Elite Benefits questions

[tomandrobin]

For those of you who are 4* and 5* Elite, has anyone made a reservation and then used the waitlist for a second reservation?

Also, if you owned at WKORV and VV can you make your WKORV reservation at 12 months and waitlist a second unit using you VV, or do they have to be from the same resort to waitlist? In other words, reserve your WKORV at 12 months, then put in a waitlst request for a second WKORV unit, so at the 8 month mark you can get your waitlist using the VV staroptions?

 

[Westin5Star]

I am not sure if I understand what you are asking but I will attempt to answer what I believe is your quesiton. I believe that the waitlist has to be at a different resort or at the 8 month mark. For instance, on April 5, 2008 I called to make an HRA reservation for April 5, 2009 but they were already booked. I then tried to book my HRA for February 2009 and then waitlist the April 5th reservation. They would not allow me to do this at the same resort. The whole reasoning didn't really make too much sense to me but then again I really didn't ask for an explanation or think through it too much.

Someone else please also help to clarify this and or let me know if what I was told back in April was correct. BTW, I put in a call to the Elite line a few days later to verify all of what I was told and to again try to get the reservation. On that call they said that because of my Elite status they would try to get me in for the dates that I wanted. I received confirmation a couple of days later for my reservation. Thank you SVO.

 

[tomandrobin]

Well, the first part doesn't make sense. I can't understand why you can not hold a reservation and waitlist at the same resort.

When you called the first time for April 5th reservation, did you call the Elite phone line?

 

[arlene22]

If you are 4 or 5*, you can waitlist while keeping your other ressie, but ONLY if the waitlist is within the 8 month window. If you want to waitlist before that, you have to cancel your reservation.

Since you are dealing with the 8 month window, it can be any resort, but good luck finding wait lists for popular weeks that are open at 8 months...

 

[Westin5Star]

Thank you Arlene for clarifying this. Yes I did call the Elite line the first time that I called but I had a very hard time trying to understand the lady that I was speaking to.

 

[SDKath]

So let me ask this. Let's say you own at WKORV. You want to waitlist at 12 months out for 4th July AND you make a ressie for the week before (hoping 4th July week comes through). You are saying that as an owner at the resort you want to waitlist at, you need to wait till 8 months (and lose your view???).

Or is it that you have to wait to waitlist at 8 months if you own ELSEWHERE but want to waitlist at WKORV.

I guess I am wondering if there is any scenario where you can waitlist more than 8 months out!? Or is waitlisting only for 8 months or less (aka useless).

Thanks! Katherine

 

[DeniseM]

Kath - I can't answer the wait list question, but you shouldn't have to ever wait list at WKORV if you call at 12 mos. out. Since nearly everything is floating, you aren't dealing with a lot of pre-reserved fixed weeks, like at WSJ or Harborside. In other words, since nearly everything is floating, nearly everything is available at 12 mos. out. Except for Christmas and New Years, of course.

 

[Scott & Laura]

Waitlist

Hello;

I hope my personal understanding will help you.
I am 5 Star Elite.

What I understand from talking to the elite service and reading the SVO material is this.

Its the bird in the hand and one in the bush problem solver. THe purpose of a waitlist is so I can reserve a confirmed reservation at one place I am willing to accept (my fall back position if I can't get what I really want)while I pursue and hope to get the week of choice at the resort of my choice.

From 12 - 8 months I have priority at my home resort (where I own). I may have reserved late in the process (8 month instead of 12 month)and let numerous others go ahead and reserve the good weeks. I can book a reservation and confirm it at my home reservation. In the meantime I can get on the waitlist for the week and room choice I want at my home resort. If I get what I want, I can cancel my previous confirmed choice without a problem.

The second question part refers to resorts beyond what I own at. Starwood requirements still rule. 8-12 months out I get home resort priveledges. At 8 or less months out I can reserve in the SVN network.

For example, if I own only at WKORV in Maui, I can book a favorable week of choice 12 months out at Maui and reserve that as my fall back position. I can then at 8 months out request the week and view I really want at a resort I don't own, such as WSJ. If an oppurtunity opens up so I can go to WSJ, I can cancel my previous confirmed week at WKORV without a problem.

I hope this helps

Scott

 

[SDKath]

Thanks Scott,

That's very helpful! Katherine

 

[tomandrobin]

This answers some of my misunderstanding of the waitlist.

The one question I wasn't sure was if I wanted two units at WKORV. If I owned there and booked at 12 months out, could I then call at say 9 months out so that at the 8 month window I can automatically use staroptions to get the second unit, if available.

 

[Transit]

You also need enough Star options to cover both reservations if you are not elite.

 

[Negma]

We are here at WKORV-N now. We booked the reservation at 12 months with our EOY OV (our other eoy is IV). We asked for top floor. We then figured we should go for two weeks. We booked the second week at 8 months out (using options from MH)and requested top floor OV and asked that we not have to change rooms. They said "they will make a note of it in the reservation".

We arrived Saturday at 9:30pm-had to stop at grocery store. We got 6th floor OV for BOTH weeks. I do belive it was due to 5*.

This year we have had a room change no problem, 3 upgrades at Westins, help getting into a sold out hotel (Plat. helps). I have wondered if this 5* is worth it and even though they removed the auto upgrade -still not happy- we have been upgraded twice, this reservation and last year they put us in an OV when we had IV. To us, we have already received "extras". Perfect no, but if you like the little pampering and service we are glad we did it.

 

[LisaRex]

We are here at WKORV-N now. We booked the reservation at 12 months with our EOY OV (our other eoy is IV). We asked for top floor. We then figured we should go for two weeks. We booked the second week at 8 months out (using options from MH)and requested top floor OV and asked that we not have to change rooms. They said "they will make a note of it in the reservation".

Glad you're happy with your benefits.

However, since you reserved at 12 months out, we've no way of knowing whether your 6th floor was due to your elite status or timestamp or combination of the two.

So....who's going to volunteer to call at 8 months out and test your theory that it was elite status.

Anyone??

 

[Henry M.]

I called less than 90 days out and got a good room, also on elite status, but perhaps also during a not so busy time - May. Once I called on a Wednesday for Sunday arrival (early January, at the tail end of the Mercedes Benz Classic), and got a 6th floor OV room, closest to the ocean. I don't really like the OF rooms because of the intense sun in the afternoon. I got a center OF studio once and said I'd never stay in one again because of the afternoon heat and sun. Maybe the corner units are better, though.

I've always been happy with the location of my room at WKORV, always on the 5th or 6th floor in or around July 4th weekend, reserved in the September/October timeframe (has varied by year): not quite at 8 months out but also not at the crack of dawn 12 months out. We'll see what happens this year - three more weeks and I'll be at WKORV - in two weeks I'll be in Kauai at the Marriott Waiohai.

 

[tomandrobin]

Glad you're happy with your benefits.

However, since you reserved at 12 months out, we've no way of knowing whether your 6th floor was due to your elite status or timestamp or combination of the two.

So....who's going to volunteer to call at 8 months out and test your theory that it was elite status.

Anyone??

I am going in October on an II exchange. We are not Elite anything, so does that count?

 

[SDKath]

Tom,

An II exchange will be a good test. We are going next May on an II exchange too and should be 5* by then so I think that will be a big test too. We just have to wait a long while to get an answer...

Katherine

 

[pointsjunkie]

but if you go on an II exchange we don't have the same clout as if we booked the resort within the SVN. so 5* probably won't work. i called elite services about this same subject when i go to lagunamar and they said i could call the resort ahead of time and give them our status so that might get us a good location.