Looking beyond 8 mo to preview availability

[EnglishmanAbroad]

I might be missing something but I'm not sure how that would work at least within Vistana owner to Vistana owner. Even at my home resort, where I'm looking to add on 2 days to my 7 day home resort reservation, I can't see availability beyond 8 mo from now to have an idea if there is availability. I could test with my remaining studio to see if I could pull a full week but it would only show option of studios even if others are available, and it would only show if a full 7 day reservation starting on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday as a weeks owner.

You're right. It definitely looks like they've tightened it down completely to only show what you could actually reserve if you wanted to at the 12-8 month window (e.g. 7 days with a Fri/Sat/Sun start). That also applies to the "You might also like...." offerings as now I only see LGR come up in those when I search WKORVN in the 12-8 month window and I used to see WKORV, WPORV...etc.

The one silver lining to the cloud (if indeed there is one) is that searches now are much quicker as obviously they are no longer spreading the net far and wide but are focusing on your ownership.

Maybe they could offer paid searches outside your ownership for $1 a pop? Maybe I shouldn't give them ideas?

 

[DanCali]

I am 100% this feature was functional as of 6-7 weeks ago when I was searching for a New Year's week somewhere. It still boggles my mind why they would take such a useful feature and kill it.

Perhaps @DavidnRobin can share with us his contact info for Marriott Advocacy Dept and someone (more diplomatic than me...) can raise some of these concerns with them?

As unstable as the system has been lately, it took many years to get all these useful features built in there and now they're being removed without any communication or warning

 

[alwysonvac]

Yes, I am sure this was a purposeful downgrade and it makes planning so much more difficult. I counted down the days last year, watching that there was still availability for the 3bd pool villa at WSJ for my upcoming booking window. It consistently showed it would be available and I snagged it at exactly 11pm (midnight EST) once the 8 month window opened. Now, I am looking for 5 nights at WPORV to tack on to the beginning of an Interval confirmed week at WKORVN in early March and I cant see if it is currently available. I would guess "yes" as WPORV is usually easy to get at 8 months, but not having the visibility is a definite negative to the user experience.

I agree. High demand locations require a midnight eastern booking since units are typically booked within minutes.

https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/internal-starwood-availability-at-the-8-month-mark-for-july-26.219922/

Earlier this year I was thinking about visiting St John in 2023. I can’t image trying to book a specific unit type at that location without knowing what’s available in advance.

 

[alwysonvac]

Squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Owners need to complain. I’ve completed the online contact form today asking when this will be fixed.

 

[timsi]

Concerning the merger, I keep on hearing about a win-win situation.
So far only losses.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

Squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Owners need to complain. I’ve completed the online contact form today asking when this will be fixed.

I doubt they'll 'fix' it because in their opinion it's not broken. Why should they provide you a view into something you can't reserve? What other reservation systems do you know that show you things you can't reserve? It just wastes system resources and slows things down for people wanting to make 'real' reservations. If you want to see what's available between 8-12 months somewhere then it's simple, get your check book out and make a purchase at that resort. If not then wait your turn until you are inside 8 months and you can see whatever you want, wherever you want and whenever you want.

(PS I'm not having a go at you. Just putting on my Marriott Customer Care Hat )

 

[dioxide45]

I doubt they'll 'fix' it because in their opinion it's not broken. Why should they provide you a view into something you can't reserve? What other reservation systems do you know that show you things you can't reserve? It just wastes system resources and slows things down for people wanting to make 'real' reservations. If you want to see what's available between 8-12 months somewhere then it's simple, get your check book out and make a purchase at that resort. If not then wait your turn until you are inside 8 months and you can see whatever you want, wherever you want and whenever you want.

(PS I'm not having a go at you. Just putting on my Marriott Customer Care Hat )

I would tend to agree. As nice as it was, I don't see them going back. I suspect they removed the functionality to make the website more stable. Of course all this worked find a few years ago without searches timing out, but you know, this is progress....

 

[alwysonvac]

I doubt they'll 'fix' it because in their opinion it's not broken. Why should they provide you a view into something you can't reserve? What other reservation systems do you know that show you things you can't reserve? It just wastes system resources and slows things down for people wanting to make 'real' reservations. If you want to see what's available between 8-12 months somewhere then it's simple, get your check book out and make a purchase at that resort. If not then wait your turn until you are inside 8 months and you can see whatever you want, wherever you want and whenever you want.

(PS I'm not having a go at you. Just putting on my Marriott Customer Care Hat )

We’re not talking about some new functionality. It’s been working this way for years. Why would it slow down the system all of the sudden! Folks are checking availability throughout the day (not at midnight eastern as soon as the 12 month window opens).

There will be negative consequences going forward especially during high demand periods.

So instead of folks deciding not to login at midnight, because they already knew ahead of time that their desired dates and/or unit type weren’t available, they will be online at midnight trying to pull up availability.
This is what will slow down the system. More folks will have to access the system at midnight eastern for as long as it takes (since they have no other choice) until they find availability to make a reservation.

