Westin and Sheraton Vacation Clubs Now Internal II Exchange with Priority for MVC Owners

[JIMinNC]

I don't recall seeing this mentioned on TUG yet, and I just saw it on MVC home page this morning, but it looks like II trades to Westin Vacation Club and Sheraton Vacation Club are now considered internal exchanges and it looks like Marriott priority applies there as well. I assume the same reciprocity is being extended to Westin/Sheraton owners into MVC.

We don't use II trades any more so this is basically a nothing-burger for us, but I know lots of TUGgers use and love II trades, so I thought I would post this. Here is the detail page from the MVC website.

 

[Theiggy]

Oooh interesting!


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[CPNY]

I don't recall seeing this mentioned on TUG yet, and I just saw it on MVC home page this morning, but it looks like II trades to Westin Vacation Club and Sheraton Vacation Club are now considered internal exchanges and it looks like Marriott priority applies there as well. I assume the same reciprocity is being extended to Westin/Sheraton owners into MVC.

We don't use II trades any more so this is basically a nothing-burger for us, but I know lots of TUGgers use and love II trades, so I thought I would post this. Here is the detail page from the MVC website.View attachment 16525

My mother traded her VSE week into II last year and was given priority for Aruba MVC and had a reservation a few days later. I think the priority was always there on the back end. I can tell you that since the merger, whenever I stayed at a MVC property they recognized me as an MVC owner even though I own in VSE.

 

[MOXJO7282]

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Do Marriott owners get the reciprocal value or is this just an added value for Westin and Sheraton owners who now have improved chances of getting a good Marriott at the expense of a Marriott owner? From one angle it could be a good thing for Marriott owners if it improves our chances for prime Westins and Sheratons but is it even a fair exchange of new value? I wouldn't think so but wondering what others may think. II wants desperately to make trades to get all the associated fees so the more options for them to do so the better for them and also those traders with good units to trade on both sides I would think but for those with average Marriott traders it might push them down the totem pole for prime weeks now to prime Westin or Sheraton? That is a concern I believe. It should also open up some more options in shoulder season but again is it a fair exchange?

 

[carpie99]

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Do Marriott owners get the reciprocal value or is this just an added value for Westin and Sheraton owners who now have improved chances of getting a good Marriott at the expense of a Marriott owner? From one angle it could be a good thing for Marriott owners if it improves our chances for prime Westins and Sheratons but is it even a fair exchange of new value? I wouldn't think so but wondering what others may think. II wants desperately to make trades to get all the associated fees so the more options for them to do so the better for them and also those traders with good units to trade on both sides I would think but for those with average Marriott traders it might push them down the totem pole for prime weeks now to prime Westin or Sheraton? That is a concern I believe. It should also open up some more options in shoulder season but again is it a fair exchange?

You read it wrong ... it says Marriott owners get priority into Westin/Sheraton.

 

[klpca]

I just checked the Vistana owners dashboard. I see the same verbiage on our side. I'm in a bit of a hurry but I believe what it said was that Vistana to Marriott is now an internal Exchange where it used to be considered an external exchange. Also on the Vistana forum it was reported that the exchange fees both ways are now the reduced amount of $154

 

[Theiggy]

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Do Marriott owners get the reciprocal value or is this just an added value for Westin and Sheraton owners who now have improved chances of getting a good Marriott at the expense of a Marriott owner? From one angle it could be a good thing for Marriott owners if it improves our chances for prime Westins and Sheratons but is it even a fair exchange of new value? I wouldn't think so but wondering what others may think. II wants desperately to make trades to get all the associated fees so the more options for them to do so the better for them and also those traders with good units to trade on both sides I would think but for those with average Marriott traders it might push them down the totem pole for prime weeks now to prime Westin or Sheraton? That is a concern I believe. It should also open up some more options in shoulder season but again is it a fair exchange?

I agree. Not sure it benefits all equally. Certainly will increase competition for the good Marriott weeks.


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[JIMinNC]

You read it wrong ... it says Marriott owners get priority into Westin/Sheraton.

But that is because that was a message from the MVC web site directed at MVC owners. I'm sure it's reciprocal - Westin/Sheraton will also get the same priority into MVC. Basically, all three brands are being treated as one within II now.

 

[VacationForever]

I own at both and yes, it is also on Vistana's site that Vistana's II exchange into MVC timeshare now costs only $154.

 

[Steve Fatula]

So, not free in the corporate account? Free retrades?

 

[JIMinNC]

So, not free in the corporate account? Free retrades?

Free for MVC owners who are DC members through the corporate II account. See the second image/footnote/FAQ in the OP.

Westin/Sheraton owners don't get free II trades in their system I don't believe, so they get the same discounted rate they pay for II trades within their legacy brands as I understand the posts from those owners.

 

[CPNY]

Free for MVC owners who are DC members through the corporate II account. See the second image/footnote/FAQ in the OP.

Westin/Sheraton owners don't get free II trades in their system I don't believe, so they get the same discounted rate they pay for II trades within their legacy brands as I understand the posts from those owners.

Yes, we pay to exchange into other vistana resorts. Most likely because if you own mandatory resorts or have SO usage through developer which is how they ownership was intended to be Purchased, you would have star option booking with no charge to book other resorts.

