If you’re new to the concept of Vistana timeshares, or are looking into purchasing a Westin or Sheraton timeshare, learning about StarOptions and how they work is absolutely vital to understanding how Vistana timeshares work.
In this article, we will explain exactly what StarOptions are, which Vistana owners are eligible to use them, and how you can use them to plan a lifetime of amazing vacations at the many Vistana Signature Network resorts.
The Different Types Of Vistana Reservations
In order to truly understand what StarOptions are, you will first need to understand the two distinct reservation types that are available to Vistana owners. Each of these types of reservations carries differing booking windows that determine how far in advance you can book each type of reservation.
What Are StarOptions?
Starting at 8 months prior to check-in, owners of both weeks-based Vistana timeshares and HomeOptions-based timeshares can begin booking at other resorts in the Vistana Signature Network (VSN). This is accomplished by converting an owner’s deeded week or HomeOptions into StarOptions, which can be used to book vacations at any resort in the Vistana Signature Network (VSN).
StarOptions are not a form of ownership as you can’t buy them directly. They are a trade value assigned to each Vistana Signature Network (VSN)-enrolled ownership.
The number of StarOptions a deeded week is converted into is determined by the characteristics of the week, such as home resort, unit size, view (if applicable), and season. The exact number of StarOptions a deeded week can be converted to during the 8 month or less booking window can be found by looking at the StarOptions value charts for each Vistana resort.
Who Is Eligible To Use StarOptions?
While StarOptions is a core feature of Vistana timeshares, not all Vistana resorts transfer their membership into the Vistana Signature Network, and thus not all buyers on the resale market will be able to use StarOptions.
StarOptions privileges can transfer to the resale market for weeks-based Vistana timeshares, but only for weeks at certain resorts. If you’d like to learn which Vistana resorts allow StarOptions privileges to transfer to the resale market, you can read our article on the subject here: Vistana Mandatory vs Voluntary Resorts: Westin & Sheraton Resale.
How To Use StarOptions
There are a few different ways to utilize your StarOptions, including booking other Vistana Signature Network resorts 8 months prior to check-in, banking your StarOptions, borrowing StarOptions, and exchanging your StarOptions with Interval International. Let’s explore each option below.
This is the most popular way to use StarOptions by far. If you have not booked your home resort in the Home Resort Reservation Period (12 To 8 Months Prior To Check-In), you can refer to the Vistana points charts to determine how many StarOptions are needed to book your desired vacation at any of the Vistana Signature Network resorts.
Banking allows owners to extend the life of the current use year of StarOptions for up to 2 additional use years. If your StarOptions are not banked, exchanged with Interval International, or used for a reservation, they will expire at the end of the use year, so being proactive in using or banking your StarOptions is of paramount importance.
There are fees and deadlines involved in banking StarOptions, so if you’d like to learn everything there is to know about banking, you can read our article here: Vistana Signature Network: Banking Your StarOptions.
With borrowing, owners can choose to use all or a portion of the StarOptions from the next use year to fund a reservation in the current use year. StarOptions can not be borrowed during the Home Resort Reservation Period, but can be borrowed starting 8 months or less prior to your desired check-in date.
If you’d like to learn everything there is to know about borrowing, you can read our article here: Vistana Signature Network: Borrowing StarOptions.
Exchanging your Vistana vacation ownership interest (VOI) through Interval grants you access to book over 3,000 additional resorts that are not a part of the Vistana Signature Network. You are effectively trading one year’s worth of your usage rights with an owner of another resort that is also affiliated with Interval International for one year of their usage rights.
There are many different options and techniques when it comes to timeshare exchange, so if you’d like to learn everything there is to know about exchanging StarOptions with Interval International, you can read our article here: How Trading Vistana Timeshares With Interval International Works.
Want To Know More About Vistana Timeshares?
If you’d like to continue learning about the wide world of Vistana timeshares, you can read through our extensive archives of Vistana timeshare articles that walk you through using your timeshare like a pro, understanding the finer points of the booking system, and keep you up to date with any new developments.
Our licensed timeshare resale agents can answer any other questions you may have about how Vistana timeshares work, what benefits transfer to the resale market, current resale pricing and much more. Feel free to contact us for more information Whether you’re a seasoned timeshare veteran or just beginning the process of finding the right timeshare for you, we’re here to help!
