Booking concurrent/consecutive weeks at 12 months

[PamMo]

I'm trying to plan next year's family vacation in Maui, and haven't been able to firm up the exact dates with everyone. Our kids will be cycling through, and I don't know which week everyone will be there yet. If I book several consecutive weeks at 12 months out, can I change one of the weeks without losing the other reservations? I'm thinking about booking three weeks and then changing one of them to whichever week everyone can show up.

Also, I've never booked two weeks concurrently. How difficult is that to do? I'm afraid while I'm on the phone with Starwood at 9AM, other owners will be making their reservations, and there may not be another oceanfront unit available by the time my first booking is done. Or, do they immediately "pull" two units when I give them my request? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[DeniseM]

They don't actually reserve the 2nd week, until you are 12 mos. out from check-in. What they do is reserve the first week, and put the 2nd week in the system. A week later, before 9 am ET (before the phone lines open) the 2nd week will be automatically reserved for you by the computer system - or that's how it's supposed to work.

Each reservation will be on a separate confirmation, and you won't get the 2nd confirmation until after it is confirmed at 12 mos. out.

I know this because when I did it, I received a confirmation for the 2nd week that was issued about 5 a.m. at exactly 12 mos. out from check-in.

 

[PamMo]

Thanks, Denise. I'm sorry, but my questions were clear as mud. We're planning on staying 2-3 weeks, but I will need ONE of those weeks to have a second 2BR unit, and we want our oceanfront view. Our kids do not have their work/school schedules yet. I want to book early to get our view, and then I'll cancel/swap weeks if I have to.

I thought I read somewhere (can't find it, though) that you cannot book consecutive/multiple weeks at 12+ months and then cancel one of the weeks without losing all the "linked" reservations - is that true?

Also, any tips for booking two units for the same, high demand week? When I call Starwood at 9AM, 12 months out, do I simply tell them I'd like two units for that week, and they "hold" them until the reservations are completed? I've gotten through at 9:15AM before, and the resort was booked! If I have to book one unit at a time, I sure hope I get a super-fast reservationist!

 

[vss]

A question along similar lines:

I had reserved a two bedroom unit but the kids (young adults) may be unable to join us. If we cancel the small side of the lock-off does that initiate a new transaction, timing of request, etc.

Thanks a lot!

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks, Denise. I'm sorry, but my questions were clear as mud. We're planning on staying 2-3 weeks, but I will need ONE of those weeks to have a second 2BR unit, and we want our oceanfront view. Our kids do not have their work/school schedules yet. I want to book early to get our view, and then I'll cancel/swap weeks if I have to.

I thought I read somewhere (can't find it, though) that you cannot book consecutive/multiple weeks at 12+ months and then cancel one of the weeks without losing all the "linked" reservations - is that true?

I don't think so - Each week will be on a separate confirmation - they will not be all on one confirmation.

 

[gregb]

As Denise said, you cannot actually book multiple weeks at 12+ months. What happens is you call at 12 months before the first week, and make a reservation for the first week. You then tell them you want a consecutive week as well. They take your info, and "queue" the request for the second week. The next week, when it is 12 months out from your second week, they automatically make the reservation for your second week.

I have done this for several years, and it works fine. Sometimes you have to tell the agent they can do this, because most of them don't know about it.

What you receive after your call is the reservation confirmation for your first week. One week later, you receive a reservation confirmation for your second week. I don't believe they are linked in any way, so you could cancel either one of them without affecting the other.

Greg

 

[PamMo]

Well, I got in the SVN phone queue at exactly 9:00:02 this morning, finally reached a reservationist at 9:08AM, and there was ONE oceanfront unit left at WKORVN for 2/16/13! By the time my reservation was booked, there weren't even any 2BR oceanview units left at WKORV. Wow!

There has to be some trick to booking multiple units for the same week. But after two years of trying to do it, and failing, I'm not sure that I would share that trick if I knew it!:ignore:

 

[jarta]

PamMo, ... I think gregb is giving you a hint about what is happening.

