Trade into Ko Olina?

[GregT]

For 2010, we are going to seek to trade our Week 24 Lahaina Villas studio to get a 1BR (or 2BR??) at Ko Olina in Week 25, to allow us one week in Maui and one in Oahu.

Has anyone successfully traded up from a studio to a bigger unit at Ko Olina? Please advise and thanks!

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I believe your trade would be like for like, i.e. studio for studio. I doubt you would be able to trade "up" unless you were trading within the 59 day time frame (flextime).

 

[Berea1]

It is possible.

Here is what you do: 1) deposit your 2009 and 2010 units with II as soon as you can. They will both have about the same trading value. 2.) Use one to make a request for three weeks around that week. Or request only that week but add two more timeshares that you don't have a chance of getting like Marriott Grande Ocean MGO) for the fourth of July and the Harborside Resort at Atlantis (HRA) for Christmans, 2010. You need to be 3 weeks at one timeshare or 1 week at three timeshares to make the request. 3.) You are depositing with II first and then making a request paying the $ 99 fee if yo are only requesting a trade to Marriott, the $ 139 fee for US non-Marriotts and the higher $ 159 (is that the new fee for international trades?) for non-US trades. I will rely on someone else to suggest a hgihly desireable Marriott trade that you most likely won't get.

Assume you get your trade and the week you want but it is for a studio. Use the other Marriott week that you deposit to search for a 1 BR. If you find it, click on it for that 18 minute hold before confirming. Then immediately call II, assuming that it is between 9 am and midnight to tell them that the 1 BR is available, that you have a temporary hold on it, and you want to use the existing confirmed trade that you have to grab the 1 BR. You will have to pay another $$99 fee (as it is Marriott to Marriott) but you will now have an upgrade to a 1 BR. II doesn't care who it gets the $99 from to grab that timeshare unit. I just thought of this as I began typing this scenario out.

 

[laxmom]

Yes, we did it. We had a studio reserved and started calling at day 59. On day two, they had an upgrade available and we gladly paid another exchange fee for a 2 bedroom.

 

[wa.mama]

With help from other tuggers, were able to trade a 1 bdrm for a 2 bdrm at Ko Olina. That's a hard trade since most of them are split into lockoffs for trading purposes. Also did it during flextime.

 

[1st Class]

Yes, we did it. We had a studio reserved and started calling at day 59. On day two, they had an upgrade available and we gladly paid another exchange fee for a 2 bedroom.

Same here, but our 2BR unit was found online.

 

[jlr10]

You need to be 3 weeks at one timeshare or 1 week at three timeshares to make the request.

If you call II you can request one resort for a one week time slot, and you can even request a specific day of the week for the check in. I know this because I have done it in the past, and currently have an ongoing search for a specific day, specific week, and specific resort. They don't like to do this because they must return this fee if the exchange is not made, but they will put in the request if you ask.

 

[GregT]

Thank you for the suggestions!

One clarifying question, if I could -- do I read this correctly that people have traded their studio for a studio, and then started calling II in Flextime to see if a 2BR opened up, and if it did, they exchanged their already-traded studio for the 2BR?

Thanks and wish me luck!!

 

[Berea1]

Yes that is how it is done

You can call everyday if you want but if you have the ongoing search that will grab the bigger unit. You have 24 hours to cancel that search. Before II releases it, you use your existing Ko Olina studio to grab the bigger unit by paying an additional $99 exchange fee as it is a Marriott to Marriott exchange.

Patrick

 

[1965]

is the key to this thread

that the Switch and extra $99 fee
must occur
within the flexchange period

Is that 60 days??

 

[1st Class]

Thank you for the suggestions!

One clarifying question, if I could -- do I read this correctly that people have traded their studio for a studio, and then started calling II in Flextime to see if a 2BR opened up, and if it did, they exchanged their already-traded studio for the 2BR?

Thanks and wish me luck!!

Correct -- but I didn't call -- just looked online until I found the unit I was looking for. Incidentally, I actually found two units available with a July 4th check in which coincided exactly with our airline tix. It really is hit or miss, but it worked for us.

 

[1st Class]

is the key to this thread

that the Switch and extra $99 fee
must occur
within the flexchange period

Is that 60 days??

Not exactly. It is much more likely to occur during flexchange (59 days out) but it is not impossible at other times since whatever you see online is also available to you.

 

[Stefa]

Thank you for the suggestions!

One clarifying question, if I could -- do I read this correctly that people have traded their studio for a studio, and then started calling II in Flextime to see if a 2BR opened up, and if it did, they exchanged their already-traded studio for the 2BR?

Thanks and wish me luck!!

I'd start searching online a couple of months before flexchange opens up. You don't have to do this religiously, but you might get lucky and find what you want. We just got a two-bedroom (December, so low season) at the Westin Maui with a one-bedroom from an online search.

 

[rpw]

Not sure I understand this

I just called II and asked if there was a one bedroom at MMO for 10/10/2008. She said no, but there was one for the 12th. Looking at II website I don't see any 1 bedrooms from 10/3/2008 to 10/24/2008? I'm using my one bedroom KoOlina to look, but that shouldn't matter in flexchange? Anyone see a one bedroom? Or am I doing something wrong?

