Vistana Now Part of Marriott Vacations Worldwide

[Ken555]

has anyone heard of Prestigia? i am really interested to book (I can cancel my other reservation) but the villa type does not make sense, they do not exist at Lagunamar

View attachment 8316

Without research, I'd pay the extra to purchase from Kayak.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DannyTS]

I have spent over $70,000 on the resale market to buy into MVC and enroll my weeks and about $12000 for my WKOVRN EOY week plus the high MFs. I would hate to see MVC enroll people for too cheap after I spent so much. If that is self interest, then I am selfish! But it is still less than half of the retail cost for what I own. I hope I live long enough to see my upfront costs pay off. Imagine all The vacations I could take at Marriott-owned resorts for $82,000! And that does not include DVC and Four Seasons.

just to be clear, i am not saying that Hawaii is not generally more expensive than Cancun. Only that the prices you quoted for WLR are because of the lowest season possible in Cancun and the Caribbean and/or last minute discounts

 

[TravelTime]

just to be clear, i am not saying that Hawaii is not generally more expensive than Cancun. Only that the prices you quoted for WLR are just because of the lowest season possible in Cancun and the Caribbean.

Yes I agree but it is all relative. I could quote higher prices for high season but then all prices worldwide would likely go up accordingly. High season is usually Jan-August for Hawaii and Christmas through Easter for the Caribbean including Mexico.

 

[DannyTS]

Without research, I'd pay the extra to purchase from Kayak.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I think i am going to stay with my current reservation on spg. I got the owner's discount so it is not so bad (although more expensive than the prices you posted).

I will not trust kayak this time (i know they are a reputable company). They also list rooms that do not exist at Lagunamar like a "double or twin room". Last thing i want is to ruin my last 2 days of vacation and waste time at the reception or on the phone with kayak.


Studio, Room only
$145.95

$28.44 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy
Villa, Room only
Special Conditions

$145.95

$28.44 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy
Special Conditions

$145.95

$28.44 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy
Studio, Sea View, Room only
$156.73

$30.53 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy
Apartment, Room only
$197.46

$38.47 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy
Run of the house 2 person, Room only
$238.27

$46.41 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy
Double Room, Room only
$321.39

$62.60 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy
Double Or Twin, Room only
$373.40

$72.73 taxes/fees

Cancellation policy

 

[Ken555]

I think i am going to stay with my current reservation on spg. I got the owner's discount so it is not so bad (although more expensive than the prices you posted).

I will not trust kayak this time (i know they are a reputable company). They also list rooms that do not exist at Lagunamar like a "double or twin room". Last thing i want is to ruin my last 2 days of vacation and waste time at the reception or on the phone with kayak.

You know the trade off. Of course, you could always book and see what your confirmation shows (I believe one or two of those options included free cancelations).

This thread has now gone completely off topic and I apologize for all those who kept reading hoping we were talking about the system merger.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[TravelTime]

Yes I said many, many posts ago that this thread had become a WLR thread.

 

[Ken555]

Yes I said many, many posts ago that this thread had become a WLR thread.

Was this post really necessary?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[GregT]

This thread has now gone completely off topic and I apologize for all those who kept reading hoping we were talking about the system merger.

I do love my Starwood friends and I did keep reading this thread wondering if we were ever going to get back to the merger.

I think the skim is a horrible way to treat your loyal customers (who own the inventory Marriott needs in order to make reservations), I do believe Starwood Owners (all of them, at least as of Aug 28 2018 or so) will be allowed to participate in the Marriott system for a fee, and I think Marriott will move closer to an integrated system that covers all Starwood/Marriott properties. It may be similar to the Wyndham/Worldmark system, where there is cross pollination between the two systems, but the point requirements to cross are excessive.

I think it’s going to be an interesting system, and it’s going to be expensive to participate. Marriott is very smart, and I believe they will go to great lengths to make sure they do not deprive Starwood owners of their “rights”.

