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Easy Trade to Hawaii this year?

yumdrey

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I posted my matches and releases in Sightings forum, but wanted to post my general experience for exchanges to Hawaii this year.
I used grande vista gold season studio for ongoing search for summer Marriott Maui (late June through early Aug). I requested it in late October and it matched early Jan, it was the first week of Aug, 1BR unit.
And then, I put another ongoing search by using platinum Ocean Pointe studio a few days ago, for Ko Olina and Kauai, hoping to have two weeks of vacation in Hawaii.
2 days ago (the same day I put an ongoing search), Ko olina 7/14 was matched.
I declined that week because I wanted two consecutive weeks with Maui week (first week of Aug).
I asked II rep to remove Ko Olina because my first choice was Kauai.
And then, 2 days later, 1BR/2BA Kauai beach club matched (oceanfront!) for the second week of Aug. It is right after Maui week (great!).
I didn't cancel it yet, because the date is right and it is oceanfront.
I was hoping Waiohai though.

At this point, I am thinking exchange into Hawaii during summer got easier than last year. Does anyone think the same?
Anyone has similar experience - matched ongoing search easily?
If many people give up summer Hawaii trip and deposit to II, I think I can get Waiohai week for the second week of Aug soon?

I have another studio unit, grande vista platinum season deposited to II, and plan to put another ongoing search for Aug week in Waiohai.
Will update here if it's matched!
 

mjm1

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Hyatt Pinon Pointe
Glad to hear of your success.

We have an ongoing request for Ko Olina for the end of April using both a Platinum Desert Springs Villas I 1BR and a studio to get into the same size unit. Deposited the weeks in Feb 2011 for April 2012. Still waiting. I would have thought late April is a swing season whereas summer would be harder to get. Still thinking positive thoughts, but didn't think it would take this long to come through.

I can see in your case that getting Kauai Beach Villas is easier than Waiohai. But ocean front is pretty good.
 

dioxide45

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This makes us optimistic about our chances for October/November 2013. We want to stay at either Waiohai or Kauai Beach Club in addition to a week on the Big Island. I think we may book our usual lockoffs for May and try to score one with a 1BR or studio with a request first and if that doesn't work, rebook (for free under DC) a 2BR for later in the year and put in a new request with the 2BR. We need a 2BR, so I think it will take at least a 1BR to pull it?
 

MOXJO7282

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I posted my matches and releases in Sightings forum, but wanted to post my general experience for exchanges to Hawaii this year.
I used grande vista gold season studio for ongoing search for summer Marriott Maui (late June through early Aug). I requested it in late October and it matched early Jan, it was the first week of Aug, 1BR unit.
And then, I put another ongoing search by using platinum Ocean Pointe studio a few days ago, for Ko Olina and Kauai, hoping to have two weeks of vacation in Hawaii.
2 days ago (the same day I put an ongoing search), Ko olina 7/14 was matched.
I declined that week because I wanted two consecutive weeks with Maui week (first week of Aug).
I asked II rep to remove Ko Olina because my first choice was Kauai.
And then, 2 days later, 1BR/2BA Kauai beach club matched (oceanfront!) for the second week of Aug. It is right after Maui week (great!).
I didn't cancel it yet, because the date is right and it is oceanfront.
I was hoping Waiohai though.

At this point, I am thinking exchange into Hawaii during summer got easier than last year. Does anyone think the same?
Anyone has similar experience - matched ongoing search easily?
If many people give up summer Hawaii trip and deposit to II, I think I can get Waiohai week for the second week of Aug soon?

I have another studio unit, grande vista platinum season deposited to II, and plan to put another ongoing search for Aug week in Waiohai.
Will update here if it's matched!

Those are some really great Marriott to Marriott trades. I had a thread started about the value of my Maui studio so your comments echos that about Marriott LO values in general.

That is really great value. To get 2 weeks in the summer at any of the Marriott Hawaiis is great especially when you consider one week is a really hot Maui week. Great job.
 

CashEddie

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I posted my matches and releases in Sightings forum, but wanted to post my general experience for exchanges to Hawaii this year.
I used grande vista gold season studio for ongoing search for summer Marriott Maui (late June through early Aug). I requested it in late October and it matched early Jan, it was the first week of Aug, 1BR unit.
And then, I put another ongoing search by using platinum Ocean Pointe studio a few days ago, for Ko Olina and Kauai, hoping to have two weeks of vacation in Hawaii.
2 days ago (the same day I put an ongoing search), Ko olina 7/14 was matched.
I declined that week because I wanted two consecutive weeks with Maui week (first week of Aug).
I asked II rep to remove Ko Olina because my first choice was Kauai.
And then, 2 days later, 1BR/2BA Kauai beach club matched (oceanfront!) for the second week of Aug. It is right after Maui week (great!).
I didn't cancel it yet, because the date is right and it is oceanfront.
I was hoping Waiohai though.

