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Ritz Carlton St Thomas, How to Reserve using DC Points?

Steve Fatula

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I keep looking at this resort on MVCI, and never ever see availability (ok, there is some 4-6 months out this year, but trying to get a year in advance). So, every day, I look 13 months out with points, and see no dates.

So, my question is, is there a trick to getting into there on points? Do they only release points inventory every so often? How has anyone gotten into here?

First resort where I have encountered any difficulty trying to get into (way in advance) using points. I figure there is something different about it.

Maybe I didn't consider last years hurricanes...
 
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ljmiii

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When I tried to book the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas for President's week 2019 it didn't appear at 13 months. I kept looking every few days and on 1/20/18 a stay starting on 2/16/19 appeared and I booked it. For better or worse in March 2018 the expected post-hurricane reopening of the resort slipped to Q2 2019 and so I cancelled.
 

Fasttr

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Are you doing 1 day searches? There have been a few posts that this is one resort that appears to require a minimum night stay. Just curious if you are searching for a week or fewer days.
 

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I keep looking at this resort on MVCI, and never ever see availability (ok, there is some 4-6 months out this year, but trying to get a year in advance). So, every day, I look 13 months out with points, and see no dates.

So, my question is, is there a trick to getting into there on points? Do they only release points inventory every so often? How has anyone gotten into here?

First resort where I have encountered any difficulty trying to get into (way in advance) using points. I figure there is something different about it.

Maybe I didn't consider last years hurricanes...

I have not had any problem booking and re-booking at Ritz Carlton St Thomas. I currently have a 8 night stay reserved for early June. I had Memorial Day week reserved at first, then rescheduled to the week before July 4th, then finally settled on first week of June to combine with sailing the BVIs during Memorial Day week. I also had 12 nights over Thanksgiving, which is a popular week (I think) but I cancelled it because we are going to Hawaii instead. The only “trick” I use is to check frequently when you have specific months in mind. I have not noticed any consistency in how they release inventory. Sometimes I can see it at 13 months and sometimes they release new inventory later such as at 6 months. The nice thing with RC-STT is the point value in off season is a real deal. There is a large point difference between high and low season. Low season runs from about early May until early December so there are lots of opportunities to visit outside of hurricane season.
 

TravelTime

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Are you doing 1 day searches? There have been a few posts that this is one resort that appears to require a minimum night stay. Just curious if you are searching for a week or fewer days.

3N minimum required but you can still see availability by searching for 1N, you just can’t book 1N
 

TravelTime

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When I tried to book the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas for President's week 2019 it didn't appear at 13 months. I kept looking every few days and on 1/20/18 a stay starting on 2/16/19 appeared and I booked it. For better or worse in March 2018 the expected post-hurricane reopening of the resort slipped to Q2 2019 and so I cancelled.

The residence club side opened late last year. The hotel is not open yet. Were you booking the hotel or the residence club?
 

Steve Fatula

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Residence Club. If you look past July or so, there is zero dates. Maybe they don't release inventory that far out?

Doing 7 day searches.
 

TravelTime

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Residence Club. If you look past July or so, there is zero dates. Maybe they don't release inventory that far out?

Doing 7 day searches.

You need to look frequently. Not that long ago, they had a lot of inventory for November and December.

Oh, I think I figured this out. They are closed for 2 months during hurricane season. I think they close in September and October every year. I think I saw that written somewhere.

I was asking the other poster who said Ritz Carlton St Thomas was not open yet if she was looking for hotel rooms or residence club units since she said she booked for Feb 2019 and canceled. The residence side definitely opened last year. I am in a FB group and they have been discussing how beautiful it is now with the remodeling. They mention the beach took a beating though. I think I remember reading that they lost some shoreline from beach erosion.
 

ljmiii

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I was asking the other poster who said Ritz Carlton St Thomas was not open yet if she was looking for hotel rooms or residence club units since she said she booked for Feb 2019 and canceled.
She's a He!

That said, I was in contact with a RC rep who was tracking the rebuilding effort and Marriott also had a webpage tracking the status of all their Caribbean properties. When I booked the rep said the residences would be open the very end of Q4 2018 but then by March he was more pessimistic and he (and the website) said Q2 2019....so I cancelled. In retrospect I wish I hadn't - it's obviously open - but we're going on a DCL Marvel cruise and then to South Beach so it isn't all bad.
 

Fasttr

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I see a lot of fragmented availibility throughout the future 13 months, but when you search 7 night, it shows nothing. Appears you could string 7 nights in July or December, but perhaps not in the same room size since when searching 1 night, you can see segments of 7 nights in a row available. May want to call and waitlist.
 

