Review The Sheraton Vistana Resort Thread (key links on p.1)

[bankr63]

Hi everyone-

We are staying at the Sheraton for the first time next week and I am torn on which villa style to rent. I have been trying to find current pics or videos of the townhouse style villa, but have not been able to have any success. I have a son who is pretty sensitive to dust and we really need a unit that was recently renovated to avoid triggering his allergies. Would we have better luck at requesting a more recently renovated regular 2 bedroom 2 bath or have the townhomes been recently renovated as well? All the info I have found online states the townhomes are the older version of the resort.

Thank you so much for any information you can provide!

A bit of a photo essay on Courts starting with this post (and a couple beyond):
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...ey-links-on-p-1.3148502/page-35#post-53386236
This is our own villa, and is a Townhome Villa model. And yes, Courts is the original section of the resort, and is where the Townhome Villas are located. They are also probably the most spacious of the Villas at the resort at about 1500 square feet. The two story vaulted ceiling in the living area makes it feel very spacious indeed.

These shots were taken shortly after the full refurbishment in 2015. Courts was second last section to be completed, so in a way they are last section for a full refurb. The section was due for a full 'soft surfaces' replacement this past year. I have not heard if the COVID situation delayed that, it has been a while since they sent an owners' newsletter. If it has been completed then the furnishings may appear different now.

It sounds from what Gina describes above that Fountains was a bit more than a soft-surfaces refresh, so it might be worth considering requesting that. A bit hard to say where other sections are; each section of the resort has a different HOA and spends their money a bit differently, although Sheraton/Marriott as the resort manager (and majority seat holder on the HOAs) does enforce pretty strict standards throughout.

 

[Tdubswife]

A bit of a photo essay on Courts starting with this post (and a couple beyond):
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...ey-links-on-p-1.3148502/page-35#post-53386236
This is our own villa, and is a Townhome Villa model. And yes, Courts is the original section of the resort, and is where the Townhome Villas are located. They are also probably the most spacious of the Villas at the resort at about 1500 square feet. The two story vaulted ceiling in the living area makes it feel very spacious indeed.

These shots were taken shortly after the full refurbishment in 2015. Courts was second last section to be completed, so in a way they are last section for a full refurb. The section was due for a full 'soft surfaces' replacement this past year. I have not heard if the COVID situation delayed that, it has been a while since they sent an owners' newsletter. If it has been completed then the furnishings may appear different now.

It sounds from what Gina describes above that Fountains was a bit more than a soft-surfaces refresh, so it might be worth considering requesting that. A bit hard to say where other sections are; each section of the resort has a different HOA and spends their money a bit differently, although Sheraton/Marriott as the resort manager (and majority seat holder on the HOAs) does enforce pretty strict standards throughout.

Thank you so much for the photos of the townhouse! It is a beautiful villa and having all that room is something to consider. I also like the idea of the having so much room for our family to spread out. I will reach out to the resort to see if they can provide some additional guidance on which option is best for us.

 

[dioxide45]

Thank you so much for the photos of the townhouse! It is a beautiful villa and having all that room is something to consider. I also like the idea of the having so much room for our family to spread out. I will reach out to the resort to see if they can provide some additional guidance on which option is best for us.

Be careful of checkin day. I don't know what specific checkin day Courts phase is. So if you want a better shot at a Courts villa, you need to book a week with the correct checkin day.

 

[littlestar]

We stayed in a courts section two-story townhouse a few weeks ago and our couch was blue and looked brand new, along with the curtains and side chairs in the living room. The loft had a brand new blue sleeper couch also. The unit was beautiful. A few weeks before checkin I called the resort and gave them three different names of sections I like (I looked at the resort map which tells section checkin days) and told them stairs were not a problem for us and we ended up in the courts townhouse.

 

[Tdubswife]

Be careful of checkin day. I don't know what specific checkin day Courts phase is. So if you want a better shot at a Courts villa, you need to book a week with the correct checkin day.

We are checking in on 12/23, so I am not sure if that increases our chanced of getting a villa in the courts section or not.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We are checking in on 12/23, so I am not sure if that increases our chanced of getting a villa in the courts section or not.

I believe Courts are generally a Saturday check in. Of course, during this crazy year when resort capacity is very much reduced, perhaps some of the regular "rules" are being relaxed. It never hurts to ask so long as you know that some requests just can't be met.

 

[dioxide45]

We are checking in on 12/23, so I am not sure if that increases our chanced of getting a villa in the courts section or not.

12/23/2020 is a non traditional checkin day for the resort. If you rented this from an owner it would have had to be a StarOption reservation. Based on that, it would seem you could be placed anywhere since the inventory would have to come from two different weeks within the timeshare system. Let us know where they place you when you checkin today.

 

[dioxide45]

Looking at the newest map for Vistana Resort, I see that different buildings have their building numbers in different colors; Blue, Red and Green. I am thining these colors refer to the checkin day that they assign to the building. Can anyone confirm?

