Has Anyone Used Interval For Last Minute Deals?

[caribbeanqueen]

I do not mean trade but purchasing the ability to purchase the deals within the 60 days. We had it for cheap with the purchase of our timeshare but never used it.
We just received a letter in the mail to purchase again. Now that we are able to travel more, wondering if it is worth it? Has anyone found nice resorts within this 60 day window? Not worth it if they are mostly low end TS no one wants.
Anyone use this and have success?
I think you can also rent a week over 60 days but it will cost more. Correct?

 

[Pamplemousse]

I do not mean trade but purchasing the ability to purchase the deals within the 60 days. We had it for cheap with the purchase of our timeshare but never used it.
We just received a letter in the mail to purchase again. Now that we are able to travel more, wondering if it is worth it? Has anyone found nice resorts within this 60 day window? Not worth it if they are mostly low end TS no one wants.
Anyone use this and have success?
I think you can also rent a week over 60 days but it will cost more. Correct?

Not sure I know what you are asking about and I am very familiar with II.
What does the letter want you to purchase?
Is it membership to II?
So that you can purchase getaways?
Are you specifically looking for Marriotts?

You can find elite resorts available for getaway purchase but they are usually slightly off season and cost more than lower rated resorts.
There is actually a getaway sale going on right now.

Hope that helped.

 

[SteelerGal]

For RCI, I have but not yet for II. The Preimer resorts to cost more than $298 and if you need a 2bdrm. But still cheaper than MF especially for Desert in the summer. We are local and I love summer months.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Pamplemousse I believe so. I do not have it in front if ne. Think it said 59.00 yearly for Gold?
Was wondering if people could find decent getaways on the lists.
SteelerGal does not have to be Marriott, just something bice. BTW not interwsted in Mexico!!

 

[Pamplemousse]

Pamplemousse I believe so. I do not have it in front if ne. Think it said 59.00 yearly for Gold?
Was wondering if people could find decent getaways on the lists.
SteelerGal does not have to be Marriott, just something bice. BTW not interwsted in Mexico!!

Interval membership is $99 a year plus an extra $64 for gold or $139 for platinum which would give access to platinum escapes (deeply is counted getaways). There are sometimes sales on these rates.

I’m not sure about the list you mention. Maybe they are just examples?

When Steelergal talks about $298 and the desert in summer that makes me think of the redemption fee for accommodation certificates which are “bonus weeks” II puts I to members accounts to use up excess inventory. Sometimes these cost less than getaways.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you. Once I get my hands on the letter I can detail better what the offer is.
I know we had the ability to get last minute getaways fairly cheap just didnt have the time but would be interested in doing it if they offer decent accomodations. Id heard once in awhile a MVC pops up. It's the cheaper rates per week that appeals to me. We can travel anytime of the year.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

So it is to upgrade for one year or two.
The letter states for Platinum you get extra perks and privileges like 50.00 off getaways, free Guest Certificates (isnt this to give to family?), Platinum escapes, priority getaway viewing hotel discount, etc.
Is this worth it?
I have never used it and am hoping we can do more trips with this if they have decent listings. Can anyone help me out who have used this??

 

[Pamplemousse]

So it is to upgrade for one year or two.
The letter states for Platinum you get extra perks and privileges like 50.00 off getaways, free Guest Certificates (isnt this to give to family?), Platinum escapes, priority getaway viewing hotel discount, etc.
Is this worth it?
I have never used it and am hoping we can do more trips with this if they have decent listings. Can anyone help me out who have used this??

if you are already a member of II go under the benefits tab and you can see what you get at each level.
you have to pay for basic membership ($99) and then add the gold or platinum on top.
gold saves you $25 on getaways so if you buy 3 you have paid for your upgrade.
platinum saves you $50 on geteways and gives you free guest certificates which normally cost $69- you would buy these if you book a unit for a friend or relative and are not going to be there when they check it.
you also get access to platinum escapes at that level- I’ll let others comment on them.
It really just depends on how you travel-if you buy lots of getaways and need guest certs it might be worth it.
Upgrading to either of those levels also allows short stay exchanges.

