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Re: SPG, Starwood Timeshare (by Jennifer C.):

addisonc wrote:

jenniferc190 wrote:

Anyone with Starwood timeshare experience?

My wife and I decided to pool our honeymoon money together with a little extra spending cash to buy a Starwood Timshare. With the excitement of the honeymoon... the idea of prepaying for a guaranteed vacation every year at a resort seemed relaxing. A year later and after looking into prices of rentals... if I was to do it again, I would rent. The bragging rights of telling your friends that you have a timeshare end everytime I pay the maintainence fees. As far as being a Starwood Vacation Owner... it is a good experience. They do what they can to make owners feel special (and do what they can to get you to buy more). After 1 year, being special isn't as important as cash. We own at Myrtle Beach, SC. Our first experience was in Kaanapali(?) Maui. We tried to book at Paradise Island and St. John to no avail. No problem. Kaanapali was a wonderful experience. Things I have learned was to buy somewhere you know you'll vacation often, with convenience. I loved Maui, but the 14 hour $3800 airfare for 2 will not happen again for a while. I am glad that my home resort is just 4 hours away. As much as I would like to travel and stay at the other Starwood Vacation Network properties... I have to factor in airfare, time, etc. To answer your question, my overall experience has been good. The 2 properties that I have stayed at makes me forget all about maintainence fees and my wife's smile at the end of the vacation makes it all worth it. I used to own a Quality Inn and a Days Inn and I felt as if I was betraying the limited service industry. I have always told myself that I would not spend over $150 a night... anywhere. I can get myself all worked up about costs and fees, but whoever says you can't buy happiness, never owned Starwood. Just try not to think about fees when you get home. With the Starwood American Express card, you can rack up points to stay at Sheraton, Westin, etc properties. Just pay off your balance because the interest rate will kill you. If the other locations are just as nice, I know I'll be on the happy side again. Read the fine print about parking. I know I can't tow a boat or drive a motorhome and park it within the gates. If you've got $20,000+ to blow... Starwood is as good as any other, otherwise rent. Any further specific questions, I'll be happy to answer.

Thanks for your information. I am interested in a Oceanfront 2 bedroom, resale about $58, 000. Assuming this is all I pay (I doubt it). At 6% per year (opportunity cost), I could have earned $3480 from just putting $58,000 in the bank CD, (I am sure I can do better). And considering the maintence fee + taxes, misc. at about $2200 per year, maybe more. I am looking at $5,680.00 ($3480+$2200)per year. Divide that by 7 nights, that's $811.43 per night. I am already a gold member in the SPG program, hoping to be a platinum member some time next year.

I think I might be better off just renting the villa from someone ANYTIME, ANYWHERE I want or just stay at the Westin Maui hotel or its family and get upgraded to the best room possible (due to the elite membership). Either way, it sounds like it's a better investment. Keep in mind that I still get to keep my $58K. Am I right on this? With the timeshare, I have to worry about getting the exact week I am looking for (one year in advance), pray that the airfare will not be too expensive for that week (forget the possible deals) and my or the kids' schedule will not change (hard to tell due to the year in advance). When I do get to the villa, I must HOPE that my oceanview is not a over a parking lot. I really loved this villa and dying to purchase it, I am having difficulties justifying this mathematically. Please do correct me if I am wrong. I do welcome all opinions regarding this location (Westin Ka'anapli Ocean Resort and Villa). THANKS GUYS!

PS. I stayed at the Westin Maui Hotel and Spa, yes, I know the Starwood experience, amazingly nice. I am just hoping to skip the fees, as you mentioned.