SVO Elite Status...more than 12 mo reservation????

[califgal]

I'm still here in Maui and was just talking to someone who is Elite, I don't know which , probably 4* or 5*. She seemed to indicate, and didn't want to give much away, that she could make a reservation MORE than 12 months out! Could this be true?

 

[DeniseM]

I don't think it's true - could she possibly own a fixed week?

 

[califgal]

Maybe....if I see her again I'll ask.

 

[Henry M.]

I am 5* Elite and as far as I know I cannot reserve more than 12 months out.

 

[DavidnRobin]

I'm still here in Maui and was just talking to someone who is Elite, I don't know which , probably 4* or 5*. She seemed to indicate, and didn't want to give much away, that she could make a reservation MORE than 12 months out! Could this be true?

Only if she is a fix week owner - owners of fixed weeks can reserve at 10-14 months out (in fact - they are automatically reserved for them - and they just have to confirm). At 8-10 months (if they do not confirm their reservation - or decide to change their week) they go into the 'Home' preference group.

I know this because our WSJ is fixed and our June 2008 week is already reserved..

 

[divenski]

I am 5* Elite and as far as I know I cannot reserve more than 12 months out.

But can't multiple week owners do the following; book two weeks in a row and the 1st one is 12mos out and the 2nd one is 12mos + 1week out? I don't think they can get a confirmation for the 2nd week at the 12mos mark, but someone else posted that they do get put on a list, which I assume gets processed before any of the phoned in reservations for the 2nd week. If true, this means they can effectively book more than 12mos out for the 2nd week.

 

[DeniseM]

But can't multiple week owners do the following; book two weeks in a row and the 1st one is 12mos out and the 2nd one is 12mos + 1week out? I don't think they can get a confirmation for the 2nd week at the 12mos mark, but someone else posted that they do get put on a list, which I assume gets processed before any of the phoned in reservations for the 2nd week. If true, this means they can effectively book more than 12mos out for the 2nd week.

I think all owners can do this - I just own one week and I've done it.

 

[KOR5Star]

But can't multiple week owners do the following; book two weeks in a row and the 1st one is 12mos out and the 2nd one is 12mos + 1week out? I don't think they can get a confirmation for the 2nd week at the 12mos mark, but someone else posted that they do get put on a list, which I assume gets processed before any of the phoned in reservations for the 2nd week. If true, this means they can effectively book more than 12mos out for the 2nd week.

Yes, you are correct. Effectively, it allows multiple week owners to book further out than 12 months, but the starting week is still limited to 12 months.

When a multi-week owner books multiple weeks in a row, they need to be very concerned about their timestamp for the first week. The remaining weeks go on a list which an admin books, when able, at 12 months out. These don't get booked before anyone else. They get booked on the morning of 12 months out by an administrator while other owners are calling on the phone. The original timestamp from the first week is placed in the comment field of the subsequent reservatations. Each booking has a timestamp of it's own. If the original week is canceled, they are supposed to ignore the original timestamp and use whatever the admin got. Typically, this timestamp will not be ideal. That admin is not "Johnny on the spot". They come in, have their coffee, bring up the list, start booking the list from the top. Stops and goes to the bathroom. Chit chats at the coffee pot again. Etc... In the mean while, multiple other admins are busy taking phone calls from owners getting great time stamps.

IMHO, this is the fair thing to do. Otherwise, multi-week owners would have to sweat it out every week for however many weeks they want to stay. They would face a greater chance of not getting what they want than a single week owner. The SVN bends over backwards to make the system as fair as it can be. I just wish they put in the same effort with regards to StarPoints.

Everyone must book the beginning of their vacations 12 months out. No one gets to do that earlier.

 

[DeniseM]

Yes, you are correct. Effectively, it allows multiple week owners to book further out than 12 months, but the starting week is still limited to 12 months.

Anyone can do this - even a 1 week owner that spits the 1 bdm. and studio for a 2 week trip.

 

[KOR5Star]

Anyone can do this - even a 1 week owner that spits the 1 bdm. and studio for a 2 week trip.

Now this seems unfair to me. Since the two units are dissimilar, a move is required. Why should the owners not have to go back in the pool to get a good timestamp on their second week?

I can understand an effort not to move multi-week owners of the same type of unit, but if a move is necessary anyway....

I don't get it.

Not saying it's not possible. I believe you that it is. Just saying it seems unfair.

 

[pointsjunkie]

if a 5* owns at multiple places let say 2 weeks at one place,can they have elite services book a 6-8 weeks stay using staroptions from your other places, if the 2 weeks are at one of your home resorts will they do this for you starting at 12 months out? or do you have to wait for the 8 month window? i know this is confusing ,i hope i am explaining this right.

 

[DeniseM]

if a 5* owns at multiple places let say 2 weeks at one place,can they have elite services book a 6-8 weeks stay using staroptions from your other places, if the 2 weeks are at one of your home resorts will they do this for you starting at 12 months out? or do you have to wait for the 8 month window? i know this is confusing ,i hope i am explaining this right.

Staroption exchanges can only be made at 8 mos. out. The home resort reservation could be made at 12 mos., and then you would have to wait until 8 mos. for the Staroption Resv. Elite owners don't have any priority for making reservations.

 

[DeniseM]

Not saying it's not possible. I believe you that it is.

It's possible - we did it last summer.

Just saying it seems unfair

Oh come on, throw the peons a few bread crumbs!

 

[pointsjunkie]

i don't know if this is just a sales pitch from starwood but they said that as a 5* the elite services would handle the booking of resorts for the 5*. you just had to call and give them the first week you wanted and where you wanted to stay and they would book the consecutive weeks for you so you could get 4-6 weeks away if that is what the 5* wanted. as an example if we wanted to spend 5weeks in wkv from the 2nd week in january -2nd week in february they would do all the leg work for the 5* so they would not have to spend all their time on the phone each week. any 5* know if this is true?

 

[pointsjunkie]

freaky seeing my family on my starcentrlal

i went on my starcentral yesterday and low and behold we were on the front page. it is strange to see it. they were very accurate on the information. and it was definitely worth the starpoints.

 

[saluki]

i went on my starcentral yesterday and low and behold we were on the front page. it is strange to see it. they were very accurate on the information. and it was definitely worth the starpoints.

Which photo? Is it the large group on the balcony?

 

[pointsjunkie]

yes. that's us.

 

[saluki]

yes. that's us.

Nice looking family!

 

[KOR5Star]

i don't know if this is just a sales pitch from starwood but they said that as a 5* the elite services would handle the booking of resorts for the 5*. you just had to call and give them the first week you wanted and where you wanted to stay and they would book the consecutive weeks for you so you could get 4-6 weeks away if that is what the 5* wanted. as an example if we wanted to spend 5weeks in wkv from the 2nd week in january -2nd week in february they would do all the leg work for the 5* so they would not have to spend all their time on the phone each week. any 5* know if this is true?

Yes, it's true.

But it seems to be true for anyone. DeniseM does this when she splits her 2BRLO.