 

[Fredward]

We are currently Platinum level but we only upgrade when its half price or 2 years for the price of one. We got an escape for Sheraton Vistana Resort (Orlando) last October for my niece. A 2 br came to $200 total for the week, and then there was no charge for the guest certificate. We've also gotten escapes for other Starwood/Vistana/Westin resorts for very low prices but the Marriotts tend to be a little more money. The Platinum upgrade is really nice if you ever book Getaways for friends and family members.
II doesn't advertise the fact that the short stay exchanges doesn't include Marriotts. As of last fall, the Vistana resorts were still an option but I wouldn't be surprised if that changes.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you both for commenting.
I looked at what was available from March to Oct 2021.
Not many nice places. I looked in Florida (not Orlando but most other places), Carribean, Malta, Austria, New England states, some in Arizona, California, Arizona. I did see 2 Marriotts,-Ocean Pointe Fl where I am staying for two nights in April and St. Kitts.
I would be interested to see what is available for short stays. Maybe you get lucky and find something decent if you look frequently and someone trades something nice in.
Because my daughter is a teacher her chances to get away are only summers and school vacations.
Platinum may be worth it for such a low cost but it looks like you save only 50.00 on a week booking. Can you get access to openings quicker than others? Most of the resorts that are open I looked at werent that nice.
Do they ever get Hilton or Westin properties?

 

[Pamplemousse]

We are currently Platinum level but we only upgrade when its half price or 2 years for the price of one. We got an escape for Sheraton Vistana Resort (Orlando) last October for my niece. A 2 br came to $200 total for the week, and then there was no charge for the guest certificate. We've also gotten escapes for other Starwood/Vistana/Westin resorts for very low prices but the Marriotts tend to be a little more money. The Platinum upgrade is really nice if you ever book Getaways for friends and family members.
II doesn't advertise the fact that the short stay exchanges doesn't include Marriotts. As of last fall, the Vistana resorts were still an option but I wouldn't be surprised if that changes.

Marriotts are available for shortstay exchanges.
Have a look I see some right now- and I know someone who used one last month.

 

[Pamplemousse]

Thank you both for commenting.
I looked at what was available from March to Oct 2021.
Not many nice places. I looked in Florida (not Orlando but most other places), Carribean, Malta, Austria, New England states, some in Arizona, California, Arizona. I did see 2 Marriotts,-Ocean Pointe Fl where I am staying for two nights in April and St. Kitts.
I would be interested to see what is available for short stays. Maybe you get lucky and find something decent if you look frequently and someone trades something nice in.
Because my daughter is a teacher her chances to get away are only summers and school vacations.
Platinum may be worth it for such a low cost but it looks like you save only 50.00 on a week booking. Can you get access to openings quicker than others? Most of the resorts that are open I looked at werent that nice.
Do they ever get Hilton or Westin properties?

Membership level doesn’t affect your ability to trade.
The best way to get top resorts at prime times (IMO) is to place a request as far in advance as possible- a year or more is optimum for Marriotts. When you search manually you are just seeing what is left after requests have been filled. When my kids were in school I got great exchanges because I knew when vacations were and I could request far in advance. Note that I am talking about exchanging your week. Shortstays are also exchanging a week.

The $50 is off getaways which are straight purchases (not exchanges). The platinum escapes will be the exclusive offerings.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you Pamplemousse. I have never exchanged. We have points, not a specific week.
I think my worry for exchange would be, what happens if you put in forvan exchange and you do not get ut. Also, having points would I have to have something booked ahead of time to trade?
So far we have been lucky and have gone to Hawaii and St. Kitts. Hoping to get Surf Ckub for next April (last week). As you can see, still learning a lot. I appreciate you explaining everything!

 

[Pamplemousse]

Do you have marriot (dc) points?
You can use the request first option with those where you request a non Marriott exchange on II and if it doesn’t come through you still have your points.
You can also choose to have your points converted into a week and deposited into II for exchange to a non Marriott sometime over the next 2 years.
You make the choice what yo do with your points every year.
If you want to stay at a Marriott you just book with points directly.
And if you have Marriott points you have a corporate II account. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the faq with pricing.

 

[travelhacker]

Intervals have getaways which can often be a great deal. However, the best prices are either in overbuilt areas (Orlando), or during the off-season (i.e. Colorado in October).

I love getaways. For example, I've stayed in Orlando during our fall break for about $300 in a 2 bedroom Marriott.

I really like platinum for the free guest certificate and the discounts on getaways.

I agree with the others that the ongoing searches are the way to go.

 

[mdurette]

It sounds like you already have an II membership and your offer is to simply upgrade is from a regular to gold/platinum. Correct? It appears your "offer" is $5 off the gold upgrade fee. I would take a pass on it and only purchase it once you are ready to use it.

If so, then presently you have the ability to check out Getaway availability to get a handle on what is out there. This inventory can change daily, so best to maybe check it out for a month or so to get a good feeling of inventory that shows.

Short Stays are a feature of Gold.....but this is not a discounted getaway for you to purchase. You obtain these by depositing your week and getting 2 shorter stays vs 1 7 day. I don't believe it a feature used a lot because most of the inventory is just so-so.