We will see, and I suspect I will use star options more frequently than Marriott DC points to visit my favorite Starwood properties.

Best,

Greg

 

[DannyTS]

I think the skim is a horrible way to treat your loyal customers (who own the inventory Marriott needs)

Just to play devil's advocate. I sometimes look at the HGVC booking system and the calendar does look like a Swiss cheese with an available day or 2 left here and there. Do you believe this to be a possible explanation for the skim rather than pure business greed?

 

[dioxide45]

Just to play devil's advocate. I sometimes look at the HGVC booking system and the calendar does look like a Swiss cheese with an available day or 2 left here and there. Do you believe this to be a possible explanation for the skim rather than pure business greed?

Does HGVC allow single night bookings at 13/12/10 months out? Do they also have housekeeping fees for short or multiple stays? The skim was said to be used to help with breakage and pay for all of the fees that you otherwise paid for out of pocket in the past.

 

[DannyTS]

Does HGVC allow single night bookings at 13/12/10 months out? Do they also have housekeeping fees for short or multiple stays? The skim was said to be used to help with breakage and pay for all of the fees that you otherwise paid for out of pocket in the past.

HGVC is minimum 3 days at 9 months (when the home priority ends at most resorts) but there is a 65 dollar fee for all reservations on points, regardless of the length of stay.

 

[GregT]

The Marriott system is what it is, and it’s a great system. I have always disliked the skim, but also recognize they did not need to let legacy owners in, so it is just how the system was structured. (But skimming sucks)

If the Marriott 2010 precedent holds, then, let’s use a specific example:

Imagine HRA owners (sold out/highly demanded resort) could enroll their [precious/valuable] week into Marriott DC Club.

Their Platinum 2BR (148,100 StarOptions) week can be redeemed for 5,000(?) Marriott DC points.

They can do a lot with 5,000 DC Points, but they note that it takes 5,750 DC points to book a Platinum 2BR at HRA. Hmm. Some owners (like me) are annoyed that they are skimmed.

They note that 5,000 DC points doesn’t get a 2BR in Maui, but 148,100 StarOptions does (if inventory is available). Interesting dilemma between systems. They note 5,000 DC points go a long way to new Marriott spots like Aruba/Newport Coast/Boston/Hilton Head/New York. But they recognize 148,100 StarOptions are valuable too.

They see that Marriott recommends they buy 2,000 Trust points ($25,000) - and now 7,000 definitely gets a 2BR in Maui/Kauai/Oahu/Big Island - and availability is not a problem, plus 7,000 points makes them “Executive” status (ie, single night reservations, 13 months out). No more stress at 8 months out - reservations are available at 13 months out.

What to do? Stay with StarOptions in a smaller system with unpredictable availability or gamble on Marriott and accept a less powerful deposit, and perhaps buy points to increase trading power?

Interesting situation.
——————

Marriott wants/needs new sales targets and Starwood owners are 2019 fodder. For [5?] years I believe Marriott will mine the Starwood ownership, and then we will see what is next.

It will be interesting to watch this develop - time will tell. Please recall, Marriott DC is simply an Exchange - like II - except we get a glimpse of supply/demand via DC point requirements.

Best,

Greg

 

[CalGalTraveler]

IMO Maybe I am not understanding but $25,000 seems like a lot of money when you can get similar benefits in HGVC for the cost of a resale purchase which can run $5 - 8 k all in including your week.

$599 enrollment upon purchase, 3 night min reservations at 8 months, no housekeeping fees. 1 night min in NYC, DC but slightly diff rules.

 

[GregT]

IMO Maybe I am not understanding but $25,000 seems like a lot of money when you can get similar benefits in HGVC for the cost of a resale purchase which can run 5 - 8 k all in including your week.

$599 enrollment upon purchase, 3 night min reservations at 8 months, no housekeeping fees. 1 night min in NYC, DC but slightly diff rules.

