Westin vistana membership

[KeithR]

We did a ton of research and bought WKV resale for ~$14k during the pandemic in 2020 and with first use in 2021. We've booked WPORV, WNOV, and WSJ 2BRs out 8 months in June or July (peak season). We can rent our platinum WKV week for 2x the maintenance fees if we wish but we don't

I could probably trade it for $13k at worse now as the market looks a little soft, but the alternative to us (ie. hotels) is >2x the cost now. The Grand Hyatt on Kauai totaled $900/night (after all the stupid resort fees) that we tacked on to our trip and we preferred the Westin up north. So we are saving ~$3k/week by owning. So even if you assume the opportunity cost on the $14k we come out substantially ahead.

Also, with a family the 2BR is such a luxury and Westin product is our sweet spot (we don't need Four Seasons). Hotel rooms just aren't the same!

 

[travelhacker]

We did a ton of research and bought WKV resale for ~$14k during the pandemic in 2020 and with first use in 2021. We've booked WPORV, WNOV, and WSJ 2BRs out 8 months in June or July (peak season). We can rent our platinum WKV week for 2x the maintenance fees if we wish but we don't

I could probably trade it for $13k at worse now as the market looks a little soft, but the alternative to us (ie. hotels) is >2x the cost now. The Grand Hyatt on Kauai totaled $900/night (after all the stupid resort fees) that we tacked on to our trip and we preferred the Westin up north. So we are saving ~$3k/week by owning. So even if you assume the opportunity cost on the $14k we come out substantially ahead.

Also, with a family the 2BR is such a luxury and Westin product is our sweet spot (we don't need Four Seasons). Hotel rooms just aren't the same!

You summed it up perfectly!

 

[dioxide45]

We did a ton of research and bought WKV resale for ~$14k during the pandemic in 2020 and with first use in 2021. We've booked WPORV, WNOV, and WSJ 2BRs out 8 months in June or July (peak season). We can rent our platinum WKV week for 2x the maintenance fees if we wish but we don't

I could probably trade it for $13k at worse now as the market looks a little soft, but the alternative to us (ie. hotels) is >2x the cost now. The Grand Hyatt on Kauai totaled $900/night (after all the stupid resort fees) that we tacked on to our trip and we preferred the Westin up north. So we are saving ~$3k/week by owning. So even if you assume the opportunity cost on the $14k we come out substantially ahead.

Also, with a family the 2BR is such a luxury and Westin product is our sweet spot (we don't need Four Seasons). Hotel rooms just aren't the same!

This is where it is all very subjective. There is no way I would spend $900 a night anywhere for any size of room. So to say I am saving a lot of money really is a misnomer. It is like when my wife buys something at 50% off and says she saved a bunch of money while she still spent a lot of money. If timeshares weren't a thing, I would probably be staying in a $300 a night hotel room. So I would compare my savings to that instead.

The same is true for people who use air miles for first class tickets. They aren't really saving $8000 on that first class ticket since if they didn't have air miles they would probably be paying cash for a coach seat.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

This is where it is all very subjective. There is no way I would spend $900 a night anywhere for any size of room. So to say I am saving a lot of money really is a misnomer. It is like when my wife buys something at 50% off and says she saved a bunch of money while they still spent a lot of money. If timeshares weren't a thing, I would probably be staying in a $300 a night hotel room. So I would compare my savings to that instead.

The same is true for people who use air miles for first class tickets. They aren't really saving $8000 on that first class ticket since if they didn't have air miles they would probably be paying cash for a coach seat.

Well said!

 

[rickandcindy23]

This is where it is all very subjective. There is no way I would spend $900 a night anywhere for any size of room. So to say I am saving a lot of money really is a misnomer. It is like when my wife buys something at 50% off and says she saved a bunch of money while they still spent a lot of money. If timeshares weren't a thing, I would probably be staying in a $300 a night hotel room. So I would compare my savings to that instead.

The same is true for people who use air miles for first class tickets. They aren't really saving $8000 on that first class ticket since if they didn't have air miles they would probably be paying cash for a coach seat.

There are a lot of people who do pay that much per night X 7 nights for an oceanfront resort on Maui. I know most TUGgers wouldn't, but a lot of people do. We are a bit wiser on TUG, maybe.

Have you seen how much Hyatt owners of Maui 2 and 3 bedrooms pay in MF's? Also, look at Westin Nanea 3 bed OF maintenance fees. Crazy!

 

[dioxide45]

There are a lot of people who do pay that much per night X 7 nights for an oceanfront resort on Maui. I know most TUGgers wouldn't, but a lot of people do. We are a bit wiser on TUG, maybe.

Have you seen how much Hyatt owners of Maui 2 and 3 bedrooms pay in MF's? Also, look at Westin Nanea 3 bed OF maintenance fees. Crazy!

Perhaps, but for those people it may be a once in a lifetime trip, or perhaps once every few years. When it comes to yearly vacations, I am not in a position to spend that much. Even a once in a many year trip, I wouldn't be spending that much. For my comparison, I need to look at how much I would realistically spend for a trip to the same location but probably not the same luxury.

 

[Red elephant]

There are all types of people here on Tug and a lot of us are value conscious and some are not as much. What the OP said is true for some of us and not for others. Subjective but still true. His timeshare purchase is helping him because of the way he travels and that’s because of the sound advise he got from Tug by researching and making an informed decision for him.

 

[ljmiii]

There are all types of people here on Tug and a lot of us are value conscious...

I think almost all of us on TUG are value conscious. It's just that value is in the eye of the beholder.