Honestly, no one wants to be online every freakin week trying to determine availability. So I guess we’ll also see an increase in speculative bookings because folks will have no idea if they will find availability later. So they might as well grab something now while they can and continue to shop at midnight.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

Anyone who was trying to make a reservation in February experienced the obvious nightmare they had in trying to consolidate the Marriott and Vistana systems ahead of whatever it is they are planning for the future. In essence Vistana was a tiny system managing what, 20 resorts? It's now amalgamated into the system of the largest hotel chain in the world which by all accounts is a technological dinosaur. I'm guessing the only way they could 'fix' the problems we were seeing with timeouts was to limit the scope of the searches. Not ideal I agree, but a system where people can at least make reservations.

 

[SteveS1]

What other reservation systems do you know that show you things you can't reserve?

Disney vacation club for one,. It shows everything as if you can book it and if you select reserve but can’t yet it tells you exactly when to come back.

Villa Finder needs to bring that back, I’ll enter a complaint.

 

[TravelTime]

It's definitely nefarious motives. It takes purposeful strategy and planning to start stripping a system of functionality.
First, they took away the availability calendars for anything except your home resort.
Then, all the system problems people have had in the last year, trying to make reservations at midnight ET at the 12 or 8 month mark, and getting locked out of reservations.
Now, blocking viewing of availability post 8 months.
These are all purposeful, much thought out changes to owners' detriment and MVC's benefit.

I also noticed in the past few days that the availability calendar for WKV shows no availability at all now from Feb 24- May 15, 2023. That has never happened before in my 15 years of ownership in WKV. Either MVC is just blocking viewing, or they have scooped up this highest season at Kierland for their own use.

Couldn’t it be that people have booked all these dates? It is very hard to book anything these days, not just with Marriott or Vistana. The demand is outstripping the supply for travel. I just booked a non-time share resort stay for July 2023. The resort is 100% booked for 2020 and almost booked out for 2023. I got the last room in the room category I wanted. My room category is 100% booked now through end of summer 2023.

 

[TravelTime]

Reading this thread is depressing. These are the stories that make people ridicule timeshares. My dad thinks timeshares are crap and he said you can‘t book what you want. It seems this is often true unless you are online right when the booking window opens and can plan ahead 12-13 months, or 8 months if you are lucky enough to even get a SO reservation. I was leaning toward enrolling my Vistana week but if Marriott is messing around with their booking system too, then I am leaning toward ending my relationships with timeshares or at least not expanding.

 

[DanCali]

Couldn’t it be that people have booked all these dates? It is very hard to book anything these days, not just with Marriott or Vistana.

Not if you run a search for a resort that generally has Staroption availability most times of the year (like SVV or SVR)

Please take a look at my earlier post (post #10). In that post I ran a search yesterday (June 15) for SVV for Feb 15 for 1 night and it was wide open. But a search for Feb 16 (yesterday was 8 months + 1 day) showed zilch and also said it was outside the window. Could it have been totally booked up? Maybe, but very unlikely... here is what I get today (exactly 8 months out) for that 1-night search for Feb 16. And there is availability for everything.... 3BR LO, 3BR, 2BR LO, 2BR, 1BR Prem, and 1BR.

I guess there is an infinitesimal probability that in the last 24 hours there were cancellations at all 4 of those phases for all the unit types (3BR LO, 3BR, 2BR LO, 2BR, 1BR Prem, and 1BR) and that freed up availability. If you want to go that route - try a 1-night search tomorrow for Feb 17 and see what you get. As of today, it shows no availability and a note that it's outside the 8-month booking window...

 

[Eric B]

If you really want to test it, run a search for a 7-day stay at a resort you don't own at the 8-month - 1 day point and compare the results with a search for a 6-day stay at the 8-month point. That way you would know what there is availability for the 6-day period. I'd try it, but the search function doesn't function right now.

 

[dioxide45]

It looks like you can still search 8 month+1 day availability at your home resort even if you have already broken the usage with existing reservations. Still have to set it to a 7-night stay, but it will show up even if you don't have the ability to even make the reservation.

 

[DanCali]

My dad thinks timeshares are crap and he said you can‘t book what you want. It seems this is often true unless you are online right when the booking window opens and can plan ahead 12-13 months, or 8 months if you are lucky enough to even get a SO reservation.

As long as the game if "fair", I don't have a problem with that. I bought at WKV to get "cheap" Staroptions knowing I might have to compromise on dates or unit sizes at some other resorts when exchanging. I bought at HRA because that compromise because too frustrating for that resort (booking there pre-covid was very hard, and may be difficult again once Bahamas covid testing goes away). But It's feeling that the game is "rigged" that gets you.

