SVV this week

anyone going to be at SVV 12/21-12/25? we will be there.

We will be there in March, and can't wait! Can you please let us know if the new pool area is open and what ever else is going on at the resort?
Thanks, Sue

no problem.

susgar said:

We will be there in March, and can't wait! Can you please let us know if the new pool area is open and what ever else is going on at the resort?
Thanks, Sue

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wow! us too! And yes, please let us know everything that is going on!

just got back from SVV,we stayed in St Augustine section. the units are really beautiful. flat screen tv's, bose stereo, granite counter tops, large whirlpool and very large shower 2 separate sinks in the bathroom.
the kitchen island is huge and has the sink and DW in it. there is a booth type chair on the wall side of the dining room table plus chairs on the other 3 sides.

the pirate pool is supposed to be opening sometime in the beginning of 2010. it looks finished. the kids will love it.

went to an "owners update" because the guy who signs you up told me that there will be changes in the stapoints for owners. so i went and was again misled. told the guy that i have no need to buy anything and apologized for wasting his time. we had a free breakfast, got 5000 starpoints and we were out of there in less than an hour.

had a great time.

pointsjunkie said:

just got back from SVV,we stayed in St Augustine section. the units are really beautiful. flat screen tv's, bose stereo, granite counter tops, large whirlpool and very large shower 2 separate sinks in the bathroom.
the kitchen island is huge and has the sink and DW in it. there is a booth type chair on the wall side of the dining room table plus chairs on the other 3 sides.

the pirate pool is supposed to be opening sometime in the beginning of 2010. it looks finished. the kids will love it.

went to an "owners update" because the guy who signs you up told me that there will be changes in the stapoints for owners. so i went and was again misled. told the guy that i have no need to buy anything and apologized for wasting his time. we had a free breakfast, got 5000 starpoints and we were out of there in less than an hour.

had a great time.

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Awesome! Thanks for the info!

We are going to SVV tomorrow. It sounds like we will probably be in St. Augustine. Should be a fun week!

aeroflygirl said:

We are going to SVV tomorrow. It sounds like we will probably be in St. Augustine. Should be a fun week!

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Have a wonderful time! Give us the scoop when you get back!

pointsjunkie said:

we had a free breakfast, got 5000 starpoints and we were out of there in less than an hour.

had a great time.

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Is it true you got only 5000 starpoints? Is it normal? If I remember correctly, I had much better starpoints offer for Lagunamar presentation when I visited there last time?
Other than that, thank you for your info!!
I've never been SVV before, but will be there soon!

aeroflygirl said:

We are going to SVV tomorrow. It sounds like we will probably be in St. Augustine. Should be a fun week!

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bring hats and gloves could get cold at night.

yumdrey said:

Is it true you got only 5000 starpoints? Is it normal? If I remember correctly, I had much better starpoints offer for Lagunamar presentation when I visited there last time?
Other than that, thank you for your info!!
I've never been SVV before, but will be there soon!

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only got 5000 starpoints. other places give different amounts.

SVV presentation this morning

We did the owner update this morning for the 5000 points.

Our impression is that the salespeople are a lot more desperate than they were earlier this year. We were offered both SP and 2010 SO - first time that we have been offered additional SO for a purchase.

Couple of factoids.

Salesperson told us pool and main building at St. Augustine would be open late February or early March, but we heard another salesperson say it would be "sometime in March or April." Since we have been told every time we have been at SVV for the past 18 months that the new area would be open before our next trip, I'm taking both statements with a big grain of salt.

Conflicting information about what SVV was going to do about new restaurant facilities - we have always heard that the SVO sales area was going to be moved out of the main building and relocated in St. Augustine, but today we were told vaguely that this may have changed. Something has to be done about the totally inadequate restaurant facilities at SVV.

Lastly, we told the salesperson that the week we have here was a resale that we upgraded. She told me "Starwood doesn't allow that anymore." I didn't cross-examine about what this was supposed to mean. I haven't seen anything on here about any change in respect of the treatment of resales, so I assumed this was the usual BS, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has heard the same thing.

Other than that, Central Florida is cool but sunny and the parks are absolutely jammed!

