Ritz Carlton St Thomas, How to Reserve using DC Points?

[TravelTime]

79 nights! My goodness, I can’t wait until I retire for sure.

I have 80 nights booked for 2019 and I am not retired. I actually plan to be away from home more than this because I am not including family visits where I stay with family and misc weekend trips.

 

[TravelTime]

"So, every day, I look 13 months out with points, and see no dates.". I guess you might say that's ambiguous. But that's what I meant. You have given me hope though.

I guess I need to be a deeper thinker when I read TUG posts. Yes, I could count, I guess. LOL

I was mainly reporting on 2019 availability to give you hope that there will be plenty of 2020 availability.

I was mainly focused on this part of your post: “So, my question is, is there a trick to getting into there on points? Do they only release points inventory every so often? How has anyone gotten into here?”

 

[Steve Fatula]

79 nights! My goodness, I can’t wait until I retire for sure.

Average cost / night is now down to $95 for this year. Now, the detractors love to say "yeah, but if you add those upfront costs, it makes it way more". True, when you add say $3,000 (mine is less) a year for upfront costs to one single week, those 7 days sure cost a lot more (a whopping $428/night more!). But over 79 days, it's $38 a night extra. Most of the stays are 2 or 3 Br, none are studios. So quite a bit of difference adding those upfront costs to a single week vs lots of weeks. I can't even rent a tiny hotel room virtually anywhere for <$100. At least one I'd want to stay in!

 

[Steve Fatula]

I have 80 nights booked for 2019 and I am not retired. I actually plan to be away from home more than this because I am not including family visits where I stay with family and misc weekend trips.

You had to do ONE more than me! Now I have to arrange 2 more, lol

 

[TravelTime]

You had to do ONE more than me! Now I have to arrange 2 more, lol

But it is not all Marriott. You will beat me for Marriott Bonvoy status!

 

[csalter2]

I have 80 nights booked for 2019 and I am not retired. I actually plan to be away from home more than this because I am not including family visits where I stay with family and misc weekend trips.

I plan on fully taking advantage of the system when I retire. I pushed over 13,000 points into 2020 and will be making all kinds of reservations for next year. It’s good to hear this type of news!

 

[Steve Fatula]

But it is not all Marriott. You will beat me for Marriott Bonvoy status!

Not all Marriott, but mostly, family trips not counted. I still go to houses in Branson and Williamsburg. And I may make Canyon Villas at Coral Ridge a semi often destination as well, 3br townhomes. Already planning 2020, Uganda tops that list.

 

[TravelTime]

Not all Marriott, but mostly, family trips not counted. I still go to houses in Branson and Williamsburg. And I may make Canyon Villas at Coral Ridge a semi often destination as well, 3br townhomes. Already planning 2020, Uganda tops that list.

Uganda sounds incredible! You will need to post about that trip.

 

[Fairwinds]

They have 2 BR suites with 2 bathrooms and 2 BR residences with 2.5 bathrooms. They also have 3 BRs. There is about a 300 point difference for the week between the 2 BR floorplans in low season. The point cost to stay at the Ritz is not much more than to stay at Frenchman’s Cove in low season. That surprised me because I would have thought there would be a bigger premium between them.

I believe I remember a discussion about the suits having a limited kitchen but having a catered breakfast served in a community space. Maybe someone else can elaborate.

 

[jimf41]

The kitchen is poorly designed in the TS bldgs. In the residence bldgs it's a full size kitchen. There is no carpet in the TS villas so it's a little noisy and uncomfortable if you are in bare feet. The view from the 30' balcony with full size lounge chairs is great. The restaurant in the top floor of the 1st TS bldg is/was great for breakfast as it was a free buffet if you stayed in a TS. I believe they discontinued that a while back.
I didn't care for the place but my wife really liked it. No one in our family liked the beach. There, that's about as all over the map you can get in a short review.

 

[GregT]

Steve,

I love this property and have watched it carefully to try to understand the inventory loading pattern. Unfortunatelym, all of my efforts didn't pay off and I still do not know how they load inventory.

I have found that it takes a little time (48 hours?) for it to appear at 13 months, so I think 13 months minus 2 days is a better proxy of "inventory availability". But even then, it is spotty to find.

I have also found several instances where this property needs Trust Points to book the reservation, so if you are trying to book with just Elected Points, that may be a reason you're not seeing much. I actually bought Trust Points (resale) because I think it helps me to get this property.

Finally, I've waitlisted 6 months out (not expecting to get a reservation) and was surprised when it cleared. I have only a single instance of this but this was very interesting to me. I am now going in April 2019 right before Easter (Jack's Spring Break), and was surprised to get this week via waitlist. It made me think that others reserve with points, but then release the reservation as they get closer, so we should consider this with respect to this (and other?) property.

I do love this property and hope you visit. It does take work to get the reservation, but I think it is one of the gems in the system.

Best,

Greg

 

[Steve Fatula]

Steve,

I have also found several instances where this property needs Trust Points to book the reservation, so if you are trying to book with just Elected Points, that may be a reason you're not seeing much. I actually bought Trust Points (resale) because I think it helps me to get this property.

