# Can someone explain walking a reservation



## Arimaas (Mar 4, 2018)

I've picked up some great advice here like saving the cancellation fees my moving a reservation out 30 days but have yet to figure out how exactly to walk a reservation. While I don't think it's going to be a regular occurance, I may want to stay in a high demand location during a peak demand time on a club reservation. What's the step by step process to walk the reservation? I tried searching for the answer in the forum, but didn't find the answer, so I apologize if this has been covered many times before. 

Thanks.


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## Talent312 (Mar 5, 2018)

As you know, the club booking window is 276 days long with a 3N minimum.
At Midnight ET* (HGVC moves the window by 1 day), book 3N at the tail-end.
_-- If you get MT 3N, great, but that's the earliest you can make that booking._
Each night (at Midnight ET*), you can tack another day onto your booking.

*Note: HGVC's day begins at Midnight ET, but you may have to wait a few minutes.

Clear as mud?
.


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## Mosescan (Mar 5, 2018)

Theoretically you can start “walking” a reservation when ever you want. For example if you wanted Christmas week, during February you could book into November. Book the last possible week you can book and every day at midnight you add a day to the end as it becomes available and take a day off the front. This way, every day you “walk” your reserved week forward one day. 

Timing can be very important. If you start too far out, you run the risk of running into a day or more with no availability as it’s been all booked up by owners at the 12 month mark. Start too late and all the new availability is gone being walked by someone else. It can be a frustrating process if you run into a road block.


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## SmithOp (Mar 5, 2018)

Walking won’t help with event weeks, they are already booked by the system for owners, you will only pick those up when they get canceled by the owner.

The system has the inventory loaded in weeks.  During home season only the full week can be booked.  Once club season open the full weeks can get broken up by shorter club bookings.  Starting a walk long before the week you want is a waste of time.  The best day for starting a walk is the Thursday before the week you want, book the 3 day minimum Thurs-Fri-Sat.  This will break up the full Sat-Sat week you want so the extra days are just sitting there for the taking.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## Arimaas (Mar 5, 2018)

Thanks all. I understand the concept. 

Total example, obviously won't work, but makes the dates easy. Let's say I want to check in to a place on January 1, so a little before April 1, i need to make a three day reservation for as close to Jan 1 as I can. And every night at midnight Eastern, I should be on the computer adding days at the end, and subtracting days at the front. Repeate this process as many times as I need  until I get the week I want?

Just curious, what is the average sucess rate of this hack? Obviously depends on what you're booking and when, but just curious. I work shift work, so being up at midnight as actually not an issue at all.

Thanks again. Always learn so much here.


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## 1Kflyerguy (Mar 5, 2018)

Arimaas said:


> Just curious, what is the average sucess rate of this hack? Obviously depends on what you're booking and when, but just curious. I work shift work, so being up at midnight as actually not an issue at all.
> 
> Thanks again. Always learn so much here.



I have had great success, I think it's worked every time I used it.


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## Arimaas (Mar 5, 2018)

1Kflyerguy said:


> I have had great success, I think it's worked every time I used it.



Thanks. How far in advance do you start the walk? In my example of January 1 check in, when would you start the process? March 28? March 25? I am sure there is no set answer.


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## SmithOp (Mar 5, 2018)

Arimaas said:


> Thanks. How far in advance do you start the walk? In my example of January 1 check in, when would you start the process? March 28? March 25? I am sure there is no set answer.



Where are you booking, it won’t work for Hawaii, Vegas, or Park City.  Jan 1st is part of week 52 Event Week at those locations.


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## Arimaas (Mar 5, 2018)

SmithOp said:


> Where are you booking, it won’t work for Hawaii, Vegas, or Park City.  Jan 1st is part of week 52 Event Week at those locations.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro



I was just using Jan 1 as an example to make the math easy. It could be any date.


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## SmithOp (Mar 5, 2018)

Arimaas said:


> I was just using Jan 1 as an example to make the math easy. It could be any date.



I use three things, the Vacation Planning Calculator, Resort Seasons calendar here:

https://club.hiltongrandvacations.com/en/help/resources

and a spreadsheet with 2 columns.  One column for every check out day, then one column with check out day minus 276 labeled booking day.  For your example I would book a 3 day 27th to 30th, then walk it to include the Jan 1.  As I said before, start on the Thursday prior to the Saturday of the week you want.







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## Arimaas (Mar 5, 2018)

SmithOp said:


> I use three things, the Vacation Planning Calculator, Resort Seasons calendar here:
> 
> https://club.hiltongrandvacations.com/en/help/resources
> 
> ...



The running spreadsheet is a great idea!


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## PigsDad (Mar 5, 2018)

Arimaas said:


> I was just using Jan 1 as an example to make the math easy. It could be any date.


I realize Jan 1 was just an example, but this brings up a possible corner case where this will not work.  A changeable reservation can only be modified to be in the same calendar year, so I don't think you are able to "walk" a reservation across the Dec 31 / Jan 1 boundary.  

Has anyone tried this?

Kurt


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## Talent312 (Mar 5, 2018)

My spreadsheet has a few more columns, and I do six mos. side-by-side.
This is for 2019...





***


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## alwysonvac (Mar 5, 2018)

PigsDad said:


> I realize Jan 1 was just an example, but this brings up a possible corner case where this will not work.  A changeable reservation can only be modified to be in the same calendar year, so I don't think you are able to "walk" a reservation across the Dec 31 / Jan 1 boundary.
> 
> Has anyone tried this?
> 
> Kurt


You're correct. 
Sandy VDH ran into that issue last year - https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php...ding-to-the-hgvc-website.253817/#post-1988094


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## alexadeparis (Mar 5, 2018)

Talent, any way you would be willing to share your spreadsheet with us?