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I have noticed sometimes they release inventory at 12-13 months at Ritz Carlton STT and it is available for a couple weeks, then it disappears. But sometimes about 5-6 months in, it can reappear. That happened with the May/June 2019 inventory. I was able to only book 1 specific week at 13 months last May 2018 for the end of June 2019. Then for months there was no new inventory released for May/June. Then suddenly at the end of 2018, a bunch of inventory opened up and I was able to rebook a few times until I finalized my plans. I was able to book Thanksgiving 2019 at the 13 month mark. There was a lot of inventory for Nov/Dec 2019 at the end of last year at the 12-13 month mark. It was available for about 2-4 weeks, then it disappeared. I assume you will see Nov/Dec 2019 open up again in the next few months because that is off season in the Caribbean. I think they might manage Ritz Carlton St Thomas inventory a little bit different than the other properties but this is just a guess. I have been informally tracking this resort’s inventory release patterns because the Virgin Islands are one of my favorite places. If I end up liking Ritz Carlton Residence club, this may become an annual trip for us. I also want to check out Westin St John to see how much I like it there. Technically, St John is one of my favorite Caribbean islands but not sure how much I will like the Westin there due to the location. I already own Vistana so I am able to exchange into WSJ during off season. It is actually not as hard as people say.
 

TravelTime

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I see a lot of fragmented availibility throughout the future 13 months, but when you search 7 night, it shows nothing. Appears you could string 7 nights in July or December, but perhaps not in the same room size since when searching 1 night, you can see segments of 7 nights in a row available. May want to call and waitlist.

I see many check in dates for 7N at the end of April and beginning of May and in mid July. Any of those times are nice in the Caribbean since hurricanes tend to be more active from August - October.

I wonder why it is not showing up when you search? Are you Presidential level? I think the access to inventory varies by benefits level.
 

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Just curious - how many points would it be to reserve a 7 night stay in July or Aug?


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I am looking for 13 months out, i.e., 2020. I don't want any this year, already have 79 nights booked for 2019. :)
 

TravelTime

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I am looking for 13 months out, i.e., 2020. I don't want any this year, already have 79 nights booked for 2019. :)

You will definitely get that. I tend to check at 13 months and book something. Then I reschedule as it gets closer and my plans are more finalized.
 

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3950 for a 2Bdr the first week of July

And they are all ocean view at Ritz Carlton Residence Club in St Thomas. Some are 2/2.5 too for that point value. It seems like the best value in the MVC system.
 

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That is not bad!!!


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Theiggy

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And they are all ocean view at Ritz Carlton Residence Club in St Thomas. Some are 2/2.5 too for that point value. It seems like the best value in the MVC system.

I was going to ask if that was 2br. I’ll have to hit some of you guys up to rent some points one day!


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TravelTime

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I was going to ask if that was 2br. I’ll have to hit some of you guys up to rent some points one day!


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They have 2 BR suites with 2 bathrooms and 2 BR residences with 2.5 bathrooms. They also have 3 BRs. There is about a 300 point difference for the week between the 2 BR floorplans in low season. The point cost to stay at the Ritz is not much more than to stay at Frenchman’s Cove in low season. That surprised me because I would have thought there would be a bigger premium between them.
 

Steve Fatula

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You will definitely get that. I tend to check at 13 months and book something. Then I reschedule as it gets closer and my plans are more finalized.

Ok, you're catching up to what I asked.... :)

If you look right now, there is ZERO availability from August until Feb 2020. With 7 nights.

i.e., I am discouraged to see that at 13 months out, nothing. I guess it may be irregularly released. Yes, am presidential level.
 
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TravelTime

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Ok, you're catching up to what I asked.... :)

If you look right now, there is ZERO availability from August until Feb 2020. With 7 nights.

i.e., I am discouraged to see that at 13 months out, nothing. I guess it may be irregularly released. Yes, am presidential level.

You did not say in your original post what time period you are looking for. Since I know you are booked in 2019, I was scratching my head wondering why you would want anything in 2019 or even early 2020. The DPs for early 2020 are high because it’s high season. Better to go in low season in May-July 2020 or Nov-Dec 2020. Personally, I love late spring and early summer in the Caribbean.

It could be that because Jan-April is high season in the Caribbean, they do not yet have inventory to release for 2020. I can guarantee you will get something in 2020 for low season and you will definitely start seeing high season inventory soon. In 2019, there was so much inventory available for Jan-April. Surprisingly there was more inventory for high season in 2019 than low season. It is all gone now but I often notice that MVC limits availability at 60 days. Either it is booked or perhaps they just do not want people getting 30% off points for last minute bookings.

I know if you look across the system, there is often a lot available at 60 days for last minute discount bookings. However, I have also noticed that many times, high demand places I am interested in have nothing in the 60 day window but a lot right past 60 days.

Last year, they released a ton of inventory at the end of the year. Like I said, I think they manage RC-ST inventory a bit differently than other places.

Another interesting tid bit. I wanted to book a 1BR for 3N at Maui Napili/Lahaina OF in Sept. It has not been available for the 1 BRs at the newer towers but was available for the older, converted towers. Last week, MVC opened up the inventory for short stays in 1BRs in the Napili/Lahaina towers.

I definitely think MVC is managing inventory and not everything is released at once, even for Presidential and Chairman’s Club members.
 
