• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 31st anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $23,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $23 Million dollars
  • Wish you could meet up with other TUG members? Well look no further as this annual event has been going on for years in Orlando! How to Attend the TUG January Get-Together!
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

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

Eric B

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
6,285
Reaction score
6,042
Resorts Owned
Vacation Village, Wyndham, WorldMark, Vistana, Vidanta, Flora Farms, HGVC Max, and some independents
Correct, so you’re seeing what I am able see which shouldn’t be since I am a platinum plus week owner for 2025.
The network operator allocates weeks to different pools of users based on estimated demand. The pools are for owners of non-VSN enrolled weeks, owners of VSN-enrolled weeks, and exchanges via II or Abound. Because your week is now enrolled, you are in the second group and see home resort availability at 8-12 months, then SO availability to the extent that any exist. @GrayFal has other VSN-enrolled ownerships and draws from the same pool as you from 2-8 months; within 60 days all bets are off and the developer can rent out unbooked availability. So, yes it’s the same availability but not the week 51-52 part.
 

GrayFal

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
11,495
Reaction score
2,803
Location
The Hamptons, NY
Resorts Owned
Marriott/Abound/Vistana, Morritt's Seaside, Former WSJx5 & Bluegreen160K
Correct, so you’re seeing what I am able see which shouldn’t be since I am a platinum plus week owner for 2025.
You are mistaken.
ALL SO owners can see any availability within 8 months

Any SO owner can see the Jan and April 2025 because it is within the 8 month SO window.
Not just Plat Plus owners.

I don't know how else to explain this.
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
You are mistaken.
ALL SO owners can see any availability within 8 months

Any SO owner can see the Jan and April 2025 because it is within the 8 month SO window.
Not just Plat Plus owners.

I don't know how else to explain this.
I am talking about the dummie booking you tried to do for December 2025, not the January and April 2025 ones that are within 8 months. You're seeing the same results I am 12 months out, which shouldn't be since I own WsJ PlatinumPlus.
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
The network operator allocates weeks to different pools of users based on estimated demand. The pools are for owners of non-VSN enrolled weeks, owners of VSN-enrolled weeks, and exchanges via II or Abound. Because your week is now enrolled, you are in the second group and see home resort availability at 8-12 months, then SO availability to the extent that any exist. @GrayFal has other VSN-enrolled ownerships and draws from the same pool as you from 2-8 months; within 60 days all bets are off and the developer can rent out unbooked availability. So, yes it’s the same availability but not the week 51-52 part.
So should I conclude from this that I shouldn't have purchased more to enroll my PlatinumPlus week into the network? If I had kept the floating week un-enrolled I would have more certainty to obtain any week within PP season?
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
Also, as presidential owner here, why is that when I log in recently my dashboard does not show "Book with Club points" below "My Choices" on the left? I used to be able to and something changed recently
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
The network operator allocates weeks to different pools of users based on estimated demand. The pools are for owners of non-VSN enrolled weeks, owners of VSN-enrolled weeks, and exchanges via II or Abound. Because your week is now enrolled, you are in the second group and see home resort availability at 8-12 months, then SO availability to the extent that any exist. @GrayFal has other VSN-enrolled ownerships and draws from the same pool as you from 2-8 months; within 60 days all bets are off and the developer can rent out unbooked availability. So, yes it’s the same availability but not the week 51-52 part.
And what did you mean not the 51-52 part?
 

Eric B

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
6,285
Reaction score
6,042
Resorts Owned
Vacation Village, Wyndham, WorldMark, Vistana, Vidanta, Flora Farms, HGVC Max, and some independents
So should I conclude from this that I shouldn't have purchased more to enroll my PlatinumPlus week into the network? If I had kept the floating week un-enrolled I would have more certainty to obtain any week within PP season?
Were that the case, you would be relying on a resale owner of week 51 releasing it, which seems less likely IMHO.
 

Eric B

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
6,285
Reaction score
6,042
Resorts Owned
Vacation Village, Wyndham, WorldMark, Vistana, Vidanta, Flora Farms, HGVC Max, and some independents
And what did you mean not the 51-52 part?
Week 51-52 is outside of 8 months and not bookable with SOs right now, so @GrayFal would not be able to see the availability.
 

Eric B

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
6,285
Reaction score
6,042
Resorts Owned
Vacation Village, Wyndham, WorldMark, Vistana, Vidanta, Flora Farms, HGVC Max, and some independents
Also, as presidential owner here, why is that when I log in recently my dashboard does not show "Book with Club points" below "My Choices" on the left? I used to be able to and something changed recently
Absolutely no idea. Are you looking at it on the same device/browser? Not that I would be able to diagnose what happened, I just suggest eliminating those as potential causes.
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
Guess my point is, 12 months out from today is Dec 25 2025 check in, so if there is no availability it should just say "0 out of 0 search results available" or something like that. It should not mention anything about being outside of the eligibility window like it does (below) because I am within the 12 month eligibility as a floating owner of that week:

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

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
6,285
Reaction score
6,042
Resorts Owned
Vacation Village, Wyndham, WorldMark, Vistana, Vidanta, Flora Farms, HGVC Max, and some independents
Guess my point is, 12 months out from today is Dec 25 2025 check in, so if there is no availability it should just say "0 out of 0 search results available" or something like that. It should not mention anything about being outside of the eligibility window like it does (below) because I am within the 12 month eligibility as a floating owner of that week:

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.
If you think that's what the boilerplate no results reply should be in that case, give them that feedback. Maybe they'll change it to be more informative. I don't think I would expend the cost of providing a differentiated response if it were me, though. Bottom line is that there isn't currently any availability - if you believe it should be different, call them and see, though they are no doubt closed right now.
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
i agree that there's not availability which is baffling since I thought floating week 1 PP season guarantees any week in that timeframe.
 

