She said I could only use the Staroptions coming from my original developer purchased unit, but not the Staroptions from my other resale purchased villas. I asked her to check with a manager on this. She did. He confirmed.
What a bummer. I already made a "home resort" reservation with my developer purchase, so I am out of luck.

 

[Snowonbeach]

I spoke with Vistana today. I have StarOptions left from 2019 and I missed the deadline for banking. (A first for me and it won't happen again.) I brought up resort credits. He was surprised I knew about them and said it was a trial at Orlando and Hawaii. He thinks it will be rolled out for all resorts before the end of the year. Told me to call back at least two days before our bookings to see if we can use leftover Staroptions for resort credits. We have Harborside booked for December and the resort credits could be useful. Will let you know.

 

[NNerland]

Thank you for sharing again. This is a great option.
With St John you can actually get more out of your options than you paid, which is nice to clean up old balances; especially with fixed weeks.
With FlexProgram or "Points" programs you can convert some residual balances to Marriott Points, which is nice to squeeze out what you can; but this may actually be more useful.
Nice to have another option to clean things up in a given year once you have your reservations taken care of -

Hope to use with our St John January Trip where we had lots of last minute moving parts.

 

[jabberwocky]

So use of a resort credit means they are giving a value of $0.012 / SO in resort credit.

This essentially is breakeven for the MF's on our SVR week ($0.0117/SO). It's actually a pretty good deal on our SDO Plat week (MF's work out to $0.008/SO).

 

[needvaca]

Did you all buy developer?
because Vistana told me yesterday you can't buy resort credits with resale staroptions.
If anyone confirms this one way or the other, please let us know.

 

[DeniseM]

This is what I would do: Sign onto your Vistana Acct and use the message function to ask a very clear question in writing. I have found that they are the most accurate when they have to respond in writing. Make the question as short and concise as possible.

Something like: Can I use the Staroptions from my XYZ deed to buy Resort Credit for my reservation #123456?

AND - send the same question to: Suzanne Clark, Vice President Owner Services at Vistana Signature Experiences:

Vistana Email: suzanne.clark@vistana.com

Then compare the answers.

 

[controller1]

This is what I would do: Sign onto your Vistana Acct and use the message function to ask a very clear question in writing. I have found that they are the most accurate when they have to respond in writing. Make the question as short and concise as possible.

Something like: Can I use the Staroptions from my XYZ deed to buy Resort Credit for my reservation #123456?

AND - send the same question to: Suzanne Clark, Vice President Owner Services at Vistana Signature Experiences:

Vistana Email: suzanne.clark@vistana.com

Then compare the answers.

Just to be on the safe side . . . prior to comparing the answers please ensure all guns are locked up!

 

[jabberwocky]

Did you all buy developer?
because Vistana told me yesterday you can't buy resort credits with resale staroptions.
If anyone confirms this one way or the other, please let us know.

We have two developer (SVR and WFlex), a retro SDO (probably counts as developer) and a resale WKORV-N OF.

All have SO’s but apparently some SO’s are more equal than others.

 

[jabberwocky]

Looking at the MVC forum I see that MVC owners are being given a $110 credit for 325 DP.

I wonder if this could give an indication as to how Marriott is weighing the relative value of SO's and DP.

If my math is correct, this implies that 9000 SO's = 325 DP or 1 DP = 27.7 SO's.

This would give the value of around 5350 DP for a 2 BR WKORV OV or IV unit, 6400 for an Hawaii 2 BR OF week. An 81,000 2BR Orlando week would be around 2925.

This would be advantageous for owners of platinum desert weeks as their weeks would be valued more highly than similar MVC properties (not surprising as this is the current situation in SVN) and about a wash for those with Orlando weeks when you compare to the DP chart. Hawaii owners will have little incentive to join or trade with the new currency if these rates hold at this conversion rate as you could not trade into MOC for anything close to what you have just up the beach.

 

[duke]

Can someone do a calculation on what is the better deal: Use StarOptions or Marriott Points to pay Resort charges? For example: WPORV has 148,100 SO and 258,000 Marriott Points if converted. (actually 10% more if 5*Elite). What is better deal to use? At each resort? I forgot the conversion rate for Marriott Points to cash to pay resort charges.

 

[NNerland]

Can someone do a calculation on what is the better deal: Use StarOptions or Marriott Points to pay Resort charges? For example: WPORV has 148,100 SO and 258,000 Marriott Points if converted. (actually 10% more if 5*Elite). What is better deal to use? At each resort? I forgot the conversion rate for Marriott Points to cash to pay resort charges.

Everything is case by case. There is no BLACK AND WHITE.
You can calculate your value of the StarOption - 9000 to $100. In Hawaii, less value than St John (Bay Vista) for example. Every resort has its dues and they are not apples to apples. So that is 1st when it comes to figuring out if 9000 to $110 is a good deal for you.
As for conversion to Hotel Points - again that varies by resort, season, etc. It is also greatly influenced by how you redeem those points. It is like Airline Miles and the value depends on redemption value, first class, etc. You don't know what you got for value when comparing until you book and see redemption values.

Hope at least the math helps - I love finding values and maximizing the points. I hope this helps you.

Right now this is only available in Orlando and Hawaii - I hope it comes to St John by the time we go in January. Would be a nice way to clean up some odd lots and have free drinks and food.

 

[duke]

Question was how much $ credit they give you against resort and food charges when using Marriott Bonvoy Points at check out? I think it was about 1.4 cents for a SPG point back then.

 

[blondietink]

Wish they would extend this to Lagunamar and Harborside resorts!

 

[GregT]

All,

I learned today that this only applies to StarOption reservations or home weeks. I have an II trade into Nanea this weekend and they wouldn’t let me get the resort credit. Worth a shot to ask though!

Best,

Greg

 

[controller1]

All,

I learned today that this only applies to StarOption reservations or home weeks. I have an II trade into Nanea this weekend and they wouldn’t let me get the resort credit. Worth a shot to ask though!

Best,

Greg

That certainly makes sense since the use of StarOptions should be limited to owner reservations.

 

[dioxide45]

All,

I learned today that this only applies to StarOption reservations or home weeks. I have an II trade into Nanea this weekend and they wouldn’t let me get the resort credit. Worth a shot to ask though!

Best,

Greg

Do you know if Marriott's resort credit works the same way?

 

[GregT]

Do you know if Marriott's resort credit works the same way?

I'm not sure.....but I would suspect it is the same.

Best,

Greg

 

[VacationForever]

Do you know if Marriott's resort credit works the same way?

I was able to attach resort credits to an II exchange into Desert Springs prior to arrival. Then while on site I did another batch through the concierge. The concierge did not have the ability to view online and I had to specify the buckets to pull from while she wrote them down. She said she had to email MVC folks later but the resort credits were made available immediately. One thing to note is that I do own at Desert Springs so I don't know if it came into play. Prior to arrival, I read the (II Marriott) confirmation to the MVC rep for her to attach the resort credit to.

 

[mariawolf]

Marriott does this at a much better rate--325 points for $110--never knew about this untill we had to recently used a lot of points when a year in advance was waitlisted and never came thru.............maybe the idea--if new--is a result of merger

 

[VacationForever]

Marriott does this at a much better rate--325 points for $110--never knew about this untill we had to recently used a lot of points when a year in advance was waitlisted and never came thru.............maybe the idea--if new--is a result of merger

Marriott's rate is worse for the owners. You get only 33.84 cents per point vs. paying 58 cents per point.

With Vistana you can generally get more back or break even than MF, depending on ownership.