Marriott Lock Off Reservation Rules

[tandemrider]

Are there rules published or posted anywhere on reserving with a lock off? I tried to convert my reservation for 2 BR villa (Lock Off type) to a reservation for both a master BR and Studio BR for the same week. I was told that they had to cancel my reservation and then make a new reservation. They didn't charge me the $29 cancellation fee though I am not sure why. They told me that the units may or may not be located adjacently even though I obviously reserved a villa where an adjacent master and studio would be located.

I have 2 other wks scheduled that I might also want to "lock off". They said when I call to request to lock off the units, I may not be able to do so because lock offs may not be available. How can lock offs not be available if I have a 2 BR lock off type villa reserved that I want to pay to lock off?

The owner services representative referred me to my "contract" for a copy of the rules. I searched my governing documents and found some rather vague and disconcerning wording pertaining to lock offs. The governing documents didn't address my question specifically but made it sound like the program operator can do what ever they want.

Here are some disconcerning examples: "The Progam Operator may restrict the availability of Lackoff occupancy in order to fulfill the maximum number of Owner requests for occupancy which may result in the Owner's request being denied and the Owner losing the use of the remaking Lock-off Use Period."
"There is no guarantee that an Owner will be able to confirm a reservation for use of a Lock-Off Unit. The Program Operator from time to time, in its sole discretion, may cease usage of Lock-Off Units by certain Owners based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the volume of Owner usage of Lock-Off Units and availability of the Lock-Off Units."
Are there any written rules that the program operator must follow or do they restrict availability at their whim?
Thanks

 

[rosepointe]

When they say there might not be lock off's available I wonder if that means there is only a quota of lock off units they permit per resort per week. I don't know but I guess they must have entire units in the inventory for those who reserve and deposit with II.

I will wait and see what other say as I continue to pack for Aruba tomorrow. And hoping someone cancels so I can upgrade from a lockoff.

Sue

 

[m61376]

Sue- Have a great trip!

The issue is that some resorts have both dedicated 2BR's and lock-off units. For resorts which have all lock-offs (such as where you're headed tomorrow Sue, so check II a lot today for perhaps a very last minute deposit) owners can lock-off at any time for $75, and they will be given two new reservation numbers. Once the units are considered separate reservations, room control may or may not assign each half to the same villa, because they probably aren't linked unless you call the resort directly.

Many other resorts were built with both lock-offs and dedicated 2BR's, but were sold as lock-off units. The anticipated demand was such that theoretically if you want a lock off one would be available, but in reality sometimes demand for the lock off unit exceeds supply. For these properties, locking off, esp. closer to the date of arrival, may not be possibly, if all the lock off units were already assigned and locked off. Locking off is first come first serve for these properties, so if you know you'll want to lock off, then do it at reservation.

Not making all the villas lock-offs saves construction costs and also limits the need for parking spaces, based on estimated demand. Unfortunately, supply and demand sometimes are off, and that's when the owner runs into a problem.

 

[tandemrider]

Are there any rules that the Program Operator must adhere to when it decides to cease usage of Lock-Off Units by certain Owners based on the volume of Owner usage of Lock-Off Units? Or is this totally up to the manager's or owner service's rep's whim?
When I was at the sales presentation, the salesman said that I could lock off the unit at any or all times and use it as 1 BR for 2 wks instead of 2 BR for 1 week. Now it appears that if you do that too often you may be told that you can't do that any more?
It doesn't seem to be legal if they sell you a 2 BR Lock off and you reserve that and then later they run out of 2 BR lock off units and give you a non lock off.

 

[m61376]

Are there any rules that the Program Operator must adhere to when it decides to cease usage of Lock-Off Units by certain Owners based on the volume of Owner usage of Lock-Off Units? Or is this totally up to the manager's or owner service's rep's whim?
When I was at the sales presentation, the salesman said that I could lock off the unit at any or all times and use it as 1 BR for 2 wks instead of 2 BR for 1 week. Now it appears that if you do that too often you may be told that you can't do that any more?
It doesn't seem to be legal if they sell you a 2 BR Lock off and you reserve that and then later they run out of 2 BR lock off units and give you a non lock off.

No- it is merely a first come, first serve. Conceivably you should be able to lock off every year if you do it early enough. I have never heard anyone complain that they were told there was a limit to the number of times you can lick off- just a limit on the number of lock-off units available for any given check-in day.

 

[dioxide45]

We really need to know the name of the resort. A lot depends on the resort. A resort like Beach Place towers where all of the units are lock offs would not be a problem. Reserve a two bedroom and then you can call at any time and should be able to lock off. If you do lock off they won't be able to guaranty that if you reserve for the same week that the units would be together, but if you want them together why lock off? People lock off when they want to travel on different weeks or deposit one of the sides to trade.

Some other resort have limited lock off units. Though they do sell all of the units as lockoffs, they know not everyone will lock off. In those cases lock offs are on a first come first serve basis. At place like Grande Vista, getting a lock off will be a little easier than say at Harbour Lake where they have very few lock off units.

