Vistana mid-week refresh benefit change? now 10 days from 7 days?

[skibummer]

Anyone aware of the benefit of a mid-week refresh changing from a 7-night stay to 10-night stay (almost never). I can't find any official literature of this change. We are staying at Sheraton Steamboat and they are trying to not give us a refresh with a 7 night stay. We stay about 16 weeks/year (Chairman's Club) and even on a recent stay less than 4 weeks ago no resort as denied us a refresh with a 7 night stay.

 

[ljmiii]

Nope. Just received our mid-week tidy on day four at Westin Cabos.

 

[vacationtime1]

We had mid-week tidies on two separate seven day stays at WKORV last month.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Marriott is running things, and Marriott stopped doing a tidy mid-week a long time ago for its branded resorts. It seems that Hawaii owners and some others (maybe in MX) are still doing a tidy, but these are gone from most every resort.

I have learned to lower my expectations for all of our ownerships on mid-week tidies.

 

[Hindsite]

Marriott stopped doing a tidy mid-week a long time ago for its branded resorts.

Only in the US, its not a brand-wide issue, just one that US HOAs seem to have adopted, and owners/guests have accepted. They'd soon change it if Guest Satisfaction took a dive as the result of the change.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Only in the US, its not a brand-wide issue, just one that US HOAs seem to have adopted, and owners/guests have accepted. They'd soon change it if Guest Satisfaction took a dive as the result of the change.

Yes, they sure would. Maybe that is the way to change things, but of course we would get higher MF's as a consequence.

 

[rickandcindy23]

We had a diaper leak with one of the twins once, and I asked for clean sheets. Marriott charged $129 for clean sheets and just dropped the bag at the door (for one bed). I should have put that bedding in the small washer and washed it myself instead. Lesson learned.

I could buy new Giza Dream Sheets cheaper than that.

 

[cubigbird]

Eventually we will see no mid-stay tidy. It’s coming, just not here yet, maybe not even this year. It’ll be stated as you have the cleaning tools and laundry facilities…..do it yourself. Marriott is the new sheriff and we are indeed seeing Marriott reduction in services in pieces vs all at once. Sales didn’t lie when they stated their goal is to bring Vistana to Marriott standards….and not an upward standard. We have to remember Marriott bought Vistana to increase profits and shareholder value, not owner value.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I don't like the name "Vistana." I wish they would dump that name from everything Westin/ Sheraton.

Vistana was a name chosen long ago by another company that originally developed the old units in Orlando. Great location, but most of the units are more like a WorldMark or older Wyndham than they are Sheraton. Some are nice there, but I do avoid exchanges because you never know what you will get. Vistana Villages should be named Sheraton Villages. Those are in keeping with the brand.

I know some here will think I am wrong. We had a Fountains unit on the second floor once, and we decided that would be the last time. There are so many nice places, no need to walk up a flight of stairs with luggage at 70 years old.

 

[dioxide45]

This doesn’t seem to be about a mid week tidy. You are asking about a full clean after 7 days for a stay longer than a week. They did seem to implement this during Covid where you don’t get a full clean on day 7 unless the stay is longer than 10 days.

 

[skibummer]

This doesn’t seem to be about a mid week tidy. You are asking about a full clean after 7 days for a stay longer than a week. They did seem to implement this during Covid where you don’t get a full clean on day 7 unless the stay is longer than 10 days.

No I am asking about the standard mid-week tidy service that they do when you stay 7 nights. I am not asking what they are trying to get away with, but what the rules and regulations state because it has always been a mid-week tidy service with a 7 night stay. Sheraton Steamboat (here now) is trying to tell me it is only on 10 night stays or more (so likely less than 5% of stays for them). We have owned and stayed here for years and never heard of this and we just stayed at 3 other resorts in the past 2 months and all gave us the mid-week tidy service. I'm just trying to find out if this is a real change or some bean counter trying to get away with the classic timeshare "charge more, give less, BS". Thanks.

 

[daviator]

No I am asking about the standard mid-week tidy service that they do when you stay 7 nights. I am not asking what they are trying to get away with, but what the rules and regulations state because it has always been a mid-week tidy service with a 7 night stay. Sheraton Steamboat (here now) is trying to tell me it is only on 10 night stays or more (so likely less than 5% of stays for them). We have owned and stayed here for years and never heard of this and we just stayed at 3 other resorts in the past 2 months and all gave us the mid-week tidy service. I'm just trying to find out if this is a real change or some bean counter trying to get away with the classic timeshare "charge more, give less, BS". Thanks.

It’s always been the case that you get a mid-week tidy on seven night stays. It seems like they are sort of randomly trying to renege on this but we did get a tidy last month at WKORV and I got them on both of our WDW stays last year (and full cleans after 7 nights on our 13-night stays.) But it has seemed a little squirly lately, like you have to call to find out if you’ll be getting any service and only then will they schedule it. I feel like they are omitting those services when they think they can get away with it, and that if you don’t inquire, you may not get the service.

 

[daviator]

Marriott is running things, and Marriott stopped doing a tidy mid-week a long time ago for its branded resorts. It seems that Hawaii owners and some others (maybe in MX) are still doing a tidy, but these are gone from most every resort.

