Room Preferences for II trade

[Mlvnsmly]

Do you still get a call/email asking for room preferences when you do an II trade just like you would if you had booked using deeded ownership or DP? I recently did my first trade for my 3rd week of my Florida trip and haven't heard anything from Ocean Pointe. I know I will be down the list, but I'd like to at least ask.

TIA

 

[dioxide45]

We have received them in the past, but we have a checkin coming up at Ocean Pointe on Sunday and haven't received anything about preferences. We did receive an email about what they are doing and such about COVID, but it didn't ask for preferences.

 

[Mlvnsmly]

Thanks. I also got that email. Lakeshore reached out and just asked how many in my party and approximate arrival time. Oceana Palms asked for room preferences and party size.

 

[dioxide45]

Yes, I also received an email from Oceana Palms about villa preferences, but nothing from Ocean Pointe.

 

[jme]

Preface:
First, be realistic.....just imagine how reps of Pre-Arrival Teams HATE this weekly task of room assignments and requests.
It's truly a tough job.

Now, here are my thoughts.....

Pre-arrival emails for preferences are now standard for owners who are occupying. Not sure about emails to traders or users of DC Points.
For you, a trader, don't wait for an email ----assume you won't get one.
Some say to call the resort about about 2-3 weeks ahead to give your preference, but I say call today,
regardless of how far in advance you are. They WILL note it on your reservation at any point.
Be reasonable....don't ask for "top floor, ocean view" (everybody wants that!), for instance, because as a trader you won't get it.
Just find out the building names or numbers, and ask for any of several in a preferred general area, not just one building or floor, etc.,
and for a middle floor with partial ocean view, but you can always add in a nice way, "if you received better you would not turn it down",
and let it be known by your tone that you are smiling.
Be kind, respectful, and fair, knowing they must adhere to their pecking order, but realizing that once in a blue moon,
you may actually get bumped up. It does happen. Good luck.

 

[Dean]

We have several reservations and exchanges coming up and received a welcome with Covid info from all and no room request email. Fortunately for one it doesn't matter much and for the other I have a working relationship with the GM and FD manager so just sent it to them a couple of months ago so they don't have a heart attack realizing it's 14 rooms for one party.

 

[Superchief]

Unless things have changed in the past couple of years, Interval no longer informs the resorts that you are a MVC owner. Therefore all II exchangers are treated the same, and you will not receive any villa location priority by being a MVC owner. I learned this the hard way at Ocean Pointe (even though I own there) after the hurricane when reservations were being cancelled due to some villas not being available. Previously I always received villa location priorities when I exchanged because I was an MVC owner and it was a home resort. I'm not aware of any changes to this policy since II is now owned by MVC, but I wouldn't expect any villa location options on an exchange. A call would definitely improve your chances because then they will at least know you are an MVC owner.

 

[frank808]

Thanks. I also got that email. Lakeshore reached out and just asked how many in my party and approximate arrival time. Oceana Palms asked for room preferences and party size.

Will be at Lakeshore starting tomorrow. Our flight gets into MCO at 8pm. I did not get any preference email. I did get an email telling me what was open or closed.

Will you be at Lakeshore from June 12-26? If so maybe we can meet up and have a chat.

If not enjoy your vacation.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[jme]

Unless things have changed in the past couple of years, Interval no longer informs the resorts that you are a MVC owner. Therefore all II exchangers are treated the same, and you will not receive any villa location priority by being a MVC owner. I learned this the hard way at Ocean Pointe (even though I own there) after the hurricane when reservations were being cancelled due to some villas not being available. Previously I always received villa location priorities when I exchanged because I was an MVC owner and it was a home resort. I'm not aware of any changes to this policy since II is now owned by MVC, but I wouldn't expect any villa location options on an exchange. A call would definitely improve your chances because then they will at least know you are an MVC owner.