Also when you make your reservation you have several options for reserving the full unit. I don't know the working exactly, but you can reserve a full unit or a full unit with lockoff. I have noticed this at Harbour Lake. If you want to be able to lock off at some time after making your reservation, you should select the option to reserve the full unit with lock off.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

What resort did you purchase at?

If you purchased a lock off two bedroom unit then you should be entitled to a two bedroom lock off Villa when you make a reservation. If it is a lock off Villa you purchased then that is what you should be reserving and lock it off as you see fit after paying the $75 fee.

You should not be steered into a non lock off unit if that is not what you purchased.

You should closely examine your documentation to find out what in fact you did agree to purchase. There is a huge difference if you didn't purchase a lock off; lock off Villas entitle you to two trades, while non lock offs entitle you to only one trade.

Certain resorts have a mixture of each, such as Ko Olina, and Grande Vista.

 

[m61376]

What resort did you purchase at?

If you purchased a lock off two bedroom unit then you should be entitled to a two bedroom lock off Villa when you make a reservation. If it is a lock off Villa you purchased then that is what you should be reserving and lock it off as you see fit after paying the $75 fee.

You should not be steered into a non lock off unit if that is not what you purchased.

You should closely examine your documentation to find out what in fact you did agree to purchase. There is a huge difference if you didn't purchase a lock off; lock off Villas entitle you to two trades, while non lock offs entitle you to only one trade.

Certain resorts have a mixture of each, such as Ko Olina, and Grande Vista.

There are some resorts where all the units were sold as lock-offs, but where there is a mixture of lock-off and non-lockoff units, so that reserving a lock-off unit is subject to availability.

 

[tandemrider]

Ko Olina is where I purchased my units. My deeds say that I purchased a 2 BR lock off unit.

 

[m61376]

The original 2 buildings at Ko'Olina only had lock-offs. Most of the 2BR's in the new building are dedicated 2BR's. So, if you want a lock-off, make the reservation for a lock-off when you make your reservation.

 

[dioxide45]

Ko Olina is where I purchased my units. My deeds say that I purchased a 2 BR lock off unit.

What is deeded isn't what you are guaranteed. Deed unit numbers are for legal purposes only and the actual unit you can reserved in and be placed in will almost always be different. You need to reserve based on the program rules.

 

[pharmgirl]

I reserved [online] a lock off which was what we bought at KoOlina. Called about 3 wks before week began and was unpleasantly surprised to learn that we had been given a 2 BR non lockoff. eventually gave us the lock off but this took several calls to resort and about 1.5 wks

 

[m61376]

I reserved [online] a lock off which was what we bought at KoOlina. Called about 3 wks before week began and was unpleasantly surprised to learn that we had been given a 2 BR non lockoff. eventually gave us the lock off but this took several calls to resort and about 1.5 wks

Can you reserve a lock-off specifically on-line of you are not splitting the villa at the time of reserving? I own where all the units are lock-offs, but my choices are full villa, master or studio lock-off side. On-line do you have an option of full villa with lock-off as a separate category? I wonder if that specification has to be made by phone.

 

[ann824]

I noticed when I was making reservations for Grande Vista the other day that they have added the option to reserve a lock-off or a non lock-off. There was a long discussion a year or so about this.

In some cases, I think even at resorts where all of the units are lock-offs, if there are 3 bedroom units then they will sometimes try to give you the two bedroom part of the 3 bedroom.

I personally think if you buy a lock-off you should always be able to reserve a lock-off unit. At Manor Club they have one section where the units are designated two bedroom units and the other lock-off units. If you buy a lock-off there that is what you get.

 

[m61376]

I noticed when I was making reservations for Grande Vista the other day that they have added the option to reserve a lock-off or a non lock-off. There was a long discussion a year or so about this.

In some cases, I think even at resorts where all of the units are lock-offs, if there are 3 bedroom units then they will sometimes try to give you the two bedroom part of the 3 bedroom.

I personally think if you buy a lock-off you should always be able to reserve a lock-off unit. At Manor Club they have one section where the units are designated two bedroom units and the other lock-off units. If you buy a lock-off there that is what you get.

I agree. I thought that if you owned a 3BR and locked off, you would get the 2BR side. If they give that to non-3BR owners, then a 3BR owner might get a traditional 2BR. In many cases an owner might prefer to have the 2BR side of their 3BR or even the studio side of what they own rather than the lock-off of a 2BR. I know in Aruba the lock-off of a 3BR is MUCH bigger than the lock-off of the 2BR, for example.

