Westin banking/borrowing rules

[liongate88]

Hi,

I am new to this timeshare and is planning to buy Westin Kaanapali biennial odd year start use is 2021. I am wondering how does banking and borrowing works with SVN. If I bank the 2021 points, can I use it in 2022? What would be the fee. Or If I want to go for a vacation on even years say 2022, can I borrow from 2023 (odd)? I know with HGVC , this can be done but SVN sounds confusing. Please help . Thanks

 

[needvaca]

You can bank for 2 years following your use year for $109. So 2021 staroptions would be good thru 2023. You can only borrow into your use year, so you could borrow your 2023 staroptions in 2021 by paying your 2022 and 2023 maintenance fees

I highly recommend reading the sticky posts in the Vistana section of TUG

 

[jabberwocky]

As a non-elite owner you would have up to July 1, 2021 to bank your StarOptions for a $109 fee.

The banked StarOptions are good for two years (not just one like HGVC) so you can use them up until Dec 31, 2023 (even or odd year doesn’t matter).

Borrowing is a different matter. With Vistana An odd-year can only borrow from and odd-year and an even year-can only borrow from even (annual weeks of course can borrow from the next use year). This means that you could borrow 2023 SO for use in 2021, but not 2022. There is no fee for borrowing, but you have to call in to do it and you must have paid the estimated annual dues for the year you are borrowing from. HGVC is definitely more flexible than Vistana for borrowing.

 

[liongate88]

Nice! Thanks for clarifying. It definitely explains everything

 

[liongate88]

I am glad there is a forum like this. You can simply ask almost everything.

 

[jabberwocky]

I am glad there is a forum like this. You can simply ask almost everything.

Glad you’re finding it useful and welcome to TUG.

If you are finding the information valuable, consider joining TUG for only $15. This really is a community driven effort and @TUGBrian puts in a ton of work to enhance the site and keep it going. As a member you get access to a number of member-only features (such as resort reviews).

Best part is you get the snazzy “TUG Member” beside your username!

 

[CPNY]

I am glad there is a forum like this. You can simply ask almost everything.

If it’s your only ownership you will be paying the VSN fee every year. So your maint fees are split in half however the 150 VSN membership fee is applied even in your non use year.

 

[liongate88]

Definitely will support TUG!

 

[bobpark56]

Every-other year ownerships do not play well with banking or borrowing staroptions (you must skip over the intervening years). If you are counting on flexibility there, go for an annual unit.

 

[dioxide45]

Every-other year ownerships do not play well with banking or borrowing staroptions (you must skip over the intervening years). If you are counting on flexibility there, go for an annual unit.

They play okay with banking options, when you bank they are valid for two years following the use year you banked from. EOY doesn't work well with borrowing. If you own even you have to borrow in to an even year. Same with Odd year ownership. Meaning you can't borrow 2021 options in to 2020. You also have to prepay two years of maintenance fees to borrow the options.

 

[liongate88]

With Westin floating weeks, you can book at your home resort 12 months in advance. Would this needs to be the whole week? Can you book at 12 mos for less than a week? Or if it is in 8 months window can you book for less than a week? We always do split stay during vacations to see different resorts. Thanks!

 

[jabberwocky]

With Westin floating weeks, you can book at your home resort 12 months in advance. Would this needs to be the whole week? Can you book at 12 mos for less than a week? Or if it is in 8 months window can you book for less than a week? We always do split stay during vacations to see different resorts. Thanks!

With a traditional week you will be limited to booking a full week at your home resort in the 8-12 month window. Usually you will also be limited to either a Friday/Saturday/Sunday check-in.

The exception is the Westin Flex program (or Sheraton Flex for the Sheraton resorts). With Flex you can book any length of stay up to 14 days in the 8-12 home resort period. Check-in can be any day of the week as well.

 

[liongate88]

With a traditional week you will be limited to booking a full week at your home resort in the 8-12 month window. Usually you will also be limited to either a Friday/Saturday/Sunday check-in.

The exception is the Westin Flex program (or Sheraton Flex for the Sheraton resorts). With Flex you can book any length of stay up to 14 days in the 8-12 home resort period. Check-in can be any day of the week as well.

After 8 months and with the traditional week (not flex) can you book less than 1 week ? And any day? Thanks

 

[jabberwocky]

If your week has StarOptions (“mandatory” resale weeks or developer purchases) - then yes - within 8 months you can book less than one week starting any day of the week.

 

[liongate88]

If your week has StarOptions (“mandatory” resale weeks or developer purchases) - then yes - within 8 months you can book less than one week starting any day of the week.

Great ! Thanks!

 

[rad.travel.dad]

You can bank for 2 years following your use year for $109. So 2021 staroptions would be good thru 2023. You can only borrow into your use year, so you could borrow your 2023 staroptions in 2021 by paying your 2022 and 2023 maintenance fees

I had a similar question as the original poster here...

Let’s say I buy an EOY Odd so I get my points in 2021, if I want to use half in 2021 and half in 2022, would I need to bank points to use them in 2022 at all? Or do I have until 2023 to use all the points?

 

[CPNY]

I had a similar question as the original poster here...

Let’s say I buy an EOY Odd so I get my points in 2021, if I want to use half in 2021 and half in 2022, would I need to bank points to use them in 2022 at all? Or do I have until 2023 to use all the points?

If you have 44k star options EOYO, and you only use 22K in 2021. The remaining 22K you bank for a fee before the banking deadline. Once you do that you can no longer use those banked options in 2021. You have 2 years to use them, so you’ll have 22K in 2022 and 22K (assuming you didn’t use them in 2022) + 44K in 2023 for you next odd year star options. The 22K or however many banked options you brought into your UY can be combined at 8mo only.

you have two years to use banked options regardless of the even or odd year. This is why they charge you the VSN fee in your non use year. Technically you can access the VSN if you have banked the options following a UY.

you can pull forward but only from a like year. So 2023 can be pulled forward and used in 2021. 2023 (odd) options cannot be pulled forward into 2022 (even)

pulling forward:
Odd into odd
Even into even.

banked:
banked following two years no matter even or odd.

 

[jabberwocky]

Let’s say I buy an EOY Odd so I get my points in 2021, if I want to use half in 2021 and half in 2022, would I need to bank points to use them in 2022 at all? Or do I have until 2023 to use all the points?

When you bank points you choose how many you want to bank (you can also bank points from multiple VOIs at the same time for one fee).

In your scenario you would only want to bank the points you would not use in 2021 (ideally making the 2021 reservation before you bank to avoid mistakes.). the banked points could then be used in 2022 or 2023. You could not use banked points in 2021 though.

 

[rad.travel.dad]

Got it, thank you both for the clarification!