CalGal,

I love HGVC - I love their properties, I love their system, and I Love Love Love that we can buy into the system resale.

Unfortunately, Marriott and Starwood have blocked the ability to buy into their systems inexpensively. Mandatory weeks are the rare exception into Starwood, and Marriott has totally shut down the inexpensive system access.

HGVC rocks, for sure.

Agreed that $25,000 to Marriott for 2,000 points is large price to pay to be able to better utilize their system.

Best,

Greg

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I believe they will go to great lengths to make sure they do not deprive Starwood owners of their “rights”.

We will see, and I suspect I will use star options more frequently than Marriott DC points to visit my favorite Starwood properties.

Best,

Greg

Thanks GregT for your perspective on Marriott. I hope you are correct and they will not take away or kill SO system "rights" for Vistana owners.

It sounds like the options to extend TS usage could be:

Marriott a) Enroll + buy DC points in Marriott for full flexibility and access to Marriott and Hyatt to maximize what the integrated system offers (approx. $25k)

Marriott/Hybrid b) Enroll existing week into DC system for limited use after skim (Enrollment plus Marriott annual club fee) then continue to use Vistana SO and/or leverage less expensive system such as HGVC for additional trading into other locations.

Vistana SO Only c) Keep Vistana week unenrolled and continue to use SOs to trade Vistana. Buy more Vistana mandatory resale for SOs (Subject to Marriott ROFR).

Vistana Hybrid d) Keep Vistana week unenrolled and continue to use SOs to trade Vistana and/or buy less expensive system resale such as HGVC for trading into other locations.

Hyatt Weeks Purchase e) Rather than paying $25k for DC points, buy a resale Hyatt week for <10k (subject to ROFR.) Hope to enroll that week for a lower fee than buying DC points.

Of course much of this decision will depend on the type of Vistana unit one owns. We own WKORV/N OF so do not plan to trade it much anyway, and can use our HGVC properties/points to trade into other locations and/or short stays. Since we are squarely in one of the two hybrids, paying for additional DC points would not offer significantly greater value for us, however we would likely enroll the existing unit if the fee were low.

OTOH If someone owns a Bella or Key West trader, or a voluntary resort purchased resale they may see greater value in enrollment and buying DC. However it might be more cost effective to buy another resale week in Vistana or Hyatt and enroll the weeks instead.

It will be interesting to see what MVC ultimately offers.

 

[bobpark56]

it seems that it is TravelTime's time to go to Lagunamar

If you go, be sure to check in with the concierge folks. We have found them to provide the best and most helpful concierge services anywhere...and we travel 120-150 days per year. They have sufficient folks on duty that there is seldom a wait.

 

[blondietink]

We agree that the Concierge in the main building just off the large lobby are the best! However, we were stuck in building 14 on our last visit and were assigned to the concierge next to building 11. They were not very good at all and we were given conflicting information all the time. I don't know if they were in training or what, but we were quoted one price for excursions, then when we went back to book them we were quoted much higher prices. We also asked about restaurant discounts and they told us there weren't any! We tried to use the main concierge desk and were told we couldn't. It was not a very good experience at all.

 

[Steve A]

Buy a cheap Marriott week from a retailer or owner. Join II and you’re in the system. If you want DC points buy them second hand. Your friends at Marriott will make you pay junk fees but it’s a cheaper way into the system.

 

[TravelTime]

CalGal,

I love HGVC - I love their properties, I love their system, and I Love Love Love that we can buy into the system resale.

Unfortunately, Marriott and Starwood have blocked the ability to buy into their systems inexpensively. Mandatory weeks are the rare exception into Starwood, and Marriott has totally shut down the inexpensive system access.

HGVC rocks, for sure.

Agreed that $25,000 to Marriott for 2,000 points is large price to pay to be able to better utilize their system.

Best,

Greg

From what I can see if the HGVC system, they have many great urban properties but many less beachside and international locations.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

From what I can see if the HGVC system, they have many great urban properties but many less beachside and international locations.

