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Is this common: 2 bedroom upgrade to 3 bedroom when exchanging into same resort?

CMF

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I split and deposited my 3 bedroom Grande Vista 2006 week and then realized that what I really wanted to do is use it to reserve a 2007 January Grande Vista 3 bedroom. I called the Marriott desk and explained that I thought I made a mistake and told them what I wanted to accomplish. The rep said not problem and used my 2 bedroom side to reserve a 3 bedroom leaving me the efficiency for another trade. I was amazed! I traded Gold for Platinum and still have an efficiency to play with. Is this something that I can count on in the future or was it just dumb luck?

Charles
 

floyddl

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I assume you mean that II did that. Marriott cannot exchange a gold week for a platinum week. If a 3 BR is available you can certainly claim it with your 2 BR. You cannot set up a search for a 3BR with a 2BR, I don't believe. To answer your question, yes, you were lucky but I wouldn't call it dumb luck.
 

CMF

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Yes it was through II.

floyddl said:
If a 3 BR is available you can certainly claim it with your 2 BR.

This is certainly plain enough language, but I hope there are others that will second this statement.

Charles
 

JBRES1

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Uptrades

Charles,
What you found was that your 2 bdr Gold unit had enough trade power to pull a 3 bdr Plat. at your home resort. But be aware that this will not happen all of the time.
The week deposited and the week requested play a large role in if you will get the trade. A Jan 2007 week is Platinum by Marriott standards, and Red by II standards, but it is not a really high demand time in Orlando. The first 4 to 5 weeks after Christmas/ New years are a quiet time for Orlando.

There are many shades of red in the II color Red. The first 4 weeks of Jan are more like a pink color.
If you were to look at some other Resorts in Orlando you will find that the weeks after Christmas are not looked at as being prime weeks. Vistana has what they call high demand weeks and Prime demand weeks ( prime being the higher of the two). Weeks 1-4 at the vistana resorts is high demand, 5 and on are prime demand weeks.

Charles, do as I do- Take the trade, be happy , and start planning the next dream vacation.
Jim Breslin
 

CMF

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I'm wondering if it's worth a try next year?

Should I split & deposit my 2007 week 45 and see if I can get a another January 3 bedroom for 2008? The downside if this does not work is that I will have to get a 2 bedroom and an efficiency, pay 2 exchange fees, and then rely on Grande Vista to put the efficiency and 2 bedroom together at check-in.

Charles
 

JBRES1

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GV 3 bdr units

Charles,
Why do you plan on depositing a week # 45 ?
A Thanksgiving week # 47 will trade better than a # 45.
If it were me, I would go for it again and play the odds .
Jim Breslin
 

CMF

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You are right of course.

Help me out with the steps.

I wait until almost 12 months out then pay my MFs and try to reserve Thanksgiving at the 12 month mark. But I would split and reserve a week for each section of the 3 bedroom, right?

Charles
 

Big Matt

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Charles,
you can deposit before paying the maintenance fees. Marriott will bill you normally.

You reserve the week and then pay to lock it off. You can't lock off and have different weeks.

Hopefully this answers your questions.

CMF said:
Help me out with the steps.

I wait until almost 12 months out then pay my MFs and try to reserve Thanksgiving at the 12 month mark. But I would split and reserve a week for each section of the 3 bedroom, right?

Charles
 

JBRES1

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GV 3 bdr

Charles,
The week before Thanksgiving this year contact the Owners services group at Marriott to request your check in date. For Thanksgiving 2007,you would contact them on Nov. 16 2006 to request the check in date that you want for 2007. The best check in date would be either Sat or Sun. for that week for trade value.
Request a 3 bdr unit, ask for it to be locked off (pay lock out fee), ask for the 2 parts to be deposited with II, and you are on your way to your next adventure.
Jim Breslin
 

Bill4728

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There are many shades of red in the II color Red. The first 4 weeks of Jan are more like a pink color.
If you were to look at some other Resorts in Orlando you will find that the weeks after Christmas are not looked at as being prime weeks. Vistana has what they call high demand weeks and Prime demand weeks ( prime being the higher of the two). Weeks 1-4 at the vistana resorts is high demand, 5 and on are prime demand weeks.

The thing to remember is that II doesn't care about Mariott seasons. So a good Marriott gold week, maybe more RED with II than a bad Marriott Platinum week. So if you deposit the best gold week you can and hope to exchange into a low demand platinum week, you may be sucessful more times than you would think.

Good Luck
 

Big Matt

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Bill4728,
do you have any specific examples where this is the case?

Bill4728 said:
The thing to remember is that II doesn't care about Mariott seasons. So a good Marriott gold week, maybe more RED with II than a bad Marriott Platinum week. So if you deposit the best gold week you can and hope to exchange into a low demand platinum week, you may be sucessful more times than you would think.

Good Luck
 

CMF

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This is my version of active listening . . .

JBRES1 said:
Charles,
The week before Thanksgiving this year contact the Owners services group at Marriott to request your check in date. For Thanksgiving 2007,you would contact them on Nov. 16 2006 to request the check in date that you want for 2007. The best check in date would be either Sat or Sun. for that week for trade value.
Request a 3 bdr unit, ask for it to be locked off (pay lock out fee), ask for the 2 parts to be deposited with II, and you are on your way to your next adventure.
Jim Breslin

So basically, I do nothing until November 2006. My 2007 week will show up as available on my II account until then and I will be asked for a confirmation number when I try do do a test trade. [I recently learned about the dummy 8 digit number - that's a great tip]. In November I try to reserve Thanksgiving 2007 and split the week. I then try to use the two bedroom side to get a three bedroom in January 2008 and keep the efficiency to play with.

It just helps me to put it in my own words.

Charles
 

JBRES1

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3 for 2

Charles,
In a word yes.
I know its tough to see a week on the II list that isn't being used, but thats the way it is.
Make sure that you contact the resort a few weeks before check in and make sure thgat they have your building requests.
I like Bldg #81 the best, unit 1207/08 to be exact.
Jim Breslin
 

Dave M

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Matt -

It might be difficult to prove what Bill has said. However, his assertion makes sense.

First, Marriott's seasons are not directly related to II's exchange power for a week. Marriott sets its seasons based on a number of factors, including considerations related to its sales marketing efforts. II sets seasons based on relative demand in a particular geographic area.

Here's a simple example: Some Marriott resorts (e.g., Las Vegas' Grand Chateau and all Hawaii resorts) have all-year Platinum seasons. (I'll ignore the very few fixed-week Platinum Plus and similar weeks). However, some of the lesser weeks at those resorts (e.g., late January in Las Vegas) are likely less in demand than a holiday or special event week in (for example) a Gold season on Hilton Head (e.g., Heritage PGA week or Memorial Day week) or in Boston (Boston Marathon / school vacation week).

The key is that II, not Marriott, determines the exchange power for a particular week. II doesn't care how Marriott designates its seasons.
 

Beverley

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Matt,

I have a specific example of a Silver week trading equally as a Gold week. Spring break weeks are Silver on HHI, their point value to II (as listed in the II book from the year before last) are the same as the point value for dome of the summer weeks at Ocean Point which is gold.

Beverley
 

Big Matt

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Beverly,
these types of examples are great. I think that they help people who want to get a good value in their purchase. I also think that there are plenty of gold weeks that trade like silver (Manor Club) and golds that trade like platinum (Beach Place Towers).
 
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