Eric B

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
6,285
Reaction score
6,042
Resorts Owned
Vacation Village, Wyndham, WorldMark, Vistana, Vidanta, Flora Farms, HGVC Max, and some independents
i agree that there's not availability which is baffling since I thought floating week 1 PP season guarantees any week in that timeframe.
I could be wrong, but believe it would only guarantee a week in the season not any week, which would imply it is your choice of weeks. If it guaranteed any week, it would be quite difficult in those years when everyone that owns a floating PP week wants week 51, wouldn’t it? Same issue would happen for week 52 and week 7. If you really wanted those weeks, you would have to own them as fixed, not floating.
 

ljmiii

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
2,713
Reaction score
1,763
Location
NY, NY
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?
No, you’re just seeing an expanded ‘week unavailable’ message because you have more options.
 

ljmiii

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
2,713
Reaction score
1,763
Location
NY, NY
i agree that there's not availability which is baffling since I thought floating week 1 PP season guarantees any week in that timeframe.
Nope. Just the ability to book your villa type within the weeks of your season four months before other VSN owners.
 

ljmiii

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
2,713
Reaction score
1,763
Location
NY, NY
Double posted
 

GrayFal

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
11,495
Reaction score
2,803
Location
The Hamptons, NY
Resorts Owned
Marriott/Abound/Vistana, Morritt's Seaside, Former WSJx5 & Bluegreen160K
I could be wrong, but believe it would only guarantee a week in the season not any week, which would imply it is your choice of weeks. If it guaranteed any week, it would be quite difficult in those years when everyone that owns a floating PP week wants week 51, wouldn’t it? Same issue would happen for week 52 and week 7. If you really wanted those weeks, you would have to own them as fixed, not floating.
You are not wrong, owning a floating platinum plus week does not guarantee every week is available to you - how could it be? Every owner has the same chance to reserve any floating week.
The only guarenteed reservation is people who chose to pay a premium to get a specific week and unit as your week 1 ownership.
 

GrayFal

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
11,495
Reaction score
2,803
Location
The Hamptons, NY
Resorts Owned
Marriott/Abound/Vistana, Morritt's Seaside, Former WSJx5 & Bluegreen160K
i agree that there's not availability which is baffling since I thought floating week 1 PP season guarantees any week in that timeframe.
No, your entire statement is wrong.

You are competing against all the other Plat Plus owners for any of these reservations.

Which is why it is important to be online at midnight one year out.

If you were told you could have your choice of any week any time and that was guarenteed, by retroing your week one you were lied to.
 

GrayFal

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
11,495
Reaction score
2,803
Location
The Hamptons, NY
Resorts Owned
Marriott/Abound/Vistana, Morritt's Seaside, Former WSJx5 & Bluegreen160K
If I had kept the floating week un-enrolled I would have more certainty to obtain any week within PP season?
There is no certainty or guarentee that you will get any week you want .
Yes, you will get a week in your season but you are competing with all other float owners in your season.
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
Ok so tried it at midnight Dec 26 2025 for 7 nights showed up as home resort usage tried to grab it said I had 9 min to confirm hit confirm after putting in room request at 8min 30 sec into the 9 min hold then the thing kept spinning and finally said “tech error”. WTH!??? And by the time I tried to book again nothing was available and the same message I shared in my original post shows up.
 

Eric B

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
6,285
Reaction score
6,042
Resorts Owned
Vacation Village, Wyndham, WorldMark, Vistana, Vidanta, Flora Farms, HGVC Max, and some independents
Looks like the Vistana site is having some difficulty with gateway timeouts this morning, too. Everyone trying to get week 52 jamming the system.
 

GrayFal

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
11,495
Reaction score
2,803
Location
The Hamptons, NY
Resorts Owned
Marriott/Abound/Vistana, Morritt's Seaside, Former WSJx5 & Bluegreen160K
Ok so tried it at midnight Dec 26 2025 for 7 nights showed up as home resort usage tried to grab it said I had 9 min to confirm hit confirm after putting in room request at 8min 30 sec into the 9 min hold then the thing kept spinning and finally said “tech error”. WTH!??? And by the time I tried to book again nothing was available and the same message I shared in my original post shows up.
You did everything right - but the system Failed. I would keep checking periodically today in case the glitch is corrected.
 

ljmiii

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
2,713
Reaction score
1,763
Location
NY, NY
Ok so tried it at midnight Dec 26 2025 for 7 nights showed up as home resort usage tried to grab it said I had 9 min to confirm hit confirm after putting in room request at 8min 30 sec into the 9 min hold then the thing kept spinning and finally said “tech error”. WTH!??? And by the time I tried to book again nothing was available and the same message I shared in my original post shows up.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Vistana's IT systems have had this issue (particularly for very high demand dates). As @GrayFal wrote, you should try periodically through the day. But more importantly, try again tomorrow at 12:00:00AM and then if you are unsuccessful try to get a Sunday check-in reservation the day after.
 

ndang3

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
116
Reaction score
27
Also any booking tips or tricks? Is check in limited to Friday Saturday or Sunday?
 
Top