I have been mulling over the point system, have talked with a couple of Marriott reps, and have decided to ask for advice from the people who seems to actually know what the skinny is—the owners. Here goes:
I own one week Ko Olina, 2 bd OV every year, and I own one week Canyon Villas, Gold Season, 2 bd every year. I use the Ko Olina week every year, so booking that week as a week and not as points is the only thing that makes any sense. My question is regarding the CV week—I really don’t use it. I have exchanged for MR points and I have deposited a week into II. Needless to say, the II inventory available for trade is getting thinner and thinner, so this option is not nearly as attractive as it once was.
My question is this (and feel free to shoot holes in my theory—that’s why I’m asking): does it make sense to enroll my weeks (I would enroll both for $695, even though I have no immediate intention of switching the Ko Olina week into points, but its only $100 more to enroll both—I did buy from Marriott) and convert my CV week into points. I would then take the 1825 points for 2013 and bank them into 2014, where they could be combined with the 2014 CV points, giving me two years of points for a total of 3650. I would use the CV points to add on days to the Ko Olina week, resulting in a stay of maybe an additional 5-6 days every two years. I understand it would be to my advantage to book those days using points on Sunday through Thursday when the daily rate is lower (Fri and Sat are higher). I could add days to the beginning of my week or at the end, as long as the added days using points are Sun-Thurs to maximize their use. I am also an owner in Disney Vacation Club, where I have a significant number of points. On the every-other-year where I do not use the 3650 CV points (1825 per year for two years) I would extend my Ko Olina stays by booking at Aulani just down the shore (we just did this over New Years, 5 days at Aulani and 7 days at Marriott).
Is this workable? Under the point system, is it possible to be sure that the days I want to add to the front or back of my Ko Olina week are actually available before I commit to exchanging the CV week into points? If I can’t get the days I need to extend the reservation then the CV points are still not helping me extend the Hawaii stay. Booking way in advance is no problem—I am not looking for availability just a few months out, but I would want to know that about a year out I could book 4-5 individual days at Marriott Ko Olina adjacent to my week reservation and BE ASSURED that the days are available to actually book using points. If I enroll, can I logistically call a Marriott rep and ask if the days I need are available BEFORE I commit to switching the CV week for points? Can this be checked online once I enroll (but not necessarily convert a week into points)?
Thanks in advance for any help, guidance, advice, warnings, and trepidations.
I own one week Ko Olina, 2 bd OV every year, and I own one week Canyon Villas, Gold Season, 2 bd every year. I use the Ko Olina week every year, so booking that week as a week and not as points is the only thing that makes any sense. My question is regarding the CV week—I really don’t use it. I have exchanged for MR points and I have deposited a week into II. Needless to say, the II inventory available for trade is getting thinner and thinner, so this option is not nearly as attractive as it once was.
My question is this (and feel free to shoot holes in my theory—that’s why I’m asking): does it make sense to enroll my weeks (I would enroll both for $695, even though I have no immediate intention of switching the Ko Olina week into points, but its only $100 more to enroll both—I did buy from Marriott) and convert my CV week into points. I would then take the 1825 points for 2013 and bank them into 2014, where they could be combined with the 2014 CV points, giving me two years of points for a total of 3650. I would use the CV points to add on days to the Ko Olina week, resulting in a stay of maybe an additional 5-6 days every two years. I understand it would be to my advantage to book those days using points on Sunday through Thursday when the daily rate is lower (Fri and Sat are higher). I could add days to the beginning of my week or at the end, as long as the added days using points are Sun-Thurs to maximize their use. I am also an owner in Disney Vacation Club, where I have a significant number of points. On the every-other-year where I do not use the 3650 CV points (1825 per year for two years) I would extend my Ko Olina stays by booking at Aulani just down the shore (we just did this over New Years, 5 days at Aulani and 7 days at Marriott).
Is this workable? Under the point system, is it possible to be sure that the days I want to add to the front or back of my Ko Olina week are actually available before I commit to exchanging the CV week into points? If I can’t get the days I need to extend the reservation then the CV points are still not helping me extend the Hawaii stay. Booking way in advance is no problem—I am not looking for availability just a few months out, but I would want to know that about a year out I could book 4-5 individual days at Marriott Ko Olina adjacent to my week reservation and BE ASSURED that the days are available to actually book using points. If I enroll, can I logistically call a Marriott rep and ask if the days I need are available BEFORE I commit to switching the CV week for points? Can this be checked online once I enroll (but not necessarily convert a week into points)?
Thanks in advance for any help, guidance, advice, warnings, and trepidations.