 

[Steve Fatula]

This is great then! More options. I am one of those guys who trades a lot. Good first step.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

As a Westin owner I like the idea of better access to MVC and more options. However it is not a huge change other than to reduce II access of non-MVC, non-Vistana traders to these properties. The reservation concern goes both ways but there are far fewer Vistana properties than MVC so the concern is greater on the Vistana side because there are so many Marriott owners with properties which we would never trade into such as Orlando, New Jersey etc. who will now vie for WSJ, Harborside, Mexico and Hawaii.

 

[jmhpsu93]

I got an email from both Vistana and MVC today (ownership at both).

 

[melissy123]

As a Westin owner I like the idea of better access to MVC and more options. However it is not a huge change other than to reduce II access of non-MVC, non-Vistana traders to these properties. The reservation concern goes both ways but there are far fewer Vistana properties than MVC so the concern is greater on the Vistana side because there are so many Marriott owners with properties which we would never trade into such as Orlando, New Jersey etc. who will now vie for WSJ, Harborside and Maui.

I don’t think WSJ ever showed up for exchange. I had heard Harborside availability has been low and not too many Maui Westin weeks seem to get deposited. So this looks like a win for Westin/Sheraton owners. Not so much for Marriott owners.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I don’t think WSJ ever showed up for exchange. I had heard Harborside availability has been low and not too many Maui Westin weeks seem to get deposited. So this looks like a win for Westin/Sheraton owners. Not so much for Marriott owners.

Interesting point. Probably because they were traded in the Staroptions system first and VSN owners tend to stick with the SO points system because it is more flexible and immediate vs. deposit and wait in II. I imagine it's the same with DC and enrolled owners in MVC. Not sure how that will parse in the future.

 

[Luvtoride]

I received an email from MVC today with the announcement. I did check some of the available Westin resorts and the Westin Lagunamar in Cancun has always looked like a nice one for a trade. I didn't check availability, but last time we were in Cancun, we really enjoyed the area. Also, the Westin in St. John is a nice option as well. My use of II has been limited, but I may take a shot at exploring some trades with these new options available.

 

[davidvel]

Note, Marriott still has priority over Vistana. Vistana just has priority over others (after Marriott priority.)

 

[DannyTS]

Note, Marriott still has priority over Vistana. Vistana just has priority over others (after Marriott priority.)

I am curious how this is going to work from a practical standpoint. Is this priority going to be enforced strictly for all the bulk, mini-bulk, cancelled exchanges (last minute but not only) etc. In the last couple of weeks I have noticed some unusual Marriott inventory when searching with Vistana but I though that it was the beginning of the year and more deposits were going in.

 

[GregT]

I received the email and it stated that I would still have my “first access” to MVC trades and also have the preference to Westin/Sheraton.

I would speculate that this means that there is a second preference - ie, after all Starwood exchanges have matched, it goes to Marriott owners before it gets matched to highest power requests (or to Instant Exchange).

While it sounds cool, I think it’s Important to remember that Starwood manages Interval deposits carefully and its rare to see the prime weeks get deposited for an exchange (unlike in Marriott’s system where the owner does the deposit). Starwood is more shoulder-type deposits (think June and September in Kauai, not July and August). I believe the most attractive exchanges possible will still go to Starwood owners, if we have a “mini-preference”. But mini-preference is better than no preference.

What is definitely different is that I will now make a trade request for both Waiohai and WPORV, versus just Waiohai in the old world. Maybe one day I do get the match and trade my Marriott for a Westin. Or maybe I would now request Lagunamar which I just wouldn’t have done before. It will be interesting to see the reports of successful trades made with II across the systems.

Interesting stuff!

Best,

Greg

 

[Colt Seavers]

So does this mean we also get Elite Night credit for exchanges to Vistana and/or Hyatt properties? I was told by a Marriott rep that we do but I was not convinced that the information was correct. I was upset by this announcement at first because I just did an exchange to a Hyatt only to realize they were conspicuously absent from the announcement.

 

[Dean]

More choices and more volume. Other than Hyatt's, I don't see that MVC adds much to Vistana or vice versa.

 

[JIMinNC]

So does this mean we also get Elite Night credit for exchanges to Vistana and/or Hyatt properties? I was told by a Marriott rep that we do but I was not convinced that the information was correct. I was upset by this announcement at first because I just did an exchange to a Hyatt only to realize they were conspicuously absent from the announcement.

No Elite Night credit for Hyatt because Hyatt does not, and will not, participate in Bonvoy. I would expect Elite night credit would be given for Westin and Sheraton since those brands do play in Bonvoy.

Hyatt is not part of this because Marriott Vacations Worldwide has indicated that Hyatt is going to be kept totally separate from the other brands acquired with ILG. Since Westin and Sheraton are brands that are part of the Marriott family (both hotel and timeshare) that is the only integration that I think will happen in the short run. Longer term, who knows, but Marriott Vacations Worldwide seems to be keeping Hyatt separate for obvious reasons.

 

[dioxide45]

A good change which gives our enrolled Marriott weeks more options to pick from for no exchange fee. The only drawback is that Sheratons do not have studios, so every trade using a studio is going to always require an upgrade fee.