What is causing the delay in opening the new pool area? Those of you that have stayed in the new St.Augustine section did you request to be there, and if so how far ahead of your arrival. We are going in March and I would like to stay in the new section, Do I call the front desk directly to request or should I call owner services? I sure hope the new pool is open when we get there. Sue

SVV New Pool

susgar said:

What is causing the delay in opening the new pool area? Those of you that have stayed in the new St.Augustine section did you request to be there, and if so how far ahead of your arrival. We are going in March and I would like to stay in the new section, Do I call the front desk directly to request or should I call owner services? I sure hope the new pool is open when we get there. Sue

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The pool looks ready to go (water is in both pool and hot tubs) but I suspect that SVO put the water in to make the pool look more attractive from the model suites in building 23. My guess is that the pool is not going to be open until the main St. Augustine building is open. It's hard to tell the status of the building construction at this point (in August we were able to wander outside and peer through the windows at the barren first floor, but the area is barricaded off now, likely because of the danger from the full, but non-operative, pool), so the building could be ready tomorrow or not for months.

I'm guessing that the timing of the St Augustine main building opening will have something to do with whether Starwood decides to move the sales office and on overall demand for SVV. Despite being told that SVV was full for weeks 51 and 52, it doesn't appear that the parking is at capacity and we were able to get our second week here (a rental) changed from a 2 BR to a LO without too much trouble. I can't see SVO rushing to open a big new building (and assume the additional costs that go with it) if the rest of the resort is not that busy.

susgar said:

What is causing the delay in opening the new pool area? Those of you that have stayed in the new St.Augustine section did you request to be there, and if so how far ahead of your arrival. We are going in March and I would like to stay in the new section, Do I call the front desk directly to request or should I call owner services? I sure hope the new pool is open when we get there. Sue

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I am not sure what is causing the delay, but I do know that St. Augustine amenties will be open as early as February 2010. We are also going to SVV in March. About a month ago, we switched to a two-bedroom and requested St. Augustine. You do this by calling Owner Services. They put it in the notes.

Thank you, maybe we'll see you there in March! Sue

i booked the reservation 1 week before we were going.i got st. augustine in building 23. it was great.

SVV's Restaurant

So, where is the Vistana Villages restaurant going to be located? And what happens to the current deli?

We own at SVV, have only been there once (2004). We attended the Owner's Update that year and I remember telling them that I thought the resort could use a full service restaurant. I was told that wasn't in the cards for SVV.

Here we are six years later, there's still no sit down restaurant, but at least it's under consideration.

Maybe when the economy comes back....

bward

bward said:

So, where is the Vistana Villages restaurant going to be located? And what happens to the current deli?

We own at SVV, have only been there once (2004). We attended the Owner's Update that year and I remember telling them that I thought the resort could use a full service restaurant. I was told that wasn't in the cards for SVV.

Here we are six years later, there's still no sit down restaurant, but at least it's under consideration.

Maybe when the economy comes back....

bward

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My understanding from a number of conversations over the last year is that the plan was to move the sales center to the top of the main St Augustine building and renovate the current sales center space, likely to include more dining and fitness facilities. However, the story keeps changing (including now the possibility that the move of the sales center will not happen) and it's anyone's guess what the final configuration will be. I'm not sure that SVO thinks it can make enough money with an expanded restaurant facility to make the renovation worthwhile. We'll just have to wait a couple of years and see what happens.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

I would have to think that a full service restaurant at SVV would do well, as it would give families another dining option. And after a full day in the parks, running around in the hot sun, I think the idea of eating at SVV instead of getting in the car and driving somewhere else, would appeal to many people.

Of course, I'm only dealing in theory here. But it just makes sense to me.

bward

CanadianLawyer said:

My understanding from a number of conversations over the last year is that the plan was to move the sales center to the top of the main St Augustine building and renovate the current sales center space, likely to include more dining and fitness facilities. However, the story keeps changing (including now the possibility that the move of the sales center will not happen) and it's anyone's guess what the final configuration will be. I'm not sure that SVO thinks it can make enough money with an expanded restaurant facility to make the renovation worthwhile. We'll just have to wait a couple of years and see what happens.

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Technically, they do have Flagler's Station, which offers sit-down service. Though, it has terrible service. When i was there last March, we were told that they were going to move the little marketplace into St. Augustine, as well as build a new restaurant.