Availability question

[chinh9]

Hey, can someone verify this. I was looking at February and April for a 2 bedroom in any of these locations:

St Kitts
Crystal shores marco island
Los Suenos costa rica
Aruba Surf Club
Aruba Ocean Club
Frenchmans Cove St Thomas
Ritz St Thomas

According to mine, theres 0 availability at all in either month. Is this true? Or is it because I dont have enough club points in my account. Im trying to decide on converting my Vistana to Club points or not and it depends obviously on reasonable availability.

Thanks ahead

 

[davidvel]

Hey, can someone verify this. I was looking at February and April for a 2 bedroom in any of these locations:

St Kitts
Crystal shores marco island
Los Suenos costa rica
Aruba Surf Club
Aruba Ocean Club
Frenchmans Cove St Thomas
Ritz St Thomas

According to mine, theres 0 availability at all in either month. Is this true? Or is it because I dont have enough club points in my account. Im trying to decide on converting my Vistana to Club points or not and it depends obviously on reasonable availability.

Thanks ahead

You are probably a little late for February and maybe early for April. Can you anything in March? Others with more expertise at these locations hopefully will chime in. If you want a specfic inventory check, post that in this forum:

https://tugbbs.com/forums/forums/sightings-distressed.3/

 

[chinh9]

Ahh ok thank you. I just dont know any friends who i could just message and check to make sure im not seeing what im supposed to. I'm new to abound, but have done a lot in the vistana world. Thanks Ill check that out. And yes, unfortunately i figured id be late given the 13 month booking windows for abound elite and beyond. Waiting on the 8 month window for a possible lagunamar reservation unless that any of those popped up on abound.

 

[Hindsite]

Can't see anything either looking for 1, 5 6 and 10 nights. More inventory goes in at 12 months, so ensure you check the when can I reserve tool for when to look.

 

[chinh9]

its crazy to me that they control how much inventory goes in. if they want to push elite status and people to want it more, all the inventory should go in at once and its gone when its gone unless someone elects their week and then it adds in real time'ish.

and thank you for looking, i appreciate that

 

[pedro47]

Timeshare Travelers, will requests February, March and April eight (8) months in advance, just to secure their travel dates requests. IMHO

Especially timeshare travelers living in Northern States, and Canada .

Also, this has been the coldest winter in Virginia history in the last fifty years. Any of your listed seven resorts would be a welcome place to visit (February-April) for any one living in Virginia. LOL

 

[pedro47]

Can't see anything either looking for 1, 5 6 and 10 nights. More inventory goes in at 12 months, so ensure you check the when can I reserve tool for when to look.

Also, a factor during March and April college spring break.
I also, did not see anything for your travel requests time.

 

[davidvel]

its crazy to me that they control how much inventory goes in. if they want to push elite status and people to want it more, all the inventory should go in at once and its gone when its gone unless someone elects their week and then it adds in real time'ish.

and thank you for looking, i appreciate that

It is done so that non-elites can at least have a chance to get the best reservations, and not be locked out every year after 13 months. I guess an elite would think it is not fair as they "paid" for that status, but overall it seems fair to me.

Also if non elites couldn't ever get any of the best resorts this would have to be disclosed in a sales meeting (not that they would...) This gives them an out with the "subject to availability" line.

 

[Dean]

I found a week at St. Kitts for 9 or 10 nights in March. One could book it and try to shorten later. Otherwise see what day the 12 month window opens for your workable options and try to book then.

 

[claraj]

I would just keep checking. I was able to book 7 nights at Frenchman Cove for this April during Easter Week in September of last year. I think I had to stitch the dates together (I have like 4 different reservation numbers.)

Crystal Shores should be available at exactly 12 months if you check for 7 nights.

Someone probably already mentioned this but the other locations were sold as weeks and a lot of the inventory is likely not in the trust and will only be available for point reservations when a weeks owner elects to convert to points. Good luck!