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## Talent312 (Mar 5, 2018)

alexadeparis said:


> Talent, any way you would be willing to share your spreadsheet with us?



Here's a link to a sheet in Google Docs (no registration needed):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YcVnlzuy8G18CkxH0c8Beuv-4YzwNA00tqbb_7Ws10o/edit?usp=sharing

Here's a link to a static HTML page in Google Docs:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...OgRv0C-ydNtYl8l-O2spDuRtFd4SCaSwtedwT/pubhtml

Notes:
There may be errors in seasons assigned to a few resorts.
I ignored Las Palmeras' extra platinum weeks, for example.
You need to consult HGVC to be sure which season applies.
.


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## WildCat45 (Mar 6, 2018)

Arimaas said:


> I've picked up some great advice here like saving the cancellation fees by moving a reservation out 30 days



How dose this work, exactly?


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## Arimaas (Mar 6, 2018)

WildCat45 said:


> How dose this work, exactly?



Someone with greater knowledge will hopefully correct any of this that needs correcting, but any online club reservation is changable with no fee. If you need to cancel a reservation with in 30 days, change it first (free) to be more than 30 days away. Then cancel it. This way you only lose your club reservation fee and save your point penalty. 

Note this doesn't work if changing the reservation pushes any part of it into the next calendar year (about three posts up discusses this issue), but seems like a great hack to save your points, should something come up last minute.


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## PigsDad (Mar 6, 2018)

You nailed it, Arimaas. 

Kurt


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## DallasLoneStar (Mar 6, 2018)

Thanks for posting that spreadsheet, very helpful!  Now I just need to find a timeshare to buy LOL


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## Talent312 (Mar 6, 2018)

Arimaas said:


> If you need to cancel a reservation with in 30 days, change it first (free) to be more than 30 days away. Then cancel it. This way you only lose your club reservation fee and save your point penalty.



Also: If you are within 30 days out and instead of cancelling, you only want to reduce the # of points used, you can change the dates to more than 30 days out (within the calendar year), then change back (at a small risk of losing the original dates). If necessary, you can also change the resort using a link near the bottom of the change-page.

I was able to change a November booking to a December booking in Orlando (with wide availability) and then back again, just for this purpose.

These options are why, IMHO, paying a cancellation fee is foolish, unless one is so near the end of the year that a change to MT 30 days out may not be possible.

.


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## WildCat45 (Mar 6, 2018)

This is a dumb newbie question: Can I make 2019 reservations with 2018 points (without paying to roll the points)? I ask because I'm working on enrolling my Scotland weeks into the club, so by the time that happens the likelihood of having anything good left in 2018 is going to be small.


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## Talent312 (Mar 6, 2018)

To use 2018 points for a club-booking in 2019, you must first bank ("save") the points, for a fee.

However, using RCI, you can make a reservation in 2018 for 2019 without saving the points.
RCI will draw the points first from 2018 and then, if more are needed, from 2019.
_..... that includes using RCI to book a HGVC resort.
_
If you cancel the RCI booking in 2019, you may deposit the 2018 points to the RCI program.

.


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## Mosescan (Mar 6, 2018)

WildCat45 said:


> This is a dumb newbie question: Can I make 2019 reservations with 2018 points (without paying to roll the points)? I ask because I'm working on enrolling my Scotland weeks into the club, so by the time that happens the likelihood of having anything good left in 2018 is going to be small.


I don’t think so. If you already own the Scotland units, it shouldn’t take more than a week or two to enroll them in HGVC. Because I already had an account it only took 3 days for the units to show up in my account once the purchase had gone through. Then all you do is call HGVC and tell them you’d like to trade your week for points and it happens instantly.


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## Bao Nguyen (Mar 6, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> To use 2018 points for a club-booking in 2019, you must first bank ("save") the points, for a fee.
> 
> However, using RCI, you can make a reservation in 2018 for 2019 without saving the points.
> RCI will draw the points first from 2018 and then, if more are needed, from 2019.
> ...





Talent312 said:


> To use 2018 points for a club-booking in 2019, you must first bank ("save") the points, for a fee.
> 
> However, using RCI, you can make a reservation in 2018 for 2019 without saving the points.
> RCI will draw the points first from 2018 and then, if more are needed, from 2019.
> ...


Saving 2018 Point for 2019 booking vs  rolling over RCI booking which  fees cost less?   banking for $99 right?


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## Talent312 (Mar 6, 2018)

HGVC's fees for saving ($104 online) + reserving ($65 online)
is L/T RCI's weekly booking fee ($239).


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## alexadeparis (Mar 6, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> Here's a link to a sheet in Google Docs (no registration needed):
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YcVnlzuy8G18CkxH0c8Beuv-4YzwNA00tqbb_7Ws10o/edit?usp=sharing
> 
> Here's a link to a static HTML page in Google Docs:
> ...


Thank you!


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## mapsd (Jun 25, 2018)

Great resource on how-to-book strategy.


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## rdw95 (Aug 27, 2018)

I have not seen it address, but can one "walk" bonus points.  When booking with them it says they are not changeable.

If you cannot walk Bonus points, is the only option to book a reservation with club points, then go back and cancel the reservation to then go right back in and book it with bonus points?


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## Talent312 (Aug 27, 2018)

rdw95 said:


> I have not seen it address, but can one "walk" bonus points.  When booking with them it says they are not changeable. If you cannot walk Bonus points, is the only option to book a reservation with club points, then go back and cancel the reservation to then go right back in and book it with bonus points?



Not changeable means no walking, as that's considered a change. 
Cancelling a booking of course runs the risk that you'll lose the dates.
But you could try calling it in, saying you originally meant to use BP's. 
.


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