Lead time @ WKORV-N

[Troopers]

I'm a newbie and considering to purchase WKORV-N (resale).

I'm curious how far advance to I need to plan my stay at WKORV-N for a typical non-holiday week? I typically do not plan vacation more than 6 months out.

 

[LisaRex]

Welcome aboard R Chen.

Unfortunately the Starwood system was created for people who plan ahead. If you buy at any of the Starwood resorts, you have to book no later than 8 months out in order to secure your view at your home resort; if it's a popular week you'd better plan on booking at 12 months out.

At 8 months, SVN owners who buy at other resorts are allowed to book rooms at your resort. If you wait til 6 months, you'll be queued up behind all the people who booked before you, including non-WKORV SVN owners, and you may be squeezed out altogether. You will also lose any view guarantee, as that expires at the 8 month window as well.

I believe the Marriott system guarantees your unit/view no matter when you book, but I could be wrong. You may want to check it out if you're not a Type A.

 

[ciscogizmo1]

Oh boy... I own Westin too...

Well unfortunately, you need to book your room between 12 and 8 months to guarantee your view & your unit. At the 8 month window other Starwood owners can book at your resort. So if you call at 6 month there might not be any units available or a ton. I call exactly 12 months out as I own an ocean view room at WKORV and I want the best possible unit. Some of the ocean view units at WKORV have parking lot views. Some have very small ocean views. So I normally book exactly 12 months out as they date/time stamp when you made your reservations and request are honored in the order received. Now, I book holiday weeks only so it might be different for non-holiday weeks. Maybe someone can chime in about booking non-holiday weeks.

 

[Henry M.]

What's been said before is true, but I booked a week in January last year the Wednesday before my Sunday arrival date and had no problem getting my view. I actually got upgraded from a studio to a 1BR OV, 6th floor, pool side, closest to the ocean. This year, around the April/May timeframe, I booked two studios for the last week of September and didn't have a problem making the reservation. We'll see what units I get, but from what I hear the resort will be close to its lowest occupancy when we go there and I am not concerned about the room. I've also never reserved at the first minute the reservation lines open, just some time in the 12-8 month window. So far I've gotten a good room all five or six times I've been there, even though I usually go July 4th week or a week around it. The January trip above and the upcoming September trip are the only off-season trips I've made.

If you are flexible about the particular week you will arrive and you are going outside of the peak holiday seasons you will probably be OK. If you want to go during the summer months, Thanksgiving, Christmas time, Spring Break, etc, then you might have a problem even getting a room 6 months out.

 

[Stefa]

I believe the Marriott system guarantees your unit/view no matter when you book, but I could be wrong. You may want to check it out if you're not a Type A.

This is correct. However, some owners have complained about having trouble reserving high-demand weeks such as summer even at 12 months out. I'm also not sure at what point Marriott "dumps" unreserved weeks into II or their rental pool. I do know that one of my friends who called in May 2006 for a 2006 Ko'Olina reservation had very little choice of weeks.

IMO, if you don't normally plan way in advance, TS onwership may not be for you. Better to rent.