Quick Availability Question.

[mcernik]

Still in the process of getting past rofr. I have an availability / booking question though.

Other than St Johns and Harborside, are you guys able to get pretty much a week that you want in a non-home resort at the 8 month booking period?

If you go on to say Kayak / Expedia etc, and search for a week there at one of the resorts and it lists rooms there, does pretty much mean there is availability and you should be able to book using your StarOptions?

Thanks!

 

[vacationtime1]

Starwood has different inventory pools. Some inventory comes from owners exchanging units for StarPoints, some is unsold developer inventory, and some results from owners reserving at other developments thereby freeing up units. Only the last category is unconditionally available for StarOption exchanges. Starwood may permit StarOption exchanges on the remaining inventory, but Starwood can also rent it, put it on Kayak, use it for promotional purposes, or whatever. So even if you see inventory on Kayak, it is not necessarily available for exchanges.

My own experience is that I have been able to reserve Kierland in the winter and Maui in the summer at the eight month mark. However, it sometimes takes multiple phone calls as availability changes. But if you are persistent, you should get what you want with the probable exceptions you note.

As we are all painfully aware, the economy has been lousy over the past couple of years. When things improve, demand for leisure travel will bounce back as well; easy reservations may become a thing of the past.

 

[DeniseM]

It will be difficult to get holiday weeks, and impossible some places, because week 51-52 were sold as event weeks for big $$$ and you can't trade in with SO's.

 

[mcernik]

Yeah I'm not too concerned about Weeks 51-52, just in general I was wondering if the owners here have had alot of problems exchanging SO's points for weeks in their non-home resorts, or if at 8 months out you could get pretty close to what you were looking for.

 

[DeniseM]

Yeah I'm not too concerned about Weeks 51-52, just in general I was wondering if the owners here have had alot of problems exchanging SO's points for weeks in their non-home resorts, or if at 8 months out you could get pretty close to what you were looking for.

By holidays - I mean all holiday weeks will be more difficult and 51-52 impossible. Easter week, 4th of July, ski weeks, etc. will be more difficult with more demand than supply.

 

[mcernik]

By holidays - I mean all holiday weeks will be more difficult and 51-52 impossible. Easter week, 4th of July, ski weeks, etc. will be more difficult with more demand than supply.

So other than "holiday" weeks though, there's decent availability?

 

[DeniseM]

Yes - but no guarantees of course.

 

[MommaBear]

I no longer have children in school, so I have been able to get my requests at the 8 month mark, as I avoid all school breaks.I understand school vacations are very tough and summer school breaks are hard as well. There was a thread last week where an owner at WKORV (or WKORVN) called at the 12 month mark and could not get his own resort for President's week. I have never tried Harborside or St. John, but have found other places to be easy to get into.

Good luck with ROFR- I did not pass at WMH this week. However, that would not have brought Staroptions anyway, so now I am back looking at resale with staroptions.

 

[DeniseM]

One note - the owner who could not get their own week, owns ocean front, and the number of OF units is very limited. That's the first time I've ever heard of it happening when an owner calls at exactly 8:59 am, at 12 mos. out.

 

[clsmit]

Harborside has been hard to get into 8 months out. I had a really hard time this year getting any reasonable date for any size unit.