Next time you log into II, check to see if you have any Accommodation Certificates (ACs) linked to your account. Go to Exchange, then my units, look for My certificates. If you have anything there, that is the place to play around looking for decent last minute availability. There are some real gems that can appear there and will cost you $300 or less to use one of the ACs to purchase.

Lastly, there is a section right her on Tug called "sightings" This is an area that other Tuggers post good things that they find on II (and RCI). A lot of last minute, nice resort availability is shown there. There is also an AC thread dedicated to "good stuff" that the ACs can pull. Consider joining TUG, by becoming a member, you will have access to this area.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you so much greatly appreciate all the help.
Will look into becoming a member!

 

[Pamplemousse]

Thank you so much greatly appreciate all the help.
Will look into becoming a member!

If you own Marriott points ( destination club ) a basic II membership comes with you club dues!
Don’t buy a new one- call MVC for help setting up.

 

[capjak]

I used a getaway in 2019 for a 3 bedroom at Marriott Lakeshore reserve next to Ritz Carlton, JW excellent resort and area but it is in Orlando....you do not have to go to any parks and Orlando has great dining....we usually drive over to clearwater beach for the day or Coco beach.

Also will be going to San Antonio in a 2 bedroom at Hyatt wild Oak Ranch in May 2020 using getaways (2 weeks).

Right now some getaways available, I see Mariott Aruba Surf Club in August, Hyatt Key west several etc.....lots of nice resorts...new ones usually appear Tuesday and Thursday I believe. So if you are flexible yea it is worth it but you already are an II member so unless there is something you will book than not sure need to upgrade

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you for the replies. Capjak when I put in dates from April 2020 to oct2021 Surf Club did not show up for me when I checked Aruba! I do have the II membership but was not sure if it was worth it to purchase the Platinum for 69.50. Was not sure if the perks make it worth it.

 

[tomvc]

Here is what I see with II Platinum. It doesn't show up when I try to exchange into it with a MOC Studio.

 

[mdurette]

Thank you for the replies. Capjak when I put in dates from April 2020 to oct2021 Surf Club did not show up for me when I checked Aruba! I do have the II membership but was not sure if it was worth it to purchase the Platinum for 69.50. Was not sure if the perks make it worth it.

I would only buy it once you are ready to use it. It is good for a year.

 

[capjak]

Aruba is there and the perks for platinum over what you already have (basic membership) are beneficial if you book rooms for family than you do not pay a guest fee also if you use a lot of Getaways than the discount is useful, also there are units that show up for platinum a few days before the basic membership. All depends on how you will use it or if you will use it.



Resort Details & Photos
Renaissance Aruba Beach Resort & Hotel
Oranjestad , ARUBA - DCB
HTB

Overall Rating

196 Member Ratings
from
$163.86
Platinum Avg. Night


��

		Interval Member	Gold Member	Platinum Member
Jul 17 2020 - Jul 24 2020 144		$1,197.00​	$1,172.00​	$1,147.00​
		​	​		​

Resort Details & Photos
Marriott's Aruba Surf Club
Palm Beach , ARUBA - DCB
MSU

Overall Rating

1246 Member Ratings
from
$163.86
Platinum Avg. Night


��

		Interval Member	Gold Member	Platinum Member
Aug 03 2020 - Aug 10 2020 024		$1,197.00​	$1,172.00​	$1,147.00​
		​	​

 

[capjak]

Also if you put in the resort codes for marriott than you will get a more complete list but it only includes marriott not some of the other great resorts by vistana,hyatt, worldmark etc...

mcv,ncv,mds,mpd,mrd,mr2,mml,mga,mvl,mdo,mvb,mev,
mbp,mmi,mvd,mcp,mgv,mgr,mhz,mip,mrp,mgk,msp,mle,
mvo,mpb,mkw,mki,maw,ma1,mmo,mm1,mko,mk1,mcu,
mhb,mgc,mc1,mfv,mby,mgo,mhh,mps,mhg,mms,msn,
msf,mow,mou,mse,mfl,mao,msu,msk,mfc,mvf,muz,
mmb,mpp,mpu,mp1,mkb

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thanks so much everyone! I cannot see Surf Club or Rennaissance. Considering that Platinum is only 69.50, it seems like it would be worth it to purchase for a year. I wish we could purchase a few days getaway instead of trading which I would not do since my points are so few.
Someone mentioned a forum for members to see others putting exchanges in.
I just became a full member here so not sure where I would look for that. I want to make the most of timesharing. Thanks so much.