Westin St. John platinum plus ownership odd year week 1 float booking question

[ndang3]

We bought this over resale and with a recent direct purchase, that just got retroed into the network. I tried to book week 51, but the system response looks like we are not eligible until 8 months out when though weeks 1-15 and 51 and 52 are part of the float period. Anyone else encounter this?

You may be searching for dates that do not have villa availability or are outside of the eligible reservation window based on your ownership. Please change your search criteria and try again.
For Vistana Signature Network reservations, arrivals should be within 8 months of today's date.

 

[Eric B]

What phase do you own? I presume it's VGV based on the seasons listed. Week 51 was sold as fixed for most phases in any case, and you would need to wait for someone to release one for the phase you're in. It doesn't help that Marriott is putting some developers owned week 51s in Abound rather than leaving them in VSN because you would have to elect to convert to Abound points before you could see where they wind up.

I did have some luck floating to Christmas week with my VGV weeks as a result of COVID, but not since then. I do own a week 51 there and rent it out instead of using the SOs when I don't use it myself - I only use the SOs if it isn't A Christmas week.

 

[ndang3]

What phase do you own? I presume it's VGV based on the seasons listed. Week 51 was sold as fixed for most phases in any case, and you would need to wait for someone to release one for the phase you're in. It doesn't help that Marriott is putting some developers owned week 51s in Abound rather than leaving them in VSN because you would have to elect to convert to Abound points before you could see where they wind up.

I did have some luck floating to Christmas week with my VGV weeks as a result of COVID, but not since then. I do own a week 51 there and rent it out instead of using the SOs when I don't use it myself - I only use the SOs if it isn't A Christmas week.

Bay vista

 

[ndang3]

Regardless of availability the search results are suspicious for booking eligibility at 8 mos, which is not right if I own within the season, which I do.

 

[ljmiii]

We bought this over resale and with a recent direct purchase, that just got retroed into the network. I tried to book week 51, but the system response looks like we are not eligible until 8 months out when though weeks 1-15 and 51 and 52 are part of the float period. Anyone else encounter this?

You may be searching for dates that do not have villa availability or are outside of the eligible reservation window based on your ownership. Please change your search criteria and try again.
For Vistana Signature Network reservations, arrivals should be within 8 months of today's date.

As you say, Week 51 is definitely part of Platinum Plus season at WSJ Bay Vista. And I'm curious, did you try to book it at the opening bells? At 12:00AM December 19th for a Friday Check in on 12/19/25, December 20th for a Saturday check in, and December 21st for a Sunday Check in? If not, I would expect that weeks 51 and 52 go quickly (though I can't speak from personal experience).

Since the error message starts with "You may be searching for dates that do not have villa availability..." I'm guessing it just means exactly that - there is no longer any availability for your villa type. And since your ownership has been retro'd they go on to say the bit about being able to use your ownership throughout the VSN network at 8 months...including other villa types at Bay Vista on those dates.

 

[ndang3]

As you say, Week 51 is definitely part of Platinum Plus season at WSJ Bay Vista. And I'm curious, did you try to book it at the opening bells? At 12:00AM December 19th for a Friday Check in on 12/19/25, December 20th for a Saturday check in, and December 21st for a Sunday Check in? If not, I would expect that weeks 51 and 52 go quickly (though I can't speak from personal experience).

Since the error message starts with "You may be searching for dates that do not have villa availability..." I'm guessing it just means exactly that - there is no longer any availability for your villa type. And since your ownership has been retro'd they go on to say the bit about being able to use your ownership throughout the VSN network at 8 months...including other villa types at Bay Vista on those dates.

No I didn’t try at 12 am exactly. I thought if we own that week although as a float you’re guaranteed to get in? I’m actually trying to book Dec 27, 2025 for 7 nights. Is that still part of the odd year even though check out would be Jan 3 2026?

 

[Eric B]

What phase do you own? I presume it's VGV based on the seasons listed. Week 51 was sold as fixed for most phases in any case, and you would need to wait for someone to release one for the phase you're in. It doesn't help that Marriott is putting some developers owned week 51s in Abound rather than leaving them in VSN because you would have to elect to convert to Abound points before you could see where they wind up.

I did have some luck floating to Christmas week with my VGV weeks as a result of COVID, but not since then. I do own a week 51 there and rent it out instead of using the SOs when I don't use it myself - I only use the SOs if it isn't A Christmas week.

We bought this over resale and with a recent direct purchase, that just got retroed into the network. I tried to book week 51, but the system response looks like we are not eligible until 8 months out when though weeks 1-15 and 51 and 52 are part of the float period. Anyone else encounter this?

You may be searching for dates that do not have villa availability or are outside of the eligible reservation window based on your ownership. Please change your search criteria and try again.
For Vistana Signature Network reservations, arrivals should be within 8 months of today's date.

Bay vista

At Bay Vista, Platinum+ is 1-18 and 51-52. Those are also the weeks for Coral Vista and Sunset Bay, although they have different names. VGV is the one that is 1-15 and 51-52.

