Booking Questions

[Lingber]

Hi I own a Platinum Plus dedicated 2 bedroom at Harborside. I would like to try to book Christmas week 51 with my 2017 points. I'm assuming that means that this coming December I go online at midnight a year before check-in and try to grab one. My concern is what happens if I don't get one? (I know these are event weeks)

Week 51 &52 are the last 2 weeks of my season to book a reservation. Am I able to bank the points for the following year? Or am I going to lose them if I don't get the reservation?

Should I make a spring break Reservation when they come up in March so I have something and then check in December? I'm not sure if timing to grab a week 51 will work if I have to cancel an existing ressie?

Thanks!

 

[sjsharkie]

Reserving week 51 should not be that difficult if you book at midnight a year out.

If you don't get it, you will have the option to bank (for a fee). The usual internal or external exchange options are also available.

Ryan

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[LisaRex]

You've stumbled on an inherent flaw that exists in any system that uses seasons. Trying to book in the latter part of your season is far riskier than trying to book an earlier week in your deeded season. Because if you are unsuccessful booking a latter week (and you can't get more latter than Christmas/NY week), the earlier part of that season may have already opened to exchangers, and there will be no inventory remaining in your deeded season at all.

Should you try and get Christmas week, you have 3 options should you be unsuccessful. 1) Bank your 2017 SOs by July 1, 2017; 2) Deposit your 2017 week in II before 12/31/17; 3) Use your 2017 SOs to book a Plan B.

 

[Lingber]

You've stumbled on an inherent flaw that exists in any system that uses seasons. Trying to book in the latter part of your season is far riskier than trying to book an earlier week in your deeded season. Because if you are unsuccessful booking a latter week (and you can't get more latter than Christmas/NY week), the earlier part of that season may have already opened to exchangers, and there will be no inventory remaining in your deeded season at all.

Should you try and get Christmas week, you have 3 options should you be unsuccessful. 1) Bank your 2017 SOs by July 1, 2017; 2) Deposit your 2017 week in II before 12/31/17; 3) Use your 2017 SOs to book a Plan B.

Thank you for clarifying. I didn't realize I could bank them so far out. Basically up to a year and a half from when I first get my 2017 points in January of 2016. That is really good to know!

One additional question--When you bank, are you banking star Options? Or does one still have priority to use them in their season the following year?

 

[DavidnRobin]

One additional question--When you bank, are you banking star Options? Or does one still have priority to use them in their season the following year?

You are banking SOs for SVN exchange (at 8 months) - HomeResort priority is lost.

 

[LisaRex]

Thank you for clarifying. I didn't realize I could bank them so far out. Basically up to a year and a half from when I first get my 2017 points in January of 2016. That is really good to know!

One additional question--When you bank, are you banking star Options? Or does one still have priority to use them in their season the following year?

If you book at your home resort during the home resort priority period, you are not using StarOptions at all. You are simply exercising your right to book one week in the season you bought in the size villa you bought at the resort you bought.

If you want to do anything else, you are technically converting your week to StarOptions, even though no special process is required for you to do so. (IOW, you don't have to declare that you are converting your week to SOs.)

For instance, if you try to book HRA at 5 months out, even if that happens to be your home resort in your deeded season, since you are booking outside of the 8-12 month home resort priority period, you are using StarOptions. Because you're using SOs, you also forfeit any upgraded views you might have enjoyed had you booked during the HRPP.

If you want to change your season (even platinum to silver), you have to use SOs, which means that you cannot do so until the 8 month window opens.

If you want to stay longer than a week, or less than a week, you have to use SOs, and you'll lose your owner's priority and view.

If you want to stay in a larger villa, or even a smaller villa if you don't own a lockoff, you have to use SOs.

If you want to change phases within your home resort (where phases exist), you have to use SOs.

SOs are all treated the same, no matter how you acquire them. So a silver season SVV Bella owner who has banked SOs for 2 years to get to 148,100 SOs is in direct competition with an HRA owner armed with the same number of SOs. So, no, you get no special priority once you convert to SOs.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Thank you LisaRex - these are important points that sometimes seem to get lost on Owners.

 

[Lingber]

Yes Thank you LisaRex! The clear way in which you spell it all out is truly helpful! And thanks to DavidnRobin and sjsharkie as well! I so appreciate that you each took time out of your day to answer my questions. It really does take time to learn the nuances of the various systems. For a Starwood newbie like me, these forums make the process so much easier!

 

[Helios]

Reserving week 51 should not be that difficult if you book at midnight a year out.

If you don't get it, you will have the option to bank (for a fee). The usual internal or external exchange options are also available.

Ryan

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

I partially disagree with this post. I own Plat+ units and have not been able to reserve week 52 consistently. To clarify, I have tried doing it exactly at midnight EST. Like always, YMMV...I would like to know this to avoid disappointment.

Perhaps week 51 is easier, but getting week 52 should not be an alternate plan in your situation since it's likelihood is low.

 

[suzannesimon]

How long do they hold these fixed weeks for the deeded owners to reserve before they open them up to Star Options or other Plat+ owners? We travel a lot during the holiday periods - week 51 and 52 more than anything else. The stress of worrying if I can get an exchange for those weeks is more than I'm willing to put up with because I usually am trying to book for multiple family members - usually more than 1 unit. I don't even take the chance anymore. I reserve the best week I can get in my season, rent it and then rent Week 51/52 from another owner.

 

[Helios]

How long do they hold these fixed weeks for the deeded owners to reserve before they open them up to Star Options or other Plat+ owners? We travel a lot during the holiday periods - week 51 and 52 more than anything else. The stress of worrying if I can get an exchange for those weeks is more than I'm willing to put up with because I usually am trying to book for multiple family members - usually more than 1 unit. I don't even take the chance anymore. I reserve the best week I can get in my season, rent it and then rent Week 51/52 from another owner.

I am actually not sure about event weeks at Harborside specifically. If they work like WSJ fixed weeks, they would be released to other Plat+ owners at 10 months if they are not confirmed by 10 months. If they are not reserved by 8 months they become available for SOs reservations. I believe Phase I works this way too.

 

[Helios]

How long do they hold these fixed weeks for the deeded owners to reserve before they open them up to Star Options or other Plat+ owners? We travel a lot during the holiday periods - week 51 and 52 more than anything else. The stress of worrying if I can get an exchange for those weeks is more than I'm willing to put up with because I usually am trying to book for multiple family members - usually more than 1 unit. I don't even take the chance anymore. I reserve the best week I can get in my season, rent it and then rent Week 51/52 from another owner.

By the way, if you want to reserve weeks 51 or 52 at HRA using SOs as a non elite owner or 3* you would need to get very lucky to find a week at the time the week is being released because of a cancelled reservation.

Using your plan above would be the way to go, but be prepared to pay big $s as those weeks are expensive.

 

[suzannesimon]

I compared a 2BR spring break week on Redweek today with a 2BR Christmas week and the Week 51 was only $600 more. I keep flirting with the idea of renting my week and booking my airfare and then waiting until he last minute for a deal. So far I haven't had the nerve to try it. We were at HRA for Thanksgiving and though we had a great time, it would have been even better if it had been warmer especially with the water amenities. The kids didn't notice it at all though. They loved it. I do think the weather tempers the 51 and 52 demand to some extent.