Vistana Plus Cancellation - SVN Option Good or Bad Deal

Hi all, Sheraton Vistana Owners who are in the Vistana Plus program have been informed that the program is going away Dec. 31. By Oct. 1 we have to decide if we want to join Starwoods Vacation Network. They are waiving the $599 fee to do this. This will get me into their network Start Options program. Can anyone tell me if this is a good deal and does it affect my weekly ownership under the old program. I own annual floating weeks, that I can trade through II. Under the Plus program, every other year I could convert to SPG points. That is also an option in this program. It sounds good, but I am skeptical.

kathieo327 wrote:

Hi all, Sheraton Vistana Owners who are in the Vistana Plus program have been informed that the program is going away Dec. 31. By Oct. 1 we have to decide if we want to join Starwoods Vacation Network. They are waiving the $599 fee to do this. This will get me into their network Start Options program. Can anyone tell me if this is a good deal and does it affect my weekly ownership under the old program. I own annual floating weeks, that I can trade through II. Under the Plus program, every other year I could convert to SPG points. That is also an option in this program. It sounds good, but I am skeptical.

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE NEW RENOVATION FEE CHARGES FOR THE OLDER UNITS?MINE IS $1650.00! ON TOP OF THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE FEES.PLEASE RESPOND .

we got one too surely they cant do that leagaly thats what we pay our maintainace fees for hope someone has the answer

lindau16 states in part (unfortunately, incorrectly): >>...surely they can't do that legally... that's what we pay our maintenance fees for...<< ================================================

Yes, they certainly can (as can virtually any other resort anywhere). Maintenance fees cover only the routine, day to day, ongoing maintenance of property, grounds, units, amenities, appliances, etc. When major renovations or rehabilitation of aging facilities (or extensive storm damage repairs) become required, maintenance fees and/or "reserves" are often inadequate to cover those costs. The resort can then impose a "special assessment" separate and apart from (and in addition to) customary and normal maintenance fees --- and that sounds like just exactly what may be going on here. While it is certainly the most unwelcome feature of all in timeshare ownership, it is absolutely 100% lawful (and basically inevitable in older, aging facilities or at those prone to storm damage, where insurance does not ever cover all actual repair costs). Don't shoot the messenger --- that's just how it is.

We own two Starwood properties--the Sheraton Desert Oasis and Westin Kierland --both in Scottsdale. We bought in 2001 and again in 2006 because we liked the program. Normally the only way to get into the Starpoints part of the system is to buy from a developer. We have used options, points and II and have been very pleased. The Options get you into all the Starwood Vacation Ownership properties and the size and season determines how many Options you have available to use. The same is true with the number of Starpoints your property is worth. We have used Starpoints in London, Dublin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC and Orlando to name a few. We have also converted points to airline miles but we don't feel that is cost effective. It is a good option to top off your frequent flyer miles if you don't need a lot or they give you a bonus of 5000 if you use 20000.

We have been most satisfied -----hope you are happy with what ever choice you made.

Not a happy camper right now, I have been a long time Vistana owner (20 years) this past year I purchased another unit, haven't set foot in it yet and I am being told I must pay $1600.00 in upgrades!!! upgrades that were introduced as a selling feature by Vistana salespeople in their sales pitch. We were also told we could trade anywhere that II offers only to find out we can't trade into Disney, also in writing that we could trade our week for 28000 star points only to find out in the fine print that it's accually 21000. I'm at the point of just letting them foreclose and walk away from the 2nd unit. anyone know if that will affect my first unit???

Typical scenario. I don't know how it would affect your first unit, but it will affect your credit rating if you walk away from the 2nd unit.

dougt44 asks: >> I'm at the point of just letting them foreclose and walk away from the 2nd unit. anyone know if that will affect my first unit???<< ===========================================

No one here has access to your actual ownership paperwork or original purchase paperwork or HOA/BOD rules to review, but there COULD very well could be some legal language quietly lurking somewhere within those condominium documents, membership materials, or elsewhere which COULD allow the facility to either deny you access to your other unit if part of your account at the same facility is in arrears, or to place a lien on the "paid up" ownership --- or both. I'm not declaring this to be the case (there are no documents or details here to examine); I'm merely informing you that it IS a very real and distinct possibility that the facility has actions of recourse which you would not like.

