# Interval alive and well [2014 and ongoing]



## Swice (Oct 13, 2014)

Just got a nice trade confirmation from Interval...

Traded half (one bedroom) of Lakeshore unit (reserved for third week of June) for a two bedroom Oceana Palms (we got first week of June).   

I had a wish list of Oceana Palms, Marco Island and Grand Ocean at Hilton Head.

We received a bonus week from Interval for our "half" unit and so we'll probably use it for Orlando the week after Oceana Palms.  

We were at Oceana three years ago and enjoyed it (second building had just started construction then).    

Took two months for the confirmation.   

Thanks Interval for what will be a two week vacation!   :whoopie:


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## kjd (Oct 13, 2014)

Interval International is indeed alive and well.  Have traded a two bedroom MGO for a three bedroom Surfwatch (same season) and a one bedroom MGC for a two bedroom gold Newport Coast.

I just tried SFX and booked a week in the Canadian Rockies for August 2015 using one of their certificates.   Cost was about $250 CAD with insurance.  The timeshares available near Banff are all of lesser quality than a Marriott standard IMO.  However, the scenery is not.  I have gone through II before to stay in the Banff area so I have no illusions that SFX will be any better.  It's one of the things you learn about timesharing over the years.  You always try to make the best with what you have.


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## tiel (Oct 13, 2014)

The sales folks keep telling us how good trades in II are drying up, but you got a great one!  And we continue to get pretty good trades too.  So we're going to continue looking to II for most of what we want, using our legacy points primarily for vacation extensions, or getting an owned week we couldn't get at 12 months out (yeah, we have to eat the skim, but at least we get a week that we want).

Anyway, congrats Swice!


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## Wally3433 (Oct 13, 2014)

I have not noticed any difference in trading availability either before or after the points program.

Split, deposit, trade, trade, use AC.  1 Week in a 2 BR = 3 weeks in a 2BR.  Have done it every year.


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## richh3 (Oct 14, 2014)

Delighted II & SFX are both alive & performing well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jme (Oct 14, 2014)

II has never let us down. We trade 2 or 3 weeks per year.

a recent example: Last year we traded a lockout at Manor Club.......master suite got a 2-BR Grande Ocean in mid-April (exactly the time we wanted), 

and studio got a 1-BR master suite/full kitchen/LR at Aruba Ocean Club first week of June, also when we wanted. 

In 16 years we have never failed to get exactly what we asked for, and for our requests we don't list multiple resorts or times....usually one specific week at one specific resort.  

My favorite trade was getting a July week in Scotland in one of the two-story private cottages at Cameron House.....an amazingly plush cottage at a great resort....had full use of adjacent Cameron House Hotel......we were greeted when we pulled up by a bag piper who began playing as we rounded the curved entrance and continued for a few minutes after we got out to unload.....our kids will never forget that. Gave us all goosebumps.

Have 3 trades to do this upcoming year also.


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## Fasttr (Oct 14, 2014)

jme said:


> My favorite trade was getting a July week in Scotland in one of the two-story private cottages at Cameron House.....an amazingly plush cottage at a great resort....had full use of adjacent Cameron House Hotel......we were greeted when we pulled up by a bag piper who began playing as we rounded the curved entrance and continued for a few minutes after we got out to unload.....our kids will never forget that. Gave us all goosebumps.



jme....he was actually the musician hired to lure the feral cats away from the timeshare.  :hysterical:  I crack myself up.


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## kelly4me (Oct 17, 2014)

We have been very pleased with our lock-off at Manor Club and the Interval trades that we've gotten with it in the past year.

1. Manor Club (MSE) 1 Bedroom to 1 Bedroom Maui Ocean Club June
2. Manor Club (MSE) Studio to 2 Bedroom Manor Club (MMC) July 4th using e-Plus
3. AC from 1 Bedroom MSE deposit to 3 Bedroom Marriott Lakeshore Reserve/Orlando Nov 1st

I'm so glad that I spent a lot of time researching on TUG before we bought our lock-off resale.  It has served us well.


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## vacationtime1 (Oct 17, 2014)

We have done well using Interval lately thanks to Starwood's recent bulk bank.

We traded our 2014 Sheraton Broadway Plantation one bedroom unit for a January week in a Westin Maui (WKORVN) studio.

We traded our 2015 Sheraton Broadway Plantation one bedroom unit for an April week in a Westin Princeville (WPORV) one bedroom unit.

Interval gave us a couple of AC's for no apparent reason.  We used one to reserve a December week at Squaw Valley.  If it snows, that will be the best deal of all.


