Booking weeks at 13 months

[10spro]

I own multiple Marriott weeks at the same resort, and I understood that to mean I could reserve my dates at 13 months out. Marriott is telling me this morning that only works if you reserve 2 or more weeks. I wanted to reserve only one week today, so she tells me that because it's not 2 or more, I'm back to 12 months. Is that correct?

 

[Fasttr]

You must reserve 2 consecutive or 2 concurrent ressys to book at 13 months.

 

[bazzap]

I own multiple Marriott weeks at the same resort, and I understood that to mean I could reserve my dates at 13 months out. Marriott is telling me this morning that only works if you reserve 2 or more weeks. I wanted to reserve only one week today, so she tells me that because it's not 2 or more, I'm back to 12 months. Is that correct?

Yes, MVC do reference that requirement in their documentation
“If you're a multiple-week Owner reserving at least two weeks consecutively or
concurrently, you may check availability 13 months prior to the first check-in date
of the week you plan to stay.”

https://www.marriottvacationclub.com/common/cms/mvc/pdfs/helpfulTools/howToUseGuide/151053_14_DHTUG_EnrolledNoLtr_WB.pdf

 

[SueDonJ]

Yes, she's correct. When using the 13-mos Reservation Window for Weeks, you must book two or more Weeks or lock-off components of two or more Weeks into consecutive/concurrent weeks on the calendar.

A few notes about Weeks reservations:

- Marriott is allowed to release only 50% or fewer of the available inventory at the 13-mos window, then at 12-mos all of the remaining inventory is released.

- 13-mos Weeks reservations cannot be processed immediately in the online system. You must call in and with high-demand inventory, you should be calling the minute the phone lines open at 9AM Eastern. There's a link in the Weeks online reservation process that allows you to send a request for 13-mos consecutive/concurrent reservations but those requests are not processed until after the phone lines clear on the Release Days. Do not trust that high-demand inventory will be available through this process!

- It is not required that the multiple Weeks/components you're booking must be at the same resort OR in the same season OR that consecutive calendar weeks reservations must all begin on the same day of the week. Using my ownership as an example, prior to the DC/Abound I routinely (more often than not) booked some combination of consecutive SurfWatch Gold, Barony Gold and SurfWatch Plat Weeks, in whichever combination was available over the Memorial Day or Labor Day holidays. Both of those resorts have Fri-Sat-Sun check-in days of the week and several of my consecutive reservations were deliberately booked with different check-in days so that in between I could work in an overnight or two at hotels in Savannah.

- The Marriott Weeks and Points inventory is released on different days, and, each system has its own online reservation process. If you're using Weeks to book, then you use the Weeks system and if you're using Points, including Points from enrolled/elected Weeks, you use the Points system. (I know, sounds simplistic, but people have been known to be confused by it.) The website's very slow this minute but you can check out the Helpful Tools section to determine the correct Release Date for your desired stay.

 

[jme]

I own multiple Marriott weeks at the same resort, and I understood that to mean I could reserve my dates at 13 months out. Marriott is telling me this morning that only works if you reserve 2 or more weeks. I wanted to reserve only one week today, so she tells me that because it's not 2 or more, I'm back to 12 months. Is that correct?

And of course the multiple weeks you own must be in the same season (or "overlapping" seasons if multiple resorts have different seasonal calendars)
such that they would overlap if you desire to book consecutive or concurrent weeks.
Merely owning multiple weeks at a resort alone does not qualify for 13 months ahead booking.

 

[SueDonJ]

And of course the multiple weeks you own must be in the same season such that they would overlap if you desire to book consecutive or concurrent weeks.
Merely owning multiple weeks at a resort alone does not qualify for 13 months ahead booking.

No, same season isn't required - the only requirement as far as seasons is that if you're using Weeks that have different seasons (whether from the same or different resorts,) the multiple consecutive weeks you're eligible to book must fall consecutively/concurrently on the calendar.

My example using SurfWatch and Barony Gold and Plat Weeks is above. Another example might be, an owner of Barony Bronze and Oceana Palms Platinum Weeks could use the 13-mos window to book Week 2 or 3 at Barony with either the concurrent Week 2 or 3 at Oceana Palms or the consecutive Week 3 or 4 at Oceana Palms. (And if this were my ownership, I'd book the first consecutive week for a Friday check-in and the second for Sunday, to allow for a leisurely drive/hotel overnights between the two.)

 

[jme]

No, same season isn't required - the only requirement as far as seasons is that if you're using Weeks that have different seasons (whether from the same or different resorts,) the multiple consecutive weeks you're eligible to book must fall consecutively/concurrently on the calendar.

