Vistana Dual Affiliation

Vistana (Westin & Sheraton) Resorts with Dual Affiliation for RCI and Interval International

 

Vistana Signature Experiences became part of Marriott Vacation Worldwide’s portfolio when Marriott Vacations Worldwide acquired ILG in 2018, placing Vistana alongside Marriott Vacation Club under their umbrella. The majority of Vistana Signature Network resorts, including newer developments like Sheraton Vistana Villages on International Drive, trade exclusively through Interval International. A small group of legacy properties, however, predate Vistana’s exclusive Interval International arrangement and retain contractual dual affiliation with RCI.

For owners at these resorts, that dual status translates into a practical advantage: access to two separate exchange inventories instead of one, which can matter considerably when searching for availability during high-demand weeks.

Which Vistana Resorts Maintain Dual RCI and Interval International Affiliation?

Here is an exhaustive list of Vistana properties that currently carry both II and RCI resort codes:

ResortRCI CodeII Code
Sheraton Broadway Resort
Myrtle Beach, SC
4322STW & ST6
Sheraton Desert Oasis
Scottsdale, AZ
5247SDI
Sheraton Vistana Resort
Orlando, FL
0450 & V450VIT & VIO
Vistana Beach Club
Jensen Beach, FL
2153VIS

Resort-Specific Notes

  • Sheraton Broadway Resort (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina), uses II codes STW and ST6, alongside RCI code 4322. Both phases retain dual status, though owners should confirm which phase their deed covers before assuming identical exchange behavior.
  • Sheraton Desert Oasis (Scottsdale, Arizona) carries the II code SDO and the RCI code 5247. Owners here benefit from relatively low maintenance fees paired with solid trading power across both networks, making it a frequently discussed resort among exchange-focused buyers.
  • Sheraton Vistana Resort (Orlando, Florida) is the most layered of the four. It carries II codes VIO and VIT, along with RCI codes 0450 and V450 for the original sections. This resort includes multiple sections, Falls, Spas, Courts, Palms, Springs, and Fountains, and not all of them behave identically in RCI.
  • Vistana Beach Club (Jensen Beach, Florida) uses II code VIS and RCI code 2153. As one of the earliest legacy properties in the Vistana portfolio, it predates the exclusive-contract era that confined most later developments to Interval International alone.

How Does an Owner Deposit a Week Into RCI Instead of Interval International?

Depositing into RCI is a distinct process from a standard II deposit and requires a few extra steps. Follow this sequence to do it correctly:

1

Confirm RCI eligibility

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Verify that your specific deed and phase are RCI-affiliated using the resort codes listed above. Not every section at every dual-affiliated property qualifies.

2

Obtain an RCI membership

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If you do not already have an individual RCI Weeks account, enroll at rci.com. RCI membership is separate from any Interval International membership and carries its own annual fee.

3

Reserve your home resort week directly with the resort

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Contact the resort’s owner services line and book your deeded week as a standard home resort reservation. This confirmed reservation is what you will deposit, so complete this step before logging into RCI.

4

Gather your reservation confirmation details

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Once the resort issues a confirmation number, have that information ready. RCI will need it to match and accept the deposit.

5

Log into your RCI Weeks account and locate your resort

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Use the correct RCI resort code for your property and phase (for example, code 2153 for Vistana Beach Club). Selecting the wrong code can result in a failed or misapplied deposit.

6

Assign and deposit the confirmed reservation into RCI

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Enter your home resort confirmation details in your RCI account to complete the deposit. RCI will review and confirm acceptance, at which point the week enters your RCI deposit bank.

7

Search or request an exchange

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With the deposit accepted, you can browse RCI inventory or submit an exchange request. RCI Weeks operates on a deposit-first model, so the exchange search begins after your week is already on deposit.

The key difference from II is the deposit-first requirement. II exchanges can be initiated directly from your membership dashboard without depositing a resort reservation first, which is called Confirm First, while RCI requires a confirmed booking in hand before the deposit process begins.

Can Lock-Off Units at These Resorts Be Split Between RCI and Interval International?

Yes, and this is one of the more strategically useful mechanics available to owners at Sheraton Desert Oasis and Sheraton Broadway Resort. A 2-bedroom lock-off unit can be divided into a 1-bedroom and a studio. Owners can then deposit one half into Interval International and the other into RCI (or both into RCI), effectively gaining two separate exchange deposits from a single maintenance fee payment.

This optional approach maximizes annual trading utility without adding ownership costs, though each deposit typically carries its own exchange fee within its respective network.

What Should Resale Buyers Verify Before Purchasing a Dual Affiliation Vistana Week?

Dual affiliation is a deed-specific and phase-specific attribute, not a blanket resort-wide guarantee. Before purchasing, a resale buyer should verify the exact phase named on the deed (particularly at Sheraton Vistana Resort, where phase determines trading rights), confirm current enrollment eligibility with both RCI and Interval International directly, since exchange company rules can shift independently of resort ownership structure, and check individual exchange account fees for both networks, as maintaining active accounts with two exchange companies means paying two sets of membership and exchange fees rather than one.

Sellers and listing descriptions do not always distinguish between phases accurately, so independent verification against the resort codes listed above is worth the extra step before closing on a resale contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every Vistana resort offer dual RCI and Interval International affiliation?

No. Only select resorts retain dual affiliation: Sheraton Desert Oasis, Sheraton Broadway Resort, Sheraton Vistana Resort, and Vistana Beach Club. All other Vistana properties trade exclusively through Interval International.

Is Sheraton Vistana Villages the same as Sheraton Vistana Resort for exchange purposes?

No. They are separate resorts despite the similar name. Sheraton Vistana Villages is II-exclusive, while Sheraton Vistana Resort carries dual affiliation at its legacy phases only.

Does owning a dual-affiliated week cost more in fees?

Maintaining active membership and making exchange deposits in both RCI and Interval International requires paying each network’s respective membership and exchange fees separately. This is completely optional, and owners of dual-affiliated resorts can choose which membership to maintain and even switch between them on a year-by-year basis. The maintenance fee itself is unaffected by which network an owner chooses to use in a given year.

Can a lock-off unit be deposited entirely into one exchange network?

Yes. An owner is not required to split a lock-off between RCI and II. Both halves can go into RCI, both into II, or one into each, depending on which inventory the owner is targeting.

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