II Deposit Question

[fluke]

I have sifted throught the FAQ and tried to search old threads but can find the answer to my question.

I currrently have 2 bedroom lockoff SDO deposits for 2012 and 2013 and have exchanged the B side (or maybe A). I have an ongoing search for January 2014 for a 2 bedroom.

If that matches will it take the real remaing 2 bedroom deposit (whole 2013) deposit and leave me with a 1 bedroom from 2012? Or will it take equivalent deposits ( 1 bedroom from 2012 and 2013) and leave me a 1 bedroom from 2013?

 

[DeniseM]

With an ongoing request, you must use a 2 bdm. deposit, to request a 2 bdm., so it will probably use use the 2 bdm.

You can only trade up, if you do an Instant Online Exchange.

 

[Gmonsterson]

Is it possible to get a 1 or 2 bedroom via Instant Online Exchange with a Lagunamar Studio?
If I enter 6 people, it doesn't even let me go forward so I think the answer is no. They make me drop down to 4 people before I search.

Thanks.

 

[djdavid79]

It is possible, but it will only let you search with the amount of people that the unit you are exchanging can hold. It can still pull a 2 bedroom which would be able to fit 6 on an instant online exchange.

 

[TravelMamma]

It's also possible to use a 1 bedroom for a request and then be confirmed to a 2 bedroom. I own a 1 bedroom and just this week got my request filled with a 2 bedroom, this is the 2nd time that's happened to to me and both were at resorts that have 1 bedrooms, it just must have been that only 2 bedrooms were deposited so I got lucky.

 

[GrayFal]

Is it possible to get a 1 or 2 bedroom via Instant Online Exchange with a Lagunamar Studio?
If I enter 6 people, it doesn't even let me go forward so I think the answer is no. They make me drop down to 4 people before I search.

Thanks.

Always leave number of people at the default setting of 2 when doing a manual search. That way you will get all results and you can decide yourself if you want something or not.

 

[grgs]

Is it possible to get a 1 or 2 bedroom via Instant Online Exchange with a Lagunamar Studio?

Studio units see much less via Instant Online Exchange than do 1 or 2 bedroom units. Part of the problem is that the Starwood Hawaii bulk deposits have been entire two bedroom units. It seems that II may not allow a 2 unit size upgrade. However, even if one was satisfied with trading a studio for a studio or one bedroom, that was not an option, as those units weren't deposited. If you can deposit a one bedroom unit, you'll have more options.

Glorian

 

[Gmonsterson]

Studio units see much less via Instant Online Exchange than do 1 or 2 bedroom units. Part of the problem is that the Starwood Hawaii bulk deposits have been entire two bedroom units. It seems that II may not allow a 2 unit size upgrade. However, even if one was satisfied with trading a studio for a studio or one bedroom, that was not an option, as those units weren't deposited. If you can deposit a one bedroom unit, you'll have more options.

Glorian

Thanks.

I searched the whole world and I can't find anything decent from jan to may....is that bc it's super busy season or is II notorious for not having any last minute availability?
They can't all be full can they? What about last min cancellations?
Looking for a studio in Mexico or Caribbean jan feb or march if possible.

Thanks for the help.

 

[VacationForever]

Thanks.

I searched the whole world and I can't find anything decent from jan to may....is that bc it's super busy season or is II notorious for not having any last minute availability?
They can't all be full can they? What about last min cancellations?
Looking for a studio in Mexico or Caribbean jan feb or march if possible.

Thanks for the help.

I see lots in Carribean and Mexico in II during the period.

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks.

I searched the whole world and I can't find anything decent from jan to may....is that bc it's super busy season or is II notorious for not having any last minute availability?
They can't all be full can they? What about last min cancellations?
Looking for a studio in Mexico or Caribbean jan feb or march if possible.

Thanks for the help.

Is your studio actually DEPOSITED and does it have an ON-GOING REQUEST in place? Both of those things will give it more trading power. See the II FAQ at the top of the forum for more info,

 

[Gmonsterson]

Is your studio actually DEPOSITED and does it have an ON-GOING REQUEST in place? Both of those things will give it more trading power. See the II FAQ at the top of the forum for more info,

I think so and no...will place a dummy request to see if I see more because I even searched with a 2 bd and didn't find anything either.

I'll try again. Thx for the tips.

 

[sgilbert]

How hard is it to exchange a 1bedroom unit to a 2 bedroom with depositing a week with Sheraton Desert Oasis?

 

[DeniseM]

How hard is it to exchange a 1bedroom unit to a 2 bedroom with depositing a week with Sheraton Desert Oasis?

It happens on a regular basis - but not all weeks at all resorts. Platinum and Gold Plus SDO deposits have more trading power than off-season weeks.

It also depends and where and when you want to go:

Starwood has complete control over deposits, and they don't deposit holiday weeks or high season weeks - most deposits are off-season.

-When do you want to go? Are you flexible? Do you have to have school holidays?

Westin St. John, and Harborside are the most difficult to trade into - especially to trade up.

-Where do you want to go? Are you flexible?