My example using SurfWatch and Barony Gold and Plat Weeks is above. Another example might be, an owner of Barony Bronze and Oceana Palms Platinum Weeks could use the 13-mos window to book Week 2 or 3 at Barony with either the concurrent Week 2 or 3 at Oceana Palms or the consecutive Week 3 or 4 at Oceana Palms. (And if this were my ownership, I'd book the first consecutive week for a Friday check-in and the second for Sunday, to allow for a leisurely drive/hotel overnights between the two.)

Good point, Susan, but I meant the same thing, had to add more to clarify.
I edited/elaborated by adding parentheses to clarify PRIOR to your post I think. I was typing my addendum as you were posting!!!!
At least I promise I didn't read your post before editing.
I meant/assumed too much, and realized it might be misunderstood. I wrongly assumed with my wording that her multiple weeks were all same resort/same season,
Then I remembered it should actually be overlapping seasonal calendars if different resort with different calendars owned, so I added that.
again, VERY important point, though.

 

[SueDonJ]

Good point, Susan, but I meant the same thing, had to add more to clarify.
I edited/elaborated by adding parentheses to clarify PRIOR to your post I think. I was typing my addendum as you were posting!!!!
At least I promise I didn't read your post before editing.
I meant/assumed too much, and realized it might be misunderstood. I wrongly assumed with my wording that her multiple weeks were all same resort/same season,
Then I remembered it should actually be overlapping seasonal calendars if different resort with different calendars owned, so I added that.
again, VERY important point, though.

Every time I try to write it out I get confused to the point where I'm left with my head tilted to the side talking to myself, "wait a minute, stop, that sounds more confusing rather than less! Damnit!" All we can say is that it's not nearly as difficult to actually reserve what you own, as it is to try to explain to somebody how you go about doing it!

 

[dioxide45]

They need to be in the same season if they are at the same resort.

 

[Fasttr]

They need to be in the same season if they are at the same resort.

Is that true? Couldn't you perhaps own a Platinum and a Gold week, and book last week of Platinum and first week of Gold (assuming they butt up against one another) and do this at 13 months?

 

[SueDonJ]

They need to be in the same season if they are at the same resort.

If you're booking them concurrently, yes. But if you're booking them consecutively, no. With my SurfWatch Gold and Plat Weeks the opportunities for consecutive calendar weeks are limited to only two possible combinations per year, but I can and have used the 13-mos window to book a SW Gold followed by a SW Plat (Memorial Day,) or, a SW Plat followed by a SW Gold (Labor Day.)

 

[dioxide45]

Is that true? Couldn't you perhaps own a Platinum and a Gold week, and book last week of Platinum and first week of Gold (assuming they butt up against one another) and do this at 13 months?

It isn't true. I am just here to cause more confusion. Yes, in the case of booking consecutive you could own two different seasons that adjoin each other. I see that Sue has done this, but in most cases the last and first or first and last weeks of a season don't tend to be such prime weeks requiring the 13 month priority. It could be helpful if you own a Platinum Holiday type week and want to try and get a specific checkin day.

 

[Dean]

Is that true? Couldn't you perhaps own a Platinum and a Gold week, and book last week of Platinum and first week of Gold (assuming they butt up against one another) and do this at 13 months?

I'd add that sometimes the dates for a given week don't match up due to the week 53 used to realign the timeshare calendar which might put a given start date in a different week of the calendar than another. That can play havoc when trying to match up a week at the end of one season and the beginning of another. It's still workable but it does reduced the number of weeks for that week of the year available. There are situations where one can use that info to advantage though.

 

[SueDonJ]

... I am just here to cause more confusion. ...

I just want you to know that hours later, I'm still laughing at this comment. More days than not I wander away from TUG thinking that I've exceeded the quota for spreading confusion.

 

[igopogo]

Something I have been thinking about… I own two quarter shares at grand residence that are not consecutive, so at the start of 2023 I will have a reservation for every other week of 2024. Does this mean that any weeks reservation I make at another property will qualify for 13 months?
Do I need to be making two weeks of new reservations during the call, or is it okay that the concurrent or consecutive week is already booked?

 

[dioxide45]

Something I have been thinking about… I own two quarter shares at grand residence that are not consecutive, so at the start of 2023 I will have a reservation for every other week of 2024. Does this mean that any weeks reservation I make at another property will qualify for 13 months?
Do I need to be making two weeks of new reservations during the call, or is it okay that the concurrent or consecutive week is already booked?

I don't think you can combine Grand Residence reservations with MVC reservations for the purpose of 13 month reservations. Aren't they different reservation systems?

 

[jwalk03]

Something I have been thinking about… I own two quarter shares at grand residence that are not consecutive, so at the start of 2023 I will have a reservation for every other week of 2024. Does this mean that any weeks reservation I make at another property will qualify for 13 months?
Do I need to be making two weeks of new reservations during the call, or is it okay that the concurrent or consecutive week is already booked?