Finally, I've waitlisted 6 months out (not expecting to get a reservation) and was surprised when it cleared. I have only a single instance of this but this was very interesting to me. I am now going in April 2019 right before Easter (Jack's Spring Break), and was surprised to get this week via waitlist. It made me think that others reserve with points, but then release the reservation as they get closer, so we should consider this with respect to this (and other?) property.

I do love this property and hope you visit. It does take work to get the reservation, but I think it is one of the gems in the system.

Best,

Greg

Thanks a bunch Greg, very helpful. I have trust points, and elected points, so, no worries there. I have used a waitlist once for Spain, and it turned out well also. I am not concerned about a specific month or week for 2020, whenever I get it I get it, fine by me. Though, cheaper months points wise are my goal. I am on a mission to try and visit every single MVCI property. Or at least most of them (maybe not all Orlando), so, want to try more of them.

I take it one never gets to trade into here?

What does a suite mean at this location, is it in the non timeshare portion? On the MVCI website for the location, it does not show any suite option or layout, but it does show suites in the booking screens.

Cheapest I see on redweek is $500/night, so, DC points are much cheaper.

I will definitely be visiting in 2020. Never stayed at any of the Ritz timeshares or fractionals or whatever they are in MVCI.

 

[TravelTime]

I already said this but let me repeat. I have easily gotten at least 4 separate reservations for 2019 at this property. I could have gotten even more. For awhile, most of Jan through April was open but it is the highest point inventory. I have seen many weeks at different times open for May and June as well November and early December. I have not seen much for July and August until now when I see many check in dates for mid July.

Like I said earlier, MVC seems to have a different inventory management system for this property so checking frequently has been helpful for me.

The floorplans are on the website. When you go to book, you can click on them and see the differences in layout.

I know Steve is looking for 2020. The only reason I am reporting on 2019 booking patterns is to say that it is not as hard as people think to reserve here. More than half my points are trust points but I have been told points are points.

 

[TravelTime]

Here are the floor plans.

 

[TravelTime]

More info.

 

[Steve Fatula]

Still wanting to know what a "suite" is at that property (what it includes, etc), when booking on MVCI. There is 2BR, there is 3BR, and there is the ol cheaper suite.

 

[GregT]

The Suites are in Buildings 1 & 2, and the Villas are in Buildings 3 - 6.

The Suites are the 2BR/2BA and the Villas are the 2BR/2.5BA. The Suites have free breakfast (I think) in the restaurant atop Building 2.

It's a great property and I love to visit!

Best,

Greg

 

[Steve Fatula]

Aha, so, suite as they are calling it on the MVCI website when arranging a stay, and is the cheapest option, is actually a 2BR and not like a lockoff 0 BR suite!?

 

[GregT]

Aha, so, suite as they are calling it on the MVCI website when arranging a stay, and is the cheapest option, is actually a 2BR and not like a lockoff 0 BR suite!?

Yes, and they are wonderful units. Thanks!

Best,

Greg

 

[TravelTime]

Still wanting to know what a "suite" is at that property (what it includes, etc), when booking on MVCI. There is 2BR, there is 3BR, and there is the ol cheaper suite.

By looking at the floor plans, a suite has 2 bathrooms, kitchenette and 3 balconies with both masters on the ocean facing side. A residence has 2.5 bathrooms and a full kitchen with 2 balconies and 1 bedroom in the back. The floor plans are very different. I have not heard about breakfast but that would not be a selling point for me. Frankly, they are both nice and the point difference is minor. In some ways, the layout of the 2 BR suite looks a little nicer esp if you are traveling with 2 couples. I have not been there yet so can’t comment beyond this. When I had a choice, I booked the 2 BR residence for the kitchen.

 

[Steve Fatula]

By looking at the floor plans, a suite has 2 bathrooms, kitchenette and 3 balconies with both masters on the ocean facing side. A residence has 2.5 bathrooms and a full kitchen with 2 balconies and 1 bedroom in the back. The floor plans are very different. I have not heard about breakfast but that would not be a selling point for me. Frankly, they are both nice and the point difference is minor. In some ways, the layout of the 2 BR suite looks a little nicer esp if you are traveling with 2 couples. I have not been there yet so can’t comment beyond this. When I had a choice, I booked the 2 BR residence for the kitchen.

Yes, the difference in points is few, however, if one is available and one isn't, that might be ok. But, I will be very patient given the success you and others have had.

 

[GregT]

One item that isn't clear from the floorplans is that the Suite has a more restricted kitchen. I recall the refrigerator and freezer are smaller than normal (half-size, if that) and I know there is a microwave but I don't think there oven. So that may be a limitation for you, depending on how you use your kitchen?

Best,

Greg

 

[TravelTime]

I just saw some new check-in dates for 7N become available in March and April and a bunch of check-in dates in July were taken. The inventory is always changing.

 

[Steve Fatula]

Yeah, but look at these points, who could afford it!

 

[VacationForever]

Yeah, but look at these points, who could afford it!

View attachment 10024

Wow! Did the system actually show that?