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No 2013 March Weeks at the Sheraton's Desert Oasis

WhichBible

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I tried to book a March 16-23 week on March 16, 2012 at the Sheraton's Desert Oasis for 2013 and they told me they were all gone. Almost all the weeks are gone for March of 2013 and this has never happened before.

HELP!!!!!
 

DeniseM

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March is MLB Spring Training - it's the highest demand month in Scottsdale and it usually books up solid. You only option is to keep calling back and hope for a cancellation - which you will probably get if you are persistent.
 

WhichBible

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I could always get any March week I wanted the past 10 years at the Sheraton's Desert Oasis at least 200 days before check-in and now there are basically none left on some of the dates I checked 365 days before check-in, the first day you could reserve them.

I think Starwood is pulling a fast one and that once the owners realize it they will be really mad.
 

tschwa2

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It's surprising because starting a few months ago, owners would have to pre pay their 2013 MF's before they could reserve.

Starwood bulk deposits with RCI prior to the 12 month mark. I don't remember if they bulk deposited any mark weeks.
 

patty5ia

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You do not have to prepay mf to reserve. But you do if you want to deposit in an exchange company.
 

krj9999

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Not surprisingly, you can reserve either sized 1BR unit from spg.com.

Though I am surprised that units were not available on first day available.

The OP should contact the board to see if there have been any changes in Starwood procedures that are negatively impacting owners.

March is MLB Spring Training - it's the highest demand month in Scottsdale and it usually books up solid. You only option is to keep calling back and hope for a cancellation - which you will probably get if you are persistent.
 

djyamyam

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I tried to book a March 16-23 week on March 16, 2012 at the Sheraton's Desert Oasis for 2013 and they told me they were all gone. Almost all the weeks are gone for March of 2013 and this has never happened before.

HELP!!!!!

I ran into the same problem. This was the case for almost all March weeks
 

gnorth16

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Cause they are all for rent on Tug and Redweek! I tried renting two Spring training weeks last year and there was so much competition, I added "week may be changed based on availability - need 24 hours to check availability." Both rentals were rented out for weeks other than original Spring training weeks reserved, so keep checking....:)
 

grgs

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I ran into the same problem. For the Mar. 16 check-in, I did call in the afternoon, instead of morning. I was able to reserve my large one bedroom, but there were no small one bedrooms available. I called back a week later (this time first thing in the morning) for the Mar. 23 check-in--same thing: I was able to reserve a large one bedroom unit, but no small. I called back the next morning and was able to get the Sunday, Mar. 24 check-in date for both my small one bedroom units.

In the past, I have not had this issue, so something was definitely different this year. I was able to get Mar. 16 & Mar. 23 check-in dates for my Kierland units with no trouble.

It will be interesting to see what happens next year--I hope this isn't a regular trend. One thing that always concerned me with Marriott is the routine complaints from owners not being able to reserve their home resorts at 12 months out. I believe this is a result of the owners getting to deposit the exact week in Interval, and so there is incentive to reserve a prime week even when one is planning to simply exchange the week. However, with Starwood that incentive doesn't exist (I don't want to debate the fairness of this), and so I think only owners planning to use or rent prime weeks are calling for reservations. That should lessen demand for the prime weeks.
 
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mblosser

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Starwood's Sheraton Desert Oasis Excuses (Methinks They Are Asking for Trouble)

Nobody likes change, especially when it is for the worse, seen as unfair, and/or costs you money.

Starwood Resolutions staff has investigated this issue and informed me this is Year 1 of using a predictive model to allocate weeks among Starwood's (what I believe are four?) categories -- SVN points, non-SVN (deeded weeks at SDO), developer/unsold weeks, and rental weeks. The first 2 categories should be the main ones.

In past years, it seems that everyone had fair and equal access to all inventory. Now, if "the model" allocates too many weeks to one category, or more alarmingly, deliberately moves the prime March weeks to developer and rental categories, thereby leaving far fewer weeks for owners, then shortages are certain to occur.

My past experience (up to last year) has been I could call in the fall of the year and still get next March's weeks. This year I called within a few days of 12 months out (the max), and while I was able to make it work, I had to compromise and move around my desired dates. Something is VERY different and not for the good.

Of course I suspect Starwood is diverting the best weeks for their own use and profit. Sound familiar? Nothing that a good class action lawsuit wouldn't fix, right? Oh sorry, I meant to say make worse, while enriching a few attorneys. But what other recourse do we have, except for refusing to pay our annual fees?

I don't know if this apparent manipulation is illegal or actionable, but it certainly sucks for owners. In combo with Starwood's already too-high annual fees, it seems that Starwood insists on diminishing owners while enriching themselves.

I anticipate the problem getting worse every year hereafter. If correct, I see it as a Tugger's sworn duty to make sure that as many people as possible hear that Starwood's management is a bunch of Greedy Old Poopyheads.

Who's with me?
 

jarta

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There is a major refurbishment at SDO for 2013-2014. Why not assume that there will be fewer rooms available for reservations until it is complete? The proactive SDO owners who know what's up have obviously been calling as early as possible to assure they get the week they want. The early bird .......... Salty
 

Twinkstarr

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Not SDO, but had no problem getting my reservation at Lakeside Terrace at 12 months for March 2013(checking in week before Easter). But I called right at the 12 month window, not 9am but later that day.

And I would believe that LT would fall into the same sort of division of units as SDO being a voluntary resort also.
 

BLUE AYES

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I called late March and got 3/23-3/30 at SDO for my 2BD L/O.
 

gregb

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As the economy picks up and people start taking more vacations, I expect that this will become a common problem.

An interesting question is, if Starwood wants to reserve a unit to rent out, where does their reservation request go into the request queue? At the top, before any owner has a chance to call? I wouldn't be surprised.

Greg
 

tschwa2

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Starwood has deposited SBP weeks into RCI before the 12 month owner reservation period for the last 3 years. I think they deposited a bunch of SDO units this year into RCI many prior to the owner 12 month priority reservation period. It's not nice to know that RCI members can have reservations before owners can call up to reserve. Every time I see it happening I express my displeasure vto my board but they never respond. :ponder:

From March 2012 sightings:
RCI:Sheraton Desert Oasis 1brs May 2012-Dec 2013
Sheraton Desert Oasis (#5247) 438 check-in nights available

Sheraton Desert Oasis II (#D524) 124 check-in nights available
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
USA
For Riggo- late March starting 3/22/13

So that is 562 units deposited into RCI in March covering at least 9 months beyond the period that owners can reserve. Do they hold out additional units for their own units and for the ones they will eventually deposit in II or do they wait until the 12 month or less to take those units out of circulation.

Still available in RCI March 2013-Dec 2013 all one bed room units 307 units.
 
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gnorth16

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Some March openings again at SDO. i just booked consecutive weeks last week of February and first week of March. The rep said she had weeks in March, moost of which were Sunday check ins...including last week of March
 
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bccash63

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Just last week booked the first week of march in my 2 br lockout. Do you own summer season? dawn
 

abdibile

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I had no problem booking my March weeks a few days after the 12 month mark
 
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