At this point, I am thinking exchange into Hawaii during summer got easier than last year. Does anyone think the same?
Anyone has similar experience - matched ongoing search easily?
If many people give up summer Hawaii trip and deposit to II, I think I can get Waiohai week for the second week of Aug soon?

I have another studio unit, grande vista platinum season deposited to II, and plan to put another ongoing search for Aug week in Waiohai.
Will update here if it's matched!

This is very encouraging because I plan to do something very similar to what you have done. We are targeting 2014 or 2016 for our first Hawaii trip. We have a gold Grand Vista and Grand Chateau, both 2 bdr lock offs, to play with for trading into Hawaii. Hopefully this trend continues.
 

brigechols

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Nice to see the studios can pull a Hawaii one bedroom! I'm hoping to score a two bedroom in Maui for July 4th 2013. Have a search request setup using a two bedroom Ko'Olina and a 3 bedroom platinum Grande Vista.
 

dioxide45

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Nice to see the studios can pull a Hawaii one bedroom! I'm hoping to score a two bedroom in Maui for July 4th 2013. Have a search request setup using a two bedroom Ko'Olina and a 3 bedroom platinum Grande Vista.

How were you able to setup a search for a 3BR Grande Vista using only a 2BR unit? Grande Vista has 2BR units.
 

Ann in CA

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How were you able to setup a search for a 3BR Grande Vista using only a 2BR unit? Grande Vista has 2BR units.

Think the three bedroom is also being used for the Hawaii search.
 

Bee

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Last year (2011), it only two or three days to get a July week at the Maui Marriott, using a 2010 Kauai Beach club week. This year I put a request in on 11/2/11 for October and it took exactly three months. It is odd that I got the summer week so quickly and the fall, less demand week took so long. :ponder:
 

isisdave

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Right now, airfare to the neighbor islands in summer is $994 from LAX. And car rental is double what it usually is.

Do you think that might have anything to do with the availability of exchanges?

I reserved a Waiohai July 4 week ... but I don't think I can afford to go. We get these two-bedroom, sleeps eight villas for a reason (bring the family), and the airfare is way more than the lodging.


Interesting ... from NYC it's $1250 on most carriers, only $1015 if you can stand USAir. Yikes!
 

BocaBoy

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I own in Hawaii but sometimes try to trade for an extra week. It certainly was no easier over the past few months to trade for a February 2012 Maui week. Hawaii trades (especially Maui) are still the hardest I know, even during flexchange, although some people will get lucky. I did the past two years, but not this year.
 

rosepointe

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I just requested a week at Ko Olina for November 8th with a deposit we had in Aruba Surf (1 bedroom fro a bedroom...prefer not a studio.) I am finding less and less on the Inerval site to trade to since the point system opened up. And what I do see even during flex change is mostly studios. Is this others experiences as well?

I have overall after time been able to get what we want but it is not as easy as it has been in the past. I put my request in over the phone since I needed some questions answered and I only had this 7 day time frame to book. We will be in Oahu a week before heading to Australia and Asia.

How long do you think it will be before we hear anything and should I be calling to check as well or just "trust" their computer system??

Thanks
Sue
 

Green Eyed Hapa

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Ko Olina Lock-off tp Waiohai 2 bedroom

Deposited Ko Olina Lock-off last April 2011 with II for 2 bedroom Waiohai in Kauai;) and just received confirmation a couple weeks ago. Been doing this since 2005, but waited longer this time. I assume it's because of DC points system. :)
 

Green Eyed Hapa

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Glad to hear of your success.

We have an ongoing request for Ko Olina for the end of April using both a Platinum Desert Springs Villas I 1BR and a studio to get into the same size unit. Deposited the weeks in Feb 2011 for April 2012. Still waiting. I would have thought late April is a swing season whereas summer would be harder to get. Still thinking positive thoughts, but didn't think it would take this long to come through.

I can see in your case that getting Kauai Beach Villas is easier than Waiohai. But ocean front is pretty good.
______________

Hope you get your exchange. Friends are coming with us from San Jose and there are great prices on Hawaiian Airlines from San Jose !
 

yumdrey

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update!

I put an ongoing request for Marriott Hilton Head Island & Hawaii summer units, and if anyone is interested, please visit "sightings" forum and see what I got today.

Didn't post details due to the rules.
 

ScubaKat

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I was able to grab a Waiohai May week Ocean View my with Harbour Lake studio..:eek: Too bad I couldn't make it work with our schedules.. II agent actually tried to convince me not to release.. When i asked her to please go ahead...She said I will make someone really happy.. :)
 
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