 

[chinh9]

It is done so that non-elites can at least have a chance to get the best reservations, and not be locked out every year after 13 months. I guess an elite would think it is not fair as they "paid" for that status, but overall it seems fair to me.

Also if non elites couldn't ever get any of the best resorts this would have to be disclosed in a sales meeting (not that they would...) This gives them an out with the "subject to availability" line.

Yeah I totally get that. I just think it would be easier for them on the backside. I'll just have keep checking and playing the game. I have the 13 month window so who knows. And I had an owners update recently and Sales person was a total slime ball. Worse experience ever. Lied directly. Lied by omission. Lied by letting you think something because they said it in a way it could be misconstrued. Also tried to make you feel dumb. Pretty incredible he's employed still. Sadly I bet his antics get some people to trust him.

 

[chinh9]

I found a week at St. Kitts for 9 or 10 nights in March. One could book it and try to shorten later. Otherwise see what day the 12 month window opens for your workable options and try to book then.

You found this just now today?

 

[davidvel]

Yeah I totally get that. I just think it would be easier for them on the backside. I'll just have keep checking and playing the game. I have the 13 month window so who knows. And I had an owners update recently and Sales person was a total slime ball. Worse experience ever. Lied directly. Lied by omission. Lied by letting you think something because they said it in a way it could be misconstrued. Also tried to make you feel dumb. Pretty incredible he's employed still. Sadly I bet his antics get some people to trust him.

Where was this? Was his name Lonnie?

 

[Dean]

You found this just now today?

Yes

 

[chinh9]

Where was this? Was his name Lonnie?

No it was in Oahu. Not Lonnie. Not sure if it’s appropriate to use his name but he was the worst. Legitimately one of the worst sales experiences my wife and I ever had.

 

[Mroze]

I see this right now.

 

[chinh9]

I see this right now.
View attachment 123157

Thanks I'm checkin now!

 

[DRH90277]

Check the rental market at Redweek to see if there are any rentals available from owners. There could be some owner who is trying to rent out the unit you want. If one exists, don't worry about the asking price, just make an offer.

 

[davidvel]

No it was in Oahu. Not Lonnie. Not sure if it’s appropriate to use his name but he was the worst. Legitimately one of the worst sales experiences my wife and I ever had.

It is certainly appropriate IMO, and I advocate for everyone to call these people out by name and providing truthful information and opinions. Social media has become a powerful tool to try to correct such poor business practices.

But understand not everyone is comfortable doing so, and would never pressure someone in such a case.

 

[normab]

Here’s a real experience from last week while trying to book St Thomas at the 13 month window for the week after Easter week which is a shoulder season.

I logged in five minutes before nine on Tuesday morning when the availability shows up. At exactly 9 o’clock it showed availability for both Frenchmen Cove and the Ritz. I had to make a quick decision. I grabbed the Frenchman Cove, mostly because we like the location, closer to restaurants and stores.

It took me a couple minutes to figure out where to take the points from so we use the oldest ones at first. At 9:04, my reservation was complete. I went back and ran the search again. Nothing came up at that point.

The most interesting thing for me is that the night before I searched the whole year for Frenchman’s Cove and only came up with two or three check-in dates in 12 months time. I find it hard to believe that’s all that is available when Marriot vacation club always does a dump for September and October weeks into Interval in late spring. It doesn’t make sense that they’ve already booked all those rooms in the low season.

Who knows what or why…..

 

[Hindsite]

.

The most interesting thing for me is that the night before I searched the whole year for Frenchman’s Cove and only came up with two or three check-in dates in 12 months time. I find it hard to believe that’s all that is available when Marriot vacation club always does a dump for September and October weeks into Interval in late spring. It doesn’t make sense that they’ve already booked all those rooms in the low season.

Who knows what or why…..

MFC was sold as weeks, so the inventory is in the weeks reservation system and not Abound. They forecast what demand will be in which reservation system and allocate accordingly. Just because it isn't booked elsewhere, doesn't mean it will ever be available in Abound.