 

[m61376]

I just called II and asked if there was a one bedroom at MMO for 10/10/2008. She said no, but there was one for the 12th. Looking at II website I don't see any 1 bedrooms from 10/3/2008 to 10/24/2008? I'm using my one bedroom KoOlina to look, but that shouldn't matter in flexchange? Anyone see a one bedroom? Or am I doing something wrong?

II can be quirky at times and also inventory may fluctuate.

 

[seema]

Outside of flex time, would the Marriott II agents state that you can trade only like for like? If you deposit a studio, and if something opens up, would the II agent only be able to give a studio - even (for argument's sake) there was a studio available, and also a 1 br unit available, and a 2 br unit available- all at the same time.

Now, if one tries to make an exchange (outside of the flex period) on-line. How likely is the studio unit (let us say in Maui or Kauai) going to get a one (or even 2) bedroom unit, if available? I presume that the online availailability of units does not follow the like for like as strictly as the telephone II customer service representative?

 

[m61376]

Outside of flex time, would the Marriott II agents state that you can trade only like for like? If you deposit a studio, and if something opens up, would the II agent only be able to give a studio - even (for argument's sake) there was a studio available, and also a 1 br unit available, and a 2 br unit available- all at the same time.

Now, if one tries to make an exchange (outside of the flex period) on-line. How likely is the studio unit (let us say in Maui or Kauai) going to get a one (or even 2) bedroom unit, if available? I presume that the online availailability of units does not follow the like for like as strictly as the telephone II customer service representative?

It depends upon the strength of the week you are using for trading and the week you are looking to trade into. For example, if you are offering a Plat. Aruba week, a prime ski week or a Hawaii week during peak season, you may be able to trade up from a studio to a 1 BR or a 1BR to a 2BR; if you are offering a peak week and want a little off-season week (or a lesser resort) you might be able to pull a 2BR with your studio.

For ex., my friend wanted NCV and was trading in with a first week of March Summit Watch ski week. She wanted the beginning of November (so off-season) and was able to get confirmed about 4 months beforehand. She had the request in for several months before that, but the upgrade wasn't confirmed until closer in, but still way outside of Flexchange. Of course, since NCV only has 2 BR's, she was able to place an on-going search.

 

[thinze3]

Outside of flex time, would the Marriott II agents state that you can trade only like for like? If you deposit a studio, and if something opens up, would the II agent only be able to give a studio - even (for argument's sake) there was a studio available, and also a 1 br unit available, and a 2 br unit available- all at the same time.

Now, if one tries to make an exchange (outside of the flex period) on-line. How likely is the studio unit (let us say in Maui or Kauai) going to get a one (or even 2) bedroom unit, if available? I presume that the online availailability of units does not follow the like for like as strictly as the telephone II customer service representative?

There is definately a question of trading strength involved in every trade outside of Flexchange.

If you are using a 2BR to search with and then do the same search using a studio to search with, chances are you will see different (less) results. With a Hawaii lock-off most likely the results will be similar, however.


Terry

 

[thinze3]

Trade examples

I just searched MBP for Aug '08 - Aug '09 using a 2BR week 7 at Ocean Pointe and found SIX 2BR units available.

I did the same search using a Studio week 7 at Ocaen Pointe and found only ONE 2BR unit available at MBP.

I refreshed and searched several times to eliminate any II server glitches.
Obviously there is an issue with trading strength.

Terry

 

[sls1003]

Outside of flex time, would the Marriott II agents state that you can trade only like for like? If you deposit a studio, and if something opens up, would the II agent only be able to give a studio - even (for argument's sake) there was a studio available, and also a 1 br unit available, and a 2 br unit available- all at the same time.

Now, if one tries to make an exchange (outside of the flex period) on-line. How likely is the studio unit (let us say in Maui or Kauai) going to get a one (or even 2) bedroom unit, if available? I presume that the online availailability of units does not follow the like for like as strictly as the telephone II customer service representative?

My understanding is that if you place an ongoing search, you can only search like for like unless the resort you are requesting only has larger sized accomdations. However, if you are talking to a Marriott II agent they can tell you if your unit will pull larger accomodations based on what is in their inventory at the time. I've called and spoken to an agent and been able to get a 1 br for our studio and a 2 br for our 1 br but that is before I knew how to use the online system so I may have been able to do the same thing online.

The online system does not necessarily follow like for like. If you can see it, you can book it. That being said, we'll generally see more searching with our 1 br than our studio but can see 1 br and even 2 br outside of flextime in certain locations searching with our studio.

 

[rosepointe]

How does one access flexchange properties?

This is the first time I have booked and depositied our Aruba unit and we are looking to go to Hawaii or Tahiti next year. Since I am not certain what we are doing yet (possible South Pacific) or Hawaii and we now have an AC to use I wanted to check out last minute properties during the year before this expires. Not certain where they are listed or do we have to call II.

Thanks
Sue

 

[thinze3]

You can go to your II account and click "exchange" and then "view your units". Click "exchange" next to your Accommodation Certificate.

Enter todays date and 59 days from today as the search period. Click "search all destinations" and then "continue".

You should see evey location that has an available unit. If your search dates further out, 60 days or more, you will get a restrictive grid to pick and choose months and locations.

Good Luck.

Terry