Red - Friday
Blue - Saturday
Green - Sunday

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Looking at the newest map for Vistana Resort, I see that different buildings have their building numbers in different colors; Blue, Red and Green. I am thining these colors refer to the checkin day that they assign to the building. Can anyone confirm?

Red - Friday
Blue - Saturday
Green - Sunday

The colors definitely relate to the check in day.

That said, while we have always found that while this has been the general rule, there is some wiggle room (especially in certain sections, like Fountains, Cascades and Lakes) where there are many float ownerships and "hotel" type reservations. Those colors are a good template to work from, but we have been placed in Saturday buildings with a Friday check in on many occasions. Pretty sure they will convert a building to a different check-in day as bookings warrant. The deeded sections like Courts and Falls are much more consistent, as their ownerships are a bit more rigid and don't have the flex of the newer phases which offer the float weeks or the ability to book with points.

 

[pgoins1]

Going to Staying at the Vistana Villas on Int'l drive the last week of march. It's our first time there. Going with our 3 kids 7, 10, and 13. Is there a certain building we should request that closer to amenities? Will they even accommodate that?

Not even sure what we are doing. Might do Universal or Disney. We were just there recently. Any other suggestions or tips on the resort are appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
Paul

 

[bankr63]

Going to Staying at the Vistana Villas on Int'l drive the last week of march. It's our first time there. Going with our 3 kids 7, 10, and 13. Is there a certain building we should request that closer to amenities? Will they even accommodate that?

Not even sure what we are doing. Might do Universal or Disney. We were just there recently. Any other suggestions or tips on the resort are appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
Paul

Hi Paul,

There is a separate thread for the Vistana Villages (the I-Drive location) here:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/sheraton-vistana-villages-your-reviews-tips-ratings.2854036/
It is a sister resort to Vistana Resort. A few of the regulars here have stayed at Villages as well, but I haven't been recently enough to make any recommendations. Repost over there and you may get better advice.

Cheers and enjoy your stay!

 

[pgoins1]

Done. Thanks.

 

[Beth D]

Hello everyone!
My family is a longtime owner -parents purchased a floating week in the Cascades back in ‘99 & we have used it almost every year. My questions are more covid related- we are very familiar with the resort itself.
Weve got a week booked over spring break in April in the Cascades.
1. Are all the hot tubs closed again? It said all spas on the resort page, How current is that page, & why is it so difficult to find?
2. Do they enforce mask wearing at the pools if you’re sunbathing?
3. We will have friends in town staying on Disney or at other resorts that week. Are we still able to get guests in to visit & hang out at the pool for the day? Just wondering if there was a new procedure.
4. We anticipate earlier nights in, so are planning on bringing our Nintendo Switch - the full unit,, not just the handheld part. (teenagers) Has anyone ever done this before?

Thanks in advance for any answers!

 

[bankr63]

Hello everyone!
My family is a longtime owner -parents purchased a floating week in the Cascades back in ‘99 & we have used it almost every year. My questions are more covid related- we are very familiar with the resort itself.
Weve got a week booked over spring break in April in the Cascades.
1. Are all the hot tubs closed again? It said all spas on the resort page, How current is that page, & why is it so difficult to find?
2. Do they enforce mask wearing at the pools if you’re sunbathing?
3. We will have friends in town staying on Disney or at other resorts that week. Are we still able to get guests in to visit & hang out at the pool for the day? Just wondering if there was a new procedure.
4. We anticipate earlier nights in, so are planning on bringing our Nintendo Switch - the full unit,, not just the handheld part. (teenagers) Has anyone ever done this before?

Thanks in advance for any answers!

I haven't been recently, but based on reports here recently from @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina and @dioxide45 it appears that the status page is being kept up. (They might provide better insight). Spas (hot tubs) appear to still be off limits. Yes, it's hard to find the Vistana status over on the Marriott site. There is a link on page one of this thread for your convenience.
I would be interested in the answer to #2 as well. Mask wearing would be required (that is a state or county order) but Vistana in the past has been pretty lax about enforcing rules and confronting guests. Enforcement and requirement are different things.
Don't know about $3.
We have brought an X-Box for DS in the past. It was easy enough to get to the HDMI port on the TV, but power was a problem in our particular villa (hidden behind large furniture). Bring an extension cord just in case.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I haven't been recently, but based on reports here recently from @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina and @dioxide45 it appears that the status page is being kept up. (They might provide better insight). Spas (hot tubs) appear to still be off limits. Yes, it's hard to find the Vistana status over on the Marriott site. There is a link on page one of this thread for your convenience.
I would be interested in the answer to #2 as well. Mask wearing would be required (that is a state or county order) but Vistana in the past has been pretty lax about enforcing rules and confronting guests. Enforcement and requirement are different things.
Don't know about $3.
We have brought an X-Box for DS in the past. It was easy enough to get to the HDMI port on the TV, but power was a problem in our particular villa (hidden behind large furniture). Bring an extension cord just in case.