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## kds4 (Oct 17, 2014)

Swice said:


> Just got a nice trade confirmation from Interval...
> 
> Traded half (one bedroom) of Lakeshore unit (reserved for third week of June) for a two bedroom Oceana Palms (we got first week of June).
> 
> ...



I agree that good trades, especially last minute ones, are still out there. I locked off one of my 2014 Gold Season Grande Vista weeks and deposited both sides. In June, we exchanged the studio side into a 2BR at Lakeshore for Thanksgiving week this year. Then, about a week ago we were able to re-trade into a 3BR at Grande Vista for Thanksgiving week.


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## jont (Oct 17, 2014)

We have never been disappointed by trading thru II. As long as your expectations are realistic, you should always to get a fair trade.


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## SunandFun83 (Oct 19, 2014)

*Traded 2br MCV for 2*2BR plus 2 A/C*

I traded the 1BR from Canyon Villas March week for a 2BR in November and traded the studio for a 1BR.  Just at the 60 day mark I did a re-trade of the studio for a 2BR.  

The 2BR villa turns into two 2BR weeks.  Plus the two a/c's that are not that easy to use.  Got a Getaway for 2BR so family could join us for $700.


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## NJMOM2 (May 19, 2015)

*2BR Gold Harbour Lake for 2 - 2BR Marriott resorts for summer in Hilton Head*

When I don't know what I want to do with my Harbour Lake week I have learned to lock it off and deposit in II the same day.  I hate to have it just sitting there so I add 2 requests.  This was done in November 2014 with reservations for studio and 1BR Thanksgivings 2015 reservations at Harbour Lake.

Well last week the 1BR matched for the Marriott Monarch in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island for *August 2016*.  Knowing that I modified the studio request for anything (not just beach front) Marriott resorts in Hilton Head to match the week I already matched.  Today the match came through for the Marriott Harbour Point at Shelter Cove.

Thank you Interval International - now we can have more friends and family join us for another great vacation on Hilton Head Island!

(Several years ago I told I was lucky to get a reservation at Harbour Club  using my 2BR Harbour Lake resort. See what planning ahead does?)


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## puckmanfl (May 19, 2015)

good evening

Just another example of how we "Legacy Owners" that are also DC enrolled have the best of "both worlds"..

2016 is amost all booked witrh DC, but in 2017  considering playing the II game...locking off, trolling for flexchange uptrades and instant sightings...Oh the life of "empty nesters"....

go Bolts...


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## Fairwinds (May 19, 2015)

It's great to read about examples of good trades using II. Like the evening news, trouble seems to be reported before success stories. So far this year we have reserved 2015 August Timber Lodge, 2016 February Frenchmans Cove, and June Harbour Point all of which were up trades either in season and/or unit size. We used OGS and ETrade


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## Thinking (Jun 12, 2015)

We've done fine with our week 27 harbor pointe week. 

In the past year we have traded to surf watch and myrtle beach marriotts for spring break (2015 and 2016). We've also traded a close to expiring deposited week for July 5-12 this year for manor club. 

I've lowered our expectations from the early years (when we were able to trade to Aruba (twice), Lake Tahoe (when site was new) and summer myrtle beach (when sites was new)). 

So we will stick with II -- makes sense given how low Marriott valued our fixed July 4th week at harbor pointe.


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## Thinking (Jun 12, 2015)

Thinking said:


> We've done fine with our week 27 harbor pointe week.
> 
> In the past year we have traded to surf watch and myrtle beach marriotts for spring break (2015 and 2016). We've also traded a close to expiring deposited week for July 5-12 this year for manor club.
> 
> ...



Forgot to mention earlier trades to vail as well.


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## bazzap (Jun 12, 2015)

We have now received confirmation of our final 2015 Interval MVC - MVC exchange request coming through.
One of our lock off guest units Playa Andaluza in exchange for a 2 bed unit Phuket Beach Club.
Our 4th successful exchange there in 2015.
Well done once again Interval.
I do like DC Points, but they can't match Interval for getting the best out of lock offs.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 12, 2015)

bazzap said:


> We have now received confirmation of our final 2015 Interval MVC - MVC exchange request coming through.
> One of our lock off guest units Playa Andaluza in exchange for a 2 bed unit Phuket Beach Club.
> Our 4th successful exchange there in 2015.
> Well done once again Interval.
> I do like DC Points, but they can't match Interval for getting the best out of lock offs.



Well that is a RESULT!!!! Well Done. You just decided me to lock off my 3 bed silver week at Playa Andaluza for 2016 and deposit with II and go for exchanges - I can always rent some DC points on VPE if I need them.