"Walking away" is never a good strategy for resolving an unwanted ownership. You'd be better off simply unloading the second week at whatever loss you have to take and keep both your record and your conscience clean. In the end, it's certainly your personal choice.

so what happens if i refuse to pay i can barely afford the maintainance fees

lindau16 asks: >>so what happens if i refuse to pay i can barely afford the maintainance fees<< =================================================

For starters, if you "refuse" to pay a lawfully issued bill, you will be denied future access to whatever week you own until your account balance is resolved. Your amount due will continue to grow as interest and late fees will apply to the balance due. If left unresolved, your unpaid account will likely be handed over to a collection agency at some point as an unpaid debt. Foreclosure is a future possibility, but one which a resort does not really want to pursue, since doing so costs them money and also ultimately relieves you of financial responsibility. They know perfectly well that as long as YOU have the ownership, then YOU also retain the legal responsibility and personal accountability for the bills; they certainly will not be in any hurry at all to release you from that particular legal and financial responsibility by foreclosing on you.

We are Starwood owners at Harborside, Bahamas and we love the options available to us. However, Starpoints is the worst way to use your options if you are looking for an equal resort/hotel exchange. The Starwood affiliated hotels are now requiring more points than ever for a nights stay. We have converted options to points once so we could get several rooms for 3 nights at the Westin Las Vegas to put friends and family up to celebrate my big 5-0 and will do it again to island hop in Hawaii, but again, it's not the best way to use your options. We have a 2 bedroom lock-off and that gives us many, many options. In my opinion, you'd be fine buying into Starwood.

hello we are from the uk and stopped paying our yearly fees with vistana 2 years ago they keep telling us it will go into forclosure but that's it can anyone help us to know what will happen only our laws differ from those in the us and nobody seems to be able to help us

I have been a Vistana Resort owner since 1990. I bought in the Courts section sight-unseen from a newspaper ad by a broker and brochures from the original owner for $5,000. That is how much the original owner paid and less than Vistana wanted directly. We have a deeded week that falls most years on Thanksgiving week. When the kids were little we'd pull them out of school and head south from Boston. It worked well. Vistana was run by the developer mostly and was relatively small. We were near everything. Then it expanded, built more units at the original site and 2 other locations. It got huge. Several year's back it was announced that we were becoming part of Sheraton Vacation Network. One of the big benefits was that we could now join SVN, swap our unit for Starpoints and travel the world. Unfortunately, because our unit was in the oldest section, we were told it did not measure up to the SVN standards and we could not join. A couple of years after that we were told that our units were being extensively renovated and would not be unavailable for 2 years. we could use other units. Additionally we had to pay $2,000 extra per year for the work. They said the Maintenance Reserves were not meant for this much renovations. We had no choice. We paid the fees. The place came out beautiful. They totally renovated the kitchen & baths, moved a door & wall, screened in the back deck, all new everything. We were then offered the chance to join SVN for the $599 fee. I looked at the cost of that vs. the cost of RCI I was using and it didn't make sense to join then. The points I would get for my 2 BR/2 BA, sleeps 8 townhouse unit would not be enough for 2 nights in a Florence, Italy Westin Hotel. I didn't join by the deadline. A couple of years ago while at an "Owner's Update" on site I asked bout the possibility of getting into SVN now. They said the only way in now is to buy another unit. I hardly use the one I have and don't want another. So I'm frozen out unless I buy another unit. Before you join SVN/Starpoints double-check what points you will get and where else you might want to go. See if it is worth it to you. Also know that if you don't take them up on their offer now you will also be frozen out. For me it has not been a problem.