Several people, including me, have pointed out on the Marriott tug board that Saturday checkin dates at some resorts are harder to come by since the DC launched in 2010. That's "Harder" when compared to pre-2010. Users who don't encounter this problem give them the benefit of the doubt and point to highly unlikely scenarios that could cause that. I just think that if I call at 9:00:00am and try to get a Saturday checkin 14 (yes, fourteen) months in advance (after chaining several prior reservations with Saturday checkins starting at 13 months out) I shouldn't have a problem doing that several years on a row. It's also always the same week number that's missing the Saturday checkins.

Eliminating this very useful feature is not a result of system overload. I think @alwysonvac nailed it when he says it will cause more system overload because now the load at midnight will be much higher. Prior to this, you could search outside the 8-month window during the day and if nothing was there, you didn't have to be there at midnight.

 

[dioxide45]

If you really want to test it, run a search for a 7-day stay at a resort you don't own at the 8-month - 1 day point and compare the results with a search for a 6-day stay at the 8-month point. That way you would know what there is availability for the 6-day period. I'd try it, but the search function doesn't function right now.

Another way to do it would be for a 5 night stay, search at 8 months-1 day for a six night stay. If it shows up as available, then there is a good chance the five night stay will still be available at midnight. If it doesn't, then perhaps it isn't worth staying up till midnight to book.

 

[Eric B]

... (booking there pre-covid was very hard, and may be difficult again once Bahamas covid testing goes away).

That will be this coming Sunday, June 19th....

Bahamas Waiving Testing for Fully Vaccinated Travelers - Caribbean Journal

The Bahamas is waiving testing for fully vaccinated travelers, the country announced, in a major shift in its travel requirements.

www.caribjournal.com

 

[DanCali]

I'd try it, but the search function doesn't function right now.

I thought that was a joke, but you're right! (might as well put a crying emoji instead)

 

[dioxide45]

I thought that was a joke, but you're right! (might as well put a crying emoji instead)

View attachment 58119

Yeah, I posted about this in the other system issue thread. I can search SVV availability just fine, but some other resorts won't work. THe timeout message comes up instantly.

 

[DanCali]

It looks like you can still search 8 month+1 day availability at your home resort even if you have already broken the usage with existing reservations. Still have to set it to a 7-night stay, but it will show up even if you don't have the ability to even make the reservation.

So what you are saying is that there may be no change in functionality at all?

I definitely had a bunch of "broken usage" in 2022 with banked stuff, bonus staroptions and just plain staroptions.

But for 2023 I haven't broken any usage yet (all reservations are home resort with some yet unbooked) and now that 8-months out is in 2023 some of us are experiencing this? And I may have a different outcome if/when I bank 2022 Staroptions to 2023?

 

[dioxide45]

So what you are saying is that there may be no change in functionality at all?

I definitely had a bunch of "broken usage" in 2022 with banked stuff, bonus staroptions and just plain staroptions.

But for 2023 I haven't broken any usage yet (all reservations are home resort with some yet unbooked) and now that 8-months out is in 2023 some of us are experiencing this? And I may have a different outcome if/when I bank 2022 Staroptions to 2023?

Searching your home resort is pretty much unchanged as long as you are searching for a 7-night stay. Change it to anything other than 7 nights and it treats it like StarOption reservation and won't presents the error messages.

Edit: did a strikethrough for correction.

 

[DanCali]

Searching your home resort is pretty much unchanged as long as you are searching for a 7-night stay. Change it to anything other than 7 nights and it treats it like StarOption reservation and won't presents the error messages.

And if you search less than 7 nights not at your home resort for 8+ months out?

 

[dioxide45]

And if you search less than 7 nights not at your home resort for 8+ months out?

Doesn't work. I get the same message as everyone else.

 

[TravelTime]

As long as the game if "fair", I don't have a problem with that. I bought at WKV to get "cheap" Staroptions knowing I might have to compromise on dates or unit sizes at some other resorts when exchanging. I bought at HRA because that compromise because too frustrating for that resort (booking there pre-covid was very hard, and may be difficult again once Bahamas covid testing goes away). But It's feeling that the game is "rigged" that gets you.

Several people, including me, have pointed out on the Marriott tug board that Saturday checkin dates at some resorts are harder to come by since the DC launched in 2010. That's "Harder" when compared to pre-2010. Users who don't encounter this problem give them the benefit of the doubt and point to highly unlikely scenarios that could cause that. I just think that if I call at 9:00:00am and try to get a Saturday checkin 14 (yes, fourteen) months in advance (after chaining several prior reservations with Saturday checkins starting at 13 months out) I shouldn't have a problem doing that several years on a row. It's also always the same week number that's missing the Saturday checkins.

Eliminating this very useful feature is not a result of system overload. I think @alwysonvac nailed it when he says it will cause more system overload because now the load at midnight will be much higher. Prior to this, you could search outside the 8-month window during the day and if nothing was there, you didn't have to be there at midnight.

but all of this is why my father says timeshares are crap. Most people do not want to play a game with vacations or be online 12,13 or 8 months in advance.