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## frankf3 (Jun 14, 2015)

Great thread!   We own a Grande Vista Platinum 2BR EOY and I was about to post a question asking whether it's realistic to lock off and get trades (within 60 days is fine with me) using the 1br (or the studio) to get a 2BR or maybe even a 3BR with via II.  From all the great trades cited hear, I guess the answer is yes!


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## cory30 (Jun 26, 2015)

I put a request first in with II on Monday of this week seeking an exchange of my 2016 Surfwatch Platinum week (week 26) for a 2 bedroom MOC for the same week. I received a confirmation this morning for an MOC 2 bdrm (week 26).

I rarely, if ever trade this week but am looking for this specific week on Maui next summer to dove tail with a week 27 exchange that we already have in place at HGVC Kingsland. I wasn't really expecting a match this quickly but think it is certainly a fair trade. It is good to see what I consider prime inventory being exchanged through Interval a year out.


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## klpca (Jun 26, 2015)

I traded my DSVII lockoff into Custom House (1 bdr) using an OGS. It matched in about a week. We'll be there in early May next year. Maybe not the toughest trade in the world, but it was exactly what we wanted so we're happy.


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## dioxide45 (Jun 26, 2015)

klpca said:


> I traded my DSVII lockoff into Custom House (1 bdr) using an OGS. It matched in about a week. We'll be there in early May next year. Maybe not the toughest trade in the world, but it was exactly what we wanted so we're happy.



Which side of the lock off did you use? The studio or the 1BR side? We traded a 1BR Harbour Lake in to Custom House for the first week of June. Just returned, it is truely a great location in downtown Boston.


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## klpca (Jun 26, 2015)

dioxide45 said:


> Which side of the lock off did you use? The studio or the 1BR side? We traded a 1BR Harbour Lake in to Custom House for the first week of June. Just returned, it is truely a great location in downtown Boston.



Small side (studio). I had put an OGS for Grand Solmar in Cabo, and added this for the heck of it. I honestly thought that Cabo would come through first. Wrong! But we figured, why not? So we're heading to Boston instead.


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## Superchief (Jun 27, 2015)

I have had three successful trades using deposit first searches.
Newport Coast Gold for Grande Ocean Labor Day week
Canyon Villa gold studio for Ocean Point 1BR (Nov1)
Canyon Villa gold 1br for Canyon Villa Plat 1br (March 16)

I've also been very happy with my success in using VC points, although we now typically travel in non-prime weeks. We receive poor value VC points for Canyon Villas Gold, Oceana Palms Gold, and Royal Palms Red, so we either use those weeks or deposit in II.


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## chunkygal (Jun 28, 2015)

I am still waiting for a trade from Kauai to either park city or whistler. Hope I have the luck others have!
I have done well in past but haven't tried since dc
Been waiting 4 months.


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## heckp (Jul 1, 2015)

Traded my SDO 2013 2BR Westin Lagunamar Nov 2015
Traded  my 2015 SDO 2BR Marriott Aruba Surf Club July 2015 yes in 2 weeks
My 2011 1BR SDO got 2 Studios at Marriott Koolina July 2011. That was my first year using it after purchase. I have yet to go and visit SDO  Not bad for a 2K resale. Thanks to TUG!

I have no complaints so far.


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## normab (Jul 3, 2015)

Seems to me that our requested trades are coming through later and there is less availability with our weak trading unit.  We definitely think that within the Marriott system, units are withheld for the points program.

That being said, we are starting to do more  driving travel within the 3 month window, which means there are lots of things that pop up when folks cancel.  And if you are willing to travel off season, there is more to choose from.

So, we can't really complain, we know how the system works and are still using it to our advantage.  The last minute trips are like surprises since we never know what may show up.


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## Lydlady (Jul 3, 2015)

I saw some phenomenal trades this morning, like my Shadow Ridge studio for a three-bedroom Kauai Lagoons. There were also some Waiohai weeks available. Most were in Flexchange (end of August). But I already have a Hawaii week in August and even if I could afford it, I don't think my boss would be too happy.


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## klpca (Jul 3, 2015)

Lydlady said:


> I saw some phenomenal trades this morning, like my Shadow Ridge studio for a three-bedroom Kauai Lagoons. There were also some Waiohai weeks available. Most were in Flexchange (end of August). But I already have a Hawaii week in August and even if I could afford it, I don't think my boss would be too happy.



Saw those too - and airfare wasn't too bad. I could have booked back to back weeks on Kauai using studio deposits. The only issue was work, lol.


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## pspercy (Jul 3, 2015)

(my mistake)


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