Over on the HGVC forums we had a discussion about someone who managed to snag a 2BR penthouse in Midtown New York for ~8K/yr in MFs. An incredible value considering that such rooms go for 30K-90K for a good though not peak week in the very few hotels that offer them. Not that I'm in a position to buy such a thing...but Mozel Tov to those who are...much less those who manage to get them for such a discount.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

Not an exact science as I haven't kept detailed records but I'm guessing if I include the developer purchase price and MFs, having owned WKORVN IV for 20 years, those 'potential' 140 nights in a 2BR have cost me in the region of $666/night. On the bright side I do have an asset that I could get maybe $8K for (after fees) at today's price

 

[DavidnRobin]

WKV P+ (resale prior to Aug'22) is by far our best valued VOI. Not even close - it would be difficult to find a more valuable VOI anywhere.
Great resort, great rental, great value (MF/SO), great MVC CP conversion rate in Abound, and great resale value retention.
Tough to beat.

 

[Krrishv]

Thank you all for the responses. Is there anywhere I can see the resale for Westin Kierkand platinum plus 148100 star options.
historically atleast for last 2 years?

 

[KeithR]

This is where it is all very subjective. There is no way I would spend $900 a night anywhere for any size of room. So to say I am saving a lot of money really is a misnomer. It is like when my wife buys something at 50% off and says she saved a bunch of money while she still spent a lot of money. If timeshares weren't a thing, I would probably be staying in a $300 a night hotel room. So I would compare my savings to that instead.

The same is true for people who use air miles for first class tickets. They aren't really saving $8000 on that first class ticket since if they didn't have air miles they would probably be paying cash for a coach seat.

ADRs are much higher the past few years due to inflation and high demand. Look at regular resort hotels on Kauai - the Marriott at Kalapaki Bay basically starts at $500/night. Nice place with a great pool, but Lihue isn't Poipu/Princeville. Add resort fees and taxes and that's a $700/night hotel room. My MFs at WKV are ~$325/night + a small County tax.

Marriott's own Waiohai property was ~$675/night + taxes when we booked 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt last year (and that's for the lock off). At least no resort fee though.

So while I understand your point, you have to downgrade your vacation to stay at ~MFs on Hawaii or just vacation elsewhere. In the future, I think we will just tack on nights at WPORV because we didn't find the GH premium worth the splurge.

 

[dioxide45]

Thank you all for the responses. Is there anywhere I can see the resale for Westin Kierkand platinum plus 148100 star options.
historically atleast for last 2 years?

I am not aware of a central repository for this type of data. TUG does have a list of completed sale and rental listings, it shows only three 2BR Plat+ sales in the past two years. I can't post the numbers here since the listing is a paid feature of TUG membership.

 

[vacationtime1]

Thank you all for the responses. Is there anywhere I can see the resale for Westin Kierkand platinum plus 148100 star options.
historically atleast for last 2 years?

There is no good database. I own a couple of Plat+ Kierland units and track asking prices on Redweek. The lowest asking prices have trended downward -- from about $14K to about $13K over the past couple of years. I don't know whether those units sold or at what price.

 

[Krrishv]

I am planning to buy a resale in Kierland 2 bed lock off platinum plus,annual 148,100 star options with closing cost of 650 and yearly maintenance 2300 which includes club fee. Is this a good deal

 

[Hindsite]

I am planning to buy a resale in Kierland 2 bed lock off platinum plus,annual 148,100 star options with closing cost of 650 and yearly maintenance 2300 which includes club fee. Is this a good deal

How much ae you expecting to pay for it and how do you plan to use it?

 

[Krrishv]

How much ae you expecting to pay for it and how do you plan to use it?

I want to use it yearly and plan to go vacations in Hawaii and other places. I thought premium season is the way to go and 2 bedroom lockout will give more vacations for us because we can mix and match with premium 1 bed in platinum and gold seasons. I don’t see any negotiation, I wanted to pay 10k but final is 12900. If I am going to buy I will pay cash.

 

[dioxide45]

I want to use it yearly and plan to go vacations in Hawaii and other places. I thought premium season is the way to go and 2 bedroom lockout will give more vacations for us because we can mix and match with premium 1 bed in platinum and gold seasons. I don’t see any negotiation, I wanted to pay 10k but final is 12900. If I am going to buy I will pay cash.

$12,900 seems like a good price.

 

[Krrishv]

$12,900 seems like a good price.

I am only concerned with maintenance fees 2300 which keeps increasing over time.

 

[vacationtime1]

I am only concerned with maintenance fees 2300 which keeps increasing over time.

Yes, MF's increase over time. I own a 2bd Plat+ Kierland unit (the same unit as you are contemplating purchasing) and my MF's have more than doubled over the seventeen years I have owned this unit -- which isn't too bad when you think about it.

Kierland is better situated than most timeshares vis a vis natural disasters; it's not affected by hurricanes, earthquakes, salt air, or ocean level rise. Summers are warm, though.

 

[dioxide45]

I am only concerned with maintenance fees 2300 which keeps increasing over time.

Of course they will continue to increase. Everything goes up in price. I have yet to see a timeshare MF or even the cost of chicken, beef or anything other staple item to really go down long term. Even hotel rates go up long term.

 

[DavidnRobin]

I am only concerned with maintenance fees 2300 which keeps increasing over time.

WKV seems to go up slower than the rest. $12,900 is a great price.
There is a MF database where you can look up previous years - going back quite a few years. I have this info somewhere, but not sure I could find anymore.