Availability question

[davidvel]

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

No, no U.S. (legacy resort) CC&Rs that I am aware of allow them to "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." Simply stated there are no provisions in the CC&Rs that provide for this. There can't be because there was no "Club" when these resorts were built.

The CC&Rs have specific reservation rules for owners of weeks, and those rules do not distinguish between individual owners like us, and MVC (or whatever entity the Club is.) All owners are bound by these rules and neither the respective Boards nor the management company can alter these rules. MVC and its Abound Club must follow the exact same rules as everyone else. I cannot "allocate" the weeks to my liking to myself, and neither can they. Per the governing docs. every owner must fight with every other owner for the best weeks in their season and no one gets an advantage (other than 12/13 rule), by allocating a certain percentage for themselves based on the number of weeks they own.

This is especially true as the respective Boards and the management company owe a fiduciary duty to us lowly individual owners.

In any event, we've been down this rabbit hole many times. Each time I ask anyone if they can find something in the CC&Rs that allows MVC to set up a Club that they sell points in, and place inventory in a trust for, and then as manager for the HOA, to create new reservation rules allowing them to "allocate" inventory as between their new Club and original owners, I'd be happy to review such language.

 

[Red elephant]

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

From what I have experienced you have to book St Kitts for 9 days as it will not show availability for 7 days. Not sure why then call and have them remove the days you don’t want.
Ritz is available at 9am on the dot @ 13 months.
I go there every year.
Next year I booked Frenchman sun- Thurs and ritz February at that exact time.
Aruba for me is easier with an interval exchange during those times. I use points for November time frame.
Not sure about the others as I don’t travel there.

 

[chinh9]

From what I have experienced you have to book St Kitts for 9 days as it will not show availability for 7 days. Not sure why then call and have them remove the days you don’t want.
Ritz is available at 9am on the dot @ 13 months.
I go there every year.
Next year I booked Frenchman sun- Thurs and ritz February at that exact time.
Aruba for me is easier with an interval exchange during those times. I use points for November time frame.
Not sure about the others as I don’t travel there.

9 AM EST on the day I want to check in 13 months out correct? If so, I'm on it! Also is that Ritz decent for families with young kids or wait til they're older?

 

[Fasttr]

9 AM EST on the day I want to check in 13 months out correct? If so, I'm on it! Also is that Ritz decent for families with young kids or wait til they're older?

Use the when can I book tool for points, on the MVC site.

We were just at the Ritz St Thomas. Lots of families with young kids there.

 

[pedro47]

Where was this? Was his name Lonnie?

What this person bragging about his numbers of complete timeshare sales.

 

[chinh9]

What this person bragging about his numbers of complete timeshare sales.

Yes, he does. Says he's one of the best and they sent him to Hawaii because he's so good.

 

[Red elephant]

9 AM EST on the day I want to check in 13 months out correct? If so, I'm on it! Also is that Ritz decent for families with young kids or wait til they're older?

I go when kids are in school so not that many there. But it’s a family resort .

 

[jimf41]

The OP originally asked about availability. TUG is about owners helping owners so I get why folks are eager to help others with their own tips and tricks. It does strike me as odd that someone helping someone else try to get a reservation that they themselves are trying to book. You are my competition after all. OK, so after that very anti-TUG statement here is what I'll share.

I book almost exclusively in the Caribbean in JAN-FEB-MAR each year. I've been doing this since 2007 when I bought 3 weeks at MFC. This might seem obvious but the first thing is read the rules and follow them. The second thing is while the rules stay the same the way Marriott applies them From year to year doesn't. With my owned weeks I've never had a problem I get exactly what I request every year. No tips there. Points are different. Lots of variables such as inventory release dates and times, anticipation of how many owners are going to elect points or swap with Interval and other things that I have no idea why Marriott decides to do it that way as in not showing inventory for 7 days but making it available for 9 days.

If you want to book in January 13 months out and you start looking in December you are too late. You have to start in November to see what the trends are for that year. On the release date shown on the website the inventory might start showing up at 9AM as the rules state. In past years it has shown up at 1201 AM thru 9:30 AM. Some years an owner might book at 9AM and the cancel an hour later and it shows up again. This year that did not happen as far as I can tell. If you analyze the trends before you start booking you'll be ahead of the game.

In my military career we had a guiding principle, Be prepared or prepare to fail. Booking what you want requires time and effort. That's just the way it is in the Marriott system. Good luck! Oh that reminds me of one more military principle, Better to be lucky than good.

 

[hcarman]

9 AM EST on the day I want to check in 13 months out correct? If so, I'm on it! Also is that Ritz decent for families with young kids or wait til they're older?

My experience was the Ritz was a quieter property, a lot more adults and older kids. I am sure your kids would find plenty to do. But I have always been told the Marriott's tend to have more kids and the Ritz a little quieter. I have stayed at both and my experience would probably be similar to what I was told.

 

[hcarman]

From what I have experienced you have to book St Kitts for 9 days as it will not show availability for 7 days. Not sure why then call and have them remove the days you don’t want.
Ritz is available at 9am on the dot @ 13 months.
I go there every year.
Next year I booked Frenchman sun- Thurs and ritz February at that exact time.
Aruba for me is easier with an interval exchange during those times. I use points for November time frame.
Not sure about the others as I don’t travel there.

Wow, I have never heard of the 9 day requirement for inventory. I have been seeing multiple resorts release only 7 day (or more) reservations for months, which in itself is frustrating since they sold the Abound program as being a more flexible alternative to the weeks program. I doubt many people would even think to check for 9 days if 7 days wasn't available.

 

[Red elephant]

Wow, I have never heard of the 9 day requirement for inventory. I have been seeing multiple resorts release only 7 day (or more) reservations for months, which in itself is frustrating since they sold the Abound program as being a more flexible alternative to the weeks program. I doubt many people would even think to check for 9 days if 7 days wasn't available.

I noticed this with St Kitt’s last year not sure if it’s a glitch. Your right people would not think to check for 9 days either.
I noticed this year with St Thomas that it would not allow me to book sun-Thurs which is significantly less points so I had to book for the week and call for them to remove the weekend as I would be moving into the Ritz.

 

[chinh9]

This is all great information. Thanks so much guys. I'm gonna start playing with the system with various dates and number of nights to see what I learn.