Urgent Question--Need to make Vistana reservation

[regatta333]

A Vistana reservation that I've been searching for just became available. The points required to book it are tied up on a request first search in Interval. I cannot figure out how to cancel the request and have the week returned so that I can book the reservation through Vistana. I then thought to prepay my maintenance fees for next year so that I could borrow the options needed to book the reservation (only a few months away), but it keeps telling me I do not have enough options to make the reservation.

Is there anything I can do to book this tonight? I am afraid it will be gone by the time I can call in tomorrow.

 

[regatta333]

Reservation no longer available, but I would appreciate any feedback for future reference.

 

[CPNY]

Reservation no longer available, but I would appreciate any feedback for future reference.

I’d Keep checking availability. I was on the phone with the vistana rep refreshing my search when availability popped up for 4th of July. I was booking with 2022 Star Options that I prepaid the MF online the night before. Unfortunately the only way to book a reservation using next years SO are over the phone with a rep.

I’m not sure if you can do the interval online. Others with more interval experience should be able to help you. But, You may have to call interval tomorrow and see what can be done.

 

[tschwa2]

You can't cancel an ongoing search with interval online. It has to be done over the phone.

 

[regatta333]

A Vistana rep told me that all cancelled reservations get cycled into the system at midnight Eastern. If this is true, my next shot at a reservation is at midnight tonight. Since I can't book with borrowed options without a phone call, my only option appears to be to get on the phone with Interval when they open and cancel my request first search so that I can get the week back.

 

[tomvc]

I prepaid MF online and was able use chat to borrow points to complete a reservation.

 

[regatta333]

I prepaid MF online and was able use chat to borrow points to complete a reservation.

Good to know. Thank you.

 

[regatta333]

Related question: If a reservation made with options borrowed from 2022 is cancelled, do the options get returned to 2022, or do they now expire in 2021?

 

[iowaguy09]

Related question: If a reservation made with options borrowed from 2022 is cancelled, do the options get returned to 2022, or do they now expire in 2021?

I asked this same question last week and was told they will return to the use year (2022) as HomeOptions as long as cancelled in the non-penalty window (note, we are Westin Flex owners). We are planning an 8-month out StarOption booking for 2022 which will require borrowing some of our 2023 HomeOptions to fulfill.

I know you are not asking, but some other important tips I learned:
1) The reservation involving the borrowing can only be made over the phone via a Vistana rep starting at 9am EST in the morning. However, a partial booking using your available StarOptions can be made at midnight EST the night before online, then the online reservation can be added to the next morning by a rep.
2) All MF must be paid in advance of the borrowing, both this year and the year you are borrowing from (2022 MF and 2022 MF in our case).
3) EOY HomeOptions can only be used in the same type of year (odd-odd, even-even). In our case, 2023 EOY HomeOptions odd cannot be borrowed for use on the 2022 booking.

 

[regatta333]

1) The reservation involving the borrowing can only be made over the phone via a Vistana rep starting at 9am EST in the morning. However, a partial booking using your available StarOptions can be made at midnight EST the night before online, then the online reservation can be added to the next morning by a rep.

Just to clarify. Do you mean that I can use 2021 staroptions to book part of the week I need, and then call in the next morning to borrow 2022 options and hope that the rest of the week is still available to book?

 

[iowaguy09]

Just to clarify. Do you mean that I can use 2021 staroptions to book part of the week I need, and then call in the next morning to borrow 2022 options and hope that the rest of the week is still available to book?

Yes, the Vistana agent I spoke with confirmed to me it can be done that way. It should improve the chances of getting the full reservation desired, but of course, no way to guarantee that. It is the strategy I plan to employ for our reservation.

 

[MommaBear]

I've always been able to book a reservation using a "next year" and pay then Vistana fees for that year afterwards.

 

[dioxide45]

I've always been able to book a reservation using a "next year" and pay then Vistana fees for that year afterwards.

But is your reservation in the same year you are using the StarOptions from? Meaning, you are using 2022 StarOptions this year for a 2022 reservation? That is no issue and no need to prepay. The issue would be if you want to use 2022 or 2023 StarOptions for a 2021 or 2022 reservation. That would require prepaying the fees.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

A Vistana reservation that I've been searching for just became available. The points required to book it are tied up on a request first search in Interval. I cannot figure out how to cancel the request and have the week returned so that I can book the reservation through Vistana. I then thought to prepay my maintenance fees for next year so that I could borrow the options needed to book the reservation (only a few months away), but it keeps telling me I do not have enough options to make the reservation.