 

[dioxide45]

At Grande Vista I have the following reservation options:
Full Villa
Full Villa with Lockoff
Master Suite
Deluxe Guest Room

I would expect that if I reserve the full villa with lock off now I should be able to lock off later on and be guaranteed the ability to lock off if I wish. Otherwise I can stay in the 2BR unit, though if I want one that is a lock off unit with the small kitchenette in the studio side, I need to request it with the resort as they may give me a dedicated 2BR unit. If I just book Full Villa, then I may not have that option later since all of the available lock off units may be booked. I show the same options at Harbour Lake. Harbour Lake is tougher since they have a more limited number of lock off units, only 48 I think.

 

[abdibile]

At Grande Vista I have the following reservation options:
Full Villa
Full Villa with Lockoff
Master Suite
Deluxe Guest Room

I have the same options online for Willow Ridge Lodge Branson (ex Horizons)

I clicked on "Full Villa with Lockoff" but my confirmation said "Full Villa"

When I tried to lock it off months later it worked without problems, charged me only $75 lockoff fee (no additional $29 to change a reservation)

I have no clue if I really had reserved a "Full Villa with Lockoff" that could later be split or they just had another lockoff available for that time.

 

[lweverett]

I would doubt that any resort with lockouts has two parking spots for each 2 B/R unit. Therefore they cannot allow all units to be locked off. This poster seems to be saying that they made a reservation for a 2 B/R and then wanted to change the reservation at a later date. I think they are only being told that if they wait too long they may not be able to change their reservation.

 

[n777lt]

What resort did you purchase at?

If you purchased a lock off two bedroom unit then you should be entitled to a two bedroom lock off Villa when you make a reservation. If it is a lock off Villa you purchased then that is what you should be reserving and lock it off as you see fit after paying the $75 fee.

You should not be steered into a non lock off unit if that is not what you purchased.

You should closely examine your documentation to find out what in fact you did agree to purchase. There is a huge difference if you didn't purchase a lock off; lock off Villas entitle you to two trades, while non lock offs entitle you to only one trade.

Certain resorts have a mixture of each, such as Ko Olina, and Grande Vista.

You SHOULD be able to reserve a lock-off, if that's what you bought, but increasingly, that's not the case! MVCI says you are not guaranteed the room configuration or week you want, just that you are entitled to a lock-off (and a week of the season you purchased) BASED ON AVAILABILITY. Only non-lockoffs left the week you want to go? Your choices are to take the nonlockoff or move to a different week.

The problem is, as I see it, that in many cases when people bought 2BD lock-offs at, for example, Canyon Villas, 2 BD units were ALL lockoffs. Now MVCI has added 2 BDs without lockoff at CV -- the sales people claim that this is more attractive for people with small kids who don't want them to have an independent entrance/exit. Of course, many of us have considered the lock-off a selling point, either to split and reserve 2 weeks instead of one, or to rent out or gift half of the unit.

The next problem is that up to now, the rez system hasn't been good at communicating the distinction. In fact, when we made our rez for CV for fall 2009 online, the website did not distinguish between lockoff and non-lockoff, and we were fairly annoyed when we discovered several weeks in advance of our stay (whew!) that we had been given a non-lockoff. It took escalating to the GM to get that corrected (and to her credit, it was, although she too tried to convince us the mix is a benefit). (Yes, the email confirmation failed to mention "with lock-off" but neither had the confirmation the year before, when everything was "with lock-off"! They only added that qualification after the new buildings opened)

In fact, the new mix devalues the old lock-off purchases without prior notice -- Marriott can't be perfect calculating the market's desires, and adding nonlockoff units has reduced the portion of the 2BDs (100% originally) that have a lock-off, making it more likely that the option won't be available the week we want to go. Even now, CV 2BD sales and deeds don't distinguish between lock-off and non-lockoff, I've been told, so people are still buying for the lock-off right, even though Marriott has interspersed non-lockoffs. Marriott has reduced the ability of CV 2BD owners to book a lock-off, and then divide it for further rental or exchange.

Phooey. Some litigious sort could have a field day with this, at least for those of us who bought before Marriott publicized its plan to incorporate nonlockoff 2 BDs into "our" properties.
/rant
That said, for 2010 and 2011 I am set with lock-offs. I think.

 

[Dean]

Are there any rules that the Program Operator must adhere to when it decides to cease usage of Lock-Off Units by certain Owners based on the volume of Owner usage of Lock-Off Units? Or is this totally up to the manager's or owner service's rep's whim?
When I was at the sales presentation, the salesman said that I could lock off the unit at any or all times and use it as 1 BR for 2 wks instead of 2 BR for 1 week. Now it appears that if you do that too often you may be told that you can't do that any more?
It doesn't seem to be legal if they sell you a 2 BR Lock off and you reserve that and then later they run out of 2 BR lock off units and give you a non lock off.

It's totally up to their discretion without input as are all reservation decisions. That one bought a specific unit that's a lockoff at a resort that has both l/o and non l/o really means nothing and doesn't entitle you to a lockoff unit over someone else. You can indeed reserve a l/o unit and you can later split that unit for the l/o fee if you want. I did this for Ko'Olina for this summer and was just trying to decide this AM whether to split it or not.