 

[normab]

MFC was sold as weeks, so the inventory is in the weeks reservation system and not Abound. They forecast what demand will be in which reservation system and allocate accordingly. Just because it isn't booked elsewhere, doesn't mean it will ever be available in Abound.

A valid point. They have to hold on in case week owners make reservations, so most of the points reservations are from some algorithm where they decide how many points they can put into the system. But for September and October, I’m thinking they’re not as in demand, there’s fewer owners for those weeks, but I could be wrong.

I’m getting off-the thread here but I’m wondering how they decide when they dump all the extra weeks into Interval..

 

[davidvel]

A valid point. They have to hold on in case week owners make reservations, so most of the points reservations are from some algorithm where they decide how many points they can put into the system. But for September and October, I’m thinking they’re not as in demand, there’s fewer owners for those weeks, but I could be wrong.

I’m getting off-the thread here but I’m wondering how they decide when they dump all the extra weeks into Interval..

Again, if this truly occurs, in the US at least, it utterly violates the CC&Rs. No CC&Rs in US based resorts allow them to "allocate inventory" for use by members of their "club." If they own some of the weeks, they cannot use some superior system to grab weeks (the best ones or otherwise) to the disadvantage of other owners. It is utterly illegal. Which is why no one at MVC has ever verified in any writing or other official statement that it occurs, though I wish they would.

 

[Hindsite]

Again, if this truly occurs, in the US at least, it utterly violates the CC&Rs.

For my clarification please advise if I have this approx right?
- Its my understanding that they can forecast inventory and as long as they allocate enough weeks in the seasons that people own into the weeks system, they they are inside the rules. They then have the right to remove inventory at 60 days before check-in if its not been reserved.
- Similarly they would decide what weeks inventory actually goes into Abound from owner election, as there's little linkage between ownership that gets elected and the weeks they relate to.
- Weeks conveyed to the Land trust I assume are made available, irrespective of forecasting
- I'm not sure what the rules are for MVC (not Vistana) in putting inventory into II. It might be customary to deposit the week that an owner actually reserves if the owner does the deposit manually.
- Owner rental or Trade for Bonvoy may also be relatively flexible for them to decide.
- Whatever doesn't fall under the above, should be able to shuffled to wherever

 

[dioxide45]

For my clarification please advise if I have this approx right?
- Its my understanding that they can forecast inventory and as long as they allocate enough weeks in the seasons that people own into the weeks system, they they are inside the rules. They then have the right to remove inventory at 60 days before check-in if its not been reserved.

I don't know if they have the ability to take unreserved inventory from the exchange company at 60 days. For weeks, it depends on the resort. Some allow the developer to take unreserved inventory at 75 days, some perhaps at 60. They can really do whatever they want with this. Deposit it to II, make it available for II getaways, rent it out on Marriott.com or offer it for preview packages. I suspect they also don't take everything, even though they could.

- Similarly they would decide what weeks inventory actually goes into Abound from owner election, as there's little linkage between ownership that gets elected and the weeks they relate to.

- Weeks conveyed to the Land trust I assume are made available, irrespective of forecasting

I would suspect this is the case. The main unanswered question is how do they allocate floating weeks to the Abound reservation system. That is a black box. In other words, if the trust own X number of weeks in a season, how do they determine which actual weeks in that season are able to be reserved using those weeks.

- I'm not sure what the rules are for MVC (not Vistana) in putting inventory into II. It might be customary to deposit the week that an owner actually reserves if the owner does the deposit manually.

For Marriott deposit, they just pick a week. I think in many cases they may use a week that has already been deposited by them and they transfer it to the owner's II account. I don't know what logic they use to determine the actual deposit. A friend of ours used Marriott Deposit for a 2026 MGV Platinum week they own and I see Marriot depsoited a late August week.

- Owner rental or Trade for Bonvoy may also be relatively flexible for them to decide.

I understand they forecast Bonvoy too, though I don't think they forecast owner rental. Doesn't an owner need to actually have a reservation made when they contact Marriott to ask for them to rent it?

- Whatever doesn't fall under the above, should be able to shuffled to wherever