Why are they only selling 2BR LO's at Desert Willow

[Joshadelic]

What's the deal with that? Will they start selling the 1BR and studio units eventually?

 

[tlpnet]

Probably not. I don't believe WMH did. Not all resorts do.

 

[Joshadelic]

What happens when an owner wants to bank their 1BR with II and stay in their studio one year? Do they just let the 1BR go vacant? It seems like they NEED to have 1BR and studio owners if for nothing else but that reason.

 

[DavidnRobin]

What's the deal with that? Will they start selling the 1BR and studio units eventually?

I asked this question for WPORV - the response was because they do not have to. They do not sell 1Bds for WKORVN and WPORV, but they did for WKORV as stand-alone units, but these units wil built separately.

 

[clsmit]

They'd only sell smaller components (EOY, 1BR, studios) if they aren't getting buyers for the 2BRLO at the price point they want. It's a combination of price point and customer mix. At HRA the price point is high so selling EOY or a smaller unit gets the sale done. At SBP the average new customer can't afford a 2BRLO, so they sell a ton of financed EOY 1BR. (These comments are based on the sales pitches we've heard and the inventory available when going to the owner updates at these properties, not analyzing any Starwood internal data.)

 

[tlpnet]

What happens when an owner wants to bank their 1BR with II and stay in their studio one year? Do they just let the 1BR go vacant? It seems like they NEED to have 1BR and studio owners if for nothing else but that reason.

No, you can bank each side of a LO separately with II. You can also book (through SVN) only one side of a LO.

-tim

 

[DeniseM]

With a lock-off, even though you own both side of the unit as one deed, you can still split them up and use them any way you want. You are not required to use them together, unless you want to

For example, you cannot buy just the studio side of a 2 bdm. at WKORV, but you can:

1) Make a Resv. and use just the sudio (as an owner)
2) Rent out just the studio
3) Use Staroptions to exchange into just a studio
4) Deposit just the studio with an exchange Co.
5) Stay in the studio side one week and the 1 bdm. the next week
6) Use one side of the lock-off and convert the other side to Starpoints
7) Use one side of the lock-off and make a Staroption exchange with the other side.

I believe that Lagunamar is the only one of the new resorts where they sold studios separately.

 

[SDKath]

I think the poster means what does Starwood do with the 1BR when one deposits the unit in II as 2 separate units (1BR and studio).

Starwood routinely rents out their units, offers freebie stays to "industry" people like nodge found out recently, offers free stays for sales pitches, etc. Plus II getaways are sometimes 1BR rather than 2BR.

So I am sure those units are not gone to waste for Starwood.

But WMH doesn't have anything but 2BR LO either. I think it's less of a headache for them to sell them as a unit. In the right market, $40,000 looks cheap for a week and people will buy.

Katherine

 

[Joshadelic]

Is that property really that hot? My salesperson at SVO is telling me now that there is a waiting list for Platinum too! Maybe it's better to buy there than WLR.

 

[Joshadelic]

I put myself on the waiting list just in case. I have a week to think things over because my salesperson is going to Harborside for the week. What a tough job!

 

[tomandrobin]

They are both voluntary, both have the same staroptions, maintenance fees are similar, and they both cost about the same. WLR is higher now, with the price increase. If deciding between the two, pick the one you would actaully use. Both will be easy internal trades. WLR is open now, I am not sure if they even started construction on WDW or when your first use would be.

WDW will not be as good as WMH or WKV, at least WLR has the ocean.

 

[Joshadelic]

They are both voluntary, both have the same staroptions, maintenance fees are similar, and they both cost about the same. WLR is higher now, with the price increase. If deciding between the two, pick the one you would actaully use. Both will be easy internal trades. WLR is open now, I am not sure if they even started construction on WDW or when your first use would be.

WDW will not be as good as WMH or WKV, at least WLR has the ocean.

Very true! I'd actually use WLR WAY more often. I at least wanted my name to be on the list. She can always take my name off if I buy WLR...which is looking more and more likely!

 

[DeniseM]

I think the poster means what does Starwood do with the 1BR when one deposits the unit in II as 2 separate units (1BR and studio).

That's how I understood it - I was just explaining all the things you could do with a 2 bdm. lockoff.

What he asked is what happens to the 1 bdm. side if one reserves the studio for one's own use and deposits the 1 bdm. with II.

For example - let's say that I reserve my WKORV studio for 4th of July week and deposit the 1 bdm. I can guarantee that Starwood is not going to deposit 4th of July week with II - they save those high season weeks for owners (or so we're told.) Starwood can deposit any week they want so let's say they deposit an Oct. week at WPORV for my 1 bdm.

OK - now it's 4th of July week and I'm in my studio - who's next door? Probably an owner who reserved just the 1 bdm. side of their unit for the week. Essentially, Starwood can do anything they want with the other side of my unit during 4th of July week - put another owner in there, a Staroption exchanger, or even a II exchanger - but probably not for 4th of July week.

As I was trying to say, even though the week was sold as a 2 bdm., once the lock-off is split, the two units are no longer connected. Since (in this scenario) Starwood deposited an Oct. 1 bdm. at WPORV for me, they can do anything they want with my 1 bdm. at WKORV during the week I'm there.

 

[Joshadelic]

Yeah...I was just thinking that it could lead to unoccupied rooms, but maybe not.

Do you guys have strong feelings as to which one is the better bang for the buck: WDW or WLR?

 

[DeniseM]

Yeah...I was just thinking that it could lead to unoccupied rooms, but maybe not.

Since Starwood can do anything they want with an empty room, there is no reason for it to stand empty, unless there is no demand for it from any source. Since they have building 4 shut down at WKORV right now, it appears that that is the case in Hawaii right now, but this is about the lowest season in Hawaii.

Do you guys have strong feelings as to which one is the better bang for the buck: WDW or WLR?

I think Tom hit it right on the head - buy where you want to go so you have the owner's priority for a Resv. at 12 mos. and priority for view. My personal preference would be WLR without a second thought.

However, since I'm too cheap to buy any more TS's from the developer, I plan to use my EOY SDO week with a MF of only $298 a year to exchange in to WLR with II!

They are both voluntary, both have the same staroptions, maintenance fees are similar, and they both cost about the same. WLR is higher now, with the price increase. If deciding between the two, pick the one you would actually use. Both will be easy internal trades. WLR is open now, I am not sure if they even started construction on WDW or when your first use would be.

WDW will not be as good as WMH or WKV, at least WLR has the ocean.

 

[SDKath]

I'd take WDW in a heart beat. But we live only 2 hours away and I really like Palm Springs because it is a bit more "adult". DH golfs lots and we enjoy the climate. Lagunamar looks beautiful in the pictures but I would not go to Cancun yearly (not a huge Mexico fan). Plus Cancun IMO is very overbuilt.

I also agree with Denise M. The resort is HUGE and I think there will be plenty of availability via II and SOs to trade in without having to fork out lots of money for a unit (unless you want to go during the highest demand weeks). I just traded in my $500 Falls week to a Spring Break week there without trouble for 2009!

Soooo, it's totally personal preference.

Katherine

 

[GrayFal]

However, since I'm too cheap to buy any more TS's from the developer, I plan to use my EOY SDO week with a MF of only $298 a year to exchange in to WLR with II!

I am so proud :whoopie: