Cancelling points reservation when open season is available

[mhoutsma]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your wonderful insights and patience. I love this site and often recommend it to others interested in timeshares.

Is there any hidden downside (I know I lose the $49 reservation fee, but that does not bother me) to cancelling a points reservation 32 days out when open season is showing a bunch of availability and you would rather pay cash (around $800) to save the 5,000 points the reservation would cost? I have an upcoming Hawaii reservation and it looks like I could pay around $800 to stay the second half of the trip in the GW (probably even a plus room) rather than use the 4,900 points I currently am using to stay in a regular room at the Lagoon tower. Do they lock you out of open season if you cancel a reservation right outside the 31 day window in the same city?

 

[buzglyd]

No. It's easy to do.

Just keep your fingers crossed your unit doesn't get reserved by someone else before you pay cash.

 

[feed the otter]

The only restriction worth considering is you cannot cancel your club/points reservation @ Lagoon and then try to book Open Season w/cash right back into Lagoon (understanding you are looking at switching from Lagoon to GW).

The following is right out of the HGVC member guide:

"Reservations booked with ClubPoints or Bonus Points and later canceled cannot be rebooked into the same resort for the same time period using Open Season rental rates."

By my understanding, LT and GW are two different resorts, notwithstanding the fact that barely a lobby separates the two, but to be fair I've never needed to know for certain. It might be worth resolving affirmatively that this is the case so you don't end up blocked out if indeed they're the same resort under the HHV umbrella.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 

[SmithOp]

Why cancel, you need to use the points anyway right? No sense paying another reservation fee, just change your club reservation to a new date in the future. You can pick anywhere to park the points, it's early in the year lots of time to decide.

 

[buzglyd]

Plus 1 on moving your reservation. It's easy to do and you'll save yourself some money.

The real key is your going to HHV in Oahu. On the Big Island there is lots of availability and booking all or part of your reservation with cash is pretty easy.

The inventory disappears pretty quickly on Oahu. If what you want becomes available, do it immediately.

 

[feed the otter]

In the context of the club reservation cancellation policy I mentioned earlier, if you move/change/reschedule your reservation (to same location or someplace else) rather than outright cancel it, does that also prohibit you from making an open season reservation for the location dates/you just had prior to the change?

 

[buzglyd]

In the context of the club reservation cancellation policy I mentioned earlier, if you move/change/reschedule your reservation (to same location or someplace else) rather than outright cancel it, does that also prohibit you from making an open season reservation for the location dates/you just had prior to the change?

Someone may correct me, but I believe if is outside 30 days it doesn't matter what you do.

Within 30 days it would have to use more points, not fewer.

 

[semicycler]

+1 on moving your reservation instead

First step - book open season with cash
Second step - move current reservation to anywhere else later in the year

This will guarantee you get the cash spot first. And then if you decide at a later date to cancel your moved reservation, you have lost "nothing" since you were already prepared to cancel it. But if you do decide to take the second vacation, you saved a reservation fee.

 

[buzglyd]

+1 on moving your reservation instead

First step - book open season with cash
Second step - move current reservation to anywhere else later in the year

This will guarantee you get the cash spot first. And then if you decide at a later date to cancel your moved reservation, you have lost "nothing" since you were already prepared to cancel it. But if you do decide to take the second vacation, you saved a reservation fee.

I think if you move it within 30 days it has to be for more points. Correct?

 

[presley]

I think if you move it within 30 days it has to be for more points. Correct?

Yes. That is true. It seems like you could move it ahead for more points and then cancel the new reservation if you really don't want/need it.

 

[mhoutsma]

Helpful advice

This has been very helpful, thank you. The points I would be getting back are mostly 2015 points I borrowed that I would use next year for spring break. The GW has availability in all three two bedroom types during the time frame I am considering, so if I wait until the 32nd day I am pretty confident if all three are still there I will get at least one of the types of units if I change the original reservation.

My new question is this: can you change a reservation twice? I won't need the 4900 points I will be saving until next March, so anything I changed it to now would simply be a placeholder and I would make another move in June when next March becomes available. The only real reason to do this is to save $52 right? (I am not poo pooing $52, just want to make sure I am not missing anything; maybe by changing you avoid the 30 day same resort rule)

Also, if anyone is certain whether GW is considered a separate property for the rule outlined above I would really appreciate hearing it. I don't really want to call and tip them off but I don't really want to risk it either.

I am incurring a large karmic debt to this site that I will try to repay as I learn more!

 

[buzglyd]

Yes I have changed reservations multiple times.

Change away and send some of that karma to the West Coast!