One of the hot tubs was open when we were there in December.....I want to say it was the one at the Super Pool, but don't quote me on that. We opted to avoid it (because we didn't personally feel comfortable with the risk factor) but I know that one was open when we checked in on Dec. 5th. All hot tubs were closed on the North Side.

There were many people at the Cascades pool in October and December and it didn't appear there was much mask enforcement, if any. We avoided that pool specifically for that reason. We utilized the Super pool in October and always had it to ourselves, and the Fountains and Lakes pools wre equally as deserted in December .... but based on our experiences I am doubtful there would have been anyone making you wear a mask unless you physically entered a building.

 

[dioxide45]

It has been a while since we were there, so not sure our account will be all that current. All hot tubs were closed when we were there. Still not sure why they aren't all open as they are open over at Vistana Villages and every other Orlando Marriott property we have visited.

As for masks at the pools, there is no enforcement once inside the pool area. Same at DVC properties. We were told by a pool attendant at Old Key West that the mask could come off once on the pool deck.

We never used the television while at the resort, but I suspect they have an HDMI outlet you can plugin to on the back of the TV. If it is like the setup at many other Marriott properties, there is a proprietary box on the back with two HDMI ports that work. Only problem with those is that the video color is very washed out.

 

[dioxide45]

Okay, I have a few questions about which phases have which occupancies. We currently have a 2BR reservation in February for a unit that sleeps up to 8 and another reservation for a unit that sleeps up to 8 in May. These are both non lock off type units. We stayed in Cascades the last time and I am pretty sure they had two full size (possibly doubles) in the second bedroom. They for sure weren't twins. So I suspect these units sleep 8. What other phases have villas that sleep 8? I think the second floor Courts units sleep 8, but we would need a ground floor or elevator. I want to try to get two different phases for each of these stays and preferably not Cascades. Does Lakes have a max occupancy of 8 in their dedicated 2BR villas? Any other units have similar?

 

[bankr63]

Okay, I have a few questions about which phases have which occupancies. We currently have a 2BR reservation in February for a unit that sleeps up to 8 and another reservation for a unit that sleeps up to 8 in May. These are both non lock off type units. We stayed in Cascades the last time and I am pretty sure they had two full size (possibly doubles) in the second bedroom. They for sure weren't twins. So I suspect these units sleep 8. What other phases have villas that sleep 8? I think the second floor Courts units sleep 8, but we would need a ground floor or elevator. I want to try to get two different phases for each of these stays and preferably not Cascades. Does Lakes have a max occupancy of 8 in their dedicated 2BR villas? Any other units have similar?

Easiest answer is probably which DON'T sleep 8. AFAIK that would be all of Falls and the Courts lowers (sleep 6). Even the LO units in Cascades/Lakes sleep 8 (4 in beds and 4 on sofas). That is also how Courts uppers get to 8 (4-beds/4-sofas). All other sections (outside Courts and Falls) with 'natural' 2 bedrooms have long doubles (narrow queens?) or queens in the 2nd bedroom (6 in beds, 2 on sofa).

 

[dioxide45]

Easiest answer is probably which DON'T sleep 8. AFAIK that would be all of Falls and the Courts lowers (sleep 6). Even the LO units in Cascades/Lakes sleep 8 (4 in beds and 4 on sofas). That is also how Courts uppers get to 8 (4-beds/4-sofas). All other sections (outside Courts and Falls) with 'natural' 2 bedrooms have long doubles (narrow queens?) or queens in the 2nd bedroom (6 in beds, 2 on sofa).

Thanks. So if we are wanting to try to stay in Lakes, we should book something with a Max occupancy of only 6? AFAIK, even the "natural" 2BR units in Cascades sleep 8. So I would think even the dedicated 2BR in Lakes would sleep 8.

 

[bankr63]

Thanks. So if we are wanting to try to stay in Lakes, we should book something with a Max occupancy of only 6? AFAIK, even the "natural" 2BR units in Cascades sleep 8. So I would think even the dedicated 2BR in Lakes would sleep 8.

No, because both the LO and regular 2BR sleep 8 in Lakes. BUT, you can probably bet that you will be in a natural 2BR in Lakes. It's the nature of LO's that they are split whenever possible. If the owner deposits they get almost double to trading power on deposit by splitting and depositing individually (something I learned very fast with my first LO ownership). Same thing holds for the resort owned units. They get a LOT more income from 2*1BR villas than they do from leaving it as a 2BR (the $$ difference between a 1 and 2 BR per night is pretty small). So getting into a LO if you aren't an owner of one is a bit of a unicorn. I did deposit my 3BR LO at another resort as a single unit once (and only once). It probably made someone else's vacation to get that unit!

Note that there are NO natural 1BR units at Vistana Resort; everyone who books a 1BR is getting a half of a LO unit.