It depends on where you want to stay. The systems are different in location and focus. We added Vistana because it added complementary locations of Maui and Kauai to HGVC which is strong beachside on Oahu and BI. There are also other complementary locations.

Unlike Marriott, HGVC treats resale buyers well. They are aggressively adding new properties. Here is a list from the HGVC thread:

Recent Additions:
1. The Bay Forest Odawara, Japan (by Mt Fuji, 1 hour outside Tokyo), by Hilton Club
2. Borgo alle Vigne, Tuscany
3. The Residences NYC
4. The District, Washington DC, Georgetown
5. Ocean Oak, Hilton Head Island (beachside)
6. Ocean 22, Myrtle Beach (beachside)
7. Grand Islander, Waikiki (beachside)
8. Ocean Enclave, Myrtle Beach (beachside)
9. Hilton Villamoura, Portugal [added]
10. Hilton Craigendarroch Scotland [added]


Officially Announced

1. Saint Philip, Barbados: HGVC @ The Crane (beachside)
2. New York, New York: The Quin by Hilton Club
3. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: HGVC @ Los Cabos (beachside)
4. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Chicago by HGVC
5. Ocean Tower, BI (beachside)
6. Waikiki, bHC
7. Okinawa, Japan (beachside, new build)
8. Liberty Place, Charleston, SC, bHC

Rumored

1. Turtle Bay, HI: HGVC @ Turtle Bay "rumored"
2. Ambergris Caye, Belize: Mahogany Bay Resort & Beach Club @ HGVC "rumored"
3. San Francisco, CA: "rumored"
4. China: "rumored"

Even in locations where they overlap, each has it's strengths.

IMO I would like to see more European cities in both systems.

 

[DannyTS]

From what I can see if the HGVC system, they have many great urban properties but many less beachside and international locations.

Missing on CalGalTraveler's list is Hilton Vilamoura in Portugal

 

[Ken555]

IMO I would like to see more European cities in both systems.

Yes!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[TravelTime]

It seems like Hilton does many partnerships with other resorts. How does this work? Do they change them from time to time?

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Missing on CalGalTraveler's list is Hilton Vilamoura in Portugal

Thanks. Just edited to add to the list.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

It seems like Hilton does many partnerships with other resorts. How does this work? Do they change them from time to time?

That's a complex topic. Overall it doesn't change much with the exception of an acquisition of a partner or new partnership additions e.g. Diamond purchased Embarc system so we no longer had trading rights into those properties. Alternatively, they purchased a section of Crane Barbados timeshares to their offerings which HGVC will sell and broadens options for HGVC owner trades.

HGVC is moving to an "asset light" model and not building many of their own properties from the ground up anymore. While MVC will be consumed with program and IT infrastructure integration and program roll-outs, HGVC will be agile in adding new properties to keep up with Marriott/ILG size:

• 3rd party developer builds property, then HGVC manages (e.g. Grand Islander, Elara). HGVC sells deed. Looks and acts no different than an HGVC "built" property.
• Affiliate Access: owners buy into their respective system but have reciprocal access with $599 enrollment fee e.g. Fiesta Americana (Mexico), Embarc, Grand Pacific.
• Hilton Hotel conversions - converting buildings or floors of existing resorts (e.g. District, Ocean Tower, The Residences NYC). HGVC manages with separate check-in, lounge etc.

The beauty of these affiliate options are that unlike II or RCI, you are not stuck with a full week trade; every owner can reserve as little as 3 days with points and seamlessly reserve via HGVC system with point similar to other trades. I believe SOs are similar but I am too new to Vistana to say for sure.

For HGVC, every property is "enrolled" for $599 upon purchase so every property is available to the system because very few owners use their home week; the system is very fluid. But unlike other trust point systems, the points are tied to a specific deed so very difficult, if not impossible, for the developer to devalue.

If you need further info, probably best to ask on the HGVC Forum.