Exceptions to minimum stay

Here's a question to stump the experts.

In the SRP booking window (10 months to 91 days), there are generally 3, 4, or 7 night requirements for Prime Season, and a 2-night minimum for other seasons. In ERP (90 days or less), all seasons have a 2-night minimum.

That said, I have recently booked a 1-night stay on 3 different occasions. The first two times, I was well within the ERP window (<25 days for both) and I was getting one of the last rooms. The 3rd time, I booked over 6 months in advance while there was plenty of availability (I was trying it out on a whim).

So if the advertised absolute minimum is a 2-night stay, how am I able to get these 1 night bookings? Does VIP have anything to do with it (I'm not expecting that it does)?


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About two months ago I booked one night for September and I'm not vip.

I think what you see are the orphans

for example

If the minimum stay is 3 days its possible that fri sat and sun is taken by one owner, and tues wed and thurs by another.... that leaves an orphaned monday

ronparise said:

I think what you see are the orphans

for example

If the minimum stay is 3 days its possible that fri sat and sun is taken by one owner, and tues wed and thurs by another.... that leaves an orphaned monday

Click to expand...

Poor Monday.

ronparise said:

I think what you see are the orphans



for example



If the minimum stay is 3 days its possible that fri sat and sun is taken by one owner, and tues wed and thurs by another.... that leaves an orphaned monday

Click to expand...

All of these were weekend nights: 1x FRI and 2x SAT. I understand the short term bookings for FRI/SAT were likely orphans, but that does not well explain the Saturday I found for October 2016 on a wide-open month (not just the weekend) in High Season. It might still be an orphan (and I got lucky), but it would seem that the chances are slim in this particular case.

uscav8r said:

All of these were weekend nights: 1x FRI and 2x SAT. I understand the short term bookings for FRI/SAT were likely orphans, but that does not well explain the Saturday I found for October 2016 on a wide-open month (not just the weekend) in High Season. It might still be an orphan (and I got lucky), but it would seem that the chances are slim in this particular case.

Click to expand...

People looking for cheap airfares or stays around cruises, might have booked 2 back to back 3 night stays as they could NOT book their 6 night stay. So that Sunday to Sunday week became a Sunday to Saturday stay ... leaving Saturday night available to book.

We've noticed that single nights are sometimes available at highly sought-after resorts in prime or high season as "orphans" when most of the resort is booked solid. Can't count on it but they sometimes do show as available. I suspect the "orphaned" nights are more likely to appear at resorts where VIP members request specific rooms or views, or much of the inventory is actually still used as fixed weeks, meaning there's less points inventory than one would think based on the resort size.

Also, at a few of the large UDI points resorts which were never sold as fixed weeks, single nights seem to be broadly available, especially if not in prime season or during holiday weeks. It may make it easier to assign rooms in high occupancy resorts if some guests are only staying for single nights. Just speculating. At times, the reservation system seems to require the minimum stays and at other times, it seems more open. We expect the policy to be followed but have enjoyed the easier access when we can get it.

I routinely book single nights at an eastern Tennessee resort to use to break up the trip to New Orleans or Florida panhandle. Most often, the single night is a Thursday or Friday and the reservation is made around 8-10 months before check-in.

What I find is that for months thereafter, no single night reservations are allowed because of the time remaining before check-in. When time comes to re-book the one night, I am able to do so with no problem.

I guess this supports the orphaned single night theory. It's not really an exception or departure from the "3, 4, or 7 night" limitation. There just happens to be a single night when I want it. (However, it's curious that I have been able to do this so frequently.)

I've noticed that when making a reservation at a specific resort and I come up empty on my requested nights, you can see what nights are available for that month and the next.

As others have posted, these are orphaned nights.

Sometimes to get what you want you can create the orphan yourself. For example; you want to stay Thursday night only as you are traveling through to a final destination... There are no single night stays available on Thursday, but there are 3 night stays.

Book a 2-night stay starting on Friday (assuming you're inside the 90-day window) and you may then be able to grab the orphan.

FYI, unlike the "locking" trick, the reservation actually has to be booked for the system to register the orphan. You can then go back and cancel the weekend you don't need after you pick up the orphan.

Also, there are a couple of resorts where the reservations rules seem to be relaxed, perhaps because of the number of units... for example Bonnet Creek.