You can't put in an ONGOING REQUEST using a one bedroom to trade up to a 2 bdm. - you can only do it with an INSTANT ONLINE EXCHANGE, so you have to watch the online inventory constantly, and be ready to jump on it.

-Are you willing to check the online inventory on a daily basis?

See the Starwood and II FAQ at the top of the forum for more details.

 

[sgilbert]

plan ahead

I like to plan far in advance, most of the time I have the summer free and my hope would be myrtle beach, hawaii, or atlantis for my family.

 

[tschwa2]

Myrtle Beach is the summer shouldn't be a problem. Hawaii is doable in summer but only if you can travel the first 2 weeks in June or the last 2 weeks in August. Mid June-first week or so of August gets very few if any deposits. None show up online and I haven't heard anyone matching during prime summer. Atlantis doesn't typically get deposits mid May through all of August. Very last minute deposits might show up from cancellations.

 

[Sloane S]

Myrtle Beach is the summer shouldn't be a problem.

I had a request in for last summer at SBP that never matched in II, although there were several units available in RCI.

 

[cruzad3r]

Scott, what season do you own at SBP and have you tried the upgrade directly from starwood? i believe it's 25$ per night for upgrade but only 1 season higher not 2. meaning if you own silver you can only upgrade (if available) to Gold not Gold Plus.

 

[Quiet Pine]

How hard is it to exchange a 1bedroom unit to a 2 bedroom with depositing a week with Sheraton Desert Oasis?

I deposited a 1BR SDO, B side, Gold Plus, and requested Ponds at Foxhollow in the Berkshires. I was confirmed for a 2BR. Didn't request, didn't need, didn't even use, but I guess that's what was available and I got it.

 

[Beefnot]

If you want a 2BR, you can submit an ongoing request with a 1BR into a 1BR, and just keep calling to cancel if they confirm you into 1BRs. Would be cumbersome, but if you have the patience and risk tolerance (may also need to check your junk mail and/or II website daily to check for confirmations in case they didn't make it to your inbox), then fire away. You might be fortunate to receive a 2BR.

 

[ccwu]

Question.
I just bought a SDO from eBay.

I have both RCI account (thru wyndham and Bluegreen) and II account thru DRI. I can deposit any RCI resort into the Wyndham account for exchange. I can not deposit into my DRI II account. I called II, they told me that DRI should be able to allow me to add resorts and deposit it. I called DRI. They told me the II account that I have is a DRI corporate account and only allow me to exchange by using DRI points.

I am II platinum member thru DRI account. Do I need to add a separate account for the SDO and pay another II fee and lost my II platinum member status.

 

[Sloane S]

Scott, what season do you own at SBP and have you tried the upgrade directly from starwood? i believe it's 25$ per night for upgrade but only 1 season higher not 2. meaning if you own silver you can only upgrade (if available) to Gold not Gold Plus.

Both of my SBPs are gold plus. I had the request in with my SDO trying to trade it into SBP last summer.

 

[DeniseM]

Question.
I just bought a SDO from eBay.

I have both RCI account (thru wyndham and Bluegreen) and II account thru DRI. I can deposit any RCI resort into the Wyndham account for exchange. I can not deposit into my DRI II account. I called II, they told me that DRI should be able to allow me to add resorts and deposit it. I called DRI. They told me the II account that I have is a DRI corporate account and only allow me to exchange by using DRI points.

I am II platinum member thru DRI account. Do I need to add a separate account for the SDO and pay another II fee and lost my II platinum member status.

Sounds like it - this is often the case with corporate II Accts. If they say no, there isn't much you can do... Try it and find out if you can deposit it.

 

[marmite]

Denise, instead of me starting another thread with the same title, I thought I'd just ask here .....

How do I know that my week is available in II when using mystarcental.com to do the deposit? Do you just wait a few days and then assume it has been done?

It sure was not intuitive to use their site to make the deposit today... and I hope by selecting my whole two bedroom lockoff unit from the pick list that they are automatically available in II to be used together or separately.

Thanks very much.

 

[DeniseM]

Denise, instead of me starting another thread with the same title, I thought I'd just ask here .....

How do I know that my week is available in II when using mystarcental.com to do the deposit? Do you just wait a few days and then assume it has been done?

You will get an email notifying you.

Just to verify, you did call II to register the week with them first, correct?

It sure was not intuitive to use their site to make the deposit today... and I hope by selecting my whole two bedroom lockoff unit from the pick list that they are automatically available in II to be used together or separately.

Thanks very much.

It's not you - the II/Starwood system is simply stupid.

If you select the entire 2 bdm. to deposit, it will be available to you all 3 ways:
Side A
Side B
2 Bdm.

You only choose Side A or Side B to deposit, if you don't want to deposit both sides.

 

[marmite]

Just to verify, you did call II to register the week with them first, correct?

I did not call II this year -- this is my second year of membership with II and I believe my registration was all done online with II. My 'placeholder' SDO weeks are still visible... I'm assuming there is only the initial registration required, and then yearly calls or visits to the starwood site to assign my weeks to II, correct?