Is there anything I can do to book this tonight? I am afraid it will be gone by the time I can call in tomorrow.

to book from borrowed SO's you need to call in. We have borrowed the last 2 yrs .

 

[DeniseM]

You cannot make a reservation ONLINE with borrowed Staroptions - you have to call and have a Rep do it for you during business hours. And you can't do it until 8 months before check-in.

 

[CPNY]

You cannot make a reservation ONLINE with borrowed Staroptions - you have to call and have a Rep do it for you during business hours. And you can't do it until 8 months before check-in.

I really wish they would change this. It makes it difficult to book anything, especially with the insane hold times and m-f 9-5 hours

 

[dioxide45]

I really wish they would change this. It makes it difficult to book anything, especially with the insane hold times and m-f 9-5 hours

I suspect if a combined program is coming we will see no new inovation or features added for weeks and StarOption bookings. Marriott has made no new innovations to their weeks booking system in over 10 years after they created DC. If they plan to bring the two systems together in some form, then they will be pouring resources into that and we likely will never see new features to make StarOption booking process better. One good thing, at least it is already better than Marriott weeks bookings. With Marriott, you can't even cancel a reservation made online, nor add a guest name.

 

[iowaguy09]

You cannot make a reservation ONLINE with borrowed Staroptions - you have to call and have a Rep do it for you during business hours. And you can't do it until 8 months before check-in.

Absolutely correct (as the moderator should be - haha)!

 

[controller1]

A Vistana rep told me that all cancelled reservations get cycled into the system at midnight Eastern. If this is true, my next shot at a reservation is at midnight tonight.

That is incorrect. My experience (confirmed about ten minutes ago) is that a cancelled reservation becomes available immediately.

I just moved a 2-day reservation from one Maui resort to another. I checked prior to making the reservation to see what was available. What was not available previously was immediately available after cancellation.

 

[regatta333]

That is incorrect. My experience (confirmed about ten minutes ago) is that a cancelled reservation becomes available immediately.

I just moved a 2-day reservation from one Maui resort to another. I checked prior to making the reservation to see what was available. What was not available previously was immediately available after cancellation.

Interesting. I was surprised that I saw the reservation I needed a few minutes before midnight. Don't know how long it had been there, but it only lasted about 10 minutes, so I wonder if others are searching like me on bad advice from Vistana.

It was especially frustrating because I've been trying to get that exact week in Maui for months. I had already booked the following week at the 8 month mark, but by the time we decided on the second week, everything was already booked. I put a request first search for the exact date in Interval, not realizing it would take the Staroptions out of commission for booking with Vistana if something became available. With all call centers closed at that hour, there was no way to get the search cancelled. I prepaid my 2022 maintenance, thinking that would enable me to book using 2022 options, but that also did not pan out. With only about 2.5 months to go, I am not optimistic. I do have a backup booking that is cancellable but, at $1,700, not ideal. I am hoping there will be some people who will cancel in the next few weeks to avoid having restricted options, but with Hawaii requiring such advance planning, I am not optimistic.

 

[controller1]

Interesting. I was surprised that I saw the reservation I needed a few minutes before midnight. Don't know how long it had been there, but it only lasted about 10 minutes, so I wonder if others are searching like me on bad advice from Vistana.

It was especially frustrating because I've been trying to get that exact week in Maui for months. I had already booked the following week at the 8 month mark, but by the time we decided on the second week, everything was already booked. I put a request first search for the exact date in Interval, not realizing it would take the Staroptions out of commission for booking with Vistana if something became available. With all call centers closed at that hour, there was no way to get the search cancelled. I prepaid my 2022 maintenance, thinking that would enable me to book using 2022 options, but that also did not pan out. With only about 2.5 months to go, I am not optimistic. I do have a backup booking that is cancellable but, at $1,700, not ideal. I am hoping there will be some people who will cancel in the next few weeks to avoid having restricted options, but with Hawaii requiring such advance planning, I am not optimistic.

Keep checking a couple of times each day. That's what I have been doing for the past three weeks and what I needed was still not available this morning but was available when I checked mid-afternoon today.