If you’re a Vistana owner, then you know that managing your StarOptions is an important part of using your vacation ownership experience. With the Vistana Signature Network, owners are afforded a high degree of flexibility to borrow from next year’s StarOptions, bank this year’s StarOptions for next year, or use both to access up to 3 years of StarOptions for one reservation. In this article we will be exploring each of these methods of managing your StarOptions, showing you the banking deadlines and fees, as well as explaining how your Vistana Signature Network Elite level plays into both management strategies. Let’s get started!
Vistana Elite Levels
The Vistana Signature Network classifies owner levels into four distinct Elite Levels: Owner, Three-Star Four-Star Elite, and Five-Star Elite. All owners begin at the Owner level, which has no minimum requirements. As owner qualify for higher Elite Levels, they stand to gain additional benefits such as more time to bank their StarOptions, lower banking and cancellation fees, and more. We’ve added a chart below to show what the minimum requirements for each Elite Level is below.
| VSN Owners (Non-Elite) | Three-Star Elite | Four-Star Elite | Five-Star Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum StarOptions Owned: | None | 169,000 StarOptions | 469,000 StarOptions | 669,000 StarOptions |
| Minimum VOIs Owned: | None | 2 VOIs | 2 VOIs | 2 VOIs |
Banking Your StarOptions
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, converted to Bonvoy points, assigned to 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 associated with banking your StarOptions, and there are banking deadlines for how late in the year you can choose to bank your StarOptions. Banking deadlines and fees for banking StarOptions are based on your Elite Level status, and we have added a chart below that details exactly what to expect for each Elite Level.
Owners can choose to bank all or a portion of their StarOptions in any banking transaction. Banking can be performed multiple times prior to the banking deadline, but note that banking fees are applied on a per-transaction basis.
| VSN Owners (Non-Elite) | Three-Star Elite | Four-Star Elite | Five-Star Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How Often: | Every Use Year | Every Use Year | Every Use Year | Every Use Year |
| Deadline: | July 1 | October 1 | October 1 | December 31 |
| Intervals: Any Amount of StarOptions | ||||
| Expirations: December 31, 2 Years from Use Year Banked | ||||
| Fee: Per Transaction | $109 | $89 | $89 | Waived |
Restrictions For Using Banked StarOptions
Banked StarOptions can be used to book any Vistana Signature Network resort starting 8 months or less prior to your desired check-in date. Also, banked StarOptions can not be used for external exchanges with Interval International or converted to Bonvoy points.
Borrowing 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.
In order to borrow the following use year’s StarOptions, owners are required to pay next year’s estimated annual maintenance fees. If a reservation using borrowed StarOptions is cancelled, the StarOptions will be reverted back to their original use year, but no refund will be given for pre-paid annual maintenance fees. Also, when you borrow StarOptions, you will lose the ability to book during the Home Resort Reservation Period for the use year that was borrowed from.
Combining Banking & Borrowing
Using both borrowing and banking together allows owners to access up to 3 years of StarOptions for one reservation. This takes some planning ahead, but if you’re planning a large or lengthy reservation for 2025, banking your 2024 year’s StarOptions ahead of time, then borrowing from your 2026 StarOptions can allow you use up to 3 years of StarOptions for one reservation.
Learn More About Vistana Signature Network
Understanding how banking and borrowing works is key to making sure you get the most out of your experience. Banking deadlines & fees, Elite Levels, and borrowing options are all important factors to consider when managing your StarOptions. We can appreciate that managing your StarOptions can be a tricky endeavor the first time, but with the knowledge contained in this article, you should be a master at managing your StarOptions in no time.
If you’d like to learn more about how Vistana timeshares work, or have questions about the process of buying a Vistana resale on the secondary market, feel free to contact us to get in touch with one of our Licensed Real Estate agents who specialize in Vistana timeshares.
