Westin St John Master Thread - Part 3 [Dec. 2017 and forward]

[DavidnRobin]

They can also sell them. That's how we got our 3BR EOY pool villa for $11,000. Family members love it.

Hi Bob - the HOA is no longer selling VGV VOIs. It was a great program though.
We decided to give ours away - probably could have recouped some money - just wasn’t worth it to me.
I miss STJ pre-H.Irma, but lost it’s appeal afterwards. Especially with the ever increasing MFs (that held steady for years) and reduction in resort quality.


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[BluePrelude]

Does anybody know what is the problem with the internet at St John?
We got here on August 10th and since then it has been out at night and sometimes during the day.

 

[bobpark56]

Has anyone yet been able to pay their tax bill online?

 

[GregT]

Hello Tuggers,

I suspect this comment is out of the normal range of this thread, but I was intrigued to see that the new points chart for WSJ had everything collapsed into one points chart.

For someone who is not that experienced with the different phases, does that surprise you? Do you think some are more valuable/interesting than others? I was intrigued to see everything collapsed into the one. Thank you!

Best,

Greg

 

[DavidnRobin]

Hello Tuggers,

I suspect this comment is out of the normal range of this thread, but I was intrigued to see that the new points chart for WSJ had everything collapsed into one points chart.

For someone who is not that experienced with the different phases, does that surprise you? Do you think some are more valuable/interesting than others? I was intrigued to see everything collapsed into the one. Thank you!

Best,

Greg

Hi Greg -
Interesting. Looks like you can end up in any phase that has opening - except 1Bds are only in VGV phase.

Our previous weeks (23-24) have the 2nd lowest points. But the season had the lowest SOs associated.


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[bobpark56]

Has anyone yet been able to pay their tax bill online?

Update: USVI online payment is still not working.
I sent a note to the Lt Gov's office asking how to pay. They sent me a form to fill out to tell them how to charge our credit card (see attachment). I completed and returned the form in an email to them. They have now told me our tax billing is being processed.

 

[daviator]

Hi Greg -
Interesting. Looks like you can end up in any phase that has opening - except 1Bds are only in VGV phase.

Our previous weeks (23-24) have the 2nd lowest points. But the season had the lowest SOs associated.


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We've only been to WSJ once, about a decade ago, and had a conventional villa (not one of the ones on the hillside.) But I seem to remember that at least one of the phases has individual pools, and that there are a lot of differences between the different villa types, both in amenities and location. It does seem pretty surprising that they are homogenizing the whole property. Maybe they don't have/anticipate having much inventory in some of the categories anyway, and so it's just not worth breaking them down into a bunch of categories when they'll almost never have inventory in some of them?

 

[SandyPGravel]

Hello Tuggers,

I suspect this comment is out of the normal range of this thread, but I was intrigued to see that the new points chart for WSJ had everything collapsed into one points chart.

For someone who is not that experienced with the different phases, does that surprise you? Do you think some are more valuable/interesting than others? I was intrigued to see everything collapsed into the one. Thank you!

Best,

Greg

Can you direct me to where you are seeing new points charts? Thx

 

[DavidnRobin]

Can you direct me to where you are seeing new points charts? Thx

I found it in the thread discussing Abound.

Here it is… (I think… this is my download of it)
View attachment 63576

Photo…

 

[dioxide45]

Can you direct me to where you are seeing new points charts? Thx

Here is the chart for WSJ.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Here is the chart for WSJ.

Hi @dioxide45 -

I am not familiar with these values within MVC - but my former week(s) are given a value of 3675 (2Bd weeks 23-24).
Curious… what would have this given me in MVC (as an example).
btw - the annual fees per week is currently ~$3200/wk.


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[dioxide45]

Hi @dioxide45 -

I am not familiar with these values within MVC - but my former week(s) are given a value of 3675 (2Bd weeks 23-24).
Curious… what would have this given me in MVC (as an example).
btw - the annual fees per week is currently ~$3200/wk.


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It might help to look at the larger MVC Points chart. The maintenance fees to points ratio on those would have been really poor. The MF on MVC Trust points is around $0.63pp and what you would have had is closer to $0.90. They wouldn't be a good MVC Point generator. Some people own Marriott weeks that have a ratio closer to $0.40pp.

MVC Points Chart

 

[GregT]

Hi @dioxide45 -

I am not familiar with these values within MVC - but my former week(s) are given a value of 3675 (2Bd weeks 23-24).
Curious… what would have this given me in MVC (as an example).
btw - the annual fees per week is currently ~$3200/wk.


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Some of the things that 3,675 points would have gotten you:

3,550 - 1BR OF in Aruba (January or April)
3,900 - 1BR OF in Aruba (February or March)
3,500 - 2BR OV in Aruba (May or November)
3,675 - 2BR in Ritz - St. Thomas (Summer)
3,725 - 2BR at Frenchman's Cove - St. Thomas (January or April)

Hawaii properties require higher points, and you would have had success getting 1BRs in Oahu or Maui, but 2BRs require more.

I hope this helps?

Best,

Greg

 

[DavidnRobin]

Thanks @dioxide45 and @GregT

It appears - like SO/MF values - that certain weeks (e.g. Plat+) have a good DC/MF value for exchanging out of WSJ.


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[dioxide45]

Thanks @dioxide45 and @GregT

It appears - like SO/MF values - that certain weeks (e.g. Plat+) have a good DC/MF value for exchanging out of WSJ.


