RCI or II Trading Power For Vistana Beach Club

[sgt1010 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sgt1010]

Hello All,
I just recently purchased a 2 BR at Vistana Beach Club, it was a reale so it is not part of the Starwood system. I am wondering which week would give me the best trading power. I have floating weeks, 5-35, 40-47 and 51-52. As soon as the deed arrives I will join either RCI or II. I am wondering which week I should book for 2013 that will give me the greatest trading power. Looking to go to Orlando in 2014, not really sure if we would like to try and get a disney property or not. Any info would be graetly appreciated.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Welcome to TS4M's!

II has weeks 52, and 5 thru 14 as the highest demand weeks.....I would think that Xmas, Pres Wk or Spring Break would be your best weeks. Holiday weeks usually have a higher demand.

Other than grabbing a Disney, II would most likely be a better bet for you since you would get the Starwood preference. Also, you should check to make sure that you would receive enough TPU's from RCI for your unit to allow you to trade into a Disney.

Good luck!

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I don't own in Starwood but do see that RCI seems to undervalue this resort with respect to the number of trading power that they assign. If you can choose your week to deposit you may improve your chances of getting enough trade power without having to use two years worth of points and then have to pay a combine fee of $109 in addition. For example many weeks are only 14 to 21 points assigned for some of those weeks. It will take high 20's to 30's or maybe more to book a Disney unit.

In II you have the great starwood to starwood preference which can get you some great stuff.
I am sure the starwood experts will be along very soon with better advice.
Welcome to the forum.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

From my own personal experience, Starwood will choose which week (within the season that is owned) that will be deposited into either exchange company. In both II and RCI, Starwood has averaged out the trading power, so that it no longer makes a difference which week is deposited.

With II, Starwood gives you more of a season, and resort grading, opposed to an actual week. You place a request, and Starwood only deposits a week for you, after the request has been filled by II. Of course, you do receive the Starwood preference which is a huge plus, IMO.

With RCI, your week gets deposited up front, but the trading value is averaged out over the entire season. No upgrade/more points for holiday weeks, or higher demand weeks within a particular season.

I don't own in Starwood but do see that RCI seems to undervalue this resort with respect to the number of trading power that they assign. If you can choose your week to deposit you may improve your chances of getting enough trade power without having to use two years worth of points and then have to pay a combine fee of $109 in addition. For example many weeks are only 14 to 21 points assigned for some of those weeks. It will take high 20's to 30's or maybe more to book a Disney unit.

In II you have the great starwood to starwood preference which can get you some great stuff.
I am sure the starwood experts will be along very soon with better advice.
Welcome to the forum.

[sgt1010 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sgt1010]

Just researched SFX and my resort is in their directory. Has anyone had any history with them? What I have read on here seems to be all positive if your resort is affiliated.

What I was was told by Starwood is that since I am buying a resale I am not part of the Starwood vacation system, don't know how this will work. Will have to see.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

That is correct.....You are not part of the Starwood StarOptions plan. So, you cannot trade your week within the Starwood Vacation Network.
However, when exchanging your week with RCI, or II, Starwood will treat your week the same as a Star Option wk. Unfortunately, you will have the same restrictions when it comes to choosing, or depositing a week into II, or RCI.

SFX is a different story, as far as I know.......If you are interested in depositing a week in SFX, or any other exchange co outside of RCI & II.....You should book the highest demand week in your season that you can get, and then on your own, deposit it into SFX, etc. I do not believe that Starwood will interfere with your deposit, outside of deposits into RCI & II.

Just researched SFX and my resort is in their directory. Has anyone had any history with them? What I have read on here seems to be all positive if your resort is affiliated.

What I was was told by Starwood is that since I am buying a resale I am not part of the Starwood vacation system, don't know how this will work. Will have to see.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Just researched SFX and my resort is in their directory. Has anyone had any history with them? What I have read on here seems to be all positive if your resort is affiliated.

What I was was told by Starwood is that since I am buying a resale I am not part of the Starwood vacation system, don't know how this will work. Will have to see.

SFX can work for some if you want to go to the places that they are strong jn. Examples are London, New York, mexico and California.

As for being part of Starwood they are referring to having staroption points that do not transfer on resale at many of their resorts. Because of this the value of many resale weeks have tanked. In order to trade into another starwood resort you will need to trade thru interval international and pay a fee to join and another fee to exchange.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I seem to be posting at the same time as Angela. Sorry to repeat the same info.

[sgt1010 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sgt1010]

So basically having the prime float season is no advantage with RCI or II. Looks like I will take a closer look at SFX. Thanks for the info.

[sgt1010 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sgt1010]

The value has tanked, I purchased mine for a dollar. MF are a little on the high side but what I would spend to rent would be higher. With a family of 5 a hotel room is not an option. We love the area of Jensen Beach so we will use the home resort most of the time.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

The value has tanked, I purchased mine for a dollar. MF are a little on the high side but what I would spend to rent would be higher. With a family of 5 a hotel room is not an option. We love the area of Jensen Beach so we will use the home resort most of the time.

Its a really nice resort. Hopefully you reserve the sunday checkins as those are the oceanfront units. I like this resort too and now Rci is limiting exchanges to 1 in 4 years so if you are using it yourself you will much happier as an owner than trying to exchange.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Not exactly.....Where you loose an advantage, is that there is no longer any distinction between prime red weeks, red weeks, and pinkish red weeks. All are treated equally. You still have an advantage over the weeks in seasons that are not prime, such as silver season, bronze season, etc. And, if you deposit into II, you still get the Starwood priority which is a big help in getting an exchange into other Starwood properties in II.

So basically having the prime float season is no advantage with RCI or II. Looks like I will take a closer look at SFX. Thanks for the info.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

As stated by Angela, the real value for exchange is thru II which gives you the Starwood to Starwood preference. This means that u can trade into another Starwood resort before Nyone else.

Also agree with you that using at the home resort is great and good to know that Sundays are the oceanfront building.

Can not agree that SFX is good for New York City - used to be but no more. On the other hand, it is almost impossible with II and thru RCI you would need 3 years of depositing your unit to get enough points to go.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

So basically having the prime float season is no advantage with RCI or II. Looks like I will take a closer look at SFX. Thanks for the info.

Yes, there is value -
prime float has stronger trade value then medium or low float in II and will get you more TPUs with RCI.
With any other exchange company, you can reserve and deposit a prime week and most importantly, you can go to the resort during prime time.

My preference would be to join II to get access to their getaways - rental weeks at reasonable cost. join for one year then wait to receive a 2 years for the price of one offer and you can then extend your membership for lower costs.

[sgt1010 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sgt1010]

Thank you for all the information and suggestions. We owned at Marriott Harbour Lake, was called Horizon's by Marriott at the time. Was much easier to rent and trade back then, we just used other Marriott properties. Kids got older and vacation time was minimal so we sold.