Not sure what happened there at Ocean Pointe, Bill, during the aftermath of the hurricane, and I hate that for you,
but I still believe that one does in fact move up in the pecking order if they are trading back in as an owner at a particular resort,
but not always if they are simply an MVC owner elsewhere.
Maybe something else influenced your assignment---I can't explain it---- but it had to be some sort of one-off thing.
Had to be a temporary, impulsive, and out-of-the-ordinary move by management in light of the strain due to the hurricane damage.
From what I've experienced at every turn with trades lately is that the resorts still recognize and honor their owners in such a way
as to "up" their priority. And imho, they should. That is another reason I believe it's crucial to make that phone call
for requests and remind them that you are indeed an owner trading back in. It certainly cannot hurt.
And......Even if not an owner there, a phone call well in advance of arrival can work wonders every now and then.

 

[Dean]

Not sure what happened there at Ocean Pointe, Bill, during the aftermath of the hurricane, and I hate that for you,
but I still believe that one does in fact move up in the pecking order if they are trading back in as an owner at a particular resort,
but not always if they are simply an MVC owner elsewhere.
Maybe something else influenced your assignment---I can't explain it---- but it had to be some sort of one-off thing.
Had to be a temporary, impulsive, and out-of-the-ordinary move by management in light of the strain due to the hurricane damage.
From what I've experienced at every turn with trades lately is that the resorts still recognize and honor their owners in such a way
as to "up" their priority. And imho, they should. That is another reason I believe it's crucial to make that phone call
for requests and remind them that you are indeed an owner trading back in. It certainly cannot hurt.
And......Even if not an owner there, a phone call well in advance of arrival can work wonders every now and then.

Marty, many resorts do not consider ownership at that resort as a formal factor for unit assignment if one is trading in, from what I've seen and heard it's a minority that even consider it but I think OP is one that does as is Maui. Now there can be the situation where you're using an owned week AND have an exchange or DC points reservation in which case one will likely get vicarious consideration because of trying to match up the multiple units. And assignments are always a black hole because it varies with each resort and even each person who does it at a given resort. And likely the biggest factor I've seen the last 2 years is that it's tied to the GM so when there's a GM change, these issues can shift at times. There seems to be a big push the last few years to be hardline on unit assignment processes to simplify the assignments. For example, at one resort I know of, they will move you if the unit type is not the EXACT match from one unit to the next. Obviously if the resort is not near capacity they have a lot more leeway.

 

[Superchief]

Not sure what happened there at Ocean Pointe, Bill, during the aftermath of the hurricane, and I hate that for you,
but I still believe that one does in fact move up in the pecking order if they are trading back in as an owner at a particular resort,
but not always if they are simply an MVC owner elsewhere.
Maybe something else influenced your assignment---I can't explain it---- but it had to be some sort of one-off thing.
Had to be a temporary, impulsive, and out-of-the-ordinary move by management in light of the strain due to the hurricane damage.
From what I've experienced at every turn with trades lately is that the resorts still recognize and honor their owners in such a way
as to "up" their priority. And imho, they should. That is another reason I believe it's crucial to make that phone call
for requests and remind them that you are indeed an owner trading back in. It certainly cannot hurt.
And......Even if not an owner there, a phone call well in advance of arrival can work wonders every now and then.

Fortunately, I contacted the GM directly and enough villas opened up to accommodate my stay. I was in limbo for a few weeks and booked a back up reservation at the Marriott Singer Island Suites. The key thing I learned during my correspondence was that II did not include any MVC ownership information in the reservation information provided to OP (as they had done previously). That is the reason Ocean Pointe was cancelling all II reservations at that time, including those of MVC owners. MVC customer relations were not helpful at all, and neither were the Ocean Pointe board members.

I agree that it is essential to contact the resort to provide your ownership information. I've had good luck by doing this prior to all types of stays, but especially for exchanges. I've been able to successfully link them with my DC points stays unless the view types were different. Ocean Pointe has high ownership occupancy similar to Grand Ocean. There is also a big difference in view quality between villas because lower OF and OS floors typically have limited views. The villa assignment staff there have a difficult job that has become even more challenging with shorter stays and varying check-in dates. Flexibility and empathy are helpful in receiving a preferred villa location.

 

[Mlvnsmly]

Will be at Lakeshore starting tomorrow. Our flight gets into MCO at 8pm. I did not get any preference email. I did get an email telling me what was open or closed.

Will you be at Lakeshore from June 12-26? If so maybe we can meet up and have a chat.

If not enjoy your vacation.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

I'll be there from June 20-27