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Yeah, since weeks based fees are usually flat across seasons, the higher the season the better the MF to SO ratio as you go up in season.

 

[TravelTime]

We've only been to WSJ once, about a decade ago, and had a conventional villa (not one of the ones on the hillside.) But I seem to remember that at least one of the phases has individual pools, and that there are a lot of differences between the different villa types, both in amenities and location. It does seem pretty surprising that they are homogenizing the whole property. Maybe they don't have/anticipate having much inventory in some of the categories anyway, and so it's just not worth breaking them down into a bunch of categories when they'll almost never have inventory in some of them?

This hypothesis makes total sense. Bummer that if we reserve, we will have no idea what we are getting.

 

[TravelTime]

Hi @dioxide45 -

I am not familiar with these values within MVC - but my former week(s) are given a value of 3675 (2Bd weeks 23-24).
Curious… what would have this given me in MVC (as an example).
btw - the annual fees per week is currently ~$3200/wk.


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What is on the chart is what it costs to book into WSJ. Usually there is skim. Have you heard that you would actually get 3675 for your old week?

 

[DavidnRobin]

What is on the chart is what it costs to book into WSJ. Usually there is skim. Have you heard that you would actually get 3675 for your old week?

Good point. Don’t know, and I was inquiring because I was curious.

Also, VGV seasons are different than the other phases (in regards to SOs)


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[alexadeparis]

So for my Gold Pool villas, the sheet I previously got said I would receive 4150 MVC points each. I go first 2 weeks of October. So it looks like I could receive 8300 points for my 2 weeks and only spend 7000 for those 2 weeks (leaving an extra 1300 to spend elsewhere) PROVIDED that I don’t mind giving up my fixed week/ fixed unit guarantee. Meaning I could save those points but be stuck in a Bay Vista or other phase. Not sure that’s worth the risk to me unless I really needed those extra points for my other plans. If this plays out in the final points we receive, this would be a rare case of Reverse Skim.

 

[GregT]

So for my Gold Pool villas, the sheet I previously got said I would receive 4150 MVC points each. I go first 2 weeks of October. So it looks like I could receive 8300 points for my 2 weeks and only spend 7000 for those 2 weeks (leaving an extra 1300 to spend elsewhere) PROVIDED that I don’t mind giving up my fixed week/ fixed unit guarantee. Meaning I could save those points but be stuck in a Bay Vista or other phase. Not sure that’s worth the risk to me unless I really needed those extra points for my other plans. If this plays out in the final points we receive, this would be a rare case of Reverse Skim.

Yes I agree, Reverse Skim is very rare. In addition to the risk you've identified (Bay Vista or other phase), I do think the other key risk is general availability at WSJ.

I am very curious to see what the inventory availability is for WSJ, specifically in the 1BR units. I love St. Thomas and have only visited St. John. There are no 1BR units at either Frenchman's Cove or Ritz St. Thomas and while I am happy in a 2BR unit, if it is just Jonell and me, I'd rather find a 1BR.

From the earlier WSJ threads, it is my understanding that VGV are very desirable and I hope to explore that property one day.

Best,

Greg

 

[GrayFal]

So for my Gold Pool villas, the sheet I previously got said I would receive 4150 MVC points each. I go first 2 weeks of October. So it looks like I could receive 8300 points for my 2 weeks and only spend 7000 for those 2 weeks (leaving an extra 1300 to spend elsewhere) PROVIDED that I don’t mind giving up my fixed week/ fixed unit guarantee. Meaning I could save those points but be stuck in a Bay Vista or other phase. Not sure that’s worth the risk to me unless I really needed those extra points for my other plans. If this plays out in the final points we receive, this would be a rare case of Reverse Skim.

I have a week 7 1BR VGV that would take 4325 to reserve. Wonder what I will get for my week?
@alexadeparis, did you receive your points allotment sheet at an update?

and I find it hard to believe that Marriott would lump all the three bedrooms together. A private pool villa is certainly different than a three bedroom in coral or bay vista.

 

[TravelTime]

One possibility is perhaps when the Abound booking system shows the options to book, maybe in the drop down menu, it will then have some coding so you know exactly what phase you are booking. It does this with the penthouse at Ko Olina and with the 2BR vs 2BR suite at Ritz St Thomas. (Unlike WSJ, the points for these options are slightly different though.) I hope they are programming in that feature since the various phases are very different from each other. Personally I like Bay Vista or the other phases close to the beach and main pool.

 

[alexadeparis]

I have a week 7 1BR VGV that would take 4325 to reserve. Wonder what I will get for my week?
@alexadeparis, did you receive your points allotment sheet at an update?

and I find it hard to believe that Marriott would lump all the three bedrooms together. A private pool villa is certainly different than a three bedroom in coral or bay vista.

Yes I posted my sheet in the middle of the huge speculation thread

 

[GrayFal]

Yes I posted my sheet in the middle of the huge specuration thread

Thanks

 

[dioxide45]

One possibility is perhaps when the Abound booking system shows the options to book, maybe in the drop down menu, it will then have some coding so you know exactly what phase you are booking. It does this with the penthouse at Ko Olina and with the 2BR vs 2BR suite at Ritz St Thomas. (Unlike WSJ, the points for these options are slightly different though.) I hope they are programming in that feature since the various phases are very different from each other. Personally I like Bay Vista or the other phases close to the beach and main pool.

There will certainly be some indication of the underlying inventory. Just like the MKO penthouse units and even all units booked through Interval International. The key here will be, will they honor that underlying unit when doing villa allocations ahead of checkin?