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I am going next month and looking forward to seeing the property. I have had difficulty finding accurate information regarding the status of the resort. I received this email from them yesterday, which I found very helpful. I will post a thread upon my return. For those of you looking for the Ritz Carlton HOTEL it has been temporarily renamed the Great Bay resort until the Ritz is completely remodeled.

"We are looking forward to welcoming you back home to The Ritz-Carlton Club, St. Thomas! The Club has recovered from catastrophic damages from Hurricane Irma, the largest Atlantic Hurricane every recorded with winds in excess of 200 miles per hour and Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that took place 14 days after Hurricane Irma. Category 5 hurricanes are the strongest storms in the western hemisphere with winds exceeding 156 miles per hour and storm surge generally greater than 18 feet above normal. The Island continue to see improvements but many services and facilities you’re accustomed to may not be available. Please carefully read this email in its entirety to understand the current state and what to expect once on Island.


Club Improvements

· Exterior of all buildings painted.

· New roof top air conditioning units installed.

· New guest elevators in all buildings.

· New landscaping throughout the property.

· New state of the art commercial infrared barbeque grills.

· Upgraded large Samsung televisions in all Residences and Suites.

· All Suites have gone through a refurbishment with new mattresses, upholstery, paint color, and refinished cabinets.

· New chaise lounges, cushions, and luxury outdoor seating areas around the pool and beach.

· New easy to use thermostats installed in residences.

· New exterior signage installed



Club Updates

· Coconut Cove restaurant managed by the hotel is open serving breakfast, lunch and dinner every day in the week.

· The Club beach did suffer substantial erosion and is experiencing a much smaller beachline. Due to this, there is limited availability of beach chairs available but have options available if you choose to visit off property beaches.

· The Recreation team will assist with the use of the hotel beach if the space at our beach is limited.

· All swimming pools and hot tubs at the Club have been restored.

· Non-motorized watersports and daytrip excursion are available through Cruz Bay Watersports, which has established a tour desk near The Club pool.

· Enhanced daily activity schedule.

· The Grand Palazzo Club restaurant is open for dinner service only.



Hotel Updates - The hotel located next to The Club, is open and temporarily operating as a limited service unbranded 80 room hotel known as The St. Thomas Great Bay Resort. After the completion of significant renovations to guest rooms and public spaces, the hotel will re-open as The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas by the end of 2019.

· The following resort amenities will be closed until the hotel re-opens as The Ritz-Carlton:Bleuwater Restaurant, Sails Restaurant, Essenza Restaurant, In-Room Dining, Zest, The Spa, tennis courts, The Boutique, and Ambassadors of the Environment.

· Lady Lyndsey, the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas’ signature catamaran was destroyed in Hurricane Irma and is not available. An interim catamaran is available and offering excursions until the hotel re-opens and the new Lady Lyndsey II catamaran is debuted.

· The hotel pool is open and available to Club Members, but operating with no poolside service.

· The fitness center is open and available for use 24 hours a day.


Island Updates

· Flights to and from the island are limited. Please be sure to check with your airline to check the status of your flight.

· Island favorites such as ZoZo’s Sugar Mill at Caneel Bay, Havana Blue, Oceana, Room With a View, The Grille Room, and Mahogany Run Golf Course are currently closed for the foreseeable future.

· The hospital is open and offering medical services.

· Many buildings and residential homes continue to show signs of recovery throughout the island.

· Tourism on island increases as cruise ships continue to come into port, hotels and resorts re-open and recovery efforts continue in the British Virgin Islands."
 

Steve Fatula

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You did not say in your original post what time period you are looking for. Since I know you are booked in 2019, I was scratching my head wondering why you would want anything in 2019 or even early 2020. The DPs for early 2020 are high because it’s high season. Better to go in low season in May-July 2020 or Nov-Dec 2020. Personally, I love late spring and early summer in the Caribbean.

It could be that because Jan-April is high season in the Caribbean, they do not yet have inventory to release for 2020. I can guarantee you will get something in 2020 for low season and you will definitely start seeing high season inventory soon. In 2019, there was so much inventory available for Jan-April. Surprisingly there was more inventory for high season in 2019 than low season. It is all gone now but I often notice that MVC limits availability at 60 days. Either it is booked or perhaps they just do not want people getting 30% off points for last minute bookings.

I know if you look across the system, there is often a lot available at 60 days for last minute discount bookings. However, I have also noticed that many times, high demand places I am interested in have nothing in the 60 day window but a lot right past 60 days.

Last year, they released a ton of inventory at the end of the year. Like I said, I think they manage RC-ST inventory a bit differently than other places.

Another interesting tid bit. I wanted to book a 1BR for 3N at Maui Napili/Lahaina OF in Sept. It has not been available for the 1 BRs at the newer towers but was available for the older, converted towers. Last week, MVC opened up the inventory for short stays in 1BRs in the Napili/Lahaina towers.

I definitely think MVC is managing inventory and not everything is released at once, even for Presidential and Chairman’s Club members.

"So, every day, I look 13 months out with points, and see no dates.". I guess you might say that's ambiguous. But that's what I meant. You have given me hope though.
 
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