Starwood Timeshare

Interval International (II), the second largest timeshare exchange company in the world, has announced the renewal of its affiliation contract with Starwood Vacation Ownership.

The contract outlines the continuation of a long-term partnership between II and Starwood Vacation Ownership (SVO).

Through this affiliation, Starwood timeshare owners will have the opportunity to exchange their week through Interval International. In exchange, Interval members will have the opportunity to travel to Starwood’s 19 resorts.

SVO and II’s relationship began in the year 2000 and is still going strong. Fourteen years later, Starwood and Interval look forward to many more years of successful partnership.

President and CEO of Interval Leisure Group, Craig M. Nash said, “We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Starwood, one of the leaders in the industry. We look forward to working with them for many more years and contributing to their ongoing success.”

Starwood is equally excited to provide Interval’s exchange services to their members.

Senior VP and COO of Starwood Vacation Ownership, Steve Williams said, “We are pleased to renew our partnership with Interval, as we know they share our dedication to providing exceptional vacation experiences. The quality of Interval-affiliated resorts continues to complement Starwood Vacation Network, giving our Owners additional options for villa-style vacations in popular destinations worldwide.”

Starwood Vacation Ownership includes the prestigious Westin, Sheraton, and St. Regis timeshare resorts. Located throughout the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean, Interval members have a variety of resorts to choose from.

The latest edition to these resort options will include a major renovation at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas. To provide more luxurious accommodations to Westin members, Starwood is converting 79 studio units into 54 luxury villas. These new villas will be open to members in spring of 2015.

For more information regarding Interval International membership, visit IntervalWorld.com.

Starwood Vacation Network (SVN) has just released their 2014-2015 Network Calendar and StarOptions charts. Owners use these charts to determine where and when they can travel. StarOptions dictate how many points are required to book a reservation at a Starwood resort. They also determine how many points SVN owners have to use towards trading and exchanging.

This year, many owners were surprised to see that the points required to stay at the Westin St. John timeshare resort, have substantially increased.

While Starwood has not commented on the cause of this change, many speculate that the points increase is due to new developments at the resort. Last year the resort broke ground on a new luxury segment, the Coral Vista Villas. With this new segment, we have seen a growth in the reservation and resale value at the Westin St. John.

This is the first time that Starwood has established such a wide points range for “premium” properties.

What does this mean for Westin St. John owners?

For Westin St. John owners, this is great news. With an increase in both StarOptions and StarPoints in 2015, these owners will have more leverage to book and exchange. Here is an example of the points increase for the Virgin Grand Villas segment of the resort.

Click image to view full PDF:

Here you’ll see that for a three-bedroom unit during weeks 1-18, 51-52, StarOptions increased from 196,900 to 257,700. For the same reservation, StarPoints increased from 76,800 in 2013 to 139,100 in 2015.

Not only will these owners have more flexibility to travel to other resorts, but they may benefit from an increased timeshare resale value. Now that the Westin St. John is valued as a premium SVN resort, the demand for timeshare resales at this home resort may also increase.

What does this mean for all other Starwood Owners?

For Starwood owners looking to travel to the Westin St. John, you may experience new restrictions. Now that more points are required to visit St. John, you may not be able to reserve your desired week or unit. With more points required to book a timeshare week, you may need to select a smaller room or travel during a non-peak week.

However, there are still ways to enjoy the same accommodations at the Westin St. John. You may be able to bank a portion of this year’s points to use next year, or the year after.

Starwood Vacation Network has not released any information in regards to similar changes at their other resorts. Check back with TheTimeshareAuthority.com for more details later this year.

Media Source: Starwood Vacation Network

The owners of Starwood Vacation Ownership Resorts and hotel will now have the opportunity to view their own Instagram photos on all Starwood resort websites.

Yesterday, Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced that they plan to embrace the Instagram movement by allowing their guests to have photos featured on Starwood websites. New Starwood Instagram Guest Galleries will allow owners to tag their Starwood resort and geo-location in their shared photos for the chance to be features on the all Starwood resort websites. As guests are already sharing an average of 40,000 pictures per month, the company recognized a need to integrate Instagram into its social media plan.

Guests will also have the opportunity to view Starwood’s photos of their resort including available room upgrades and available amenities.

These galleries will allow guests to share their experiences and for potential timeshare owners to really experience the resorts. Pictures will be divided into brand-specific categories including: Fashion for W Hotels, Move Well for Westin, Unlock Art for Le Méridien, Family Traditions for St. Regis, and more.

With a passion for Starwood and photography, the Starwood team knows that their guests will be excited about this new venture.

Senior Vice President, Starwood Preferred Guest & Digital, Chris Holdren said, “A ‘picture is worth a thousand words’ and a picture shared is worth even more to our guests. Starwood’s mobile bookings are growing five times faster than the annual growth rate of the web channel 10 years ago. With an increasingly mobile, digital traveler we expect social sharing in places like our Instagram Guest Gallery pages will continue to change how our guest’s book travel and explore and interact with our hotels.”

Starwood is helping to advance the travel industry by adapting to new trends in social media. As one of the first timeshare developers to introduce Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare through the company, Starwood is constantly embracing new ways to connect to their owners.

View More for Starwood Vacation Ownership:

• The Real Difference in Starwood Timeshare Resales
• A Special Look at Starwood Vacation Ownership

Starwood Vacation Ownership has announced that they will spend a proposed 35 million dollars to expand and renovate the Westin St. John Resort & Villas.

The $35 million renovation will first update existing villas of the expansive Caribbean resort. Starwood will then add a new section of luxury timeshares to the Westin resort, known as the Coral Vista Villas. Additional renovations are currently being made to various areas of the resort including the pool, restaurants, meeting space, and existing guest suites.

CEO of Starwood Vacation Ownership Steve Williams states, “The Westin St. John Resort & Villas is one of the most successful shared ownership resorts in the Caribbean. As the resort and the on-site vacation ownership continue to play a pivotal role in St. John’s expansive tourism market, we are thrilled to enhance our presence and commitment to the island.”

Due to increased participation in their vacation ownership program, the renovation will convert 79 existing hotel units into 54 luxury timeshare villas. Additional units will be added in the area overlooking the Great Cruz Bay. The Cruz Bay project will include 30 two-bedroom villas, 6 two- bedroom lofts, and 18 studio timeshare villas.

Once construction is complete, the Westin St. John Resort & Villas will feature over 200 luxury suites and timeshare villas. The resort will also be upgrading resort areas such as the WestinWORKOUT^® gym, spa, water activity area, and a dockside check-in option.

Starwood is also introducing new energy efficient practices, including the installation of solar panels through the resort.
Governor of the US Virgin Islands, John de Jongh says, “The significant investment in the renovation of The Westin St. John Resort & Villas will raise the standard of this premier resort with stylish and contemporary accommodations, unique amenities and a world-class guest experience. These efforts will ensure that The Westin St. John Resort & Villas continues to be one of the top destinations of choice for business and leisure travelers.”

The initial phases of the expansion are already underway and are expected to be completed during 2014. Some areas of the resort may be temporarily closed during renovations until December 18th, 2013. All areas of the expansion are expected to be open to guests by January 2015.