Open Season Strategy - HGVC Tuscany in Orlando

[hurnik]

OK, so after my fiasco with the online point thing, the only way I could book what I needed was to change an existing reservation (that I needed).

So I ended up going from a 1 BR at Orlando from 10/21-10/30 so that the dates were:
10/21-10/27

Now, I could either basically change it to the original dates, but have to stay in a studio the entire time, (there was no way to get the 1 BR for the min. 3 nights and the studio for the others due to the dates and point values as weekends are higher). And I certainly don't want to switch rooms twice (ie: Studio 3 nights, 1 BR 3 nights, Studio 3 nights).

So my "Strategy":

1) I could try to rent from someone for the 3 nights 1 BR. I figured if the cost was $0.20/point plus the $110 for the reservation/guest cert that comes to $518 (let's round up and say $520).

2) I could use hhonors.com. Seems to be about $180/night plus the $25/resort fee/tax, so figure $600.

3) I could use my hhonors points for the reward stay. Granted, it's 172,000 points (no standard awards available since it's October), so if I figure that out in "HGVC" dollars it's like 6,840 points, so probably not the best use. BUT: I can cancel up to 3 days prior. My hope is to then see what, if any, shows up for Open Season.

Assuming #3 for Open Season (since I can't book until 30 days prior):
Has anyone had luck "combining" the stays so that they don't have to move?

 

[jestme]

OK, so after my fiasco with the online point thing, the only way I could book what I needed was to change an existing reservation (that I needed).

So I ended up going from a 1 BR at Orlando from 10/21-10/30 so that the dates were:
10/21-10/27

Now, I could either basically change it to the original dates, but have to stay in a studio the entire time, (there was no way to get the 1 BR for the min. 3 nights and the studio for the others due to the dates and point values as weekends are higher). And I certainly don't want to switch rooms twice (ie: Studio 3 nights, 1 BR 3 nights, Studio 3 nights).

So my "Strategy":

1) I could try to rent from someone for the 3 nights 1 BR. I figured if the cost was $0.20/point plus the $110 for the reservation/guest cert that comes to $518 (let's round up and say $520).

2) I could use hhonors.com. Seems to be about $180/night plus the $25/resort fee/tax, so figure $600.

3) I could use my hhonors points for the reward stay. Granted, it's 172,000 points (no standard awards available since it's October), so if I figure that out in "HGVC" dollars it's like 6,840 points, so probably not the best use. BUT: I can cancel up to 3 days prior. My hope is to then see what, if any, shows up for Open Season.

Assuming #3 for Open Season (since I can't book until 30 days prior):
Has anyone had luck "combining" the stays so that they don't have to move?

Typically if the reservation is for the same exact room type, regardless of what kind of reservation it is, (Open Season, Club, Home) they prefer to keep you in the same room, it saves them a room cleaning cost. Ask when you check in. If it isn't already done by the system and there is a room available for the length of your stay, they will try to keep you in the same room.

 

[Tamaradarann]

OK, so after my fiasco with the online point thing, the only way I could book what I needed was to change an existing reservation (that I needed).

So I ended up going from a 1 BR at Orlando from 10/21-10/30 so that the dates were:
10/21-10/27

Now, I could either basically change it to the original dates, but have to stay in a studio the entire time, (there was no way to get the 1 BR for the min. 3 nights and the studio for the others due to the dates and point values as weekends are higher). And I certainly don't want to switch rooms twice (ie: Studio 3 nights, 1 BR 3 nights, Studio 3 nights).

So my "Strategy":

1) I could try to rent from someone for the 3 nights 1 BR. I figured if the cost was $0.20/point plus the $110 for the reservation/guest cert that comes to $518 (let's round up and say $520).

2) I could use hhonors.com. Seems to be about $180/night plus the $25/resort fee/tax, so figure $600.

3) I could use my hhonors points for the reward stay. Granted, it's 172,000 points (no standard awards available since it's October), so if I figure that out in "HGVC" dollars it's like 6,840 points, so probably not the best use. BUT: I can cancel up to 3 days prior. My hope is to then see what, if any, shows up for Open Season.

Assuming #3 for Open Season (since I can't book until 30 days prior):
Has anyone had luck "combining" the stays so that they don't have to move?

I have been successful in combining Open Season with a Club Season reservation, I have even combined Open Season with an RCI reservation . As others have said they like keeping you in the same room to avoid additional cleaning. However, some resorts have very specific definitions of what the same accommodation is particularly with Studios even though the point value is the same. (As we know in some resorts that Plus and Premium Studios have higher point values) Some HGVC resorts have studios that are Standard, Plus, Premier, Lockoff, Handicapped Accessible etc. that have the same point values so, therefore, even if you can link up nights via Open Season with an Club Season Reservation they may not be the possible to stay in the same room. This happened to us in the Hilton Hawaiian Village years ago only using points at that time they didn't indicate the difference in the reservation system. I have been carefully to watch out for it now.

 

[Talent312]

Don't wait until check-in... By then, they may be locked into assignments.
I'd call the resort directly about 24-48 hours after the OS booking.

Also, don't forget to compare the O/S cost to the hotel-booking cost.
If the difference is minor, the hotel booking may be advantageous.

.

 

[hurnik]

Don't wait until check-in... By then, they may be locked into assignments.
I'd call the resort directly about 24-48 hours after the OS booking.

Also, don't forget to compare the O/S cost to the hotel-booking cost.
If the difference is minor, the hotel booking may be advantageous.

.

I think the Club Rules give a range for Tuscany, Gold season of $119/night (?) for Open Season. Current Hhonors.com is $180/night ($170 for advance, non-refundable purchase). For a 1 BR that is.

As an aside,

Using the info from the other thread, I was able to identify a reservation (contrary to what the rep said, it was NOT the earliest ones I had booked, ironically) that had 2018 points. I simply changed that from 7 nights to 3. Got the points. Booked the extra 3 nights I needed for Orlando, waited 7 minutes (I tried every 1 minute, so 7 minutes seems to be the cycle that the HGVC website "refreshes") and got my 4 nights "back" for the other reservation.

Thanks to all, I am now better informed.