I have learned to lower my expectations for all of our ownerships on mid-week tidies.

There's a typo in your comment. It’s spelled “ruining”, not “running.”

 

[skibummer]

There's a typo in your comment. It’s spelled “ruining”, not “running.”

Touché. I called them out on it and said I expected a mid-week tidy (if only on principle). I refuse to give them more for less unless it is strictly stated in a form or regulation. They postured, but finally relented and gave us a mid-week tidy. I will call them out on it when I do my owner's update for 50K BPs next week (here for 2 weeks).

 

[daviator]

Touché. I called them out on it and said I expected a mid-week tidy (if only on principle). I refuse to give them more for less unless it is strictly stated in a form or regulation. They postured, but finally relented and gave us a mid-week tidy. I will call them out on it when I do my owner's update for 50K BPs next week (here for 2 weeks).

If nothing else, all of this chipping away at the product gives me things to complain about during "owner updates" as you suggest. I don't feel like we should be having to fight for the basic benefits they are supposed to include.

Don't get me started on all the kitchen things (placemats, cloth napkins, certain dishware) which they removed at the start of the pandemic and never brought back.

 

[ljmiii]

Nope. Just received our mid-week tidy on day four at Westin Cabos.

And in fact housekeeping just tried to give us a second mid-week tidy (or perhaps full cleaning) on day 8 of our 8 night stay at Westin Cabos.

 

[skibummer]

That's promising. We will be there in May.

 

[controller1]

I don't like the name "Vistana." I wish they would dump that name from everything Westin/ Sheraton.

Vistana was a name chosen long ago by another company that originally developed the old units in Orlando. Great location, but most of the units are more like a WorldMark or older Wyndham than they are Sheraton. Some are nice there, but I do avoid exchanges because you never know what you will get. Vistana Villages should be named Sheraton Villages. Those are in keeping with the brand.

Not sure about the naming being much of an issue. The actual name is Sheraton Vistana Villages.

 

[jabberwocky]

Not sure about the naming being much of an issue. The actual name is Sheraton Vistana Villages.

I agree. Further, they reference staying in the Fountains, which is a phase in Sheraton Vistana Resort - not Sheraton Vistana Villages they are separate resorts.

Vistana has a fairly historical name in Orlando timeshare history. It was the first timeshare in Orlando and predates MVC by a few years. In the 1990’s it was considered a top resort (we actually used my parents unit for our honeymoon in that era - and we’ve just taken it over).

The takeover by Sheraton was pretty much the beginning of the end and the market moved on to a different style of property preference (more lockouts) and apartment style accommodations. SVR still has some of that old charm but has been very well maintained over the years where others of a similar vintage are shutting down.

 

[DavidnRobin]

We have always skipped mid-week cleanings, and just grab what we need (towels mainly). Plus, we bring our own fitted sheet for the Cal King mattresses.

I agree with dropping the Vistana name (and here on TUG) as VOIs and points mainly fall within WVC or SVC.

 

[daviator]

We have always skipped mid-week cleanings, and just grab what we need (towels mainly). Plus, we bring our own fitted sheet for the Cal King mattresses.

I agree with dropping the Vistana name (and here on TUG) as VOIs and points mainly fall within WVC or SVC.

Those of us who own in the Vistana system will always have the Vistana Signature Network (VSN, formerly SVN) as our primary exchange currency outside of our home resort or resorts. VSN transcends the individual Westin and Sheraton brands. So while it would be possible to change “Vistana” to something else — why would we want to go through that confusion again? — there is no getting rid of Vistana or some substitute name.

I wasn’t happy when they chose Vistana as the name when they spun off the Starwood timeshare operation from the hotel company, because it seemed like kind of a downmarket name for an upmarket brand. After all, the “Vistana” properties in their portfolio, while decent, were definitely toward or at the bottom of any ranking of their properties.

But they did it because it was a recognized name with some history, and because it allowed SVN to become VSN which was relatively painless and easy for people to adjust to, as opposed to some completely different made-up name with no existing brand value. I still don’t love the name but it serves a purpose and I think we are stuck with it.

 

[dioxide45]

It seems that Marriott Vacations doesn't really market the Vistana name anymore. They have switched over to "The Marriott Vacation Clubs". They primarily just use Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club when referring to the legacy Vistana properties.

 

[daviator]

It seems that Marriott Vacations doesn't really market the Vistana name anymore. They have switched over to "The Marriott Vacation Clubs". They primarily just use Sheraton Vacation Club and Westin Vacation Club when referring to the legacy Vistana properties.

No, the name has no brand role, but I expect it will live on because of VSN. i can’t imagine they’d want to go through the trouble and expense of changing the name.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Not sure about the naming being much of an issue. The actual name is Sheraton Vistana Villages.

But originally it wasn't Sheraton. It was just Vistana, then they kept the name. It's a stupid name. It doesn't go with Sheraton or Westin.

 

[dioxide45]

But originally it wasn't Sheraton. It was just Vistana, then they kept the name. It's a stupid name. It doesn't go with Sheraton or Westin.

But when Starwood took over they did add the Sheraton name to two of the Vistana properties in Orlando. So it does seem to go with Sheraton.