Are you considering purchasing a Westin or Sheraton timeshare? If so, you may have heard terms like HomeOptions, StarOptions, Flex or deeded weeks. With all these confusingly similar terms you might be wondering about the difference between HomeOptions and StarOptions, or what’s the deal with these Flex branded timeshares? In this article, we will break down the key differences between points-based (HomeOptions) Vistana timeshares and weeks-based (Vacation Ownership Program) Vistana timeshares, and clear up any confusion about the differences between HomeOptions and StarOptions. Keep reading to learn more!
A Brief History Of Vistana Timeshares
Vacation Ownership Program
Originally Vistana had only one form of timeshare ownership. For many years, they sold only deeded weeks, where an owner would be purchasing a week in a specific unit size, with a specific view (if applicable), during a specific season, at a specific resort. This type of ownership is referred to as the Vacation Ownership Program, and the vast majority of Vistana resales you will see on the secondary market are these week-based timeshares.
HomeOptions Ownership Plans
As the timeshare industry changed, and owners started to value the flexibility of traveling to many different resorts, during any time of the year, and switching unit sizes from year to year, Vistana needed to offer a timeshare product that was purpose-built to offer these benefits.
So in 2015, Vistana created a second form of ownership that would allow Vistana owners the ability to own a fraction of many resorts and utilize a points-based reservation system for any booking scenario. Vistana accomplished this by grouping a number of different deeded weeks into a trust, then selling access to the trust rather than access to any specific deeded week. This new model of selling fractions (or “options”) of this trust gave birth to the concept of HomeOptions. This type of trust-based ownership is sold under the brand names of Sheraton Flex, Westin Flex, or Westin Aventuras.
What Are HomeOptions?
HomeOptions represent a fractional ownership of a trust that is comprised of many various deeded weeks. HomeOptions grant its owner access to that trust by assigning a number of points that can be used to book vacations at the resorts that are held within that trust.
Owners of both weeks-based Vistana timeshares and HomeOptions-based timeshares are granted a priority reservation period that starts 12 months prior to check-in and ends 8 months prior to check-in. This is called the Home Resort Reservation Period, and it allows owners of a particular resort (weeks-based) or a particular trust (HomeOptions-based) a 4 month priority booking window before owners of other resorts or trusts can book at the resort or trust that they own.
Differences Between Weeks-Based and HomeOptions-Based Vistana Timeshares
While both weeks-based and HomeOptions-based Vistana timeshares can utilize StarOptions to book at any of the resorts within the Vistana Signature Network starting at 8 months or less prior to check-in, there are some important differences between each type of timeshare to consider.
The main difference between weeks-based and HomeOptions-based Vistana timeshares are found in how reservations during the Home Resort Reservation Period can be made. Let’s explore!
Weeks-Based (Vacation Ownership Program)
During the Home Resort Reservation Period, weeks-based owners must:
- reserve their deeded villa type at their deeded resort
- reserve a 7-night stay at their deeded resort
- check-in on Resort-Specific check-in days (Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays)
- reserve within their deeded season
- lock-off option may be available
Points-Based (HomeOptions)
During the Home Resort Reservation Period, HomeOptions-based owners can:
- reserve any available villa type at any resort within their trust
- reserve anywhere from 1 to 14 nights
- check-in any day of the week
- reserve any available dates, regardless of season
- use all or just a portion of their HomeOptions
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.
Quite separately, HomeOptions are converted to StarOptions using a 1 to 1 conversion rate. For example 81,000 HomeOptions can be used as 81,000 StarOptions during the 8 month or less booking window.
StarOptions On The Resale Market
Weeks-Based (Vacation Ownership Program)
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.
Points-Based (HomeOptions)
StarOptions privileges do not transfer to the resale market for HomeOptions-based Vistana timeshares, which greatly limits their desirability on the secondary market. Also, it is rare to find these timeshares on the resale market, as Vistana is very aggressive in buying them back from owners that wish to sell on the resale market through their right of first refusal program.
Vistana Ownership Plans That Use HomeOptions
There are 3 different trusts within the Vistana system that utilize HomeOptions, and each are comprised of deeded weeks from a different group of resorts. Let’s explore what resorts are part of each of these 3 different trusts.
Sheraton Flex
- Sheraton Broadway Plantation – Myrtle Beach, SC
- Sheraton Vistana Resort – Orlando, FL
- Sheraton Vistana Villages – Orlando, FL
- Vistana Beach Club – Jensen Beach, FL
- Sheraton Steamboat Springs – Steamboat Springs, CO
- Sheraton Desert Oasis – Scottsdale, AZ
Westin Flex
- Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui, Hawaii
- Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North – Maui, Hawaii
- Westin Princeville – Kauai, Hawaii
- Westin Kierland Villas – Scottsdale, AZ
- Westin Mission Hills – Rancho Mirage, CA
- Westin Desert Willow – Palm Desert, CA
- Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas – Avon, CO
Westin Aventuras
- Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas & Spa – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Westin Resort & Spa – Cancun – Cancún, Mexico
- Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort – Cancún, Mexico
Conclusion
Knowing the differences between points-based and weeks-based Vistana timeshare is essential when considering which type of ownership is right for you and your family. If you have any questions about what type of Vistana timeshare is right for you, feel free to contact us and our team of experts will be more than happy to help. We look forward to hearing from you!
