Is there a reliable way to get a free upgrade to a 2 unit on your stay?

[Glennus]

I have been a Westgate Gatlinburg member since 2007 (and oddly enough have not been able to stay there because they are always packed when we want to go), and have opted to use our week at Westgate Branson Woods this year.

I am always reading from people's trip reports (when they are good reviews) that people just get a free upgrade to a bigger unit at a resort, and that this really made the vacation a great one.

We wanted to bring some people with us this year, but we fear the 4 people per 1 bedroom unit thing won't be enough. Naturally we don't want to pay 80 bux extra a night to upgrade since we read supply outweighs demand in Branson.

What sorts of situations can you tilt the "free upgrade" factor in your favor? Show up with 6 people and pretend that II said the room slept that many?

Curious to hear the circumstances around people who have gotten a unit upgrade... (we paid extra to have the type of timeshare where we can go any week of the year, etc.)

 

[BevL]

Welcome to TUG. I'm not sure where you're reading this information. Are you talking about timeshare reviews or general travel reviews dealing with non-timeshare resorts? If the latter, I think it might be just the luck of the draw - had that happen a few times where a hotel has upgraded us to a suite, etc. or maybe some palm greasing at check in.

If you're talking larger units at timeshare resorts, hopefully this will help?

I take it you're using some sort of Westgate internal exchange program? Probably points based?

Most of the time, when you see one of us writing, "I used my one bedroom X resort to EXCHANGE into a two bedroom Y resort," we're using either RCI or Interval, the two major exchange companies. Depending on the strength of the week you are providing, those exchange companies may feel that your smaller unit is desireable enough to give you a larger unit in exchange. RCI is much more lenient with this that Interval.

Other smaller "independent" exchange companies will provide a size or season "upgrade", but there is usually a fee associated with it.

Although I don't own a points based timeshare, I understand that when dealing with points, it's much more like currency. You pay X points for X unit and other than last minute deals, my understanding is it's not possible to get these sort of size tradeups, as it were.

I hope I've helped to clarify and not confused you even more.

 

[Glennus]

ah, ya we don't have a points based timeshare. Generally the reviews I'm reading are off of travel info/review sites about specific resorts, like on the tripadvisor website. I've plugged in different westgate specific resorts, and seen a number of favorable reviews that involved free upgrades.

Usually a reviewer will mention that they are a WG timeshare owner that opted to travel to a different westgate resort than their home resort, and occasionally they will just get bumped into a bigger room. I'm just wondering how likely that is, and what sorts of situations people were in that they received such treatment (from an industry that is increasingly anti-owner from my experiences).

Also, thanks for the welcome!

 

[Art]

ah, ya we don't have a points based timeshare. Generally the reviews I'm reading are off of travel info/review sites about specific resorts, like on the tripadvisor website. I've plugged in different westgate specific resorts, and seen a number of favorable reviews that involved free upgrades.

Usually a reviewer will mention that they are a WG timeshare owner that opted to travel to a different westgate resort than their home resort, and occasionally they will just get bumped into a bigger room. I'm just wondering how likely that is, and what sorts of situations people were in that they received such treatment (from an industry that is increasingly anti-owner from my experiences).

Also, thanks for the welcome!

In theory (and in practice) every unit, be it one or two bedroom, is "owned" by someone essentially every week of the year, unless a resort is not sold out. That means that the a resort normally has no unassigned units which can be passed out as upgrades since the units are owner occupied, rented out by owners, or given to a trading company as an exchange.

Thus, one should never expect to receive a different size unit than he owns, except possibly in a situation where not all the weeks have been sold yet or one's visit is at a "low" time of year when people have less desire to use the week they own at a resort. The OP might want to check the time of year when people obtained their upgrades and see how that matches with the time of his visit.

However, the basic rule remains, plan on being getting what you paid for, and smile if the upgrade fairy smiles on you

Art