Extending/Upgrading TS week using SPG points

I'm planning ahead for next year and would like to understand my options with the points I have. I will have enough SOs (67.1) banked for a studio week at WKORV but ideally would like to use those points to book a 1 bdrm for 5-6 days and get to a full week by adding some SPGs for the extra night. Just to see how it might work when I go to the SPG site I get the message that I cannot book a single night using SPG points. Am I approaching this wrong? I've read on various threads that TUGGers have been able to extend their week by using SPG points. Any suggestions how to coordinate the reservation at the 8 mo. mark with the SPs?

Thank you.

It sounds like they have a minimum hotel stay requirement, and I don't know if there is any way to get around it.

You can use Staroptions to make a timeshare reservation at the 8 mo. mark.

When you use hotel points, you are making a hotel type reservation through SPG. They are completely unrelated reservations, and it's likely that you will be in two different units, and have to move between reservations. You can ask them to link the reservations, but they won't guarantee it.

It looks like they may only be allowing studio units to be booked with points online. You could try calling SPG customer service and see if you book a one bedroom instead.

grgs said:

It looks like they may only be allowing studio units to be booked with points online. You could try calling SPG customer service and see if you book a one bedroom instead.

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Studios are the published SPG points rate, 1BR if available is double that rate, and 2BR if available is triple that rate.

You need to call SPG to check availability of anything other than a studio for a SPG points redemption...

Bottom-line: WKORV/N has a very high SP rate for redemption.

wallace37 - How many in your party? The studios are actually very nice for a couple, and even have a well-equipped compact kitchen, with everything except an oven. Just be sure you reserve in the North Phase, to get a lanai.

DeniseM said:

wallace37 - How many in your party? The studios are actually very nice for a couple, and even have a well-equipped compact kitchen, with everything except an oven. Just be sure you reserve in the North Phase, to get a lanai.

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Hi Denise-

Thanks to you and the other Tuggers who responded to my question. There may be 3 of us, and possibly 4 (which I know is a awkward from last year in a studio- a teenage boy and girl, and two adult women). The other plan I was exploring is to use the points for a Sunday - Friday stay (or 6 nights -including either Friday or Saturday but not both for a total of 64,800 SOs) in a 1 bdrm. Just checking the availability at the 8 month window now I would have enough points for a studio but the 1 bdrm is a Friday check-in. Is it unrealistic to think I might be able to use the remaining SOs in the first weeks of August to book a 1bdrm /6day stay mid-week at the 8 month mark at WKORV(N)? This would be my first time booking so I'm trying to be prepared on what to expect and how to accommodate my son and daughter should they both want to join me and my sister.

Have you considered borrowing Staroptions from the next year?

"...Is it unrealistic to think I might be able to use the remaining SOs in the first weeks of August to book a 1bdrm /6day stay mid-week at the 8 month mark at WKORV(N)? This would be my first time booking so I'm trying to be prepared on what to expect and how to accommodate my son and daughter should they both want to join me and my sister."

Wallace37,
You have a good chance of making the reservation for August at the 8 month mark. I've done it several times, and now that we can make a reservation on-line it's a lot easier than before. Being from San Francisco, I'm logged in before 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and go to the screen for making reservations. Make your choice of resorts (I personally choose both WKORV and WKORV-N), the date before your desired check-in date, and the size villa you want. Keep refreshing the screen, and at 9:00 p.m. the date that you want will show up and you can then choose that date. Then make your reservation! Practicing before hand takes a lot of the stress away and you'll be more comfortable when it's time to make your reservation! (For example, if you want a reservation for 8/6/16, be sure to be online on 12/5/15 by 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time, since you are from the Bay Area.)

Denise brought up a good point about borrowing from next year's Staroptions, if you'd prefer reserving a one-bedroom villa for a full week. Good luck with your reservation and Happy Travels to you! CJ

mauitraveler said:

(For example, if you want a reservation for 8/6/16, be sure to be online on 8/5/15 by 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time, since you are from the Bay Area.)

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Actually, for a StarOptions reservation, you'll be booking 8 months in advance so a reservation for 8/6/16 would be available on 12/5/15 at 9:00pm PST.

mauitraveler said:

Denise brought up a good point about borrowing from next year's Staroptions, if you'd prefer reserving a one-bedroom villa for a full week. Good luck with your reservation and Happy Travels to you! CJ

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The catch is that borrowing StarOptions can only currently be done through the reservations call center. And, it will take a while because you'll have to prepay your next year's MF. If it were me, I would take the following approach to maximize chances of getting what I want.

1. 8 months + 5 days prior to check-in: Call to prepay MF and get that out of the way.
2. 8 months + 1 day prior to check-in @ 9:00pm PST: Make the 6-day reservation using the online system.
3. 8 months prior to check-in @ 6:00am PST: Call the owner reservations line and ask to re-book using borrowed StarOptions. They should be able to cancel your existing reservation and immediately re-attempt using the new dates and borrowed StarOptions. (Note there is a slight chance that once they cancel your existing reservation, you could lose your reservation altogether if availability changes quickly and they are unable to re-book anything).

Thanks for the catch, okwiater! That's what happens when I'm not paying attention "so late at night"!

Thanks again for the guidance of the Tugger community. I bought an EOY (odd) accepting the fact that if I split the points over the two years I would have SOs for a 1Bdrm for one year and a studio the following. If I were to borrow from the next year it would put me in the hole for that year and I would be back to a studio, so really only swapping out the years which I have the studio. This is why I was hoping for a way to bridge the extra points needed for a 1 bdrm for both years. I guess I'll have to buy another TS at some point if it seems like I need the 1bdrm each year, but my kids are heading to college soon so I didn't want to go too big with my first purchase.

wallace37 said:

I'm planning ahead for next year and would like to understand my options with the points I have. I will have enough SOs (67.1) banked for a studio week at WKORV but ideally would like to use those points to book a 1 bdrm for 5-6 days and get to a full week by adding some SPGs for the extra night. Just to see how it might work when I go to the SPG site I get the message that I cannot book a single night using SPG points. Am I approaching this wrong? I've read on various threads that TUGGers have been able to extend their week by using SPG points. Any suggestions how to coordinate the reservation at the 8 mo. mark with the SPs?

Thank you.

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I do this every year with the WLR. I book using my SVO week, and add nights on either the front or back end (or both) using SPG points. I often have to speak to a rep to do this since I redeem points for a 1BR, which you cannot do online. Also, since there is often a 5 night minimum stay, I often make the reservation for five nights (covering the nights I want), and call SPG (who has to manually reach out to the property) to adjust the reservation for the number of nights I want. For example, this year I added one additional night in a 1BR on the front end of my President's Week reservation, using SPG points.

Not exactly a super straightforward or seamless process, but ultimately I get exactly what I need.

possible with harborside?

Is it possible to use such an idea for Harborside ? I am trying to get a family of 12 to harborside in 2017 but dont have enough points to book with staroptions

HRA on SPs? It'd take a boatload for a 3 bdrm.

don't think it's available to book via spg.com