Not sure about the GR specific piece- but I do know you do not have to make both reservation at the same time. I booked a HL week at 12-months out and then booked a Florida Club week at 7-months out for the same week. I was able to book at 7-months instead of the usual 6 because it was a concurrent reservation with the HL reservation I had made several months earlier.

 

[jmhpsu93]

Not sure about the GR specific piece- but I do know you do not have to make both reservation at the same time. I booked a HL week at 12-months out and then booked a Florida Club week at 7-months out for the same week. I was able to book at 7-months instead of the usual 6 because it was a concurrent reservation with the HL reservation I had made several months earlier.

Wow - didn't know that one. I'll use that plan next year when I book my 4th of July weeks in Orlando for trades at 13 months, then my FC at Ocean Pointe to hopefully get 4th reservations.

 

[jwalk03]

Wow - didn't know that one. I'll use that plan next year when I book my 4th of July weeks in Orlando for trades at 13 months, then my FC at Ocean Pointe to hopefully get 4th reservations.

Maybe I shouldn't share my secrets... Now I have to compete with you for a July 4th OP reservation!

 

[SueDonJ]

Not sure about the GR specific piece- but I do know you do not have to make both reservation at the same time. I booked a HL week at 12-months out and then booked a Florida Club week at 7-months out for the same week. I was able to book at 7-months instead of the usual 6 because it was a concurrent reservation with the HL reservation I had made several months earlier.

This is also not related to GR because I think the same way @dioxide45 does as far as GR and MVC reservations being two different systems, but if we're talking about booking Weeks within the 13-mos window during separate phone calls at different times ...

When trying to book Gold-Gold-Plat Weeks consecutively one year only the first two were available when the 13-mos window opened for the first week so I booked only those two. The third week was the one I wanted most, though, so I kept calling every day and about ten days later it became available so I booked it then as the third week in the consecutive string. That week by itself wasn't yet into the 13-mos window as the first week in a consecutive string, nowhere near the first week in the 12-mos window as a single week, but I was able to book it because it was consecutive to reservations I'd booked previously.

I assumed then, still do, that the reason it became available was because somebody had booked/cancelled within their 13-mos window. I guess some will want to attribute it to Marriott mismanaging or stealing owner inventory but seriously, why would Marriott hold and then release prime Plat inventory even prior to the earliest reservation window opening for it?

What still confuses me about the 13-mos Weeks window is whether an owner can use a fixed Week as one of the multiples. Over the years on TUG some fixed-week owners have said they've been able to do it while others weren't allowed?

 

[SueDonJ]

It occurs to me, anybody who might be trying to make sense out of this thread should know that every Marriott resort has its own seasonal calendar, and, @dioxide45 has compiled them for easy access by any TUGgers: Marriott Resort Calendars

 

[igopogo]

I don't think you can combine Grand Residence reservations with MVC reservations for the purpose of 13 month reservations. Aren't they different reservation systems?

I honestly don't know. Everything at Grand Residence is fixed, though, so truly nobody makes a weeks reservation. And if fixed weeks are excluded, obviously Grand Residence would be excluded as well.

With all that said, it might be one of those things that depends on who answers the phone. I'll give it a try in January and report back.

Eric

 

[Dean]

Not sure about the GR specific piece- but I do know you do not have to make both reservation at the same time. I booked a HL week at 12-months out and then booked a Florida Club week at 7-months out for the same week. I was able to book at 7-months instead of the usual 6 because it was a concurrent reservation with the HL reservation I had made several months earlier.

That has been my experience as well but a few months ago there were several reports of members being told they had to make the reservations at the same time to use the 13 month window. It was touted as a new requirement. Sometimes you get rogue people and sometimes rules (or their interpretation) change.

I honestly don't know. Everything at Grand Residence is fixed, though, so truly nobody makes a weeks reservation. And if fixed weeks are excluded, obviously Grand Residence would be excluded as well.

With all that said, it might be one of those things that depends on who answers the phone. I'll give it a try in January and report back.

Eric

Fixed weeks aren't excluded in MVC. Early on it was reported they were but either this changed or members were incorrectly told they couldn't. Either way you can now. Another area where there has been variation and confusion is whether the dates have to match up exactly for the 13 month window and apparently they don't though it was reported that way early on.

 

[Volcom32001]

I have a EOY Even Platinum at NCV and EY Platinum at Grand Chateau. Can I use the 13-month on even years if i book consecutive/concurrent reservations? I was told I can not utilize the 13-month since they both aren't annual at a sales presentation at MOC a few weeks ago.

 

[Dean]

I have a EOY Even Platinum at NCV and EY Platinum at Grand Chateau. Can I use the 13-month on even years if i book consecutive/concurrent reservations? I was told I can not utilize the 13-month since they both aren't annual at a sales presentation at MOC a few weeks ago.

As long as you book concurrently or consecutively, you can in the even years.