$50 Cleaning Fee For Reservation Using Banked StarOptions

MarkD · Aug 22, 2014

Not sure I've seen this discussed before but I just made a SVN reservation for next year using Banked StarOptions and on my confirmation is lists a cleaning fee of $50. I have never seen this before so I called Owner Services and the representative said that "starting this year any reservation made using banked options will result in a cleaning fee. The maintenance fees (which cover cleaning) are only good for the year in which they are paid even if you don't use it that year." This has got to be one of the craziest/stupidest policies I can imagine--even for Starwood. :wall:

DeniseM · Aug 22, 2014

I don't think that is correct - often the entry level Reps simply don't know what they are talking about. Call back, and ask for Owner Resolution Services.

Usually the cleaning fees are applied when you reserve more weeks than you own.

Let's say you own a 2 bdm. lock-off at WKORV, and you use the Staroptions to make 3 one week reservations - in that situation, they could charge you for an extra cleaning fee for the 3rd week.

pathways25 · Aug 22, 2014

MarkD said:
Not sure I've seen this discussed before but I just made a SVN reservation for next year using Banked StarOptions and on my confirmation is lists a cleaning fee of $50. I have never seen this before so I called Owner Services and the representative said that "starting this year any reservation made using banked options will result in a cleaning fee. The maintenance fees (which cover cleaning) are only good for the year in which they are paid even if you don't use it that year." This has got to be one of the craziest/stupidest policies I can imagine--even for Starwood.

I believe that quote is accurate. I think it's mostly owing to the fact that Starwood's reservation system can't keep track of where options come from when they cross use years. I had the same problem when I borrowed 2015 options to make reservations in 2014. Once I had more reservations in a particular use year than weeks owned, I started to get the cleaning fee charge even though the usage I was borrowing should have had a free cleaning.

DeniseM · Aug 22, 2014

That is terrible...

MarkD · Aug 22, 2014

So, I just got off the phone with Owner Resolution Services and they CONFIRMED that the charge is accurate. Because my Maintenance Fees cover housekeeping in the usage year that they are paid they can't cover them in "banked" years. Absolutely ridiculous!

DavidnRobin · Aug 22, 2014

Isn't that double-dipping on their their part?

Ken555 · Aug 22, 2014

DavidnRobin said:
Isn't that double-dipping on their their part?

Yup. Why are you surprised?

Sent from my iPad

Tradetimes · Aug 23, 2014

Ken555 said:
Yup. Why are you surprised?

Sent from my iPad

Ridiculous like 2 II account for vol. and Man. resort, and the 134$ annuel fee for SVN membership when you have only bi-annuel week...

Maui_ed · Aug 28, 2014

Interesting. I have used banked options and not been charged an extra fee.

Ken555 · Aug 28, 2014

Maui_ed said:
Interesting. I have used banked options and not been charged an extra fee.

Apparently this started this year. Did you use your banked options recently?

Sent from my iPad

work2travel · Sep 2, 2014

I wonder how the policy is applied when someone is adding a few days rather than a full week by using banked staroptions.

It seems to me that a fair way of addressing this potential double dipping issue by Starwood would be to eliminate the cleaning fee from the maintenance fee and add it to the daily charge when you reserve your VOI.
Which begs the question...what exactly does the current daily fee charge cover if not the cleaning services? Maui bed taxes?

okwiater · Sep 2, 2014

work2travel said:
Which begs the question...what exactly does the current daily fee charge cover if not the cleaning services? Maui bed taxes?

Yes, in Hawaii there is a Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) that applies to timeshares, over and above the exorbitant real property tax rate they apply on the back end.

SMHarman · Sep 2, 2014

Ken555 said:
Apparently this started this year. Did you use your banked options recently?

Sent from my iPad

My answer to that is I used 2015 options plus some banked options for 10 nights in WLR next Feb and did not get charged.

LisaRex · Sep 2, 2014

I used banked SOs to book a night at SDO later this month. I'll let you know if I get charged a cleaning fee.

okwiater · Sep 2, 2014

LisaRex said:
I used banked SOs to book a night at SDO later this month. I'll let you know if I get charged a cleaning fee.

What does your confirmation say?

DeniseM · Sep 2, 2014

If there is a cleaning fee, it's ON your confirmation.

Bob808 · Sep 2, 2014

If you use banked staroptions I believe you also lose any priority view you might have, e.g. you would lose your oceanfront location. You also are bumped down to 8 month out from 12 month out reservation window for your home resort.

DeniseM · Sep 2, 2014

Bob808 said:
If you use banked staroptions I believe you also lose any priority view you might have, e.g. you would lose your oceanfront location.

That is correct - Staroption reservations have "floating views." But they do not automatically have a cleaning fee.

canesfan · Sep 17, 2014

I had two rooms reserved in Orlando that I used bank options for and got hit with $50 cleaning fees on. When we noticed them they waived the fees. We didn't even have housekeeping come in because we were only there for a short stay and not a week.

Sea Six · Sep 17, 2014

I just booked 4 weeks using banked options. On the reservation confirmations it says "Housekeeping Fees - Does Not Apply". This is at 3 different resorts, if that matters - HRA, WKORV, and WPR. The only time I was ever charged a fee was when I stayed a partial week at Vistana Villages. They told me my maintenance fees cover one cleaning per unit week, so if you split a week into days, then there is more than one cleaning per unit week. Makes sense to me, I guess.

Ken555 · Sep 17, 2014

canesfan said:
I had two rooms reserved in Orlando that I used bank options for and got hit with $50 cleaning fees on. When we noticed them they waived the fees. We didn't even have housekeeping come in because we were only there for a short stay and not a week.

I was at SVV for one night last week in a small 1-bed and paid a $30 cleaning fee.

Sent from my iPad

JeanAnneSunny · Oct 2, 2014

commercial cleaning services are ideal and perfect when it comes to dealing with clients and businessmen. These services are used over and over again because of their efficiency and cleanliness. It'll be expensive and not practical for businesses to have their own carpet cleaning crew and janitorial services and tools. Business are always looking out for ways to cut corners.

$50 Cleaning Fee For Reservation Using Banked StarOptions

MarkD

DeniseM

pathways25

DeniseM

MarkD

DavidnRobin

Ken555

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

Tradetimes

Maui_ed

Ken555

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

work2travel

okwiater

SMHarman

LisaRex

TUG Review Crew

okwiater

DeniseM

Bob808

DeniseM

canesfan

Sea Six

Ken555

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

JeanAnneSunny