No I didn’t try at 12 am exactly. I thought if we own that week although as a float you’re guaranteed to get in? I’m actually trying to book Dec 27, 2025 for 7 nights. Is that still part of the odd year even though check out would be Jan 3 2026?

I couldn't tell you what the odds of being able to book that week in Bay Vista are. I can tell you, however, that it's more than 12 months from now as it's just December 25th. Merry Christmas and try again in two days starting around 12 am EST. BTW, it's week 52 not week 51.

 

[ljmiii]

No I didn’t try at 12 am exactly. I thought if we own that week although as a float you’re guaranteed to get in?...

You have booking priority at 12 months at Bay Vista for your villa type while everyone else has to wait until 8 months out. But if you don't succeed in getting Week 52 you will most likely have to find availability elsewhere since weeks 1-18 in 2025 at WSJ are long gone to other VSN owners (Note that Bay Vista is 1-18 not 1-15 like VGV).

I’m actually trying to book Dec 27, 2025 for 7 nights. Is that still part of the odd year even though check out would be Jan 3 2026?

Yes. But if you have flexibility you might want to consider trying on December 26th (12:00AM tomorrow) for a Friday stay.

 

[GrayFal]

Like you, there are many fixed week fixed unit owners in Bay Vista and they paid a premium for it.
I guess the question is how many week 51,52 are fixed; the actual float pool might be very small - possibly all week 52 Saturday check-in are fixed on your type room?
I don't know if there is a way to find this out.

 

[GrayFal]

No I didn’t try at 12 am exactly. I thought if we own that week although as a float you’re guaranteed to get in?

No, you are competing against every other float owner.

 

[ndang3]

Hmmm… before that contract was brought into the VSN network I could have sworn everytime I tried to book something in our season we would see availability with the option “home resort usage”. So you’re saying bc we brought it into the network and now have the choice to use staroptions instead somehow that has diminished our likelihood of getting something in week 51 or 52?

 

[dioxide45]

Hmmm… before that contract was brought into the VSN network I could have sworn everytime I tried to book something in our season we would see availability with the option “home resort usage”. So you’re saying bc we brought it into the network and now have the choice to use staroptions instead somehow that has diminished our likelihood of getting something in week 51 or 52?

You should still be able to see the option of "Home Resort Usage". The issue seems to be that you are trying to book week 51. Perhaps the highest demand week of the entire year and there is no longer any availability. The message you are seeing is standard when there is nothing available.

 

[ndang3]

Usually it would just say 0 results across 0 resorts and this “Search Tip: You may be searching for dates that do not have villa availability. Please modify and search again.” Not the whole blurb as I’ve described in the original post

 

[GrayFal]

Hmmm… before that contract was brought into the VSN network I could have sworn everytime I tried to book something in our season we would see availability with the option “home resort usage”. So you’re saying bc we brought it into the network and now have the choice to use staroptions instead somehow that has diminished our likelihood of getting something in week 51 or 52?

As @dioxide45 said above, you should still be able to see the home resort usage.
For "fun" do a search looking at weeks 14-18 2025 which would also be in your season and see what the results are.
The problem lies in that the bulk of your season was released to SO Resies at 8 months out so there might not be any availability.

 

[ndang3]

8 months out in this case should not have priority over home resort week/float owners

 

[ndang3]

Just want to make sure the 51-52 week is not 2024 for odd year ownership?

 

[GrayFal]

8 months out in this case should not have priority over home resort week/float owners

Not for 2025 51/52 but the 1-18 2025 would have been reserved by owners like you at 12-8 months and star option owners between May-August 2024

 

[GrayFal]

There is still availability in your season for you to reserve - and it is letting me reserve with SO. If you don't own that unit, there is nothing else available for those dates.

 

[GrayFal]

And this is what I get when looking for week 51 as I am outside my 8 month booking window.

What do you see?

Hope this helps.

 

[ndang3]

View attachment 103792View attachment 103793
There is still availability in your season for you to reserve - and it is letting me reserve with SO. If you don't own that unit, there is nothing else available for those dates.

Is this just now or a year ago?

 

[ndang3]

And this is what I get when looking for week 51 as I am outside my 8 month booking window.

What do you see?

Hope this helps.

View attachment 103794

Which week do you own? Bay vista as well?

 

[ndang3]

We own week 1 float platinum plus season so we are eligible to book now.

 

[GrayFal]

Is this just now or a year ago?

I am searching right now - the result that says nothing available is Dec 2025. I no longer own at WSJ

 

[GrayFal]

Which week do you own? Bay vista as well?

I do not own at WSJ, the January and April sightings are what any owner can see with SOs because it is less than 6 months

 

[ndang3]

I do not own at WSJ, the January and April sightings are what any owner can see with SOs because it is less than 6 months

Correct, so you’re seeing what I am able see which shouldn’t be since I am a platinum plus week owner for 2025.