If you own multiple weeks at the same resort, you can reserve the week prior to week 7 (week 6) and be placed in the queue for week 7. The multiple owners already in the queue make less week 7 units available at 9:00 am when week 7 opens up. ... eom

 

[DeniseM]

She wanted 2 units for the same week...

We're planning on staying 2-3 weeks, but I will need ONE of those weeks to have a second 2BR unit

 

[jarta]

Title of thread is: "Booking concurrent/consecutive weeks at 12 months "

Post 3: "I thought I read somewhere (can't find it, though) that you cannot book consecutive/multiple weeks at 12+ months and then cancel one of the weeks without losing all the "linked" reservations - is that true?"

gregb, Post 6: "What you receive after your call is the reservation confirmation for your first week. One week later, you receive a reservation confirmation for your second week. I don't believe they are linked in any way, so you could cancel either one of them without affecting the other."

I really don't think what I posted in Post 8 about using consecutive week home resort rerservations was off-topic or misunderstood anything. So, I don't understand your comment since both multiple weeks and consecutive weeks are part of the thread.

Was the post untrue or not useful as a way to nail down a week 7 by reserving week 6, getting in the automatic queue for week 7 and presumably dropping week 6 later? ... eom

 

[PamMo]

Jarta, I understood what you were saying, and the thought had actually crossed my mind (although a little late for 2013 reservations, I'm afraid). I'm sure I'm not the only one who needs several rooms for a large family gathering. In the past, I've had to rent weeks from other owners when I needed two or more villas for the same week during prime time. This time, I was hoping I could use my OWN weeks for 2013. I have my consecutive weeks lined out (I think), but I still need to find another week in there for when everyone arrives.

Well, thanks again everyone. I've only owned at Maui for a few years, so sooner or later, I'll figure it out - I hope!

 

[spencersmama]

Hi Pammo,

My 3 cents -

1. You are nicer than I am! I would have my guests in whatever I could get with my points rather than pay extra money to rent from owners.

2. Have you tried to put in a request via email/online? One agent told me they look at those before the phone lines open up. I don't know if it is true or not, but maybe other more experienced people have opinions on this. I would try both. They can let you know when you get them on the phone if the email reservation went through.

3. Keep trying. I'm sure some people call to make the reservations "just in case" and, like you, may need to cancel or change later.

Have fun!

 

[DeniseM]

jarta - the week she couldn't get was a CONCURRENT week, not a CONSECUTIVE week, so no, Greg's advice, while helpful, was not about how to get a CONCURRENT week.

 

[jarta]

DeniseM, ... Post 1: "If I book several consecutive weeks at 12 months out, can I change one of the weeks without losing the other reservations? I'm thinking about booking three weeks and then changing one of them to whichever week everyone can show up."

Post 7 (this morning): "there was ONE oceanfront unit left at WKORVN for 2/16/13! By the time my reservation was booked, there weren't even any 2BR oceanview units left at WKORV. Wow!"

Another post by the OP this morning on another thread: "I was getting antsy listening to that awful SVN "music" while on hold this morning! I waited 8 minutes (from exactly 9:00:02AM), and got the last available oceanfront at North. Tried for a second OF unit at WKORVN or an oceanview at South - but everything was totally booked."

I thought that, because the OP has 3 weeks in HI, advice for her 2014 plans might be to reserve week 6 and - at the same time - queue up week 7. Then, she could call back when week 7 actually opens up. That way she would have a better chance of ending up with multiple (2) week 7 reservations.

Plus anyone reading the title of the thread might be interested in the technique for other upcoming multiple (concurrent or consecutive) home resort reservations for busy holiday weeks. ... eom

 

[DavidnRobin]

An upcoming reservation of mine was made by reserving the studio side first and getting queued for the next week in the 1 Bd side by the SVO agent (thanks to advice from W5*). I had to cancel the studio and move to later in the year - it will be an interesting test to see what floor location I get for the 1Bd side... fingers crossed...